Texas A&M President And Dean Take Fast Company Stage In New York City
Highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary vision and human-centered leadership, Texas A&M University leaders showcased how the university is advancing a new kind of learning.
Solving challenges that don’t yet exist may seem futuristic, even far-fetched in some cases. But advancing a new kind of learning brings opportunities to do just that. Driven by strategic vision and a commitment to cultivating leaders of character at scale, Texas A&M University is taking action that stays true to its traditions while balancing rapid technology transformation.
Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III and College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts Dean Tim McLaughlin took to the stage on June 6 in New York City to highlight not only workforce development but the future of innovation itself. The panel discussion was part of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies (MIC) Summit and Gala, and as the only university selected for the honor for 2025, Texas A&M joined business icons Nvidia, YouTube and EA Sports, among others.
“Those of us in Aggieland have known the impact this amazing university has had on the world for nearly 150 years,” said Welsh at the time of the award announcement. “This recognition from Fast Company is a testament to our faculty, staff and students, whose efforts are what keep us at the leading edge of innovation across disciplines, from agriculture to veterinary medicine, the arts, engineering, business, human health and visualization.”
With the theme of “Leading for Tomorrow,” the MIC Summit and Gala featured a host of inspiring speakers and thought-provoking discussions focused on business leadership driving positive impact. Welsh and McLaughlin represented Texas A&M and higher education alongside fellow guest speakers like Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar, Randy Goldberg, co-founder and chief brand officer of Bombas, and Kate Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Lumen Technologies.
Texas A&M was honored in the Augmented and Virtual Reality sector for its contributions to creating the future of tech-powered immersive experiences. Fast Company notes that these “innovative organizations are finding ways to make augmented and virtual reality a more efficient, and even more practical, way to interact with technologies and tools, including letting people learn complex skills through virtual training.” Other companies listed in this area include Xreal, Varjo and FundamentalVR.
The panel highlighted how the university balances innovation and tradition, especially one like Texas A&M, which celebrates its 150th anniversary next year and has a long and proud history of traditions treasured by current and former students.
“One of the great things about being an institution that has been around for a long period of time is that it creates almost a spiritual pillar for the organization,” Welsh said. “And at Texas A&M, which has been around about 150 years, that pillar is really pride. While we may not be the oldest institution in the country, I guarantee you, we are the proudest.”
Part of that pride, Welsh said, is in the innovative thinking coming not only from faculty and staff, but the students.
“This new generation brings incredible skills with them — an unbelievable ability to connect and network. They’re brilliant at new and different things, and they’re not intimidated by tough problems.”
This new generation brings incredible skills with them — an unbelievable ability to connect and network. They’re brilliant at new and different things, and they’re not intimidated by tough problems.
Texas A&M is fostering innovation among students by building out some of the nation’s most advanced learning environments using extended reality, which includes virtual, augmented and mixed reality.
“We’re moving into this world, right where the digital, virtual, the physical, are vital. And at Texas A&M, we have an environment where the virtual can be on the screens behind us, running real-time imagery, real-time simulation. And then we have the physical, which is us,” McLaughlin said.
“So we bring the students into this and say, OK, what can you come up with? Whether it’s creative storytelling, whether it’s simulation training. What can you do where you’re using this technology? It’s real time, it’s immersive and it’s hybrid, to solve a problem, a more creative experience, and they’re really digging into that. And our job is to make sure that they’re supported with the right technical staff, they’re supported with the right equipment and they understand how to keep iterating.”
Fast Company is a world-leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, world-changing ideas, creativity and design. The magazine, launched 30 years ago by two former Harvard Business Review editors, chronicles how changing companies create and compete, highlights new business practices and showcases the teams and individuals who are inventing the future and reinventing business. The Most Innovative Companies list has, since 2008, been the definitive source for recognizing organizations that are transforming industries and shaping society.
