Texas A&M Hispanic Network
In June 1883 , Aggies gathered together to re-live their college days that eventually evolved into an annual gathering on Texas Independence Day April 21st.
Tonight, 127 years later, we gather for our first Hispanic Aggie Muster at La P
aloma Del Norte Restaurant. It was a small gathering of Aggies and family members. We sat and talked about the good old days at Aggieland, ate some great food and drank some delicious margaritas.
Remembering our Aggie brothers that have gone to be with the Lord.
I choked up when it was my turn to speak about a good friend that past away on his senior year at Texas A&M (18 years ago). His name was Miguel (Mike) A. Perez from Weslaco, TX. His older brother and I were roommates in College Station. Being from the Rio Grande Valley myself, I came to know the Perez family very well and they welcomed me with open arms. Mike was like my younger brother, he very proud to an Aggie and was so much looking forward to graduating and start living life We had some good times together, going out, drinking some cervezas and just having fun. Tonight, the good times we shared came back liked it was yesterday. Here's to you Mike, you were here in spirit with us.
Can't wait until next year for our second Aggie Muster.
Mike A. Garcia, 82
TAMHN SUMMIT 2010 IN HOUSTON, TEXAS-
SAVE THE DATE- SEPTEMBER 24-25
Please be aware that a date has been set to host our 2010 Summit in Houston, Texas. Thank you to the Houston guys for getting this set up.
The Summit will be held on September 24-25 at the Hilton Houston Post Oak located at 2001 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, Texas 77056-4401.
Please save the date. Dr. Loftin has confirmed with us that he will utilize this opportunity to publicly address Vision 2020 and Hispanic diversity at Texas A&M in his remarks to us on Saturday.
DR. LOFTIN '71 CONFIRMED AS TEXAS A&M'S 24TH PRESIDENT
Courtesy of Texas A&M Newswire
COLLEGE STATION, Feb. 12, 2010 — Dr. R. Bowen Loftin was formally named the 24th president of Texas A&M University today (Friday, Feb.12.) He was selected as the sole finalist for the position last month after an extensive nationwide search and had served as interim president of the flagship university for more than six months.
The nine-member Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System unanimously approved Loftin’s selection during a special telephonic meeting after the state-mandated 21-day period to officially name him president of the nation’s seventh-largest university.
“The extensive and inclusive search process that we conducted to find the very best individual to lead the flagship institution of the A&M System resulted in the conclusion that we already had the right person in place. Today we have confirmed and formalized that decision,” said Board of Regents Chairman Morris E. Foster.
“As the university deals with the realities of uncertain economic times, I can think of no better person to lead Texas A&M as we work tirelessly to maintain our firm commitment to ensure that students continue to receive a top-quality education at an affordable price,” Foster continued. “Dr. Loftin has a proven record as a visionary leader, andI believe that under his continued leadership, Texas A&M will not only remain a strong and resilient university, but will become even greater.”
Loftin previously served for four years as a vice president and chief executive officer of Texas A&M University at Galveston, the institution’s marine-oriented branch campus, where he also is professor of maritime systems engineering. He was widely applauded for his leadership during Hurricane Ike, which resulted in moving the entire Galveston campus operation to the main campus in College Station – an effort believed to be unprecedented in higher education.
“I am humbled and deeply honored to lead Texas A&M , my alma mater, and truly one of the top universities in the nation,” Loftin said. “I am extremely grateful for the extraordinary support of the Board of Regents, Chancellor McKinney and the entire Aggie family during my tenure as interim president, and I pledge to continue to do my very best to ensure that Texas A&M remains a great university.
“Of utmost importance as we move forward is that we must not waver from our firm commitment to our core mission of teaching, research and service, despite budget constraints facing universities around the nation, including Texas A&M,” Loftin continued. “Our efforts to maintain a culture of excellence as outlined in Vision 2020 remain our highest priority and will play an integral role in enhancing our national reputation.
“This is an exciting time for Texas A&M -- with record student enrollment, enhancement of our infrastructure with construction of several new buildings and major improvements to many others, and the significant contributions to our state, nation and world have never been greater. We will continue to attract many of the best faculty anywhere to teach our students and conduct important research and scholarship intended to help improve the lives and the economic vitality of Texas and the rest of the nation,” Loftin concluded.
As a 1970 physics graduate of Texas A&M, Loftin joins the ranks of a select few individuals chosen to lead his alma mater.He also holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rice University, earned in 1973 and 1975, respectively, both also in physics. Born in Hearne, Loftin grew up in Navasota, located about 20 miles south of the Texas A&M campus.
Texas A&M System Chancellor Michael D. McKinney joined in applauding Loftin’s confirmation. “Dr. Loftin was an exceptional leader during the period in which he served as interim president, just as he was in leading Texas A&M University at Galveston. He guided the Galveston campus to record growth and the response and recovery from one of the largest natural disasters in our country’s history. Texas A&M is certainly stronger as a result of Dr. Loftin’s inspired and highly effective leadership.”
