Courses Impact Social Issues

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FALL 2017 EDITION

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VOL. 42, NO. 1

STEM

HOW

THE MAGAZINE OF TLU

Course s Im pact Social Is s u es

from the president

O

ne of the many

Arts. The old was making way for the new. As I welcomed the

joys of working

incoming students—one of TLU’s largest freshman classes ever—

on a college

the sense of renewal was dramatic. The university is changing and

campus is the

growing as we head into our 127th year.

annual renewal that comes New programs are also part of the continuous renewal. This

with the start of the fall

issue of TORCH highlights our newest master’s program in data

semester. The arrival of

analytics, and TLU’s commitment to adding graduate programs

freshmen to replace May

in fields where there is a significant gap between the projected

graduates and new faculty

demand for professionals and the likely supply. You will also read

members taking over for

about the many contributions our STEM departments are making

retired professors are

toward solving social issues.

visible signs of a fresh start and high expectations. It’s sort of like Opening Day in baseball.

I hope to see many of you at some of the wonderful events

This spirit of renewal was especially strong last summer. One

we’ll be hosting this year. From Dramatic Media’s production

morning in July—walking from my office in the Beck Center

of “The Fantasticks” and our commemoration of 500 Years of

to Jackson Auditorium to greet incoming freshmen at Bulldog

Reformation to Brown Cultural guest speakers Diane Guerrero

Basics—I watched the work crew completing the demolition

and Rita Moreno, it will be another exciting year. I’m also looking

of Emma Frey Hall. The building served our campus well for

forward to the official opening ceremony for the Weston Center

90 years as a dormitory, faculty offices, and more recently,

in January, and hope to see many of you there. As always, I

storage. But by last year it had become unsuitable for students

encourage you to come back for Homecoming, which will

and faculty and sat empty. We studied several options for

be referred to as Alumni Weekend after this year, as well as

rehabbing the building, but any restoration would have required

tailgating for home football games and special events and

an investment of at least $2 million just for heating and cooling.

performances in the new Weston Center. You should always feel

Thus, we reluctantly decided to take down the hall.

at home at TLU.

A happier sight awaited on the other end of campus. As I approached Jackson Auditorium, the construction crews were completing the new studio theatre and school of music building

President,

that will comprise the Caroline Weston Center for the Performing

Texas Lutheran University

MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Story



The Magazine of Texas Lutheran University Vol. 42, No. 1 The Texas Lutheran University Office of Marketing and Communications produces and publishes TORCH every fall. An online version of TORCH is emailed on a monthly basis to TLU alumni, friends, and donors. Inquiries and submissions should be directed to [email protected] or [email protected]. For a change of address, please contact the Alumni Relations office at [email protected].



EDITOR Ashlie Ford CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ashlie Ford and Tim Clark

CONTRIBUTORS Terry Price, Tim Clark, TLU Alumni Relations staff, David Edmonson, Dustin Wyatt, & Briley Design Group

ABOUT THE COVER Design by Dawn Watkins of Briley Design Group

CONTENTS

THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY | FALL 2017 EDITION | VOL. 42, NO. 1

6

Using Science to Solve Real-World Problems

Features Beyond The Lab

IN THIS ISSUE



6

How STEM Courses Impact Social Issues

The Legacy of Professor Evelyn Streng



Krost Symposium 2017

Live to Inspire Ben Leal ’01

4

10

TLU Today Faculty-led Summer Research

14

12

Growing + Giving From the Office of Development

16

Newsworthy TLU Headlines

19

Scoreboard Sports Highlights

22

In Memoriam Remembering Alumni & Friends

26

Alumni News Catching Up With Alumni

28

Texas State Library Awards Grant in Her Honor

Connecting With Comics

LEARN BOLDLY 2 Master of Science in Data Analytics

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL REPORT 2016–2017 The President’s Annual Report highlights university goals and accomplishments over the past fiscal year, while recognizing our friends and donors who generously support TLU through scholarships and gifts. Look for the 2016–2017 President’s Annual Report in October at www.tlu.edu/giving.

L E AR N B O L D L Y

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D ATA

ANALYTICS

PROGRAM Preps Graduates for Evolving Job Market

BIG DATA

for data analysts far surpasses that, at a growth rate of 28-30 is a term consistently popping up in

boardrooms and company conversations across the nation. Referring to large pools of data that can be brought together and analyzed to discern patterns and make better decisions, big data is greatly influencing the job market. According to a recent Ernst & Young survey, 80 percent of senior executives believe data should be at the center of decision-making. Employers are searching for the data analyst who not only understands a business and department, but the data it uses to drive decisions. This fall, TLU is offering a Master of Science in Data Analytics to prepare students for new careers in managing and analyzing data. With specializations in business analytics or technology and computation, the Master of Science in Data Analytics is designed to enhance the skill set of students from a variety of different undergraduate majors to understand the collection, organization, and analysis of large data sets.

percent annually. “This program provides opportunities for students and for businesses to develop the right skills for successful data analytics,” Business and Economics Department Professor Melanie Thompson said. “The amount of data in our world is exploding, and businesses of all sizes are seeking ways to utilize it. For example, management seeks to use data for solving problems and marketing research seeks to better identify opportunities. Not surprisingly, this creates a need for people with the right skills, and our program is focused on solving that need.” The two specializations share a common core that includes courses in applied statistics, data mining, operations research, and data visualization and communication. The business analytics degree is more applied, with hands-on projects and a practicum, whereas the technology and computational specialization is designed to give students a deeper knowledge of data/information management,

While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a national job

advanced statistical methods, and computational and programming

growth average of only 7 percent from 2014-2024, the job growth

skills to support data-driven decisions.

2 | TORCH

L E A R N B O L D LY

The Business Analytics specialization will provide:

›

A deeper understanding of the practice of using analytics



in business and industry

›

The ability to understand, frame, and solve problems in



marketing, operations, finance, management of information



technology, human resources, and accounting in order to



develop and execute analytics projects within businesses

›

Management tools, including econometrics, statistical



process control, and ERP systems

›

Critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication



skills to be used in making real-world, data-driven



business decisions

The Technology and Computation specialization will provide:

POTENTIAL CAREERS

›

A greater knowledge and understanding of the quantitative



methodology of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive



analytics

›

The ability to select, build, solve, and analyze models using



statistical and mathematical methods

›

The ability to collect, store, cleanse, and secure data to



extract useful information

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

›

The ability to design and use technical skills, such as

BIG DATA PLATFORM ENGINEER



machine learning, simulation, and optimization, that will



support data-driven decision-making

INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPER PLATFORM SOFTWARE ENGINEER DATA QUALITY DIRECTOR

“Digital data grows fast and is fairly inexpensive to store,” Professor Reza Abbasian, Math, Computer Science, and Information Systems department chair, said. “The more data you have, the more useful information you can extract. That data facilitates the decision-making process for every organization, and

TOP INDUSTRIES

Looking for BIG DATA Expertise 30% Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services 19% Information Technologies 18% Manufacturing 10% Finance and Insurance 8% Retail Trade

mathematical modeling and statistics are the very foundation of data analytics.”

“Those members of our department who are involved in the data analytics program very much look forward to collaborating with the business department as we begin this program.” – Professor Reza Abbasian TORCH | 3

J

ust 20 years ago, police officers wouldn’t even respond to calls right outside the Fair Park neighborhood off I-30. Known as Dallas’ “warzone,” the area on the city’s southeast side was a hotbed of drugs, crime, gangs, and violence. Several local groups wanted to change this. Instead of building another chapel on their grounds for their 5oth anniversary, Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church formed a committee to identify underserved populations within the community. Saint Michael’s and other local groups knew that to restore this neighborhood, they first needed to develop a relationship with, and gain the trust of, people living there. In 1997, Jubilee Park Community Center was established and has been making an incredible impact on the area. After working closely with the District Attorney’s Office and the Dallas Police Department, the neighborhood is now a weapons-free and drug-free zone with zero tolerance for crime. Home to 5,500 people, CEO Ben Leal ’01 said the 10-acre campus in the center of the 62-block area has been so successful because of the unique, holistic approach to community revitalization.

BEN L EA L ’0 1

INSPIRE

LIVE TO

LIVE TO INSPIRE

who needed to be advocating for their own needs.” For Leal, that all begins with education, including one of the largest after-school and summer school programs in north Texas. Jubilee Park is also a recipient of Southern Methodist University’s Simmons School of Education Luminary award for its commitment to education and leadership. Ben Leal ’01

“Jubilee Park incorporates public safety, affordable housing, education, public health, and economic development,” Leal said. “There’s a police storefront operated by the Dallas Police Department, and cameras throughout the neighborhood that are monitored 24 hours a day. It’s also home to the largest Volunteers in Patrol (VIP) in the city’s history, with designated patrol captains on each block. There’s a true sense of pride and ownership now that really makes all the difference.”

According to Leal, things weren’t always that bad for this neighborhood. The oncevibrant middle class left after the highway came through and cut off resources. The Ford motor vehicle plant—a major hub of employment—that thrived during WWII closed in 1970, and the area fell into decay. “With resources cut off into the city, due to the highway and a major employer leaving the community, the area was left with lots of vacant homes, and crime shot up,” Leal said. “Trash collectors and even police wouldn’t come down here.” Before joining Jubilee Park, Leal worked as a legislative director in the Texas House of Representatives for several years. The political science major always thought he’d pursue a career in politics until he was able to see what it was like behind the scenes. “It really opened my eyes to all of the wasteful spending and how people who didn’t necessarily need help were getting it while people who did need it weren’t,” he said. “I realized I could and wanted to effect change for people at the community level

“Education is the foundation of everything we do,” Leal said. “We want people to improve their lives and lift themselves out of poverty by giving them the tools to do so. Our initiatives are nationally and globally recognized.” As the only organization in Dallas offering pre- and post-homebuyer education programs approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Jubilee Park is committed to making sure residents are financially ready to purchase a home. It’s also the only organization in Dallas building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver homes certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Leal even recently met with HUD Secretary Ben Carson to discuss their initiatives. “Starting 15 months before they’re in the house, we require people to come to homebuyer education courses that cover subjects like why you should water your foundation or how to file an insurance claim,” Leal said. “The homes are all typically around $165,000 and Jubilee puts in $25,000. The City of Dallas matches our funds and HUD comes in on the back end with another $20,000. This makes purchasing a house attainable for our residents.” While Leal always thought he’d spend his career in politics, he said his time at TLU served as a model for how to do your best both professionally and personally. “TLU not only prepared me for real life and the responsibility of having a career, but also how to interact with people and develop relationships,” he said. “I was inspired by the compassion TLU had for the community. To see students willing to volunteer and serve others like that was a great experience.”

