AGGIE GREEN FUND 
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
AGGIE GREEN FUND TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Built in the 1970s, the Heep Center predates modern energy standards, resulting in outdated and inefficient lighting. This project aims to replace existing fixtures with energy-efficient LED lighting to reduce electricity use, increase illumination in shared spaces, lower maintenance costs, and align with Texas A&M’s campus sustainability goals. By upgrading to LEDs, the grant will not only decrease the building’s environmental footprint but also create a brighter, more welcoming space for students, faculty, and visitors. This project represents a practical step toward a more sustainable campus by turning the Heep Center into both a symbol and example of Aggie commitment to environmental stewardship.
By placing bird deterrent markers along the windows of the JCAIN–MEOB Skybridge in accordance with the Bird Friendly Buildings Initiative, this grant will create positive change throughout multiple aspects of the student experience on campus. This Skybridge is a known bird killer; a reported 57 bird deaths occurred between January 2023 - October 2025. In addition to the environmental impacts of bird deaths, these carcasses negatively impact the student experience on campus by making an otherwise pleasant stretch of campus unappealing as well as posing a potential health hazard. With this project, the grantees are optimistic they can both protect the environment and their fellow students, beautify campus, keep our school healthy, and educate the community on the epidemic of bird deaths due to unfriendly infrastructure.
Texas A&M Formula SAE Electric designs, builds, and races a fully electric formula-style racecar, developed from scratch each year. Through student-led innovation and collaboration, they advance sustainable racing while providing hands-on technical and leadership experience. Their team of 140+ students spans engineering, business, and internal operations, all contributing to our mission of sustainability. Throughout the design, fabrication, and assembly phases of our project, there are many areas of energy and material inefficiencies. To maximize sustainability impact, this grant focuses on upgrading tools and equipment across many areas of fabrication and development, each of which quantifiably improves sustainability, efficiency, or safety. These improvements will lower their energy use, minimize waste, and extend component lifespans, furthering our mission to be a model of environmentally conscious racecar engineering.
The Memorial Student Center balcony has great untapped potential to reflect Texas A&M’s commitment to sustainability and community. New furniture from Loll Designs, made from recycled materials, will reinforce environmental values while enhancing comfort and usability. With increased visibility and thoughtful design, the balcony will become a vibrant hub for connection, reflection, and appreciation of campus green materials—supporting both student wellness and the university’s sustainability mission. Currently a pass-through between student services and the MSC ballrooms, the MSC balcony draws hundreds of visitors on game days for its views of Kyle Field Plaza and Aggie Park. This project will transform the space into a destination—inviting students to study, relax, and meet outdoors.
The lease bike fleet allows students to have a low-cost mode of transportation on and around campus for the semester. As the lease fleet ages, rather than discarding older bikes, they are transferred to the borrow a bike program which is a shorter-term bike rental program that is free to the campus community. If bikes are removed from the lease fleet, more bikes need to be added back to keep our goal of 100 bikes leased out every semester. The addition to the lease fleet allows for an expansion to the lease program, and a slight expansion to the borrow a bike program.
AgriLife and Life Sciences Building faces heavy student traffic on its first floor, yet the building does not have enough recycling bins. This project aims to enhance sustainability and campus appeal by installing larger, uniform, and visually appealing recycling bins. This upgrade will reduce overflow, discourage littering, and create a cleaner, more welcoming space for students and visitors. By prioritizing functionality and aesthetics, we ensure AGLS reflects the university’s commitment to sustainability and hospitality.
Every month, the Price Hobgood and AEPM buildings generate a large volume of cardboard waste from deliveries serving five laboratories, machine shop operations, and student workspaces. When cardboard accumulates, it occupies shared areas, becomes a hazard during rain or wind, and requires repeated manual handling. The BioEnergy Analysis and Testing (BETA) Lab can convert clean cardboard into biochar, but a shredder system is needed to preprocess the material. This project will purchase a cardboard mill/shredder system to establish a closed-loop, on-site waste-to-resource system. The shredder will divert cardboard from dumpsters, reduce waste volume, support student training in sustainable material processing, and provide biochar for ongoing soil-amendment education activities. This creates a long-term, visible, and measurable sustainability benefit on campus.
