NOW Magazine Winter / Spring 2010 Issue by LeTourneau University

FLOOR LORE 4

NEWS AND NOTES 12

LETU’S NEW CORNER CAFÉ 16

L E TO U R N E A U U N I V E R S I T Y

CLASS NOTES 22

WINTER / SPRING 2010 VOLUME 64

ISSUE 3

a message from the president

elationships matter. Along with academic studies come numerous relationships that are forged outside of classrooms, many of which last long after students earn their diplomas. These relationships help us become who we are, and I daresay the students who choose to study at LETU are worth knowing for a lifetime. In his book Life on the Edge, Dr. James Dobson writes of the importance of our lives within the decade from age 16 to 26, which encompasses these critical college-age years. “Most of the decisions that will shape the next 50 years will be made in this era, including the choice of an occupation, perhaps the decision to marry, and the establishment of values and principles by which life will be governed,” he writes. At LeTourneau, we know that to be true. A college education is more than what happens within the walls of the classroom. This issue of NOW examines the education that takes place outside the classroom, the unique and special bonds that students develop with one another living in a community on campus. Floor unity is a big part of what makes LETU unique, and graduating seniors re-emphasize its importance to us during their exit interviews. Each group on campus is different, just as each generation of alumni is different from the next. Each shows its own ingenuity, oftentimes in the form of pranks, as students develop strong bonds of friendship with those they live beside in our men’s and our women’s residence halls. Speaking of residence halls, LETU will soon break ground on a new one. This spring’s Longview enrollment reached the same record high as Spring 2009, and with current residence facilities at more than 93 percent occupancy, we need the room to grow. The yet-unnamed project will be on the southeast side of the university loop, right across from the Corner Café. This facility will encompass green initiatives to cut heating and cooling costs as we seek to be good stewards of the planet. Memories made outside the classroom include those times that students gather together to break bread. Our Corner Café today is a popular place for students to gather to perform skits, host music events, watch movies and spend quality time together. To make it all happen, we are thankful for partners who support the university, financially and prayerfully. Our Development staff has focused on increasing the number of endowed scholarships to ensure students can continue to pursue an LETU education long into the future with as little debt as possible. When I travel to visit alumni around the country, I am often reminded of the unique culture of LeTourneau University. Alumni have shared reflections of their special times on campus—from the 1940s decade of clapboard barracks and miles of covered walkways to recent alumni who remember the first services in the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center when it opened in 2007. Despite outward changes on campus, what ties LETU alumni together throughout the years is the commitment to Christ that has never wavered.

2 | NOW Magazine | Winter / Spring 2010

LeTourneau University

O NW

LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY

DALE A. LUNSFORD, Ph.D. PUBLISHER MARILA PALMER EXECUTIVE EDITOR JANET RAGLAND EDITOR IN CHIEF KATE GRONEWALD WRITER / EDITOR TOM BARNARD CREATIVE DIRECTOR / GRAPHIC DESIGNER KENDA BEDFORD CLASS NOTES NIEMAN PRINTING PRINTING

contents

phil@niemanprinting.com

Board of Trustees Paul Abbott Bill Anderson Sheila M. Bailey Dr. Joel Carpenter IV * Dr. O.J. (Jay) Chastain Dr. Richard C. Chewning * Mike Childress Sheree Cosa David Cottrill H.D. (Doug) Douglas, Jr. Paul Glaske Dr. Kenneth L. Hall Dr. Billy J. Harris * Joe Bob Joyce, Sr. Loren Leman Dr. Dale A. Lunsford Dr. James E. Mauldin, Jr. L.V. (Bud) McGuire

Nancy Mendez Dr. Larry Mercer Paul Montgomery Kenneth Moore Joe Nowiczewski Earl Roberts, Jr. * Tom Shoquist Major General B. Fred Starr * Merle Stoltzfus Wayne Trull Steve Voelzke Dean Waskowiak ** Mary S. Whelchel Donald H. Wolgemuth * * Emeritus ** Alumni Representative

LeTourneau University Floor Lore

New Residence Hall at LETU

The Corner Café

Faculty Feature: Beverly Rowe

Class Notes

Students Speak. LETU Listens.

Endowed Scholarships Change Lives

Executive Administration Dr. Dale A. Lunsford President

Dr. Robert W. Hudson

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer

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

Dr. William R. McDowell

Executive Vice President for Business and Administration

Ms. Marila D. Palmer

Executive Vice President for External Relations

Cabinet Officers Ms. Linda H. Fitzhugh, Vice President for Enrollment Services Dr. Carol C. Green, Vice President for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies Mr. Matthew Henry, Chief Information Officer Mr. Mike S. Hood, Vice President for Financial Affairs Mr. Ben March, Vice President for University Development Mr. Corey Ross, Dean of Students

Claiming every workplace in every nation as our mission field, LeTourneau University graduates are professionals of ingenuity and Christ-like character who see life’s work as a holy calling with eternal impact.

LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christ-centered university offering academic majors in the aeronautical sciences, business, education, engineering, the humanities and sciences. LeTourneau University also offers undergraduate degree programs in business, education and psychology and graduate programs in business and education at educational centers in Austin, Bedford, Dallas, Houston, Tyler and online. NOW is published three times per year by LeTourneau University, 2100 South Mobberly, Longview, Texas 75607 w Sent free upon request to Editor, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607. w Postmaster: Send address changes to: NOW, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607.

CONTACT INFORMATION: PHONE: 903-233-3130 WEB: www.letu.edu ADMISSIONS: PHONE: 903-233-3400 TOLL FREE: 800-759-8811

ADULT AND GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS: PHONE: 903-233-3250 TOLL FREE: 800-388-5327 DEVELOPMENT: PHONE: 903-233-3800 TOLL FREE: 800-259-LETU

ALUMNI OFFICE: PHONE: 903-233-3803 E-MAIL: alumni@letu.edu

Written By Janet Ragland

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rom alternating work and school days of the late 1940s to freshman beanies of the 1960s and the Monty Pythonesque cardboard Knights of the Round Table of today, LeTourneau University students have long been known for ingenuity. When that ingenuity collides with a strong floor unity, fun and mischief are not far behind, like the time a student left for the weekend to come back and find his room filled with balled up newspapers. Or the time the resident assistant couldn’t get into his room because the furniture had been pushed up against the door. . . only to look into his first-floor window and find it locked– from the inside. Everyone has a favorite LETU floor lore story, but when we recently asked alumni to share, we received some very interesting questions in return–things like, “Can you rescind my diploma?” And LETU students learn spiritual lessons from their special initiatives, as one “anonymous tipster” from Colorado conveyed when he attached Bible verses to a 1961 prank involving pink paint and the dome structures at LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. At LETU, a student’s assigned residence hall floor isn’t just a place to live; it’s a family, where students learn valuable lessons about how to get along with their new best friends. An only child might share a room with a student who comes from a family with a dozen siblings. Some students grew up in America. Some grew up as missionary kids (known as “MKs”) all over the globe. Here, they develop a bond–one that follows them post-LETU. It is not uncommon for suitemates to become the financial and prayer sup-

porters for their friends who graduate from LETU and go into the mission field. Though its beginning is not documented, floor unity is likely rooted in the school’s founding. “The school’s original population was largely GIs returning from war, many of whom were far from home and had learned to lean on their brothers in arms like a family,” said Dean of Students Corey Ross. “The original campus buildings were Army barracks, and that way of life has translated into a unique floor unity that has become a big factor in student life here today. It is a part of our heritage and distinction.” Ross said students rarely move from their floors. “Our students move in and they stay put their entire tenure, even to the point that we’ve got these plush honors apartments for upperclassmen that are harder to fill because floor unity is such a draw,” Ross said. Though the stories have changed over the years, the sense of community has not. In 1961, George Younker lived in what was known as Dorm 9 and remembers wearing freshmen beanies. “The hat fit good because the hair on all of us had been cut off by upperclassmen,” he wrote. Younker also remembered participating in the first Shreveport to Longview (69-mile) marathon relay that kicked off the 1962 Pioneer Days. Today’s upperclassmen no longer shave the heads of incoming freshmen, but they still run marathons. Over the years, university traditions have evolved, with events like Pioneer Days becoming today’s Hootenanny variety show celebration with skits, music and LETU comedy. Alumnus Richard Bellamy, from the 1960s, remembers moving into Tyler Hall when it was the newest building on campus. Today, it’s the oldest residence hall, and has been remodeled numerous times. As for Tyler Hall floor lore, Bellamy remembers LeTourneau University | 5

when his friends pushed his 1960 Fiat 500 onto the long covered walkways which connected the old barracks buildings, testing a new dean’s patience during his first week on the job. And just as today’s generation will always remember Sept. 11, 2001, Bellamy vividly remembers Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas. “I was the only one on the first floor who had a black and white television. For the next five days, many of the students crowded into my room to watch TV.” Floor unity brings students together in both good times and bad. From the days of the slide rule to the days of the iPad, LeTourneau students have changed a lot through the years; however, the most important things remain the same. From Bible studies in Mom and Pop LeTourneau’s home to floor devotionals with Chaplain Interns, the floors’ focus on developing spiritually has remained constant. Reflecting on the mid-1970s, Doug Miller remembers “a comradeship that I have not found anywhere else in my personal or professional career.” What some term “comradeship,” others might refer to as “accomplices.” He came to LeTourneau College as a transfer student in his third year and lived in 3B of Tyler Hall. Not all the roommates on his floor got along with each other, with some being “as different as Mutt and Jeff.” One day the guys on the floor removed “all traces of human habitation” from Mutt and Jeff’s room, with Mutt’s help. When Jeff returned to their empty room, a tirade ensued and as soon as he left the building to find the dean, a flurry of activity began. Residents replaced everything, including re-bolting the beds back into place, so that it looked as though nothing had happened, before the dean arrived. Sometime in the mid 1970s, when LETU students operated an ambulance service with the city of Longview, some of the ambulance guys got a siren and sealed it shut inside a barrel before rolling the barrel with full siren blasting into the ladies’ hallway in the middle of the night at WRH. (WRH stands for Women’s Residence Hall, so named since there was only a need for one on campus back then.) 6 | NOW Magazine | Winter / Spring 2010

Dorm 4 resident Bill Wulff didn’t know what to think of MKs when he first arrived on campus in the 1970s. “The one rule that bothered some of the MKs was the rule that you had to wear shoes to class,” he wrote. “One day, I saw a certain MK walking to class making an unusual slapping sound. I asked him to lift up his shoe, and only then did I discover he had cut off the soles of the shoes so he could go barefoot but still LOOK like he had shoes on!” Even now, a warm Texas day will still bring out the barefoot in an MK. LeTourneau students hail from all over the globe–then and now. Carlos Guerrero came to LeTourneau in the mid-1970s from his South American hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia. He was one of 11 children from a very poor family, but God placed it on his heart that LeTourneau was where he would go to school. Originally assigned to Tyler Hall East (1B), Guerrero didn’t feel like he fit in with his roommate. “I had one pair of pants. He had a closet full,” he said. When the semester ended and Guerrero couldn’t afford a ticket home, another friend, Carl Harvey, invited him to spend the holidays in Indiana with his family. When the spring semester began, Guerrero returned to campus and discovered Tyler Hall’s loud and rowdy Flooder floor (3A). He found an empty room and claimed it, before persuading the dean that it was the best place for him. He gained two roommates and a floor full of friends, two of whom were building an 18-foot canoe in their room. The dean came to investigate reports of an unusual odor, likely from the waterproofing sealant. “We were given 24 hours to remove the canoe and all its fragrance,” Guerrero wrote, adding that it made it out the roof access and

down the back of Tyler Hall on a cold, dark night. “It was a fine canoe,” he added proudly. Flooders have a long, colorful history and were known for hanging orange flags atop the water tower that used to sit on the northeast side of campus–no longer an attractive nuisance. Lee Beachy remembers in the late 1970s living in the “Guest House” on campus during days that school enrollment swelled beyond housing capacity. Originally built as officers' quarters during the days that the site was the old Harmon Army Hospital, the Guest House had in earlier years served as Mom and Pop LeTourneau’s home on campus, with a kitchen and living room with fireplace. “My favorite memory of the Guest House was a tradition that began with my roommate, Nate Saint, of making waffles with ice cream on Sunday evenings when there was no meal service.” Beachy said chancellor Dr. Harry Hardwick even joined them one Sunday. By the 1970s, the school’s barracks buildings were old and breezy. Tim Kinney and his roommate Mark Rettig lived in Dorm 4A and dubbed themselves the “Roach Patrol,” running into their brothers’ rooms with pesticide when called. “We were in constant demand,” he wrote. Bugs figured in another floor lore theme, when students in Dorm 4B painted a student’s 1965 VW Beetle to look like “Herbie the Love Bug” for Longview’s 1984 “Wonderful World of Disney” parade. “It was very well-received in the parade, and would have grabbed top honors, but we forgot one

