A Program of The Association of Former Students

Howdy, Advocates!

The Texas A&M Advocacy Network is a program that exists to allow former students and friends of Texas A&M University the opportunity to engage on issues impacting Texas A&M and higher education in Texas.

As the program continues to grow, we ask you to help us gauge the reach of our collective networks and enable us to effectively advocate for future public policy discussions. By understanding our network of relationships with elected officials and staff members, we can build an advocacy program that will truly put the Aggie Network to use! Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey that will ask questions about what issues are important to you, the stakeholders within your network, and the level of advocacy you would be willing to undertake on behalf of Texas A&M.

In November, a new social media campaign launched, by both Texas A&M and UT-Austin, called United to Serve Texans. You can read more about the new campaign in our most recent Advocacy Mid-Month Update.

Lastly, make sure you continue to join the Texas A&M Office of Government Relations as they count down the days until the beginning of the 87th Texas Legislative Session by highlighting #AggieIMPACTS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Happy Holidays to you and your families!

In the Aggie Spirit,

Jordyn Steinberger ’17

John Junkins Named A&M's Interim President; Will Begin with New Year

Last week, Texas A&M President Michael Young announced he will be stepping down from his position on Dec. 31. System Chancellor John Sharp '72 has recommended John L. Junkins, distinguished professor of aerospace engineering, as interim president.

The Board of Regents will vote on Sharp's recommendation before the new year. In a letter to the Texas A&M community, Junkins said he is surprised and honored to take on this role.

To learn more about this announcement, click here.

Texas A&M System, Worlds Inc. Collaborate On COVID-19 Breathalyzer

The simple act of blowing through a straw could soon come to symbolize a breathtaking leap forward in the COVID-19 fight – and in combating other public health threats, including pathogens that could cause future pandemics.

That simple exhaled breath is key to a new device that uses artificial intelligence to detect whether individuals should be tested for COVID-19. The sophisticated breathalyzer is being developed and tested through a collaboration among a Dallas-based company, Worlds Inc., the U.S. Air Force and The Texas A&M University System.

Finish reading the article here.

Aggies in Government Spotlight

Andrea Bouressa '03 always knew she wanted to be an Aggie, just like her father and grandfather. Now, she serves as the 471st Judicial District Court Judge. Learn how Andrea continues to stay involved with the Aggie Network at tx.ag/Bouressa03.

If you know an Aggie working in government and would like to see them in a future spotlight, submit a nomination here.

Texas A&M Students Design Portable Air Purifier

Valentina Alarcon '21 and Juan Cuellar '21 from the College of Engineering and Leticia Gomes '23 from Mays Business School designed the prototype through Aggies Against COVID-19, a virtual design competition that invited students of all majors to identify and solve problems related to the pandemic. After placing in the top 10 teams, the group was admitted into the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps Site Fellows program.

To read more, click here.

Seven A&M System Faculty Members Named to Science Association

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will induct seven faculty members from The Texas A&M University System — six from Texas A&M University and one from Texas A&M University-Kingsville — as 2020 AAAS Fellows during the association’s virtual annual meeting on Feb. 8, Texas A&M University’s Division of Research announced.

See the list of 2020 Aggie Fellows here.

The Association of Former Students has a bold vision to engage 100,000 donors annually for Texas A&M by the end of 2020. To learn more, visit tx.ag/100Kby2020. To help us help more Aggies, make a gift at tx.ag/Give.

Trouble seeing this email? View this email in your browser.

Want to see all Association subscription options or receive fewer Association emails? Manage your subscriptions.

I would like to unsubscribe from all Association email.

The Association of Former Students
505 George Bush Drive
College Station, TX 77840 United States

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book. (000000)