Focus on Alumni:
INNOVATIVE. ADAPTABLE. RELEVANT. NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER KEEPS BUSINESS IN THE BLACK, AND FORGING AHEAD Also in this issue: UT Tyler plans new Alumni House to open in 2016
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THE UNIVERSIT Y OF TEX AS AT T YLER MAGAZINE THE UNIVERSIT Y OF TEX AS AT T YLER MAGAZINE
Contributors The University of Texas at Tyler Magazine Volume Eleven, Issue Two Dr. Rodney H. Mabry, UT Tyler President UT Tyler Magazine Editor Emily Battle Photography: Francie Batten-Hodges Frank Curry FJ Gaylor Alex Maldonado Randy Mallory Clarence Shackelford David White Lang White Jeff Williford Contributing Writers: Emily Battle, Magazine Editor Hannah Buchanan, Public Affairs Specialist Ashley Festa, Ashley Festa Writing Jennifer Hannigan, Special Assistant to the President for Communications Shelly Roark, Roark Creative Staci Semrad, Portico Communications Jeff Williford, Sports Information
The University of Texas at Tyler Magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications at UT Tyler. UT Tyler is an equal opportunity employer and educational institution. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The University of Texas at Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications 3900 University Blvd. Tyler, TX 75799 ph. 903.566.7170 www.uttyler.edu
T Y LE R
FALL/WINTER 2014 In Every Issue
Special Section:
02
President’s Letter
20
04
Around Campus
08
Focus On: Faculty
12
Focus On: Alumni
16
Focus On: Students
24
Focus On: Benefactors
28
Focus On: Athletics
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Class Notes
UT TYLER PLANS NEW ALUMNI HOUSE TO OPEN IN 2016
on cover: UT Tyler alumnus Nelson Clyde IV, president of T.B. Butler Publishing Co., which owns the Tyler Morning Telegraph and tylerpaper.com.
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President’s Letter I frequently meet alumni from The University of Texas at Tyler in unexpected places. From emergency rooms to boardrooms, graduates of this institution are shaping the future of East Texas. If you have visited the campus in the past decade, you may have had the opportunity to see our alumni wall at the front of the University Center. Each of our more than 31,000 graduates and those in the future who will turn a tassel at this institution will be remembered in that exhibit. As a university, we often look toward the future. Our primary goal, after all, is to equip students with the skills they need to build successful careers and lives. However, it is also vital for us to remember the past, and to give our graduates a place to call home long after their names have been engraved on the wall. To further accomplish that goal, we will soon be breaking ground on the UT Tyler Alumni House. This 12,000-square-foot building will be a beautiful home for our alumni—a place where they can meet, hold events, or just visit when they return to the old alma mater to see how things look at UT Tyler these days. In this issue you will find more details about that project and what you can do to help, whether you are one of our alumni or a friend of this university. Speaking of alumni, in this issue you will also find the story of Nelson Clyde IV. When I think about alumni who truly make a difference in this region, his name always comes to mind. As the president of T.B. Butler Publishing Company, the parent company of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Nelson Clyde IV is essential to the dissemination of news in East Texas. In these pages, we will also honor another alumnus, David King, and his wife, Janis. The Kings are longtime friends and staunch supporters of this university, and we are truly grateful for their generosity regarding the Alumni House project. I have talked a lot about past students so far, but we can’t forget our amazing current faculty and students who have great accomplishments to their credit. Also in this issue you will meet Daniel Symonds, a graduate student in biology who is working to save one of North America’s most endangered species; Dr. Christina Graves, an assistant professor of mathematics who recently received one of UT System’s top awards for teaching excellence; and Patriots softball coach Mike Reed, who has led his team to great accomplishments. We are honored to have great supporters, successful alumni, and excellent students, faculty and staff. The support of those who have gone before and the dedication of those in the present are both key to the success of this university.
Rodney H. Mabry President Dr. Ben R. Fisch Professor of Economics and Finance THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER MAGAZINE
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AROUND CAMPUS More Than 8,000 Patriots! UT Tyler enrollment has surpassed 8,000 for the first time in university history. Total preliminary headcount for the 2014 fall semester is 8,113, a 7 percent increase. The total headcount for this time last year was 7,534. “We are truly excited about the significant increases in enrollment we are experiencing, especially against the backdrop of flat or decreasing enrollment at other institutions in East Texas,” President Rodney Mabry said. “Our increases show that students believe they get a high-quality education here at a good price. UT Tyler’s
‘value proposition’ is very high.” The enrollment increase is attributed to increases in retention of current students, as well as new transfer, graduate and international students. “In addition, we are finding new markets to address the declining studentapplicant population resulting from the end of the increase that came from the baby boom generation,” said Sarah Bowdin, assistant vice president for enrollment management. “The new markets are receptive to our quality-at-affordable-price message, so they
are coming to UT Tyler,’’ she said. “We’ve also put a greater emphasis on online courses that responds to how some students want their education now.” Outstanding academic programs and notable faculty are still among UT Tyler’s most attractive features, Dr. Mabry noted. “We still believe that top-rated faculty, a we-care-that-you-succeed culture, mixed with the best facilities and beautiful campus, are what make a very special university.’’ n
UT Tyler, Kilgore College Form Nursing Degree Partnership
UT Tyler President Rodney Mabry (center) with Kilgore College President Bill Holda and Pinetree High School Principal Cindy Gabehart at UT Tyler Longview University Center.
Students can transition seamlessly from high school to Kilgore College to the bachelor’s degree nursing program at UT Tyler Longview University Center through a new UT Tyler-KC partnership. The Roadmap to Success Program is part of an initiative to expand opportunities for student success in the Gregg County area, said Dr. Rodney Mabry, UT Tyler president. “Our nursing program at the Longview University Center and Kilgore College’s nursing program have been strong partners
for many years,’’ Mabry said. “We are excited to announce this next phase of collaboration.’’ Nursing is the first discipline to be offered through the program. Students will be guided from dual credit high school programs to the sophomore year at Kilgore College and through bachelor’s degree completion with UT Tyler, in the most efficient and affordable way possible. For more information visit: uttyler. edu/luc/kilgore/nursing. n
UT Tyler has added a new college to house online degree completion programs for working adults and innovative support services for students and faculty. Through the University College, adults with at least 60 college credits or an associate’s or technical degree from a junior college can complete the bachelor of applied arts and sciences degree 100 percent online. This makes the degree affordable and accessible, said Dr. Ross Sherman, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “As UT Tyler continues to grow, we want to expand our offerings to benefit the East Texas area while recognizing the worldwide reach the university can have in providing access to education,” Sherman
said. “The University College is the perfect combination of how we can enhance services to our local students while providing degree completion programs to individuals with access to a computer and the Internet.” The degree completion programs will focus on 21st century job skills like entrepreneurship, creativity and leadership. Students can choose the concentration that works best for them — regardless of their prior coursework. The college also will provide a centralized location for student and faculty support services including student advising and tutoring, transfer student success center, 24/7 support for technology-enriched courses and innovative training for faculty.
“We are excited to offer this new college to our current and future students,” said Dr. Scott Marzilli, assistant vice president for academic innovation and student success. “Everything we do will be focused on providing a second-to-none experience for our students.” n
Wang Appointed Dean of Nursing & Health Sciences
Dr. Yong “Tai’’ Wang
Dr. Yong “Tai” Wang has been named professor and dean of the UT Tyler College of Nursing and Health Sciences. He fills the vacancy left by Dr. Linda Klotz’s retirement and follows Dr. Pam Martin, associate dean and professor of nursing, who served as interim dean. “I appreciate Dr. Pam Martin for her service to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences as interim dean,’’ said Dr. Ross Sherman, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Please join me in thanking Dr. Martin for her excellent work and in welcoming Dr. Wang to his new role and to The University of Texas at Tyler.’’ Wang comes to UT Tyler from
Georgia State University, where he served as professor and assistant dean in the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions. He has been involved in more than $5 million in grants regarding patient rehabilitation and holds the patent for the EZ Push Wheelchair, suitable for stroke patients and elderly users. Wang holds master’s degrees in biomechanics and exercise science from Indiana’s Ball State University and the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education in China, respectively, and a doctorate in rehabilitative biomechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. n
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AROUND CAMPUS
Finish Your Degree Completely Online
Academy of Marketing Science Honors Dean James Lumpkin Dr. James Lumpkin, dean of the UT Tyler College of Business and Technology, received the Academy of Marketing Science’s 2014 Harold W. Berkman Service Award for outstanding long-term service to the academy and the marketing profession. Lumpkin has served the university since June 2014 and holds the UT Tyler F.M. and Fannie Burke professorship. The Berkman Service Award is the academy’s most prestigious and bears the name of the AMS founder. The award has only been bestowed 10 times in the academy’s 42-year history. “Dr. Lumpkin fits the award in every way,” said Dr. Barry Babin, AMS Board of
Governors chair. “He has demonstrated careerlong leadership to the academy. He has served in a variety of leadership roles including tenure as AMS president during a time of significant expansion as an international association and as the academy’s journal, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, grew in stature and prestige.” Active in the academy since 1980, Lumpkin has been involved in all phases of the academy including serving on the review board for JAMS, and was named JAMS Outstanding Reviewer. Lumpkin came to UT Tyler from Louisiana Tech University, where he was dean and Chase Bank professor in the College
Dr. James Lumpkin
of Business. He holds master of business administration and bachelor of science degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University and a doctorate in business administration from the University of Arkansas. n
State Researcher of the Year Award Dr. Vance Vaughn has been named “Researcher of the Year’’ by the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Leadership. The UT Tyler associate professor of educational leadership was recognized during a council ceremony this fall. “Dr. Vaughn is a recognized scholar within The University of Texas at Tyler, and he has proven himself to be a strong researcher in educational leadership,” said Dr. Wesley Hickey, interim dean of the College of Education and Psychology. “His research provides insights into the theoretical and practical nature of educational leadership, and creates a strong foundation for his service on the TCPEA Executive Board, Innovation Academy Charter School Board and
Dr. Vance Vaughn
as a professional service provider for local districts.” Vaughn’s professional and research interests include public school finance, bond elections and mathematics leadership. His scholarly contributions include nearly 20 published peerreviewed journal manuscripts, one textbook and 15 state and national presentations. During the past year, Vaughn has published five journal articles, one book chapter and one book. Serving UT Tyler since 2006, Vaughn holds an educational doctorate in educational leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University, master of education in curriculum and instruction from UT Tyler and a bachelor of business administration from Baylor University. n
GOING FOR GOLD. Professors all across The University of Texas System’s 15 academic and health institutions compete for the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award each year, and Dr. Christy Graves’ portfolio of accomplishments stood out among them.
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INNOVATION IN UNDERGRADUATE INSTRUCTION Award-Winning Professor Brings Math to Life for UT Tyler Students
MATHEMATICS SENIOR Hanah A MAGNETIC STYLE Here’s something you probably Goetz clearly remembers the day zombies don’t hear every day: “I really enjoyed invaded her statistics class. differential equations.” Goetz said exactly The pirate horde – Goetz and her that about one of Graves’ classes. classmates – calculated their risk of being Some people might think math isn’t eaten alive if they chose to attack the a subject to get excited about, but that’s zombies. The odds were in their favor. not the case in this classDays like those are room. “Enthusiastic” is the what make students love No. 1 word students write Dr. Christy Graves, assison Graves’ evaluation at the tant professor of mathematend of every semester. ics at The University of “Sometimes it’s just a Texas at Tyler. And it’s days matter of being excited like those that contributed yourself, and it keeps your to her recognition as one of Dr. Christy Graves students excited,” Graves the 2014 Regents’ Outsaid. “When my students standing Teaching Award get excited in class, it’s way more interestrecipients for extraordinary classroom ing for me.” performance and innovation in underTo that end, she uses a variety of graduate instruction. methods to engage her students. Professors all across The University Worksheet Friday is one of their favorof Texas System’s 15 academic and health ites. For math majors, she creates a weekly institutions compete for the award review session to reinforce new concepts. each year, and Graves’ portfolio of accomThe class breaks into groups to complete plishments stood out among them. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER MAGAZINE
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Goetz offered some perspective: “There are way more guys in engineering, so the percentages were pretty even.”
themed worksheets, which sometimes include surveying data in life-or-death situations – such as pirates vs. zombies. Or perhaps something sweeter, like finding the volume of a Hershey’s Kiss. “She made the worksheets interactive with students’ names in the problems and fun topics,” Goetz said. “The more creative it was, the more students wanted to do them.” “On worksheet Fridays, you work with your classmates and share your ideas,” said Jeremy Williamson, also a senior math major. “It’s not the same people working together every time, so it makes you more comfortable working with different people, and it makes you more confident to speak up when the whole class is together.” With small classes, Graves takes students out of the classroom to conduct experiments, moving beyond traditional textbook problems. “One time I had them stand at the bottom of the stairs in the engineering building and count how many males and females took the elevator.” Turns out, more men take the stairs. But
College is a family affair for Graves and her husband, Stephen, who is also a math professor at UT Tyler. “His office is two doors down from mine,” says Graves. “It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of sometimes.” It’s also nice because their son and four daughters can visit both parents at the same office.
