College Update – September 2025

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Congratulations! | General academic affairs | Open Office Hours

Dean’s Team Updates

Congratulations!

Four College faculty members have been honored with 2025 Association of Former Students College-Level teaching Awards. These awards honor teachers who maintain high expectations of their students, ensure academic rigor in courses, while motivating and contributing to the overall development of students.

  • Dr. Elena Castell-Perez, BAEN
  • Dr. Jacquelyn Grace, ECCB
  • Dr. Desmond Ng, AGEC
  • Dr. Jean-Philippe Pellois, BCBP

The following faculty members earned a promotion Sept. 1:

  • Dr. Kevin Conway, professor, ECCB
  • Dr. Rebecca Creasy Buckley, instructional associate professor, FSTC
  • Dr. Youjun Deng, professor, SCSC
  • Dr. Yuhua Farnell, instructional associate professor, POSC
  • Dr. Jason Gill, professor, ANSC
  • Mr. Nicholas Kilmer, senior lecturer, AGEC
  • Dr. Mi-Ok Lee, senior lecturer, BCBP
  • Dr. Oscar Riera-Lizarazu, professor, HORT
  • Dr. Donna Lee Sullins, instructional associate professor, HMGT
  • Dr. Maria Isabel Vales, professor, HORT
  • Dr. Junjie Zhang, professor, BCBP

The following faculty members earned a promotion and tenure Sept. 1:

  • Dr. Felipe Aburto, associate professor with tenure, SCSC
  • Dr. Janie McClurkin Moore, associate professor with tenure, BAEN
  • Dr. Daniel Spalink, associate professor with tenure, ECCB
  • Dr. Briana Wyatt, associate professor with tenure, SCSC
  • Dr. Samuel Zapata, associate professor wtih tenure, AGEC

The following faculty members received tenure through the tenure review upon hire process at the August Board of Regents meeting:

  • Dr. Teresa Davis, professor, NUTR.
  • Dr. Jungkeun Kim, associate professor, HMGT.

Dean’s Open Office Hours

  • Dr. Savell and Dr. Klein are holding Dean’s Open Office Hours. Please contact Jill Lee for scheduling.

Upcoming Deadlines and Dates

Faculty Affairs

  • Thursday, Sept. 11, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., AGLS 129: A Teaching Community of Practice event will cover course accessibility. Both federal and state legislative standards require that all state entities must ensure access to their programs and materials for individuals with disabilities. The Agrilife Educational Development and Engagement team will join us for a session on how to make sure your courses meet legislative accessibility requirements. Contact Dr. Craig Coates or Megan Smith with any questions.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 17, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., AGLS 200: A professional development event for tenure-track professors will focus on Hatch Act Multi-State Research projects. Hatch Act funding supports agricultural research institutions across the U.S. Funds are used for both individual state-specific projects and for cooperative research between states to solve broader problems. Dr. Amir Ibrahim, Associate Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Associate Dean for Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will join us for a discussion on the importance of these projects for faculty research. Contact Dr. Cathy Ross or Megan Smith with any questions.
  • If you are planning to submit a Faculty Development Leave application, please make sure to submit by your departmental deadline — these vary. As noted above, the College deadline is Monday, Sept. 15, but applications must be approved by your department head before submission to the College.
  • Successful Conflict Conversations – Presented by Texas A&M University Faculty Affairs. Faculty and academic staff are welcome to register and attend this workshop in person or via Zoom.
    • Thursday, Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in person.
    • Thursday, Dec. 11, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Zoom.
  • Registration is open for the 2025 Texas Conference on Student Success, Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 29-31, at the University of Texas at Austin campus. Learn more about the conference.
  • From the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • The Center for Teaching Excellence has a formal Faculty Mentoring Academy to promote a culture of mentoring across Texas A&M University. For more information, visit the center’s page for the faculty mentoring academy.
    • The Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence offers a series of dynamic workshops tailored to empower faculty instruction and to create a more enriching classroom learning environment. Explore a diverse range of topics, including peer feedback and collaboration, engagement during lectures, and ethical behavior in mentoring. 
  • Texas A&M encourages faculty to elevate the impact of their work by joining colleagues in publishing articles in The Conversation. The format is opinion pieces and requires the expert to have recent, peer-reviewed published research. Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications is happy to work with you to get you connected with the right editors at the right times. Please reach out to AgriLife Marketing and Communications for an introductory and exploratory call to discuss ideas, opportunities and more! Email Laura Muntean if interested.

General Academic Affairs

  • The Educational Development and Engagement Instructional Design Consultant team provides comprehensive support for College of Agriculture and Life Sciences courses. Services include full-service accessibility renovation to redesign courses for optimal accessibility, video captioning in partnership with the Disability Resources Office, Canvas troubleshooting assistance and Universal Design for Learning consultation. These efforts have made College courses, including the 12 largest in the University’s Core Curriculum, fully accessible, benefiting over 15,900 students. For more information and resources, please visit the team’s intranet site for the College. If you have a problem accessing the intranet site, please use online instructions to gain access.
  • Advancing learning through Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching: The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning at Texas A&M University (CIRTL@TAMU) is 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.
  • Disability Resources Testing Center: 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.
  • Subscribe to the Graduate Advisors Listserv if you are a staff or faculty member working with graduate and professional students, and stay informed.

