Meet the 2013 Outstanding Young Texas Exes

By Rose Cahalan in Association, TXEX on January 9, 2013 at 9:00 am | No Comments

If the Texas Exes’ annual Distinguished Alumnus Awards are UT’s version of the Oscars, then the Outstanding Young Texas Ex Awards are our Emmys. For more than 30 years, this award has honored four extraordinary alumni under the age of 40. From Olympic athletes to Hollywood producers, scientists to ambassadors, the Outstanding Young Texas Exes never fail to impress—and neither does this year’s crop of winners.

Stuart Bernstein, BA ’99, MBA ’05, Life Member, is a financial whiz with a big heart. Bernstein is chief of staff and investment manager at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, one of the world’s biggest pension funds. In 2001, his father’s cancer battle inspired him to found Young Texans Against Cancer, a fast-growing nonprofit that has raised more than $1 million for cancer charities.

Madhu Chugh, BA ’98, BJ ’98, is a legal expert tackling one of the United States’ toughest issues: health care reform. Chugh is a senior associate at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. and has been an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. She’s worked on health care policy with Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Edward Kennedy, and Sen. Tom Daschle.

John B. Connally IV, JD ’97, Life Member, is a powerhouse attorney with a passion for service. In addition to his impressive legal career as a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Houston, where he’s worked on transactions in 25 countries, Connally finds time to support nonprofits such as Bering Omega Community Services and AIDS Foundation Houston.

Andrew Phong Vo, BBA ’95, Life Member, is a global business superstar dedicated to the Longhorn community. Vo—who arrived in the U.S. as a Vietnamese refugee—founded one of the University’s preeminent service organizations, the Texas Iron Spikes. As a managing director at Accenture Management Consulting in Houston, he leads the global trading operations practice and has held key leadership roles over the course of his 17-year career with the company.