FUNDAMENTAL PHILOSOPHY Graves teaches a variety of courses, from core classes for non-math majors to graduate studies. For each class, she adjusts her teaching style to the personalities and abilities of the students. “She’s really good at explaining a topic in multiple ways,” Williamson said. “In her theory of probability class, we had to deal with different ways of counting. First she explained it the technical way. But if you don’t understand that, she’ll draw diagrams. She’ll do all kinds of examples that make it easier for you to understand.” “She keeps in mind there are visual learners and kinesthetic learners and auditory learners,” said Goetz, who is a visual learner and appreciated Graves using props to explain difficult problems. Graves’ overarching philosophy for every class is to focus on concepts rather than procedures. “I try to teach them why we’re going to do what we do on this problem rather than just the rules to solve it,” Graves said. “Then we focus on learning where to use the rules rather than just memorizing the rules. Students learn why they’re learning the rules, and they retain the concepts better.” Her philosophy also includes a safe environment where everyone is expected to participate. She breaks a problem down into tiny steps, asking students to provide the answer to each piece of the puzzle, working toward the solution. She rarely writes anything down without asking a student to provide the next step. “If I come to a weaker student, I ask a question I think they can answer in order to
build confidence,” Graves said. “For stronger students, I’ll ask a harder question so they’ll get more out of class.” Graves finds that making classes fun and engaging helps to create a conversational atmosphere instead of a traditional lecture. She also makes herself available outside class time to talk individually about questions that can’t be addressed during class. She regularly comes to the room early – oftentimes along with half the class – to talk about careers in math, paths to engineering jobs and other topics of interest. “Sometimes I tell students, ‘That’s a good question, and we can talk about it after class,’” she said. “I don’t want to discourage their questions because I don’t want to crush their curiosity.” Graves also works hard to avoid crushing students’ spirit for learning. After the first test, she gives students a blind journal assignment to evaluate where they stand. With no names on the completed journals, Graves weighs all the comments – positive and negative – to discover what she can do differently to make the class more effective. Then she’s able to get ideas about what should be changed, starting in the middle of the semester for the current class, rather than next semester’s class. For example, she’s willing to adjust the amount of homework so students gain the most out of the assignments. “For one class, I was assigning 15 problems a night for homework,” Graves said. “They said they were really struggling and couldn’t get through them all. So I switched to 10 per night and did another blind journal. They all said, ‘Thank you so much.’ It’s a small change to adjust the number of problems, but it really affected my students.” Other times, student feedback revealed the need for more difficult problems during class time. With another simple adjustment, the second blind journal confirmed students
were pleased. “It’s about showing you care what students think,” Graves said. Goetz and Williamson have both personally noticed Graves’ interest in helping them succeed. Goetz said her professor reached out to her when she noticed the student was struggling. Graves encouraged her to study with other students and to take advantage of office hours. “That made a huge difference in my college career,” Goetz said. “I’m always afraid to let her down, and I think it makes me work harder.” “Sometimes Dr. Graves explains what she struggles with herself,” Williamson said. “It helps with building student confidence. I know I can do anything I come across as long as I’m willing to work at it.” CREATING THE PATH TO SUCCESS Graves has been a technology pioneer since she arrived in 2009. Dr. Sheldon Davis, chair of the mathematics department, emphasized her use of technology in his recommendation of her for the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. Graves takes advantage of the university’s tech tools to create more study resources for her students. Rather than a traditional blackboard, she uses a special electronic pen to write class problems on a computer screen. The computer then saves those notes as a PDF file, which Graves uploads to the Web for her students to review. She also records her lectures with webcams, which students can watch again for extra study. Davis also noted in his recommendation Graves’ willingness to go above and beyond. She helps students involved in the UT Tyler chapter of the Mathematical Association of America organize biweekly meetings, and she has also organized the Association for Women in Mathematics celebration of Sonya Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day at the university. Kovalevsky is considered to be the greatest female mathematician before the 20th century and was the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics. During the daylong celebration, UT Tyler invites high school women to visit the university and learn exciting things about math. “Women math majors want encouragement,” Graves said. “They want someone to tell them they can do it.” It was Graves’ father who encouraged her to enjoy math. During elementary school, Graves would travel with her family
Graves takes advantage of the university’s tech tools to create more study resources for her students. Rather than a traditional blackboard, she uses a special electronic pen to write class problems on a computer screen. The computer then saves those notes as a PDF file, which Graves uploads to the Web for her students to review. She also records her lectures with webcams, which students can watch again for extra study.
from her home in Illinois to visit family in Colorado. During the long drive, they would pass through Kansas, which Graves describes as “boring and flat.” Her constant question for her father: “When are we going to see the mountains?” “My dad was an engineer,” she said. “He would calculate the curvature of the earth to figure out when we would see the mountains. He’d say it would be near this particular town, and we’d see the mountains within two or three miles of that town. That was really cool to me.” While she pursued that passion at Syracuse University, Graves met her future husband, Stephen, in the doctoral program. They graduated the same year and discovered
UT Tyler had two job openings for professors in the math department. They applied and have been working together in Texas for the past six years. “His office is two doors down from mine,” she said. “It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of sometimes.” It’s also nice because their son and four daughters can visit both parents at the same office. The kids enjoy seeing their artwork on the office walls and eating candy Graves keeps on hand for her students. Other than those occasional visits, though, she works hard to keep her professional life and her personal life separate. “I keep my work at work,” she said. “When I come home, it’s family time.” n
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“THE REALITY IS THAT WE REACH MORE PEOPLE NOW THAN WE’VE EVER REACHED BEFORE, THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND OTHER MEDIA, SO WE HAVE A BIGGER AUDIENCE THAN WE’VE EVER HAD.” — NELSON CLYDE IV, PUBLISHER, TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH
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INNOVATIVE. ADAPTABLE. RELEVANT. Newspaper Publisher Keeps Business in the Black, and Forging Ahead AT AGE 11, young Nelson would rise before dawn to toss newspapers onto front porches throughout Tyler, doing his part to keep people informed. Fast-forward 40 years, and that same newspaper delivery boy, who delivered news that reporters had hammered out on typewriters, now sits at the helm of a 104-year-old family business that has been transformed by computers, the Internet and other technological innovations. In his office at the Tyler Morning Telegraph, publisher Nelson Clyde IV, an alumnus of The University of Texas at Tyler, reflects on how his newspaper has not only adapted to those changes, but been empowered by them. “The old model of our industry was very paternalistic. The new model is very collaborative. It’s more of a conversation. There are more voices in the dialogue than there have ever been, when you consider all the feedback we get online. And more information is available to people than ever before in the history of civilization,” he said. The challenge for newspapers has been making that abundance of information relevant to readers and meeting them
Tyler Morning Telegraph Publisher Nelson Clyde IV
online in forums where they already are, said Clyde, president of T.B. Butler Publishing Co. Inc., which owns the Tyler Morning Telegraph and tylerpaper.com. Aware that a number of other newspapers around the country have struggled, people sometimes ask him about the status of his business. “The reality is that we reach more people now than we’ve ever reached before, through Facebook, Twitter and other media, so we have a bigger audience
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than we’ve ever had,” he said, noting that his business has remained profitable and debt-free. “We’re continuing to be innovative, adaptable and relevant, which media companies have to be to succeed in today’s world.” OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME Clyde is a great-great-grandson of the late Thomas Booker Butler, a Tyler attorney, judge and businessman who founded the family business in 1910 with the acquisition of the local newspaper after a fire destroyed its production facility. By the time Clyde began his newspaper career as a delivery boy in the 1970s, his grandfather, Calvin Clyde Jr., was running the company. “I worked with my grandfather for most of my career. He was a real builder of our company through a really golden age of our industry. There were periods when the growth patterns were just off the charts,” Clyde said. Looking up to his grandfather, Clyde worked his way up the ladder in various
positions of responsibility, learning the family business along the way. He started as a kid delivering newspapers for four years. In high school, he had a part-time job answering complaint calls in the circulation department after school. Then in college, he worked part-time in different positions throughout the building to get a feel for the business. “By then, I had pretty well decided I wanted to be in the business,” he recalled. “When I was 18, I thought I might like to be a lawyer, but decided over the next year that being in my family’s business was the opportunity of a lifetime.” UT TYLER: A WINDOW INTO THE WORLD Clyde calls his education at UT Tyler the “springboard” to his newspaper career. He earned his B.S. degree in political science with a minor in history from UT Tyler in 1987. “Our business is fundamentally linked to key public-policy decisions. So having a political science degree really gave me a
lot of insight into the political process and assessing good public policy,” he said. One course at UT Tyler that he most enjoyed was constitutional law, especially as it related to the First Amendment and freedom of speech and the press, he said. He also fondly remembers attending: classes taught by professor of history Dr. Patricia Gajda; a guest lecture by the inventor of the hydrogen bomb, Dr. Edward Teller; and a commencement speech by Rudy Giuliani, a federal attorney in New York who was then succeeding in fighting the mafia and who later became mayor of New York City. “His commencement address really struck a chord with me,” Clyde said. “It was an energizing speech and sendoff that really stayed with me. Till this day, it still inspires me to stand up and make a difference.” Clyde also remembers conversations he had during college with a friend of his family, the late Dr. George Hamm, who was then president of the university: “He knew my family, so I had a lot of opportunities to interact with him. George had a really lofty vision and set of ideals for the school,
ALONG WITH PUBLISHING THE NEWSPAPER, CLYDE IS DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE. AT THE START OF THE ECONOMIC DECLINE IN 2008, HE HELPED LAUNCH SHINE YOUR LIGHT, WHICH HAS RAISED MORE THAN $1 MILLION FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS.
