TAMEST Member News Roundup – October 2025
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
UT San Antonio Today: Physics Professor and SwRI Scientist Introduces Scholarship for UT San Antonio Physics and Engineering Students, TAMEST Board Member Stephen A. Fuselier, Ph.D. (NAS), Southwest Research Institute and The University of Texas at San Antonio
UT News: Virus Slayer Awarded ‘Genius Grant’ by MacArthur Foundation, 2022 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine Recipient Jason McLellan, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required): OpenAI, AMD Announce Massive Computing Deal, Marking New Phase of AI Boom, TAMEST Member Lisa T. Su, Ph.D. (NAE), AMD
The Dallas Morning News (Opinion, Subscription Required): Can AI Replace Humans? Workforce Needs Are Evolving with New Technology, The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, TAMEST Honorary Chair
Rice Thresher: Researchers Partner with Lehigh for Disaster Modeling Consortium, 2023 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Engineering Recipient Jamie Padgett, Ph.D., Rice University
Capital Analytics: Spotlight On: Taylor Eighmy, President, The University of Texas at San Antonio, President of The University of Texas at San Antonio Taylor Eighmy, Ph.D.
Forbes: Facebook Made Him a Billionaire. Now This Venture Capitalist is Back with Another Grand Slam, TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference Presenting Sponsor Jim Breyer, Breyer Capital
KENS5: UT San Antonio Testing Technology to Support Future Space Missions to Moon, Mars, The University of Texas at San Antonio and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Member Briefs
Texas A&M University Welcomes Inaugural Chancellor’s National Academy STEM Ph.D. Fellows
The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, directed by TAMEST Member John L. Junkins, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University, has announced the selection of 15 students to join the 2025 Chancellor’s National Academy STEM Ph.D. Fellowship Program. Funded by the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, the program pairs some of the nation’s top students with a graduate committee co-led by a National Academy member and a rising star faculty member. Mentors include TAMEST Members Kyle T. Alfriend, Ph.D. (NAE), Robert O. Ambrose, Ph.D. (NAE), Rodney D.W. Bowersox, Ph.D. (NAE), Donald J. Darensbourg, Ph.D. (NAS), Marcetta Y. Darensbourg, Ph.D. (NAS), Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ph.D. (NAE), Yassin A. Hassan, Ph.D. (NAE), Panganamala R. Kumar, Sc.D. (NAE), Thomas J. Overbye, Ph.D. (NAE), Kenneth S. Ramos, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), A. Catharine Ross, Ph.D. (NAS) and Karen Wooley, Ph.D. (NAS). Read More
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez Receives APHA’s 2025 Sedgwick Memorial Medial for Distinguished Service in Public Health
TAMEST Member Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., (NAM), leader of Salud America! and cancer health researcher at the Mays Cancer Center at UT San Antonio, will receive the 2025 Sedgwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health from the American Public Health Association (APHA). The award recognizes Dr. Ramirez’s work in public health, which spans more than 30 years, and is a powerful testament to the legacy of the late Dr. Sedgwick. Dr. Ramirez and other APHA awards will be honored Monday, Nov. 3, 2026, during APHA’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo in Washington D.C. Read More
Two UT Southwestern Scientists Named Clarivate Citation Laureates
Two UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists – TAMEST Members Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS, FRS) and Michael K. Rosen, Ph.D. (NAS) – have been selected as 2025 Citation Laureates in recognition of work deemed by Clarivate to be of the highest impact. Each year, experts at Clarivate’s Institute for Scientific Information name Citation Laureates based on foundational research papers that rank among the most highly cited in their fields. Since 2002, 83 Citation Laureates have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes. Read More
UH Professors Lead New Joint Effort to Make Offshore Energy Production Safer, Cleaner and More Efficient
The University of Houston is playing a leading role in a new joint effort to make offshore energy production safer, cleaner and more efficient, advancing solutions that could strengthen national energy security while supporting environmental responsibility. Supported by four grants, totaling $1.1 million, from the Ocean Energy Safety Institute, a team of engineers under the direction of TAMEST Board President Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), and George K. Wong, Ph.D., are leading the development of advanced modeling tools to help the energy industry optimize deepwater oil recovery in the Gulf. Read More
NIH Awards More Than $15 Million to Fund Two Rare Diseases Consortia
Baylor College of Medicine has received new funding from the National Institutes of Health for two consortia in the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network: $7.4 million over five years to renew the Brittle Bone Disorders Consortium (BBDC) led by TAMEST Past President Brendan Lee, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), and $8.2 million over five years to launch the Rare Organic Acidemias Research (ROAR) Consortium. Read More
Engineering the Future of Robotics at Texas A&M University
Renowned roboticist TAMEST Member Robert O. Ambrose, Ph.D. (NAE), has brought his technical expertise and dedication to building teams of character at Texas A&M University. Dr. Ambrose’s Robotics and Automation Design (RAD) Lab houses some of the most exciting and innovative robotics research at Texas A&M University from a Robonaut to a giant rolling RoboBall. Read More
OpenStax Surpasses $3 Billion in Student Savings, Grows Beyond Textbooks
OpenStax, an educational initiative founded and directed by TAMEST Member Richard Baraniuk, Ph.D. (NAE), Rice University, announced that it has surpassed $3 billion in cumulative student savings since 2012 — nearly tripling the amount from just four years ago. The milestone underscores the organization’s continued impact on educational access and the growing demand for adaptable, high-quality learning materials. Read More
GURI Award Helps UT Recruit Charles Taylor, Global Leader in AI Health Care Technology
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been awarded a 2025 Governor’s University Research Initiative (GURI) grant to recruit the Director of its new Center for Computational Medicine. TAMEST Member Charles “Charley” Taylor, Ph.D. (NAE), a globally recognized leader in applying artificial intelligence to health care technology to dramatically improve cardiovascular disease diagnosis, joined UT Austin earlier this year with a vision to make Austin a hub for digital health care innovation. Read More
University of Houston Researchers Driving Breakthroughs in Building Longer-Lasting, Faster-Charging Batteries
Researchers at the University of Houston, a global leader in energy research and innovation, are spearheading a study that could transform the future of battery technology. 2025 O’Donnell Award in Engineering Recipient Yan Yao, Ph.D., along with collaborators from Singapore, Zhejiang University and Seoul National University, have published a review in the journal Science eying alternative metals for battery anodes. Read More
Register for the Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations Conference
Register for the “Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations” Conference February 18-20, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas, hosted by the NCI-Designated Mays Cancer Center and TAMEST Member Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH (NAM), The University of Texas at San Antonio. Join top researchers, clinicians, cancer survivors, and community leaders for a comprehensive perspective on cancer health gaps and opportunities. Share your research in our poster session and contribute your experience to translate basic research into clinical best practices, effective community interventions, and professional training programs to improve cancer outcomes for all people. Read More
