NOW Magazine - Spring 2017

A COMMUNITY OF BUILDERS 8

ATHLETICS: FEAR THE STING 30

TEXAS SUPREME COURT VISITS LETU 40

FACULTY FEATURE: LAUREN BITIKOFER 54

STORIES ARE

BUILT HERE.

Relationships that last a lifetime are built at LeTourneau University.

Stories are built here that impact families and friends all across the globe. Graduation is a joyful celebration of achieving goals and stepping into the future, prepared to serve God in every workplace in every nation. Congratulations, Class of 2017!

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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Congratulations to LETU’s 2017 Distinguished Seniors!

Taber Mayuchi

Nathan Gaddis

Deborah Osomo

Alisa Wilson

Morgan Broberg

major from Grand Lake,

major from Cabot,

major, Early Childhood-

double minor in mathe-

civil concentration from

Mechanical Engineering Colorado

Mechanical Engineering Arkansas

Interdisciplinary studies 6th grade certification from Abuja, Nigeria in West Africa

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Biology major with

matics & chemistry from Snohomish, Washington

Engineering major with Rochester, New York

FEATURES 8

30 40 46 54 56

Community of Builders 10 14 16 18 20 21

Built to Succeed: Nathaniel Horton LeTourneau-built Alumni Hands-on Education Spiritual Growth Learning About LETU Telling Others

DEPARTMENTS

6 From the President 22 News and Notes 48 Class Notes 58 Faith & Work

Fear the Sting

YellowJackets made history.

Texas Supreme Court Visits LETU Justices heard oral arguments in two cases.

Homecoming 2018, Save the Date!

Athletics Reunion, 25 years of Psychology, Class of 1968

Faculty Feature: Lauren Bitikofer Flying with Mr. B

“BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTABLE TIME; BEHOLD NOW IS THE DAY OF OUR SALVATION.” – II COR. 6:2

Why Give?

“I want to help kids.”

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

A

chievement. It is measured by a host of milestones in our lives. As infants, our first smile, first word, first steps,

are all eclipsed by later milestones, like our

first day of school, first report card, sporting trophies and other awards and recognitions

we receive. These milestones all have meaning.

They are a testament to our tenacity, a proof of our perseverance, a showing of our success.

This year at LETU has been marked by great

achievement. The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the LETU campus for the

DALE A. LUNSFORD, PH.D. PUBLISHER

JANET RAGLAND EDITOR IN CHIEF

KATE CONLEY JENNA PACE COPY EDITORS

first time ever. LETU has launched its first partnership with Iowa State—a partner-

ENCORE MULTIMEDIA

engineering. We achieved other firsts, like a new partnership with Stephen F.

GAIL RITCHEY

ship that will enable LETU engineers to achieve their master’s degree in chemical

Austin State University to enable LETU kinesiology students to earn master’s de-

grees in personal training from SFA and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at LETU

GRAPHIC DESIGN

CLASS NOTES

in five, instead of six, years. Another new partnership is with the Southwestern

NIEMAN PRINTING

LETU’s nursing program. Other achievements include launching a new location in

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Assemblies of God University to provide a pathway for SAGU students to enter South Korea and adding the university’s first-ever director of fine arts.

LETU’s athletics programs recorded the first-ever conference tournament in men’s basketball. We announced the university’s first track & field program. We inducted

PRINTING

GLENDA VOSBURGH JAMES WALLACE DR. BILL PEEL

into our Hall of Fame the first two athletes to represent the university nationally in

CONTACT INFORMATION: WEB: www.letu.edu Email: NOW@letu.edu

On May 6, 2017, about 400 LeTourneau University students achieved an important

ADMISSIONS OFFICE PHONE: 800-759-8811

their respective sports.

milestone by completing their undergraduate and graduate degrees, and on that

day, we awarded one alumnus an honorary doctorate.

Our alumni reach milestones and build their life stories, day by day, in a myriad of ways. While their stories don’t begin or end here, LeTourneau University is proud to be a part of their life stories.

ALUMNI OFFICE PHONE: 800-259-5388 DEVELOPMENT OFFICE PHONE: 800-259-LETU

As our students advance from year to year through their curriculum in their chosen career fields, they build competency, exercise ingenuity, grow spiritually and develop relationships that often last a lifetime.

LeTourneau University is a community of builders. Our graduates build fruitful lives

as they pursue professional fields where they integrate their faith and work and serve the local and global community daily—as pilots and nurses and teachers

and inventors and entrepreneurs and in so many other important ways.

LeTourneau University is a Christ-centered, interdenominational university offering more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across a range of academic disciplines and delivery models. Students are enrolled in programs on ground at LETU’s residential campus in Longview, Texas, as well as in hybrid and fully online options at educational centers in the Dallas and Houston areas. Academic majors include aviation, business, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, health care administration, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, nursing, psychology the sciences and theology.

NOW is published by LeTourneau University, 2100 South Mobberly, Longview, Texas 75607 • Sent free upon request to Editor, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607 • Postmaster: Send address changes to: NOW, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607 • Email us at NOW@letu.edu

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At commencement May 6, 2017, LeTourneau University awarded John A. Solheim an honorary Doctor of Science degree for his outstanding leadership, spiritual commitment and contributions to society. Solheim is Chairman and CEO of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, the parent company of PING, Inc., maker of the world-renowned PING golf equipment. Presenting the award to Solheim, center, is LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford, left, and LETU Board of Trustees Chair Pat Bertsche, right.

“John Solheim is recognized worldwide for his impact on the golf industry,” Lunsford said.

“He has engineered the top performing equipment while growing PING into one of the most recognizable brand names in the golf marketplace. John epitomizes the LeTourneau mission with his commitment to professional excellence and personal faith in Christ.”

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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Engineering

LeTourneau University:

A COMMUNITY OF

BUILDERS

Education

Alumni Feature

iness Bus

Careers are built here.

Spiritual growth is built here.

Lifelong friendships are built here. ion t a i Av Nursing

Nathaniel Horton founded his own company, Seal Hermetics, in his home state of Tennessee.

By Janet Ragland

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Alumni Feature

W

alking across the stage in his

preparing him for graduate school at

graduate student at Clemson was cut-

2008, Nathaniel Horton was

his graduate advisor, Dr. Eric Skaar,

downloaded more than 700 times from

cap and gown in December

among the first year to graduate in the

S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center.

Clemson, a notable public school where became impressed with his work ethic

before agreeing to oversee his master’s education.

The East Tennessee native earned his

“Nathaniel is goal oriented and a self-

Engineering, a foundational building

who is not afraid to try novel approaches

bachelor’s degree in Materials Joining block for his subsequent master’s

degree in 2011 and his Ph.D. in 2014, both in Materials Science and Engineering at

Clemson University.

Today, Horton is founder and president of a

company, Seal Hermetics, L.L.C., which builds

missile components such as detonators, initiators

starter,” Skaar said. “He is a deep thinker to research or other endeavors.” Skaar

added that the research Horton did as a

ting edge. Horton’s dissertation has been all around the world and by major organizations like SpaceX, Raytheon, Northrup Grumman, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Electric, Mitsubishi, the

National Nuclear Security Administration and Sandia National Lab.

Skaar introduced Horton to his co-ad-

visor on Horton’s Ph.D. work—Dr. Dan

“For five years I learned everything I could about one piece of technology, then improved on that design.”

and squib hardware for

the Department of Defense and others.

Horton is one of only a handful of subject matter experts worldwide in the field of

glass-to-metal joining, the subject of his doctoral dissertation.

“For five years I learned everything I

could about one piece of technology,

then improved on that design,” Horton said. “At the end of my scholastic

studies, I held something tangible in my hand. I had optimized the design of a

missile initiator. I took something the size

of your thumb and made it smaller than a pencil eraser.”

Through Seal Hermetics, Horton con-

sults with entities such as the National

Nuclear Security Administration, NASA, and Naval Surface Warfare.

“Glass-to-Metal Seal technology exists from the Curiosity Rover on Mars to

unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to even biomedical cochlear implants

and anything in between requiring hermetic electrical feedthrough to a metal housing,” Horton said.

Horton credits his undergraduate

studies at LeTourneau University for

Horton consults with entities, like NASA, on glass-to-metal seal technology.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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The Hortons share the calling to serve and are welcoming their first child, a baby boy, in early November.

Kramer at the University of Dayton

Research Institute (UDRI) in Dayton, Ohio.

“Even during our first meeting, I became very aware that he was a dedicated,

thoughtful, and intelligent person with whom it would be a pleasure to work with as he performed his Ph.D. endeavors,” Kramer said.

Since completing his doctorate in 2014, Horton felt called to give back to his

country through military service. After completing officer training school,

Horton is now one of two traditional civil engineering officers in the 175th Prime

BEEF civil engineer squadron in the U.S. Air Force, Maryland Air National Guard.

His service requires several weeks a year and designated days per month travel.

“God had provided me an extraordinary

opportunity to advance my technological education, an education that could not be had in any other country,” Horton said. “I felt a duty to return some of

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

those skills to our nation.”

Horton said one of

the most important

lessons he gained at LeTourneau was a confidence pro-

“I felt a duty to return some of those skills to our nation.”

fessing his faith.

“Before, I had no comfort saying I was a Christian engineer,” he said. “LETU taught me I could be more than a

worshiping Christian on Sundays, and a reserved Christian during the week.”

Today, Horton and his wife, Kristen, live at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia,

where Kristen is a captain in the U.S. Air Force and works as an electrical

engineer in the sustainment of the F-15 fighter jet. They met while she was

earning her undergraduate in electrical

engineering. She later earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. They

were married in June 2012. Her first Air

Force duty station was at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, where

Horton worked on his Ph.D. studies under the tutelage of Dr. Kramer at nearby UDRI.

Horton says his life’s story was built

on a strong foundation at LeTourneau University.

“I remember when I first came to LeTourneau from a rural Appalachian school,” he said. “It was my first time to cross the Mississippi River. I wasn’t sure of

my intellectual ability, and I had a funny

accent, but LeTourneau transformed my life. It became a part of me forever.” ■

Alumni Feature

Nathaniel, center, visited with his Ph.D. co-advisor Dr. Dan Kramer, left, in the lab with the Mars Curiosity Rover’s RTG Plutonium 238 power supply.

LeTourneau University has always been a community of builders.

Our alumni are serving God through their workplaces in a variety of ways in fulfillment of the vision to serve in every workplace and in every nation. Here are a few other alumni who shared their perspective on the fulfillment of their calling in their own lives and how LeTourneau helped prepare them‌

(Story continues on next page.)

Dr. Nathaniel Horton received his doctoral hood from his Ph.D. co-advisor Dr. Eric Skaar at Clemson University in 2014.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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LETOURNEAU-BUILT ALUMNI

14

Chris Pratt

Miriam Lancaster

David Rengifo

Abbey May Redding

J.D. Claridge

April Paul

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Alumni Feature CHRIS PRATT of Long Beach, Cali-

ABBEY MAY REDDING of

APRIL PAUL of Wichita, Kansas,

Electrical Engineering in 1991 and today

two nursing graduates from LETU in

at LETU in 2015 and got her “dream job”

fornia, earned his Bachelor of Science in is the founder and CEO of The Candy

Warehouse in Long Beach, California.

“The work ethics and Christian principles ingrained at LETU have helped me excel in good times and grind through the

Winnsboro, Texas, was one of the first 2016, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2016. Today she is in her first

year working in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas.

tough times of my career, from designing

“I love working with my patients in

Cars, to writing code for selling candy

them grow or being able to keep them

motor controls for battery-powered Indy on the internet and competing with Amazon.com.”

MIRIAM LANCASTER of

their weakest moments and watching

program. Through her many years as a

school teacher in East Texas, Lancaster

has had an impact on hundreds of lives.

amazing field to be in.

professors who truly care about their

students and their futures,” she said.

turboprops and small and midsize business jets.

parts to various hazardous environments tion, to ensure they are robust enough

to operate safely in the field,” she said.

“I get to irradiate, explode, shake-the-

stuffin’-out-of and incinerate test articles for a living! If that isn’t gratifying, I don’t know what is!”

peers on my level of knowledge.”

and junior.

English, business and even mathematics

LeTourneau University with an ASEL

caring,” she said.

like LETU pilots train on, to twin engine

She said she knew it was her dream job

received many compliments from my

J.D. CLARIDGE of Coeur d’Alene,

came alive with creativity, passion and

ranging from single engine Skyhawks,

“They prepared me well, and I’ve

“I never forgot the lessons modeled and

lived by incredible professors as history,

manufacturer that builds projects

like lightning, radiation, heat and vibra-

ships you get to build and the constant

“LETU’s nursing program has awesome

had an accredited teacher certification

laboratory at Textron Aviation, an aircraft

I thought it would be with the relation-

she said. “Nursing is so much more than

students at LeTourneau when she

Administration in 1967, before the school

engineer in the electromagnetic effects

“As a test engineer, I subject airplane

Longview, Texas, is a retired school

earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business

right out of college. She is an electrical

comfortable when they need it most,”

learning. You never stop learning. It’s an

teacher who was among the first women

earned her electrical engineering degree

Idaho, graduated in summer 2001 from major. He is a founder of XCraft, a

company that makes a drone aircraft that can take off and hover like a helicopter,

after interning there as a sophomore “When I interned my first year, I was

asked to help design and build an ion gun for some tests the lab wanted to

run. With the help of a fellow LETU intern and a full time Cessna engineer, we built a tool suitable for the task.

as well as fly at high speeds. He said

“During my second internship, I made a

in Aeronautical Science degree in 2007

to having a marketable product. He

presented my work at a year-end Intern

a Boeing 737 flying for one of the most

featured last October on ABC’s “Shark

CEO approached me and offered me

all five investors who offered $1.5 million

and wholeheartedly accepted my dream

talked about the practical applications

attended the event caught my eye and

pipeline survey and search and

our glee; those three had all received job

DAVID RENGIFO of Trujillo,

Peru, earned his Bachelor of Science

it was about five years from inception

few more generations of the ion gun and

from LETU and today is a pilot captain of

and his partner Charles Manning were

Report Out. After the presentation, the

important airlines in Peru.

Tank” episode and hooked the interest of

fulltime work at the lab. As I thanked him

“My education at LeTourneau has given

for 20% of the company after Claridge

job, my three apartment mates who also

such as package or medication delivery,

congratulated me. We all tried to conceal

rescue applications.

offers that day too, and mine completed

me the tools to operate a passenger jet

in challenging airports here in Peru,” he

said. “Many times I asked myself if I had

what it takes to be a good pilot or to have a career as an airline pilot. It was the

encouragement of my instructors and

“Attending LeTourneau was an incredible

the curricula that prepared me to be an

the skills I needed for my career, but

doors to sharing what I learned with

had not experienced before,” Claridge

aviation.”

where I learned how to learn—not just

professors, and the challenges given in

experience that not only taught me

excellent professional. It has opened

also challenged me to learn in a way I

others who like me have a passion for

said. “I often say that LeTourneau is

the set!

“Being able to work a dream job directly following graduation was phenomenal.”

academically, but spiritually as well. My

short time at LeTourneau is something I’ll never forget.”

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

15

HANDS-ON EDUCATION “The emphasis of hands-on education is LeTourneau’s greatest

“Since I work in a laboratory setting now, a ‘LeTourneau

held enormous appeal for me,” Paul said. “Even since my

alone simply wouldn’t cut it here at the Textron Aviation

strength in preparing its students for the real world, and that freshman year, my engineering classes already had welding

and machining projects, team assignments to build robots, and opportunities to show off our work. Everybody’s inner-tinkerer came out and it was nerd heaven!

“Everybody’s innertinkerer came out and it was nerd heaven!”

“The hands-on work can also be quite challenging, as anyone

upbringing’ was absolutely vital,” she said. “Book knowledge Electromagnetic Effects (EME) and High Intensity Radiated Field (HIRF) Test Facility. The hands-on problem solving,

troubleshooting skills, system design and construction and

machining skills, in addition to a clear understanding of circuit theory, field and wave theory, etc. were required in order to

succeed in the lab as an intern, such that I was hired back for full time work after graduation. You never know what a day

at the lab with throw at you. You may be running a radiation chamber, you may be repairing a lightning generator, or you

may be crunching numbers or designing a control system. If I had lacked either the theoretical or practical aspects of an

engineering education, I wouldn’t have made it here. But lucky for me, I went to LeTourneau.”

Claridge remembers faculty members who mentored him.

from E-Lab III can attest. For all the electricals who are enrolled

“There were several faculty members who guided me along the

concentration, this is the class in which you build modules,

LeTourneau, he and his wife, Kathy, took me under their wing.

much in that class, and it really stretches you and teaches you

one summer. Ever since attending, Lauren and I have stayed in

perseverance and skill become indispensable to surviving and

and flying—two of our common passions. I have appreciated

right now, you guys understand. But for those outside our

way, but one standout was Lauren Bitikofer. While I attended

like a 10-Watt power amplifier, from scratch. You learn SO

They fed me, mentored me and even let me live at their house

perseverance, along with practical electronic design. Both

touch. We talk on a regular basis about Radio Control modeling

thriving in the workforce.

his guidance and friendship so much. He has truly had a

profound impact on my life, both professionally and spiritually.”

April Paul landed her “dream job” right after graduating from LETU.

Rengifo agreed. He said of his

hands-on education experience, “Nothing is more satisfying than

solving the puzzle of Mr. B´s blue

boxes! It helped me develop my an-

alytical thinking. Furthermore, having an engine run on the first attempt—

and within the tolerances given by the manufacturer—is another experience

I will never forget, especially because we had to take it apart and then put it together. Both classes helped me gain confidence to know that with

hard work and persistence, one can achieve anything in life.”

Notable professors who made a

profound impact on Miriam Lancaster’s

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Alumni Feature

Miriam Lancaster has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of students throughout her teaching career.

education include the late Dr. Robert Selby, for whom the

university annually awards to a selected faculty member the coveted Robert Selby Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“Dr. Robert Selby’s American History lectures and stories about the Civil War engaged the students, and we begged for more,” she said. She specifically remembered that Selby sponsored a

long weekend trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he grew up, so the class could better understand that tumultuous time and place.

“We were immersed in the ambiance and flavors of the Ante-

bellum South,” she said, “Drinking in the history, strolling along the streets, traveling through the Civil War Battlefield, listening to an incredible guide singing ‘Tenting Tonight,’ ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ and ‘Dixie.’ We not only grew in wisdom but understood history.”

Lancaster said a mock trial in one of her business law classes

taught by Paul Glaske made a long-remembered impact on her.

“There were four lawyers selected by the class: Ray Davis and

Don Kegarise on one team with Steve Hollwarth and me on the

other team. We built our defenses, drafted other students to be witnesses and presented the case one evening on the stage in what is now the Science Building. What a night! It was a close case with Ray and Don winning by a very small margin. I left

‘court’ thinking I had just participated in a Perry Mason trial.”

With ingenuity and entrepreneurship, J.D. Claridge designed and built the XPlusOne drone.

An LETU education is hands-on. What are some examples of your personal experience with getting a hands-on education at LETU?

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Abbey May Redding, at far right, is a nurse in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital.

and the students apathetically accepting it as the social Chris Pratt took his computer science skills and built an online candy warehouse at CandyWarehouse.com.

expectation. It was the students themselves who organized community service and outreach events, Prayer & Praise

worship nights, Public Reading of Scripture meetings, devos,

and accountability groups—because they loved God and had Paul said she experienced a transition from an intellectual study of God to a connection to God on a personal level.

“My first semester I was inspired by a group of friends who

didn’t just know about God, they knew Him,” she said. “I was

a heart for His people. The students themselves were on fire for the Lord, and made their faith their own. I loved seeing

the upperclassmen taking opportunities to encourage and

influence incoming freshman.” Paul said relationships she built developed into lifelong friendships.

intrigued by the way they thought and processed life. I would

Pratt agreed. “The deep friendships with strong spiritual

night discussing God’s character, power and heart toward

Christian world view, including sacrifice and service to God,

hang on every word as we sat out by the pond late into the

man. Those experiences, especially during my first semester, shaped me deeply and renewed my mind from some of the misconceptions I had about God.

“As the years went on, I continued to be impacted by my floor mates, classmates, professors, counselors and mentors. I’m joyfully indebted to all of them.

“Something I loved about LeTourneau is that the enthusiasm

for God came from the ground-up and not just the top down,” Paul said. “It wasn’t just the faculty promoting Christianity,

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

leaders, both students and professors, helped to mold my family, church and country.”

Claridge also remembers mentoring he provided others during his time as a Resident Assistant on the Flooders floor. “So

many great relationships were forged,” Claridge said. “Many of them are still strong today.”

“LETU helped me remember the importance of bringing Christ in to the workplace,” May said. “As a nurse, the opportunity

always arises. Even when I can’t find the words, we have oncall chaplains who are always there to back us up.”

Alumni Feature

“Having the professors live the faith...has helped me make the connection that my spiritual life and my secular job are not two different things.”

“My spiritual growth while at LeTourneau was incredible,”

Rengifo said. “I still remember that on the very first class, the first thing our professor did was to open the Bible and share a devo with us. Every class after that, having those first five or ten minutes were refreshing, learning to put God first in

everything we do. Additionally, having the professors live the faith in their teachings has helped me make the connection

that my spiritual life and my secular job are not two different

things, but my performance in my job is just a mere reflection of my relationship with God.”

Lancaster said R.G. LeTourneau’s favorite Bible verse of

Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” made a lasting impression on her.

“The spiritual foundation was anchored and set before I graduated,” she said. “Now looking back, I see LeTourneau graduates all over the world: pilots, engineers, teachers, business executives, ministers, researchers impacting humanity for eternity.”

Chris Pratt says work ethic and Christian principles were ingrained at LETU.

David Rengifo is captain of a Boeing 737 for an airline in Peru.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

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LEARNING ABOUT LETU Some of our alumni learn about LETU from friends.

Some alumni, like April Paul, have a family legacy with LeTourneau.

“I learned about LeTourneau through a friend who was a

“My Dad went there,” she said. “He took me and my siblings

my desire to serve the Lord and my passion for aviation. When

professors before I ever attended as a student. Even though I

missionary working in Trujillo, Peru,” Rengifo said. “She knew I had the opportunity to visit her in Texas, we drove to the

campus during Christmas break. It was, of course, empty, but

once we drove by the aviation department and saw the planes and engines, I immediately knew this was the place for me.”

to Hootenanny’s every year since I was 12. I knew plenty of the applied to and was accepted by several schools, I always knew I would choose LeTourneau because its creative and industrious atmosphere was already home.”

“Friends from church told me about this amazing Christian

college with an electrical engineering degree offering,” Chris Pratt said.

Miriam Lancaster said she learned about LeTourneau through

the NOW magazine. “My brother wanted to attend a Christian

college and major in engineering,” she said. “We both came to LeTourneau.”

David Rengifo has a passion for aviation.

LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford recently

welcomed Miriam Lancaster into the “Golden Jackets” at Homecoming in April.

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Alumni Feature

Abbey May Redding, right, and Hannah Campbell, left,

were the first, and only, two nursing graduates at LETU last year.

This year’s Class of 2017 included 16 nursing graduates.

TELLING OTHERS When asked what these alumni would tell prospective students, they had a variety of answers.

April Paul said, “A LeTourneau education will stretch you

mentally, spiritually and yes, even physically. (Caffeinated

race-the-deadline all-nighters, anyone?) Yes, the workload and pressures may be overwhelming at times, but the friendships

“Send in that application, hang on to your hat and be prepared for an incredible journey!” you build by living in constant community, the maturity that is accomplished in you, and the mental strength you build can

just a girl,’ and transformed me into a more confident and

competent young engineer who is willing to face new chal-

lenges more zeal and less fear. I didn’t just get a degree, I got a new outlook on life. And because of the years I spent at LETU,

I will not only be a better worker, but a more critical thinker, and a more committed friend, citizen and disciple.”

“LeTourneau has so much more to offer than a stellar education—it’s also the friendships you make, the experiences you have, the mentorship you give and receive,” Claridge said.

“Take advantage of it all while you are there. Those few years are formative for the rest of your life.”

Rengifo said he would recommend praying about it first, then

visit campus and attend one of the many activities LETU offers.

“I know for a fact that your years as a student at LETU will be your best school years of your life,” he said.

Pratt said his best advice: “Do it. LETU will challenge and build you not only academically, but spiritually as well.

Lancaster said, “Send in that application, hang on to your hat and be prepared for an incredible journey!” ■

make the experience the most valuable years of your life. You come out on the other side with the confidence that anything you dedicate yourself to, you can achieve. I found that being

trained for four years at LeTourneau shook off so many mental

blocks of ‘You can’t do this,’ ‘You’re not smart enough,’ ‘You’re

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

21

Dr. Steven K. Starrett Named New LETU Engineering Dean LeTourneau University has named Dr. Steven K. Starrett as the new Dean of Engineering and Engineering Technology, following a national search. Starrett is a proven leader in engineering practice

and education and is well-respected within the American Society of Civil Engineers for his expertise in water and environmental issues. Starrett serves as president of the Environmental and Water

Resources Institute, one of the largest technical institutes of the ASCE with 20,000 members. Starrett

is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and has served at Kansas State University for the past 22 years in faculty and administrative roles, including his current role as director of K-State’s university-wide Honor and Integrity System.

Van Graham, J.D. Named New Business Dean LeTourneau University has named Van Graham, J.D., the current interim dean of North Carolina’s

Gardner-Webb University, as its new dean of the School of Business, following a national search.

Graham earned his juris doctorate from Baylor School of Law after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Asbury University. Prior to attending Asbury University he completed an intensive study in Chinese Mandarin at Yale University’s Institute of Far Eastern Languages. Prior to joining

GWU, Graham had his own law firm of Mason & Graham, P.C. in Pinedale, Wyoming, where he also served a term as the elected county and prosecuting attorney. His private law practice in Wyoming focused on commercial law, commercial litigation, business entities and nonprofit associations. A

military veteran, Graham served in the United States Air Force in intelligence gathering under a top secret security clearance.

Two LETU Students Enter JAMP Program LETU has two biology majors who have been accepted into the Texas Joint Admission

Medical Program (JAMP), a competitive program that puts students on a medical school track while studying as undergraduates. Junior Keren Engulu and sophomore Seth

Mattson are granted summer internships at medical schools and, following successful

completion of all of their coursework and other JAMP requirements, will receive automatic

admission into one of nine Texas medical schools to pursue their M.D. degree. Engulu was accepted into JAMP last year. Mattson just received his acceptance in February.

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Carl Arnold Named Vice President For Enrollment Services Carl Arnold has been named LETU’s new vice president for Enrollment Services. Arnold came to

LETU in 2002 as a transfer computer science student from California where he commuted daily to a

state school with large lecture classes. At LETU he worked as a tour guide and ran the telecounseling center, calling more than 15,000 prospective students. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Com-

puter Information Systems in 2006 and began working as an LETU admissions counselor fresh out of college. He put his computer science degree to work immediately and began writing the coding for

different admissions reports. In 2010, he earned a MBA, and since a 2015 database conversion, has completely rewritten all of the reports the office uses to function.

LETU Signs Agreement with Iowa State, Eastman Chemical

LETU Engineering Students Take First Place in Circuit Design

LeTourneau University signed a new public/private/corpo-

LeTourneau University senior electrical engineering

Chemical to provide a pathway for LETU chemistry

of Kansas City, Kansas won the top prize among 11 other

rate partnership with Iowa State University and Eastman

students to enter a graduate program at Iowa State to earn a Master of Chemical Engineering degree, while receiving support and mentoring from corporate partner Eastman

Chemical in Longview. The new partnership enables LETU students to earn in five years a Bachelor of Science in

Chemistry with an engineering concentration from LETU along with the graduate degree from Iowa State.

students Collin Phillips of Allen, Texas, and David Clevenger teams from other top universities in the region in the circuit design competition at the IEEE Region Five Conference

in Denver, Colo. The circuit design event is a competition in which teams of students are given a digital electronics

design problem in the morning and must design a circuit, fabricate it and hand in a written report by the afternoon.

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Mars Curiosity Rover Scientist Dr. Roger Wiens Speaks at LETU

LETU Partners With Keysight for New Engineering Equipment

LeTourneau University has partnered with Keysight

Technologies and Text Equity (formerly Agilent) to update Dr. Roger Wiens from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) spoke about the Mars Curiosity rover at a spring

science seminar at LETU. Wiens is an accomplished sci-

entist with experience with numerous missions in planetary exploration. He is the principle investigator of the Mars

Curiosity Rover and author of the book “Red Rover: Inside

the Story of Robotic Space Exploration, from Genesis to the Mars Rover Curiosity.”

LETU Earns Reaffirmation of Accreditation

an entire suite of new test equipment for the university’s

state-of-the-art engineering labs. The equipment, valued at more than $100,000, enables engineering students to

test, troubleshoot and diagnose their designs and building

projects at 18 lab stations in two fully outfitted labs used by electrical engineering and computer science engineering

students working in the Glaske Engineering Center at LETU. Each lab station has a new oscilloscope, digital multimeter and power supply, all manufactured by Keysight.

Engineers Day at LETU Attracts 140 Middle Schoolers

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees reaffirmed the accreditation of LeTourneau University

during its annual meeting. SACSCOC conducts extensive

accreditation reviews every 10 years to assure the educational quality and effectiveness of its member institutions.

SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. Reaffirmation of accreditation means LETU faculty and staff are serving students with excellence.

About 140 middle school students from seven schools around East Texas participated in several hands-on engineering sessions in 3D printing, solids modeling, structures and

electronics. Another session was about what engineers do.

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LETU Aviation Faculty, Students Win $12,500 in Scholarships LETU aviation faculty Laura Laster and students Cecilia Kim and Abigail Lopez have been awarded scholarships totaling over $12,500 from Women in Aviation at the WIA international conference in Orlando, Florida. Laster, who is LETU’s director of flight operations,

was awarded the $10,000 Air Wisconsin ATP-CTP Scholarship for classroom and simulator

training required to be eligible to take the Airline Transport Pilot knowledge test. Kim won the

$2,500 Christine Reed Memorial Scholarship to be used toward flight training. Lopez won the $1,000 Sporty’s Tool Scholarship from the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance to purchase tools for her work as an aircraft maintenance technician.

LETU Announces Dual-Credit Partnership with Frisco ISD

LETU Receives Aircraft Engine From Southwest Airlines

A new partnership with Frisco Independent School District

LeTourneau University received the donation of a CFM56

school juniors and seniors. Students will have the opportu-

university’s applied aviation sciences department. The

allows LETU to offer dual credit courses in aviation to high

nity to earn up to 12 hours of college credit in aviation while still attending Frisco ISD High Schools. An LETU aviation

professor will teach classes at Frisco’s Career and Technical Education Center where students from all over the district

can be bused in for aviation classes. More information can be found at www.letu.edu/DualCredit.

turbine engine from Southwest Airlines for use in the

turbine engine, which is about the size of a pickup truck,

was from one of Southwest Airline’s Boeing 737-300 aircraft which is known as the work horse of their fleet of aircraft.

This particular engine was in service flying passengers as

recently as two weeks before it was donated. The donated engine will be used in the Advanced Turbine Engine lab.

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LETU Names Ashley Tiernan Head Volleyball Coach

Dr. Kelly Liebengood Named Dean of Theology and Vocation

Ashley Tiernan was named

LETU has named Dr. Kelly

coach. She has completed

School of Theology and

LETU’s head volleyball

Liebengood dean for the

seven successful years of

Vocation. Liebengood also

coaching in Houston area

serves as the Director of the

public high schools, taking

Honors College. He previ-

her Porter High School

ously had served as Chief

team to three consecutive

Global Initiatives Officer.

playoff appearances in 2014,

He has served as associate

2015 and 2016. Tiernan

is the winningest coach in

professor of biblical studies

and theology since 2009. He

that school’s history and was selected the District 21-5A

earned his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the University of

2014. Tiernan is very well-known and respected in the area

from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his M.A.

Coach of the Year and the All Area Coach of the Year in among volleyball coaches.

St. Andrews in Scotland in 2011 after completing his M.Div from University of Kansas.

LETU Students Lead Worship For Community at “Revive”

Donations Feed the Hungry at Highway 80

LeTourneau University students hosted “Revive,” a night of

Following the Texas Supreme Court event in the Belcher Center,

area community March 5, in the Belcher Center.

the Gregg County Bar Association donated the fresh, unused

student-led worship, prayer and ministry for the Longview-

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event organizers had an excess of boxed lunches. LETU and boxed lunches to the HIWAY 80 Rescue Mission.

LETU International Students Paint World Map at Local School

LETU Announces Spring 2017 Enrollment of 2,720

LeTourneau University announced a total Spring 2017

enrollment of 2,720, up from 2,690 for Spring 2016, and

2,589 for Spring 2015. Graduate enrollments are over 430,

and high school dual enrollment is 499, up from 349 in 2016 and 176 in 2015. LETU offers undergraduate and graduate

degree programs across a range of disciplines and delivery About 16 LETU international students partnered with a

selected group of 4th through 7th grade students at Trinity

Schools of Texas to paint a 30-foot map of the world on the school playground. “Play Around the World” is an effort to expand the worldview of many of the young students as

LETU international students from all over the world shared their heritage, customs and homelands during classroom

presentations to make cultural connections with the children.

models at LETU’s residential campus in Longview, Texas, and in hybrid and fully online options at centers in Dallas,

McKinney and Houston. LETU was recently ranked among the 2017 Kiplinger’s Top 100 Best Universities in the U.S. and was listed on Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” listing of colleges in the U.S. LETU was also

ranked in the top tier of the 2017 US News & World Report rankings and among the top engineering programs in the nation.

Dr. Kristy Morgan Named VP For Student Affairs, Dean of Students LETU has named Dean of Students Dr. Kristy Morgan as vice president for Student Affairs. Morgan

also previously served as LETU’s director of Career Services and senior director of Retention. Prior to moving to Longview in 2013, Morgan served in leadership capacities in student and residential life at Kansas State University, where she earned her Ph.D. in counseling and student development in May 2012.

She holds a Master of Science degree from KSU in student counseling and personnel services and earned her undergraduate degree in youth ministry, emphasizing in youth guidance, from Colorado Christian University.

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SAGU Partners With LETU to Offer Nursing Education The Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in Waxahachie, Texas, will offer an Associate of Science in Health Sciences (ASHS) degree that will provide a pathway for their students to enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at LeTourneau

University in Longview, Texas. LETU Dean of Nursing Dr. Kimberly Quiett says the SAGU associate degree provides an ideal pathway to prepare students to matriculate to LETU to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

LETU Gets New Bus LETU has a new bus bearing the beloved Buzz mascot! The new bus seats 40 and will be used to safely transport YellowJacket

athletics teams to their sporting competitions. LETU sold some

older vehicles to get this new bus, which features phone chargers at every seat, which will come in handy for long trips.

Dr. Jim Taylor Named New Director of Fine Arts LETU has named Dr. Jim

LETU has named Dr. Melanie

Fine Arts in a new position to

Vice President for Global

Taylor as its new Director of

oversee and develop the university’s praise and worship teams, jazz band, university choirs and a community

chorus. Taylor has served as the director of choral

activities at Kilgore College

conducting a 30-voice mixed chorus, a 12-voice women’s ensemble, and a 50-voice mixed adult chorus.

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Dr. Melanie Roudkovski Named VP For Global Operations

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Roudkovski as its new

Operations. She also serves as Dean of the College of

Health Sciences. Roudkovski has 15 years with non-traditional education, including

curriculum and program de-

velopment and advanced certification in online instruction.

A licensed professional counselor and supervisor, professor and administrator, she has served at LETU for 12 years.

LETU Biology Department Hosts SEA-PHAGES Conference LeTourneau University Department of Biology hosted the inaugural South-Central U.S.A. SEA-

PHAGES Research Symposium April 7 and 8, on the LETU campus to bring students together from universities across the country who are discovering new viruses using a variety of microbiology

techniques and complex genome annotation and analysis. SEA-PHAGES stands for the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science, and is an undergraduate research project in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education

Alliance. Phages are important because they are viruses that attack bacteria, and as bacteria mutate, the phages can also mutate and can kill the bacteria.

Myers Family Endows Scholarship

TARDIS Appears on Campus

The Sharon A. Myers Premedical Studies Endowed

KLTV reporter Bob Hallmark interviews “The Doctor” Edward

and will begin providing scholarship assistance to LETU

that magically appeared on campus during finals week in

Scholarship Fund, established in 2014, is now fully funded students studying in the biological sciences. The scholar-

ship was set up by LETU alumnus Dr. Michael and his wife, Lisa, in honor of Michael’s mother, Sharon A. Myers. LETU President presented a plaque to Sharon Myers and her

Hamilton for a fun story about time travel and the TARDIS

December to brighten the week for others. TARDIS stands

for Time And Relative Dimension In Space and is featured in the long-running British television series, “Dr. Who.”

family during Homecoming.

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By James Wallace, Sports Information Director

Photos by Lang White Photography, Jenna Pace, Janet Ragland

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LETU ATHLETICS

Historic Men’s Basketball Season Included Shattered Records and Pioneering Accomplishments The LETU YellowJackets, led by head coach Dan Miller, made a historic run to the American Southwest Confer-

ence championship with the first-ever

conference tournament hosted on the LeTourneau University campus as the men’s basketball team finished with a

12-4 conference record and won the East Division title for the right to host.

A standing-room-only crowd at Solheim Arena witnessed history as LeTourneau played in its first ever ASC Tournament Championship game. The atmosphere was electric as students, faculty and Longview community fans packed

the gym during all three tournament

games. The YellowJackets fell short in

the final game despite scoring 65 points in the second half and collected its

program-first ASC Runner-Up trophy to

add to the long list of program-firsts and broken records.

• LETU Coach Dan Miller was named the East Division Coach of the Year.

• Senior point guard Jeff Martin was

named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District First Team and the D3hoops.com South

Region Team. The Katy, Texas, native

also became the first player in LETU’s

program history to be named the ASC East Division Player of the Year along

with first-team All-ASC honors. Martin received a standing ovation when he accepted his all-tournament team

award in front of the home crowd.

