
Giving to the J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering is critical to continuing the legacy of our nationally recognized standards of educational excellence and is now easier than ever. The Texas A&M Foundation has recently opened its GiveNow secure online giving website, and it is available to use for direct contributions to the mechanical engineering department.
Development Officers
Steve LaBrutta
- Director of Development, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering
- Phone: 512-784-0654
- Email: slabrutta@txamfoundation.com


Kevin McGinnis
- Director of Corporate Relations, College of Engineering
- Phone: 979-436-4963
- Email: kmcginnis@txamfoundation.com

Kevin Westerman
- Senior Director of Planned Giving, College of Engineering
- Phone: 361-935-0517
- Email: kwesterman@txamfoundation.com

Former Student Engagement Opportunities
As a former student of the mechanical engineering department, your involvement — including presenting to students, attending student presentations, engaging in student programs and sponsoring projects — has the potential to critically enhance the outcomes for current students.
Giving Opportunities
The J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering currently has several giving opportunities. Please make a selection from the choices presented:
Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships
These funds directly support our students by providing scholarships and fellowships through a competitive process.
Mechanical Engineering Excellence Fund
These funds provide general support to the department for a variety of endeavors that include professional development for faculty, staff and students, student organization support; development activities; award recognition and more.
Mechanical Engineering Infrastructure Renovation Fund
These funds provide support for the improvement and renovation of the department’s facilities, including student study spaces, research laboratories and more.
To provide a truly impactful learning experience to our students, we must be able to venture outside of the classroom. In order to provide meaningful content, the student development fund can be utilized for study abroad opportunities, emergency scholarships, bring in esteemed guest lecturers or public speakers and ensure that student groups have financial means to attend national conferences and competitions.
Mechanical Engineering Advancement Fund/Industry Advisory Council Fund
The Mechanical Engineering Advancement/Industry Advisory Council Fund provides support to recruit and retain the best faculty and students through faculty fellowships, endowed undergraduate scholarships, department head strategic initiatives and faculty and staff recognition and support
Professors of practice bring a fresh perspective to the classroom based on their careers in industry. They provide practical hands-on experience, offer connections with industry partners and are extremely popular with our students. Professors of practice are professional engineers and industry leaders who collectively bring years of rich experiences from the field and add tremendous value to the education of our engineering students, both in and out of the classroom.