Pearls are the traditional gift for a 30th anniversary. Said to represent wisdom and commitment, pearls are solid and long-lasting.
As we reflect on three decades of higher education in Sugar Land and the Fort Bend region, we celebrate the solid, long-lasting support and friendships that made this journey possible. Our stories came together for a singular charge—to contribute to the continued growth and success of our community. It is a charge that has not changed.
Our consistent support has come from all areas—city and county, business and industry, foundations and donors, and, of course, our community’s families and students.
We are still on this journey, still committed to our charge, still ready to be part of the success of our region, our state and world, with the guidance and wisdom of all our supporters and friends.
Happy Anniversary! Go Coogs!
The Brazos River adjacent to present-day UH at Sugar Land.
the beginning
The banks of the Brazos River are home to curious coyotes, all manner of birds and rodents, and teams of feral hogs. The slow bend of its murky waters hides fish, turtles and alligators, and attracts eager trail explorers and kayakers who brave the deceptively calm waters and the summer sun.
For the past 30 years, the Brazos River has been a neighbor to the 270-acre higher education presence of the University of Houston System. Its banks have witnessed growth, partnership and student success, fostered by great support from the community.
The story of UH at Sugar Land has two parts: its history as a University of Houston System campus and its history as a University of Houston instructional site. Woven through its history, like the winding Brazos River, are partnerships with other higher education entities, city and county officials, as well as foundations, donors and other supporters.
“Like everything we do, it starts with community, —what does it need, what can we do and how can we be part of each other’s success,” said Jay Neal, associate vice president, academic affairs and chief operating officer since 2017.
Aerial view of Fort Bend County, including the Brazos River and site of the University of Houston at Sugar Land.
“Literally, Su gar Land began as a r eaction.”
- RichaRd “dick” PhilliPs Former Associate Vice Chancellor UHS Sugar Land
UH System at Fort Bend at the CentraPlex on Julie Rivers Drive .
part one:
the university of houston system in fort bend county
Much was happening in the greater Houston area when the University of Houston – Victoria (UHV) was invited by Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) to begin offering for-credit classes in 1994 in leased facilities in Sugar Land:
• Houston and surrounding counties were drying out from the Great Flood of 1994.
• Remnants of Hurricane Rosa had dumped more than 28 inches of rain—swelling rivers and rupturing a pipeline that sparked an explosion along the San Jacinto River.
• The City of Houston was celebrating the clutch performance of the Houston Rockets as they became NBA Champions.
...And in a strip of business offices off Julie Rivers Drive, in a facility called the CentraPlex, students gathered for classes. They came from the Fort Bend County area, usually juggling home and work responsibilities. There were just 200 students enrolled, but the small, eager student body foretold the interest the higher education effort would spark.
“We literally drove vans up from Victoria, delivered computers and enrolled students on Julie Rivers Drive,” said Richard “Dick” Phillips, who at the time was with UH-Victoria’s Enrollment Management Office. “There was no university higher education entity servicing the area, and UHV added Fort Bend County as a service region.”
The partnership of WCJC and UHV allowed core classes and upper-level courses to be offered in Fort Bend County and gave students more program options as they pursued their academic goals.
“We’d been in Fort Bend County for a while. We were established in Richmond. Then we went to Julie Rivers Drive at the CentraPlex,” said Betty McCrohan, president of Wharton County Junior College. “We were the first institution in Fort Bend to offer to partner with (UHV). They were on our location because the community wanted the opportunity to go two years to community college and then continue to university.”
Richard “Dick” Phillips joined others from UH-Victoria in driving computers to Julie Rivers Drive so student enrollment could begin.
The Multi-Institute Teaching Center brought programs from all UH System institutes to the CentraPlex.
In 1995, former Lt. Gov. William P. Hobby Jr., in his role as University of Houston System Chancellor, channeled the interest in higher education. He combined the resources of all the UH System (UHS) institutions to create a multi-institute teaching center or MITC (pronounced MITSEE). Now students could take classes from UH, UH-Downtown, UH-Clear Lake and UH-Victoria as they pursued their academic dreams. UH System at Fort Bend was born.
“When UH System came in, it helped students by giving them the opportunity to walk down the hall and get a four-year degree. It all transferred
very smoothly,” McCrohan said. “From there, the property became available for UHS to offer more. We were in support of that because we couldn’t grow or do anything to get a campus like we needed. So that’s when we worked with Victoria, UH’s Ed Hugetz and UH President Jay Gogue, who was very supportive of having an operation in Fort Bend where we offered the first two years.”
“This was a University of Houston System center. All four universities were here with WCJC, and as far as anyone knew, that was the future,” said Phillips. “We were doing well.”
Parking permit and facilities for students attending classes at
the CentraPlex.
Judith Reyes and her son, Chamal, were two of these students:
What was happening in your life that prompted you to go back to school/continue with school in Fort Bend County?
Chamal Reyes
Q&A
Business Major, University of Houston Downtown: After graduating high school in Sugar Land, I was fortunate enough that my parents could send me to college. I began commuting to classes at the University of Houston’s main campus. After a year or so, my family moved further away from campus, which increased the commute to a daily round trip of 70 miles. I was also thinking of switching majors to business when my mother suggested I look at classes at the UH System at Fort Bend teaching center. Business classes were available at the CentraPlex through the University of Houston-Downtown, so it made sense to take classes there.
Judith Reyes Graduate Certificate Preparation Program-Principal, University of Houston Victoria: When I first started in the school administration master’s program in the late ‘90s, I took classes in the old business park in classrooms being used by Wharton County Junior College (WCJC). I needed to complete the school administration coursework to sit for the state test to get my administrator’s certificate. At-risk students were my favorites as a teacher to try to motivate and get them back on track, and I felt that as a school administrator I could have a different and greater impact.
The MITC model meant more higher education academic options for students in Fort Bend County.
Describe the physical location and classrooms where you took classes.
Chamal Reyes: The CentraPlex was divided into three buildings with covered walkways connecting them. UH System at Fort Bend was the building furthest into the complex (furthest from the road and in the rear). The building’s entrance had a front office and led to a central hall connected to the various classrooms and computer labs. A few classrooms were on the south side of the building accessed via a second entrance.
