Philanthropy at Texas (July-August 2011)

at texas July/August 2011

Improving Lives A UT scholar finds his passion working with kids and prosthetics

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cover photo: rubberball ; contents photo: jim sigmon/ut athletics

Cat Osterman, BA '07, is a gold and silver medalist and part of a long UT tradition of Olympic excellence. As London 2012 draws closer, the University, through private donations, is helping to process and digitize a major Olympic archive.

RESEARCH THAT IMPROVES LIVES Graduate student C.J. Stanfill puts his strengths toward positive change horns of plenty What private giving is making possible, from Texas to Nairobi

Reprinted from

July/August 2011

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Philanthropy at Texas

{By Laura Messer}

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I m prov i ng Li ves

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or most people, the ability to move their body is a natural, automatic aspect of daily life. But for children with a disability that requires a prosthetic device, the act of moving can be a significant daily challenge. Christopher J. Stanfill, MS ’10, a master’s-turned-doctoral student in kinesiology, hopes to help those children through his research in the University’s Movement Science Program.

Stanfill’s interest was sparked through a program he encountered at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas while he was studying physical therapy. Children with disabilities were taught the fundamentals of golf, participants ranging from those with cerebral palsy and autism to others who had partial paralysis and were using prosthetics. For Stanfill, a member of the golf team at the University of North Texas, a single afternoon with the kids changed his life and perspective forever.

“During this program, I developed a passion for working with children who use prosthetics, as they demonstrated some of the most outstanding courage I have ever witnessed,” he says. “Each of the children displayed more drive and determination than anyone I had ever been exposed to. My attention was drawn to the children with prosthetics and the way they managed their ability levels and created their own adaptations in order to produce the desired movement.”

After earning a BS in kinesiology at UNT, Stanfill narrowed his focus to movement science when he came to the University in 2008. Part of the Kinesiology & Health Education Department in the College of Education, the Movement Science Program encompasses several disciplines in kinesiology: biomechanics, motor control, developmental science, and motor learning. Stanfill’s work has focused on child development, specifically on how the growth and movement of a child typically develops. He compares typical growth patterns with those of children with disabilities.

The goal is to create adaptations that will improve physical function.

photo : marsha miller

Doctoral student C.J. Stanfill does much of his research in the Development Motor Control Lab in Bellmont Hall. The Luce Scholar is headed to Laos to work with land-mine victims undergoing prosthetic rehabilitation.

“This research aims at bettering the lives of those with disabilities by understanding the intricacies of the rehab process and making improvements where needed,” he says.

In addition to his day-to-day research, Stanfill has served as a teaching assistant and athletic mentor. Reflecting on his time thus far, he notes that what stands out about UT is the diversity of research and the caliber of his peers. “The University offers a vast community that allows students to become integrated in several different fields. There is so much great work being done here on a daily basis. It’s truly been an honor to be surrounded by such accomplished people,” he says.

Stanfill can count himself among those accomplished people.

In addition to qualifying for support from UT’s Mary Buice Alderson Scholarship and the Joseph L. Henderson and Katherine D. Henderson Foundation, this spring he was named a 2011-12 Luce Scholar. The Henry Luce Foundation launched the prestigious Luce Scholars Program in 1974 to enhance understanding of Asia among potential leaders in American society. Stanfill was one of only 17 individuals chosen to receive the award this year — and the only recipient in the Southwest — after a rigorous interview process that winnowed 151 highly qualified candidates from 67 institutions. The fellowship is sending him to Laos for more than a year to work with land-mine victims undergoing prosthetic rehabilitation.

Of course, with amazing opportunities come challenges of equal proportions. Among the transformational experiences that students encounter in a graduate education, an increased sense of empowerment may be one of the most rewarding. This

ability to utilize one’s strengths for positive change is what helps propel UT’s research from inside its buildings to the rest of the world. “Being able to incorporate a level of creativity while understanding the truthful possibilities of an idea are skills that I definitely did not have” before coming to UT, Stanfill says.

His advice to those considering graduate school is to establish a strong mentoring relationship with a faculty member within their program, as well as friendships outside of it. “Take advantage of your time at the University and be open to challenging yourself,” he says. Stanfill has worked with College of Education professor Jody Jensen from the beginning. A member of UT’s Institute of Neuroscience, Jensen directs the Development Motor Control Lab in Bellmont Hall, where she studies the development of movement skills and changes in movement competence from infancy through older adulthood. Stanfill credits her with providing both unrelenting support and worthwhile challenges.

Once he completes his doctorate, Stanfill hopes to teach at a medical school and conduct research on rehabilitation strategies for patients with prostheses. “I have a huge passion for travel, so I would like to be able to experience different parts of the world while offering my knowledge to patients in developing countries.

I have a lot of short- and long-term goals,” he says. “But I know that I definitely want to dedicate my life to working with people with disabilities.”

A version of this article appeared originally in Grad News, the official blog of UT’s Graduate School, with supplementary material from the College of Education.

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Philanthropy at Texas

Horns of Plenty What private giving is making possible

Daniel Paffenholz of TakaTaka Solutions will use his prize to help improve living conditions in Nairobi.

