Texas A&M University’s College of Engineering has achieved a milestone by surpassing its 25 by 25 initiative. As of last Fall 2023, the college has enrolled 25,132 students across its various campuses and engineering programs.

The initiative, launched in 2013, set out to increase the enrollment of engineering students to 25,000 by 2025 in response to the critical demand for engineers in Texas and across the nation. At that time, enrollment was about 11,000 engineering students on campus, including 8,000 undergraduates and 3,000 graduates.

Aimed to provide greater access to high-quality engineering education for qualified students who might otherwise be denied due to limited enrollment capacity, 25 by 25 focused on increasing enrollment without compromising the quality of education and maintaining rigorous academic standards. It ensured talented students had access to an outstanding public education leading to high-demand engineering professions and pursuits.

“The success of the 25 by 25 initiative exemplifies our commitment to addressing the critical demand for engineers in Texas and beyond,” said John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “By expanding access and maintaining excellence, we are preparing our students to tackle the challenges of the future.”

The college’s success in exceeding its enrollment goals was achieved through a multifaceted approach. The initiative had three guiding principles: increase accessibility to engineering education at all levels; transform the educational experience to better prepare students to engage in and meet the future needs of the engineering marketplace; and deliver engineering education in a cost-effective and affordable manner.

“This milestone is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our land-grant mission,” said General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M. “The College of Engineering’s dedication to excellence ensures that the university remains at the forefront of engineering education, equipping our students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a competitive global economy.”

Sofi English ’25 is a senior aerospace engineering student who began pursuing her degree at the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Austin Community College. The Engineering Academy program was developed during the 25 by 25 initiative to help increase the accessibility and affordability of an engineering degree. Students are co-enrolled in Texas A&M and one of 10 affiliated partner colleges. They take core curriculum courses from the partner college while taking all engineering courses from Texas A&M faculty who teach on the partner college campus.

“When I graduated from high school, I was already taking courses through Austin Community College and learned about the Texas A&M Engineering Academy,” said English. “I am fully funding my own education, so the financial advantages of living at home and working a full-time job my first year while co-enrolled was a no-brainer.”

English has benefited from multiple internships that include NASA, the SETI institute and most recently, Collins Aerospace, where she was involved with space suit systems engineering and bioastronautics.

“The high-quality classes at Texas A&M prepared me well for each of my internships,” English said. “I will graduate in May and feel absolutely ready to begin a career in aerospace engineering.”

Dr. Robert H. Bishop ’79, who was named the vice chancellor and dean of engineering in April and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering at Texas A&M, is committed to leading a college that will always be intent on student success and positive societal impact.

“Students like Sofi English will drive progress and address the complex challenges facing our state and nation,” said Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. “By investing in cutting-edge facilities, attracting world-class faculty and fostering innovative research, we are preparing the next generation of Aggie engineering leaders. I want to thank Dr. Kathy Banks, former dean of engineering, for launching 25 by 25. And — together with our students, faculty, staff and stakeholders — I am excited about the opportunity to redefine engineering education at scale and meet the complex challenges of tomorrow.”

As the college continues to build on the success of the 25 by 25 initiative, it remains committed to providing students with a world-class education and the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research and hands-on learning experiences as we launch new initiatives in technology, computing, and space exploration, while maintaining leadership in energy, health, sustainability, and national security. The college’s dedication to innovation and a global perspective ensures that its graduates are well prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Democrat Texas Senate hopeful Colin Allred is just two points behind Republican incumbent Ted Cruz, according to a second poll in a matter of days.

A survey from the Clean and Prosperous America PAC, an environmentalist advocacy group that campaigns for Democratic Party candidates, showed Cruz ahead of congressman Allred by 47 percent to 45 percent. The results are similar to a YouGov/University of Houston poll released on August 22, which also showed Allred about two points behind Cruz (46.6 percent to 44.5 percent).

The Clean and Prosperous America survey also suggests the Senate race in Florida between Sen. Rick Scott and former congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell could be very competitive. The poll shows that Scott is up by 3 points against Mucarsel-Powell (48 percent to 45 percent), which is among the closest margin of any public poll.

