Engineering Professor Named The Recipient Of ‘Inspiring the Spirit of Aggieland – The 41 Award’

Rodney Boehm ‘78, associate professor of the practice for Engineering Entrepreneurship, was named the recipient of the Inspiring the Spirit of Aggieland – The 41 Award. The award honoree was announced during “All Our Best,” a donor appreciation event held on March 31, 2023.

The Inspiring the Spirit of Aggieland – The 41 Award recognizes a Texas A&M University faculty or administrator whose leadership, example and character motivate others to share in their impact and exemplify the Aggie core values and the values of President George H.W. Bush. The annual award is made possible through the generous support of Steve ’73 and Linda Vincent.

”I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Rodney Boehm as the recipient of our Inspiring the Spirit of Aggieland – The 41 Award,” said General (ret.) Mark Welsh III, dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service.

“Rodney’s commitment to preparing Texas A&M students for their future careers, along with his entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, exemplifies the kind of leadership that reflects the values of our 41st president, George H.W. Bush. President Bush chose to have the Bush School at Texas A&M because the university’s values were so closely aligned with his own, and Steve ’73 and Linda Vincent envisioned the Inspiring the Spirit of Aggieland – The 41 Award as a reflection of that alignment. I’d like to thank Steve and Linda for their vision and generosity, and thank Rodney for his commitment to students, his incredible work with Aggie Invest, and his tireless efforts to keep the College of Engineering, Texas A&M and Aggies everywhere on a perpetual path forward,” Welsh said.

Nominated by his peers, Boehm was cited for his many contributions toward helping students transition from college to the professional world by playing a key role in a variety of programs, including Aggies Invent, Invent for the Planet, Engineering Project Showcase, Engineering Incubator, The Summer Online Internship Program and pop-up classes. He is an Artie McFerrin ’65 Associate Professor of Practice (2019) and director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program.

“The 41 Award was established to highlight those who embody the selfless service exemplified by President Bush and the core values of Texas A&M University,” noted Boehm. “I am humbled and honored to be considered as one who reflects these same values.”

He added, “I came to Texas A&M for a job, which turned into a mission to encourage students to develop leadership skills that focus on the selfless service President Bush always exemplified. It was not for recognition, but it was the next right thing to do.”

“The Spirit of Aggieland lives on through the generations, inspired by countless Aggies who have ‘walked the walk’ of Texas A&M’s core values. President George H.W. Bush made Texas A&M University his final home because he believed and lived his life with these high ideals as his guide,” said the Vincents.

Boehm earned his B.S. in electrical engineering in 1978 and his M.E. in electrical engineering in 1979 from Texas A&M. After a career in professional engineering for 35 years as design staff at Bell Laboratories, product manager at Rockwell International, sales, marketing, manufacturing at Fujitsu Network Communications, and chief operating officer at GroundForce Building Systems, he returned to Texas A&M in 2014 to grow the entrepreneurship endeavors within the College of Engineering and to launch the Aggies Invent Intensive Design Competition. To date, more than 3,000 students have participated in the Aggies Invent program.