88R12592 TBO-D
By: A. Johnson of Harris H.R. No. 256
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas Killian of Rice University has been named
a 2023 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science; and
WHEREAS, AAAS is the world's largest general scientific
society and the publisher of the respected journal Science, and
each year since 1874, the organization has recognized exceptional
scientists, engineers, and innovators through its fellowship
program; among the highest honors in the scientific community, the
AAAS fellowship is awarded to less than one percent of the
organization's members; and
WHEREAS, The dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and
a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, Dr. Thomas
Killian studies ultracold atoms and plasmas, and the exploration
lays the foundation for emerging technological advances in
timekeeping, navigation, and quantum computing and allows for such
precise control of atoms that their motion can be used as tools for
modeling of inaccessible systems such as the cores of stars; and
WHEREAS, Since joining Rice University, Dr. Killian has held
many leadership roles, including deputy speaker of the Faculty
Senate and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and he
is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a recipient of the
David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and
Engineering and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship;
in addition to his academic work, he cofounded the company
ChemoSen3D to commercialize bio-printing and three-dimensional
cell-culturing technology for research and pharmaceutical
applications; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Killian holds an undergraduate degree in
physics from Harvard University, a master's degree in physical
chemistry from Cambridge University, and a doctorate in atomic
physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; he
completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology; and
WHEREAS, Thomas Killian has distinguished himself as a
leading authority in his field, and his election as an AAAS Fellow
represents an impressive milestone in his career and a fitting
tribute to his invaluable contributions to the body of scientific
knowledge; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Thomas Killian on being named a
2023 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success
in his important work; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Killian as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.