advancement

A new office suite in Francis Hall, future campus home of the Texas A&M Department of Construction Science, will be realized by a $250,000 gift from the department’s Construction Industry Advisory Council.

Construction science students at Texas A&M will soon learn to accurately estimate the cost of construction projects in a state-of-the-art lab funded by a $250,000 gift from San Antonio-based Joeris General Contractors.

Dallas-area homebuilders Nicole and Kevin Youngblood toured Texas A&M’s College of Architecture Sept. 28, where a professorship endowed in their names is making a difference for students at the college.

Student access to the latest high-tech building information modeling hardware and software at Texas A&M is one of the continuing benefits of a $1 million endowment created to honor the late Charles McMullan ’58, a former associate professor of construction science.

Former students are paying homage to the John A. Harris '54, a legendary Houston constructor, by leading a fund-raising effort to name the entry way to Francis Hall, the future campus home of the Department of Construction Science, in his honor.

A scholarship endowment gradually funded over the last 18 years by 27 community outreach projects undertaken by students in professor Jon Rodiek's Master of Architecture studios at Texas A&M University reached fruition last fall, for the first time providing scholarships totaling $14,000 for eight new MLA students.

Earlier this month, the Maroon Coats, student ambassadors of the Texas A&M Foundation, organized an impromptu “thank you” note-writing session for students to share their gratitude with scholarship benefactors and gift givers who support College of Architecture programs.

The Department of Construction Science has launched a $5 million campaign to adapt and renovate historic Francis Hall as the state’s first facility dedicated to construction teaching, research and industry service.

Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin had a chance to see how former students are redefining the entertainment industry during a Nov. 16 visit to the Bay Area campuses of Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation SKG.

Rodney Hill, a Texas A&M professor of architecture, has been named one of 2012’s “25 Most Admired Educators” by the Design Futures Council, another teaching honor for his already bulging trophy case.

The Texas A&M Department of Architecture is recruiting members for its newly formed Architecture Council of Excellence, which is committed to supporting and enhancing architecture program excellence, building relationships with students, and bridging gaps between the academic and professional worlds.

Anesthesiologists were shown to have greater awareness of a patient’s condition using tactile feedback systems developed by Texas A&M Center for Health Systems & Design faculty fellow Thomas Ferris, an assistant professor of industrial systems and engineering.

Carol LaFayette, associate professor of visualization at Texas A&M, is heading a 3-year, $190,000 National Science Foundation-funded effort to form a pilot national network intended to become a focal point for innovation by bridging the gap between scientists, artists and engineers.

Five graduate students pursuing certificates in facility management at the Texas A&M College of Architecture earned scholarships from the International Facility Management Association, as well as travel/attendance packages for an October conference.

Construction continues on the new Arts and Humanities building on the “grassy knoll” south of the Langford Architecture Center’s Building A. The $46 million, 107,000-square-foot structure, scheduled to be completed in 2012, is the first building at Texas A&M specifically designed for instruction and scholarship in the arts and humanities.