Academy For Future Faculty

Academy for Future Faculty

The Academy for Future Faculty (AFF) is a CIRTL@TAMU program. The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded network of research universities committed to preparing outstanding future faculty in STEM disciplines, with the ultimate goal of improving undergraduate STEM education in our country. The CIRTL mission is to enhance excellence in undergraduate education through the development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse learners as part of successful and varied professional careers.

As a CIRTL@TAMU program, AFF provides professional development for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to assist them to be “teaching ready” when entering careers in higher education. AFF offers a two-semester program featuring weekly seminars, mentorship from a current Texas A&M faculty member, and the opportunity to create documents for a teaching portfolio (teaching philosophy, course syllabus, etc.). 

AFF events are free and open to everyone in the Texas A&M academic community. Participants may choose to attend a few seminars or enough to complete requirements for the AFF Fellow certificate. New fellows are recognized at the annual CTE banquet in April. AFF is not active during summer semesters.
 
Job responsibilities for faculty vary among and within institutions. As such, AFF is an introduction to life in the professoriate, and not an exhaustive teaching training for participants interested in faculty careers. AFF serves as a supplement to research-oriented graduate and postdoctoral programs.
 
The registration link can be found below. Registered participants will be given access to the AFF Canvas community, where they will be able to track their progress toward the certificate and submit required documents.

We welcome you to contact AFF@tamu.edu if you have any questions about the AFF program.

Program Requirements

To complete the one-year program and receive the Academy for Future Faculty Fellow Certificate, participants need to:

Attend Four Required Seminars

Attend Four Elective Seminars

Find a Faculty Member

Submit a Copy of Their Teaching Philosophy, CV and a Course Syllabus

Conduct One Classroom Observation

Fall 2025 AFF Session Schedule

Session Schedule

Register for AFF

Register for AFF

Sign Up

Q&A Section

Unable to attend all 8 seminars in-person?

Up to 3 seminars may be viewed asynchronously through Canvas. Participants will have to successfully complete a quiz for each seminar watched in this manner. Please note these quizzes differ from the quizzes for participants who attend the live seminars. Furthermore, seminars are recorded at the discretion of the presenters. Thus, some seminars may not be recorded, and, thus, available to be watched online.

Not located at the College Station (main) campus?

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars located at Texas A&M branch campuses (Galveston, Qatar) or academic and research units (Texas A&M Heath, etc.) may participate in the AFF program remotely through watching the recordings of seminars posted on Canvas. As mentioned above, the recording of seminars is up to the discretion of the presenters. Distance participants can email AFF@tamu.edu for confirmation on which seminars will be available on Canvas.

2025-26 Co-Advisors

Co-Advisor - Jamie L. Thompson

Dr. Jamie L. Thompson is an experienced educator and instructional designer dedicated to enhancing teaching and learning through innovative strategies and emerging technologies. As the Assistant Director of Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University's Center for Teaching Excellence, she collaborates with faculty to develop effective curricula, integrate instructional technologies, and improve student engagement. Her research focuses on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), digital accessibility, and generative AI, fostering a supportive, engaging, and collaborative learning environment. With expertise in curriculum development and pedagogical best practices, she works to create adaptable and accessible learning environments that support diverse learners. Dr. Thompson is committed to leveraging technology to enhance instructional effectiveness, empowering educators to implement forward-thinking, research-based approaches. Through her leadership, she advances faculty development initiatives that foster innovation and improve learning outcomes in higher education.

 

 

 

 

 

Co-Advisor - Jasmine Zenn Vei

 
As an educational consultant at the Center for Teaching Excellence, Jasmine Zenn Vei specializes in supporting graduate teaching assistants in their professional development. Jasmine’s focus is in collaboration with the Graduate and Professional School, which includes the Teaching Assistant Institute, Academy for Future Faculty, and GSPDT Professional Development events. With a strong foundation in human resource development and student affairs administration, Jasmine brings a unique blend of academic expertise and practical experience to her work. Her background in leadership education, career advising, and instructional support enables her to empower graduate students as they navigate their teaching responsibilities and academic careers. She values innovative teaching methods, hands-on learning, and holistic student support, aiming to create meaningful connections between faculty, graduate students, and institutional resources. Through collaboration and strategic mentorship,  Jasmine's approach emphasizes empathy, positivity, and thoughtful program design, ensuring that teaching assistants receive the guidance and resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond.

