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FOne of the five Texas A&M University
faculty members appointed a
university distinguished professor was
Dr. Timothy D. Philips, professor of
veterinary integrative biosciences at
the College of Veterinary Medicine &
Biomedical Sciences (CVM). Effective
Sept. 1, this permanently bestowed
honor is awarded to a maximum of five
faculty members each year.
Philips is a Texas AgriLife Senior
Faculty Fellow and also holds the Chester
Reed Endowed Chair in Toxicology.
He earned a B.S. from Mississippi State
University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from
the University of Southern Mississippi.
Phillips joined the faculty of Texas
A&M University in 1979. He also has
held adjunct positions with The
University of Texas Medical Branch
in Galveston, Texas, and Texas Tech
University in Lubbock, Texas. Since
2009, he has held a joint appointment
with The Texas A&M University System
Health Science Center School of Rural
Public Health.
While at Texas A&M, he has dedicated
himself to research with the potential
to improve the health of infants
and children in Africa, teaching what
he has learned, and engaging in outreach
that has resulted in meaningful
relationships with people all over the
world. Phillips’ major achievement is
the development of a novel, easily dis-
seminated, inexpensive
way to remediate aflatoxin
in staple foods such
as corn, peanuts, and
rice, and thus prevent
diseases associated with
aflatoxicosis, including
liver disease, liver cancer,
malnutrition, and
compromised immunity
to infectious organisms.
Aflatoxins are naturally
occurring mycotoxins
that are among the most
toxic and carcinogenic
substances known.
Other 2012 recipients
of this honor include Dr.
Paul S. Cremer, professor
of chemistry, College
of Science; Dr. Christopher
Layne, professor,
George Bush School of
Government and Public
Service; Dr. David M.
Lee, professor of physics,
College of Science; and
Dr. Guoyao Wu, professor
of animal science,
College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences.
The 2012 university
distinguished professor
honorees join a select group of 64
current faculty members that hold
Faculty/Staff Focus
Phillips honored as University Distinguished Professor
Remediating aflatoxin in staple foods, such as corn, in Africa is Phillips’ primary research focus.
Dr. Timothy D. Phillips
the prestigious title. This designation
denotes a faculty member who is recognized
as being in the top 2
percent of active researchers
in his or her field by peers in
top-ranked academic institutions
throughout the world.
“University Distinguished
Professors represent the highest
level of achievement for
our faculty,” said Dr. Karan L.
Watson, provost and executive
vice president for academic
affairs. “Their scholarship
will have a lasting impact
on their respective fields of
study for many generations
to come, and it demonstrates
to the world the high quality
of scholarship underway at
Texas A&M University.”
The Texas A&M Foundation
provides funding for
the annual $5,000 bursary
that each new distinguished
professor will receive for the
next five years.
CVM Today • Winter 2012 • 57