UT Dallas Awards Gala

UT Dallas Awards Gala Honorees

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Portrait of Gorden Cheng BS’03

Gorden Cheng BS’03
Deputy Corporate Security Architect, Oracle Inc.
Distinguished Alumni Award

Gorden Cheng BS’03 has over 20 years of experience in the information security and IT fields, currently serving as deputy corporate security architect for Oracle Inc., the world’s largest database management company. The Chongqing, China, native studied computer science at UT Dallas, but was also heavily involved with the undergraduate chamber music ensemble Musica Nova. Today, Cheng competes in amateur piano competitions, earning top-three prizes in Chicago, Boston, Colorado Springs, Paris, Warsaw and Washington, D.C.


Portrait of Daniel J. Healy BA’00

Daniel J. Healy BA’00
Founder and CEO, Civitas Capital Group
Distinguished Alumni Award

Daniel J. Healy BA’00 is the founder and CEO of Civitas Capital Group, an alternative investment management company specializing in U.S. real estate where he has overseen over $1.9 billion of investments. A real estate finance veteran with over 22 years of experience, Healy is an active member of the Dallas business and civic community. He is a member of the Dallas Citizens Council and an advisor to the Child Poverty Action Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood poverty in Dallas. In 2021, he was named to the D CEO’s Dallas 500 list of most influential business leaders in North Texas.


Portrait of Lauri Hudgins-Boudreaux BA’93

Lauri Hudgins-Boudreaux BA’93
President and CEO, NOVA Electronic Materials
Distinguished Alumni Award

Lauri Hudgins-Boudreaux BA'93 is president and CEO of NOVA Electronic Materials, a supplier of silicon wafers and other materials for semiconductor manufacturing. She has worked in the semiconductor industry since 1988, joining NOVA in 1991 before purchasing the company in 1995. Hudgins-Boudreaux received the Woman of the Year Award from American Biographical Institute in 2002 and was named to the Who’s Who in Executives and Businesses list in 1998 and 2001. In a volunteer capacity, she has supported Crossroads Bible Church, Pilots for Kids, Salvation Army, the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts of America.


Portrait of James R. Huffines

James R. Huffines
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

James R. Huffines is a commercial banker with more than 35 years of experience in banking and finance. He currently serves on the board of directors for The Greenbrier Companies and Susser Bank and is chair of Southwestern Medical Foundation’s executive committee. Previously, he served as president and chief operating officer of PlainsCapital Corp. from 2010 to 2015 before becoming chief operating officer for subsidiaries of Hilltop Holdings.

Huffines was appointed to a number of Texas state commissions during his career, including the State of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the COVID Strike Force to Open Texas. He is a former chairman of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, a position he held from 2004-2007 and 2009-2010. He was also a member of the board of directors for UTIMCO, which manages the UT Systems’ $35 billion endowment. At UT Dallas, he served as co-chair of Realize the Vision: The Campaign for Tier One and Beyond, the University’s first comprehensive campaign.


Portrait of Naveen Jindal MBA’92

Naveen Jindal MBA’92
Chairman, Jindal Steel and Power
Lifetime Achievement Award

Naveen Jindal MBA’92 became one of UT Dallas’ premier benefactors after graduation. In 2011, he made a significant pledge to UT Dallas’ business school, creating endowed faculty positions, scholarships, fellowships and the Naveen Jindal Institute for Indo-American Business Studies. At the time, Jindal’s gift was the largest ever made by a UT Dallas alumnus. The Naveen Jindal School of Management now bears his name in recognition of his impact.

Jindal is chairman of Jindal Steel and Power and is also the founder and chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University in Haryana, India. He previously served two terms as a member of parliament in India, representing his home district of Kurukshetra.

While a student at UT Dallas, Jindal served as both Student Government vice president and president and earned the Student Leader of the Year Award. He was recognized with the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010.


Portrait of Allison A. Lawrence MBA’13

Allison A. Lawrence MBA’13
President, eCommerce, Stanley Black & Decker
Distinguished Alumni Award

Allison A. Lawrence MBA’13 is president of global eCommerce for Stanley Black & Decker. A 20-year veteran with the company, Lawrence has held leadership roles in eCommerce, channel marketing and sales, among other positions. During her tenure, she became the first African American to lead both the Black+Decker business and the eCommerce business. She is a member of several nonprofit boards, including Hartford Hospital, A Better Chance and Sparrow Collective.


