In this week’s episode, photographer and 2003 Aggie graduate Andrew Hancock describes his experience covering the 2016 Chicago Cubs for ESPN, including the 2016 World Series. Davis Potter of the Oxford Eagle breaks down the Aggies’ next opponent, Ole Miss, and Brazos Valley rapper Big Hush helps pick this weekend’s college football slate.
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Texas A&M President Mark Welsh recently announced a freeze in undergraduate enrollment at the flagship campus for the next five to seven years. Dr. Susan Ballabina, the president’s chief of staff, said that freeze does not apply to faculty. “We have earmarked funding every year to add additional faculty, and we’ve put in place some faculty and staff retention programs because we have to have the appropriate numbers of faculty,” said Ballabina. Ballabina said during the recent student experience study, faculty to student ratios, the need for more advisors, and career counseling services all came up. “That is really why we want to pause for a minute, take a deep breath, and make sure that these students have the same experience that is positive, that leads them to have the same loyalty and allegiance as all of our other former students that came generations before,” said Ballabina. The president’s enrollment freeze announcement also said the pause in growth will “give us time to build the infrastructure and capacity we need now and in the future”.
Local law enforcement and fire departments were involved in the search and apprehension of a Millican man last Friday. According to the Navasota Police Department news release, officers responded to a report of a reckless driver on State Highway 6 south. A second caller reported seeing the suspect firing a gun toward a parked car in the Walmart parking lot before fleeing the scene on the feeder road, driving north in the southbound lanes. The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office received information indicating the suspect may have fled onto FM 2154. In response, NPD, DPS Troopers, and Brazos County Sheriff’s Deputies coordinated a search of the area. Officers located the suspect’s vehicle at a residence in Millican, Texas. 29 year-old Charles Medina was found to be under the influence, prompting a response from the College Station Fire Department and South Brazos County Fire Department. Medina was charged with deadly conduct, criminal mischief, and reckless driving.
Four nuclear reactor companies are coming to the RELLIS campus to build small modular reactors, also known as SMRs. Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp says this project will show the rest of the world the safety and common sense of using nuclear power. “We will be the only university in the United States with a commercial scale SMR. We will be the only place in the U.S. with multiple SMRs. We will prove that they are safe, we’ll prove that they’re reliable, and make sure we don’t run out of energy,” said Sharp. State Representative Greg Bonnen says innovative technologies of the future require a lot of energy. “It’s a real question as how we’re going to meet that need and small modular nuclear reactors is clearly going to be a critical element in that and in other types of industries of the future,” said Bonnen. Reed Clay of the Texas Nuclear Alliance says this is just the first step. “What it will mean for the state of Texas and the country is enormous. Jobs, investment, energy security, all those things are starting right here,” said Clay. Chief executive officers from four nuclear companies – Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics – all have agreed to work with the System to bring reactors to the RELLIS campus. Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy, says this initiative represents the formation of a powerful hub. “To drive nuclear innovation, not just in Texas, not just in the United States, but throughout the world. It is more than that. This partnership means that we are jumpstarting the future of nuclear energy,” said Irish. According to the system news release, officials have streamlined the regulatory process to allow the four companies to quickly get their reactors operational. The first reactors could be constructed within five years. Click below to hear the Texas A&M University System announcement. Listen to “Four Nuclear Reactor Companies Coming to RELLIS” on Spreaker. News release for the Texas A&M University System: The Texas A&M University System has provided the missing element needed to bring more nuclear power to the state’s electric grid. Chancellor John Sharp announced Tuesday he has offered land near the Texas A&M University campus to four nuclear reactor companies so they can build the latest small modular reactors, or SMRs. Until now, reactor manufacturers – along with the most powerful names in Big Tech – have not been able to find a suitable place to build clusters of nuclear reactors that can supply the power needed for artificial intelligence endeavors, data centers and other projects. “Plain and simple: the United States needs more power,” Sharp said. “And nowhere in the country, other than Texas, is anyone willing to step up and build the power plants we need. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott and others in Texas state government, Texas A&M System stands ready to step up and do what is necessary for the country to thrive.” Chief executive officers from four nuclear companies – Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics – all have agreed to work with the System to bring reactors to Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre technology and innovation campus in Bryan, Texas, as part of a project dubbed “The Energy Proving Ground.” At the site, the companies will work toward bringing commercial-ready technologies to the System land and using the project to test the latest prototypes. The first reactors could be constructed within five years. Once it is completed, power generated at the proving ground could supply power to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, as it is more commonly called. Mike Laufer, co-founder and CEO of Kairos Power, said his company could bring one or more commercial deployments to the site. He added that the surging demand for clean electricity has brought nuclear energy to the forefront of the national discussion as a vital source of reliable, carbon-free energy. “We are excited about the momentum for new nuclear deployment at Texas A&M-RELLIS and its potential to support U.S. energy security and continued economic growth. We look forward to collaborating with the Texas A&M System to advance Kairos Power’s clean energy mission and play a new role in developing the nation’s future nuclear workforce.” Douglass Robison, the founder and CEO of Natura Resources, said that the Texas A&M System has been an integral partner over the past five years, collaborating with the company to develop the Natura MSR-1 demonstration system. “We are thrilled to continue this partnership with the Texas A&M System to deploy our commercial system, the Natura MSR-100, on the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus,” Robison said. “We plan to showcase how our technology can address the energy needs of Texas and the nation.” Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy, said his hope for the partnership is to develop Integral Molten Salt Reactor, or IMSR, technology at the site in Bryan. “Our partnership with Texas A&M at its RELLIS campus is an important strategic relationship, which showcases the commercial potential of our small modular power plant and its advanced nuclear technology,” Irish said. “Siting an IMSR plant at the RELLIS campus leverages Texas A&M’s world-class research and nuclear engineering capabilities; provides a source of clean, firm electricity for the local grid (ERCOT); and positions Texas as a leader in America’s nuclear technology sector.” Matt Loszak, co-founder and CEO, Aalo Atomics, said his company could build up to six Aalo Pods at the site. “We are excited to partner with an innovation leader like the Texas A&M System, and to jointly help shape the future of energy while creating opportunities for research, education, and the Texas economy,” Loszak said. “This collaboration is a pivotal step for Aalo as it provides us with a platform to demonstrate the potential of our factory mass-manufactured nuclear technology to deliver reliable, clean energy that will ultimately power the next generation of data centers and AI infrastructure.” Texas A&M System officials have streamlined the regulatory process to […]
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