Judith Reyes: The building was old and in disrepair but did serve the purpose and was close to my home in Sugar Land, which made it easier to get there quickly without a long, traffic-filled drive. Our classes weren’t too large nor were they too small to have good interactions. My fellow students were of various ages, races and ethnic backgrounds, which brought a depth to our discussions that would have been missing if we had been a more homogenous group. Students who weren’t as strong academically were given support when needed and always had an understanding ear from Dr. Nora Hutto (Judith’s graduate advisor).
Chamal Reyes: Many of the classes I took were full or close to capacity, even senior-level classes. The computer lab was frequently filled as well. While UH System at Fort Bend shared a campus with WCJC, the student lounge and bookstore also had decent foot traffic.
Who were the professors you remember most?
Chamal Reyes: Most of my teachers were good. One of my favorites was Dr. Gary Stading, who taught the Negotiations and Supply Chain Logistics classes. I loved a lot of the topics in those classes, and he made the material fun and easy to
understand. One of the best projects I ever did in college was in one of his classes. We met with staff from the Fort Bend Women’s Center and consulted on their operation logistics. The project was very hands-on and involved on-site research, group work and a big presentation to the staff on recommendations to help the center’s operations.
Judith Reyes: The course offerings at the new campus were well planned to give students the opportunity to move through the program at a pace to meet their needs. The University of Houston-Victoria led this new education administration master’s program, and Dr. Nora Hutto became my advisor. She understood that all of us in this program were working during the day in education and needed classes to start and end at manageable evening times, plus have the flexibility to decide to move quickly through the program or to take more time. Many of us were parents, also, and that added stress to our educational experience. I always felt that Dr. Hutto cared about us as students and the advice she gave us was individual and well thought out.
Chamal Reyes: All the courses for my degree at UH System at Fort Bend were available face-toface, via Instructional TV, as an online class or as a hybrid (half face-to-face/ITV and online). I know not everyone liked ITV classes but personally they didn’t feel that different from traditional face-toface classes. My first year there I was able to take courses in the morning so I could work part-time in the afternoon and evening. I believe there were evening classes but working part-time helped give me the flexibility to find classes with the best instructors.
In 1996, not long after the UH System institutions began offering classes in the CentraPlex, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the creation of a partnership between the UHS, WCJC and Houston Community College. The three entities pledged to join forces to offer students more higher education options. The CentraPlex on Julie Rivers Drive, still their academic home, was getting cramped because of the increasing number of students enrolling in classes.
“This was not our vision at all, nor was it on our radar,” said James Thompson, Sugar Land city council member from 1996-2005. “Herb Appel was chair of the Fort Bend Economic Development Council, and he knew Bill Hobby. Herb came to City Council to talk about an opportunity to bring higher education to Sugar Land.”
City of Sugar Land water tower on the site of land transferred to the UH System and the City of Sugar Land (Highway 59/University Blvd).
The University of Houston already operated a small campus in Cinco Ranch in Katy. The idea was to expand its reach into the Sugar Land area. Businesses and school districts saw the benefits to their employees in the form of partnerships and collaborations. But there was a question of land.
“The community had no succinct plans for a university until Bill Hobby worked with the City of Sugar Land and went to the Texas Legislature,” Phillips said. “He got hundreds of acres donated from the Texas Department of Transportation. That’s when the community took interest.”
In 1998, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) transferred to the University of Houston System and the City of Sugar Land hundreds of acres of land near the Brazos River at Highway 59 and University Blvd. The more than 270 acres designated for UHS were for the construction of a permanent higher education facility in Sugar Land.
“I asked Bill Hob by, ‘Governor, you’ve got the land but how do we know the drive will be there to turn it into a university and an education resource
that we all believe in?’” said Dean Hrbacek, City of Sugar Land Mayor from 1996-2002. “He looked at me and said, ‘Mayor, there’s three pieces of land I’ve ever fallen in love with, and this is one of them. We are going to make it happen.’ From my perspective, that was the commitment. He was 100 percent on board, and he wanted to see this become successful.”
The prospect sparked a collaborative effort between the University of Houston System, the City of Sugar Land, and The George Foundation to invest in higher education, the community and its future.
“There clearly was an opportunity in Fort Bend County to
The George Foundation. “I don’t think we had a clearly defined goal other than we wanted to provide great higher education opportunities. It was about building momentum.”
“I visited with individuals who were knowledgeable with how government works, and shared with them this vision from Bill Hobby,” Hrbacek said. “Several laughed and said, ‘That will never happen. The state will not just give you a tract of land.’ There isn’t anyone other than Hobby who could have pulled this off in terms of going to the state and convincing the legislature to give the university system 250plus acres.”
RIVER afternoon an on the
James Thompson remembers a weekend excursion intended to allow the different entities to get to know each other and understand the higher education potential – from the river’s perspective.
“We were invited to take a canoe ride on the Brazos. Several of us went. Nice trip. As we were canoeing, we started to feel some water splashing on us. We didn’t know who was doing that. Well, it was Bill Hobby. That turned into a big water fight, and we had more fun laughing and talking,” he said.
City of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County and University of Houston System officials join Former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby on the Brazos River.
“It is part of our foundation now.
The potent ial for growth he re is tremendo us.” growth he
Former Mayor of the City of Sugar Land
Fort Bend County community and business leaders gather to celebrate their investment in the new Albert & Mamie George Building, which opened in 2002.
Progress was all around the greater Houston area.
• Lee P. Brown was ready to begin his tenure as Houston’s first African American mayor.
• The City of Sugar Land had just completed its largest annexation in its history for an area that would include the master-planned community of First Colony.
• Thoughts soon turned to the construction of the first building for Fort Bend’s higher education effort.
“The community really wanted this,” said Janis Parsley, University of Houston development officer working in Sugar Land. “We were sharing a space off Julie Rivers Drive with WCJC. Barebones space. There was great interest from industry such as Fluor Daniels, Texas Instruments and UH alumni. All were interested in the opportunities for the community and their employees.”
