TAMUS RDO Newsletter - Issue 44

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

to support the research enterprise across the System.”

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Rural Resilience Summit

University Rankings and Recognition

Semiconductor Partnerships

Research Development Resources

Funding Opportunities

Communities of Practice

Chief Research Officers

The inaugural Rural Resilience Summit, recently held at Texas A&M RELLIS, brought together experts from agriculture, health, emergency management, and economic development to discuss the pressing challenges facing rural Texas. The summit also marked the launch of the Center for Rural Resilience, anchored at Tarleton State University. The center will serve as a platform for system-wide collaboration, applied research, and strategy development focused on rural community vitality and infrastructure.

Speakers underscored the critical role of rural regions in Texas’s economy and food system, while flagging urgent gaps in healthcare access, disaster preparedness, and workforce capacity. Chancellor Glenn Hegar and other system leaders emphasized that the summit will catalyze research-informed action through coordinated partnerships across universities and state agencies to foster sustainable, place-based solutions to support rural resilience.

Story & Video on KBTX

College ranking season is here, and The Texas A&M University System members are earning recognition across the board. From U.S. News & World Report’s 2025–26 College Rankings to the Colleges of Distinction and Washington Monthly’s 2025 College Guide, national evaluators acknowledge TAMUS institutions' excellence, innovation, and impact.

These rankings reflect the collective dedication of faculty, staff, and students across the System, from advancing research and expanding access to fostering student success and community engagement. Together, these accomplishments highlight the strength and reputation of the A&M System across Texas and beyond. Explore a few of the feature stories below, celebrating these achievements.

Tarleton State University has joined the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub (TSTH), aiming to contribute through new courses, workforce development, faculty research collaborations, and support for regional entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Diodes Incorporated and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station have partnered via a $100,000 donation to enhance semiconductor education. The donation will support student-led research in chip design, machine learning, and fabrication, thereby strengthening industry-relevant skills.

Drs. Mariya Davis, Eric Lopez, and Gavin Watts from Texas A&M University–San Antonio were awarded $3,000,00 from the U.S. Department of Education to launch an innovative program that will train educators, rehabilitation professionals, and community stakeholders to help support Texans with disabilities as they transition from school to the workforce.

Dr. Svetlana Sukhishvili, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, received $1,600,000 from the NSF to explore the use of star-shaped block copolymers to control thermomechanical properties of the resulting PCM-polymer composites, i.e., salogels. The team addresses the challenges of polymer solubility and gelation in a complex ionic environment of inorganic salt hydrates via the use of material discovery and optimization using modeling, theory, and AI/machine learning (ML) in a coordinated US-India team effort.

Dr. Junqi Song, Professor of Plant Pathology & Microbiology at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, was awarded $1,145,609 from the NSF to research nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins. NLRs are a class of immune receptors utilized by plants to detect pathogen effectors and initiate effector-triggered immunity (ETI). By combining structural biology, biochemistry, and BIO-AI, the research will dissect the molecular mechanisms of effector recognition, NLR activation, downstream signaling, and effector-mediated suppression of ETI.

Drs. Rainer Amon and Karl Kaiser from Texas A&M University, Galveston, received $648,455 from the NSF to map the distribution of freshwater and its organic matter content in the Arctic Ocean with unprecedented spatial detail. With this data, they will create a 20-year perspective of changes in Arctic Ocean biogeochemistry, surface circulation, and halocline variability—thus providing the modeling community with data to validate numerical simulations.

Dr. D. Samba Reddy, Regents Professor and Director of the Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics at Texas A&M College of Medicine, was awarded $539,000 from the NIH to develop a noninvasive, extracellular vesicle (EV)- based therapeutic strategy for improving brain function in Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Dennis Daniels, Professor and Director of the Texas Undergraduate Medical Academy at Prairie View A&M University, was awarded $486,000 by the NIH to develop an Undergraduate Certificate in Computational Genomics and Biomedical Data Science.

