H.R. No. 72

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Joan Higginbotham is contributing to the long-term
	progress and prosperity of this great nation as an esteemed member
	of the NASA astronaut corps; and
	WHEREAS, A native of Chicago, Ms. Higginbotham began her
	career at the Kennedy Space Center in 1987 after earning a
	bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Southern Illinois
	University at Carbondale; she quickly proved herself a talented
	engineer and an astute leader, and by the end of her nine-year
	tenure at the center, she had participated in more than 50 space
	shuttle launches; moreover, she obtained master's degrees in
	management and space systems from the Florida Institute of
	Technology; and
	WHEREAS, Ms. Higginbotham was selected to join the NASA
	astronaut corps in April 1996 and reported to the Johnson Space
	Center that same year; since then, she has completed intensive
	training and gained vital experience in various branches of the
	agency; in December 2006, she completed her first space flight as a
	crew member of shuttle mission STS-116, for which she served as
	mission specialist; considered one of NASA's most complex missions,
	STS-116 entailed rewiring the space station, and for her part,
	Mission Specialist Higginbotham successfully operated the robotics
	arm and oversaw the transfer of equipment from the shuttle to the
	station; and
	WHEREAS, This highly regarded professional credits much of
	her success to the encouragement she received early on from her
	parents, and today she serves as a motivational speaker for young
	people; throughout her career, she has won numerous honors, and she
	is the recipient of a prestigious NASA Exceptional Service Medal;
	and
	WHEREAS, Joan Higginbotham is dedicated to advancing
	science, technology, and human potential through space exploration
	and research, and she indeed merits the admiration of her fellow
	citizens for her remarkable service in behalf of this nation; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas
	Legislature hereby commend Joan Higginbotham for her exemplary
	service to NASA and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued
	success; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for Ms. Higginbotham as an expression of high regard by the
	Texas House of Representatives.
	Giddings
	McClendon
	Dukes
	Craddick Gattis Miles
	Allen Geren Miller
	Alonzo Giddings Moreno
	Anchia Gonzales Morrison
	Anderson Gonzalez Toureilles Mowery
	Aycock Goolsby Murphy
	Bailey Guillen Naishtat
	Berman Haggerty Noriega
	Bohac Hamilton O'Day
	Bolton Hancock Oliveira
	Bonnen Hardcastle Olivo
	Branch Harless Orr
	Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Brazos Hartnett Otto
	Burnam Heflin Parker
	Callegari Hernandez Patrick
	Castro Herrero Paxton
	Chavez Hilderbran Pena
	Chisum Hill Phillips
	Christian Hochberg Pickett
	Cohen Hodge Pierson
	Coleman Homer Pitts
	Cook of Navarro Hopson Puente
	Cook of Colorado Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Corte Howard of Travis Raymond
	Crabb Hughes Riddle
	Creighton Isett Ritter
	Crownover Jackson Rodriguez
	Darby Jones Rose
	Davis of Harris Keffer Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Parker Smith of Harris
	Delisi King of Taylor Smithee
	Deshotel King of Zavala Solomons
	Driver Kolkhorst Strama
	Dukes Krusee Straus
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Latham Talton
	Eiland Laubenberg Taylor
	Eissler Leibowitz Thompson
	Elkins Lucio III Truitt
	England Macias Turner
	Escobar Madden Van Arsdale
	Farabee Mallory Caraway Vaught
	Farias Martinez Veasey
	Farrar Martinez Fischer Villarreal
	Flores McCall Vo
	Flynn McClendon West
	Frost McReynolds Woolley
	Gallego Menendez Zedler
	Garcia Merritt Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 72 was adopted by the House on
	February 6, 2007, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House