Category: Education

Tarleton State University recently received the final gift of $300,000 from the estate of the late provost Dr. Robert C. “Bob” Fain to provide scholarships for students planning to teach secondary mathematics or chemistry.

Fain created the endowment in 1990 in honor of his wife, Patricia, who devoted her entire professional life to teaching math, including 25 years at Stephenville High School, a press release stated.

“We sincerely appreciate the generosity of the late Dr. Bob and Pat Fain and their philanthropic commitment,” stated Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio in the release.“Their gift provides a direct and lasting impact on our students and leaves a legacy for future generations.”

Fain joined Tarleton’s Department of Physical Sciences in 1966 as an associate professor. He became head of the department in 1968 and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in 1970.

He was named dean of academic affairs in 1979 and the university’s provost and vice president of academic affairs in 1980. When he returned to the classroom 16 years later, his stint as university provost and vice president of academic affairs was the second-longest in the nation.

During Fain’s service as provost, Tarleton developed policies on academic admission and retention and created current procedures for faculty promotion and tenure. He served under three university presidents and saw student enrollment more than triple.

Fain fully retired from Tarleton in 2003 and died Aug. 6, 2016, at age 79.

Scholarships are awarded annually to students majoring in math or chemistry with plans to teach at the secondary level. Students receive part of the scholarship during their freshman year and part upon completion of their first semester in the teacher education program.

Recipients of the scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA and the potential to be certified in math or chemistry.

Six teams of local celebrities took to the dance floor to help raise $58,000 in scholarship money for Montague County students to attend North Central Texas College.

The Rotary Club of Bowie and the North Central Texas College Montague County Foundation teamed up to host the 3^rd Annual Dancing to the Stars Competition, modeled after the popular television program “Dancing With the Stars.”

The sold-out event Nov. 4 at Bowie Community Center attracted 400 people, a NCTC press release stated.

Area celebrities and dancers included Michael Daily and partner Jill Hunt; NCTC dual-credit student Baxter Swint and partner Cade Ellis; Michelle Fenoglio and partner Jayson Toerck; NCTC instructor Belinda Anderson and her husband, Arn; Kent and Amy Stagg; and Alan and Tammie Miller.

Votes were cast for the best dancers in the form of donations. The duo that raised the most money through votes was the Millers with the western swing routine. The winners were presented the Mirror Ball Trophy.

Dancers Swint and Ellis won the People’s Choice Award with their contemporary dance.

“Proceeds from the event will fund scholarships and support for underprivileged students who might not otherwise be able to afford an education,” stated Debbie Sharp, executive director of the NCTC Foundation, in the release. “The ability to obtain an education is critical to our students’ future success and to the growth of our local economy.”

Sponsors of the event included Country Side Veterinary Hospital, Cross Timbers Veterinary Hospital Staff, Don MacLaughlin, Earp Law Firm, Keith Dosch, Dr. & Mrs. Len & Waynette Dingler, Lewis & Anderson LLC, Roth & Sons Construction, Roth Fertilizer, Salt Creek Veterinary Hospital, Tony Clark, Teach Nature, LLC, Mayfield Welding, LLC, Cross Timbers Veterinary Hospital, Spitzer Animal Health, Wellington State Bank, Advanced Rehab, Atmos Energy, VFW Post 8789 & Auxiliary, Faith Community Healthcare System, Solaris Hospice, Walmart, Miss Shasta (Shasta Hewitt), Terry & Cindy Brewer, Atmos Energy, Fenoglio Boot Co., First United Bank of Gainesville, Lipscomb Auto Center, Oscar Aerial Spraying, Circle Up Clothing, Inc., Norman Hollis, Red Rooster, LLC, Tim Winn State Farm, Wise Electric Cooperative, Inc, Zippy’s Tacos, Inc, Allen’s Express Lube, Elite Hydrostatic Testing, Anna Fitzgerald, Lois & Ralph Harris/The Hall Venue, LLC, Merrett Family, Mildred McCraw, Nancy Merrett, Prater Water Well, S&V Wellservice, Inc., White Family Funeral Home, Larry Slack, Morgan Livestock Equipment Sales, Inc., Cross Timbers Title Company, Enderby Gas Inc., Jacksboro National Bank, Laws Family Dental, Longhorn Café, Ranger Energy Services, A Cottage Florist & Gifts, Bowie Liquor, Chisholm Trail Pet Clinic, Inc., Shirlee Johnson, Bowie Industries, Legend Bank, Sue Swint, Tim Adams Heating, Cooling, Refrigeration, Bowie News, Inc, Beau & Charlotte Dameron, Belle Rose Boutique, Montague County Abstract & Title Company, and Sue Swint Realty.

