August 2023

New academic year elicits excitement, energy

Dear Friends,

There is an unmistakable energy that accompanies each new academic year, and that has certainly been evident this fall semester, which began last week. While our official enrollment has yet to be calculated, we are expecting our largest first-time-in-college class for the second year in a row. This is news that is bound to energize the campus and everyone who cares about education. Despite reported waning public trust in higher education, a recent study by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation demonstrates – unequivocally – how transformative a college education can be, not just for financial and social mobility, but for a host of other reasons. Among the study’s more compelling findings were that college graduates have better health, are more civically engaged and tend to have jobs that favorably align with their skills and interests. With that confirmation, I am most pleased to know that Texas Woman’s is helping students achieve their dreams and making the world a better place.

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Activities abound in first week back

In a span of one week, the university welcomed back faculty and staff at Fall Assembly, where faculty leaders outlined our strategic initiatives for building an even stronger university community over the next five years; held a four-day Pioneer Camp to instill university pride in our first-time students; trudged through baking heat during Move-In to get students situated in their residence halls; and held our university-wide Block Party to kick off the school year with a festive spirit. These activities collectively account for a colossal volunteer effort, but demonstrate the strong sense of community and camaraderie in which faculty, staff and students operate.

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Ceremony set for new health sciences center, comprehensive campaign launch

A major focus over the next two years will be the addition of a new $107 million, 136,000-square-foot health sciences center that will significantly expand our health-related initiatives, spanning all five of our colleges. This project will establish the university as a major health care center that will profoundly impact rural health and telehealth initiatives in North Texas. The new building will be built adjacent to Parliament Village and will be the university’s largest academic facility. It will include state-of-the-art labs, classrooms, clinics, collaborative workspaces and a teaching kitchen. We break ground on the new building during a special ceremony on Sept. 15. During this event, the university also will officially launch the public phase of the $125 million "Dream Big" comprehensive fundraising campaign, which supports the university’s continued growth and leadership development.

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Grants to fuel innovation in space travel, teaching

As further evidence that Texas Woman’s is continually engaged in innovative activities, the university recently announced two major grants that will give our students extraordinary opportunities to impact teaching and science. One is a $900,000, three-year grant from NASA that was awarded to a partnership between Texas Woman’s and UNT to support critical spaceflight research and prepare a new generation of students for careers in the nation’s science, technology, engineering and math-related workforce. The other is a $500,000 grant from the Houston Independent School District to steer 95 teaching assistants toward bachelor’s degrees and teaching certificates as a part of a dynamic, grow-your-own initiative that helps train educators from within the Houston ISD’s own community. The teachers produced from this program will be placed in high-need teaching areas such as early childhood, special and bilingual education.

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TWU Modernists’ art featured at Dallas gallery

In the art world, the influences of a few can often have an enduring impact on the many. That was the case with artists Carlotta Corpron, Margaret Hicks and Edith Brisac, all of whom were students or teachers at Texas Woman’s University in the mid-1900s and were masters of Modernism. Their photographs and paintings are part of an exhibit titled “Denton Modernism: 1940-1980,” which runs through Oct. 7 at the Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery in Dallas. The exhibit is a remarkable collection of works by various Denton artists who studied under the tutelage of some of the greatest Modernists in history, and whose works themselves went on to inspire future students of Modernism. We are very proud that some of these amazing artists have an important connection to Texas Woman’s.

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Lastly, I leave you with this picture of several leaders of our university’s Health and Wellbeing Initiative, which focuses on whole-person development of our students through a series of programs. They were among thousands that took part in last month’s Block Party. This initiative is another example of the community we have created at Texas Woman’s to keep our people healthy and thriving.

As always, email me with your comments or questions. I am delighted that you have spent a few minutes with me today.

Warm Regards,

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.

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Page last updated 10:56 AM, April 15, 2024