During move-out season, landfill dumpsters overflow, and residence advisors bear the burden of cleaning up students' abandoned property. To create a more sustainable campus, we have to close the loop by turning trash into treasure. This project aims to mitigate landfill waste and create an efficient process for residence advisors. The grant will set up bins in every dorm for students to donate their unwanted items, and direct them to the textile recycling bins to donate clothes. While students have the option to donate individually, there are still many students who find it too time-consuming. Providing them easy access will increase the number of people who choose to donate rather than dump. This project will not only reduce waste but also introduce students to sustainable choices.
BUILD aims to unite the student body through a large-scale, physically demanding service project - converting shipping containers into medical clinics. As a student-led 501(c)(3), BUILD offers high-impact, hands-on experience for members and volunteers. Each semester, thousands of student volunteers contribute to the construction of these clinics. Students can bond and gain real-world experience relevant to industry and in their personal lives. The construction task that offers the greatest risk to volunteers is installing insulation. Traditionally, fiberglass insulation has been used. Fiberglass is a respiratory and skin irritant, and necessitates the usage of disposable masks. This grant will be used to purchase recycled denim insulation for at least three clinics, enhancing sustainability, reducing waste, and creating a safer environment for our volunteers.
This project focuses on the social sustainability of our residential hall spaces. Moses and Lechner hall technically meet the requirements for accessibility, however they do not meet the core value of excellence when it comes to social sustainability. This project will focus on adding accessibility buttons to the entrances of the two halls, allowing students and guests to feel included and understood. As student employees in the tours program the grantees will be able to market this through our tours and gauge the visitors perceptions on the residence halls accessibility and sustainability as the project is implemented.
The Gardens at Texas A&M use their Aggie Green Fund Micro Grant to enhance their volunteer program with essential gardening tools and equipment. This project combines inclusive outreach with hands-on horticultural expertise to foster stewardship and sustainability. Funds support the purchase of durable, accessible tools tailored to volunteer needs. Adding new tools to their fleet allows them to replace aging equipment and increase capacity for the number of volunteers they can support during a workday or project. Service learning is at the core of our volunteer program. Our hope is that the equipment empowers volunteers to care for the land, learn new skills, and grow a stronger community—one garden bed at a time.
Living Well’s annual wellness fair is all about removing barriers for people to make better choices for their holistic wellbeing. One of the facets of holistic wellbeing is being environmentally conscious. By providing branded water bottles, the grantees are not only handing out an amazing reusable item, but one that encourages personal hydration and environmental sustainability. In years past, Living Well would receive hundreds of donated, single-use water bottles. Although they are grateful for the donation, they knew we would rather provide something people could reuse over and over again. By providing and encouraging reusable water bottle use, they can set up refill stations, create less trash, and offer something that lasts beyond their one-day event.
Texas A&M Solar Car Racing advances sustainability through innovation at Texas A&M University by designing, building, and racing a fully solar-powered electric vehicle. Implementation begins with the engineering teams developing efficient solar, battery, and mechanical systems to maximize energy performance and safety. Manufacturing and operations groups integrate systems and coordinate logistics for testing and competition. Meanwhile, outreach and business teams expand community impact through educational events, sponsorship engagement, and campus-wide sustainability initiatives. Following their success as the top rookie team and a top-ten finisher at the 2024 American Solar Challenge, the team aims to strengthen our presence on campus - using innovation, collaboration, and renewable energy education to inspire students and demonstrate how Aggies can lead the transition toward a more sustainable future. This grant will help the team purchase testing ensure the care is operating within safe conditions which will help make sure there are no negative impacts on the surrounding environment or people.
Twice a year, the Business Student Council puts on a festival outside of Mays where they provide free food and activities, and sell clothing and accessories to business students. In the past, they've paid for and given out plastic bags to students when they purchased clothing items, adding to the trillions of plastics bags wasted every year. The goal of this project is to replace those plastic bags with high-quality, insulated grocery totes that serve more purpose than transporting a few t-shirts to students houses. They plan to incorporate a sustainably-oriented design, as well as flyers with information on the benefits of using reusable grocery totes to encourage continuous use of these products.