Thursday, October 22, 2026
6:00 p.m.
Hilton Americas
1600 Lamar Street
Houston, TX 77010
Black Tie Optional
Valet Parking Available
Cullen Gala – Legacy In Motion
A night to celebrate Cullen alumni and support the bold ideas moving UH toward Top-50 distinction.
Now Accepting Nominations for the Cullen Gala Awards!
Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award*
Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award*
Distinguished Young Engineering Alumni Award*
Leadership Excellence Award
* Nominees must be a graduate of the Cullen College of Engineering or the former College of Technology
Submit the nomination form by May 1 to mdbarfie [at] cougarnet.uh.edu (mdbarfie[at]cougarnet[dot]uh[dot]edu)
Cullen Gala Chair
Zafar “Zaf” Tahir (’84, MBA ’99, JD)
Consultant, Tahir Consulting | Member, Cullen Board
Honorary Committee
The Honorable Fred Flickinger, Councilmember, District E, City of Houston
The Honorable Dennis Paul ('86, MSCE '91), Texas State Representative District 129
The Honorable Jon Rosenthal (’16), Texas House of Representatives District 135
Arun Adat ('05), Vice President Global Logistics, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Yulanda Campbell (’96, MBA ’01), President, Cullen College Alumni Association | YU Factor
Kayoor Gajarawala ('90), CDIO, LyondellBasell (LYB)
Indra Gutierrez ('07), President, Gutier
T. Wayne Holcombe (’90), Partner, Gradient Group LLC
Eliza Paul ('88), Project Director, HNTB
Nora Scheller (’89, MBA ’96), Retired, ExxonMobil
Ravi Singhania ('73), Commissioner, Port Freeport
Erika Walk, M.S. (’98), Chief Technology Officer, Abercrombie Technology, LLC
Tammi Warfield, Global Vice President, NetApp
Gala Sponsorships
Proceeds from the CULLEN GALA support the Dean’s Top 50 Initiative.
Invitation print deadline: May 1, 2026 | Program print deadline: September 15, 2026
TITLE SPONSOR | $25,000
Premier Tables for 20 Guests
VIP Reception tickets for all table guests
Valet parking for all table guests
Recognition in event communications as Title Sponsor with logo
Gift for table guests
(Fair Market Value $6,000)
PLATINUM | $15,000
Premier Table for 10 Guests
VIP Reception tickets for all table guests
Valet parking for all table guests
Recognition in event materials & website link & logo
Opportunity to host UH Faculty at your table
Gift for table guests
(Fair Market Value $3,000)
GOLD | $10,000
Priority Table for 10 Guests
4 VIP Reception tickets
Valet parking for one guest
Recognition in event materials & website link
(Fair Market Value $2,750)
SILVER | $5,000
Reserved Table for 10 Guests
2 VIP Reception tickets
Recognition in event materials
(Fair Market Value $2,500)
PATRON | $1,250
2 Tickets plus one sponsored student ticket**
Recognition in event materials
**Student guest placed by gala leadership
(Fair Market Value $500)
Underwriting Opportunities
(Fair Market Value $0)
SIGNATURE DRINK SPONSOR | $7,500
Branded cocktail napkins & bar signage
VALET SPONSOR | $7,500
Signage at valet entrance & event materials
CENTERPIECE SPONSOR | $5,000
Branded centerpiece/table signage
RAFFLE SPONSOR | $5,000
Logo displayed on raffle bidding software
Tickets
INDIVIDUAL GUEST TICKET | $400
(Fair Market Value $250)
YOUNG ALUMNI (‘20 – ‘26) GUEST TICKET | $250
(Fair Market Value $250)
Fair Market Value (FMV) represent the estimated value of goods and services provided. Only the portion exceeding FMV is tax deductible as allowed by law.
The Dean’s Top 50 Initiative
Your gift helps Cullen College of Engineering focus on what makes the biggest difference—great faculty, strong students, and bold ideas.
Support for the Dean’s Top 50 Initiative allows the Dean to:
✣ Bring in exceptional faculty who inspire students and elevate our reputation
✣ Jump-start bold research ideas that attract funding and industry partners
✣ Expand hands-on learning, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for students
✣ Enhance labs and learning spaces where future engineers are trained
It’s flexible support with real impact— accelerating the University of Houston’s rise as a nationally ranked institution.
For sponsorship and event information, please contact:
Cathy Brown, cmbrow31 [at] central.uh.edu (cmbrow31[at]central[dot]uh[dot]edu)
Director of Relations, Cullen College of Engineering
713-743-2804