Endowed Chair in Chemistry to be Created at A&M International

A generous gift will enable Texas A&M International University to establish its first Endowed Chair in Chemistry.

A&M International has been selected to be a beneficiary of The Martha C. Pradeau Charitable Remainder Trust, which will establish the Guillermo Miller Endowed Chair in Chemistry, named after Guillermo Miller Jr., Pradeau's nephew and trustee of the Trust.

The gift launches the University's establishment of its Heritage Society for donors who provide planned gifts to the University, said Michelle A. Alexander, vice president for Institutional Advancement at A&M International.

"A planned gift is a way for a donor to stipulate how they wish their gift to be distributed. Because such gifts may take years to be provided, they show a special vision and commitment on the part of the donor and are much appreciated by institutions of higher education. The Pradeau-Miller planned gift is remarkable and the fact that it comes from a family committed to education and the advantages it can provide makes this gift especially relevant," Alexander said.

With the Chair, Pradeau and her family plan to continue her husband Dr. Alberto Francisco Pradeau's legacy of supporting higher education. Dr. Pradeau was a faculty member at the University of Southern California, and the family has provided scholarships to higher education institutions in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico and Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz.

Pradeau's nephew, Guillermo, worked for many years at Laredo's CP&L and he and his late wife Alicia's children continue to be involved in education. One worked for Laredo Independent School District, another is an elementary teacher at Laredo's Salinas Elementary School, and another taught at the former Laredo Junior College.

Miller's son, Frederico, excelled in his studies at Texas A&M University and when the family learned of the presence of A&M International in Laredo, they wanted to help. The preamble announcing the family's funding of the Chair clearly states the reasons behind the gift.

"We know that a strong educational system, coupled with the highest moral and ethical standards, is the pillar on which an enlightened community and an evolved society and its culture depend. An excellent and rigorous education in a nurturing academic environment is the key to success, to instilling confidence, to the creation of an informed populace," the preamble states.

For more information about the Guillermo Miller Endowed Chair in Chemistry or planned gifts, please contact Michelle A. Alexander at 326.2175, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 269 or email malexander@tamiu.edu. University offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu