You’re writing a research paper or you’re teaching a high school science class and you’re stumped – you need an answer, and pronto. What to do? You ask Dr. Bob.

Three graduate students in the College of Geosciences have been awarded prestigious 12-month Schlanger Fellowships. Oceanography graduate students Daniel Murphy and Masako Tominaga won awards for the 2007-2008 academic year. Geology and Geophysics graduate student Hiroko Kitajima won a fellowship for the 2006-2007 academic year. To put this accomplishment for Texas A&M in perspective, only five such awards were made nationwide during the year.

Dr. Greta A. Fryxell, professor emerita of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, has been honored by the publication of a “festschrift,” which is a volume of writings by a scholar’s students and colleagues presented as a tribute to that person. The festschrift published for Fryxell recognizes her long record of scientific achievement in the fields of oceanography and phycology.

Twenty-three former students and associates of Professor William R. Bryant have given a total of $1 million dollars to establish an endowed chair in his name in the Department of Oceanography within the College of Geosciences. The William R. Bryant Oceanography Chair for Teaching, Research and Mentoring Excellence was announced at a dinner held in Bryant’s honor on Friday, February 1.

Ralph Rayburn, the Texas Sea Grant College Program’s Extension Program leader, died suddenly at his home Thursday morning, January 31, of an alleged heart attack. He was 60. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Callaway-Jones Funeral Home in Bryan. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at A&M United Methodist Church.

Dr. Gerald North, distinguished professor in the atmospheric sciences department of the College of Geosciences, was presented the Jule G. Charney Award at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting last week in New Orleans. Dr. North was cited for his "groundbreaking research on climate models, atmospheric statistics, and satellite mission development."