Javelina Opportunity Award
Texas A&M University-Kingsville has launched the Javelina Opportunity Award, which will cover tuition and fees for a year for new, eligible first-year and transfer students.
Press Release
Texas A&M University-Kingsville has launched the Javelina Opportunity Award, which will cover tuition and fees for a year for new, eligible first-year and transfer students.
“For nearly 100 years this institution has changed the lives of our students and their families through educational opportunity,” said Dr. Mark A. Hussey, president of Texas A&M-Kingsville. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this award to students as they begin their journey to complete a college degree. Texas A&M-Kingsville is committed to removing barriers to education. The Javelina Opportunity Award extends our legacy of educational excellence at an outstanding value.”
Beginning in Spring 2021, new students will be eligible for the award program if they meet the following criteria:
Are a Texas resident
Are enrolling for the first time at Texas A&M-Kingsville as an undergraduate first-time-in-college or transfer student
Have an annual household income less than $65,000
Have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file
Register for at least 15 semester credit hours
Recipients of the Javelina Opportunity Award may be eligible to receive the award for two long semesters (spring/fall) if they maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
The award program leverages financial support including federal and state aid along with University scholarships and the Texas A&M University Regents Scholarships. New students who submit a FAFSA will be automatically considered for the program.
Texas A&M-Kingsville Will Waive Application Fee for Veterans
Officials with the Office of Veterans Affairs at Texas A&M University-Kingsville have announced that they will begin waiving the Application Fee for all veterans beginning in the spring semester.
Press Release
Officials with the Office of Veterans Affairs at Texas A&M University-Kingsville have announced that they will begin waiving the Application Fee for all veterans beginning in the spring semester.
“This will allow our student veterans a worry-free and quicker application process,” said Eloy Gamez, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs. “The transition from military to civilian is one filled with many obstacles. Veterans who are discharging look forward to starting their journey in education and the utilization of their benefits help them reach their goals.
“By us waiving these fees, we are removing one of the first hurdles a veteran can face when starting their education career. It also is a great way to show support to our veterans and service members,” Gamez said.
The process is a partnership with the Office of Admissions, Gamez said. “There is a digital Applicant ID form which now includes a Military/Veteran Applicant type. Our students will select that option along with their Applicant level and attach a qualifying service form (DD214, Orders, Transcript) for our review and verification.”
Currently, the application fee is $25 for undergraduates and $35 for graduate students.
Roberson as new Regents Professor
Joining the ranks of Regents Professors at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is Dr. Susan Roberson, English Professor in the Language and Literature Department.
Press Release
Dr. Susan Roberson, English Professor in the Language and Literature Department.
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION — The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has designated 15 faculty members and seven agency service, extension or research professionals within the A&M System as Regents Professors and Regents Fellows for 2019-2020.
Joining the ranks of Regents Professors at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is Dr. Susan Roberson, English Professor in the Language and Literature Department.
“My first reaction is that I am just giddy!” Roberson said. “It is such an honor to be recognized like this by my peers and by the Texas A&M University System. It has been one of the great periods of my life to have worked for and served Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Javelina Nation is a place where people can be nourished and grow to their potential.
“I follow in the footsteps of two other Regents Professors from the Department of Language and Literature, Dr. Jacki Thomas and Dr. David Sabrio,” she said. “I think that having another Regents Professor in the ranks of my home department and the College of Arts and Sciences will shine a light on the Humanities and Literature and the contributions that we make to learning and to the lives of our students.”
The Board established the Regents Professor Awards program in 1996 and the Regents Fellow Service Awards program in 1998 to recognize employees who have made extraordinary contributions to their university, or agency, as well as to the people of Texas.
“These individuals exemplify the commitment to excellence in research and service that sets A&M System employees apart,” Elaine Mendoza, Chairman of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. “I hope their example will inspire others in their own endeavors.”
Roberson earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Baylor University. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in English from Texas A&M University.
She came to Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2003 as chair of the Language and Literature Department. During that time, she also served as interim chair of the Department of Communications and Theatre Arts.
In 2010, she was promoted to assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. During her time there, she served as interim chair of the Department of Psychology and Sociology, interim director of the Undergraduate Writing Center and interim director of the Women and Gender Studies Program.
She served as the director of the Women and Gender Studies Program for two years. She is now an English Professor.
Roberson has edited six books and written numerous articles and chapters and conference papers. She has chaired many conference sessions including some for Women and Gender Studies Program. She also has organized conferences and symposia.
She received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and was the university’s nominee for the Minnie Piper Award in 2015. In 2006, she received the Javelina Alumni Association’s Distinguished Researcher Award.