including the creation of the Cowan Center. Through him, I had a front-row seat to these developments.” THE SUCCESSION PLAN During college, Clyde found his way into the newspaper’s advertising department and saw it as a good fit, partly because he didn’t see much upward mobility in the editorial side of the business. “My dad was our editor at the time, and he was only 18 years older than I was. I just didn’t see that he was going to move out of that job anytime soon,” Clyde said. After graduating, Clyde landed a job at the Austin American-Statesman and worked on its advertising staff for almost two years. He then returned to Tyler in 1989 to continue his career in the family business, moving from retail manager to advertising director to vice president of sales and marketing. He finally in the early 2000s became associate publisher, working directly under his father, Nelson Clyde III, who had become publisher in 1991 and was preparing his son to someday assume his job. Clyde III had planned to retire in 2010 but developed leukemia and died in 2007, accelerating their succession plan. “It was pretty overwhelming. I had not expected things would happen that way,” Clyde said. “It was a big adjustment for everyone.” The month before his father’s death, the board made Clyde president of the company. “I had some really good things in place as a result of my dad’s leadership. Our company was debt-free, healthy and strong. I didn’t know how important that would be until the economy went into recession in 2008,” he said, noting that the newspaper was able to weather the storm. In 2010, Clyde received the “Pat Taggart Award” from the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, which recognized him as the Newspaper Leader of the Year. He also is a past president of the association. DEDICATED TO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY A husband and father of three children, Clyde knows well his personal mission: “to encourage and strengthen families and communities. That is what I get excited about.” When the economy was starting to
collapse in 2008, Clyde worked on behalf of his newspaper with city and community leaders to launch the Shine Your Light project, which has since raised more than $1 million for local nonprofits. “It’s something we felt strongly about, both for raising awareness and raising money for agencies out there doing battle for the people who have the greatest needs in our community,” he said. That year, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus and given the Professional Achievement and Attainment Award by UT Tyler. “Nelson Clyde is a great role model for our students and future Patriot alumni,’’ said Brittany Childs, UT Tyler’s director of alumni relations. “He took advantage of the opportunities that UT Tyler provided him to help guide him along his career path.” Through the years, Clyde and his family have actively supported UT Tyler through their service and gifts, including contributions to scholarships. Clyde previously served on the UT Tyler Development Board and as chair of the UT Tyler Patriot Golf Classic. The newspaper has also hired graduates of the university’s journalism program to work on the editorial staff. Clyde views the expansion of the university over the years as beneficial to students and the entire community: “UT Tyler’s rankings are superb and it is making a name for itself. So I’m thrilled with the changes and think there’s more change ahead of us than behind us for this dynamic, growing university.” Clyde is well deserving of the
recognition, said longtime friend of the Clyde family James Perkins, board chairman and president of Citizens 1st Bank in Tyler. “Nelson is a huge booster of UT Tyler,” Perkins said. “Nelson also is a tireless promoter of Tyler and its best interests.” Perkins is himself a major supporter of the university. Among his many other contributions, he is a life member of the UT Tyler Development Board. In addition to supporting the university, the two men have in common the responsibility of running family businesses that date back about a century. “We share some of the same challenges, and they’re not easy at all,” Perkins said. “But it goes back to one thing – doing what you like to do. Nelson likes the newspaper business. I like the banking business. So if you like it, it’s really not work.” One challenge that Nelson has had at the newspaper that did not confront his predecessors is to work to anticipate the changes going on in his industry, Perkins said. Clyde agreed: “I think the difference between my father’s and grandfather’s leadership of the business and mine is that I face the new challenge of finding new opportunities for our company not only to stay healthy, but to diversify our business interests and broaden our footing to remain relevant to our customers and shareholders.” Indeed, Clyde intends to keep forging ahead with his family’s publishing business, doing his part, as he did as a kid, to keep the people informed: “We get to report on the people who make the most difference, and that’s a great privilege.” n
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DAN SYMONDS IS ON THE HUNT FOR MUSSELS, BUT NOT BECAUSE HE’S HUNGRY. INSTEAD, HE’S TRYING TO SECURE THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
UT Tyler grad student Dan Symonds examines freshwater mussels on the Neches River, assisted by undergraduate biology major Stephanie Allcorn.
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CALL OF THE WILD Student Researcher Works to Save North America’s Most Imperiled Species DEEP IN THE Big Thicket National Preserve, Dan Symonds might be found neck-deep in a murky tributary conducting a tactile search. Or he could be crouching in swim trunks under huge shade trees, digging underwater in the sediment. He’s on the hunt for mussels, but not because he’s hungry. Instead, he’s trying to secure their livelihood. Unlike saltwater mussels served in restaurants, Symonds’ research subjects are freshwater mussels, classified as North America’s most imperiled group of organisms. The University of Texas at Tyler graduate biology student has dedicated his master’s thesis to studying their habitats and proving that tributaries play a fundamental role in their survival. Symonds didn’t intend to study mussels, though. All he knew was that he wanted to work in nature.
CULTIVATING AN INTEREST From Rochester, New York, Symonds grew up working on his family’s farm and spent most of his time outdoors. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he briefly considered a career as a game warden. That is, until his father explained that he wouldn’t be allowed to hunt, only to supervise other hunters. So that idea was out. But he still wanted to work with wildlife. During high school, Symonds toured the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to see what it would be like to work as a state biologist. The tour piqued his interest, and he soon began his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, focusing on conservation biology. To fulfill his graduation requirements, he landed an internship for one summer at the New York State DEC.
