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Focused on supporting students, community impact, and hands-on learning, new spaces at Texas A&M University-San Antonio are helping redefine what a modern university can be. Together, these projects across the 700-acre campus are transforming the University into a destination where students learn, connect, conduct research and prepare for meaningful careers.
These facilities reflect how A&M-San Antonio is designing purpose-built spaces that inspire learning and foster connection. From research labs and learning centers to gardens and gathering places, each setting is designed to shape how students experience the university, both inside and outside the classroom.
Public Health and Education building
With its grand opening happening in October, the Public Health and Education Building is a $55 million, state-of-the-art facility that brings together classrooms, laboratories, academic programs, innovative research and university partnerships.
“The project is part of a transformational effort to improve health care services to residents of South San Antonio,” says Debra Feakes, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The building is home to the university’s College of Education and Human Development, as well as the Public Health Genetics and Genomics Group, which is conducting research on health challenges affecting communities across South Texas.
The university also announced a new strategic partnership between A&M-San Antonio, the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine and University Health. Officials signed an affiliation agreement to help train and retain more physicians to care for the rapidly growing populations in Bexar County and South Texas.
As part of the collaboration, A&M-San Antonio will provide classroom and office space in the new building for medical school residents and faculty.
Through the partnership, Texas A&M faculty physicians will begin providing care to patients at University Health Palo Alto Hospital, located next to the A&M-San Antonio campus. The collaboration also creates opportunities for researchers, health professionals and students to work together while helping establish a pipeline into medical education.
Educare San Antonio
Opening this winter, Educare San Antonio will be the first school of its kind in Texas. Part of a national network of birth-through-age-5 learning centers, the facility will serve between 200 and 250 children.
But Educare will be far more than a childcare center. Melissa Jozwiak, a professor in the Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation, said its impact could extend well beyond the children it serves by helping raise the standard of early childhood education in San Antonio.
Her research found there were only about 3.4 childcare seats for every 100 children of working parents within a 10-minute drive of A&M-San Antonio.
The 5-acre facility will be licensed to serve children as young as 6 weeks old. It will feature 12 classrooms and both outdoor and indoor play areas, where children can develop skills in cooperation, coordination, and engage in large-muscle activities.
A separate program that currently provides evening childcare for Pell-eligible university students will also move into the new building.
The facility will also serve as a training and research site for University students, who will be able to observe children and participate in ongoing research.
While early education students will make extensive use of Educare, Jozwiak sees the facility as a laboratory for the entire University. Business students, for example, could learn about operating a multimillion-dollar childcare center, while sociology students could observe the early stages of human interaction and development.
“It really is meant to be a point of inspiration and a catalyst for others to get engaged,” she said.
Garden classroom
The seeds for the Garden Classroom were not planted through a formal agriculture program. Instead, the project grew from faculty conversations and students’ willingness to work beyond traditional departmental boundaries.
Jose Rodolfo Valdez Barillas, an associate professor of biology, has championed the project for more than a decade.
“It was a grassroots initiative,” Barillas said, noting that the Garden Classroom addresses issues including sustainability, food production, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Working with student volunteers and the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, Barillas helped establish a greenhouse and vegetable garden that supplies fresh produce to The General’s Store, the University’s food pantry.
Those early efforts have grown into a much more ambitious project. Plans call for a 1-acre garden complex featuring an outdoor classroom, walking trails, and an amphitheater for plays, musicals and other special events.
“The ultimate goal is to foster an ecosystem for University students to conduct research, learn across multiple disciplines, and develop solutions for regional nutritional challenges,” Barillas said. “It’s all about creating a space where students learn from the process.”
Commuter lounge
Like most universities, A&M-San Antonio has many students who commute to campus. To help these students and all Jaguars feel welcome, the University is developing communal spaces where students can connect and build relationships.
The Commuter Lounge, which opened in 2025, is one example of how A&M-San Antonio is creating a stronger sense of belonging.
Located on the first floor of the Central Academic Building, the lounge features comfortable seating, study areas, and a kitchenette. Although designed with commuters in mind, the lounge is open to all students.
“This space gives them a place to study, share a meal, connect with peers and feel like they belong,” said Juan Guardia, vice president for student affairs. “Instead of just coming to campus for class and leaving, they now have a welcoming environment where they can spend their day.”
The future is bright
As A&M-San Antonio continues to build across its expansive acreage, it is a reminder that each new space contributes to a larger goal: creating a university experience that is engaging, collaborative and deeply connected to its students and community.
In many ways, the University’s story can be told through its spaces, which shape the experiences of students, faculty, and staff. Each classroom, laboratory, garden, and gathering space is an investment in its students and their potential. Together, these projects are helping establish A&M-San Antonio as a destination campus that serves its community and is a hub for education, research, and connection. Learn more at tamusa.edu.
