Tarleton State University Magazine 2020

tarleton state UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 2020

THRIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES

2020

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IN THIS ISSUE

Commencement

Ring Statue

PAG E S 4 - 5

PAG E S 6 -7

Dr. James Hurley

Lessons Learned

PAG E S 8 -1 3

PAG E S 1 4 -1 5

CARES Act

Inauguration

PAG E S 1 8 -1 9

PAG E S 2 0 - 2 5

UPDATE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS

Gala and Awards

Athletics

Three ways to update | Advancement Services

PAG E S 2 8 -3 5

PAG E S 4 0 - 4 6

Tarleton State University Magazine 2020 | Volume 12 Number 1

President Dr. James Hurley Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications Cecilia Jacobs Director, Creative Services Robin DeMott Associate Editor, Photographer Kurt Mogonye, ‘04 Associate Editor, Writer Phil Riddle, ‘03 Contributors Logan Allen, ‘17 and ‘19 Robin DeMott Designer Rosemary Gutierrez Videographer Joey McReynolds

DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Box T-0415, Stephenville, TX 76402 | 254-968-9890 Vice President for University Relations/Chief of Staff Amanda Tollett, ‘08 Tarleton State University Magazine is published by the Department of Marketing and Communications, Box T-0730, Stephenville, TX 76402

Cover: Tarleton graduate Rachel Stanton receives her diploma during August 2020 commencement ceremonies.

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1) tarleton.edu/giving/updateinformation 2) ebouquet@tarleton.edu TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 3) 254-968-9948

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A LETTER FROM PRESIDENT JAMES HURLEY Hard to believe we’re well into the second fall semester of my tenure as the 16th President of Tarleton State University.

What a year.

Words can’t describe 2020. A time unlike any other. Full of challenges. Packed with successes.

We worked with 35 area high schools to create pathways to Tarleton, celebrated a 25-year partnership with Tarrant County College, transitioned to NCAA Division I, expanded lab facilities at the Agriculture Center, opened a new Engineering Building, created a Leadership and Military College, launched our first PhD and secured funding for a second building on our Fort Worth campus. A tremendous effort by the entire Tarleton family.

Fall 2020 enrollment is at an all-time high, up 6.5 percent with 14,033 students; the incoming freshman class is up almost 10 percent from last year at 2,276; and more than 5,000 members of the Texan family report an ethnicity other than white.

In an unprecedented time for higher education, we are thriving.

And all of this is happening as we continue to navigate a pandemic, begin strategic planning for the next decade and prepare for reaffirmation by SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges).

This issue of Tarleton State University Magazine revisits the pandemic’s early days, when we adapted swiftly to online instruction while simultaneously preparing for a safe face-to-face return this fall.

I am extremely grateful for our students, who met the demands of rapid change with resilience and purpose. For our faculty, who quickly adopted new teaching methods to create a top-shelf online learning experience. For our staff, who worked tirelessly to support students, faculty and one another, and to our alumni, who contribute their time and talents in myriad ways to support our community and the world.

I remain optimistic that better, virus-free days lie ahead. The future will look a little different as the new normal evolves.

Only time will tell to what extent. Yet one thing is certain: Tarleton State University is moving forward to expand access, opportunity and innovation for current and future Texans. To become the premier comprehensive regional university in the nation.

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Thank you for trusting me with the university you love and allowing me to work beside you.

As always, Bleed Purple and Roll, Texans!

Watch Dr. Hurley’s 2020 State of the University address.

tarletonstate.us/2020SOTU

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This fall marked the first time since 2013 that Tarleton’s graduation ceremonies took place outdoors. Spring and summer 2020 commencements were combined for an August celebration at Memorial Stadium to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of the Tarleton family and community.

Tarleton President James Hurley conferred more than 2,100 undergraduate and graduate degrees during five ceremonies over three days. Purple caps, rather than the traditional black, distinguished May graduates — another first.

Announcing plans for in-person ceremonies, President Hurley said, “All of our students and their families dream of this moment, and they deserve to celebrate their success with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with a traditional Tarleton graduation. Class of 2020 graduates overcame unprecedented obstacles and challenges like no other class in the history of our institution. I am so proud of them!”

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not just jewelry Ring statue proclaims alumni pride, student success

Tarleton’s class ring symbolizes a significant life achievement. It keeps students connected with the school’s enduring legacy. It identifies the global family of university alumni.

It says you have style, but more than that: It says who you are.

Thanks to the Tarleton Alumni Association, a statue of the ring was unveiled this fall at Rudder Way and Texan Trace on the Stephenville campus.

The four-foot bronze reminds current students that they’re supported by a network of Tarleton graduates. Oh, and it’s a great place for photos as those students await the day they receive their own class ring.

“This is a dream come true,” TAA Board President Ranae Lane, ‘99, said at the September reveal. “The Alumni Association is proud to present this statue to President James Hurley and the university. What an accomplishment!”

Proceeds from TAA’s annual golf tournament and partnerships with Jostens — Tarleton’s official ring provider — and statue creator MTM Recognition financed the three-year project.

Like the actual ring, designed by a committee of alumni and students in 1986, the statue features Tarleton’s iconic front gates, light poles and cannon, oak trees and Administration Building. The university seal encircles Tarleton’s block T on top, and a series number is etched on the outside of each ring.

Jessica Evans, ‘03 and ‘06, Director of Alumni Engagement, said the ring is a constant reminder of the lifelong memories made at Tarleton and a symbol of the hard work and dedication it takes to earn a university degree.

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“It tells the world that you’re proud to be affiliated with the prestige and distinction reserved for Tarleton alumni. It is a reminder that no matter where you go or what you achieve, Tarleton is home and the gates are always open.”

Family, friends and students who buy their ring during TAA Ring Days are invited to attend a special presentation ceremony during Family Weekend each fall. As part of the tradition, students have their ring hand-signed by the Purple Poo. This year’s ceremony took place in concert with unveiling the statue followed by photos. Lots of photos. All at Tarleton’s newest monument.

The first Ring Ceremony was in 2010, with 81 students participating. Today more than 200 Tarleton Texans take part in the annual event, and more than 10,000 alumni have the ring.

Expressing his gratitude to the TAA, Dr. Hurley said the ring represents being part of something more than self: “It represents one’s place and purpose among our Texan family.”

Watch the ring statue unveiling on the Stephenville campus.

tarletonstate.us/ring

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THRIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES Tarleton President’s first year presents life-altering challenges, opportunities

By Phil Riddle

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It was Aug. 29 a year ago when Dr. James Hurley was named Tarleton State University’s 16th President.