Currently, Jubilee Park is raising money to begin their Specialized Student Support or S3 Program in 2018. It will be the first and only mainstreamed afterschool program in the area for children with learning difficulties, ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. The organization is also making a major push into the public health arena, partnering with Jewish Family Services to provide the only free mental health service and assessment program for children and seniors in Southeast Dallas.

4 | TORCH

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Diane Guerrero AUTHOR, ACTIVIST & ACTRESS ON

Wednesday, November 8 7:30 p.m. | Jackson Auditorium This free event is open to the public and is sponsored by the TLU Jessie S. and Jack Harold Upton Brown Cultural Enrichment Endowment Fund.

www.tlu.edu/diane-guerrero TO OR RC CH H || 5 5 T

T L U T O D AY

HOW

STEM

Courses I mpac t S o c i al Issue s

BY ASHLIE FORD

Beyond the Lab Our daily lives are full of events made possible by scientific and technological breakthroughs. The morning alarm, checking email, taking medication, driving, and even posting to social media are all possible because of the curiosity and diligence of people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). From students and doctors to scientists and teachers, they consistently search for ways to positively impact everyone. Recognizing the role academics play in making the world a better place directly ties to the value of a liberal arts education. Connecting what’s learned in the classroom to how that can serve others has always been a key attribute of TLU.

6 | TORCH

T L U T O D AY

W

hen Professor Sam Hijazi came to the U.S. in 1984 from Syria, staying connected to his family wasn’t an easy task. Waiting six to eight hours for an operator to call him back so he could talk with his mother was the norm, not to mention the cost of two dollars per minute. Now, no one thinks twice about getting on a cell phone or Skyping with someone across the world.

As a computer science and information systems professor, Hijazi is particularly interested in how technological innovations are helping individuals in the Middle East. With more than 3,000 Facebook followers, Hijazi posts a question every day asking people how they’ve been positively impacted by technology. “Facebook and Twitter are enabling them to stay in touch with family, save lives by communicating danger, and arrange medical attention and clothing donations,” Hijazi said. “My current research was work I did with a self-taught, 45-year-old woman from Syria. We focused on how technology has been used to link people who are dispersed, isolated, or fragmented from their family over the last six years because of the war.” The two recently submitted their research on how time has become a huge factor for these individuals in their isolation and how social media is helping them. “Imagine the horror of not being able to see your family,” Hijazi said. “They’re able to see them now and have these soothing moments. Some of these families have been dispersed into as many as six different countries. They would never have been able to do this without computer scientists or the work of information systems analysts.” Another area Hijazi is very dedicated to is the advancement and empowerment of Middle Eastern women like his research partner. “She’s on the ground,” he said. “She’s very capable and intelligent and she’s learning everything on her own. She’s teaching herself different technical aspects of Facebook, how to organize information electronically, filling out Google forms, and reading scientific books on research. She’s doing this with very restricted internet access all while learning English.” Through the years, Hijazi has taught countless online courses to both boys and girls in the Middle East covering topics like C-Programming, recording videos on YouTube, using Microsoft Word and Excel, and how to communicate their needs or calculations to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement— the world’s largest humanitarian network.

expected to do. These women are just as capable as men and need to be given the opportunity to show it.”

Using Chemistry to Solve Real-World Problems Assistant Chemistry Professor Alison Bray is also dedicated to encouraging students to pursue STEM. She and her TLU chemistry colleagues are especially interested in sharing science with children. The Pi Rho Chemistry Club does outreach in the Seguin and New Braunfels areas, including their annual CHAOS Chemistry Night on the TLU campus. Bray said they commonly see young kids who are very excited about science, but that excitement starts to fizzle once they enter middle school. The goal of CHAOS is for K-12 students to make a connection with STEM professionals, participate in real experiments, and see where a career in science can lead. She even started the NB Science Foundation with her friend and local psychiatrist Dr. Whitney Mitchell. Their first free event, NB Science Fest, will feature 30-50 booths including engineers, beekeepers, physicists, geologists, and more, on Sunday, October 8, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the New Braunfels Farmers Market. “We want children and their families to interact with scientists and participate in experiments,” Bray said. “If we can increase basic scientific literacy among more people, they’re able to approach everyday life with a critical eye. Being an informed consumer will help you make decisions, from what you eat to whom you vote for.

However, he’s particularly passionate about equality and giving females the opportunity to excel. “For many of the women, learning these skills is a mental escape from their restrictive environment,” Hijazi said. “Some of them are in arranged marriages, and they must play by the government’s rules for their safety. Sometimes their only way to escape is to have a discussion with people who will welcome their thoughts. It’s the only time they feel free. These women are earning their master’s or Ph.D. in this environment, all while taking care of the home as they’re

TORCH | 7

T L U T O D AY

Chemistry is all around us and having some knowledge can help you understand how the world works, from a simple blood test to climate change.” Bray is also concerned with how chemistry is used to understand the impacts on our social structure and issues like crop growth, pests, and changing weather patterns. For the past several years, she and her students— known as Team Rice—have focused on food safety. With grants funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the USDA, their work examines arsenic uptake in rice. While Bray says this research may not be as important for the American diet, it’s vital for Asian and African populations. “A lot of arsenic contamination is natural,” she said. “When you grow rice with contaminated soil or water, arsenic is taken into the plant and the seed. That’s the part we eat. Our group is trying to understand that process better since it’s potentially dangerous on two levels. It’s an acute toxin; if you eat too much at once it can cause damage or death. It’s also a carcinogen that causes cancer over a long period of time. So if someone is already eating a deprived diet and not getting the correct nutrition, they’ll absorb more arsenic. It’s a real public health issue, especially with children.” The team is also looking at arsenic levels in dog food, since rice is a common filler, as well as levels in locally grown basil plants. “We’re finding that regulations on dog food are very lax; the levels are quite high, and the data for how those numbers came to be is not good,” Bray said. “We also watered some basil plants with arsenic water and others with just tap water. Our results showed both plants contained arsenic and we think it’s probably coming from the soil. There are actually counties in Texas that have drinking water above the limit for arsenic.” Bray said the department was able to upgrade their equipment because of the USDA grants and several donations, expanding their capabilities to analyze different products. “We never would have been able to do the dog food project two years ago,” she said. “We can now see drinking water levels in the parts per billion, which is huge. The funding from the USDA and the partnership we’ve formed is providing great opportunities for our students on campus and to work in federal labs. They’re working to solve real-world problems which could potentially save lives.” 8 | TORCH

Changing DNA One Organism at a Time Biology Department Chair Professor Robert Jonas knows all about the vital role science plays when it comes to our health. Having specializations in microbiology, biochemistry, and bioethics, Jonas says it’s important for the population to understand the capabilities of science and what the overall impact on humanity could be. “One of the current issues biologists are looking at is the ability to change DNA or the genetics of an organism,” Jonas said. “We’re getting much better at it, and scientists are even working on correcting diseases. However, we have to perfect those techniques before we can use them on humans. It’s very important to have an educated public in terms of what’s happening with these types of advancements.” Jonas said he’d like for more people to have the tools and basic scientific literacy to understand certain types of research before having a reaction one way or the other without really knowing what the technology does. “Take genetically-modified organisms, for example,” he said. “They’re often perceived as not natural and called things like ‘Frankenfoods.’ There are also concerns about the price of nonGMO items, as well as the treatment of animals. While that is concerning, and rightly so, having a blanket ban on these products wouldn’t be good, and these are the types of conversations scientists should be having with the general public.” One aspect of microbiology many people in developed countries are concerned about is the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Since 2015, TLU students have been contributing scientific research through their work on the Small World Initiative—a global project focused on dealing with antibiotic resistance by studying soil samples. The initiative educates students in the scientific process, teaching them how to formulate experiments and how to isolate antibiotics. The other overarching goal is to potentially find new antibodies. “Most antibiotics come from bacteria or fungi, but there might be bacteria out there that produce new or novel antibiotics,” Jonas said. “Some scientists hypothesize that we’ve found 99 percent of the helpful antibiotics and we’re only left modifying known chemicals. There are strains of tuberculosis and MRSA we can’t cure. The worry now is that we’re not discovering new antibiotics fast enough to counter the evolution of bacteria as they become more resistant to the new drugs we have.” While in the U.S. we’re more preoccupied with the overuse of antibiotics and their prevalence in farm animals, Jonas said it’s important to remember that less-developed countries are still dealing with big outbreaks. “Life expectancies have risen over the past 150 years, and what happened was sanitation and clean water,” he said. “But that’s still a big problem for billions of people in the world and something we take for granted here. This has all sorts of ties into society, and disease is a humanitarian issue. This is another reason we must keep recruiting people into STEM, so we can continue solving problems on a global scale.”

Math Used as a Language of Patterns Math and Statistics Professor John Sieben has spent his career solving problems. He and colleague Reza Abbasian, professor and chair of the Math, Computer Science, and Information Systems Department, are very interested in moving mathematics beyond

T L U T O D AY

STEM. Their grant proposal, “Mathematical Modeling Across the Curriculum (M2AC),” would create a program to do modeling for the humanities and social sciences. “There are numerical and quantitative applications in theology, history, political science, and sociology,” Sieben said. “M2AC would make the introduction to those applications seamless and easy for people who aren’t comfortable with math.” Of particular interest to Sieben and Abbasian is the modeling of problems which utilize technology and are relevant to current events like sustainability, climate change, voting patterns, and sports. “College students outside of STEM fields usually take one or two math/statistics courses to satisfy the graduation requirements, with very little emphasis on mathematical modeling as applied to current topics of interest in their discipline,” Abbasian said. “Our goal is to devise an ongoing program that engages faculty and students from non-STEM fields in creating meaningful, quantitative applications in their own discipline, and raises awareness of mathematical/statistical modeling across disciplines.” Their plan would bring together interested non-STEM faculty, math faculty, and students to work on small teams, modeling projects involving a quantitative application. Those findings would eventually be stored on a website for use by all faculty. Examples of typical projects would be modeling the income inequality within a country

One of the most concerning issues for Sauncy is how many people seem to trust their beliefs more than factual evidence.

or assessing the accuracy of pre-presidential election polling. “Right now we’re seeing a change in the general popular culture “Math is all about new ideas and finding patterns,” Sieben said.

where science and scientific fact are being questioned by people

“Sometimes the patterns are very clear and sometimes they’re

who rely on those very facts and technologies,” she said. “Scientists

not. Math itself is a language useful for explaining everything

teach the world how to discern facts and not rely on belief systems

from patterns in nature to human enterprise. We want to help

to interpret the physical world.”

more students and faculty learn this language and use it to their advantage.”

