UT Tyler Spring Summer 2016

Special Section:

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION EMBRACING INNOVATION TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Also in this issue: UT Tyler Honors Distinguished Alumni

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 SF P AR I LN GL / S U2M 0M E1 R 3 2 0 1 6

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 Thirteen, Issue One Dr. Rodney H. Mabry, UT Tyler President UT Tyler Magazine Editor Emily Battle Photography: Andy Burnfield Alex Maldonado Clarence Shackelford UT Tyler Athletics Contributing Writers: Emily Battle, Magazine Editor Wes Bloomquist, Sports Information Coordinator Hannah Buchanan, Public Affairs Specialist Ashley Festa, Feature Writer Jennifer Hannigan, Special Assistant to the President for Communications Staci Semrad, Feature Writer

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

Celebrating 30 Years: The Patriot Classic – Page 5

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 In Every Issue

Special Section:

03

President’s Letter

08

04

Around Campus

20

Focus On: Alumni

24

Focus On: Benefactors

28

Focus On: Athletics

34

Class Notes

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION UT Tyler Embraces Innovation to Prepare Students for Life Beyond the Classroom

12

Professors Restructure Traditional Courses to Accommodate Modern Students

14

Students Put Textbook Lessons into Practice for Community Benefit

17

Active Learning in the Fisch College of Pharmacy

on cover: UT Tyler’s Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy is one of only four schools nationwide offering a doctor of pharmacy program centered exclusively around team-based learning. It is an active-learning method proven to engage students more effectively than traditional classroom instruction.

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“EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS UNIVERSITY. WHEN I AM ASKED ABOUT UT TYLER AND WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL, THE SKILL, EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION OF OUR FACULTY ARE ALWAYS AT THE TOP OF MY LIST.” – RODNEY H. MABRY, PRESIDENT

President’s Letter Excellence in teaching is the heart and soul of this university. When I am asked about UT Tyler and what makes us special, the skill, expertise and dedication of our faculty are always at the top of my list.

We pride ourselves on having faculty members who are committed to helping students build their lives and careers. Whether it’s by working extra hours with a student who is struggling or doing the research needed to be able to stay on the leading edge of their fields, UT Tyler faculty go above and beyond to help our students succeed.

The benefits our students receive because of that dedication are endless. I am often approached by UT Tyler alumni who want to tell me what a great experience they had at this university. Before long, those conversations always turn to the faculty, and how one or two great professors made a real difference in the life of that particular graduate.

In this issue, we will focus on teaching at UT Tyler and all the ways that we are adopting innovative methods and technologies in order to prepare students for the real-life situations they will encounter in a professional environment. Through the integrated use of technology and the adoption of team-based learning techniques, we are working diligently to make sure students have the tools they need to succeed in today’s world.

Our dedication to excellence in teaching has not wavered during my 18 years as president of this university, and, indeed, it has been a part of UT Tyler since the very first cohort enrolled. Because of that tradition of excellence, our more than 34,000 alumni are a driving force in this region and beyond. They are out in the world, making a difference and succeeding in their fields.

Earlier this spring, we honored three of those alumni at our annual Alumni and Friends Gala. You will hear more about them in this issue. During that event, we got the chance to hear their stories and how they are making a difference.

We recognized two with our Distinguished Alumni Award: East Texas Baptist University President Dr. J. Blair Blackburn and Kathryn Murphy, who is making great strides as a partner at Goranson Bain, PLLC, in Dallas and Fort Worth.

This year’s Distinguished Young Alum, Matthew Riccardi, is senior manager of basketball operations and scout for the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets organization.

During the gala, each of the three alumni spoke about the faculty members who had made a difference in their lives and helped them succeed.

The success stories of our three honored alumni, and the achievements of thousands of others, make what we do here truly worthwhile. We are proud to be a university dedicated to great teaching.

Rodney H. Mabry President Dr. Ben R. Fisch Professor of Economics and Finance

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Ben Crenshaw, Professional Golfer

AROUND CAMPUS

AROUND CAMPUS Celebrating 30 Years: Patriot Classic Supports Educational Goals Across the Region Together, the two events that comprise the Patriot Classic — the UT Tyler Suddenlink Patriot Million Dollar Hole-inOne Contest and the Patriot Golf Classic Tournament — have provided nearly $2 million for scholarships in three decades, supporting the educational goals of thousands of students across the region.

UT Tyler celebrated 30 years of Patriot Classic success with this year’s events, which featured PGA champion Ben Crenshaw.

The Austin native is no stranger to UT Tyler. He played in the 1988 Eisenhower International Golf Classic, which is now the Patriot Golf Classic.

The annual events date back to March 1986, when the honorary organization now known as the Patriots created the Million Dollar Hole-in-One in conjunction with what

was the Eisenhower International Golf Classic.

“For 30 years, community supporters and volunteers have partnered with the university to support student scholarships through these events,’’ UT Tyler President Rodney Mabry said.

The Patriots organization, led this year

by President Robert Wilson, “has made a true difference to our students since it began in 1984,’’ Mabry said. “The Patriots host the weeklong Hole-in-One Contest, chaired this year by Ingrid Young.’’

The Patriot Golf Classic Committee, chaired this year by Joe Elliott and co-chaired

by Steve Hellmuth, organizes the golf tournament. “The committee works hard to make sure that the Patriot Golf Classic continues its legacy as East Texas’ premier golfing experience,’’ Mabry noted. n

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The Patriot Golf Classic depends on the strong shoulders of those who make up the UT Tyler Classic Society. This elite group is dedicated to supporting scholarships at the university.

The Classic Society is a select organization of civic, business, professional and philan-

Classic Platinum Society

thropic leaders devoted to perpetuating the Patriot Golf Classic and enhancing its prestigious traditions and high standards.

The organization, which began with the Eisenhower International Golf Classic in 1990, recognizes the economic, social and

educational significance of the Patriot Golf Classic. Each year, members of the society make contributions that collectively provide a firm base of support, thereby ensuring a secure future for the UT Tyler Patriot Golf Classic in East Texas. n

Classic Gold Society

Glenda Barrett In Memory of Bill Barrett

Donald Chase

Mike Clements Clements Fluids Management, LLC

Dennis Darryl The Genecov Group

Steve Hellmuth Striping Technology, L.P.

David Irwin Tyler Ford

Alan Jones Jones Research

Miles Koon Nouveau Construction & Technology Services

Jon Moore Citizens National Bank

Barbara Shtofman In Memory of Norman Shtofman

Jerry Spencer Spencer Distributing Company

Eddie Dow Dow Autoplex

John Gaston KYTX – CBS 19

President Rod Mabry The University of Texas at Tyler

John C. Martin R&K Distributors, Inc.

James I. Perkins Citizens 1st Bank

Classic Society

Justin Armstrong Texas National Bank

Brad Box Hilliard Box Insurance

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AROUND CAMPUS

Classic Society: A Firm Base of Support for UT Tyler

SPECIAL SECTION l Transforming

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION

Education

UT Tyler Embraces Innovation to Prepare Students for Life Beyond the Classroom IMAGINE A PLAYGROUND on a college campus. What would it look like?

The University of Texas at Tyler will soon be able to show you.

“If a student or faculty member wants to go play with robotics, a 3D printer or Google Glass, they’ll have that opportunity,” said Dr. Julie Delello, assistant professor of education. “It will be like the Disney World of technology on campus.”

She hopes the free and open-to-all playground will be ready for use by the fall.

As much fun as it sounds, the playground represents only a fraction of all the innovative ways UT Tyler faculty

Dr. Andrew Schmitt demonstrates the lightboard, used during lecture recordings.

Professors can write on the lightboard without turning their backs to the camera. The writing is then reversed during the video editing process to read properly.

are educating students. Professors aren’t shaking up their strategy simply for the sake of change—the purpose is to boost student success, which has always been the university’s primary commitment.

“What’s going to take people into the job market in the 21st century?” asks Delello, and she says UT Tyler has found some of the answers.

ENRICHING ACADEMICS While innovation can include online learning, it’s not limited to one method of teaching. Faculty have found numerous ways to incorporate technology into faceto-face classes, especially using resources in the Department of Academic Transformation, which was created in 2015 to support the development of new coursework delivery methods.

The university offers both equipment and services to assist faculty in making their classes more engaging and accessible to improve student success rates.

For example, faculty are now able to record video lectures in a broadcastquality green-screen studio for online, hybrid and face-to-face courses. Unlike audio-only, videos provide students a sense of connection with their professors. In only two years, faculty have recorded more than 2,500 lectures, and many have created personalized video-recorded feedback for students turning in assignments on Blackboard.

Professors can also engage students in different venues, such as on Facebook rather than an online discussion board.