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ONLY A YEAR INTO HIS GRADUATE WORK, SYMONDS WAS AWARDED FOR HIS RESEARCH PRESENTATION AT THE TEXAS FRESHWATER MUSSEL SYMPOSIUM. “DAN WAS COMPETING WITH MORE EXPERIENCED PH.D. STUDENTS WHO HAD BEEN WORKING ON THEIR RESEARCH FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS,” SAYS UT TYLER PROFESSOR NEIL FORD. “HIS PRESENTATION
After several weeks investigating mussels on the Sabine River, Symonds brought 44 samples back to the UT Tyler lab for four separate trials.
“And I got stuck with mussels,” Symonds said, quickly qualifying the statement: “But I liked it, and I liked being in the water.” After that summer, “I was one of about 10 people in New York who had that specialty,” he said. “People are more interested in freshwater mussels now because they are imperiled, so there’s lots of federal and state money for research.” From there, Symonds dove deeper and deeper into his research, eventually writing his undergrad honors thesis on freshwater mussels and later searching for a graduate school where he could continue his work. Only a handful of schools in the nation had a strong reputation for research on freshwater mussels, one of which was UT Tyler. Dr. Neil Ford, UT Tyler biology professor and the go-to authority on freshwater mussels in all of East Texas, became Symonds’ faculty adviser. Ford leads a team of researchers studying the region’s freshwater mussels with a grant from the Texas Comptroller’s office. A pleasant surprise awaited Symonds in Texas. He discovered a much greater variety of the 300 different species of freshwater mussels than he found in New York, thanks to Texas’ big rivers, tributaries and drainage
WAS EXCELLENT.”
from the Red River. “Texas has much more diversity of size, shape, ridges, and warts on the shell because of the biogeography of the region,” Symonds said. “There are 53 species in Texas and only 30 in New York. Glaciers caused less diversity in New York.” But glaciers aren’t mussels’ current threat. Humans cause the greatest damage to their environment, with pollution and
dams being the main hazards. Dams hinder the mobility of fish that would otherwise carry mussel larvae to new areas and bolster the population. Instead, fish are forced to move downstream, and mussel species, without a means of travel, diminish
upstream. And because mussels are filter feeders, they accumulate pollution quickly. Symonds’ research attempts to bring greater awareness to the importance of mussel communities in North American waters. NEW CATALYST IN TEXAS While in New York, Symonds focused his attention on tributaries, but he found that in Texas, most of the existing research had been conducted in big rivers. He believed such a limited focus resulted in a lot of missing information for the Lone Star State. That triggered an idea, which he developed into a thesis project for his graduate studies. With funding from a Big Thicket Association grant, Ford helped Symonds design his project around studying mussels in tributaries in the Big Thicket National Preserve, located in Southeast Texas. The association awards the grant to help researchers conduct inventory of wildlife and diversity within the preserve. With that focus, Symonds sifts through tributary waters to locate, sort and count the many different species in an effort to create a guide – called a niche model – for finding mussel communities in other areas. UT Tyler has an established reputation
for environmental niche modeling, which Symonds hopes to improve by investigating mussel species in Big Thicket tributaries. Niche models help scientists and conservationists predict the distribution of a species within an area by evaluating climate, soil type, annual rainfall and other factors. To create the model, scientists survey an area to determine whether it contains the species of interest and in what density. That data is recorded, along with information about the area’s ecological landscape. Then, scientists can apply the model to predict the likelihood of the species’ presence in another area with a similar environment. Little is known about mussels in Big Thicket tributaries, so Symonds’ surveys and niche model will provide unique information for Texas waters. “I’m taking the model to the next step to make it better,” Symonds said. “Community structure changes from area to area. We’ve found threatened species in tributaries that wouldn’t have been expected based on other people’s surveys.” STATE RECOGNITION Only a year into his graduate work at UT Tyler, Symonds attended the third annual Texas Freshwater Mussel Symposium to exhibit his findings. The quality of his research and presentation, titled The Importance of Tributaries to East Texas Mussel Communities, earned him third place for the Raymond Neck Graduate Student Award. “Dan was competing with more experienced Ph.D. students who had been working on their research for two or three years,” Ford said. “His presentation was excellent. I think he did better than one of the Ph.D. students ranked above him.” In addition to his tributaries research, Symonds also presented his discoveries from another project: stunning mussels. The subjects themselves were ordinary freshwater mussels; it was the electrofishing technique, specifically the effects of stunning the mollusks, that interested Symonds. Electrofishing is a common and typically harmless procedure that allows researchers to inventory fish populations in an area. But only two studies have investigated the consequences for mussels in the same location. Symonds hypothesized the
electric shock would cause gravid, or pregnant, mussels to involuntarily abort their larvae. To find out, he had a shocking experiment ahead of him, funded by a grant from the North American Coal Corporation. He trudged through the Sabine River to gather his subjects, which was no easy task. After several weeks of sorting through mussels to find the correct species and then prying them open to determine which females had the telltale inflated marsupial pouch, he brought 44 samples back to his lab for four separate trials. Even at the lab, the experiment was a slow process. The move from habitat to lab stresses the mussels, so Symonds allowed them to rest for a day so as not to skew the outcome. When the mussels didn’t release their larvae from the stress of the move, he proceeded to shock them and observe the results. Symonds discovered the stun didn’t cause the mussels to abort, which was a posi-
surveying an area for wildlife, building bridges could unknowingly destroy mussel communities. By using Symonds’ model, however, TxDOT could easily predict the presence of mussels, prompting a search and potential relocation of the creatures. “There are legal obligations for TxDOT to not impact threatened species during work on rivers,” Ford said. Ford has been impressed with Symonds’ research, and he appreciates the student’s independent work ethic. Big Thicket is several hours’ drive from Tyler, and Symonds often visits for a few days at a time, leading a crew of other biology students. “I went with him to show him what to do, and then he took the reigns,” Ford said. “He catches on quick.” After graduation, Symonds hopes to accept a consulting position, possibly at a private firm. Because mussel research is scarce, funding is more abundant, and
Symonds and research assistant Stephanie Allcorn prepare to leave campus to conduct field studies on the Neches River.
tive conclusion. The next step is to take blood samples to analyze the mussels’ stress levels after a shock. “I will see if shocking creates an autoimmune response,” Symonds said. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK Symonds expects to graduate in May 2015 and hopes to have his thesis published in a scientific journal. “I want to have it recognized that we need to look for mussels in tributaries,” he said. “Hopefully my niche model can be used with construction projects to help reduce the impact on mussels.” He’s thinking, for example, of the Texas Department of Transportation, which contracts bridge projects over rivers. Without
firms often want to take advantage of the opportunity. Symonds envisions himself as a staff malacologist, heading up projects involving mollusks. Ford hopes that Symonds will pursue a doctoral degree in the future to advance his research and help preserve the remaining freshwater mussel populations in Texas and elsewhere. Plus, the East Texas mussel expert values Symonds as a colleague. “Having Dan recognized in his field gives the university a reputation for being a high-quality institution,” Ford said. “It elevates the stature of the university. And it’s been nice to have someone I can discuss ideas with.” n
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Conceptual Rendering of UT Tyler Alumni House
SPECIAL SECTION
“WE HAVE MORE THAN 31,000 ALUMNI OUT THERE. IT IS TIME TO ENGAGE THEM, WELCOME THEM BACK AND GIVE THEM A PLACE TO RETURN TO ON CAMPUS AND BE A PART OF THE ACTIVITIES HERE.”– PRESIDENT RODNEY MABRY Conceptual Rendering of the Alumni House’s Ralph Spence Board Room and Gallery
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John Spence in honor of her husband, the late Ralph Spence; Glenda Barrett in honor of her husband, the late Bill Barrett; and Miles and Deborah Koon. We are thankful for all of the donors who are making this effort possible.” Mrs. Spence provided funding for the single largest room in the facility, the Ralph Spence Board Room and Gallery. Mr. Spence was the founding Chair of the UT Tyler Development Board and served from 1982 until his death in 1995. “Education is very important to our family and we have always loved Tyler,’’ Mrs. Spence said. “Ralph was always promoting Tyler.” The Alumni House is an effort in which many alumni already have taken part. Michael Lujan, a UT Tyler graduate, and his wife Lisa donated to the facility. They are
Conceptual Rendering of the Alumni Green
owners of Mentoring Minds, a Tyler-based educational publishing company. “Our new UT Tyler Alumni House is an important step in helping to elevate the university’s standing among institutions of higher learning and in the community it serves,’’ Lujan said.