A lot has happened since. For starters, there was a pandemic.

You could call his first year “eventful.”

He does.

“When we got here, there were so many awesome events that did take place — convocation, T-Week, Howdy Week, Homecoming, the inauguration. We missed out on a lot of things in the spring that we were looking forward to. It was a balance, but it was certainly eventful.”

Eventful also would describe Dr. Hurley’s power-packed early schedule. In his first nine months he launched Distinguished High School Partners, a program creating pathways to Tarleton for students in 35 area school districts, and made a commitment to increase scholarships and financial assistance.

He announced the creation of the Tarleton Promise and increased scholarship funding for the President’s Guaranteed Award Program.

He initiated the President’s List to recognize the academic achievement of outstanding students.

He signed a new memorandum of understanding with Tarrant County College and celebrated the opening of a shared space on the fifth floor of TCC’s Trinity West Fork Building in downtown Fort Worth.

He guided the proposal and secured funding to start construction on the Interprofessional Education Building at Tarleton’s new Fort Worth location along Chisholm Trail Parkway.

And then there’s athletics, particularly football.

Effective July 2020, the Tarleton Texans joined the Western Athletic Conference and transitioned to NCAA Division I in a move designed to raise the university’s profile and grow the value of a Tarleton degree.

“I knew very early that transitioning to the highest NCAA level was essential to elevating our profile,” Dr. Hurley said of the jump to D-I sports. “I didn’t know it would come in the first 45 days, but the opportunity presented itself, and it might not have come around again for a very long time.”

All of this was achieved while he learned his way around a new institution.

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“There was a definite learning curve being in a new state, for my family and me. We had to learn a new culture, new people, a new place. There was relocating the family. I had to learn a new set of legislative leaders, a new university system and how to work effectively with the chancellor and his executive staff.”

In March the novel coronavirus turned things inside out.

“Certainly, COVID-19 is the most adverse academic situation in my educational career,” he said. “But that was the case nationwide. There’s not a university president in the country who had a COVID-19 manual to model from.”

Dr. Hurley led the charge to move instruction online and to keep students, faculty and staff safe while still advancing his year one agenda.

“We had to learn to fly the plane while we built the plane.

We learned you have to be adaptive. You have to put people before anything else, their health, safety and well-being. I learned that collectively, not individually, we would all get through this.”

Quickly he realized the value of those around him.

“I had to re-teach myself to depend on people again.

Sometimes in leadership you get in a vacuum, so caught up in your day-to-day routine that you forget the importance of the team around you. I think God presents adverse opportunities to challenge us to get better, to grow, to learn and to lead.

“For all of us at Tarleton, we should take the unique circumstance called COVID-19 and figure out how we can use that in an adaptive way — how we can take some of the models we adjusted to and incorporate them into a new normal that will really separate us from other institutions.”

Dr. Hurley praised the efforts of Tarleton’s students, faculty and staff and points to all of these first-year accomplishments as the harbinger of positives to come.

“The one thing I’m most proud of is our commitment to create more opportunity and access for students,” he said.

“We have a goal to get back into the top five most affordable public institutions in Texas.

“We have made a major commitment to invest a large portion of revenue into reducing the cost of education for Tarleton students. We must double down on our mission of providing access and opportunity.”

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STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE President James Hurley and First Lady Kindall Hurley take photos with students on their first tour TARLETON of the Stephenville campus 2019.

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Duck Camp 2020

Purple Pancakes during Homecoming 2019

Coffee with John 2019

Dedication of renovated Memorial Stadium 2019

National First-Generation College Celebration 2019

Day of Giving 2020

Meet-and-greet with the Hurleys 2019

Visit with U.S. Rep. Roger Williams 2020

Not surprisingly, at the top of his wish list are continued financial stability and a COVID-free campus with face-toface instruction. He envisions a smooth reset academically, athletically and socially. All of this, he says, will occur in time.

Enrollment growth makes the list, as does adding academic programs that focus on the 22nd century.

The one thing I’m most proud of is our commitment to create more opportunity and access for students.

“We do a great job in programs of study already in place,” he said. “For example, our College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is nationally known and recognized.

We want to expand our programmatic offerings and become the leader in rural allied health to meet the needs across our state and nation.”

Construction is also in the works — expansion of the College of Business, and “the Aquatics Center students voted on many years ago,” and starting the new College of Allied Health facility.

Along the way, the university is gaining a reputation for diversity. “It is a goal of ours to become an Hispanic Serving Institution. We’re really close to reaching the threshold for that designation.”

For all of his goals, Dr. Hurley says simply, “We will continue to work until we get there.”

Reaching them might be easier if next year isn’t quite so “eventful.”

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lessons learned Transition to online studies created opportunities for growth

By Phil Riddle

Adversity breeds character. You’ve heard that.

The adversity Tarleton State University students faced with the pandemic in spring and summer 2020 was of a generational nature.

So was the character that emerged from it.

As COVID-19 crept in, learners had to abandon, in mid-semester, the way they’d always been taught in exchange for a virtual platform for all of their classes.

Georgia Capell, a senior kinesiology major from Midlothian, said the biggest trial was missing the traditional campus life she now truly values.

Add to that the disruption of the university experience, with socialization all but canceled. There were no face-to-face meetings with instructors. Students couldn’t even hit the Recreation Center to sweat away frustrations.

“I think we all learned to not take things for granted,” she said. “I know now I’d much rather have an off day in class than have to sit around waiting for things to go back to normal.”

But they pulled it off.

She, too, learned to be more accountable academically.

“The students were phenomenal banding together, working together, collaborating with faculty and getting through this,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “They’re the real winners here. They now live with a skill set that no other class in the history of higher ed has ever had.”

“It was a lot harder online,” she said. “I had to make myself more accountable, to take more time to study.”

The personal lessons each student mentally filed away were pieces to the puzzle of survival during a crisis that shocked the world.

Not only did Tarleton’s students make the transition to online learning on the fly, they acquired lessons they will take with them forever.

It was the handling of the situation that gave the students more than they signed up to learn.

“It was different,” admitted Cornelius Coleman, a senior management major from the Houston area. “Seeing the changes as they happened, it was a lot to absorb in a short period of time.

“They went through something that most likely no other class will again,” Dr. Hurley said. “We may see similar situations, but they will always revolve around how we handled COVID-19 in 2020. These students will take that experience and become world-class leaders.”

