For Texas A&M, 2017 is not about changing who we are. Our responsibility to uphold the institution’s core values remains unwavering. Our mission of selfless service is stronger than ever, ensuring that our founding land-grant heritage remains inextricably part of who we are. And our quest for excellence, fueled by an unparalleled commitment to transformational learning, discovery and innovation, continues to uplift this world-class institution for the benefit of people in Texas and beyond.
At Texas A&M, we are not focused on how we will change as a university, but rather, how we as a university will change the world. This year, like the last 140 years, we are making the difference we want to see across every pocket of the globe.
Texas A&M University is an incubator of ingenuity and leadership. Here, collaboration is not just for the sake of it but to create a better society. Every day, Aggies put integrated knowledge to work for the world, driving innovation across disciplines and geographic boundaries to solve grand global challenges.
In 2017, more than ever before, we are applying purpose-driven research to tackle the most pressing issues of our time. Our Department of Oceanography will continue to work with partners globally to restore and preserve the world’s largest coral reef system. The College of Education’s Center for Urban School Partnerships is helping K-12 schools improve standards and student and teacher retention, while across campus the College of Geosciences is moving the needle on food and water access and stability research and technology. At the top of the year, the Board of Regents granted approval for a new research center that will move lifesaving discoveries from our labs to the marketplace. And A&M is among the nation’s top institutions for entrepreneurship studies, with more than 250 startups launched by Texas A&M graduates in the last five years and more opportunities to come in 2017. From environmental resilience in coastal communities and nuclear security within U.S. borders, to disease mitigation and eradication in underrepresented nations, A&M faculty, staff and students are thought leaders and change agents.
I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved and extraordinarily energized by the heights of academic and research excellence we will reach in the year ahead. I look forward to new and expanded collaborations as we continually strive to chart positive change, together. And I resolve to make sure you have the access, resources and support to make 2017 our best.
