By Jennifer Berghom, Special to the Star
Dr. John H. Krouse, executive vice president for Health Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine, visited with students at Lamar Academy in McAllen on Tuesday, April 30, to donate white coats for them to wear at the Texas Science Olympiad.
The Lamar Academy students took first place in the Regional Science Olympiad on Feb. 23 at South Texas College. They qualified to compete in the state tournament May 3-4 at Texas A&M University at College Station. Officials at the McAllen Independent School District said the students are required to wear white coats for one portion of the tournament.
“The UTRGV School of Medicine is proud of the students at Lamar Academy for their accomplishments and we are pleased to show our support of and cooperation with the McAllen Independent School District through this white coat donation,” Krouse said. “McAllen ISD is doing an excellent job of preparing its students for pursuing higher education and careers in the STEM fields, and we look forward to more collaborations between UTRGV and the school district.”
Both Krouse and McAllen ISD officials said the donation is a great opportunity to expand partnerships between the university and the school district.
“We appreciate the UTRGV School of Medicine for its generous donation of white coats for our students at Lamar Academy,” said McAllen ISD Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez, Ed.D. “I also want to extend my thanks to the dean of the School of Medicine, Dr. John Krouse, for attending this special event for our students. This will inspire them as they compete at the state level. When higher education and public education partner up, students benefit.”
