Wesleyan magazine - Spring 2018

SPRING 2018

O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T E X A S W E S L E YA N U N I V E R S I T Y

A glimpse of research and creative activity on campus

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FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE New diversity and inclusion plan

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GOING NATIVE

DNAP student embraces indigenous skills

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RAMS IN FOCUS

CROSSING THE STAGE Music major Alex Lopez ’17 is greeted by President Frederick G. Slabach at the Fall 2017 Commencement. Congressman Marc Veasey ’95 was the keynote speaker, and philanthropists Paul and Judy Andrews were recognized with honorary degrees.

Share your commencement memories with us.

Email us at wesleyan@txwes.edu.

Jacqueline Gaffner, assistant professor of education, hugs a student at the Fall 2017 Hooding Ceremony. Hooding, a Texas Wesleyan tradition since 1927, lets students honor the professor that has had the most impact on their student experience.

Wesleyan

SPRING 2018

MOVERS & SHAKERS 10

FOCUS ON MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

A new nursing degree, Dr. Paul Proffitt ’67 and Susan Coultas ’83 make an impact on the field of heathcare

NEWS & EVENTS 4

CHATTER

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STUDENT CENTER

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GOOD EATS

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TITLETOWN, TX

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SWIMMINGLY GOOD

Wesleyan on social media and in the news Funding nearly complete Local Top Chef opens eatery Football team gets own documentary Sid Richardson Center gets upgrade

ATHLETICS

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A NEW GOLDEN AGE

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FALL FOOTBALL

Get the dates on your calendar

ALUMNI 26

ALUMNI AWARDS

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HOMECOMING

JOY OF DISCOVERY A glimpse of research and creative activity on campus

Golf gets multiple wins

Meet the winners

Check out the photos

28 CLASS NOTES

We want to hear from you!

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IN MEMORIAM

Honoring those we lost

LAST WORD 32

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GOING NATIVE

DNAP student embraces indigenous skills

Wesleyan | SPRING 2018

Educator funds scholarships through book sales

ON THE COVER

FEATURES 14

GIVING BACK

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FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE

Photo by Chuck Greeson

New diversity and inclusion plan

TXWES.EDU

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

RENAISSANCE CONTINUES Our campus is energized and looking toward the future.

Dear Alumni and Friends, Signs of growth and improvement are all around us as we enjoy new construction on and near campus and break ground on the new Nick and Lou Martin University Center. While buildings and facilities help us provide a better physical environment, we continue to focus on teaching critical thinking, the importance of research and an attitude of inclusivity.

In this issue we tell you about two of our ongoing efforts: Real-world research our professors are undertaking — with the help of students — and our campus culture of inclusivity. To that end, last year we created a committee and a strategic plan focusing on diversity and inclusion.

Be sure to read about both and join us on this journey of renaissance. Come to campus for an event, reconnect through the Alumni Association or come support our student-athletes as they compete. And, of course, thank you for generously giving back to your alma mater through your support of the Wesleyan Fund.

We hope to see or hear from you soon!

“WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING, THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH AND AN ATTITUDE OF INCLUSIVITY.”

2020 VISION Check out the latest from the president, including some enlightening videos about the 2020 Vision at txwes.edu/president

Frederick G. Slabach President Texas Wesleyan University

TELL US YOUR STORY

Your story is our story, and we want to share it in the magazine and online to lift us all. Write to us at wesleyan@txwes.edu

PRESIDENT

Frederick G. Slabach

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ann Davis

EDITOR

Nancy B. Strini

DESIGN

Ky Lewis Shelly Jackman

PHOTOGRAPHY Chuck Greeson

MANAGING EDITOR Shannon Lamberson

TXWES.EDU

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Josh Lacy

COPY EDITOR

Janna Franzwa Canard

TEXAS WESLEYAN STAFF

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT

John Veilleux MBA ’04, vice president for enrollment, marketing & communications

CONTACT US

Jim Lewis, vice president for university advancement

817-531-4404 | 817-531-7560 FAX alumni@txwes.edu

wesleyan@txwes.edu | 817-531-5810

Wesleyan is an official publication for alumni and friends of Texas Wesleyan University. The Office of Marketing & Communications publishes it in the fall and spring. The views presented are not necessarily those of the editors or the official policies of the university.

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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CHATTER

NEWS & EVENTS

IN THE NEWS “I think [Amazon Key] is a very exciting technology. [The question will be], how secure is the exchange of information between the user, the delivery guy and the Amazon servers? Because these are things that can be hacked.”

Yashar Dehdashti, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, talking about Amazon Key delivery services.

WFAA Channel 8 October 8, 2017

The new Martin University Center construction breaks ground April 19.

“I think what changes now is that females in particular are going to be looking at the core values of the companies they are looking to work for. ... There is good that’s going to come from this.”

Texas Wesleyan students Demi Dotson, Maricela Martinez, Karan Muns, Shaydi Paramore and former AVP for marketing & communications Darren White MBA ’16 shared their perspectives on sexual harassment.

WFAA Channel 8 October 8, 2017

“Sherry Lee White had a healthy confection, Bliss Bites, that she was selling in venues like farmers markets … when she connected with a student entrepreneurship club at Texas Wesleyan University in 2016. ‘They were really at the startup phase,’ says Tommy Lee, a Wesleyan student whom Bliss Bites has hired full time as a project manager. ‘They were almost like a blank canvas.’ ” FW Inc. Magazine January/February 2018 issue

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ON TARGET Funding for new student center nearly complete.

The Nick and Lou Martin University Center Campaign has raised $19.5 million in gifts and pledges, successfully meeting the $1M challenge grant in support of the Martin Center issued by the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation.

The Mabee challenge grant required the project goal of $19 million be secured in commitments by Jan. 10, 2018, to receive the funding. Campaign efforts are now focused on securing an additional $1.15 million in support of funding a $1.3 million building maintenance endowment.

As the hub of the campus community, the 44,000-square-foot Martin Center will be the premiere gathering place for university and community members, setting the stage for a more vibrant student life and serving southeast

Fort Worth as a much-needed venue for events and projects that benefit the surrounding community. Groundbreaking for the new Nick and Lou Martin University Center is scheduled for Thursday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m.

In addition to securing the J.E and L.E. Mabee Foundation challenge grant, other recent leadership commitments to the Martin Center campaign include those from:

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The Morris Foundation John David Moritz The Perkins-Prothro Foundation Crystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust Karen Cramer The Hillcrest Foundation Anne Street Skipper ’78 Kevin and Anita Buehler

TXWES.EDU

GOOD EATS Local Top Chef will open new hot spot by campus.

Biscuits and burgers will be the focus of a new restaurant being created by Ben Merritt, the winner of Fort Worth Magazine’s 2016 Top Chef and 2017 Top Chef Master.

Opening in the summer, Ben’s Triple B: Biscuits, Burgers and Brews will be in a Wesleyan-owned building at the corner of Wesleyan and Rosedale streets. It will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and feature a full bar and TVs for sports fans.