Portrait of Archie D. Nettles Jr. BS’11, MPA’18

Archie D. Nettles Jr. BS’11, MPA’18
Development Officer, George W. Bush Presidential Center
Green and Orange Award

Archie D. Nettles Jr. BS’11, MPA’18 is a development officer at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, where he creates and builds relationships across the North Texas region to advance the center’s programming and fundraising needs. He was selected as the 2018-19 Texas Instruments Founders Leadership Fellow in UT Dallas’ Office of Development and Alumni Relations and subsequently worked as assistant director of development for the Naveen Jindal School of Management. A veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, Nettles served as a veteran liaison at UT Dallas.


Portrait of John Ryals MS’80, PhD’82

John Ryals MS’80, PhD’82
CEO, Integrated Precision Biosystems
Distinguished Alumni Award

John Ryals MS’80, PhD’82 is a veteran of the biotech industry with over 35 years of experience in a variety of senior leadership and research positions. He is CEO of Integrated Precision Biosystems and was previously the founder or co-founder of Paradigm Genetics, Metabolon, AgBiome and Paradigm Botanicals. He has also held the positions of CEO, president, chief science officer or board member for these and other companies. Ryals is a member of the advisory board for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.


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Jonathan Campos BA’03

Jonathan Campos BA’03
Chief Technology Officer, Alto Experience
Distinguished Alumni Award

Jonathan Campos BA’03 is chief technology officer at Alto Experience, a ride-hailing service. He earned a BA in art and performance from UT Dallas before earning a master’s degree in human communication from Abilene Christian University. Before joining Alto, Campos worked at a variety of startups and agencies, including tenure as principal architect for data and design analytics at Precocity developing enterprise applications for corporations like Pizza Hut, American Airlines, Procter & Gamble and Fannie May., and as chief mobile architect for Bottle Rocket.


Suzanne Cole BS’99, BA’99

Suzanne Cole BS’99, BA’99
Medical Director, Simmons Cancer Clinic at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Distinguished Alumni Award

Suzanne Cole BS’99, BA’99 is a medical oncologist and currently serves as medical director of the Simmons Cancer Clinic at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She earned her MD at UT Southwestern and spent eight years caring for patients in their local communities before joining the UTSW faculty in 2018. Cole is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is active in a number of cancer-related professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. She is the founder of the Hematology & Oncology Women Physician Group.


Barjis Ghadially BA’98

Barjis Ghadially BA’98
CEO, WorldLink
Distinguished Alumni Award

Barjis Ghadially BA’98 is CEO of WorldLink, a Frisco-based company which provides end-to-end mobility solutions, engineering services, cloud, data analytics and digital transformation. Ghadially earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and business from UT Dallas and spent his early career in sales as a top performer for a Texas technology certification company before joining WorldLink in 2000 as chief customer officer. He transitioned to the position of CEO in 2017, where he leads WorldLink’s vision and direction while overseeing all operations and business activities.


Field Harrison BS’04

Field Harrison BS’04
Founder, MINT Dentistry
Distinguished Alumni Award

Field Harrison BS’04 is founder of MINT dentistry, one of the fastest-growing dental companies in the United States. Since 2009, MINT has expanded to include locations in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia and has plans to add locations in every major U.S. city by the end of 2022. Harrison is also the founder of several other dental-related companies, including MINT orthodontics, Pure Dental Assistant Academy and PURE Oral Surgery. An author, speaker, entrepreneur and dentist by trade, Harrison is a passionate Christian and launched AMEN Church in Dallas with his wife, Sabrina, in 2021.


David Mittelman BS’01

David Mittelman BS’01
Founder and CEO, Othram Inc.
Distinguished Alumni Award

David Mittelman BS’01 is founder and CEO of Othram Inc., a biometrics company that uses DNA sequencing and genomics to advance human identification applications in forensics. Othram solves cold cases previously thought to be unsolvable using trace quantities of often degraded or contaminated DNA evidence. In July 2021, Othram set a record for the smallest amount of DNA used to solve a cold case — just 15 human cells. After completing his degree in neuroscience at UT Dallas, Mittelman pursued a doctorate in molecular biophysics at Baylor University and was subsequently an associate professor at Virginia Tech, where he developed DNA analysis tools used by the 1000 Genomes Project. After three years at Virginia Tech, Mittelman held, founded or served in leadership positions in several pioneering genomics companies.