critical detail–to identify which floor this float was representing!” wrote Will Worman. “Even though we missed out on the award, it was a great group project that brought us together.” Dan Fauber tells us that Dorm 41 borrowed (with permission!) a local steak restaurant’s ox statue and spent all night covering it with screen wire mesh and tissue paper for the LETU homecoming parade. “This was the last group photo taken in the old barracks of Dorm 41,” Fauber wrote. With the end of the 20th century came the end of the last clapboard building on campus dating back to the 1940s, though most had been replaced by brick residence halls long before that. The only remnant today left on campus from the army barracks era is historic Dorothy Speer Chapel, protected by a landmark designation. In the first few years of this new century, David Runyon lived in McKinley House (Quad 4) and wrote that his floor engaged in “competitive eating” at CiCi’s Pizza buffet on Sunday nights because it is the one night that food service is not available at the campus cafeteria. Runyon claimed triumph with 18 items one night but admitted that “the toll of winning made itself evident shortly after returning to the dorm.” He later ceded his short-lived title to Bill Ross in a “neck and neck” competition at 21 items, losing in the push to 24. Even in new residence halls, old floors that moved together retained their names, such as “41,” which now resides on the second floor of Thomas Hall. “Thomas Hall still smelled like fresh paint when I first opened her doors,” wrote Michael Cross, who was one of the first freshmen to LeTourneau University | 7

live in the new dorm in 2002. The lobby of Thomas was “stuffed with brand new furniture standing contently on spotless carpet, completely unaware of the abuse it would soon endure at the hands of merciless children trapped inside the bodies of college freshmen,” he wrote. Though the furnishings have fared much better than Cross expected, it was true that the Thomas Hall lobby became a center for study sessions, movie nights, visitor tours, AcoustiCafé concerts, Christmas parties, video gaming, Internet surfing, napping and PVC warrior fights. New residence hall floors required new floor names and new security protocols for the division of men and women residents. The West Wing of Thomas 1 housed “a nervous flock of freshmen ladies” Cross wrote. This floor adopted the name “Lambs.” The “zealous gang of freshmen dudes” who occupied the East Wing of Thomas 1 chose the name “Lions” for their brotherhood and promptly determined to seal an official brother-sister floor identification with the ladies. Competition ensued when another men’s floor sought the “Lambs” for their sister floor. “What followed was a period of competitive wooing and pampering that would ultimately decide which of us would gain the honor of claiming the Lambs as a treasured sister floor,” Cross wrote.

8 | NOW Magazine | Winter / Spring 2010

Claiming victory, the Lions won with “sportsman-like conduct, gentlemanly charm, thoughtful romantic gestures and a smidgen of good old ‘studliness,’” Cross wrote. Some of the brothersister floor activities involved the Lions serving as chivalrous escorts to Lambs when they attended the Longview Symphony performances, now held in the Belcher Center. Other brother-sister floor events expanded to include the Valentine’s Day Banquet, Fall Fest, school communion, photo scavenger hunts and Lions/Lambs Christmas parties. The Lions and Lambs laughed, studied, prayed, worshiped, watched movies, played games and, very probably, pulled some pranks together. The following year, the Lambs relocated to the third floor of Thomas Hall. Lions then expanded to occupy the entire first floor. One side became a “nocturnal bunch” that kept hall lights off 24 hours a day, leading to the Star Wars inspired dual-floor identity known as the Dark Side and the Light Side. “From then on, the Lions were bound in brotherhood, but separated by preference of luminous intensity,” Cross wrote. As new floors forged their identities, a longstanding brotherhood known as “Club” in Tyler Hall (2B) continued its reputation as good-natured scoundrels. Chris Ulrich remembers arriving in 2002 and wearing the white-lettered purple T-shirts of Club. He wrote, “If there was some prank pulled on LeTourneau University, Club was

the first floor investigated. If something turned up missing, Club was the first floor searched. If Security received a complaint about loud music, Club was usually asked to turn it down.” And it’s no wonder, according to one story Chris tells about when a “grandpappy” fish caught by Club at Martin Creek Lake wound up in a drawer in the lounge of the rival 3B floor. “Club was full of rascals, but they all had hearts of gold, and most of us had a healthy enough fear of God that we didn’t go far beyond the beyond,” Chris wrote. “I have never been more on fire for God than I was when living on that floor. I have never known more fellowship than I knew then.” About this same time, the men of Thomas 3 (the Tornados) were known to hold their “Finals Four Square” tournaments every finals week, starting the Saturday of the weekend before finals. Peter Kendall wrote that they would make a party out of it. “Many times, people from other floors would come and join in the fun,” Kendall said. There’s something to be said about the kind of commiseration that can develop when people find ways to reduce their stress during the academic rigor of finals week. Before the Belcher Center was built, chapel services were held in the old Assembly Building. One prank included about 1,000 folding chairs being hidden in the men’s and women’s restrooms in the Assembly Building. The prank was discovered only an hour before chapel services were to begin, prompting a mad rush on the part of several staff members to get the chairs out and put back in place before chapel time. Official activities that promote camaraderie and fellowship are scheduled at the Memorial

Student Center, such as ice cream Fridays and AcoustiCafé concerts, but on some random afternoons, floor unity spontaneously erupts on the berms around the MSC. On a recent Sneau Day at LETU, laundry baskets and Café trays became makeshift sleds. Years ago, another floor decided to embed an airplane tail section on one side of the berm, looking as if a plane had crashed into it. Elsewhere on campus, the annual Rube Goldberg competition attracts floor-mates, anxious to support the engineering genius of sleep-deprived friends as they exhibit contraptions purposely created with many complicated steps, all designed to accomplish an elementary task. At LETU, floor lore involves both brain and brawn. Homecoming’s annual Intersociety Rope Pull pits the three male societies (Alpha Omega, Kappa Zeta Chi and Lambda Alpha Sigma) against each other for bragging rights until the next year. The brawny banter includes promises of who will pull whom into the campus pond and just how quickly. This recent Valentine’s Day, one of the men’s residence halls sur-

LeTourneau University | 9

reptitiously, in the dead of night, filled their sister floor’s hallway up to the ceilings with red, pink and white balloons, each filled with small candies and confetti, (with supervised access by the Resident Director to carry out their sweet prank.) When the ladies awoke to the surprises and began popping the balloons, they realized what a mess they would have. They resorted to putting each balloon inside a trash bag first, then popping it inside the bag. Ingenuity at work! Nicknames are also a big part of floor unity at LETU. Each week students wear their floor T-shirts with their nicknames emblazoned on their backs, like “Spork,” “Bolt,” or “Sugar.” Some nicknames, like “Slope,” come from a student’s affinity for snow skiing. Others could be as random as being named after a kind of cheese if the student hails from Wisconsin. These nicknames often come after about a week-long period during the beginning of the school year known as “extended orientation” in which the floors participate in fun activities, under the guidance of Student

