College Update – July 2024

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Current information and resources for faculty, staff and students

Dean’s Team Updates

Congratulations!

Below are a few of the College faculty, staff or students who recently earned recognitions:

  • Dr. Robert Chapkin, Department of Nutrition, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Nutrition.
  • Dr. Rhonda Miller, Department of Animal Science, was named the 2024 R.C. Pollock Award winner by the American Meat Science Association.
  • Dr. Humberto Perotto, Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, was awarded the Joan Negley Kelleher Endowed Professorship in Ranch Management.
  • Dr. Keerti Rathore, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, received the Researcher of the Year Award from the International Cotton Advisory Committee.
  • Dr. Cathy Ross, Department of Nutrition, was honored by the establishment of the A. Catharine Ross Award in Experimental Nutrition by the Journal of Nutrition.
  • Dr. Melissa Shehane, Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, earned the 2024 Outstanding Advocate for First-Year Students Award.
  • Nathan Barrett, Bailey Lamb, Kadie Graves and Gage Walsh, all students of meat science in the Department of Animal Science, earned the highly prestigious Undergraduate Scholastic Achievement Awards from the American Meat Science Association.

Dean’s Open Office Hours

  • Dean’s Open Office Hours will restart in September. Please contact Jill Lee if you have any questions.

Upcoming Deadlines and Dates

Faculty Affairs

  • The Texas A&M AgriLife New Faculty Orientation will take place 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 7, in AGLS 115 or via Teams. For those attending in person, a light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Register online.
  • The Texas A&M University New Faculty Orientation will take place Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 13-15, in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building, in the Memorial Student Center and via Zoom. This orientation is required for all new faculty members hired since last August. Register online.
  • The Texas A&M University New Academic Leader Orientation will take place Friday, Aug. 16, in Rudder 301. This is recommended for all new academic leaders or faculty who have a new administrative appointment. Register online.
  • 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.
  • The College deadline to apply for Faculty Development Leave, FDL, is Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 5 p.m. Interested parties may contact Dr. Lee Fitzgerald or Dr. Lanying Zeng with questions about their applications. Details for an FDL workshop will be shared soon as well.

  • The Bites & Insights Faculty Development Series: Given the success of the Bites & Insights series in the spring, the program will continue in future academic years. More details to be shared soon.
  • 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

  • Transition to Gradescope: The university is transitioning to using Gradescope instead of scantron forms. The anticipated end date for the university’s scantron scanning equipment is August 2025. We will provide scantrons to instructors who wish to use them this fall. Our College’s academic liaisons and instructional design consultants will provide training this fall to ease the transition to Gradescope.
  • 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.
  • 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 fall 2024 AGLS Career Fair will take place Thursday, Sept. 19, and Friday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bethancourt Ballroom at the Memorial Student Center. This event welcomes over 150 employers to recruit students from all 15 academic departments. We encourage you to inform your students about the career fair, as it is a fantastic opportunity for career exploration. Please feel free to include the career fair dates in your class syllabus for the upcoming fall semester.
  • 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.
  • 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. 
  • A Pocket Pantry is available at Suite 109 in Kleberg. It is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays when the university is closed.
    • Ongoing support is 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.
    • Visitors interested in using this resource can scan the QR code posted on the entrance and check in with the reception desk. 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 Graduate and Professional Student Government, GPSG, is looking for graduate student representatives from your departments to serve in the 2024-2025 GPSG Senate to aid in department representation on University-wide initiatives. Complete the “Become A Senator” form online.
  • 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.
  • The University Writing Center hosts the Writing Cafe for graduate students on the first Friday of every month in the Evans Library Grad Lounge, Room 611.
  • The 2024-2025 Texas Aggie Graduate Grant application is now available. Submit applications by the priority deadline of Sunday, Dec. 1, for spring.
  • 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.
    • Vice President of Finance – Tanner Owen.
      • Co-Chair: Laney Ferrell.
    • Vice President of Leadership – Riki Nardiello.
      • Co-Chair: Zoe Meeks.
    • Vice President of Service – Greyson Castillo.
      • Co-Chair: Miranda Skaggs.
    • Vice President of Public Relations – Zoee Nolen.
      • Co-Chair: Sunny Cowley.
    • Vice President of Programs – Jace Owen.
      • Co-Chair: Kyla Beck.
    • Vice President of Mentorship – Austin Blagg.
      • Co-Chair: Zachary Hoelscher.

Save the date!

Rise and Shine with AGLS: 2024

Rise and Shine with AGLS

Friday, August 16, 8:30-11 a.m.

The Gardens at Texas A&M University

  • Join the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in celebrating the start of the year with breakfast during Howdy Week in The Gardens.
  • We will begin with specialty coffee and breakfast available for all to enjoy. There also will be opportunities to visit with representatives from several of our great student organizations!
  • Members of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council will be available for networking and The Gardens will also have free succulents you can take home.

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

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences aims to create learning experiences that embrace and empower every student. By integrating the principles of Universal Design for Learning, UDL, into our instructional design, we ensure that all students, regardless of their background or abilities, can fully participate in captivating and impactful learning opportunities. By committing to equitable and inclusive education, we create a learning community where every student can thrive and reach their full potential.

Check out the following trainings in AgriLife Aspire to get started:

Please note that you will need to use your agnet account to access the above trainings.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to [email protected].

Visit the Educational Development and Engagement Intranet

Professional Development

AgriLife Employee Wellness

Visit the Administrative Services Intranet

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Check out tx.ag/WorkWithMarComm to:

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