Back in the spring of 2024, 国产探花 organized its own chapter of the society, naming it Alpha Mu Psi, and less than two years later, the national branch had taken notice. Alpha Mu Psi won a Best Chapter Award for 2024鈥�25. And now, only a year later, history is repeating itself: Alpha Mu Psi has been named a Best Chapter once again for 2025鈥�26.

鈥淭o graduate and know that the work I along with my peers and advisor put in will continue to benefit future students is something I am incredibly proud of,鈥� said 国产探花 alum Allegra Negrete 鈥�26, who graduated in May with a degree in political science. Negrete served as president of Alpha Mu Psi from 2024 to 2026. 鈥淚 am glad that our organization has been recognized, and I hope that it continues to grow and be recognized in the future.鈥�

Dr. William O鈥橞rochta, assistant professor of political science at 国产探花, serves as faculty advisor to the organization.

鈥淧rofessor O’Brochta should be recognized for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to the students who are members of the chapter,鈥� said Dr. Tanya B. Schwarz, executive director of Pi Sigma Alpha. 

Alpha Mu Psi is one of six chapters based at institutions similar in size to 国产探花 to be honored with a Best Chapter distinction, out of over 830 Pi Sigma Alpha chapters across the nation. Pi Sigma Alpha鈥檚 overarching mission is to stimulate scholarship and intellectual interest in political science鈥攚hich perfectly complements Alpha Mu Psi鈥檚 goals of recognizing students for their outstanding achievement in political science and providing members with scholarship, networking, and publication opportunities. 鈥淲e were impressed with the chapter鈥檚 achievements in developing activities promoting undergraduate research, especially given the significant challenges faculty and students around the country continue to face,鈥� said Schwarz.

Alpha Mu Psi works closely in conjunction with 国产探花鈥檚 student-led CIVIC (Creating InVolved Individuals and Communities) Club. Both organizations are dedicated to strengthening a sense of community among students, providing resources for vocational discernment and career development, and recognizing exceptional student work.

Qualifying for membership in Pi Sigma Alpha at 国产探花 entails demonstrating academic excellence in political science, sociology, and geography courses while maintaining a high overall grade point average. Membership carries with it the benefits of belonging to a national organization, along with scholarship and professional development opportunities.

鈥淢embership in Pi Sigma Alpha is our highest academic honor in political science, sociology, and geography,鈥� said O鈥橞rochta. 鈥淎s a result, our departments pay the financial costs of joining so that students join for free. We want all students who meet the requirements to be recognized and to be able to join without hesitation.鈥�

To learn more about 国产探花鈥檚 political science program and its award-winning chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, click here.

On August 25, 国产探花 kicked off its 136^th academic year with its traditional opening academic convocation ceremony. The event featured remarks from 国产探花 President Dr. Debbie Cottrell, Seguin Council Member Jim Lievens, and 国产探花 Student Government Association President Justin Friedman.

The audience also heard from Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Steven Vrooman, Chair of the 国产探花 Board of Regents Mike Washington 鈥�77, and the Rev. Dr. Wes Cain, campus pastor and director of Community Engagement and Mission.

This year, 国产探花 welcomes more than 350 new students, including freshmen and transfers. In addition, there is a whole new crop of graduate students, both online and in-person, as well as nursing students who will attend classes on the university鈥檚 New Braunfels and Houston campuses.

Every year, Phi Theta Kappa鈥攁n honor society for students attending associate degree-granting colleges鈥攏ames select universities across the nation to its Transfer Honor Roll, which has become a national benchmark for transfer excellence. This year, 275 four-year colleges and universities were named, and for the seventh consecutive year, 国产探花 made the cut.

鈥淎t 国产探花, we are honored to be recognized as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Roll, as it reassures our goal in aligning with PTK’s mission to recognize and promote student academic achievement,鈥� said 国产探花 Vice President for Enrollment Alecia McCain. 鈥淲e are focused on providing transfer students with a personalized transition to 国产探花, which will allow the students to understand the transferability of courses and strength of academic scholarships.鈥�

The honor roll was created to recognize institutions that demonstrate exceptional success in creating pathways that help community college transfer students earn their bachelor鈥檚 degrees. PTK assesses colleges across five different dimensions which influence the success of transfer students, including student success outcomes, financial support, and campus engagement.

鈥淭his recognition is about much more than transfer agreements,鈥� said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. 鈥淪uccessful transfer happens when institutions intentionally design policies, practices, and campus cultures that help students thrive after they arrive. These colleges have demonstrated that transfer student success is not accidental. It is a strategic priority.鈥�

国产探花 strives to make it possible for any student to have the experience of studying abroad, but cost is certainly a factor for most. That鈥檚 why resources like the International Travel Endowed Scholarship are so important, and 国产探花 is so grateful to donors like the Stone family, who support the scholarship, which continues to help provide Bulldogs with study abroad experiences. 