“It’s important to raise awareness and encourage greater involvement among our alumni. Having a central place on campus that celebrates the history, traditions and successes of our shared past is essential in developing a culture rich in educational experiences.’’ Childs noted, “The generosity of our donors is the reason that the dream of an Alumni House on campus is becoming a reality.’’ The opportunity to welcome UT Tyler’s alumni home is not over. UT Tyler alumni and friends can be a part of it by joining the “Pave Your Way to the Patriot Plaza’’ brick campaign. For information on how to purchase a custom brick for the Patriot Plaza, to be located at the UT Tyler Alumni House, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 903.566.7316 or alumni@uttyler.edu. n
“OUR NEW UT TYLER ALUMNI HOUSE IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN HELPING TO ELEVATE THE UNIVERSITY’S STANDING AMONG INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND IN THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES.’’ — MICHAEL LUJAN, UT TYLER ALUMNUS Conceptual Rendering of the Alumni House Patio and Patriot Plaza
UT Tyler alumni showing Patriot Plaza custom bricks are (from left) Carroll Roge Jr., Whitney King, Dr. Melinda Hermanns, Ashley Ward, Terrence Ates and Rosemary Cooper.
PAVE YOUR WAY! ALUMNI AND FRIENDS of The University of Texas at Tyler can leave their mark on campus by purchasing a custom brick in the Patriot Plaza, to be located at the new UT Tyler Alumni House. “This is a great time to be a UT Tyler Patriot, and we wanted to give our alumni the opportunity to celebrate the Alumni House with us by purchasing a brick that will be laid in the Patriot Plaza,’’ Brittany Childs, director of alumni relations, said of the “Pave Your Way to the Patriot Plaza’’ brick campaign. “These bricks will give our alumni and friends of UT Tyler a chance to not only be proud of the new facility, but to also see their name on a brick for years to come. The bricks will be laid in the Patriot Plaza, a patio area at the back of the Alumni House, at the time of construction of that area.” The brick pavers are a great way to honor alumni and friends, and they make wonderful gifts for graduates, Childs noted. “Our hope is that the ‘Pave Your Way to the
Patriot Plaza’ brick campaign helps to instill a sense of pride in our UT Tyler alumni,” she said. “Although we are a relatively young university, we already have a rich history and impressive alumni base, especially in East Texas. Our vision is that our alumni will purchase a brick – either in honor of their hard work or in honor of a future Patriot – and that they come ‘back home’ to see it in person at their new UT Tyler Alumni House.” The cost is $150 for UT Tyler alumni and friends and $100 for current Alumni Association members. Proceeds support the UT Tyler Alumni Association and all donations are tax-deductible, less the cost of the brick. Each brick allows for up to three lines of text with up to 15 characters per line. To learn more about this opportunity, contact the UT Tyler Office of Alumni Relations at 903.566.7316 or alumni@uttyler.edu, or visit: uttyler.edu/alumni/brick. n
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When David and Janis King moved back to Tyler last year, they wanted to start giving back to UT Tyler, where David earned his MBA in 1983. They are big supporters of UT Tyler and have contributed generously toward creation of the Alumni House. And to help liven the extracurricular scene, the Kings and other business owners recently opened Republic Icehouse, a sports restaurant across from campus.
“WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO PUT SOME BUSINESSES [NEAR CAMPUS] FOR THE KIDS TO HAVE THINGS TO DO IN THAT AREA AND A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS CAN BE EMPLOYED.” — DAVID KING
The Kings visit the Republic Icehouse on an evening that included live performances.
FOCUS ON l
Benefactors
GIVING BACK Alumnus, Wife Support UT Tyler Educational Goals, Campus Life DAVID AND JANIS King believe in
giving to institutions that help others help themselves, hence their recent gift of $100,000 to The University of Texas at Tyler. “The people who had the forethought to create a University of Texas branch in Tyler really saw a need in the community to help people who couldn’t travel outside of the area for their educational needs. So we’re big supporters of UT Tyler,” David said. Their devotion to UT Tyler also stems from the positive difference the university made in David’s own life through his obtainment of a master of business administration degree in the 1980s. The graduate business program at UT Tyler gave him the tools he needed to advance in his career – one that took him and Janis in the following decades from Tyler to The Woodlands, England, The Netherlands and ultimately back to Tyler. The couple returned last year from The Netherlands, where David was president of a division of Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, so that he could lead CB&I’s Tyler-based technology division. The company employs 50,000 people worldwide. “When we returned to Tyler from Europe, I wanted to start giving back my time and effort to the university,” David said. He then learned from UT Tyler President Dr. Rodney Mabry that funding was being sought for the design and construction of a two-story building to serve
as the headquarters for the university’s more than 31,000 alumni and as the center of the university’s philanthropic efforts. The Kings responded swiftly with their donation, earmarked for the university’s Alumni House project.
David and Janis King
“I’ve been to other universities’ alumni centers and have seen firsthand the benefits they provide to both alumni and the university. They provide a great meeting location for alumni to gather when they return to campus and to feel proud of the university, and alumni centers help stimulate more investment in the university,” said David, who was honored earlier this year as a
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UT Tyler students hold an informal class discussion across from campus at the new sports restaurant, recently opened by the Kings and other business owners.
