Brazos Matters

With a collective following that spans hundreds of thousands of people across multiple social media platforms, KBTX-TV news anchor Rusty Surette reaches far more people online than through his nightly newscasts.

In this second half of his conversation with host Jay Socol, Surette breaks down how specific content succeeds (or fails) on each platform and how he’s chosen the exhausting pace of posting on his professional ...

At 15, he began videotaping fires and crime scenes based on police-scanner tips and selling the footage to his hometown TV station. Three decades later, Rusty Surette has built a vast and loyal following. Many know him from KBTX’s evening newscasts, while hundreds of thousands connect with him on social media.

In the first of a two-part conversation on "Brazos Matters," Surette tells host Jay Socol about his almost acc...

More than 11,000 students. Over 64 buildings. A staff of roughly 450 — the second-largest employer in the Division of Student Affairs. In this episode of Brazos Matters, host Jay Socol and student contributor Kaleigh Mazy sit down with Dr. Kyle McCracken, Texas A&M's Director of Residence Life, to explore what it takes to run one of the university's biggest — and most personal — operations.

McCracken tr...

Can a 25-year-old graduate student today realistically expect to own a home someday? In this episode of "Brazos Matters," host Jay Socol and student contributor Kaleigh Mazy '26 dig into that very anxious, very common sentiment with two guests from the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University: Research Director Daniel Oney and Research Economist Yanling Mayer.

The pair explain what "housing affordability...

Ten years ago, College Station Municipal Court Judge Edward Spillane III wrote a Washington Post op-ed — ""Why I Refuse to Send People to Jail for Failure to Pay Fines"" — that struck a national nerve and pushed cities across the country to rethink how they treat people who genuinely can't afford their fines. In this episode of “Brazos Matters,” host Jay Socol and student contributor Kaleigh Mazy ’26 a...

An estimated 400,000 first responders across America are living with symptoms of PTSD — yet stigma, cost, and scheduling keep many from ever asking for help. In this episode of "Brazos Matters," host Jay Socol and student contributor Kaleigh Mazy sit down with Alisa McDonald, program director of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service's (TEEX) Public Safety Wellness Program, to discuss how first responders process tra...

Victoria Taylor, Sarah Lankford, and Giulia Goerigk discuss their experiences as student athletes in the Texas A&M Swimming program, their paths to A&M, majors at A&M, how they got acclimated to college, hosting team recruits, what inspired them to be swimmers, culture shocks encountered when coming to A&M, things that they would have liked their freshman selves to know, what they would have done differently in coll...

Craig Huffhines, Director of the Institute for Equine Sciences at Texas A&M University discusses his background & path to Texas A&M, the beginnings and scope of the Courtney Cares program, program partners across campus, benefits of hippotherapy, the types of clients who can benefit, student outcomes, identifying horses that exhibit traits that make them a good fit for the program, areas of research in equine science, f...

Darby Roberts, Director, Student Affairs Planning, Assessment & Research at Texas A&M University & Robert Tirso, Data Analyst, Student Affairs Planning, Assessment & Research at Texas A&M University discuss the WISHES Survey & Aggie Wellbeing Survey, their roles in this office, trends that they're currently seeing, first generation students vs others, the importance of fostering a sense of belonging, positiv...

Lauren Craig, PhD, Assistant Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology Services for Texas A&M Athletics discusses her path to this field and to Texas A&M, the teams she works with & resources available, what needs are the same & different among different sports, managing pressure in the postseason, traits that she usually sees in top athletes, things that the general public can also put into practice, growth and f...

Flora Charner, Professor of Practice in the Texas A&M University Department of Communication & Journalism discusses her background in journalism and path to Texas A&M, transitioning from a media career to education, examples of how she's stayed involved in the journalism field while teaching, including current events in the classroom, how the use of AI in journalism is evolving, where college students are getting their ...

Ashley Jackson, Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning for Texas A&M Athletics discusses with KAMU Student Content Contributor Victoria Taylor why Brazos Matters is highlighting strength and conditioning, Ashley's background and path to Texas A&M, tailoring specific training to meet the different needs of various sports, Ashley's future personal training goals, what regular people should prioritize in their own t...

Rev. Bryan Jody, Assoc. Pastor of College Ministry at A&M United Methodist Church discusses their new food bank, how the church identified the need for an additional food pantry near campus, the results of student surveys regarding food insecurity, how the pantry operates, how many students utilize this resource, how they're helping students get connected to other resources, the need from the international student community, lo...

Jennifer Cain, Director of Capital Projects & Facility Management for the City of College Station discusses what qualifies as a capital project, her background and path to College Station, collaboration with stakeholders, the city's approach to capital projects, what her team looks like, coordination with TxDot, neighborhood improvements, where people can find more info, and current active projects including new water wells, fi...

Martin Zimmermann and Katie Williams from the City of Bryan discuss the 2026 Bryan comprehensive plan, what all is included in this plan, why citizens should care, why it is required, outcomes of previous plans, the role of consultants in this process, public meetings and feedback, amendments to a comprehensive plan, the online survey, benefits of having a good comprehensive plan, and how residents can get in touch with their team....