Two College of Science staff members have been honored by Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students with the 2022 President’s Meritorious Service Award, Texas A&M’s highest recognition for staff.
Dr. Yvette Hester ’89, associate director for the Academic Success Center and an instructional associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Travis McCartney, Administrative Coordinator I in the Department of Chemistry, are among the 27 individual staff members and two teams announced March 30 by Texas A&M President M. Katherine Banks as this year’s honorees.
Hester, McCartney and their fellow 2022 PMSA recipients will be recognized Monday, April 25 at a 10:30 a.m. awards ceremony and reception hosted by Dr. Banks in the Memorial Student Center Bethancourt Ballroom. Each honoree will receive a $1,000 award, a commemorative plaque and a lapel pin.
“The President’s Meritorious Service Awards recognize and reward staff for their commendable service to our great university,” Banks said. “Recipients of this highly prestigious award have demonstrated their commitment to the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect and selfless service. To each of them, I extend my most sincere congratulations and deep appreciation for their efforts that make Texas A&M University such a great institution.”
Established in 1986, the President’s Meritorious Service Awards are presented annually to recognize 25 outstanding staff employees, two outstanding teams and two outstanding supervisors for their meritorious service to the university. The program, which is sponsored by the Office of the President and The Association of Former Students, is coordinated by the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness.
Hester joined Texas A&M Mathematics in 2008 after a previous stint on faculty from 1990 to 2001 and earning both her master’s and Ph.D. from Texas A&M in applied mathematics (1989) and educational statistics and psychometrics (2000), respectively. She served as assistant dean for student affairs in the College of Science from 2017 through 2019 prior to assuming her current role as associate director for STEM resources within the Academic Success Center. In addition to founding the college’s RetainU program, she worked on several initiatives related to student success within Texas A&M Mathematics during her five-year stint as an assistant head (2012-2017). Hester also served as a member of the joint College of Science/College of Engineering Curriculum Committee and has developed technology-integrated and web-based curricula as well as various honors courses. Prior to coming to Texas A&M, she was Mathematics Chair (2003-2007) and Dean of Instruction (2003-2005) at Germanna Community College.
McCartney has served since July 2015 with Texas A&M Chemistry’s First Year Program, which aims to provide Texas A&M students with an introductory survey of a variety of different chemistry topics and applications while introducing them to laboratory science and techniques. His chief duties involve organizing student data, providing support for faculty and interacting with students to schedule make-up labs. In the process, McCartney has become a go-to expert in data collection, specifically data related to student success, which he is able to organize in ways that helps others visualize emerging trends. As the de facto data analyst for the largest general chemistry laboratory program in the country and an emerging advocate for student-focused scheduling and accessibility, McCartney’s has become a valued perspective in many academic circles at Texas A&M and beyond. Since 2021, he also has represented his department as a member of the College of Science Staff Advisory Council.
See a complete list of winners and find additional information about the program.
The President's Meritorious Service Awards recognize and reward staff for their commendable service to our great university. Recipients of this highly prestigious award have demonstrated their commitment to the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect and selfless service. To each of them, I extend my most sincere congratulations and deep appreciation for their efforts that make Texas A&M University such a great institution.