Affairs. Such team-building is designed to forge friendships and develop a sense of belonging for new students as they get acquainted with their new campus family. Sometimes it means wearing crazy clothing for a week, or activities like scavenger hunts or camping trips. It’s no surprise to see a Tigger the Tiger character or a cave man walking across campus during these times. LETU floor unity is one of the distinctions that students talk about during their senior exit interviews, said Chad Melton, associate dean of Student Life. “This sense of brotherhood and sisterhood in community sets LeTourneau apart, and for many students, it is a highlight of their years here,” he said. Whether strategically planned or serendipitous, floor lore remains a legacy of LETU culture. It provides lifelong memories and unites students with their peers, long before they walk across a stage in a long black robe, swap their tassels from right to left and officially enter the realm known as “alumni.” n

A big thank you to the following LeTourneau alumni who contributed their memories to this story: Harold Abbey ('51), John P. Cardie ('60), Harold S. Tice ('61), Lloyd & Larry Smith ('63), George Younker ('66), Richard Bellamy ('67), Bill Wulff ('75), Lee Beachy ('78), Tim Kinney ('78), Carlos Guerrero ('78), Doug P. Miller ('81), Don Bell ('84), Dan Fauber ('85), Will Worman ('87), Chris Ulrich ('98), David Runyon ('04), Sarah Hess ('05), Daniel Leatherwood ('05), Michael Cross ('07) and Peter Kendall ('09). Photographs contributed by LETU students: Michael Wylie, Ken Misiak, Matt Barr and Brian Ho.

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Many stories yet to come New Residence Hall...Future Floor Lore Written By Janet Ragland

onstruction of a new, yet-unnamed, residence hall will soon be under way at LeTourneau University. Plans call for a three-phase residential housing complex to accommodate 600 to 675 students to meet demands based on enrollment growth. The first phase will break ground this spring for a 200-bed residence hall scheduled for completion in time for Fall 2011 occupancy. The new residence hall will be the largest on campus, and it will be located on the southeast corner, across from the university’s new dining hall, the Corner Café. Its style and floor plans are expected to be consistent, but not identical to the other residence buildings, such as Gilbert Hall (opened in 1998), Thomas Hall (2002) and Davis Hall (2005). The new residence hall will have security enhancements with separate wings and/or floors of the building for either male students or female students, to adjust as enrollment needs require. “I’m pleased that this newest dorm will be the greenest yet on campus. We will maximize energy efficiency and reduce waste, because we want to be good stewards of God’s planet,” said President Lunsford. Currently, LETU residence halls are at 93 percent capacity, and with new programs being added, including civil

engineering, air traffic control, nursing and others, the living space for residential students will be needed by the time the new residence hall opens in 18 months. Design Collaborative, a Fort Wayne, Ind., architecture, engineering and interior design firm, has designed the new student housing project. It has provided design services for student housing to several colleges and universities, including Indiana Wesleyan University, Taylor University, Bethel College and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. A local construction firm, Transet Company, will serve as construction manager. Transet also built the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center and the university’s last two residence halls. “We selected Design Collaborative based on its impressive experience, the quality of the company’s work, the strength and breadth of its team and the fact that residence halls are one of its core competencies,” said Dr. Bill McDowell, executive vice president for business and administration at LETU.“We are currently completing the schematic design phase in which we determine site location, size, shape, function, exterior elevation and interior space allocation.”

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newsandnotes TIME MAGAZINE CREDITS STANFORD FOR LEG A November TIME Magazine article about the Top 50 Inventions of 2009 credited Stanford University graduate students for developing a prosthetic knee strikingly similar to the design of LETU students that has been in production and field testing for five years. Since the LeTourneau Empowering Global Solutions (LEGS) project started in 2004, undergraduate engineering students have provided these low-cost prosthetics to amputees in developing countries including Kenya, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh and Senegal. The Chronicle of Higher Education featured the dispute, as did the Economic Times of India, Inside Higher Education, the San Francisco Chronicle and FoxNews. com, as well as local East Texas television and newspapers. MSNBC recently quoted LETU biomedical engineering professor Dr. Roger Gonzalez about assessing how LEGS might help victims of the earthquake in Haiti, which matches the humanitarian purpose of LEGS. Read more about the LEGS team at www.letu.edu/media/LEGS. SPRING 2010 ENROLLMENT TIES PREVIOUS HIGH LETU’s traditional spring 2010 enrollment has tied last year’s all-time record for a spring semester with 1,275 enrolled at the Longview campus. This spring also marks a record for the largest number of returning students, totaling 1,175. International students hail from such countries as South Korea, Kenya, Japan, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Austria, The Netherlands, Ecuador, the Republic of Cameroon, Malaysia and Brazil. Record enrollment in the TEACH program within the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (GAPS) stands at 601. Demand for online programs in GAPS also continues to grow, reflected in the 912 students taking classes this spring.

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LETU AND UT TYLER ANNOUNCE NURSING PROGRAM LETU’s School of Arts and Sciences and The University of Texas at Tyler College of Nursing and Health Sciences are partnering to provide nursing training to LETU students to meet the nation’s extreme demand for registered nurses. The agreement is thought to be the first public-private university nursing program in Texas. LETU students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences (HSBA) from LETU and a Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) from UT Tyler in a four-and-a-half-year program that utilizes the UT Tyler Longview University Center for nursing education and which allows students to participate in residence life at LETU for all their college years.

LETU PREPARES MOST TEACHERS IN TEXAS For the fifth year in a row, LETU ranks number one among private higher education institutions in the state of Texas for teacher certifications, graduating an average of nearly 350 teachers each year. The data, taken from State Board of Education reports, indicates that LETU is responsible for approximately 16 percent of the total yearly state teacher certifications. LETU strives to prepare effective, caring and knowledgeable Christian educators for future service in public or private schools. SCIENCE PROFESSORS EARN WELCH GRANTS The Welch Foundation has awarded $25,000 in research grants to fund three science projects for the 20102011 school year. The new grants will contribute to new research supplies

and small equipment, as well as research-related travel expenses and publication costs. Chemistry professor Dr. Gary DeBoer will lead research in computational chemistry. Dr. Andrée Elliott, assistant professor of biology, will study bacterial pathways to generating biodiesel fuel. Assistant professor Dr. Ted Forringer, physics, will use the radio signals from interstellar hydrogen to research radio astronomy. NIH AWARDS LETU $345,000 RESEARCH GRANT The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a grant of $345,000 over a three-year time frame to support Dr. Roger Gonzalez’ research to examine the differential response to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rup-

ture. Specifically, Gonzalez will assist with the development of subject-specific biomechanical models. Gonzalez is a professor and associate vice president of research at LETU. The award is in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Buchanan at the University of Delaware. Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world. LETU HOSTS YOUTH LEADERS ON CAMPUS More than 700 area high school students attended the Second Annual Youth Leadership Conference at the Belcher Center in January. A cooperative effort between the Longview Independent School District Office of International Baccalaureate Initiatives and LETU, the students heard from inspirational speakers and participated in various activities to build teamwork and leadership skills.