Dr. Bryant Wyatt, Professor of Mathematics at Tarleton State University, received $464,502 from the NIH to study the underlying causes of atrial fibrillation, a significant contributor to both heart disease and strokes. This work aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms of atrial fibrillation and develop strategies to eliminate it.

Dr. Raffaella Righetti, Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, was awarded $395,695 from the NIH to develop novel multi-modal imaging methods that can be used as predictive makers of tissue healing and to non-invasively monitor the tissue healing response. Availability of these non-invasive, real-time, and cost-effective imaging technologies can benefit several medical fields, such as oncology, cardiology, orthopedics, and regenerative medicine.

Dr. Na Li, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Prairie View A&M University, has received $300,000 from the NSF to advance research on accessible and safe voice interactions in smart home environments for underrepresented users. This research aims to develop innovative algorithms and user-focused solutions that ensure VPAs are inclusive, safe, and reliable for all users.

Dr. Jeremy Holt, Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Texas A&M University, was awarded $300,000 from the NSF to investigate the role of nuclear many-body correlations and mean fields in modifying neutrino absorption and scattering rates in supernova environments, starting from microscopic models of nuclear two-body and three-body forces. The work develops new statistical inference tools for propagating uncertainties in the nuclear force to observable properties of the neutrinos created in supernovae.

Dr. Xi Wang, Assistant Professor of Construction Science at Texas A&M University, was awarded $192,286 from the NSF to improve collaboration between humans and robots in dynamic industrial environments, such as construction and manufacturing settings. Results from this work are expected to contribute to the advancement of control, perception, and learning in human-centered robotics, with broad implications for future collaborative systems across various industries.

Dr. Izzat Alsmadi, Elizabeth Leyva, Donna Lehman, and Vijay Golla from Texas A&M University–San Antonio received $139,425 from the NSF to create long-term capacity in high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) for its research and academic programs. This work will allow Texas A&M University-San Antonio to benefit from forthcoming regional and national initiatives that advance the use of AI/ML in research and academic programs.

Dr. Matthew Powell-Palm, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, received a DARPA Young Faculty Award for his project, “High Entropy Aqueous Solutions for Cryopreservation and Beyond.”

Dr. Chunwu Zhu, Assistant Research Scientist at Texas A&M Transportation Institute, has become the first Texas A&M recipient of the prestigious Barclay Gibbs Jones Award. His research reveals that communities with fewer resources face higher crash risks because of limited pedestrian infrastructure, greater vehicle exposure, and roadway designs that prioritize motor vehicle flow over safety for all users.

Dr. Mansoor Khan, Regents Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Dean of Texas A&M College of Pharmacy, was honored along with Texas A&M for his one-of-a-kind 3D-printed pediatric medication to treat toxoplasmosis in Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation By Design Awards. This research, funded by the NIH, could be applied to other classes of drugs where no pediatric formulation exists. The recognition places Texas A&M among a select group of innovators whose work is shaping the future.

On Dr. Hector P. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi honored the legacy of Dr. Garcia with the dedication of a new exhibit inside the university’s Downtown Building. The Sept. 17 event drew a standing-room-only crowd of university officials, community leaders, and members of the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation.

Dr. Joachim Reinhuber, Professor of Piano at Texas A&M University–Kingsville, has been selected for the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame by Steinway and Sons, the world’s most prestigious piano manufacturer.

Dr. Josh Wand, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, was honored with the 2026 Ignacio Tinoco Award by the Biophysical Society. The award, one of the society’s highest honors, recognizes Wand’s career-long contributions explaining physical and biological processes behind how biomolecules such as proteins move and work.

Dr. François Gabbaï, Arthur E. Martell Chair of Chemistry and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, has been honored with the 2026 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award in Organometallic Chemistry. Professor Gabbaï’s research, supported by several funding agencies, has focused on Lewis acidic compounds, especially those involving p-block and late transition metal elements.

Five faculty members in WT’s College of Nursing have been appointed to endowed professorships, recognizing their excellence in teaching, research, and service. These new professorships will provide additional support and prestige, helping the university retain top talent and elevate its academic standing.

Researchers at Texas A&M Health have created photo-inducible binary interaction tools that enable researchers to harness the precision of a conductor leading an orchestra—using pulses of blue light to command specific proteins to start or stop their activity inside living cells with unparalleled accuracy. Their study was recently published in Nature Communications.

Dr. Jeff Tomberlin, Professor of Forensic Entomology at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, has consulted on more than 200 criminal cases using insect colonization to estimate time since death and leads the FLIES forensic lab and NSF Center for Insect Biomanufacturing & Innovation. The program also trains students and expands into “agricultural forensics,” focusing on areas such as biosecurity and environmental protection.

Dr. Narendra Kumar, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Texas A&M University, researches on the gut-brain connection, highlighting that a healthy gut microbiome influences mood, cognition, appetite, and neurological health, with disruptions linked to anxiety, depression, and risk of diseases like Parkinson’s. Additional work explores how diet, exercise, and microbial balance can modulate serotonin levels and support brain-body wellness.

Dr. Taylor Ware, Associate Professor at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, and his team have designed materials that deliver good bacteria over longer durations, paving the way for medical devices that treat infections without antibiotics. At appropriate doses, good bacteria offer several benefits to host organisms, including modulating the gut microbiome, influencing immune responses, and fighting pathogens.

Researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Research are helping to lead a national effort to digitize tens of thousands of mammal specimens, transforming how scientists access and use biodiversity data. The four-year project is funded by NSF and its second year. Recent findings were published in the Journal of Mammalogy.

Dr. Thiya Mukherjee, Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences at Texas A&M University–San Antonio, has partnered with researchers at West Virginia State University and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to examine Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. Their findings demonstrate that FGD gypsum, a byproduct of cleaning wastewater in coal-fired thermal power plants, can be utilized as an effective, sustainable soil amendment for reclaiming degraded coal mine soils and promoting bioenergy crop production.

Researchers at Prairie View A&M University are making progress towards the application of mushrooms and their stems in poultry diets, emphasizing nutritional roles, physiological impacts, and underlying mechanisms. Their research shows that mushroom-based feed additives present a multifunctional solution for enhancing poultry performance while advancing environmentally responsible production practices.

Dr. Kayla Alward, Assistant Professor of Animal Science at West Texas A&M University, partnered with researchers at the University of Georgia to investigate the effects of Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations in lactating dairy cows. Their findings show that AMH is increased in cows with greater AFC, milk production, and age, and that cows with increased AMH concentrations are more likely to exhibit estrus.

Researchers at Texas A&M College of Pharmacy, Kingsville, and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station are working to assess the adhesion of transdermal patches. This approach incorporates in vitro permeation tests along with innovative techniques, such as interferometry. Results indicated that the reference patches exhibited superior adhesive performance and uniform distribution compared to the test patches.

Dr. Gerardo Flores, Associate Professor of Engineering at Texas A&M International University, is part of an international effort to develop an innovative sensor design that effectively addresses the challenges of detecting contact points and applied forces for quadrupedal robots. This capability allows the sensitive paw to detect ground contact as well as lateral and upper leg interactions, offering a robust and versatile tool for navigation and operation in complex environments. Their findings were published in Mechatronics.

Dr. Tondra Moore, Executive Director of Health Services at Prairie View A&M University, is stepping into a national leadership role with the launch of the Student Sickle Cell Warrior Project, a groundbreaking pilot program designed to support college students living with Sickle Cell Disease. Prairie View A&M was selected as the pilot site in recognition of her research and leadership through the American College Health Association.

Texas A&M University–Texarkana has announced a new community partnership with Texarkana Resources for the Disabled, Inc., which was finalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the parties on September 17, 2025.

Dr. Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo, Professor and Director for the Institute for Applied Creativity at Texas A&M University, is combining her artistic background with her technical skills to create a safe, immersive learning environment for students. Her work focuses on using immersive technologies to help students master complex tasks and procedures.

