R.
Bowen Loftin, vice president and CEO, Texas A&M at Galveston
Your first tenure-track position was with Texas A&M at Galveston in 1976. Did you ever think that you would return nearly 30 years later as vice president and CEO?
No, I never thought I’d come back. I was only here for one year, 1976 to 1977. I made some good friends while I was here and I enjoyed my time here, but at that time, I did not see my future linked to Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Times changed, and in 2005 the opportunity to come back here presented itself. I couldn’t resist the temptation to return.
In 1976, the institution was known as the Moody College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Resources. What other major changes have occurred during the last 30 years or so?
The first thing you see when you come back after that many years is fact that the campus is much larger in terms of population. In 1976 when I was here, I’d say the enrollment was probably around 400 or 500 students. At that time we had three permanent buildings; Kirkham Hall, the Engineering building, and the Oceanography Building and the ship. The first dormitory and the student center were under construction while I was here, but they were not finished by the time I left.
We have many other buildings on campus now which speaks to our growth. There are many more degree programs here on campus – particularly on the graduate level. The campus has grown to reflect the broader spectrum of educational and research opportunities here.
You were born in the small town of Hearne, about 25 miles north of College Station, and earned your undergraduate degree from Texas A&M before going to Rice University for your graduate degrees. Did you aspire to be an Aggie as you were growing up?
I was born in Hearne, but only lived there a couple of days. I actually grew up in Navasota on the opposite side of College Station. In that sense, I was destined to go to Texas A&M University because I bracketed it in those early years. Being so close to Texas A&M growing up, it was a dominant part of my thinking about college.
The other thing that made it important was that they offered me a full scholarship. That was a big incentive to go there.
You have won awards for your inventions for NASA. What kinds of things did you invent?
I did receive an award for the Invention of the Year at NASA several years ago. At that time I was working on computer programs that help people learn. We refer to those as intelligent computer aided training systems. They were designed to help the astronauts and flight support personnel master some of the complex tasks they have to carry out when they are in space or supporting the mission from the ground.
Later on I got into the development of large scale visualizations called virtual reality. So I did a lot of work in that area as well, again, mostly for training purposes for NASA.
Publications such as Time, Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report consistently rank TAMUG among the best universities of its kind in the nation. What major factors do you think contribute to this recognition?
We have really great students here and an extraordinary faculty. That’s why we are a good place.
One of the things that Texas A&M University at Galveston has in its favor is having a very stong, diverse, and hard-working faculty. Administrations come and go, students graduate, but the faculty of the university are what stays in place for a long period of time. So I can really attribute our recognition in these national rankings primarily to our faculty and the fact that we attract very strong and well-prepared students to our campus.
The materials about TAMUG emphasize the hands-on nature of the education students receive there. Why do you think this hands-on approach is beneficial?
Being hands-on reflects a lot about the focus of Texas A&M University of Galveston. We are a campus in, of, and for the sea. It is very difficult to imagine being able to educate people about the sea without getting your hands wet or muddy. So, we do that here.
Our boots on the ground, or in the water – if you will, philosophy goes back to the very beginning of the institution. It sets us apart from other universities that have programs that are intellectual and of high quality, but that don’t necessarily contain the degree of emphasis we have on getting people into the field. Our field-based work makes us a very attractive place for people to come who want to get intimate with the environment. This field work produces extraordinary graduates in terms of their abilities.
What is the one thing that you wish more people knew about TAMUG?
I believe the most important thing is for people to know that we are here. Because we are small, because we are in an area that is not exactly the crossroads of the state or country, not many people know we exist.
Those who do know we exist and come to know us well, appreciate very quickly the high-quality of education and research programs we offer.
For our students and faculty, I think we become a real important part of their lives.
For everyone who knows we exist, there are thousands who don’t. One of our challenges here, as a university is to get the word out and let people know where we are, who we are, and what quality we offer to them in terms of education.
The bowtie has become somewhat of a trademark for you. How many do you have, and why do you prefer them over traditional neckties?
You have to understand that part of my job is marketing the university. So, name recognition is always important. A bowtie has a number of connotations. It is first of all, not unique, but pretty rare among most people these days. Second, I go by my middle name of Bowen. The similarity between Bowen and Bowtie tends to help people remember my name.
I probably have around 90 bowties. I haven’t counted them recently. One advantage a bowtie has is you don’t spill soup on it very easily, so they tend to be a little more long-lived than the long ties most people wear.
I think they are distinctive. I wear them because I enjoy wearing them and because I think they set me apart enough to help people remember me and to remember my message. Whatever I can do to make an impression, I’m going to do. The bowties help make that happen.