12TH COURT OF APPEALS HEARS CASES AT LETU LeTourneau University political science professor Dr. Paul Kubricht, at left, welcomed the 12th Court of Appeals Justice Sam Griffith of Starrville, Chief Justice Jim Worthen of Big Sandy and Justice Brian Hoyle of Longview. The 12th Court of Appeals heard three cases on the LETU campus in February. Based in Tyler, where it normally hears oral arguments in its own courtroom, the 12th Court has always made an effort for the court to be more accessible to the people.

LETU AWARDS FIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS Six LETU faculty members have been awarded five mini-grants totaling $7,500 for upcoming academic work and travel. Kelly Liebengood and Dr. Steven Mason, professors of biblical studies, received $1,300 for the first steps of a larger project titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theology of Work in the Marketplace: Definitions, Trends, and Values.â&#x20AC;? Bruce Chase, a professor of aeronautical science and assistant chief flight instructor, received $1,500 to attend a National Transportation Safety Board accident investigation course. Dr. Stephen Ayers, professor of mechanical engineering technology, received $3,000 for his development of a Niche R&D Emphasis within the new LETU Civil Engineering Program. Psychology professor Dr. Melanie Roudkovski received $1,000 for her travel proposal to take a group of students and faculty to Australia for a month for an academic and mission trip. Not pictured, Beverly Rowe, accounting professor, received $700 for a presentation at the American Accounting Association Southwest Regional Conference. LeTourneau University | 13

newsandnotes

LETU HIRES ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATOR Terri Deike, former UT Tyler head women’s basketball coach and associate athletic director, has assumed the role of senior woman administrator in LETU's Athletics Department, a position previously held by Mary Ann Otwell. Deike–who has over 28 years of coaching experience at UT Tyler and local high schools including Whitehouse, Hallsville and Overton–will oversee NCAA compliance and gender equity in LETU sports. Deike graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1979 in health/kinesiology and biology from what is now Texas A&M University, Commerce. She earned a master’s degree in educational administration in 1994 from UT Tyler. MISSIONS EMPHASIS WEEK CELEBRATES 46 YEARS LETU hosted its 46th annual Missions Emphasis Week in January with the theme “Beyond My World” to correspond to LETU’s vision to answer God’s call in “Every Workplace. Every

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Nation.” Missionaries from 30 mission organizations attended. LETU PARTNERS WITH SAN JACINTO COLLEGE An agreement with San Jacinto College in Houston will enable LETU to expand its reach, since LETU will hold classes on the SJC campus. The agreement details how a large number of SJC’s degree programs will transfer into an LETU degree without loss of credit, providing a smooth transition from students who start at SJC and want to finish their bachelor’s degrees at LETU. LETU HOSTS TEACHER READING CONFERENCE LETU hosted the annual Texas Association for the Improvement of Reading (TAIR) conference in February. The annual event focuses on the importance

of strong reading and writing skills for success in today’s fast-paced world. This year’s keynote speakers included Jan Peck and David Davis, well-known authors of numerous children’s books. LETU TO HOST CHRISTIAN TEACHER CONFERENCE This May, LETU will host the ninth biennial conference of the International Community of Christian Teacher Educators with the theme, “Igniting the Flames of Faith and Learning: Preparing Caring, Competent Teachers.” ICCTE is an organization of Christian schools, colleges and universities with teacher education programs that focus on relevant professional interests shared by those involved in the preparation of the next generation of teachers. The ICCTE believes Christian teachers should be the best qualified and most compassionate educators.

Photo by LETU student Jim Brewer

LETU TO OFFER DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM LETU will begin processing student loans through the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. It allows students and parents to borrow directly from the federal government rather than borrowing student loans from selected banks or credit unions. This Direct Loan program is funded by the federal government through the Department of Education and consists of Stafford loans for students and PLUS Loans for parents and graduate and professional degree students. Questions regarding direct lending can be directed to Lindy Hall at (903) 233-4312.

PHIL KEAGGY PERFORMS AT BELCHER CENTER Christian musicians Phil Keaggy and Randy Stonehill performed at the Belcher Center Feb. 5 in chapel and concert. Keaggy’s solo career spans more than 30 years and includes over 50 solo albums, both vocal and instrumental, as well as eight releases with his band, Glass Harp. Stonehill, whose discography also spans more than 30 years, first began melding his honest lyrics of faith, struggle and hope with folk-rock music in 1970 under the tutelage of his friend and fellow Jesus Rocker Larry Norman.

LETU MOURNS DEATH OF TRUSTEE EMERITUS BILLY SPAIN LeTourneau University Trustee Emeritus Billy W. Spain Sr., 76, of Birmingham, Alabama, died February 22. Spain was an executive in the financial consulting industry. Spain was elected as a Trustee in Spring 1996. He was elected Trustee Emeritus in Spring 2007, effective at the end of the Fall Board meeting 2007. Trustee Emeritus positions are only selected from those “with records of distinctive service,” as outlined in the bylaws. Because of his wisdom, good judgment, loyalty, and support, the board honored his leadership and expressed their desire for his continued relationship with LeTourneau University by electing him Trustee Emeritus. “Billy Spain has long been a good friend of LeTourneau University. He will be remembered for his Christian integrity in his workplace and Christ-like leadership as a husband, father and grandfather.” —Dr. Dale A. Lunsford, President

“SNEAU” DAY It might have been just a typical day...if you lived in Alaska. On the LETU campus, however, six inches of snow is quite a sight, and these were exactly the sights on campus Feb. 12. Classes were delayed and students played. n

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The CORNER Café No college memory is complete without good food. LETU has come a long way from the days of the Dog House and SAGA to the new Corner Café. Bon Appétit, one of the premier restaurant-quality food service providers in the nation, is known for its commitment to healthy menu items. Using fresh-from-scratch recipes and locally grown ingredients, Bon Appétit provides artistically appealing and appetizing food choices.

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With six distinct serving stations including a grill area for hamburgers, a brick oven pizzeria, an Asian bistro, a chicken rotisserie, fresh made-from-scratch soups and salads, it’s like having six different restaurants under one roof. The bakery offers fresh pies, cookies and cakes every day. The rumors about the “freshman 15” are all true if you take the all-youcan-eat policy too literally.

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The Corner CafĂŠ is open to the public. It seats as many as 650, with a couple of large-screen TVs to keep up with sports or news during meals. Seating includes tables and chairs, booths, counters with bar stools as well as an outdoor seating area for dining al fresco.

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Pursuing Her Passions Dr. Beverly Rowe

Written By Kate Gronewald Photographed By Randy Mallory

ccounting is not synonymous with dronelike monotony. LETU associate professor of accounting Beverly Rowe defies the notion that her field of study is a form of ancient torture. With her animated expressions and evident passion for her projects, Rowe brings the energy of someone with a background in theatre into the accounting classroom. Talk about a dichotomy of talents–Rowe earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in theatre from the University of Houston – Clearlake before she earned her Master of Science degree in management from Purdue University and her doctor of philosophy degree in accounting from Texas A&M University. As an undergraduate, she was just shy of a double major in accounting and theatre, since she followed her parents’ advice to have a back-up plan. Fortunately for the LETU School of Business, “Plan B” prevailed. Now, Rowe uses every ounce of her education and experiences to make a lasting impact on the lives of her LETU students. “God has not wasted one of my career moves,” Rowe said. “The same thing that made me passionate about theater is what fuels my true heart’s desire for mentoring and teaching students about accounting–and that is communication. In theatre, it is finding the elements of communication that the playwright is trying to get across and bringing that out as a true representation. Accounting is also predominantly a communication process that gives outsiders as well as managers a good idea of what is really going on financially in a business.” Nothing communicates more in the field of accounting than financial statements, which happen to be Rowe’s area of specialty. In 2009, Rowe was one of only a few faculty members in the country to serve as a field analyst for the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Financial Statement Presentation Project. The project is a joint undertaking between the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to establish a new standard that will guide the organization and

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presentation of an entity’s financial statements and improve the usefulness of the information provided. Results of this project will directly affect how business management everywhere communicates financial information. Positioned on the cutting edge of accounting standards, she brings the real world into the classroom, teaching the issues that the FASB is addressing right now. She also is designing a study this spring on how non-analysts view these new financial statements. Rowe juggles multiple research projects and fuses creativity and analytical expertise to strategically achieve her mission: to improve students’ learning experiences in the classroom. She collaborates with LETU associate mathematics professor Dr. Judy Taylor on “The Mozart Effect and the Mathematical Connection,” a two-year research study on how the Mozart Effect theory applies to studying and learning mathematics. They have investigated how playing Mozart affects students while taking tests and are presenting their findings at the Southwest Education Research Association Conference. “Mozart can link directly to creating a classroom environment for learning,” Rowe said. She also recently published her first book, How Virtual Teams Work: Exploring Effort in ComputerMediated Collaboration. Based on another two-year study, Rowe’s book explores the communication of online learning groups and how they can more effectively work together to make financial decisions. “It’s fascinating,” Rowe said. “And each of these studies benefits my students.” Since Rowe joined the LETU School of Business in 2006, accounting department enrollment has almost doubled, and recent graduates are finding success and making an impact through internships and employment everywhere from high-level regional firms to the Big Four–in both corporate and public accounting, as well as internal auditing and corporate taxation. Rowe also supervises the LETU participation

in the Longview Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a partnership between the Longview United Way, the Internal Revenue Service and LETU. Held on LETU's campus, IRS certified student and community volunteers provide free tax services to elderly and low-income community members. The past two tax seasons resulted in more than $350,000 in tax refunds and hundreds of saved dollars in tax filing fees for more than 400 local families. The Longview VITA program has been recognized for outstanding accomplishments–not only in volume of refund dollars, but also for accuracy of the tax returns filed. The program received the second-lowest error rate of all 70 of the Central/East Texas VITA sites. School of Business Dean Dr. Bob Wharton affirms Rowe’s example of going above and beyond to make a difference. “Beverly ranks among the best of the best faculty members. She does an excellent job of balancing all the things we want our faculty to do, from teaching

excellence to interaction with students, from scholarship to interacting with the community,” Wharton said. “Beverly works hard to bring her plans to reality. She takes initiative to transform her ideas into results.” Rowe feels she contributes to the greater whole through her business education research, which she believes is God-directed. “God created me in such a way that He knows what excites me, and He allows me to find that in my research,” Rowe said. “One of the roles of universities is to create knowledge,” Rowe said. “Knowledge creation is from the Lord. As a Christian university we need to make an impact on the creation of knowledge, and we need to be taking the light of Jesus Christ into that area. The importance of active Christian scholars in academia is that we have a different perspective, and that comes out in what we do.” n

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classnotes MEMORIALS

William Cariker (’49 MES) died Oct. 25, 2009. William was part of the first graduating class at LeTourneau in 1949. He is survived by his wife, Myrle. Dr. Alison McIntosh (’76 BI) died July 8 after a lengthy illness. She was a light and inspiration to all. Andrew Wolgemuth (’80 WT/ET) died May 1, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, and parents Don and Kathy Wolgemuth. Michael L. Allen (’93 BSBM) died Dec. 4, 2008. He was a loving father, son, brother and uncle and had a warm, giving spirit. He is survived by his daughter Debra and numerous family and friends. Larry Hannah (‘93 BBM) died Sept. 15, 2009. Angela Kelley Henson (’00 MBA) died Aug. 15, 2009. She is survived by two daughters, Leslie Walters and Adrienne Brooke Henson.

BIRTHS Scott Hanson (’90 ETAT) and wife, Valina, announce the arrival of Simeon, born at home Aug. 18, 2009. Simeon joins his seven brothers and sisters in Haines, Ala. Jamie Cutting (’96 ME) and wife, Maureen, announce the arrival of Matthew, born Oct. 6, 2008. Matthew was welcomed home by big sister Katie, and big brothers, Taylor and Dustin.

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Daniel Schaffhauser (’00 ATFL) and wife, Kate, welcomed their fourth child, Evan. Evan was welcomed by his older brother, Ben, and two sisters, Carrie and Karsten. The family recently moved back to the Dallas area. Daniel Smith (’00 EE) and his wife, Christi, welcomed home their 20-monthold little boy, Jack, whom they adopted. He joins big brother Caleb.

Andrew Olson (’01 ME) and wife, Dacia, announced the birth of Micah Andrew on May 15, 2009. He joins big sisters Abby and Lydia. Jordan Groody (’02 ASEL/ ’06 MBA) and wife, Amber, welcomed their first child Victoria Jeanne on Sept. 27, 2009. The family lives in White Oak, Texas, where Jordan is purchasing and sales manager for Bass Engineering Company.

Tony O’Neal and Laure Andersen (’98 MBA) were married Jan. 1, 2005. Laure is currently working for Arizona State University and has two beautiful granddaughters—Kennedy and Parker. Matthew Eversole (’05 ENGL) and Sarah Jo Steffens (’04 PSYC) were married Aug. 15, 2009, at the Wycliffe Linguistics Center in Dallas. They reside in Keller, Texas. Brian Dawson and Katherine McCommon (’05 MK) were married May 9, 2009, in Rivera Maya, Mexico. They own and operate a statewide event production company called SoundSource Entertainment with locations all over Texas. They reside in Austin, Texas, with two dogs, Bagwell and Prissy. Alicia Bass (’06 ISBS) and Sean Waterman were married Oct. 24, 2009. They live in Lindale, Texas. Kathryn Kryer (’06 BUBS) and Chris Mills were married Aug. 23, 2009, in the Canadian Rockies. They reside near Houston.

Andreas Kradolfer (’05 ASFS) and wife, Erika, welcomed their third child, Levi Micah. He was born July 27, 2009.

WEDDINGS Tim Angle and Julie Smith (’93 AMT) were married Sept. 19, 2009, in Welcome, Ohio.

Phillip Burke (’07 ASMS) and Kerstin Jefferson were married July 25, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Kerstin is an ETBU graduate from the School of Nursing. Brian Taylor (’07 CE) and Abigail (Shive) (’07 EN) were married recently. They reside in Catonsville, Md. Brian works as a software engineer, and Abigail works at the Baltimore County Public Library.

Catherine Hart Green (’07 BBA) was married recently in the Tuscany area of Italy. She lives in Gladewater, Texas.

since he was 90 years old. He also plays in the International Senior Men’s Tennis Tournament of the over 90’s. His motto is “A man does not stop playing because he gets old; he gets old because he stops playing.”

Roger Braun (’08 ASFS) and Sarah Chinn were married Sept. 5, 2009. They live in Conroe, Texas.

60s

Jonathan Eriksen (’08 MGIM) married Andrea Blumentritt (’09 PSE-4) on July 11, 2009. They live in Northville, N.Y. Ryan (’08 BME) and Shannon Toews (’06 BYBS) Potter are spending six weeks in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, where Shannon is completing an international elective at a government hospital and fistula clinic. She is a senior medical student at UT San Antonio and will begin her OB/GYN residency this year. Ryan graduated with his master’s in biomedical engineering from UT San Antonio in December. He enjoys his job as a biomedical engineer at Southwest Research Institute. Nathan Harper (’09 BI/CMYM) married Sharayah Pemberton Oct. 17 in Becida, Minn. LETU groomsmen and friends attending were Chase Carlisle (’07 CMIN), Daniel Bond (’08 CMLC) and Ben Ehmke (’07 CMYM). The Harpers live in Longview, Texas, where Nathan works for Mobberly Baptist Church.

50s John Deurwaarder (’53 IS) lives in Vancouver, Wash., with wife, Esther. He has been participating in the National Tennis Tournament every May and represented the USA in Palm Springs, Calif.,

Larry McGuire (’68 ET) and wife, Virginia, celebrated their 40th anniversary in October 2009 by vacationing in Alaska.

70s Mark Blosser (’72 ET) and Debbie celebrated 30 years with TWR Dec. 2, 2009. Rick McArthur (’75 BI/MI) and wife, Carol, along with daughter, Valerie, are back in the United States for awhile, residing on the campus of the JAARS center in Waxhaw, N.C. Son, Jeff, will continue his studies in Guatemala. Perry Pust (’77 MI/ ATBS) and wife LaNae represented MAF at the Arlington Air Show in the summer. Perry also attended several mission conferences and schools as part of his recruiting job with MAF. He enjoys the one-on-one interaction with those looking into joining MAF.

Richard Verrett (’82 BUBS) works for Sutter Health as an IT Specialist and Supervisor. He also is the owner of Main Street Shoes in Fallbrook, Calif. Robert Sturm (’83 ME) and his wife, Jane, are joining SIM to work in Ethiopia as an administrator for an HIV/AIDS Program. Donald Wolfram (’85 WT) and his wife, Mary (Sanders) (’85 PA), and family are missionaries in Quito, Ecuador. Don has been busy working with seminary events and teams during the last quarter of 2009. John Baker (’89 ET) recently moved to the Charlotte, N.C., area along with his wife, Janet, and their two children, Rachel, 4, and David, 1. John is the president of Positive Database Solutions, Inc.

90s Edward Dunn (’94 BM) works for TekSystems in Milwaukee, Wis., as a granite engineer. Deanne (Lee) Tryon (’97 BYES) has earned her teaching certificate in special education from UT Tyler and a master’s degree in special education from Texas Tech, as well as a teaching certificate in visual impairments. She has been married for 6 years to Randall, and they have adopted two children. They live in Hallsville, Texas.

80s

Hewett Richardson, Jr. (’98 BBM) earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Lamar University in August. Hewett is an educator in the Klein Independent School District and lives in Spring, Texas.

Daniel Hoobyar (’80 EE) and wife, Lillian, moved to Kansas City, Mo., in December.

Kevin Sadowski (’98 BBM) is starting his own carpet cleaning business in Denton County, Texas.

Jim Hooker (’80 BU/AT) is now working as the West Regional Sales Manager for Besam Entrance Solutions in Englewood, Colo.

Ray Brown (’99 BBA) and wife, Cindy, live in Pearland, Texas. Ray works as a regional sales channel manager for Carmanah Technologies.

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classnotes Kurt Metzger (’99 ME) and wife, Johanna, and family all work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua, New Guinea. They spent their first month at the end of last year on home assignment in Colombia.

in doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. Zach finished his dissertation in just one year after passing his comprehensive exam in the spring of 2007.

00s

Beverlyn Banks (’04 MBA) is a Ph.D. candidate at Walden University with an anticipated graduation date in September 2010. Beverlyn is an assistant senior manager with DART in Dallas.

