STEPHENVILLE (November 29, 2018) — Tarleton State University’s Dr. Syed Hussain Ali Jafri has been named a Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Professor.
The economics professor is one of 15 faculty members within the A&M System designated Regents Professors for 2017-2018.
“These outstanding individuals are doing incredible work on behalf of the A&M System and the entire state of Texas,” said A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “They exemplify the values and commitment to excellence that define the A&M System, and I am grateful for their dedication.”
Dr. Jafri joined the Tarleton faculty in 1989 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to professor in 1999. At Tarleton, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses ranging from managerial economics, economics of health care, money and banking to environmental economics and international economics.
“Tarleton has many outstanding and caring professors,” he said. “My wife, who teaches finance courses, and all my children received their degrees from Tarleton. I am truly humbled in receiving this award and appreciative of the support from my peers, supervisors and family. Finally, I am grateful to God for His blessings and grace.”
Dr. Jafri has authored or co-authored 21 scholarly articles and made 35 presentations at regional, national and international conferences. He has served as principal or co-principal investigator in 18 grant-funded research activities involving economic impact studies, environmental justice, and access to and shortages of health care.
Twice he was nominated from the College of Business Administration for the University’s Excellence in Research Award.
In 2015 he and Dr. Edward Osei received the Texas A&M University System Chancellor’s Challenge to identify shortages of health care specialists in Texas. He led a team of researchers who created a website — healthcare.tarleton.edu. He and Osei were subsequently chosen by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services to study the availability of emergency medicine and general surgeons in Texas.
In addition to scholarly activities, Dr. Jafri founded the Tarleton Economics Society and the university’s chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, international honor society in economics. He served as the faculty adviser for these organizations for more than 20 years. He also served as a vice president and president of the Southwestern Economics Association.
He is currently serving on advisory boards for the Northwest Texas Small Business Development Council and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Advisory Committee in Economics. He also was a faculty fellow for the Center of Instructional Innovation. For his contributions in the service area, he received the Barry B. Thompson Service Award at the university level in 2013.
Dr. Jafri obtained his undergraduate degree in India in agricultural sciences, a master’s from Cornell University in marketing and food distribution and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in agricultural economics with an emphasis in international trade.
Most of his contributions to teaching, research and service have been since he became a full professor, and he remains active in all three areas.
“Once they become a full professor, many academic colleagues begin to cut back on contributions to the university,” said Dr. Keldon Bauer, head of the Accounting, Finance and Economics Department. “But Dr. Jafri has doubled down on his investment in his discipline, his university and all other institutions that might be broadly defined as his ‘community.’ ”
The board established the Regents Professor Awards in 1996 and the Regents Fellow Service Awards in 1998 to recognize employees who make exemplary contributions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas.
To date, 239 A&M System faculty members have been recognized with the Regents Professor Award.
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