Minnette
Bilbo
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Year Awarded: 2016
Minnette Bilbo is the business administrator in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. She joined the Texas A&M University staff in 1975 and has held progressively responsible positions throughout her 41 years with the university. Her nominator wrote that there are many ways in which her service and ability exceed the usual duties of her job and emphasized that one of her most valuable assets is “her nearly encyclopedic knowledge” of all aspects of business in the department. “There are hundreds of accounts and sub-accounts under the Department of Physics and Astronomy and she knows what all of them are and to whom they are assigned.” In addition, she is known as “a master of all Texas A&M’s various procedures: Concur, Aggie-Buy (and now BAM).” But the hallmark of Ms. Bilbo’s service to the department is her willingness and ability to work with principal investigators (PIs). The department has 72 faculty members, so the number of PIs is large. She works with each one to carefully organize their array of funding streams to maximize productivity. Ms. Bilbo is also the supervisor for other staff members who coordinate purchasing, travel, and payroll. But she is no ordinary supervisor. She is a master of all the functions that report to her and gladly steps in to fill the gap if a member of her team is out. Ms. Bilbo’s management makes the most difficult staffing days appear to be “business as usual.” In addition, she is very involved in the department’s outreach program, the Physics and Engineering Festival. During the festival, the department hosts about 4,000 visitors for a full day of hands-on demonstrations and talks. Such a program works only because of the large number of student, faculty, and staff volunteers. Ms. Bilbo organizes food for the volunteers and handles countless other logistical details. In sum, her supporters agree that “Ms. Bilbo has a profound dedication to Aggieland.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Staff
Wade
Birch
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Year Awarded: 1997
College: Student Services
Award Level: Staff
Gladys
Bishop
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Year Awarded: 1969
College: Staff
Award Level: Student Relations
Wesley
Bissett '97
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Year Awarded: 2016
Wesley Bissett is an associate professor of food animal medicine and director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) in the Department of Veterinary Large Animal Clinical Services. He earned his D.V.M. and his Ph.D. in microbiology from Texas A&M. Before joining the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVM) in 2000, he was in private practice. Following the experiences of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the campus and region, Dr. Bissett began to focus on disaster preparedness and response. He became a leader in the CVM’s new initiative to respond to animal issues during emergencies and disasters. In 2009, Hurricane Ike struck Texas and initiated the formation of the VET at the request of the Texas Animal Health Commission and Division of Emergency Management. Dr. Bissett has been the Director of the VET since its inception and has presided over the development of a 38-person team with assets valued in excess of $2 million. In addition, he has led the development of the nation’s first required clinical rotation in emergency preparedness and response. Dr. Bissett and his team of volunteer faculty, staff, and students have been deployed to provide aid following the 2011 Bastrop Complex Wildfire, a 2012 Brazos Country Alzheimer’s patient search, the 2013 West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion, the 2014 response to the Dallas-Ft. Worth Ebola Outbreak, and the 2015 Wimberley Floods. The deployments have provided an exceptional educational experience for students while simultaneously serving the citizens of Texas. The impact the VET has on students revolves around the understanding that Aggies are committed to selfless service. The chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management summed up, writing that rarely “has one person in the emergency management community inspired so many to be better for the greater good than Dr. Bissett.”
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Extension, Outreach, Continuing Ed, & Prof Dev
Shirley
Black
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Year Awarded: 1983
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Terry
Blanchard
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Year Awarded: 2001
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Teaching
Ron
Blatchley
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Year Awarded: 1983
College: Student Affairs
Award Level: Student Relations
Harold
Boas
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Year Awarded: 1996
College: Education and Human Development
Award Level: Research
Harold
Boas
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Year Awarded: 2010
College: College of Science
Award Level: Teaching
Charlene
Boggus
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Year Awarded: 2013
Charlene Boggus earned an associate’s degree from Brazosport College. She came to Texas A&M in 1987. While here, she has received a number of awards, including selection as a Fish Camp Namesake, the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, the Dr. John J. Koldus Advisor Award, and the President’s Meritorious Service Award.
Her nominators write that she epitomizes excellence in all her interactions with the Aggie family on a day-to-day basis: greeting prospective students and their parents, answering multitudes of questions, providing administrative support to faculty and advisors, managing 20 New Student Conferences a year, and serving as the advisor to a student organization. Students in the department know that Mrs. Boggus is ALWAYS there for them. Her department head says that she walks the extra mile for them on a daily basis. If there are students are in the hospital, she takes time to stop by to visit them. If they are ill at home, she calls to check on them. Although she is often more of a comfort to parents than the students, parents know that they can depend on her to “watch out” for their children when they can’t be there. A faculty member says she’s a mentor, counselor, friend, advisor, and sometimes your “mom away from home.” She greets each student and co-worker with a smile and treats the students’ concerns as if they were her own. She truly cares about people.
Her department head concludes, “Charlene Boggus is the glue that holds together the undergraduate program in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications. She is our front line person and she always has a smile, the answers, and the helping attitude.”
College: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications
Award Level: Staff
J.L.
Boone
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Year Awarded: 1965
College: Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Robert
Boone
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Year Awarded: 1981
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Staff
Wendy
Boswell
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Year Awarded: 2017
Wendy Boswell, professor and holder of the Jerry and Kay Cox Endowed Chair in Business, joined the faculty of the Mays Business School in 2000. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Resource Studies from Cornell University. Dr. Boswell’s research focuses on employee turnover and retention, job search behavior, and the interface between work and non-work. Her research has produced more than fifty journal publications. Her work has been cited more than 5,800 times. She co-authored a scholarly book titled Management in the Workplace: Prevention and Resolution (Blackwell Publishing) and has published ten book chapters. Dr. Boswell is a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the American Psychological Association and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Academy of Management, where she served as chair of the Human Resources Division. She has received the Dr. Ricky W. Griffin Research Award from the Mays Business School as well as the Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management Review. She serves on editorial boards of several leading academic journals and is currently an associate editor for Personnel Psychology. Previously, she was an associate editor for the Journal of Management and for Human Resource Management. At Mays Business School, she has served as director of the Center for Human Resource Management, the management Ph.D. program, and the Master of Science in Human Resource Management Program. “I consider Dr. Boswell to be one of the foremost authorities on the topic of employee job search behavior,” a colleague at Michigan State University wrote. A peer at Ohio State University wrote, “She has established an international reputation in her field based on her exceptional scholarly achievements that are impressive in both quantity and quality.”
College: Department of Management
Award Level: Research
Nathan
Bracher
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Year Awarded: 1999
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Christian
Brannstrom
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Year Awarded: 2017
Christian Brannstrom, professor of geography, is associate dean for academic affairs and director of environmental programs in the College of Geosciences. He joined the Texas A&M faculty in 2003 after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and teaching at the University of London and California State University, Long Beach. He is a broadly trained geographer who specializes in human-environment interaction, that is, the relationships, both positive and negative, that people have with the environments in which they live. His colleagues say that what is special and noteworthy about Dr. Brannstrom is the way he integrates his research with teaching in an exciting way that involves students in cutting-edge discoveries. His research focus on social and political aspects of renewable energy and unconventional fossil fuels in Texas and environmental governance in Brazil provides the opportunity to involve students in innovative field work both in Texas and abroad. He regularly takes students to Sweetwater to study wind farms and to South Texas to examine the landscapes of fracking. Since 2005, he has led 11 study abroad courses in Brazil, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. A former student remarked that Dr. Brannstrom “is a walking encyclopedia in all things related to energy and Latin America, and, most importantly, …an astonishing educator.” Another student wrote, “Dr. Brannstrom completely opened my eyes to the world of fieldwork and research. The [study abroad] program included hands-on data collection and interviewing methods needed to map Latin American city structure and land-use.” She concluded, “Clearly he desires the success of his students….” and strives “To develop leaders of character dedicated to serving the greater good.”
College: Department of Geography
Award Level: Teaching
Cheryl
Bridges
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Year Awarded: 2012
Cheryl Bridges joined the Mays Business School in 2003 as associate director of the Center for Retailing Studies (CRS), and as the instructor for a course in retail merchandising. Mrs. Bridges holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University.
Before joining the Aggie family, she spent more than 25 years as a senior executive in the retailing industry. Throughout her career, Mrs. Bridges was commended for her ability to train future executives, many of whom are now at the CEO and vice president levels of major corporations. This love of teaching coupled with her retailing experience led her to Texas A&M and the Mays Business School.
As a member of the faculty in the Department of Marketing, Mrs. Bridges enjoys a reputation as an outstanding teacher who upholds high academic standards, is demanding of her students, and demonstrates a high level of commitment, dedication, and passion for teaching. She is also known to be remarkably effective in motivating students to be eager and committed learners. Her students say she is a gifted teacher, who really helps her students to understand not only the course material but how it applies to the real world of retailing. Her level of enthusiasm is amazing and it is clear to see that she loves what she is teaching.
In a letter of support, one of her colleagues says, “Cheryl Bridges is the consummate educator. Blessed with a high level of intelligence and with twenty five years of industry experience, Cheryl is absolutely wonderful in the classroom and as a resource for students. She always has time for students and takes advantage of every opportunity to teach.” Summing up, he writes “From her own outstanding classroom teaching to the outstanding teaching she provides from retail executives, the retailing education our students receive is unmatched anywhere in the world.”
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
Mary
Broussard
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Year Awarded: 1999
College: Undergraduate Programs
Award Level: Student Relations
Kirk
Brown
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Year Awarded: 1990
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
Lawrence
Brown
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Year Awarded: 2000
College: Science
Award Level: Teaching
Meta
Brown
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Year Awarded: 1964
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
Edgar
Browning
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Year Awarded: 1995
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Research
William
Bryant
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Year Awarded: 2007
William R. Bryant, Professor of Oceanography in the College of Geosciences, has been with Texas A&M University for a total of 44 years. During this time, he has held positions such as Research Scientist, Assistant, Associate, and full Professor. He served as Oceanography Department Head from 1998-2000. Dr. Bryant received his Masters and Doctors degrees at the University of Chicago after serving in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.
Dr. Bryant's students have a genuine admiration and respect for him personally, as well as for his efforts on their behalf both in and out of the classroom. He is unassuming and approachable and always willing to talk with and spend time helping students and other geologists. Dr. Bryant has also helped elevate the teaching of other faculty members. He generously provides materials and suggestions to younger faculty to help them improve their teaching. This type of mentoring truly makes a difference to the younger faculty and ultimately enhances the education of their students. Bill's example fosters a general spirit of goodwill and cooperation within his department.
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
William
Bryant
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Year Awarded: 1982
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Research
William
Bryant
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Year Awarded: 2001
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Teaching
Vaughn
Bryant, Jr.
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Year Awarded: 1974
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching