June 2009

Around Campus

Truett Cates Named Director of New Center for Global Learning

he Austin College commitment to international education and global awareness was emphasized this spring with the creation of the Center for Global Learning and the selection of Truett Cates, long-time member of the German faculty, as its director. The center will serve as a cornerstone of the College’s plan to enhance international programs and increase cultural awareness among students. Cates no longer will teach in the language department, instead taking on full-time administration of the center and all aspects of global learning and internationalization.

Creation of the Center for Global Learning was a key element of the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) 2009-2014, a major component of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaffirmation of accreditation process. In that process, a college must submit a plan that has potential to have substantive and lasting effect upon students and learning. Austin College faculty chose “The GLOBE Program” as its QEP. Mike Imhoff, vice president for Academic Affairs, announced selection of Cates as the center’s director in April. “To really be effective, the director has to interface with the faculty and students of Austin College, understand our programs and culture, and be knowledgeable about international education,” said Imhoff. “Truett is exceptionally well positioned for this and brings a tremendous range of qualifications that should make him very effective in this role.”

Cates said the reaction among the campus community to Austin College’s QEP, its focus on internationalization, and his selection as director of the CGL has been very positive. “One of the things that has been most impressive to me is how many different people across campus have come up and said something nice to me, not just colleagues in the faculty I’ve known for years, but new faculty, staff, and people who you’d never really associate with being interested in curriculum,” Cates said. “I even had a janitor congratulate me. It’s a real College effort.”

Cates joined the Austin College faculty in 1979 and has served in numerous roles, including professor of German, director of study abroad, director of January Term, chair of the Faculty Executive Committee, and soccer coach. The fall 2009 term will be the first in his 30 years at the College, excluding sabbaticals, to have no teaching duties — something he expects to miss.

Though Cates has had some administrative duties in the past, he admits some philosophies about administration that he held as a faculty member may have to be re-evaluated. “Most of my career, I said anybody who wanted to be an administrator should not be allowed to be one, but I did apply for this job so I can’t really say that anymore,” he said.

His experience in languages and study abroad as well as his passion for spreading the reach of global awareness and internationalization throughout campus motivated him to seek this new role. “This is a challenge I’m happy to accept,” Cates said. “I’ve been so involved with thinking about the future of these programs in the last couple of years that it seems natural to continue to do that.” 

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What is the Center for Global Learning?

“The centerpiece of the GLOBE program will be the Center for Global Learning (CGL) — a clearinghouse for information about all programs including study abroad, internships, international January Term courses, and summer opportunities. The CGL will provide resources for the ‘unpacking’ of experiences of students who have participated in off-campus study or internships; develop and coordinate contacts and resources in the local and regional community; and work with trustees, faculty, and staff who can provide advice and assistance for students who are planning international experiences.”

~ Austin College Quality Enhancement Plan 2009– 2014

The Austin College Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) 2009 – 2014 called for the establishment of a Center for Global Learning (CGL) as the main feature of the GLOBE Program to improve international cultural awareness for all Austin College students.

While the CGL provides an infrastructure for many GLOBE Program initiatives and will administer and house study abroad and travel January Term programs, the center will serve as an internationalization headquarters on campus for other programs with international elements, such as the Global Outreach (GO) Fellowship Program, Vocational Internship Program (VIP), and international Career Study Off- Campus (CSOC) opportunities. The center will become a resource for travel logistics, country and cultural destination information, and international knowledge for interested students and faculty.

The center officially begins operation in July, headquartered in the Robert J. and Mary Wright Campus Center.

Editor’s Note: A closer look at the goals and elements of the GLOBE Program is planned for the September 2009 issue of Austin College Magazine.

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Donors and Scholars Meet

om Hall ’78, a Fort Worth attorney, spoke at the Austin College Evening with Your Scholar event in Irving, Texas, on April 3, about the impact of his Austin College experience — and why he and his wife, Lisa, fund scholarships at the College today. The annual event brings together students who receive scholarships and the donors who make those scholarships possible.

