"The nominee has participated in church activities aimed at ministering to seniors. As president of her neighborhood civic association, she assisted many elderly residents. More recently, the nominee has urged other seniors to take an active role in offering encouragement to military personnel serving our country overseas. At the nominee's urging, her Bible study group signed cards and notes of encouragement for soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cards and notes were then tucked into care packages and sent to American soldiers oversees.
   When Joyce's late husband was hospitalized after a stroke and later convalescing in a long-term care facility (1995-1998), she took the time to visit with elderly patients and built friendships with those who had no family or friends visiting on a regular basis. She continued to take books and magazines to shut-in patients long after her husband died.

  "A gifted and dedicated educator, the nominee has taught classes in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology at the university level and neuroscience at the medical school level. Over the course of her career, she has helped educate thousands of students at the University of Texas, Texas Women's University, Baylor Collge Medicine, University of Houston, University of Texas Health Science Center, and the Texas A&M University System. Additionally, she served as the Director of Mathematics and Sciences for the Davis Study Institute of Biophysical Sciences for many years.
  Joyce Thompson has received a number of prestigious teaching awards and honors, including the Danforth Foundation Award for Excellence in University Teaching and several National Science Foundation University-College Science Faculty Awards in Chemistry, Radiation Biology, Physics, Genetics and Biomedical Sciences. She was also named "1990 Scientist of the Year."
     -Mr. & Mrs. Fred Frost, of Texas