Academy of Distinguished Former Students

Each spring, the College of Science pays tribute to its top former students by conferring upon them its highest honor: induction into the Academy of Distinguished Former Students.

Criteria

The Academy of Distinguished Former Students was established in October 1996 by the College of Science External Advisory & Development Council to "recognize former students of the College of Science at Texas A&M University who have brought honor to their profession through outstanding leadership in mathematics, the sciences and medicine."

Each year, up to three recipients may be selected on the basis of:

• Contributions to the programs and activities of the Texas A&M College of Science;
• Technical/scientific accomplishments;
• Contributions to their professions, including continuing education and other educational activities.

Inductees

2007
	Ersen Arseven '74 (Nyack, NY)	Schering-Plough Research Institute Ersen Arseven received his doctorate in statistics from Texas A&M University in 1974. Since 2002, he has served as director of pre-clinical statistics at Schering-Plough Research Institute in Kenilworth, New Jersey. His 33-year career as a statistician has included stints with American Cyanamid Corporation (1974-84) and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (1984-92), as well as 10 years in private practice as the founder of his own company offering statistical services and consulting to the pharmaceutical industry. In 2003 Arseven received the H.O. Hartley Award, given annually to a former student of the Texas A&M Department of Statistics in recognition of distinguished service to the discipline of statistics. A generous supporter of his Department, College and University, Arseven has established three endowments at Texas A&M in memory of his late wife, Susan M. Arseven, one of which honors her as namesake of the Susan M. Arseven '75 Conference for Women in Science & Engineering, hosted annually by the College of Science, and provides two $1,000 awards for female graduate students pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in science, engineering or technology.
	Nelson Duller '48 (College Station, TX)	Texas A&M University Dr. Duller received his bachelor's of science from Texas A&M University in 1948, followed by a master's of arts and doctorate from Rice University. Five decades after beginning his professorial career as a member of the Texas A&M Physics faculty, he continues to stand as one of the university's most prominent testaments to the importance and value of quality teaching. A natural instructor who says he was attracted to physics largely because of the abundance of challenging teaching material it supplies, Dr. Duller is revered both for his lively classroom manner, known to include spontaneous singing, and his devotion to his students, who have 24-hour access to his counsel via his home phone number. Among students and colleagues alike, Dr. Duller is legendary for his uncanny ability to communicate complex ideas very clearly, his determination to find innovative ways to enrich the educational experience, and his passion for continually developing uptodate course materials to best prepare his students in constantly evolving fields. At 83, the three-time Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching recipient shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to teach three undergraduate physics courses and inspire untold numbers of Aggies along the way.
	Nancy Matz '73 (McKinney, TX)	Dynamic Energy Systems, Inc. Nancy L. Matz earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics at Texas A&M University in 1973. A member of the first generation of women admitted to the university, she graduated at the top of her class and served as president of the first university women’s organization at a time when there weren't yet dorms for women on the campus. That early pioneering spirit served her well during the next three decades, in which she founded a nationally recognized software corporation, McKinney-based Dynamic Energy Systems, Inc.--honored in 2005 as one of the top 100 fastest-growing Aggie-owned businesses worldwide--and helped husband Jack '71 launch countless other entrepreneurial ventures, including six public businesses. A fixture in former student leadership, Matz serves on the College of Science External Advisory & Development Council, which she chaired from 2004-06, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Development Council, and the Texas A&M Foundation One Spirit One Vision campaign leadership committee. She and her husband spend about a week out of each month in College Station, leading efforts to guide and develop programs at Texas A&M as part of their combined goal to contribute 5,000 hours of service and $1 million to their alma mater. After previously creating two President's Endowed Scholarships, a Sul Ross Scholarship, an Endowed Opportunity Award Scholarship and a 12th Man Foundation Endowment, they recently established an endowed scholarship in mathematics as well as a planned gift that creates scholarship programs for units throughout Texas A&M, including one to benefit undergraduate students in mathematics.

2006
	John "Bill" Lyons '59 (Galveston, TX)	Lyons & Plackemeir PLLC A successful Galveston area attorney and businessman, Mr. Lyons is the principal owner of Sean Lion Technology Inc. and Texas Molecular Limited Partnerships and a former managing partner of Lyons & Plackemeier. He is described as a clear and critical thinker who is vitally interested in promoting science and higher education, as evidenced by his recent commitment to fund the first endowed chair in the Texas A&M University Department of Biology and his longtime leadership in biological research in the Gulf of Mexico through A&M's Galveston campus. Mr. Lyons also is a generous contributor to Texas A&M Athletics and to scholarships benefiting high school students in the Texas City/Galveston area.
	Jehanne Simon-Gillo '90 (Washington, DC)	Since earning her Ph.D. in physics from Texas A&M in 1990, Simon-Gillo has distinguished herself as an accomplished researcher and science administrator. She currently serves as the director of the Division of Facilities and Project Management in the Office of Nuclear Physics in the United States Department of Energy. As such, Simon-Gillo oversees a budget of more than $30 million per year and handles all capital and new construction projects, effectively setting the nation's nuclear physics priorities while ensuring that it has the research capabilities to remain at the forefront of global science. Prior to joining the DOE in 2001, she was a staff physicist/group leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she participated in high-energy nuclear physics experiments at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

2005
	William Gordon '67 (San Antonio, TX)	Alamo ENT Assoc An accomplished physician and educator, Gordon earned his bachelor of science in zoology from Texas A&M in 1967 before receiving his medical degree and specialty training in otolaryngology from Baylor University. As a student at A&M, he served as junior class president and was honored as the Outstanding Pre-Medical Student for 1966. In 1977, Gordon founded his own private practice, Alamo ENT Associates, in San Antonio, where he is also a clinical associate professor of surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center. A member of the San Antonio Otolaryngology Society and the Baylor College of Medicine Executive Alumni Committee, Gordon also is active in various charitable and community service organizations in the greater San Antonio area. A longtime supporter of both Texas A&M and the College of Science, Gordon has served as a member of the College's External Advisory & Development Council since 1995. As chair from 2000-01, he helped co-establish the Lifelines scholarship program to support deserving pre-medical and pre-dental students within the College. A leader by example, he subsequently established the program's first scholarship after previously initiating the College's first Howard Gravett Scholarship to benefit students planning to enter healthcare-related fields.
	Charles Riordan '90 (Manhattan, KS)	Kansas State University Since earning a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Texas A&M in 1990, Riordan has built a reputation as one of the leading inorganic-organometallic chemists of his generation -- and with the prime of his career still ahead of him. In 2002, he became one of the youngest research-oriented chemistry department heads nationwide, earning unanimous selection as chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware after only five years on faculty. Prior to that, he spent four years on faculty at Kansas State University (1993-97) and two years completing post-doctoral work in the famed laboratories of National Academy of Sciences member Dr. Jack Halpern at the University of Chicago (1990-92). Riordan's accomplishments have earned him recognition from both scholarly organizations and colleagues worldwide. He and his research group have accounted for many firsts in bioinorganic chemistry, as evidenced by his five-year National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award and recent election by his peers as chair of the Bioinorganic Subdivision of the American Chemical Society. An in-demand speaker and author, Riordan has made presentations at both industrial research laboratories and the most prestigious academic institutions in the country as well as published extensively in many of the world's most rigorous and prestigious research journals. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemists, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Sigma Xi and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

2004
	Guy Clifton '71 (Houston, TX)	UT School of Medicine Currently a clinical professor of medicine and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at UT Health Science Center Medical School in Houston. Dr. Clifton is also director of Mission Connect which focuses on spinal cord injury and nerve regeneration.
	Thomas Hairston '71 (Nacogdoches, TX)	Dr. Hairston completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1971 and joined Dow Chemical Company. During his 32-year career he developed 25 patents, implemented many successful business plans, and served as an inspiration to those around him.
	Barbara Martinez '80 (, )	Dr. Martinez is recognized for her leadership in the Division of Nuclear Materials Technology at the Los Alamos National Laboratories where her significant contributions to basic and applied research on the actinide elements and compounds have led to several laboratory awards.
	Lee Smith '57 (Bedford, TX)	Travelhost Inc. As a scientist, administrator and university leader, Dr. Smith has provided exceptional service to the state of Texas and the higher education system. His commitment to Texas A&M makes him a role model for all graduates.
	Robert Walker, D.D.S. '45 (Dallas, TX)	UT Southwestern Medical Center As professor emeritus of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Dr. Walker has been honored around the globe and saved countless lives through improved trauma care and injury prevention initiatives.

