I enjoy volunteering for the Texas Rangers (I pass out promotional items at the gates), taking photographs (nature and baseball mainly) and spending time with my two grandsons.

Area of Service: Dee J. Kelly Law Library

Years of Service: 17 years (as Texas Wesleyan School of Law and Texas A&M School of Law)

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Variety
• Fortunate
• Friendships 

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

Selfless Service – I think it is important to help others. Even a small act can make a difference to someone. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but I observed my parents helping others by giving their time to friends, family and the church.

In the future, I hope to devote time to helping the American Red Cross and area food banks. I am an introvert, and volunteering provides me with the opportunity to meet people. 

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Early Bird – As a child, I wasn’t allowed to sleep in. As an adult, I always got up early to go to work or take my daughter to school. I am more productive and energetic in the mornings, especially after a chai tea latte.

 

If you could keep only three apps on your phone, what would they be?

• Facebook
• Candy Crush Soda
• Google

What was your favorite tv show growing up?

There were several I loved watching…The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, Columbo, CHiPs, Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas, and Knots Landing.

The Texas A&M School of Law advocacy program is deeply saddened by the passing of longtime mock trial coach, Douglas Greene.

Douglas Greene (center) and colleagues celebrate an award.

I was one of the first African Americans to integrate Fort Worth's Stripling Middle School in the early 1970s. While I didn't feel the responsibility of being one of the first at that time, I certainly remember that my presence was something others would remember. I got lots of stares. I share this because I can relate to the many firsts our law school students experience when they walk through our halls or sign in to a Zoom session for the very first time. I'm so grateful to our faculty and staff for their welcoming presence and understanding. They are doing their best to maintain a close-knit, family feel despite growth.

Area of Service: Faculty Support

Years of Service: Five

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Busy
• Defining
• Exciting

What makes TAMU Law unique?

Compared to other law schools, our size makes us unique. Smaller classes, I think, help our students connect better to their studies and to their fellow classmates. It's easier for students to find places to thrive.

I love also watching how the diversity of our students, faculty and staff improves every year. Everyone works together because we can all agree that student success is a priority.

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

Respect is my favorite Aggie Core Value. How we treat each other matters and reminds me of the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

I'm definitely an early bird. I tend to think better in the morning, and I can get more done. Forget the evenings. I'm generally half asleep. LOL. I also like the morning hours because it's a good time to fish, one of my favorite things to do.  

Area of Service: Curriculum & Instructional Design

Years of Service: Two

I am very passionate about designing high-quality, learner-friendly courses that engage adult learners to achieve success. Instructional design is the "glue" that connects instructors and students for the finest experiences.

I moved to the U.S. after earning my bachelor's degree in China, and I earned my master's degree in curriculum development and instructional technology from State University of New York at Albany. I'm looking forward to completing my doctoral degree next summer.

What's a recent professional accomplishment?

Migrating existing online courses to Canvas during a pandemic. Pivoting quickly was a challenge but also an opportunity.

Canvas is a course management system that supports online learning and teaching.

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Extremely busy
• Challenging
• Exciting

Do you have a favorite Texas A&M Aggie Core Value?

I'm most drawn to leadership, and it excites me. Without solid leadership, you may lose focus. Like a ship that navigates through rocky waters, a good leader can calm the path forward for organizational success.

Area of Service: IT

Years of Service: 14 years as Texas Wesleyan Law and Texas A&M Law

Who has influenced you the most when it comes to work? Share three takeaways.

I was taught by my father to remove the phrases, I can’t or I don’t know. The takeaway is not to give up when things are hard and to always seek knowledge and understanding in areas that you lack knowledge.

I was taught by my mother that working seven days a week, nights and weekends was normal for 40 hours of pay. My mother also told me frequently that life is not fair, but you need to control what you can control. You can always control your work ethic.

The last but most important came from my grandmother. She would say what’s done in the dark will come to the light. What I take from this is when you are working on projects alone and spending time away from work caring about your job and think you are not getting credit, keep working hard. What you do in the dark will soon come to light.

Describe your law school tenure in three words:

• Exciting
• Impactful
• Encouraging

I have a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in Geography/Earth Science and a minor in Spanish. I did a study-abroad and lived in Mexico for over a month while living with a family and attending school. I played saxophone in a Ska band in the late 90’s and played all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and Austin. My wife and I have known each other since high school band. She has been an elementary school teacher for 27 years. Our daughter is a junior at Texas Woman’s University, and our son is a percussion director for an area high school. We have two Bassett hounds, a Labrador mix and two cats.   We love taking our camper to different places and enjoying the scenery.

Busy, busy, busy….

The law school came from such humble beginnings with the hard work of so many people to become what it is today.

In late May, the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with the Haifa Centre for Law and Technology at the University of Haifa in Israel, will hold a pre-launch of the book Intellectual Property, Innovation, and Global Inequality.

Forthcoming from Cambridge University Press, this interdisciplinary book is co-edited by Professor Daniel Benoliel of the University of Haifa Faculty of Law, Francis Gurry, the director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from 2008 to 2020, Professor Keun Lee of the department of economics at Seoul National University in South Korea and Regents Professor Peter Yu of Texas A&M University.

Texas A&M Professor Brian N. Larson receives the Aggie Allies Rainbow Award this week. The Rainbow Award, sponsored by Aggie Allies, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to diversity by serving as a role model and contributing to the education of the Texas A&M University community regarding LGBTQ+ people and issues. Award recipients receive a commemorative item and a monetary award.

According to law school student and OUTLaw student organization president Lora Naismith, Larson encourages networking events that are "crucial for younger LGBTQ+ law students." The networking events expose students to various practice areas and diversity and inclusivity efforts in the community.

Serving on the board of directors of the Dallas LGBT Bar Association, Larson furthers its mission to promote awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and to advocate for equality through his advocacy of OUTLaw. His support allows OUTLaw students to undertake initiatives aimed at reducing inequities.

The student group hosts a meeting in August to greet and welcome new LGBTQ+ students and allies and recently hosted a panel on the evolution of LGBTQ+ laws and discussed foster care and adoption for LGBTQ+ families. 

The U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board recently  announced that Professor Irene Calboli has been awarded a Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics for 2021-22 to lecture and research in Helsinki, Finland.