Henry Musoma (center) being congratulated by his students for winning the Robert M. Gates Inspiration Award.

Scholarships & Financial Aid at Texas A&M University recognized Henry Musoma as the 2013 recipient of the Robert M. Gates Inspiration Award at the 2013 Regents’ Scholars Spring Banquet. Musoma is a lecturer for Mays Business School at Texas A&M. and was nominated by his students in the Freshman Business Initiative class. One nominator wrote of Musoma, “he helps students discern their career paths, connects them to various resources, and above all he has instilled in students the inspiration to exceed all barriers that weigh us down. Students gain a perspective to their potential thanks to him, and every student who has met him can say the same. Your network is your net-worth. Dr. Musoma deserves this award and so much more.”

Before his name was announced as the recipient, Musoma’s students were already on their feet cheering at the mention of his commonly-used phrase, “your network is your net-worth.” Musoma was there to personally receive the award at the Regents’ Scholars Spring Banquet.

The Robert M. Gates Inspiration Award was established to honor Gates’ legacy and tenure at Texas A&M. He provided the inspiration for the Regents’ Scholars Program and continues to support the program. He also challenged the faculty and staff to provide support for the recipients of the scholarship through mentoring and advising. Each year at the spring banquet an outstanding faculty/staff member at Texas A&M is recognized by the Regents’ Scholars Program for continuing their support of the program and the students.

For more information about the award, contact Casey Gros at casey_gros@tamu.edu.

Members of Texas A&M University at Qatar celebrate the university's award-winning research programs.

Kenneth Hall, associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies at Texas A&M-Qatar, said, “Once again, Texas A&M University at Qatar has received significant funding from the QNRF NPRP program. These funds allow our faculty members and researchers to engage in curiosity-driven research for the benefit of Qatar. Such research always precedes technological development, and our research personnel have become proficient at translating research into commercial products. In addition, we have the good fortune this year to have won the two QNRF awards for the second year in a row. Our Research Office has won the award for the outstanding Research Office, and Dr. Khalid Qaraqe has received the Best Researcher award. We are delighted and pleased with these recognitions, and we are deeply grateful to QNRF.”

The “Best Researcher of the Year” award recognized Khalid Qaraqe, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Texas A&M-Qatar. Qaraqe said, “I would like to extend my warmest thanks to QNRF for honoring me with the prestigious 2013 Best Researcher Award.  This award is not just for me; it’s for all my colleagues and my research team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their effort and hard work. Working with such a fine team of individuals at Texas A&M at Qatar has been such great inspiration to me.”

“My biggest aim is to reflect the excellent resources and support we have from QF, QNRF and the university,” he added. “I am convinced that the profound research in Qatar will lead to enhancing KPI, human capital and international visibility, and I believe that some of our research outcomes will be applied and deployed in the near future.”

“On behalf of QNRF, I congratulate Texas A&M at Qatar for their commitment to excellence in research and development,” said Abdul Sattar Al–Taie, executive director at QNRF. “The Texas A&M at Qatar research office and Dr. Khalid Qaraqe deserve recognition for their high productivity and performance. We are proud to be working alongside you to advance knowledge through research for the benefit of Qatar and the world.”

This brings the total NPRP funding awarded to Texas A&M at Qatar this year to approximately $22 million, and includes the Exceptional NPRP Project recognition that was recently awarded to Haitham Abu-Rub, professor of electrical engineering, and his team.

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About Texas A&M University at Qatar

Texas A&M University, recognized as having one of the premier engineering programs in the world, has offered undergraduate degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering at Qatar Foundation’s Education City campus since 2003, and graduate courses in chemical engineering since fall 2011. Almost 300 engineers have graduated from Texas A&M at Qatar since 2007. In addition to engineering courses, Texas A&M at Qatar provides classes in science, mathematics, liberal arts and the humanities. All four of the engineering programs offered at Texas A&M at Qatar are accredited by ABET. The curricula offered at Texas A&M at Qatar are materially identical to those offered at the main campus in College Station, Texas, and courses are taught in English in a co-educational setting. The reputation for excellence is the same, as is the commitment to equip engineers to lead the next generation of engineering advancement. Faculty from around the world are attracted to Texas A&M at Qatar to provide this educational experience and to participate in research activities now valued at over $135 million, and that address issues important to the State of Qatar. Visit www.qatar.tamu.edu.