Other recipients of this year’s Regents Professor Award include:
• Dr. Julia Ballenger, Texas A&M University-Commerce
• Dr. Frances Bernat, Texas A&M International University
• Dr. Jane Bolin, Texas A&M University Health Science Center
• Dr. Fred Bonner II, Prairie View A&M University
• Dr. Yassin Hassan, Texas A&M University
• Dr. Alex Hunt, West Texas A&M University
• Dr. Patrick Louchouarn, Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Dr. Bhimanagouda Patil, Texas A&M University AgrilLife Research
• Dr. Luz Mary Rincon, Texas A&M University-Texarkana
• Dr. Susan Roberson, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
• Dr. Christine Stanley, Texas A&M University
• Dr. Gregory Stuntz, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
• Dr. David Threadgill, Texas A&M University Health Science Center
• Dr. Edward Westermann, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
• Dr. Peter Yu, Texas A&M University
This year’s recipients of the Regents Fellow Service Awards are:
• Dr. Diane Boellstorff, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
• Mr. D. Lance Bullard, Jr., Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Dr. Susan Chrysler, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
• Mr. John Crawford, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
• Mr. Alphonse Davis, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
• Mr. Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service
• Dr. Ruben Saldaña, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension
The selection process for the awards begins with a call for nominations from the chancellor. Final nominations are put forth to the chief executive officer of each respective entity. They are then subject to a System-level review consisting of academic vice chancellors and past recipients of the awards. Finally, nominations are forwarded to the chancellor and the board for final approval.
To date, 268 A&M system faculty members have been recognized with the Regents Professor Award and 157 agency professionals have received the Regents Fellow Service Award.
Annual Economic Forum Will be Virtual Event
This year’s keynote speaker is Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. He will talk about Navigating the Road to Recovery: An Overview of the Fiscal Health of the State and Challenges for Texas in the Upcoming 87th Legislative Session.
Press Release
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar
Kingsville - The College of Business Administration (CBA) at Texas A&M University-Kingsville will host its annual Economic Forum, but this year’s will be virtual. The 10th annual Economic Forum will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This year’s keynote speaker is Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. He will talk about Navigating the Road to Recovery: An Overview of the Fiscal Health of the State and Challenges for Texas in the Upcoming 87th Legislative Session.
This year’s forum will feature a study of three South Texas counties that have similar COVID-19 case levels. Dr. Thomas Krueger, J.R. Manning Endowed Professor of Innovation in Business Education and chair of the department of accounting and finance from the College of Business Administration, will present his research entitled Economic Conditions in Kleberg County, Fayette County and Medina County: Three South Texas Counties with Similar COVID-19 Case Levels.
To register for the economic forum, go to http://www.tamuk.edu/business/researchoutreach/economic-forum.html and click on the Register Now button. Follow the directions as if ordering tickets. Follow through until the end. Then on the day before the forum, Monday, Nov. 2, all those registered will get an email with their own individualized link to the Zoom meeting.
About Glenn Hegar
Glenn Hegar was elected the 36th Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in November 2014.
As Texas’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO), he is the state’s treasurer, check writer, tax collector, procurement officer and revenue estimator.
Soon after taking office, he reorganized the agency for quicker and more effective decision-making and reduced its administrative footprint by working with the Legislature to eliminate inefficient programs and transfer others that didn’t fit core missions.
As CFO of the world’s ninth-largest economy, Hegar monitors Texas’ financial health to ensure it maintains strong fund balances.
Hegar is a graduate of Texas A&M University and St. Mary’s University where he earned a master of arts and his law degree. He earned a master of laws from University of Arkansas.
About Dr. Thomas Krueger
Dr. Thomas Krueger is the J.R. Manning Endowed Professor of Innovation in Business Education at Texas A&M-Kingsville. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a master’s degree in business administration from Minnesota State University and a doctorate in business administration in finance from the University of Kentucky.
Before joining Texas A&M-Kingsville, he taught finance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. While at UW-La Crosse, he was chair of the Finance Department and internship coordinator of the East Central European Scholarship Program.
Since joining Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2011, Krueger has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. Some of the classes taught over the past year are business finance, personal financial planning, capital budgeting, financial ranch management and global finance.
Krueger has authored over 90 refereed journal articles and been cited 1,254 times in other articles. His H-statistics of 13, means that at least 13 authored articles have been cited 13 or more times. Perhaps his most widely-read article, titled “Super Bowl Stock Market Predictor,” was published in the top-tier Journal of Finance.
Other research has resulted in winning six Best in Track Awards and one Distinguished Research Award at national finance meetings. He was chosen for the 2015 Teaching Excellence Award, an acknowledgement as the best instructor in the finance discipline, by the Academy of Finance, an international association of Finance Professionals. From 2014 through 2019, Krueger was the recipient of the College of Business Administration’s Distinguished Research of the Year awards.
