Texas A&M System Names Regents Professors

Seven Texas A&M University faculty members, including one at Texas A&M University at Galveston and two at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, have been designated Regents Professors by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

The board selected a total of 12 faculty members and eight agency service, extension or research professionals within the A&M System as Regents Professors and Regents Fellows, respectively, for 2014-2015.

The seven Texas A&M faculty members are: Nancy M. Amato, College of Engineering; Katrin Hinrichs, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Rafael Lara-Alecio, College of Education and Human Development; William L. Rooney, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Douglas J. Klein, Texas A&M University at Galveston; and Lynne A. Opperman and James E. Samuel, both of the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

Those from other System schools are Paul A. Montagna, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Srinivas Nippani, Texas A&M University-Commerce; William J. Rogers, West Texas A&M University; Premkumar B. Saganti, Prairie View A&M University; and Leslie Stanley-Stevens, Tarleton State University.

“These awards recognize and honor the exemplary accomplishments and contributions of our faculty, extension or research professionals,” said Cliff Thomas, chairman of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. “This year’s recipients include experts in engineering, sociology, marine science, forage management and just about everything in between. Though they vary in focus and location, all of them are vital members of the A&M System family.”

“These individuals exemplify the commitment to excellence in research and service that sets A&M System employees apart,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M System. “Our System is made up of outstanding people who do incredible work on behalf of the people and the state of Texas. I am grateful to all of them every day, and particularly to this group that really represents the best of the best.”

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

Recipients of the Regents Fellow Service Award are: Kelly B. Dixon, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service; Carol A. Huff, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station; Thomas H. Marek, Texas A&M AgriLife Research; William E. Oates, Texas A&M Forest Service; J.D. Ragland, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Larry A. Redmon, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Raghavan Srinivasan, Texas A&M AgriLife Research; and Katherine F. Turnbull, Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The selection process for the awards begins with a call for nominations from the chancellor, after which an internal selection committee is formed within each institution or agency. Final nominations are put forth to the chief executive officer of each respective entity. They are then subject to a System-level review consisting of academic vice chancellors and past recipients of the awards. Finally, nominations are forwarded to the chancellor and the board for final approval.

To date, 201 Texas A&M System faculty members have been recognized with the Regents Professor Award and 118 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 $4.2 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, seven state agencies, two service units and a comprehensive health science center, the A&M System educates more than 137,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, externally funded research expenditures exceed $932 million and help drive the state’s economy.