The Academy for Advanced Telecommunications and Learning Technologies (Academy) was established by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in March 1996, to recognize, develop and coordinate the various telecommunications and information technology efforts and expertise at Texas A&M University. First led by Dr. Richard E. Ewing (1996 – 2005), and then by Dr. Guy Almes (2006 – 2016) the Academy fostered collaborations for academic programs and technology research, development, and deployment. Today, under the direction of Professor Michael B. Hall, the Academy continues to fulfill its mission by pursuing interdisciplinary research and partnership opportunities that promote the aggressive use of cyberinfrastructure.
Upon its inception, the Academy sponsored more than 80 faculty-led, campus-based grants totaling over $450,000 for the creation or conversion of instructional materials for electronic delivery under its innovative Electronic Learning Incentives Programs (ELIP). These short-term grants provide salary supplements, student support, equipment and supplies to facilitate and encourage electronic learning projects.
Researchers at the Academy have secured extensive external funding, equipment donations and donated line charges for numerous collaborative University projects now underway, including digital libraries, Next Generation 9-1-1 and 5-G research, collaborative graduate education and research, and infrastructure supporting high-performance computing, grid computing, big data, application to current scientific problems.