TAMEST Member News Roundup – September 2026
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
KHOU: Texas Has Its Sights on a Major New Federal Project — and Houston is Part of the Strategy, TAMEST Member and TAMEST 2027 Annual Conference Technology Co-Chair Robert O. Ambrose, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University; 2025 TAMEST Research Workshop Speaker Nancy Currie-Gregg, Ph.D., Texas A&M University; and The University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson, Ph.D.
Dallas Innovates: Lyda Hill Philanthropies, TAMEST Award $1M More to Six Texas Researchers, 2025 Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award Recipient Lyda Hill and Lyda Hill Philanthropies and TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology)
U.S. Department of Energy: How Twisting Two-Dimensional Materials Led to a New Field of Research, TAMEST 2027 Annual Conference Speaker, 2024 Hill Prize in Physical Sciences Recipient and TAMEST Member Allan H. MacDonald, Ph.D. (NAS), The University of Texas at Austin
OncoDaily: The Future is Near. Can We Finally Stop Cancer Resistance?, TAMEST Member and Hill Prize in Commercialization, Innovation and Technology Subcommittee Chair Lynda Chin, M.D. (NAM), Apricity Health
The Daily Texan: UT Austin Program Brings Ph.D. Students from Portuguese Universities to Austin, TAMEST Member Nicholas A. Peppas, Sc.D. (NAM, NAE), The University of Texas at Austin
Center Times Plus: Eric Olson Strikes Inspiring Chords in Musical Keynote at Graduate School Commencement, TAMEST Member Eric Olson, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center
Esri: From Mapping to Prediction: Seeing the Flood Before It Arrives, TAMEST Member David R. Maidment, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin
Photonics: Fluorescence Makes Surgical Insight Shareable, TAMEST Member Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D. (NAM, NAE), UT Southwestern Medical Center
Soil Stars: Meet the Stars, 2021 O’Donnell Award in Technology Innovation Recipient Christian A. Davies, Ph.D., Shell
Texas Monthly: Texas Biomed Joins the Fight to Stop Screwworm, Texas Biomedical Research Institute President Larry Schlesinger, M.D.
Member Briefs
Masashi Yanagisawa Receives Lasker Award for Discovery that Transformed Narcolepsy Care
The Lasker Foundation has announced that TAMEST Member Masashi Yanagisawa, M.D., Ph.D. (NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center, is a recipient of the 2026 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for his discovery of orexin, a brain peptide that maintains wakefulness, and demonstration that the absence of its action is responsible for narcolepsy, a profound disorder of sleep. Often called “America’s Nobels,” the Lasker Awards, established in 1945 by Albert and Mary Woodard Lasker, recognize significant advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of human disease and are regarded as the country’s preeminent biomedical research prize. Read More
Royal Academy of Engineering Welcomes 75 New Fellows
The Royal Academy of Engineering elected 75 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology to its Fellowship, including TAMEST Board Treasurer Selda Gunsel, Ph.D. (NAE, FREng), Shell; TAMEST Member Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS, FRS, FREng), Rice University/University of California, Berkeley; and TAMEST Member Moshe Y. Vardi, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS, FRS, FREng), Rice University. This year’s new Fellows, announced in the year of the Academy’s 50th anniversary, are making an incredible impact across engineering and technology with innovations in clean energy, AI, medicine and public health. Read More
2026 Pediatric to Adult Cardio AI Conference: Digital Twins
Explore how AI, machine learning, advanced imaging and digital twin technologies are transforming pediatric and adult cardiovascular care. Learn practical strategies for implementation, discover what comes next for cardiac intelligence and connect with pioneering researchers and clinicians, including TAMEST 2027 Annual Conference Medicine Co-Chair and TAMEST Member Charles “Charley” Taylor, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin. Read More
Kaushik Rajashekara Elected as a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences
TAMEST Member and Hill Prize in Engineering Subcommittee Member Kaushik Rajashekara, Ph.D. (NAE), University of Houston, has been elected as a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) for his contributions to electrification of transportation and renewable energy. The mission of EurASc is to promote excellence in scientific research and technological innovation, fostering fundamental and interdisciplinary science as the foundation of progress and societal development. Read More
Villanova University Awards Mendel Medal to Renowned Molecular Geneticist Huda Zoghbi
