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Announcements

• The Frontiers in Research Summits program selected three new proposals for funding during the second round of submissions. 
• The Bush School of Government and Public Service welcomed the Research and Innovative Security and Competitiveness (RISC) Institute to advance national and research security initiatives. 
• John Bellinger (Texas A&M Board of Regents) has been named senior advisor for New World screwworm preparedness in support of the United States Department of Agriculture’s ongoing efforts to contain and eradicate the destructive livestock pest. 

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News-Media Coverage

• Chris Dostal (Arts and Sciences), AP News, about the preservation and analysis of Revolutionary War-era cannons recovered from the Savannah River in Georgia, including radiocarbon dating of wooden plugs. 
• Heidi Campbell (Arts and Sciences), Vox, about how social media platforms are amplifying independent religious influencers who are increasingly displacing or rivaling institutional church voices. 
• Ken Muneoka (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences), Yahoo! News, about the development of a two-step protein treatment that enabled mice to regenerate amputated fingertip tissue, offering promising insights into the future of human limb and organ regeneration. 
• Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, Purushottam Gyawali and Greg Sword (Agriculture and Life Sciences), as well as then-graduate student Ubaldo Torres, Grow IWM, about how herbicide drift injury can make young cotton plants more attractive and vulnerable to aphid infestations, highlighting the need for integrated weed and insect management strategies. 
• Phillip Kaufman (Agriculture and Life Sciences), RFD TV, about ongoing New World screwworm eradication efforts, including the release of millions of sterile flies, adjusted release zones and producer guidance to monitor livestock closely and establish a veterinarian-client relationship.
• Sonia Hernandez (Arts and Sciences), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, about how Texas’ strategic geographic position and resources have long made it a political and economic crossroads that has shaped U.S. history from the Revolutionary era through modern times. 
• Joe Elabd (The Texas A&M University System) and Steve Putna (Semiconductor Institute), Houston Chronicle, about how Texas A&M is expanding its semiconductor research enterprise through the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute, accelerating chip design innovations and bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and domestic semiconductor manufacturing. (Paywall) 
• Valerie Hudson (Government and Public Service), Deseret News, about how emerging federal actions on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, taxation and national security signal a shift away from a hands-off approach toward greater government oversight aimed at ensuring AI serves public interests rather than corporate priorities. 

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Articles From Colleges and Schools