A number of Democratic figures have suggested that Texas and Florida—both considered strong red states—could be in play in November in the Senate races, and the presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

If Allred were to flip the Texas senate seat from Cruz in November, he would become the first Democrat senator in the Lone Star state since 1988.

The Clean and Prosperous America poll shows Trump is leading Harris in Texas by 5 points (49 percent to 44 percent) and by 4 points in Florida (51 percent to 47 percent).

Greg Rock, executive director of the Clean and Prosperous America PAC, said in a statement: “The results of these two surveys show that both Florida and Texas are competitive states in the general election. Senators Rick Scott and Ted Cruz are unpopular and narrowly lead their opponents despite their incumbency.

“It’s too early to predict exactly who will vote in November or what the outcome will be,” Rock added. “But this snapshot shows that voters in Texas and Florida have clear choices ahead of them and might surprise the pundits and forecasters.”

Allred’s and Cruz’s offices were contacted for comment via email.

An Allred victory in Texas would be a major boost for the Democratic Party’s bid to hold on to the Senate after November’s elections.

The Democrats currently control the upper chamber by a 51-49 seat margin, including four independent senators who caucus or align with the party. The GOP is widely expected to flip the West Virginia seat held by outgoing Democrat-turned-independent senator Joe Manchin in November.

A previous University of Houston/Texas Southern University (TSU) poll released in July showed Cruz leading Allred by 3points (47 percent to 44).

The results revealed Allred had drastically cut the margin down from the 9-point lead Cruz held over his Democratic rival in the same poll late last year.

Michael Adams, director of the Executive Master of Public Administration graduate program at TSU, suggested that Allred is becoming more popular as his name recognition grows.

“As a congressman from Dallas, he wasn’t well-known in the rest of the state, but as a result of winning the primary and months of campaigning and advertising, his name ID has increased, and support has nudged up by 5 points,” Adams said.

The Clean and Prosperous America poll showing Allred behind Cruz by 2 points was conducted just prior to Allred giving a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Election forecasters Race to the White House are giving Cruz a 66 percent chance of winning November’s Texas Senate race, with Allred estimated to have a 34 percent chance. This is down from the 73 percent chance Race to the White House was giving Cruz in July.

The Clean and Prosperous America poll surveyed 837 registered voters in Florida and 725 in Texas between August 21-22. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent in Florida and 3.6 percent in Texas.

The Colorado State offense in 2023 wasn’t in particular, that good.

The Rams offense posted just 26 points a game last year, which might sound decent, but was only good for 8th in the Mountain West. Their mediocrity within the conference led to a 5-7 record on the season.

But while the stats might not strike out to you, one thing that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is chemistry. And Colorado State has several returning offensive starters, 8 of the 11 starters to be exact, including QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and wide receiver Tory Horton, who recently went viral for saying that they both turned down 600k in NIL money to leave Colorado State to win championships with the Rams.

And one thing that the Longhorns defense want to keep an eye on heading into this weekend’s matchup, is the air raid that the Rams offense had last year.

Fifth-year cornerback Jahdae Barron had some nice words for the Rams’ passing attack from last year. Despite what I said about the Rams’ average offense in 2023, the team landed first in the Mountain West for passing yards with over 300 passing yards a game, the only team to do so in the conference.

“It’s good for us as a program and as defensive backs,” Barron said. “They have a good quarterback and some good receivers like 14 (Tory Horton). They’re trying to get him the ball a lot.”

And get him the ball they did. Horton brought down 8 receptions a game last year (96 receptions in total) with 1,136 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading all receivers on the team in the three categories.

“(Horton’s) good in one-on-ones, the quarterback loves him for 50/50 balls and things like that,” Barron said. “They have a lot of plays that can get him open, or he’s going to get himself open. He’s competing at a high level right now, so it’s a good matchup for everybody.”

Barron also had some respectable words for the quarterback Fowler-Nicolsi, who is an Aledo, Texas native.

“The quarterback can throw, he can throw it off the back leg. He does a lot of great things and he’s an experienced quarterback,” Barron said.

Jahdae Barron is seen as a leader in the locker room. Barron is also a veteran of the team who has seen some upsets in his five years at Texas. With Texas having a -32.5 spread, it looks like Texas and the defense aren’t taking any chances and are preparing diligently for Colorado State this Saturday.