March 2023

Traditions and community service flourish as we enter spring

Dear Friends,

Even as we prepare for homecoming and our busiest time of the year, it is heartening to know there are people in the Texas Woman’s sphere slowing down to improve the quality of life for people in our community. The university is rich with outreach efforts, and I am pleased to share with you a couple of ways Texas Woman's is making a positive impact on Texans.

Dental clinic, grief choir improve wellbeing for children, adults

On March 25, Texas Woman’s Dental Hygiene program partnered with UNT’s Health Science Center at Fort Worth for the Giving Kids a Smile event, which provides free oral care services to area children. This year, 46 children from ages 5 to 17 were scheduled for dental cleanings and related services, and roughly 150 area children have now been served by this program since its 2019 inception. During the event, UNT’s Health Science Center provided free HPV vaccinations to children from 9 to 17. Research has shown a connection between HPV and oral cancers.

On each Thursday through April 27, students and faculty in the music therapy department have been holding “grief choir” sessions, which help grieving North Texans overcome loss through music. The participants can sing along with the choir or simply listen during the hour-long music sessions. The grief choir, led by music therapy faculty member Lauren DiMaio, PhD, is believed to be the only one in Texas and individuals who have participated in the sessions have offered extraordinarily positive feedback.

Stroke Center director receives national award

And speaking of strong impact, I am excited to report that Dr. Jyutika Mehta, a Texas Woman’s communication sciences professor and director of the Stroke Center - Dallas, received the Kenneth Viste, Jr., MD Memorial Lectureship Award at the 2023 American Society of Neurorehabilitation (ASNR) annual meeting on March 15. The award is presented to those who support neurorehabilitation, engage in clinical and educational work and raise awareness of the importance of neurorehabilitation. Mehta’s research focuses on speech, language and cognitive representation in typical and disordered brains across the lifespan, and she has authored more than 100 presentations and publications at state, national and international forums.

Women composers featured in Wind Symphony’s first-ever recording

I am pleased to share that the Texas Woman’s University Wind Symphony has produced its first-ever recording, Walking on Shattered Glass, a nine-track album featuring the works of eight women composers. The project, which is believed to be the first album by any of Texas Woman’s large ensembles and the first in decades by any TWU school band, has been in the works since 2018. Thanks to funding from the Jane Nelson Institute for Women's Leadership, the project finally got off the ground after pandemic-related challenges finally abated. I was pleased to attend a recent celebration of the impending release of the album.

Dance organization co-founded by alumna receives Medal of Arts honor

Major congratulations are in order for Texas Woman’s alumna Annie Williams, MA ’68, one of five women who co-founded the International Association of Blacks in Dance. The organization was among several groups and individuals receiving the National Medal of Arts in a White House celebration on March 21. President Joe Biden honored several recipients of the award – the nation’s highest for advancing the arts in America. Williams was in elite company at the celebration, which included fellow winners Bruce Springsteen, Gladys Knight, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Vera Wang and Jose Feliciano. The association supports Black dancers around the world with scholarships and networking resources.

Lastly, I leave you with this photo of some Texas Woman’s faculty who were in Belgium during spring break to attend the Association for Psychological Science’s international convention. I just happened to be there visiting family. It is a small world after all.

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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Texas Woman’s is the nation’s largest university primarily for women.

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Page last updated 11:56 AM, May 3, 2023