Dr. Desire Djidonou, Associate Professor of Urban and Sustainable Agriculture at East Texas A&M University, is leading efforts in controlled-environment agriculture research in hydroponics. His USDA-funded research focuses on developing best management practices for the sustainable production of major vegetable crops in controlled-environment hydroponic systems.

Dr. Keshav Shrestha, Assistant Professor of Physics at West Texas A&M University, was recently featured by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy for his work with quantum materials. Dr. Shrestha’s research focuses on understanding the fundamental physics of superconductivity, magnetism, and topological phases of materials.

Researchers from Texas A&M Biomedical Engineering are working to develop life-saving medical devices for unborn and newborn infants. The team is developing a biventricular compression implant to support infants recovering from complicated heart surgeries. When complete, the device could eliminate the need for prolonged use of large external machines that can function as an artificial heart and lungs by pumping and oxygenating a patient’s blood outside of the body.

The Autonomy Research Institute (ARI) at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is successfully building a collaborative network designed to support Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) activities well into the future. This effort has united federal agencies, private-sector innovators, and academic institutions in a shared mission to advance autonomous flight technologies and integrate them into the nation’s airspace.

Dr. Michael Oldham, Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance at East Texas A&M University, is leading the advancement of athlete and tactical readiness at the Research Opportunities in Athletics, Recreation, Health, and Performance (ROARHP) Lab. Through cutting-edge technology, applied research, and collaborations across campus and beyond, the ROARHP Lab provides data-driven paths to peak performance for athletes and first responders.

Dr. Jorge Seminario and postdoctoral associate Dr. Diego Galvez-Aranda at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station have contributed to pioneering research by demonstrating a new frontier in noninvasive cancer therapies. Unlike conventional treatments that rely on chemical agents, they employ molecular machines that use light to trigger mechanical action within the cell itself, targeting proteins and other cellular structures. The recently published manuscript in the Journal of the American Chemical Society continues this line of investigation.

The 2025 Panther Research and Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (PRISE) grant program has awarded $520,000 to 13 collaborative teams of faculty investigators from Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University. Established in 2021, the PRISE program is a joint effort to encourage collaboration. This initiative, now in its fifth year, continues to foster collaborative research addressing complex national and global challenges.

Researchers at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, led by Dr. Faisal Khan, have published a paper addressing the challenge of protecting processing facilities from cyber threats through a newly established framework. The framework highlights current problems and outlines proposed solutions. Once cyber attackers gain access to a facility’s industrial control systems, the priority shifts from threat prevention to ensuring that critical operations can continue safely and without severe consequences.

Dr. Jiho Shin, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, and collaborators published a review in Light: Science & Applications assessing the promise and challenges of micro-LED display technology. Their work highlights applications in VR/AR, flexible and transparent displays, and pinpoints key manufacturing hurdles, like maintaining brightness as LED pixels shrink, to enable broader adoption.

Rita, ETAMU’s newly acquired Angus cow, delivered her first calf, an 85-pound heifer dubbed “Rita 1889”, on October 2, 2025. This birth marks the launch of East Texas A&M’s first registered Angus program, with embryo transfers planned using eggs from Rita to expand the herd.

This new ERG is open to any employee with a military connection—including veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, caregivers, and family members.

The mission of the Military-Connected Employee Resource Group at The Texas A&M University System Offices is to create a supportive network for employees with a military connection. Through community-building, collaboration with veteran- and military-serving organizations, and professional development, we strive to empower our members, provide access to resources, and recognize the valuable contributions of service members, veterans, spouses, caregivers, and families across our organization."

If you would like to be added to the ERG distribution list and receive a calendar invitation for the first meeting, please connect with Dr. Monteigne S. Long.

The Texas A&M University System Research Development website features federal agency resources to support System researchers with checklists, outlines, templates, graphic and design concepts, and other information for NSF, NIH, USDA, DOE, DOD, and NASA. We continually add new resources to support specific research opportunities.

Health Sciences and Technology Research Symposium

Hosted in collaboration by Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and Driscoll Health System, this annual event brings together leading researchers, healthcare professionals, and innovators to share groundbreaking discoveries and explore solutions that advance patient care and shape the future of medicine.