Lucas C. Rodriguez MS’15, PhD’18

Lucas C. Rodriguez MS’15, PhD’18
Principal, Orchid Capital
Distinguished Alumni Award

Lucas C. Rodriguez MS’15, PhD’18 is principal of Orchid Capital. A biopharma entrepreneur, Rodriguez began his studies at UT Dallas in 2012 and co-founded CerSci Therapeutics in 2015 with UT Dallas professors Dr. Ted Price and Dr. Gregory Dussor. CerSci Therapeutics is a biotechnology firm focused on developing non-opioid pain therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of acute and chronic pain. The company sold to Acadia Pharmaceuticals in 2020. Before earning his MS and PhD from UT Dallas, Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Baylor University.


Bonnie C. Shea BS’84

Bonnie C. Shea BS’84
Founder and CEO, Urban Oil and Gas Group LLC
Distinguished Alumni Award

Bonnie C. Shea BS’84 is founder and CEO of Urban Oil and Gas Group LLC, a private equity company specializing in direct investments in oil and gas assets. She graduated from UT Dallas with a degree in accounting. While an undergraduate, she worked in data entry at Petrus Oil Co., where she continued to work after graduation, eventually becoming controller of the company. In 1989, Shea joined Merit Energy, one of the largest privately held U.S.-based oil and gas companies in the country. In 2005, she retired from Merit Energy worked to open Urban Crust, a wood fire pizzeria, in Plano in 2009 along with her husband, Nathan. From 2012 to 2021, Shea expanded her restaurant and hospitality operations to open Urban Rio, Urban Seafood Co. and Rooftop Event Spot, all in Plano. While a restauranteur, Shea founded Urban Oil and Gas Group in 2010. She has also served as director and chairman of the Historic Downtown Plano Association and as director for the Downtown Plano Arts and Heritage Foundation.


William F. Tate IV MA’87

William F. Tate IV MA’87
President, Louisiana State University
Distinguished Alumni Award

William F. Tate IV MA’87 is president of Louisiana State University. Before being named to this position in 2021, Tate served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina, as dean of the graduate school and as vice provost for graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis. Tate received his PhD in mathematics education from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in teaching from UT Dallas, a master’s of psychiatric epidemiology from Washington University School of Medicine and a BS in economics from Northern Illinois University.


Alicia Makaye PhD’12

Alicia Makaye PhD’12
Co-Founder and CEO, GXA
Green and Orange Award

Alicia Makaye PhD’12 is co-founder and CEO of GXA, an award-winning Dallas-Fort Worth area IT solutions provider named one of the fastest growing companies in America in 2020. A veteran of the United States Air Force, Makaye is also a committed philanthropist and civic leader. She led efforts to support veteran families and to provide technology support to individuals around the world. Makaye was recognized as the 2020 Women’s Veterans Enterprise Center Business Pitch Winner for the State of Texas, received the Dallas Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award in 2019 and was honored with the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Minority Women Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2019. Makaye frequently speaks and participates in activities that foster youth development, and serves as a member of the Dallas College Foundation board of directors and an advisory board member for the Richardson Chamber of Commerce.


Herbert D. Weitzman

Herbert D. Weitzman
Executive Chairman, Weitzman
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

Herbert D. Weitzman is executive chairman of Weitzman, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm that ranks as one of the largest retail-focused real estate services firms based in Texas. The company leases a retail portfolio of approximately 44 million square feet in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio and manages a statewide portfolio of more than 22 million square feet of retail and commercial properties. Weitzman has a long history of civic and professional involvement, serving on over a dozen boards, including the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies board. He has received several honors and awards including induction into the Dallas Business Hall of Fame in 2018. That same year, UT Dallas announced the establishment of the Herbert D. Weitzman Institute for Real Estate following a legacy gift made by Weitzman and his wife, Donna.


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Richard W. Danielson PhD’87

Richard W. Danielson PhD’87
Manager for Audiology and Hearing Conservation, NASA Johnson Space Center
Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Distinguished Alumni Award

Richard W. Danielson PhD’87 serves as manager for audiology and hearing conservation at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and is an associate professor of otolaryngology at Baylor College of Medicine. Danielson’s work preventing noise-induced hearing loss during spaceflight and ground missions has earned several professional accolades, including the Outstanding Hearing Conservationist Award from the National Hearing Conservation Association and NASA’s Astronaut’s Personal Achievement Award. He previously served for 28 years as an audiologist in the United States Army.


