January’s regular meeting of the Blinn College trustees included an introduction of the new vice chancellor of academic affairs. Dr. April Kinkead (KINCAID) spent the last three and a half years as Blinn’s dean of humanities. Before that, Kinkead was a Blinn faculty member who served three terms as president of Blinn’s faculty senate. Kinkead takes over for Marcelo Bussiki, who spent seven years as vice chancellor as part of a 21 year career at Blinn.
Trustees also saw the presentation of a $25,000 dollar grant to the national champion e-sports team at Blinn’s RELLIS campus location. The program has three national championships since it was established in 2020. The grant will upgrade high end computers on the competition stage at the RELLIS e-sports arena.
Click below to hear comments from the January 20, 2026 Blinn College trustees meeting.
Blinn College news release about the e-sports grant:
Comcast Corporation has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Blinn College Foundation to provide new competition equipment for the Blinn College esports program. Comcast’s General Market Manager for Bryan-College Station, Nicolas Jimenez, presented the grant during the Blinn College District’s January Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday.
The grant will be used to upgrade the high-end computers on the competition stage at the RELLIS esports arena, ensuring Blinn’s three-time national champion esports teams have the latest, fastest, and most responsive computers available. These upgrades will help keep the Buccaneers equipped with the tools they need to remain competitive at the highest level of collegiate esports.
“On behalf of the Blinn College District’s faculty, staff, and students, I want to thank Comcast for this generous gift,” said Dr. Mary Hensley, Chancellor of the Blinn College District. “This investment ensures our esports teams have access to the latest technology, helping them grow as competitors while enriching their overall college experience.”
Max Hibbs, Blinn College’s Executive Dean of the Waller Campus and Director of the Esports Program, also expressed appreciation.
“This support from Comcast strengthens an already outstanding esports program and directly benefits our students by ensuring they have access to state-of-the-art technology,” he said. “We are grateful for this generous partnership that will enhance the experience of our student-athletes and continue Blinn’s tradition of excellence.”
“At Comcast, we know that gamers demand speed, reliability, and low latency – and that’s exactly what Xfinity delivers,” Jimenez said. “Our investment in Blinn College’s esports program reflects our commitment to empowering the next generation of competitive gamers and engineers with the best tools and technology. The new Xfinity Mobile esports arena will be a place where innovation meets performance, and we’re proud to help make that possible in Bryan-College Station.”
Led by Esports Manager Kyle Murto, Blinn College esports has emerged as one of the nation’s premier programs since its launch in 2020. Competing in the NJCAA Esports and National Association of Collegiate Esports divisions, the Buccaneers also participate in tournaments nationwide throughout the fall and spring seasons.
The program already boasts three national championships: the Valorant NJCAA Esports championship in spring 2023, the Call of Duty NJCAA Esports championship in fall 2023, and the Valorant National Esports Collegiate Conference Legends Division title in 2024.
Blinn currently competes in six titles — Call of Duty, League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Valorant — and plays across three esports arenas located at Blinn’s Brenham, Bryan, and RELLIS campuses. For more information regarding Blinn’s esports teams, visit www.blinn.edu/esports or join the team’s Discord.
The Blinn Foundation, which oversees more than 300 endowed scholarships, is a tax-exempt organization that provides financial support for programs and activities that enhance the quality of education for Blinn students and expand educational opportunities. The Foundation also seeks to heighten community awareness of the mission and accomplishments of the College and to promote excellence in education. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.blinn.edu/foundation.
Blinn College news release about other business at the January 20, 2026 trustees meeting:
The Blinn College District Board of Trustees approved a measure during its January meeting authorizing the College to negotiate and execute contracts for classroom furniture and specialty training equipment for the new Waller Workforce and Technical Education Complex.
The Board approved contracts with Workplace Solutions, Inc., for the purchase of classroom, laboratory, and ancillary furniture, and with Johnson Supply for the purchase of specialty laboratory equipment to support HVAC workforce training at the facility. Funding for the approved contracts is available in the Blinn College District’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget.
Located at 30029 Binford Park Road, the new complex will include more than 80 parking spaces and state-of-the-art learning environments tailored to meet the needs of students and local industry. Construction on the facility is underway and scheduled for completion in time for summer 2026 classes.
The Waller Workforce and Technical Education Complex will feature three lecture classrooms, a computer learning lab, a medical learning lab, a mechatronics/advanced manufacturing lab, a skilled trades lab, and faculty and staff offices.
Blinn plans to offer a wide array of programs at the new facility, including expanded mechatronics and advanced manufacturing courses, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basic certification, phlebotomy, certified clinical medical assistant, HVAC, carpentry, and construction management. The health sciences lab will include low-fidelity simulation bays for students pursuing EMS, phlebotomy, and certified nurse aid training.
Blinn already offers HVAC courses in partnership with Waller ISD, and with the new facility, high school graduates will be able to seamlessly transition into Blinn’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in HVAC program. In addition, the new location will allow Blinn to expand beyond its current evening offerings at Waller ISD facilities to provide daytime classes, creating greater access and flexibility for students.
The new complex is located less than a block from the future site of Blinn’s Waller Campus, which is scheduled to open its first building in fall 2027, and just minutes from the Daikin Texas Technology Park, one of the region’s largest employers. Blinn currently offers evening courses at Waller ISD facilities, and these will remain available as the College develops its new campus site.
To help students get started, Blinn has opened a Waller administration office at 31406 FM 2920, Suite B203. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and assists with applications, payments, academic advising, and financial aid. While the office does not offer in-person classes, it provides workstations and direct connections to Blinn’s advising and financial aid services, helping students enroll at any Blinn campus and navigate the enrollment process with ease.