THE UNIVERSITY OFFERS BOTH EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES TO ASSIST FACULTY IN MAKING THEIR CLASSES MORE ENGAGING AND ACCESSIBLE TO IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS RATES.

Dr. Scott Marzilli, assistant vice president for academic innovation and student success, is pictured on camera while demonstrating UT Tyler’s green room technology. Working the controls is Jason Berrier, educational video production specialist.

Faculty are now able to record video lectures in a broadcast-quality green-screen studio for online, hybrid and face-to-face courses. Unlike audio-only, videos provide students a sense of connection with their professors. In only two years, faculty have recorded more than 2,500 lectures, and many have created personalized video-recorded feedback for students turning in assignments on Blackboard.

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Traditional face-to-face lecture and online courses are no longer the only choices for UT Tyler’s students. Faculty also incorporate alternative teaching styles and special coursework, such as service learning, to enhance student education.

UT Tyler students engage in service at the East Texas Food Bank.

“We can get more interactive via social media, so students can post things where they feel most comfortable,” said Scott Marzilli, assistant vice president for academic innovation and student success. “Students aren’t always connected to an online discussion board like they are on Facebook.”

TEACHING TEACHERS NEW WAYS TO TEACH Delello loves brainstorming ways to incorporate technology, such as social media, naturally into the learning experience. In April, she hosted a workshop about using social platforms in the classroom.

“A survey shows that not many faculty are using social media in their classes, but I think we’re just not informed about what people are doing outside our own disciplines,” said Delello, who serves as a Faculty Fellow for Academic Innovation in the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation.

The center, created in 2014, is made up of seven Faculty Fellows who concentrate on one of four initiatives: Service Learning, Academic Innovation, Undergraduate Student Research or Data Analytics. These Fellows offer an open-door policy—other faculty are welcome to observe their teaching styles and methods either in or out of the classroom. They also brainstorm new ideas with faculty members and help organize workshops on various topics.

“As a chair of an academic department, I had faculty with really great research agendas, but had never been taught or mentored how to teach,” Marzilli said.

“Before the university created the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, there was no place for faculty to go for help.”

Dr. Christy Graves, associate professor of mathematics, offers guidance as a Faculty Fellow for Undergraduate Research.

Professors from all over the university attend

Team-based learning in the Fisch College of Pharmacy prepares students for success in the profession, which involves working and communicating in team environments.

her workshops each semester to learn how she incorporates research into her math courses.

As a Faculty Fellow for Service Learning, Dr. Nary Subramanian, associate professor of computer science, fosters the development of service projects into traditional coursework. He’s seen a marked increase of such activities after having worked with faculty either one-on-one or in workshops.

NONTRADITIONAL LEARNING STYLES Traditional face-to-face lecture and online courses are no longer the only choices for UT Tyler’s students. Faculty also incorporate alternative teaching styles and special coursework, such as service learning, to enhance student education. While some professors have been using these teaching techniques for years, the university has recently been formally recognizing and promoting them to encourage student success.

“Students come to us with different backgrounds, skill sets and learning abilities, and we need to make sure we’re adapting to that,” said Dr. Amir Mirmiran, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “We want to put ourselves in the students’ shoes and facilitate learning.”

Faculty accomplish these goals in many different ways. For example, service learning provides a peek into real-world applications of students’ textbook studies. For these projects, students go into the community to perform and perfect their craft. At the same time, they provide nonprofits, businesses and individuals with services that might not otherwise be affordable.

Another style, team-based learning, banishes the traditional lecture hall environment. In the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy, every single class is formatted around team-based learning, in which students sit in groups to analyze the material, while the professor facilitates and supports discussions.

“It’s an integrated curriculum, not an assembly line teaching process,” Mirmiran said.

“Team-based learning allows students to peel off layers of knowledge, like layers of an onion.

It’s more effective because students aren’t just remembering what the teacher said, but rather they’re looking at the whole picture.”

Faculty in other disciplines employ hybrid classes—a combination of face-toface and online teaching—to use class time more effectively. Professors record their lectures with high-quality equipment to post online, which students can view at their convenience. During class time, which is reduced to once a week, students participate

in hands-on activities that traditional classes simply don’t have time to accommodate.

LITTLE THINGS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE Many professors also incorporate other techniques to help students relate to each other and develop life skills.

For example, Dr. Rochell McWhorter, assistant professor of human resource development, gives a “Look Up” assignment in which undergraduate and graduate students must unplug from all computer-based methods of communication—social media, texting, emailing, surfing the Internet—for 24 hours and record what they do instead.

“Many students have found this to be an eye-opening experience as they spent time reconnecting with family, friends and hobbies,” McWhorter said. “I help them relate this to the blurring of work-life boundaries as mobile devices facilitate more opportunities to work 24/7.”

Dr. Barbara Wooldridge, professor of

marketing, realized many students felt isolated from classmates during online courses, so she set out to remedy the situation. She asked her Healthcare MBA class, “If you were a medical instrument, what would you be?” For other online marketing classes, she might ask, “What cereal would you be?”

These questions might sound silly, but they work. In fact, one student, who was a supervisor at her job, thought the idea was so insightful that she used the technique at her next meeting with her medical team.

“It starts creating a sense of community, and they don’t feel like they’re alone. One student said she was a baker, and all of a sudden, students were sharing recipes,” Wooldridge said.

“Innovative things can be really small, but their ripple effect can be big,” she said.

“We tend to think that innovation has to be big and bold, but sometimes the smallest things are the most amazing.” n

Dr. Julie Delello looks for new ways to incorporate technology into her teaching, and encourages future teachers to do the same. Her Methods of Teaching Elementary Science class designed interactive grade-school lessons involving Google Cardboard viewers, computer tablets, cell phones and other tools.

The class presented their projects in an Innovative STEM Showcase on campus.

At left, a visitor to the event tries out a Google Cardboard viewer.

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SPECIAL SECTION l Transforming

ADAPTING THE PAST, ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

Education

Professors Restructure Traditional Courses to Accommodate Modern Students EVEN SUCCESSFUL, well-liked professors only to develop hybrid courses but also to like Dr. Andrew Schmitt sometimes get “stuck in a rut.”

“Lots of professors in their 40s and 50s like me aren’t as comfortable presenting information online because we feel like we’re going to lose the students,” said Schmitt, associate professor of psychology.

“But with hybrid classes, we present in a way that students are comfortable.”

Hybrid courses at The University of Texas at Tyler combine elements of online instruction with face-to-face teaching. The goal is to create a class that melds the best practices of both methods. Classroom lectures become high quality videos that students can view day or night at their convenience, and tests can be administered online. Class time is reduced to once a week, but it’s dedicated entirely to handson activities, such as labs, demonstrations and case studies, or as Dr. Althea Arnold puts it: “the fun stuff.”

Schmitt and Arnold, assistant professor of construction management, admit their early skepticism about hybrid courses, even when UT Tyler received a $4 million grant through the University of Texas System and matched it with another $4 million in funding to help faculty transition their face-to-face classes into the new format.

Then-Provost Alisa White wanted to provide a support system for faculty not

understand the benefits for students. The idea became Patriots Accessing Technology for Success and Savings (PATSS). She asked Dr. Scott Marzilli, assistant vice president for academic innovation and student success and dean of the University College, to administer the program. To do that, he developed the PATSS Academy — a three-part program created in 2013 to help professors redesign their courses — and persuaded Schmitt, Arnold and more than 60 other faculty members to try it.

“They brought me in kicking and screaming, but I changed my mind,” Schmitt said. “I’m a big fan now.”

During the academy, professors attend a one-week workshop to listen to nationally recognized speakers discuss the ways technology can improve educators’ relationship with students.

The next 14 weeks are dedicated to converting an existing class into the hybrid format. This includes one-on-one assistance from instructional designers to find useful and creative ways to present material online. Professors can record lectures in one of the university’s two new green-screen, broadcast-quality recording studios to be posted for the online portion of the class.

The final part of the academy is reflection—professors discuss the outcome of the course with the instructional

Dr. Althea Arnold, professor of construction management, teaches hybrid classes, which combine online instruction and face-to-face learning. Her Construction Safety class meets face-to-face once a week. The remainder of the course is online.

designer, assessing what went well and what could be improved. Professors receive a stipend to participate in the PATSS Academy.

Marzilli emphasizes that professors aren’t asked to redesign their courses arbitrarily. The first question instructional designers ask is about the goals of the class. Then designers offer ideas to keep the integrity of the course while adding some technology to improve student engagement.

“It’s not about having technology and fitting it into the class,” Marzilli said. “Instead, it’s analyzing the class and adding appropriate technology. We’re not forcing faculty to change the way they teach. Technology makes the students’ experience more fulfilling.”

REDESIGNING THE REDESIGN UT Tyler’s construction management department is moving toward a fully hybrid program, and Arnold has adapted all four of her face-to-face courses to the hybrid style.

