The TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference: Pioneering Climate Innovations will take place February 2–4, 2026, at the Kimpton Santo Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. Learn more about the conference sessions and speakers by viewing the 2026 annual conference agenda below.
2026 Annual Conference Agenda: Day 1
Monday, February 2 | 6:30–9:00 p.m.
Opening Reception
The opening reception will take place the evening of Monday, February 2, 2026, in the San Juan Ballroom at the Kimpton Santo Hotel. Programming will begin at 7:00 p.m.
- Welcome from TAMEST Board President Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), University of Houston
- 2026 Hill Prizes Ceremony
- TAMEST Welcomes New Members
2026 Annual Conference Agenda: Day 2
Tuesday, February 3 | 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Conference Programming
San Juan Ballroom, Kimpton Santo Hotel, 431 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205
(subject to change)
Tuesday Morning Sessions
8:00–9:00 a.m.
Conference Breakfast
9:00–9:10 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), TAMEST Board President
ENGINEERING SESSION
Emcee: Michael Webber, Ph.D., Sid Richardson Chair in Public Affairs and Cockrell Family Chair #16 in Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
9:10–9:40 a.m.
Speaker: Yevgeny Raitses, Ph.D., Principal Research Physicist, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
9:40–10:10 a.m.
Speaker: Desirée Plata, Ph.D., School of Engineering Distinguished Climate and Energy Professor; Director, Parsons Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
10:10–10:40 a.m.
Speaker: David Allen, Ph.D. (NAE), Professor and Norbert Dittrich-Welch Chair in Chemical Engineering; Co-Director, Center for Energy and Environmental Systems Analyses, The University of Texas at Austin
10:40–11:10 a.m.
2026 O’Donnell Award in Engineering Research Presentation: Bilal Akin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas
11:10–11:30 a.m.
Break
11:30 a.m.–12:05 p.m.
Mary Beth Maddox Award Ceremony and Recipient Presentation: Maralice Conacci-Sorrell, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Tuesday Afternoon Sessions
SCIENCE SESSION
Emcee: Jean Patterson, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor, Texas Biomedical Research Institute
12:05–1:15 p.m.
Lunch Speaker: Marcia McNutt, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS), President, National Academy of Sciences
1:15–1:45 p.m.
Speaker: Andrew S. Bowman, D.V.M., Ph.D., Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University
1:45–2:15 p.m.
Speaker: Gerald W. Parker Jr., D.V.M., Ph.D., Director, Biosecurity and Pandemic Policy Center; Associate Dean for Global One Health, Texas A&M University
2:15–2:40 p.m.
2026 O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences Research Presentation: Yunsun Nam, Ph.D., Professor, Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science, UT Southwestern Medical Center
2:40–3:05 p.m.
2026 O’Donnell Award in Physical Sciences Research Presentation: Fan Zhang, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Dallas
3:05–4:30 p.m.
Break
3:30–4:30 p.m.
TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge: Judges’ Viewing Only
4:30–6:30 p.m.
TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge: Audience Viewing and Reception
Sponsored by Shell
6:30–9:00 p.m.
20th Anniversary Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Celebration Dinner and 2026 Awards Ceremony
The 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Ceremony marks 20 years since the awards were first given. It is sponsored by the O’Donnell Foundation and will be hosted by Jere W. Thompson Jr., Chair, Southwestern Medical Foundation; Board Member, O’Donnell Foundation.
2026 Annual Conference Agenda: Day 3
Wednesday, February 4 | 7:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m.
Conference Programming
San Juan Ballroom, Kimpton Santo Hotel, 431 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205
(subject to change)
Wednesday Morning Sessions
7:30–8:30 a.m.
Conference Breakfast
MEDICINE SESSION
Emcee: David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, Ph.D., Professor and Founding Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas at San Antonio
8:30–9:00 a.m.
Speaker: Christopher Elias, M.D. (NAM), President, Global Development, Gates Foundation
9:00–9:30 a.m.
Speaker: Marvin A. González-Quiroz, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas at San Antonio
9:30–10:00 a.m.
Speaker: Elizabeth Matsui, M.D., Professor of Population Health and Pediatrics; Associate Dean for Faculty Academic Affairs; Director, Center for Health and Environment: Education and Research, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin
10:00–10:25 a.m.
2026 O’Donnell Award in Medicine Research Presentation: Pengfei Liu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
10:25–10:45 a.m.
Break
TECHNOLOGY SESSION
Emcee: Robert Kester, Ph.D., Partner, Technology & Innovation, Veriten
10:45–11:15 a.m.
Speaker: Technology
11:15–11:45 a.m.
Speaker: Rawand Rasheed, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Helix Earth
Wednesday Afternoon Sessions
11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge Finalist Presentations
12:15–12:45 p.m.
Lunch and TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge Prize Ceremony
12:45–1:15 p.m.
Speaker: Cameron Van Der Berg, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Infravision
1:15–1:40 p.m.
2026 O’Donnell Award in Technology Innovation Research Presentation: Yue Hu, Ph.D., AI Specialist – Production Technology, bp
1:40–1:45 p.m.
Closing Remarks and 2027 Conference Preview
Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), TAMEST Board President
Sponsors