“I learned a whole new level of accountability during that spring semester. We were put to the test by COVID. We were in school and at home at the same time. It was a lesson in balancing priorities.”

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Learning on the fly Faculty members pitch in, go online as pandemic realigns everything

By Phil Riddle

It hit hard, and it hit fast.

About the time students and faculty were preparing for spring break, the coronavirus slammed into the country, forcing massive change, including on the campuses of Tarleton State University.

With face-to-face teaching unsafe, university faculty went to work and created a new instructional paradigm.

“When it became a reality, I was worried we would not be able to serve the faculty and give them the support they needed,” said Dr. James Gentry, Director of Instructional Development and Course Design for the university’s Center for Educational Excellence.

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“We had many sessions with lots of faculty participating.

We were able to help instructors get online in the spring, and I think we did pretty well.”

“We might not have to have the actors wearing masks,” Holtorf said. “That’s difficult because facial expression is critical to an actor.”

Tarleton President James Hurley was in Las Vegas at the Western Athletic Conference postseason basketball tournament when organizational cancellations began across the country.

It’s not just the actors who are affected. Production technicians and costume designers have to maintain their distance, too.

“We really didn’t miss a beat,” he said. “Our faculty and staff were the true heroes at Tarleton. We scurried back and we had to make decisions, the first being to extend spring break by a week just to give time for our faculty to totally flip their curriculum to a virtual platform.

Some assignments for costume design will be done off-site.

“We’ll have to give them sewing assignments they can do at home. We have enough machines that we can send some home with students so they can work.”

“Think about teaching ranch management or the nursing labs.

Those are very hard subjects to teach online, and our faculty did an outstanding job. Everyone worked well together. What I saw in all of this was that true Tarleton family that everyone told me I would see.”

Though the technology was available, many instructors, including Gentry, had to determine ways to make the new learning experience comfortable for all involved.

“As a faculty member, I was used to a lot of face-to-face teaching,” he said. “Interacting with students on a screen was a very different experience. I realized that I read body language — that’s something I do as a teacher. That became a little more difficult in a Zoom classroom.

While the pandemic presents numerous roadblocks, Holtorf said the show will indeed go on.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of students, and they’re as baffled as we are as to how we’re going to do some of the stuff we do,” he said. “Some of the things that are basic to what we teach are going to be difficult, but the best we can do is give it a shot.”

Students in the spring bought into online learning, Gentry believes, even though they’d rather have been in a classroom.

“That’s what they signed up for,” he said. “Although we have online offerings, students want that social aspect, going to a class. Yes, they adapted, but they also missed campus life.

Purple Pancakes, things like that.”

“But in Zoom there’s something called ‘reactions’ that allows students to respond with thumbs up, hands clapping, different things that are nonverbal. I also learned to pay attention in chat to see what they were saying while we were working.”

As the fall semester grew closer, questions remained about content delivery. Will it be face-to-face or online?

Some academic subjects do not easily lend themselves to online learning. Theater classes are tackling some major adjustments this fall.

Classroom instruction is augmented by Zoom classes that may be viewed in real time or later.

“We’re looking at doing at least one of our productions online and present it on Facebook or another platform,” said Mark Holtorf, Associate Professor of theater arts.

Physical distancing is a major obstacle. With a requirement to keep actors a safe distance apart, choosing plays is a challenge.

“We had announced an original season that just won’t work with these requirements. Just finding a show that will keep the actors six feet apart has been difficult.”

Holding one production outdoors is a consideration. While that would still require six feet between actors, it would loosen face covering restrictions.

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Answer: both.

“Students have the choice, and they can jump between them if they want to,” Gentry said. “They are able to work with their professors and decide what’s best for them.”

The Hyflex approach is not one size fits all. “Medical lab sciences, for instance, have face-to-face requirements for accreditation and licensure. Students need to be face-to-face, and that’s happening, too.”

In the end, Gentry hopes students get the message that their professors are invested in their success.

“We’re doing what’s right by our students to help them meet their goals. As faculty, we’re committed to our students, we’re listening to our students, and we’re doing the best we can to meet their learning outcomes.”

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CARES ACT AND STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND GRANTS Meeting unexpected needs in tough times

By Phil Riddle

Tarleton received $5.4 million in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress in March, to be funneled directly to students this past spring and summer. The assistance continues this fall.

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Combined with Tarleton’s own Student Emergency Fund grant, more than $3 million has been disbursed. Through the efforts of Business Services, Student Financial Assistance Services and Student Affairs, Tarleton had awarded $2.7 million in CARES Act grants and almost $650,000 in other emergency aid through the fourth week of July.

Student Financial Assistance Services; Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs; and their staffs.

Dr. Kelli C. Styron, Tarleton Vice President for Student Affairs, gives credit to Marenda Horton, Project Manager II in Business Services; Kathy Purvis, Executive Director of

Almost 3,000 students had been awarded CARES Act grants, and 557 had received help through Texas A&M University System Regents’ Grants, the Texas Public

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“They are the ones,” she said, “who have really done the detailed work on this.”

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Educational Grant and the Tarleton Student Emergency Fund. Unlike CARES dollars, the emergency fund is available to international students and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.

Tarleton’s own emergency fund was created several years ago with the simple goal of making sure small expenses didn’t keep students from school. “We had a limit of $500 for students whose car may have broken down, who couldn’t get home, or needed money for gas or other small things,” Styron said.

The self-sustaining account started with money from the Tarleton Alumni Association, the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc., and individual donors. It was restructured after Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast in 2017.

“During that time we had a lot of students who were at home on the coast and lost prescription medications, all of their books and a lot of computers. So we increased the budget to do more for them.”

where both the husband and wife are out of work due to the pandemic. They may be receiving some unemployment, but that’s limited.

“They have house payments to make, medical expenses and food to buy. Many have children. They’ve had a really hard time making ends meet the last seven months.”

One recipient offered his thanks in an email.

“I was becoming discouraged since the hours at my job have become almost zero due to COVID-19,” he wrote, “but this recent award from Tarleton is an encouragement for me knowing that my school is there to help when I need it or as the kids say ‘y’all have got my back.’ Thank you so much for the encouragement and assistance during these strange and uncertain times.”

Dr. Helvie-Mason has been the interfacing administrator with students, answering all sorts of questions, Styron said.

"The interdivisional collaboration helped place the effort where it needed to be: focusing on assisting our students."

What’s most rewarding is the positive stories from students receiving funds.

