A dynamic learning community, a member of the Texas Tech University System, Angelo State University prepares students to be responsible citizens and to have productive careers. It is committed to deliver undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines in a learning-centered environment distinguished by its integration of teaching, research, creative endeavor, service, and co-curricular experiences.
Located in the heart of Texas, Angelo State University is a dynamic institution of higher education and the second-largest campus in the Texas Tech University System. The university was founded as San Angelo College in 1928 and has grown into a regional comprehensive institution granting master’s-level degrees and one doctoral degree. The main campus sits on 268 acres in the center of San Angelo, Texas. ASU also operates a 6,000-acre ranch, including a state-of-the-art meat laboratory and The Meat Market, which is open to the public. Apart from this, the university has recently made several new additions, including the Hunter Strain Engineering Labs, Health and Human Services Building, Mayer Press Box, Shannon Sports Medicine facility, and a new wing for the Centennial Village Residence Complex.
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Angelo State University achieved Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status in 2010. The university has been recognized for its academics and workplace environment by various renowned educational media, including The Princeton Review and The Chronicle of Higher Education. ASU employs more than 850 faculty and staff and recently has set an all-time record enrollment of 10,447 students.
ASU’s Secret to Success
Angelo State University marks its success by students’ accomplishments and achievements. Previous records suggest that the success rate of ASU students in both graduate and professional schools is exceptional, plus ASU has an average acceptance rate of nearly 60 percent for medical school, compared to the statewide average of 35 percent.
In 2018, ASU students achieved a 21-year streak of maintaining a 100 percent passing rate on the Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) teacher certification test for secondary mathematics. The list of recent successful graduates includes Maigan Dunlap, Class of 2017, an Environmental Science Officer at Peterson Air Force Base; Emily Perez, Class of 2016, a Registered Nurse in Dell Medical Center’s Seton Nursing Residency Program and Cardiac & Oncology Ward; and Holly Miles, Class of 2015, a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. State Department.
A Distinguished Alumnus of ASU
Retired Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., a 1977 Angelo State graduate, has achieved the highest rank among the alumni of ASU’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 847. He has served as the commander of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) headquartered at Fort Meade, Md. In that capacity, he led a global organization of military and civilian personnel who plan, develop, deliver and operate joint command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the U.S. President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders, Department of Defense components and other mission partners across the full spectrum of military operations.
From the President’s Desk
Dr. Brian J. May is the 10th president of the institution and the first alumnus to be named president of Angelo State University. Under his guidance, ASU has set various extraordinary milestones, including setting a record of enrolling almost 11,000 students. Veterans and military members benefit from ASU’s status as a “Military Friendly School” with Gold-Level Award ranking.
“We continuously work to improve the campus experience for our military and veteran students through our VETS Center and Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Security Studies, as well as other offices like admissions, financial aid and student services.”
The ASU president talked about the alumni structure and mentioned, “The university mascot is a Rambouillet ram. ASU students commit to a lifetime as part of the Ram Family. Our live mascot’s name is Dominic.” Developed from the Spanish Merino in France, the Rambouillet is the foundation of most western range flocks.
Dr. May has led the university to win various accreditations and awards. More than the awards and recognitions, he cares about students’ lives. He has contributed to ASU in a manner that ensures the students sleep, study and wake up in residence halls that were ranked among the most inviting yet affordable college dorms in America by various well-known publishers.
A Key Personality of the University
Dr. Loren Ammerman, professor of biology, and her students have discovered new species in the mammal world that not everyone finds warm and fuzzy. Ammerman studies bats. In 2017, she was awarded a $26,998 grant sub-award by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to participate in a two-year research project dedicated to protecting an endangered bat species native to Southwest Texas.
Ammerman’s sub-award is part of a larger $87,000 grant to Bat Conservation International from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The grant will fund the two-year project titled, “Binational Conservation of an Endangered Pollinator: Research, Protection and Recovery for the Mexican Long-Nosed Bat.”
Ammerman is one of the foremost researchers on the bats of Texas. She has been awarded numerous grants to support her research, mentors both undergraduate and graduate student research projects, and has collaborated with other researchers across the U.S. She has also conducted field studies in Mexico, Costa Rica and Malaysian Borneo, as well as in Ecuador, where she helped one of her graduate students discover a new species of bat that has since been officially named Eumops wilsoni, or Wilson’s bonneted bat. She has published numerous research articles in various scientific journals and also co-authored the book “The Bats of Texas” that was published in 2012.
In addition to her teaching and research, Ammerman is a curator of the Frozen Tissues Collection in the Angelo State Natural History Collections and is a member of the Texas Society of Mammalogists, American Society of Mammalogists and North American Society for Bat Research. She holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin and currently contributes at ASU to build biologists of the generation-next.
Student Life at ASU
A renowned publisher once talked about the living facilities at Angelo State University and said, “Moreover, these dorms are not only pretty, but have exciting social scenes and outstanding amenities to boot – offering, as a result, the best-value college experience that money can buy.” ASU students also enjoy a great social life, including being able to hang out, eat and socialize in the Houston Harte University Center.
Most interestingly, when it’s time to play or relax, ASU offers nationally recognized intramurals and club sports programs through the University Recreation division, and students can always go to the ASU Lake House, where they can swim, kayak and play sand volleyball. The university also hosts various events that keep students motivated and encouraged about their campus experience and their future.
ASU students look forward to Rambunctious Week every year. It is an event that includes move-in day and offers activities and orientations to help students become acquainted and familiar with the campus.
Homecoming is a week-long tradition that begins with a barbecue and remembrance of Rams past and ends with a parade, bonfire and football game. The Homecoming king and queen are crowned and distinguished alumni are honored.
Art, music and theatre students display their talents through public art exhibits, concerts and theatre productions every semester, and mass media students run the public Ram TV station. ASU also annually hosts distinguished lectureships in science, business, security studies, art and American values. Ram Jam tailgate parties prior to athletic events are popular with students, as are Planetarium shows and hundreds of social events in each of ASU’s modern residence halls.
ASU is also home to more than 100 student clubs and organizations that appeal to just about any student interests. The student fitness center is also popular with its rock-climbing wall, workout facilities, indoor track, multipurpose gym and racquetball courts. For students who enjoy competition, the intramurals and club sports programs offer everything from flag football and sand volleyball to rugby and clay shooting. The university’s intramural basketball and flag football teams and Ram Rugby Club have won multiple state, regional and national championships.
ASU offers Major Industry Exposure to its Students
Angelo State University is known for the extensive industry exposure it offers to its students. Some of the notable ones are:
- The National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) lists ASU as one of its top institutions for hiring employees.
- USAA hiring pipeline started by alum Dan Herrington, retired vice president of IT operations, continues to draw ASU computer science graduates.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Angelo State graduates are county extension agents all over Texas.
- Public school teachers with Angelo State degrees work in hundreds of Texas school districts.
- Shannon Health System is stocked with ASU nursing graduates at locations throughout West Texas.
- Almost every veterinarian in San Angelo got his or her undergraduate degree from ASU.
- Angelo State has one of the highest medical school acceptance rates in Texas.
“Words of Confidence”
“To continue playing baseball and join the great nursing program at ASU, I don’t regret it one bit. ASU’s low tuition cost really gave me the chance to leave home and come experience college life. I definitely made the right choice for now and for my future.”
– Michael Urquidi, Nursing major, ASU baseball player
“I plan to go to Korea and teach English for a few years in public schools. Teaching classes in English at a Korean university is my ultimate goal. I’d love to do that, and ASU is giving me the education and opportunities I need to realize my dreams.”
– Rachel Boezinger, English/communication major
