Student Activities

Middleton Shares Moving Mission Trip Experience

Wed, 13 May 2026 20:22:51 +0000

Audrey Middleton, former Delta Zeta president, discusses her mission trip experience to El Salvador.

Credit: DSA Marcomm

Serving Those Who Served: ATO Supports Local Veterans Through Philanthropy

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:57:09 +0000

This year, members of the Theta Sigma chapter of Alpha Tau Omega at Texas A&M University continued their commitment to serving the Bryan-College Station community by supporting a cause that has become deeply meaningful to the chapter: local veterans.

In February, the chapter presented a $10,000 donation to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4692 in Bryan, helping the organization continue providing financial assistance, resources, and community support for veterans across the Brazos Valley.

The donation reflects a growing partnership between ATO and the local VFW, which the chapter selected as its local philanthropic cause. Through fundraising efforts and campus philanthropy events, members have worked to directly support veterans in the community while also raising awareness about the ongoing needs many veterans face after service.

Much of the chapter’s fundraising this year came through its annual philanthropy event, Tenders with Taus, a chicken tender eating competition that has become a favorite tradition among students. This year’s $10,000 contribution, however, specifically came after ATO won Alpha Delta Pi’s annual Pi Pomp philanthropy competition in the fall, where fraternity and sorority chapters competed to create pomp designs celebrating Aggie Spirit.

According to leaders at VFW Post 4692, donations like this one make a direct impact on the organization’s ability to remain operational and assist veterans with urgent needs, including utility assistance and emergency support.

The partnership highlights the ways Aggie Greek organizations continue to live out values of leadership and service beyond campus. By investing in local veterans and community organizations, ATO members are helping ensure the Aggie Spirit extends far beyond their chapter walls. Read more about the donation and partnership in the KBTX story here: KBTX Coverage of ATO’s Donation to VFW Post 4692.

Leading With Purpose: Two Rho Delta Chi Sisters Shaping the Future of Greek Life

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:50:41 +0000

Sohani-and-Noemi

For members of Texas A&M’s Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), leadership is about more than holding a title. It is about creating spaces where others feel seen, supported and empowered to grow. Few students embody that spirit more fully than Noemi and Sohani, two members of Rho Delta Chi Sorority, Inc., whose shared sisterhood has carried them from campus leadership roles to influencing fraternity and sorority life conversations across the Southeast.

This year, Noemi was elected president of Texas A&M’s Multicultural Greek Council after previously serving two terms on the executive board. Sohani was elected MGC director of service after also serving in a director role during the past year. Their leadership journeys have already made a meaningful impact within the Aggie Greek community, but together they are also helping elevate Texas A&M’s voice on a regional stage.

Last year, Noemi served as a student member of the Southeastern Greek Leadership Association (SGLA) board, helping plan the organization’s annual conference in Atlanta. The conference brings together fraternity and sorority leaders from universities across the Southeast to collaborate, share ideas and strengthen their leadership skills.

For Noemi, the experience offered an opportunity not only to grow personally, but also to advocate for communities that are often underrepresented in larger fraternity and sorority life spaces.

“SGLA is a conference to further the leadership skills of university leaders across the nation,” she shared. “Serving on the SGLA board meant being able to take everything you learned and give it back to the next leaders.”

As a member of MGC, Noemi said representing Texas A&M on such a large scale was especially meaningful. “MGC is often less represented in these spaces, and representing A&M for the first time was incredibly rewarding.”

At the 2026 SGLA Conference, that Aggie representation continued to grow when Sohani was announced as a newly elected member of the incoming SGLA board, where she will help plan the 2027 conference. For the two Rho Delta Chi sisters, the moment represented more than a leadership transition. It reflected years of encouragement, friendship, and shared ambition.

“Having a sorority sister and one of my best friends going through a similar experience has been so special,” Noemi said. “I get to watch her succeed and accomplish great things.”

Sohani echoed that sentiment, describing how their sisterhood has motivated her to pursue opportunities she once may not have imagined for herself.

“Watching the people I call my closest friends accomplish so many things encourages me that I can work hard and accomplish great things together with them,” she said. “I’m very grateful to be surrounded by so many driven and hardworking individuals.”

That sense of connection extends beyond their individual friendship and reflects the broader culture within Texas A&M’s MGC community — one grounded in collaboration, resilience, and belonging.

As one of the largest multicultural Greek councils in the region, Texas A&M’s MGC continues to demonstrate how communities of different backgrounds and experiences can come together with a shared purpose. This year, a Texas A&M student was recognized as SGLA’s MGC Member of the Year, further affirming the impact Aggie students are making beyond campus.

“The award speaks to how hard we work as an MGC to maximize our impact, even though we may not have the greatest strength in numbers,” Noemi said.

Sohani hopes their participation with SGLA will continue expanding the visibility and influence of multicultural Greek life, both at Texas A&M and across the Southeast.

“I hope our input and the way we manage our council is useful for other MGC communities as they grow and overcome common challenges,” she shared.

Through service, mentorship and advocacy, Noemi and Sohani are not only strengthening the Aggie Greek community, they are helping shape the future of fraternity and sorority life for students across the region.

And through every milestone, they continue to do it side by side.

Fifty Years of Faith, Hope and Love: Kappa Alpha Theta Celebrates a Legacy at Texas A&M

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:40:47 +0000

Delta Omega Team

When hundreds of women gathered in College Station this February to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kappa Alpha Theta – Delta Omega Chapter at Texas A&M University, it was more than a reunion.

It was a homecoming decades in the making.

Alumnae from across generations returned to the place where lifelong friendships first began — walking once again through the halls of the Theta house, sharing stories from their college years and reconnecting with sisters they may not have seen in years. Some reminisced about recruitment skits and Aggie football weekends. Others recalled late-night study sessions, leadership roles and the traditions that shaped their experience as Aggies. Together, they celebrated five decades of sisterhood rooted in faith, hope and love.

For Chapter President Lori Henderson, the weekend carried both deep personal meaning and the culmination of a year of planning. Henderson first began organizing the reunion while serving as the chapter’s family relations director before later being slated and elected president.

“Fifty years of anything can feel as though it hit its mark — it’s peaked, it’s over,” Henderson reflected. “For Theta, that isn’t the case.”

As she connected with alumnae throughout the planning process, Henderson discovered just how enduring the chapter’s values and traditions have remained since the Delta Omega chapter was founded in 1976.

“I heard stories of what Delta Omega looked like in 1976,” she said. “I can say confidently that our values are the same, and the same silliness that drives our sisterhood is certainly there.”

That continuity became one of the most emotional parts of the celebration. Throughout the weekend, generations of Thetas gathered for open houses, meals and anniversary events bridging 50 years of Aggie experiences into one shared story.

Looking around the room on February 7, exactly 50 years after the chapter’s installation, Henderson described the moment as “unparalleled.”

“How often do you see hundreds of women in one room who have upheld standards and carried on both sacred and hilarious traditions?” she said. “It’s so rare that we get to slow down and reminisce on something as significant as sisterhood.”

For Henderson, Theta’s impact has always been personal. Growing up with two sisters, she once doubted that a sorority experience could ever resemble true family. Delta Omega changed that perspective completely.

“The women brought into my life by Delta Omega are the girls I laugh the most with, cry my hardest next to, and call first when I’m ready for an adventure,” she shared. “The best part is, it’s been this way for 50 years, and for thousands of us.”

That sense of belonging has helped shape generations of Aggie women into leaders both on campus and beyond. As one of the earliest Panhellenic chapters at Texas A&M, Theta has maintained a longstanding commitment to academic excellence, leadership and service.

Over the decades, Delta Omega members have consistently served in prominent student leadership positions, including Student Government roles dating back to the early 1980s. Today, Theta women continue that legacy. This year, Allison Gesino became the first student in Texas A&M history to serve twice as Speaker of the Senate, while Kathleen Parks made history as the first elected student body vice president for the 2025–26 academic year. Other members have served in leadership positions throughout the Student Body Executive Branch and across campus organizations.

Beyond campus leadership, the chapter has also become a powerful force for good in the Bryan-College Station community through decades of philanthropy and service. Theta’s annual events continue to make a lasting impact on local organizations supporting children and families in the Brazos Valley.

This year, Thetafest, the chapter’s longstanding fall philanthropy event, raised more than $83,000 for Scotty’s House. In the spring, the chapter’s Theta 5K, a tradition spanning more than 40 years, raised more than $94,000 for Brazos Valley CASA.

Those traditions of service reflect the same values that united alumnae and current members throughout the anniversary weekend. Henderson recalled that while planning the event came with challenges — budgets, logistics, and countless details — what mattered most was never perfection.

“The women weren’t coming back to town with a rubric of what the events needed to look like,” she said. “They were just ready to see each other again.”

That realization transformed the weekend into something much larger than an anniversary celebration. It became a reminder of the lifelong network Theta creates — one built not only on shared experiences, but on genuine care for one another.

Henderson experienced that support firsthand throughout the planning process. Friends tied hundreds of napkins late into the night, brought meals during setup days, and alumnae mentors offered encouragement through calls, emails and messages. It was a living example of the chapter’s culture of encouragement spanning generations.

“Thetas are encouragers and celebrators,” Henderson said. “And they have been for decades.”

As the Aggie Greek community continues to grow and evolve, milestones like Theta’s 50th anniversary offer an important opportunity to reflect on the power of fraternity and sorority life to create lifelong connection, leadership, and service.

“Delta Omega isn’t just a solid four years of college fun,” Henderson shared during her anniversary speech. “Today is proof that it’s five decades and more of faith, hope and love in all that we’ve done.”

And after 50 years, the story of Theta at Texas A&M is still being written.

PC 79 Delta Omegas making the kite! The first PC to live in the house.

Army Veteran And Texas A&M Chemistry Ph.D. Student Powers Up Battery Materials Research

Wed, 28 May 2025 23:24:01 +0000

Texas A&M chemistry Ph.D. student and Army veteran Evan Fox deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in July 2017.

Credit: Evan Fox, Pentzer Lab, Getty Images

Evan Fox, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Texas A&M Chemistry Department, continues to push the boundaries of battery materials. His research, conducted in the Pentzer Lab under the guidance of Dr. Emily Pentzer, professor and Presidential Impact Fellow, focuses on redox-active polymers—special materials made of long molecular chains that can pass electrons from one part to another, allowing them to store and release energy. His work could play a significant role in making battery materials more efficient and long-lasting, keeping energy flowing longer than ever before.

“We’re trying to understand how electrons move through these polymers and how their structure affects their physical and electrochemical properties,” Fox said. “The goal isn’t necessarily to replace lithium-ion batteries, which are incredibly efficient, but to find alternative materials that could reduce the demand for traditional battery components.”

This work matters because, despite their effectiveness, lithium-ion batteries come with a host of challenges. The materials required to produce them are expensive, often harmful to the environment, and in some cases linked to human rights issues in the mining industry. By developing new polymer-based materials, Fox and his collaborators hope to create batteries that are more sustainable, flexible and cost-effective.

“There’s a conservation and economic component to this,” Fox explained. “If we can find polymers that act as electrodes in certain applications, we can ease the demand for lithium and other scarce resources.”

Fox’s research is a team effort alongside the Tabor and Lutkenhaus groups at Texas A&M. His role involves designing and creating these innovative polymers, using advanced methods to control the spacing between the redox units—the parts responsible for passing electrons along the chain. The team has already published its findings in respected scientific journals, including a recent study, Charge Transfer in Spatially Defined Organic Radical Polymers, and has more papers on the way.

Before jumping into chemistry, Fox was busy jumping out of airplanes. He served in the U.S. Army, a decision he credits with changing his life. Joining midway through his undergraduate studies at La Salle University, Fox sought the discipline and structure he felt he was missing. As a paratrooper stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division and even deployed to Afghanistan in 2017.

“I actually have a fear of heights, so earning my jump wings and becoming a paratrooper was a huge confidence boost,” he said. “It taught me how to face my fears head-on.”

Despite the challenges and injuries he sustained—including shoulder reconstruction and knee surgery—Fox wouldn’t trade his time in the Army for anything. Serving in the infantry and airborne took a toll on his body, with the high-impact demands and heavy gear leading to common knee, back, and shoulder issues. His shoulder and knee injuries were likely the result of overuse, while his only specific jump-related injury was a concussion in 2015. Still, for Fox, the wear and tear was a small price to pay for the experience.

“Joining the Army was the best decision I ever made,” he said. “It gave me direction, discipline and some of my best friends.”

After his time in the Army, Fox finished his chemistry degree and decided he wanted to turn his attention to research. When it came time to choose a graduate program, Fox had two criteria: warm weather and good barbecue. That led him to Texas A&M, where he found not only both of those but also a thriving chemistry community and a strong alumni network.

“Texas A&M’s research budget and focus on applied organic chemistry and materials sealed the deal,” he said.

His time at Texas A&M has brought unexpected joys. What began as a teaching requirement quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of his journey. He finds great fulfillment in mentoring students and helping them succeed.

“Teaching really reminded me of my time in the Army, where there is a lot of emphasis placed on pushing people to do their best and supporting those placed under your direction,” he said.

Many of his former students remain in touch, and as Fox looks ahead to defending his dissertation in May, he’s also preparing for another milestone—getting married this summer. As he anticipates the future, Fox hopes to take his skills into industry, potentially in oil and gas, commodity polymers or materials science. “I’m excited for what’s next,” he said. “But I’ll always be grateful for my time at Texas A&M and the experiences and people that got me here.”

Texas A&M Names 2025-26 Head Yell Leader

Wed, 28 May 2025 23:14:43 +0000

Kyler Fife ’26

Credit: Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

Junior communications major Kyler Fife has been named the Head Yell Leader for the 2025-26 academic year and will guide the four other Yell Leaders as they represent the spirit of Aggieland across campus, Texas and the United States.