Venise Stuart BS’79

Venise Stuart BS’79
Civic Leader
Distinguished Alumni Award

Venise Stuart BS’79 is a prominent civic leader in the Dallas area. She is currently the president of the Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society, president-elect of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden Women’s Council, and also holds leadership positions with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League and Junior League of Dallas. Stuart previously served as president of AWARE Dallas, an organization dedicated to combating Alzheimer’s disease, and as president of Les Femmes du Monde, a women’s organization which supports youth health and education.


Angelica E. Barriga BS’03, MBA’08

Angelica E. Barriga BS’03, MBA’08
Business Planning Manager, Google
Green and Orange Award

Angelica E. Barriga BS’03, MBA’08 is a business planning manager at Google. She credits the knowledge she gained at UTD in the field of organizational behavior with launching her current career helping companies manage change. Prior to working at Google, Barriga served in various business management positions at FleetPride, ADVA Optical Networking, FedEx and Cisco Systems. She is an active supporter of Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano, Texas, and Operation Underground Railroad, and serves as a professional career mentor to several individuals each year.


The Honorable Fred Hill

The Honorable Fred Hill
Retired, Texas House of Representatives
Gifford K. Johnson Community Service Award

The Honorable Fred Hill is a retired member of the Texas House of Representatives, where he served for 20 years as representative of District 112. During his time in the state legislature, Hill was a staunch advocate for The University of Texas at Dallas, supporting legislation that authorized UT Dallas to admit its first class of freshman and sophomores in 1990 and advocating for transformative capital projects that have reshaped the University, including the construction of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Laboratory and the Student Services Building.


Photo of Philip R. Jonsson

Philip R. Jonsson 
Owner, Signal Media of Arkansas Inc.
Trustee, Philip R. Jonsson Foundation
Gifford K. Johnson Community Service Award

Philip R. Jonsson is the owner of Signal Media of Arkansas Inc., which operates three radio stations in Little Rock, Arkansas, and published a series of history textbooks for public schools. The son of UT Dallas founder Erik Jonsson, Philip Jonsson previously founded and operated Great Plains Land Co., a petroleum production company. A prolific philanthropist and civic volunteer, Jonsson is trustee and president emeritus of the Philip R. Jonsson Foundation, founder of the Dallas Symphony Foundation, honorary chair of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science Executive Council and serves in leadership roles for a number of other organizations in both Dallas and Little Rock.


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Chuck Butler BS’91

Chuck Butler BS’91
Founder and Managing Partner, Palomino Capital LLC
Distinguished Alumni Award 

Chuck Butler BS’91 is founder and managing partner of Palomino Capital LLC, where he leads management teams, lenders and investors through the private equity investment process. Butler is active in a number of civic and charitable organizations including the Cattle Baron’s Ball, the Ann & Nate Levine Academy, Temple Emanu-El and Heroes for Children. At UT Dallas, he serves as a mentor to MBA students in the Naveen Jindal School of Management and, in 2017, established the Palomino Capital Opportunity Fund for Entrepreneurship.


Jerry Comer MS’77

Jerry L. Comer MS’77
Project Manager and Engineer, Retired
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

Jerry L. Comer MS’77 retired in 2002 as a project manager and engineer for Comsat RSI in Richardson. Prior to his tenure at Comsat RSI, he worked as a design engineer for Texas Instruments and with Western Electric in Burlington, North Carolina. Comer, an avid amateur photographer who has won a number of local competitions including the Best of Show honors at the State Fair of Texas, founded the Comer Collection of Photography at UT Dallas with an initial gift of rare photographs and books capturing scenes of 20th century American life.


Gabriel Dawe MFA’11

Gabriel Dawe MFA’11
Visual Artist
Distinguished Alumni Award

Gabriel Dawe MFA’11 is a visual artist known for site-specific installations in the United States, Canada, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. His work explores the connection between fashion and architecture, using textiles to examine the construction of gender and identity in his native Mexico. Dawe’s pieces have been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications around the globe, including Sculpture magazine, as cover art for the 12th edition of Art Fundamentals by McGraw-Hill and in the book Raw + Material = Art.


Satyajit P. Doctor MS’91

Satyajit P. Doctor MS’91
Co-founder and President, Award Solutions Inc.
Distinguished Alumni Award

Satyajit P. Doctor MS’91 is co-founder and president of Award Solutions Inc., a Richardson-based wireless and internet consulting and training company whose clients include seven of the nation’s 10 largest telecommunications manufacturers. During his more than 25 years of industry experience, he also served as senior manager of wireless systems engineering at Nortel. In 2014, Doctor established the Doctor Family Opportunity Fund to support the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. He also serves on the Jonsson School Executive Council.


The Honorable Helen Giddings

The Honorable Helen Giddings
Texas House of Representatives
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

The Honorable Helen Giddings is currently serving her 13th term in the Texas House of Representatives, where she is vice chair of the State Affairs Committee and a member of the Appropriations and Calendars committees. Her civic service on numerous public boards and commissions has earned special recognition from local organizations, and her love of the arts has been illustrated through board memberships with the African American Museum, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas Historical Society and Dallas Theater Center. In her role as a state legislator, Giddings has been a champion for UT Dallas, most notably securing continual funding for the Academic Bridge Program.


Dr. Aziz Sancar MD PhD’77

Aziz Sancar, MD, PhD’77
Sarah Graham Kenan Professor, The University of North Carolina
Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Aziz Sancar PhD’77 is the University’s first Nobel-winning alumnus. In 2015, Sancar was one of three scientists recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work detailing how cells continuously monitor and repair damaged DNA on a molecular level. He is currently the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he continues to research DNA repair and the regulation of the circadian clock. Sancar was previously honored with a UT Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009.


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Peter Balyta MBA’03
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service
 

 

Dr. Peter Balyta MBA’03 is vice president of academic engagement and corporate citizenship and president of education technology at Texas Instruments. In his role, Balyta leads teams focused on teaching, learning and finding inspiration from STEM subjects, along with influencing the impact of the company in the community. He works with the National Initiative on Cybersecurity Education, National Science Teachers Association and National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. He serves on the UT Dallas Development Board and is a past member of the advisory council within the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Balyta earned a doctorate in mathematics and technology education from McGill University.


Mike Brodie BS’76
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Mike Brodie BS’76 and his partners opened the Plano office of Keller Williams Realty in 1997, where he has served as broker/owner since its inception and took on the operating principal role in 2013. He has received a number of professional awards including the National Association of Realtors Distinguished Service Award and the Collin County Association of Realtors Lifetime Achievement Award. He was appointed by Gov. George W. Bush to the Texas Real Estate Commission, serving as chair during a portion of his seven-year term. Brodie volunteers with organizations such as the Lone Star Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Greater Dallas United Way, Emily's Place and the Plano Chamber of Commerce.


Russell Cleveland
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 

Russell Cleveland is the principal founder of private investment management firm RENN Capital Group Inc. and a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has held executive positions with major regional brokerage firms and served as a corporate director for many public and private companies. Cleveland has authored several books on investing and contributed to and been quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Financial Times and MoneyWeek. Cleveland serves as chair of the Guitar Advisory Council at UT Dallas and endowed the Russell Cleveland Professor of Guitar Studies. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.


Deborah Hankinson MS’77
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

The Honorable Deborah Hankinson MS’77 is a partner at Hankinson LLP, an appellate law firm that spans all phases of litigation. She graduated from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law at the top of the class and joined Thompson & Knight LLP, where she tried cases and practiced appellate law. In 1995, she was appointed, and later elected, to serve as a justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas. From 1997 to 2002, she served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Texas. In 1999, she was named Texas Judge of the Year by the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Hankinson returned to private practice in 2002. She is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a member of the American Law Institute and sits on the board of directors of the American Arbitration Association.

Tahir Hussain BS’94
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Tahir Hussain BS’94 is the founder and managing partner of technology accelerator Collide Village LLC. In this role, he works to change the local technology startup landscape by investing in and coaching entrepreneurs on how to build successful, reproducible and scalable businesses through data-driven entrepreneurial models. He founded Fusion Solutions Inc., a consulting and staffing company aimed at large telecom companies in 2002. During his tenure, the company earned the No. 5 spot on the 2007 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. Hussain also served in a number of technical and management positions with Ericsson and holds 14 patents in wireless technologies.


Solomon C. Luo MS’78
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Dr. Solomon C. Luo MS’78, MD, FACS founded Progressive Vision Institute in 1986 and grew the business to eight locations throughout Pennsylvania. An internationally renowned ophthalmologist, he was one of the first physicians in the region to perform surgery to correct nearsightedness. Luo has served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine and currently is a trustee of Temple University. Additionally, he serves as a governing board member of Temple University Health System and Fox Chase Cancer Center and Hospital. In 2014, he and his wife, Wendy, established the John Jagger Scholarship for Natural Sciences and Mathematics.


