60. Yes, Round Rock Has a University! | Charley Ayres on Texas A&M–Central Texas
Tue Feb 03 2026
Did you know Round Rock is home to a Texas A&M university campus? On this week’s Rock Solid, Bryan Eisenberg sits down with Charley Ayres, Director of Student Relations at Texas A&M University–Central Texas, to talk about the growing presence of higher education in our own backyard.
Charley shares how the university is transforming access to education for local students—through partnerships with ACC and Temple College, dual-credit high school programs, and career-focused degrees tied to Central Texas employers like Samsung. From economic development to building workforce-ready graduates, this episode is packed with insights about what it really means to have a university right here in Round Rock.
We also dive into Charley’s role in shaping the city’s past—like bringing IKEA to town—and how servant leadership is shaping its future.
📬 Want to connect with Charley Ayres? Reach him at: charley@tamuct.edu🎓 Learn more about Texas A&M–Central Texas: https://www.tamuct.edu/
Rock Solid is brought to you by host Bryan Eisenberg, a New York Times bestselling author, digital pioneer and co-owner of A Place At Home - North Austin, a Round Rock based home care agency.
Bill Combes, owner of a local Round Rock digital marketing agency, No Time for Social.
Brent Pierce, owner of Round Rock Studio, empowering local businesses to share their stories with his two podcast sets and state-of-the-art photo studio.
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Did you know Round Rock is home to a Texas A&M university campus? On this week’s Rock Solid, Bryan Eisenberg sits down with Charley Ayres, Director of Student Relations at Texas A&M University–Central Texas, to talk about the growing presence of higher education in our own backyard. Charley shares how the university is transforming access to education for local students—through partnerships with ACC and Temple College, dual-credit high school programs, and career-focused degrees tied to Central Texas employers like Samsung. From economic development to building workforce-ready graduates, this episode is packed with insights about what it really means to have a university right here in Round Rock. We also dive into Charley’s role in shaping the city’s past—like bringing IKEA to town—and how servant leadership is shaping its future. 📬 Want to connect with Charley Ayres? Reach him at: charley@tamuct.edu🎓 Learn more about Texas A&M–Central Texas: https://www.tamuct.edu/ Rock Solid is brought to you by host Bryan Eisenberg, a New York Times bestselling author, digital pioneer and co-owner of A Place At Home - North Austin, a Round Rock based home care agency. Bill Combes, owner of a local Round Rock digital marketing agency, No Time for Social. Brent Pierce, owner of Round Rock Studio, empowering local businesses to share their stories with his two podcast sets and state-of-the-art photo studio.