Hall owns the firm of Hall & Heygood in Fort Worth, Texas, and is board certified in personal injury trial law. A member of the Texas Board of Legal Specialists, he is vice president of the Board of Trustees of Texas Tech School of Law and previously served as director of Tarrant County Trial Lawyers. Hall also serves on the Austin College Board of Trustees.

Monica Martinez ’09 spoke at the event on behalf of scholarship recipients, thanking donors for the benefits of their investment in the lives of students. “Students here are continually challenged, not only in the classroom but also outside of it,” she said. “I have walked the roads of Timbuktu, wandered the halls of the Hagia Sophia in Turkey, climbed an active volcano in Guatemala, and stood at the top of the tallest building in the world in Taiwan. And, these are just a few of my experiences! My fellow students have similar experiences. Austin College students have traveled the globe, leaving their footprints in places as close as Louisiana for Alternative Spring Break trips as well as places as far away as Timbuktu for January Term. All of these cultural experiences opened up worlds that textbooks could not begin to convey.”

Marcus and Betty Tappan Payne of Waxahachie, Texas, both 1958 alumni of Austin College and scholarship donors themselves, were underwriters of the April event, as they have been for the past five years.

Caption: Maleeha Aktar ’09 poses with Marcus and Betty Tappan Payne. Maleeha enrolls this fall in the Boston University School of Public Health, which joins a master’s degree with 27 months of field experience in the U.S. Peace Corps.

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Austin College Gives Distinguished Alumni, Service Awards

Austin College honored four alumni — and a surprise honorary recipient — with Distinguished Alumni Awards, and the parents of a recent graduate received the College’s Clemons Award during an awards program on March 6.

Distinguished Alumni

Donald M. Gibson ’75 of Houston, Texas; chief medical officer at Memorial Hermann Hospital and a nationally recognized leader in the field of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, having performed more than 2,000 such cases; Rebecca Russell Sykes ’67 of Dallas, Texas; executive director for the Dallas Women’s Foundation, an organization that promotes women’s philanthropy; Barbara Smith Hensley ’70 of Shakopee, Minnesota; founder of Hope Chest for Breast Cancer and foundation chair and CEO of Hope Chest Franchising; William O. Walker, Jr., ’53 of San Antonio, Texas; a member of the religion faculty at Trinity University for more than 40 years until his retirement in 2002; Anna Laura Page, honorary recipient, first lady of Austin College.

Distinguished Alumni awards honor those graduates who have distinguished themselves in their profession and in their communities, exemplifying leadership and ethical standards in their interactions. Honorees model the accomplishment, spirit of service, and broadened perspective fostered by the Austin College educational experience and offer inspiration to all Austin College community members, providing support of and advocacy for the College and its mission.

Clemons Award Honorees

Ken and Debbie Worden of Richardson, Texas, received the Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer Service Award. The parents of Ross Worden ’06, Ken and Debbie have been very involved in the Austin College Parent and Family Council during their son’s years at the College and beyond. They served as co-chairs of the council in 2006 and continue to act as hosts and panelists at many events for prospective students and their families.

The Clemons Award is given to alumni and friends of the College in honor of continued service and commitment to Austin College. The award is named in honor of Heywood C. Clemons of Fort Worth, Texas, who served as chair of the Austin College Board of Trustees for 16 years.

Distinguished Alumni honorees, left to right, are Rebecca Russell Sykes, Anna Laura Page, Donald M. Gibson, William O. Walker, and Barbara Smith Hensley.

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Each spring as the academic year ends, seniors particularly are aware of bittersweet “lasts”— the last class, the last final, the last weekend as a college student, the last sports event, the last days of “freedom” before the “real world” begins.

This year, the campus community experienced other “lasts” with sadness and anticipation as the end of the presidency of Oscar C. Page and first lady Anna Laura Page approaches. Many celebrations of caring and gratitude were arranged by students, staff, faculty, and friends to honor the Pages.

Thankfully, no last goodbyes are called for as the Pages will continue to live in Sherman and remain involved in the life of the College. So, final farewells became “until then,” taking a bit of the sting from the series of last events.

A fiesta gala honoring the Pages was held during the May 29-30 Board of Trustees meeting. Filled with much laughter, some tears, a bit of frivolity, and many good wishes from friends and colleagues, it was a night long to be remembered. In addition to warm wishes from Henry Winkler and President Barack Obama, the event included legislative proclamations; words from TIAA-CREF, the Presbyterian Church, and higher education representatives; and reminiscences from several friends and trustees. In addition, a tartan was unveiled, certified by The Scottish Registry of Tartan, as the Page Tartan, which is designated the official tartan of Austin College.

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Class of 2009 Graduates Celebrate Commencement

After several days of rain, the skies turned blue and clear on May 17 for Commencement ceremonies of the 160th academic year of Austin College. For the first time in years, the morning temperature was a little chilly as College marshal George Diggs led graduates and faculty to the Clyde L. Hall Graduation Court. More than 320 graduates received Bachelor of Arts degrees and an additional 23 students were granted the Master of Arts in Teaching.

The 2009 Commencement address was presented by Austin College President Oscar C. Page. (Read his speech) Parth Shah was selected by his classmates to serve as senior speaker at Commencement.

An honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was granted to Karl Travis, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Texas, who presented the Baccalaureate sermon on May 16.

Members of the Class of 1959 were on campus throughout the weekend for 50-year reunion activities and were recognized during the Commencement ceremonies. (See the photo)

Seniors Britain Bruner, Clayton Travis, Michael Gill, Kelby Archer, and Justin Light prepare for the Baccalaureate procession.

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Williams Executive-in-Residence Lecture Set

The 2009 Williams Executive-in-Residence lecture is scheduled for September 17, featuring Kirk Rimer, a managing director of Goldman Sachs and the Southwest regional manager for the Private Wealth Management Division, which manages more than $15 billion. He will present “The Global Investment Landscape: Then and Now” at 11:30 a.m. in Mabee Hall of Wright Campus Center.

Before and after the lecture, several business alumni will offer a panel presentation and breakout groups for career planning advice for students.

This lecture was funded by gifts from Abby and Todd Williams ’82 as a means to mentor students. Todd said he benefitted greatly from the assistance of his mentors, and he hopes to provide this benefit to others.

More information about the lecture will be available on the Austin College Web site as schedules are finalized. David Griffith, associate professor of business administration, is coordinating the event.

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Alumna Illustrates the Changing Seasons

A mural of Texas wild flowers and grasses of the four seasons, painted by Austin College alumna Julie Lobrecht Crownover ’98, was installed in the Howard McCarley Pavilion at the Austin College Clinton and Edith Sneed Environmental Research Area and Prairie Restoration in April. The artist prepared the mural off-site then installed the completed painting along the top of the pavilion wall.

“Not only is this a fantastic painting but it will have tremendous educational value for learning about the local ecosystem and its species,” said Peter Schulze, director of the Austin College Center for Environmental Studies and professor of biology and environmental science. “Most of the particular plant species are clearly identifiable on the mural.”

Crownover, who earned a degree in biology with minors in art and environmental studies, lives in Garland, Texas, and has been painting in pastels for more than 20 years. She is an award-winning pastelist and a member of the Southwest Pastel Society. “In my own art, I use light and color to bring out beauty in everyday life, whether that is a trail I have hiked 100 times or my son hanging laundry on a line,” Crownover said. “In that way, I use my art as a reminder of where to find beauty all around us, and to slow down in our daily lives so that we may see it.”

Austin College’s 100-acre Sneed Environmental Research Center serves as a site for biology and environmental studies courses and research, as well as a tall-grass prairie restoration project. Since 1996, course participants and student volunteers have worked with the members of the Environmental Studies Program and the Biology Department to restore native vegetation to the site. To date, hundreds of Austin College students have worked and studied at the Sneed Area and thousands of children have toured the site.

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October History Symposium Will Focus on “Mr. Sam”

U.S. Congressman Sam Rayburn, who represented the fourth U.S. Congressional District for half a century, will be a focus of an October symposium hosted by the Austin College Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies. The statewide conference on the history of Texas political leadership also will analyze the nature of Texas political leadership during the 20th century.

The symposium, co-sponsored by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History of University of Texas at Austin, will include events in Bonham, Texas, at the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, which is operated by the Briscoe Center.

Campus events will be held October 1 with an 11 a.m. keynote lecture by Robert Remini, official historian of the U.S. House of Representatives, in Hoxie Thompson Auditorium of Sherman Hall. Presentations later that day will feature noted political historians Patrick Cox, Kenneth Hendrickson, and Michael Collins.

For additional information and event schedules as they become available, check the News & Events section of the Austin College Web site or email Susan Storan, regional studies secretary.

Sam Rayburn and members of the Texas Delegation at the Democratic National Convention in 1956. Photo Courtesy of Sam Rayburn Papers, University of Texas, Briscoe Center for American History.

News Briefs

Speakers Offer Views on Political Parties

Political science students had opportunity this spring to learn more about the status and role of political parties. The Political Science Department and Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, sponsored the visits of James W. Walker ’82 and Roger Sanders. Walker is a principal in the Walker Sewell law firm of Dallas, a member of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, and previously served as general counsel of the Republican Party of Texas. Sanders is a Sherman attorney and former Democratic Texas legislator.

Scholar Presents Lecture on Evolution of Whales

Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Philip Gingerich presented “The Evolution of Whales: A Profound Transition from Land to Sea” on campus March 5. He is the Ermine Cowles Case Collegiate Professor of Paleontology at the University of Michigan, where he also teaches in the departments of biology, anthropology, and geological sciences.

Theatre Students Present Ordinary People

The Austin College Communication Studies Department presented the dramatic production Ordinary People March 5-7 on campus, directed by Joel Torres ’09. The play is based on Judith Guest’s 1976 novel Ordinary People, which was made into a 1980 Academy Award-winning film.

Cast members included Shane Gannaway ’10, Paul Frederick ’10, Christiana Bay ’11 Austin Tooley ’09, Tayyar Unal ’10, Elizabeth Webb ’10, Joshua Gilbreath ’09, Taylor Browne ’11, and Averie Bell ’09.

Law Symposium Focuses on Earl Warren Court

Austin College’s 2009 Law Symposium, held March 27, “Earl Warren: The Man and His Court,” offered a 40-year retrospective on the Warren Court, which some historians may assess as the modern court’s greatest era. Some of the nation’s leading Warren scholars spoke at the event, including Professor Lucas A. Powe Jr., author of The Warren Court and American Politics; Jim Newton, author of Justice For All: Earl Warren Court and the Nation He Made; University of Alabama Bainbridge Professor of Law Pamela H. Bucy ’75; James George, Austin media law attorney and former clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall; Austin attorney Shannon Ratliff, former clerk to Justice Tom C. Clark; D’Army Bailey, a Tennessee judge; and Brian Serr, a member of the Baylor Law School faculty and former clerk to John H. Brown.
 

Alumna Discusses the Aftermath of Violence

Vanessa Noël Brown ’00, who works with Freedom House in Washington, D.C., returned to campus March 30 to present the lecture “In the Aftermath of Mass Violence: Conflict Transition in Bosnia-Herzegovina.”

Freedom House is an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world through analysis, advocacy, and action. During her visit, Brown also spoke with students about careers in social justice and international development. The lecture was sponsored the Austin College history and political science departments and the 2008-2010 Mobley Scholars Project.

Rethinking the Western: Examining the Lone Ranger and Tonto

Professor Chadwick Allen, associate professor of English at the Ohio State University, visited campus April 6 to present the lecture “Tonto as Aural Indian: Rethinking the Western through The Lone Ranger Radio Show.” The  visit was sponsored by the American Studies Program with support from the Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies.

Professor Allen’s talk focused on his most recent research on radio Westerns of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He is one of the first scholars in the field of western literary studies to examine the medium of radio Westerns and their impact on constructing a national sense of what it has meant to be American.

Asia Week Features Author of The Chopsticks-Fork Principle

A lecture by Cathy Bao Bean, author of The Chopsticks-Fork Principle, A Memoir and Manual, highlighted the annual Asia Week program on campus in early April. A philosopher, writer, and educational consultant, Bao Bean has presented a wide range of programs throughout the United States on her own quest to learn “how to make the ‘foreign’ more familiar and the ordinary and extraordinary into each other.” Her book, The Chopsticks-Fork Principle, is a humorous but poignant memoir, recounting her experiences as a Chinese immigrant growing up in the United States. She uses the story of her own immigrant experience to explain how to reconcile the expectations of families and society.

Lecture Examines Lost World of Gratitude

Ted Harpham of the University of Texas at Dallas visited campus April 9 to present the 2009 Austin College Will Mann Richardson Lecture, “Adam Smith’s Lost World of Gratitude.” Harpham, associate dean of undergraduate education and the director of Collegium V, UTD’s honors program, teaches in the government and political economy programs at UTD. He is the author and editor of seven books and numerous articles in political science in the fields of political theory, American government, and public policy.

The Will Mann Richardson Lectureships were endowed by gifts from Will Mann Richardson and his wife, Gertrude Anne Windsor Richardson; his mother-in-law, Gertrude Buckley Windsor; and his children, William Windsor Richardson, John Marshall Richardson, Gertrude Windsor Richardson, and James Windsor Richardson. The series brings outstanding individuals to the campus to discuss pertinent issues in economics and banking, law, and government.

Wolfgang Kubin Discusses Chinese Language and Literature

Wolfgang Kubin, renowned scholar on Chinese language and literature from the University of Bonn in Germany, presented an April 9 lecture, “From Theology to Sinology, from Germany to China,” that highlighted his experiences as scholar, translator, and writer.

“Dr. Kubin is the most controversial, yet probably the most beloved sinologist, in China,” said Anne Xu, assistant professor of Chinese at Austin College. “His view that contemporary Chinese literature, in contrast to classic and modern Chinese literature — which he studied and published on voluminously over the past 40 years — is in a deplorable state is known to virtually everyone in the Chinese literary scene. His strong views have made him many enemies as well as friends.”

Brigadier General Speaks on Ethical Leadership

Howard Prince, director of the Lyndon B. Johnson School’s Center for Ethical Leadership and retired brigadier general of the U.S. Army, spoke on ethical leadership on April 14 for the Posey Leadership Forum. “His commentary was about the leader’s journey, how personal values and circumstances dictate the decisions you make, and ethical leadership in terms of understanding what the right thing to do is and having the fortitude to do it,” said Pete DeLisle, director of the Posey Leadership Institute.

Prince, whose experience as a leader began as an infantry officer in the 1960s during Vietnam, has been involved in laying the groundwork for formal leadership programs, the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and as founding dean and professor in the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies, the first undergraduate leadership degree program in the world.

Annual AIDS Quilt Program Includes Fundraiser

The annual ACCARES Spring AIDS Quilt program was held April 20 with local AIDS quilts on display. Roger Platizky, professor of English and event organizer, said the program included poetry readings, prayers in various languages, and discussions about some of the issues surrounding AIDS, as well as tributes and remembrances of those who have died from the disease. All proceeds from the evening’s raffle sales were sent to the Simbaradenga Children’s AIDS Orphanage in Zimbabwe, Africa. ACCARES sponsors this orphanage with the Callie Clinic of Sherman.

Music Department Offers Full Schedule of Spring Events

The Austin College Department of Music presented the Chamber Ensemble and Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble annual spring concert April 20, with the chamber portion featuring an arrangement by director Ricky Duhaime of “Antique Dances and Airs,” by the modern Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. Duhaime also completed an original arrangement for the 20-piece big band Jazz Ensemble.

The annual Spring Choir Concert on April 26 included a wide variety of music styles performed by the A Cappella Choir, the Austin College Chorale, the Consort, Descant, and the Quartette. The choral groups at Austin College are directed by Wayne Crannell, associate professor of music, and Sylvia Rivers, adjunct instructor in music.

The Concert Band also presented an April performance of orchestral music. As written by prestigious band  composers and arrangers, said Bob Archer, director. The concert included three solo pieces, “Mr. Nice Guy” featuring Joel Ingrim ’10 on bass trombone; “Dreamsong” featuring John McGinn, assistant professor of music, on piano; and “Gemeinhardt Suite,” featuring Katelyn Peterson ’10 on flute.

The Sherman Symphony Orchestra, directed by Daniel Dominick, presented a concert May 5. The concert, which honored Oscar and Anna Laura Page, included performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and featured Dominick on piano and guest conductor Wayne Crannell.

Theatre Students Perform Peer Gynt

Austin College theatre students presented Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt April 23-25 in the Beardsley Arena Theatre of Ida Green Communication Center. Kirk Everist, assistant professor of communication studies, directed the production of what originally was written as a lengthy fantasy poem, then adapted for the stage by Ibsen in 1876. Everist adapted the script from seven variant translations.

Everist said that Peer Gynt (pronounced pear gihnt) follows the fantastic life of a storyteller so adept at changing himself to fit the moment that he loses all sense of identity, and spends his life running away from his calling. “Peer’s tale becomes a remarkable conundrum in which to contemplate the power we exert over ourselves through stories — and the ominous extent to which we can ignore the importance of our stories for each other.”

Greg Hernandez ’09 played the title role as Peer Gynt.

Lowe Lectures Include “A Narrative for Peace and Justice”

The Austin College Lowe Lectures for 2009 featured Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the first American university to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain. He visited Austin College April 28 to join Austin College chaplain John Williams ’84 in the forum “A Narrative for Peace and Justice.” Hendi also spoke with students in a second session, “Loving Your Neighbors as Yourself.”

Hendi said he believes Jews, Christians, and Muslims must celebrate their differences and rejoice for their similarities, and that the ability to engage each other in healthy relationships does not mean to compromise the values of one another. He said he believes that all the religions of the world have to peacefully coexist and share the resources of the earth.

Gender Studies Program Offers Lecture

The Austin College Gender Studies program sponsored the presentation “Tools of War: Sexualizing Violence, Constructing Gender, Imaging Power” by Davina Lopez on April 30. Lopez is assistant professor of religious studies and coordinator of Women’s and Gender Studies at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Todd Penner, associate professor of religious studies and director of gender studies at Austin College, said Lopez’s interactive multimedia presentation explored ways in which ideologies of war and violence are enforced by gendered and sexualized language, innuendo, and imagery, as well as how paradigms of gender and sexuality are managed by the use of violence, intimidation, and domination.

Aussie Dance Team Presents Spring Show

The Austin College dance team, the Aussies, held its annual Spring Show May 1. The show included a variety of dance styles, choreographed and performed by the Aussies, as well as skits and presentations by the Joeys, a group of male students who joined in the opening and closing numbers. Elise Koestner ’10 served as announcer for the evening.

Sarah Campion ’10, captain, leads the team, assisted by lieutenants Kaleigh Kelley ’10 and Divya Mallela ’11.

Emily Austin Is Subject of New Book, Film

Austin College History Professor Light Cummins and student film-maker Austin Tooley ’09 presented projects on the life of Emily Austin, sister of Stephen F. Austin, on May 7.

Cummins, Guy M. Bryan, Jr., Chair of American History, has written a biography of Emily Austin, who became one of the most prominent women in pre-Civil War Texas and an astute businesswoman. The book, Emily Austin of Texas, 1795-1851, was published in April by the TCU Press as part of its Texas Biography Series.

Emily, the daughter of Moses Austin and the sister of Stephen F. Austin, gave the Reverend Daniel Baker the first financial donation to what would become Austin College in memory of her brother Stephen.

Based upon Cummins’ book and his own interviews with historians and Austin family descendants, Tooley produced a 30-minute documentary film, Emily Austin: Sister to an Empire. Much of the footage was shot at the historic Peach Point Plantation and other locations associated with the life of Emily Austin. The film was undertaken as Tooley’s senior honors project and was sponsored by the Erwin E. Smith Foundation and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

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Homer P. Rainey Awards Honor Service

Sheryl Bradshaw, director of finance, and Howard Starr, professor of psychology, were honored with the Austin College Homer P. Rainey Award at the annual Honors Convocation in April.

The Board of Trustees established the Homer P. Rainey Award in 1975 to be presented each year to a member of the faculty or staff for outstanding achievement and service to Austin College. Occasionally, two awards are given as deemed appropriate by the board.

Bradshaw began her employment at Austin College in December 1986 as College comptroller. She became director of finance in 1999, continuing her work within the Business Affairs Division. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Southern Florida.

“During her tenure at Austin College, Sheryl has worked tirelessly to manage the College’s business using sound fiscal judgment and has endeavored to motivate those around her to do the same,” said Austin College President Oscar C. Page in announcing the award. “She demonstrates professionalism and determination in her daily tasks, ever mindful of the larger picture, while always keeping the proper perspective on the challenging demands of the College.”

Starr joined the Austin College community in 1964, and has served as professor of psychology, dean of Social Sciences, dean of educational development, chair of the Department of Psychology and Sociology, and vice president of College Relations.

Starr holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas, a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University, and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M at Commerce. He is certified as a licensed professional counselor in the state of Texas and is certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis as a clinical hypnosis. He is actively involved in Home Hospice of Grayson County, an agency he helped to found in the 1980s.

Homer P. Rainey was a 1919 graduate of Austin College, who returned to teach at the College for four years before leaving to earn his doctorate at the University of Chicago. He later taught at the University of Oregon and from 1928 to 1952, held presidencies at Franklin College of Indiana, Bucknell University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas, and Stephens College of Missouri. From 1956 until his retirement, Rainey was professor of higher education at the University of Colorado.

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June 2009  

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Students Shave Heads to Raise Funds for Childhood Cancer Research

Austin College Rotaract members and several students and coaches joined forces in April to raise almost $2,000 through online and campus donations for cancer research. Three student-coach teams agreed that the team members who raised the most in donations would shave their heads. Carolyn Stone ’11, event organizer for Rotaract, and women’s softball coach Edie Fletcher raised the most, though the student-athletes from the other teams, Neal Spradlin ’10 and Ronal Rivera ’11, still shaved their heads in support. Several other students also shaved their heads for the cause.

“Shaving my head for cancer is something that I have been thinking about for a very long time, and bringing St. Baldrick’s Day to Austin College is something that I’d been telling my friends about since my freshman year,” said Stone, a Rotaract officer and softball team member.

Proceeds from the fundraiser went to the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which coordinates worldwide head-shaving events that raise money to support childhood cancer research. St. Baldrick’s, a fusion of “St. Patrick’s Day” and “bald,” began in 2000 when three executives from New York City turned their annual St. Patrick’s Day party into a fundraiser, shaving their heads in solidarity with children with cancer. 

Already Rotaract members are planning for a repeat event during the next academic year.

Neal Spradlin, Dallas Key, Carolyn Stone, and Ronal Rivera, left to right, were four of 10 “shavees” for the cause of cancer research. Campus donations totaled $483.50 and approximately $1,500 was donated online through the St. Baldrick’s site.

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