For more information on how you can support scholarships in Montague County, contact Sharp at 940-668-4213 or by email at dsharp@nctc.edu.

Lead photo: Alan and Tammie Miller

Faith Lutheran School in Plano will host a high school preview event at 7 p.m. tonight to showcase the school’s classical Lutheran high school program offerings. Families interested in the school will meet the headmaster and teaching staff and tour the facilities.

The school is at 1701 E. Park Blvd. For more information, visit www.flsplano.org.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Gordon Green, who served as Dean of UT Southwestern School of Health Professions from 1991 to 2006, is honored with the establishment of the Gordon Green, M.D. Endowed Scholarship Fund to accelerate the dreams of students pursuing allied health careers.

The fund is supported by an endowment from Southwestern Medical Foundation, as well as the UT System Board of Regents, a press release stated. It will be used for student scholarships at the School of Health Professions.

“It’s a great honor for me to be recognized by contributors to this fund in support of students,” stated Green in a press release. “Even though I stepped down as Dean of the School of Health Professions in 2006, this perpetual endowment fund will help to assure that generations of students will be educated and trained to meet the health needs of Texans on into the future.”

He retired in 2016.

“It has been such an inspiration to work with faculty and staff of the School of Health Professions to see this dream become reality,” stated Kathleen M. Gibson, president and CEO of the foundation. “Dr. Green is an extraordinary example, and this fund in his honor will help future students understand how much he contributed in advancing training, both at UT Southwestern and in health professions broadly.”

“As Dean, he brought with him a vision of how the school could shape the future of health care in Texas, and beyond,” stated Dr. Jon Williamson, the current dead. “One of Dr. Green’s most distinctive characteristics is his belief in investing in good people and inspiring them to do their best. The future ‘Green Scholars’ will be selected from the best and brightest students of their classes to receive financial assistance toward fulfilling their potentials to become future health care leaders.”

While leading what was then known as UT Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School, Green supervised a revamp of a number of programs, an accomplishment he still takes pride in.

“Everyone realizes that health care has changed rapidly in recent years, as have the demands on health care providers,” Green stated. “I’m proud that our educational programs have changed to meet those new demands. One example: During my 16-year tenure as dean, our Physical Therapy Program evolved from a bachelor’s degree program, to a master’s degree program, then to a program of doctorally prepared graduates.

“Other academic program advancements were made in Prosthetics-Orthotics, Physician Assistant Studies, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Clinical Nutrition. We moved briskly, proudly, into the 21st century.”

For more information, or to make a donation to the Green Fund, visit the donation page, or call the Office of Development at 214-648-2344.

Photo: Dr. Gordon Green

The UT Southwestern School of Health Professions’ nationally ranked Physician Assistant Studies Program received recognition for its commitment to diversity with a 2017 Excellence Through Diversity Award from the Physician Assistant Education Association.

The award, which UTSW representatives accepted at the PAEA’s national Education forum Oct. 27 in Denver, recognizes outstanding commitments and achievements of a PAEA member program that has made noteworthy contributions to promoting diversity in PA education. To be considered for this award, nominated institutions must demonstrate substantial contributions in:

• Outreach to and recruitment from diverse and underserved populations
• Training and educational experiences for faculty and students
• Research and scholarship pertaining to diversity and the inclusion process
• Leadership and advocacy related to diversity

“This award represents a well-deserved recognition for the ongoing efforts of our faculty and staff to create and nurture a diverse and inclusive environment,” stated Dr. Jon Williamson, dean of the School of Health Professions. “It is this environment, coupled with a highly ranked academic program, which attracts the best and brightest students from all backgrounds. In turn, we can continue to prepare health professionals of the highest quality to meet the health care needs of our diverse population.”

The School of Health Professions’ Physician Assistant Studies Program is currently ranked No. 15 of 154 programs by U.S News & World Report and was led by Dr. Phillip Eugene “Gene” Jones, professor emeritus, for 24 years until his retirement in May. The program is led by Dr. Temple Howell-Stampley, professor of internal medicine, who joined the department in July.

The vision of the program “is to become a destination PA Program for disadvantaged and underrepresented faculty, staff and students, while achieving and maintaining excellent outcome measures.”

The vision statement is just one of the many contributions made to the program by Carolyn Bradley-Guidry, assistant professor and director of diversity and inclusion for the PA Program.