“Students have been able to stay in school and meet their obligations,” Styron said. “A lot of requests come from nontraditional students. There have been situations

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LINE OF SUCCESS Dr. James Hurley became Tarleton’s 16th President at inauguration ceremonies Feb. 28. Joining in the celebration were Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio (left), the university’s 15th President; the Chairman of the A&M University System Board of Regents, Elaine Mendoza; and Dr. Dennis P. McCabe, the school’s 14th President.

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Dr. James Hurley welcomed as 16th President in Tarleton’s tradition-rich history

By Phil Riddle

It was a day steeped in history and tradition.

A day full of promise.

Greetings and best wishes came from the Texas Legislature, the state Senate, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and representatives of Tarleton’s student body, staff and faculty.

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In front of a packed house at Tarleton State University’s venerable Wisdom Gym, Dr. James Hurley received the mantle of leadership and became the school’s 16th President in Feb. 28 inauguration ceremonies.

Watch the inauguration of Tarleton’s 16th President, Dr. James Hurley.

tarletonstate.us/inauguration

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Hurley, who took over leadership of the university seven months prior to his inauguration, shared his vision for social and economic responsibility to drive regional innovation and job creation, and for the university to continue to strategically grow its research portfolio.

“I am honored, humbled and thankful to serve as the 16th President of Tarleton State University,” he said. “Tarleton is a special place, blessed with 120 years of tradition and values that I promise to protect and propel in the days ahead. This is an easy place to love.”

Taking over at Tarleton in September 2019, Hurley quickly gained a reputation for a focused, robust approach.

“In the short time I have known him I have come to know he is bright and energetic,” state Rep. J.D. Sheffield said in his remarks. “He takes the stairs two at a time. I’ve seen his social media when he’s running in the dark hours of the morning with the track team or making pancakes for students.

“I know he’ll do great things for Tarleton because he has already done great things.”

John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, invested Dr. Hurley with the presidential medallion and cited the new leader for his determination to make education a reality for historically underserved populations.

because of the enthusiasm I have seen in the first few months,” Sharp said. “Already Dr. Hurley has signed a 25-year agreement with Tarrant County College to share space in downtown Fort Worth. He has guided Tarleton’s move to Division I athletics, and he has guaranteed scholarships for freshmen in the top 25 percent of their classes entering in fall 2020.

“As a first-generation graduate himself who came from humble means, he understands the barriers and is dedicated to helping students overcome and achieve. He understands how education transforms lives, particularly for first-generation kids. The Texas A&M University System not only has great expectations of President Hurley, but great confidence in him. He’s the right man at the right time for the right job.”

Also on hand for the historic occasion was Elaine Mendoza, Chairman of the System’s Board of Regents, who voiced great expectations for Dr. Hurley’s tenure.

“Dr. Hurley has proven his merit as instructor, professor, dean, vice president and president at other institutions of higher education,” she said, “and as a first-generation college graduate he also has a perspective on higher education that just cannot be taught in the classroom. His high energy and high expectations make him the perfect person to lead Tarleton to the next level.”

“I think before his term is over, he will go down as one of the greatest university presidents in the history of this state

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A&M System Chancellor John Sharp invests Dr. Hurley with the presidential medallion.

A&M System Chancellor John Sharp, A&M System Regent Bill Mahomes, Dr. James Hurley and the Chairman of the A&M University System Board of Regents, Elaine Mendoza

Tarleton alum, ‘94, state Rep. DeWayne Burns

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Two former Tarleton presidents, Drs. Dennis P. McCabe and F. Dominic Dottavio, presented the presidential chain of leadership following Mendoza’s remarks. The chain features the names of Tarleton’s 16 presidents and signifies the link between Tarleton’s heritage and its future.

University of Tennessee Chancellor Emeritus Jimmy Cheek praised the new president’s goals. “You have an excellent vision for Tarleton,” said Dr. Cheek, a Tarleton alumnus.

Student Body President Tyler Schuster said students immediately took to Dr. Hurley and his family, and are excited to be part of the president’s leadership.

“It has been a great honor to partner with Dr. Hurley in his foundational efforts,” she said. “In the short time we have gotten to know him and his family, we have seen how quickly and naturally they have embraced Tarleton as their new home.”

President James Hurley and First Lady Kindall Hurley with children, Drew, Brooklyn, Carter and Blayklee.

“You have expressed a bold vision to lead a comprehensive regional university into being the nation’s best. You aspire to make Tarleton into the first-choice university of the region, attracting the region’s best students.

“This institution made a significant impact on me. It is a very special place. Special places only remain special if they continue to evolve. Your job is to make certain that evolution is well planned and ongoing. Now it’s time to put your plans into action and accomplish your phenomenally ambitious dreams.”

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President Hurley’s comments to those assembled included his desire to take a back seat at the celebration to the university and its mission.

“I want this ceremony to be less about me and more about our institution, our legacy, our traditions, our present and our future,” he said. “This symbolic ceremony serves to showcase the importance and significance of our institution to the communities we serve. This day belongs to John Tarleton and to each of you.”

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ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Mark McKenzie used a part-time college job to transform his career and his life

By Phil Riddle

It was a job he took while pursuing his graduate degree that set a career course for Mark McKenzie.

He ended up in the defense industry for about five years, two of those years in Taiwan.

Working as a nursing assistant at Mulberry Manor, a Stephenville nursing home, proved to be more of a challenge than getting his master’s. Even as he explored another area of study, the experience of helping elderly residents made a lasting impression.

“When I came back I was completely dissatisfied with what I had,” he recalled. “Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I remembered that somebody ran that (Mulberry Manor) building.”

“My success was a direct result of the environment at Tarleton,” he said. “I never took one long-term care class there, but the environment provided me the training to be an adult in the world.”

After graduating from high school in Richland Hills, McKenzie headed to Tarleton where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in ‘85 and his master’s in government in ‘88.

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He began doing research into becoming a nursing home administrator, thinking that could mean in-depth training to hone his skills for a return to security administration.

“I penciled myself in for a three- to five-year stint in this environment, working on leadership, team member management, those kind of things. It wasn’t anything I’d studied for, but it was something I thought would be very helpful in my quest to get to where I wanted to go.

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“I joined a progressive organization and worked my way up from nursing home administrator to regional VP, senior VP and then CEO before starting my own company. It has been an interesting evolution.”

As the owner of Focused Post Acute Care Partners in Fort Worth, McKenzie has joined with communities across the state to give attention to those who need skilled nursing.

