Texas Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resource is in the process of completing an overhaul of its Student Success Center, a group of professionals in the Dean's Office charged with recruiting and retaining the best students for the college. In addition, plans are underway to increase efficiency of the group's services, following a thorough review led by Cindy Akers, CASNR's Associate Dean for Academic and Student Programs.

Among the staff changes are:

• Coordinator for Undergraduate Programs  Savannah Leonard. responsible for undergraduate programs, degree plans, transfer credits, commencement, awarding of undergraduate degrees, advising, and assisting the associate dean for academic programs.
•  Coordinator of Scholarships  Cindy McCullough. Prior to taking her new position, McCullough served as Coordinator of College Relations in the Student Success Center. Earlier, she worked in Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences and Tech's Office of the Provost.
• Coordinator for Student Retention  Holly Cogdell. Prior to accepting her new position, Cogdell worked in the Student Success Center as a graduate assistant. Cogdell received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas Tech.
• Coordinator for Student Recruitment  Elizabeth Bertrand. Prior to accepting her new position, she worked in the Student Success Center as a graduate assistant. Bertrand received her bachelor's and master's degree from Texas Tech.
• Coordinator for College Relations  Janie Lopez. Prior to joining CASNR, Lopez served as an administrative assistant in Tech's Office of the Provost, and before that she worked as a senior business assistant in Tech's College of Education. She received her bachelor's degree from Texas Tech.

The Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center is named for long-time member of the Department of Plant and Soil Science's emeritus faculty Bill Bennett. Bennett, who served as CASNR's interim dean during the late 1970s, spearheaded the creation of the college's Ambassadors for Agriculture and Agri-Techsans programs.

The Ambassadors for Agriculture group is dedicated to spreading the story of American agriculture, natural resources and their opportunities for youth in these fields. Bennett joined the Texas Tech faculty in 1968, and taught a variety of courses in the Department of Plant and Soil Science. In 1984, he became the college's director of development, raising the college's endowment to nearly $10 million, an amount that was the largest college endowment at the time of his retirement in 1997.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Cindy Akers, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Programs, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or cindy.akers@ttu.edu

0611NM14