Townsends establish chemical engineering scholarship

Natasha and Jeffery Townsend have established the Natasha Cecez Townsend, M.D. and Jeffery E. Townsend ’95 Endowed Scholarship. Distributions from this endowment will provide one or more scholarships to students in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Jeff was attracted to Texas A&M by the quality of the education offered by the College of Engineering. He was also drawn to the school’s culture, values and the tight-knit community that can be found among the students and faculty that make up the Aggie family. 

“Texas A&M is a large school with a small-school feel due to the amazing students and traditions,” he said. “I feel at home every time I come back to campus.”

Jeff graduated in 1995. Looking back, he is greatly impressed by the curriculum and faculty that allowed him to achieve success during and after graduation. 

“Getting my degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M provided the critical thinking and problem-solving mindset that has benefited my career, first as a process engineer and now in corporate finance,” Jeff said. 

He credited his engineering advisor, Dr. Dan Hanson, as being influential during his time as a student. 

“He always looked out for myself and my fellow students,” Jeff said.

Coming to College Station from New Mexico, Jeff faced financial challenges paying for out-of-state tuition. He was fortunate to be awarded scholarships that waived his out-of-state tuition fees, which ultimately made his dream of studying at Texas A&M a reality. His wife, Natasha, also faced financial struggles in college. She overcame them through continued effort and diligence, working multiple jobs while pursuing her chemical engineering degree from the University of Alabama, Huntsville. 

Together, Jeff and Natasha have established this scholarship in order to provide an opportunity to students who face similar situations. They have made additional preferences that their endowed scholarship be awarded to a non-Texas resident, transfer student or someone who did not take the traditional path to Texas A&M.

“The financial support I received made it possible for me to attend an amazing school that I know has opened doors for me in my career,” Jeff said. “We have been blessed and want to give back to support future students.” 

Jeff is now a director of finance at Bentley Systems, Inc. Natasha is a radiation oncologist and is a partner of East Tennessee Radiation Oncology providing services to the Thompson Cancer Survival Center at LeConte Medical Center. They live in Sevierville, Tennessee, with their two daughters, who they hope will someday attend Texas A&M.