RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 14, 2004) — The alumni association of The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will honor three outstanding former students at a dinner Oct. 30 culminating the organization’s annual alumni weekend festivities.
Recipients were chosen based on their leadership and achievements in various endeavors. Their contributions can be felt in the sciences, business and in the civic arena. Past honorees include NASA Astronaut Dr. Jim Reilly and Albert C. Black, Jr., CEO of On-Target Supplies & Logistics.
This year’s recipients of the UTD alumni award are:
- Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman — ’86 Ph.D., School of Human Development (now the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences). Chapman is director of UTD’s Center for BrainHealth and is a professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. She is a nationally and internationally sought-after speaker on the topic of understanding, protecting and healing the human brain.
- Charles R. Matthews — ’94 B.A., School of General Studies. Matthews is the 40th Railroad Commissioner of the State of Texas. In November 2000, he was re-elected to a second term, receiving the highest number of votes of any commissioner in the state’s history.
- James Von Ehr — ‘81 M.S., School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Von Ehr is founder and CEO of Zyvex Corporation, a leading company in the field of nanotechnology. Von Ehr endowed the James Von Ehr Chair of Science and Technology at UTD, which is held by Nobel Laureate Dr. Alan MacDiarmid, and he is an invited member of the Nanotechnology Advisory Group to President Bush’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Alumni weekend, held annually on the last Saturday in October, provides an opportunity for UTD graduates to gather, honor their alma mater and see how the university has changed and grown. Graduates from the classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994 and 1999 will be recognized at this year’s celebration.
This year’s activities will include lectures and tours of new campus facilities. Academic departments representing UTD’s seven schools, as well as Callier Center Richardson, will provide mini classes and lectures and hold other functions throughout the day. In the evening, attendees will be able to participate in a silent auction and raffle benefiting the alumni endowed scholarship and attend the dinner recognizing the achievement award recipients.
Also this year, the alumni association will celebrate UTD’s 35th anniversary as part of the U. T. System. Originally the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest, UTD later changed its name to the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies before it became The University of Texas at Dallas and part of the U. T. System on Sept. 1, 1969.
For more information about alumni weekend, please call (972) 883-2328.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.