April 2019

"High Fives" all around!

Dear Friends:

Every April we celebrate excellence from an impact perspective. Here are a few outstanding examples of people who more than fit the bill!

True to our mantra of "Boldly Go," I begin with a story of one of our recent pioneering graduates, Roxanne Vogel, who earned a 2017 master’s degree in exercise and sports nutrition. In May, she and a guide will climb Mt. Everest with a "lightning ascent" goal of two weeks—which is less than 75% of the time an average climb requires. Roxanne already has scaled five of the seven tallest mountains in the world. She will use science to help pre-acclimatize to the thin mountain air while living at sea level, and at the same time gather novel biometric research through advanced wearable technology currently used in space. Please join us in watching her progress and cheering her on via her employer’s blog and via Instagram, @roxymtngirl and @guenergylabs.

Roxanne Vogel getting ready to scale Everest

Frisco RoughRiders ask TWU to host Autism Awareness event

TWU Occupational Therapy students helped at the RoughRiders Autism Awareness Night

I’d like to give a special thank you to the Frisco RoughRiders baseball team for its first-ever Autism Awareness Night. In recognition of April as Occupational Therapy month, the RoughRiders provided special spaces during their game with the Midland RockHounds for our occupational therapy and sport management faculty and students to help children with autism and their families enjoy the game. The event was a home run!

Proud to build Texas economic vitality

an infographic outlining the impact of every dollar invested in Texas Woman's University

A nationally recognized labor market analytics company recently estimated the impact of TWU’s three campuses (Denton, Dallas and Houston) on the economy of the Lone Star State. I’m pleased to say that in addition to educating more than 17,000 students annually, employing nearly 2,200 employees (as Denton County’s fourth-largest employer), our value to the state’s economy exceeds $1.8 billion.

Those who contribute the most to this economic impact ($1.6 billion of the total!) are our Texas alumni—nearly 80% of our global network of about 100,000. I want to send a special shout-out to Denton residents and our campus colleagues who welcomed our alumni during Homecoming this month.

Our music therapy program attracts top senior from Fort Worth private school

One of my favorite annual spring rituals is a surprise visit to a high school with an academically outstanding senior to award a full-ride scholarship to TWU. This month I awarded the scholarship to Celia Nowlin, the top senior at All Saints’ Episcopal School, and I look forward to mentoring and supporting her when she joins us this fall. Celia, who earned a perfect score on the SAT math section, was drawn to our historic music therapy program because it blends two of her passions: music and psychology.

PepsiCo features TWU student in global video

Jaisha Haynes is recorded by Pepsi Co. in the TWU library

PepsiCo sent a film crew to our Denton campus this month to interview Jaisha Haynes (a senior studying business and health sciences), who is a recipient of the Children of Fallen Patriots scholarship, which PepsiCo supports. The company filmed Haynes, who also participated in the NFL’s Tragedy Assistance Program for survivors in New York, and one of its truck drivers (also with the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation) in the Dallas area. The PepsiCo-supported Rolling Remembrance global campaign, which benefits the Children of Fallen Patriots, launched this month.

Faculty recognized for outstanding work with students, community

3 students test air quality on Bell Ave. with their instructor

Among the 12 faculty recognized this month for outstanding teaching were two who have forged strong ties between our students and the community. Thanks to someone many of you know—Professor Don Edwards, chair of our mathematics and computer science department—nearly 20,000 North Texas grade school students (most of them girls!) put their math and physics skills to the test in our annual "Edible Car" contests (for 21 years!) and science fairs (for 30 years!). With his retirement this summer, this week we are dedicating our Mathematics & Technology Success Center in his name.

In addition, Professor Richard Sheardy, chemistry/biochemistry department chair, received our top Cornaro Award. Last year he and his colleagues received the national William E. Bennett Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Citizen Science. In this photo his colleague Gustavo Salazar, Ph.D. and students, as part of our first environmental chemistry class, are testing air for harmful pollutants.

Do some pain disorders affect women more?

TWU biology senior Hanna McDonald discusses her finding at the Undergraduate Research Day at the Texas Capital in Austin

We often hear that women have a "higher pain tolerance," but our biology senior Hanna McDonald participated in this month’s Undergraduate Research Day at the Texas Capitol in Austin and discussed findings that suggest some pain disorders such as migraines and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disproportionately affect women. In all, 59 higher education institutions participated in the event highlighting how undergraduate research affects Texas and its residents.

LATEST NEWS

Texas Woman’s University officials today announced the creation of a new center to help students manage their finances and have appointed Chalese Connors to lead the strategic effort. Connors has served the university for more than two decades, including the past 18 years as director of athletics. In her new role, she will be charged with building a center that will educate students about financial literacy and student loan debt.