Happening in Faculty Affairs
Welcome back!
During his all-faculty and staff meeting on Aug. 15, Interim President Mark A. Welsh III said, “Faculty are the infrastructure around which this great university is built, and ours are among the nation's best.” Faculty Affairs is uniquely positioned to know how true this is, and we look forward to working alongside you to leverage what makes Texas A&M University the best place to work, to teach and to conduct research. A task force has been formed at the request of Interim President Welsh to develop recommendations for procedures that protect the academic freedom of our faculty. We encourage you to regularly communicate with your representatives, provide them feedback and share your concerns.
We are dedicated to providing support as you advance your career and are passionate in helping elevate individual faculty accomplishments to inspire others. As we kick off the fall 2023 semester, we hope you find the updates shared below to be useful and capitalize on opportunities to collaborate (and celebrate!) with your colleagues as leaders among our university community.
Faculty Development and Funding Opportunities
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.
Nominations for the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program will open soon. Generous humanities and social sciences research stipends will support projects on political polarization in the United States.
Applications for John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowships open Aug. 18. Mid-career faculty pursuing advanced scholarship in any field of knowledge and/or exceptional creativity in any art form are eligible.
Nominations for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Alan T. Waterman Award are due Sept. 15.
Nominations for 2024 Sloan Research Fellowships, recognizing exceptional junior faculty in science, mathematics and economics, are due Sept.15.
2023 Department Head Development Fellows applications are due Aug. 21.
Faculty development leave applications are due to Faculty Affairs Oct. 4. Consult your school/college representative for initial questions. Contact Faculty Affairs Awards Programs for additional clarification.
The Fulbright Scholar Program application cycle opens in February, but there are other programs you may apply for now. Contact Traci Lacy to learn how you can participate in the Fulbright experience.
Working on a presentation or project? The Media Lab in The Studio located in Room 3.653 (6th floor, Evans Annex) has advanced computers (PCs and Macs), equipment and software to support your multimedia projects.
Texas A&M encourages faculty to elevate the impact of their work by joining colleagues in publishing articles in The Conversation.
Faculty Focus
Dr. Lei-Shih (Lace) Chen (Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health) was awarded the 2023 Education Award by the American Society of Human Genetics for her outstanding contributions to human genetics, genomic education, and impact on underserved communities and health professionals.
Dr. Matthew Taylor (Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) visited the University of Georgia to conduct collaborative research with their faculty in meat and food safety. Travel was sponsored by a competitive Southeastern Conference Travel Grant and a supplemental grant from Texas A&M.
Dr. Claire Katz (Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture, School of Education and Human Development), a finalist for the 2024 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, will give her home-campus presentation Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 3 p.m. in Evans Library, Room 204E.
Dr. Mansoor Khan (Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma School of Pharmacy) has earned three of the highest-ranking honors in pharmaceutical science: the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists’ 2023 Distinguished Pharmaceutical Scientist Award, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education’s 2023 Michael J. Pikal Distinguished Scholar in Pharmaceutical Processing and the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council Foundation’s 2022 Ralph Shangraw Memorial Award.
Under the leadership of Dr. Elsa Gonzalez (Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, School of Education and Human Development), Texas A&M’s NSF-funded Global Center program was awarded the 2023 Group Director’s Award for Superior Accomplishment.
Dr. Robin Page (School of Nursing) was named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Amplifying External Awards Program Recipients -
Dr. Edward Vargo (Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), a fellow of the Entomological Society of America, received a Pathways Award.
Dr. Nicholas D. Jeffery (Small Animal Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences), a recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Clinical Research Award, received a Highly Prestigious Award.
Dr. Sarah Hamer (Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences), a 2022 Fulbright Scholar, received a Prestigious Award.
Campus News
We formally welcomed more than 300 new faculty and academic leaders to Texas A&M at our New Faculty and New Academic Leader Orientation events earlier this month.
The inaugural Faculty Aspiring Leadership Program cohort has been announced and they will soon begin their departmental development projects.
Dr. Frank B. Ashley III was appointed acting dean of the Bush School for Government and Public Service.
Dr. Mark J. Zoran was named interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Joe Elabd will serve as acting vice chancellor for engineering, acting dean for the College of Engineering and acting director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.
Dr. Indra K. Reddy was named Interim Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Texas A&M Health.
Dr. Mansoor Khan was named Acting Dean of the Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy.
Dr. Matt F. Hoffman ’10 (School of Nursing) was selected to lead the Round Rock campus as assistant dean.
Searches for the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the vice chancellor for engineering and dean of the College of Engineering are ongoing. Visit Executive Searches for more information.
Mark Your Calendars
- Faculty Conversation Cafe (Zoom) - Aug. 31
- Faculty Conversation Cafe (In-Person) - Sept. 1
- Board of Regents Approved FY24 Holiday Schedule
Questions or Comments for Faculty Affairs?
Submit confidential questions, concerns or general feedback to Faculty Affairs.
Originally Released Tuesday, August 15th, 2023