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Edward M. Ackerman
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award
 

 

Edward M. Ackerman was the general partner and portfolio manager of Ackerman Associates LP, the first hedge fund in Dallas, from 1969 to 2007. Additionally, he founded Ackerman Capital Management LP, an affiliated investment advisory firm serving institutions and high net worth clients. Before establishing his investment enterprises, he was the Dallas regional manager for Salomon Brothers. Ackerman has served as vice chair of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ investment advisory committee and as a member of the investment advisory committee of the permanent fund at The University of Texas. In addition, he served on investment committees of The Hockaday School and the Southwestern Medical Foundation, and is a longtime member of the CFA Society of Dallas-Fort Worth. A gift from the Edward and Wilhelmina Ackerman Foundation created the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas, which serves University students and the larger community.


Bill Booziotis
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 

Bill Booziotis is founder and president of Booziotis & Company Architects, which started in 1989, and founding partner of the predecessor firm, Thomas and Booziotis. From the beginning, he has focused on unique commissions requiring specialized design consideration, and has been involved in all phases and aspects of planning, architecture and interior design. With clients including Texas Instruments, The University of Texas and the Dallas Museum of Art, his work can be seen in projects from museums, churches and university buildings to sleek modern single-family homes and the restoration of historic Dallas homes. A recognized civic leader, he has been involved with numerous nonprofit organizations and academic institutions. Booziotis and his late wife established the Jean and Bill Booziotis Opportunity Fund for the Center for Vital Longevity to aid the efforts of a group of distinguished cognitive neuroscientists. He serves on the CVL Advisory Council and is a member of the University’s Legacy Society.


Angie Chen Button MS’80
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 

The Honorable Angie Chen Button MS’80 is serving her fourth term in Texas House District 112, representing portions of Richardson, Garland, Rowlett and Sachse. She serves as chair of the Economic and Small Business Development Committee, and is a member of both the Ways and Means and Rules and Resolutions committees. Before her election in 2008, Button held a long record of public service and community involvement, including with the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Dallas Assembly, the Dallas Summit, the Women’s Museum and many area chambers and nonprofits. Button was awarded the Tech Titans Technology Advocate Award (2014), YWCA’s 100 Years 100 Women Award (2008), SMU Women’s Symposium Profiles in Leadership Award (2006), Women’s Enterprise of Texas Magazine Women of Excellence Award (2004), and the National Organization of Chinese Americans Corporate Achievement Award and Grand Community Service Award (2000). Button, who also is a CPA, recently retired from Texas Instruments, where she had worked since 1981.


Ashok Kumar 'A.K.' Mago EMBA’99
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Ashok Kumar (A.K.) Mago EMBA’99 is chairman and CEO of Mago & Associates Inc., a Dallas-based business and investment consulting firm. He is the founding chairman of the Greater Dallas Indo-American Chamber, now known as the U.S.-India Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Board of Regents for the University of North Texas System, and on boards for the Primary Care Clinic of North Texas and the Dallas County Community College District Foundation. He is also a member of advisory boards for BBVA Compass Bank in Dallas and the Salvation Army of Dallas County, past district governor of Lion International District 2-X1, a distinguished alumnus of Leadership Dallas, and a former board member of Dallas Regional Chamber Board and First Independent National Bank. In 2014, Mago was awarded the Padma Shri Award by the president of India, one of the highest civilian awards in the Republic of India, rarely conferred on foreigners.


John Olajide BS’04
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

John Olajide BS’04 is the founder and CEO of Axxess, a Dallas-based technology company that streamlines operations for health care agencies. Olajide is passionate about improving the quality of health care services delivered to patients in their homes, and, under his leadership, Axxess has won several best workplace awards from organizations around the country. He was named to the Dallas Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in Healthcare” list in 2014 — the same year that Axxess received the Excellence in Healthcare award from D CEO magazine. Olajide also spent several years serving on the education and Medicare/Medicaid committees of the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice. He recently created the Daniel and Elizabeth Olajide Opportunity Fund to benefit the National Society of Black Engineers at UT Dallas, the first fund to benefit a University student group.