“When we were living in London, the company decided it would be beneficial if I gained international exposure and if I earned an advanced management degree, so I commuted to Fontainebleau, France, to attend INSEAD, a graduate business school, and earned my advanced management degree in 2007, ” he said. The couple returned briefly to The Woodlands in 2009 before David was promoted to president of CB&I’s engineering, construction and maintenance division based at the company’s headquarters in The Netherlands. Though they enjoyed their European adventures, they ultimately decided their home was back in Tyler. “Everything you would want in a big city is here, except it’s not a big city,” David said. David retired from CB&I in February this year but has had no time to go fishing. In March, he became chief operating officer of an associate’s company, Primoris Services Corporation, in Dallas. He has also been busy livening the extracurricular scene at UT Tyler. This fall, he and a few other business owners opened Republic Icehouse, a sports restaurant, across the street from the university. “We decided that it would be good to put
some businesses in over there for the kids to have things to do in that area and a place where students can be employed,” he said. Janis too remains active with her interests, including volunteering with the American Heart Association in Tyler to raise money for heart-disease prevention and education. Of course, the couple isn’t all about work. They also find time for play, including water sports at their lake house and spending time with their baby granddaughter. And that brings them back to why they believe strongly in supporting higher education as a way to help others help themselves. “We have a granddaughter now and think about her future education,” Janis said. “David and I both came from very simple backgrounds and were the first in our families to go to college. When I think about how humble our beginnings were, I know that our education was a factor in our accomplishments, so we gladly support education.” David added: “We’ve been blessed with more success than we ever would have dreamed possible – success that definitely would not have been possible without the quality education we received. People gave to us, so we just feel like it’s our duty and privilege to be able to turn around and help other people too.” n
“WE’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH MORE SUCCESS THAN WE EVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED POSSIBLE – SUCCESS THAT DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE QUALITY EDUCATION WE RECEIVED. PEOPLE GAVE TO US, SO WE JUST FEEL LIKE IT’S OUR DUTY AND PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO TURN AROUND AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE TOO.”
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FOCUS ON l
Athletics
UT Tyler’s Kelsie Batten
SOFTBALL TEAM HITS IT
OUT OF THE PARK! Just because they make it look easy, doesn’t mean it is.
IN JUST OVER A DECADE, The University of Texas at Tyler softball program has risen through the ranks as a force to be reckoned with on the national stage. Team members excel both on the field and in the classroom. This spring, the Patriots won the program’s third American Southwest Conference championship, and reached the NCAA postseason for the seventh time in school history. UT Tyler was ranked No. 1 at one point in the season, finishing the year with a 41-6 record, the third-most wins for the program. The team also finished No. 8 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top-25 Poll, with a 41-6 record. Two players, Lauren Robenalt and Kelsie Batten Patriots won their third ASC softball were named NFCA All-Americans, while five were The championship this year. named NFCA All-Region. Head coach Mike Reed and his staff were named the ASC Coaching Staff of the Year for the third time in program history, while 10 Patriots were named All-ASC. Reed says it takes a lot of factors to create a successful program. But one ingredient that cannot be ignored is hard work. “A big one is hard work. We expect and give THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER MAGAZINE
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Patriot Athletics: 2014 Spring Season Highlights The Patriots spring athletic season was one of the most successful yet with seven ASC Championships and every team reaching post-season play. The UT Tyler athletics department finished the 201314 season ranked No. 36 in the final NCAA Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings. UT Tyler was the top-ranked school from the American Southwest Conference for the fifth time in seven years. The Patriots led the ASC with 10 teams in NCAA competition during the 2013-14 season. The Learfield Sports Director’s Cup honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program, achieving success in many sports, both men’s and women’s. The American Southwest Conference recognized 71 UT Tyler student-athletes on the 2014 Winter/Spring All-Academic honor roll. In addition, senior athletes Lauren Robenalt and Enoch Shipman joined 20 other graduating student-
athletes from the American Southwest Conference’s 12-member institutions in being named as recipients of the 2013-2014 ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor Award for academics, athletics and leadership.
HIGHLIGHTS PER SPORT: Softball The UT Tyler softball team won the program’s third ASC championship, and reached the NCAA postseason for the seventh time in school history. UT Tyler was ranked No. 1 at one point in the season, finishing the year with a 41-6 record, the third-most wins in the program’s history. The team finished in the top 10 in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top-25 Poll, coming in at No. 8. Robenalt and sophomore Kelsie Batten were each named NFCA All-Americans, with Robenalt closing her career as UT Tyler’s all-time batting average leader (.406), stolen base leader (60) and all-time
games played leader with 197. In addition, Robenalt was named the ASC Female Athlete of the year and an ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor Award Recipient. Baseball Baseball reached the ASC postseason for the seventhstraight season, with nine players being named ASC All-Conference. Billy Lirely was named the ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year, while Buddy McCoy was named First Team All-ASC. Golf The women’s golf team won the 2014 ASC Championship, and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA National Championship in Florida. Women’s golf coach Grant Spencer was named the Women’s Golf Coaches Association’s West Region Coach of the Year, while Laura Lindsey and Taylor Sloane each garnered All-American and All-Region honors. Lindsey won five medalist titles during the year, including the prestigious Jekyll Island Women’s Collegiate, while
Patriot Athletics
firing a tournament all-time low 68 in one round. Men’s golf, the 2013 NCAA Div. III National Champion, finished as ASC runners-up and qualified for the NCAA tournament where they finished in 13th place. Buddy Hallman tied for ninth. Chapman Herwood and Hallman were named Golf Coaches’ Association of America Ping All-Americans. Tennis The UT Tyler tennis teams continued their domination in conference play, with each winning their sixth ASC tournament championship since the 2008 season. Coach Chris Bizot was named Coach of the Year. The men won 22 matches while going undefeated in ASC-play, while the women set a new mark for wins in-a-season with 19, including 15 matches in-a-row. Nine UT Tyler men’s tennis team members made the 2014 American Southwest Conference, the most in the conference.
UT Tyler women’s tennis junior Amy Friesenhahn was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award Winner for the West Region. Nine team members were named All-ASC.
UT TYLER WAS THE TOP-RANKED SCHOOL FROM
Track and Field UT Tyler men’s and women’s track and field teams both had a stellar year under head coach Bob Hepler. The men won their second-straight ASC Championship, while senior Buck Thompson finished as National Runner-Up in men’s discus.
THE AMERICAN
UT Tyler’s women’s team won its first conference championship in program history, and broke several school records in the process. Freshman thrower Whitney Simmons exploded onto the scene, finishing seventh nationally in the hammer toss, garnering All-American honors.
THE FIFTH TIME IN
SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
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Class Notes
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 1979
1991
Essie Childers (M.Ed. reading), a humanities professor at Blinn College, received the College Reading and Learning Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award for her lifelong commitment to education. An educator for 28 years, she was recognized as a professional who exemplifies teaching and learning as a lifelong journey.
Blair Blackburn, Ph.D., (B.S. political science) authored “A City on a Hill: Dallas Baptist University an Architectural History,’’ released this year. Blackburn is DBU’s executive vice president.
Childers is president-elect of the Texas Community College Teachers Association. In 2013, she was named On Course Ambassador of the Year for founding the Young Ladies Success Seminar, designed to instill a college-going culture in middle and high school girls. 1985 Traci Kenner (B.B.A. accounting) was recognized by Attorney General Eric Holder for outstanding performance as appellate assistant U.S. attorney and appellate chief in the Eastern District of Texas. Kenner was honored for making significant improvements to the district appellate program.
