College Update – January 2023

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Upcoming award deadlines, new staff members, engagement opportunities

College Update

Newsletter Table of Contents

Dean’s Open Office Hours

Dr. Jeffrey Savell and Dr. Patricia Klein are continuing to host Dean’s Open Office Hours. Sign up for a time and day, and contact Kelsey Agnew if you have any questions.

Faculty Affairs

Academic Affairs

  • Dr. Jenna Kurten has accepted the position of Assistant Dean for Student Success, effective Jan. 1.
  • Dr. Jennifer Rhinesmith-Carranza has accepted the position of Director of Academic Advising, effective Dec. 1.
  • Mr. Reid Stavinoha has accepted the position of Director of Academic Operations, effective Dec. 1.
  • Spring 2023 course shells are available in Canvas. The last day to merge sections is Jan. 12. 
  • Posting of syllabi: To comply with state law requiring online posting, upload your syllabus as a pdf in the publicly accessible Howdy portal. Posting a syllabus in Canvas or another website that requires Texas A&M University login does not comply with the state law.
  • Canvas third-party tools: Until Feb. 1, the Office of Academic Innovation is accepting requests for third-party tools to use in Canvas. Please fill out this form if you have a third-party tool in mind that is not available yet.

Graduate Programs

  • Teaching Assistant Institute, Tuesday, Jan. 10 and Tuesday, Jan. 24, in Room 226 of the Innovative Learning Classroom Building (ILCB). New TAs can register for the training online.
  • Graduate Student Well-Being: Dr. Esther Wright at Texas A&M Counseling and Psychological Services, CAPS, is trained in graduate student issues and concerns. Graduate and professional students may make appointments with Dr. Wright via the CAPS appointment portal system.
  • Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies, G.R.A.D. Aggies, offers professional development programming. For more information, visit the G.R.A.D. Aggies webpage.

Inclusive Excellence

ADVANCE Administrative Fellow for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dr. Juliana Rangel, associate professor of apiculture in the Department of Entomology, is leading the submission of a collaborative proposal for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Hispanic Service Institution Education Grants Program. Partnering with the College in this proposal are key community colleges as well as Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research leaders. 

Opportunities for collaborating:

  • Help review the project narrative before the proposal is due on Jan. 26. 
  • Attend a brainstorming session in January, where the team will meet over lunch to discuss potential activities that will improve transfer student recruitment and retention.
  • Serve as a research, extension or service mentor by hosting a program student over the summer semester for an all-paid, eight-week internship under your supervision.
  • Join a cohort of engaged faculty members that are interested in pursuing future funding opportunities and activities in support of our students.
  • Please email Juliana Rangel if you are interested in learning more or participating.

Know an underrepresented minority undergraduate in a STEM major who is interested in research? The LSAMP Scholar, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, program is accepting students by application. 

Student Success and Development

  • New Student Conferences
    • Tuesday, Jan. 10 and Wednesday, Jan. 11: Transfer Students
    • Wednesday, Jan. 11 and Thursday, Jan. 12: Transfer and Freshman Students
  • Senior Merit/Alpha Zeta Awards
    • Applications open on or around Wednesday, Jan. 4.
    • Student applications due Tuesday, Jan. 24.
    • Department nominations due Wednesday, Jan. 25.
  • AGLS Career Fair: Thursday, Feb. 2, MSC 2300
  • Aggieland Saturday: Saturday, Feb. 11, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Prospective student information sessions occur on Fridays. Students can register for a visit with a recruiter.
  • College virtual sessions are being held 6-7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month for students to learn how our degrees help them achieve their goals. To join these sessions and represent your department, please contact Robert Sturdivant.

Professional Development

  • Online courses on communication, customer service, diversity and inclusion, performance management, safety and technology are available from the Texas A&M University Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness.

Employee Wellness

Our Mission in Action

Each month, we highlight faculty and staff who have embodied the Aggie Core Values and demonstrated their immense dedication to advancing the mission of the College in teaching, research and service. Have a colleague in mind we should feature? Email us at [email protected] to nominate someone.

Teaching

Dr. Lauren Coheley, instructional assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition, goes above and beyond to engage with students and make sure they thrive. One student wrote, “This first semester back in school has just been really hard on me. … I just wanted to say thank you for reaching out to me and checking on me. It gave me a much-needed reset. I have absolutely loved your class and you have been a phenomenal professor.”

Research

Dr. Bruce McCarl, University Distinguished Professor and Regents Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, researches the economic and environmental impacts of agriculture policy. He has long been a part of the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change, contributing to three assessments, and he was awarded a share of the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. McCarl has been involved in more than $90 million in research projects, and his models have been adopted by U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2022, he won the Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award for Texas A&M University.

Service

Dr. Courtney Suess-Raeisinafchi, assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, works with Texas Friendly programs to create an environment of best practices in customer service. These programs certify Texas Friendly Instructors, provide workshops for staff, and work to build better hospitality and customer service habits to attain and attract loyal customers. Dr. Suess-Raeisinafchi’s hard work and dedication are key to these programs.

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