Newsletter Issue 5
From the Founding Director
I am pleased to bring you newsletter No. 5 and new information about the importance of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study. With input from Deans, Department Heads, and hosts of Faculty Fellows, the Hagler Institute assessed the impact of its seven years of operation on Texas A&M University. Since some of the Faculty Fellows have not completed their work in the Institute, the impact is still unfolding. What we have assembled thus far, however, paints an amazingly productive picture.

Faculty Fellows have spawned a flurry of academic publications in top journals and in prestigious conference proceedings with A&M faculty and students. Those Faculty Fellows here for one year or less published 280 articles in peer reviewed journals or in conference proceedings during their time as Faculty Fellows. While not all of this research was done at Texas A&M, as some Faculty Fellows spread their in-residence periods at Texas A&M over multiple years, A&M faculty were cited 107 times as co-authors, with A&M students sharing authorship 27 times.

Nine Faculty Fellows joined the permanent faculty of Texas A&M. They generated 204 journal or conference proceedings publications since they arrived, with A&M faculty as co-authors 31 times and A&M students 14 times. Other research is in the journal review process.
Even if the Hagler Institute posed a net cost to the University, as many programs do, it would still be of great academic benefit. However, external funds generated by the Institute for the University include multi-millions in research grants, Hagler Institute College Chair and estate gift endowments from donors, and funding for A&M from both Governor Abbott and Chancellor Sharp to hire outstanding academy level scholars. The total funding infusion to Texas A&M University from these sources due to the Hagler Institute exceeds $110 million. Almost all of the "spendable" portion of these funds are grants for college research activities. The grants were raised by the Faculty Fellows and cluster hires made by the nine Faculty Fellows who have joined as permanent faculty. Since operating expenditures, the Institute’s 70% portion of Faculty Fellow salaries, and grants of student fellowships by the Hagler Institute totaled $13 million for its first seven years, the Hagler Institute has clearly proven to be a remarkable financial benefit to the colleges and Texas A&M University.

The infusion of the 61 Faculty Fellows into departments and colleges across campus have enhanced the academic reputation of Texas A&M and provided A&M faculty and students expanded opportunities to work at the frontiers of knowledge. Despite the impressive quantitative impact measures for the Hagler Institute, however, the immeasurable qualitative impacts in the long run will be the most important. Perhaps Miroslav Begovic, Department Head of Electrical Engineering, said it best:

“There are benefits of that activity which cannot possibly be condensed into any quantitative measures of impact:
cultural exchanges and their influence on departmental climates, creation and maintenance of professional networks,
potential for future joint research or other activities,
assistance in future hiring at all levels…”

The Hagler Institute for Advanced Study is a proven vehicle for enhancing excellence at Texas A&M University.

Best wishes to all,
Induction of the 2018-19 Faculty Fellows

The Hagler Institute inducted its seventh class of Faculty Fellows at its gala on February 22, 2019. The gala is one of the most prestigious events on campus, a black tie affair at which each Faculty Fellow enters with the honor of a saber arch provided by the Ross Volunteers. After dinner, the impressive accomplishments of each Faculty Fellow are summarized. Pictured below entering the gala is Faculty Fellow Vincent Poor accompanied by Diane Somers.  
The Hagler Institute also welcomed a 2018-2019 Distinguished Lecturer in the School of Law. Distinguished Lecturers pass the high bar of excellence to be a Faculty Fellow but they are in residence for up to only a few weeks to give key lectures and participate in symposiums. Faculty Fellows are in residence for up to 12 months to collaborate with A&M faculty and students.

The 2018-2019 class , along with those from A&M who addressed the audience and honored these outstanding scholars at the gala (from left to right standing) are:  John Sharp (Chancellor, Texas A&M System), Michael K. Young (President, Texas A&M University), Vincent Poor (Professor of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University), John Junkins (Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University and Founding Director of the Hagler Institute), Cameron Jones (Professor of Chemistry, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia), Joseph Singer (Distinguished Lecturer, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School), Robert Putnam (Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University).  Sitting (from left to right) are: Yonggang Huang (Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University), Vanderlei Bagnato (Professor of Physics and Materials Science, University of São Paulo and the Institute of Physics of São Carlos, Brazil), William Unruh (Professor of Physics, University of British Columbia, Canada), Stefan H. E. Kaufmann (Founding Director, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Germany), Michael Duff , (Professor of Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London, England), and Andrea Rinaldo (Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland).   
Faculty Fellow Features

Robert D. Putnam, 2018-2019 Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute visiting in the College of Liberal Arts, spoke to a packed crowd at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center on February 14, 2019. His presentation, titled “Past as Prologue: How We Got Here and How We Can Renew America," focused on various trends in our nation and emphasized the importance of relationships at the local level. Professor Putnam is a recipient of the 2012 National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities. He is based in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and he is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Presentations by Faculty Fellows intended for the general public are commonly well attended, as was Professor Putnam’s lecture.

Ingrid Daubechies, 2016-2017 Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute, continues to receive accolades for her groundbreaking work in wavelet theory and application. On February 11, 2019, L’Oréal USA announced that Ingrid was selected as the North American Laureate for the 2019 International Award For Women in Science for her exceptional research in mathematics. Ingrid received her honors in Paris on March 14, 2019.  

Wavelet theory transforms numerical images and signals for data compression into a new language for scientists and researchers. Among its many applications, wavelet theory enabled transmission of early Hubble Telescope images, and it has been important in the rise of digital cinema and medical imaging. 

The week of the Hagler Institute’s induction gala usually offers the opportunity to experience the world-class expertise of one or more Faculty Fellows.  This year the highlight was a presentation by Andrea Rinaldo, 2018-2019 Faculty Fellow, hosted by the Biological & Agricultural Department. On February 20, 2019 Professor Rinaldo’s seminar “River Networks as Ecological Corridors” addressed the role of rivers in spatial ecology of species, population dynamics and biological invasions, and the spread of endemic or epidemic waterborne disease. Rinaldo is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, and Director of the Laboratory of Ecohydrology at Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.
The First Permanent Members of the Hagler Institute
In 2019, the Hagler Institute inducted its first permanent members. These individuals came to Texas A&M through the Hagler Institute before joining the permanent faculty of Texas A&M. Each was presented with a personalized medallion by Director John Junkins. Shown below are (left to right), Mark Barteau (Vice President for Research, Chair of the Hagler Institute’s Administrative Council), and Permanent Faculty Fellows Alan Needleman (Materials Science and Engineering), Robert Kennicutt (Astrophysics, Director of the George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy), James Hubbard (Mechanical Engineering), Robert Skelton (Aerospace Engineering), Leif Andersson (Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences), Harold Adams (Architecture), and Roger Howe (Mathematics, Education and Human Development). John Junkins (Aerospace Engineering, Founding Director of the Hagler Institute) is on the far right.
In memory, also, are permanent members, the late Christodoulos Floudas (Chemical Engineering, Director, Energy Institute) and the late J. Karl Hedrick (Mechanical Engineering).

Professor Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, 2018-2019 Faculty Fellow and Head of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, Germany and member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, reports publishing (with co-authors) his first article with co-affiliation being the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study. The 18 page article “cGAS facilitates sensing of extracellular cyclic dinucleotides to activate innate immunity” appeared in EMBO Reports, e46293/2019. Professor Kaufman will spend April 2019 at Texas A&M formulating research collaborations in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences and A&M’s College of Medicine.  

