As Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the new academic year! If you are a new student, staff or faculty member, welcome to Texas A&M University. We hope you’ll find our college as vibrant and exciting as we do. Here, we believe improving health and wellbeing is a way of life. We are dedicated to feeding our world, protecting our environment, improving our health, enriching our youth, and growing our economy.
I am proud to say that we have a diverse and highly distinguished community of educators, scholars and scientists who call our college their own. Whether you are a student, staff or faculty member, we are here to assist you in achieving your goals. This year, we have numerous events, historical commemorations and ground-breaking “firsts” to look forward to. Among the major milestones are the following:
Morrill Act Sesquicentennial
This year marks the 150th Anniversary of the Morrill Act. On July 2, 1862, in the midst of a nation torn by a civil war, strife and dissent, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law. The act made higher education a possibility for people in every state. It paved the way to create our own Texas A&M University. The land-grant system promises a different kind of independence for millions of people. To learn more about how the Morill Act shaped our university’s history, click here.
2012 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Awards Ceremony
The first annual college Awards Ceremony will be held right here in the AgriLife Center on September 12. We’ll be revealing the first ever recipients of the highest award given to college faculty and staff, the new Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award. The Association of Former Students will announce this year’s Distinguished Achievement Awards for teaching at the college level. In addition, we will introduce new and promoted faculty and staff. You won’t want to miss it!
Second Annual College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Tailgate
2012 is our first year as part of the SEC, and we are looking forward to partnering with the 9 other land-grant universities who are part of the Southeastern Conference! In addition, we are excited to host the second annual college tailgate. Football season is coming up quick, so be sure to mark your calendar for September 29! This year, we’ll be celebrating the art and science of BBQ with a demonstration by our award-winning meat science team! There will be plenty of great food, lively entertainment, and good ol’ Aggie Spirit. RSVP today for yourself, family and friends!
Needless to say, this year is going to be an exciting time for the college and university. Together with the dean’s team and the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension directors’ offices, I am looking forward to a year full of new achievements. I’d love to hear what goals you are working toward this year and what milestones you are hoping to achieve. If you’d like to share, please leave a comment below.
Again, welcome and I hope you will have a great year! Gig ‘em, Ags!
Mark A. Hussey, Ph.D
Vice Chancellor and Dean
Agriculture and Life Sciences
