Prestigious science award bestowed upon Texas A&M researcher and innovator Roderic Pettigrew

MICHAEL K. YOUNG
President

September 28, 2020

Dear Aggies,

Near the end of World War II, Dr. Vannevar Bush, the director of The Office of Scientific Research and Development, was asked to consider how universities could benefit our nation not only in times of war, but also in times of peace. Dr. Bush’s response forever transformed the role of research universities by offering a sweeping vision of how they could contribute to the public welfare by waging war against disease, advancing science and technology and conducting a wide range of life-changing research.

Recently, we were delighted to learn that the 2020 Vannevar Bush Award has been bestowed upon a Texas A&M faculty member whose extraordinary career embodies the idea of science as a form of service. Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, the chief executive officer of Engineering Health (EnHealth) and executive dean for our Engineering Medicine (EnMed) program, received this prestigious recognition from the National Science Foundation Board for his lifelong contributions “to the welfare of the nation through public service in science and technology, and in shaping public policy.”

All of us at Texas A&M have long been impressed not only by Dr. Pettigrew’s extraordinary breadth and depth of personal knowledge, but also his understanding that the greatest breakthroughs come from building bridges across many different disciplines. Through his exceptional leadership of our EnMed program and his work to shape public policy, his visionary ideas and his collaborative efforts have helped him have a profound influence on numerous innovations that have solved pressing problems and saved lives. 

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Roderic Pettigrew for earning the 2020 Vannevar Bush Award, and for his extraordinary service to advancing scientific discovery and improving the lives of people around the world.

Sincerely,
Michael K. Young
President