For Immediate Release
AG|CM Inc. Makes a $25,000 Commitment to Mechanical Engineering Program at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – AG|CM, Inc. has committed $25, 000 paid over five years toward the upcoming mechanical engineering program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Officials with AG|CM were on campus today (Thursday, May 7) to announce the donation. The new Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on April 30. Classes will begin in fall 2009.
“AG|CM understands the positive impact this program will have on future engineering graduates of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi who will be available to meet the growing needs of Coastal Bend industries,” said University President Flavius Killebrew.
“We are grateful for the strength and support AG|CM has provided us.” Establishing a mechanical engineering degree program will require unrestricted and endowed funds for expanded laboratory space, additional faculty, research opportunities, and scholarships, Killebrew said.
“We believe in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,” said Derwood Anderson, president of AG|CM. “Having a major university located in our area brings strength and resources necessary for this community to create the vision we have for our future. With our area’s close ties to the energy industry, an engineering school at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is paramount and AG|CM is committed to making this a reality.”
Anderson added that AG|CM looks forward to the pool of engineering graduates to come from the University to meet their recruiting needs locally.
AG|CM, Inc. is a full service, professional construction management (CM) firm, offering services in program/project management, estimating, constructability review and value engineering. The company manages large capital construction projects for institutions, municipalities, industrial and commercial entities that do not have the expertise or staff to properly administer such complex projects. AG|CM was founded in Corpus Christi in 1996 and has over 680 years of combined experience within the company.
Several area businesses have joined the City of Corpus Christi and Port of Corpus Christi in support of having a mechanical engineering degree program at Texas A&MCorpus Christi. Last fall a $1 million pledge was made by the city for the program. Contributions from several corporations and individuals will be announced in upcoming weeks.
President Killebrew said that such funds are necessary to create a mechanical engineering program that meets the high expectations of both the University and the employers who seek its graduates. He added that Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has received hundreds of inquiries from prospective students seeking mechanical engineering at the campus, with many expected to begin this fall.