College Update – May 2024

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Congratulations! | Faculty and Graduate Programs | Career Readiness

College Update

Dean’s Team Updates

Congratulations!

  • The Institute of Food Technologists has selected Suresh Pillai, Department of Food Science and Technology, as a 2024 Fellow.
  • Texas A&M Presidential Professorship for Teaching Excellence Recipient for 2024: 
    • Dr. Tryon Wickersham, Department of Animal Science
  • Texas A&M University Professorship for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Recipient for 2024: 
    • Dr. Andy Herring, Department of Animal Science
  • Texas A&M Hullabaloo-U peer mentor of the year:
    • Kaden Simon ’25, Department of Animal Science.
  • Regents Professor Award Recipients for 2024: 
    • Dr. Kim Dooley, Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications
    • Dr. Thomas Welsh Jr., Department of Animal Science
  • The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients for 2024:
    • Research: Dr. Rodolfo Nayga, Department of Agricultural Economics
    • Research: Dr. David Threadgill, Department of Nutrition
    • Teaching: Dr. Barry Boyd, Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications
    • Individual Student Engagement: Dr. Jennifer Rhinesmith-Carranza, Office of the Dean
  • The Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award Recipients for 2024:
    • Research: Wenliang He, Department of Animal Science
    • Research: Dr. Nirmitee Mulgaonkar, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
    • Teaching: Carla de Loera, Department of Entomology

Dean’s Open Office Hours

  • Dean’s Open Office Hours are on summer break until August. Please contact Jill Lee if you have any questions.

Upcoming Deadlines and Dates

Faculty Affairs

  • Due Friday, May 31: Applications for Pathways to the Doctorate Collaboration Grants.
    • The grants support collaborations between Texas A&M faculty and those at other institutions to guide promising students into graduate programs at Texas A&M. The grants also aim to ensure the students’ retention, timely graduation and career success. Apply through InfoReady.
  • The Bites & Insights Faculty Development Series is set to continue. Representatives from Faculty Affairs, University Health Services and the Center for Teaching Excellence, among others, led workshops throughout the spring on topics such as Hatch Projects, tools for teaching with artificial intelligence, and optimizing the use of Microsoft Teams. Given its success, the program will continue in future academic years. Special thanks goes to Dr. Juliana Rangel Posada, Department of Entomology, for organizing the pilot series as a component of her Drexel ELATES leadership program.
  • From the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • The Center for Teaching Excellence proudly offers resources to empower faculty instruction and to create a more enriching classroom learning environment. Explore diverse topics, including peer feedback and collaboration engagement during lectures and ethical behavior in mentoring. 
    • Center for Teaching Excellence has a formal Faculty Mentoring Academy to promote a culture of mentoring within and across Texas A&M University. For more information, visit the center’s page for the faculty mentoring academy.
  • Texas A&M University Faculty Affairs provides ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty at every career stage. Faculty are encouraged to regularly seek new ways to enhance and advance their careers at Texas A&M.

General Academic Affairs

  • An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching: The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning at Texas A&M University (CIRTL@TAMU) will be facilitating a weekly, Zoom-Local Learning Community for the National-Level Massive Open Online Course. Visit the CIRTL site to learn more. 
  • Libraries Workshops – various workshops supporting curriculum and research by the University Libraries. Click here for the schedule. 
  • Testing Center in Disability Resources: Instructors should complete the testing agreement for a student needing testing accommodations as soon as possible and send exams to the testing center at least three days before the exam. Learn more at Texas A&M Disability Resources.
  • If you are a staff or faculty member working with graduate and professional students, stay informed by subscribing to the Graduate Advisors Listserv.

