Animal Planet’s Successful River Monsters Series

An insurance marketing representative, Adam McCroskie is working on a master’s degree at Texas A&M University-Commerce. When not hitting the books, Adam McCroskie enjoyed Animal Planet’s long-running television series, River Monsters, which ended its run in 2017.

The hourlong documentary featured biologist and “extreme angler” Jeremy Wade as he searched for dangerous, flesh-eating fish. The program ran in the United States, Great Britain, and more than 100 other countries.

In his ninth and final season, Wade pursued exotic fish in locations such as Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Viewers voted for favorite episodes of the series’ run and gained access to bonus footage online or using Animal Planet’s app. Fans also could submit questions and receive updates through social media.

Animal Planet followed up River Monsters in April 2018 with Jeremy Wade’s Mighty Rivers, which focused on the declining ecologies of some of the world’s great watercourses.

HOPE Cancer Center Treats the Underserved

An alumnus of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Adam McCroskie serves as a marketing representative for Heritage Premium Assignment Company while studying for his MA in accounting at his alma mater. As a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Adam McCroskie raised funds for the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

HCI recently opened the Center for Health Outcomes and Population Equity (HOPE), whose mission is to combat the prevalence of cancer among underserved populations. These groups include American Indian and Alaska natives, people from rural and other economically challenged areas, members of the LGBTQ community, and Hispanics, all of whom have disproportionately high cancer rates.

HOPE will offer mobile services to outlying areas in the Mountain West, address tobacco use, and mentor scientists from underrepresented groups. It will work alongside the Association for Utah Community Health and the Utah Department of Health.

The facility features patient examination rooms, storage space for tissue samples, and offices for faculty. Supporting it is a $9.7 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, a Washington DC-based nonprofit.