H.R. No. 111
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. R. Bowen Loftin is stepping down as president of
Texas A&M University on January 13, 2014, and returning to the
classroom; and
WHEREAS, During his tenure, Dr. Loftin has made involvement
with students a priority, and he has distinguished himself
throughout a period of research advancement and record enrollment
growth; he provided skillful guidance in a number of major changes,
including membership in the Southeastern Conference for
intercollegiate athletics, and he has overseen the merger with the
Texas A&M Health Science Center and the acquisition of a law school;
he has created a strong working relationship with A&M students,
always putting them first, engaging with them through social media,
and agreeing to meet with any student on request; he is a familiar
presence on campus, where his trademark bow tie has begun to set a
new standard of attire; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Loftin was appointed president in February 2010,
following eight months as interim president; previously, he served
for four years as a system vice president and as chief executive
officer of Texas A&M University at Galveston, and he was a professor
of maritime systems engineering as well; he joined the A&M system
from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was a
professor of computer science and of electrical and computer
engineering; in addition, he was the director of the Virginia
Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center; earlier in his career,
he was employed by the University of Houston as professor and chair
of the Department of Computer Science and director of the NASA
Virtual Environments Research Institute; and
WHEREAS, A prominent expert in his field, Dr. Loftin is
frequently called upon as a consultant by both industry and
government in the areas of homeland security, advanced training
technologies, scientific and engineering data visualization, and
modeling and simulation; he is the author or coauthor of more than
100 technical publications, and he serves on numerous governmental
and academic advisory committees and panels; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed educator is a member of the Aggie
Class of '71 and a graduate of the physics program at A&M, and he
holds master's and doctoral degrees in physics from Rice
University; through the years, he has received myriad accolades,
among them two Excellence in Teaching and Service awards from the
University of Houston-Downtown and an American Association of
Artificial Intelligence Award for an innovative application of
artificial intelligence; moreover, NASA honored him with its 1995
Invention of the Year Award, Public Service Medal, and Space Act
Award; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to teaching and research, Dr. Loftin will
continue to serve A&M as a tenured professor in the Department of
Industrial and Systems Engineering; plans are also under way for
his establishment of an institute at the university focusing on
advanced simulation in human behavioral modeling; and
WHEREAS, Bowen Loftin has immeasurably benefited Texas A&M
University through his able leadership and steadfast commitment to
Aggie core values, and as he embarks on the next exciting phase of
his noteworthy career, he may indeed reflect with pride on his
accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commend Dr. R. Bowen Loftin
for his service as president of Texas A&M University and extend to
him sincere best wishes for continued success in his endeavors;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Loftin as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Raney Anderson Raney Anderson
Raney Anderson
Workman Kacal Workman Kacal
Workman Kacal
Dukes Ashby Dukes Ashby
Dukes Ashby
Bohac Bonnen of Galveston Bohac Bonnen of Galveston
Bohac Bonnen of Galveston
Crownover Guillen Crownover Guillen
Crownover Guillen
King of Zavala Otto King of Zavala Otto
King of Zavala Otto
Wu Wu
Wu
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 111 was adopted by the House on July
25, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Raney Anderson
Workman Kacal
Dukes Ashby
Bohac Bonnen of Galveston
Crownover Guillen
King of Zavala Otto
Wu