“Bringing research development support for The Texas A&M University System members

to support the research enterprise across the System.”

NSF Establishes Operations Center for the National AI Research Resource 

The U.S. National Science Foundation is establishing an operations center to provide the long-term infrastructure for the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), expanding access to advanced AI computing, data, models, and tools for researchers nationwide. Led by the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego in collaboration with the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, the center will build on a pilot that has supported more than 800 research projects since 2024.

Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot Program Virtual Town Hall Registration 

The U.S. Department of Energy will host a virtual town hall to gather input on a proposed four-year Ph.D. fellowship model combining AI and disciplinary expertise with research experiences at a DOE national laboratory or user facility and in industry. The Sept. 24 event will also seek input on program structure, student support, and evaluation criteria for the Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot.

GlobalFoundries and U.S. Department of Commerce Finalize $375M R&D Award to Advance American Quantum Leadership 

GlobalFoundries has finalized a five-year, milestone-based $375 million R&D award from the U.S. Department of Commerce to accelerate its Quantum Technology Solutions business and expand domestic quantum semiconductor manufacturing. The effort will advance cryogenic CMOS, advanced packaging, and heterogeneous integration to help move quantum technologies from research and prototyping toward commercial-scale production.

Columbia to Lead $20 Million National Research Center on Organismal Resilience

The National Science Foundation has selected Columbia University to establish the National Synthesis Center for Organismal Resilience (NSCORE). This five-year multidisciplinary center combines biology, artificial intelligence, and data science. The center will integrate large datasets on organismal traits and environmental conditions to better understand, predict, and improve how plants and animals adapt to changing environments, while building a national and international research and training network.

Turbocharging Battery Research With AI: An Ambitious Vision 

Argonne National Laboratory researchers are developing AI tools to accelerate battery research by predicting materials and chemical behaviors before they are tested experimentally. The effort aims to shorten the discovery process and help develop safer, more efficient, and more sustainable energy-storage technologies.

$20M DOE Award Bolsters U of A Mining Research, Industry Partnerships 

The University of Arizona received $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its underground mining laboratory for critical minerals research and workforce development. The investment will support industry partnerships and testing of technologies to improve mining efficiency, safety and environmental performance.

Grimes County Site Joins $73 Million Race to Rebuild U.S. Mining 

A Grimes County oil and gas testing facility could receive up to $19.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to become a synthetic mine for testing new mining technologies. Led by Southern Methodist University, the project would provide companies with a controlled environment to develop mining equipment and processes without disrupting active mines.

NIST-Developed Quantum Sensors Improve Nuclear Monitoring 

NIST researchers used ultrasensitive quantum sensors to measure X-ray emissions from uranium, plutonium, and neptunium with unprecedented accuracy. The improved measurements could strengthen nuclear material monitoring and safeguards while helping nuclear power plants assess fuel composition more quickly and efficiently.

Texas A&M Drives Drug Discovery Breakthroughs With NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD

Texas A&M University’s VISION DGX SuperPOD is accelerating research across the System, including a drug-discovery project that screened 10.4 million virtual compounds in about a week. The nearly 760-GPU system is operating at 95%–98% utilization and supporting research across seven institutions, expanding access to high-performance computing for AI, drug discovery, and other computationally intensive fields.

TEEX Extension Program Brings Lifesaving Expertise to Every Corner of the State

The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service is expanding access to specialized training and expertise through its statewide extension program. The initiative brings hands-on education and lifesaving skills to communities across Texas, helping strengthen emergency response capabilities and public safety.

Science & Math Students Shine in Research Symposium

Tarleton State University students in science and mathematics showcased their research at the university’s research symposium, highlighting undergraduate engagement in hands-on research. The event allowed students to present their work and demonstrate the breadth of research taking place across the university.

Faculty And Staff Prepare for AI’s Growing Role in Higher Education

Texas A&M University-Central Texas faculty and staff are preparing for the growing role of artificial intelligence in higher education. The effort focuses on helping employees understand and effectively incorporate AI into teaching, research, and university operations.

