SR368 - Recognizing John Sharp for his service as chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.

          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 368          WHEREAS, John Sharp is retiring as chancellor of The Texas   A&M University System in 2025, following the longest tenure at   the helm in the institution's history; and            WHEREAS, Named chancellor in 2011, Mr. Sharp has   transformed the System, which has grown to include 11   universities and eight state agencies, and his efforts have   earned him a place alongside such legendary Texas A&M leaders as   Sul Ross and James Earl Rudder; he has raised the national   profile of the flagship institution in College Station, which is   now the nation's largest university with more than 79,000   students; in 2013, the System acquired Texas Wesleyan   University's law school, which became the Texas A&M University   School of Law and climbed more than 100 places in just a decade to   rank 26th among the law programs in the country; Chancellor Sharp   oversaw nearly $12 billion in construction and the conversion of   the Riverside Campus into Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre   high-tech hub for defense research and testing; moreover, he   energized Aggie football with a nearly half-billion-dollar   expansion of Kyle Field and a move to the Southeastern   Conference; athletic facilities throughout the System have been   enhanced; and            WHEREAS, The System today has more than $1 billion in   research expenditures, and Texas A&M University holds the No. 1   spot in engineering research expenditures; five of the System's   universities have been awarded Research 2 status by the Carnegie   Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing them   among an elite group of leading research institutions and   highlighting their commitment to innovation; the System has also   seen an exponential increase in the number of faculty members who   are members of the National Academies; and            WHEREAS, Addressing the state's increasing energy needs,   the System has announced plans to provide a platform for   companies to test the latest nuclear reactors for increased power   supply; further, the System continues to be part of the team that   manages the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico; in   addition, it was chosen in 2024 by the U.S. Department of   Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration as part of a   group to manage and operate the Pantex Plant, which maintains the   nation's nuclear weapons stockpile; and            WHEREAS, Chancellor Sharp brought to his role more than   three decades of experience in public office; he was elected to   the Texas House in 1978 and four years later, he won a seat in the   Texas Senate; subsequently, he was elected to the Texas Railroad   Commission and was twice elected state comptroller, a position in   which he created the Texas Performance Review, which identified   and enacted a savings of $4 billion to the state, keeping Texans   from having to pay a state income tax; a TAMU graduate and student   body president, Mr. Sharp was a member of the Corps of Cadets   staff and served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve;   while employed by the Legislative Budget Board, he earned a   master's degree in public administration from Texas State   University; he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of TAMU in 2018;   and            WHEREAS, Admired for his vision, dynamism, and unyielding   commitment to excellence, John Sharp has guided the Texas A&M   System through an era of tremendous progress, and his   accomplishments will yield ever-increasing benefits in the years   to come; now, therefore, be it            RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby honor John Sharp for his service as   chancellor of The Texas A&M University System 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 Chancellor Sharp as an expression of high regard   from the Texas Senate.     Bettencourt     Alvarado Hall Middleton   Birdwell Hancock Miles   Blanco Hinojosa of Hidalgo Nichols   Campbell Hinojosa of Nueces Parker   Cook Huffman Paxton   Creighton Hughes Perry   Eckhardt Johnson Schwertner   Flores King Sparks   Gutierrez Kolkhorst West   Hagenbuch Menéndez Zaffirini     Patrick, President of the Senate             ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on April 3, 2025.             ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate             ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate