Advancements in PVAMU’s International Goat Research Center can improve livelihoods in Texas and the Gulf Coast region, as well as the quality of life in developing countries abroad. The mission of the IGRC is simple: advancing the science of dairy and meat goat production and health and product development and using this information to make things better for us.

How is this possible, you ask? The IGRC, originally named the International Dairy Goat Research Center, was established in 1982 to help fulfill the land-grant mission of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at PVAMU. Its primary areas of research are reproduction, genetics, nutrition and health, which has attracted visiting scientists from around the world. Furthermore, the Center has been involved in numerous international programs to help other countries meet their meat, milk and fiber needs.

“Strengthening research and teaching collaborations with animal/veterinary science and engineering sciences will create an interactive environment where the next generation of animal and veterinary scientists will be trained using research to teach the scientific method, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills,” the IGRC website says.

The mission of the International Goat Research Center is to improve the livelihoods of the people in Texas, the Gulf Coast region and developing countries abroad.

When PVAMU’s Fabrication Center was conceived, its unique architecture was designed to look like the building was “looking to the prairie.”

Located on the east side of campus, the Fab Center (as it’s fondly referred to) supports students and faculty in the exploration, investigation and education of creative and innovative fabrication methods for their design solutions and research. Part of the School of Architecture, the 25,000-square-foot space is divided into three areas – digital fabrication, conventional fabrication, and assembling. It features the most advanced technology in the market.

“The Fabrication Center is equipped for all phases of woodworking, metalworking and machining, as well as digital fabrication with CNC routing, laser cutting and 3D printing,” said Stephen Yunsik Song, director of the Fabrication Center.

“The Center is designed to prepare students to be experts in using the latest technology in designing, fabricating and constructing buildings,” said Dr. Ikhlas Sabouni, dean of PVAMU’s School of Architecture.

The Center provides opportunities for faculty and students to conduct research related to materials, sustainability, affordability and new construction techniques that can benefit the school, the design and building industry, and the community.

Dr. Ikhlas Sabouni
^{Dean, School of Architecture}

If you’ve ever been inside a hospital, you probably know the intensive care unit is one of the most crucial spaces in the building, a place where matters of life and death are addressed. In PVAMU’s College of Nursing, students and future nursing professionals have access to the ICU Simulation Learning Lab, giving them a marked advantage over their academic peers at other institutions. 

“Exposure to a lab such as the ICU Simulation Learning Lab is important to prepare practice-ready nursing graduates - students who are equipped to provide safe, competent, compassionate and culturally aligned nursing care,” said Dr. Antonea' Jackson, director of PVAMU’s BSN Programs and clinical associate professor in the College of Nursing. “This lab is important for society because it ensures our graduates are prepared to provide safe, competent and compassionate care.”

Students can diagnose simulated patients that have life-like heart, breath and bowel sounds. They can also check the “dummy’s” pulse, administer medications, and provide therapeutic communication, all of which are vital medical practices in nursing. The PVAMU CON is fortunate to have numerous specialty labs aside from the ICU Lab, including an Adult Health Lab, Pediatrics Lab and Obstetric Lab, all equipped with state-of-the-art simulation technology.

Exposure to a lab, such as the ICU Simulation Learning Lab, is important to prepare practice-ready nursing graduates - students who are equipped to provide safe, competent, compassionate and culturally aligned nursing care.

Dr. Antonea' Jackson
^{Director and Professor, College of Nursing}

Solar power is a hot topic these days (no pun intended), especially in Texas. Two months ago (at the time of this publication), hundreds of thousands of residents were without power due to two powerful storms.

PVAMU's new Solar Labs facility, positioned on the northwest side of campus, is now the ideal testing ground to study the most efficient uses of solar energy. The labs include communications systems, semiconductor material, 3D tracking systems that track the sun, solid-state systems, power security systems and more.

“We want to give our students knowledge of a true power system. We have some young minds, and they might have some proposals on how to improve these systems. Most of what we’re doing is addressing the needs of the country,” said manager of the Solar Labs and Electrical Engineering Professor Dr. John Fuller ’69.

This is the future.

Dr. John Fuller ’69
^{Professor, Roy G. Perry College of Engineering}