Having an abundance of scientists and science educators, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups,

Sense of Curiosity Leads to Scientific Advances

strengthens the learning experience for everyone.

Along those lines, perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of

Under the direction of Sauncy and Education Department Chair

STEM courses at TLU is how they intertwine with other classes as

Professor Jeannette Jones, “Building Capacity to Produce TLU

a result of liberal arts education. Physics Department Chair Toni

Culturally Aware STEM Teachers (CAST)” aims to create an

Sauncy often asks her students how they can use science for the

innovative program that combines required, rigorous course

greater good. As an applied physicist, she is always looking at how

material with the most effective training to produce successful

her work can be developed into something useful.

science and math educators who are also focused on cultural

“Physics is a part of all other sciences, so one of the most important things we try to instill in our students is the value of fundamental

sensitivity, social justice, and the ideologies of scientific citizenship as a STEM concern.

scientific research,” Sauncy said. “All of the technological

As part of a Robert Noyce Capacity Building grant from the National

advantages that have happened over the last 300 years were

Science Foundation, the CAST program will specifically work

because someone was curious about the natural world. The

toward producing uniquely trained 7th- through 12th-grade STEM

only way to make those advances is to understand the physical

teachers who will serve largely rural, high-need school districts in

properties. In whatever capacity we can do that, it always leads to

south central Texas, including Seguin, Nixon-Smiley, Gonzales,

our betterment.”

and Luling.

According to Sauncy, how we produce, transform, and store energy

“We’re committed to helping every student discover and develop

will be critical for making the world a better place.

his or her passion,” she said. “We feel confident that integrating our

“The needs of our world are many, and supplying the energy that’s

on inclusion, diversity, and cultural awareness will allow us to recruit

needed so we can do everything from talking on our cell phone to

rigorous and well-established STEM degree programs with lessons and prepare excellent STEM teachers that will have a significant

manufacturing products costs energy,” Sauncy said. “We’ve relied

impact in local schools. Equipping science and math educators

completely on fossil fuels since the industrialized world began, and

with the tools to understand cultural sensitivity and teaching them

we’re now realizing that wasn’t the best idea. Physics is going to

to be more knowledgeable about issues of social justice as they

help solve this issue.”

relate to STEM fields is an overall benefit to science.” T TO OR RC CH H || 9 9

EVELYN STRENG Professor’s Legacy Showcased in Grant Awarded by Texas State Library

P

rofessor Evelyn Fiedler Streng was a true original. A native Texan and daughter of a Fredericksburg pioneer family, she was an educator for more than 40 years and a traveler at heart. Upon passing in 2014, Professor Streng left behind an impressive geographic and geological legacy as part of Texas Lutheran University’s Fiedler Memorial Museum. Her documentation and collections—including 35mm slides from around the world—not only tell her own personal story; they also document history. Recognizing the impact and importance of her collections, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission TexTreasures Original program recently approved a grant for the project, “A Geographer’s Journey: Digitizing Slides From the Evelyn Streng Collection.” The funding will support the digitization and metadata creation of her slide collection from Texas and the Southwestern United States by the University of North Texas’ Digital Projects Unit. The entries will also be added to the Portal to Texas History and the Digital Public Library of America. TLU Director of Academic Grants Martha Rinn served as project manager, and Director of Social Entrepreneurship Professor Judy Hoffmann was a contributing writer and consultant. Rinn said the funding will allow Professor Streng’s slide collection to inspire people for years to come, providing access to a chronicle of more than 70 years of travel covering cultural, political, geographical, and biological aspects of the destinations she visited.

Mor e a bout Dr . Ev el yn Fiedler S treng (1919- 20 1 4 ) Born in Comal County, Texas, in 1919, Professor Streng received her M.A. from Southwest Texas State University while teaching at the university and in local public schools. She joined the TLU faculty in 1946 and retired in 1988. During her 42-year tenure, she taught geography and various natural science courses. She established and maintained throughout her life the Fiedler Memorial Museum and Rock Garden at Langner Hall. The Chapel Plaza on campus is named in her honor, in recognition of her lifelong commitment to education.

“Because Professor Streng was a geographer, she really documented what was going on at the places she traveled to,” Rinn said. “Her slides include places all over the Southwestern United States, as well as places like Hemisphere Park in San Antonio, the Texas Hill Country, and Big Bend. It’s incredibly important to preserve these slides because they’re cultural snapshots of how life was, and in many cases, we might not find something like them anywhere else.” Professor Streng often shared these slides with her students, and Rinn hopes these images will give students, faculty, and researchers a glimpse into the geography, geology, and daily life from the past in Texas and beyond. Additionally, they will highlight the fascinating life of Professor Streng. “She was a forward-thinking daughter of the state of Texas,” Rinn said. “She taught college-level STEM courses at a time when higher education, especially the sciences, was dominated by men. Her strong character and Texas spirit led her on many journeys that might have been considered out of place for a woman of her generation. She inspired many of her students, and was a role model for all who knew her. TLU is thrilled we have an opportunity to officially archive her adventures. She was a true trailblazer.” View the collection at www.bitly/StrengSlides.

STRENG LECTURE SERIES The inaugural Streng Lecture will be given by Jan Jarboe Russell, author of “The Train to Crystal City,” on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7:00 p.m. in Jackson Auditorium. Like Professor Streng, Russell has a deep interest in regional issues and history, and her book highlights contributions to the history of South Central Texas. Russell will also visit with students before her lecture and book signing. This event is part of the 2017-18 Brown Cultural Series. 10 | T O R C H

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TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

RITA

MORENO

JANUARY 25 7:30 p.m. Jackson Auditorium tlu.edu/rita-moreno Sponsored by the TLU Jessie S. Upton and Jack Harold Brown Cultural Enrichment Endowment Fund.

F ILM & THEATR E L EG E ND This event is free and open to the public.

T O R C H | 11

KROST 2017 CONNECTING WITH

COMICS BY ASHLIE FORD

Most people have some images or thoughts that come to mind when they hear the words “comic book.” Sure, there are the stereotypes: Geeks waiting in line for a

The 2017 Krost Symposium, “Connecting With Comics,”

limited edition issue, costume-clad fanboys, and throngs of

will explore using comics as a vehicle for teaching and the

nerds who just can’t seem to grow up. But is that really true?

significant role they play in cultural relevance. Visual Arts

Are comics merely cartoons for adults, or are they actually

Professor and Krost 2017 Chair Kyle Olson wants to expand

some of the deepest and most insightful commentary on

the average person’s understanding of comics as a bigger,

the human condition?

broader discipline.

“I think they’re commonly seen as a disposable form of entertainment, but they can be a way to disseminate serious social issues and connect audiences,” Olson said. “Comics are translated into multiple languages, and they have the ability to personalize characters or themes so readers can identify with them.” The early age of Marvel Comics connected readers to things like gamma radiation and the atomic bomb, while “X-Men” has always had a consistent theme of genetics. “The Black Panther,” created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, was an inspiration for young black people in a time when strong mainstream role models were rare. Since the 1970s, “Ms. Marvel” has served as a female counterpart to “Captain Marvel” with characters like Kamala Khan—a 16-year-old Pakistani-American. As an artist, Olson’s interest is also about how a person can translate and communicate through drawing or printmaking. “We see a 3-D world and comics have to translate that to 2-D, so having them as a teaching tool is really useful for drawing students,” Olson said. “It’s compelling to be able to tap into that and demonstrate that how they draw a cityscape or a plant can evoke certain emotions. The art plays a large role in the storytelling.” The emotional and cultural aspect of comics is something Psychology Professor Tiffiny Sia also uses to teach and interact with students. “They’re a way to engage with students about controversial issues,” she said. “Comics can get under attitudes on things like prejudice or homophobia where most people tend to put up barriers. For example, readers are actually seeing commentary on genocide in ‘X-Men’ or war crimes in ‘Captain America.’ There’s kind of this idea that comics are for kids and no serious academic would ever use them. However, they hit on tough themes and let readers have discussions in a way traditional conversation doesn’t necessarily allow.”

visual analog of a virus breaks it down so readers can understand an otherwise abstract concept. I think comics can work like this for a diverse range of subjects.” While comics are becoming an innovative tool in the classroom, they tend to also serve as a reflection of who we are as a society. Communication Studies Department Chair Professor Steve Vrooman—who has used comics as a teaching tool for many years—says we can learn a lot about ourselves by delving into popular genres of the time. “During the 1950s, there was a crusade against the EC Horror comics—like ‘Tales From The Crypt’—claiming they made kids evil and deranged,” Vrooman said. “I think horror as a genre allows us to ask questions we feel aren’t polite to ask. The Comics Code was established, and you couldn’t show things like drug use and the good guy always had to win. It was a censorship movement claiming horror comics degraded our world. But those horror comics were really asking deep questions about things like morality. Those were hard questions to ask in 1950s America, and we still need to ask them today.” When the code began going away in the 1980s, Vrooman says comics became more visceral. “It was a response to all the crime in big cities during the 1970s and people started dealing it with in different ways,” he said. “Batman became ‘The Dark Knight,’ ’The Punisher’ started killing people, and comics began breaking away from being childlike. They were acknowledging that the horrible happens.” Society’s current captivation with vampires and graphic novels like “The Walking Dead” still reflects our undying fascination with horror. Vrooman says no matter how the students respond, their reactions tend to be very strong—and that’s the whole point.

