Presidential Citation

The Presidential Citation program was established to recognize the extraordinary contributions of individuals who personify the University’s commitment to the task of transforming lives. The University does not award honorary degrees, and these citations are designed to salute persons whose service exemplifies the values shared by the University community. The Presidential Citation honors those who have brought great distinction to the University and helped the institution to achieve its mission.

2008 Recipients

William W. Cooper is the Foster Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus of Finance and Management in the Department of Information, Risk, and Operations Management in the Red McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.  In his long, distinguished, and prolific career, he has been an innovator in building bridges between theory and data, using the foundations of accounting and new methods of analysis to understand complex economic and managerial problems and find solutions to them.  He is the co-author of twenty-seven books and more than 500 scientific and professional articles, ranging across the disciplines of information systems, management science, business management, and information technology.  He arrived at UT in 1980, at an age when most are seriously contemplating retirement, and his scholarly output has increased since his arrival in Austin.  He had held posts previously at Harvard University, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of Chicago.  His numerous awards include co-recipient of the 1982 John Von Neumann Theory Prize, the 1986 U.S. Comptroller General Award for Significant Contributions to the U.S. General Accounting Office, and his 1991 induction into the Accounting Hall of Fame.

Stephen A. Monti is the Executive Vice Provost of The University of Texas at Austin.  In that role, he administers many of the functions that are critical to the operation and success of a world-class research institution.  He is involved in developing the institutional budget, managing facility renovations and assigning space, administering facilities and capital projects, and overseeing the setting and review of tuition policy.  He also advises the Provost in the areas of academic program administration, institutional policy and procedures, and resource management.  Monti is Professor of Chemistry, having come to the UT Chemistry Department as an assistant professor in 1967.  He has held administrative positions at the University since 1974, including assistant to the president; the associate vice presidencies for academic planning, academic administration, and academic affairs and research; vice provost; provost ad interim; and twice as interim executive vice president and provost.  Virtually every corner of the University bears the stamp of his hand as a skilled administrator and leader.

Robert S. Strauss is an accomplished lawyer and diplomat, and a trusted advisor to the highest levels of government.  A 1941 graduate of The University of Texas Law School, Strauss was instrumental in helping his fellow UT Law alumnus John Connally win the 1962 election for Texas governor.  Strauss served on the Texas Banking Commission under Governor Connally, while continuing to build his growing law firm, and he served as United States Trade Representative under President Jimmy Carter.  In 1991, President George H. W. Bush appointed him U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, and following the collapse of the USSR he continued as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation.  The law firm Strauss founded in 1945, now known as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, is today one the largest in the world.  The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin is named in his honor.  A recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, Strauss played a major role in our nation’s political affairs during the second half of the twentieth century.

Sara Martinez Tucker has worked tirelessly to ensure that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue higher education.  She is the under secretary of education, the U.S. Department of Education’s top higher education official.  In this position she oversees all policies and programs related to postsecondary, vocational, and adult education, as well as federal student aid.  In addition, she leads efforts within the Department to expand opportunities for all Americans to undertake and afford a postsecondary education.  For nine years prior to entering public service, Tucker was CEO and president of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing college education among Hispanic Americans.  Tucker is a pioneer in the business community, as well:  in a sixteen-year career at AT&T, she was the first Latina to reach the company’s executive level, rising to the positions of vice president for consumer operations and regional vice president for global business communications systems.  A holder of a BA in journalism and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin, Tucker has served her alma mater as a member of the Commission of 125, a life member of the UT Development Board, and a member of the Chancellor’s Council.  She is a recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.