Students at Texas A&M University at Qatar were honored for their outstanding accomplishments.

Aggie engineering students were recognized for contributions to the university as student leaders, athletes, student employees and scholars. The event was held on April 25 in the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Center Ballroom.

Jeff Sulik, assistant director of student affairs at Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “We look forward to this event all year.  You just can’t go wrong honoring students for their dedication and hard work.  Students are the reason we are here.”

The awards celebrated Student Organization of the Year, Student Organization Advisor of the Year, Athletics Awards for the Basketball, Cricket and Soccer Team, Student Employee Awards, Buck Weirus Spirit Award, 12th Man Award, Gathright Scholar Awards, Core Value Awards, Richard E. Ewing Award for Excellence in Student Research,  and the Troy Marschang Award for Leadership Excellence.

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Randy Matson Association of Former Students Award

Kristen Harrell, Associate Director, Office of the Dean of Student Life

Sikirat Kazeem, Student Development Specialist IV, Department of Recreational Sports

Melissa Shehane, Assistant Director, Department of Student Activities

Awards of Distinction – Individual

Alicia Guevara, Student Development Specialist II/Accommodations Counselor, Disability Services

Susan Kimbrough, Program Coordinator, Office of the Dean of Student Life

Cord McLean, Student Development Specialist II, Mulitcultural Services

Dayna Ford, Community Director, Residence Life

Joani Groce, Administrative Coordinator, University Center Complex

Award of Distinction – Graduate Assistant

Chris Shemanski, Graduate Assistant, Student Activities

Award of Distinction – Team

LaKisha Anderson, Allan Baron, Risa Bierman, Jessica Bowers, Justin Ellis, Dayna Ford, Kristen Harrell, Susan Kimbrough, Jill Kinison, Kyle McCracken, Lisa Minjares, LJ Moore, Lyndon Pryor, Dennis Reardon, Meredith Simpson

J. Malon Southerland Award

Gary Booth, Assistant Director, Office of the Dean of Student Life

John J. Koldus III Faculty and Staff Award

Don Lewis, Instructor, Mays Business School
For a description of each award, visit http://studentaffairs.tamu.edu/awards.

Recipients of the 2013 awards for distinguished service in the academic advising profession are Rosalinda Aregullin, Academic Advisor II, Department of Hispanic Studies; David “Poppy” Capehart, Senior Academic Advisor II, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences; Holly Gaede, Assistant Instructional Professor and Undergraduate Advisor, Department of Chemistry; Trina Gregory, Academic Advisor II, Department of Biochemistry;  and Donna Witt, Senior Academic Advisor II, Department of Animal Science.

Each of the recipients will be recognized with a $2,000 cash award and a plaque, to be presented at the University Advisors and Counselors Awards Breakfast on May 1.

Sponsored by the Texas Institute of Letters, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to stimulate interest in Texas letters and to recognize distinctive literary achievement, these awards recognize outstanding literary works whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas.

“This special recognition for two of our leading titles underlines the importance and need for university press publishing programs that include a strong emphasis on our state heritage,” said Charles Backus, Texas A&M University Press Director. “These works showcase the best of what our press has to offer in natural history and in Texas history.”

Writer and artist Margie Crisp — also selected as the 2012 Texas Book Festival featured artist — traveled the length of Texas’s Colorado River while researching River of Contrasts: The Texas Colorado. Crisp’s sensitive tribute to the river and its inhabitants is enhanced by the exquisite art she has created for the book, which was also recently named the winner of the Ron Tyler “Best Illustrated Book on Texas History and Culture” by the Texas State Historical Association.

In Captain James A. Baker of Houston, 1857-1941, Kate Sayen Kirkland chronicles the life of the Houston lawyer, banker and businessman who unraveled a plot to murder and plunder the estate of his elderly millionaire client William Marsh Rice. Working tirelessly with local authorities, Baker saved Rice’s fortune from more than 100 claimants, championing the wishes of his deceased client and founding the Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Science, and Art – today’s Rice University.

The district identifies food service establishments in its jurisdiction that show exemplary compliance with the Texas Food Establishment Rules. To be recognized by the district, these establishments must take food sanitation very seriously, much to the benefit of their customers and the community at-large.

TAMUG officials send congratulations to the Dining Services staff for their high-quality service to students.

Texas A&M-Qatar students were awarded 1st and 5th place honors in an undergraduate research competition.

