January 13, 2014
When Dr. Hans Mark teaches UT's introduction to Aerospace Engineering course, he shares the inside story on every major aerospace project for the last half century. That is because he was always in the room championing the people and innovations that have given our country the edge in technology superiority to win the Cold War and lead the digital age. Whether you connected with Dr. Mark at Berkeley, MIT, Livermore, NASA, the Air Force, the Department of Defense or at UT, he no doubt made a mark on your life. Read a feature story on Dr. Mark's life.
On June 7, 2014, the ASE/EM community, family, friends and colleagues spent the day celebrating Dr. Hans Mark's 85th birthday and remarkable career with a symposium and dinner.
{module Hans Mark Celebration}
The symposium, which focused on Dr. Mark's contributions toward the advancement of science and technology, was packed with engaging speakers. Dr. Jay Davis, a longtime friend of Dr. Mark and President of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, served as symposium chair.
Speakers included Dr. Richard S. Post, Brig. Gen. S. Peter "Pete" Worden, Lt. Gen. Arlen "Dirk" Jameson, USAF (Ret.), Lt. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, Capt. Robert L. Crippen, Dr. Larry Carver, Dr. Sheldon Ekland-Olson, Dr. Juliet Garcia, Mary Rose Cardenas, Dr. Ian McNab, Dr. Francis Stephani, Eric Ladizinsky and Dr. Michael Webber.
The celebration concluded with a dinner at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, which included remarks by ASE/EM chair Noel Clemens and Provost Greg Fenves. Dr. Stelios Kyriakides presented a gift from the ASE/EM faculty to Dr. Mark and wife Marion, followed by remarks by Ray Burnstein, Dr. Mark's friend of 71 years. To close out the evening, Dr. Mark was presented with a special birthday surprise – a cake in the shape of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Thank you to all who were able to join us during this momentous occasion. It was a wonderful event enjoyed by many. For those who were unable to attend, we missed you.
We are especially grateful to our table sponsors for making the evening event possible. A special thank you to Dr. Richard Post, who was instrumental in establishing the Hans Mark Scholars Endowment in Engineering Honors. Thank you to all who have contributed to the scholarship so far.
If you have not yet contributed to the scholarship, please consider giving so we can hit the $1 million mark and have another reason to celebrate. You can make your gift online here, or mail, fax or email the pledge form to: Bliss Angerman, Cockrell School of Engineering, 301 E. Dean Keeton St. Austin, TX, 78712-1180.
Dr. Mark's legacy will continue to inspire our students for years to come. We wish Dr. Mark and Marion the very best in this new chapter of their lives!
