Spring 2010
International Focus
International Programs Office
http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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On the Cover: China-U.S. Conference Page 6
Castles, Crepes, and Co-ops Page 8
Dr. R. Bowen Loftin Confirmed as 24th President of Texas A&M University Page 4
Civil Engineers in Spain Page 14
Brazos Valley Worldfest Page 10
Safety First Page 14
Khalid A. Al-Falih Named as Outstanding International Alumnus Page 13
Smith Architecture Page 12
Message to Readers
Castles, Crepes, and Co-ops Page 8
Editor Linda Edwards Renae Vargo
Civil Engineers in Spain Page 14
Safety First Page 14 Smith Architecture Page 12
Office of International Outreach
Dr. R. Bowen Loftin Confirmed as 24th President of Texas A&M University
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r. R. Bowen Loftin was formally named the 24th president of Texas A&M University on Friday, February 12, 2010. He was selected as the sole finalist for the position after an extensive nationwide search and had served as interim president of the flagship university for more than six months. to read more, click here
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International Focus
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“Our students need to be prepared to lead the next generation into good international relations in both business and government and our faculty need the collaborations of international partners to conduct research that has global impact.”
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http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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eld in Beijing on October 21-23, 2009, more than 400 registered participants took part in the fourth biennial China-US Conference, with discussions and presentations related to security, trade and economic recovery, technology and education, and issues related to energy and climate change. In describing the conference’s goals, Texas A&M University President Dr. Bowen Loftin noted that the conference affords participants with the opportunity to “dig below the surface to find areas in which our societies are already interdependent upon one another and to do the rewarding work of building relationships based on trust, commitment, and collaboration.� to read more, click here
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International Focus
Student Spotlight
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arah Luna, an applied exercise physiology major, was one of 26 students from Texas A&M University that served as a student delegate to the China-US Relations Conference in Beijing.
“The students are the ones who will be leading these countries in the next 20 to 30 years,” Sarah says. “I have a better understanding of the Chinese perspective, and my experiences in China gave me hope that we can find solutions that will work for both nations.”
to read more, click here http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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Jeong Named Outstanding Young Investigator Jeramie Heflin
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he “Outstanding Young Investigator” award, recognizing outstanding research by a tenure-track Korean faculty member showing exceptional promise as a developing leader in chemical engineering, has been given to HaeKwon Jeong, assistant professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. to read more, click here
Urbina honored with Don Quijote Award Tiffany Neal
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n Nov. 18, 2009, Eduardo Urbina, Professor of the Department of Hispanic Studies at Texas A&M University, was inducted into Sigma Delta Pi’s Order of Don Quijote, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society’s highest award that is conferred annually upon only approximately five people worldwide. to read more, click here
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International Focus
Murphy recieves Motohiro Kisoi Award Jeramie Heflin
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or the first time, the Motohiro Kisoi Award has been given to someone outside of Japan to Dr. Robin Murphy, Texas A&M Professor and director of the Center for Robot Assisted Search and Rescue and Raytheon Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. to read more, click here
Engineering faculty part of $4 million NSF project Jeramie Heflin
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r. Prasad Enjeti, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, and two Texas A&M University at Qatar faculty members are part of a team leading a $4 million National Science Foundation project to design new materials with enhanced capabilities for efficient energy conversion. to read more, click here
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Cassidy Thomas
Civil Engineering Students Enjoy an Educational Summer in Spain
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n the heart of Spain is a city that was once surrounded by walls and towers to protect its population. Today, Ciudad Real (the Royal City) is open to all who wish to learn from the city’s rich history and vibrant culture. This summer 24 students from the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering study abroad program visited the Royal City to see what it had to offer.
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to read more, click here International Focus
Spotlight on Katherine Prem Kathy Disanto
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f there’s one thing Katherine Prem ’10 is passionate about, it’s safety. As a matter of fact, the petite chemical engineering doctoral student from Bangalore, India spends a good deal of her time—academic, professional, and personal—keeping folks safe and well. Not that she started her college career with an eye on health and safety, or Texas A&M, for that matter. to read more, click here
http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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Former Texas A&M Architecture Student Designed Some Of World’s Tallest Buildings
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hen the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, officially opened in Dubai amid a flurry of fanfare, former Texas A&M architecture student Adrian Smith was among the honored guests. It was he who designed the shimmering spire that soars more than a half mile above the desert in the United Arab Emirates, rising to an official height of 828 meters, or 2,716.5 feet. to read more, click here
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Texas A&M Students Nominated for Top Scholarships
ive outstanding undergraduates at Texas A&M were nominated for this year’s Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, the two most prestigious and highly-coveted academic scholarships available to United States students. Students include Anna Lee Allcorn, of Olton, Texas; Mark Deimund, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Ella Doerge, of Clive, Iowa; Paige Ibanez of the Woodlands, Texas; and Karthik Venkatraj, of College Station, Texas. To read more about these top students, click here
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International Focus
Khalid A. Al-Falih, ’82 Named 2010 Outstanding International Alumnus of Texas A&M University
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o Kahlid A. Al-Falih of the class of 1982, “once an Aggie, always an Aggie” is far more than a slogan. It is a way of life that develops students who come to know the strength of the Aggie bond. These are students who understand what it means to get a world-class education, get the ”other Aggie education” and become prepared to address the needs of an increasingly diverse population and global economy. Al-Falih received the 2010 Texas A&M University Outstanding International Alumnus Award presented on March 10 at the Clayton Williams, Jr. Alumni Center.
http://international.tamu.edu/focus
To read more, click here 13
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Castles, Crepes and Co-ops
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he curriculum offers castles, crêpes, and cooperatives; not your typical Aggie fare. Each weekday, after a café latté and a croissant in the homes of their host families, Texas A&M students walk along 55 rue Rabelais to the Ecole Supérieure d’ Agriculture d’Angers, the equivalent to an American college of agriculture. Located in Angers, the Ecole Supérieure hosts Texas A&M University undergraduates and a visiting professor from the College of Agriculture, as well as groups from other American universities. to read more, click here
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International Focus
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I hope your visit will open your mind and your way of thinking, providing a bit of diversity, new ideas, new approaches.
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-Paludier (Salt Maker) Guerande, France
http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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Brazos Valley Worldfest 2009
Investing in a future of cultural understanding
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International Focus
Adapted from Batallion Article written by blankety blank blank
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nder the golden rays of the November sunrise, volunteers and participants began the early morning set up for the third annual Brazos Valley Worldfest. “International awareness is at the heart of Brazos Valley Worldfest,” Fox said. “As students understand world cultures, they break down cultural assumptions and develop understanding. Teachers, parents and students are together investing in a future of crosscultural acceptance.” to read more, click here
http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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National Science Foundation Names Texas A&M Member of Top 20 Research Performers
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exas A&M University excels in many areas, including outstanding student programs, national champion sports teams, and great engineering and business programs. The University also excels in academic research, as proven by the National Science Foundation’s ranking on the Top 20 Academic Research Performers in the U.S.
In addition, the University has opened the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building, a $100 million facility that will enable researchers to make what could be world changing discoveries. With more than 30 lab facilities, the new building located next to Simpson Drill Field will be available to world-class scientists who are striving to make a difference through research.
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to read
The National Science Foundation Top 20 Research Performers 1. Johns Hopkins University 2. University of California, San Francisco 3. University of Wisconsin, Madison 4. University of Michigan 5. University of California, Los Angeles 6. University of California, San Diego 7. Duke University 8. University of Washington 9. University of Pennsylvania 10. Ohio State University 11. Pennsylvania State University 12. Stanford University 13. University of Minnesota 14. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 15. Cornell University 16. University of California, Davis 17. University of Pittsburgh 18. University of California, Berkeley 19. University of Florida 20. Texas A&M University
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Hispanic Business Names Cepeda-Benito One Of “Top 100 Influentials”
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ispanic Business magazine has named Antonio Cepeda-Benito, dean of faculties and associate provost at Texas A&M University, to the publication’s 2009 list of the nation’s 100 “most influential” Hispanics. Among the ranked were U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonja Sotomayor, Senator Abel Maldonado, and Astronaut Joseph Acaba. to read more, click here http://international.tamu.edu/focus
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International Focus