Hagler Institute announces its largest class of new fellows: 14

The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University revealed its largest class of new Hagler Fellows during a reception at the Memorial Student Center on Monday, Sept. 19.

The Class of 2022-23 includes 14 Hagler Fellows — including a Nobel Prize laureate — plus one Hagler Distinguished Lecturer. This 11th class includes scientists, engineers and scholars who are recognized internationally for their achievements. Each belongs to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, or holds recognitions of equal stature in their field.

The new class eclipses the high mark of 13 new Hagler Fellows set by the institute’s Class of 2015-16.

“Entering its second decade, the Hagler Institute continues to have an extraordinary impact on the Texas A&M research community by attracting yet another class of outstanding new Fellows,” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said. “Working in tandem with the Chancellor’s Research Initiative, the institute continues to shape the future of Texas A&M by attracting the world’s brightest minds to our campus and—in many cases—adding them to the ranks of our exceptional permanent faculty.”

The fellows will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students across multiple campuses, colleges, schools, institutes, units and agencies within the Texas A&M research enterprise.

“The Hagler Institute has established a track record of attracting some of the world’s greatest academic talent to Texas A&M,” said John L. Junkins, founding director of the Hagler Institute. “Each of these individuals have made a difference in the world and they will bring their energies to making a difference on our campus.”

The institute selects its Hagler Fellows from among top scholars who have distinguished themselves through outstanding professional accomplishments and significant recognition.

Previous classes of Hagler Fellows have included three Nobel laureates, a Wolf Prize recipient, a recipient of the Hubble Medal in Literature for Lifetime Achievement, a recipient of the National Medal of Science, an awardee of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, a two-time recipient of the State Prize of Russia and a recipient of both the National Humanities Medal and the Johan Skytte Prize, the most prestigious award in political science.

The Hagler Institute will induct the Class of 2022-23 during its annual gala in February 2023:

Guy Bertrand, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego — Bertrand is known for the discovery of stable carbenes-divalent carbon species. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the French Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Sciences, the Academia Europea and the French Academy of Technology. Bertrand will collaborate with faculty and students in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Hui Cao, John C. Malone Professor of Applied Physics, Yale University — Cao is recognized for her pioneering works in fundamental physics and practical applications of complex, chaotic and disordered systems. She is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cao will collaborate with researchers in the Institute of Quantum Science and Engineering.

John Michael Cullen, Distinguished Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University – Cullen specializes in veterinary pathology and toxicologic pathology of the liver. He is a fellow in the International Academy of Toxicologic Pathologists and a diplomate and distinguished member of the American College of Veterinary Pathology.  He will collaborate with faculty-researchers and residents in the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

Odile Eisenstein, director de Recherche CNRS Emeritus at the Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, CTMM group Universite de Montpellier and Hylleraas Center for Quantum Molecular Science, University of Oslo (Norway) – Eisenstein is known best for computational studies of structure, bounding and reactivity in inorganic and organometallic chemistry and their application to problems in catalysis and bioinorganic and materials chemistry. She is a member of the French Academy of Sciences. Eisenstein will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students in the College of Arts & Sciences, the Laboratory of Molecular Simulation, High Performance Research Computing and Advanced Computing Enablement.

Dimitar Filev, Henry Ford Technical Fellow, Ford Research and Innovation Center – Well known for his research in computational intelligence, artificial intelligence and intelligent control and their applications to autonomous driving, vehicle systems and automotive engineering, Filev is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students in the College of Engineering and across the university.

Howard Frumkin, senior vice president, the Trust for Public Land and professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health – Frumkin is a leading researcher in planetary health, health and nature and environmental health. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and is a fellow in the American College of Physicians, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Collegium Ramazzini. Frumkin will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students in the School of Public Health.

Sebastian “Bas” Jonkman, professor and holder of the Integral Hydraulic Engineering Chair, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands – Known as a world expert on hydraulic structures and flood risk, Jonkman led Dutch efforts on the feasibility design of the Texas A&M-coordinated work on the coastal spine (Ike Dike) project. He is a member of the Dutch Royal Society of Engineering.  He will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students at Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas.

Mark O’Malley, Leverhulme Professor of Power Systems, Imperial College London – O’Malley is a globally recognized expert on wind energy systems integration into smart grids. He is an international member of the National Academy of Engineering, a member of the Royal Irish Academy and the European Academies Science Advisory Council Energy Steering Panel. O’Malley is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Institution of Engineering Technology and the Institution of Engineers of Ireland. He will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students in the College of Engineering.

Lawrence Que Jr., Regents Professor, University of Minnesota – Que is known for his work in understanding how non-heme iron centers activate oxygen to carry out a diverse array of metabolically important reactions. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow in the American Chemical Society. He will collaborate with faculty and students in the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Jean-Paul Rodrigue, professor, Department of Global Studies and Geography, Hofstra University — Rodrigue is a leading transportation geographer covering mobility, freight distribution, containerization, logistics and transport terminals (particularly ports). He is a board member of the University Transportation Research Center, Region II, City University of New York and is a lead member of the PortEconomics.eu initiative as well as of the International Association of Maritime Economics. He will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students at TAMUG and the College of Engineering.

Donald L. Sparks, Francis Alison Professor and holder of the S. Hallock du Pont Chair in Soil and Environmental Chemistry, University of Delaware – Sparks’ research is cross-disciplinary, contributing not only to the field of soil science, but also to geochemistry, environmental chemistry and environmental engineering. Sparks is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Geochemical Society of America and the European Association of Geochemistry.  He will collaborate with researchers and students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Madhavi Sunder, Frank Sherry Professor of Intellectual Property, Georgetown Law Center – Sunder is an internationally recognized scholar in copyright, technology and trademark law. Her groundbreaking work built the foundation for understanding intellectual property’s social effects and its role in crafting cultural relations. Sunder, according to the Stanford Law Review, has been recognized for writing one of the 20 Top Most Cited IP Articles of the Decade as well as the Most Cited International IP Article of the Decade. Sunder will collaborate with faculty and students at the School of Law and the College of Arts & Sciences.

Michael Young, Richard and Jeanne Fisher Professor and head of the Laboratory of Genetics, Rockefeller University – With two colleagues, Young received the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (along with multiple other honors) for discoveries related to molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythms. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society and an honorary member of the Physiological Society of London. Young will collaborate with researchers in the College of Arts & Sciences as well as other disciplines across the university.

David Zilberman, professor and holder of the Robinson Chair, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley – Zilberman is best known for his work in agricultural and environmental policy; the economics of innovation and risk; and water, biotechnology and climate change. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Art.  He will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as across campus.

In addition, the institute announced one Hagler Distinguished Lecturer for 2022-23:

Catherine Dulac, Higgins Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Lee and Ezpeleta Professor of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University – Dulac’s work explores the molecular biology of pheromone detection and signaling in mammals, the neural mechanisms underlying age-, species-, and sex-specific behaviors, and the role of genomic imprinting in the developing and adult brain. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, Institute of France, and a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. Dulac will collaborate with faculty, researchers and students in the College of Arts & Science, the School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.