 

 

 

 

2025-2026 Executive Committee

Director - Jacquie R. Berry

Jacquie is a Fourth year Ph.D. student in the Veterinary Pathobiology department within the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Her current research is focused on the dynamics of tick feeding and pathogen transmission in the search for an anti-tick vaccine candidate to prevent diseases like Lyme Disease. She earned her bachelor’s degree of science in biomedical sciences from Texas A&M University in 2021 and truly carries the Aggie spirit with her in all things. Jacquie holds memberships in multiple local and national groups and is very passionate about outreach in the community and encouraging people from all backgrounds to pursue careers in science. Her motivation for joining the AFF executive committee was her passion for teaching others, her love for Texas A&M and her belief that the AFF has helped to better prepare her for a career in academia. She wanted to a be a part of this great organization and assist in shaping the educators of the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assistant Director - Aidan Holman

Aidan Holman is a Ph.D. student in Toxicology at Texas A&M University. He combines artificial intelligence and spectroscopy to create diagnostic models for disease detection, environmental monitoring, and forensic analysis. Aidan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University, where he double majored in Forensic and Investigative Sciences and Entomology. During his undergraduate degree, Aidan participated in numerous research projects, including investigating the mechanisms of amyloidogenic diseases like Alzheimer’s, Type II Diabetes, and Parkinson’s. He also worked on diagnostic tools for identifying bacteremias such as Lyme Disease and identifying tick species through frass for preventative measures, among other projects. Aidan’s academic journey included a study abroad experience in Trinidad and Tobago, where he researched the commensalism of necrophagous arthropods. His dedication to research earned him the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Undergraduate Research in 2023. In his spare time, Aidan enjoys painting and traveling.

 

 

 

Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele

Faith is interested in researching the evolution (and regression) of gender rhetoric through precolonial (Western), colonial, and “post-colonial” contexts, with a particular interest in theorizing and decolonizing gender and racial rhetoric. She aspires to inspire meaningful conversations and foster understanding, compassion, justice, hope, love, and life with her writing and scholarship. Her mind is a constant garden of musings, and sometimes they translate to poetry, prose, essays, or dialogues. In addition to PhDing and musing, she likes to travel to see the world, meet different people of different nations, enjoy their music, learn their songs, dances, and stories, and taste their delicacies. After participating in the Academy for Future Faculty (AFF) in the Spring 2024 semester and learning effective teaching practices to make her a better instructor as a graduate teaching assistant and to prepare her for a desired career in academia, Faith is excited to support other aspiring future faculty to benefit from AFF as a member of the executive committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carli Copell

Carli is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and Sociology from Ouachita Baptist University and her master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Houston. Her master's thesis explored how millennial mothers in East Texas actively negotiated the ideals of intensive mothering, drawing on their own educational experiences to shape their visions for their children’s academic futures. It also examined how these women adopted a framework of “mothering with grace,” grounded in compassion, resilience, and cultural values. Carli earned her AFF certificate in Spring 2025 and found the program instrumental in developing her teaching skills and academic confidence. Motivated by the program’s role in her growth as an educator, she joined the committee to contribute and support others on similar paths. Carli looks forward to encouraging fellow graduate and professional students by sharing resources, offering support, and helping them build the skills needed to thrive in the classroom and beyond.

 

 

 

Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil 

Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University whose work bridges veterinary science, economics, and advanced modeling. He specializes in animal disease epidemiology, beef value chain assessment, and computational modeling, using system dynamics, agent-based models, and machine learning to improve livestock production systems and reduce the economic and productivity losses caused by animal diseases. Originally from India, Vishnudas earned his DVM degree and later completed a Master of Veterinary Science at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, where he examined the socio-economic risks faced by goat farmers due to viral diseases. Passionate about applying research to real-world challenges, he is committed to engaging with diverse communities and advancing sustainable livestock systems on a global scale.

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