Texas A&M at Work: Dec. 11, 2025
Texas A&M is stepping up and showing what selfless service really means through its disaster resilience efforts, the university will implement a two-phase process for syllabus and course review, Laura Picariello has been appointed director of the Texas Sea Grant College Program and an AI-powered robotic dog is ready to revolutionize emergency response.
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 steps in to help when disaster strikes
Disaster can strike at any time, anywhere. And when it does, Texas A&M University stands ready to help. From training first responders and veterinarians to leading research in emergency management and deploying teams that rebuild communities after devastation, Texas A&M has the expertise to help people prepare for and recover from the unthinkable.
That expertise extends well beyond the classroom and into the field, where experts work side by side with students and communities to share their experience and serve others in times of need.
“When the nation asks, ‘Who should I call?’ the top-of-mind answer will be Texas A&M University,” said Ethan Braden, the university’s chief marketing and communications officer. “Texas A&M was founded to serve. While many debate what is the best university in the nation, we are focused on being the best university for the nation.”
With more than 80,000 students and 600,000 former students, Texas A&M has a long history of values-driven education, military service and public impact that reaches far beyond its campuses and into every corner of the world. That legacy is at the heart of Texas A&M’s new brand platform, “Together, We Stand as a Force for Good.” The initiative set out to expand how people see and understand one of America’s largest and most consequential universities.
The new platform reframes Texas A&M not just as a university, but as a contributor to the nation’s progress and security — a university that acts when it matters most. That initiative resulted in Texas A&M being named to Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter list, where it stands alongside some of the world’s most impactful organizations as the only university in the nation so honored this year.
Syllabus review and Simple Syllabus platform transition
To ensure compliance with recent System Policy revisions, Texas A&M will implement a two-phase process for syllabus and course review, as well as the transition to Simple Syllabus, a syllabus-building platform. The first phase will begin immediately with a syllabus and course review led by deans working with their departments. While this process is separate from The Texas A&M University System’s ongoing review of fall 2025 course descriptions and syllabi, it will better prepare the university for when a similar review is anticipated during the spring 2026 semester. The second phase will launch in fall 2026 with the transition to Simple Syllabus.
Support yourself and others this holiday season
The holiday season can bring joy, celebration and sometimes stress, nostalgia or bittersweet feelings. Whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone. GuidanceResources® by ComPsych offers confidential counseling, resourcesand tools to support employees. Support workplace mental health by completing the Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention training in TrainTraq (Course ID: 2114841, SSO Portal). This quick course helps recognize concerns and connect others to support. For more resources, visit mentalhealth.tamu.edu and check out the Mental Health Resource Card. Together, we can make a difference.
Benefit changes
Employees who experience a qualifying life event may update their benefits within 31 days. Submit all required documentation and complete Workday actions by Dec. 19 to ensure they route to Benefit and Retirement Services for a Jan. 1 effective date.
Meet the AI-powered robotic dog ready to revolutionize emergency response
Meet the robotic dog with a memory like an elephant and the instincts of a seasoned first responder. Developed by Texas A&M engineering students, this AI-powered robotic dog doesn’t just follow commands — it sees, remembers and thinks. Designed to navigate chaos with precision, the robot could revolutionize search-and-rescue missions, disaster response and many other emergency operations.
With cutting-edge memory and voice-command capabilities, it’s not just a machine. It’s a game-changing partner — and the smartest dog around — in emergencies.
Picariello named Texas Sea Grant Program director
Laura Picariello has been appointed by the Division of Research at Texas A&M as the next director of the Texas Sea Grant College Program. Picariello served as interim director since 2024 and has been an integral part of Texas Sea Grant since 2018, providing leadership in coastal resilience, sustainable fisheries and community-engaged science. Over the course of her tenure, she has advanced major applied research initiatives, strengthened partnerships with industry and coastal communities, and contributed to several notable accomplishments that reflect the program’s mission and impact.
For more than four decades, Texas A&M has served the state, nation and world as a land-, sea- and space-grant institution. An integral component of that triple-grant designation is the Texas Sea Grant, which is part of NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program.
Upcoming Events
- The Power of Habit (registration required)
Dec. 12
- Holidays in the Rotunda at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum
Dec. 13
- University Staff Council Meeting
Dec. 16
- Common Grounds – Interim President Tommy Williams
Dec. 16
- Commencement and Commissioning (College Station)
Dec. 17-18
- AI Playground (registration required)
Dec. 19
- Commencement (Galveston)
Dec. 19
- Maroon and White Night
Dec. 19
- University Holiday – Winter Break
Dec. 24 – Jan. 1
- Driving Your Career Forward – Virtual (registration required)
Jan. 7
- Navigating Difficult Conversations (registration required)
Jan. 8
- Social Security Strategies (registration required)
Jan. 14
- Performance Management – Employee Best Practices (registration required)
Jan. 14
- Creating a Learning & Development Plan – Virtual (registration required)
Jan. 15
- Maroon and White Night
Jan. 16
- University Holiday – Martin Luther King Jr.
Jan. 19
In Case You Missed It
Christopher Smith ’22 combines skills learned in the U.S. Navy and as an Aggie engineer to help spectators actively participate at live events.
The Cyclotron Institute’s radiation effects testing program has established Texas A&M as the premier location in not only the U.S., but also the world, to perform testing of heavy ion interactions with electronics, an important safeguard for both commercial and military satellites, as well as space missions.
Initiative by Texas A&M Health and AgriLife Extension helps farmers and ranchers confront stigma, barriers to care and stress.
