Neal Vasso qualifies for Ameriprise Chairman’s Advisory Council

Neal Vasso, CFP, APMA, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Tyler, has been named to the 2025 Chairman’s Advisory Council for the ninth time.

Vasso qualified for the prestigious Chairman’s Advisory Council based on distinguished performance. He joins other top-ranked advisors to discuss current issues and business opportunities with Ameriprise Financial Chairman and CEO Jim Cracchiolo and other company leaders.

The Chairman’s Advisory Council was established in 1984. Advisors qualify each year based on superior business results.

Vasso has 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. As a private wealth advisor, he provides financial advice grounded in a thorough understanding of client needs and delivered through one-on-one relationships. Vasso & Associates has served the Tyler area since 1996.

For more information, contact Vasso at 903-592-5655, visit the office at 320 S. Broadway Ave., Suite 400 in Tyler, or visit www.nealvasso.com.

CHRISTUS Heart Hospital earns high honor

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital with its highest honor for a commitment to comprehensive, high-quality culture and cardiovascular care.

Hospitals that have earned the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence have met a set of criteria, including participating in two ACC accreditation programs, national cardiovascular data registry programs and targeted quality improvement campaigns.

“We are honored to be recognized on a national level as it speaks to the dedication of our entire team and the trust our patients place in us every day,” said Allyson Collier, heart hospital administrator. “Being nationally designated for excellence means we’re not just meeting the standard, we’re setting it.”

In 2018, the heart hospital became the first facility in the country to earn the ACC national distinction of excellence.

Currently, only nine hospitals in Texas and fewer than 90 hospitals in the country have earned the distinction.

The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital also holds ACC accreditations for the cardiac cath lab, chest pain center, electrophysiology and heart failure program, and is certified in transcatheter valve procedures.

“In health care, trust is everything. It’s what allows healing to begin and what drives us to be better, every single day,” said Christine Mendoza, heart hospital quality manager. “Every patient who walks through our doors entrusts us with their life, and we honor that with compassion, precision and integrity.”

Tyler among nominees for Texas Restaurant Awards

The Texas Restaurant Association, the nation’s second-largest restaurant association, announced in May the nominees for its coveted Texas Restaurant Awards, highlighting some of the state’s most exciting restaurant owners, operators, and champions. Longview’s Catherine Ann Painter Cace of The Cace Kitchen / Johnny Cace’s was nominated as a Hall of Honor Inductee, and Darrell Forster & Terry Giles of Dairy Queen of Tyler were nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur.

The annual celebration kicked off the Texas Restaurant Foundation’s Lone Star Bash, held during the Texas Restaurant Show, which took place July 20-21 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Winners were revealed during the 2025 Texas Restaurant Awards ceremony on Sunday, July 20, at 713 Music Hall in Houston.

In addition to celebrating this year’s TRA nominees and inductees, the event spotlighted exceptional culinary talent recognized as James Beard Foundation semifinalists, as well as the state’s acclaimed Michelin Guide restaurants and chefs. This recognition highlighted the continued excellence and innovation within Texas’ vibrant restaurant industry and honored those who were setting new standards of culinary distinction.

Representing the state’s $138 billion restaurant industry, the TRA encompasses more than 57,000 locations and a workforce of over 1.4 million employees. For more than 30 years, the TRA Awards had been coveted by the state’s hospitality leaders.

UT Tyler professor receives prestigious award

Dr. Alwathiqbellah Ibrahim, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Tyler, received a prestigious Faculty Development Early Career grant from the National Science Foundation. This is the first award of its kind for the UT Tyler College of Engineering.

NSF CAREER grants support early-career faculty who have shown potential to serve as academic role models in research and education.

“The CAREER program is one of the National Science Foundation’s most competitive and respected honors,” said Dr. Amir Mirmiran, UT Tyler provost and chief academic officer. “We congratulate Dr. Ibrahim on this extraordinary achievement as it not only enhances our university’s research profile nationally, but it also speaks to his exceptional potential as a scholar, educator and innovator.”

With the five-year, $525,920 award, Ibrahim will enhance hip implants with advanced biosensor technology and help improve the lives of those who use them. Ibrahim’s research interests focus on micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS, with implementation in health monitoring systems, biosensors, and vibration energy harvesting — a process of converting mechanical vibrations into electrical energy. This technology can power electronic devices by tapping into naturally occurring vibrations, such as those from vehicles, machinery, or human motion.

“This project aims to develop a new generation of ‘smart’ hip implants equipped with tiny sensors that monitor the forces acting on the implant during daily activities, such as walking or running,” said Ibrahim, who joined UT Tyler in 2019. “These sensors, which also generate their own power from movement, will send data wirelessly to doctors, allowing for early detection of potential problems like loosening or wear before they become serious.”

In addition to advancing implant technology, Ibrahim noted the project will include educational activities to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists.

“UT Tyler students will gain hands-on experience in designing and testing biomedical devices, while related outreach programs will engage K-12 students and educators, promoting awareness of biomedical innovation and STEM careers,” Ibrahim said. “By combining technical innovation with impactful education, this work aims to set a new standard for orthopedic implants while fostering a diverse and inclusive pipeline of future engineers.”

UT Tyler alumni and former research assistants Mohammad Atmeh of Webster (MSME 2022) and Leila Donyaparastlivari of New Jersey (MSME 2024) collaborated with Ibrahim on previous work that led up to the grant proposal.

Ibrahim has been instrumental in supporting the research and educational efforts of the College of Engineering and the broader engineering community nationwide. He currently directs the UT Tyler Mechatronics and Energy Harvesting Laboratory, where he leads various research topics including self-powered implants, “Flat Foot” detection, and fall detection for the elderly. Ibrahim also maintains various service positions within UT Tyler and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has co-authored more than 25 publications in several journals and proceedings.

He holds a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Binghamton and continued training as a postdoctoral fellow at Binghamton University.