Avila Now

What do you get when you mix Ecology and Literature? The beginning of a fruitful relationship. School of Natural and Applied Science Professor Karin Gastreich, Ph.D. and Associate Professor of English Amy Milakovic, Ph.D. teamed up to teach the Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) course Ecology Through the Writer’s Lens (ETWL).  “Karin has expertise in Ecology, and...

Avila’s Classic and Achieve Upward Bound TRIO programs were renewed for five more years. “TRIO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue a college degree. More than 800,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities — from sixth grade through college graduation — are...

Shawna Pena-Downing ‘12 is the Coordinator of Career Services at Avila. Her favorite thing about returning to campus in this job is “building and cultivating student relationships that focus on their lifelong and professional development.”  “It’s interesting coming back as an employee. One thing it means is reconnecting with why I am here, and it...

“38% of students at two-year colleges experienced food insecurity in fall 2020, along with 29% of students at four-year colleges. The number is much higher among students of color, according to The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice’s #RealCollegeSurvey published in March 2021. The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic – furloughs, pay cuts,...

The sense of community is one of the first things you feel when stepping foot on Avila’s campus. The Avila Care Team (ACT) is one of the support layers that provide that sense of community at Avila. Made up of Avila faculty and staff, ACT is dedicated to ensuring the campus community’s needs are met...