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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Mary Ellen Weber of Dallas has contributed much |
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to the nation and the Lone Star State as an astronaut, scientist, |
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and academic administrator; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Weber earned her |
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bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University in |
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1984 and her doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of |
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California at Berkeley in 1988; she subsequently also received a |
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master's degree in business administration from Southern Methodist |
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University in 2002; over the course of her career as a scientist and |
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engineer, she has received a patent and published eight scientific |
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papers, and she has done important work on computer chips with Texas |
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Instruments, Applied Materials, and the SEMATECH consortium; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1992, Dr. Weber was selected to become a member of |
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the 14th NASA astronaut group; the 30th woman to fly in space and |
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one of the youngest astronauts in history, she served on two space |
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shuttle missions, logging more than 450 hours and circling the |
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earth 297 times; on her first mission, she helped to launch a $200 |
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million communications satellite, and on her second, she helped to |
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install vital equipment on the International Space Station; and |
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WHEREAS, While at NASA, Dr. Weber also participated in |
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critical launch, landing, and testing operations at the Kennedy |
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Space Center, tested shuttle flight software, and assisted in |
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developing training protocols and research facilities for the space |
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station; in addition, she has helped to commercialize space |
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technology, worked as the NASA legislative affairs liaison in |
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Washington, D.C., served as chair of the procurement board for the |
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Biotechnology Program contractor, and served on a NASA advisory |
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committee charged with counseling the agency on future |
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technologies; and |
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WHEREAS, Since leaving NASA in 2002, Dr. Weber has become |
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vice president of government affairs at The University of Texas |
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Southwestern Medical Center, where she oversees appropriations of |
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more than $160 million in annual funding; deeply involved in the |
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community, she has served on the boards of the Museum of Natural |
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History and The Science Place, and she is a member of the Dallas |
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Committee on Foreign Relations; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic woman is a champion skydiver, with 12 |
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silver and bronze medals from the U.S. National Skydiving |
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Championships to her credit, as well as an instrument-rated pilot, |
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an avid golfer, and a scuba diver; moreover, she is a popular |
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motivational speaker; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas is proud and fortunate to claim |
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this gifted individual as a citizen, and it is a privilege to |
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recognize her continuing exceptional record of accomplishment; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Dr. Mary Ellen Weber on her many |
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impressive achievements and extend to her sincere best wishes for |
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continued success and happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Weber as an expression of high regard from the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Vaught |
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Alvarado |
Gonzales |
Miller of Comal |
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Anchia |
Gonzalez Toureilles |
Miller of Erath |
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Aycock |
Gutierrez |
Morrison |
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Branch |
Harper-Brown |
Ortiz, Jr. |
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Brown of Kaufman |
Hartnett |
Otto |
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Brown of Brazos |
Heflin |
Parker |
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Callegari |
Hilderbran |
Peña |
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Cohen |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Quintanilla |
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Coleman |
Howard of Travis |
Raymond |
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Craddick |
Jackson |
Rodriguez |
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Crownover |
Keffer |
Sheffield |
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Davis of Harris |
King of Parker |
Smith of Tarrant |
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Davis of Dallas |
King of Taylor |
Smith of Harris |
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Deshotel |
King of Zavala |
Smithee |
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Driver |
Kleinschmidt |
Solomons |
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Eiland |
Leibowitz |
Thompson |
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Elkins |
Lucio III |
Turner of Tarrant |
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England |
Madden |
Turner of Harris |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Farrar |
Marquez |
Villarreal |
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Flores |
Martinez Fischer |
Walle |
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Gallego |
McReynolds |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1113 was adopted by the House on April |
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2, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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