In 1999, the UHS Board of Regents approved $11 million for construction of a new building, which led to pledges of $3.5 million and $2 million from the City of Sugar Land and The George Foundation (respectively). The remaining needed funds came from a community campaign led by Robert Brown, then-chairman of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council. More than $2 million in donations came from area organizations, corporations and individuals.
“If you look at the gift plaque in the George Building, you’ll see those early supporters,” Parsley said. “That kind of money for something that wasn’t really a thing yet was really kind of amazing. That they had that kind of trust demonstrated their passion for and access to higher ed in Fort Bend.”
Doors to the new Albert & Mamie George Building opened in 2002 for the newly named University of Houston System at Sugar Land.
Above: Construction sign of AMG as a part of the UH System at Sugar Land
Right: Construction of AMG
Opposite page: Construction of AMG
More than 2,000 students were taking upper-level classes offered by UH, UH-Victoria, UH-Downtown and UH-Clear Lake. By 2004 the institution added programs in biology and bioinformatics through UH-Victoria, and nearly 2,500 students were attending classes.
“We’re proud to be a part of that initial seed that started with a vision and a building and has grown into the campus it is today, with great opportunities for the future,” Adamson said. “When we think of investments we’ve made, this is truly one that had a strong return for the community.”
Though the new building represented progress, new concerns were bubbling up. The multiinstitute teaching center model, initially lauded for immersing the area with higher education classes, was now falling short in the eyes of community leaders. And there was no one to hear their complaints.
“We didn’t understand what the UH System was. We thought this campus was a branch of UH,” said Thompson. “There was a learning curve. The challenge was learning that UH System was UH-Downtown, UH-Clear Lake, UH and UH-Victoria. The community and the Fort Bend Economic Development Council were upset. There was no direction.”
Though there was growing enrollment at UH System at Sugar Land, and growing interest in maintaining the momentum, frustration soon grew about all the UH institutions and seemingly no one in charge.
“The community was not happy about there being no direction,” Phillips said. “I’d been getting to know several in the Sugar Land area. The community asked for a meeting. I was invited.”
because they had all kinds of complaints about how the UH System wasn’t doing anything. I listened to everything they told me,” Khator said.
Also at the table were James Thompson, now the newly elected Mayor of the City of Sugar Land, Herb Appel, Bob Brown and Bill Jameson, from the Fort Bend Economic Development Council, and the new UH System Chancellor/UH President, Renu Khator. To say the meeting was tense would be an understatement. The community wanted its higher education entity to be more structured, with a clearer delineation of responsibilities.
“I remember going down there to meet the Sugar Land leaders and I was kind of taken aback
“The Sugar Land community was hungry for a real campus presence. We started talking about that and I could see that the UH System could not get that ownership.”
Khator promised to learn the history and come back with a plan. Part of her plan was Richard “Dick” Phillips, who already knew the stakeholders in the county and city, and who already was familiar with the University of Houston System. But while he had been instrumental in creating the multi-institute teaching center on Julie Rivers Drive, he still was an employee of UH-Victoria.
“And I was kind of done. I was getting ready to retire. I had just purchased a home in Victoria, getting ready to build a pool,” Phillips said. “Chancellor Khator asked me to move to Fort Bend, become a UH System employee overseeing the Sugar Land site and become part of her Cabinet. So, I sold my house and moved up here. Best thing to ever happen to me.”
His appointment in 2008 as the first Associate Vice Chancellor of UH System at Sugar Land breathed new confidence into the UHS efforts in Fort Bend County. Now there was one person to address questions and concerns
Herb Appel
Renu Khator
Here are our major goals for the development of the UH System at Sugar Land. Many of these goals have been consistently communicated since the community and UH worked with the legislature to acquire the land for our mutual benefit. While you may already be aware of these, we would like to take the opportunity to summarize and restate these major goals:
Letter from Fort Bend Economic Development Council and City of Sugar Land officials introducing themselves to the new UHS Chancellor/UH President Renu Khator.
City of Sugar Land
Allen Bogard, City Manager
Greater Fort Bend Economic
Robert C. Brown, III, Chairman
Herbert W. Appel, Jr., Chief
Jeffrey C. Wiley, President
Landscaping blueprint of the then future Brazos Hall building.
about vision, priorities, objectives and goals. Now there was someone to explain what the effort was all about.
“I trusted him,” Khator said. “He had great connection to the community and a personality to build new connections and trust, and we needed that trust. He also had institutional knowledge. He was an excellent choice.”
The new role was welcomed. But now city leaders and economic development officials began talking about an independent, free-standing university in Sugar Land—a destination college campus separate from the UH System.
“We had two options which I presented to them. They could have their independent university, but it would take many years. Or we could bring our Tier One programs here now. Sugar Land is a very educated, high-level community. They realized the best value was to bring the Tier One brand and programs to Sugar Land,” she said.
The University of Houston had recently been named a Carnegiedesignated Tier One research university. The designation, Carnegie’s top classification, meant UH had the highest research activity and was considered a top university. The designation lifted the reputation of UH, and now that reputation was being offered to Fort Bend County and the City of Sugar Land.
“The Chancellor brought in a consultant who did an analysis of what the future potential was out here. The options were for us to continue as a multi-institute teaching center (MITC), leave it the way it was but grow it to become an independent free-standing university, or, the third option, become an extension of the main campus. The community opted to become a part of the University of Houston. It was really a no-brainer,” Phillips said.
He and his team went to work on a strategic plan for the campus. In addition to creating a blueprint for the future, the plan was meant to bring the community together, create buy-in and then focus on making it happen. While there was renewed excitement at the prospect of being part of a Tier One University, there was a new question being posed: What do we want to be about? It was a question for the region as much as for the University in Fort Bend County.
“The move to find an identity that fit within the University of Houston’s strategic plan had begun. That clearly became Technology and Nursing,” Phillips said.
“We may help fo lks attain degrees, but that investment con tinues to provide divid ends to the community through their work.” their
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RogeR adamson President & CEO of The George Foundation
DIGITAL MEDIA
Sugar Land moves to
The UH Digital Media program in the thenCollege of Technology was already successful when it began contemplating a move to Sugar Land. The program began in 2009 and by 2011 had run out of space on the UH main campus. Lured by the prospect of partnering with a gaming company, the program co-located on both campuses by 2014 in the Albert & Mamie George Building.
“We were very happy to be part of this new campus in Sugar Land,” said Jerry Waite, then the Digital Media program coordinator. “Everything was new and clean. Parking was free. And we felt community and industry support.”
Waite called the program the first “paws on the ground” in the new Sugar Land campus. After junior and senior level courses were moved to Sugar Land, the program received funds for stateof-the-art equipment that attracted more students and faculty. Though the gaming company partnership did not come to fruition, the Digital Media program thrived. Up to that point, the program had consisted of printing and graphic design. After the move to Sugar Land, they added video to the course catalogue.
“There was concern that moving to Sugar Land would prompt us to lose students. That didn’t happen,” he said. “The program’s very first year we had six students. Now there are hundreds. Enrollment increased every year.”
Students took advantage of new internship opportunities with the City of Sugar Land and in the Sugar Land Fire Department. Classes in virtual and augmented reality, gaming, social media and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) were new options.
“When we had the first program come, Digital Media, we knew we had to make space for them,” said Richard “Dick” Phillips, the then-Associate Provost. “Space for them and space for future programs.”
The Digital Media program’s move to Sugar Land coincided with the UH System Board of Regents’ approval to move management of the campus from the UH System to the University
of Houston solely. This meant only UH programs would be offered in Sugar Land. The new effort was called the University of Houston Sugar Land—and Digital Media was one of the inaugural programs.
“We were born on the main campus, but we grew up in Sugar Land. We were part of the new life on campus,” Waite said. “All good things happened for the program, and it happened in Sugar Land.”
Digital Media classrooms, equipment and room with green screen in the George Building.
NURSINGbringing to Sugar Land
As the UH System at Sugar Land sought anchor programs, Phillips and Chancellor Khator commissioned a study in 2013 to gauge the community’s needs. Health care and nursing topped the list. The new dean for the UHV School of Nursing wanted to answer that call.
“Brazos Hall was being built. I had just come from a beautiful space in Texas Woman’s University in the Texas Medical Center. When I took the position here and I walked through the George Building I thought, ‘What the heck am I doing?’” said Kathryn Tart, professor and founding dean of the then-UHV School of Nursing. “We had a classroom that we just made up to be a lab. It was awful in comparison. We had beds in the George Building like a makeshift simulation lab. I mean we really didn’t have anything.”
The Nursing program employed four faculty, one full-time and one part-time secretary, one advisor and one student worker. The vision was there, if not completely clear. What was clear was that nursing would be part of the identity of the UH System at Sugar Land.
“The George Foundation is extremely important. They made us feel like they wanted us here. They gave us money for our sim lab, Methodist Sugar Land Hospital gave us money to name the sim lab,” said Tart. “We graduated 17 Second Degree BSN students our first year.”
Tart saw the potential in Fort Bend County— hospitals and health care facilities, clinical sites, donors, students, and not having to compete in the Texas Medical Center. But to go the distance and grow the program, there would have to be a change. Efforts already were underway at the University of Houston to move away from the multi-institute teaching center model to one where only the University of Houston managed and offered programs. The new model wanted a nursing program.
“Our program was here in Sugar Land, but we were UHV,” Tart said. “After the decision was made by the UHS Board of Regents, it took all of
2014 to research and implement all the requirements and secure all the approvals needed from the various entities like the University Curriculum Committees at UH, the Texas Board of Nursing, the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education, the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools-Commission on Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. It was like weaving a tapestry to see that it all happened at the same time. It all had to fit.”
On September 1, 2015, the School of Nursing officially became a University of Houston program. It was a seamless transition and all students graduated on time with University of Houston on their diplomas.
Little more than a year later another important change would occur.
“I wanted definitely to be a college so we could expand our footprint to the areas where UH had a footprint. Being UH allowed us to expand. The Texas Board of Nursing recognized UH Sugar Land as the primary site, with UH at Katy and the main campus as teaching sites,” she said.
In January of 2017, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board acknowledged the notification to reclassify the program to the UH College of Nursing. Becoming a college opened opportunities
The makeshift simulation lab in the George Building for the then UHV School of Nursing.
for graduate and doctoral level programs, as well as fundraising and naming opportunities.
“We had a great relationship with the Methodist Hospital. Memorial Hermann also committed a gift. And The George Foundation was so generous,” said Janis Parsley, fundraising officer assigned to Sugar Land. “Methodist was growing its facilities in Fort Bend. They wanted to have a presence in our institution in our nursing program. They named rooms in Brazos Hall because they wanted visibility to show they were investing in the community.” Other donors included the Parks Foundation, the Vivian L. Smith Foundation, the Hamill
Later versions of the simulation lab included high-tech mannequins and equipment.
(opposite page) Barbara and Andy Gessner (far left and far right) gifted the college with a transformational $20 million. They are pictured with their children.
Foundation, the Gulf Coast Medical Foundation, the Dunn Foundation and Houston Endowment.
A new workforce-pipeline philosophy was taking shape where the medical institutions and foundations in the region were looking to invest in the community and their future employees. Such opportunities led to more nursing students—dressed in the traditional red and black UH scrubs—working and learning in hospital settings. Scholarships made possible by the generosity of foundations and individuals, were (and still are) celebrated at the annual Scholarship Banquet.
In 2023, in recognition of a transformative $20 million gift, the college was renamed the Andy & Barbara Gessner College of Nursing. It remains a critical piece in the identity and structure of higher education in Fort Bend County.
“UH is growing not just for Houston, but for Texas, the US. It’s global,” Tart said. “When we talk about nursing, we’re educating the Texas citizen, but we know they’ll go all over the world bringing our UH flag with them. That’s part of the success that UH has afforded us.”
LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
William P. “Bill” Hobby Jr. Chancellor of the University of Houston System
Richard “Dick” Phillips Associate Vice Chancellor UHS-Sugar Land
Renu Khator Chancellor of the University of Houston System/ UH President
photo courtesy of Paul Hobby
photo courtesy of University of Houston
Paula Short
UHS Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/ UH Provost 2012–2022
Robert “Bob” McPherson
Interim Associate Provost, Academic Affairs and Operations UH Sugar Land 2015–2018
Jay Neal
Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Chief Operating Officer, UH at Sugar Land/UH at Katy 2018–Present
Diane Chase
UHS Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/ UH Provost 2023–Present
photo courtesy of University of Houston
photo courtesy of University of Houston
photo courtesy of University of Houston
VISIONthe branding
The evolution of the University of Houston in Fort Bend County has included its name and its logo, beginning with the “UH System at Fort Bend” moniker on signs, flags and collateral materials.
Changes to the name and logo through the years. As of this writing, UH at Sugar Land reflects its connection to the UH main campus by using the UH signature mark and logo seen above.
Topping off ceremony during construction of the Technology Building.
“It starts with commu nity.”
- Jay neal
Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Chief Operating Officer, UH at Sugar Land/UH at Katy
Construction of the Brazos Hall building, which opened in 2009.
part two:
university of houston sugar land
With the strategic plan in hand, a new advisory board of community stakeholders seated and the UHS Board of Regents informed of the growth vision, progress came quickly. Fundraising ramped up as more people and businesses lined up to invest in higher education in Fort Bend County.
“After the George Building went up, Brazos Hall fundraising was easier,” said Janis Parsley, UH development officer assigned to Sugar Land. “People caught on. Brij Agrawal was on the development council. He gave $100,000. Telfair’s representative committed to $150,000 over dinner. It was fun because we had something they could see as proof of what we could do.”
UH College of Engineering alum, Brij Agrawal, presents a check in support of planned Brazos Hall building.
The UH System and the City of Sugar Land came together to sign a long-term land lease that provided nearly $4 million toward the construction of a second building, which would become Brazos Hall. Its name invoked the river on whose banks it would stand. Its formal name honored its future students —Los Brazos de Sabiduria or The Arms of Knowledge. The building was to be shared with Wharton County Junior College. The doors of Brazos Hall opened at the UH System at Sugar Land in 2009.
Additionally, the long-term lease agreement with the City of Sugar Land provided the city with nearby land for a Festival Site, which would eventually include space for recreational activities such as jogging and biking trails, playgrounds and concerts.
(Top) Crews clear the land at the site of the future Brazos Hall building. The George Building is in the bottom left of the frame.
(Bottom images) Progress of construction for Brazos Hall.
ARTpublic
Art, particularly public art, has been a key priority for the University of Houston and the UH System for more than 50 years. Public Art of the University of Houston System has been a consistent ally for the Sugar Land instructional site as it sought artwork reflective of the region, the programs and the campus community.
These pieces can be found on the Sugar Land instructional site.
Pastoral/Lin Emery/2011/Brazos Hall
Torch Drawings on Paper/Helen Altman/2012/Brazos Hall
Brazos Trace/Liz Ward, Rob Ziebell, Anthony Thompson Shumate/2007/ George Building
Too Much to Say/Lance Letscher/2014/Technology Building
Rules of the Game/Charles Weise/1995/Technology Building
Donna Reidland Bourret/Suite of ten photographs/1995/ Technology Building
LIBRARYthe conversation
Following the opening of Brazos Hall, it became evident that the growing number of students coming to the UH System at Sugar Land campus needed a freestanding library to complete their academic environment (the George Building housed a small library on the second floor). There was one problem—no money to build one. The story of the innovative partnership that created the Fort Bend University Branch Library might have been different, if not for two former coaches and principals and several librarians.
Richard “Dick” Phillips then-Associate Vice Chancellor of UHS at Sugar Land (and former Jefferson High School/Missouri principal and coach): I have always been a partnership person. I think it came from my first job—coaching basketball. You have to have five people on the same page, or you aren’t going to win. If you want to be the best you can be, I believe in a community approach, a partnership approach.
James Patterson then-Fort Bend County Commissioner, Precinct 4 (and former Dulles & Elkins High School principal): It boiled down to, Dick had to go back to UH and say, ‘The UHS institutions don’t qualify for Southern Association (of Colleges and Universities) certification. We don’t have a library. How are we going to get certified without a library. And, by the way, the County is looking at a tract of land across 59 in the Telfair area for a library.
Dick: Us being former principals and coaches, we got to talking about—we’ve got land and no money for a library; you’ve got money and no land for a library.
James needed a commitment or was going to go somewhere else. So, he and I thought why don’t we get together and make this happen (this was over some greasy sandwich)? We didn’t know how complicated it was going to get! (laughs)
Dana Rooks
UH Dean of Libraries: There had been some examples of joint academic/public libraries around the country. So, we had proposed that to both sides. It began to take shape that we could be a free-standing library with the county, use it as a university library for students and faculty and as a public library for citizens of the county. People seemed to like that on both sides. We formed a joint group to discuss.
James: If you want to build a library you need a detention (system). So, we dug the detention, and we brought all the dirt here—$2 million worth of dirt. We compacted it so that we were ready for the library. We convinced the (Fort Bend Commissioners) Court that we needed another library. Came back to Dick and said we can do
a library on the campus. It saves the county the cost of the land.
Dick: This was going to be a county-constructed building. What we put in was help with the salaries and the land. When I presented it to UH leadership, I did the math and said we are going to have complete library services for 13-cents on the dollar versus the cost of if we did it ourselves. And that’s really when they said, ‘do it.’ We thought the big challenge would be the legal side, and it was complex, but the big challenge was getting all the UH, County, WCJC and UHV librarians to agree. They were all going to be in the building together.
Dana: It came down to a group of librarians who were doing this. Dick and the others had their own issues to deal with and this was ours. I wanted the lead to be my plan, but I wanted the actual lead to be the county and the county librarians. So, we looked at differences. On the personnel side—my librarians were faculty. The requirements to being hired and retained were faculty policies and had to do mostly with degrees. They had
into the meeting like this (arms crossed). Any time you walk into a meeting, and you see hands like this you know they ain’t listening.