2003
	C. Les Carpenter '69 (Sumter, SC)	University of South Carolina Dr. Carpenter, who assumed the role of dean of the university (Sumter campus) in 1993, is recognized for leading its growth in performance and scope. 'He has led the faculty and staff to academic and educational excellence,' said Major Gen. Thomas R. Olsen, retired, of Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter. The Sumter campus of the University of South Carolina consistently earns the highest South Carolina Performance Funding performance ratings for administration, management and student success among regional campuses, said the general (who is a Texas A&M graduate himself). Carpenter earned undergraduate degrees in English and mathematics at Texas A&M, before he received a master's in educational administration from the university in 1974. A member of Texas A&M's famed Corps of Cadets, he served the Army as a combat infantry leader in Vietnam.
	Ralph Kodell '74 (, )	Dr. Ralph Kodell of Little Rock, Ark. Dr. Kodell is an expert in using statistics to assess health risks. Recognized by peers as one of the world's leading researchers in statistical methods for toxicology, he helped develop procedures that are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry and that provide the basis for cancer risk estimates used by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. Kodell is director of the division of biometry and risk assessment at the National Center for Toxicological Research at Jefferson, Ark. He earned his Ph.D. in statistics at Texas A&M in 1974.
	Charles Munnerlyn '62 (San Jose, CA)	Visx Inc Dr. Charles Munnerlyn of Santa Clara, Calif. A key innovator in laser eye surgery, Munnerlyn designed and built the first excimer laser system for vision correction and founded VISX Inc., the leading manufacturer of laser-vision correction systems in the United States. 'His work has had an incredible, revolutionary impact on the lives of millions,' Professor Roland Allen of Texas A&M's Department of Physics said in his nomination. Munnerlyn, a physics major, graduated from Texas A&M in 1962 before going on to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester.

2002
	James Adams '61 (San Antonio, TX)	Texas Instruments (Retired) James R. Adams, a former chairman of the board of Texas Instruments, has been a member of the TI board of directors since 1989. After receiving bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physics from Texas A&M, he forged a 30-year career in the telecommunications industry with Southwestern Bell. In addition to serving on the boards of the Dallas Citizens Council, the Telecom Corridor Technology Business Council and the Dallas Symphony Association, Adams is a member of the Texas A&M Capital Campaign Steering Committee, the Baylor University Hankamer School of Business Advisory Board and the University of Texas Engineering School Advisory Council.
	Carl Pearcy, Jr. '54 (College Station, TX)	Texas A&M University Carl M. Pearcy, a professor of mathematics at Texas A&M since 1990, boasts an impressive career in academia that spans more than 40 years and three institutions. Since earning bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas A&M, Pearcy has taught mathematics at A&M, Rice University and the University of Michigan, where he holds the title of professor emeritus. As a faculty member, he has directed the dissertations of 27 doctoral students. Pearcy, who has received funding support from the National Science Foundation every year from 1964 to 1997, has written six books, including two nearing completion. In addition, he has published more than 100 mathematical papers in the areas of functional analysis and numerical analysis.
	Jan Troup '74 (The Woodlands, TX)	SpectraCell Laboratories As a chemistry graduate student at Texas A&M in 1973, Jan M. Troup founded Molecular Structure Corporation (MSC), the world's first company specializing in single crystal X-ray diffraction, the most powerful laboratory tool available to view new molecules at the atomic level, especially in the biotechnology research arena. MSC's products are used for the technique known as structure-based drug design and are partly responsible for the discovery of many new drugs on the market today. After selling MSC to the Japan-based Rigaku Corporation in 1996, Troup founded Aquavit Inc., a manufacturer of scuba diving products, including the U.S.-patented X-tra System, a self-rescue system for divers. In September 2001, Troup incorporated LipidLabs Inc., a startup company that commercializes technology licensed from Texas A&M University. Among other endeavors, the company plans to provide a new cholesterol test called Advanced Liproprotein Fingerprinting to physicians, clinics and hospitals.

2001
	William Howell, Jr. '69 (College Station, TX)	TAMUS, Office of Technology Commercialization Since earning both a doctorate (1972) and a bachelor of science (1969) in chemistry from Texas A&M, William Howell has distinguished himself as a top-notch scientist and intermediary for government and industry. Currently an independent consultant, Howell boasts an extensive and exemplary career at The Dow Chemical Company, where he served in various research-related capacities, most notably as research manager and as the company's liaison with Los Alamos National Laboratory. A tireless advocate of both Texas A&M and the College of Science, Howell not only is an active member of the EADC but also serves as Councilor of the Texas A&M Research Foundation and vice president of the Texas Aggie Band Association. He was instrumental in initiating support for a Dow Chair in Chemistry in memory of Sir Derek Barton as well as an endowed undergraduate scholarship program to honor Professor Fred and Mary Sicilio. In addition, Howell is an avid supporter of Texas A&M's Industry-University Cooperative Chemistry Program (http://www.chem.tamu.edu/iuccp) and the recruitment of new graduate students through activities such as the Dow Shrimp Boil, an annual event he instituted in 1981.
	Homer Pearce '74 (, )	After receiving bachelor's and doctorate degrees in chemistry from Texas A&M, Homer L. Pearce joined Eli Lilly Laboratories in 1979, where he currently serves as vice president of cancer research and clinical investigation. His most significant accomplishments including leading the development of important clinically utilized drugs for the treatment of life-threatening cancers. In addition, Pearce's graduate work at Harvard - the total synthesis of picrotoxinin, which was considered to be an impossible problem by none other than the scientist who originally decoded the structure of the picrotoxinin family - remains one of the landmark achievements in the area of natural products total synthesis. What makes it even more remarkable is that it was a feat he accomplished single-handedly.
	William Smith '60 (, )	Texas A&M University William B. Smith joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1967, the same year he received his doctorate in statistics. In the 33 years since, Smith has developed a career that epitomizes success in every dimension of academic leadership. Revered as a stellar researcher, teacher, administrator and colleague, Smith and his service to Texas A&M and the statistics community has brought tremendous recognition to the College of Science. A past executive association dean of the College, he is a Fellow and a former executive director of the American Statistical Association, the nation's leading statistical society. Smith is a past recipient of the ASA's Don Owen Award, which recognizes excellence in research, statistical consultation and service to the statistical community. In addition, he is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. Smith currently serves as editor-in-chief of 'Communications in Statistics' and as a program director for the National Science Foundation.

2000
	Don Birkelbach '70 (College Station, TX)	Texas A&M Foundation Donald F. Birkelbach received both his bachelor's (1970) and master's degrees (1971) in chemistry from Texas A&M. After serving three years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he joined The Dow Chemical Company. During a successful career with Dow that spanned 27 years, Birkelbach held several positions in plastics research and development, manufacturing and human resources. His research resulted in 12 U.S. patents, including one for linear low density polyethylene, which was recognized with an Industrial Research IR-100 award and is now one of Dow's largest sales volume products. While at Dow, Birkelbach obtained an MBA in personnel management from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1979. In the years that followed, he proved to be equally adept at recruiting and managing as he was at research and discovery, serving as the primary contact between Dow and Texas A&M for more than 10 years. A member of the EADC since 1994, Birkelbach decided in Fall 2001 to devote his full-time efforts to fundraising and stewardship for the College of Science, retiring from Dow to accept a position with the Texas A&M Foundation as its Director of Development for Science.
	James Matis '70 (, )	James H. Matis received his doctorate in statistics from Texas A&M in 1970 and joined the faculty in the Department of Statistics that same year. Over the past 30 years, he has forged an award-winning teaching career as well as an internationally renowned research record in compartment modeling and ecological and environmental system modeling. The successful combination has resulted in numerous awards, including a Distinguished Statistical Ecologist Award, an Association of Former Students' Distinguished Research Award, an AFS Distinguished Teaching Award and an Honored Alumni Award from the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at Brigham Young University. A Fellow of the American Statistical Association, Matis also is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. He is a past recipient of the ASA's Don Owen Award, which recognizes excellence in research, statistical consultation and service to the statistical community.

