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Bryant and his wife, Barbara, were surprised at a reception to announce the establishment of the endowed chair named in Bryant's honor.
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An endowed chair is an elite academic position held only by top professors. Chair names are part of a professor’s title; most bear the name of the donor or someone the donor wishes to honor. The endowed funds generate an annual income that is distributed to a professor to cover expenses such as research, travel and graduate assistants’ salaries. While the minimum endowment size varies by college, the typical endowment for a chair is $1 million.
“One should recognize that this was a mission of love and admiration for a man who has impacted so many,” said Dr. Les Shephard ’77, the vice president for energy, security and defense technologies at Sandia National Laboratories and one of Bryant’s former students. “Bill has a servant’s heart and revels in the success of others, especially his students.”
The announcement of the endowed chair came as a complete surprise to Bryant. When he agreed to eat dinner with a small group of his former students, Bryant and his wife, Barbara, instead found themselves surrounded by 70 people. It was then that former students, colleagues and the Bryants’ three children revealed the establishment of the chair.
Describing the sentiments of those in attendance at the dinner, Shephard said, “One is never a former Bryant student; one just joins a growing number who are part of the extended Bryant family. Bill is the consummate mentor evident by the number of true industry, academic and government leaders who are Bryant students. He provides tremendous leadership opportunities for graduate students, allowing each of us to "learn by doing," think critically, learn from our shortcomings and experience success.”
Bryant is the first faculty member at Texas A&M University to receive all three of The Association of Former Students’ highest university-level awards―the Distinguished Achievement Award in Research in 1982, the Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching in 2001, and the Distinguished Achievement Award in Mentoring in 2007. He takes pride in his pioneering work relating to the physical properties of clay and the exploration of the major features in the Gulf of Mexico. Bryant and his graduate students have identified and named numerous underwater geographical features including furrells, banks and knolls in the gulf. “It’s always been a partnership with my students. I always learn more from the students than they get out of me,” Bryant said. “All my current friends have been my students.”“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor or a more fitting name for this chair,” said Björn Kjerfve, dean of the College of Geosciences. “He is an accomplished and dedicated educator and scientist who, as evidenced by creation of this endowed chair, has profoundly impacted the lives and careers of his students.”
By Dorian Martin ’07|
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| Dr. Bill Bryant at a reception held in his honor. photo credit: Richard Badillo
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