“Zombies and vampires are always symbolic of social and sexual issues,” Vrooman said. “Who are ‘the walking dead’? It’s the people, not the zombies. That’s the theme of the show. Comics Another unique way comics are create ways to see social problems as appealing is their ability to break down metaphors in really complex ways. In complex topics in ways readers can the ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer‘ TV show, retain. According to Sia, certain studies high school is hell. That’s the obvious in psychology show that people develop metaphor, and that allowed them to do better memory tracks when processing and say pretty cool things. But comics words and pictures at the same time allow you to be kind of in and out of the versus shifting from one to the other. metaphor, at the same time. This kind of thing is why I like using comics in class. “Visuals help the mind break down ideas,” Students either love them or hate them, Sia said. “The STEM fields are using and sometimes both at the same time. comics more and more now to help They evoke complex personhood better readers understand difficult concepts than most media in class, and for what by illustrating them. Let’s say a scientist I teach, that’s exactly what I want to wants to explain what a virus is. Having a have happen.”

2017

GUEST

LECTURES WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27 AT 7:30 P.M. JACKSON AUDITORIUM Giesber Keynote Speaker Scott McCloud is renowned as comics’ leading theorist. As an author and illustrator, he’s known for his work tracing the origin of comics from unpaneled works to medical periods to Egypt to single panel comics in newspapers. McCloud will discuss the power of comics and their influence in the classroom. THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 AT 9:30 A.M. WUPPERMAN LITTLE THEATRE Eisner Award nominee Dr. Jay Hosler examines how effective comics are as a teaching tool, and the interface between comics and the STEM fields. The National Science Foundation has funded his work, which creates a hybrid of science fiction– style comics and traditional textbooks covering the evolution of sensory biology. THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 AT 10:30 A.M. WUPPERMAN LITTLE THEATRE Don Lowman, a senior lecturer of queer studies at the University of Bonn in Germany, is known for using comics as an efficient means of conceptualizing the complexity and density of contemporary cultural issues grounded in the history of the media as well as the nature of the media. His lecture will bring an international perspective to this topic which uses “Fun Home” by Allison Bechdel as a touchstone for this complex cultural issue. FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LIST OF SPEAKERS AND EVENTS, VISIT TLU.EDU/KROST. The 2017 Krost Committee: Biology Department Chair Professor Robert Jonas, Assistant English Professor Amelia Koford, English Professor Margaret Gonzales, Computer Science and Information Systems Professor Sam Hijazi, Communication Studies Department Chair Steve Vrooman, Psychology Professor Tiffiny Sia, and Visual Arts Professor Kyle Olson. T O R C H | 13

‘

T L U T O D AY

17

SUMMER FACULTY & STUDENT RESEARCH

TLU’s summer research programs are an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experiences in specialized areas including lab work, writing internships, and analyzing participation in campus life as it relates to student retention. These independent studies allow students to work closely with faculty to gain valuable skills they can utilize in their prospective fields.

The Weston

Professor Grove and Reiley exposed the

Ranch summer

neurons to estradiol and environmental

research program,

estrogens such as BPA (bisphenol A) in

led by BIOLOGY

microplate immunoassays, to determine

PROFESSORS MARK

the effects of these compounds on

GUSTAFSON and

the neurons.

ALAN LIEVENS,

BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

allowed students

CHAIR ROBERT JONAS

KODY WINDECKER,

supervised sophomores

LAUREN MUNDT,

KATIE PESEK and MARAENA

MARQUISE GATES,

DOBBINS in microbiological

and SAVANNAH

research. Both are part

HIGHT to study the biodiversity of plants and insects of the Weston Ranch

of the “Learning Applied Left to right: Kody Windecker, Lauren Mundt, Marquise Gates, and Savannah Hight at the Weston Ranch near Marion.

near Marion. ASSISTANT BIOLOGY PROFESSOR STEPHANIE PEREZ worked with the students to extract DNA from plants and obtain specific sequences called DNA barcodes. These sequences will be added to an international barcode database, enabling scientists to identify species from these DNA sequences. The students also visited the University of Texas Plant Resources Center in Austin to

Science and Effective Research” (LASER) program that provides scholarships through a National Science Foundation grant. Their projects centered on bacterial cells that had been separated from each other

learn more about research in plant biology.

for over 2000 generations.

ASSOCIATE BIOLOGY PROFESSOR DANIELLE GROVE and senior

serial passage and growth

HANNAH REILEY grew neurons in sterile cell culture. In addition,

characteristics of these strains. The genomes of the strains

14 | T O R C H

Dobbins continued the

Hanna Reiley and Associate Professor Danielle Grove in the biology lab.

Andres Gonzalez and Colton Kubena conduct optical and electrical measurements in the physics lab.

Armando Gutierrez builds an electronically controlled series of infrared beams.

Andrew Hamilton analyzes astronomical data.

PHYSICS DEPARTMENT CHAIR TONI SAUNCY worked with sophomore ANDRES GONZALEZ and junior COLTON KUBENA on synthesis and characterization of a novel electro-optic material, porous silicon. Students learned how to synthesize and conduct optical and electrical measurements on these thin films. ASSISTANT PHYSICS PROFESSOR CALVIN BERGGREN worked with students ARMANDO GUTIERREZ and ANDREW HAMILTON. Gutierrez’s project included designing and building an electronically controlled series of infrared beams for use in training rats to navigate through a set of weave poles. He built the system using Arduino microcontrollers, infrared sensors, and speakers to allow the rat training to be done in an automated were determined and are being analyzed. Pesek worked on

fashion. The work was done in collaboration with Psychology

constructing plasmids that could give E. coli new properties,

Professor Scott Bailey and his students as part of a larger project.

as well as helping with the genetic analysis.

Hamilton’s project analyzed astronomical data from the Kepler mission in order to identify extrasolar planets, or planets outside

ASSISTANT ENGLISH PROFESSOR BETH BARRY had three

our solar system. Kepler has photometric data that can be

students participate in the “Write to Serve” program where they

analyzed programmatically to reveal the presence of a transiting

each completed research partnerships with local organizations.

planet. He used a variety of computational tools and techniques

Junior SCHEURER SMITH interned with the Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation of New Braunfels, junior ABIGAIL MUEHLBRAD worked with Connections: Individual Write to Serve interns Abby Muehlbrad, Scheurer Smith, and Kaydee Nance.

and Family Services of New Braunfels, and

senior KAYDEE NANCE interned with the Texas Foster Care and Adoption Services of San Antonio. “Write to Serve”—created by Barry in 2010—is a service-learning program that gives former composition students an opportunity to use their research and writing skills to serve the surrounding community in various ways, including grant writing. Pictured above: Katie Pesek examines samples in the biology lab.

to process the data. LED BY ASSISTANT CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR ALISON BRAY, TLU’s Chemistry Research Group (Team Rice) is funded by the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture to conduct research on arsenic uptake by rice plants and other food safety issues. Due to a poor growing season for this year’s rice crop, this past summer took the team in new directions as they investigated arsenic and cadmium concentrations in rice-containing products like baby cereal and formulas, as well as dog foods, where rice is often used as filler. Led by Team Leader RAMIRO NAVA, students KRISTEN POLLOCK and BAILEY CORPORON also started some new experiments on basil plants to see if basil— which grows under very different conditions than rice—would also take up arsenic. While the results of these experiments are still being collected, early evidence shows that basil does mobilize arsenic. To continue the arsenic uptake studies, more rice and basil plants were planted in August to grow throughout Faculty & Student Research continued on page 21

T O R C H | 15

G R OW I N G & G I V I N G

Her goal is to let more people know about the work they do and the benefits of serving. Kegg, who became board president in April, is currently a senior associate at the Austin-based nonprofit consulting group Lee Plus Associates.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT SERVING ON THE BOARD? I get to hear from different professors, administrators, and students. President

Dorsey will also talk to us about all the great things the school is doing. I really like learning about and hearing from students. It’s great to know where they’re from and what they’re involved in. I love getting to know other alumni who are just as excited about TLU. I enjoy participating as an advocate and an alumna. I really want to pay it forward, because my time at TLU was wonderful.

WHAT ARE THE TERMS FOR BOARD MEMBERS?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SPECIAL PROJECTS THE DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOCUSES ON?

WHAT IS THE MAKEUP OF THE BOARD?

We’re always financially focused on scholarships and making sure that students who want to go to TLU can. I was very fortunate that I didn’t have to rely on financial aid, but I know that college is expensive and I don’t want the school I went to —or any college—to ever exclude others because of financial reasons. I think if you really want to go to a school, you should be able to go and work hard and have that chance. Of course the board always wants to keep costs down for students and be philanthropic to TLU. We can all do that by giving back to the university’s endowment.

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES DO BOARD MEMBERS GET INVOLVED WITH? We’re involved in a variety of things, including endowed scholarships. We sometimes raise money for specific projects and work with external groups to help fund things. We also help secure auction items and sell tickets for TLU’s annual Front Row with Verne Lundquist.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET? We meet two times a year: once in spring and once in the fall. I’ve been on the board for three years now and started serving as president in April. 16 | T O R C H

Board members serve three-year terms, and you can serve two consecutive terms in total. Those members are eligible to return after sitting off for one year upon a recommendation of staff and the board. The board chair serves a two-year term for up to three consecutive terms.

We have around 20 members, including nonalumni too. Our current board is mostly from Texas but we do have one member from Minnesota. Throughout the years, though, we’ve had people from all over the country. It’s a diverse group that has evolved and changed over time. We have members who graduated in the 1950s to the late 2000s. There are accountants, lawyers, a judge, marketing professionals, nonprofit leaders, retirees, community volunteers, teachers, and mothers. These are people who want to serve and the Development Board gives them that capacity.

AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY? I lead the meetings, serve as an ex officio of the Board of Regents, and attend portions of the Board of Regents meetings as a representative of the Development Board to provide updates. I also work with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations on different projects involving alumni and donors. We’re here to be advocates for TLU.

DO YOU ASK OTHER PEOPLE FOR MONEY AS A BOARD MEMBER? We don’t do solicitations, but we do encourage people to support TLU. We’re more like encouragers than askers. There is an expectation for us to donate through the annual fund and different projects the board votes on. I was a fundraiser before becoming a consultant, and one thing I’d always say was, “If the board doesn’t give, why should anyone else?” I think it’s important for Development Board members to walk the walk and talk the talk.

