William T. Solomon
Chairman of the Board, Austin Industries
A native of Dallas, Mr. Solomon received a degree in civil engineering from SMU in 1965 and an MBA from Harvard in 1967. He then joined Austin Industries, a national leader in civil, commercial, and industrial construction, where he advanced to president and chairman of the board. As head of Austin, he transformed the company into a fully employee-owned corporation while dramatically increasing its workforce diversity. Local landmark projects that Austin has constructed include the American Airlines Center, the DFW International Terminal, the Federal Reserve Bank, and, on the SMU campus, the Greer Garson Theatre, the Meadows Museum, and the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports.
Mr. Solomon’s commitment to diversity and public service has been exemplary and includes serving as chair of the Dallas Citizens Council, co-founder of the Dallas Together Forum, and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he has served on the Boards of SMU, Southwestern Medical Foundation, and Baylor Medical Center Foundation, to name only a few. He is the recipient of numerous civic and humanitarian awards including the coveted Linz Award, the city’s most prestigious acknowledgement of exemplary leadership and volunteerism.
Pedro Aguirre, FAIA Founder, President, and CEO of Aguirre Corporation
Mr. Aguirre, a lifetime Dallasite, received a degree in architecture from Texas A&M and established Aguirre Corporation in 1960, a company engaged in architecture, engineering and construction. Elected to the Dallas City Council in 1972, he has also served as the Chairman of the Board of Pan American National Bank and as President of the National Bankers Association. He was cited by the Reagan Administration for leveraging bank assets into redevelopment of inner city neighborhoods. He served as a member of the U.S. Delegation, 4th Inter-American Congress of Housing in Peru, and toured South America as an “American Specialist” to promote the U.S. concept of property rights. Governor Ann Richards appointed Mr. Aguirre to serve as the Chairman of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners. As a member of the Board of DFW International Airport, he chaired its Operations Committee, which was responsible for the design and construction of the $2.9 billion capital improvement program.
Mr. Aguirre is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the 2001 recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University.
Beverly Mitchell-Brooks, Ph.D.
President and CEO, The Urban League of Greater Dallas
Dr. Mitchell-Brooks was born and reared in Dallas. She received an M.S. in genetics from Texas Woman’s University and a Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry from UT Southwestern Medical School. After holding teaching and research appointments at Northlake Community College, Bishop College and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and with a passion for public service, she left the research and teaching arena to devote her time to the non-profit sector and to public service. She has served as Director of the Martin Luther King Center, Executive Director of the Greater Dallas Community Relations Commission, Director of Public Affairs at DART, and she is the first woman to head the Urban League of Greater Dallas. She is currently an adjunct professor of anatomy and physiology at El Centro Community College.
Dr. Mitchell-Brooks is the recipient of many honors and awards, including Outstanding Black Educator Award, Distinguished Alumni Award from TWU, and the Jubilee Award for community service.
A Fort Worth native, Mr. Nye received a degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M and a law degree from SMU. He has had a distinguished career in the energy industry, serving as past chair of the Board of Directors of Electric Power Research Institute, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Edison Electric Institute. Appointed by President George W. Bush, he chairs the National Infrastructure Advisory Council and serves on the Advisory Committee to the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. He is a registered professional engineer and a member of the American Bar Association. Mr. Nye’s civic activities include serving on the Tate Lecture Series and the Executive Committees of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business and Dedman School of Law at SMU, and the Texas A&M University Board of Regents. He currently serves on the Boards of Boys & Girls Club of America, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Dallas Center for Performing Arts Foundation. He is the past chair of Dallas Together Forum, and the immediate past chair of the Greater Dallas Chamber.
Mr. Nye is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Doctor of Science, honoris causa from the Baylor College of Dentistry, Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M University, and the Humanitarian of the Year by the American Jewish Committee.
Geoffrey Orsak, Ph.D., F. IEEE Dean, School of Engineering
Geoffrey Orsak, a native Texan, received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from Rice University in electrical engineering. After serving on the faculty of George Mason University, he joined SMU in 1997. In 2004, he was appointed Dean of the School of Engineering. At SMU he initiated the nationally recognized Infinity Project that focuses on improving the mathematics and science based education for school children, grades K-12, and early college students. He has served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Engineering Education at SMU and serves on several state and national boards that are focused on improving engineering education.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and a recipient of the 2001 KPMG High Tech Award. He was selected as the 2006 EE Times Educator of the Year in Science and Engineering.