It is the second restaurant for Merritt, who has received numerous awards for his food and his first restaurant, Fixture - Kitchen and Social Lounge, on W. Magnolia Avenue.

Ben Merritt signs the lease on his new restaurant with President Slabach. Ben’s Triple B: Biscuits, Burgers and Brews is aiming for a summer opening.

TXWES.EDU

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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CHATTER

NEWS AND EVENTS

FACEBOOK Texas Wesleyan University

Texas Wesleyan University January 20

Texas Wesleyan University added 8 new photos to the album: Junior Gold Line Dancers — at Texas Wesleyan University.

The concert officially welcomed the university’s new Hamburg Steinway Grand Piano to its new home in Martin Hall. It is the first time a Cliburn gold medalist performed on the Texas Wesleyan campus.

The Texas Wesleyan University Junior Gold Line Dancers performed at halftime during the men’s basketball game. #txwes #ramsup #smallersmarter 22 Likes 1 Share

Texas Wesleyan University January 13

This new year, our resolution is to help you graduate debt free. #SmallerSmarter

STEINWAY GETS MASTER’S TOUCH Kholodenko concert a success.

Martin Hall was filled in December with a record number of audience members eager to hear world-renowned pianist Vadym Kholodenko perform. The 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medalist serenaded a full house on the Hamburg Steinway Grand Piano he personally selected for the Van Cliburn competition. The piano was acquired by Texas Wesleyan in August for the benefit of students, music enthusiasts and the entire Fort Worth community.

ART BASH For this family affair, alumni can exhibit too.

How to graduate from college debt free?

Scholarships.

Take a look at 3 ways to help yourself score a free ride to college.

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4 Shares

A new tradition has been announced: Art Bash, featuring work by the entire Wesleyan community — students, staff, faculty and alumni. It will be the final exhibit each year in the Bernice Coulter Templeton Art Studio & Gallery.

In April, the artists reception was hosted by the Alumni Office during Alumni Weekend, April 21 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The exhibit is open to the public March 19 to May 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

The gallery is at 1415 E. Vaughn Blvd., across the street from the clock tower.

Art Bash is held in the art gallery, housed in the former fire station on E. Vaughn Boulevard.

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TXWES.EDU

NEWS & EVENTS

TITLETOWN, TX New team featured in news series.

The newly minted Rams are the focus of Season 2 of the video series Titletown, TX, a project by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that chronicles local football teams. Season 2 looks closely as the Rams returned to the football field after a 75-year hiatus.

The show can be seen on the Star-Telegram website or Facebook.

Here’s how the paper describes the series: When half of its team enlisted in World War II, Texas Wesleyan canceled its football program. This year a coach with just 16 scholarships to give reintroduces the Rams to Fort Worth. Coach Joe Prud’homme, a 7-time Texas state champion at Nolan Catholic, faces the greatest challenge of his career.

Football player Anthony Caston and his personal story of perseverance is featured in the series.

Watch it online at titletowntx.com or on Facebook.

TXWES.EDU

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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NEWS & EVENTS

SWIMMINGLY GOOD Sid Richardson Center gets major upgrade.

The wildly popular pool in the Sid W. Richardson Center got a $500,000 facelift: replastering and retiling, new windows, flooring and bleachers. It’s the first major renovation in the pool area since the building was opened in 1972.

Funding comes from the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which saw the need for upgrades in the building they paid for years ago. The main entrance, including doors, sidewalks and outdoor landscaping will also be upgraded.

The floors in the building’s gymnasium were refinished last year.

More than 30,000 outside visitors enjoy the water each year, including the Boys & Girls Club, the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Fire Department, which trains its underwater divers there.

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TXWES.EDU

NEWS & EVENTS

CHATTER

UPWARD BOUND

BREAK A LEG

Old and new grants double size of programs.

Theatre Wesleyan in the news.

More local high school students will now have a pathway to a college education, thanks to the renewal of an Upward Bound grant and a new grant, specifically for math and science.

These grants will allow Texas Wesleyan to serve 242 Fort Worth high school students, up from 110 last year, more than doubling the number served. That means the programming staff will need to double as well.

Theatre major Alexandra Flurry will see her first play performed in the spring at the Region VI Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in San Angelo.

Her 10-minute play, The Ramifications of a Changed Man, was part of a Playwriting I class assignment that asked students to write a play based on a historical event. Flurry

Theatre Wesleyan students in the fall 2017 performance of Blithe Spirit: Clarissa Murillo ’17, Raied Makhamreh, Kimberly Owen.

Upward Bound students visited Central Park as part of a group trip to New York last summer.

Previously, Polytechnic, North Side, Diamond Hill-Jarvis and Trimble Tech high schools were part of the program.

Now Dunbar High School has been added, which provides a great opportunity for the Upward Bound programs to work with the Collegiate Academy at Dunbar High School, which operates out of Texas Wesleyan University.

Texas Wesleyan is the only school in town to have the Upward Bound Math and Science program.

chose the early, western migration in the U.S. The story is about a man traveling west to exorcise inner demons who meets a woman with her own dark past.

Theatre Wesleyan students focused on the old West in the spring show as well.

Their perfomances of Oklahoma! coincided with the 75th anniversary of the celebrated Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and was presented by special arrangement with that organization.

TWITTER @TexasWesleyan Texas Wesleyan University @TexasWesleyan Congratulations, Class of 2017!

We’re streaming commencement LIVE tomorrow morning at txwes.edu/live. Tune in and hear the address from Congressman Marc Veasey. #SmallerSmarter Congressman Marc Veasey ’95 to deliver fall commencement address Fall 2017 Commencement will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, in the MacGorman Chapel at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

Meals On Wheels @MealsOnWheelsTC The students who coordinated a Christmas tree auction at Texas Wesleyan University raised over $500 for MOW! Together we can ensure that no homebound elderly or disabled neighbor goes hungry or feels forgotten. The grand prize winning tree was a Stranger Things themed tree.

INSTAGRAM @texaswesleyan

♥ 237 Likes

WEB EXTRA TXWES.EDU

For more university news, go to txwes.edu/universitynews

texaswesleyan The Texas Wesleyan Student Veterans Organization luncheon celebrated Rams who have served. Thank you to all of our military, past and present. #txwesvo #txwes #veteransday SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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PEOPLE

MOVERS & SHAKERS WE WANT YOUR STORIES! In this section we feature outstanding Rams who have incorporated Texas Wesleyan’s emphasis on social good and caring for the community into their lives.

This issue we focus on the healthcare field and a new degree program in the recently reorganized School of Health Professions, which now houses eight graduate degree programs.

Send us ideas about other Rams who are making an impact in their community and maybe you’ll see it in an upcoming issue.

CONTACT US AT wesleyan@txwes.edu or 817-531-5810

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STAYING CONNECTED Technology allows surgeon to keep helping others.

Neurologist Paul Proffitt ’67 retired in 2012.

Sort of.

He still works full time; he just doesn’t leave home to do it.

Five days a week you’ll find the “retired” neurologist staring intently at his computer screen as he assists in 10 or more neurosurgical procedures across the state.

