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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Community Historical Archaeology Project with |
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Schools (CHAPS) program of The University of Texas Rio Grande |
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Valley has received the 2020 Governor's Award for Historic |
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Preservation; and |
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WHEREAS, The state's most prestigious honor for historic |
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preservation, the Governor's Award has been presented by the Texas |
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Historical Commission since 1991 to individuals and organizations |
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for outstanding efforts in preserving the cultural and historic |
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resources of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Established in 2009 by founding director |
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Dr. Russell Skowronek, CHAPS brings scholars from UTRGV into area |
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schools to train students from kindergarten through high school in |
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the stewardship of natural resources and historical sites; the |
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program helps create archaeologically and historically literate |
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citizens while preparing them for continuing studies in science, |
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technology, engineering, and mathematics; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the direction of Dr. Walter Díaz, dean of the |
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College of Liberal Arts, the program is currently led by associate |
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director Dr. Christopher L. Miller of the Department of History, |
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co-director Dr. Juan Gonzalez of the School of Earth, |
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Environmental, and Marine Sciences, and project director Roseann |
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Bacha-Garza of the Department of Anthropology, and it also utilizes |
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the talents of UTRGV faculty from the biology, communication, |
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education, and geology departments; in addition, it has forged |
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beneficial partnerships with the National Park Service, the Museum |
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of South Texas History, the Zapata County Museum of History, Revive |
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Fort Ringgold, the Webb County Heritage Foundation, and the |
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Historic Brownsville Museum; and |
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WHEREAS, The program's traveling exhibits, War and Peace on |
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the Rio Grande 1861-1867 and Discovering Fort Brown: The First |
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Military Border Post in Texas, have been on display at museums and |
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other sites from Laredo to Corpus Christi and have drawn more than |
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40,000 visitors, and CHAPS and its faculty have been featured on |
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many local, state, national, and international media broadcast |
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outlets, including National Public Radio and the BBC World Service; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to the Governor's Award, the program has |
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received the 2020 Mary Faye Barnes Award for Excellence in |
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Community History Projects from the Texas Oral History Association; |
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its earlier awards have included the Daniel G. Roberts Award for |
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Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology from the Society for |
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Historical Archaeology, the THC Award of Merit, and the |
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Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Contributions of |
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Service to Texas Archeology from the Texas Archeological Society, |
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among others; and |
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WHEREAS, A unique and dynamic educational program, CHAPS has |
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inspired countless young people to explore and engage with the rich |
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history and natural wonders of this important region of the Lone |
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Star State, and it is truly deserving of this notable accolade; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Community Historical |
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Archaeology Project with Schools on its receipt of the 2020 |
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Governor's Award for Historic Preservation and extend to all those |
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associated with the program sincere best wishes for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for CHAPS as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |