TAMIU Faculty Dr. Roberto Heredia Named Regents Professor

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Professor of Psychology Dr. Roberto Heredia has been named Regents Professor by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

Dr. Heredia was among 11 faculty members and seven agency service, extension or research professionals within the A&M System who were recently designated Regents Professors and Regents Fellows for 2015-2016.

The Board established the Regents Professor Awards program in 1996 and the Regents Fellow Service Awards program in 1998 to recognize employees who have made exemplary contributions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas.

Cliff Thomas, chairman of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, said the newest Regents Professors and Regents Fellows are vital members of the Texas A&M System family who bring with them unique skills and perspectives.

“These folks are integral to steering the System toward continued excellence,” Chairman Thomas said. “With them at the helm, the universities and agencies under The Texas A&M System can only keep improving.”

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said the new Regents Professors and Regents Fellows have proven their commitment to The System’s success.

“The recently recognized professors and professionals represent the best of our great System and higher education in Texas,” Chancellor Sharp said. “Their work consistently elevates Texas A&M System campuses and agencies.”

Heredia said he feels honored to have been named Regents Professor.

“It is such a great honor to be a recipient of this very exemplary award,” he said, “I am extremely happy; I am as happy as when I completed my dissertation. Back then, the Dean of the graduate school, at UC Santa Cruz, called me Dr. Heredia and I did not know who he was referring to.”

He continued, “As I reflect about my tenure here at TAMIU, I am honored and grateful for the support of a loving family, including my canine, feline, and avian, my wonderful colleagues, and the generation of students I have taught and learned from, in so many ways. This award is not the end but the progression into another phase of my academic life.” 

The selection process for the awards begins with a call for nominations from the Chancellor, after which an internal selection committee is formed within each institution or agency. Final nominations are put forth to the chief executive officer of each respective entity. They are then subject to a System-level review consisting of academic vice chancellors and past recipients of the awards. Finally, nominations are forwarded to the chancellor and the board for final approval.

To date, 212 Texas A&M System faculty members have been recognized with the Regents Professor Award and 125 agency professionals have received the Regents Fellow Service Award.

Heredia, a native of La Piedad, Michoacán, México, has been a TAMIU faculty since 1998. He holds his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of California-Santa Cruz, and a post-doctoral position as a National Science Foundation Fellow at the University of California-San Diego. Most recently, he was named co-editor for Springer’s “Bilingual Mind and Brain” Book Series along with Dr. Anna Cieślicka, TAMIU associate professor of psychology. He and Dr. Cieślicka are authors of a book entitled, “Bilingual Figurative Language Processing,” by Cambridge University Press, and “Methods in Bilingual Reading Comprehension Research” by Springer Press.

This year’s recipients of the Regents Professor Award are: Dr. David E. Bergbreiter, Texas A&M University, Professor of Chemistry; Dr. Samuel D. Brody, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Professor of Marine Sciences; Dr. Jeffrey D. Cirillo, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology; Dr. Roberto R. Heredia, Texas A&M International University, Professor of Psychology; Dr. Kim D. Jones, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Professor and Director, Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment; Dr. Mladen Kezunovic, Texas A&M University and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Dr. Larry F. Lemanski, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences; Dr. Robert L. Ohsfeldt, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Professor of Health Policy and Management; Dr. Vijay P. Singh, Texas A&M University, Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Dr. Marilyn Spencer, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Professor of Economics; Dr. Ryland F. Young III, Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Professor and Sadie Hatfield Professor of Agriculture.

Recipients of the Regents Fellow Service Award are: Lisa K. Akin, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), Director of Risk and Compliance; Dr. Jon A. Epps, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), Executive Associate Director and Senior Research Fellow; Donald Galloway, Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS), Chief of Staff; Lesa K. Hill, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), Division Director; Dr. Jason B. Moats, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), Program Director; Darlene Myatt; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Extension Agent; Dr. Joe L. Outlaw, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Professor and Extension Economist.

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $4.2 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and seven state agencies, the Texas A&M System educates more than 140,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $946 million in FY 2015 and helped drive the state’s economy.

For more information, please contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 326.2180, e-mail prmis@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268. University office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Dr. Roberto Heredia, center, is congratulated after being named a Regents Professor by The Texas A&M University
System Board of Regents. Presenting Dr. Heredia with his Award are, left, Regent Chairman Cliff Thompson and
right, Regent Vice Chairman Elaine Mendoza.