TITLE: Congratulating President William Powers, Jr., of The University of Texas at Austin on his receipt of the John G. Fleming Memorial Prize for Torts Scholarship and on his election as vice chair of the Association of American Universities.

SUMMARY: Congratulating President William Powers, Jr., of The University of Texas at Austin on his receipt of the John G. Fleming Memorial Prize for Torts Scholarship and on his election as vice chair of the Association of American Universities.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, William Powers, Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin, has been honored in two diverse areas of endeavor, winning an award for legal scholarship as well as being elected vice chair of an association of preeminent research universities; and WHEREAS, Widely recognized as a leading American legal scholar, Bill Powers is a 2012 corecipient of the prestigious John G. Fleming Memorial Prize for Torts Scholarship; he was awarded the prize for his definitive interpretations of juridical concepts and for coauthoring a treatise on the general principles of tort law; his extensive writing on personal injury and emotional damages is considered one of the major achievements of modern jurisprudence; and WHEREAS, Respected for his leadership on issues related to higher education, President Powers was recently elected vice chair of the Association of American Universities; programs developed by the AAU encourage improved funding for research to enable leading universities to continue functioning as centers of innovation and scientific advancement; with his successful record as an advocate for undergraduate and graduate education, he enriches the AAU, bringing his expertise and keen intellect to bear on the critical task of maintaining financial resources for programs of advanced learning; and WHEREAS, President Powers graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review;he joined the faculty at The University of Texas School of Law in 1977 and taught with distinction before being appointed as dean in 2000; he has been named to UT's Academy of Distinguished Teachers, is a University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and holds the Hines H. Baker and Thelma Kelley Baker Chair in Law; on February 1, 2006, he took office as president of The University of Texas at Austin; and WHEREAS, A Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the author of dozens of books and articles on legal philosophy and the nuances of tort law, he has shared his considerable skills while serving on the boards of the National Center for Educational Accountability, the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, and the Big 12 Conference; and WHEREAS, His dedication to a clear understanding of legal principles and the means by which they are translated into law has made Bill Powers a well-known and admired figure in the world of jurisprudence; moreover, his commitment to the betterment of higher education through student diversity, increased funding, and curriculum innovation establishes him as a pacesetter in the realm of public university leaders; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate William Powers, Jr., of The University of Texas at Austin on his receipt of the John G. Fleming Memorial Prize for Torts Scholarship and on his election as vice chair of the Association of American Universities and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for President Powers as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Branch Howard Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 22 was adopted by the House on February 18, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House