Neuroscience Students Conduct Cutting-Edge Research Through Bridge Program 

Tarleton State University neuroscience students gained hands-on research experience in Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience laboratories through the Pathway to Neuroscience Bridge Program. The competitive summer program strengthens the pipeline between Tarleton’s neuroscience program and Texas A&M while giving students research experience and exposure to future career paths.

TAMIU QEP-LEARN, Killam Library Partner for Research-Focused Workshop Series

Texas A&M International University’s QEP-LEARN and Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library are launching a workshop series to strengthen undergraduate research skills across the research lifecycle. The series will cover developing research questions, finding and evaluating scholarly sources, literature reviews, citation management, ethical research practices, and communicating findings, with hands-on activities for students at all levels of research experience.

ETAMU Nursing Simulation Lab Brings Patient Care to Life 

East Texas A&M University’s School of Nursing uses high-fidelity mannequins and realistic hospital scenarios to give students hands-on experience caring for patients in a safe learning environment. The simulation lab allows students to practice clinical decision-making, communication, and emergency response before entering real-world health care settings.

Turning the Tide 

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi researchers are partnering with industry to test technology that can clean heavily contaminated water and make it reusable. Dr. Richard Coffin and Dr. Hussain Abdulla have tested the Harmonic Frequency Cascade process on oilfield-produced water, hydraulic fracturing wastewater, and other contaminants, with plans to expand its use for industrial, municipal, and agricultural water needs.

ETAMU Launching Groundbreaking New Bachelor’s Programs to Address Statewide Teacher Shortage

East Texas A&M University is launching two competency-based bachelor’s programs in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education that allow students to earn a degree while completing teacher certification requirements. The fully online programs are designed to help paraprofessionals, educational aides, and substitute teachers become certified teachers while continuing to work, providing Texas school districts with a new pathway to strengthen their teacher pipeline.

TAMUK Partners With METAL to Advance Workforce Training in Metalworking and Manufacturing 

Texas A&M University-Kingsville is partnering with the federally supported METAL program to expand hands-on training in casting, forging, and advanced manufacturing. The initiative will include at least 18 bootcamps for 270 participants and outreach to 3,000 K-12 students by 2028.

Dr. Roman Shor, associate professor in Texas A&M University’s Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering, is leading a $3.5 million U.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E project to develop a faster, more cost-effective way to identify critical mineral deposits. The RAPTOR project will combine coiled tubing drilling, real-time rock analysis, and artificial intelligence to evaluate potential deposits of rare earth elements and other critical minerals.

Prairie View A&M University is investing nearly $4 million to modernize a 700-square-foot clean room and expand semiconductor research, training, and workforce development. Supported by a $1.98 million Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant and matching resources, the initiative will focus on 3D heterogeneous integration and prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing and microelectronics.

Dr. Ali Bicer, associate professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture, is leading a five-year, $2 million National Science Foundation-funded project exploring how AI can strengthen math teacher preparation. The AI-guided professional learning system will provide personalized guidance to pre-service teachers as they develop their mathematical knowledge, teaching skills, and creative thinking across eight universities.

Dr. Meriam Saleh of Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is leading a $1.4 million Department of Homeland Security-funded project examining whether a Texas-native soft tick could help sustain or transmit African swine fever if the virus reaches the U.S. Researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Department of Biology mapped the tick’s likely habitat to strengthen preparedness, surveillance and outbreak response. The work also examines potential implications for food supply, trade and cross-border livestock movement.

Dr. Cindy Salazar-Collier, associate professor of public health at Texas A&M International University, is leading a $400,000 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board-funded project examining environmental health communication and community response to water quality concerns. The interdisciplinary Nuestra Agua, Nuestra Voz project will use community surveys, water sampling, focus groups and bilingual town halls to strengthen public preparedness, transparency and engagement.

Dr. Davida Smyth, professor in Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Department of Natural Sciences, is leading a three-year, $372,000 National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program that gives students hands-on field and laboratory research experience. The inaugural cohort selected eight students from more than 216 applicants, providing undergraduate researchers with full-time summer research opportunities alongside faculty mentors.

Dr. Curt Carlson, professor of experimental psychology at East Texas A&M University, is leading a $100,000 Texas A&M University System Research Excellence Fund project examining how eyewitnesses respond to real and AI-generated faces. The research combines eye-tracking technology, face perception, and eyewitness identification to develop recommendations on the use of AI-generated faces in police lineups.

Prairie View A&M University’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship received a $25,000 Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Grant from the Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. The funding will expand experiential learning through workshops, mentorship, networking, coaching, and competitions, helping students across disciplines develop entrepreneurial problem-solving skills.

Texas A&M AgriLife faculty and administrators in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences will receive eight national honors from the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America at CANVAS 2026 in November. The recognitions include five Fellow titles, two awards for outstanding scientific contributions by administrators, and an early-career award, honoring achievements in crop and soil science, innovation and leadership.

Dr. M. Cynthia Hipwell, Oscar S. Wyatt Jr. ’45 Chair II Professor in Texas A&M’s J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been elected an Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, one of the organization’s highest distinctions. The honor recognizes her contributions to nanoscale technologies that have advanced hard disk drives, haptics and robotics, as well as her leadership in developing innovation-focused curricula.

Dr. Wei “Wayne” Chen, assistant professor in Texas A&M’s J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Computers and Information in Engineering Division Young Engineer Award. The honor recognizes his research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computational engineering design through Texas A&M’s Design Innovation & Generative Intelligence Lab.

Dr. Kay Fitzpatrick, senior research fellow at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, has been awarded the 2027 Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lectureship by the Transportation Research Board. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Fitzpatrick’s research on roadway design, pedestrian safety, traffic control and speed management has shaped transportation practice and informed national standards and policies, including the National Road Safety Strategy.

Dr. Laura Weiser Erlandson, associate professor and chair of Texas A&M University-Central Texas’ Department of Biology, has received the National Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching from the Entomological Society of America. A faculty member since 2014, Weiser Erlandson helped build the university’s undergraduate biology program from the ground up while mentoring students in advanced research and developing their scientific careers.

Dr. Nadya Pittendrigh, associate professor of English at Texas A&M University-Victoria, has won the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize for her manuscript Laughter Without, selected from 540 submissions. The 90-page collection of 27 poems and a short play draws on six years of writing and explores themes of delight, imagination, and play.

John Gladysz, Distinguished Professor and Dow Chair in Chemical Invention, has received the American Chemical Society Award in Inorganic Chemistry for his "groundbreaking development of new forms of coordinated carbon, metal-based molecular devices, fluorine-rich recoverable catalysts, and Werner complexes as enantioselective catalysts". The prize will be conferred on 23 March 2027 at the ACS National Meeting in New Orleans, and carries a $5000 honorarium.

Eight Texas A&M AgriLife faculty and administrators will receive national honors from the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America at CANVAS 2026. The honorees include five Fellows, two administrators recognized for scientific contributions, and one recipient of an early-career award.

Texas A&M International University’s TAMIU Research Highlights quarterly digital showcase features recently published faculty scholarship addressing regional, national, and global challenges across disciplines. The second edition highlights research on Laredo’s water quality and public health, disaster response and volunteer mental health, targeted cancer therapies, autonomous aerial systems, transformative justice and other areas.

Bharath Kumar Chintada, a PhD student in electrical engineering at Prairie View A&M University, won an Apple chip design contest for his full-custom integrated-circuit design. Working under Dr. Avra Bandyopadhyay, Chintada developed an 8-bit ripple-carry adder through PVAMU’s graduate-level VLSI/ULSI Design course, offered through Apple’s New Silicon Initiative.

Lekhapriya Dheeraj Kashyap, a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University’s Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is leading research examining how people strategically shift their attention during repetitive but high-stakes tasks. The work uses mathematical models and real-world data to explore how perceptions of a situation influence attentional effort, with implications for understanding errors, decisions, and performance.