Student Success and Development

  • The AGLS Career Services team continues taking student appointments in the summer! Encourage students to connect with the team or schedule an appointment though HireAggies.com. 
    • The AGLS Career Services Listserv has AGLS specific career information about job postings, internship opportunities and career resources provided by the AGLS team. An @tamu.edu email address is needed to join this Google Group. In the search bar, search All Groups and Messages and search for AGLS Career Services. Click “Ask to Join Group” and complete the submission preferences, then click “Ask to Join.”
  • Monday, July 1, to Monday, August 5: Career Readiness Bootcamp Badge program. This summer initiative helps students prepare for their upcoming internship and job search season. A series of workshops and tasks are required to receive the badge. If a student completes all the requirements, they receive a digital badge to share on their resume and LinkedIn. 
  • The fall 2024 AGLS Career Fair will take place Thursday, Sept. 19, and Friday, Sept. 20.
  • Mental health support for all students:
    • University Health Services offers mental health support options for Texas A&M University students 24 hours a day. 
    • During normal business hours, individual counseling, group counseling, and a variety of health and wellness workshops provide growth opportunities through both in-person and virtual formats.
    • After hours, HelpLine volunteers stand ready to provide peer support, information, crisis intervention and referrals to students, as well as those concerned about students, from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends when classes are in session. 
    • Around the clock and regardless of location, the TELUS Health Student Support app provides 24/7 access to professional counseling in multiple languages via app, telephone and web, in addition to mental health assessments, a mental health content library and access to virtual fitness sessions — all free and confidential. Also, University Health Services maintains a robust library of mental health-focused self-help content to help students navigating challenges related to anxiety, depression, relationships and more.
    • The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has an embedded licensed professional counselor. Ms. Molly McCann dedicates her time to the wellness of students in AGLS, with an office located at BCBP 103C. Contact her at [email protected] or 979.845.5032.
  • The College is excited to offer a Pocket Pantry in the heart of west campus, with ongoing support provided by the Texas A&M Foundation and a generous donation from Lennox International Inc. The pantry is available for students, faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who are experiencing food insecurity.
    • The Pocket Pantry is physically located in Kleberg 109 and is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays when the university is closed. Visitors interested in using this resource can scan the QR code posted on the entrance to suite 109 in Kleberg and check-in with the reception desk. For those with questions, or those needing additional support, please email [email protected]. 
  • Algebra Video Series is a resource for students to ensure they are prepared for their math and statistics courses at Texas A&M. You can explore the Algebra Series online.

Resources for Graduate Students

  • The 2024-2025 Texas Aggie Graduate Grant application is now available. Submit applications by the priority deadline of Monday, July 1, for fall only and fall/spring, and Sunday, Dec. 1, for spring only.
  • From the Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • Graduate Student Professional Development in Teaching, GSPDT: Take advantage of resources from the Center for Teaching Excellence in collaboration with the Graduate and Professional School. Visit GSPDT to learn more.
    • Center for Teaching Excellence English Language Proficiency, CTE-ELP, programs provide training and testing for international students. Current teaching assistants who are not language-certified are required to participate in the CTE-ELP program. Click for more information.
  • Sign up for the Career Center’s Graduate Student Newsletter.
  • If you would like to have support for your writing, consider joining a POWER Writing Studio and/or a POWER Writing Group. Fill out a request form online.

Student Recruitment

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council

Student Council leadership on Thursday, May 02, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)
  • 2024-2025 Student Council Officer Team
    • President – Brittley Bowers ’25
    • Vice President of Finance – Tanner Owen ’26
    • Vice President of Leadership – Riki Nardiello ’26
    • Vice President of Service – Greyson Castillo ’26
    • Vice President of Public Relations – Zoee Nolen ’26
    • Vice President of Programs – Jace Owen ’25
    • Vice President of Mentorship – Austin Blagg ’26

Save the date!

A small boy waters plants at The Gardens at Texas A&M University

The Gardens Summer Celebration

Saturday, June 15, 9-11:30 a.m.

The Gardens at Texas A&M University

  • The Gardens at Texas A&M University are turning six! To honor the occasion, join in for a morning of FREE family-friendly fun on Saturday, June 15. Enjoy snow cones and other refreshments as you stroll through The Gardens and visit various educational demonstrations and activity tables.
  • A quiet zone will be available for anyone who may want or need a quieter environment at any point during the event.

Professional Services Updates

Some links and buttons below lead to the Texas A&M AgriLife Intranet. If a link doesn’t work for you, try copying the link address and pasting it into an “incognito” or “private” window. Another option is clearing your browser cache. When the links work, you may see a login screen for your agnet.tamu.edu credentials.

AgriLife Educational Development and Engagement

Reminder: Canvas Course Shell Release for Summer 2024

  • All 2024 summer and full-year course shells are now available in Canvas in an unpublished state. Once you publish your course, it will be available to students in a read-only state until the first day of the term.
  • Please note: 2024 fall and half-year Canvas shells will not be provisioned at this time to align with changes implemented as part of the Quick-Look Assessments. When the date is set for their release, a communication will be shared with colleges and schools and included on the Learning Management System website.

Combine course sections prior to the first day of classes:

  • The deadlines to merge course sections for Summer II 2024 through the self-service feature in ORCA is Friday, June 28, 11:59 p.m. CT
  • Due to a potential loss of student data, no exceptions will be made to this deadline.

For questions, email Taylor Herbert.

Visit the Educational Development and Engagement Intranet

AgriLife Employee Wellness

  • Texas A&M TEEX Wellness Extension invites you to join them via Teams on Tuesday mornings, 8:15-8:35 a.m., for a guided meditation moment.
Visit the Administrative Services Intranet

AgriLife Marketing and Communications

Check out the MarComm Intranet links below for popular resources:

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  • Visit AgriLife Today to read about faculty, staff and student accomplishments in research, teaching and service! Check out the latest news across Texas A&M AgriLife.
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