Dr. Richard C. Benson (right), with Stuart Sides, executive vice president of strategic solutions at BGSF Professional Services.
A former University of Texas at Dallas president, the North Texas Semiconductor Institute and an alum were recognized at Tech Titans’ 25th annual awards on Sept. 12.
They were among the 14 companies, organizations and individuals honored by Tech Titans, the largest technology trade organization in Texas.
Dr. Richard C. Benson, who served as UT Dallas’ president from 2016 until his recent retirement, was inducted into the Tech Titans Hall of Fame for leading the University through enrollment growth, expanded research, arts and cultural projects, and a move to NCAA Division II.
“It was an exciting time. UT Dallas was on a roll, rapidly gaining students and growing as a research powerhouse,” Benson said. “I have never lost sight of the wonderful gift that my predecessor, President David Daniel, and his UT Dallas contemporaries placed in my hands.
“The achievements that form the basis for the Hall of Fame Award were made possible by an army of talented UT Dallas faculty, staff, students and administrators. So, thank you, Comets, for all that you have done for UT Dallas and the high-tech community of North Texas — and for me. I am deeply, deeply grateful.”
Robert Jackson (left), a member of the Tech Titans board of directors and executive vice president and general counsel at CyrusOne, congratulates Dr. Ted Moise, director of the North Texas Semiconductor Institute at UT Dallas.
The North Texas Semiconductor Institute, which was formed in 2023, won a Tech Titan of the Future award.
“Our mission at the North Texas Semiconductor Institute is to enable world-class semiconductor research, collaborations and workforce development,” said Dr. Ted Moise, director of the institute and a research professor of materials science and engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “We are grateful to be honored by Tech Titans for our work to support the region’s fast-growing semiconductor industry through an innovative semiconductor workforce development consortium.”
UT Dallas founded the North Texas Semiconductor Workforce Development Consortium with support from the U.S. Department of Education.
Eric Fortenberry MS’15
Through close collaboration and best practices, the consortium has boosted enrollment in semiconductor technician programs 140% over two years, Moise said.
The consortium includes Texas Instruments, GlobalWafers, Qorvo, Air Liquide, Coherent Corp., Collin College, Dallas College, Grayson College, North Central Texas College, Texas State Technical College, SEMI Foundation and a third-party assessor, UT Arlington.
Eric Fortenberry MS’15, founder and CEO of JobTread Software, a construction management software firm, won the Fast Tech award for the second year in a row. The award recognizes the fastest-growing tech companies in North Texas. JobTread’s revenue has grown 932% over the past three years.
“This recognition is an incredible honor for our team and a true testament to the impact we’re making in the construction industry,” Fortenberry said. “We’re committed to building software that transforms the way contractors operate, and it’s exciting to see how our relentless focus on listening to customers and innovating around their needs has fueled such rapid growth.”
Engineering Professor Receives Future of Science Mentor Award
Bernadette Magalindan BS’21, MS’25 (left) and Dr. Shuang (Cynthia) Cui.
Dr. Shuang (Cynthia) Cui, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor at The University of Texas at Dallas, received a Future of Science Award from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for serving as an exceptional mentor.
The Future of Science Awards celebrate excellence by ORISE program participants in the areas of scientific achievement, professional growth, project contributions and leadership. The awards also recognize mentors who have played a pivotal role in guiding and inspiring ORISE participants.
“Mentorship, to me, is about much more than guiding research projects,” said Cui, who was honored at an Aug. 28 virtual ceremony. “It is about helping young STEM professionals discover their voice, build confidence and realize the impact they can have.”
Bernadette Magalindan BS’21, MS’25, a mechanical engineering doctoral student in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, nominated Cui, her PhD advisor, for the award.
“Dr. Cui gave me the confidence that I could conduct challenging research while pursuing internships, fellowships and conferences,” she said.
Magalindan said Cui has encouraged her as she works to develop an innovative material from wood pulp aimed at keeping building temperatures comfortable and reducing energy use. She received support for her research as a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Innovation in Buildings Graduate Research Fellow.
Cui served as advisor to a team of students, led by Magalindan, that won the 2024-2025 JUMP into STEM Final Competition last year for addressing comfort needs in extreme climates or after extreme weather events. She said watching Magalindan grow as a researcher, thinker and leader has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.
“This award is not only a recognition of my efforts, but also a reflection of Bernadette’s commitment and hard work,” Cui said.
She said serving as a mentor also has helped her personally and professionally.
“What is often overlooked is how mentorship also shapes the mentor,” Cui said. “Personally, it has sharpened my leadership skills, strengthened my communication across diverse perspectives, and reminded me of the importance of patience and encouragement. Professionally, it has broadened the way I think about my own research and how I can create pathways for others to succeed.”
ORISE is a DOE asset dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world-class experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination.
Programming Team Competes with Honors at International Contest
From left: George Zhang, Quang Ngo, Bhadrachalam Chitturi PhD’07 and Suraj Mathashery BS’25.
A University of Texas at Dallas student team, Whoosh, placed in the honors category at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals, a competition known as the Olympics of computing.
Team Whoosh was one of 139 teams from 103 countries and one of 19 teams in North America to qualify for the global competition. The three-student UT Dallas team placed 69th internationally at the 49th annual competition held Aug. 31 to Sept. 4 at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The team includes recent computer science graduate Suraj Mathashery BS’25, and Quang Ngo and George Zhang, computer science seniors in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
ICPC competitions task students with designing and implementing algorithms to solve 10 to 15 challenging problems in five hours. Success requires expertise in problem-solving; advanced algorithms and data structures; mathematics; abstract thinking; and programming languages. Team Whoosh solved six problems in the ICPC World Finals.
The Comets advanced from regional and national competitions, finishing 18th in the 2025 ICPC North America Championship in May in Orlando, Florida.
Qualifying for the world finals is an honor, said Bhadrachalam Chitturi PhD’07, professor of instruction in computer science and the team’s coach.
“About 3,300 universities across the globe compete for a place in the world finals,” Chitturi said. “We are proud of our team for earning the honor of representing North America in the ICPC World Finals.”
The team was formed through Codeburners, a UT Dallas club dedicated to algorithmic problem-solving.
“Students worked diligently on hard problems in myriad domains for years to hone their problem-solving skills to earn this honor,” Chitturi said. “We are proud of our team’s accomplishment.”
UT Dallas teams also qualified for the ICPC World Finals in 2007, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of The University of Texas at Dallas faculty, students and staff. To submit items for consideration, contact your school’s communications manager.
