Philanthropy | Spring 2013

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INSIDE: The Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center is dedicated in February; plus the Welch Foundation funds chemistry research and a scholarship supports promising young piano students.

philanthropy U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y H A R D I N - B AY L O R

SPRING 2013

welcome

It has been a spring to remember at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The university reported the highest spring enrollment on record, exceeding previous spring records for international, transfer, and new students. The number of new students increased by more than 20 percent over last year’s spring semester, and the number of transfer students grew by more than 30 percent.

Nursing students attended classes for the first time in the fully-funded and debt-free Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center, while the entire campus community eagerly watched the structures for Crusader Stadium and the student union building go up.

We invite you to join the excitement by being a part of Momentum: The Campaign for Mary Hardin-Baylor!

Your gift or pledge ensures that the university remains a place where students experience the best in Christian higher education.

Philanthropy is published three times a year by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Division of Communications and Special Projects.

To share your comments, you may write to the editor at UMHB Box 8431, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513; send emails to jjones@umhb.edu, or phone 254.295.4164.

For more information about giving to UMHB, please contact the Office of Development at 254.295.4601.

EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTE RECORD NUMBER IN GIFTS AND PLEDGES In October, the university conducted its annual employee charitable campaign. This year offered the opportunity for faculty and staff to get involved in Momentum: The Campaign for Mary HardinBaylor through both one-time gifts and multi-year pledges. Employees responded enthusiastically, not only meeting but exceeding the campaign goal with $160,416 raised in annual gifts and a record $608,310 in multi-year pledges. Nearly 55% of university employees committed to give this year.

“

“Year after year, the faithfulness and generosity of our employees speaks to their pride and commitment to UMHB.”

— BRENT DAVISON, VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT

GOAL:

RAISED:

$130,000

$608,310*

* I N C L U D E S TO TA L S F R O M M U LT I - Y E A R P L E D G E S .

223

PLEDGED TO GIVE (UP FROM 206 PLEDGES THE PREVIOUS YEAR)

OF 406 EMPLOYEES

employees made multi-year pledges

ENROLLMENT INCREASED BY

STADIUM/SUB PROGRESS

Construction of Crusader Stadium and the adjoining Student Union Building are well underway. The stadium will be finished in time for the fall 2013 football season, with the SUB opening shortly thereafter.

STUDENTS IN THE FALL OF 2012 (3, 287 TOTA L S T U DE N T S)

OF THIS NUMBER:

631

FRESHMAN

83

DOCTORAL

278

MASTER’S

408

STUDENT AT H L ET E S

89% ROEF CFEI INVAENDCSI OA ML EA IFDO R M 30% 68%

CRUSADER STADIUM |

CLUSTERED WITH THE NEW SUB AND THE

MAYBORN CAMPUS CENTER (WHICH HOUSES THE ARENA AND FITNESS CENTER), THE STADIUM WILL BECOME PART OF AN EXCITING STUDENT ACTIVITY ZONE.

OF FRESHMAN WERE THE FIRST IN THEIR FA M I L I E S TO AT T E N D COLLEGE FA L L -T O - FA L L FRESHMAN RETENTION R AT E (A 4% I NC R E A SE)

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Student Union Building and Crusader Stadium naming opportunities are still available. For more information, please contact Brent Davison at 254.295.4601 or bdavison@umhb.edu.

STUDENT UNION BUILDING |

THIS THREE-STORY, 100,000 SQUARE-

FOOT BUILDING WILL SIT AT THE HEART OF THE UNIVERSITY’S RESIDENTIAL ZONES, SERVING AS THE “LIVING ROOM” OF THE ENTIRE CAMPUS WHERE STUDENTS WILL GO REGULARLY TO EAT, RELAX, AND WORK ON PROJECTS.

PHILANTHROPY | SPRING 2013

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a new home for

nursing

ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, THE UNIVERSITY HELD A SPECIAL ceremony dedicating the new Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center. More than 500 people were in attendance at the event, which celebrated the opening of the facility that will serve as the new home for the Scott & White College of Nursing.

Dr. Randy O’Rear, the university’s president, opened the ceremony by thanking the members of the UMHB Board of Trustees for their vision and direction.

“The Board of Trustees approved our bold Campus Master Plan, which called for a $100 million investment on Feb.18, 2011.” O’Rear said. “Today, just shy of two years later, eight of those projects are either completed or currently in construction.”

O’Rear also took time to recognize many of the individuals

NURSING EDUCATION CENTER DEDICATED IN FEBRUARY

and groups responsible for large donations to the building.

“We have some very special friends who made sure that this facility was more than a dream,” he said. “It is thanks to their gifts and their sacrifices that we are able to announce that this building is completely funded and debt free.”

