12 Great Stories From 2021
As we look to the new year, we pause to reflect on 12 stories worth rereading from the College of Liberal Arts.
By Rachel Knight ‘18
Throughout 2021, College of Liberal Arts students, faculty, and former students have made headlines for their outstanding work, research, and achievements.
With 2021 coming to a close, we pause for a moment to reflect on 12 stories worth rereading. Join us in revisiting acts of selfless service, moments of scholastic victory, and triumphs in research within the college.
Dog Tags: Shelby McMillin’s Story of Selfless Service
One liberal arts student’s passion for mental health advocacy causes schooling and selfless service to collide.
Texas A&M’s Conservation Research Lab Returns Historic Cannons to the Alamo
Preserving historic Texas cannons helps tell accurate stories behind historical events, as Jim Jobling points out in this story from the Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications.
Does Listening to Music Really Help You Study?
Cognitive psychologist Brian Anderson and cognitive neuroscientist Steven Smith explain why listening to music may be a more harmful than helpful study habit.
Professor Wins PROSE Award for the First Time in University History
Communication professor Jennifer Mercieca made university history at the 2021 Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) awards as a Category Award Winner in the area of Government & Politics. She’s the first and only Texas A&M faculty member to win.
Rachel Bernardo ‘21: Crossing the Finish Line of Her College Career
Rachel Bernardo ‘21 made a lasting impression on Texas A&M through both academic and athletic achievements before walking the graduation stage in May of 2021.
The History of Baseball
Graphic by Dana Dang ’23
David Vaught, a professor in the Department of History who researches rural history and baseball, steps up to the plate to discuss the origins of America’s pastime.
Software Developed at Texas A&M Empowers Visually Impaired to Access Old English
Photo courtesy of Aggieland Yearbook
Rebecca Baumgarten, a student pursuing a Master of Arts in English, was in a Latin class when she realized she needed assistive technology to make Old English accessible to visually impaired students. The problem was, it didn’t yet exist. Thus began her quest to change that.
Bottling the Aggie Spirit
Graphic by Angelyn Wiley ’17
Aggies often talk about the “Spirit can ne’er be told.” While many of us struggle to explain it to friends outside the Aggie family, Duke Meadows ‘96, a former political science student, and his friends are attempting to bottle and share it with the world.
On the Trail to Success
Head shots of author Gordy Sauer in downtown Columbia, MO on August 22nd, 2019.
Former student Gordy Sauer ‘05, shares the story behind his debut novel Child in the Valley, and how his Aggie experience shaped his writing career.
Aggie Takes the Miss Texas Crown
Malory Fuller ’20 takes the crown as Miss Texas.
Mallory Fuller ‘20 was just a wide-eyed 8-year-old when she first entered the pageant scene through the Lone Star Princess program. Seventeen years later, the former student with a communication degree reigns as Miss Texas.
Texas A&M Research Improves Veteran Support In Texas
Nandita Chaudhuri, research scientist in the college’s Public Policy Research Institute, conducted research that’s being used by policy makers to improve services offered to Texas veterans.
A Step Forward in Spanish Writing
Since the publication of Hispanic studies professor Eduardo Espina’s book, Libro Albedrío, it has received several praiseworthy reviews including one by Argentinian critic Quintín that called Espina’s work “the best writing in Spanish north of the River Plate and south of the Rio Grande.”