A True Tradition:

G R OW I N G & G I V I N G

FRONT ROW THE LASTING IMPACT ON TLU ATHLETICS

FRONT ROW COMMITTEE MEMBERS SINCE 2004: Kent & Terry Richter (co-chairs) Lenora Ohlenbusch ➤ David & Carolyn Newman ➤ Linda & Ken Voges ➤ Ron & Judy Biffle



➤



➤



Since its inception, Front Row has raised more than $1 million for TLU Athletics. Some of the sports that have benefitted include: BASEBALL Charter bus to Arkansas and travel accommodations, pitching machine, baseball uniforms, and spring break travel trip.

Golf legend Ben Crenshaw at Front Row 2017 with host Verne Lundquist ’62.

F

or the last 14 years, Front Row has been a staple of TLU. As the university’s largest athletics fundraiser, the event is known for its amazing guests and the wonderful banter between them and long-time CBS Sports Broadcaster Verne Lundquist ’62. From Troy Aikman and Charles Barkley to Scott Hamilton and David Feherty, Front Row has been able to offer attendees an evening with sports legends while raising money for TLU athletes, including equipment, travel, uniforms, and more. This past year, the event hit the $1 million milestone. “Front Row started with a vision of the committee and athletics to help extend their budget to be able to accomplish things that would make the program more competitive,” Lundquist said. “We’ve had it in Houston and Dallas, but I think the success has really been bringing it to San Antonio. There’s such a terrific alumni base there. I also think it’s a validation for the friendships I’ve formed throughout my career. I’ve met lots of interesting people who are celebrated for their athletic ability. However, finding those who can also be entertaining and share this event with others is quite satisfactory. I’m so proud to be part of it.” Although the event moved from Houston to San Antonio in 2013, TLU Athletics Director

Bill Miller ’77 fondly remembers that first year in Houston. His connection to pitching great Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, along with the vision of former Vice President of Development Betsy Clardy, is what started it all. “I coached Roger at Spring Woods High School in Houston, and he graciously agreed to be our first guest,” Miller said. “It was a magical night at Minute Maid Stadium, because he’d recently signed with the Houston Astros. The event was televised by Fox Sports Southwest and it was an extremely exciting and electric evening.” Miller said it’s very hard to explain how significant the impact Front Row has had on the TLU Athletics Department, giving his colleagues and himself the critical support necessary in their efforts to provide a positive experience for all student-athletes. “Not in a million years as director of athletics at TLU did I think I’d be in the same room as high-profile professional athletes like Craig Biggio, Roger Staubach, Lance Berkman, Gary Kubiak, etc.,” Miller said. “Without the support and participation of Verne Lundquist none of this would have ever happened. He’s truly a blessing to TLU. He, along with the persistence of Associate Vice President for Development Renee Rehfeld and the entire committee, is what has made Front Row so successful.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL Practice equipment, travel shirts, shooting shirts and travel sweats, travel expenses to Seattle to play the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Travel bags and backpacks, team trip to California, travel suits, and conference championship rings. CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD 25 pairs of running shoes, competition shoes, conference championship rings, and team travel. FOOTBALL Recruiting software and video, game shirts, travel clothing, extra bus for road trips, additional travel expenses, and graduate assistant stipends. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF Airline tickets and car rental for golf tournament in Claremont, California, out-of-state tournaments, team uniforms, and new putting green. MEN’S SOCCER Training equipment, uniforms, travel, jerseys, and warm-ups. WOMEN’S SOCCER Practice uniforms, travel and training equipment, game balls, jerseys, and new nets. SOFTBALL Field tarp, game jackets, practice pants and practice screens, new uniforms, ASC conference championship rings, and travel to Columbus, Georgia, to play in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS Resurfacing of two tennis courts, TLU logo windscreen, travel, team trip to Hilton Head, and assistant coach stipend. VOLLEYBALL Travel to Atlanta to compete in the Emory University Classic and hosted pre-season TLU tournament, travel to the California Lutheran University volleyball tournament, and uniforms. T O R C H | 17

Texas Lutheran University

HOMECOMING Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7 Football Game and Tailgate • Golf Tournament Bulldog Block Party • 1967 Golden Group Reunion

#TLUHOMECOMING Visit tlu.edu/homecoming for a full list of events and to register online. 18 | T O R C H

SNEECW T ISOW NOTRITTH LY E

NEWS WORTHY Nursing Program Awarded $1.9 Million HRSA Grant TLU’s Nursing Program is the recipient of a $1,981,983 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The program, “Addressing Nursing Workforce Diversity in Underrepresented Rural Areas: The Cambio Project,” was one of only 30 HRSA grants awarded nationwide. With a focus on increasing the number of underrepresented graduates in the TLU nursing program, The Cambio Project’s main goal is to expand the quality of healthcare in rural Texas by establishing a pipeline for a diverse nursing workforce. The program will be a direct response to the continual shift in area demographics, educational accessibility, and the urgent need for a nursing workforce that reflects the population it serves.

“The project is designed to recruit, enroll, retain, empower, and graduate nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds so these individuals can improve health equity within their communities through professional nursing practice,” TLU Director of Nursing Dr. Kathie Aduddell said. “This grant will also help our department continue its mission of developing exceptionally well-prepared registered nurses. It was a

highly competitive grant, and receiving it recognizes TLU’s ongoing commitment to excellence. I personally want to thank our exceptional faculty and staff, who are committed to this program, including Instructor Aimee Bedgood, Dr. Whitney Bischoff, and Instructor Cecilia Trinidad.”

Community Music Academy Receives ArtWorks Grant The TLU Community Music Academy (CMA) is the recipient of a $10,000 ArtWorks grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the university’s Lindenbaum Outreach Program. The program provides free after-school strings classes at five elementary schools in the areas surrounding Seguin, as well as youth orchestras and choirs. With a lack of strings education nearby—and few music education opportunities specifically for elementary students— this grant acknowledges the program’s value and past success in giving local students the opportunity to develop instrumental and vocal skills from a young age. According to CMA Director Ben Thomason, research shows that when students begin serious music education during their elementary school years, there can be a positive snowball effect of improving cognitive, character, and relational outcomes later in life. “Another goal of the program is to have a broad positive influence on families and the community through training parents of students in the program to participate in their child’s music education and create a positive and loving learning environment in the home,” Thomason said. “The ArtWorks grant provides partial funding to continue providing this important program to Seguin and the surrounding communities for the 2017-2018 school year.”

Record Number of Students Make National Intercollegiate Band With eight students making the National Intercollegiate Band (NIB) ensemble—the most from one university—TLU is once again an F. Lee Bowling award winner. The group, along with Band Director Beth Bronk, traveled to Orlando, Florida, in July for rehearsals and the performance. The 2017 NIB musicians from TLU include sophomore Robby Andrade (bassoon), sophomore Kevin Borgfeld (string bass), senior Marcos Cordova (trombone), Adrian Esquivel ’17 (clarinet), senior Brian Kingsbury (tuba), junior Kirsti O’Brien (clarinet), sophomore Jose Sandoval (clarinet), and senior Linsey Rios (French horn). Rios also made the NIB in 2015 when TLU first won the F. Lee Bowling award with six students in the ensemble. T O R C H | 19

N E WSWO R T H Y

TLU Named a 2017 Great College to Work For ®

For the sixth consecutive year, TLU is one of the nation’s great colleges to work for, according to a survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle’s survey is the largest and most comprehensive workplace study in higher education, recognizing the colleges that get top ratings from their employees on workforce practices and policies. Of those 232 institutions that participated, 79 were recognized as a 2017 “Great College to Work For” and only 42, including TLU, were selected for the Honor Roll. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with TLU included among the small universities with 2,999 students or fewer. This year, TLU won honors in six categories including Collaborative Governance, Confidence in Senior Leadership, Professional/Career Development Programs, Supervisor/ Department Chair Relationship, Teaching Environment (Faculty Only), and Tenure Clarity and Process (Faculty Only/4-year Only). “TLU’s consistent presence on this prestigious list reflects one of our most valuable assets—a positive campus environment,” said TLU President Dr. Stuart Dorsey. “TLU faculty and staff love working here because they know they are making a difference in students’ lives. A great place to work makes for a great student experience.”

Campus Bids Farewell to Emma Frey Hall As demolition begins on Emma Frey Hall, a recent decommissioning ceremony honored the iconic structure and those who worked or lived in it throughout the years. Built in 1929, the building was renamed in 1947 after Professor Emma Frey. It served as a women’s and a men’s dorm before becoming home to classrooms and faculty offices for various departments. Professor Frey served as “Girls Matron” (Dean of Women) and a faculty member in the English, math, and history departments from 1912 to 1922. Following her tenure at TLU—named Lutheran College of Seguin, Texas, at that time— she spent the rest of her career teaching in San Antonio’s Edgewood ISD. An

20 | T O R C H

elementary school in the district is named in her honor. “After almost 90 years of service, Emma Frey Hall had substantial deferred maintenance and the building’s use would be limited without an extensive and very costly renovation,” said TLU Vice President of Finance and Administration Andrew Nelson. “While it’s difficult to part with such a long-standing fixture of the campus, a cost-benefit analysis brought TLU to the conclusion that future new construction would be a better long-term investment in the university’s physical assets than a renovation. Other existing space on campus is being utilized in place of Emma Frey for the immediate future.”

