Texas A&M University–Kingsville

Infobox University
name = Texas A&M University–Kingsville


established = 1925
type = Public University
president = Steven H. Tallant, Ph.D.
campus = 1,600 acres (6.5 km²)
city = Kingsville
state = Texas
country = United States
students = 6,662
faculty = 401
nickname = Javelinas (informally "Hoggies")
mascot = Porky the Javelina
colors = Blue and Gold
website = http://www.tamuk.edu

Texas A&M University–Kingsville (formerly Texas A&I University) is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries. The university has nationally recognized programs in engineering, agriculture, wildlife music and the sciences and is known for developing the nation's first doctoral degree in bilingual education. Founded in 1925 as South Texas State Teachers College, the university's name change in 1929 to Texas College of Arts and Industries (A&I) signaled the broadening of its mission. A 1967 name change to Texas A&I University marked another transition. The university became a member of The Texas A&M University System in 1989 and changed names to Texas A&M–Kingsville in September 1993.The nickname "Javelina" refers to students, alumni, and sports teams of the university.

Academics

Texas A&M–Kingsville has 60 undergraduate degree programs, 56 master's programs and six doctoral degrees in the Colleges of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering and Graduate Studies. The university features the region's only programs in engineering, social sciences and agriculture. With state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, the university's 545 acre (2.2 km²) teaching farm gives agriculture students hands-on farming and ranching experience. A&M–Kingsville's bilingual education program, offering degrees at the master's and doctoral levels, was the first of its kind in the country and continues to be one of the strongest. [http://www.tamuk.edu/news/2005/december/bilingual_ed/ Cite] Undergraduates in nearly all disciplines have an opportunity to participate in research projects.

Rankings

Texas A&M–Kingsville is ranked in the Top 100 national universities by Washington Monthly magazine. The university consistently ranks among the country's top 10 producers of Hispanic engineers and has the only accredited program in natural gas engineering in the United States. The Texas Legislature approved and funded the creation and construction of the Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, the first professional school of any kind at any university south of San Antonio, which opened in the fall of 2006. In addition, the university offers the only master's degree in ranch management in the United States.

Research

The [http://www.ntrc.tamuk.edu Natural Toxins Research Center at Texas A&M–Kingsville] (NTRC) boasts the largest collection of venomous snakes in the country and attracts researchers from around the world to its one-of-a-kind serpentarium. For over three decades, its mission has been to provide global research, training & resources that will lead to the discovery of medically important toxins found in snake venoms. They also provide [http://ntrc.tamuk.edu/cgi-bin/serpentarium/snake.query snake venoms, venom fractions and tissue] for biomedical research.

Texas A&M–Kingsville's Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and its Citrus Center both have international reputations, attracting scholars and research projects from around the world.

The Welhausen Water Resources Center, through its membership in the International Arid Lands Consortium, is playing a role in the Middle East with its expertise in water conservation and development. The newly founded South Texas Environmental Institute plans to bring regional entities together to solve environmental questions through research.

tudent Life

Residence Life

The campus is home to several dormitory buildings, as well as a small complex of apartments for students with spouses and/or children. In addition, the private Javelina Station apartments near campus offer apartment-style living specifically geared towards college students.

The Memorial Student Union Building is home to a cafeteria, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and a sub/smoothie stand. It also hosts a game room with pool tables, air hockey, and a small video arcade room.

tudent Organizations

The university hosts a number of student organizations, including a number of Greek-letter academic honor societies.

Greek Life

The university is home to chapters or colonies of several Greek fraternities and sororities, including:

Fraternities:

*Sigma Lambda Beta
*Sigma Chi
*Lambda Chi
*Omega Delta Phi
*Phi Mu Alpha
*Kappa Kappa Psi

Sororities:

*Delta Phi Epsilon
*Alpha Kappa Alpha
*Kappa Delta Chi
*Psi Theta Upsilon
*Theta Phi Alpha
*Tau Beta Sigma
*Sigma Alpha Iota

Notable alumni

*Joe Ernst, U.S. Army Brigadier General
*Ramon H. Dovalina, retired president of Laredo Community College in Laredo, 1995-2007
*Jeremy Dugosh, Ph.D., American Board of Internal Medicine, Senior Editor
*Roberto Garza, NFL lineman for the Chicago Bears
*Darrell Green, NFL Hall of Famer, retired cornerback
*Al Harris, NFL Cornerback for the Green Bay Packers
*Jim Hill, former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers, Sports anchor at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles
*John Lauer, former CEO of B.F. Goodrich
*Eva Longoria, actress & model
*Kimberly A. Scott, actress
*Jermane Mayberry, NFL Guard for the New Orleans Saints
*John Randle, retired NFL defensive tackle
*Ricardo Sanchez, U.S. Army Lt. General
*Jackie Stephenson, U.S. Army Brigadier General
*Bill Stevens, retired Exxon USA CEO
*Gene Upshaw, NFL Hall of Famer, former Executive Director of the NFLPA
*Dwayne Nix, College Football Hall of Famer
*Michael Boyd, Emmy Award-winning costume designer for film and television
*Johnny Bailey, former NFL running back
*James Crumley, crime novelist, author of "The Last Great Kiss" and other works

Campus

Texas A&M–Kingsville is located in Kingsville, Texas, just 40 miles (60 km) southwest of Corpus Christi, Texas and 120 miles (190 km) north of Mexico. Kingsville, with a population of 25,000, is home to the headquarters of the famed King Ranch and Naval Air Station Kingsville. Texas A&M–Kingsville has 1,600 acres (6 km²) of land, including a 250 acre (1 km²) main campus with 82 buildings.

Texas A&M–Kingsville also maintains an upper-level division in south San Antonio, Texas, an area historically underserved in terms of higher education. The campus is currently called Texas A&M University–Kingsville System Center-San Antonio, but in the future will become a separate university, Texas A&M University–San Antonio. [Texas A&M University System, Communications Office. “A&M System Regents Approve Building Lease for San Antonio Campus.” 1 December 2006. http://sago-news.tamu.edu/releases/?p=215 (accessed 17 December 2006)]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.tamuk.edu Texas A&M University–Kingsville Home Page]
* [http://tamus.edu/ Texas A&M University System]
* [http://www.javelinaathletics.com/ Javelina Athletics]
* [http://www.javelinaalumni.com
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0738508810 Texas A&M University–Kingsville Book]
* [http://archives.tamuk.edu/history001.htm History of the University]
* [http://www.texasaandiuniversity.com