Who We Are - TAMEST

About TAMEST

TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology) was co-founded in 2004 by the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison and Nobel Laureates Michael S. Brown, M.D., and Richard E. Smalley, Ph.D. With more than 330 members, 9 Nobel Laureates and 22 member institutions, TAMEST is composed of Texas-based members of the three National Academies (National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences) and other honorific organizations. We bring together the state’s brightest minds in medicine, engineering, science and technology to foster collaboration, and to advance research, innovation and business in Texas.

TAMEST’s unique interdisciplinary model has become an effective recruitment tool for top research and development centers across Texas. Since our founding, more than 250 TAMEST members have been inducted into the National Academies or recruited to Texas.

TAMEST Board Past President Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH (NAM), speaking at the TAMEST 2020 Annual Conference: Innovating Texas—Research to Commercialization.

TAMEST Board of Directors

Brendan Lee, M.D., Ph.D., President

Professor and Chair of Molecular and Human Genetics
Robert and Janice McNair Endowed Chair in Molecular and Human Genetics
Baylor College of Medicine
NAM Member

Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D., Vice President

Distinguished Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Director of UH Energy Industrial Partnerships
University of Houston
President, Thakur Services, Inc.
NAE Member

David E. Daniel, Ph.D., Past President

President Emeritus
The University of Texas at Dallas
NAE Member

Cheryl Lyn Walker, Ph.D., Treasurer

Director, Center for Precision Environmental Health
Professor, Departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
NAM Member

Selda Gunsel, Ph.D., Treasurer-Elect

Vice President, Global Commercial Technology
Global Commercial Technology (US)
Shell Projects and Technology (U.S.)
NAE Member

Helen Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D., Secretary

Professor, Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
NAM Member

Bonnie Bartel, Ph.D.

Ralph and Dorothy Looney Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Department of Biosciences
Rice University
NAS Member

Pallab K. Chatterjee, Ph.D.

Chairman
3Lines Venture Capital
NAE Member

Chau-Chyun Chen, Sc.D.

Jack Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair in Sustainable Energy
Department of Chemical Engineering
Texas Tech University
NAE Member

Lora Hooper, Ph.D.

Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Immunology and Investigator, HHMI
UT Southwestern Medical Center
NAM, NAS Member

José N. Onuchic, Ph.D.

Co-Director, Center for Theoretical Biological Physics
Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics
Rice University
NAS Member

Kim Orth, Ph.D.

W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research
Earl A. Forsythe Chair in Biomedical Science
UT Southwestern Medical Center
NAS Member

Sara N. Ortwein

Former President, XTO Energy
ExxonMobil (retired)
NAE Member

Roderic Pettigrew, M.D., Ph.D.

CEO, EnHealth, Texas A&M Health and Texas A&M University College of Engineering

Robert A. Welch Professor and Inaugural Dean for EnMed, Colleges of Medicine, Engineering, Texas A&M University, and Houston Methodist Hospital

NAM, NAE Member

Marlan O. Scully, Ph.D.

Burgess Distinguished Professor, TEES Distinguished Research Professor
Director, Institute for Quantum Studies
Texas A&M University
NAS Member

Honorary Chair

The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison

Former United States Senator, 1993-2013
Former United States Permanent Representative to NATO, 2017-2021

Founding Co-chair

Michael S. Brown, M.D.

UT Southwestern Medical Center
Nobel Laureate, 1985
NAM, NAS Member

Founding Co-chair – In Memorium

Richard E. Smalley, Ph.D.

Rice University
Nobel Laureate, 1996
NAS Member

TAMEST Member Institutions

As Texas continues to attract more and more top-tier scientists and researchers, the number of TAMEST member institutions also continues to grow. TAMEST member institutions are research universities and medical centers in the state with TAMEST members or designated as Carnegie R1 Research Institutions and Carnegie Special Focus Four-Year Research Institutions. Member institutions partner with TAMEST on strategic initiatives and receive benefits in our annual meeting, mentoring programs and other initiatives.

Annual dues from these member institutions is a crucial resource for TAMEST’s mission. TAMEST recognizes the following institutions for their generous support:

Presidents and Chancellors

Member institutions are Texas universities where TAMEST Members hold positions on the faculty or administration. The presidents and chancellors of these institutions who are not National Academies members are affiliate members of TAMEST.