Ushering in the next 50 years    

This has been a watermark academic year for Texas A&M University at Galveston. As a branch campus of Texas A&M University at College Station and legislatively-authorized “special purpose” institution, TAMUG is celebrating 50 years of excellence in maritime and marine-based programs.

While preparing “Sea Aggies” to receive the Aggie Ring and Texas A&M University diploma, the university is also serving the educational, economic and environmental needs of Texas, the nation and the world.

Starting in the fall of 2011, TAMUG broke enrollment records with more than 2,000 students of which, nearly 400 are Corps of Cadets members. And after eight years, the Texas A&M brand is sea worthy again. It’s flown proudly above the Texas Maritime Academy training vessel, the General Rudder.

As it sails in the Gulf of Mexico, the vessel is manned by TMA cadets, the nation’s future maritime leaders. The naming of the training vessel as the General Rudder on June 6 continues the legacy of General Rudder, WWII hero, Texas statesman and former president of Texas A&M University.

As the only maritime academy in the South, TMA is a significant source of Merchant Marine Officers who provide a highly qualified maritime workforce for Texas and other Gulf of Mexico industries involved in shipping. Our graduates are sought after and fill industry positions in a variety of marine fields vital to the economy of Texas, the Gulf South and the nation and can command entry level salaries of $70K and upwards upon graduation.

With shipping in the Houston-Galveston area expected to increase tremendously with the expansion of the Panama Canal, Texas A&M University at Galveston is ready to meet a tidal wave of new business opportunities.

This year, TAMUG established a new graduate degree in Maritime Administration and Logistics. The curriculum is offered exclusively at our campus and prepares professionals for leadership positions in maritime transport and logistics in the public and private sectors. Graduates will be prepared to work in port management, supply chain management, public policy related to marine transport and the coastal zone, inland waterways, coastal shipping, and international trade and financial transactions.

In addition to expanding academic offerings, the university is working to accommodate an ever-growing and diverse student population. TAMUG has added nearly 165,960 square feet of classrooms, laboratories and administrative space as well as 185,000 gross square feet and 588 beds in two new residence halls. Additions included the $3 million Seibel Student Services

Center supported with a $1.5 million gift from the Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation and the $3.5 million renovation of the Mary Moody Northen Student Center involving the expansion dining services operation.

Steeped in tradition, armed with academic credentials and prepared for their future careers, the Sea Aggies of TAMUG are preparing to address economic and environmental challenges of the 21^st century.