• Braiden Blatt (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) and team designed a clinical study focused on improving breathing among overweight brachycephalic dogs through weight management approaches. Breathing Easier: How a Texas A&M Clinical Trial Helped One Pug Regain His Energy 
• Candice Brinkmeyer-Langford (Public Health), Rahul Srinivasan (Medicine), Tae Wook Kan and Jane Welsh (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) developed an infectious model using nontoxic viral methods to replicate Parkinson’s-like symptoms and affect immune responses in the brain. Researchers Affirm Long-Held Belief That Viruses Can Trigger Parkinson’s Disease 
• Cristine Heaps (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) and team developed a bandage-like device that delivers hydrogen sulfide to increase blood flow at wound sites and support the healing process. Healing Where It Hurts: Texas A&M Researchers Develop a New Approach for Treating Wounds 
• Debangan Dey (Arts and Sciences) found that daily outdoor temperatures were associated with changes in mood, energy levels and sleep quality, particularly among individuals with mood disorders, with the strongest effects occurring during spring and fall. Can the Weather Boost Your Mood?  
• The Global Health Research Complex (GHRC) hosted a hands-on RAV3N workshop that trained biocontainment professionals from across North America in high-containment necropsy, biosafety and biosecurity practices to strengthen preparedness for animal and zoonotic disease threats. Texas A&M GHRC Hosts National RAV3N Biocontainment Necropsy Workshop 
• Holly Foster-Talbot (Arts and Sciences) wrote a book, “We All Do the Time,” using research on more than 300 incarcerated women to explore how imprisonment reshapes family relationships and community ties. How Family Connections Shape Women’s Experiences in Prison 
• Irfan Khan (Galveston) and team have pioneered an artificial intelligence-based cybersecurity approach that detects and stops cyberattacks before damage occurs, strengthening protection for consumer and government agencies. Defending the Digital Frontline: Enlisting AI To Neutralize Cyberattacks Before They Strike 
• Jaybelle Pranada (Engineering) presented her project on alternative battery chemistries designed to withstand extreme temperatures at the Catalyzing Energy Education and Excellence (C3E) Symposium. Texas A&M Student Proposes Battery Alternative    
• Jessica Labonté (Galveston) co-authored an article published in the June 2026 issue of Environmental Microbiology Reports that examined how freshwater and temperature disturbances influence viral communities in the hypersaline Laguna Madre. Viral Curiosity Drives Texas A&M Galveston Study of Super Salty Laguna Madre 
• Joy Alonzo (Pharmacy) and Marcia Ory (Public Health) are developing evidence-based opioid prevention programs that use peer influence, life skills and community-led education to help youth resist opioid misuse and make healthier long-term decisions. Research Points Toward New Approach to Opioid Misuse Prevention in Youth 
• Justin Scheiner, Andrej Svyantek and Amit Dhingra (Agriculture and Life Sciences), along with two aerospace engineering students, will send hundreds of grape seeds to the International Space Station for six months of cosmic radiation exposure, after which the seeds will be returned to Earth for planting and study. Wine Grapes in Space: Texas A&M Seeds Bound for International Space Station 
• Kevin Perozeni and Ashley Long (Agriculture and Life Sciences) are using GPS transmitters to uncover previously undocumented migratory and breeding patterns of the understudied Wilson’s snipe species, informing future conservation efforts. Research Shines a Light on the Elusive Wilson’s Snipe Migration 
• Maham Rahimi (Engineering Medicine) and team developed EndoEx, a device designed to improve the safety of endograft removals by minimizing the trauma to the aortic wall and addressing the challenges surgeons face during these complex procedures. From Lifesaving Device to Surgical Dilemma — And a New Solution 
• Ning “Patricia” Ning, Jifan Li (Arts and Sciences) and team introduced an algorithm-based framework that improves early detection of disease variants while reducing the cost and time required for genomic surveillance. When Budget Is Limited, How Can Disease Variants Be Detected Earlier? 
• Patricia Thornton (Arts and Sciences) and IESE Business School’s Juan Almandoz proposed an ecological model of society showing that competing institutional “logics” shape stability and change, and reduced institutional diversity can marginalize perspectives and increase instability and activism. How Societies Evolve Through Competing Institutions 
• Rebecca Brooker, Jung Won Choi (Arts and Sciences) and former graduate student Jennifer Kling found that amplifications in the brain’s responses to emotions during pregnancy, beyond trait or individual characteristics, may be linked to mothers’ risk for anxiety and depression. New Insights Into Maternal Mental Health 
• Sam Rustom (Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Lina Bernaola (AgriLife Research) found that Texas rice planted acres are declining on the heels of the rice delphacid threat. Texas Rice Planted Acres on Decline; Threat of Rice Delphacid Looms 
• Shaylynn Postma (Texas Water Resources Institute), Athena Frasca and Michael Wetz (Harte Research Institute) are leading a research mission to preserve the economically and ecologically important Baffin Bay, located along Texas’ Gulf Coast 45 miles south of Corpus Christi. Helping Baffin Bay: Researchers and Communities Team Up for Water Quality  
• Shuang Zhang (Arts and Sciences) is investigating how carbon captured through enhanced rock weathering moves through waterways by using advanced computer models that follow carbon through river networks. Measuring the True Impact of Carbon Removal  
• Shuo Feng, Brian Colwell, Sunghyun Chung, Adam Barry, Huisham Wang (Public Health) and Christopher Thompson (Education and Human Development) found that moderate carbohydrate intake may offer the most balanced cardiovascular benefits, improving multiple heart health markers while avoiding some LDL cholesterol increases seen with very low-carb diets. Consuming a Moderate Amount of Carbs Could Lower Cardiovascular Risk While Also Keeping ‘Bad’ Cholesterol Down