T L U T O D AY

Faculty & Student Research continued from page 15

fraternities (Omega Tau, Sigma Phi Theta, and Zeta Chi) and high school academic success as they relate to staying at TLU. JACOB LARA researched how attending the TLU Transfer/Commuter Student Socials helps ensure involvement (and retention) in the Bulldog community, compared to commuter students who choose not to attend. Findings from the studies will be shared with appropriate campus administrators in order to improve the likelihood of graduation for groups who may be disconnected from the larger TLU community, such as fraternities, Latinx, and transfer/commuter students. COMMUNICATION STUDIES PROFESSOR ROBIN BISHA and senior JARRETT THOMPSON conducted research on the role pets play in coping with bereavement. The project follows up on a 2016 summer study which found that pet owners who interact more with Left to right: Kristen Pollock, Bailey Corporon, Assistant Chemistry Professor Alison Bray, and Ramiro Nava are all part of Team Rice.

the fall semester. The results of these projects will be presented this fall as part of the chemistry seminar series and at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Spring 2018. In continuing the department’s partnership with the USDA, student CARLY MILLER traveled to the Agricultural Research Services labs in Beltsville, Maryland, this summer to work in the lab of Dr. Eton Codling on rice uptake of cadmium. MADISON BERGER interned at the USDA Animal Metabolism Unit in Fargo, North Dakota. She worked under the direction of Dr. Weilin Shelver on two projects involving detection of

their pets have a greater sense of hope for the future than those who have a weaker bond with their animals. Based on in-depth interviews with survey respondents, this study aims to understand what takes place in the day-to-day relationship of people and their pets that helps them as they recover from the loss of a loved one. Research has established much of the biological mechanism for pets’ effect on people’s well-being. This project considers the role of a specific animal rather than animals in general. The data collected and conclusions drawn from it may prove useful to clinicians and institutions such as nursing homes as they establish protocols for animal involvement in outpatient and inpatient care.

growth promoters and antibiotics in sheep. These were food safety projects to ensure that these chemicals did not remain in the animals prior to slaughter. Funding for these students was provided through the generous support of USDA-NIFA (Award 2015-38422-24073) and the Welch Foundation. Research led by ASSISTANT CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR MIKE RUANE was composed of two different projects. The first project was the synthesis of pyranones, with the intention of using them in medicinal compounds. The second project was the addition of a material to a solid-state polymer backbone that can transform alcohols to alkyl halides. Funding from the Welch Foundation provided summer stipends for four students: JOYCE NAWARA, LYNSEY TERRILL, DEANNA HERNANDEZ, and FELIPA RUEDA. The pyranone project is a long-term project involving the stereoselective generation of up to five chiral centers on a pyranone. Quick stereoselective generation of the centers on the pyranone rings is beneficial to pharmaceutical generation in the long run, as the pyranone core is found in many places in nature. Having a quick and versatile synthesis to make biologically relevant scaffolds for medications would provide countless options for quick and cheap medicinal synthesis. Such compounds are currently found in targets for the treatment of Type II Diabetes. In addition to the pyranone project, the students also worked on a project to make a solid-state compound that transforms alcohols into alkyl halides. Current methods of transforming an alcohol into an alkyl halide involve caustic liquids that are difficult to transport. A polymer-backed catalyst in a solid phase can be easily activated and regenerated, making the industrial process safer and more environmentally friendly while still maintaining a nearly quantitative yield.

Felipa Rueda, Deanna Hernandez, and Joyce Nawara work on a project in the chemistry lab.

ASSISTANT THEOLOGY PROFESSOR CARL HUGHES helped three students from his Spring 2017 “Theologies of the Civil Rights Movement” course extend their learning by analyzing the intersections of faith and activism in the lives of specific leaders from this period. Student KRISTIN HAYTER researched the career of James Lawson, Jr.—a student activist who became a Methodist pastor and a leader in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (and who continues to be an outspoken social justice activist to this day). Student SARAH LUDE explored the complex role of spirituality in the life and work of the Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael. Although Carmichael distanced himself from Christianity and the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., he nonetheless drew inspiration from a wide range of spiritual teachings, especially those of

PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR TIFFINY SIA worked with three senior

traditional African religions. Student RAQUEL VASQUEZ researched

psychology majors to examine how various types of student life

the alliances that Cesar Chavez formed with African American

involvement affect who remains at TLU (i.e., retention). JULIAN GOMEZ

Civil Rights leaders and how his Roman Catholicism motivated

focused on the link between involvement in the Mexican American

his advocacy on behalf of Mexican Americans, farm workers,

Student Association (MASA), and their retention rates compared to

and immigrants.

ethnically- and academically-matched non-members. THOMAS SNOOKS investigated the impact of engagement in the three social T O R C H | 21

Scoreboard National Champion Leads TLU to Glory in Men’s Track & Field

of the Year. The TLU Men’s Track and Field coaching staff was also named the SCAC Men’s Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year.

Major Award Winners, National Qualifiers Highlight Women’s Track & Field

NCAA Division III 400-meter Indoor National Championship on March 11

Senior MEREDITH BERGER and Freshman

in Naperville, Illinois. Brown win the national crown. 11th national championship

Sports Information Director

Southeast Region Men’s Track & Field Assistant Coach

JUNIOR MARQUIS BROWN won the 2017

edged Mount Union’s A.J.

BY TIM CLARK

ASHLEY RYNARD each picked up major

Digby by .02 to Brown’s title is the

2017 SCAC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field

in school history.

postseason awards. Berger was named SCAC Co-Field Athlete of the Year, and Rynard earned

Later in the spring, Brown led TLU to its first Southern

the Newcomer of the Year honor.

Collegiate Athletic Conference team championship in men’s track and field, and was named the South/Southeast Region

Berger was the high-point scorer for the entire

Men’s Track Athlete of the Year. In the 2017 NCAA

SCAC Championships. She won the shot put

DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championship, Brown added a

and hammer throw, and placed second in

third-place national finish in the 400 and claimed his second

the javelin and fifth in discus. Rynard earned

All-America honor.

Newcomer of the Year honors after winning the 800 and placing second in the 1,500, third in the

Men’s Track & Field sent four athletes to the national

4x400 relay, and fourth in the 400. She finished the

championship meet. BRYCE JOHNSON qualified in the 100 and joined Brown, PARIS FOSTER, and DARREN

JONES on the 4x100 relay. Brown qualified for the 200, the 400, and the 4x100. Head Coach DARLENE HOLLAND was named South/

season with a pair of TLU records.

ASHLEY MYERS and CORTNEE PRIOUR each qualified for the 2017 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Myers nearly made the 200 final with her preliminary heat time of 25.22 seconds. Priour

Southeast Region Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year,

improved on her national-qualifying seed of 22nd to post a 16th-

and Assistant Coach CLAY HOLLAND was named South/

place finish in the long jump.

MAJOR AWARDS EARNED IN 2016-2017 ➤

MAITLIN RAYCROFT (SB) TLU Female Student-Athlete of the Year

➤ Marquis Brown (T&F) TLU Male Student-Athlete of the Year ➤ Kristen Lye (WBB) TLU Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year ➤ Tyler Howlett (FB) TLU Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year

➤ Savannah Hight SCAC Women’s Basketball



Defensive Player of the Year

➤ Ashley Rynard SCAC Women’s Track Newcomer of the Year ➤ Meredith Berger SCAC Women’s Field Co-Athlete of the Year

➤ Sarah Fritzsche (WXC) TLU Female Sportsmanship Award

➤ Jordan Kouremetis SCAC Men’s Basketball Tournament MVP

➤ Eric Beckenbach (MTEN) TLU Male Sportsmanship Award

➤ Tyler Cauley SCAC Baseball Freshman of the Year

➤ TLU Men’s Soccer Team Community Service Award

➤ Marquis Barrolle SCAC Football Co-Offensive Player of the Year

➤ TLU Women’s Soccer Highest Women’s Team GPA Award

➤ Eduardo Lopez-Rivera SCAC Men’s Soccer

➤ TLU Men’s Tennis Highest Men’s Team GPA Award ➤ Kaymee Gooden SCAC Softball Co-Player of the Year ➤ Maitlin Raycroft SCAC Softball Pitcher & Newcomer of the Year ➤ Wade Wilson SCAC Softball Coach of the Year

22 | T O R C H



Co-Newcomer of the Year

➤ Marquis Brown SCAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Year ➤ Grady Shields SCAC Men’s Track Newcomer of the Year ➤ TLU Coaches SCAC Men’s Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year

AMANDA LOCHTE Academic All-American of the Year & SCAC Woman of the Year

SE SC CT OIR OENB O T IATR LD E

Pitcher AMANDA LOCHTE ’17 was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for NCAA Division III Softball. She also was selected as the SCAC Woman of the Year and nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year. A summa cum laude May graduate with a 3.97 grade-point average, Lochte is the first Bulldog to claim the top national academic honor for a CoSIDA Academic All-America® sport category. By virtue of this award, she is a nominee for the CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year award for all of NCAA Division III. Lochte earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team honors this season after being named to the second team last year. She earned National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-West Region honors this spring, after posting a 15-2 record with two saves and a 1.39 ERA in 105.2 innings in the circle. Lochte ended her career with a 38-4 record and a school-record .905 career winning percentage as a pitcher. In 2017, she went 9-0 in conference play with a 1.07 ERA, and she had a win and a save in the SCAC Championship Tournament. With Lochte playing a key role in the pitching rotation, TLU won 2017 SCAC titles for the regular season and the conference tournament. The 2017 titles marked the fourth straight season for TLU to win the regular season and conference tournament championships. The Bulldogs of 2017 finished with a 38-6 record, which included a school-record 38-game win streak. The Bulldogs made their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship and finished as the Tyler Regional runner-up for a third time in four seasons.

Pitcher Maitlin Raycroft Sets National Record for Softball No-hitters Junior MAITLIN RAYCROFT became the new national recordholder for no-hitters tossed in a season when she hurled eight no-hitters (including one perfect game) in 2017. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association Second Team All-American finished the year with a record of 21-3, which set the new school mark for single-season victories. Raycroft finished second in all of NCAA Division III in shutouts, with 14 (another school record), and she ranked fourth in strikeouts per seven innings and fourth in hits allowed per seven innings. As TLU Female Student-Athlete of the Year, Raycroft finished the year with a school-record 219 strikeouts in 140-2/3 innings. She walked only 28, and opponents hit just .128 against her. Her final ERA was 1.29.

T O R C H | 23

SC EC OTRIEOBNO A T IRTDL E

Bulldogs Roll to Third Straight SCAC Men’s Basketball Title The Bulldogs stormed to the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship for a third consecutive year after defeating Schreiner 83-70 in the SCAC Men’s Basketball Championship title game. SCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player JORDAN KOUREMETIS hit six three-pointers and scored a game-high 28 to lead the Bulldogs. Kouremetis, also the 2015 SCAC Tournament MVP, joined fellow senior starters STERLING HOLMES and ZACH BEHR as three-time champs in the SCAC. The Bulldogs accomplished this year’s feat with a new coach,

MIKE WACKER, who succeeded Jimmy Smith after Smith departed for an assistant coaching position at Sam Houston State at the end of the 2015-16 season. TLU entered the 2017 tournament as the No. 3 seed, and needed to win three games in three days to win the third consecutive title. The Bulldogs defeated No. 6 Centenary (La.), No. 2 seed Colorado College, and top seed Schreiner to claim the SCAC crown and the NCAA tournament invite.

Lye Claims Academic All-America Award for Women’s Basketball

a kinesiology major with specializations in

part of the senior class that won the most

exercise science and sports management.

games in school history over four seasons.

Lye led TLU to a pair of SCAC regularseason championships, to an SCAC

The Bulldogs went 75-33 (.694) overall and 45-11 in the SCAC (.804).

tournament championship, and to an

Senior forward KRISTEN LYE grabbed the 33rd Academic All-America® award in school history after being named to the 2016-17 CoSIDA Women’s Basketball Academic AllAmerica® Second Team for NCAA Division III. Lye is fourth all-time in scoring and rebounding for the Bulldogs. She graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average as

appearance in the 2014 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship (first round). Lye concluded her standout career with 1,255 points and 805 rebounds. She averaged career-highs for points (14.4) and rebounds (9.6) this season, leading TLU to a 21-6 overall record and to a 12-2 mark in the SCAC. With her seven fellow seniors, Lye is

Schaefer, Howlett Pick up Prestigious National Awards Football player TYLER

HOWLETT and Baseball player RILEY SCHAEFER

consecutive SCAC Championships. The Bulldogs were 27-13 with Howlett on the team. In 2014, Howlett was instrumental in paving the way for NCAA Division III leading rusher Marquis Barrolle, who rushed for 1,792 yards that season. Howlett blocked for Barrolle during four seasons, and helped Barrolle to the TLU and SCAC all-time rushing record of 3,991 yards. Schaefer, a junior accounting

each collected CoSIDA

major with a 4.0 grade point

Academic All-America®

average, led the team to a

awards in 2016-17. Howlett

second-place regular-season

was named a Second Team

finish in the SCAC. Schaefer hit

Academic All-American in NCAA DIII Football, and Schaefer was a Third Team Academic All-American in NCAA DIII Baseball.

.343 and tallied 33 runs, 26 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He collected seven doubles, five triples, and a home run. He made just one error

A two-time First Team All-SCAC selection, Howlett was a 2016

all season. Schaefer, the team’s starting right fielder, was named

American Football Coaches Association Good Works nominee.

to the SCAC First Team and was also part of the TLU squad that

He helped TLU to the 2014 NCAA Division III playoffs and to three

received the SCAC’s Sportsmanship Award for baseball.

24 | T O R C H

SE SC CT OIR OENB O T IATR LD E

AT H

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY LETICS

AM HALL OF F

E BRIAN DISHMAN ’01 Brian Dishman was a two-time NAIA AllAmerican in men’s golf. He finished 13th individually at the 1999 NAIA National Championships and led TLU to a sixth-place

LINDSEY KOLMEIER KNEUPPER ’05

finish as a team. He placed 15th individually at the 1998 NAIA National Championships

A four-year letter-winner and starter,

and led TLU to a fourth-place finish. In 2000,

Lindsey Kolmeier Kneupper led TLU to the

he played in both the NCAA Division II West

2004 NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball

Regional (finishing 41st) and the NAIA National

Championship, where the Bulldogs upset

Championship (finishing 50th).

top-seed Trinity in the second round before falling in the South Region final to No. 2 seed and regional host Emory University. The Bulldogs reached the NCAA DIII “Sweet 16” for the first time in school history and posted TLU’s DIII-best national finish of ninth. Kneupper was the star outside hitter on that 2004 squad. She was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and an AVCA First Team All-South Region selection.

AMANDA STEVENS ULCAK ’05 Amanda Stevens Ulcak was named the ASC West Division Freshman of the Year after finishing second in the conference in innings pitched (150.1) and setting a TLU school record with a 1.12 ERA. As a junior, Stevens was named the ASC West Division Pitcher and Player of the Year after tying her own school record with a 1.12 ERA. She finished that season with a 17-6 record and led her squad to the ASC

NATALIE WOOD JONES ’07 Natalie Wood Jones is the only three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in school history. She earned those Academic AllAmerican honors in 2005, 2006, and 2007. She qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships all four years, from 2004 to 2007. She earned her first All-American honor in competition as a member of the national sixth-place 4x100 relay team in 2006.

West title. She finished her career as the then-school record-holder for wins in a season (17), wins in a career (58), career ERA (1.26), and consecutive scoreless innings (59-2/3 in 2004).

T O R C H | 25

In Memoriam SECTION TITLE

TLU Alumni

1930s

Hortense M. Mandel ’37 Died: October 30, 2016 Seguin, TX Elizabeth Wolff Mohr ’37 Died: October 2, 2016 Fredericksburg, TX Margaret “Margo” Etherington ’39 Died: January 26, 2017 Hoover, AL Ida Anna Kropp ’39 Died: June 17, 2016 New Braunfels, TX

1940s

Ellen Beatrice Richter ’41 Died: January 25, 2017 Hondo, TX Grace Solmsky Saegert ’41 Died: November 2, 2016 Seguin, TX Fred Carl Adix ’42 Died: June 24, 2017 Victoria, TX Louis E. Ludwig ’42 Died: June 19, 2016 Needville, TX Rev. Arnold K. Windecker ’42 Died: August 22, 2016 San Antonio, TX Eunice Haterius Brownfield ’43 Died: February 27, 2017 Austin, TX Erna “Nita” Elizabeth Bartels Pritchett ’43 Died: June 11, 2017 Holland, TX Barney Archer ’44 Died: January 21, 2017 Hallettsville, TX

Sylvia du Menil ’44 Died: March 27, 2017 Seguin, TX

Louise Abigail Johnson ’46 Died: February 13, 2017 Taylor, TX

Norma E. (Peters) Willoughby ’53 Died: August 6, 2016 Longview, TX

Betty Sue Johannes ’54 Died: December 29, 2016 Clifton, TX

Joseph Michael Kulivan, Sr. ’61 Died: April 23, 2017 Midlothian, VA Sharron Vogel ’64 Died: January 30, 2017 Seguin, TX

David P. Maurer ’72 Died: August 15, 2016 Fulshear, TX

Rev. Kurt E. Johnson ’65 Died: December 11, 2016 Austin, TX

Larry Roland Willmann ’72 Died: June 26, 2017 Seguin, TX

Paul Arnold Rode ’47 Died: March 13, 2017 San Antonio, TX

Bill McGinty ’55 Died: January 22, 2017 Seguin, TX

Clarence Stanley Fischer ’48 Died: April 25, 2017 Bartlett, TX

Rev. Eric N. Schulze, Sr. ’55 Died: August 8, 2016 Hurst, TX

1950s

Mavis Greif ’56 Died: November 29, 2016 Nacogdoches, TX

Dr. Elise Kirchoff ’68 Died: December 12, 2016 Uvalde, TX

Freddie Eugene Hightower ’57 Died: April 23, 2017 Schertz, TX

Richard “Dickie” Orsak ’68 Died: June 16, 2017 Webster, TX

Paula Ruth “Cookie” Miller ’57 Died: March 15, 2017 Austin, TX

Carol Ann Law ’69 Died: March 13, 2017 Fredericksburg, TX

Jesse A. Baker, Jr. ’50 Died: September 23, 2016 Boerne, TX Leslie G. Baker ’50 Died: November 25, 2016 Kingsbury, TX Eugene H. “Gene” Brawner ’50 Died: November 11, 2016 Seguin, TX Calvin Edward Namken ’50 Died: March 24, 2017 Mission, TX Joann Marie Helwig Meyer ’51 Died: March 3, 2017 Sugar Land, TX Molly Taylor ’52 Died: September 30, 2016 Sealy, TX Clara S. Wittig ’52 Died: October 25, 2016 Seguin, TX JoAnn “Jody” Dixon ’53 Died: June 11, 2017 Seguin, TX Patti Harry ’53 Died: December 5, 2016 Pasadena, TX

Joe Allen Mueller ’57 Died: March 8, 2017 McQueeney, TX Alfred Erwin Becker ’58 Died: March 24, 2017 Windcrest, TX

1960s

Frank Richard Allen ’60 Died: March 7, 2017 Austin, TX Floyd A. Balter ’60 Died: February 14, 2017 San Antonio, TX Garland Kneten ’61 Died: September 12, 2016 Bartlett, TX

Kenneth C. Kautz ’66 Died: July 31, 2016 Weatherford, TX

1970s

Carol Stolz Conner ’70 Died: July 11, 2016 Rockport, TX Keith Hormuth ’70 Died: January 19, 2017 New Braunfels, TX Jack Andrew Olsen ’70 Died: April 30, 2017 Midlothian, Virginia Michael “Mike” Lynn Janosky ’71 Died: May 10, 2017 Pasadena, TX John “Tootie” L. Merriwether, Sr. ’71 Died: July 7, 2016 Seguin, TX Bruce Alan Wells ’71 Died: December 13, 2016 Georgetown, TX

Cynthia Kay Haecker ’73 Died: January 10, 2017 Seguin, TX Lloyd Alexander ’75 Died: August 10, 2016 Burnet, TX William L. Baskette, Jr. ’77 Died: September 19, 2016 San Antonio, TX Henry R. Gutierrez ’77 Died: January 19, 2017 Seguin, TX Robert Nixon Jr. ’77 Died: March 11, 2017 Arlington, TX

1980s

Catherine Machacek Muehlbrad ’84 Died: October 16, 2016 Yorktown, TX Joanne E. Witschorke ’84 Died: July 21, 2016 Marion, TX Lora Brodland Means ’88 Died: October 17, 2016 New Braunfels, TX

1990s

Paul Thomas Blanchard ’95 Died: November 6, 2016 Seguin, TX

Remembering Friends of TLU George Parfet Bachman Friend Died: April 29, 2017 Seguin, TX Marion Brekken Regent Emeritus Died: August 28, 2016 Grapevine, TX Faye Ehler Friend Died: June 27, 2017 La Grange, TX Olga M. Guajardo Friend Died: May 18, 2017 New Braunfels, TX 26 | T O R C H

Shirley Herres Regent Emeritus Died: September 20, 2016 Lincoln, NE Bennie Kaulfus Former Jackson Subscriber Died: May 8, 2017 Seguin, TX Sam Ladell Knowles Former Employee Died: February 9, 2017 Conroe, TX Henry W. Kuecker, Jr. Friend Died: November 14, 2016 Brenham, TX

Stanley Wayne McKenzie Former Jackson Subscriber Died: July 3, 2017 New Braunfels, TX Wesley Lee Moehring Friend Died: June 29, 2017 Hondo, TX Jo Murphy Friend Died: June 20, 2017 Houston, TX Robert Allen Muschalek Friend Died: June 9, 2016 Yorktown, TX