He was the 2017 President of the Academy of Finance, 2017-present chair of the accounting and finance department at Texas A&M-Kingsville, and member of the Graduate Education Advisory Committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board from 2016-2019, where he has played a role providing inflation–adjusted information regarding student loan debt and graduate education costs in Texas.
Missing TAMUK Math Professor
Texas A&M University Math Professor Dr. Hueytzen Wu has been missing since October 1. If you or someone you know has any information about Dr. Wu, please contact Kingsville Police Department at 361-592-4311.
Press Release
Updated 10/7/2020, 5:57 p.m.
Kingsville Police Department has reported that the body Dr. Wu, has been located at Boca Chica Beach, near Brownsville, TX .
Updated 10/7/2020, 3:34 p.m.
Hueytzen James Wu 74YOA, has been reported missing by family members after his wife, who had been out of town, attempted to contact him last week. Neighbors report having seen him the afternoon of Thursday October 1st, 2020 at approximately 4:45pm.
Dr. Wu was seen in the area of Benavides and Hebbronville at local convenience stores later that evening. Witnesses have indicated that Dr. Wu appeared dazed and confused and did not appear to know where he was or where he was going. Dr. Wu is a diabetic and does not have his medication with him. The symptoms described above are consistent with an individual that has not received appropriate medication. Dr. Wu is described as an Asian Male 5’7”, 140lbs. Dr. Wu a professor of mathematics, did not report to work at a local university on Friday, October 2nd, 2020 or on Monday, October 5th, 2020.
A large sum of cash was withdrawn from the account of Dr. Wu since the time he has been reported missing. Dr. Wu was last driving a 2015 Nissan Odyssey White in color. That vehicle has been located at the Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville, Texas. This is an area near the SpaceX facility.
If you have information regarding Dr. Wu please contact the Kingsville Police Department at PH# (361) 592-4311 or contact CrimeStoppers at (361) 592-INFO (4636) or email: p3tips.com. If you know the whereabouts of Dr. Wu, you may be eligible for a cash reward.
Original post at 2:11 p.m.
Texas A&M University Math Professor Dr. Hueytzen Wu has been missing since October 1. Last seen in Kingsville on Hall Ave.
Drives a white Nissan Quest. License plate FHP8804.
If you or someone you know has any information about Dr. Wu, please contact Kingsville Police Department at (361) 592-4311.
$3 million for Student Support Services at Texas A&M University Kingsville
The program will aid 360 first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible, undergraduate students.
Press Release
The Office of Student Access at Texas A&M University-Kingsville has received just over $3 million in U.S. Department of Education grant money for the Student Support Services (SSS) programs. The SSS program received more than $1.7 million while the SSS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program received over $1.3 million, each divided into payments over the next five years.
Both programs already assist Texas A&M-Kingsville students, but these grants will extend those services another five years.
“These programs are not only important to our students because they provide individualized academic services that promote persistence, but they also will now offer career-focused skill building so that our students are competitive in the workforce once they graduate,” said. Dr. Maria Martinez, interim associate vice president for student access.
The goals of the programs are
To increase the persistence and graduation rates of eligible university students
To foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities based on need
To help students make the transition from one level of higher education to the next.
“These programs are meaningful and highly impactful. I also think the funding level is remarkable because it means we can provide additional services related to career planning and funding for internships,” Martinez said. “New aspects of the SSS programs will include focused career and internship plans, personal fiscal/budget management plans and career mentoring engagements with industry professionals.”
The two programs serve 360 first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible, undergraduate students each year. Both programs offer peer mentoring, academic tutoring, specialized career counseling, dedicated computer lab access, academic workshops, financial planning and career workshops, graduate school planning trips and grant aid.
The SSS program serves students who are majoring in all fields offered at Texas A&M-Kingsville while the SSS STEM program provides services to those in STEM majors.
TAMUK - Golden Key
The Golden Key chapter at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is one of only 24 chapters worldwide, to receive the Key Chapter Award for 2020. There are over 400 chapters around the world.
Press Release
The Golden Key chapter at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is one of only 24 chapters worldwide, to receive the Key Chapter Award for 2020. There are over 400 chapters around the world.
The chapter featured a presentation, entitled Be an Agent of Change, that showcased four events and a highlighted event all done in the 2019-20 academic year. They featured two chapter alumni who used social media to enhance their work in area schools; a graduate school development project; a book collection drive that helped three locations; the Bags for Foster Children project that collected all kinds of bags; and bringing Kleberg Bank to the Fall Festival to provide change for attendees and student organizations.
This is the second time the Texas A&M-Kingsville chapter received this international award. The first time was in 2017.
