Theresa Phinney ’81 ’84 Reflects on 40 Years of Teaching Aggies

Theresa Phinney ’81 ’84 was barely older than her students the first time she stood in front of a classroom as a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the fall of 1985, but that first semester launched a now 40-year career of teaching and an incredible 45 years of overall service to Texas A&M University. 

Phinney joined Mays’ Department of Information and Operations Management in 1999. She has dedicated herself to creating impact in the lives of students, helping them develop not only the technical skills needed for the workforce but also the confidence required to create lasting impact in their industries. Over four decades, she has taught through multiple generations of programming languages, platforms, and tools — all while providing unwavering support and encouragement to her students. As the current instructor for most of the ISTM 210 classes, many Mays students get the opportunity to benefit from her wisdom.

“When I began teaching in 1985, the world was not that many years beyond punched cards and mainframes. A few of the students may have seen computers in high school classes, but most of them had not worked on them at all,” she says. “Now, I teach students who have not known a world without technology in every part of their lives, and the internet has brought so much information to their fingertips. 

“As for what has remained the same, I would say it is the enthusiasm of the students. Aggies have been a joy to teach for the last 40 years. They are thrilled to be here, at this university, and they want to learn as much as they can. That has always been true.”