The Texas A&M University System

One of the most impressive new structures being constructed anywhere in The Texas A&M University System is now nearing completion at Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG).

A 58,000 sq. ft. Engineering Building costing $15.1 million is scheduled for occupancy in spring, 2005. It will house classrooms, research and teaching labs and heavy-equipment workshops. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ranks TAMUG number one in classroom and laboratory utilization among the state's 35 public universities.

The building is being financed with $10 million in tuition revenue bonds, $4.3 million in Permanent University Fund bonds and $2 million from Texas A&M University.

TAMUG offers ten undergraduate and graduate degrees in marine and maritime related disciplines. It is also home to the Texas Maritime Academy that trains officers for the Merchant Marine, Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. Its engineering graduates are among the most aggressively sought by marine shipping and power generating industries.

New Texas A&M Engineering Building in Galveston

Prospective employers highlight the high standards of TAMUG's Marine System Engineering (MASE) program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology. MASE graduates are especially suited for work in the highly complex realm of offshore energy development and related fields. Maritime Academy engineering cadets make three two-month cruises aboard the Texas Clipper II during their undergrad careers, managing the ship's two 1,600 hp power plants and attending the multitude of engineering-related responsibilities aboard a large ocean vessel.

U.S. News & World Report lists the TAMUG engineering program among the nation's best, remarkable recognition for a branch-campus institution with 1,600 students. Yet, it is the small class size at TAMUG, with close faculty-student relations and professional oversight on training cruises, that enhances the university's engineering program.

The engineering building grew from the strategic foresight of TAMUG's immediate past Vice President & CEO, Dr. Michael Kemp. He recognized that as part of Texas A&M University and its System, TAMUG must fulfill its mission to serve the marine/maritime industry and its growing demand for qualified engineers. This, of course, is in keeping with the philosophy behind creation of the nation's Land Grant Universities 125 years ago.

Just as engineering is a vital element in the core curriculum on Texas A&M's College Station campus, so the new building will highlight engineering's vital role at TAMUG. The building does, as part of a major state university receiving Permanent University Funds, belong to the people of Texas. They can count on it serving them well.