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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Dr. John W. Tunnell Jr. has been named the recipient |
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| 6 | 7 | | of the Coastal Conservation Association Lifetime Achievement |
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| 7 | 8 | | Award; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A prominent marine biologist and ecologist, "Wes" |
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| 9 | 10 | | Tunnell focuses particularly on coastal and coral reef ecosystems, |
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| 10 | 11 | | oil spills in the marine environment, and biodiversity in the Gulf |
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| 11 | 12 | | of Mexico; he has studied the banks off South Texas since the late |
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| 12 | 13 | | 1960s, when he was a graduate student in biology; after completing |
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| 13 | 14 | | his doctoral degree at Texas A&M University, he joined the |
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| 14 | 15 | | TAMU--Corpus Christi faculty in 1974, and 10 years later, he |
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| 15 | 16 | | founded its first science research center, the Center for Coastal |
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| 16 | 17 | | Studies, and became its director; he later assisted in the |
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| 17 | 18 | | development of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico |
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| 18 | 19 | | Studies as founding associate director; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Tunnell was named TAMU--CC's first Regents |
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| 20 | 21 | | Professor in 1998, and in 2015, he was accorded professor emeritus |
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| 21 | 22 | | status; he continues to work half-time at HRI, where he holds an |
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| 22 | 23 | | endowed chair in biodiversity and conservation science and serves |
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| 23 | 24 | | as general editor of the institute's book series; he also serves as |
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| 24 | 25 | | general editor of the TAMU--CC Gulf Coast Books series and as |
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| 25 | 26 | | curator of marine biology for the Houston Museum of Natural |
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| 26 | 27 | | Science; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, In the wake of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, |
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| 28 | 29 | | Dr. Tunnell was called upon to gauge how long it would take the Gulf |
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| 29 | 30 | | and its shrimp, fish, crabs, and oysters to fully recover; his |
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| 30 | 31 | | report was used to calculate distributions from the $20 billion |
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| 31 | 32 | | fund established to compensate victims of the disaster; over the |
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| 32 | 33 | | course of his career, Dr. Tunnell has secured more than 150 grants |
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| 33 | 34 | | and contracts for the support of marine research, and he has |
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| 34 | 35 | | authored or coauthored 7 books, some 70 technical reports, and over |
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| 35 | 36 | | 100 scholarly articles and book chapters; he has also advised a host |
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| 36 | 37 | | of graduate students, developed and taught numerous courses, and |
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| 37 | 38 | | assisted in the development of eight degree programs and seven |
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| 38 | 39 | | graduate student scholarships; in 2016, the Harte Charitable |
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| 39 | 40 | | Foundation created the Dr. Wes Tunnell Gulf of Mexico Fellowship |
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| 40 | 41 | | Program in his honor; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Wes Tunnell has made enormous contributions to |
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| 42 | 43 | | our understanding and appreciation of the Gulf of Mexico and to |
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| 43 | 44 | | environmental conservation, and he is richly deserving of this most |
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| 44 | 45 | | recent accolade; now, therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 46 | 47 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Wes Tunnell on his receipt of |
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| 47 | 48 | | the Coastal Conservation Association Lifetime Achievement Award |
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| 48 | 49 | | and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be |
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| 49 | 50 | | it further |
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| 50 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 51 | 52 | | prepared for Dr. Tunnell as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 52 | 53 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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