“Being a Yell Leader is truly a position of service,” Fife said. “If you’re seeking it for anything other than that, then you’re not seeking it for the right reason. It is an incredible opportunity to be one of five students who are the most visible representations of the student body at Texas A&M. I will not take that for granted, nor will I take it lightly.”

Elected by the student body, Yell Leaders serve as the university’s official spirit ambassadors. They lead Aggie fans in yells during athletic and other university events. The Texas Aggie Yell Leaders represent the 12th Man at Aggie athletic events, serve as campus ambassadors to Texas A&M and Aggie Mothers’ Clubs across Texas and the U.S., and make appearances at campus-wide events for current, new and prospective students, former students, campus administrators, visitors and dignitaries. In all, Yell Leaders typically officially attend 350 to 400 events per year.

After the five Yell Leaders are elected by the student body in March, the Head Yell Leader is selected through an application process that includes a resumé review, an essay and an interview by a panel that includes the previous head Yell Leader.

A native of Odessa, Texas, Fife never really imagined attending Texas A&M as his father attended Texas Tech University and his mother went to Texas-Permian Basin.

“I went to my first Aggie football game in the fall of my senior year of high school,” said Fife. “I just thought that there was no place like Texas A&M. The 12^th Man was awesome, and I’d never seen anything like it. I stayed with the corps and the whole nine yards. I drank the Kool-Aid and just knew I was going to be an Aggie.”

An Aggie, sure, but a Yell Leader?

“At that game, we were sitting right in front of a Yell Leader stand,” Fife recalled. “I remember thinking how cool it would be to be a Yell Leader, knowing that it would likely not happen. Those guys were having the time of their life, and I thank God I get to be here today.”

Additionally, Fife is a member of Squadron 5 in the Corps of Cadets and is a member of Maroon Coats. He has served on the Traditions Council for more than two years and was a Fish Camp Counselor.

“That was a blast,” Fife said, referencing being a Fish Camp Counselor.

Carrying on the traditions of Texas A&M while embracing new ideas to improve the Yell Leader Program will be a priority for Fife.

“I think Yell Leaders serve as the bridge from the traditions and culture of Texas A&M to our current student body and the world outside of Aggieland,” Fife said. “We will work hard to represent Texas A&M in everything we do, and we want the 12^th Man to take pride in the way we represent them.”

AI And Gaming Platform Aims To Revolutionize Emergency Pipeline Training

Wed, 28 May 2025 23:09:09 +0000

This new training framework simulates a potential pipeline incident using AI and a gaming platform.

Credit: Donna Malak/Texas A&M Engineering

Researchers and industry partners are looking to create a game-like training tool using artificial intelligence (AI) to make pipeline safety training more effective.

The Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKO) and EnerSys Corporation are partnering to create a multiplayer “game” that provides real-world scenarios and measurable outcomes of how pipeline operations respond to abnormal and emergency situations in a safe, controlled environment.

“This utilizes artificial intelligence as a tool to create a gaming platform where pipeline becomes at the source and all the different scenarios that can impact the pipeline operations response becomes the contributing factor,” said Faisal Khan, director of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center.

Funded by the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation, this project aims to develop a realistic training system for teams to practice handling hazardous condition response and emergency response.

“In using this multiplayer gaming platform, it should become very much like actually working with pipelines,” said EnerSys Corporation CEO Russel Treat. “That’s the goal, and ultimately, if that’s the case, when incidents do occur, they should be responded to and mitigated more effectively.”

Pipelines are critical for infrastructure, so understanding how they operate can prevent major accidents, protect the economy and improve emergency response to issues like leaks.

The platform simulates various pipeline failure scenarios and incorporates those into the training system designed for pipeline operators.

“Pipeline incidents are exceedingly rare,” Treat said. “Most people who work with pipelines work their entire lives and never have direct experience. What that means is when they do occur, for many people, it’s a first-time experience. By doing this training and giving people real-world experience, then they will be prepared when an incident does occur, which means they should respond more quickly, more effectively.”

MKO will provide knowledge and understanding of the pipeline and its safety issues along with creating mathematical models to the project, while EnerSys Corporation will merge industry and facilitate research and the data collection from industry while serving as the Principal Investigator of the program.

“We have a mathematical representation of how a pipeline should be operating in an idealistic condition, based on our scientific knowledge and what stimulates a pipeline failure,” Khan said.

The next step is to begin trial scenarios with a research and development team by the end of this year, aiming to collect results and incorporating them into the training, Treat said.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to learn, particularly from the industrial experiences, and develop tools that enable fusion of knowledge and experience to improve safety,” Khan said.

Funding for this research is administered by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering.

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