He has held leadership roles in the Texas Health Care Association, he serves on the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc. Board of Directors, and he’s active with advocacy committees offering industry feedback to the Texas Legislature.

His continuing connection with Tarleton includes the McKenzie Family Endowed Professorship — a first for the university — and he and his wife, Susie, were the presenting sponsors of this year’s gala, An Evening in Purple.

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“The more I got re-engaged, I really started thinking that all the things I’ve accomplished are a direct result of my whole environment at Tarleton,” he said. “Whether it was how I developed my friendships, academic standards, just the culture they set for students that came through while I was there. The training and expectation of how you conduct yourself as an adult was kind of fed to us. For that I will be forever grateful.”

McKenzie’s staff includes several with a purple and white background.

“We work hard to recruit out of Tarleton. We have quite a few employees throughout the company who went to school here. That goes back to the type of employees Tarleton produces.”

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Mark and Susie McKenzie and First Lady Kindall Hurley and President James Hurley

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The Gala An Evening in Purple:

By Robin DeMott

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On Feb. 29, for the first time in Tarleton history, alumni and friends gathered in Wisdom Gym for the annual gala. This year it served a different purpose — An Evening in Purple and a formal celebration of the inauguration of Tarleton’s 16th President, Dr. James Hurley.

New First Lady Kindall Hurley imagined a sea of purple at the black-tie affair while her husband saw an opportunity to raise the bar with Texan pride to support a new scholarship program dubbed the Tarleton Promise.

In a warm welcome, Mrs. Hurley was presented a Tarleton pendant by Swindle’s Jewelry, President Hurley received a Tarleton lapel and cufflinks from Jostens, and gala-goers learned that more than $175,000 had already been secured for the Tarleton Promise.

“For the Tarleton family to fund student scholarships is a most appropriate way to welcome our new president and demonstrate our determination to be an institution of opportunity,” said former Vice President for Institutional Advancement Dr. Kyle McGregor.

In addition to proceeds from ticket sales, members of the President’s Inauguration Leadership Committee and many university friends also gave to the Tarleton Promise.

Additional support came from the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc. The Division of Institutional Advancement planned the evening, and Wisdom Gym was transformed into an elegant ballroom seating 535.

During dinner the audience was entertained by the Texan Troubadours, an ensemble composed of 14 Tarleton Chamber Choir students. They performed “Take on Me” by the ‘80s band A-ha, “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper and “You Are the Music in Me” from High School Musical.

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Rodeo team member Hadley Anne Kibbe of Meridian, Texas, played her acoustic guitar and sang a couple of songs selected

by Dr. Hurley — “Blue Moon over Kentucky” and “Tennessee Whiskey” — and she wrote special Tarleton lyrics to the chorus of “God Bless Texas.”

The night was underwritten by presenting sponsors Mark, ‘85 and ‘88, and Susie McKenzie. They were recognized for their support, as were the Tarleton Alumni Association’s 2020 Distinguished Friend, Distinguished Faculty Member, Distinguished Staff Member, Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumnus. TAA awards honor individuals who bring distinction to the university through their career, community service or leadership.

Additionally, Dr. Hurley recognized the 2020 President’s Legacy Award recipients — supporters who exhibit Tarleton’s core values of tradition, integrity, civility, leadership, excellence and service.

Special remarks were made by Dr. Hurley’s longtime mentor and colleague Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, Tusculum University’s Executive Vice President for the College of Health Sciences, and former Texan basketball standout Nosa Ebomwonyi shared his story of how he found Tarleton to be an institution of opportunity.

Watch President James Hurley’s vision for the Tarleton Promise.

tarletonstate.us/tsupromise

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“The inauguration celebration marked so much more than a milestone for Tarleton; it honored the noble past and bright future as the premier comprehensive regional university in the nation.”

– Dr. James Hurley

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“An Evening in Purple was the largest attended gala in Tarleton history. When we reimagined the annual gala as a black-tie event for the Stephenville community and an opportunity to invest in our students, we had no idea of the overwhelming response.”

– Jessica Evans, ‘03 and ‘06 Tarleton Director of Alumni Engagement

Dr. Hurley in his closing remarks reflected back on the Tarleton Promise and all it will mean for first-generation, low socioeconomic and underrepresented students.

“We will provide tuition, fees, room, board and books to students for four years. That’s an incredible commitment.

No other institution is making the commitment to cover room, board and books,” he said. “What you are doing this evening (stocking the scholarship fund) will break the perpetual cycle of poverty for those families forever.

It’s truly a game-changer.”

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The goal is $1.25 million raised annually to support approximately 150 students, in the top 25 percent of their class, who have maxed their federal and state financial aid.

Plans are to double the number of recipients.

It was a Tarleton “sea of purple” that Mrs. Hurley envisioned on the ballroom floor as the gala came to a close with guests dancing the night away.

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Tarleton President Hurley presents

LEGACY AWARDS at annual gala

Dr. James Hurley presented the 2020 Legacy Awards on Feb. 29 at a gala culminating a three-day celebration honoring his installation as the 16th President of Tarleton State University.

Ticket-sale proceeds from this year’s gala — An Evening in Purple — benefit high-performing students with great need, extending funding beyond maximum state and federal aid to cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board.

Beginning this fall, Federal Pell Grant students in the top 25 percent of their high school class, or GPA equivalent, are eligible for the new scholarship program, the Tarleton Promise. Private donations, along with support from the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc. and the Chancellor’s Century Council, help fund the program.

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In addition to proceeds from gala tickets, members of the President’s Inauguration Leadership Committee and many university friends also made donations to the Tarleton Promise. Additional support comes from the Tarleton Alumni Association.

Dr. Hurley presented six Legacy Awards, one for each of the university’s core values — tradition, integrity, civility, leadership, excellence and service.

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Legacy Award for Tradition

J.C. Terrell and Vance Terrell Families The history of the J.C. Terrell and Vance Terrell families is the history of healthcare and community service in Stephenville. J.C. and Vance, both physicians, served on numerous boards and helped establish Tarleton’s nursing education program. Their descendants continue this tradition of service in strengthening Erath County and the university.

J.C. Terrell and Vance Terrell Families

Legacy Award for Integrity

Retired Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk A champion for Tarleton’s Corps of Cadets, retired Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk is an advocate for education. He was the commanding general, III Corps at Fort Hood; he served as commanding general of the U.S. Army Armor Center at Fort Knox, Ky.; and he commanded the 3rd Armored Division, U.S. Army, Europe, from December 1990 to April 1991 as the division distinguished itself during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.