Alan Briseño, an astrophysics student at East Texas A&M University, is the first author of a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal examining how tidal forces affect the long-term stability of moon systems around Earth-mass planets. Working with Dr. Billy Quarles, Briseño used computer simulations to investigate how many moons Earth-like planets could sustain over billions of years, providing insights for future searches for exomoons.

Dr. Li Chen, associate professor of media communication in the Department of Communication at West Texas A&M University’s Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, presented research on strategies for improving HPV vaccine uptake among young adult males. The study found that messages emphasizing either immediate personal benefits or longer-term benefits for oneself and a partner can be persuasive for men who perceive themselves as being at low risk for HPV.

Dr. Nasir Gharaibeh, professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, is working with interdisciplinary research teams to strengthen community resilience against hurricanes. The research focuses on reducing infrastructure damage and maintaining essential services while improving communities’ ability to recover from disruptions caused by wind, flooding, and debris.

Dr. Susanne Talcott, professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Food Science and Technology, is leading a multidisciplinary Texas A&M AgriLife Research project exploring prickly pear cactus as a source of biofuels and functional food ingredients. The research aims to identify new economic opportunities for rural communities while expanding access to nutritious, sustainably produced food ingredients from a crop capable of thriving under difficult conditions.

Dr. Sebastian Linde, a health policy expert at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, led research finding that poor housing, unsafe streets, and underfunded schools play a larger role than income or transportation in limiting access to healthy food in historically redlined neighborhoods. The findings suggest that improving food access requires addressing broader neighborhood conditions rather than focusing solely on adding grocery stores.

Dr. Jerome Menet, associate professor in Texas A&M University’s College of Arts and Sciences, led a National Institutes of Health-supported study revealing how meal timing activates a nutrient-signaling pathway that drives rhythmic gene activity in the liver independently of its circadian clock. Published in Science Advances, the findings could inform understanding of shift work, jet lag and intermittent fasting by showing how feeding schedules interact with the body’s internal clocks.

Dr. Morgan Farnell, avian microbiology and immunology professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Poultry Science, is leading research to test whether far-UVC light can kill highly pathogenic avian influenza without harming poultry. The work could provide the poultry industry with an additional tool to limit the spread of HPAI, which continues to affect U.S. poultry and wildlife.

Dr. Kranthi K. Mandadi, professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, led more than a decade of research that identified spinach-derived antimicrobial peptides as a potential treatment for citrus greening disease. The research has now reached a major commercialization milestone, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granting unconditional registration for a spinach defensin-based therapy developed by industry partner Silvec Biologics.

Dr. Yang Liu, nuclear engineering professor at Texas A&M University, is leading a U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Energy University Program-funded project to integrate machine learning into nuclear reactor simulation software. The research will combine graph neural operators with the MOOSE simulation framework and real-time data assimilation to accelerate high-fidelity, multidimensional modeling of changing reactor conditions for potential real-time applications.

Dr. Raymundo Arróyave, professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, received a National Science Foundation award to develop PhaseForge, free open-source software that uses machine learning to accelerate thermodynamic materials modeling. The tool applies machine learning to CALPHAD calculations, potentially reducing analyses that once took years or an entire Ph.D. to as little as a day, and supporting the discovery of new inorganic materials for applications including spacecraft thermal protection, shape memory alloys, and wear-resistant coatings.

Dr. Mustafa Mashal, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at East Texas A&M University, is leading a three-year, multi-university study to help the Idaho Transportation Department improve the durability and preservation of bridge decks. The research will examine how freeze-thaw cycles, moisture, deicing chemicals, and traffic affect bridge deck materials to improve rehabilitation decisions and reduce impacts on travelers.

Dr. Mustafa Mashal, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at East Texas A&M University, is helping advance Sweetcrete, a lower-impact concrete blend that replaces some cement with sugar beet processing waste and incorporates recycled concrete aggregate. The research will test treated wastewater as a replacement for fresh water in the mix and use artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize Sweetcrete for strength, cost, and practical applications.

TAMUK Ranked Among Best Colleges for Rural America

Texas A&M University-Kingsville has been recognized among the Best Colleges for Rural America, highlighting its role in serving rural communities and preparing students to address regional workforce and community needs. The recognition underscores TAMUK’s connection to South Texas and its commitment to educational opportunity and rural impact.

Portable Eye Exam Equipment Aims to Reduce Barriers in Rural Healthcare

Texas A&M Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine researchers are developing portable eye-examination technology to expand access to vision care in rural communities. The work aims to reduce barriers to screening and diagnosis by bringing specialized eye-care capabilities to patients where they live.

Preparing Rural Students for the Future of Agriculture

Researchers in Texas A&M University’s College of Education and Human Development are working to prepare rural students for careers in a changing agricultural sector. The initiative connects education with emerging workforce needs and provides students with opportunities to build skills relevant to the future of agriculture.

Hunting Outlook Good; Hunters Encouraged to Report Signs of New World Screwworm

Texas A&M AgriLife experts say the outlook for the upcoming hunting season is favorable, while urging hunters to remain vigilant for signs of New World screwworm. The guidance highlights the importance of reporting suspected cases to help protect Texas livestock and wildlife.

Texas A&M Forest Service Detects Emerald Ash Borer in Five Additional Counties

The Texas A&M Forest Service has detected emerald ash borer in five additional Texas counties, expanding the known range of the invasive beetle. The findings underscore the ongoing threat to ash trees and the importance of monitoring and reporting infestations.

Rural Health Network Development Planning Program (Forecasted)

The Rural Health Network Development Planning Program supports the planning and development of rural integrated health care networks with a specific focus on the collaboration of entities to establish or improve local capacity and care coordination in underserved communities. Specifically, the program uses the concept of developing networks as a strategy for linking rural health care network participants to achieve greater collective capacity to overcome local challenges, expand access, and improve the quality of care in the rural communities these organizations serve.

Dr. Angela K. Wilson

Texas A&M University

akwilson@tamu.edu

Dr. Pete van Hengstum

Texas A&M University at Galveston

vanhenp@tamug.edu

Dr. Magesh Rajan

Prairie View A&M University

mtrajan@pvamu.edu
936.261.1585

Dr. Rupa Iyer

Tarleton State University

iyer@tarleton.edu
254.459.5449

Dr. Ruby A. Ynalvez

Texas A&M International University

rynalvez@tamiu.edu
956.326.2643

Dr. Ahmed Mahdy

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

Ahmed.Mahdy@tamucc.edu
361.825.3881

Dr. Jose F. Espiritu

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

jose.espiritu@tamuk.edu
361.593.3677

Dr. Angela Spaulding

West Texas A&M University

aspaulding@wtamu.edu
806.651.2731

Dr. Mustafa Mashal

East Texas A&M University

mustafa.mashal@etamu.edu

Dr. Sushil Sharma

Texas A&M University–Texarkana

ssharma@tamut.edu

903.334.6778

Dr. Guido Verbeck

Texas A&M University–San Antonio

gverbeck@tamusa.edu

Dr. Jeff Kirk

Texas A&M University–Central Texas

Jeff.kirk@tamuct.edu
254.519.5427

Dr. Maria Martinez
Texas A&M University–Victoria

Maria.Martinez2@tamuk.edu

Dr. Amir Ibrahim

Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Amir.Ibrahim@ag.tamu.edu
979.321.5929

Dr. Rodney Bowersox

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

bowersox@tamu.edu
979.845.0139

Dr. Dan Hale

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Daniel.hale@ag.tamu.edu
979.314.8206

Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer

Texas A&M Forest Service

astottlemyer@tfs.tamu.edu
979.458.6659

Gordon Lohmeyer, CFPS / PI

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service

Gordon.Lohmeyer@teex.tamu.edu

Dr. Joe Zietsman

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

J-Zietsman@tti.tamu.edu
979.317.2796

Dr. Kiril M. Dimitrov

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Kiril.dimitrov@tvmdl.tamu.edu
979.458.7891

Dr. Michael W. Hull

Texas Division of Emergency Management

Michael.Hull@tdem.texas.gov

325.370.5651