Evan Fox, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Texas A&M Chemistry Department, continues to push the boundaries of battery materials. His research, conducted in the Pentzer Lab under the guidance of Dr. Emily Pentzer, professor and Presidential Impact Fellow, focuses on redox-active polymers—special materials made of long molecular chains that can pass electrons from one part to another, allowing them to store and release energy. His work could play a significant role in making battery materials more efficient and long-lasting, keeping energy flowing longer than ever before. 

“We’re trying to understand how electrons move through these polymers and how their structure affects their physical and electrochemical properties,” Fox said. “The goal isn’t necessarily to replace lithium-ion batteries, which are incredibly efficient, but to find alternative materials that could reduce the demand for traditional battery components.” 

This work matters because, despite their effectiveness, lithium-ion batteries come with a host of challenges. The materials required to produce them are expensive, often harmful to the environment, and in some cases linked to human rights issues in the mining industry. By developing new polymer-based materials, Fox and his collaborators hope to create batteries that are more sustainable, flexible and cost-effective.

“There’s a conservation and economic component to this,” Fox explained. “If we can find polymers that act as electrodes in certain applications, we can ease the demand for lithium and other scarce resources.” 

Fox’s research is a team effort alongside the Tabor and Lutkenhaus groups at Texas A&M. His role involves designing and creating these innovative polymers, using advanced methods to control the spacing between the redox units—the parts responsible for passing electrons along the chain. The team has already published its findings in respected scientific journals, including a recent study, Charge Transfer in Spatially Defined Organic Radical Polymers, and has more papers on the way. 

Before jumping into chemistry, Fox was busy jumping out of airplanes. He served in the U.S. Army, a decision he credits with changing his life. Joining midway through his undergraduate studies at La Salle University, Fox sought the discipline and structure he felt he was missing. As a paratrooper stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division and even deployed to Afghanistan in 2017. 

“I actually have a fear of heights, so earning my jump wings and becoming a paratrooper was a huge confidence boost,” he said. “It taught me how to face my fears head-on.”

Despite the challenges and injuries he sustained—including shoulder reconstruction and knee surgery—Fox wouldn’t trade his time in the Army for anything. Serving in the infantry and airborne took a toll on his body, with the high-impact demands and heavy gear leading to common knee, back, and shoulder issues. His shoulder and knee injuries were likely the result of overuse, while his only specific jump-related injury was a concussion in 2015. Still, for Fox, the wear and tear was a small price to pay for the experience.

 “Joining the Army was the best decision I ever made,” he said. “It gave me direction, discipline and some of my best friends.” 

After his time in the Army, Fox finished his chemistry degree and decided he wanted to turn his attention to research. When it came time to choose a graduate program, Fox had two criteria: warm weather and good barbecue. That led him to Texas A&M, where he found not only both of those but also a thriving chemistry community and a strong alumni network. 

“Texas A&M’s research budget and focus on applied organic chemistry and materials sealed the deal,” he said. 

His time at Texas A&M has brought unexpected joys. What began as a teaching requirement quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of his journey. He finds great fulfillment in mentoring students and helping them succeed. 

“Teaching really reminded me of my time in the Army, where there is a lot of emphasis placed on pushing people to do their best and supporting those placed under your direction,” he said. 

Many of his former students remain in touch, and as Fox looks ahead to defending his dissertation in May, he’s also preparing for another milestone—getting married this summer. As he anticipates the future, Fox hopes to take his skills into industry, potentially in oil and gas, commodity polymers or materials science. “I’m excited for what’s next,” he said. “But I’ll always be grateful for my time at Texas A&M and the experiences and people that got me here.”

Junior communications major Kyler Fife has been named the Head Yell Leader for the 2025-26 academic year and will guide the four other Yell Leaders as they represent the spirit of Aggieland across campus, Texas and the United States.

“Being a Yell Leader is truly a position of service,” Fife said. “If you’re seeking it for anything other than that, then you’re not seeking it for the right reason. It is an incredible opportunity to be one of five students who are the most visible representations of the student body at Texas A&M. I will not take that for granted, nor will I take it lightly.”