She has improved her method each year, saying that she’s learned a lot since her first redesign, her Construction Administration and Economics course. After reflecting on the redesign, Arnold made modifications to the course delivery.

“I changed just about everything,” she said. “Student comments helped me realize I needed to revamp this one. They said there wasn’t enough time to do the project, or that they didn’t learn anything from certain parts of the course. I said, ‘Okay, let’s dump that part and spend more time here instead.’ It’s a really good course now.”

She stresses that hybrid classes are best suited to students who are self-motivated and keep up with the online portion of the coursework. But as with any delivery method, some students still come to class unprepared and usually don’t fare as well.

“It’s an incredible amount of work (to redesign a course), but it was worth it,” Arnold said. “The students are learning, and the whole workforce is going toward computers, so it’s good for students to be exposed to that.”

At the end of the semester, Schmitt discovered that the students’ grades were on par with the face-to-face classes he taught in the past. Like Arnold, Schmitt also learned a lot from the experience and knows what he’d like to change the next time he teaches the course, including making better use of the online discussion board and adding pop culture resources for extra credit.

“I think they learn more in the hybrid version,” said Schmitt, who now encourages other professors to take advantage of the PATSS Academy. “If I could teach all hybrid now, I would.”

times they’d need to drive to campus.

Crystal Zapata, a freshman psychology major, admitted she was nervous when she signed up for Schmitt’s hybrid class. As the weeks passed, she realized how much she was learning while listening to prerecorded lectures at times convenient for her. Living in Longview, Texas, with a full-time job and two young children at home, Zapata appreciated the class flexibility.

“The best part was being able to access my course on my computer via Blackboard while I was on my lunch break at work, on my phone waiting in the parking lot to pick up my kids from school, or even using my tablet while laying in bed,” she said.

Zapata noted there were other benefits too, such as having 24-hour access to lecture videos and being able to watch them again for review if necessary. She also enjoyed getting test scores immediately after completing an exam.

Plus, students are learning skills for the changing job market. “Lots of corporations are moving to a flexible time schedule or work-from-home,” Marzilli said. “We provide opportunities for students to practice time-management strategies.”

With approximately 80 PATSSapproved courses in only three years, Marzilli considers the program a success.

“These aren’t the same students we had 20 years ago,” Marzilli said. “Working with students on their level shows the quality of the faculty we have here at UT Tyler.” n

DEDICATED TO STUDENT SUCCESS In addition to the other benefits, Marzilli says the hybrid teaching method also makes a UT Tyler education possible for students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend.

By having face-to-face class time only once a week, hybrid courses allow for “time-sharing” to accommodate students who work full time or who live far from campus. Time-sharing involves departmental faculty members working together to schedule multiple classes at the same time each day of the week.

For example, class time for three different courses could be scheduled from 8-8:50 a.m. three days a week, which helps working students attend class at a fixed time and then go to their job the rest of the day. Or FROM CRITIC TO ADVOCATE Reflecting on the fall semester, Schmitt students can schedule all their classes into one admits his surprise with the success of his or two days a week, reducing the number of first hybrid course, Abnormal Psychology.

During the PATSS Academy when he witnessed the quality of the audio and video capabilities of the recording equipment, he gained confidence that students would enjoy the course.

“I had a cameraman in my classroom every day recording my class,” he said. “With that kind of support, you can make a good product. It was time-consuming, but my life is teaching, so I wanted everything to be really high quality.”

During class time, Schmitt focused on case studies of real-life interactions with his private-practice patients. He said he accomplished more with his students by posting his lectures online and by In hybrid classes, which blend face-to-face and online instruction, students can view using class time for abstract thinking and class material and recorded lectures anywhere, using a computer or mobile device. diagnostic skill development.

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SPECIAL SECTION l Transforming

WHERE THEORIES BECOME REALITIES Students Put Textbook Lessons into Practice for Community Benefit

Education

THE MOMENT a client stepped into

the Alzheimer’s Association of Smith County seeking help for a loved one was when everything clicked for students in Dr. Marsha Matthews’ Public Relations Campaigns class.

The students were developing a PR campaign to help the association with its goals, and after seeing the real people affected by their work, they became more invested in the project.

“When students visit a place of business, everything changes,” said Matthews, associate professor of communication. “If textbooks and cases were all they had, they’d never see that their work matters in a real, tangible way.”

Each year, Matthews chooses a local business or nonprofit with a real need while also providing the students a setting to put theories into practice. Besides gaining hands-on experience, students leave with a portfolio of work to show potential employers.

Matthews’ PR Campaigns course is only one example of the many classes at The University of Texas at Tyler that embrace service-learning activities. While the types of projects differ from discipline to discipline, the concept remains the same— students take their abilities out into the community as both training and service.

“Service learning brings the real world into the class,” said Dr. Scott Marzilli, assistant vice president for academic innovation and student success. “They go out and work in the community to see what the job is like.”

Professional success, rather than just good grades, gave 2015 graduate Anita Brown confidence she says she wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. She took Matthews’ PR Campaigns class and discovered that she was capable of doing what she had studied so long to do.

Brown and her teammates created a campaign for Therapet, a nonprofit organization focused on the healing and

“SERVICE LEARNING BRINGS THE REAL WORLD INTO THE CLASS,” SAID DR. SCOTT MARZILLI, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC INNOVATION AND STUDENT SUCCESS. “THEY GO OUT AND WORK IN THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT THE JOB IS LIKE.” rehabilitation of patients with acute or chronic diseases using animal-assisted therapy.

“I really enjoyed the fact that we were working the entire semester on a project for a real client using real creativity, knowledge and all the other things school prepares us for,” said Brown, who holds a degree in mass communications concentrating in public relations, and is working toward a master’s in communications. “Then we

got to experience the client’s response, feedback and the actual utilization of what we were preparing. To see the end result in that real-world scenario was a highly satisfying experience.”

Brown loved the project so much that she became Matthews’ teaching assistant for that course. Now, she gets to enjoy watching other students have their “ah-ha” moments.

REAL WORLD IMPACT Students benefit from service learning projects, as do nonprofits and small businesses in the community. Therapet appreciated the experience of working with Matthews’ class so much that its leadership requested to participate as a client again the very next year.

Student teams in Dr. Barbara Wooldridge’s Principles of Marketing class also thrilled their clients by preparing Google AdWords digital advertising campaigns. Susan Dukes, owner of Pottery Café Canvas & Cork Studio, still refers to the students’ report five years later because it was so helpful.

Dukes’ team visited her studio and talked with her in depth about what areas of her website she wanted to promote.

After discussing her goals, Dukes left everything in their hands. She even gave them administrator access to her website so they could optimize her keywords for search engines.

“Their initial goal was to get 13,000 impressions, but we got over 150,000 impressions,” said Dukes, who has been

in business nearly 10 years. “We’re booked back-to-back every Saturday now.”

Dukes is working toward her own Master of Business Administration, and she took one of Wooldridge’s classes, saying she learned much more than she expected.

Wooldridge, professor of marketing, has been incorporating service learning into her classes since the first semester she ever taught a class, back in 1999. She says students are more engaged in learning and more invested in a project when they’re working with a client, rather than simply simply working for a grade.

“Service projects help students learn about their power to positively impact the world,” Wooldridge said. “It’s a neat relationship that lets learning happen in a very different way.”

Projects in Wooldridge’s classes also hone students’ skills in unexpected areas.

In one of her graduate classes, Wooldridge required her students to make a five-minute presentation on how to give a presentation, before they spoke in front of their clients.

She told them the stakes were higher when presenting in front of professionals, rather than a professor.

“I told them, ‘I don’t want you to embarrass yourselves,’” Wooldridge said. “They said, ‘We know how to do a presentation,’ but then realized they didn’t know as much as they thought.”

One of those students, Michala Ashley (2010 BBA, 2011 MBA) realized her skills were good enough for the classroom, but not good enough for reality. With guidance, she saw her skills improve, and afterward, she joined Toastmasters at Wooldridge’s recommendation.

“Dr. Wooldridge really hit the nail on the head with her critique of my communication skills. I was blindly confident in my speaking abilities up to that point,” Ashley said. “It meant a lot to me that Dr. Wooldridge invested her time into developing my abilities throughout the class, and I wanted to prove to her that I was not going to stop just because the final project was complete.”

UT Tyler student Valerie Johnson assists during the Tyler Mini Maker Faire at the Discovery Science Place. Students of Dr. Julie Delello, assistant professor of education, participated in the community event as an informal learning activity.

DIFFERENT TALENTS, COMMON GOALS In some fields, service learning is inextricable from coursework, but many professors at UT Tyler partner with other departments to create multidisciplinary projects.

Christy Gipson, a clinical instructor for the School of Nursing, says service learning has always been part of her students’ coursework, but she’s recently teamed up with collaborators in the College of Education and Psychology and the College of Business and Technology to share their talents.

Joining with education professor Dr. Kouider Mokhtari, Gipson’s students developed educational materials focusing on health literacy for clients at the Tyler Family Circle of Care. While Gipson’s students prepared the information, Mokhtari’s students reviewed the materials to ensure appropriate literacy levels. Another semester, Gipson’s students offered scripted training at the medical clinic to educate parents about fever.

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“SERVICE LEARNING PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE COMMUNICATION AND TEACHING SKILLS WITH DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.” Gipson has also teamed with Dr. Julie Delello, assistant professor of education, and Dr. Rochell McWhorter, assistant professor of human resource development.

Their students taught older adults how to use iPads to access health information online. The adults learned how to look up information about illnesses, medications and more.

“Health education is an important part of nursing,” Gipson said. “We’re teaching students to look at the whole patient. Service learning provides the opportunity to practice communication and teach skills to different populations.”

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE While service learning has always been part of the culture at UT Tyler, administrators have begun to formalize and publicize these opportunities for future students, said Dr. William Geiger, vice provost and dean of the graduate school.

Faculty members now can denote their classes’ service learning components in the course catalogue after a rigorous review process to ensure they meet the university’s established criteria. Most service learning projects involve at least 20 hours of time outside the classroom working with people and businesses in the community.

Professors find that most students enjoy the opportunity to get a glimpse of their future selves in action.

“Service learning gives you a chance to dive in and get a look at what life is like whenever you leave college,” said Chase Ragland, an adjunct professor and student development specialist for leadership and service. “You’re not just trying to memorize and regurgitate information; you’re actually doing it. It’s an invaluable piece to learning.” n

UT Tyler students take part in community service with the East Texas Food Bank.

“When students visit a place of business, everything changes. ... If textbooks and cases were all they had, they’d never see that their work matters in a real, tangible way.” — Dr. Marsha Matthews, Associate Professor of Communication

The Services Marketing class of Dr. Barbara Wooldridge conducts a service project of surveys for Caldwell Zoo.

SPECIAL SECTION l Transforming

ANTIDOTE FOR LECTURE FATIGUE:

Education

Active Learning in the Fisch College of Pharmacy LISTENING TO long lectures can cause

lethargy, drowsiness and other symptoms, as student David Dan can attest.

“I was never one to just sit in class and pay attention to lectures. I was always zoned out, so I had to make it up after class and read on my own to catch up,” he said.

He found just the remedy in the new Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at “WORKING IN TEAMS CREATES A SUBTLE PEER Tyler, where he is a member of its first class PRESSURE TO EXCEL AND HELP EACH OTHER, of students this year. It is one of only four pharmacy colleges nationwide that offers SAID STUDENT KABRIA DAVIS, NOTING a doctor of pharmacy program centered exclusively around team-based learning.

“IT’S A GOOD TYPE OF PEER PRESSURE.”” “The more I read about it, the more it appealed to me and the more I thought “This career is a very hands-on job The program is distinctive in providing it fit my style of learning,” said Dan, students with opportunities in and out of and involves working and communicating pharmacy student class president. class to work on teams and apply their with a lot of people. So practicing those knowledge to real-life situations. Students communication skills and applying TEAM-BASED ACTIVE LEARNING spend most class time solving problems knowledge in the classroom is exactly what It is an active-learning method proven together and working in teams of six. For pharmacy students need,” she said. “A lot to engage students in learning more example, they might be given a scenario of of people graduate without having worked effectively than traditional classroom a person with a specific set of symptoms, on a team before, then all of a sudden instruction via lecture alone. and then have to put their heads together they’re thrown into a team environment.

“It’s still the same content delivered by to figure out the best pharmaceutical drug Our students graduate with four years of all colleges of pharmacy across the country. to prescribe while weighing several factors, experience working on teams, so they’re We just do it in a rather innovative way so including effectiveness, drug interactions, ready for it.” that it helps students put the material in side effects, cost and patient preferences. context, which clearly provides them an Experience working in teams is INTEGRATED COURSES advantage when they go out and work in especially important in this field because The program is distinctive from the community,” said founding dean Dr. of how pharmacies operate, said Dr. traditional ones in other ways, too. For Lane Brunner, who was instrumental in Leanne Coyne, associate professor and instance, traditional pharmacy students take developing team-based-learning at two of director of assessment in the Fisch College different courses and then have to figure out the three other pharmacy colleges. of Pharmacy. how those areas relate to each other.

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only are our students professional in their interactions, but they’re asking better, more complex questions that the pharmacists would not expect from first-year students.”

UT Tyler’s pharmacy program is distinctive in providing students with opportunities in and out of class to work on teams and apply their knowledge to real-life situations.

“We know from past experience that students tend to struggle with pulling those different areas together and seeing how they relate, unless they’re given a broader context.

So we decided to take all those topics and integrate them into one course that we called Integrated Pharmacy,” Brunner said.

Integrated Pharmacy is the cornerstone course that students take every semester of their first three years, along with two other courses. It is a single course taught by multiple faculty members who make sure their topics dovetail with each other.

The other two courses are Integrated Laboratory, where students apply what they learned in the classroom, and Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience, where they spend four hours a week working with a pharmacist in the community. Students in traditional pharmacy programs do not typically get that kind of clinical experience until their second or later years.

“We decided to do a different approach and send them out to clinical settings in their first semester. We are comfortable with that because of our integrated curriculum.

We introduce pharmacy practice topics very early on, so our students are not as green as other students when they go to practice sites,” Brunner said.

PRODUCTIVE CLASS TIMES Students in most pharmacy programs do not take tests until many days after they have attended lectures; however, UT Tyler students read information in advance and are quizzed at the beginning of each class to ensure they are ready for the day’s activities.

Students then retake the quiz as teams and discuss questions as a class, providing immediate feedback and reinforcement.

“That’s all in preparation for their activities in class. So they’re going into the activities being prepared, rather than just going in naive. It makes the activities a lot more productive,” Coyne said.

Working in teams creates a subtle peer pressure to excel and help each other, said student Kabria Davis, noting “it’s a good type of peer pressure.”

“You don’t want to show up unprepared for class, because you may feel like you’re letting your team down,” she said.

Though class time usually involves active student participation, professors sometimes pause to give brief lectures explaining important concepts.

In the latter half of students’ second year and in both semesters of their third year, they can take elective courses on various topics, such as advanced diabetes care, nuclear pharmacy or how to operate an independently owned pharmacy.

In their fourth and final year, students work entirely off campus while completing seven six-week rotations in pharmacies.

“We’ve built quite a network of connections throughout East Texas and beyond for getting our students set up in practice sites, including pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics,” said Dr. Holly Duhon, assistant dean for experiential education.

Supervising pharmacists in the community have noted how advanced UT Tyler’s students are, Brunner said: “Not

STUDENT-CENTERED PROGRAM Dr. Kathleen Snella, associate dean for student affairs, emphasized the college’s student-centered approach.

“We treat students like the professionals they’re going to be once they graduate,” she said. “We introduce them to the profession, hold them responsible and coach them as professionals, so that when they graduate, they’re ready.”

Part of what makes team-based learning so effective is it requires more energy and effort—from students in adapting to a new way of learning, and from professors in designing and preparing engaging class activities, Dr. Grace Loredo, clinical assistant professor, said.

“You find that in the classroom, you as a professor have to be a lot more dynamic, a lot more responsive to what is happening in the classroom, and be changing as the needs require,” she said.

The professor has to be more prepared than in traditional classroom formats to handle unplanned occurrences in class, such as students needing more or less help than expected with certain topics and asking questions that lead to discovery and better understanding, she said.

“The discussions and activities are more fluid and dynamic,” Coyne concurred. “You never know what direction it’s going to go, and it’s really nice when a student asks you a question you hadn’t even thought of.”

Overall, Davis finds the learning format easier because each class builds on the previous one, helping her keep up with the large amount of material she must retain, she said.

“I love team-based learning because I’m honestly not as stressed as I would otherwise be,” Davis said.

In fact, UT Tyler’s unique approach is part of why she chose its pharmacy program over others.

“It is just a fantastic opportunity, and I hope that a lot more schools will incorporate team-based learning to help students,” Davis said. “It puts us at a strong advantage. …

We’re getting that early exposure, which is going to help us in the long run.” n

Students in the Fisch College of Pharmacy spend most of their class time solving problems together and working in teams. “This career is a very hands-on job and involves working and communicating with a lot of people. So practicing those communication skills and applying knowledge in the classroom is exactly what pharmacy students need,’’ says Dr. Leanne Coyne, associate professor and director of assessment.

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RECOGNIZED IN APRIL AT THE ANNUAL UT TYLER ALUMNI AND FRIENDS GALA, THE 2016 HONOREES ARE, FROM LEFT, DISTINGUISHED YOUNG ALUMNUS MATTHEW RICCARDI AND DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI KATHRYN MURPHY AND DR. J. BLAIR BLACKBURN.

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Alumni

EXEMPLARS OF ACHIEVEMENT UT Tyler’s 2016 Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Young Alumnus ALUMNI OF The University of Texas

at Tyler make their mark every day in a variety of fields and professions, leading by example and changing the world for the better.

While proud of them all, the university pauses each year to highlight two Distinguished Alumni and one Distinguished Young Alumnus whose achievements are particularly extraordinary.

This year’s honorees include a respected university president, an award-winning family law attorney and a management professional of a National Basketball Association team.

Recognized in April at the annual UT Tyler Alumni and Friends Gala, the 2016 honorees are: Distinguished Alumni Dr. J. Blair Blackburn and Kathryn Murphy; and Distinguished Young Alumnus Matthew Riccardi.

“All three of our 2016 honorees have contributed much to their professions and their community, so it brings us great pride to be able to recognize them for their accomplishments as UT Tyler alumni,” said Brittany Childs, director of alumni relations.

DR. J. BLAIR BLACKBURN Blackburn has a knack for turning creative visions into reality.

He did so as executive vice president of Dallas Baptist University, where he conceptually designed 34 new campus buildings in the likeness of famous earlyAmerican architectural wonders. His

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MOST RECENTLY, MURPHY WAS NAMED THE 2015 “LAWYER OF THE YEAR” AMONG DALLAS FAMILY LAWYERS BY BEST LAWYERS, AN INDUSTRY PUBLICATION THAT CHOOSES RECIPIENTS BASED ON A PARTICULARLY HIGH LEVEL OF PEER RECOGNITION.

planned development won numerous design awards and inspired his book, “A City on a Hill: Dallas Baptist University an Architectural History.” The book explains the significance of each building and how their creation over the course of 20 years transformed the campus.

“We taught students excellence in their lives by creating magnificent facilities that reflect Christ’s excellence. If you show students excellence, they’ll model it in their own lives,” Blackburn said.

He now focuses on his next creation—a residential housing development at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, where he began as university president last June.

Leadership comes naturally to Blackburn, who rises early each day, works late and loves his job.

“It’s the passion to serve that drives me. My dad taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing right,” he said.

He worked at DBU for 20 years and previously held administrative positions at other institutions of higher education, including his alma mater, UT Tyler.

During his time at DBU, where he oversaw campus development as well as enrollment, the student population grew from 2,800 to more than 5,500 students, he said.

Blackburn’s penchant for school governance began in high school in Minden,

Louisiana, where peers elected him student body president. He then went to Tyler Junior College, where in different years he was class president, captain of the cheerleading squad and student government president.

He also was elected parliamentarian of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association and held part-time jobs in TJC’s offices of student activities and the dean of students.

“I loved college work and working with students, and that really drove my passion for student government leadership,” he said.

He then attended UT Tyler on scholarship and graduated cum laude in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. As a student, he held several honor society memberships, served as a Student Foundation ambassador for the admissions office and was elected student government vice president. Through student government, he got to know UT Tyler’s vice president for administration and chief student affairs officer at the time, the late Dr. Robert Jones, who became his lifelong professional mentor.

After earning his doctorate in education, Blackburn worked for two years at Paris Junior College before Jones hired him back to UT Tyler as director of student life.

In that position, Blackburn led students in starting the Robert L. Jones Student Leadership Award, which is still given today in honor of Jones, who died last year.

“I would not be a college president today if it had not been for Dr. Jones investing in my life,” Blackburn said.

KATHRYN MURPHY Murphy has dedicated decades to helping families navigate through divorce.

“Divorce is a very difficult time in people’s lives. I just want to bring them up to a higher level and help them get through the process in a healthy, productive way,” said Murphy, a partner at Goranson Bain, PLLC in Dallas and Plano and chair of the Family Law Council of the State Bar of Texas.

Because of her success, she is frequently recognized as one of the top family lawyers in the state and beyond. Most recently, Murphy was named the 2015 “Lawyer of the Year” among Dallas family lawyers by Best Lawyers, an industry publication that chooses recipients based on a particularly high level of peer recognition. She also received the 2013 Annette Stewart Inn of Court’s “Serjeant of the Inn” Award for her significant contributions to the profession and the community throughout her career.

Murphy is consistently included in Thomson Reuters’s list of “Top 50: Women Texas Super Lawyers.”

Her awards and accolades are well earned. Attorneys who handle divorces deal with some of the law profession’s most stressful and difficult cases.

Still, Murphy loves helping people through such difficult times and discovered early it is her passion. After law school, she did business litigation work for a large Dallas law firm, then changed course two years later. Pro bono work she had been doing through the Dallas Bar Association’s Lawyers Against Domestic Violence proved so satisfying that she decided to start her own practice specializing in family law.

She has become known as a family law expert with specialization in complicated property matters, such as business valuations and characterization of property, as well as child custody matters. A past president of the Texas chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, she has taught family law and authored several professional articles and books on the subject, including “Protecting Your Assets From a Texas Divorce” and “Family Law at Your Fingertips.” She also co-authored the three-volume textbook for lawyers, “Texas Family Law Practice Guide.”

Originally from Montana and North Dakota, Murphy came to Texas for a full scholarship at UT Tyler, where she was on the president’s honor roll, was a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, and won a speech performance scholarship award.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1986, the same year UT Tyler named her a Distinguished Student. Thirty years later, the university has named her a Distinguished Alumna.

MATTHEW RICCARDI Though Riccardi and fellow NBA management professionals jump through hoops for their team, they joke about their jobs being “work.”

“The hardest day that I have in this business is still better than the greatest day doing anything else,” said Riccardi, senior manager of basketball operations and scout for the Brooklyn Nets professional basketball team in New York.

“It’s amazing what I get to do for a job every day. I do things like watch basketball games and write scouting reports, and I get paid to do it. It’s truly remarkable. I don’t consider it work.”

A holder of two degrees from UT Tyler, Riccardi is in charge of helping the Brooklyn Nets’ 15 professional basketball players with off-the-court challenges, such as relocating to New York and securing housing, finding babysitters, managing personal finances and learning about NBA professionalism.

“I like to call it a life coach role, where you’re teaching these young men who are very successful how to grow as individuals in this highly stressful world that they’re living in,” he said.

Riccardi travels with the players and works long days while filling a vital role behind the scenes: “You’re on call 24 hours. You might get a call at 2 a.m. from a player or from somebody who needs something, and you’ve got to be ready to go with the information.”

He also helps with scouting by watching

college, minor league and international basketball games and evaluating potential players for his team.

He credits UT Tyler for preparing him for his career: “UT Tyler was very influential in my development and how I got to where I am today.”

A New York native raised in Dallas, Riccardi attended UT Tyler, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

As an undergraduate, Riccardi was team captain of the Patriots men’s basketball team, a Student Athlete of the Year, a Business Student of the Year Scholarship recipient and a three-time recipient of the Academic AllConference award, among other distinctions.

In graduate school, he was as assistant coach for the Patriots men’s basketball team and graduated first in his class.

College team leadership gave him experience coordinating players who grew up in different places and situations, which has proven invaluable, he said.

“A lot of that experience, I carry over to the NBA, where I’m dealing with guys who grew up in almost every walk of life,” he said.

After getting his MBA, Riccardi did a financial internship in the Netherlands, served as a head coach for a semi-professional team and did an internship with the New Jersey Nets, which later became the Brooklyn Nets. He was soon hired full time.

“I always wanted to be in basketball,” he said, “so this is a dream come true.” n

A HOLDER OF TWO DEGREES FROM UT TYLER, RICCARDI IS IN CHARGE OF HELPING THE BROOKLYN NETS’ 15 PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS WITH OFF-THE-COURT CHALLENGES, SUCH AS RELOCATING TO NEW YORK AND SECURING HOUSING, FINDING BABYSITTERS, MANAGING PERSONAL FINANCES AND LEARNING ABOUT NBA PROFESSIONALISM.

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FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, MAURINE MUNTZ HELPED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER GROW INTO A WORLD-CLASS CAMPUS, DISCREETLY NURTURING IT WITH HER PERSONAL TIME AND MONEY WHILE REPEATEDLY DECLINING DUE CREDIT.

Mrs. Maurine Muntz

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Benefactors

THROUGH THE GENERATIONS Genecov, Muntz and Darryl Families Nurture UT Tyler TYLER PHILANTHROPISTS Aleck and

Hilda Genecov celebrated their baby girl’s first breath of life decades ago, and in subsequent years instilled in her a lasting devotion to community.

Their child grew up to become the prominent woman known as Maurine Muntz, a quiet unassuming soul who faithfully carried forward her family’s tradition, breathing love and life into the people and institutions of Tyler she adored. She had begun passing the torch to her family’s next generation when she died in April.

For more than 30 years, Maurine Muntz helped The University of Texas at Tyler grow into a world-class campus, discreetly nurturing it with her personal time and money while repeatedly declining due credit.

“Mrs. Muntz has been a major supporter from the beginning of UT Tyler, working closely with former President George Hamm in being part of the original group who wanted to make this university really special,” UT Tyler President Dr. Rodney Mabry said.

Joy Turns Duncan, who served as the university’s director of advancement in the 1980s and 1990s, concurred: “She was a pioneer for the university. She was insightful and even visionary in realizing what the university could mean to the community. … Maurine’s support through the years has provided a solid foundation for UT Tyler to emerge as the first-class university that it is today. She was one of those original champions who saw what UT Tyler could be.”

UT Tyler has benefited immensely from the generosity of Maurine Muntz and her family. Their tradition of giving to higher education started with her parents, Aleck and Hilda Genecov, and has continued through the years with significant gifts from the A.S. Genecov Foundation, which the couple founded in 1955, and from Maurine Muntz’s daughter and son-in-law, Terry and Dennis Darryl.

Maurine Muntz was the university’s first Patriot of the Year—an annual award to recognize the lasting contributions of individuals and organizations that advance the university and community.

Her own major philanthropic support of the university began in 1982, when she gave

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$1.5 million to honor the memory of her husband, Robert Muntz, and the university’s newly built library was named after him.

“This was a very refined, scholarly and distinguished symbol to celebrate his life—a life that was well lived and very much involved in the community,” Duncan said.

Robert Muntz was a chemist from Ohio who met Maurine Muntz when he came to the Tyler region during World War II for army training at Camp Fannin. After Robert returned from the war, the couple married and decided to settle in Tyler, where he went to work as president of BM&R Interest—the real estate construction side of her father’s business.

As Dennis Darryl recalled, “Bob was not socially or politically involved. He was busy in the family business and always said, ‘So goes the business so goes our philanthropic endeavors,’ because if we did well, so did the community.”

Robert Muntz was also a horticulturalist and orchid grower. He and Maurine Muntz grew orchids and were so avid about creating new varieties of them that several were named after them, Dennis Darryl said.

Robert Muntz, who died in 1978, also was an art collector and inquisitive person who loved books and libraries.

“That’s part of the reason that Mrs. Muntz wanted to do the donation to the library,” Dennis Darryl said. “We would go traveling, and the first thing he would do is hit a bookstore or a library on a campus, and he would just buy tons of books on whatever he was interested in at the time—snuff bottles, orchids, mechanical engineering, etc.

And his library at the house reflected those interests.”

In 2008, the library grounds transformed with another gift from the family – the Muntz Library Gardens.

Jeanne Standley, executive director of the library, had expressed interest in the building having a natural, peaceful place outdoors for students and others to read and work. The Muntz and Darryl families responded by creating a tranquil setting complete with electrical outlets, Wi-Fi access, and a stream of water cascading under a bridge and stretching diagonally across the front of the library.

“What we ended up with is just gorgeous,” Standley said. “It’s one of the prettiest places on our campus. Students can step outside of the library and sit at tables by this wonderful brook. It’s like being in the woods of Colorado.”

SHARING THE FRUITS OF SUCCESS Aleck Genecov, Maurine Muntz’s father, was an oil producer, farmer, rancher and real estate investor whose initial success came during the East Texas oil boom of the late 1930s and early 1940s. His half of the Roosth & Genecov Production Co. matured into The Genecov Group. The 80-year-old, family-owned, Tyler-based company focuses on oil and gas and commercial real estate investments.

In the 1940s, Evelyn Muntz came to know the family well and ultimately became a part of it. She attended college with Maurine Muntz at the University of Texas at Austin, married Robert Muntz’s

MAURINE MUNTZ WAS THE UNIVERSITY’S FIRST PATRIOT OF THE YEAR— AN ANNUAL AWARD TO RECOGNIZE THE LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADVANCE THE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY. brother, Dr. Hascall Muntz, whom she met at the couple’s wedding, and later served as associate director of development at UT Tyler in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Maurine’s whole family was very charitable, generous and compassionate, and did a lot for the community,” she said.

The Genecovs donated to the city’s chamber of commerce, Tyler Junior College and to the university, Evelyn Muntz said, noting, “They loved the community, and Maurine has been the same way.”

She and other people describe Maurine Muntz as a quiet lady who was modest and reserved but sociable and warm.

“She recognized the importance of reading, learning and the arts, and in her quiet graceful way was supportive and made things possible,” Standley said.

Maurine Muntz also appreciated a diversity of people, Standley said: “She had the same graciousness to anyone, regardless of their station in life.”

Her love of people shined through in her philanthropy.

“Maurine always stepped up and was there at the most opportune times to support the university,” Duncan said.

Maurine Muntz was one of 10 people recognized as Patriots on the UT Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center’s “Honors Wall” for helping fund the construction of the building.

“The venue has made such a difference to the culture of Tyler and the region. We can credit our success to all of these patrons on our Honors Wall, including Maurine Muntz. They made it happen,” said Susan Thomae-Morphew, executive director of the Cowan Center.

Maurine Muntz also supported the arts at UT Tyler and was an active member of its Friends of the Arts organization.

Dr. Gary Hatcher, the B.J. and Dub Riter Professor of Art, met her about 15 years ago at one of the group’s meetings, where he spoke about the need for a new fine arts complex. He was chairman of the Department of Art and Art History at the time. She soon volunteered to serve on the planning committee for the new building and was also among the first to give monetarily to the project, he said.

“That idea of someone supporting it from the community was very important to getting it done, because it ultimately brought other people in from the community,” Hatcher said.

Maurine Muntz backed the arts on campus, not only financially, but by attending events, frequenting the university’s art facilities, visiting Hatcher’s own art studio and otherwise being involved, he said. He recalled times when she even invited groups of art students to her home to see her vast collection of snuff bottles from around the world.

She and her children also have given money to provide art and other scholarships at UT Tyler.

In addition to involvement in the arts, Maurine Muntz was an active member of the university’s Development Board, a member of the UT Tyler President’s Associates, and an attendee of many campus events, groundbreakings and grand openings as the university expanded.

“Mrs. Muntz and her family have always supported the educational mission of the university,” Mabry said. “That they have stayed with the university and understand the miles we have yet to travel—it means so much.” n

THE NEXT GENERATION JUST AS MAURINE MUNTZ learned

from her parents about the spirit of giving and the community benefits of higher education, so her children have learned from her.

She gave to many community organizations, such as the Salvation Army, Tyler Day Nursery and the American Red Cross, and frequently donated anonymously, Maurine Muntz’s son-in-law, Dennis Darryl, said.

“She was very generous, and I guess that’s where Terry and I got our sense of carrying on that tradition,” he said.

Dennis Darryl grew up in Amarillo, Texas, and met Maurine Muntz’s daughter, Terry Muntz Darryl, during college at the University of Texas at Austin. The couple married and moved to Tyler, where they raised their daughter and where Terry Darryl is a widely recognized breeder of American quarter horses. Though they are both graduates of UT Austin, they have always been dedicated to the ongoing success of UT Tyler.

“It’s the friendships we’ve formed over there and the people we know. It’s just an incredible school. And we are lucky to have such an excellent campus in our home town,” Dennis Darryl said.

He felt particularly good about the family’s gift of the Muntz Library Gardens, completed in 2010, and his contribution to its planning and design, he said.

Dennis Darryl spearheaded the gardens project, which cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars, UT Tyler President Dr. Rodney Mabry said, noting: “It turned out to be a spectacular addition to the Muntz Library. The gardens are beautiful, functional and constantly used by students.”

Terry and Dennis Darryl also were among a handful of sponsors of Itzhak Perlman’s violin performance in 2009 at the Cowan Center. And like Maurine Muntz, the couple has given several scholarships to UT Tyler students.

“We have gotten letters from recipients about how they couldn’t go to college without our help. It’s always nice to read the letters, and I know Mrs. Muntz enjoyed getting them,” Dennis Darryl said.

“I’m grateful to have been blessed with

Dennis Darryl, Maurine Muntz’s son-in-law, spearheaded the family’s gift of the Muntz Library Gardens, a natural, peaceful place outdoors where students can read, study or just take a break.

the financial means to do that, because at one point in my life, there was no way I could help anybody except with nickels and dimes. I was in the same boat back in the day,” he said, recalling his college days when he worked to pay for most of his schooling.

“I was on the lookout for scholarships, or working one or two jobs.”

A DRIVING FORCE Since 1992, Dennis Darryl has been a driving force behind a major university scholarship fundraiser—the annual Patriot Golf Classic, formerly the Eisenhower International Golf Classic—and its endowment growth past the $2 million mark. He started the fundraiser’s highest “Platinum” level of giving.

For last year’s Patriot Golf Classic, he sponsored professional golfer Blaine McCallister’s participation in the event. For the fundraiser’s 30th anniversary tournament this spring, Dennis Darryl again donated the money to ensure that a major pro golfer— Ben Crenshaw—would be part of the event to help attract others to have teams in the tournament, Mabry said, adding, “Not only that—he did the telephone calls to get him here. That’s the kind of stepping up with energy and vision that makes things happen.”

Dennis Darryl is a leader but doesn’t think of himself as one, Mabry said, noting, “He has an outgoing, fun personality that attracts other people to follow him and do what he does.”

Dennis Darryl also shares some of his late mother-in-law’s modesty.

“Dennis is a person who doesn’t want any credit and who will tell self-effacing

stories, but is just as smart as they come and fun,” Mabry said. “To have that kind of positive outlook means a lot to someone like me in the serious work that we do and carries weight with other people.”

Mabry views as significant the family staying engaged with the university across generations.

“What we see on my side of the desk is how many other families and individuals look up to that kind of family tradition of giving. They notice it and are inspired by it,” Mabry said. “Most donors realize that putting their name on something invites others to participate.”

The Muntz and Darryl families are themselves inspired by their strong Jewish faith and tradition. Dennis Darryl presently serves as a board member of the Temple Beth El congregation in Tyler, and previously served on the boards of community organizations and university groups, such as Hospice of East Texas and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler Research Council.

“I’m getting to the point now where I have the money and financial means to help others, and enjoy doing it. But it is the A.S. Genecov Foundation that deserves much of the credit,” Dennis Darryl said.

Joy Turns Duncan, former UT Tyler director of advancement, is among the many who deeply appreciate the family’s enduring love of the university and community: “It’s gratifying to see how Maurine’s legacy is continuing through the stalwart support of her daughter and son-in-law, Terry and Dennis. Maurine, Terry and Dennis are all superstars for UT Tyler.” n

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THE RELUCTANT RUNNER

Athletics

Transitioning from Basketball to Cross Country Greatness

BRITTANY BRUNSON hated every

moment of winning the conference cross country championship. She despised running in the mud, through the humidity, battling her mind and body as it wanted to shut down along the course’s path that cut through the UT Tyler campus and trails. There was nothing that brought her joy about that day, at the end of which she was presented the trophy for outrunning 81 competitors.

“I didn’t even really care if I won or not at the end of the race,” Brunson said.

“I just wanted it to be over.”

A reluctant runner to begin with, Brunson’s final 25 yards to the finish line on the last day of October was symbolic of her entire running career. The 6K race was a challenge after torrential rainfall the night before made the already challenging course into a slippery and muddy mess.

Brunson would navigate through the course though and had a commanding lead heading to the finish line before her legs began to wobble. The runner who had already won three cross country meets earlier in the season was suddenly at risk of losing her lead and the championship mere steps from the finish line.

There’s a video on the internet showing those grueling last 25 yards that end with her falling to her knees and then face-first across the finish line — in first place by less than a second.

Brunson came to Tyler from Austin

not intending to become one of the best cross country runners in program history.

She wanted to be a basketball player and did just that as a freshman. She would play in 25 games that first year, but at the end of it she decided to focus on school and running – even though she fought that mindset every day she woke up to train.

ALONG WITH WINNING THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, BRUNSON WAS ALSO A THREE-TIME ASC RUNNER OF THE WEEK...

“There’s no doubt that Brittany is a reluctant runner,” UT Tyler cross county coach Bob Hepler said. “She transitioned from basketball to running, and it’s still tough for her to identify herself as a runner. It’s amazing that she was able to become a conference champion. That’s really just not the type of athlete that she is. She just did that with heart. She’s built her endurance with guts.”

Along with winning the American Southwest Conference Championship, Brunson was also a three-time ASC Runner of the Week and had a strong showing at the NCAA Division III South/ Southeast Championships in her final race of her career in Winchester, Virginia. The race, in which she finished 63rd among a contingent of the top runners in the nation on one of the toughest courses, was the conclusion of a cross country career that she never really envisioned.

“I never really feel in love with running,” said Brunson, who graduated with a health studies degree in May. “Something about my senior year was different though. I started to enjoy the process even after races when I felt like I was about to die. It’s just not a fun sport for the most part. Suffering through it with my teammates and coaches is really the only reason I kept going. I questioned why I was running every day, but then every day I gave myself the answer that I was not going to quit.” n

Brittany Brunson came to UT Tyler from Austin, not intending on becoming one of the best cross country runners in program history. Along with winning the ASC Championship, she was a threetime ASC Runner of the Week and had a strong showing at the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Championships last season.

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BEYOND THE RACE Cross Country Champ Entrenches Himself in Campus Culture

THIS MAY BE a controversial position for a student to take, but Matthew Markert is adamant that UT Tyler does not have a parking problem.

Part of his position about the issue comes from his work with the Student Government Association over the years, and another side may be the fact that he’s the American Southwest Conference Cross Country Champion who doesn’t blink at running over 10 miles a day.

A student-athlete entrenched in the culture of the campus for four years, Markert pushed through challenging cross country races while also working on issues such as the on-campus smoking policy, University Center upgrades, on-campus recycling and the implementation of the campus shuttle system.

“There are many issues on campus that people just like to complain about but, they never really try to do anything about it,” Markert said. “I didn’t want to be like that. I hear students complaining

about parking all the time, but they don’t understand there are plenty of spaces if you’re willing to find them.”

Along with finding a parking spot, Markert made it a point to be a part of the inner workings of the university where he would be elected SGA treasurer and serve on fees and advisory committees.

“It has always been important for me to be involved in the campus culture,” said Markert, who graduated this spring with degrees in economics and finance.

“We have a relatively small campus, so it’s really easy to get involved if you want to.

Being well rounded and not just focusing on one aspect was why I approached college the way I did. Athletics was important to me, but I wanted my experience here to be about more that just running. I always made sure I was involved in multiple areas.”

Markert proved himself to be the epitome of a student-athlete who used

his time in college for the future, which unsurprisingly is the same approach he formulated for his cross country career. He would train every day, running mile after mile before most students wake up and before he arrived on campus to go to class and work with his various organizations.

Even as he was winning cross country races, those wins were put into a perspective of building for what’s next.

“For me, running is about looking into the future,” Markert said. “We want to get faster and stronger as a runner.

You’re always building up for the next race. The next race is always the most important until you get to regionals.”

Markert’s training would lead him to become one of the top cross country runners in program history, winning the conference championship in October and leading the team with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Division III South/ Southeast Championship.

“He’s one of those guys that is going to excel in everything that he does in the future,” UT Tyler cross country coach Bob Hepler said. “He has the brains, values and work ethic to have a big impact on the world. He’s the student-athlete that keeps me here at UT Tyler. He’s the full citizen. He’s looking at excelling in multiple areas every day.”

Markert will begin graduate school in the fall, putting his cross country career behind him and continuing to focus on the future. It’s a future, though, that has been molded by a decision to run cross country for the Patriots and be an influencer on campus.

“I got exactly what I wanted by coming to UT Tyler,” Markert said. n

MARKERT WON THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP IN OCTOBER AND LEAD THE TEAM WITH A 14TH-PLACE FINISH AT THE NCAA DIVISION III SOUTH/SOUTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP.

Along with running cross country for the Patriots, Matthew Markert has been involved in multiple campus activities including serving as Student Government Association treasurer.

“FOR ME, RUNNING IS ABOUT LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE,” MARKERT SAID. “WE WANT TO GET FASTER AND STRONGER AS A RUNNER. YOU’RE ALWAYS BUILDING UP FOR THE NEXT RACE. THE NEXT RACE IS ALWAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT UNTIL YOU GET TO REGIONALS.”

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“WE LAUGH ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE FIRST TIME I MET HER,” UT TYLER WOMEN’S SOCCER COACH STEFANI WEBB SAID. “SHE WAS A TINY LITTLE THING WITH YELLOW SHOES. I USED TO MESS WITH HER ABOUT HER YELLOW SHOES AND HOW SHE HAD BETTER BE GOOD … BECAUSE, BACK IN MY DAY, EVERYONE WORE BLACK UNLESS YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.’’

Chestley Strother earned NSCAA All-Region and ASC honors as a sophomore, junior and senior before being named an NSCAA All-America and D3Soccer.com All-America selection in her final season with the Patriots.

THE ‘YELLOW CLEATS’ STANDOUT Strother Helps Women’s Soccer to 2 Consecutive NCAA Tournaments DASHING ACROSS youth soccer fields in Tyler wearing yellow cleats is where Chestley Strother’s journey to becoming an all-American for her hometown Patriots began.

“We laugh all the time about the first time I met her,” UT Tyler women’s soccer coach Stefani Webb said. “She was a tiny little thing with yellow shoes.

I used to mess with her about her yellow shoes and how she had better be good to be wearing colorful shoes because, back in my day, everyone wore black unless you were absolutely incredible. She would look at me kind of like ‘oh yeah, well check me out, I can wear these’ and then just tear it up.”

After developing her talents on the youth fields and then at Whitehouse High School, Strother made the decision to play for the Patriots, where she established program records with 32 career assists and 86 total points, along with 27 goals, which is the fourth most in program history.

She earned NSCAA All-Region and American Southwest Conference honors as a sophomore, junior and senior before being named an NSCAA All-America and D3Soccer.com All-America selection

in her final season. With Strother’s talent and leadership, the Patriots advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in back-to-back years and, despite not leaving her hometown, she became one of the most decorated players in the nation.

“A lot of people who are from here say they’re ready to get out of town right after high school and move on to bigger and better things, but this is my home and the place I always wanted to be,” Strother said. “I didn’t need to go anywhere else when there is a great soccer program here that allowed me to compete at a high level with tremendous teammates and coaches. There was never a doubt.”

Webb and Strother have a bond that originated on the youth field and then produced 56 wins in the four seasons that Strother played for the Patriots. She was named the ASC Midfielder of the Year as a senior before garnering All-American accolades. That was a year after she ranked second in the nation with 17 assists and scored eight goals for a team that won the conference championship and went 17-1-2.

“It was an amazing experience that we all shared,” Strother said. “You could really tell from the first day that we loved and cared for each other, and were going to do everything we could to help each other be successful. I don’t think our program has gotten the recognition it deserved until this year, but we worked hard to beat a standard and people started embracing us as a program. We were nationally ranked and made the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.

We told ourselves each week that we had to work even harder the next week to keep raising the standard.”

Strother is in the process of finishing her bachelor’s degree, but is also pursuing a professional soccer career. This spring, she joined the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League on an amateur agreement, after earning the opportunity through a tryout/training camp with the professional team. “She could have played almost anywhere but she chose UT Tyler because she wanted to be great in every aspect of her life and have a chance every year to play for a championship,” Webb said. “That is pretty incredible. We still laugh about her yellow shoes and how ever since she has been trying to prove to me she deserves those shoes. The funny thing is, she really does.” n

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Class Notes

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Monica Foster (B.S. interdisciplinary studies) was honored as Teacher of the Week in the Palestine Herald-Express newspaper. Foster has taught second grade at Elkhart Elementary School for 10 years.

of new branches serving the Fort Worth, Lindale and Lufkin communities.

She is the former marketing manager of Mentoring Minds, a national educational publisher. Orrostieta earned an MBA in marketing from North Texas University and is a licensed real estate agent.

2007

2008

Yaziri Orrostieta (B.B.A. marketing) was selected as one of Fort Worth Magazine’s “Women in Business Worth Knowing’’ and was featured in its 2016 February issue. Orrostieta is marketing director for Heritage Land Bank and has been instrumental in the successful introduction

Kristin Smith (B.A. psychology) received the 2015 Lois Hair Bernays Salesperson of the Year award from the MetroTex (Dallas) Association of Realtors.

At 28 years old, she is the youngest recipient in the almost 100-year history of the association. Smith also has been a top-

2006

50 finalist for “30 Under 30’’ recognition from the National Association of Realtors’ REALTOR magazine. She serves on more than 15 committees at the local, state and national levels.

2012 Ben Moran (B.S. interdisciplinary studies) was honored as Teacher of the Week in the Palestine Herald-Press newspaper. Moran teaches science to students in third through ninth grades at The University of Texas at Tyler Innovation Academy. He also teaches Introduction to Engineering and Design, a Project Lead the Way course for ninth graders.

Shane McGuire, Tish McGuire, Kerrie Anne Clark and Justin Clark attend the 2016 UT Tyler Alumni and Friends Gala.

a

Brianna and Brandon Trujillo receive their class rings during UT Tyler’s spring 2016 ring ceremony.

ALUMNI UPDATES 1988 Randal Duke (B.S. history) was appointed emergency management coordinator at UT Tyler. In his new role, Duke is responsible for the administration of the university’s emergency management program and emergency operations plan.

Duke has been a member of the UT Tyler Police Department since 2012, serving as a telecommunications operator and a public safety officer. Prior to that, he was a high school teacher and coach for 22 years.

1994 Ted Winkle (B.S. industrial technology) was hired as coordinator of the Houston-based Tech Center for Okuma America Corp., a machine tool manufacturer.

Winkle is responsible for managing all technical center activities in addition to supporting sales and distribution partner Hartwig, Inc. He previously held

supervisory and engineering positions in the manufacturing industry and has extensive sales and technical training experience.

1999 Dana Hamrick (M.A. school counseling) is the new principal of Quitman High School.

Hamrick has been employed with Quitman Independent School District for 20 years.

John Ray (BS political science) (MS political science, 2002) was hired as assistant police chief for the Victoria Police Department.

Ray served as executive chief deputy with Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office for more than six years and assistant police chief in Longview for more than 21 years. He holds a Ph.D. in public affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas.

2000 Dr. Christopher Moran (M.Ed.) was hired as superintendent of schools for Whitehouse

Independent School District, after serving as Brownsboro ISD superintendent of schools since 2011. Moran has held various positions with Whitehouse, Ingram and Clear Creek ISDs, and Franklin Road Christian School in Southfield, Michigan.

Dr. Michael White (M.S. allied health science) was hired as director of the Montgomery County Aimal Shelter. White previously served as director of the Veterinary Public Health Division of Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services. He has 30-plus years of experience in the private practice of veterinary medicine and more than 11 years in the veterinary public health field.

2003 Emily Moore (B.B.A. accounting) (M.B.A., 2005) was appointed vice president at Southside Bank. She began her career with Southside in 2004.

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2004 Krystyna Alexander (B.S. criminal justice) was named senior vice president at Southside Bank.

2007 Dixie Wright-Burton (B.S. industrial safety) was appointed vice president at Southside Bank. She began her career with Southside in 2001.

Pictured during the gala are 2015-16 members of the UT Tyler Regional Alumni Council.

2009 Megan Dodd (B.S. sociology), community outreach specialist for East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, was recently featured in a Tyler Morning Telegraph article about her own experience with visual impairment.

Dodd is legally blind, diagnosed with Stargardt’s macular dystrophy. At the Lighthouse, she connects resources with visually impaired individuals. Because she knows the struggles that come with being visually impaired, she is better able to help others.

“That is what fuels my passion. I want to be able to provide that sense that we are all connected. We all can help each other,’’ said Dodd, who has been honored as Employee

of the Year by both the Lighthouse and the National Industries for the Blind.

Christopher Goss (B.A. health and kinesiology) opened Elysian Cryotherapy in Waco. Goss is a certified personal trainer.

executive director of advancement and alumni engagement. Before joining TJC, he spent many years in Atlanta, Georgia, where he held arts administration positions for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre Company.

2010

2012

Dennis “Mitch’’ Andrews (M.P.A. public administration), Tyler Junior College executive director of advancement and alumni affairs, was named interim executive director of institutional advancement and the TJC Foundation.

Andrews joined TJC in 2002 as director of principal gifts. In 2012, he was named

Cassi Rozanski (M.Ed. health and kinesiology) was named coordinator for basketball operations at The University of Texas Rio Grand Valley, becoming one of just seven women nationally on a Division I men’s basketball coaching staff. She and her husband, Marc, UTRGV basketball’s associate head coach, also make up the only husband and wife duo on a Division I coaching staff.

Distinguished Young Alumnus honoree Matthew Riccardi and family.

Ciera Ward (B.S. chemistry) is a medical student in The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Class of 2017. She is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, secretary of the ASA Medical Student Component and founder of the UTHSCSA anesthesiology shadowing program.

2013 Rita King (B.B.A. management) was invited to serve as co-director of programming on the board of directors for DallasHR, a chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management. King is employed as director of human resources for Lone Star Aerospace, Inc., in Addison.

She returns to UT Tyler each semester to participate in team interview sessions with faculty members Gail Johnson and Rochell McWhorter.

2014 Linda Roman (M.A. accounting) was promoted to senior accountant with Squyres, Johnson, Squyres CPA.

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As a service learning project, UT Tyler students Shannon Byrnes and Ashley Roberts assist visitors during the Tyler Mini Maker Faire at the Discovery Science Place.