He also set a tournament record with 26 assists in the three-game series.

• Junior guard Alec Colhoff was also named a member of the 2017 East

Division First Team. Colhoff was one of the most potent scoring threats in the

conference from 3-point range. His 82 made 3-point field goals are the most in a single-season in program history.

His ASC Championship performance was one for the ages as he scored a

game-high 32 points—all in the second half.

• Sophomore forward Caleb Loggins

was recognized as an East Division

Honorable Mention and was named

to the All-Defensive Team. He finished with 47 blocks on the year which

ties him for third in school history for single-season blocks.

• Freshman Nate West was named to

the East Division All-Freshman team.

He is the 12th YellowJacket to earn all-freshman team honors and the

third in the past two seasons. The

Strake Jesuit High School graduate

was the highest-scoring freshman in

the conference at 14 points per game, finishing 19th overall in scoring in the

ASC. He scored 70 total points in the

tournament including a career-high 26

points in the title game and was named to the all-tournament team.

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LETU ATHLETICS

LeTourneau University’s YellowJacket mascot, “Buzz,” was joined by a standing-room-only crowd of spirited fans during LETU’s first-ever men’s basketball conference tournament.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

33

Women’s Basketball Continues Winning Ways The YellowJacket women’s basketball team, led by head coach Leslie Reinecker, made program history as it posted a 10-5

conference record for its second consecutive winning record in the ASC, guided by eight seniors whose leadership was

paramount in their return trip to the conference tournament.

This year marked the first time in school history that a team

has made back-to-back tournament appearances. Two players finished the regular season in the top-10 nationally in seven statistical categories.

• Crystal Jones headlined the postseason awards as the Fort Worth native was named to the D3hoops.com All-South

Region Third Team, the second all-region team award for

Jones as she also earned third team honors after her junior

campaign. Jones adds the all-region award to her American

Southwest Conference accolades, where she was one of the top players in the league. Jones was named to the pres-

tigious five-player ASC All-Conference team and is now a

two-time All-Conference selection and the first YellowJacket

to ever earn multiple all-conference team awards. Jones was sixth in the nation in field goals made (217). The Western

Hills High School graduate finished her career ranked sixth

all time in scoring with 1,137 in just 53 games. She finished the regular season ranking 9th in points per game (22.1).

• LaTanya Drakes joined Jones on the East Division first team, earning her second All-East Division honors. The senior

forward was first in the ASC and third in the nation with 14

rebounds per game. Her 357 total rebounds this season are a single-season record for LeTourneau women’s basketball.

Drakes also scored the ball at a high rate as she finished third in the conference in scoring with 17 per game. She

recorded 19 double-double performances this season in 25 games played. Her 28-career double-doubles are the most in program history. She finished the regular season 3rd in rebounds per game (14).

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LETU ATHLETICS

Women’s Soccer Backto-Back Tournament Appearances The LeTourneau women’s soccer team posted its second

straight eight-win season and made its second consecutive

trip to the American Southwest Conference tournament after a 6-6-1 league record. It was the fourth tournament appear-

ance in program history and second under head coach John Antonisse.

• Senior midfielder Stephanie Vana earned Third Team

All-West Region honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, marking the third time Vana had

received an all-region nomination. Vana also was named

the ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year and earned her

third All-ASC First Team honors and fourth consecutive post season accolades. The La Verne, California, native finished fifth all-time in career points with 59 (24 goals, 11 assists) and took 182 career shots. She ranked second in school history after her four years at LeTourneau.

• Other YellowJackets earning honors were sophomore Sarah

Harder and junior Kennedy Keer, who made their second ap-

pearances on All-ASC teams. Freshman Rebekah Stevenson was recognized as an honorable mention.

Cross Country Runs the Way to Regionals The LeTourneau cross country teams competed at the NCAA DIII South/Southeast Regional Championships this fall in

Georgia and recorded their best finishes in school history. It

was the second-ever regional appearance for the YellowJacket women, who finished 19th among a field of 27 teams and over 200 individual runners. The men made their sixth consecutive appearance at the Regional Championships, finishing 15th among the field of 29 teams and 208 individual runners.

• WOMEN: Freshman Alexis Segura ran the second-fastest

regional performance in school history as she crossed the

line in 30th overall with a time of 23:44. Segura finished sixth at the ASC Championships, and along with senior teammate Elisa Hamm, earned All-ASC honors. Hamm finished in 10th place at the championship race.

• MEN: Taber Miyauchi ran the best race of his career in

his final meet for the YellowJackets. His 27:18 time was a personal best as he pushed hard with the loaded field of

runners at the regional meet. Miyauchi’s 51st place overall finish is the best performance by any men’s cross country runner at the NCAA Regional Meet. While Miyauchi was

unable to finish the ASC race, sophomore Michael Field finished as the runner-up and earned first team All-ASC

honors. Senior Daniel Moses also finished with first team accolades after finishing sixth overall. Miyauchi was also

one of seven student-athletes to headline the 2016 Fall ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team. He is the second con-

secutive LeTourneau runner to be named the Distinguished

Scholar-Athlete in men’s cross country and gives LeTourneau a league-best three awards in men’s cross country. As one

of the top runners in the ASC, Miyauchi was a five-time ASC Runner of the Week.

LETU ATHLETICS

LETU Adds Track & Field Beginning January 2018, LeTourneau University is adding

indoor and outdoor track & field to its men’s and women’s

intercollegiate programs, bringing to 15 the number of sports

competing at the NCAA Division III level in the American South-

west Conference. LETU will use local high school track facilities for all practice and home competitions as it begins the process of raising funds for an on-campus facility of its own. The men’s

program will be the ninth Division III program in Texas while the women’s will be the 10th in the Lone Star state.

Don Hood has been named the head men’s and women’s track & field coach. Hood joins LETU after serving since 2009 as the girl’s athletic coordinator and head boys and girls track and

cross-country coach at Brownwood High School, where his

track and cross country teams have won nine district championships, and the girls cross country team has qualified for the state meet three of the last five seasons.

Prior to Brownwood, Hood spent four seasons as the head

track & field coach at Abilene Christian University where he led the Wildcat men’s program to three straight NCAA Division II

outdoor team championships (2006-08) and directed the women’s program to the 2008 outdoor team title. In 2008, Hood

was voted the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association Men’s Coach of the Year.

Hood said he appreciated the rare opportunity to begin a pro-

gram from scratch and lay the foundation for a well-respected track and field program in the NCAA.

The last sports added to the LETU athletic department were men’s and women’s cross country in 2009. ■

LETU Hall of Fame Inducts Two New Members Leslie Lee made school history as the first LETU

Lee graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Math-

is the only back-to back ASC individual medalist in conference

Finance in 2013 and Master of Business Administration in De-

athlete in any sport to reach an NCAA DIII Championship. She history, winning in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, she finished only

one stroke off the leader. At the national level, she finished 8th among the nation’s top golfers. In her four-year college career, she earned five tournament wins and marked the four best season scoring averages in school history.

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NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

ematics. She earned her Master of Science in Quantitative

cember 2013 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Today she is an accountant associate and lives with her husband, Nick, and son, Elder in Fort Worth.

LETU ATHLETICS

L

eTourneau University Athletics inducted two new mem-

Hall of Fame inductees must have significant athletic recog-

Lee (‘11) and the late cross country runner Nicole Leman

athletics for at least five years to qualify.

bers to the Hall of Fame on April 21, 2017. Golfer Leslie

(‘13) were the first new Hall of Fame inductees since 2005.

These excellent former student-athletes were the first LETU

YellowJackets to compete at the National Collegiate Athletic

Association Division III championship levels in their respective

sports and were the first athletes ever to represent LETU at the national level.

nition at LETU in at least one sport and must be out of LETU “The character and integrity of both of these young women made them excellent choices for this honor,” said LETU

President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford. Their names have been placed

on the new Hall of Fame wall in the Solheim Recreation Center Leslie and Nicole’s parents were presented with a replica plaque to keep.

Nicole Leman was the best female runner

YellowJacket athlete to represent LETU nationally after Leslie

YellowJacket to win the individual title at the ASC Champion-

Academic All-ASC Team in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

in LETU cross country program history. She was the first

ships. Finishing 10th at the NCAA South/Southeast Regionals, she secured a spot at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championship, making her the first cross country runner in program history to represent LETU nationally—and only the second

Lee. She won five first-place finishes and was named to the Leman earned her kinesiology degree in 2013, then worked

as a personal trainer at the Alaska Club coaching people with disabilities. On December 9, 2015, she died in a tragic hiking accident in a mountainous region of New Zealand.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

39

By Janet Ragland Photos by Paul Gleiser

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February 16, 2017, was a historic day at LeTourneau University’s main campus as the nine justices of the Texas Supreme Court held session to hear two oral arguments, followed by a public question-and-answer session, in the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center.

More than 1,000 high school students

from around East Texas attended, along

with hundreds of local attorneys, judges and elected officials.

The purpose was to educate students

and the public about Texas government

and how the Court—the highest court in the state for civil appeals—operates.

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice

Nathan Hecht called it the largest event

the court had seen in the 20 years since the court began traveling to give the

public the opportunity to witness the court hear oral arguments in venues

away from their official courtroom in Austin, Texas.

The top court in the state of Texas heard oral arguments in two cases at LETU, one dealing with inheritance rights

and the second dealing with medical malpractice.

The first case the court heard was an inheritance rights case out of the Court of

Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo, Texas: Virginia O. Kinsel v.

Jane O. Lindsey and Keith Branyon and

The second case was about medical

malpractice and government immunity

out of Houston’s First Court of Appeals: Leah Anne Gonski Marino, M.D. v.

Shirley Lenoir from Haskell County and Houston’s First Court of Appeals.

Making the morning even more inter-

esting was the twist that former Texas

Supreme Court justices Craig T. Enoch,

John H. Cayce and Wallace B. Jefferson were representing differing sides in the Kinsel case.

Jackson Walker LLP from Tarrant County and the Amarillo Court of Appeals.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

41

The Texas Supreme Court is the highest court on civil matters in the State of Texas. The nine justices listened intently to oral arguments in two cases: one on inheritance rights and another on medical malpractice.

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43

The nine justices heard two cases in the Belcher Center.

Lawyers respectfully argued their cases before the Texas Supreme Court.

The LETU event attracted the highest attendance the court had seen in 20 years.

The day was “Texas Supreme Court Day” in Longview. Chief Justice Nathan Hecht was presented with the proclamation by Judge Bill Stoudt.

Following the morning court sessions, the justices conducted sessions on campus for students and at the Gregg County Courthouse for attorneys and other legal professionals.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd, an ordained

minister, spoke during a public afternoon session on “God, the Courts and the Law” in the Belcher Center.

High school and college students were invited to the “Law as a Career Day” to learn more about legal careers. About a dozen law schools, paralegal schools and court-reporter schools provided information and answered questions about their programs.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett led a session for

college students, while Justice John Devine led a session for high school students.

Students who registered were provided a free lunch. Lawyers

were eligible for 2.5 hours of continuing legal-education credit

for attending the oral arguments and the question-and-answer session with the Court.

With so many moving parts, the whole, day-long event would not have been successful without the spearheading by LETU

history professor Daniel Ostendorff, who served as team lead and kept the planning on track for nearly 18 months before the event.

Ostendorff coordinated with a variety of LETU departments,

from police, to conference and events, Belcher Center, media relations and many more. Political science professor Dr. John Barrett organized over 1,000 high school students to attend.

Dean of College of Education and Arts and Sciences Dr. Larry Frazier organized invitations to local colleges and universities to attend. ■

LeTourneau University students participated in the question-and-answer session with the justices.

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45

Celebrating Aviation AT HOMECOMING 2017

By Jamie DeYoung, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

W

ith a clear blue sky and a perfect breeze, Homecoming

By late morning, the university’s campus pond was surrounded

Over 500 alumni and families travelled to campus to

pull. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day as card-

& Family Weekend 2017 was bound to be a success.

celebrate, selling out several events. LETU aviation alumnus

Dave Fyock (’83) gave Friday’s chapel message about living a life of significance.

Friday at noon, 17 alumni from the class of 1967 were inducted into the Golden Jackets—for those celebrating 50 years or more since graduating from LeTourneau.

by spectators as Alpha Omega society members won the rope

board boats raced across the pond, drones zoomed across the sky and children played.

The boat race this year was won by a group of our new

McKinney High School dual credit students who are studying

aviation from our new location at the McKinney National Airport near Dallas.

LETU students did not disappoint with their Hootenanny show

Closing out the 2017 Homecoming weekend was a group

Jobs emcee role. The iHoot committee just may have been

Center to hear aviation memories from Bryan Benson (’78) and

titled “iHoot,” with emcee Marcus Miller assuming a Steve

behind the dozens of tree swings which mysteriously appeared on campus Friday morning.

Saturday morning, in celebration of 60 years of LeTourneau aviation education, the Abbott Aviation Center hangar was packed for the Sting Precision Flight team pancake breakfast.

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of nearly 200 people who gathered at the Abbott Aviation

Roger Carr (’59) as the university celebrated this year’s five

distinguished seniors: Morgan Broberg, Nathan Gaddis, Taber Miyauchi, Deborah Osomo and Alissa Wilson.

This year’s Homecoming was a time to renew old friendships

and share memories from across the years. Be sure to join us next year! ■

COME HOME to LeTourneau!

APRIL 5 – APRIL 7 • 2018

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47

Memorials

J.C. Harder (’61 ATBS) died April

15, 2017, in Longview, Texas. An

integral part of the LETU aviation

faculty from 1965-1994, J.C. was

Dennis Howard (’70 ET) died Dec. 29, 2016, in

Hettinger, N.D., after a sudden heart attack. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Ruth; sons:

Wade (Kerry) Howard and Derric, (Amanda) Howard; and six grandchildren.

a Lambda Alpha Sigma (LAS)

sponsor. In 1971, LETU offered its first associate degree in Aviation

Science/flight training. In 1978, the

college officially sanctioned the first

full-time flight department. J.C. raised funding to build LETU’s

airport flight training facility that opened in 1984. It served the university for 25 years. He and his wife of 54 years, Beverly,

Norman Cramer (’86 CSE) died Jan. 26, 2017, in Flower

attended the 2017 Homecoming featuring 60 Years of Aviation

submarine officer in the U.S. Navy, later working for Texas

quet, J.C. received a Challenge Coin from the Dean of Aviation

survived by his wife, Susan; and four sons: Travis, Nathan,

married children: Amber (Richard) Best; Jade (Greg) Ausley and

Mound, Texas. After graduating from LETU, he served as a

Instruments, then Raytheon as a computer engineer. He is Benjamin and Joshua.

Norman Gaut (’59 MES) died Aug.

and Golden Jackets 50th Reunions. At the Blue & Gold Ban-

in recognition of his service. J.C. is survived by his wife; three

Christopher (Joy) Harder; and six grandchildren.

Paul George (’52 MT) died Dec. 22,

5, 2016, in Richardson, Texas. He is

2016, in Lake Ridge, Va. He is survived

Julie Gaut Freeburg, James Gaut,

(Linda) George; Linda (Jeff) Frack; Nan

survived by his wife, Beverly; children: Stephen Gaut, stepdaughter Deborah Parker; and grandchildren Spencer

and Marissa Gaut. He will be remem-

bered for his sense of humor and love and service to others.

by his wife, Patricia; children: Mike

(Todd) Grey; Tim George; Gwen (Thom) Hill; Rick (Sherry) Yost; Kathy (Pat)

Martin; Ralph (Ann) Yost. He also leaves 30 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.

The loss of a loved one, friend or colleague often inspires us to ensure that their memory lives on. Many people find that supporting LETU is an ideal way to honor someone who has passed away. Gifts made “in memoriam” offer lasting honor to a loved one while providing family and friends with the satisfaction of knowing they have helped others. If you would like to give a memoriam to LETU, please call 1-800-259-5388 or donate online at www.letu/give.

The family will be notified of your generosity when a memoriam is made.

48

NOW Magazine | Spring Fall 2016 2017

Births Andy Carter (’03 ASAE) and

wife, Andrea, welcomed Adaline Rose into their family Aug. 11,

2016. She joins siblings Avery (8), Macie (6) and Jaylah (3) at home

in Pleasant Dale, Neb. Andy is an

Airframe Mechanic for Duncan Aviation.

James Galan (’16 AAMM) and

wife, Elisa, welcome Jude, born

Aug. 6, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.

James was recently hired by

Airbus Helicopters, Inc., as a Helicopter Technician.

Ruedi (’08 AFFS) and Whitney

Jonathan Marney (’05 MIS) and wife, Kimberly, announce the

nounce the birth of Reilly Isaiah, born

and Kimberly married in September 2015 and moved to

(Barnes) (’07 PSCD) Schubarth anMay 24, 2016, in Longview, Texas,

weighing 7lbs. 4 oz. He joins big

birth of their first child, James, born August 2016. Jonathan

Albuquerque, N.M., where Jonathan works with Sandia National Labs.

sister Haddie, who adores him. Both

at LETU, Ruedi is a remotely piloted

Ryan (’16 AAAS) and Mariah

aircraft instructor and Whitney works

(VanDoren) (’14 ISS) Ferkel

in academic support services.

announce the birth of their first

child, Sophie Nell, born on

March 19, 2017, weighing 7 lbs,

James (’08 MT) and Laura (Ritchey)

(’07 IESI-EC4) Thompson, announce the birth of their first child, Adler Lee, born Jan. 11, 2017, weighing 6 lbs.

12 oz. James works as a production

15 oz., 19 ½ inches long. Ryan

is a customer service technician at Textron Aviation/Beechcraft,

and Mariah is a key manager for Outback Steakhouse. They live in Wichita, Kansas.

manager for Sat Lite Technologies,

and Laura operates her online

business, J & L Design: Custom Home

and Wedding Decor. They live in White

Oak, Texas.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

49

Weddings/Engagements

Class Notes

Bryan Benson (’78 BUAT) and

Terry Bland (’67 ET) and wife, Brenda,

Mary Jackson married March

are realtors with Weichert Realtors-Cor-

11, 2017, at Mobberly Baptist

nerstone in Martinez, Ga. The Blands

Church, Longview, Texas.

attended Homecoming 2017 and

Bryan worked for 38 years in

celebrated Terry’s 50th reunion at the

the LETU Aviation Department

Golden Jackets Luncheon.

and LETU Office of Development and Mary worked for 42

years in the LETU Aviation Department.

Malcolm “Mal” Ratcliff (’67 ATBS) has retired after closing his Steven Wolbert (’09 MJE)

and Kelly Reece married Sept.

4, 2016. Steven started a new

job with NuScale Power as an

business, Ratcliff Aircraft, Ltd., after 31 years of operation. He

and his wife, Doris, enjoyed celebrating at Mal’s 50th Golden

Jackets Reunion during Homecoming 2017. They live in South Porcupine, Ontario, Canada.

NSSS manufacturing engineer.

They live in Corvallis, Ore.

Vernon Rosenau (’75 MI) became president of Baptist Mid

Missions Jan. 1, 2016. Prior to his appointment, he served the

David Kuntz (’11 CHPH)

proposed to Danielle Cordray

agency in the Central African Republic and as administrative

overseer of the Africa and Europe missionaries. Vernon and his wife, Jan, now live in Elyria, Ohio.

during a flight above the LETU campus in an LETU airplane

on April 1, during Homecoming 2017 weekend and the 60

Years of Aviation Reunion

celebration. “LETU was incredibly helpful in making my long-

time dream of proposing from the sky come true,” he said. The

Donald “Don” Henry (’76 BI/MI) retired after 30 years as a

County Executive Director with the USDA Farm Service Agency, in Delaware County, Ohio. He and his wife, Sandy, live in

Cardington, Ohio.

couple plans to marry in August 2017. David is a chemometric scientist with Authentix, in Addison, Texas.

Dave Fyock (’83 ATBS) was appointed the new CEO of MAF

International on April 18, 2017. He has spent the last 25 years

serving with MAF-US in various roles in Albania and Latin

Luke Funk (’16 BME) and Coleen Kretzer married July 3,

America, most recently as Vice President of Operations in

graduate school. In March 2017, he was awarded a three-year

UK in August. Dave and Hilda attended Homecoming 2017,

2016, before moving to Cambridge, Mass., where Luke began NSF graduate research fellowship from Harvard-MIT Program

of Health Sciences and Technology. Luke and Colleen are expecting their first child in May 2017.

50

NOW Magazine | Spring Fall 2016 2017

Nampa, Idaho. He and his wife, Hilda, plan to relocate to the

where Dave was the alumni chapel speaker.

Michael Mahan (’85 ATBS) is

a corporate pilot with Million Air Dallas and recently moved to Heath, Texas.

Michael Myers (1990) is a psychiatrist at the Baylor University

Student Health Center in Waco, Texas. He and his wife, Lisa, live in Robinson, Texas.

Jonathan Pipping (’92 ATBS) and wife, Angie, and children

Jonathan, Zachary and Amanda, live in Southwest Ranches, Fla.

Forrest Hinkle (’95 AMT/BSBM) recently took the position of

sr. manager of change enablement with American Airlines, Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Plano, Texas.

Gordon Bullivant (’99 ME/WE) has started a new job as project manager with Kestrel Engineering Group, Bellingham, Wash.

Joshua Hopping (’02 BUDT) has written a book, “The Here and Not Yet: What is Kingdom Theology and why does it

matter?” Josh is an investigative research specialist for Clari-

vate Analytics. He and Emily (’02 BUDT) live in Boise, Idaho.

Jonathan is the owner/president of M & A Windows, Inc.

Karisa Kaye (’09 ISBS) has recently

accepted a new role as a buyer’s

specialist with the Frank Trimble Team,

Stephen Straw (’93 ATBS/BI)

a Keller Williams real estate firm in Chattanooga, Tenn.

founded “Aviation Médicale de

Bongolo” in 2007 to support

national church efforts in Gabon,

Africa. In 2016 the work merged with Missionary Air Group, a

Brett Clark (10 CSBS) had a U.S. patent issued to him in

March titled, “Voicemail greeting fingerprint matching to differ-

like-minded aviation mission that brings health and hope to

entiate between human and voicemail greetings.” Brett works

now based in Greensboro, N.C.

Mass. He and his wife, Liana, and daughter Aria (4)

remote people groups worldwide. Stephen and his family are

for LogMeIn, Inc., as principal software engineer in Boston, live in Irasburg, Vt.

Richard Wenzel (’93 ATBS) accepted a position as first

officer at Southwest Airlines in January 2017. He recently was named one of 19 recipients of the national Business Aviation

Association’s Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award.

Rich, and his wife, Kerrie, and their three children live in

Annette (Santos) Powell (’11 ME) relocated to Hampton, Va.,

with Jacobs Engineering in a new position as pressure systems mechanical engineer.

Huntersville, N.C.

Mark “Hawk” (’13 ME) and Megan (’12 ISBS) Harrison have

moved to Augusta, Ga., where Mark was promoted to design

Chris Abreo (’95 BBM) has published the second edition of his

engineer II for Future Products at John Deere. Megan is the

ship Between Humans and God.” He writes, “I wrote the book

expecting their first child in May 2017.

book, “Solidus: A New Model for Understanding the Relation-

from an all-inclusive Christian perspective, an approach I came

marketing director for a Chick-fil-A store in Augusta. They are

to appreciate at LeTourneau University.”

NOW NOW Magazine Magazine | Spring | Fall 2016 2017

51

Philip Robinson (’12 EE) recently transferred to L-3 Technolo-

Laura McKinstry (’14 BYBS)

gies as a systems integration engineer, Greenville, Texas.

arrived in Zambia 2015 as a

forest extension officer, Peace

Corps volunteer. In May 2016,

Joshua Swain (’13 MBA) is now

she was chosen to be one of

Crowson, LLP, Longview, Texas. He

Northwestern Provincial Cap-

six volunteer leaders in the

partner in the law firm of Coghlan

and his wife, Jackie, have two children, Ryder (7) and Avonlea (2).

Daniel Tixier (’13 AATC/AATM) is employed by the FAA as an

air traffic control specialist in Olathe, Kansas.

ital of Solwezi to support volunteers in their work in the villages.

After two years of service, she returns to America in May 17.

Candace Hudak (’15 BYBS) started a new job in January 2017 as laboratory manager and safety officer in the department of biology at High Point University, High Point, N.C.

Rachel Brandhorst (’16 AAMM) was recently hired by

Dynamic Aviation as an A & P mechanic, sheet metal worker, in Bridgewater, Va.

LeTourneau University is holding our 14th annual Fore the

Students Golf Classic fundraiser on October 16, 2017, in

support of the LETU Annual Fund, which provides scholarship aid and program resources to the more than 90% of LETU students who depend on private support.

This much-anticipated annual event is held at the beautiful Pinecrest Country Club in Longview, Texas, and includes breakfast and lunch, 18 holes of premier golfing, hole-

in-one and putting competitions, and door and award prizes.

The Fore the Students Golf Classic is made possible by

the support of individuals and corporations with current

WHAT: 2017 Fore the Students Golf Classic, benefiting LETU student scholarships WHEN: Monday, October 16, 2017 7AM Registration and Breakfast, 8AM Shotgun Start WHERE: Pinecrest Country Club 214 Golf Drive, Longview, TX 75602

sponsors to date including Encore Multimedia, Joyce

Crane and PING.

The Fore the Students Golf Classic has naming sponsor-

ships, foursomes, and hole and tee sponsorships available.

For information and to register play, visit www.letu.edu/ ForeLETU or call 903-233-3830.

STUDYONLINE

WALKONSTAGE I’m grateful to my professors and am prepared to advance my career. I give thanks for the Christian values instilled in my heart thanks to LeTourneau University. I have a full-time job, two kids and a husband, and I have inspired friends and family to further their education because it is never too late.

“

“

— Blanca Zamudio (’17 BBA)

YOUR STORY IS BUILT HERE. Learn more at www.letu.edu/online NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

53

Faculty Feature

54

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

Faculty Feature: Lauren Bitikofer

Flying with Mr. B

By Glenda Vosburgh Photo by Jenna Pace

L

auren Bitikofer was six years old when he took his first airplane ride.“My dad took me to an

airport near where we lived in Kansas,

and they were giving airplane rides for

a penny a pound,” says Bitikofer. “I was hooked. I love being up there.”

Airplanes have been part of his life ever since.

As a kid, he built model airplanes—

something he’s recently come back to

—started taking flying lessons at age 15, soloed on his 16th birthday, bought into the local flying club and got his private pilot’s certificate at age 17 and his commercial certificate at age 18.

“Mr. B,” as his students affectionately call him, is LETU’s Flight Science

department chair. He has plied his trade at LeTourneau for 40 years, teaching,

guiding and molding successful pilots and maintenance technicians.

He came to LeTourneau College as a student in 1971, earning an Airframe

and Powerplant mechanics certificate in 1975. He also took a year-and-a-half off from fall 1972 to spring 1974 to attend

the Word of Life Bible Institute, where he met his wife, Kathy. After completing his A&P, Bitikofer returned to Kansas and worked in industry a few years before

returning to teach at LeTourneau in 1977.

Today, LETU’s aviation program is the

only four-year comprehensive university aviation program in Texas, offering 12

certificates and encompassing a fleet of 15 aircraft, including Citabrias, Cessna Skyhawks and Diamond Twin Stars.

Bitikofer has trained scores of pilots.

Many have gone on to fly corporate and commercial passengers, some have

chosen the missionary pilot route and

some have gone on to run major airlines or to serve in the military, including

Aaron Lorson, Executive Vice President of Dynamic Aviation, and former Air Force Two pilot Todd Degroot.

“Every once in a while I get on a plane and one of my students is the pilot,” Bitikofer says.

Of course, you don’t spend 40 years training young, eager pilots without having some good stories to tell.

“My dad took me to an airport near where we lived in Kansas, and they were giving airplane rides for a penny a pound,” says Bitikofer. “I was hooked.

I love being up there.”

Airplanes have been part of his life ever since.

Bitikofer remembers a time when a

student pilot had bought an old Aeronca Chief and needed Bitikofer to check him out in the aircraft. The student bounced

the landing, then pushed forward on the yoke. Bitikofer had to get control.

“I grabbed the yoke to pull back on it, and it came off in my hand,” he says, “So, I grabbed the post and yanked

back on it as hard as I could to save the landing.”

“Because of that, we are able to teach our students at a very deep level,” he

says. “We teach them how to do jobs

and why they’re done that way, and our students are leaders in the industry.

Those who only know how always end up working for those who know why.

We’ve always been able to place our students even in a down time in the industry.”

