MINUTES

 

STANDING SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

9:00 a.m.

Capitol Extension, Room E1.028

 

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Standing Senate Higher Education Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, in the Capitol Extension, Room E1.028, at Austin, Texas.

 

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MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair Senator Kip Averitt Senator Dan Patrick		Senator Royce West Senator Tommy Williams

 

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The chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m., and a quorum was established at 9:05 a.m. The following business was transacted:   

 

The chair explained in her opening remarks that this joint hearing of the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee and the Senate Finance Higher Education Subcommittee was called to address Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst's charges relating to research and tier one higher education institutions.

 

                        The following witnesses presented an overview of research in Texas: Dr. Raymund Paredes, Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; and Dr. David Gardner, Deputy Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

 

The following witnesses testified regarding research and undergraduate research: Dr. Don Birx, Vice President for Research, The University of Houston; and Kambra Bolch, Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs and Policy, Texas Tech University.

 

The following witness testified regarding the Emerging Technology Fund (ETF): Bill Morrow, Chair, ETF Advisory Committee and Chair and CEO, CSIdentity and Fusion Mobile.

 

The following witnesses testified regarding commercialization: Dr. Brent L. Iverson, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin; Guy Diedrich, Vice Chancellor for Technology Commercialization, Texas A&M University System; Dr. Dennis Stone, Vice President for Technology Development, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; Dr. Mauro Ferrari, Director, Research Center for NanoMedicine in The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases; and Tommy Harlan, CEO and Founder, Emergent Technologies.

 

The following witness presented an overview of tier one universities: Dr. Raymund Paredes, Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

 

The following witnesses testified regarding research institutions: Bill Powers, President, The University of Texas at Austin; and Dr. Elsa Murano, President, Texas A&M University.

 

The following witnesses testified regarding research emerging institutions: Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor, The University of Houston System; Kent Hance, Chancellor, Texas Tech University System; Dr. Gretchen Bataille, President, The University of North Texas; Dr. David Daniel, President, The University of Texas at Dallas; Dr. Diane Natalicio, President, The University of Texas at El Paso; James Spaniolo, President, The University of Texas at Arlington; and Dr. Ricardo Romo, President, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

 

The chair opened the floor for public testimony. The following witnesses testified: Lauren DeWitt, Medical Director, Citizens Commission on Human Rights; and Deborah Parrish. The chair closed public testimony.

 

There being no further business, at 4:42 p.m. the committee was recessed, subject to the call of the chair.

 

 

 

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Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair

 

 

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Lauren Cook, Clerk