Dana: Librarians are cooperators. We want the best for our faculty, students and staff. That’s why we were there. I wanted one, joint library that operated together so that it wasn’t obvious that there were many entities. Soon came the question ‘who wanted to be in charge.’ Well, I did not! That was one of the issues. I wanted it to be one library, single policy.
tenure expectations. That wasn’t going to work in the public library. All this was reflected in things like salaries. Their salaries were very different from a UH model.
James: The county had just built a library in Sienna with HCC. When you would go, there was a wall that said “HCC” with a
small set of books behind it. We agreed that (in the new library) there weren’t going to be any walls. It was going to be a county library. There were some folks on his side of the table who took a little offense to that. They wanted labels (for each academic institution) in there and we said, no. The first meeting we had with our librarians they walked
Dick: Why UH objected? It was technical because it was about ownership. Our board of regents had to approve a line for the county to own and operate the library, but it would be the first facility we wouldn’t have control over. UH wanted to run it, but that wasn’t going to work, and that’s where Dana came in. If she had taken the attitude of, I’m in charge or we won’t play, it would not have worked, but she came in, liked the concept, and convinced people at UH that this could work. Dana was the perfect person. I don’t know if it would have been done with anyone else. She was wide open to it, always asking what about this, and it came together beautifully.
James: Dana really took the lead at that point. And there are no labels (that say UH over here, WCJC over here). It’s a library.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Fort Bend County University Branch Library, made possible by an innovative partnership. (Opposite page) Grand opening ceremonies for the library in 2011.
Dana: An academic book wasn’t a university book; it was a library book. There was a melding—no special area where the academic librarian sat or separate place with university bookshelves. We agreed on an amount of money the university would contribute to the county, but they were not separated. All those issues took a while, but all were resolved.
Dick: You think about it— UH gets library services for 13-cents on the dollar. Wharton County—less than that. The county—doesn’t cost them more and they are able to hire more staff because of our subsidizing. The whole key was our librarians and Wharton librarians being ok with the County making the hiring and oversight of it. But you go in over there now and they are trained to help whoever. No matter if you are a faculty member, student, county member—doesn’t matter. They take care of you.
James: It’s thinking past ‘no.’ Lot of people can say no but tell me what’s wrong with the proposal. How do I get to ‘yes.’ We can’t do it this way but what if we turned it this way.
Dana: Most think ‘librarians are librarians are librarians,’ but we have very different standards. But the librarians were finally able to put their own things aside to move this forward. And I have to say the county people were the ones who gave in and
changed. People like Dick and Commissioner Patterson were so supportive, helping us to understand the broader university administration needs.
Dick: I walk through the library every time I come to campus. I just walk through to feel it. I am still amazed how smooth it was when it opened. I was always waiting for people to come to me complaining about this or that and it never happened. Some-
times you DO get a win-win.
Dana: It was a fabulous experience that I loved. We were the first (to create this kind of partnership), and there were a lot of people who came in to ask about this model. Everyone can be so proud that it worked out. Each entity was able to maximize things they wanted to do and get a lot more out of the goals they had.
photo courtesy of Photography by Julia
By 2012, the higher education effort in Fort Bend County consisted of two new buildings, a library and a future land-use plan in the works. Following recommendations from a task force led by Welcome Wilson Sr., the UH System Board of Regents approved UH as the sole institute at the Sugar Land site. The University of Houston System at Sugar Land was renamed University of Houston Sugar Land.
The change moved management from the UH System to the University of Houston solely. The University of Houston Sugar Land would be part of the main campus. That meant that only UH programs would be offered, taught by UH faculty. Paula Myrick Short was the new UHS Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and UH Provost. She was charged with making it happen.
“From my perspective, three major questions required much thought and discussion,” she said. “What will UH Sugar Land look like academically and what will be the financial model, how will the transition to the single site be accomplished with other institutions already at Sugar Land site, and what will be the leadership structure of the new UH site?”
Short said she knew from past efforts by the UH System that trust needed to be established with the community. Moving forward could only happen with a shared vision. Her early conversations with business and industry leaders indicated they were interested in having the UH College of Technology on the Sugar Land campus to ensure an educated and skilled future workforce. She convened a task force of 40 members, representing all four UHS institutions, student services, deans, school districts, the City of Sugar Land, community colleges, The George Foundation and state legislators. Chaired by Robert “Bob” McPherson, dean of the UH College of Education, the group identified three academic areas of interest: technology, engineering and business. McPherson said the real work was convincing the deans.
“We had a list of programs. Paula had the money set aside. I met with the large group and said we have programs ready and a provost ready to invest money here. This is remarkable. We got the ball rolling,” he said.
About this time the University of Houston was moving the UH-Victoria nursing program to UH, a complicated, sometimes politically challeng ing task to secure approvals from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the national nursing board. But another challenge soon became apparent as other program faculty accustomed to teaching on the main campus resisted the move to Sugar Land. It was a challenge that would require new leadership. In 2015, Provost Short appointed Bob McPherson as Associate Provost, Academic Affairs and Operation for UH Sugar Land.
“Transitioning degree programs would require dean approvals and Dr. McPher son, with his strong academic background and experience as a sitting dean, garnered the respect of the deans,” Short said. “His long-time tenure at UH also provided a historical perspective on the
role of Sugar Land. In addition, his management skills were important in carrying out the goals of the early transition.”
It was an interim position. McPherson was still the dean of the UH College of Education and he didn’t want to vacate that role. Still, he saw the promise of Sugar Land and embarked on a campus master plan that visualized a built-out campus to house campus programs and campus life.
“Most of that first year was me engaged with the community. They’d been waiting and waiting for something to happen,” he said. “I worked with Patricia Oliver, the dean of the UH College of Architecture and the designLAB (on the Master Plan images) to give people a real picture of what we could do here. I remember presenting it to the Fort Bend Economic Development Council, and they saw it. That’s when I started talking about public-private partnerships. I could show them where those facilities would go.”
In 2016, the UH System Board of Regents approved the UH Sugar Land Master Plan that
150,000-sq.-ft.-building for technology, business, education and health programs.
The community celebrated the new era with a grand event at a local business. All the region’s supporters came out for Paint the Town Red, but beneath the confetti and noise makers was an undercurrent of skepticism. The community wanted to know where this was leading.