Helping people help people is the impetus behind a recent $5 million

grant from Dell. Pioneering a new model of purpose-driven, engaged education targeting student social entrepreneurs worldwide, the grant will be distributed to UT's RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service over five years. The commitment strengthens and expands the center’s Dell Social Innovation Competition, which promotes a balance of money and mission in entrepreneurship. The competition invites teams of college students all over the globe to submit ideas for how to solve some of the world’s most pressing social problems. TakaTaka Solutions, a team from the London School of Economics that developed a business to collect and recycle waste in Africa, won this year’s $50,000 grand prize. The team was one of five finalists chosen from a field of 1,400 entrants. Other teams were singled out for how well they leveraged technology and solved environmental problems. Winning the competition was “tremendous,” says TakaTaka Solutions team leader Daniel Paffenholz. He notes that the prize provides half of the investment required to start a pilot project to build a composting facility in Nairobi. “Moreover, it sends a very strong signal to other potential investors and partners that this is a great project.”

Texas history lives at the Winedale Historical Complex, and thanks

to a million-dollar donation, the complex itself will continue to flourish for future generations. A division of UT’s Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, Winedale comprises 19th-century structures and modern facilities on 225 acres near Round Top, between Austin and Houston. Its mission is to foster an understanding of Texas history and culture through research, teaching, and public service. Each year, it hosts thousands of students and members of nonprofit groups, including the celebrated Shakespeare at Winedale. Higher education philanthropists Howard and Nancy Terry of Houston have enjoyed the grounds for years, convening their Terry Scholars there for an annual picnic. “Winedale and the people who work there have long held a special place in our hearts,” says Howard Terry, BBA ’38, “and we have wanted for some time to make a special gift to recognize their mission and importance to us.” In honor of the Terrys, the educational conference center, dormitory, and adjacent grounds at the complex will be designated the Nancy M. and Howard L. Terry Student Center.

The gift will fund repairs and renovations including structural upgrades, enhanced accessibility, and environmental and technological improvements.

Nineteenth-century buildings are the heart of rustic Winedale.

Breaststroker Brendan Hansen, BS ’05, is a four-time Olympic medalist, including two golds.

photos (clockwise from top): jim sigmon/ut athletics, dave mead, gary boyd/garyboydphotography.com, scott van osdol

Some students arrive at UT with little more than a

handful of belongings. They might be orphans, or just have no family support. In any case, they have the talent and drive to be admitted to the University. What they lack are even the most basic items that transform a dorm room into a learning space. That is the focus of Horns Helping Horns, an effort to provide the neediest of Longhorns a leg up as they begin their college years. The program helps furnish their rooms, assists with tuition and books, and matches them with a staff or faculty mentor to help set the course for academic success and full participation in campus life.

Juan González, vice president for student affairs, says the pool of participants is not large. “We’ve known about these kids in the past but had no official program to address them specifically.” Currently there are about 30 students in the program. Horns Helping Horns participant Lydia Garcia, a studio art major, just completed her freshman year. “It’s nice to have some help,” she says, “and to know people who are involved in things I want to do in the future.”

The program welcomes monetary donations, and several alumni have stepped up. When Fredericksburg’s Carol Ann Foyt Shepherd, BBA ’69, Life Member, set out to honor her parents with an endowed gift to UT, she chose to benefit Horns Helping Horns because it embodies the giving spirit of Arthur and Virginia Foyt.

“My hope is that many wonderful students, through this endowment, are given opportunities they may not have had otherwise,” Shepherd says. “I know that my parents would be thrilled.” Another endowment has been created by Ralph Canada, BA ’76, of Grapevine, and one is in the works from Shawn and Kara Wells, BBA ’86 and ’91, Life Members, of New York. Also, the Texas Wranglers held a golf tournament in April that raised $27,000 for the program, including a major sponsorship gift from Kevin Lilly, BBA ’82.

Learn more about Horns Helping Horns and how you can help by contacting Student Affairs development director Carolyn Porter, carolynp@mail.utexas.edu or 512-471-0857.

The countdown to the next Olympics

is on, with the 2012 London games now just a year away. The University has a distinguished track record producing Olympians: 139 UT athletes have won 117 medals since 1936. It now has the opportunity to burnish its Olympic legacy by collaborating with Montreal’s McGill University to process and digitize the Richard W. Pound Olympic Collection, a wealth of information on the recent history of the games.

Pound, a former McGill chancellor and alumnus who swam for the Canadian Olympic team in the 1960 games and has served on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1978, donated the archive to his alma mater. The University of Texas Libraries, which have considerable experience working with large archival collections, are helping to catalogue some 350 boxes — meaning, says Pound, that “my objective of making the materials accessible for scholarly research will be greatly enhanced.”

The archive affords an insider’s look at the Olympics via Pound’s various roles in the modern games, from helping to develop TV rights and negotiate sponsorships to his 1999 creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency. His investigation of the Salt Lake City bidding scandal led to the creation of a new ethics watchdog to monitor interactions between bidding cities and IOC members, and Time named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people for his efforts against performance-enhancing drugs. In addition to Pound’s papers and correspondence, the collection contains medals, torches, and other regalia.

The College of Communication’s Texas Program in Sports and Media is coordinating. The program’s advisory board co-founder Steven Ungerleider, BA ’70, Life Member, was instrumental in facilitating the relationship between McGill and UT, contributing time and effort to land the project for the University.

Processing and digitization is being funded by donations, including a substantial gift from an anonymous UT alumnus.

“Philanthropy at Texas” is compiled and edited by Jamey Smith in the University Development Office. Your feedback and suggestions are welcome at jjsmith@austin.utexas.edu . For more philanthropic news and information, including ways you can give to UT, visit giving.utexas.edu .