Monty Mueller, a distinguished former student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and an avid supporter of the department, will be greatly missed by students, faculty, and staff at Texas A&M University.
Mueller, who graduated in 1984, was recognized this spring as a Distinguished Former Student for his contributions. He was recently chosen to serve as chair of the CSE Advisory Council.
In all of his interactions with the department, Mueller’s attitude of service was evident. He recently started a mentoring program with graduate student Jory Denny, who serves as president of the CSE Graduate Student Association.
“Monty was very passionate about improving the student experience at Texas A&M,” Denny said. “He was extremely receptive of student opinions and concerns, doing everything in his power to bring about change. His style of leadership showed his true qualities”
Mueller improved the student experience through scholarships for students. The Stephanie and Monty Mueller ’84 Endowed Scholarship is a 4-year scholarship awarded to incoming freshman pursuing a degree in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Scholarship recipients are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA.
Prior to serving as the chair of the advisory council, Mueller served as chair of the fundraising committee. Through his efforts, the department increased the number of endowed scholarships from 8 to 17.
“I attribute much of this success to Monty’s phenomenal leadership in chairing the fundraising committee,” said Dr. Nancy Amato, Unocal Professor of computer science and engineering
Phenomenal leadership was a recurring theme throughout Mueller’s life. Mueller was a management consultant and partner with Accenture and a successful business owner. He brought this leadership with him wherever he went, even volunteering to educate Dr. Dilma Da Silva when she was hired as head of the computer science and engineering department.
“His warm leadership was contagious and his encouragement was empowering,” Da Silva said. “It was very special that he educated me on the A&M traditions, I couldn’t have had a better or funnier teacher.”
In 2008, Mueller made a conscious decision to devote more time to his family. His wife Stephanie, son Justin, and daughter Alison, were loved dearly by Mueller. He took great enjoyment in spending quality time with them. He inspired his son to follow in his footsteps by enrolling in the college of engineering as a freshman in 2014.
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering faculty, staff and students will miss Monty Mueller, a great friend and supporter of the department. His legacy of service and giving will live on for years to come.