Richard E. Wainerdi, President Emeritus of the Texas Medical Center, served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1984 through 2012. Prior to that, he was President of Gulf Research & Development Company, a subsidiary of Gulf Oil Corporation. He served Texas A&M University in scientific and academic affairs from 1957 to 1977 and founded A&M’s Nuclear Science Center, Activation Analysis Research Laboratory, German Synfuels Technology Retrieval Program, Center for Energy and Mineral Resources, and several other programs, including the University’s College of Medicine.
Dr. Wainerdi is Distinguished Adjunct Professor, Wiess School of Natural Sciences, and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Engineering, George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University. He is also an Adjunct Professor in multiple disciplines at Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Dental Branch, University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, Texas A&M University and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
A petroleum engineering graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Wainerdi received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Penn State. He serves on the Board of Visitors of the University of Oklahoma, College of Engineering.
In 1966, Dr. Wainerdi was selected “Engineer of the Year” for Brazos County, and in 1992 for Houston by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. In 2002, he was named “Master Builder” by the Houston Chapter of the Associated General Contractors and “International Executive of the Year.”
During his tenure at Texas Medical Center, the campus expanded dramatically across nearly all metrics, including acres, patient count, employee headcount, student enrollment, physical plant, and research grant funding. His leadership demonstrated successful coordination of a 54-member institution’s campus by encouraging collaboration.
* Publisher’s Note: Richard Wainerdi passed away in March 2021. His remarkable spirit and accomplishments live on through his family and many friends. He is greatly missed.