In 2016, McPherson was asked to choose between his role as dean of the College of Education and leader of UH Sugar Land. Though he was proud of the progress in Sugar Land, he felt the community would benefit from having a leader from their own neighborhoods. He had been commuting between the College of Education on the main campus and UH Sugar Land. To him, there was a ready solution. Jay Neal, then the Assistant Provost, Academic Affairs and Operations.
“I told the Provost that Jay was ready. The community loved Jay. He loved the community. He’d already been running operations,” he said. “Dick said the same thing. Besides, I still had things to do in the College (of Education).”
A national search for a full-time leader was already underway and resolved in 2018 when Jay Neal moved into the role of Assistant Vice President, Academic Affairs and Chief Operating Officer for UH Sugar Land.
“He brought administrative skills along with his academic experience to the Chief Operating Officer role at UH Sugar Land and has done a magnificent job. He also lived in the Sugar Land area and was a well-respected community member,” Short said. “This proved to be a huge positive to his ability to engage and build that trust that I saw as so important in the early days of the transition.”
photo courtesy of University of Houston College of Architecture and Design
Neal, formerly an assistant professor with the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, most recently had managed a San Antonio satellite campus for the Hilton College. Coincidentally, he had taught at the Sugar Land campus during its early MITC days. As a resident of Fort Bend County, Neal felt he was in a unique position to understand the language, tone and climate of stakeholders in Fort Bend and UH.
“This was my neighborhood. It was a seven-minute drive from my home. These students were some of my kids’ friends. It checked all the boxes for me,” he said. “That, and the opportunity to grow a campus. It was a lifetime opportunity.”
He enlisted the guidance of McPherson and Phillips to help in the transition. Each had specific qualities that moved the higher education machine forward in Fort Bend County.
“I still have Dick’s voice in my head. He was a great coach. He could say things to me that I never felt intimidated or frustrated by. I knew he had the best intentions for me and the success of the campus,” Neal said. “Bob had such a calming effect. There had been such strife and turmoil during those years. Bob was sure and steady. The community really liked him and wanted good things for him. They both were a great transition (team), and it worked well.”
Neal agreed that though there was a sense of excitement about the next steps for UH Sugar Land, there was an equal sense of urgency about where those steps should lead.
As in the past, the University went to the community to help envision the next chapter of UH in Fort Bend County. The resulting strategic plan, Higher Expectations (2019-2023), created a blueprint forward, a journey that included the new College of Technology Building.
EXPECTATIONS
A 2019-2023 Strategic Plan for UH at Sugar Land
The three-story facility, designed by PageArchitects and constructed by Tellepsen, would house research labs, fabrication, materials and rapid prototype labs, classrooms, auditorium and offices for the faculty, staff and students at the college.
Groundbreaking happened in March of 2018. Doors opened in fall of 2019.
“That building was the answer to everyone asking about what we were going to do. That building was the answer. We’re going to have a big presence, front and center, right off the freeway,” Neal said. “I remember at the ribbon cutting how joyous it was, how packed it was and how all our friends and family were with us. It quieted much skepticism. Now they were saying, ok they did what they said.”
To reflect this new era, the campus was renamed The University of Houston at Sugar Land. The “at” reflected the relationship to the main campus and distinguished it from other degree-granting institutions in the UH System.
The focus then turned to transitioning more of the College of Technology programs to Sugar Land. It was no easy task. The College’s Digital Media, Supply Chain & Logistics Technology, and Biotechnology programs were already in Sugar Land and enjoying a brand-new building. But other program faculty dug in their heels.
“People don’t like change. I got frustrated with colleagues who didn’t want to leave a building that was the third oldest on the main campus, falling around them, to come to a state-of-the-art building,” he said. “But it’s about being deliberate, being honest, sharing the opportunities that are out here, getting to know the students and community. Ideally, they would fall in love with the community and say oh, I get it now.”
The transition was slow, but it was happening. Coupled with support from area chambers of commerce, city and county stakeholders who embraced and supported the vision, there was a great surge of momentum. Student enrollment in Sugar Land increased. Discussions of public-private partnerships began. Supporters like The George Foundation continued their investment in UH. Schools wanted to tour the campus. It was all happening.
Then in 2020, COVID-19 shut down everything.
DIVISION over diversity mural
“There were some social and political things happening during the pandemic, but so many of us were wondering how we would keep community when we’re isolated. We have a strong sense of community, but it was hurting for a lot of different reasons. How do we take care of each other?” Neal said. “That’s our nature in Fort Bend. And how do we do that when we can’t see each other?”
Thanks to a generous $3 million grant from The George Foundation (prior to the pandemic), with $2 million in matching funds, technology in the buildings had been upgraded, allowing students with complex computer courses, such as gaming and other digital media, to continue their classes while they isolated at home. It also allowed faculty and staff to transition to synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid meetings (on such tools as Zoom and Teams) a bit easier.
Despite the isolation brought on by the pandemic, stakeholders in Fort Bend County sought ways to help the community, particularly those members whose professions did not allow them to work from home. Everyone had something that could benefit the whole. And as it so often did, Fort Bend County jumped into action.
“I remember one night getting a call from the County Judge’s chief of staff saying, ‘This is going to get really bad, really fast. We don’t have enough PPE (personal protective equipment),’” Neal recalled. “We went to UH Nursing’s Dean Tart to ask her what we had in storage; we wrote a letter to the County
Judge saying you can have our building for temporary space if needed. We worked with HCC who were 3-D-printing masks and face-shield components, and business members who said we don’t have those assets, but we have money. We didn’t have a mechanism to accept donations, but the chamber had a nonprofit they could give to. There were lots of late-night calls to work through these. Even at that time, (we asked ourselves) how can we leverage our relationships.”
These relationships, forged in adversity, remained resilient and served as a foundation for future collaborations.
Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and the social unrest that followed, UH at Sugar Land joined stakeholders from the Fort Bend County Judge’s office in an initiative that aimed to celebrate the community and the diversity of the region. The effort was called Diversity Over Division and featured youth panel discussions, photography contests, book discussions and lectures. From those efforts a community project was born with a goal to install a mural to represent the diverse tapestry of Fort Bend County. Officials from UH at Sugar Land, the City of Sugar Land Office of Economic Development, the Fort Bend County Judge’s office and
the University Branch Library joined Houston artist Reginald Adams for what became the Diversity Over Division Mural.