1995 Jeanne Standley (M.A. English), director of the UT Tyler Robert R. Muntz Library, was appointed to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s TexShare Advisory Board. 2009 Megan Dodd (B.S. sociology) was presented the 2014 Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award by the National Industries for the Blind in Arlington, Virginia. The award is presented to one who demonstrates career advancement at a NIBassociated agency or in the private sector. Dodd joined East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind in 2012 and was soon promoted to marketing associate for the agency’s low vision store, where she created a retail catalog
Alumnus Kyle G. Horst’s supercell photo, which won a first-place award in the iPhone Photography Awards contest.
and grew sales through marketing events and building relationships. She now works for Lighthouse Graphics, where she has created a new website and marketing collateral, and developed a database order entry system. 2010 Kyle G. Horst (B.S. journalism) won first place in the 2014 iPhone Photography Awards contest’s panorama category for his news coverage of a supercell in South Dakota. He won second place for best spot news photo from the South Dakota Newspaper Association for his aquatics center coverage. Horst is editor of the Community Impact Newspaper, serving the cities of Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake and Westlake. 2011 Tina Bausinger (B.A. English) (M.A. English, 2013) authored “War Eagle Women,’’ published by SoulMatePublishing - New York. Her book and its trailer were featured on the USA Today website under “Must See Book Trailers.’’ Dustin VanDeman (B.B.A. finance) graduated summa cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law in May 2014. Finishing in the top 5 percent of his class, VanDeman now practices litigation in the corporate section of the Dallas office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr. 2012 Brakeyshia Samms (B.S. political science) completed a master of arts degree from George Mason University School of Public Policy in Washington, D.C. Samms was selected to be a State Policy Fellow for the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin. She also had an op-ed published in the Austin American-Statesman titled “Samms: Young and Concerned About My Future.’’
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TALONS UP! UT Tyler alumni help promote the Pave Your Way to the Patriot Plaza campaign. Alumni and friends can leave their mark on campus by purchasing a custom brick for the UT Tyler Alumni House plaza. For information call 903.566.7316, email alumni@uttyler.edu or visit: uttyler.edu/alumni/brick.
a
ALUMNI UPDATES 1986 Robert Neyland, Ph.D., (M.S. public administration) is director of the Underwater Archeology Branch of the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, D.C. The UAB houses thousands of artifacts recovered from sunken military craft sites and loans artifacts to national and international museums. 1987 Gary Mooring (M.Ed. educational administration) recently retired as superintendent of Tyler Independent School District. Mooring began his career in education three decades ago as a fourthgrade teacher. His past positions include assistant principal and principal. 1989 Melanie Wick, M.D. (B.S. chemistry) practices pediatrics in Tyler, returning there more than 11 years ago after working in other states including Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Pennsylvania.
Wick recently visited UT Tyler, which “brought back memories of great times with other students and a wonderful fulfilling college experience,’’ she said, adding: “The education and experiences at UT Tyler helped to build a strong foundation that served me well in medical school.’’ 1994 Elton Stuckley Jr., Ph.D. (B.S. training and development) (M.S. human resource development, 2004) was appointed vice chancellor for operations in the Texas State Technical College System. Stuckley is in charge of campus operations for TSTC’s 11 locations. He previously served as president of TSTC Waco. 1996 Lori Anderson (B.S. interdisciplinary studies) (M.Ed. educational administration, 2001) was hired as district director of curriculum and assessment for Lindale Independent School District. Anderson, who holds superintendent certification, was named Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Assistant Principal of the Year for 2008-09.
1997 David Fitts, Ph.D., (M.Ed. educational administration) was appointed executive director of Region 8 Education Service Center, which encompasses 47 school districts and 11 counties. Fitts previously served as superintendent of Lake Worth Independent School District. 1999 Smittee Root (B.B.A. marketing) was named interim executive director of Leadership Tyler, just two months after becoming president of the organization’s board of directors. Root is serving her sixth year on the Leadership Tyler board and was a Class 21 graduate. Scott Scarborough, Ph.D., (M.B.A. business administration) is the new president of the University of Akron. He previously was provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Toledo.
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2002
NEW ALUMNI. Students receive their degrees during spring 2014 commencement ceremonies at UT Tyler.
MaryAnn Girard (M.Ed. early childhood education) has joined the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County as a child behavior specialist. Girard has worked with children for more than 40 years and is the former executive director of Champions for Children in Tyler. 2003 Scott Haygood (M.B.A. business administration) was promoted to first vice president at BancorpSouth in Longview. Haygood also is active in his community, participating in Junior Achievement, Longview Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Longview, and coaching youth sports. 2004 Pam Cunningham (M.B.A. business administration) was appointed executive vice president of Southside Bank. She has more than 25 years of banking experience and has been a commercial lender for the bank’s regional lending activities for nine years. She is a graduate of Leadership Tyler Class II and has served as a United Way Loaned Executive. 2005 Laci Laird (Canion) (M.P.A. health care administration) was named administrator of East Texas Medical Center Behavioral Health Center, after serving as interim administrator since December 2013. Laird joined the BHC staff in 2001 as director of business development. She is a member of the Smith County Mental Health Task Force, Behavioral Health Council and American College of Healthcare Professionals. 2006 Steve Farmer (B.B.A. management) owns Rocket Fizz Tyler, which celebrated its first anniversary in September. A franchise of The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops, the store carries glass bottled soda pops and unique and nostalgic candy from all over the world. 2007 Austin Wright (B.S. speech communication) relocated from Oklahoma to Oman three years ago to move up the ranks in an oil and
gas company, but has since started his own business there. Wright and his 12-member staff design and develop custom downhole tools for drilling oil and gas wells. His wife, Elizabeth, teaches at an American school in Oman. 2008 Holly Smallwood (B.S. nursing) owns SweetHoney, a children’s clothing company that is on track to post a record high sales year for 2014. 2010 Jared Hood (B.S. kinesiology) was named head baseball coach at East Texas Baptist University. 2011 Alicia Lansford (B.S. criminal justice) joined The Lighthouse as director of client services. The organization works to empower blind Americans through rehabilitation, education, training and employment. Lansford previously served as director of customer service for Mentoring Minds, an educational publishing company. 2012 Patrick Hilchey (B.S. political science) joined Lodging Host Hotel Corp. as director of marketing and sales. Hilchey has more than 10 years experience in the hospitality industry and completed the Emory University InterContinental Hotels Leadership Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. 2013 Magda Hernandez (M.S. civil engineering) joined Gary Burton Engineering Inc. She
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assists with wastewater treatment, water system improvement and regulatory compliance projects in East and North Central Texas. Ilker Fidan (M.Ed. educational leadership) was promoted to principal of Harmony Public School in Houston. 2014 Dustin Gentry, M.D. (M.B.A. business administration) has joined the medical staff of Winston Medical Center. He treats patients of all ages at both Winston Medical Center and Winston Medical Clinic – Main Campus. While earning his M.B.A. at UT Tyler, Gentry also did postgraduate training in family medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. Brian Hays (B.S. industrial technology) and business partner Zach Sanchez started a restaurant food delivery service in the Tyler area. They opened Patriot Restaurant Delivery after noticing many college students lacked transportation to restaurants. Customers can visit the company’s website to place an order from a local restaurant, and the order is delivered to their door. Chelsea Lammes (M.A. biology) formed the nonprofit organization WovenheART, combining her two favorite interests – community and art. Members of the organization create dreamcatchers to sell, with proceeds supporting efforts against sex trafficking.
STAY CONNECTED. Tell us what you’ve been up to! New jobs, accomplishments, updates – whatever your news, share it with your UT Tyler friends and classmates. Visit uttyler.edu/alumni
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