This regular feature recognizes activities and honors of ACC faculty and staff. To submit news or suggestions, see the contact information below.

The Human Resources Department donated 728 cans of food for the Food Pantry for Austin Community College students. HR Compensation donated 286 cans of food. Kelly Grant in HR Compensation donated the largest number with 114 cans of food.

Thomas Nevill, Arts and Digital Media dean, was invited to participate in a significant recording project paying tribute to the band Rush. The project took place this fall at Ocean Studios in Burbank, CA, and will be mastered by Grammy-Award winning engineer Dave Collins.

James Lynn, Jewelry Department chair and professor, has returned from a weeklong trip to Dakar, Senegal, with the Toolbox Initiative, a volunteer effort created by jewelers to provide tools and resources to West African villages. Read more about his experience here.

ACC hosted a series of giving campaigns this holiday season:

Brown Santa | More than 4,300 books, puzzles, and games were collected during the annual Brown Santa children's book drive for the Travis County Sheriff's Office (TCSO). The drive benefits children of disadvantaged families. The books were presented to Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez on Wednesday, December 5. Since its partnership with the TCSO began in 2009, ACC has collected more than 28,000 books for the Brown Santa program.

Annual Giving Tree | In a record year of giving, more than 400 gifts were donated to the children of 220 ACC students for the college's annual Giving Tree event. Sponsored by the Support Center, the event encourages faculty, staff, and the community to take a tag with a child's name, age, and Christmas wishes, and purchase a gift. Gifts are delivered directly to children of ACC students and foster care youth. More than 1,400 gifts have been donated in the past five years as part of the Giving Tree initiative.

State Employee Charitable Campaign | Higher education, state, and retired employees get together every year to donate funds for meals, service animals, cancer survivors, and other charitable events. This year, ACC District contributed a total of $61,701.85. The top two donation sites include the Highland Business Center ($14,858.09 donated) and South Austin Campus ($9,089.00 donated).

Beard it Up/Color for the Cure | ACC District Police are participating in the annual Beard it Up/Color for the Cure fundraising campaign benefiting childhood cancer research. For November and December, the department relaxed their grooming standards, allowing men to grow a beard or goatee and women to color their hair or paint their nails any color, if that officer donated to the Cure Starts Now campaign. 55 officers have participated, raising more than $4,000, the highest of any department in the region.

Graduation Cap & Gown Drive | A call was put out for gently used caps and gowns. The drive provides students who can't afford to buy their own an opportunity to participate in the commencement ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments with fellow classmates. Donated gowns are loaned to students for the evening and then returned for future graduates.

Food Pantry | A push continues to make sure all ACC families can fill their pantry this holiday. $25 gift cards from any area grocery store, like Randalls, Walmart, or HEB, are accepted. There are 10 families still in need. Donations may be dropped off with Nereida Celis at Cypress Creek Campus, Office 2114.20.

Do you know a faculty or staff member who has accomplished something notable outside the classroom or in their community? We want to hear about them. Contact Vicky Garza Gonzalez at victoria.garza@austincc.edu.