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Alums fill education board seats

On Aug. 20, Gov. Rick Perry appointed three members to serve on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, two of whom are UH alumni.

UH alumni Dennis Golden and Durga Agrawal and University of Texas alumnus Wallace Hall Jr. will serve terms that expire in 2015.

Golden, a former member of the UH System Board of Regents, earned his bachelor’s degree and doctorate in optometry from UH. He is a board-certified glaucoma specialist and the chief of staff for Golden Eye Associates, a member and former president of the Texas Optometric Association, and is a member of the East Texas Medical Center in Carthage and former chairman of the Panola Center Board of Trustees.’

‘During Golden’s campus years at UH, he served as the president of the Optometric Student Association and was awarded Outstanding Fourth Year Student,’ UH Director of Media Relations Richard Bonin said.’

‘He has been in private practice in Carthage, Texas, since 1978. He was pronounced’ ‘Optometrist of the Year’ in 2003 and is also named as a distinguished alumnus for the College of Optometry.’

‘ Durga Agrawal received his Ph.D. and industrial engineering master’s degree from UH. He also studied at the University of New Delhi where he received his bachelor’s degree.’

‘ ‘Dr. Agrawal is a member of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston,’ Katherine Cesinger, deputy press secretary for Gov. Perry’s office, said.

‘He is also a member of Friedman Industries, the India Cultural Community and the Industry Trade Advisory Committee. He is the former president of both the India House Inc. and the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston.’

Agrawal also presides on the UH Industrial Engineering Advisory Board, the Alumni Board and the UH Cullen College of Engineering Leadership Board. He is currently the CEO of Piping Technology & Products Inc.

Wallace Hall Jr. earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas. He is the founder of the Trinity River Mitigation Bank and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the St. Mark’s School of Texas Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.’

Currently president of Wetland Partners, Hall is also a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists, the National Mitigation Banking Association and the Governor’s Business Council.

The three new members officially became part of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Aug. 31, 2009.

The board’s main focus is setting policies and coordinating efforts to improve the Texas education system, especially for post-high school education.’

According to the governor’s Web site, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board plans to improve the distribution of financial aid, provide more distance learning and academic program consolidation, and lower the high costs of college courses and instructional materials.’

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