Villanova University has named TAMEST Member and Nobel and Breakthrough Prize Laureates Committee Member Huda Y. Zoghbi, M.D. (NAM, NAS), Baylor College of Medicine, as the 2026 recipient of the Mendel Medal. Dr. Zoghbi’s pioneering research has advanced understanding of the genetic causes of neurological disorders, with significant implications for the development of new treatments. She is the 55th recipient of the award, which was first presented by Villanova in 1929 and is given to outstanding contemporary scientists in recognition of their accomplishments. Read More
Rice Celebrates Lydia Kavraki and Rebecca Richards-Kortum for Rare ‘Triple Crown’ Achievement
Rice University celebrated TAMEST Member and Hill Prize in Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee Chair Lydia E. Kavraki, Ph.D. (NAM, NAE, NAS) and TAMEST Member Rebecca Richards‑Kortum, Ph.D. (NAM, NAE, NAS), on Aug. 27 for an achievement shared by fewer than 35 researchers nationwide. Dr. Kavraki and Dr. Richards-Kortum are the first two members in TAMEST and Rice history to be elected to all three U.S. national academies — the National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences. Read More
University of Houston Superconductivity Expert Named Big 12 Faculty of the Year
In recognition of pioneering research and advances in the field of superconductivity, TAMEST Member Venkat Selvamanickam, Ph.D. (NAE), University of Houston, has received the Big 12 Faculty of the Year award. The honor is a testament to Dr. Selvamanickam’s influential research, which has helped modernize electric grids, strengthen energy resilience and advance next-generation energy technologies, while underscoring University of Houston’s growing national leadership in energy innovation. Read More
Raghu Kalluri Joins UTMB as Cancer Center Leader, Chief Scientific Officer
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has appointed 2026 Hill Prize in Medicine Recipient Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D., as Senior Vice President, Executive Director of the UTMB Cancer Center and Chief Scientific Officer. An internationally recognized cancer researcher, Dr. Kalluri joins UTMB from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he served as Professor and Chair of Cancer Biology and Director of the Metastasis Research Center. Read More
Researchers Discover Extraordinary Immune Gene Diversity in Atlantic Herring
Atlantic herring travel in massive schools that can contain hundreds of millions — and sometimes even billions — of fish. While this abundance is characteristic for one of the most successful vertebrates on Earth, it also creates ideal conditions for viruses, bacteria and parasites to spread. Now, an international team of researchers, including TAMEST Member Leif Andersson, Ph.D. (NAS), Texas A&M University, has discovered that Atlantic herring have an extraordinary level of diversity in a group of immune genes that help recognize invading pathogens. Read More
Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations: 2026 Conference Proceedings
TAMEST Member Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H. (NAM), The University of Texas at San Antonio, partnered with the Mays Cancer Center to create the Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations (ACRLP) biennial conference series. On Feb. 18–20, 2026, the newest ACRLP conference welcomed more than 350 prominent researchers, physicians, health care professionals, patient advocates and students from across the globe to address cancer among Latinos and all people in San Antonio, Texas. Read More
Texas Engineer Michael Webber Wins McGraw Prize in Education
TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference Engineering Co-Chair Michael Webber, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, has been named one of three recipients of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, one of the field’s most prestigious honors. A nationally recognized professor of mechanical engineering and public policy, Dr. Webber helps policymakers, industry leaders and the public understand complex energy and environmental issues. Read More
2026 Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Symposium Brings Together University and Industry Leaders
Current and former university leaders gathered with industry professionals for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center’s annual Energy Symposium. The all-day event brought together experts from across the industry to discuss the most pressing issues in energy, including the future of traditional and emerging sectors, accelerating energy demand, artificial intelligence and the race for energy security. The program began with an introduction by the center’s founding member, TAMEST Honorary Chair and former U.S. Senator The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison. Read More
The O’Donnell Foundation – A Legacy of Changing the World
After nearly seven decades of extraordinary impact and investments in transformational causes in Texas and around the world, the O’Donnell Foundation is sunsetting in alignment with the wishes of its late founders, Edith (B.A. ’48, UT Distinguished Alumnus Award winner) and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Read More
