Senate Resolution No. 875, adopted May 14 by the Texas Senate recognized the efforts in the aftermath of the explosion of space shuttle Columbia by Dr. Gordon Wells, the Center's program director, and his staff who coordinated the use of the Center's satellite photography to map the location of shuttle debris. They then helped lead search efforts using the maps and global position system (GPS) technology to physically find debris.
Col. Thomas Davis, Jr., director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a letter to Dr. Wells, "Clearly, the actions of the Center for Space Research made a difference in ensuring public health and safety and for the recovery of the Shuttle Columbia and her brave and courageous crew. You and your staff worked tirelessly, around the clock, in tandem with more than 130 federal, state and local agencies-over 1.5 million man-hours, covering an unprecedented 680,748 acres in the largest land and air search effort in the history of the United States...You and your associates are to be commended and you make us all proud to be Texans."
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The Cockrell School ranks among the top ten engineering programs in the United States and aspires to move into the top five. With the nation's fourth highest number of faculty members elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Cockrell School's more than 7,000 students work with many of the world's finest engineering educators and researchers. This environment prepares graduates to become engineering leaders and innovators working for the betterment of society.