‘Texas A&M Today’ Episode 2 Premieres Monday On KAMU-TV

KAMU-TV on Monday at 9 p.m. will premiere the second episode of “Texas A&M Today,” an original 30-minute show that highlights the people and places that make Texas A&M University unique, including one of the nation’s few university wildlife centers, the Aggies working on hemp breeding and a visit with a well-known communication professor.

Watch the Episode 2 promo.

“Texas A&M Today” is hosted by Chelsea Reber, a 2010 A&M graduate who co-hosts “The Infomaniacs” morning show on Bryan Broadcasting’s WTAW 1620 AM. Episode 2 will re-air on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. and will be available on demand.

Season 1 Episode 2

Reber will visit The Gardens at Texas A&M, an innovative 27-acre public garden and green space located on West Campus for the enjoyment of campus and community members alike. “The most beautiful classroom on campus,” The Gardens are used for teaching, research and extension programs. The Leach Teaching Gardens’ 21 themed gardens are not only beautiful — they’re educational. An additional 20 acres of space is currently being planned.

Viewers will also get a rare inside look at two animal health facilities on campus – the Schubot Center for Avian Health and the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center. The wildlife center is one of just a handful in the nation to be located on a university campus, so it provides unique learning experiences for students who want to spend their careers caring for animals. The center is a teaching facility that introduces students to the management, handling, behavior and veterinary care of exotic and wildlife species; many of those students enjoy the experience so much, they’ve continued there post-graduation. And the Schubot Center also has passionate students who are studying the health of birds and in so doing, protecting human health as well. The $3.2 million aviary houses hundreds of birds so researchers can study issues affecting pet, wild and exotic birds by examining their health and habitats.

Meet the Aggies behind A&M’s Industrial Hemp Breeding Program, where students, faculty and staff members are growing and studying hemp, working to develop varieties adaptable to Texas. The rising demand for hemp products for everything from rope, textiles and clothing to insulation, biofuel and food has bolstered the endeavor in Aggieland, where the state’s only hemp breeding program is funded by both industry sponsors and a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas A&M has been at the forefront of hemp research and education since the crop was legalized in Texas in 2019 through extensive study across academic departments and outreach through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

And Reber will sit down with Professor of Communication Jennifer Mercieca, an expert in political rhetoric whose examination of communication during the Obama and Trump administrations has launched her into the national and international spotlight.

For more on KAMU programming, visit kamu.tamu.edu. Follow KAMU, which is a PBS and NPR affiliate, on Facebook.