College Update – April 2023

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Congratulations! | Office Hours | Undergrad, Grad Programs

College Update

Newsletter Table of Contents

Dean’s Team Updates

Open Office Hours

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

Sign Up

Congratulations!

Below are a few of our recent award winners across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Let us know of other awards and honors we should mention!

  • 2023 University Professorship for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence: Dr. Kati Stoddard, instructional associate professor and associate department head, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology.
  • 2023 International Food Security Award in Honor of Bor S. Luh: Dr. Mian Nadeem Riaz, instructional associate professor and associate department head, Department of Food Science and Technology.
  • 2023 Excellence in Education Award in Honor of Bor S. Luh: Dr. Rebecca Creasy, instructional assistant professor, Department of Food Science and Technology.
  • 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards in Teaching: Dr. Adrienne Brundage, instructional assistant professor, Department of Entomology. 
  • 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards in Teaching: Dr. Andy Herring, professor and interim department head, Department of Animal Science. 
  • 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards in Research and Graduate Mentoring: Dr. Bruce McCarl, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics.
  • 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards in Research: Dr. Binayak Mohanty, professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. 
  • 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards in Teaching: Dr. C. Scott Shafer, professor and associate head, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences.
  • Genetics and Genomics graduate students Emmarie Alexander and Aaron DeSalvio have been awarded prestigious 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. Ecology and evolutionary biology graduate student Nicole Stevens received an honorable mention.

Upcoming Awards Deadlines

Promotion and Tenure

  • Weekly Zoom Hour with P&T Chairs and Staff, Wednesdays 2-3 p.m., via Zoom.

Academic Affairs

  • A few additional First Year Experience Instructors are needed for the AGLS 125 courses being taught in fall 2023. We encourage faculty, staff and graduate students to consider serving as an instructor. This is a great way to connect with incoming students and prepare them for success during college. As an extra incentive, instructors receive a $500 bursary that may be used for professional development. If interested, please contact Dr. Jenna Kurten.
  • Texas A&M University Libraries are holding workshops supporting curriculum and research. Go to the libraries’ events page for the full schedule.
  • Summer and fall 2023 course shells are now available in Canvas in an unpublished state. The deadlines to merge course sections through the self-service feature in ORCA are:
    • Summer I and 10-Week Summer courses: Thursday, May 25, 11:59 p.m.
    • Summer II courses: Saturday, July 1, 11:59 p.m.
    • Fall 2023 courses: Wednesday, Aug. 16, 11:59 p.m.

Student Support

Undergraduate Programs

  • May 2023 graduation information: Bachelor’s Degree Commencement is Thursday, May 11, 9 a.m. in Reed Arena. See the Texas A&M graduation page for more information.
  • 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. 

Graduate Programs

  • Faculty and staff: If you work in a support role for graduate and professional students, stay informed by subscribing to the Graduate Advisors Listserv. 
  • May 2023 graduation information: Master’s and Doctoral Commencement and Hooding Ceremony is Saturday, May 13, 9 a.m. in Reed Arena. See the Texas A&M graduation page for more information.
  • New graduate student orientation dates for fall 2023: Monday, Aug. 14 and Friday, Aug. 18.
  • Graduate Mentoring Academy: See the Texas A&M GradConnect page for session schedules and to register.
  • Graduate student travel: Need additional funding support for travel for conferences or research? Check out the RAP Travel Award at Texas A&M.
  • Graduate Student Well-Being
    • The MySSP student support app allows students to text, call, and video chat with professional counselors.
    • Texas A&M Counseling and Psychological Services, CAPS, is offering events focused on mental health for graduate and professional students. Click here for the schedule. 
    • Dr. Esther Wright at 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.

Student Recruitment

  • Prospective students can register for an info session and a tour of west campus at visit.tamu.edu.

COALS Council

Digital Education Update

The New Event Registration System

AgriLife Register has officially launched and is available for all Texas A&M AgriLife employees. Managed by AgriLife Digital Education, AgriLife Register will improve the digital experience for events, from setting up event sites to end-user registration.

For more information, please read the launch announcement. To add an upcoming event to AgriLife Register, submit a request, and an event registration coordinator will reach out with additional information.

If you have any questions regarding the new system, email the Digital Education team at [email protected].

Administrative Services Updates

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

white clouds, blue sky

Better Sleep, Better Health Webinar

AgriLife Employee Wellness invites you to participate in an online event on Wednesday, May 3, at 10 a.m., to learn about the restorative functions of sleep and how to get better sleep. Learn more and register.

Visit the Administrative Services Website

Our Mission in Action

Visit AgriLife Today to read about faculty, staff and student accomplishments in research, teaching and service!

Have a story idea for AgriLife Today? Reach out to Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications.

Read College Stories on AgriLife Today

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