His work is part of a growing field known as teleneurology, which remotely puts doctors from across the world into surgical suites. They serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for the doctors in the room.

“I’m connected through an HD audio-visual internet connection to the tech who is at the hospital with the surgeon,” Proffitt says. “I monitor neurodiagnostic testing like EMGs, as well as spinal surgeries, disc surgeries, laminectomies, disc extractions.”

It allows specialists like him to ward off problems, such as when surgeons are getting too close to a vital structure. “For example, if they have a retractor and it’s pulling on a nerve we’re monitoring, we can tell them we’re getting unusual activity.”

Proffitt’s path to practicing medicine by remote technology began when he was recruited to Texas Wesleyan’s golf team

by O.D. Bounds in 1964. He was captain of the team when he graduated in 1967 with degrees in chemistry and biology and a plan to become a doctor.

After earning a D.O. in Kansas, Proffitt returned to Fort Worth to set up a private practice on the south side of town.

Seven years later he returned to Kansas for a neurology residency and fellowship, then practiced there for several years.

The 1980s recession prompted a move to Port Arthur, where he was recruited by a colleague to be the first and only neurologist in town.

When Hurricane Rita destroyed his home in 2005, he and his wife moved to Austin to be close to their grown children.

Now he practices from his desk in Austin, or one of his vacation homes in North Carolina or Los Cabos, Mexico. The freedom to keep helping others is a benefit that he appreciates.

“I enjoy the work,” the septuagenarian says. “It keeps me busy.”

Paul Proffitt ’67 outside his Austin home, where he practices teleneurology.

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PEOPLE

PASSING MUSTER Researcher takes drugs through the paces.

When Susan Coultas ’83 was studying biology at Texas Wesleyan, she had her eye on becoming a doctor.

But a job at Alcon after graduation shifted her trajectory: Coultas is now vice president in charge of clinical operations at Kala Pharmaceuticals, where she designs and oversees drug trials.

Getting a promising new drug ready for market is a years-long process with dozens of moving parts, all of which Coultas discovered she’s adept at.

For more than 30 years she’s been designing, implementing, analyzing and compiling data for pharmaceutical company drug trials, readying them for submission to the Federal Drug Administration.

She was an independent contractor for many years before joining Kala in 2015 as an in-house director.

Coultas insists she loves shepherding the complex process, and enjoys the challenges of organizing all the people involved.

“I get to do a little bit of everything I like,” she says, including the myriad interactions with employees and companies needed to get the work done. “But I’m enough of a geek to admit that I love playing with the data.”

Currently she’s heading trials that use the eye as an alternate delivery system, which is especially tricky as mucus membranes resist penetration. This trial could have huge implications on how a wide variety of drugs are delivered.

“Mucus does the job it was designed for — it protects,” she says. “So you need your drug to penetrate the mucosal barrier.”

Bringing this drug to market is somewhat personal to Coultas: She and her current boss at Kala worked on the product years ago when both were at Alcon.

“This is a product I can believe in because I worked on it 30 years ago,” she says. “It’s a perfect fit. I’ve gotten to see Kala go from a small company to a public company that’s growing.”

“BUT I’M ENOUGH OF A GEEK TO ADMIT THAT I LOVE PLAYING WITH THE DATA.”

The job allows Susan Coultas ’83 to work from her home near Burleson.

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Wesleyan | SPRING 2018

TXWES.EDU

WHOLE HEALTH New nursing degree focuses on the whole person and the provider.

Nursing is challenging work and burnout is common.

A new degree program at Texas Wesleyan aims to change that, says Heidi Taylor, Ph.D., RN, dean of the School of Health Professions.

“When nurses and other professionals pursue education, it’s because they are looking for something more out of work,” Taylor says. “And sometimes it’s because they’ve lost enthusiasm for what they are doing.”

The newly minted Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family Nurse Practitioner is founded on a philosophy of whole healthcare, with four pillars: self-care, nurse coaching, whole-person healthcare approaches and business literacy.

“The cornerstone is self-care,” Taylor says. “So everything in the program is designed to help nurses walk away with skills that will help them personally and translate into more job satisfaction.”

The inaugural class this spring drew 16 students, exceeding the expected class of 11. The online program complements the university’s nurse anesthesia programs, which have more than 21 clinical sites in nine states. The growing graduate counseling programs have more than 120 students serving more than 1,500 clients from Tarrant County each year.

PUTTING THE “CARE” BACK IN HEALTHCARE The four cornerstones of Texas Wesleyan’s Family Nurse Practitioner program comply with national nursing program standards, while adding a “Smaller.

Smarter.” approach to online learning and coursework that puts the “care” back in healthcare: 1. Nurse coaching to help clients make lasting lifestyle changes to impact their health.

2. Business literacy for nurses who go on to own and run their own practice.

“THE CORNERSTONE IS SELF-CARE, SO EVERYTHING IN THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP NURSES WALK AWAY WITH SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THEM PERSONALLY AND TRANSLATE INTO MORE JOB SATISFACTION.”

3. Whole-person care, which means learning how to provide care that addresses the mind, body, spirit and environment.

4. Self-care for nurses to help prevent future burnout.

WEB EXTRA More at txwes.edu/academics/health-professions/graduate-programs

TXWES.EDU

The new Doctor of Nursing Practice – Family Nurse Practitioner program is 100 percent online with on-site clinicals. Above, Dean Heidi Taylor, Ph.D., RN, speaks with Kimberly Gentry about the new program.

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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FEATURE

Jennifer Lent with

daughters Rebecca, 13, Olivia, 11, and Christine, 7, at their fish camp.

DNAP STUDENT EMBRACES INDIGENOUS SKILLS IN THE YUKON. Jennifer Lent has a brutal commute — more than 500 miles over Yukon tundra in two different planes.

When she arrives in Bethel, Alaska, for her job as a nurse anesthetist at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital, she stays for a five-week shift before heading back

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Wesleyan | SPRING 2018

to her husband and daughters in Fairbanks, Alaska. Five weeks later, she’s back in Bethel.

Nowadays, her extra minutes are taken up by study for our online Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree, but a few years ago Lent found herself needing something to

TXWES.EDU

Embracing the cold north was unexpected for Lent, who spent her adult life in Hawaii. She and husband Chuck T. Lent, an Army Reserve officer and certified registered nurse anesthetist, packed up their home in Hawaii and left for Fairbanks seven years ago when he got a civilian job at Bassett Army Community Hospital.

Lent hasn’t cut all ties to Hawaii.

She still holds her old job at the Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua, Hawaii, and returns several times a year to fill in for vacationing co-workers. With all that travel, Lent is grateful for the allonline DNAP program.

She has another trip planned for December — to her graduation in Fort Worth. In the meantime she will keep making baskets and learning about the people around her.

“I find the entire process — fishing to finished project — incredibly fulfilling and centering,” Lent says. “The slow process of skinning and scraping and tanning forces me to slow down and think and reflect upon my work. It’s very introspective and peaceful.”

