NEWS RELEASE
November 2, 2012

18 professors and fellows receive Regents Awards

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents today designated 11 professors and seven fellows within the A&M System as Regents Professor or Regents Fellow for 2011-12.

“These awards are an opportunity for us to recognize the outstanding work our faculty and staff are doing throughout the A&M System,” said Dr. Richard A. Box, chairman of the Board of Regents. “The recipients come from different backgrounds and areas of expertise, but the common thread they have is their dedication to their professions and the A&M System.”

“We have so many outstanding people working for the A&M System and these awards are a way to honor the special men and women for all that they do for the people of Texas,” said John Sharp, chancellor of the A&M System. “Some of these recipients are researchers, some are teachers and all are examples of the innovations and excellence that makes the A&M System so special.”

The Board established the Regents Professor Award program in 1996 and Regents Fellow Service Award program in 1998 to recognize employees who have made exemplary contributions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas.

This year’s recipients of the Regents Professor Award are: Dr. Michael J. Benedik, Texas A&M University; Dr. Leonard L. Berry, Texas A&M and the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC); Dr. Peter H. Buschang, TAMHSC; Dr. Delbert M. Gatlin III, Texas A&M and Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Dr. Joe W. Gillespie, Tarleton State University; Dr. Jim Lee, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Dr. Bao-An Li, Texas A&M University-Commerce; Dr. Kathleen Rees, Texas A&M University-Kingsville; Dr. John R. Schwarz, Texas A&M University at Galveston; Dr. Valerie E. Taylor, Texas A&M and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES); and Dr. David Zawieja, TAMHSC.

Recipients of the Regents Fellow Service Award are: John A. Coppernoll, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service; George L. Gonzales, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Paul F. Hannemann, Texas A&M Forest Service; Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, AgriLife Extension; Dr. Ari M. Michelsen, AgriLife Research; Dr. Jackie C. Rudd, AgriLife Research; and Dr. Gerald L. Ullman, Texas A&M Transportation Institute;

To date, 166 A&M System faculty members have been recognized with the Regents Professor Award and 96 agency professionals have received the Regents Fellow Service Award.

About the A&M System
The A&M System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $3.5 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, seven state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the A&M System educates more than 120,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. Externally funded research expenditures exceed $780 million and help drive the state’s economy.

Contact: Steven B. Moore  
(979) 458-6023
Syscomm@tamus.edu