Angela G. Shoup BS’89, MS’92, PhD’94
Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Angela G. Shoup BS’89, MS’92, PhD’94 is an associate professor in the department of otolaryngology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She also serves as director of the communicative and vestibular disorders division, providing administrative oversight for audiologists offering state-of-the-art services at the James W. Aston Ambulatory Care Center, William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Zale Lipshy University Hospital, Parkland Memorial Hospital’s outpatient ENT clinic and inpatient hospital, Parkland’s newborn nursery hearing screening program, and Children’s Medical Center at Dallas and affiliated Legacy, Southlake and Margot Perot Center facilities. She has published articles and textbook chapters on audiologic procedures and implantable hearing aids, and presented research findings at national and international meetings. Her research interests include implementation of universal newborn hearing screening programs, developmental issues in audition, auditory electrophysiology, diagnostic assessment for auditory and vestibular disorders, hearing aids and cochlear implants.


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Steven W. Caple BA’89
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Jerri L. Hammer MS’97
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


David Hanson PhD’07
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


R. Carter Pate MS’03
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Daniel E. Schwartz PhD’78
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


The Honorable Dan Branch
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


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Michelle Janssen Adams BA’87, MA’88, PhD’95
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Chris Jaeb BGS’86
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


David Kelly MS’86
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Lynn McIntire BA’79
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Kevin Ryan MBA’95
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Michael L. Wehmeyer PhD’89
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Helen Small BS’07, MS’10
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


Northwood Woman’s Club
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 

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Bryant Ambelang BA'90
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Joseph P. Estrera MS'92, PhD'92
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Alan Govenar PhD'84
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Seshu Madhavapeddy MS'87, PhD'91
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Susan Miller PhD'94
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Neila Skinner Petrick MA'76
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Jefflyn Williamson BS'83
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


David Williamson BS'98, MS'02, MS'03
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


William C. Sproull
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


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Susan G. Fleming PhD'87
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Chandrasekhara R. Guntakala MS'98
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Yancey Hai MA'78
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Robert E. Holmes, Jr. BA'78
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


J. Brian McCall PhD'06
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Tracy Rowlett MA'80
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Dr. Qingming Yang PhD'93, 2012 UT Dallas Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Qingming Yang PhD'93
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Alumni of the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


Brent E. Christopher
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


Aage Møller
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


2011dropdown-arrow11

Sally L. Crawford BGS'83
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


H. Ron Nash MS'79
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Richard S. Merrick BA'81, MS'87
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Barbara Katherine Cone PhD'79
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Britt R. Berrett PhD'09
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Wm. Daniel Gibson MS'90
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


David Norris BS'90
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


James R. Dixon PhD'80
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Joyce R. Johnson BGS'83
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


Debbie Francis
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


2010dropdown-arrow11

Christian Belady MA'90
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Gary A. Frazier PhD'84
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Morton Ann Gernsbacher MS'80
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Elizabeth Ann Graves BA'83
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Naveen Jindal MBA'92
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Rob Simpson MS'91
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Paul A. Waddell PhD'89
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Vincent E. Morgan BA'95
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


Sara T. Martineau
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


Angel Ruiz
Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award

 


2009dropdown-arrow11

Aziz Sancar PhD'77
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Christopher Progler PhD'97
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Cynthia A. Sherry BS'78
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


David L. Holmberg MBA'00
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Jerry A. Madden MS'78
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


James R. Hellums PhD'00
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


Robert E. Hewlett Jr. BS'82
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


2008dropdown-arrow11

Yi Zhao MS'92 PhD'96
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Rufus Green MBA'96
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Charles D. Davidson MS'80
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Nancy G. Davidson BS'80
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Wei Dong MS'99
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


Jody H. Nelsen MBA'97
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


2006dropdown-arrow11

Mary L. Murphy BA'79
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


William R. Krenik PhD'93
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Anchi H. Ku BS'81
Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service

 


2005dropdown-arrow11

Deborah D. Branson MS'93
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


M. Sam Gilliland MBA’94
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Dipak C. Jain MS'86 PhD'87
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Melendy E. Lovett MS'82
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Richard D. McCullough BS'82
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Alan D. Halliburton MA'90
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


2004dropdown-arrow11

Charles R. Matthews BA'94
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


James R. Von Ehr MS'81
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman

Sandra B. Chapman PhD'86
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


2003dropdown-arrow11

Albert C. Black BGS'82
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


2002dropdown-arrow11

James F. Reilly BS'77 MS'87 PhD'95
Distinguished Alumni Award

 


Connect

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