Retired Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk

Legacy Award for Civility

Doug Montgomery Doug Montgomery, owner of Texstar Ford Lincoln and Texstar Kubota in Stephenville, has local roots with a purple sheen. He is part of the largest advertising partnership in the university’s history, a seven-year agreement with the North Texas Ford Dealers.

Active with Tarleton sports, he also sponsors the annual Driving Forward Innovative Teaching Award and vigorously promotes community music events.

Doug Montgomery

Legacy Award for Leadership

Dr. Lamar and Marilynn Johanson Dr. Lamar Johanson retired in 2001 after 40 years at Tarleton, including 18 years as Dean of the former College of Arts and Sciences. He led efforts to establish degree programs in nursing and the clinical laboratory science degree in Fort Worth, and he advocated for construction and assisted in the design of Tarleton’s science building, which bears his name. His wife, Marilynn — a Tarleton Distinguished Alumna — enjoyed a 34-year career in education, teaching in Hico and Stephenville and serving as principal in Strawn and Goldthwaite.

Legacy Award for Excellence

Dr. Lamar and Marilynn Johanson

Truman T. Bell Truman T. Bell used his Tarleton education as a springboard to a career and to a lifetime of giving back. A loyal Tarleton supporter and Distinguished Alumnus, he is a member of the President’s Circle, the Tarleton Alumni Association and the Texan Club. He is a former member of the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc. Board of Directors. He established the Truman T. Bell Scholarship and supports the Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Endowment and the STEM Student Ambassador Scholarship.

Legacy Award for Service

Hon. Judge Glen Whitley (received by Rachel Arellano) Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley is a leader on higher education, transportation, sustainable communities, efficient government, air quality and support for veterans and military families, as well as youth and children’s issues. Elected county judge in 2006, he also is on the University of North Texas System Board of Regents. American City & County magazine named him 2010 County Leader of the Year.

Truman T. Bell Rachel Arellano on behalf of Judge Glen Whitley

Tarleton State University

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Tarleton State University’s Alumni Association honored five alumni, a former faculty member, a former staff member and a prominent corporate partner at the grand finale to the three-day inauguration celebration for the university’s 16th President, Dr. James Hurley, Saturday evening, Feb. 29.

Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Delbert Stanley “Stan” Carpenter Dr. Stan Carpenter served as Dean of the College of Education at Texas State University, following seven years as a department chair there and nearly 19 years as a professor of higher education administration and leadership at Texas A&M University. He positioned the college to achieve its mission at an emerging research university with a focus on serving Hispanic students. Following retirement, he was named Texas State University Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Dr. Delbert Stanley “Stan” Carpenter

Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Dan McCoy A physician and entrepreneur with a passion for improving the way healthcare is delivered, Dr. Dan McCoy is former President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He was instrumental in creating TMA PracticeEdge, a physician services company that helps Texas doctors stay independent by assisting with the transition to value-based care. He graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tarleton and earned his MD at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Dan McCoy

Hon. James E. Morgan Named judge of the 220th District Court of Texas in 1983, a position he held for nearly three decades, James Morgan now serves a 20-county area of the state as a senior district judge. He attended law school at the University of Texas at Austin, then taught two years as a business professor at Tarleton. While still teaching, he opened his law practice in De Leon in 1976. In 1977 he began working to help get former Tarleton student Charles Stenholm elected to Congress. Stenholm was elected in 1978 and took his campaigner and friend to Washington to work on his staff.

Hon. James E. Morgan

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Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Gary Moore A Professor Emeritus at North Carolina State, Dr. Gary Moore’s résumé boasts entries as a sought-after keynote speaker and author of 148 journal publications, three books and 300 scholarly presentations. He has spoken in 41 states, three provinces in Canada and on three continents, and he is a member and past president of the American Association for Agricultural Education Inc. His almost two dozen academic honors include being named Distinguished Merit Award winner for the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology in Nigeria and receiving the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Award from Tarleton.

Dr. Gary Moore

Outstanding Young Alumnus

Austin Large Austin Large has spent his career in agricultural education and FFA, serving in positions at the local, state and national level. He accepted a position as Leadership Development Coordinator in 2012 for the Texas FFA Association and started work on his master’s in agriculture and consumer resources at Tarleton. After graduation he moved to Indianapolis to work on leadership programs for the National FFA Organization. After three years with National FFA, he was named Executive Director of Texas FFA in Austin.

Austin Large

Distinguished Faculty

Dr. Steve Steed Dr. Steve Steed served Tarleton for almost five decades, retiring in 2018 as Dean of the College of Business. He was among the first professors to own a computer, which led to a 30-year stint as Chairman of the university’s Computer Services Committee. He has served the Stephenville community as a board member of Texas Health Resources and the Optimist Club and as a Tarleton volleyball coach. His 17 years with Texas Health Resources inspired research on the availability of healthcare providers in rural Texas counties. The Dr. Steve Steed College of Business Scholarship Endowment has been created in his honor.

Dr. Steve Steed

Distinguished Staff

Dr. Dwayne Snider Dr. Dwayne Snider enjoyed a Tarleton career that spanned more than four decades and ended with his retirement as Associate Provost. He made a significant impact on students, faculty and administrators at Tarleton, working with math, institutional research, the Dick Smith Library, intern-to-learn programs, military science and students with disabilities. Additionally, he served on coordinating boards and those for construction planning and academic standards. His legacy is instilled in the L. Dwayne and Connie Snider Endowed Scholarship, created by the Sniders’ children in 2017.

Dr. Dwayne Snider

Distinguished Friend

Mike Brown Auto Group Mike Brown Auto Group is a family owned and operated group of dealerships focusing on customer service and the community. In the automotive business for more than 50 years, Brown and his daughter, Kris, are driven to uphold the core values on which their company was founded. Giving back to the community and organizations that benefit children is particularly important. They have worked with or contributed to the Hood County Livestock Raisers Association, Christmas for Children and the Tarleton Alumni Association, among others. Kris is a 1997 Tarleton graduate, and her daughter, Riley, is on pace to graduate in 2021.

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Mike Brown Auto Group

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Student-Planned

Kickoff Celebration Block Party

Was A Big Hit

By Logan Allen

The feeling of cool, crisp air on a February night. The view of a parking lot transformed into a concert venue fit with a robust stage and beaming purple and white lights. The smell of hot, fresh food truck meals. The sounds of talking, laughter and music echoing off nearby buildings. But above all else, the feeling of togetherness was unmatched within the Tarleton family as the three-day inauguration celebration began with a student event.

