Texas History Symposium: Texas Industries in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Dr. Peter McCaffrey, MD, MS, FCAP, serves as UTMB Health’s Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer, where he leads AI strategy and implementation, advancing patient care and operational efficiency across UTMB. Board-certified in Clinical Pathology and Clinical Informatics, Dr. McCaffrey is also co-chair of the University of Texas System AI Collaborative, a statewide initiative guiding AI innovation and strategy for Texas’ health institutions. 

He completed his medical training at Johns Hopkins, with residency and chief residency at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and went on to Stanford University for graduate training in AI and Biomedical Data Science. At UTMB since 2018, Dr. McCaffrey has pioneered projects like AI-enhanced automation of COVID-19 diagnostics, nationally recognized by America’s Essential Hospitals, and developed Texas’ most advanced laboratory for Single Cell and Pharmacogenomics. His vision and expertise are helping UTMB expand its leadership and innovation in medical AI. 

Barbara Ganson is a Professor at Florida Atlantic University. She received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas at Austin in 1994. Dr. Hanson specializes in two fields of study: Latin American history and aviation history. Her second book, Texas Takes Wing: A Century of Flight in the Lone Star State was published in January 2014 by the University of Texas Press. Dr. Ganson’s book manuscript: “Lady Daredevils:  American Women and Early Aviation,” has been accepted for publication by the University of Illinois Press. 

Marilu Hastings is executive vice president of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin. She also directs the Mitchell Innovation Lab. As EVP, Marilu leads and is a catalyst for enhancing the programmatic direction of the foundation. She guides the conception and implementation of programs and initiatives with the program teams to ensure that the foundation’s priorities align with the mission and values of benefactors George and Cynthia Mitchell. As the Mitchell Innovation Lab Director, Marilu deploys a varied portfolio of breakthrough sustainability ideas and opportunities that the foundation develops and incubates.

Joe Powell (Joseph B. Powell, PhD) is Executive Director of the University of Houston Energy Transition Institute, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Fellow and former Director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.   He served as Shell’s first Chief Scientist – Chemical Engineering from 2006 – 2020, culminating a 36-year industry career where he led R&D programs in new chemical processes, biofuels, enhanced oil recovery, and advised on global strategy for the energy transition.  He is co-inventor on more than 160 patent publications (63 granted), has received AIChE / ACS / R&D Magazine awards for Innovation, Service, and Practice, and is co-author of Sustainable Development in the Process Industries:  Cases and Impact (2010) and Insights into the New Hydrogen Economy (2024).  

He chaired the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC), served two terms on the U. S. National Academy Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, on the editorial board of Annual Review of Chemical and Biological Engineering.  He served as crosscutting team lead for Mission Innovation Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (2017), co-author on dual reports for the National Academy Carbon Utilization Infrastructure, Markets, Research, and Development Committee (2021-24), and currently serves on the U.S. DOE’s Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee (ITIAC) and as advisor to the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development.   Dr. Powell obtained a PhD from the U. Wisconsin-Madison (1984) and a BS from the U. Virginia (1978), both in chemical engineering.