Bill Text: TX HR222 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring Dr. Robert S. Nelsen, president of The University of Texas-Pan American, for his contributions to higher education in the Lone Star State.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-01-27 - Reported enrolled [HR222 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR222-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 222 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Dr. Robert S. Nelsen, the president of The | ||
| University of Texas-Pan American, is an outstanding educator and | ||
| administrator, and he is most deserving of special recognition for | ||
| his many notable accomplishments; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Raised on a cattle ranch in Montana, Robert Nelsen | ||
| was the first person in his family to attend college; in order to | ||
| pay his tuition, he held a variety of jobs and at one point worked | ||
| overnight as a janitor while attending classes during the day and | ||
| holding down another job at a sporting goods store; even then, he | ||
| was forced by financial difficulties to leave school for a year, but | ||
| his wife, Jody, helped convince him to return to his studies; he | ||
| went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in political science | ||
| from Brigham Young University and received his doctorate from the | ||
| Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, studying | ||
| with Nobel Laureate Saul Bellow and specializing in modern | ||
| literature, modern philosophy, and modern political theory; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dr. Nelsen is fluent in Spanish and has published | ||
| his fiction in numerous literary journals; a Texas resident since | ||
| 1990, he was a professor at The University of Texas at Dallas, where | ||
| he initiated the school's creative writing program and nurtured the | ||
| development of an arts and humanities curriculum; in addition, he | ||
| won the Chancellor's Council Outstanding Teaching Award in 2005, | ||
| served five terms as head of the faculty senate, and held the | ||
| position of vice provost; he then accepted a position as the | ||
| associate vice president for academic affairs at Texas A&M | ||
| University-Corpus Christi, where he also served as a professor of | ||
| English; and | ||
| WHEREAS, This respected scholar was appointed the eighth | ||
| president of The University of Texas-Pan American on January 1, | ||
| 2010; with an academic philosophy devoted to transparency and | ||
| shared governance, he has laid out his goals for the university in | ||
| the coming years, focusing on advanced manufacturing and | ||
| engineering, bilingual education, border issues, entrepreneurship, | ||
| and research into health care disparities; and | ||
| WHEREAS, With his proven leadership ability and extensive | ||
| experience, Dr. Robert Nelsen is uniquely qualified to build on the | ||
| record of academic achievement established by The University of | ||
| Texas-Pan American and to further its enduring commitment to | ||
| excellence; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor Dr. Robert S. Nelsen, president of The | ||
| University of Texas-Pan American, for his contributions to higher | ||
| education in the Lone Star State and extend to him sincere best | ||
| wishes for continued success; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Dr. Nelsen as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
| House of Representatives. | ||
| Pena | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 222 was adopted by the House on | ||
| January 27, 2011, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