1999
	Allen Hermann '65 (Golden, CO)	Allen M. Hermann, a physics professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder who holds a doctorate in physics from Texas A&M, was honored for his role in the discovery of materials that led to the development of batteries now used in heart pacemakers. His most notable success, helping develop a new class of high transition temperature superconductors based on thallium, earned him global recognition and induction as a fellow into the American Physical Society.
	Benjamin Mosier '47 (Houston, TX)	Institute for Research Inc. Benjamin Mosier, president of The Research Institute in Houston, has been a leader in polymer encapsulation technology for more than 25 years and holds several patents in this area. Earlier in his career, he made a significant contribution to the manned space program by developing the first perspiration bio-potential electrodes worn by John Glenn on Freedom 7. This design continued to be used throughout the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs. In 1990 NASA recognized his contributions with a Space Act Award. Mosier holds a bachelor's and master's degree in chemistry from Texas A&M and has served since 1990 as a member of the College of Science External Advisory and Development Council.
	Keiyu Ueno '77 (Kumamoto, Japan)	Dojindo Labs Keiyu Ueno is president of Dojindo Laboratories in Kumamoto, Japan, where he has been involved in industrial research. Ueno began his professional career with Dojindo as a research chemist in 1972. In a span of 12 years, he rose from research chemist to president of the company, which was founded by his grandfather as a pharmacy in the early 1900s. Today, Dojindo manufactures more than 800 products commonly used in chemical and biochemical research. The company is highly regarded as a state-of-the art specialty chemical company as well as for its excellence in research. Ueno, who holds a doctorate in chemistry from Texas A&M, was honored as Texas A&M's Outstanding International Alumnus Award in 2000. He has published 19 research papers in scientific journals and served as a visiting professor at Kumamoto University, Kumamoto Prefectural University and Kyushu University.

1998
	Donald Huffman '57 (Tucson, AZ)	Arizona State University Donald Huffman, a Regents Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, was honored for his role in the discovery of new processes for isolating fullerenes, which is one of the three forms of carbon. His work also has earned him the Material Research Society Medal and the Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize. Huffman holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Texas A&M.
	George McLendon '76 (Durham, NC)	Princeton University George McLendon, holder of the Russell Wellman Moore Professorship at Princeton University, is chairman of the school's chemistry department. He has received several awards for his work with heme proteins and electron transfer reactions, including the American Chemical Society (ACS) Eli Lilly Award in Biochemistry and the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry. McLendon holds a doctorate in chemistry from Texas A&M.

1997
	Kenneth Davenport '82 (Apex, NC)	Kenneth G. Davenport received a doctorate in chemistry from Texas A&M in 1982 and began his professional career with Celanese Chemical Co. in Corpus Christi. A major focus of his research has been developing new oxidation chemistry and catalysts for commodity and specialty chemicals. Davenport lectures widely at major universities in the United States and Europe and has been an active participant and plenary lecturer at national and international meetings. In 1991, he received the Leon Starr Award, Hoechst Celanese's highest worldwide award for technical excellence.
	Richard Harrison '47 (Bryan, TX)	Richard H. Harrison received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M in biology and chemistry in 1947 and attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. While at Texas A&M, he was on the Corps staff, a member of the Ross Volunteers, a distinguished student seven semesters and elected to the Scholarship Honor Society. At Baylor, he was elected a member of the Osler Society, and the Texas Medical Association elected him an Honorary Member in 1991. He completed a rotating internship at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston and a rotating residency in urology at Baylor. Prior to his death in 2005, Harrison had been in practice as a urologist in Bryan for more than 30 years. In addition, he had written articles for medical journals and more popular medical magazines, created audiovisual aids and conducted continuing education short courses for medical professionals. A Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M, Harrison has served on the Association of Former Students Board of Directors and was a clinical professor in the Texas A&M College of Medicine. In addition, he was a former member of the President's Council, the Chancellor's Century Council and the Texas A&M Research Foundation.
	Michael Kutner '71 (, )	Michael H. Kutner, who received his doctorate in statistics from Texas A&M in 1971, now chairs the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Before that, he was on the faculty of Emory University. Kutner is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA) and is the author of approximately 135 research articles in refereed journals and coauthor of a widely used statistics textbook. In 1991, he was one of four statisticians to receive the ASA's Founding Award.