Elected by the student body, Yell Leaders serve as the university’s official spirit ambassadors. They lead Aggie fans in yells during athletic and other university events. The Texas Aggie Yell Leaders represent the 12th Man at Aggie athletic events, serve as campus ambassadors to Texas A&M and Aggie Mothers’ Clubs across Texas and the U.S., and make appearances at campus-wide events for current, new and prospective students, former students, campus administrators, visitors and dignitaries. In all, Yell Leaders typically officially attend 350 to 400 events per year.

After the five Yell Leaders are elected by the student body in March, the Head Yell Leader is selected through an application process that includes a resumé review, an essay and an interview by a panel that includes the previous head Yell Leader.

A native of Odessa, Texas, Fife never really imagined attending Texas A&M as his father attended Texas Tech University and his mother went to Texas-Permian Basin.

“I went to my first Aggie football game in the fall of my senior year of high school,” said Fife. “I just thought that there was no place like Texas A&M. The 12^th Man was awesome, and I’d never seen anything like it. I stayed with the corps and the whole nine yards. I drank the Kool-Aid and just knew I was going to be an Aggie.”

An Aggie, sure, but a Yell Leader?

“At that game, we were sitting right in front of a Yell Leader stand,” Fife recalled. “I remember thinking how cool it would be to be a Yell Leader, knowing that it would likely not happen. Those guys were having the time of their life, and I thank God I get to be here today.”

Additionally, Fife is a member of Squadron 5 in the Corps of Cadets and is a member of Maroon Coats. He has served on the Traditions Council for more than two years and was a Fish Camp Counselor.

“That was a blast,” Fife said, referencing being a Fish Camp Counselor.

Carrying on the traditions of Texas A&M while embracing new ideas to improve the Yell Leader Program will be a priority for Fife.

“I think Yell Leaders serve as the bridge from the traditions and culture of Texas A&M to our current student body and the world outside of Aggieland,” Fife said. “We will work hard to represent Texas A&M in everything we do, and we want the 12^th Man to take pride in the way we represent them.”

Researchers and industry partners are looking to create a game-like training tool using artificial intelligence (AI) to make pipeline safety training more effective. 

The Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKO) and EnerSys Corporation are partnering to create a multiplayer “game” that provides real-world scenarios and measurable outcomes of how pipeline operations respond to abnormal and emergency situations in a safe, controlled environment.

“This utilizes artificial intelligence as a tool to create a gaming platform where pipeline becomes at the source and all the different scenarios that can impact the pipeline operations response becomes the contributing factor,” said Faisal Khan, director of the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center.

Funded by the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation, this project aims to develop a realistic training system for teams to practice handling hazardous condition response and emergency response. 

“In using this multiplayer gaming platform, it should become very much like actually working with pipelines,” said EnerSys Corporation CEO Russel Treat. “That’s the goal, and ultimately, if that’s the case, when incidents do occur, they should be responded to and mitigated more effectively.” 

Pipelines are critical for infrastructure, so understanding how they operate can prevent major accidents, protect the economy and improve emergency response to issues like leaks.

The platform simulates various pipeline failure scenarios and incorporates those into the training system designed for pipeline operators. 

“Pipeline incidents are exceedingly rare,” Treat said. “Most people who work with pipelines work their entire lives and never have direct experience. What that means is when they do occur, for many people, it’s a first-time experience. By doing this training and giving people real-world experience, then they will be prepared when an incident does occur, which means they should respond more quickly, more effectively.” 

MKO will provide knowledge and understanding of the pipeline and its safety issues along with creating mathematical models to the project, while EnerSys Corporation will merge industry and facilitate research and the data collection from industry while serving as the Principal Investigator of the program.  

“We have a mathematical representation of how a pipeline should be operating in an idealistic condition, based on our scientific knowledge and what stimulates a pipeline failure,” Khan said.  

The next step is to begin trial scenarios with a research and development team by the end of this year, aiming to collect results and incorporating them into the training, Treat said. 

 “It’s a great opportunity for us to learn, particularly from the industrial experiences, and develop tools that enable fusion of knowledge and experience to improve safety,” Khan said.

Funding for this research is administered by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering.