by TIPI Staff | Sep 13, 2022
By Andrea Martinez, Class of 2026 My community, Brownsville, Texas, is home to many small businesses and entrepreneurs. The local businesses in the community are frequently owned by Brownsville natives and are family operated. Brownsville, on the border of Mexico and...
by TIPI Staff | Sep 13, 2022
By Jennifer Torres, Class of 2026 During the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet several new people. Each interview has been different and has enabled me to learn something new about my community. For example, I have learned about the opportunities and...
by TIPI Staff | Sep 13, 2022
By Daniel Guerra, Class of 2027 Although the send-off was the most difficult part of the process, I am now finding myself safely sailing and enjoying the view. In reality, nothing major changed from my previous approach at this interview process: I persistently...
by TIPI Staff | Sep 13, 2022
By José Manuel Vazquez, Class of 2026 Disasters strike in all parts of our Earth. On a smaller scale, my community has undergone a few natural disasters. Among the three biggest disasters, South Texas has endured a pandemic, a handful of flooding incidents, and a few...
by TIPI Staff | Sep 13, 2022
By Mariana Arevalo For the South Texas small business interview portion of the Disaster Strength Research Program, I had a primary source perspective on how circumstances fluctuate for these owners. As I interviewed people from my community, I realized they all shared...
by TIPI Staff | Aug 28, 2022
In 2018, IMLS awarded a grant to Dr. Sharon Strover, at the University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. Marcia Mardis, at Florida State University, to study how small and rural libraries contribute to community resiliency after a disaster. We conducted more than 100 phone,...
by TIPI Staff | Jul 18, 2022
By Andrea Martinez, Class of 2026 The city of Brownsville, my hometown, is renowned for its orientation to the South Texas Gulf Coast and border with Mexico as well as its rich history. My close connection to the culture of South Texas prompted my participation in UT...
by TIPI Staff | Jul 18, 2022
By Mariana Arevalo, Class of 2026 Oftentimes, we are just existing rather than living without knowing the context and purpose of our duty in this world we call Earth. On June 6, 2022, I had the opportunity to attend the Museum of South Texas History in the city of...
by TIPI Staff | Jul 18, 2022
By José Manuel Vazquez, Class of 2026 For this summer, I joined the Disaster Strength team, a team of researchers whose mission is to learn more about how the residents of South Texas respond to natural disasters. From local business owners to city leaders, our...
by TIPI Staff | Jul 18, 2022
By Jennifer Torres, Class of 2026 Before the trip to Edinburg, the only contact I had with my teammates was through Zoom. It was not until the trip that I was able to meet and greet them. I was nervous about seeing a new city and meeting new people, especially those I...
