Passing It Back By Paying It Forward

A transformational education has the power to equip students to generate solutions for today’s real-world problems while creating tomorrow’s leaders in the process.

Dr. Matthew A. Harthcock ’82 knows that firsthand after parlaying his bachelor of science in chemistry from Missouri State University and his doctorate in chemistry from Texas A&M University into an acclaimed four-decade career as a scientist, executive and visionary leader in the plastics and chemical industry.

“I believe you can accomplish anything if you have the will just to do it, regardless of the challenges," said Harthcock, who founded his own consulting company, Solutions by Harthcock Associates, in 2019 after retiring from the corporate world and successive roles with The Dow Chemical Company, GE Plastics, L&L Products and Ohio-based Schneller LLC.

As an executive, Harthcock leverages his considerable experience, skills and passion for delivering positive continuous improvement in businesses to create innovative solutions and value for his clients. During the past decade, he’s done the same for Texas A&M students at both undergraduate and graduate levels through a series of gifts to the Department of Chemistry and College of Arts and Sciences made in partnership with his wife, Patricia.

The couple’s most recent gift has established the Dr. Matthew A. ’82 and Mrs. Patricia J. Harthcock Undergraduate Research Fellowship Endowment in Chemistry, a $100,000 fund that will support undergraduate research in the Department of Chemistry.

“Research became a passion that resulted in me coming to Texas A&M to get my Ph.D.,” Harthcock said. “Establishing this endowment to provide fellowships for undergraduate chemistry majors to do research is just a pleasure and an honor.”

The Harthcocks' gift is one of five from pioneering Texas A&M chemistry graduates who each used their education to forge successful careers in the chemical sciences and have now cemented lifelong legacies in Aggieland through lead gifts made in support of Texas A&M’s state-of-the-art Instructional Laboratory & Innovative Learning Building (ILSQ) that serves 15,000-plus freshmen and sophomore students from majors and degree programs across the campus each year.

Chemistry’s Fab Five

Harthcock is joined by Bruce Crumley ’70, Dr. James M. “Mike” Killough ’75 '79, Dr. Patrick M. “Pat” Killough ’75 and Dr. John M. Beckerdite ’76 in establishing the initial endowments associated with the ILSQ, which opened in January 2023 as the new West Campus home for all things chemistry and a showcase for undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratories, from general chemistry to organic chemistry. Before they made their mark in industry, all five were themselves students eager to further their knowledge in chemistry and other subjects — a foundation shaped as much by available resources as the mentorship that proved key to both their careers and character. By giving back, they hope to impact the future of science education far beyond campus borders while building future leaders in science and a host of other professions.

"I am so thankful and blessed to have had the career, opportunities and success that has occurred in my life,” Harthcock said. "It happened because of how I was raised by my parents and the education I was so fortunate to receive. As such, I have been inspired to give back to those universities that laid the foundation for my training in chemistry."

Described as the premier laboratory building in the country, the ILSQ is home to 19 general chemistry labs, eight organic chemistry labs, two instrumental labs, five chemical prep areas and one analytical chemistry lab. Its pioneering racetrack configuration allows sight directly into and through each lab for a truly immersive learning experience that ensures active learning, energizes group work and encourages students from across disciplines to work together in ways not possible before. The facility also features collaborative learning spaces, academic support, instructional faculty and staff offices, and free onsite tutoring anchored by two peer-led learning laboratories on the second floor that are staffed by student mentors specific to general chemistry and organic chemistry.

"The fact that this gift is associated with the ILSQ as a premier teaching and laboratory facility makes it the perfect full-circle opportunity for me," Harthcock said. "What’s even more special is that this uniquely terrific facility has also inspired four other Aggies to provide endowments to support undergraduate students. Three of them — Pat, John and Mike — were all students at Texas A&M at the same time I was. It’s significant to me that we all have been able to make an impact, individually and together, for the students! I would challenge other Aggie chemistry graduates to establish similar legacies of support for students and faculty."

Past Is Prologue

As a first-class gateway to science education, the ILSQ represents Texas A&M's ongoing investment in its students. Simply put, the ILSQ allows for the kind of collaborative education that leads to world-changing discoveries in one of the most important channels of knowledge: science. And who better to literally bring home that point than five former students who have made names for themselves in industry and are now lending theirs to a facility designed to inspire and shape the future of their chosen field and fellow Aggies?

Crumley, a student-athlete who lettered in tennis and earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas A&M and is now retired, is a former president and chief executive officer of two companies. He has more than 45 years in general management with domestic and international experience focusing on start-ups, revitalization and turnaround through change management techniques. He has worked with Fortune 100 and small and medium enterprises in the public, private and government sectors across the Asian-Pacific, Latin America and Europe.

He has established the Bruce Crumley ’70 and Lewis W. and Virginia Crumley Scholarship in Chemistry, a $100,000 fund to provide scholarships for full-time students pursuing undergraduate degrees in chemistry at Texas A&M.

"My parents, by providing international living experiences, helped hone my understanding of various worldwide cultures and languages and prepared me for international business in helping to better life through chemistry with different phases of life and matter," Crumley said.

Both Killough brothers, who are also retired and living in College Station, received bachelor of science degrees in chemistry from Texas A&M, followed by Ph.D.s — Mike’s in organic chemistry in 1979 and Pat’s in physical chemistry in 1982. Mike enjoyed a nearly 40-year career working at Gulf Oil, Allied Chemical, Soltex, Solvay Polymers, BP Solvay Polyethylene and INEOS Olefins & Polymers in polyolefin catalysis, high-density polyethylene and polypropylene product and market development, product management, sales and marketing, strategic planning and knowledge management.

Mike and his wife, Gabrielle “Gigi” ‘78, who earned her bachelor’s degree in educational curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M, have established the Gigi ’78 and Mike Killough ’75 Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry, a $25,000 fund to provide scholarships for full-time students pursuing undergraduate degrees in chemistry at Texas A&M.

“Gigi and I have endowed two $25,000 chemistry scholarships, the Killough Family Scholarship and the Gigi and Mike Killough Scholarship, both of which have a preference for first-generation students who typically need more help and encouragement — something Pat and I know firsthand as first-generation college graduates,” Killough said. “All three of us are extremely grateful to Texas A&M for all of the opportunities provided to us and the education we received that allowed us to succeed in our chosen fields. I can safely say that Texas A&M had a profound effect on all of our lives, and we wanted to give back to Texas A&M in a way that would benefit future Aggies."

Upon receiving his Ph.D. in physical chemistry, Pat accepted a two-year postdoctoral opportunity at the University of York jointly with the Rutherford Appleton Lab in the United Kingdom, followed by a short postdoctoral appointment at the University of Arizona. He then took yet another postdoctoral position at the Los Alamos National Laboratory that confirmed his love of collaboration over individual research. It was then time to get a real job, so like his brother, Pat went into industry, where he enjoyed a nearly 30-year research career with Shell Global Solutions Inc. in Houston. He worked on a wide variety of problems involving not only petroleum but also the hydraulic fluid used to operate the valves one mile or deeper in the ocean, elastomeric polymers in shoe soles and on the back of postage stamps, epoxy resins, contaminated fuels, intermediates in chemical processes, and detection and quantification of parts-per-billion-level contaminants in ethylene and hydrogen.

Pat has established the Patrick Killough ’75 Undergraduate Chemistry Research Endowment, a $25,000 fund that will support undergraduate chemistry students conducting summer research in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Some of the happiest and most fulfilling moments of my life were found in the laboratory," Killough said. "It gives me great pleasure to fund this scholarship in hopes that others will also find their joy in a laboratory. Fiat Lux.”

Beckerdite earned his bachelor of science in chemistry in 1976 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1983 from Texas A&M, spending time in the interim with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Food Protein Research and Development group. He spent 27 years with The Dow Chemical Company, serving as the Senior Intellectual Capital Leader for Dow's Performance Materials Division and also leading R&D for the combined $3 billion amines and oxygenated solvents businesses. His additional roles include head of intellectual property management for the TEES Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Division, chief technology officer for chemical-based self-heating products manufacturer Exothermix and founder of P&N Technology Consulting, which provides technical and intellectual property services in the natural sciences.

He has established the Dr. John M. Beckerdite ’76 Undergraduate Research Endowment in Chemistry, a $25,000 fund that will support students engaged in summer undergraduate research in the Department of Chemistry.

“Engaging in undergraduate research in the Department of Chemistry taught me how to think like a scientist and helped forge the practical skills that would serve me well in my career," Beckerdite said. "It was a wonderful foundational experience I will never forget. The capabilities of the ILSQ coupled with expanded opportunities for undergraduate research will ensure that our students will be exceptionally well-prepared for the next chapter in their lives.”

When Opportunity Knocks

Thanks to a unique opportunity made available by the College of Arts and Sciences in partnership with the Texas A&M Foundation, each of these endowments is a gift that keeps on giving in more ways than the typical scholarship or research stipend. In recognition of their collective contributions, each of these donors receives the honor of naming rights to a variety of spaces within the ILSQ, from study and collaboration areas to help desk and tutoring offices, as a perpetual acknowledgment of their commitment to current students and the roots of future scientific breakthroughs and pursuits.

In the Harthcocks’ case, the collaboration area/seminar room formerly known simply as W105 on the first floor of the ILSQ will be named the Dr. Matthew A. ’82 and Mrs. Patricia J. Harthcock Aggie Collaboration Zone in honor of their gift.

Crumley’s gift will be commemorated by naming the first-floor room previously known only as W104 as the Bruce Crumley 1970 and Lewis W. and Virginia Crumley Study/Collaboration Area in his honor and that of his parents.

Beckerdite’s gift along with those from the Killough brothers will be recognized by naming a bank of help desk/tutoring offices on the third floor as the Dr. John Beckerdite ’76 Resolve & Fortitude Space (W300A), the Gigi ’78 and Mike Killough ’75 Help Desk Tutoring Room (W300B) and the Patrick Killough ’75 Help Desk/Tutoring Office (W300C), respectively.

“These donors identified the spaces in the ILSQ to name,” said Texas A&M Arts and Sciences Executive Associate Dean Dr. Simon W. North, John W. Bevan Professor of Chemistry and former head of Texas A&M Chemistry who worked with all five and gave them tours of the facility. “The funding priorities of the donor and department determined the types of spaces available for naming. It was wonderful to work with the donors to select spaces that resonated.”

As someone who plans to make his own gift and already has his ideal room identified, North advises anyone interested in learning more about the ILSQ or supporting transformational science education that their time is now.

“The strength of the undergraduate and graduate programs in chemistry at Texas A&M is reflected in the success of our former students,” North added. “We are fortunate to have such loyal former students who not only contribute financially but also give their time to serve as professional mentors, advisors and recruiters, which is critical in maintaining our status as a highly-ranked chemistry program. We hope this unique opportunity both to name transformational space in the ILSQ and to impact the department will inspire other former students.”