Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Research and Innovation

Check out the latest issue of the Islander Magazine, featuring Team HydroOptix and the road to the Invent for the Planet world finals in Ireland!

🚀 Applications are OPEN for the inaugural REACH Scholars Program! Are you involved in faculty-mentored research, scholarship, innovation, or creative activity? Take your work to the next level and join a multidisciplinary community of student researchers!

As a REACH Scholar, you’ll:
✨ Strengthen research communication & presentation skills
✨ Build leadership & professional skills
✨ Learn strategies for networking & career prep
✨ Connect across campus disciplines
✨ Gain opportunities to showcase your work
💸 And, upon successful completion of the program, earn a $2,000 stipend!

Be part of the FIRST cohort and help launch a new tradition of research excellence at TAMU-CC!

📅 Apply by **July 24, 11:59 pm**
👉 Learn more & apply: https://bit.ly/REACHscholar
📧 Questions? [email protected]

Mark your calendars for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Sunday, July 26 through Saturday, August 1. Check out the full schedule of events at sharkweek.tamucc.edu.

🎉 Introducing the REACH Scholars Program!

REACH- Research Excellence, Advancement, Communication, and Horizons — is a new year-long student research development cohort for TAMU-CC undergraduate and graduate students already engaged in faculty-mentored research, scholarship, innovation, or creative activity.

Building on the foundation through the Student Research and Innovation Summer Experience (S-RISE), REACH extends that student-centered model into a year-long experience focused on research communication, professional development, and scholarly growth. Through the Division of Research and Innovation’s commitment to strengthening TAMU-CC’s research culture, REACH Scholars will be part of a multidisciplinary cohort that supports student success, research excellence, and creative inquiry.

As a REACH Scholar, students will develop skills in research communication, presentations, networking, professional branding, leadership, and career preparation. Be part of REACH's inaugural cohort and help shape a new tradition of research excellence at TAMU-CC!

📅 Applications are now open!
🔗 Learn more at https://bit.ly/REACHscholar

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi chemistry graduate Charles J-Arthur Jackson ’25 is taking his passion for discovery to the next level as he begins pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall.

What began as undergraduate research opportunities at TAMU-CC evolved into a journey of scientific exploration, mentorship, and innovation — ultimately leading Charles to one of the nation’s top doctoral programs.

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/4ew8Ssi

Congratulations, Charles! Your Islander family is proud of you and excited to see where your research journey leads next. 💙🧪

🎓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! 🌟

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!