Nearly $28 million dollars of construction projects addressing infrastructure on the Texas A&M campus was approved during Wednesday’s board of regents meeting. There’s more than $11 million targeted to reduce energy consumption at 27 buildings. Another $7 million will replace underground utility lines and cooling towers. There’s $5 million to replace water distribution lines affecting Corps of Cadets dorms and the south side of the main campus. And there’s $4 million for a new electrical substation located on Agronomy Road. The new substation and the underground utility replacements are supposed to be finished by May of next year, the energy saving improvements in June of 2016, and all the water replacement lines by January of 2017.
Personnel actions includes the appointment of a new dean of liberal arts on the flagship campus. Pam Matthews, who has been interim dean since last July and before that was vice-provost for academic affairs, was named to take over on a fulltime basis.
The regents named a building for an Aggie from the class of 1886. Frederick Giesecke (GEESE-uh-KEY) was 17 when he received the first of two degrees from A&M. His career at the flagship campus included creating the state’s first formal program in architectural education. In 1928, he began an 11 year run as director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. During that time he designed and oversaw the construction of the Academic Building, the Chemistry Building, the Williams Building, Cushing Library, and Hart and Walton Halls. The regents approved naming the new TEES engineering research building in south College Station for Dr. Giesecke.
Click HERE to read the background of Dr. Frederick Giesecke.
Recent changes to the board resulted in naming a new chairman, Cliff Thomas of Victoria, and vice-chair, Elaine Mendoza of San Antonio. Wednesday’s meeting marked the start of a third term for Phil Adams of Bryan and the first day for Bryan native Bob Albritton and Bill Mahomes Jr. of Dallas.
The regents approved the first change to the design of the seal for the system and the flagship campus since they were introduced almost 52 years ago. Replacing the Texas star on the logos are the beveled T and the capital block A and M the university has been using in other branding. The background information did not offer any explanation for the request.