“The value of inclusive excellence must be mission focused, and synonymous with academic excellence,” stated Bradley-Guidry, who leads the School of Health Professions’ Student Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and has been a champion for PA workforce diversity, with emphasis on recruitment and retention of diverse students and faculty locally, regionally, and nationally.

Her professional board and committee service have included the National Association of Minority Medical Educators, Texas Academy of Physician Assistants, National Medical Association, Texas Diversity Council, and Dallas Independent School District. She also held several leadership positions for the PAEA. She was one of two PAs out of 90 individuals who participated in the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Scholars Program.

The 18 faculty and staff members currently involved in the PA Program include eight underrepresented minorities (44.4 percent). A five-class sampling sent to the PAEA – including the last three groups of graduates (2015-2017), as well as the next two classes (2018 and 2019) – averaged 40.6 percent minority students, defined as African-American, Hispanic, or other underrepresented group.

UT Southwestern PA faculty-generated articles, abstracts, and posters on diversity and disparities have been published in several prestigious journals. In addition, the program has been taken part in multiple presentations and panel discussions at educational conferences and events. Invited presentations and panelist participation have taken place at the PAEA’s Annual Forums, as well as at events organized by the National Association of Medical Minority Educators, the American Cancer Society’s Latinos Against Cancer, Louisiana State University, and El Centro College.

“Of particular note is the fact that these activities are not a recent venture into expanding diversity and inclusion in the UT Southwestern PA Program,” Jones wrote in the packet to the PAEA. “These activities represent more than two decades of our efforts to address disparities.”

“The PA Program’s diversity efforts serve as a shining example of clarity of purpose, strong leadership, and proper resource deployment,” Dr. Marc Nivet, executive vice president for institutional advancement, wrote in his endorsement letter to the PAEA. “There are very few educational programs – especially in health care – that speak with direct intent for diversifying both its student body and faculty as drivers of meeting the institutions vision for excellence. The UT Southwestern PA program is quite unique in this regard.”

Photo: From left to right, Dr. Jon Williamson, Carolyn Bradley-Guidry and Dr. Temple Howell-Stampley

Rockwall Independent School District officials announced today that the district received a rating of A for superior achievement under Texas’ School FIRST financial accountability rating system. The rating system measures the quality of a school district’s financial management and reporting system.

This is the 15th year of School FIRST – Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas – a financial accountability system for Texas school districts developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999 and amendments under House Bill 5, 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013. The primary goal of School FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas’ school finance system.

TEA assigned one of four financial accountability ratings to Texas school districts, with the highest being A for superior achievement, followed by B for above-standard achievement, C for standard achievement and F for substandard achievement.

The two conservation organizations will work together to protect and safeguard rare and endangered native Texas plants and promote the value of biodiversity and natural resources to the public.

Botanical Research Institute of Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expanded areas of their collaboration with the signing of a memorandum of understanding, formalizing the two organizations’ commitment to plant conservation, exploration and education.

The MOU creates a collaborative working relationship that advances plant conservation and programs that will educate the public about the importance of maintaining wild spaces for the health and well-being of people in Texas, a press release stated.

Included in the agreement, both organizations will:

• Support the Texas Conservation Action Plan.
• Strengthen their collaborative outreach and educational activities.
• Create training curricula to improve field identification and documentation of native plant species.
• Collaborate on providing outdoor education, exhibit development, and interpretive media projects and other services to state parks and state natural areas.

“What makes this collaboration so important is that we’re not just getting one botanist to help identify rare plants, we’re getting BRIT’s full complement of research botanists and environmental educators to work with us,” stated Carter Smith, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, in the release. “Our partnership with BRIT helps us keep our commitment to Texas’ wild things and wild places.”

Collaborative programs are already underway. One such program involves examining the distributions of 10 rare Texas plants and providing training materials for citizen scientists to go in the field and look for new populations.

“As the newest Texas member of the Center for Plant Conservation organization, BRIT’s goal of documenting and protecting rare native plants is paramount,” stated Dr. Ed Schneider, BRIT’s executive director, in the release. “Our research and education work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ensures that these plants will be discovered, protected, and appreciated by future generations of Texans.”

BRIT is a nonprofit, international research and education center that collects and safeguards plant specimens, studies and protects living plants, and teaches about the importance of conservation and biodiversity to the world.

Photo: Seated left to right are Carter-Smith, executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Dr. Ed Schneider, executive director of Botanical Research Institute of Texas.