Texas A&M at Work: May 29, 2025

Texas A&M at Work is a biweekly email designed to keep employees up to date on the most vital and relevant information, news and events across all Texas A&M University campuses.

Aggie Missing In Action For Over 50 Years Inspires Family To Honor His Spirit By Helping Others

Craig Forrester ’94 doesn’t have any memories of his uncle, Capt. Ron Forrester ‘69, but he grew up hearing stories about him from his father, Donald, who is Ron’s twin brother.

“Some of the things I admire the most about my uncle are that he was loving and kind. He cared deeply about his fellow man and put others before himself,” Craig said. “He was a warrior, a servant-leader, and he knew his calling.”

Ron was declared missing in action in 1972. In December 2023, after decades of uncertainty, the Forrester family received word from the U.S. military that the remains of Ron and his pilot Jim Chipman had been recovered and identified through DNA testing of teeth and bone fragments recovered during excavations of the crash site.

Ron was honored this past weekend at the Coca-Cola 600, a NASCAR Cup Series race, where his name appeared on the windshield of the No. 41 Texas A&M University Ford Mustang driven by Cole Custer. Custer’s car was decked out in a special livery of Aggie Maroon complemented by camouflage in honor of the nation’s fallen military service members. Several members of Ron’s family traveled to North Carolina to watch the race in person, joining 95,000 NASCAR fans and another 2.6 million viewers on Prime Video.

Read more about Forrester’s legacy

Texas A&M Panel At South By Southwest Discusses Innovation And Values

At the recent South by Southwest (SXSW), Texas A&M and Fast Company partnered to bring together a leadership panel, “A Force for Good: Visionaries Redefining the Future,” to discuss forward thinking in health care, education, robotics, aerospace and entrepreneurship. This dynamic group of leaders — Col. (Ret.) Michael E. Fossum ’80, vice president, Texas A&M, chief operating officer, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and superintendent, Texas A&M Maritime Academy; Dr. Amy Waer, Jean and Tom McMullin Endowed Dean, Texas A&M College of Medicine; and Dean Kamen, founder and president, DEKA Research & Development Corporation, inventor and co-founder of FIRST — discussed the intersection of innovation, research and impact.

Some of the highlights included discussions on how innovation begins with aspiration, innovators as a force for good and how strong values are critical, especially to Texas A&M students. “Part of our students’ education takes place in the classroom with world-class faculty and staff, but another part of it is learned in student organizations and student leadership,” Fossum said.

“Service is important,” Kamen said. “We need to inspire students. We need to help them understand the value of serving your country, serving your community, serving your state in some way — the value of giving back.”

The full panel discussion is available to watch online.

Read more about the panel at SXSW

Explore Summer Opportunities With The Aggie Camp Finder

Summer is nearly in full swing, but there are still plenty of exciting opportunities for youth to get involved at Texas A&M. The Aggie Camp Finder is a dynamic, filterable tool designed to help families easily find the right camp experiences based on age, dates, topic and session type. From STEM and sports to leadership and the arts, there is something for everyone. Many camps are nearing capacity, but there are still spots open — it’s not too late to explore what is still available and get registered.

In addition to traditional camps, be sure to visit the Special Events webpage. This section highlights one-day events and unique summer experiences that may not follow the typical camp format but still offer meaningful, engaging programming for youth.

Does your department host single-day programs or events for youth and/or families? These programs can be featured, too! Whether you have something planned for the summer or are getting a head start on fall, contact the Youth Engagement team by emailing youthengagement@tamu.edu so your event can be included in the Aggie Camp Finder to help more families discover what Texas A&M has to offer.

Short-Term Fellowship/Internship Policy Update For Graduate Assistants

Effective June 1, current graduate assistants who accept an internship or fellowship lasting one year or less may be placed on leave without pay and retain their graduate assistantship, provided they meet the following criteria:

1. They will return to the same position within one year.
2. They have held a benefits-eligible graduate assistantship for at least 4.5 months prior to the start of the internship or fellowship.
3. They will not hold any employment within The Texas A&M University System while on leave without pay.

For more information or to begin the process, visit the Service/HROE portal.