The Engineering News Record of January 7/14, 2019 (enr.com) featured Gerald Galloway, 2016-2017 Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute, in an article titled “Gerry Galloway: 'Superstar' at 83 Continues His Water Management Crusade With an Assist on Big Urban Flooding Study". The study on urban flooding - “The Growing Threat of Urban Flooding: A National Challenge, 2018” - stemmed from the expertise of Professor Galloway (pictured below on the left) and his team at the University of Maryland combined with that of Texas A&M Professor Sam Brody (pictured below on the right) and his team at the Galveston campus.
Dr. Gerald Galloway
Dr. Sam Brody
In Memory of:

Roy J. Glauber, 2013-2014 Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute, passed away on December 26, 2018 at the age of 93.  Professor Glauber won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics for using quantum theory to explain optics and how light interacts with matter. His work was fundamental to the development of the entire field of quantum optics. Even after his official term as a Faculty Fellow, Glauber was a regular visitor to Texas A&M’s prestigious Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, being a regular research collaborator with A&M physicist and that institute’s director, Marlan Scully . He also collaborated on research with other members of the Hagler Institute, such as 2013-2014 Faculty Fellow Wolfgang Schleich from Ulm University in Germany. In addition to his technical seminars, his reminiscences about his work as an undergraduate on the first atom bomb while at Los Alamos during World War II were well attended. A cordial and brilliant person, he will be missed by all who knew him here at Texas A&M.

The Hagler Institute at TAMEST
The Hagler Institute was well represented at the January 14-16, 2019 meeting of the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas (TAMEST) at the Horseshoe Bay Resort.  Mark Barteau , Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University, Chair of the Administrative Council of the Hagler Institute, and member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), was inducted into TAMEST, as was James Hubbard , 2017-2018 Hagler Institute Faculty Fellow, renowned Mechanical Engineer, and member of the NAE, now on the faculty of Texas A&M University.
    
In the picture below, from left to right, Norm Abramson (NAE and member of the External Advisory Board of the Hagler Institute), Mark Barteau, Helene Merren, Carrie Byington (Dean, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Senior VP of the Texas A&M University Health Science Center, and Vice Chancellor for Health Services at Texas A&M University System, member of the National Academy of Medicine), Wanda Needleman (Advocate for the Hagler Institute), Susan Huggins, Alan Needleman (NAE and 2012-2013 Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute, now Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University).
In the picture below, James Hubbard is congratulated by Clifford Fry, Associate Director of the Hagler Institute.
Collaboration with Texas A&M Students
The Faculty Fellows of the Hagler Institute have advanced the careers of quite a few graduate students over the years. Such is the case with Maryellen Giger , 2016-2017 Faculty Fellow from the University of Chicago. When not in-residence at Texas A&M, Professor Giger holds weekly conference calls with her Texas A&M collaborators.  Professor Giger, along with A&M faculty member Kristen Maitland , has served as a valuable research mentor to Sakina Mota. 

Sakina advanced to lead author on “Morpohological Cell Image Analysis for Real-Time Monitoring of Stem Cell Culture”. This research report was published in the 2018 Proceedings of the International Society for Optics and Photonics, which focused on Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing. Sakina’s co-authors included Maryellen Giger and Kristen Maitland, among others. Sakina is shown below between Professors Giger (left) and Maitland. 
Professor Giger scheduled her in-residence visits at Texas A&M over a three year period, ending 2019. This extensive collaborative period has allowed her to be a mentor to students. One such student is Taylor Hinsdale, who received a Hagler Institute Fellowship to work with Dr. Giger and her A&M host Dr. Maitland. Taylor became lead author on a paper co-authored with Professors Maitland and Giger and others titled, “Optical detection of oral carcinoma via structured illumination fluorescence lifetime imaging”, published in Medical Imaging 2018: Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging, Vol 10578 , The International Society for Optics and Photonics, 2018. Taylor Hinsdale, PhD, pictured above, is now a post-doctoral researcher in optical nanoscopy design at TU Delft in the Netherlands.
If you have news to share, please send articles, suggestions, or other information to
Dr. Clifford L. Fry, Associate Director, Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, cfry@tamu.edu .