Kristen Cox '83

Kristen is a 1983 graduate of Texas A&M College of Engineering and holds an MBA from UT Dallas. She began her professional career at Shell Oil and held a number of increasingly challenging positions before founding her first tech company in 1996.

After moving from her hometown of El Paso, where Kristen led the El Paso A&M Club for a decade, to be nearby while her son, Kyle attended A&M, Kristen had the opportunity to purchase the Apple store on campus, which was re-branded 12^th Man Technology.

Kristen has been married for 36 years to David, a software engineer.  Their adult daughters and four grandchildren live within a few miles.  Their son, Kyle, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the leading fatal genetic disorder in children. His diagnosis fueled a passion in Kristen for people with disabilities. She graduated from Partners in PolicyMaking, an intense, year-long training program in disability advocacy and policy.  She is also a graduate of Leadership El Paso, Leadership Texas, and Leadership America. After completing two 6-year terms as a governor appointee to the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, Kristen was recently appointed by Governor Abbott to the Texas Medical Board.  She served for 7 years on the board of Aggie Women Network, including one year as president.  She has served on numerous other boards including National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (chair), El Paso Children’s Hospital (founding board member), El Paso Children’s Hospital Foundation, Rotary Clubs of El Paso and Aggieland, Chamber of Commerce, and many others.

 In addition to running her businesses, hanging with her grandchildren and checking things off Kyle’s bucket list, Kristen enjoys sports, music, dancing, traveling, advocacy, and everything Aggie.

Donna Murillo '81

Donna Christine Murillo’s story begins in the close-knit community of Bryan, Texas, where she was raised with solid values of hard work and service. At just six years old, her family moved to Houston, Texas—a change that set the stage for her family’s lasting legacy. In Houston, her parents laid the groundwork for what would become a respected family-owned engineering firm. Following the path of her father, J. Ray Murillo, a proud member of Texas A&M’s class of '55, Donna continued the tradition, earning her Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University in 1981.

After a successful career in marketing, Donna joined the family business, The Murillo Company, in 2000. She quickly became the driving force behind the company’s success, precisely overseeing finances and day-to-day operations. Under her leadership, the firm thrived, specializing in Geotechnical Engineering and Materials Testing, serving public and private clients along the Gulf Coast. Donna’s leadership philosophy is simple yet effective: value your team, prioritize exceptional customer service, and success will follow. This approach has earned her a place of influence within the industry, serving on the Women Contractors Association board and as a member of Associated General Contractors Houston.

A lifelong Aggie, Donna’s connection to Texas A&M runs deep. Her love for Aggie Football is unwavering, and she’s held various leadership roles within the Aggie community, including past president of the Oyster Creek A&M Club, involvement in the Houston A&M Club, and being a founding member of Houston Aggie Women. She is passionate about giving back to her alma mater, hiring Aggie student interns every summer, and establishing the Donna Murillo ’81 Endowed Scholarship at Mays Business School in 2019 to support students pursuing degrees in marketing.

Beyond her professional and academic contributions, Donna is a dedicated member of the Houston community. She actively supports organizations like the Houston Food Bank, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Galveston College Foundation, and St. John Vianney Catholic Church. Despite her busy schedule, she finds time to relax at her beach house in Galveston and explore new destinations through travel.

Through her dedication to her family, career, and community, Donna Christine Murillo embodies leadership, service, and unwavering commitment, inspiring many in Houston and beyond.

Stephanie Murphy '00 & '14

Stephanie Murphy is the CEO and Executive Chairman of Aegis Aerospace, Inc., an advanced space and technology company formed in 2021 by combining MEI Technologies, Inc. and Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance, LLC. Aegis provides technical and management services in Engineering, Integration and Test, Space Access, Modeling and Simulation, and Information Technology/Cybersecurity, and commercial space access done by utilizing a privately owned (the first and only woman-owned) laboratory at the International Space Station and for commercial research use on the lunar surface.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Space Center Houston, Board of Managers for Diosa Procurement, LLC, and is a Past President for the Aggie Women Network, a member of the Johnson Space Center Joint Leadership Team, and a Founding Board Member and Co-Chair for the Bay Area Chapter of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Stephanie holds as Executive Masters of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University. She was awarded NASA’s Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal and nationally recognized by Women in Aerospace as the Leadership Award recipient in 2019. Great Minds in STEM, HENAAC awarded Stephanie Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020, and the Houston Business Journal recognized her in their Women Who Mean Business Awards in 2022, and Aegis Aerospace was recognized in Latino Leaders Magazine as one of the largest latino-owned companies in the U.S. Most recently in 2024, Stephanie was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium (TARSEC) by Governor Greg Abbott.