TAMUK - SAT/ACT Optional For 2021 Admission
Texas A&M University-Kingsville has decided to make the SAT and ACT optional for admission in the spring, summer and fall of 2021.
Press Release
Officials at Texas A&M University-Kingsville have announced they will make optional the requirement of First-time in College (FTIC) applicants to provide SAT or ACT scores to be considered for admission for the spring, summer and fall sessions in 2021.
“Due to COVID-19, there has been uncertainty about whether the ACT and SAT tests will be consistently accessible to all prospective students. As such, Texas A&M University-Kingsville has decided to make the SAT and ACT optional for admission in the spring, summer and fall of 2021,” said Dr. Maureen Croft, vice president for enrollment management.
“We believe that this will ensure fairness in the admissions process during these unprecedented times,” she added. “Applications will be reviewed holistically with or without SAT or ACT scores. We encourage students to provide additional information on their application such as letters of reference, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service, awards and other factors that support an applicant’s ability to succeed at Texas A&M-Kingsville.”
Students who have been denied admission should know that the university’s Admission Appeal Process remains in effect without change. Anyone with questions are encouraged to contact the university at admissions@tamuk.edu or 361-593-5372 (JESC).
TAMUK - Wildfires and Drought Study
TAMUK - Dr. Weimin Xi, associate professor and senior ecologist in the biological and health sciences department, is working on two studies that he hopes will help better understand wildfires and how people can prevent the devastation associated with them.
Press Release
Photo by Texas A&M University Kingsville
Dr. Weimin Xi
Texas A&M University Kingsville - Dr. Weimin Xi, associate professor and senior ecologist in the biological and health sciences department, is working on two studies that he hopes will help better understand wildfires and how people can prevent the devastation associated with them. His projects were funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service for a total of nearly $150,000.
The first of the studies, receiving $72,000 from the Forest Service, will look at the effects of wildfire and fuel-reduction treatments on forest structures around the Storrie fire and others in northern California.
The Storrie Fire started Aug. 17, 2000, at Storrie, California in Plumas County. Before it was brought under control Sept. 27, it had consumed 52,000 acres of private and National Forest System lands on the Mt. Hough Ranger District of the Plumas National Forest and the Almanor Ranger District of the Lassen National Forest. Suppression costs were estimated to be $22 million.
“I am trying to have a better understanding on how the California forests respond to large wildfires and then use the information we will learn to help landowners achieve more fire-resilient forests,” said Xi. “This includes how to manage before and after wildfires.”
The hypothesis is that thinning the forest by removing smaller, weaker trees, can improve the forest’s health thus making it more fire-resilient. Another part of the hypothesis is that reducing the fuel, including needles, grasses, small twigs and larger fuels such as shrubs, branches on the ground and downed trees, could make a forest resilient to fire.
“As we can’t burn the forests to test our ideas, we will use forest simulation models to test under different scenarios showing what the results would look like with different fire size, severity, portion of tree thinning, different fuel treatments combined with the varied drought under climate change and more,” Xi said.
“Overall, we are using forest simulation models to test the ideas of whether forest thinning and fuel reduction can reduce the number of wildfires, the intensity of the fire and if the forests can better adapt to fires,” he added.
Xi said understanding and quantifying the resilience of forests to wildfires is critical for forest ecosystem management.
“This understanding is essential for forest managers to achieve their management goals,” Xi said.
Xi’s second project was awarded $77,500 by the Forest Service. For this project, Xi will team up with Dr. Sandra Rideout-Hanzak, professor of restorative fire ecology in the Department of Range and Wildlife Sciences at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
In this study, they will investigate the short- and long-term effects of the 2011 drought on tree mortality in four national forests, Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine and Sam Houston, and surrounding areas of East Texas using National Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and a forest succession and drought model.
“We hypothesize that tree death rates are closely related to drought distribution and drought length and that oak trees experienced higher impacts than pine trees in the East Texas forests,” Xi said.
“Weather is the leading cause of tree mortality in Texas forests and drought has the biggest impact on forest health,” he said, “Understanding how drought affects trees under varying stand conditions is essential to mitigate its negative impacts on the sustainability of forests during global warming.”
Xi and Rideout-Hanzak will also examine interactions among drought, wildfire and insects under climate change to help landowners and resource managers to develop effective forest management strategies to mitigate negative impacts.
With a background in forest ecology, Rideout-Hanzak said she will be collaborating on designing the study methods.
“Wildfires are almost always a result of a drought combined with a dry, windy day, so drought affects fire,” she said. “With prescribed fire, we typically wouldn’t burn during a drought because we want to make sure there is plenty of soil moisture when we burn so that plants can green up right away without missing a beat. If we burn during a drought, we are adding stress to plants that are already stressed.”
The first grant is for two years and the second is for three. Both will support graduate student assistants.