AEP Foundation Supports TAMIU Robotics Program

The American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation continues to share in the vision of Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Robotics Program by providing a $2,000 grant recently.

The funding supports the purchase of structural materials and components for the Robotics Program’s space mining robot part of an upcoming NASA Robotics ‘Lunabotics’ Competition at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

AEP Foundation was represented by Tony Arce, Jr., manager of External Affairs, AEP Texas who  joined TAMIU representatives and students to present the grant at the University’s Academic Innovation Center’s Robotics Lab.TAMIU assistant professor Dr. Tariq Tashtoush said the AEP Foundation’s support also helps to drive other relevant and rich experiences for School of Engineering students. 

“This experience will offer students an opportunity to represent TAMIU, the City of Laredo, and the State of Texas at national events.  It will provide a unique learning experience with hands-on activities, build team management skills and communication skills - both written and oral.  Most importantly, students will be able to share their insights with the community through student presentations at career days, science fairs, technology fairs , exhibits, and more. 

“Support like that provided by the AEP Foundation is a value-added partnership that helps expose our engineering students to the real-life engineering field, inspire future generations of TAMIU engineering students, and provide graduates with networking opportunities as they move on to their career choices,” Dr. Tashtoush said. 

“The AEP Foundation has been an enthusiastic and longtime partner with the School of Engineering.  In 2020 the Foundation provided a $50,000 grant in support of the robotics program,” Arce noted.

American Electric Power, parent company of AEP Texas, created the AEP Foundation in 2005 to continue the tradition of AEP corporate philanthropy and its regional utilities, and to support and play an active, positive role in communities like Laredo where AEP employees live and work.  

AEP Texas is part of the American Electric Power system.  AEP maintains the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states.

AEP Texas serves over one million electric meters in the deregulated Texas marketplace. As an energy delivery (wires) company, AEP Texas delivers electricity safely and reliably to homes, businesses, and industry across its nearly 100,000-square mile service territory in south and west Texas.  AEP Texas also builds new power lines, restores service following outages and records electric usage using advanced meters for retail electric providers (REPs) throughout its service territory. The company also connects or disconnects service upon the orders of the REPs.

TAMIU’s School of Engineering has attracted a gifted and highly qualified faculty focused on both teaching and service.  With the opening of the Academic Innovation Center in 2019, the School manages six laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art computers and instruments to facilitate teaching and research.

TAMIU’s School of Engineering offers three different programs and a pre-engineering program:

1. • B.S. in Systems Engineering. ABET-accredited.
   • B.S. in Computer Engineering, launched in Spring 2021.
   • B.S. in Petroleum Engineering, launched in Spring 2021.
   • Pre-Engineering Program that makes it possible for Laredo students to have access to Engineering programs of their choice at other institutions.

To learn more about TAMIU’s School of Engineering and expanded engineering degrees, call 956.326.2446, email Dr. Mahmoud T. Khasawneh, Director of the School of Engineering at mahmoud.khasawneh@tamiu.edu, or click on http://www.tamiu.edu/coas/soen