Glenn Leon Pape Former Student Died: May 28, 2017 Seguin, TX Israel Ramirez Friend Died: May 8, 2017 New Braunfels, TX Wilson Peyton Southwell, Jr. Friend Died: June 27, 2017 San Antonio, TX

Caroline Cecily Douglas-ScottMontagu Weston Friend Died: April 4, 2017 New Braunfels, TX Leroy Henry Wiese Friend Died: June 28, 2017 Lake McQueeney, TX Curtis B. Wilke Friend Died: August 19, 2016 Slaton, TX Nancy Ann Wilson Friend Died: August 17, 2016 San Antonio, TX

FREDDIE EUGENE HIGHTOWER ’57 Died: April 23, 2017 • San Antonio, TX Freddie Eugene Hightower was born on October 4, 1935, near Swiss Alp, Texas. It was his early years that gave him the love of family, community, hunting, fishing, camping, and exploring the great outdoors. He received a fouryear football scholarship to TLC and was part of a unique brotherhood of football players: The Kramer Boys— named after the coach who so profoundly changed all their lives. He also met his future wife, Marjorie Ann Rousculp, at TLC. After graduation, he was offered a tryout with the Green Bay Packers but turned it down so they could be married. He then went on to coach at Marble Falls High School, Eagle Lake High School, and Calallen High School. In 1962, he accepted a position as an assistant football coach for TLC and became head coach in 1964. He left TLC in 1969 and became an assistant football coach at Oklahoma State University, eventually going on to be a scout for the Dallas Cowboys from 1966 until 1976. After many successful years in coaching and scouting, Hightower decided to go back to school. He earned a Master of Secondary Education from Southwest Texas State University, and served as a principal in the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City School District. In 1979, he made another career change and began his success in sales. In 1987, he was inducted into the TLC Hall of Fame and was a regular attendee of the annual football reunion in Fredericksburg honoring team members who played for legendary football coach Colonel Jim Kramer. He retired in 2013 to spend quality time with family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and will be remembered as a man who worked hard, enjoyed life, and loved to laugh.

MARION B. BREKKEN Died: August 28, 2016 • Grapevine, TX Marion B. Brekken was born January 29, 1935, in Phillips, Wisconsin, to John and Amelia Bolton. She met her husband, Alvin “Bud” Brekken, at the University of Wisconsin at Madison where she worked as a medical technician. In 1978, they moved to Grapevine, Texas, with their children, and she became very active in the community, serving with numerous organizations including Keep Grapevine Beautiful, Grapevine Chamber of Commerce (D.E. Box Citizen of the Year 1987 and Woman of the Year 1990), GCISD Education Foundation (Founding Director 1998 to 2009), GCISD Board of Trustees (president 1995 to 1997), Heritage Foundation, City Council, Grapevine Historical Society, Friends of the Library, Texas Bank Advisory Board, Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine Board of Trustees, Grapevine Garden Club, American Cancer Society, and the TLU Board of Regents from 1995 to 2002.

SHIRLEY JEAN HERRES Died: September 20, 2016 • Lincoln, NE Shirley Jean Herres was born on April 13, 1936, in San Antonio, Texas, and met her future husband, Lt. Robert T. Herres, in Albuquerque while attending the University of New Mexico. During their lives they moved many times and with each move, she always found ways to encourage and support younger Air Force families. Bob’s career led them to many places, including Washington, D.C. where he served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Throughout all their travels, Bob always credited Shirley with being his rock. After retiring from the military, they returned to San Antonio where Bob became Chairman and CEO of USAA. Shirley was an active member of First Presbyterian Church and a devoted volunteer with organizations including SAMM, the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health, San Antonio Christian Dental, Habitat for Humanity, and the San Antonio Children’s Museum. She also served on the TLU Board of Regents from 2002 to 2007. In 2008, she relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska, and immediately began a life of service in her new community where she was active in the First-Plymouth Church, Random Acts of Kindness, and Community Women’s Club.

CAROLINE M. WESTON Died: April 4, 2017 • New Braunfels, TX Born in England on February 13, 1925, to John Walter Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, and Alice Pearl Crake, Caroline Montagu Weston grew up on the Beaulieu Estate in Hampshire. WWII played an important role in her formative life, as she spent three years in Canada where she was sent for safety in 1940. When she returned to England in 1943, she worked in the Women’s Royal Navy Service. She was very proud of her participation in D-Day, when she helped track ships moving across the English Channel to the invasion of Normandy. She met and married Grainger Weston in the years after World War II and moved to the United States. They set down permanent roots in Texas, initially in Waco, and then on a ranch in Marion, where they raised their family. She was highly regarded in Waco, San Antonio, and New Braunfels, where she was a member of the Junior League of San Antonio and the Alamo Heights Garden Club. Weston was recognized for her work in music education in schools through the San Antonio Symphony and was an active member of the MidTexas Symphony. The New Braunfels Arts Council also honored her with a lifetime achievement award for her support of bringing murals to public spaces in downtown, celebrating the city’s history. She was a charter member of the outdoor art museum in New Braunfels, a tutor for New Braunfels ISD, and a major supporter of Hope Hospice. She supported the Circle Arts Theatre, worked at the SOS Food Bank, and was an active member of New Braunfels Presbyterian Church. The new performing arts center at TLU is named in her honor, recognizing her lifelong support of music education and the Weston family’s generous support of the university.

FRED CARL ADIX Died: June 24, 2017 Victoria, TX Fred Carl Adix was born on November 27, 1920, in Rush Center, Kansas, to Fritz Carl and Norma Strieber Adix. He is survived by his sister, Jean Gohmert of Yorktown, nephew, Larry Gohmert of Yorktown, nephew, Mike Nicholson of Houston, great-nephew, Christopher Gohmert of Meyersville, and greatniece, Kelli Gohmert of San Antonio. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Marjorie Rogan Adix, and brother, Neil Adix. He was a dedicated member of First English Lutheran Church and a generous supporter of TLU. T O R C H | 27

NEWS

ALUMNI First-Ever Bulldog Family Dinner a Success

Networking Mixer Connects Students with Employers This past April, graduating seniors attended an afternoon of networking with the TLU Corporate Partners and Alumni Association Board of Directors. Students had the opportunity to meet professionals in their field, including a chance to connect with many of TLU’s Corporate Partners. A photographer was on site taking professional headshots while guests mingled and networked with industry leaders.

Last August, the Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomed the Class of 2020 onto campus with the first-ever Bulldog Family Dinner during orientation weekend. More than 400 incoming freshmen and their families participated in a welcome tailgate, followed by their first TLU football game experience. Students and parents were also able to ask a panel of board members candid questions about their own experiences at TLU. The Office of Alumni Relations looks forward to continuing this tradition with new Bulldogs every fall. Don’t forget to join in on the fun at every home football game. For more information on tailgating, contact Taylor Collins ’14 at [email protected].

Thank You to Our Corporate Partners Alamo Group, Inc. Audimation Services Baptist Health Foundation Budwine Foundation Clay Corporation CMC Steel, Texas Frost Bank Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Koehler Company KPMG San Antonio Livestock and Expo VARC Solutions Church Engineering Services Kolkhorst and Kolkhorst CPA’s Sodexo

S AV E T H E D AT E

O C TO B E R 12, 2017

WiTS

WOMEN

IN TLU

STEM

A Generation of Bulldogs Pictured: Matt White ’00, Elizabeth Halvorson White ’01, Kathy White Von Buettner ’95, Margaret White Kaysa ’92, Doris Jean Sonntag White ’70, Anne Latour Hiller ’97, Greg Hiller ’96, Fran Sonntag Latour ’69, Bruce Latour ’68, and Thomas Von Buettner ’20. Not pictured: Robert White ’69, Austin Latour ’01, and Maxine Sonntag (former assistant to TLU President Charles Ostreich).

Hettinger Lecture Series Continues Now in its seventh year, the Dr. Deborah Hettinger Alumni Faculty Lecture Series continues to feature live webinar-style lectures from faculty, alumni, and staff about specialized topics. Past lecturers include Dr. Steve Vrooman (Game Design), Dr. Germaine Walsh (Tolkien), Dr. Judith Hoffmann (Texas Population Changes & Growth), Pastor Kara Stewart (Putting The Silent Back Into Silent Night), and many others. Mark your calendar for the second Thursday of every month from October through April 2018 to view a Livestream of each presentation. Watch archived videos at Youtube.com/txlutheran on the Hettinger Lecture Series Playlist.

28 | T O R C H

YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

BY SUPPORTING THE TEXAS LUTHERAN FUND, you make the difference in providing scholarship support for deserving students, improving the appearance of the campus and its facilities, and enhancing the quality of our academic programs. Consider enrolling in easy online recurring contributions. GIVE ONLINE AT TLU.EDU/GIVING.

T E X A S

L U T H E RA N

U N I V E R S I T Y

WESTON C E N T E R

for the

PERFORMING ARTS

tlu.edu/westoncenter

G I V E

INSPIRE

BOLDLY SUCCESS

T O R C H | 29

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID San Antonio, TX Permit No. 428

1000 West Court Street ◆ Seguin, Texas 78155-5978

2017-2018 EVENTS • tlu.edu/events 2017 SEPTEMBER

27 KROST SYMPOSIUM Connecting With Comics Giesber Keynote Speaker: Scott McCloud Jackson Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER

29 08 thru OCTOBER

DRAMATIC MEDIA PRODUCTION: “The Fantasticks”

Weston Center Studio Theatre

DECEMBER

1-3

DECEMBER

10

CHRISTMAS VESPERS Jackson Auditorium

CHRISTMAS VESPERS IN AUSTIN St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 4:30 p.m.

2018 JANUARY

FEBRUARY

BROWN DISTINGUISHED LECTURE:

DRAMATIC MEDIA PRODUCTION:

25 16-24 Rita Moreno

Jackson Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

“Othello”

Weston Center Studio Theatre

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND

BROWN DISTINGUISHED LECTURE:

6-7 08 Diane Guerrero

DECEMBER

16 WINTER BACCALAUREATE Jackson Auditorium 10:30 a.m.

Christmas Vespers tickets will be released November 1 at tlu.edu/vespers and through the TLU Bookstore. Tickets are free but required.

Jackson Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER

16 WINTER COMMENCEMENT Jackson Auditorium 3:00 p.m.