Following the ceremony, visitors were able to tour the building, including the simulation hospital wing which boasts an emergency room, a nursing station, a critical care unit, and a labor and delivery unit. The 77,000 square foot nursing education center is more than five times larger than the nursing program’s previous facilities. The nursing program includes 670 majors, more than any other major offered at the university.

Opposite page: Guests begin filling the courtyard before the dedication ceremony; Senior Vice President for Campus Planning Edd Martin, Board of Trustees chairman Mike Harkrider, and president and first lady Randy and Julie O’Rear assist Jane Meyer in cutting the ribbon to officially open the Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center, which was dedicated on what would have been Isabelle’s 121st birthday. This page, clockwise from top: Jane Meyer of the Paul & Jane Meyer Family Foundation greets the crowd; donors Jack and Karen Phelps are presented with a UMHB stethoscope; guests enjoy touring the new facility following the ceremony.

PHILANTHROPY | SPRING 2013

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a passion for

research

THE WELCH FOUNDATION DEPARTMENTAL GRANT PROVIDES CHEMISTRY PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS WITH RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES SHANNON WOODRUFF ’10 CAME TO UMHB WITH HIS SIGHTS set on becoming a physician. But after an organic chemistry class, he was hooked. Woodruff changed his major to chemistry and began conducting research under the direction of professor Dr. Darrell Watson. Woodruff is now a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at Southern Methodist University, studying the synthesis of epoxide-containing polymers with controlled molecular weights and architectures via low-catalyst techniques. He hopes to one day become a university research professor.

That newly ignited passion for research in chemistry changed the direction of Woodruff’s life. And it was made possible thanks to the Robert A. Welch Foundation’s departmental research grant. The annual $25,000 grant supports research by members

of the chemistry department faculty and provides opportunities for students to learn through chemical research in a less structured yet highly instructive way.

Woodruff began research with Dr. Watson as a sophomore, in the spring of 2007. He studied the preparation, characterization, and photochemistry of enamino ketones and enamino esters, which are compounds known to be good intermediates for a number of pharmaceuticals, including anticonvulsants and anti-cancer medications. Woodruff enjoyed the research so much that he kept coming back semester after semester. By the time he graduated, Woodruff had researched under the Welch grant for ten semesters, including summers.

“I was Shannon’s advisor when he was a student here,”

“The entire research process is very powerful for our students; it is a great encouragement to be able to do this kind of research at the undergraduate level.”

- DR. RUTH ANN MURPHY 6 PHILANTHROPY | SPRING 2013

Dr. Ruth Ann Murphy

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Shannon Woodruff ’10

“The research provided me graduate work, it has given chemistry professor Dr. Ruth Ann Murphy recalls. “Every semester, he kept coming back for more. I would say to him, ‘Now Shannon, you know students typically only participate in this research lab for one semester,’ and he said, ‘I know, but it’s just so refreshing.’ Not everyone would call research refreshing, but that is just an example of how the Welch grant really helps research come alive for our students.”

Woodruff said the expertise and experience he gained through the research conducted under the Welch grant has given him an advantage in the research-focused graduate level work he is now completing.

“The research was beneficial because it provided me with a sense of purpose during college,” Woodruff said. “I was able to learn an incredible amount through the research labs, namely laboratory procedures that are only briefly mentioned in a typical chemistry course. In my post-graduate work, it has given me a tremendous boost ahead of others in laboratory practice skills.”

For more than 50 years, The Welch Foundation has helped advance basic chemical research in Texas by awarding research grants, endowed chairs, departmental grants, scholarships and other programs to educational institutions across the state. The foundation is named for renowned Houston oilman, businessman, and entrepreneur Robert Alonzo Welch who left a generous portion of his estate to support fundamental research in chemistry within the state of Texas.

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with a sense of purpose during college. In my postme a tremendous boost ahead of others.” - S H A N N O N W O O D R U F F Dr. Watson first applied for and received an individual grant from The Welch Foundation in 1978, which was awarded annually to the university until 1982. During that time, the majority of the funds were used to purchase scientific equipment, ensuring UMHB’s chemistry department remained on par with other university programs around the state.

In 1993, UMHB was awarded its first departmental grant.

The majority of funds now go toward the research of three chemistry professors, Dr. Ruth Ann Murphy, Dr. Joy AhlgrenBeckendorf, and Dr. Lin Gao, in the form of research equipment, supplies, and student scholarships. A colorimeter, viscometer with temperature control, and software are among the recent major purchases. Each professor selects up to three students each semester to assist them with their research. These students are awarded scholarships funded by The Welch Foundation grant.

