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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Walter V. Wendler has greatly benefited West |
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Texas A&M University through his accomplishments as president; and |
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WHEREAS, Appointed in 2016, Dr. Wendler has overseen the |
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expansion of programs and facilities across the university; he has |
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focused extensively on educating students about how to minimize |
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student loan debt, and he has launched initiatives to increase |
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transparency and knowledge regarding college costs; when he began |
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his tenure at WT, he made a point of personally visiting every high |
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school in the 26 Panhandle counties to raise awareness of the |
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advantages the university could give them; he writes extensively |
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and maintains a blog called "Reflections from WT"; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Wendler brought to his position a wealth of |
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experience in higher education, both in the classroom and in |
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administrative roles; he began his academic career as an assistant |
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professor in the Department of Architecture at Louisiana State |
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University, and in 1988, he became executive associate dean in the |
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Texas A&M University College of Architecture; named head of the |
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Department of Architecture the following year, he later served as |
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dean of the College of Architecture; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1997, Dr. Wendler became executive assistant to |
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the president of Texas A&M; he then served for two years as vice |
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chancellor for planning, and he was also the inaugural holder of the |
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William M. Peña Professorship of Information Management in the |
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College of Architecture; appointed chancellor of Southern Illinois |
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University Carbondale in 2001, he completed his contract six years |
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later and returned to teaching architecture; and |
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WHEREAS, Raised in Northport, New York, Dr. Wendler holds an |
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associate's degree in applied science from the State University of |
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New York at Farmingdale, a bachelor's degree in environmental |
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design from Texas A&M University, a professional master of |
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architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley, |
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and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from The University |
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of Texas; a member of a number of honorary societies, he is a |
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retired registered architect and holds the National Council of |
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Architectural Registration Board's certificate; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his exceptional contributions as president |
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of West Texas A&M University, Walter Wendler has earned the |
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admiration and appreciation of people across the Panhandle; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Dr. Walter V. Wendler for his service as |
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president of West Texas A&M University and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Wendler as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |