Dr. Jo Allan Beran Receives 2002 Regents Professor Service Award of the Texas A&M University System

KINGSVILLE (AUGUST 21, 2003) — We are very pleased and honored to recognize Dr. Jo A. Beran of our department as the recipient of the 2002 Regents Professor Service Award of the Texas A&M University System. Dr. Beran has been a member of the Texas A&I/Texas A&M Kingsville family since Fall, 1968 and has committed his professional life to making our department and this university an oasis of higher education in Texas.

The Regents Professor Service Award of the Texas A&M University System recognizes faculty for (a) having a distinguished record of service both at the local and state and/or national and/or international levels; (b) having an outstanding record of teaching, combined with accomplishments in research or other creative or scholarly activity; (c) evidence of the potential for continuation of distinguished service; and (d) having demonstrated a sincere commitment to the university.

His service to the university and the chemistry profession, locally, nationally, and internationally, has been a product of working with a great group of colleagues, students, and staff at the university.
He has served the university as an administrator, a faculty member, a teacher, a researcher, an author, and a professional chemist at the highest level, having gained local, regional, national, and international notoriety for the department and university.

He has served his profession and represented the university locally, nationally, and internationally with years of administrative and committee activities associated with the American Chemical Society, The College Board, the Educational Testing Service, the International Baccalaureate Organisation, and the Texas International Educational Consortium.

Nationally, he has gained notoriety for the university through one year leaves of absence at the Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California, San Diego, and summer positions at the University of Colorado, the University of Utah, the University of Nebraska, the Naval Air Warfare Center, the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

As a member of the Kingsville community, he has chaired civic, public school, and social organizations and committees, participated in many others, and served as a consultant to the Greater Kingsville Economic Development Council.

As a faculty member, a teacher, a researcher, an administrator, an author, a consultant, and a professional chemist, he has touched the lives of 34 years of students and colleagues and ultimately gained local, regional, national, and international acclaim for the department and the university.

A few of the more significant achievements of a career that has provided service to the university through his teaching and scholarly activities are:

• Presented “General Inorganic Chemistry” to over 10,000 students at this university (averaging about 300 students/year).
• Coordinated the general chemistry (GChem) lecture and laboratory program for those 10,000+ students.
• Authored twenty nine (29) critically reviewed textbooks, laboratory manuals, student study guides, and lecture outlines with national publishers and two (2) local manuals.
• Made more than twenty five (25) presentations (mostly invited) and organized two (2) national symposia at professional meetings.
• Initiated and continues to coordinate the activities of the Fred M. Garland Memorial Lecture, bringing two Nobel laureates to our campus in the recent past.
• Created and solicited the Fred M. Garland Endowment, currently in excess of $30,000, providing scholarships to chemistry undergraduate students.
• Continuously served the American Chemical Society in numerous capacities at the local, regional, and national level.
• Actively (and interactively) worked with the College Board and the Educational Testing Service in the development of the advanced placement (AP) program and the SAT test development program in chemistry.
• Actively (and interactively) worked with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation in the evaluation of the IB degree.
• Held visiting instructor (leave of absence) positions at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California-San Diego, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Utah, and the University of Nebraska.
• Held research (leave of absence) positions at the Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics, the Naval Air Warfare Center, Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
• Published six (6) refereed basic research publications.
• Held the administrative positions of Assistant Dean of the University, departmental chair and faculty senate chair.
• Received the University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Research Award, and the Olan Kruse Science Teaching Award among others.
• Created and maintains a website, http://www.tamuk.edu/chemistry/beran primarily for GChem students which includes power point lecture notes for all lectures, past year’s exams, a bulletin board, syllabus, grading schedule, etc.
• Developed the environmental program and the “minor” in environmental science through participation in off campus summer workshops and visitations.
• Worked cooperatively and intimately with the College of Engineering in studying and developing programs and providing intensive reviews for engineering students, most notably and recently, the Foundation Coalition and the FE/EIT reviews.
• Experimented with numerous teaching methods and styles, most notably are the recent employment technology in the classroom—the use of the internet, the self designed website, laser disk and CD peripherals—a supplemental instruction program, a twist on collaborative learning, self paced programs, etc.
• Past president of the Javelina Kiwanis club, a past president of the Parent Teachers Organization, past chair of the Tejas Dance Club, member of the Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Kingsville Softball Association, and consultant to the Greater Kingsville Economic Development Council.

From Dr. Beran,
“The recognition as Regents Professor of the Texas A&M University System an honor, an honor that reflects the years of joy and privilege of working with an equally honorable chemistry faculty, university faculty and staff, and especially students.

Employment at this university while observing and experiencing its “highs” and “lows” has been “too much fun!” What greater satisfaction can there be than knowing that some of 10,000+ students who have passed through my GChem classes realize and appreciate the gifts they received from the faculty and staff of this university. I can only imagine all of the success stories that I have not heard.”

Our department is honored to call Dr. Beran one of our own.

Additional information about Dr. Beran can be found on his website, http://www.tamuk.edu/chemistry/beran/.