Lent’s re-creation of native Alaskan fish skin baskets are featured at the local museum and are on sale in art galleries in Fairbanks and Anchorage.

do during downtime in Bethel. So when the Smithsonian Institution sponsored a fish skin class by native master craftsmen, Lent signed up.

It was a good choice: Her baskets have been featured at the local museum and are on sale in art galleries in Fairbanks and Anchorage. She’s now teaching others the skill in Bethel.

“I have always been interested in folk arts and cultures that are strikingly different from what I know,” she says, adding that before fish skins she tried (unsuccessfully) to weave grass baskets and (quite successfully) make fur mittens and hats. Her fur sewing skills translated well to the fish skin work, earning her praise from locals for her compact stitches.

Alaska has been a grand adventure, Lent says, especially the family’s annual summer trip to a fish camp in the Kenai Peninsula where they harvest between 100 and 150 salmon and halibut. Lent does all the filleting so she gets first pick of the skins.

“I skin the prettiest fish before filleting them,” she says. After removing the scales, the skins get a rigorous washing before going

TXWES.EDU

“I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN FOLK ARTS AND CULTURES THAT ARE STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I KNOW.” into a tanning bath, usually of a glycerin and alcohol solution. “That leaves them malleable so you can work it like a piece of cloth.”

Native Alaskans used fish skins for everything from baskets to raincoats to kayak covers to the palms of fur mittens because of their waterproof quality, but Lent’s work is more artistic than utilitarian.

“I want to showcase the beauty of the fish skins, the scales, the ombré, the color,” she says. “It’s also a great way to revive and keep alive some native arts.”

Daughter Olivia, now age 11, hoists one of the day’s haul.

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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FEATURE

FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE New diversity and inclusion plan gets underway.

Coming in second isn’t usually a point of pride, but for Texas Wesleyan, being the second most diverse college in Texas is worth bragging about.

Still, there’s work to be done, says Angela Dampeer, associate vice president of human resources and Title IX coordinator.

“We’re here producing world changers, so it is up to us to give students a quality education that includes appreciation for having diverse perspectives and everybody having a voice,” she says. “If you’re going to lead, the most effective way is to include many voices in the conversation.”

To that end, the university established a Diversity & Inclusion Council and developed a strategic plan last year to oversee efforts to expand understanding and support for disparate points of view and backgrounds.

Anthony Harper, president of the Black Student Association, welcomes everyone to the Black History Month celebration in Martin Hall Feb. 28.

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“IF YOU’RE GOING TO LEAD, THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IS TO INCLUDE MANY VOICES IN THE CONVERSATION.”

her as a minority, a woman and a veteran.

“The school has been able to help me get to where I’m at now, because of those things,” she says. Ordex-Ramirez, who now works for U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey ’95, plans to study public policy at graduate school.

Anael Luebanos ’09 MBA ’09, a member of the Fort Worth ISD Board of Education, is delighted with the efforts to highlight diversity on campus.

“We live in a city where the Hispanic population keeps growing and growing, so you want to see Hispanic students engaged

- ANGELA DAMPEER The efforts started out with a bang in 2017, says education senior Dulce Karina Munoz-Vazquez. As a former president of the Bilingual Education Student Organization, she was asked to help organize the first ever Hispanic Heritage Month cultural event on campus last fall. There was Latin food and music by North Side High School’s awardwinning Mariachi Band, dancers from Ballet Folklorico and a job fair.

Munoz-Vazquez says she was not only delighted to see administrators and faculty celebrate her culture, it was a great boost to her future career.

“I’m studying to be a teacher and seeing how these events are organized will help me do this wherever I teach,” she says. “And now that I have contacts with the people I met, I can ask them to come to an event in the future.”

Diversity efforts aren’t confined to campus. The plan is to bring the community to campus and get students involved in outside groups. For example, during Intellectual Disability Awareness Month, art by participants at Evergreen Life Services was showcased on campus, and a group of Texas Wesleyan students visited the organization to learn how it helps those with physical or intellectual disabilities.

Former vets and others have come to campus twice now for the Marine Corps Birthday Run, an effort organized by senior Tristeza Ordex-Ramirez, a former Marine Corps drill instructor who founded the student veterans group. The spring graduate was delighted by the support she found on campus.

“The staff and faculty did everything they could to be sure they met any need we [veterans] had,” she recalls. “They made phone calls to get people to advocate for us, helped with funding and space, and getting recognition or feedback.”

Ordex-Ramirez said that when she arrived on campus, she had “three strikes” against TXWES.EDU

FOUR DIMENSIONS OF CAMPUS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. Functionally, it means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing and appreciating our individual differences as well as our similarities. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other ideologies.

Our functional definition of diversity is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment.

It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Angela Dampeer, AVP of human resources, thanks guests at the Black History Month celebration. Dampeer is helping to lead the charge for the implementation of the Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan.

Representational Diversity: The degree to which the campus attracts, retains and develops diverse students, faculty and staff.

Curricular and Co-Curricular Transformation: The extent to which principles of multiculturalism, pluralism, equity and diversity are currently incorporated into the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Campus Climate: The degree to which the events, messages, symbols and values of the campus make it a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty, staff and members of the broader community.

Artists from Evergreen Life Services take part in an art show at the TXWES art studio, as part of an Intellectual Disability Awareness Month event in March.

LGBTQ rights activists Leslie McMurray and Katie Sprinkle, P.C., talk to students at a SAFE Roundtable on Feb. 22, and share their thoughts and suggestions on how to support inclusion and diversity at TXWES.

Institutional Leadership and Commitment: The clarity of expectations, investment of human and fiscal resources, and accountability as demonstrated through the words and actions of campus leadership at all levels.

and included in all the activities,” he says.

“At the end of the day the student’s will finish school and we want them to stay here in Fort Worth and get local jobs.”

The success of the diversity plan will depend on participation, says Dampeer. That is how it will be sustained and not become a document on a shelf.

“It needs to be a living, breathing, transforming strategic plan that lives on and is weaved into the culture of the university,” she says. “It must become part of who we are.”

WEB EXTRA Watch the 2020 Vision in Focus video featuring the Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan txwes.edu/diversityplan

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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COVER

THE JOY OF DISCOVERY A GLIMPSE OF RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY ON CAMPUS. Nearly everything you learned in college started with a question. From those questions, the knowledge, models, processes and theories that inform our modern world were created or discovered.

For the professors who made the discoveries, lifelong learning wasn’t a buzzword, it was their life. It was late nights in the lab or the field, hunched over f lickering monitors or ensconced in library catacombs.

That passion and curiosity fuels these three Texas Wesleyan professors’ work, and it is expanding student minds and broadening our view of the world.

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SPACES IN BETWEEN Photographer examines superstition, science and faith.

“THE OLDER I GET THE MORE I’M DRAWN TOWARD THE MYSTERIES THAT ARE STILL THERE. THINGS THAT ARE UNKNOWN AND PERHAPS UNKNOWABLE.”

TXWES.EDU

Taking a bite out of an art installation is usually considered inappropriate, but when a visitor did just that to Terri Cummings’ work, she laughed.