Daniel Mendoza, a junior communication studies major, said it best when asked about his favorite part of the celebration: “Everyone coming together as one Tarleton family to celebrate our new president.”

And it was a celebration.

Beginning at six o’clock, students came in droves. No surprise that the food trucks were the first stop for many. Others kept warm by taking part in line dances to music played by DJ Quan. Along Texan Trace, yard games such as corn hole and ladder toss were busy attractions.

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Dr. James Hurley, First Lady Kindall Hurley and one of the littlest Texans, their daughter Blayklee, arrived shortly after the event started. They made their way through the large crowd, stopping to say hello, chat and take selfies with as many students as they could. Blayklee even took part in raising the spirit of Oscar P with her friends, the Purple Poo. DJ Quan wrapped up her set and an enthusiastic crowd, huddled close to the stage, eagerly awaited remarks from Dr. Hurley and for the feature artist of the night, Bart Crow, to perform.

Dr. James Hurley, First Lady Kindall Hurley and their daughter Blayklee with the Purple Poo

President Hurley took to the stage to express his gratitude to the planning committee for putting the event together and to the students for showing up to celebrate with him and his family.

Taking several pauses for loud cheers and applause, Dr. Hurley graciously said, “You all are outstanding. This is the best student body in America. You guys are awesome. We love you. You guys have loved on us from day one and you have made us feel really a part of your family, a part of Texan Nation, and I appreciate that so much.”

President Hurley continued by introducing Bart Crow and his band. Crow, a Tarleton alumnus, began his performance career in Stephenville while attending Tarleton in the early 2000s. He carved out time from his tour schedule to come back and perform for his alma mater during this time of celebration.

As country music began to amplify, the concrete ground marked with yellow parking spaces made for the perfect dance floor.

Tierah Forbes, a freshman nursing major, said that her favorite part of the night was the music. She also expressed how special she felt to be part of the inauguration celebration.

Students at the photo booth with Purple Poo members

Exciting and joyful were frequent words students used to describe the event. Payton Carter, a senior human resource management major and member of the event’s planning committee, commented on the importance of an inauguration, “We’ve only seen 16 of these. I think it is really cool that we get to be a part of it, and I especially enjoyed getting to work behind the scenes to make this event possible.”

As the evening’s festivities came to an end, Crow belted out his final song and the crowd favorite, “Wear My Ring,” while a fireworks show dazzled the night sky. Shades of blue, red, yellow, silver and, of course, purple shimmered above. The illuminating, sparkling and crackling of the fireworks signaled the culmination of the night’s celebration, and marked the beginning of a new Tarleton era.

Purple Poo with students before the performance of the night

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Movin’ On Up Texans ready to go new places, take on Division I sports foes

By Phil Riddle

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Tarleton student-athletes and fans will bleed purple in some exciting new arenas and face formidable new opponents when games resume in spring 2021.

The Texans joined the Western Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I in July, meaning they’ll be competing in cities like Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles.

“I was really excited when I heard that Tarleton was going to D-I,” said senior golfer Junie Khaw. “We get to compete at a higher level, which will help every one of us improve our game.”

“That’s every basketball player’s dream, to be a D-I player,” said sophomore basketball guard Isaiah Range. “The competition is going to be intense. I like that part of it. Plus the exposure you get from Division I — scouts and stuff like that.”

The conference invited Tarleton in November 2019. The university became the ninth full-time member of the WAC, joining California Baptist University, Chicago State University, Dixie State University, Grand Canyon University, New Mexico State University, Seattle University, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Utah Valley University.

Senior Lauren Kersey has been part of Tarleton’s volleyball team, one of the nation’s elite programs in the Lone Star Conference and Division II.

Dixie State, like Tarleton, is transitioning from Division II to Division I. “What a historic time for Tarleton State University,” said President James Hurley. “We are next-level ready. We look forward to raising our institutional profile at the NCAA Division I level.”

“It’s really cool to be able to say you’re a Division I athlete,” she said. “It’s also a little nerve-racking because it’s a new level of play. We’ve been a high Division II team, so I’m sure we’ll fit right in D-I and the WAC.” “This is a great opportunity for us, to be here to help build Tarleton’s D-I legacy,” added senior hurdler Cornelius Coleman.

So the motivation grows to continue the successes of past Tarleton teams, but under a brighter spotlight.

Thirteen of Tarleton’s 14 sports programs will compete in the WAC, while football will vie as an independent in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.

“There were a lot of players before us who didn’t get the chance to do what we’re going to do,” said Texans baseball standout Blake Burns. “Now we get to play with the big boys.”

The Texans were in the Lone Star Conference (NCAA Division II) from 1994-2020 and won 36 LSC championships, nine tournament championships and 14 NCAA regional titles across 14 sports. They also have eight individual national championships in track and field.

It’s difficult to overestimate the value of Tarleton’s move to D-I sports. It elevates the university as a whole.

“To see Tarleton move from an NAIA school to a Division I university in 30 years is a testament to The Texas A&M University System, our student body, administration, alumni and fans,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lonn Reisman. “This is a historic time for Tarleton State University and the beginning of great things ahead. We are not a small college anymore. We are a major university.”

“President Hurley’s bold vision to take Tarleton to Division I isn’t just about athletics. It will raise the profile of an already great school,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. “This move will let folks everywhere see what we already know — Tarleton State University is a great place to get your degree and change your life.”

Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles: Get ready, that message is coming your way.

The importance of such a shift is not lost on those who will represent Tarleton on the field, court and track.

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Gillispie guides Texans into first Division I campaign

By Phil Riddle

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Timing is everything.

Just ask new men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie.

After taking over a Ranger College team mired in a losing culture, in five seasons he won more than 100 games and earned a spot in the national title game in 2019.

What does that have to do with Tarleton?

It’s that timing thing.

“We had some success at Ranger,” he said at his introductory press conference in March. “With that came some opportunities, some we didn’t take because it wasn’t the right time. But now, Tarleton State University, Billy Gillispie, it’s the right time and the right spot.”

Gillispie has been coaching since the early 1980s, with stops at high school, junior college and Division I. He was head coach at UT El Paso, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Texas Tech before becoming coach and athletic director at Ranger.

He went to one NCAA tournament at UTEP before guiding the A&M Aggies to two, including a Sweet 16 appearance.

“Coach Gillispie has shown to truly be genuine in the way he cares about helping student-athletes achieve great success both on and off the court,” Tarleton President James Hurley said. “We are confident that coach Gillispie’s experience and commitment to Tarleton and our community make him the right person to build on the storied success of Texan basketball.”