Bitikofer says LETU is unique for training

Teaching gives Bitikofer a lot of joy, and

aircraft, with emphasis on stick and

when they come back to the university.

newbie pilots in a Citabria “tailwheel” rudder skills.

“Some airplane cockpits have a lot of

technology that you have to teach, and it is a major distraction from learning

to fly the plane,” he said. “All planes fly

basically the same, and it’s important to learn the fundamentals first. What you learn first sticks.

so does visiting with former students

“When they tell me about their families

and their careers, and how God has and is working in their lives, well, they’ve got life figured out, and they’re all living it

well,” he says. “There is no greater joy than to hear your children are walking in the truth,” he said, quoting from 3 John 1:4. ■

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

55

What, Me Give?

Story and Photo by Janet Ragland

“It’s not something you’re born with,” he said. “Our carnal

Fritsch said giving, in itself, is a discipline that needs to be established early in obedience to Christ.

take it for myself? Why would I give to someone else?”

a LeTourneau professor of Bible, and Dr. Paul Bauman, vice

“I work hard every day. My kids and wife need money. Why would I ever give my money away to someone else?”

These kinds of thoughts are common for people who don’t truly understand giving, said LeTourneau University alumnus Jerry

Fritsch (’74 ME). Fritsch said giving, in itself, is a discipline that needs to be established early in obedience to Christ.

nature we got from Adam is quite the opposite. Why wouldn’t I The answer comes from a maturity gleaned from time spent in God’s Word, he said.

Fritsch remembers learning early the importance of giving, even as a child in Sunday School when his parents would send him with an offering envelope.

“It became a discipline at a very early age,” he said. “The first

time I got a paying job, I was 13. My dad sat me down and told me about this thing called a tithe. He then added that the real blessings happen when you give more than tithe.”

Giving became second nature.

Fritsch remembers first giving to LeTourneau University when he was still single, working for Conoco in Anchorage, Alaska, on the North Slope. He said one day he looked at his bank account and saw he had saved quite a bit of money.

“I sat back and thought about why that money was there,” he

said. “It’s there because I have a good job. And I have a good

job because I got a good education. I really ought to be putting back into what I got out. That started it.”

Since then, Fritsch has faithfully supported a host of capital

projects and initiatives, including the Fritsch Endowed Scholarship.

went to drop off Jerry’s older siblings at Oral Roberts Univer-

sity, they brought Jerry to tour the LeTourneau campus, since

he was interested in engineering. It was all barracks. He loved it. And it was the only school he applied to attend.

In the fall of 1970, Tyler East residence hall had just been built, and Fritsch stayed there his freshman year. His second year,

however, he moved into his own room in Dorm 4, a barracks

where he stayed for the next three years, and got involved in automotive society.

Sitting in his living room in Houston, Texas, with his coffee

cup and Bible close at hand, Fritsch tells about his endowed

scholarship that provides “Bridge the Gap” funding to enable

students who couldn’t attend LETU without some extra scholarship help, after all other funding options are exhausted.

“I want to help kids,” he said. “The Lord has never left me

short. He is faithful to provide not all of your wants, but your

needs. And we need to be faithful in return. And consider the student who isn’t going to get through college without this

help. We need good Christian young people in the world. The

Lord looked after me so much going through, I was so grateful, and I know they will be too.”

Fritsch is right. Keni Legesse of Ethiopia, East Africa, is one of

Fritsch graduated from LeTourneau University in 1974 with a degree in mechanical engineering and went to work for Conoco, where he retired after 30 years.

He first learned of LeTourneau University from his parents,

who took a tour of the Holy Land led by Dr. Raymond Gingrich,

56

president of Special Ministries. The next year, when his family

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

the recipients.

“I am very grateful for the ‘Bridge the Gap’ scholarship. It has helped me pursue my dream of being an engineer,” Legesse said. “I chose LETU for my engineering study because it not

only cherished me with quality engineering studies, but it also

transformed me to be acquainted with Christian values.”

Legesse said he seeks to get a worldclass engineering education to meet high-level engineering needs in his home country.

Another current beneficiary is senior

financial mathematics major Fabrice Kanimba Hirwa of Kigali, Rwanda.

“Without the Fritsch Endowed Scholarship known as ‘Bridge the Gap’, I

wouldn’t be a senior at this moment—a semester shy from graduation,” Hirwa said. “The scholarship has not only

helped me financially, but also allowed me the opportunity to pursue a major which will open a dream job in the

financial global market as a financial

engineer, also known as a quantitative analyst. I am forever thankful for the Fritsch Endowed Scholarship.” ■

“The Lord has never left me short. He is faithful to provide not all of your wants, but your needs.

And we need to be faithful in return.”

If Jerry’s story inspired you and you would like more information on giving through an endowed scholarship, then contact Gift Planning and Endowed Scholarships at 903-233-3800 or Development@LETU.edu.

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

57

A WORTHY MODEL FOR LIFE AND LEGACY

By Dr. Bill Peel, Executive Director of the Center for Faith and Work

T

hose who knew Robert Gilmore LeTourneau as a

LeTourneau assumed, as did most people, that going all out

that a headstrong misfit and eighth-grade dropout

sionary. For a man who loved business, the idea of heading to

boy had valid concerns about his future. The idea

could become a prolific inventor, renowned businessman and generous philanthropist would have seemed preposterous.

But not to God. He delights to redeem people’s missteps and

empower them to do exceedingly more than they can imagine, to fulfill their calling and bring Him glory.

That’s what He did for R.G. LeTourneau—although he almost missed his calling.

When LeTourneau was a young man building a career around his fascination with machines and moving dirt, he attended

a week-long revival at his church. One night that week, he

knelt at the altar and committed his life wholly to Christ. A new

sense of God’s presence and work in his heart also caused

uncertainty about what it meant to “go all out for God.”

58

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

for God meant becoming a preacher or an evangelist or a misthe mission field caused no small amount of angst. Confused,

conflicted, and ready to make good his commitment to God, LeTourneau asked his pastor for advice. “I know a layman

can’t serve Him like a preacher can. But tell me, does He want me to be a missionary?”

His heart must have jumped when his pastor said, “You know, Brother LeTourneau, God needs businessmen as well as

preachers and missionaries.”

With fresh understanding of God’s calling and purpose for his

life, LeTourneau responded, “All right, if that’s what God wants

me to be, I’ll try to be His businessman.”

Thus began LeTourneau’s business partnership with God—a

business arrangement he took seriously from that day forward,

Your work matters to God—no matter what your age or stage in life, or whether you’re paid in stock options or sticky kisses.

Tell us your story.

The Center for Faith & Work would love to hear how faith influences your work.

Tell us how we can serve you.

We’re here to equip and encourage you throughout your though he believed God got the short end of the deal. With

life journey.

faith in his Partner, LeTourneau went on to build giant earth-

Schedule a live workshop.

highway infrastructure.

on our dime.

moving machines that helped America win WWII and build our Faith informed all aspects of his work, from insisting on quality

workmanship to helping his employees flourish spiritually and

physically. He hired both Christian and non-Christian workers,

and pioneered the concept of hiring full-time workplace

chaplains. He developed new products to keep plants open and men employed, and he took personal responsibility for

company failures.

In 1946, God led LeTourneau to open a manufacturing plant in Longview, Texas, and to launch what has become the premier

Christian polytechnic university in the nation.

For almost 60 years, he credited God for any success and

believed his success made him a debtor to God and his fellow

man. LeTourneau and his wife, Evelyn, lived on ten percent of his income and gave the rest away.

In his autobiography, “Mover of Men and Mountains,” LeTour-

neau doesn’t hold back when describing severe hardships and failures along his road to success. How he responded to the

Subject experts will come to your church or alumni group—

• How to Be a Wise Witness • Life Management Strategies for Busy People • Clarify Your Calling and Purpose

Attend a webinar.

Online workshops allow you to learn and connect with other alumni from the comfort of home.

Opt-in for Mondays with R.G. Receive encouraging messages to jumpstart your week in

your personal mission field.

Sign up for Make Mondays Meaningful.

This quick-read digest of fascinating interviews and articles, with biblical reflections on faith and work, will arrive in your Inbox monthly.

Check out our online resource library.

death of an infant son, a near-death auto accident in which five

• Stories and profiles of faith at work, including

a less-than-honest business partner and recurring cash-flow

• Extensive archive of articles to help you live out your faith at work

other people died, the humiliation of bankruptcy caused by

R.G. LeTourneau

problems show us what faith looks like in the midst of pain.

• Content and curriculum for lessons and sermons about faith

of every aspect.

• Updates on the growing faith-and-work movement

Indeed, his life shows what faith looks like when Christ is Lord

and work

The life and legacy of R. G. LeTourneau has affected—and

Get in touch.

sity’s Center for Faith & Work, we proudly champion his legacy

Have a question about your work or calling? We’re here for you.

continues to affect—millions of people. At LeTourneau Univerand are committed to helping you—whether you’re a student, alumnus, faculty, staff or friend—flourish in your calling as a

pilot, engineer, teacher, nurse, parent, coach and the myriad

other roles you play throughout life. ■

• Send us an email: CFW@letu.edu • Leave us a voicemail: 214.932.1112 • Request information at CenterForFaithAndWork.com/Contact

We look forward to hearing from you!

NOW Magazine | Spring 2017

59

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Relationships Matter.

Almost every LeTourneau University student learns about LETU through a relationship with one of our alumni, a friend, a family member, a youth pastor or another person in their lives. One of the greatest donations YOU can make to LeTourneau University is to tell others about us. Help us recruit the next generation of LETU students!

So before you discard this magazine after reading it, recycle it by sharing it with a friend or high school students. Or share it with your church youth pastor or local high school counselor. You could even leave it in the waiting room of your doctor’s office on your next visit.

We are blessed to have you in our LETU family!

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