Texas A&M Announces Tier One Program Grant Recipients

Proposals exploring the impacts of last year’s Bastrop wildfires and educating future leaders in the energy sector are among those selected for grants through Texas A&M University’s new Tier One Program (TOP) to help students expand their learning experiences.

Eleven proposals from the university’s academic colleges were selected to receive funding and are expected to serve more than 4,000 students per year. Projects selected for funding are chosen to inspire students to commit to a lifetime of learning, as well as to prepare them to solve problems that are not yet imagined, say TOP committee officials.

“The TOP program is possible due to the budget reallocation, which granted the program $1 million in recurring funding,” said Antonio Cepeda-Benito, dean of faculties and associate provost. “That money is going to improve and expand the education experience of undergraduate and post-graduate students. Additionally, the program takes full advantage of the faculty and resources of our Tier One research university, which gives our students both a competitive edge and a unique experience that couldn’t be provided at other universities.”

TOP grants — which are awarded for up to three years — help fund interdisciplinary education programs that integrate emerging scholarly work with experiential and high impact learning practices into curricular offerings for students at Texas A&M, officials note. In order to qualify for a grant, each proposal must be a joint effort between faculty members of two or more academic colleges. Additionally, the resulting learning activity must be available to more than 100 undergraduate or 50 post-graduate students.

The range of disciplines and learning opportunities within selected proposals is wide. For example, a program developed by the Colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts will develop a student-oriented, interdisciplinary approach to educating future leaders in the energy industry and empowering smart consumers in the smart electricity grid by offering new courses, increasing interaction between student organizations and leading a capstone project that will develop new energy technology platforms. The goal of this particular program, say organizers, is to promote the professional and leadership interests of students focusing on the energy sector, as well as raising the overall energy awareness of Texas A&M students.

Another proposal selected for funding will explore the sociological and environmental impacts of the Bastrop wildfires. Developed by the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Agriculture & Life Sciences, this program will give students the opportunity to study, observe, interview and volunteer in the areas ravaged by the fires. Organizers says students will also learn how to collect and analyze data from field observations and conduct interviews using innovative tools, as well as writing up their findings based on relevant literature.

Other funded proposals include developing an after-school program lab, an interactive arts and technology initiative and a festival that will feature audiovisual arts from around the world.

Abstracts for all the submitted proposals can be found on the Dean of Faculties website.