Growing up in tiny Graford, about an hour from Stephenville, Gillispie was always working to get the Rabbits into the regional tournament, played annually at Tarleton’s Wisdom Gym.

July Tarleton officially joined the Western Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. “No program has been more successful during that time,” Gillispie said. “We will try our hardest every day to honor the efforts that have been made as we move into a new era of Division I basketball and make every one of the Tarleton faithful proud.”

As first-year participants in Division I basketball, the Texans will be ineligible for the NCAA tournament, but the new coach sees plenty of other things to play for.

“We’ll still have the opportunity to play in the WAC tournament and the NIT (National Invitation Tournament),” he said. “We’re not worried about any obstacles. We’ll handle them.”

Gillispie has recruited and coached more than 100 players who went pro, including 30 who played in the NBA. “Every job I’ve taken was a hard one,” he said. “It’s a challenge here. But with them winning 693 games in the last 32 years, this program’s in good shape.

“The only question about Tarleton basketball is about going to Division I. It’s not about sustained success. It’s not about community support. It’s not about home court advantage or recruiting great players. They’ve already done that. We want to continue to do the same things, just at Division I.”

“Graford is a basketball community,” he said. “You come up living basketball. It’s a small, hard-working town.

Stephenville is a bigger, hard-working town. There are a lot of similarities.”

The 15th head coach in the program’s history, Gillispie has earned his share of accolades — Big 12 Coach of the Year twice, co-SEC Coach of the Year, WAC Coach of the Year, National JUCO Coach of the Year, three-time North Texas Junior College Athletic Association Coach of the Year and five-time Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year.

Gillispie agreed to a four-year deal in March, replacing head coach Chris Reisman, who ran the program for two years.

Reisman’s father, Lonn, was head coach for 30 years prior.

He intends to put a competitive team on the floor starting with the Texans’ first game. In fact, his reputation is centered on quick turnarounds.

“I cannot wait to get started,” Gillispie said. “At Tarleton we are inheriting an ultra-successful program that Lonn and Chris Reisman established, as well as countless others who have poured their heart and soul into Texan basketball for more than 30 years.”

“I’ve never been one with a long-term plan,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll try to win every single game starting with the first one.”

The Reismans accumulated almost 700 wins, taking the Texans from the NAIA ranks to Division II of the NCAA. In

And timing is everything.

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After all, the timing is right.

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PROMISE OF

opportunity Tarleton basketball player praises scholarship program

By Phil Riddle

For four years, Tarleton basketball fans enjoyed watching Nosa Ebomwonyi on the floor at Wisdom Gym. The Nigerian-born athlete helped fuel the Texans’ back-to-back runs to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and Tarleton’s only Final Four appearance.

At the university’s annual gala, however, his fans saw another side of Ebomwonyi — a student about to graduate and grateful for the support he had while making his electrical engineering degree a reality — support that will benefit future generations through the creation of a new scholarship.

The Tarleton Promise extends funding beyond state and federal aid for high-performing students with extreme financial need. University President James Hurley announced the program the night of his inauguration.

“When half of your students are first-gen and over half of your students are at the poverty level, that means opportunity,” he said. “Universities like Tarleton are providing opportunities for those students some institutions may not consider first on their list to recruit. We want to treat each student as a person and as a valued member of the Tarleton family.”

Beginning this fall, Federal Pell Grant students in the top 25 percent of their high school class, or GPA equivalent, are eligible for the Tarleton Promise to cover the remaining tuition, fees, books, and room and board for up to four years.

Nearly 60 percent of Tarleton students receive some financial assistance. Almost 40 percent are Pell Grant eligible.

Private donations and support from the Tarleton State University Foundation Inc. and the Chancellor’s Century Council will fund the scholarship.

“My Tarleton Promise was basketball. I was gifted enough and lucky enough to receive a scholarship to study and play at this level. What about those students who are just as academically talented but still need assistance with room, board and books? The Tarleton Promise does that because donors like you step into that gap for them and provide them a chance for success like I had.”

Nosa came to the United States while still a baby and grew up in the Austin area. Tarleton recruited him. He and his siblings, a brother and a sister, all attended college on athletic scholarships.

“I saw how my parents struggled getting my older brother and sister into college,” he said. “Seeing them earn basketball scholarships made me think my best chance of going to college, and obtaining the life I imagined, was to earn a scholarship, too.”

Nosa graduated in August and already has a position with Fort Worth defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

“My experience at Tarleton was a positive one. Every person I had the pleasure of encountering impacted me in some way. Before, if someone had asked me how my college experience was at Tarleton, I would take the time to talk about the amazing opportunities and experiences I gathered here.

“But now, I would simply say, ‘Come see for yourself.’ ”

“You heard Dr. Hurley talk about the Tarleton Promise,” Nosa told the banquet crowd. “It’s a program to help students facing financial hardships find a way to succeed.

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New Era, New Look Tarleton launches fresh athletics branding campaign Debuting this fall on billboards and radio stations throughout the Metroplex and on the back of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 “Official Team Bluebook,” Tarleton’s Here Come the Texans branding campaign heralds the university’s entrance into NCAA Division I. “The message is clear that Tarleton’s move to Division I begins a new era,” said President James Hurley. “We want the world to know that the Texans are here and ready to compete athletically and academically. Tarleton family, it’s time to get excited about this monumental moment in our institution’s history.”

Here Come the Texans delivers a unified brand identity for Tarleton athletics. It features a crisp look reflecting a university on the move. Fans will see the look incorporated into all athletics collateral, including season ticket books, schedule cards and posters.

“We are excited about Here Come the Texans and the message it sends to our constituents and stakeholders,”

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said Lonn Reisman, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “It’s a big step forward in making the state and country aware that Tarleton is a major NCAA Division I institution ready to compete at the highest level.”

The branding initiative was in the works long before Tarleton officially joined the WAC in July. Engaging with key stakeholders, athletes, coaches and university administrators, the Athletic Department teamed with the Department of Marketing and Communications to ignite energy for the future while placing value on past accomplishments.

If you’re a fan, it’s time to get excited.

If you’re an athlete, it’s time to get ready.

If you’re an opponent, it’s time to get worried.

Onto the field, the court, the track, the diamond and the national stage, Here come the Texans!

Learn more about the new brand at tarletonsports.com/d1.

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NCAA Division I tarletonsports.com/D1

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