Texas A&M at Work: June 12, 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.

Texas A&M President And Dean Take Fast Company Stage In New York City

Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III and College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts Dean Tim McLaughlin took to the stage on June 6 in New York City to highlight not only workforce development but the future of innovation itself. The panel discussion was part of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies (MIC) Summit and Gala, and as the only university selected for the honor for 2025, Texas A&M joined business icons Nvidia, YouTube and EA Sports, among others.

Texas A&M was honored in the Augmented and Virtual Reality sector for its contributions to creating the future of tech-powered immersive experiences. Fast Company notes that these “innovative organizations are finding ways to make augmented and virtual reality a more efficient, and even more practical, way to interact with technologies and tools, including letting people learn complex skills through virtual training.”

With the theme of “Leading for Tomorrow,” the MIC Summit and Gala featured a host of inspiring speakers and thought-provoking discussions focused on business leadership driving positive impact. Welsh and McLaughlin represented Texas A&M and higher education alongside fellow guest speakers like Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar, Randy Goldberg, co-founder and chief brand officer of Bombas, and Kate Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Lumen Technologies.

Find out more about the panel

Catapult Health Exams

Prioritize your well-being and save. Through the Wellness Premium Initiative, employees who complete an annual wellness exam and one additional wellness activity between Sept. 1 and June 30 can qualify for a $30 monthly health premium reduction. Please note: It may take up to 90 days for the credit to appear in your WebMD One portal.

Choose the option that works best for you:

• Catapult Health Exams — Available at Memorial Student Center* and General Services Complex* in Bryan-College Station
• Accolade Virtual Care — Connect with a doctor or therapist anytime, anywhere for urgent care, chronic conditions, mental health, preventive care and prescriptions.
• Your Primary Care Doctor —  Be sure to mention that this is a wellness exam/annual physical under the A&M Care Health Plan to ensure proper coding and avoid copays.

Learn more about the Two-Step Wellness Program

Summer Kickball Registration Closes June 16

Living Well and the Department of Recreational Sports are excited to bring back the Summer Co-ed Kickball League for Texas A&M faculty and staff. Start gathering your team and get ready to stay active this summer. Registration closes on Monday, June 16, and the first 32 teams to register will secure a spot. Only team captains should register — and only when your full team is ready to go!

Learn more about summer kickball

Texas A&M Recognized By Fast Company’s ‘World Changing Ideas’ For Alzheimer’s Disease Breakthrough

Texas A&M has been named a 2025 Fast Company World Changing Ideas honoree, earning national recognition for its innovative Alzheimer’s disease treatment. The award, presented in the Academic Excellence category, places Texas A&M among the top 100 projects globally that are tackling the world’s most urgent challenges with creative solutions.

Fast Company’s annual World Changing Ideas Awards celebrate projects that have the potential to profoundly impact society. This year’s competition drew more than 1,500 entries, with winners selected by a team of editors and writers for their ingenuity, scalability and potential for real-world change.

Texas A&M’s College of Medicine announced its development of the nasal spray treatment last fall. The project is led by Dr. Ashok K. Shetty, a University Distinguished Professor of cell biology and genetics and associate director of the Texas A&M Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Find out more about the World Changing Ideas Awards

Texas A&M Breaks Ground On State-Of-The-Art Small Animal Teaching Hospital

The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) celebrated the groundbreaking of the Linda & Dennis Clark ’68 Small Animal Teaching Hospital on June 6, commemorating the beginning of a new chapter for veterinary medicine in Texas.

As part of the state’s only veterinary teaching hospital and Texas A&M’s largest educational laboratory, the 135,000-square-foot facility will have double the number of surgical suites and exam rooms, with additional space allocated for the hospital’s Emergency Service and Intensive Care Unit, the busiest areas of the hospital.

“[The Linda and Dennis Clark Small Animal Teaching Hospital] is not just another building,” said Robert L. “Bob” Albritton, chairman of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. “It’s a statement of confidence in what’s already the best veterinary program in the nation and a bold step forward for its future.”

Scheduled to open in August 2027, the facility will continue the VMBS’ tradition of educational excellence, advanced patient care and groundbreaking research across 15 veterinary specialties, enhancing the college’s ability to contribute to the well-being of animals and human beings alike.

Read more about the new animal hospital

Improvements To Highway 6 Corridor Underway In Bryan-College Station

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in partnership with the Bryan-College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization, has begun making improvements to Highway 6 (SH 6) from U.S. 190/SH 21 to William D. Fitch Parkway (SH 40). Project improvements include:

• Expanding the main lanes from four to six lanes, offering three lanes in each direction
• Adding and improving auxiliary lane configurations
• Improving interchanges for more efficient traffic flow
• Providing shared-use paths for bicycles and pedestrians

More details about the multi-phase improvements, including an overview video talking through these updates, can be found on TxDOT’s SH 6 Central BCS project webpage.