“Our hope was to have a standing legacy to the diversity of our region,” said Jay Neal, UH at Sugar Land associate vice president, academic affairs and chief operating officer. “This installation represented our connection to the community, the community’s connection to us and the diversity we all celebrate.”
Adams, known for his moving work in Houston’s Emancipation Park, The Strand in Galveston, and on the UH main campus, chose to highlight the region’s commitment to diver-
sity by enlisting six artists from Texas and around the world to contribute their work: Ami Mehta, Samson Adenugba, Laura Lopez Cano, Tony Parana, Dandee Warhol and Rhonda Radford Adams.
“I believe in the power of unity and collaboration and this piece represents our individual strengths coming together to create one community,” Adams said in a news release. “Fort Bend County is a microcosm of the world. The artists who created this mirror that.”
To complete the experience, D.E.E.P., a former Houston poet laureate, wrote a poem to accompany the visuals. One line from her poem “Growing Tomorrow in a Field of Today” was woven through the mural— “We choose to not live in the monochrome of our ignorance but in the Technicolor of our diversity.”
The Diversity Over Division Mural was installed on the east windows of Brazos Hall, across from the University Branch Library.
Originarios by Tony Parana
Three Generations by Laura Cano Lopez
There Comes A Time by Ami Mehta
Flower Essence by Rhonda Radfor
My Best Friend by Dandee Warhol
Mothers by Smacom Adenugba
photo courtesy of Photography by Julia
epilogue:
the future of uh in sugar land
The story of the University of Houston at Sugar Land is still being written. The next building for the instructional site is under construction (as of this writing) — a companion facility for the rest of the programs from the former College of Technology (now merged with the UH Cullen College of Engineering as its own division). When completed in 2025, the $65 million academic building will be three floors and approximately 75,000 square feet (Architect/SmithGroup, Builder/Vaughn Construction).
...and plans continue for additional construction to meet the needs of a growing student population, new industry partners and a thriving future:
Jay Neal: The new building will be the anchor piece. That will be the aha moment for Fort Bend County and Sugar Land. We won’t be a hodgepodge of buildings. We will be a campus for the community.
Renu Khator: I applaud the community for its passion, support and eagerness to embrace UH for all this time. I have always seen great potential for UH in Fort Bend County. There will always be a great future there. We’ve had a presence in Fort Bend County for 30 years, and I know that presence will stay strong.
Paula Short: I think the next years will demonstrate the innovative spirit of Sugar Land in expanding the educational opportunities for the community. For continued growth, select degree programs must continue to be fully delivered at the Sugar Land site. ... With the community sensing the benefits of high-quality educational programs delivered in a Tier One setting, I expect that we will see new concepts for education, training, and outreach being developed at UH at Sugar Land that encompass public-private partnerships, unique K-12 and community college collaboration, and more.
Richard “Dick” Phillips: Once this becomes a destination college campus it will meet what all the advisory board said they wanted from day one. Except that it will be a Tier One university.
Roger Adamson: The Foundation views education as the great exponential multiplier at improving lives and the community. UH’s efforts and commitment for the campus has evolved over 30 years. It has created tremendous opportunities for the community and for the next 30 years we have the ingredients to continue moving forward.
James Thompson: The next 30 years should continue with a technological identity, especially with the technology programs moving to Sugar Land. I hope UH also continues to concentrate on collaborative relationships with the community in Sugar Land. That is our future.
Dean Hrbacek: To say the least (bringing higher education to the region) was an exciting time for the community because it’s something that will impact the future. It’s part of the foundation now. You’ve got a university where the community can continue its education, and that is a draw. You’ve got plenty of land and opportunities to expand to provide those educational resources.
Janis Parsley: I loved being part of it. I was part of the beginning of that story. It’s very personal to me and reflects my own pride in being a part of something that really mattered and matters even now.
“As of this moment, the future of hi gher education in Fo rt Bend County has jus t gotten brighter.” the gher has brighter.”
- William P. hobby JR. Former Texas Lieutenant Governor and former UHS Chancellor
&ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONTRIBUTORS
Thank you to all who gave us time, interviews, images and edits, and all who shared their memories. You are all part of our history in Fort Bend County and the community that makes it successful.
We are very grateful for your pearls of wisdom.
INTERVIEWS
RICHARD “DICK” PHILLIPS
PAULA M. SHORT
RENU KHATOR
JAMES “JIMMY” THOMPSON
DEAN HRBACEK
ROGER ADAMSON
BETTY McCROHAN
JANIS PARSLEY
DANA ROOKS
JAY NEAL
ROBERT “BOB” MCPHERSON
JERRY WAITE
KATHRYN TART
WRITERS, DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS
AMARIS DE LA ISLA
CHAMAL REYES
MARISA RAMIREZ
REVIEWERS AND EDITORS
RICHARD “DICK” PHILLIPS
MARY BROLLEY
JEN RUCHHOEFT
RICHARD BONNIN
Unless otherwise specified, photographs are from the UH at Sugar Land Archives.
INDEX
Adams, Reginald: 81, 82
Adamson, Roger: 23, 33, 39, 86, 90
Adenugba, Samson: 82, 83
Agrawal, Brij: 55
Albert and Mamie George Building: 28, 29, 31, 40, 41, 42, 43, 55, 56, 60, 63
Appel, Herb: 21, 30, 34, 35
Architecture & Design, Gerald D. Hines College of: 69, 70
Brazos Hall: 36, 42, 44, 54, 55, 56, 60, 63, 82
Brazos River: 4, 5, 6, 23, 25
Brown, Robert “Bob”: 29, 34, 35
CentraPlex: 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21
City of Sugar Land: 22, 23, 25, 29, 35, 37, 41, 56, 69, 81
• City Council: 21
Chase, Diane: 47
Education, College of: 69, 70
Global Hospitality Leadership, Conrad N. Hilton College of