Student Success and Development

  • Fall 2025 College Career Fair: The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Fall 2025 Career Fair will take place Thursday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., in the Ford Hall of Champions at Kyle Field.
    • This event welcomes more than 100 employers to recruit students from all 15 academic departments in the College. The Career Fair is a fantastic opportunity for career exploration.
    • If you have any questions, please visit the AGLS Career Fair website or contact the fair organizers at [email protected].
  • Students in need of professional attire for interviews and career preparation can utilize the AGLS Career Closet to schedule an appointment and shop at no cost. Students may be able to keep their professional items depending upon availability.
  • AGLS Pocket Pantry. College students experience food insecurity at a higher rate than the general adult population in the U.S. Anyone aware of a student, staff or faculty member in need of food resources can recommend the AGLS Pocket Pantry located on west campus in the Kleberg building, suite 109. The pantry 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.
  • Mental health support for all students:
    • Learn about Aggie Peer Connect and its offerings for Texas A&M students at tx.ag/peerconnect.
    • 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.
    • College employees and partners concerned about a student can refer them to Ms. Molly McCann, an embedded mental health professional in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students can make an appointment to visit Molly or to connect with the broader team of mental health professionals on campus. They can also contact Molly at [email protected] or 979.458.4584.
  • Prospective Student Information Sessions occur weekly on Fridays – students can register for a visit with a recruiter at https://recruiter.tamu.edu/.

Resources for Graduate Students

  • Registration for the Fall Teaching Assistant Institute, TAI, is open. The fall 2025 TAI was held in the John R. Blocker Building, in August. A makeup session will be offered Saturday, Sept. 13, for those who were unable to attend an August session.
  • 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.
  • From the Center for Teaching Excellence:
    • 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.
    • 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.
  • Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School resources:
    • Graduate Mentoring Academy: Learn, grow, connect and find support through the Texas A&M Graduate Mentoring Academy.
    • Graduate student travel: Need additional funding support for travel for conferences or research? Check out the available funding at Texas A&M.
    • Contacts at the Graduate and Professional School.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council

  • The AGLS Career Fair is on Thursday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., in the Ford Hall of Champions at Kyle Field.

Save the Date!

AGLS TAILGATE

Saturday, Sept. 27, starting three hours before kick-off

The Shirley and Joe Swinbank ’74 AgriLife Center

Come enjoy food, fun and entertainment on the Event Lawn at The Gardens at Texas A&M University and at the Shirley & Joe Swinbank ’74 AgriLife Center. The tailgate will start three hours before kickoff.

For parking information, visit the Texas A&M University Transportation Services Football Parking and Information page. 

Professional Services Updates

AgriLife Administrative Services

Employee Wellness

  • The Rose Mammography Mobile: Register with code TAMUASB.
    • Monday, Sept. 29, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 200 Technology Way, College Station, TX 77845.
    • Most insurance policies are accepted. Sponsorship programs are available for patients without insurance. Sponsorship programs can provide services at no cost to uninsured patients who meet eligibility requirements. A discounted cash price is available for uninsured patients that do not meet the requirements for sponsorship.
    • You are eligible if you are a female 35 years or older, have a primary care physician, are due for a mammogram, do not have any breast health symptoms or problems, currently are not pregnant or nursing, and have not been diagnosed with breast cancer within the past two years.
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Points
    • Earn Blue Cross Blue Shield points for regularly participating in many different healthy activities. Log on to wellontarget.com to find interactive tools and resources to start racking up Blue Points. Redeem the points for gift cards. 
  • TIAA Webinar
    • Thursday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m.: How to get the most from your employee retirement plan. Link for registration.
    • Your workplace retirement plan is one of your most important employee benefits. In this webinar we’ll show you how to take advantage of all your plan has to offer so you can save and invest with confidence and get the most from your money.

Professional Development

Visit AgriLife Administrative Services

AgriLife Educational Development and Engagement

New tool spotlight: Simple Syllabus

Simple Syllabus is a university-supported software tool designed to streamline the creation and sharing of course syllabi at Texas A&M University. This user-friendly platform promotes accessibility and ensures alignment with university and state policies. 

Starting fall 2025, Simple Syllabus is available for voluntary use as part of a pilot semester. Beginning spring 2026, all faculty will be required to use Simple Syllabus or provide a fully accessible syllabus for each course.  

Getting started: To begin using Simple Syllabus, explore the following resources: 

Now available: Texas A&M AgriLife Faculty Onboarding Training

This training introduces new faculty to the Texas A&M System and AgriLife’s mission areas, while outlining key responsibilities and available resources. Modules cover support and resources for faculty with teaching, research or extension appointments; compliance; safety; and professional development opportunities. Participants will also be guided to site-specific tools and services to strengthen their success. Please be aware, this is the third course in the AgriLife Onboarding Series. Please complete the AgriLife Orientation training, then the College, Research or Extension onboarding trainings before completing this one.

Stay tuned for upcoming workshops

Texas A&M AgriLife Faculty gathered on Tuesday, Sept. 9, for a one-day workshop focused on translating research for various audiences. The training highlighted strategies for creating persuasive presentations, teaching and facilitating educational programs, and adapting research for both academic peers and the public. Participants also explored storytelling techniques to communicate their findings in ways that inspire, educate and make a lasting impact. We encourage you to watch for the next employee development opportunity at AgriLife Aspire.

Visit AgriLife EDE

News: Our Mission in Action

  • Read the latest news of our faculty, staff and student accomplishments in research, teaching and service at AgriLife Today, the home for Texas A&M AgriLife news and feature stories.
Visit AgriLife Today

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