First Class Day
King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management hosted the John B. Armstrong Lectureship on Systems Thinking in Ranching
Last week from August 12-15, the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management hosted the John B. Armstrong Lectureship on Systems Thinking in Ranching. With nearly 50 lectureship attendees registered, the event taught a systems approach to help solve important ranching industry questions and issues. Dr. Benjamin Turner—assistant professor in the department of agriculture, agribusiness, and environmental sciences at Texas A&M-Kingsville—instructed the lectureship alongside Mike Goodman of Innovation Associates Organizational Learning.
The group collectively decided on a number of issues facing agriculture. Working in teams, participants used various systems archetypes and languages to evaluate the many different relationships and components that work together within their particular system. The participants were able to understand and use those connections to find leverage in the systems and identify lasting solutions for the complex agriculture issues they tackled.
This lectureships kicks off the fall semester for KRIRM ranch management graduate students. The KRIRM curriculum centers around a systems approach to ranch management, and the newest KRIRM students, Kord Killpak, Cody Richardson, Garrett Stribling, and Ross Bronson, were able to get their first look into using this learning approach.
Texas A&M-Kingsville to receive $19 million bequest-largest in university history
The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Foundation announced, with gratitude, the largest singular gift from an individual in the university’s almost 100-year history. The $19.5 million bequest is also the leading commitment to date for the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, With You. Without Limits. The Campaign for Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Given by an anonymous donor, the transformational gift will include more than 7,800 acres of Texas ranchland, presently valued at $16 million, plus $3.5 million in cash – all dedicated to King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM).
“Texas A&M University-Kingsville is honored to receive this tremendous gift that will have a significant impact on the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. Through this donor’s immense generosity, our students, faculty and researchers will be able to expand the work to which they are committed, managing our nation’s range and wildlife and preserving our rich ranching tradition. A historic gift of this nature reflects a tremendous vision and spirit of philanthropy and we are incredibly grateful,” stated President of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Dr. Mark A. Hussey.
Texas A&M-Kingsville receives $5 million from NSF to establish Sustainable Water Use center
Officials at the Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville have received a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology for Sustainable Water Use (CREST-SWU).
The center will facilitate regional, multidisciplinary research, education and stakeholder collaborations to advance the understanding of sustainable water in the context of complex physical, climatic, regulatory and social-economical settings.
Teams of faculty and students from the College of Engineering and the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will develop and assess water monitoring networks, models and management tools to promote sustainable water use in South Texas.
Texas A&M-Kingsville chapter receives highest honors
The Beta Gamma Sigma chapter in the College of Business Administration at Texas A&M University-Kingsville has been recognized as a Highest Honor Chapter. Beta Gamma Sigma is the student honor society associated with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
In addition to recognition at the regional dean’s conference and the annual International Conference and Annual Meeting (ICAM) conference, the chapter has earned a Global Leadership Summit Registration Scholarship for one student to attend the 2019 meeting in Chicago in the fall.
It also qualifies the Texas A&M-Kingsville chapter to nominate for three awards, Outstanding Chapter Advisor, Business Achievement and Entrepreneurial Achievement.
Texas A&M-Kingsville assistant professor receives national award
Dr. Abiola Dipeolu, assistant professor in the department of psychology and sociology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville received the Outstanding Career Practitioner Award from the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) annual Global Career Development Conference.
This award was established to recognize practicing career counselors and career service providers for outstanding performance and best practices in the day-to-day services they provide across higher education, K-12, private practice and consulting, business industry, and government or non-profit community organization settings.
“This is an incredibly great honor to be recognized for my research and teaching in this area by the premier career development organization known globally,” Dipeolu said. “I am excited and feel blessed to have won the prestigious award because of my passion for research and teaching.”
YouTube Star David Dobrik to Speak at Texas A&M-Kingsville
David Dobrik will speak at TAMUK as part of the University Lectureship Series on Thursday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. in Jones Auditorium.
Due to high demand and limited capacity, the David Dobrik event will only be open to current TAMUK students. TAMUK students may bring one guest. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. For more information call 361-593-2760.
David is an American YouTube personality from Slovakia with over 12.1 million subscribers on YouTube and 7.6 million followers on Instagram. He became well-known on the now defunct 6-second mobile app, Vine, where he reached over 1,300,00 followers.
David translated his content to YouTube to create viral content two times per week reaching over 4.5 billion views. David has featured many celebrities on his channel including Courtney Cox, Kendall Jenner and Howie Mandel to name a few.
Submit flyers, photos and upcoming events to shelby.purdy@tamuk.edu to be featured in the newsletter.