The research is typically theoretical in nature, with topics such as the determination of structures and how they change with temperature. Dr. Gao’s research deals primarily with cars and fuel efficiency, while Dr. Beckendorf’s research investigates the post-harvest yellowing of rice, and Dr. Murphy’s research centers around viscosity.

Often, students are able to select topics that correlate with their supervising professor’s research, while also relating to their own unique interests.

“Last fall, I had a student named Jeff Marrs who was working with me,” Murphy said. “His topic was also viscosity, but since

he was applying to dental school he was interested in something about dentistry. So we took the oral rinse Biotene® and began mixing it with different beverages to determine the viscosity. ” At the end of the semester, the students put together presentation posters to display at meetings such as UMHB’s Scholar’s Day and the American Chemical Society’s annual conferences.

“This is a great experience for them because it gives students a chance to present their research without the intimidation of delivering a lecture to hundreds of people,” Murphy said, adding that The Welch Foundation grant is a key component of chemical research at UMHB. “The entire research process is very powerful for our students, and it is a great encouragement to them to be able to do this kind of research at the undergraduate level. The work our students are able to do thanks to The Welch Foundation prepares them for graduate school. “ Watson agrees.

“This is really the greatest legacy The Welch Foundation grant has given us,” he said. “It has allowed the chemistry department to focus on a culture of research. Most schools our size aren’t able to give students many opportunities to conduct research. As a direct result of this grant, many of our students are now able to get their name on research publications and present their findings at national ACS meetings each year. This exposure really gives them a great advantage when they move on to graduate school and their future careers.”

PHILANTHROPY | SPRING 2013

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nurturingtalent ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP HONORS A MOTHER

AND SUPPORTS YOUNG PIANO STUDENTS FROM A VERY EARLY AGE, IT WAS APPARENT THAT DORIS Watters Wood ex ’31 was an exceptionally talented pianist. By the time she was in junior high, she had easily outgrown the lessons offered for her age group. Eager to encourage their daughter’s budding talent, Doris’ parents sought out the help of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s renowned piano instructor Dr. Walter Gilewicz, who agreed to take her on as a student.

And now, over eight decades later, a scholarship named in her honor ensures that a new generation of piano students will also have the opportunity to nurture their talents at UMHB. The Doris Watters Wood Piano Endowed Scholarship was established in 1999 by Doris’ daughter, Mary Jane Wood, as a birthday gift for her mother.

“As my mother got older, it became more and more apparent how much Mary Hardin-Baylor meant to her through the stories she told of the college and of Dr. Gilewicz,” Mary Jane said.

“She has been blessed with everything she needs materially, so I thought, ‘What better way to honor her than to give back to the school that meant so much to her?’”

Mary Jane set up the scholarship with an initial gift of $2,000.

She continues to contribute to the scholarship every Christmas, Mother’s Day, and for her mother’s birthday each year. Many of her five siblings have also given to the scholarship in honor of their mother. When the scholarship reached the $10,000 level in 2002, it was awarded for the first time to a deserving student 1 0 PHILANTHROPY | SPRING 2013

studying piano. It has been awarded every fall since.

“When I told Mother about the scholarship, she was surprised and very thrilled,” Mary Jane said. “She loves reading the letters that the scholarship recipients write for her. They tell her about their lives, and about their dreams and aspirations. She loves that the scholarship is helping students like her, who have a love for playing the piano.”

The 2013 recipient, Adam Lozoya, is a freshman performing arts major from Belton. Like Doris, Adam has taken piano lessons through the UMHB Conservatory of Music since he was a young child.

“I’ve grown up on campus,” he said. “I have taken lessons here since I was seven and, in doing so, have fallen in love with the school and with the music faculty. That is what compelled me to attend college here.”

Adam is currently the pianist for both the Jazz Band and the Wind Ensemble and sings with the University Singers. He also regularly plays in local restaurants and for church services, special events, and weddings. He hopes to pursue a career that will allow him to continue to use his musical talents.

“I am so grateful for this scholarship,” he said. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to go to college here, and by the grace of God, I have received enough scholarships to offset the expenses. Piano is my passion, and now I get to further my abilities and work hard to develop this gift God has given me.”

(Below) Freshman performing arts major Adam Lozoya plays on the concert grand Steinway piano in Hughes Recital Hall. Lozoya was named the 2013 Doris Watters Wood Piano Endowed Scholarship recipient. The scholarship is named for Doris Watters Wood (pictured far right, in blue), and was established as a birthday gift from her daughter Mary Jane (pictured right, in green).

PHILANTHROPY | SPRING 2013

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900 College Street • Belton, Texas 76513

Momentum: The Campaign for Mary Hardin-Baylor is raising $60 million for scholarships, endowments, and new facilities. As of December 31, 2012, $40.5 million has been raised.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Waco, TX Permit No. 1519