TAMUCC Division of Research and Innovation

🎓Cheers to the Spring 2026 Graduates!🎓

We are so proud of our Islanders for reaching this amazing milestone. Your dedication, passion, and perseverance have brought you to this moment. As you set sail into new adventures, know that we are cheering you on every step of the way. Congratulations, graduates — the world awaits! 💙💚

🌍💡 For 48 hours, the sun never sets on innovation.

Our Islanders competed in the global competition- Invent for the Planet (IFTP)- hosted by Texas A&M University, with other students from around the world to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges like sustainability and energy solutions to social issues and global resource equity.

Team HYDRO OPTIX — John Lava ‘28; Christina Gonzalez ’26; Vishakan Umpathy Sundharambal ’26; Chris Salazar ’24, ’26; Sophia Hernandez ’28; Kimberly Lopez ’22, ’26; and Aleena Roy, ‘26 — earned a Top 10 global ranking and advanced to the international finals in Galway, Ireland! 👏🌎

Their challenge? Addressing the immense water demands of AI data centers. Team HYDRO OPTIX developed a sensor-based system that monitors water quality in real time, helping data centers reduce unnecessary water waste during cooling cycles. Their innovation also captures and recirculates condensation back into the system, improving efficiency and conserving water resources. 💧⚙️

Congratulations to Team HYDRO OPTIX for representing innovation on a global stage and creating solutions for a more sustainable future! 🌟

As we wrap up the Spring semester, we’re celebrating the incredible work of our Islander graduate student researchers!

These students took on the challenge of presenting their research in just 3 minutes using one static slide during the annual 3MT® (Three Minute Thesis) Competition.

🏆 1st Place: Michael Devotta (Clinical Psychology)
🥈 2nd Place: Maricella Maldonado (Kinesiology)
🥉 3rd Place: Jonah Smith (Marine Biology)
👏 People’s Choice Award: Julian Gonzales (Kinesiology)

Congratulations to this year’s winners on their outstanding presentations and research achievements!

Celebrating excellence at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 🎉

This April, the Division of Research and Innovation honored five outstanding Islanders at the Graduate Excellence Awards. With nearly 50 nominations, this year’s recipients proudly represent our research community—driven, innovative, and making real impact.

Congratulations to all!

🏆 Mehdi Sookhak, Ph.D. – Outstanding Doctoral Mentor
🏆 Muhammad Ibrar – Outstanding Master’s Student
🏆 Mark Olson, Ph.D. – Outstanding Master’s Mentor
🏆 Stephanie Fuentes Majors, Ph.D. – Alumni Achievement Award
🏆 Miranda White – Outstanding Doctoral Student

We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors for their generous support in helping us celebrate innovation, creativity, and academic excellence across three incredible events: Invent for the Planet, the Symposium for Student Innovation, Research, and Creative Activities, and the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition.

Because of your contributions, our students were recognized for their hard work, bold ideas, and commitment to making a difference. Thank you for investing in the next generation of thinkers, leaders, innovators, creators, and changemakers!

The 2026 Symposium for Student Innovation, Research, and Creative Activities (SSIRCA) concluded on Friday, showcasing exceptional research and creativity. Congratulations to all award recipients on their outstanding achievements.

🎉 Research and Innovation Month is here! 🎉

Join us throughout the month of April as we celebrate scholarship, innovation, and creative activity at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi!

Don’t miss out on our R&I Month AI Inspired Showcase tomorrow in the University Center Lonestar Ballroom from 10:30 a.m. to noon – we will see you there!

Explore our full schedule for the month: bit.ly/ri-month-events

’Twas the day before Research and Innovation Month, and all across campus, ideas are stirring and innovation is in the air… ✨

Join us on Thursday, April 2, as we kick things off with our AI Inspired Showcase! 🎉

We have a full month of innovation waiting for you! Take a look at all upcoming events here: https://bit.ly/ri-month-events

It’s almost time ⌛✨

Only 5 days until Research and Innovation Month kicks off on April 1! Get ready for big ideas, inspiring conversations, and all things innovation 💡

Don’t miss a moment! Scan the QR code or check out the full schedule here: https://bit.ly/ri-month-events

Islanders, get ready to celebrate the start of R&I month with us!

Join us throughout April as we celebrate research, creativity, and innovation all month long! We are kicking things off on Thursday, April 2, with the Research and Innovation Month AI Inspired Showcase, and we can’t wait to see you there!

Check out the full R&I Month event schedule here:
https://bit.ly/ri-month-events