The piece, part of a larger exhibit of her work, was a pinhole camera photo representing knocking on wood with three real apples on a shelf above it, representing the original sin of Adam and Eve. When Cummings returned to give a talk about the exhibit, there were two apples and one core.

“I adored that,” the associate professor of art recalls, “because someone got it and reinvented the art.”

Cummings work merges concrete objects, abstract ideas and historical data to create images that make viewers think. By putting together items and images that are paradoxical or disparate she is asking viewers to examine their own beliefs and behaviors.

Superstition, she notes, automatically relegates a belief or behavior to something that isn’t science and runs contrary to many, if not most religions. So she started looking at rituals associated with certain religions.

“There are many ways of knowing and understanding,” Cummings says. “The older I get the more I’m drawn toward the mysteries that are still there. Things that are unknown and perhaps unknowable.”

She asks her students to focus on that “in between” as they create their own photo portfolio by examining ideas important to them.

“That’s what I am doing with my research,” she says. “Making images and going through the creative process by examining and researching things important to me, creating a meaningful image from that.

“It’s all about learning to live a meaningful life.”

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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COVER

FUNNY BUSINESS Students are reading comic books in class.

Zoiks!

Hercules. Loki. King Arthur.

Wonder Woman. Batman. Luke Skywalker.

Since the dawn of man, stories of f lawed heroes have taught us about good and evil, right and wrong, justice and retribution.

Heroic figures define our moral and cultural boundaries and, like a mirror, ref lect back our strengths and follies.

So yes, our students are spending a whole semester reading comics.

And yes, it is a serious topic of academic study, with more than a dozen academic journals dedicated to comic books and graphic novels.

Cary Adkinson, the associate professor of criminal justice who researches, writes and teaches about crime and comics, says superheroes are a natural fit for future cops and lawyers. He frequently recites a Spider-Man maxim that runs through the comic book universe: With great power, comes great responsibility.

“Students going into these fields need a clear understanding of what they are getting into, and comics are a way to explore these concepts theoretically,” he says. “Superhero stories can reveal what we think about crime and justice.”

It’s fun too. For one assignment, they create a superhero persona for themselves, with a motto, name, origin story and power or abilities. Class discussions range from how their superpowers would fit into due process and privacy to law enforcement in the real world. They even make their own comics and videos.

Comic books are a good way to sneak in some history as well.

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Modern superheroes emerged in the dark days of World War II (think Captain America, Wonder Woman, Superman) and they were not for children. They were mostly busy saving the world from fascism and the Nazis.

During the 1960s, heroes who espoused tolerance and acceptance appeared, such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Iron Man. They saved the little guy from evils closer to home, more like law enforcement than a military assault.

“All these characters ref lected the deeper concerns of the time,” Adkinson says. “But one truism in criminal justice and sociology is that social and cultural behavior are cyclical. So we are still dealing with these same things.”

He wants students to understand how their point of view is affected by history and social inf luences, to think about heroic culture and discover their own superhero.

“As faculty we really, really care about students going out into the world and doing positive things and helping people,” he says.

It’s an important part of the Wesleyan way, he adds, to get students excited about coming to class, to look more deeply into things they may not have thought about: Am I a good person, do I have a good heart, am I sensitive to moral complexities in the world and willing to act with understanding of my behavior?

“We want them to bring some light into the world. That’s what superheroes do.”

“AS FACULTY WE REALLY, REALLY CARE ABOUT STUDENTS GOING OUT INTO THE WORLD AND DOING POSITIVE THINGS AND HELPING PEOPLE,”

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COVER

REALITY PLUS Hypothesis: Virtual reality might help students retain information. Results: It does.

When Matthew Hand, assistant professor of psychology, began to study how virtual reality might affect learning outcomes, he drafted two students to help in the research.

Last spring, Hand, Kristin Mannino ’17 and now-senior Jennifer Van Kesteren sat down to devise a project that would suss out answers to that question. They examined what research was already out there (very little to none), designed the research questions and created videos that would allow for clear data collection.

Then, Mannino and Van Kesteren recruited students, used VR software to collect data, analyzed that data and helped write it all up for presentation and publication.

Heavy stuff for undergraduates, who rarely get to present at academic conferences or have their names on published research. These two will be presenting with Hand at the regional Southwestern Psychological Association 2018 Convention in April and are working on a paper for publication.

For Mannino, the research was a defining moment in her education — her experience got her into graduate school and landed her a dream job at the Neurofeedback Center in Dallas run by Dr. Pamela Bell.

“When they saw that I had done previous research dealing with brain retention, they hired me to run sessions and collect data for them,” she says. “I already knew how, knew the software, so I was prepared.”

Despite taking up hundreds of hours of time, even after she graduated, Mannino says the experience was, “Amazing.”

“It didn’t feel like classwork,” she says. “I think a lot of students from Wesleyan are getting better opportunities than those at bigger schools.

It really prepares us for a great future.”

As a psychology professor, Hand looks at how technology intersects with human behavior. His research always involves students so that they become better at evaluating the information they receive, better at critical thinking.

“By putting students in experimental conditions, then briefing them afterwards, they learn there is a process for finding evidence,” Hand says. “This is not someone giving assumptions, this is how information is collected.”

The value of getting students involved is backed up by the VR research, which shows that if you learn something through VR you will remember it longer than if you watched it on a flat screen. If the VR lesson includes inspirational language or images, you remember even more, for even longer.

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“I THINK A LOT OF STUDENTS FROM WESLEYAN ARE GETTING BETTER OPPORTUNITIES THAN THOSE AT BIGGER SCHOOLS. IT REALLY PREPARES US FOR A GREAT FUTURE.”

TXWES.EDU

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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A BRIEF HISTORY

ATHLETICS

A NEW GOLDEN AGE

In 1935, Texas Wesleyan began competing in men’s golf. In 1952, the Rams made their first appearance in the NAIA National Championship; they have gone back 56 times. In 1962, the NAIA began recognizing All-Americans in men’s golf, and the Rams have since racked up 93 of them. In 1964, they won their first NAIA National Championship; they won three in the next decade. In 1990, they won their fourth championship; they won three in that decade as well.

In 1975, Dan Gray became the first

Eight team and six individual wins so far.

Ram to win the individual NAIA National Championship. To date, 11 Rams have accomplished that feat.

In 2012, the program expanded to include a women’s team.

Futa Yamagishi takes a swing at the Texas Intercollegiate at Hawks Creek in Fort Worth in September.

T

exas Wesleyan golf is one of the most successful programs in the history of the NAIA, and this year both the men and women dominated with one of the greatest winning stretches in school history.

The men’s team is coming off back-to-back seasons that featured a freshman winning the NAIA individual national championship (David Ravetto in 2016 and Rowan Lester in 2017), while the women’s team has made three consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Championship, coming away with three Top-10 finishes.

The women took home the first place trophy at the Hawks Creek Invitational at Hawks Creek in Fort Worth last September.

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So far this season, the men’s team won four tournaments while racking up four individual player wins. The stretch has the Rams ranked No. 1 nationally in both the NAIA Coaches Poll and the Bushnell Golfweek NAIA Coaches Poll.

Not to be outdone, the Lady Rams blistered the field at Hawks Creek, earning the second win in the brief history of the women’s program. They closed the fall semester with a convincing win over No. 7 Oklahoma City, topping the Stars by 19 strokes. That performance vaulted the team to a No. 5 ranking in the NAIA. Combined, the Rams and Lady Rams have played nine tournaments this season, notching eight team wins and six individual wins.

With the Rams holding as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation and the Lady Rams holding down a Top-5 spot in the polls, both teams have their sights set on postseason play. The Rams are looking to make their 57th NAIA National Championship appearance in May, while the Lady Rams are eying a fourth appearance at the National Championships at PGA National in Florida, also in May. — JL

2017-2018

MEN’S GOLF Undefeated semester with four team wins and four individual wins in four tournaments Ranked No. 1 in both NAIA Coaches Poll and Bushnell Golfweek NAIA Coaches Poll

WOMEN’S GOLF Produced two wins in three tournaments in the fall Finished fall semester ranked 5th in NAIA Athletics photos by Josh Lacy and Jose “Little Joe” Valdez TXWES.EDU

2018

FOOTBALL SCHEDULE SEPT. 8

TEXAS A&M KINGSVILLE AWAY

SEPT. 15

TEXAS COLLEGE HOME

SEPT. 22

SPORT SHORTS WOMEN’S SOCCER • 14-4 (8-2 SAC) • Reached SAC semifinals for the fourth time in five years • Set school records with 84 goals and 211 points • One win shy of school record set in 2011 • Four All-Conference players • Samantha Moore named SAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year • Amber Leachman named NAIA Scholar-Athlete

ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY AWAY

SEPT. 29

BACONE COLLEGE AWAY

OCT. 6

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY HOME

OCT. 13

OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE HOME

OCT. 20

SAGU AWAY

OCT. 27

WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

MEN’S SOCCER • K ian Hosseinpour and Yohan Shirazi named NAIA Scholar-Athletes • Six Rams named Academic All-Conference

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY • E arned program win number 14 with victory at Southwestern University • R epresented at NAIA National Championship for seventh time in eight years

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

AWAY

• J onathan Swiatocha placed sixth in SAC and 60 th at NAIA National Championship

NOV. 3

• R epresented at NAIA National Championship for sixth time in eight years

LYON COLLEGE (HOMECOMING) HOME NOV. 10

OTTAWA UNIVERSITY HOME

FOOTBALL • J ermarcus Jones named second-team AllConference • M atthew Shelby and Byron Tate named honorable mention All-Conference • 1 5 Rams named Academic All-Conference Check out ramsports.net for TXWES athletics news and events, and follow us on Twitter @ramsports for the latest updates.

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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ALUMNI

2017 ALUMNI MEDAL DINNER

DON’T MISS OUT O.D. Bounds Award

Stephanie McLaughlin Kalbfleisch ’91

JOIN US FOR WESLEYAN NIGHT WITH THE RANGERS ON MAY 5.

The Alumni Association is hosting this annual event at Globe Life Park for alumni, students, faculty and staff. Start your game day off right at the pre-game tailgate and enjoy food and drinks with your Texas Wesleyan family.

The cost is $30 for adults and includes a game ticket (Lexus club terrace; section TBD), pre-game food and drinks, and a TXWES giveaway!

Get your tickets at: txwes.edu/ranger-game

IT’S ABOUT RAM TIME. Our success depends on support from YOU! Get involved, support your alma mater.

• Update your contact information • Follow us on social media • Find friends and events on our website txwes.edu/ alumni Visit txwes.edu/alumni Email alumni@txwes.edu Call 817-531-6548

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Wesleyan | SPRING 2018

Stephanie McLaughlin Kalbfleisch is the owner of Fort Worth Fire Volleyball Club, which she and her husband, Jeff Kalbfleisch ’90, started in 2013. She has been a coach for over 20 years.

Wesleyan Flame Award Brennen Shingleton MBA ’05 Brennen Shingleton has served five seasons as the Rams head basketball coach after serving as an assistant coach and associate head coach for 10 years. He was named Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year twice.

Last year he led the Rams to their second national championship and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year.

Wesleyan Service Award Glen Tuggle ’85 Glen Tuggle is a longtime member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, where he is the immediate past president. He helped launch the Wesleyan 5K and was instrumental in increasing the alumni scholarship endowment by about 25 percent in four years.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

Honorary Alumna

Norma Roby

Norma Roby, a longtime member of the Board of Trustees, is now serving as secretary and on the executive and finance committees. She has more than 30 years experience as a concessionaire at the DFW International Airport, making her an industry pioneer for women and minority business owners at U.S. airports.

Distinguished Alumnus

Juan Quintana MHS ’96, CRNA, DNP Juan Quintana is the president of Sleepy Anesthesia Associates, and coowner of ABC Consultants, LLC, and International Anesthesia Seminars. He is the first CRNA to serve on the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Council and co-chairs a Medicare expert panel.

Alumnus of the Year

Michael Williams ’77, DO, MD

Dr. Michael R. Williams is the president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He serves on the Texas Wesleyan Board of Trustees and has created collaborations between the two universities. In 2015, he created a public-private partnership model that led to a collaboration with Texas Christian University to bring an innovative allopathic medical school to Fort Worth.

C. Tyler Atkinson ’07 C. Tyler Atkinson graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science and served as SGA president and Mr. Texas Wesleyan. He is now a municipal court judge and a sound engineer at Turning Point Church.

WEB EXTRA Read more about these winners at txwes.edu/alumni/medalwinners

HOMECOMING

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1. Gold Line Dancer Kayla Young watches the player introduction 2. The Young Marines present the color guard before opening kickoff 3. Leigh Ann Hulin-White and daughter, Demi Dotson 4. Willie the Ram poses with fans in the Ram Zone before the game 5. Freshman Dji Black 6. The Ram Squad cheers on the Rams from the stands at Farrington Field 7. Fans enjoy the pre-game party at Magnolia Motor Lounge hosted by the Alumni Office 8. Student Catherine Pitre, a member of Lambda Tau Zeta 9. Sarge Hill ’65 and Brenton Flowers ’12 10. Bre’Untay Reed ’12, Luanne Morrison ’81, Jennifer Teague ’02 11. Carly Crisp, donor relations coordinator 12. John Veilleux MBA ’04, VP for enrollment, marketing & communications, with his wife, Apryle, and their three children

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ALUMNI

CLASS NOTES

1960s

Roy Bowen ’67 is a consultant to nonprofit leaders and organizations in Santa Fe.

1990s

1970s

Congressman Marc Veasey ’95 delivered the fall commencement address at Texas Wesleyan on Dec. 16, 2017.

Matt Brown ’96 was named chief financial officer at the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority in Washington, D.C.

John Williams ’71 is the 2018 winner of the Helicopter Association International’s Salute to Excellence W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award.