Prior to assuming leadership of Texas A&M at Galveston, Loftin served at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, as professor of electrical and computer engineering and professor of computer science. Additionally, he was Old Dominion’s director of simulation programs and had responsibility for the institution’s graduate programs in modeling and simulation. He also served as executive director of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center. Earlier in his career, Loftin was a professor in and chair of the Department of Computer Science and director of the NASA Virtual Environments Research Institute at the University of Houston.
Loftin has frequently served as a consultant--to both industry and government—in the areas of modeling and simulation, advanced training technologies, and scientific/engineering data visualization. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 technical publications.
He serves on numerous advisory committees and panels sponsored by governmental and professional organizations. His numerous citations and honors include the American Association of Artificial Intelligence Award for an innovative application of artificial intelligence; NASA’s Space Act Award; the NASA Public Service Medal; the 1995 NASA Invention of the Year Award, and the University of Houston-Downtown Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Service.
Loftin is married to Dr. Karin Loftin, who also is employed at Texas A&M as an associate biosafety officer.
A&M RANKS AMONG “BEST VALUES”
Texas A&M University is ranked among the top 10 public “best value” colleges for 2010 by The Princeton Review — the only public institution in Texas to be included in the top-tier ratings by the education services and test-prep company best known for its annual college listings. Texas A&M placed ninth on the public list headed by the University of Virginia.
The Princeton Review’s “100 Best Value Colleges for 2010” survey, conducted in partnership with USA Today, was announced today (Jan. 12) and includes the top 50 public and top 50 private universities. Only the top 10 in each category were ranked, with all others listed alphabetically. Rice University, the only other Texas institution to receive “top 10” designation, placed seventh among private institutions.
“We are obviously pleased — but certainly not surprised — that Texas A&M ranks high in The Princeton Review ratings,” noted Texas A&M Interim President R. Bowen Loftin. “We pride ourselves on providing a high-quality education to our students at an affordable cost, consistent with the high standards that we have set for the institution. It is most gratifying to once again have our ‘best value’ assessment confirmed nationally.”
“Overall selection criteria included more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs and financial aid,” explained editors for The Princeton Review/USA Today project. “Academic ratings were based on student surveys about such issues as professor accessibility and class sizes, as well as institutional reports about student-faculty ratios and percent of classes taught by teaching assistants.”
Texas A&M has been included prominently in recent years in a variety of lists and rankings reflecting “best buys,” academic assessments, value of degrees and contributions to the nation. It was included earlier this month in a Kiplinger’s Personal Finance article listing that publication’s “top 100 best values for public colleges” in 2010.
Smart Money magazine, in its most recent rankings, placed Texas A&M first nationally for “payback ratio” — the earning levels of an institution’s graduates compared to what they paid in tuition, fees and related costs for their undergraduate educations. Another magazine, The Washington Monthly, consistently ranks Texas A&M among the top five institutions nationally on the basis of service to the nation.
U.S. News & World Report has in recent years annually ranked Texas A&M high in its listings of “best values among public universities.” In a related assessment, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni last year gave Texas A&M an “A” grade based “on education, not reputation.” The council assessed the top 100 schools in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings and awarded grades based on how many of them had general education requirements that include composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics and science. Texas A&M was one of only seven institutions to include at least six of those categories in its general education requirements — thus earning the “A.”
Events
Links
Texas A&M University Calendar
Other Hispanic Organizations
CAMAC
Committee for the Awareness of Mexican American Culture
Destino
A Latino Christ-centered movement on campus at Texas A&M
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DUES & DONATIONS
You may make a donation to the Texas A&M Hispanic Network, or members may pay dues, through the PayPal link below. After you select the link, enter desired amount and then select the "update totals" box. After the total is updated, delete any email in the "Email" box, and enter the email address on your account along with the password, and then login. If you wish to use a credit card, select the link under "Don't have a PayPal account?"
TAMHN NEWSLETTERS
May 5, 2010
August 15, 2009
May 5, 2009
November 5, 2008
August 29, 2008
June 20, 2008
March 17, 2008
February 29, 2008
January 22, 2008
December 21, 2007
November 26, 2007
October 1, 2007
IN THE NEWS...
Fifteen Fantastic Higher Education Values
March 9, 2010
ACT(TM) Reveals Sobering Statistics on College Readiness of Students
February 10, 2010
New Member Of NSF Top 20 List
October 22, 2009
Hispanic Group Focuses on Goals
September 13, 2009
Promoting Hispanic Diversity
The mission of the Texas A&M Hispanic Network is to serve as an advocate and support group on Hispanic concerns and issues at the University and local communities within the larger Association of Former Students organization. The Texas A&M Hispanic Network shall dynamically work towards increasing the number of Hispanic students attending Texas A&M University (TAMU), and enhancing their experience, education, and quality of life on Campus.
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