Get Engaged with Aggieland

Though there are hundreds of ways to support Aggie students, faculty and staff, below are some of the highest-priority initiatives featured in this issue of Spirit. These opportunities span programs, student activities and colleges across campus.

If you are interested in learning more about supporting an initiative, please connect with the listed development officer for further details. You can also contribute online donations of $25 or more to some of these programs by visiting our online giving site—indicated by those programs with associated black buttons.  

The BASS Initiative

The Black Accounting Student Success (BASS) Initiative is a plan to increase diversity in the Department of Accounting. By establishing 20 full-ride Foundation Excellence Award scholarships, the BASS Initiative will create opportunities for high-performing Black students to study accounting at Mays Business School. The initiative also includes plans for a learning community built in conjunction with the rebooted National Association of Black Accountants chapter.

Contact: Damara Lotten, Director of Corporate Relations, Mays Business School

The Big Event

Since The Big Event’s introduction in 1982, tens of thousands of Aggies gather every spring to show their gratitude to Bryan-College Station residents. During the event, students complete service projects such as yard work, window washing and painting for local community members. Although The Big Event has become the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation, its message and mission remain the same: to simply say, “Thank you.”

Contact: Reagan Chessher, Senior Director of Development, Division of Student Affairs

Give to the Big Event

The George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex

Located on the RELLIS Campus, the 2,000-acre George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC) is a state-of-the-art research and testing hub dedicated to improving national security through technological innovation. The complex’s test ranges provide military researchers the opportunity to observe their innovations in action, testing autonomous vehicles, precise laser technology, hypersonic flight, resilient computer networks and materials built to withstand extreme environments. With these resources and passionate engineers, the BCDC offers a path to a more secure and advanced tomorrow.

Contact: Jay Roberts ’05, Assistant Vice President for Development, College of Engineering

The Bush School of Government & Public Service

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Bush School of Government & Public Service has launched several fundraising initiatives to bolster its nationally acclaimed programs. The recently renovated Allen Building, home to the Bush School, has several available naming opportunities, while there are also campaigns for the school’s City and County Governance Program and Intelligence Studies Program. Additionally, the Bush School seeks to expand its offerings while providing more financial aid to veterans, first-generation college students and other members of underserved populations.

Contact: Cara Collins ’08, Senior Director of Development, The Bush School of Government & Public Service

SUpport the Dean's Endowed Excellence Fund

Department of Physics & Astronomy

Studying everything from cosmic pollution to black holes, researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy are searching the stars for answers. Housed within the Texas A&M University College of Science, astronomers and physicists have access to powerful tools that help them uncover the secrets of the cosmos. Their important endeavors are largely funded by fellowships, professorships and research grants, making understanding our universe a little more possible.

Contact: Ian Wilson ’13, Assistant Director of Development, College of Science

Give to the Astronomy Development Fund

Engineers Without Borders

Recently named the 2021 Registered Student Organization of the Year, Engineers Without Borders offers bright students the opportunity to put their engineering skills to work across the globe. By designing infrastructure improvements and working alongside community members, members have helped reduce sanitation issues in rural areas of Rwanda and the Dominican Republic. Sustainable innovations created by these budding engineers are improving the lives of thousands, reducing disease risk factors and building strength in the communities they serve.

Contact: Patrick Wilson ’10, Director of Development, College of Engineering

Fish Drill Team

Since 1947, the Fish Drill Team has executed military rifle drills with practiced precision, boasting dozens of national championships. As one of the most highly decorated organizations in the Corps of Cadets, the Fish Drill Team proves how quickly freshmen can develop into capable individuals. Through hours of training and competition, its members grow in both ability and leadership, contributing to the university’s mission to develop graduates of character dedicated to serving the greater good.

Contact: Matt Jennings ’95, Senior Director of Development, Corps of Cadets 

McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship

At the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship, enterprising Aggies can find tools and more than 30 unique programs that support their business endeavors. From inspiring and engaging events to networking opportunities, the center equips current and former students alike with the skills needed to help their business plans flourish. Successful Aggie entrepreneurs have stayed engaged with the McFerrin Center, contributing advice, mentorship and support for the next generation.

Contact: Stephen Cisneros ’05, Assistant Vice President for Development, Mays Business School

Support the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship

Military Medicine

The College of Medicine’s Department of Military Medicine provides specialized training to medical students who will serve as military physicians. While the anatomical knowledge required remains the same, medical students are often unprepared for the pressures of a high-stress military environment. Two military medicine education programs aim to change that: the Cadet to Medicine program and the Military to Medicine program. These provide adept Corps of Cadets members and first-year military academy students with a pathway to a medical school after receiving military training.

Contact: David Boggan ’79, Senior Director of Development, College of Medicine

President’s Endowed Scholarships

Since 1968, the merit-based President’s Endowed Scholarship (PES) program has been inspiring high-achieving high school seniors to make Texas A&M University their school of choice. The PES rewards incoming Texas A&M freshmen who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements in high school. Financial information is not considered. A $100,000 gift will permanently endow a PES to provide one student an annual stipend for four years.

Contact: Marcy Ullmann ’86, Senior Director of Scholarship Programs

University Art Galleries

Located in the Memorial Student Center, the University Art Galleries offers a glance into the visual ideas of others. Displays are curated from donated artworks or brought in through traveling exhibits, each on display with accompanying educational material identifying the pieces, their histories and their ties to the exhibit’s topic. The permanent collections contain thousands of works donated by former students and their loved ones, featuring mainly Texas artists, western heritage and Native American themes, to inspire a deeper look into Texas’ contributions to the art world.

Contact: Reagan Chessher ’96, Senior Director of Development, Division of Student Affairs

Give to the University art Galleries