Evan Faris ’76 performed in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Aug. 25-Sept. 10, at Graham Regional Theatre.

Judge Sergio De Leon ’98 received his master of arts in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Texas at Arlington.

2000s

Brian Matlock ’01 MBA ’01 was named one of Oil & Gas Investor’s Forty under 40.

Debbie Brown ’78 performed in Santa Claus: A New Musical at Casa Mañana in November and December.

1980s

Curt Pickering MA ’82 is the pro personnel scout for the Indiana Pacers. He coached men’s basketball at Texas Wesleyan from 1980-82 while earning his master’s degree.

He coached collegiately for 10 years, six years professionally overseas and was a scout with the Brooklyn Nets. Curt has lived in Santa Barbara, California, the past 28 years.

J.R. Martinez ’89 was inducted as the 2018 president of the Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS in December.

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2010s

Nikkina Robinson ’10 recently opened Expressive Movement Dance in White Settlement, Texas. She is the owner and artistic director.

Garrett Smithhart ’11 and Mariah Hill ’12 were married on June 3, 2017, at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth.

Katreeva Phillips ’11 wrote The Strange Case of Little Jekyll and Mr. Hate, a show geared toward younger audiences, loosely based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson. The show was held at The Perry in Graham, Texas.

Selena Stewart Garcia ’13 welcomed son Leonardo Cristiano Garcia on Aug. 29, 2017.

He weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces.

Janie Ellis Faris ’77 M.Ed. ’83 was named one of the Best Residential Agents in 2017 in 360 West magazine’s November issue.

Perry Cockerell ’78 ran for Texas 5th Court of Appeals Place 12 and was endorsed by The Dallas Morning News.

Anael Luebanos ’09 MBA ’09, FWISD Board of Trustee member for District 8, spoke at the inaugural Hispanic Heritage Month Speaker Series Event on campus in October.

Josh Gibbs ’03, head women’s soccer coach and his wife, Kimbra, welcomed Zoe Elizabeth into the world on July 31.

Christine Peirce Coleman ’05 is now the youth director at Arlington Heights United Methodist Church.

Joanne Oport ’06 was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland to the Commission on African Affairs for a four-year term. The commission advises the governor and executive branch agencies on matters relating to the African community of Maryland, including those relating to economic, workforce and business development. She also serves on the Maryland Skilled Immigrant Task Force.

Justin Mikulencak ’13 and wife Courtney Briley Mikulencak ’13 welcomed son Ellis on Oct. 30, 2017. He weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces.

Paige Wilson ’13 MBA ’15 recently received her master of arts in communication from Johns Hopkins University.

Patricia Howard ’14 was named #35 Top Female Cyber Security Influencers on Social Media by Onalytica.

TXWES.EDU

Taylor Peters Walker ’14 and her husband were elated to bring home their new baby girl, Demi, on July 7, 2017.

Kaila Saffle Emery ’15 and husband Joshua welcomed their first child, Adeline Grace Emery, on Oct. 17.

Alex Hendee ’15 applied to nursing school in February 2017 and was accepted into the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at the University of Texas at Arlington last fall.

GREEK REUNION

Alumni and sorority sisters from Alpha Xi Delta pose for a group photo at the TXWES Greek Reunion on March 2, which featured a casino night theme.

Shaun Hensley ’15 is the new associate head men’s golf coach at TXWES. Eric Montoya ’07 M.Ed. ’15 is now the assistant principal at J.T. Stevens Elementary in Fort Worth.

Abby Lopez Solis ’15 married Leo Solis on Oct. 3, 2017.

Heather Birge ’17 is now executive assistant to Texas Wesleyan’s vice president for enrollment, marketing & communications.

Breanna “Nikki” Lockwood ’17 graduated from the police academy on Jan. 10 and is ready to take on field training. Congrats Officer Lockwood!

Alex Lopez ’17 played the role of the beast in Family Music Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast this spring in Lancaster, Texas.

TXWES.EDU

BASKETBALL REUNION

C.J. Higginbotham ’07, Bill White ’62, Bill Knox ’77 and Ben Hunt ’07 dust off their skills at a halftime free throw contest during the Basketball Alumni Reunion on Feb. 3. Attendees enjoyed watching the women’s and men’s basketball games, followed by a reception with food, drinks and program updates from the head coaches.

OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS Jim Lewis

Vice President for University Advancement 817-531-4404 jimlewis@txwes.edu

DeAwna Wood ’05

Director of Alumni Relations 817-531-6548 dwood@txwes.edu

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Perry Allen ’83 Trista Allen ’98, Pres.

Mark Ball ’79 MA ’87 Jay Beavers ’64, Treas.

Jimmy Bridges ’04 Martha Bryan Cole ’62 Julie Croft ’98 Sergio De Leon ’98 Brandy Renteria Gonzales ’97 Bruce Laughlin ’92 René Lawson ’81

Julie McCurley ’06 Eric Montoya ’07 M.Ed. ’15, Sect.

Sharon Roberson-Jones ’96 Jennifer Barnes Sando ’02 Glen Tuggle ’85, Immed. Past Pres.

Jorge Vivar ’76, Vice Pres.

Brandon Weaver ’00 Aaron Young ’98

EX-OFFICIO MEMBER Carl G. Schrader 817-531-6548 | alumni@txwes.edu

SPRING 2018 | Wesleyan

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ALUMNI

DREAM CHASER Lawyer turned fashion influencer follows her heart.

“I NEEDED A WAY TO SUPPORT MY PERSONAL SHOPPING BUSINESS.”

Ten years ago, Leah Frazier JD ’07 was practicing bankruptcy law at a firm in Houston.

But she was restless, and her passion for fashion was fierce, so in her off hours she shopped for women like her: professionals who wanted to look and feel better.

It was her first business, spurring her second, which she “just fell into.”

“That’s how the blogging began,” Frazier says. “I needed a way to support my personal shopping business.”

While her law work held steady, Frazier’s influence in fashion and lifestyle spread. By 2015 she was back in Dallas and law was the last thing on her résumé. Her humble blog, Inspire N Style, had turned into an online magazine and she was a sought-after speaker, media personality and organizer for all things fashion in North Texas, winning local recognition and a growing national and international following. She even joined the Texas Wesleyan business faculty as an adjunct professor in digital marketing.

The pace is only increasing: In March, Frazier was on stage at TEDxCUNY, telling others how to be an authentic digital influencer. Her latest venture, Think Three Media, is a content marketing, branding and strategy company, which helps small businesses get their message out. And she’s co-author of The Success Factor, a book on women entrepreneurs that is coming out in May. Not quite the life Frazier, now 35, expected when she went to college to study criminal justice.

“I’ve used everything I’ve learned in everything I do,” Frazier says about her journey from wannabe cop to lawyer to fashionpreneur.

“While my brand is in fashion and beauty, what I really wanted was to inspire people to live the best life they could,” she says. “I get to live that life everyday.”