Texas A&M University at Qatar students were awarded 1st and 5th place at the conclusion of the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) 5th annual Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) competition.

Texas A&M at Qatar’s 1st-place winning project, which examined the effects of ultra-high pressures and temperatures on oil-based drilling mud, was one of five undergraduate projects competing at the QNRF event and held under the patronage of Faisal Alsuwaidi, president of Research and Development at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

The project, led by Mahmood Amani, assistant professor of petroleum engineering at Texas A&M-Qatar, and his team of students was entitled “Investigating the Effects of Ultra High Pressures and Temperatures on the Rheological Properties of Oil-Based Drilling Mud.”

The students participating on this team were Mohammed Al-Jubouri, Abdulaziz Al-Mohannadi, Mohammad Abu Ghazaleh, Abdullah Taha, Radhwan Alsaad, Mohammed Fakhroo, Mohammed Hanbal, Mustafa Al-Waily and Yassine El-Wardany.

Commenting on their achievement at this year’s competition, Mark H. Weichold, Texas A&M-Qatar dean and CEO, said, “The participation of undergraduate students in research is an integral part of their education.  It gives them the opportunity to gain critical thinking skills and introduces them to real-life research challenges in engineering, basic sciences and social sciences.  We are thankful to Qatar National Research Fund for giving this opportunity to our students.”

For more on this story, click here.

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Texas A&M-Qatar Dean and CEO Mark Weichold receives the Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah International Energy Award.

HE Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani, president of Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and vice president of education at Qatar Foundation, presented the award.

“I congratulate Dean Weichold on being recognized through this most prestigious award,” said Ali Al-Thani. “Under his leadership, Texas A&M at Qatar is playing a vital role in the development of the energy industry both in our country and internationally. He has made a great personal contribution to the advancement of education, and I thank him for his generous support for the development of academic excellence at Hamad bin Khalifa University.”

Weichold accepted the award, saying, “I am honored and humbled to be recognized with the inaugural ‘Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of Education’ award from His Excellency Al-Attiyah. I have not made this journey alone. This award also belongs to the many people who have encouraged and supported me during my career. They have shared with me their dedication, commitment and belief in the power of education and its capacity to make a difference. Education does not simply allow for study, it allows us to understand, and encouraging youth and discovery has never let me down. At Texas A&M and Texas A&M at Qatar, we encourage excellence, initiative and integrity; characteristics I strive to model for the young people I am honored to know; it is the key to their future.”

For more on this story, click here.

Updated March 7, 2 p.m.: On the heels of a winning season and a record-setting Heisman victory, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie football team is again in heated competition, but this time the action is online as Texas A&M is in the finals of EA Sports’ NCAA Football Cover Vote contest. Texas A&M trails Michigan in the final vote by 8,000, with less than 48 hours remaining in the contest.

The football team gave Aggie fans an unforgettable season, but now it’s up to the 12^th Man to snag wide receiver Ryan Swope the honor of being featured on the cover of NCAA Football 14, a popular video game by EA Sports, by voting at http://tx.ag/voteSwope and then passing the link on to their family and friends. Voting for the finals ends Friday, March 8 at 10:59 p.m CST.

“The 12^th Man has always supported Aggie football and being featured on the cover of EA Sports NCAA Football would be huge,” said Texas A&M Head Football Coach Kevin Sumlin. “Ryan Swope is a great senior representative of our football team. I encourage the 12^th Man to vote and let’s continue the positive momentum we have built together.”

Swope is the most decorated receiver in the history of Aggie football. After the Aggies’ decisive Cotton Bowl victory last season, Swope has left the university as the all-time leader in both receptions and receiving yards.

Vying for the cover against Swope is Denard Robinson, quarterback for Michigan.

“The opportunity to have Texas A&M on the cover of this popular football video game would be the ‘icing on the cake’ to our successful transition into the SEC and a year of tremendous growth for the Texas A&M brand,” said Jason Cook, Texas A&M’s vice president for marketing and communications. “EA Sports’ NCAA Football is distributed by every national retailer that sells video games – from big-box chains to gaming shops – and reaches a wide demographic, including a lot of potential Aggie students and fans.”

Voting in the other competition rounds does not count for the final round; votes must be cast again in the final round to secure the win.

NCAA Football 14 will be released this summer and fans can pre-order on Origin, EA Sports’ official online store.

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Media Contact: Lesley Henton, News & Information Services, at (979) 845-5591