TAMEST Member News Roundup- January 2022
TAMEST loves to share the accolades of our membership. If you have been nominated for an award, been interviewed by the media or otherwise have a reason to celebrate, please share your news with TAMEST.
TAMEST In The News
Austin American-Statesman: Dell Medical School Starts Center to Study Psychedelics for Mental Health Treatments, TAMEST Member Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), The University of Texas at Austin
San Antonio Magazine: From the Editor: 12 Stories We Loved in 2021, TAMEST Past President Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H. (NAM), UT Health San Antonio
TAMU Today: Texas A&M Appoints Intercollegiate School of Engineering Medicine Dean, Roderic Pettigrew, M.D., Ph.D. (NAE, NAM), Texas A&M Health
UTA News: Computer Scientist Aims to Bring Cancer Data to Patient’s Bedside, 2022 TAMEST Protégé Jacob Luber, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Arlington
Washington Post: A New Coronavirus Vaccine Heading to India Was Developed by a Small Team in Texas. It Expects Nothing in Return, TAMEST Member Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine
Yahoo Finance: Dr. Robert O. Ambrose, Ph.D., Former NASA Executive, Joins Alliantgroup’s Strategic Advisory Board as Chairman of Robotics & Artificial Intelligence, Robert O. Ambrose, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University
Member Briefs
In Memoriam: C. Thomas Caskey, M.D. (NAM, NAS), Baylor College of Medicine
TAMEST mourns the loss of Inaugural Board President of TAMEST and Member C. Thomas “Tom” Caskey, M.D. (NAM, NAS), Baylor College of Medicine, a pioneer in genetics and genomics. Dr. Caskey built the genetics program at Baylor College of Medicine and founded the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. He was known for his enthusiasm for science, his brilliance, and his ability to identify internationally bright young scientists starting their careers. His contributions to the scientific community will continue to impact the lives of many for generations to come. Read His Obituary
In Memoriam: Hans M. Mark, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin
TAMEST mourns the loss of TAMEST Member Hans M. Mark, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin, a world-renowned aerospace engineer who was in Mission Control during the first moon landing and who served as Chancellor of the University of Texas System for nearly a decade. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marion “Bun” Thorpe; two children, James Randall “Rufus” Mark and Jane Mark Jopson; as well as five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mark leaves a legacy of exploration and discovery, warmth and inspiration, and leadership and innovation. Read His Obituary
The University of Texas at San Antonio and Baylor Become the Latest Texas Universities to Achieve Carnegie Tier One Research Status
TAMEST congratulates member institution The University of Texas at San Antonio and Baylor University for achieving the prestigious ranking for research activity often referred to as Carnegie Tier One, awarded by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Over the past five years, UT San Antonio has made multiple strides to achieve this goal. The school increased research spending by 106% from $68 million to $140 million this year. Faculty received more than 300 funding grants annually over the same time period, which is one factor that the Carnegie group factors in when determining a university’s research status. Read More
More Than Two Decades of UTSW Research Paves Way For First-In-Kind Drug
A first-in-kind immune-modulating drug that arose from decades of basic research at UT Southwestern Medical Center has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a new treatment for adults with a form of myasthenia gravis. This rare and chronic autoimmune disease is characterized by debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. Read More
The University of Texas at Arlington and Texas A&M University Aim to Refine Micro Nuclear Reactors
TAMEST Members Dereje Agonafer, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Arlington and Yassin A. Hassan, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University, have received a three-year, $500,000 grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct experiments and simulations of liquid metal heat pipes for micro nuclear reactors. Microreactors could be deployed across the state and nation where energy shortages occur. One such case happened in February 2021 when a massive winter storm hit Texas, causing millions to lose electricity and heat. Read More
Dr. Carlos Roberto Jaén of UT Health San Antonio appointed to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
TAMEST Member Carlos Roberto Jaén, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), UT Health San Antonio, professor and chairman of family and community medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), will serve the next four years on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force announced his appointment Jan. 5, effective immediately. “The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is probably one of the most consequential committees in the United States because, by virtue of the Accountable Care Act, anything that the task force determines to be A or B evidence for a recommendation must be covered by an insurance plan without charge to the patient,” Dr. Jaén said. “Decisions made by this task force affect everyone in our nation.”
Virgin Galactic Appoints TAMEST Member to Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. increased the size of the Board from nine to ten directors and appointed TAMEST Member Wanda A. Sigur (NAE), Lockheed Martin Corporation, to fill the newly created vacancy on the Board, effective as of December 20, 2021. Ms. Sigur was also appointed to serve on the Board’s Safety Committee and may in the future be appointed to other committees of the Board. Read More
IIT Madras Launches ‘Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair’ for Research on Sustainable Construction
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras on Thursday launched the ‘Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair’ for research on sustainable construction. The Chair Professorship is being established with support from TAMEST Member Surendra P. Shah, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Arlington, a global expert in engineering materials, whose work has become a world standard. “I am looking forward to continuing involvement with the IIT Madras Research Group. It is rightly poised for facing challenges of not only India and the US but global problems. The Group has already started to work on reducing carbon footprint, which affects the whole world,” said Dr. Shah. Read More