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Accomplishments

• Abhishek Jain, Jeetain Mittal, Shreya Raghavan (Engineering) and Lance Black (Engineering Medicine) have been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering’s College of Fellows, one of the highest honors awarded to medical and biological engineers.  
• Ambika Chandra (Agriculture and Life Sciences) was recognized as one of 26 “Game Changers” who have been scanned and 3D printed as statues for display at the 2026 FIFA Fan Festival in Dallas, recognizing leaders whose work demonstrates how science, technology, engineering and math fuel the world of sports. 
• Bani Mallick (Arts and Sciences) was awarded the 2026 Don Owen Award in recognition of his excellence in research, statistical consultation and service to the statistical field.  
• Birol Dindoruk (Engineering) was awarded the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) Pioneer Award in recognition of his research and technological advancements to improving and enhancing oil recovery. 
• Cassie Duclos (Engineering) was awarded the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, allowing her to explore innovative, high-risk ideas in the development of next-generation organic batteries.  
• Juliana Rangel, Rodolfo Nayga and Gary Wingenbach (Agriculture and Life Sciences) were named as 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholars, receiving recognition from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for their research contributions. 
• Kaiwen Hsiao (Engineering) received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for her work developing a precise 3D printing that uses light to build small structures out of polymer materials. 
• Lauren O’Connor (AgriLife Research) received the 2026 Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences Emerging Leader Award, recognizing her contributions in the field of nutrition science. 
• Lisa Haddad (Nursing) was named a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine in recognition of her advanced training and expertise in the wilderness medicine field.  
• Mackenzie Bankes (Dentistry) was awarded the Dr. Chethan and Avani Chetty Scholarship by the Academy of General Dentistry. 
• Texas A&M University was named a 2026 Fast Company World Changing Ideas honoree, earning national recognition for its regenerative heart patch developed by researcher Ke Huang (Pharmacy).  
• Zhe “Sarina” Zhang and Siyu Lu (Arts and Sciences) received an award and a scholarship, respectively, from Women in GIS for their contributions to geographic information systems and geospatial science. 

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Funding

• Texas A&M AgriLife will receive part of $105 million in research funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support projects focused on prevention, detection and control of New World screwworm. 

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Professional Development

• Research Development Services offers faculty development programs and research funding workshops to assist in the process of applying for grants.   
• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) offers virtual workshops that meet the face-to-face requirements of University SAP 15.99.99.M0.04. Please note that it is the responsibility of each college or school (with support or information from individual principal investigators) to ensure that all student and postdoctoral researchers associated with them are compliant with the RCR training requirements.             
• High Performance Research Computing offers an ongoing series of short training courses for beginning, intermediate and advanced researchers.             
• University Libraries presents a series of online workshops in research-related subjects, such as managing citations, managing research data, searching databases, and publishing and copyright.      
• The Animal Welfare Office (AWO) offers virtual workshops that meet the continuing education requirements for investigators as described in the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” (“the Guide”). Common topics include understanding and applying Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) guidelines and crafting a well-written animal use protocol. Course offerings change quarterly.

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Events

• Kelsi West (AgriLife Research Center for Managed Technology Services) and Megan Bergeron (Research Development Services) are co-hosting a webinar titled “Data Management Plans for Grant Proposals” on Wednesday, June 24, from 12:00-12:30 p.m. Please visit the link to register.

How to Submit an Item to Research Bulletin        

• Send: Research-related news about Texas A&M faculty, staff or students at our colleges, schools or member agencies, including honors, publications, presentations and appearances in news media.        
• Note: The Research Bulletin does not publish links to scholarly or peer-reviewed journal articles. If your work appears in a journal, please work with your college or school communications team to develop a news story, then submit the link to that story for inclusion.        
• Include: A URL that links directly to your news coverage, research story or professional development.        
• Email: rcomm@tamu.edu     

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