85R12323 JGH-D
By: Paul H.R. No. 665
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. William A. Staples is retiring as president of
the University of Houston-Clear Lake in August 2017, drawing to a
close a notable career in education that has spanned nearly four
decades; and
WHEREAS, William Staples joined the UHCL faculty in 1979 as
an associate professor of marketing, and he went on to serve as a
professor of marketing, program director, and associate dean and
dean of the School of Business; and
WHEREAS, In 1995, Dr. Staples became the university's fourth
president, and over the course of his exemplary 22-year tenure, he
has overseen the transition of UHCL to a four-year university, the
establishment of health care programs at the Texas Medical Center,
the launch of three doctoral programs, a 110 percent increase in
endowments, and the opening of the school's Pearland campus in
2010; and
WHEREAS, Under his leadership, the school has earned the
Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award from the
American Association of State Colleges and Universities and an
award for community engagement from the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching; in 2014, UHCL was named to the President's
Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation
for National and Community Service, and in 2016 and 2017, the school
was ranked as one of the Best Regional Universities in the West by
U.S. News and World Report; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Staples has served as board chair of the Bay
Area Houston Economic Partnership and the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools and as a board member for Communities in
Schools Bay Area and the Armand Bayou Nature Center, among others;
he has been recognized with the NASA Public Service Medal, the
Quasar Award for Economic Development Excellence, and the George B.
Carlisle Distinguished Service Award from the Clear Creek Education
Foundation; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed administrator's dedication,
expertise, and leadership have greatly benefited UHCL and earned
him the respect and admiration of its students, faculty, and staff,
and he may indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent as he
embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. William A. Staples on his
retirement as president of the University of Houston-Clear Lake and
extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Staples as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.