Marcus Stone, who earned his degree in business administration in 2009, is now the senior financial planner of Twin Oak Advisors. He still remembers when 国产探花 Director of International Education Charla Bailey helped coordinate his own semester to London. Another life-changing highlight of his time at 国产探花: meeting his wife Meagan (Brandenburg) 鈥�07, who is now the senior director of operations for an innovative biotech startup, Maxwell Biosciences.

The Stone family are proud ambassadors of the 国产探花 study abroad programs, and 国产探花 extends heartfelt thanks for their ongoing support.

鈥淚 started out just putting books together with their covers and filing their catalog cards,鈥� Moltz recalls. 鈥淟ater, I had to make my own catalog cards and file them.鈥� The library鈥檚 management system has changed many times since those early days, and few modern patrons even remember the old card catalog cabinets, with their tiny drawers filled with cards identifying books and periodicals.

These days, library catalog management systems are software based, and 国产探花鈥檚 Blumberg has kept pace鈥攁nd Moltz mastered every different system, learning to work within the latest software to organize, catalog, and manage not only the constantly evolving collection, but the records of the people who use the library鈥檚 resources, a process that鈥檚 more complicated than most people could even begin to imagine. Most recently, the library shifted from Voyager to Alma.

鈥淚t was a big transition for such a tiny team,鈥� says Technical Systems/E-Resources Librarian Nate Aubin, who learned the new system right alongside Moltz. 鈥淢oving over our whole catalog, the records for every single patron鈥攅very student, every faculty member. Every single piece of digital information had to be moved over to the new system. Even the policies for things like how long books can be checked out. Sherry did so much of it.鈥�

Aubin says that although he鈥檚 happy for Moltz, who鈥檚 most definitely earned her retirement, he鈥檒l miss her at the library. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been my neighbor for years.鈥� (Moltz鈥檚 office is one door over from Aubin鈥檚.) 鈥淚鈥檒l miss our conversations. I鈥檓 going to miss her sense of humor and her stories about the library over the last 58 years. She predates this building.鈥�

You heard that right: When Moltz came to 国产探花, Blumberg didn鈥檛 exist. The library was housed in Langner Hall. To put Moltz鈥檚 tenure into perspective, archivist and author Steve Anderson ’77鈥攚ho presented her with a copy of his book, Forward in Faith: A History of 国产探花 at a reception held in her honor鈥攑ointed out that counting all the way back to 1891, when 国产探花 first opened its doors in Brenham, Texas, Moltz鈥檚 years with the university amount to almost 44 percent of its entire existence. 鈥淟ike all of you, I鈥檓 in total awe of Sherry鈥檚 historic record,鈥� he said with a laugh.

When Blumberg opened its doors in 1970, Moltz was there, and remembers how students, staff, and faculty formed a book brigade of sorts鈥攁 long line across the lawn from Langner to Blumberg, and literally passed books, periodicals, and everything else, from one hand to another to move every last thing into the new building.

Another set of memories Moltz cherishes has been sharing the library with her family. 鈥淚’m lucky that my children and grandchildren have come to love books and the library as I have,鈥� she says. She looks forward to spending lots of quality time with family after she retires, doing the things she loves most鈥攍ike crafting. 鈥淚 have closed in my garage to make it a craft room which is an ongoing project,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is what my late daughter Janine and my granddaughter Alexis and I wanted to do. We love doing crafts.鈥�

It鈥檒l be a big change after so many years of coming in to work every day at the library. 鈥淚 really didn’t know I would stay this long,鈥� Moltz admits, looking back. She has, in fact, stayed longer than any other 国产探花 employee, the next closest record being held by Professor Emerita of Music Anita Windecker, whose tenure amounted to 52 years. 鈥淚 love books and the people I have worked with over the years,鈥� Moltz says. 鈥淢ark (Dibble, library director) and the rest of the gang have been very supportive of my past situations. I can’t thank them enough.鈥�

鈥淪herry has been such a wonderful presence in the library,鈥� says Dibble. 鈥淪he is very knowledgeable about how the library runs and its historical record.  Sherry is kind and friendly to all the students.  She is quick to laugh and always supportive.  She will be missed in more ways than I can count, but especially her eye rolls when I say something silly or absurd.鈥�

Assistant Director Amelia Koford agrees. 鈥淚t’s hard to imagine the 国产探花 library without Sherry! Her love for books, learning, and community is always evident. She has seen lots of technological changes in the library, but the heart of her work helping students and colleagues has never changed.鈥�

[Pictured above: Blumberg Memorial Library Staff – Director Mark Dibble, Assitant Director Amelia Koford, Cataloging Assistant Sherry Moltz, and Technical Systems/E-Resources Librarian Nate Aubin]