2024 Distinguished Texas Scientist
Dr. Daniel Romo
Baylor University
Daniel Romo, Ph.D., is a second-generation Mexican-American who has been blessed, along with his wife Laura, to parent 5 unique,beautiful boys: Matthew, Zachary (an Aggie), Nathan (a Baylor Bear), Jedidiah (an Aggie), and an ‘adopted’ son, Bryan. Romo is theSchotts Professor of Chemistry at Baylor University and co-Director of the Baylor Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory. Romoreceived his B.A. degree in chemistry/biology from Texas A&M in 1986 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Colorado State in 1991. After an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship with Prof. Stuart L. Schreiber at Harvard from 1991-1993 he returned to Texas A&M asan Asst. Professor and was promoted to Assoc. Professor in 1999, Professor in 2003, and then given the Gradipore Chair in 2014. In Fall2010, he established the Natural Products LINCHPIN Laboratory and in Summer 2011, he initiated the TAMU UndergraduateMiniPharma Research Program. He has had the pleasure of mentoring 40 Ph.D. students, 9 M.S. students, 35 post-doctoral researchers,and >150 undergraduate researchers. In June 2015, he joined Baylor University where he established, with Prof. John Wood, the BaylorSynthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory and in 2016 he started the Baylor Undergraduate MiniPharma(http://sites.baylor.edu/minipharma/). His research group’s primary research interests include:
- Pharmacophore-Directed Retrosynthesis Applied to Bioactive, Marine Natural Products
- Asymmetric Synthesis, Novel Transformations, and Activity-Based Profiling of Beta-Lactones
- Novel Organocascade Processes Involving Unsaturated Acylammonium Salts
- Methods for Conversion of CO2 to Beta-Lactones Involving Photocatalysis and Flow Chemistry
Romo’s recent awards include a Baylor Outstanding Faculty Res. Award (2021) and selection as a Research Exemplar: P.I. Program(2017). In 2009, he received a 10-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) Method to Extend Research-In-Time Award (MERIT Award) and in 2019 a 5-year MIRA Award. He is a regular NSF reviewer, served 4 years on the NIH Syn & Biol Chem Study Sections, served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for NCI at NIH, and was a Commissioning Editor for Natural Product Reports. Romo has 10 issued patents focused on novel composition of matter and methods of use of natural products for therapeutics and diagnostics, and has been recognized for ‘Excellence in Innovation’ for his interest in advancing basic findings to potential human therapies primarily for cancer.
Recent Distinguished Texas Scientists
Each year the Board of Directors of the Texas Academy of Science honors one of our colleagues as the Distinguished Texas Scientist. This honor reflects distinguished contributions to science through research and publication that has garnered recognition at the national and international level. Candidates must have spent a significant portion of their professional careers in Texas.
A nomination package for the Award should consist of a nominating letter from any Scientist, member or non-member of the TAS, summarizing the candidate’s achievements and their impact on both Science and Texas, and also include two supporting letters from experts in the fields associated with the nominee. All letters should be addressed to the Vice President of the TAS and arrive prior to January 1. The vice president can be contacted direct via email.
2023 - Dr. Robert McMahon
2022 - Dr. Ping Yang
2021 Dr. Donna Shaver, National Park Service at Padre Island National Seashore
2020 Dr. George Perry, Semmes Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology, University of Texas at San Antonio
2019 David Lambert, Isabel McCutcheon Harte Centennial Chair in Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin
2018 Purnendu K. (Sandy) Dasgupta, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington
2017 Bert O'Malley, FACS, Baylor College of Medicine
2016 Gary Garrett, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
2015 Francisco Gonzalez-Lima, Department of Psychology (Neuroscience), University of Texas at Austin
2014 Michelle Bushey, Department of Chemistry, Trinity University
2013 Camille Parmesan, Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
2012 Larry Gilbert, Ecology and Evolution, University of Texas at Austin
2011 George Kattawar, Physics, Texas A&M University
2010 James R. Dixon, Herpetology, Texas A&M University
2009 Owen Lind, Limnology, Baylor University
2008 Ernest L. Lundelius, Jr., Vertebrate Paleontology, University of Texas at Austin
2007 Robert J. Baker - Mammalogy and Molecular Genetics, Texas Tech University
2006 Erik R. Pianka, Ecology, University of Texas at Austin
2005 Frank Judd, Biology, University of Texas-Pan American
2004 John C. Perez, Microbiology, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
2003 Jonathan A. Campbell, Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
2002 Alastair Ian Scott, Director, Center for Biological NMR, Texas A&M University
2001 Glenn Evans and Gene Mear
2000 Kathie Thomas-Keprta, Everett K. Gibson, Jr., David S. McKay, NASA Mars Meteorite Research Team
1999 Dr. Norman Hackerman, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Univ. of Texas at Austin
1998 Dr. Clark Hubbs Zoology University of Texas at Austin
1997 Dr. Robert F. Curl and Dr. Richard F. Smalley, Chemistry, Rice University
1996 Dr. Sammy M. Ray Oyster Biology Texas A&M University at Galveston
1995 Dr. John Reading Physics Texas A&M University
1994 Dr. Patrick L. Odell Mathematics Baylor University
1993 Dr. William R. Brinkley Medicine Baylor College of Medicine
1992 Dr. J. Knox Jones Mammalogy Texas Tech University
1991 Dr. Roger Unger Medicine Southwestern Medical Center
1990 Dr. Carolyn Huntoon Space Medicine NASA
1989 Dr. Carl B. Collins, Jr. Physics University of Texas at Dallas
1988 Dr. Virgil E. Barnes Geology University of Texas at Austin
1987 Dr. Richard C. Starr Botany University of Texas at Austin
1986 Dr. Grover E. Murray Geology Texas Tech Univ.
1985 Dr. Albert Zlatkis Chemistry University of Houston
1984 Dr. Francis S. Johnson Aerospace University of Texas at Dallas
1983 Dr. Michel Halbouty Geoscience Private Industry
1982 Dr. Perry Adkisson Entomology Texas A&M University
1981 None
1980 Dr. Ilya Prigogine Physics University of Texas at Austin
1979 Dr. Michael DeBakey Medicine Baylor College of Medicine
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