Date: October 25, 2025

Location: Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi University Center

2025 Texas Semiconductor Summit

Explore the future of semiconductor technology in Texas and beyond.

Date: October 29-30, 2025

Location: Hilton College Station and Conference Center

ACIEE 28th Colloquium on International Engineering Education

The ACIEE provides a forum to discuss and share issues and ideas related to the field. The Colloquium provides engineering and language educators, international program administrators, deans, provosts, presidents, corporate leaders, public sector representatives and students common ground to talk about educating engineers for today’s global workplace.

Date: November 5-7, 2025

Location: Zachry Engineering Education Complex

2026 Academic Security and Counter Exploitation Program

ASCE fosters a sense of community among university research security professionals, uniting them in a collaborative defense against emerging threats.

Date: February 24-25, 2026

Location: Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center

The Texas A&M University System researchers and staff are invited to join our monthly gathering of the Research Development Communities of Practice (CoP) group, meeting via Zoom on the final Friday of each month at noon CST. We aim to facilitate learning from and about RD offices within TAMUS, offering valuable resources to enhance your endeavors. For further information, please don't hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to connecting with you.

Join our next virtual meeting by registering for the CoP

Dr. Arun Srinivasa TAMU CS COE - Mechanical Engineering professor presenting "Responsible AI for Engineering Education and Workforce Development"

Supporting Fairness and Originality in NIH Research Applications

NIH is providing guidance to researchers on the appropriate usage of artificial intelligence (AI) to maintain the fairness and originality of NIH’s research application process. NIH is also instituting a new policy limiting the number of applications that NIH will consider per Principal Investigator per calendar year.

Those researchers who will be submitting Department of Energy (DOE) proposals on or after May 1, 2025 are required to complete research security training PRIOR to proposal submission. This applies to all Covered Individuals, including any principal investigator (PI); project director (PD); co-principal investigator (Co-PI); co-project director (Co-PD); project manager; and any individual regardless of title that is functionally performing as a PI, PD, Co-PI, Co-PD, or project manager, as well as anyone designated by DOE.

To meet this requirement, course 2114875: Research Security Training (Combined) is now available in TrainTraq and will meet this requirement; however, if you have previously taken all four NSF training modules (TrainTraq courses 2114744 NSF Introduction to Research Security; 2114745 NSF The Importance of Disclosure; 2114746 NSF Manage & Mitigate Risk; and 2114747 NSF The Value of International Collaboration) this will also meet DOE’s training requirement.

Please note that Covered Individuals must certify via their Current and Pending Support disclosure that they have completed research security training. SRS must also certify that all Covered Individuals who are listed on the application have completed the training prior to submission.

Dr. Costas N. Georghiades

Texas A&M University

georghiades@tamu.edu

979.845.8585

Dr. Pete van Hengstum

Texas A&M University at Galveston

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

Dr. Jose F. Espiritu

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Dr. Angela Spaulding

West Texas A&M University

Dr. Brent Donham

East Texas A&M University

Dr. Sushil Sharma

Texas A&M University–Texarkana

ssharma@tamut.edu

903.334.6778

Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman

Texas A&M University–San Antonio

Dr. Jeff Kirk

Texas A&M University–Central Texas

Dr. Amir Ibrahim

Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Dr. Rodney Bowersox

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

bowersox@tamu.edu
979.845.0139

Dr. Dan Hale

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer

Texas A&M Forest Service

Tracy Foster

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service

Dr. Joe Zietsman

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Dr. Kiril M. Dimitrov

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Dr. Michael W. Hull

Texas Division of Emergency Management

researchdevelopment@tamus.edu

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Texas A&M System Hosts Inaugural ‘Rural Resilience Summit’

The Texas A&M University System

University Rankings and Recognition

TEES & Tarleton

Semiconductor Partnerships

Around the System: Headline News

Around the System: Funding Successes

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Around the System: Research Highlights

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

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SPONSOR NEWS

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