Southwestern Magazine | Spring 2019

18 SOUTHWESTERN MatthewA. Barnes ’06 | Lubbock, TX Barnes earned his B.A. in biology at Southwestern and his Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame. He is now an assistant professor of natural-resources management at Texas Tech University and the editor of invasivore.org, a website that educates the public about invasive species through the culinary arts. He has been awarded grants and fellowships from the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Science Foundation. Barnes relishes his collaboration with his undergraduate mentor, Professor Romi Burks. “The invitation to work in her lab gave me my first exposure to ecological research and helped me discover my passion and career path,” he says. After graduating with a B.S. in chemistry from Southwestern, Cox earned his D.D.S. from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA). He is the owner of and an independent general-practice dentist at Cox Family Dentistry in Plano. He has served as president of UTHSCSA’s Xi Psi Phi international dental fraternity, participated in multiple medical mission trips to provide free dental care to underprivileged communities in Texas, and volunteered as a coach and mentor for various baseball leagues. His favorite memories of Southwestern are of “hanging out with friends”—fellow members of the baseball team and his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta—“that I would have for the next 12 years and counting.” Nicholas R. Cox ’11 | Plano, TX While studying abroad in Jamaica, Tokyo, and London as an undergraduate, Bailey was able to develop an understanding of international affairs and how to work with different cultures, so he decided to major in political science and pursue a career in international humanitarian law. Bailey is currently serving as a judge advocate for the 25th Air Force. In 2013, he earned the Department of Defense Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally meritorious achievement. Bailey appreciates how SU prepared him for his career: “Today, every industry and profession is experiencing rapid changes, so the aptitude to work in an inter- disciplinary environment with diverse colleagues is a key skill and is where the Southwestern education really shines.” Christopher M. Bailey ’07 | San Antonio, TX After graduating from Southwestern as a history major, Campos earned her executive M.B.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio before studying executive education at Harvard Business School. She is currently the director of government and public affairs at H-E-B, where she advises on executive communications while creating and executing lobbying strategy within local, state, and federal governments. In 2015, she was named one of the top political influencers in Texas by Capitol Insider . Committed to her personal growth, Campos recalls why she was originally attracted to the University: “Being challenged and getting to study with some of the best thought-provoking professors drove me to Southwestern.” Dya Campos ’02 | San Antonio, TX 1 8 U n d e r 4 0 2019 Southwestern recognizes these 18 alumni under the age of 40 who exemplify the core values of the University and have made an outstanding contribution to their alma mater, state, or country through their good deeds and services. B Y J O N A H R O H N E ' 1 9 A N D S A M R A O ' 1 9