WEB EXTRA More at thinkthreemedia.com leahfrazier.com diamondiconconsultants.com inspirenstyle.com

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ALUMNI

IN MEMORIAM James Armstrong

Aug. 21, 2017, Austin

James Armstrong was a much admired philanthropist and a friend and supporter to many arts organizations, social services and other causes, particularly in Austin.

Organizations included Hospice Austin, Project Transitions, AIDS Services of Austin, Center for Child Protection and Habitat for Humanity. Texas Wesleyan University was among Armstrong’s beneficiaries as he gave generously to the renovations of O.C. Armstrong and Elizabeth Means Armstrong residence halls. Both halls were built as a result of a major gift made by Armstrong’s parents — Otho C. Armstrong and Elizabeth Means Armstrong ’20. At the time the halls were built, they were state-of-the-art and were among the most innovative college dormitories in the nation.

Willie “Bill” Hailey ’57 M.Ed. ’62 Sept. 16, 2017, Fort Worth

Bill Hailey came to Texas Wesleyan as a freshman in 1953, later earned two masters degrees, one from Wesleyan and one from TCU, and a doctorate from UNT. He retired from Weslyan some 56 years later in 2009. He directed the admissions program from 1958 to 1960, left to teach at Glencrest Elementary until 1965, then returned to join the education faculty. The Alumni Association honored him with the Wesleyan Flame Award and most recently as Alumnus of the Year in 2015. As a member of the faculty, Hailey served as a professor of education and humanities, chair of the Division of Education and Psychology, provost and interim president.

James DuBose HON ’12 Dec. 1, 2017, Fort Worth

James “Jimmy” S. DuBose HON ’12 passed away after a yearlong battle with cancer. Jimmy was a member of the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, and served as a member of the Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees. He was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including induction in 1998 into the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame, an honorary doctoral degree from Texas Wesleyan in 2012, Honorary Alumni Award in 2014 from Wesleyan and the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association’s Larry E. Temple Distinguished Service Award in 2013. In 2017, the Fort Worth ISD named the auditorium of Stripling Middle School — Jimmy’s alma mater as a boy — the “Jimmy DuBose Auditorium” in recognition of the countless ways he supported the teachers and students at the school.

TEXAS WESLEYAN ALUMNI Robbie Covington Youngblood ’42 Jan. 27, 2018 Austin

Charles Franklin ’43 Oct. 1, 2017 Fort Worth

Grover Womack ’46 Aug. 9, 2017 Aledo

Barney “Ray” Jenkins ’47 Sept. 28, 2017 Fort Worth

Howard Reynolds ’50 Aug. 17, 2017 Fort Worth

Beth Wilson Starnes ’50 Oct. 25, 2017 Dallas

Raymond Fetter ’51 Sept. 2, 2017 Fort Worth

Patsy Gay Montgomery ’52 Jan. 24, 2018 Graham

Virginia Smith Byas ’54 Aug. 22, 2017 Mesa, Arizona

Richard Lord ’57 July 16, 2017 Arlington

Jack Tarvin ’73 July 27, 2017 Arlington

Bart Haltom ’74 July 19, 2017 Fort Worth

Richard Van Zandt ’76

Dec. 21, 2017 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

James Pritchard ’78 Oct. 23, 2017 Fort Worth

Rodger Pratt ’81 July 18, 2017 Benbrook

Daniel Whisenand ’92 Oct. 10, 2017 Arlington

UNIVERSITY FRIENDS Paul Fry

Dec. 10, 2017

Melba Gearheart Oct. 1, 2017

Martha Hyder Aug. 17, 2017 Fort Worth

David Nereu July 17, 2017

Joan Summers Whittle July 5, 2017 DeKalb, Illinois

Roy Robertson ’57 Sept. 18, 2017 Fort Worth

Mildred Little Wier ’62 Jan. 20, 2018 Burleson

Anthony Morton ’68 Aug. 27, 2017 San Antonio

Janis Lankford Haima ’69 Dec. 28, 2017 Bellaire

Linda Underwood Hardman ’71

HONOR A RAM MEMORY IN WESLEYAN MAGAZINE Please email alumni@txwes.edu The obituaries in this issue reflect submissions from July 1, 2017, to Jan. 30, 2018.

TXWES.EDU

July 3, 2017 Fort Worth

Patricia Mehaffy Sherman ’73 Aug. 10, 2017 Fort Worth

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LAST WORD

GIVING BACK Book proceeds will fund scholarships.

F

Teacher Andy Baker ’87 is donating some proceeds of his book on student motivation to scholarships for Texas Wesleyan students.

inding ways to keep students motivated to learn was Andy Baker’s ’87 biggest challenge since becoming a teacher 12 years ago. So he studied the topic extensively and put this wisdom into a new book, The Inspired Student: How to Motivate Students to Excel in Today’s Learning Environment, which came out in March.

Baker’s journey to teaching was unconventional — after earning an art degree at Texas Wesleyan, he went on to earn a master’s in art therapy and creative development and an MBA. He worked in the corporate world and as a therapist before moving 14 years ago to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, when he turned to teaching two years later.

As an author, speaker and trainer, Baker’s goal is to help teachers become more skilled in lesson delivery. He says students today have very different learning expectations than his generation.

“Students of Generation Z do not respond well to many of the teaching techniques that our teachers used on us,” he says.

The book will also help this generation of Texas Wesleyan students, since he is donating 10 percent of the book’s profits to a scholarship fund.

“I benefited from scholarships when I attended Texas Wesleyan and I wanted to give back,” he says, noting he also donated to the renovation of the Law Sone Fine Arts Center and Thad Smotherman Theatre years ago.

Baker credits the liberal arts education he got at Wesleyan for giving him a broad base of knowledge and a wide range of career options.

His advice to today’s students?

“Travel. Expand your horizons. See other cities, states and countries,” he says. “You might decide to move, but you might decide that where you are is exactly where you want to be. At the very least, you will get a new perspective on the world and your place in it.”

“I BENEFITED FROM SCHOLARSHIPS WHEN I ATTENDED TEXAS WESLEYAN AND I WANTED TO GIVE BACK.”

WEB EXTRA Comment at wesleyan@txwes.edu

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TXWES.EDU

IT SEEMED SMALL AT THE TIME. Here’s the truth about small things: They change the world.

And here’s another truth: There’s no place where your small gift can do more than right now at Texas Wesleyan, where students are learning, thinking, discovering and preparing to lead our world into the future.

Your gift to the Wesleyan Fund empowers students. It supports student scholarships and strengthens our programs. And your participation is extremely valuable. It shows you care about the future of Texas Wesleyan students. It shows that we are all in this together.

This year, do something small for a change.

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY TXWES.EDU/MYGIFT

1201 Wesleyan Street Fort Worth, Texas 76105-1536

AWAKENING Spring Awakening was the fall offering at Theatre Wesleyan. The musical was the winner of eight Tony Awards. Cast members included, left to right: Darin Martin, Reagan Fraze, Jasmine Mesre, Malik Offor, Alfredo Tamayo, Richard Givans, Skylar Peters, Kimberly Owen and Tristen Brown.