(HUNTSVILLE) - The Board of Regents of the Texas State University System today recognized Dr. Gary Beall, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Texas State University, as 2017 Regents' Professor. Dr. Beall is one of only 27 TSUS faculty members who have received the award for their achievements in teaching, research and service.
The Board also recognized two exceptional students -- Ms. Ananda Diener of Texas State University and Ms. Kendra Ireland of Sam Houston State University -- as winners of the Regents' Student Scholar Award. Recipients of this award are selected by the chancellor based on their outstanding academic achievement and scholarship, leadership abilities, and contributions to the institution and their community.
Dr. Beall came to Texas State University in 2001 following a successful career in government and industry. He has served as Associate Dean for Research and Commercialization in the College of Science and Engineering and played a key role in developing the university’s Ph.D. program in Materials Science, Engineering and Commercialization.
Dr. Beall is internationally recognized for his work on nuclear waste disposal and is a pioneer in the field of polymer nanocomposites. He has served as a distinguished adjunct professor at King Abdulziz University and actively collaborates with Al Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan and Suez Canal University in Egypt.
Ananda Diener, a chemistry major, has achieved a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average, earning Dean’s List status every semester. She has received several prestigious academic awards and scholarships, including the College of Science and Engineering Mariel M. Muir Endowed Science Scholarship and the Durrenberger Scholarship for Women in Science. Ms. Diener has been named Outstanding Chemistry Student each year since enrolling at Texas State University.
Kendra Ireland, a chemistry major, has maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average, earning Dean’s List and President’s List accolades every semester. She has received several prestigious academic awards and scholarships, including the REPSOL Student Innovation Award, the A.J. Koinm Best Freshman Essay Award, and, for three consecutive years, the Sam Houston State University Chemistry Scholarship.
The Board of Regents honored the trio during its quarterly meeting on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.