Phillip Briggs (’01 BBA) co-founded House of Disciples in Longview, Texas, last year. Please pray for this new ministry to help the homeless. Flori Hidalgo (’01 BBA) is currently working as an office coordinator for Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. John Willingham (’01 WT) lives in Burleson, Texas, with his wife and five children. He is the senior operations engineer at Encore Acquisition Company in Fort Worth, Texas. Zachary Wingerd (’02 HIPL) won the 2009 Ph.D. Wolfskill Award, a scholarship given for excellence

Nicolette Roberson (’04 MBA) works for The Hartford in Houston as an Insurance Premium Auditor. Donna Alexander (’06 MBMK) is a teacher with Aldine ISD in Houston. Joel Carlson (’06 ASMS) works as an aircraft mechanic for Midwest Aircraft Services in Newton, Kan. Amy Davis (’06 HIPL) will finish law school at UT in May 2010. She has been serving as Editor in Chief of the Texas Review of Law & Politics (UT Law Jour-

nal) this year and has already accepted a position with the Cox, Smith and Matthews law firm in San Antonio, Texas. Courtney Lemmond (’08 PSYA) is enrolled in Regent University’s Robertson School of Government this year and has been accepted into Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Va. Jordan Baumer (’08 HIPL) is ranked in the top 3% of her class of 254 students at New England Law in Boston, Mass. Greg Poelman (’09 BUBS) has accepted a position as a consultant for IBM and will be based in New York, N.Y.

Send us your stories!

If you would like to be included in Class Notes, send us your update to alumni@letu.edu. n

Where in the world are you? We have begun a new project to collect stories about how our LETU alumni, students and faculty are serving across the globe. Please send us your updated contact information if you are working abroad, whether as full time missionaries or as professionals who love Christ. Send your information to stories@letu.edu.

Every Workplace. Every Nation. Go to www.letu.edu/everynation to read the amazing stories already posted. 24 | NOW Magazine | Winter / Spring 2010

STUDENTS SPEAK. LETU LISTENS. Written and Photographed By Janet Ragland

hanges in LeTourneau University’s working adult program last August provide more flexibility and are a direct response to listening to students, according to Dr. Carol Green, now in her second year as vice president for LETU’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies. “We moved to a semester schedule, with three modules offered each of the fall, spring and summer semesters, with multiple classes offered within each module,” Green said. “If students are taking classes on ground but know they will be out of town for several weeks, they can switch to an online course for their next module without an overlap or a delay in their plan to graduate. When they finish the online class, they can return to taking courses on ground. By making these changes, we have given students much more flexibility in their schedules. ” The changes include: • Financial aid is more timely and easier to understand on the semester schedule and allows students to set up a payment plan. • Students can register online for the courses and instructors they prefer. • Students can purchase textbooks that are either new, used, or e-books through the university’s preferred provider, or they can buy their books from other online booksellers. • Students can see course content and participate with their instructor before classes formally begin to see how course requirements will fit into their schedules. • Students have more opportunity to travel abroad for educational experiences, like a recent trip to Chile or a trip this spring to Costa Rica.

• Students can enter LETU’s graduate programs immediately after completing their bachelor degrees instead of having to be 23 years old with three years of work experience. • Students can attend part time and still qualify for financial aid. • Students have added opportunities for networking with other students and alumni through new events like “Spiritual Emphasis Week” and “Business Through the Eyes of Faith” seminars. • Networking and alumni events will be available to all current students, alumni and students who completed the Postbaccalaureate Accelerated Certification for Teachers (PACT) program. “Most of our online students live within one hour of our educational centers, but they find the online format to be more convenient,” Green said. “Our new seminar events can help increase student interaction and give them a sense of larger community. LETU’s network is so much bigger than many think.” Green came to LETU with 14 years of experience in adult education at other institutions including George Fox University and Wayland Baptist University. She holds her master’s and doctorate degrees in history from Texas Tech. “Carol has brought a fresh look at our current conditions and is making the right adjustments to meet the changing needs in the marketplace,” said Dr. Robert Hudson, LETU executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “She has helped us move from an old paradigm and is providing outstanding leadership while building on our core competencies and our Christian education tradition.”

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Endowed Scholarships Written By Teal Neighbors Photographed By Randy Mallory

Change Lives

Endowed scholarship recipients, seated from left, are sophomore flight science aviation major Josiah Graves of Rosseville, Ga.; sophomore digital writing major Melody Miller of Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines; sophomore Christian Ministries major Jacob George of Sulphur Springs, Texas; senior marketing and human resource management major Sarah Jean Buckley of Colorado Springs, Colo; and sophomore missions aviation major Michael Felts of Fairview, Mich. Pictured in front is LETU Vice President for Development Ben March who seeks to expand the number of endowed scholarships to serve more students now and in the future.

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ndowed scholarships change lives. Just ask Michael Felts. A recipient of the Fly for Him Endowed Scholarship, Felts is working to earn his degree at LeTourneau University with as little debt as possible, despite his dad’s sudden job loss during his freshman year. “This scholarship has been a blessing to me because it is showing me that God is here, and He is supplying my needs,” Felts said. The Fly for Him Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2000 by ’95 Aviation Technology graduate John Blatchley and his wife, Sookhee. Blatchley greatly appreciated the scholarships he received during his time at LETU and wanted to give a gift that wouldn’t just “give once and then disappear.” He has a deep respect for the faculty and staff of LETU and said their example of a Christ-centered life left a lasting impact on him. “The people of LETU put a lot of time and effort into me, and I have a responsibility to not waste what they gave me,” Blatchley said. He endowed the Fly for Him scholarship to help students pursue a dream like his. Blatchley currently works for Columbia Aircraft Sales in the northeast United States. Ben March, LETU’s vice president for university development, has been focusing on building up endowed scholarships since he began his role in January of 2009. “Nothing else more significantly impacts our university than endowments and endowed scholarships,” March said. Since last summer, March and development staff members have added 17 new endowed scholarships, including the largest single Endowed Scholarship Fund to date, totaling $750,000. “We have made it very easy to establish an endowed scholarship at LeTourneau” March adds. “Almost anyone who values the quality Christian education that LeTourneau University delivers can do it!” It can be established over a five-year period, with an initial gift of $3,000. It will become a named scholarship and will begin supporting students once the balance reaches $15,000. “Endowed scholarships are like the goose that laid the golden egg,” March said. “The money donors give makes up the endowment principal that is never touched or spent but is invested. A portion of the growth earnings will be used for awards to students year after year.” LeTourneau’s new endowed scholarship program provides aid and stability for students. Bryan Benson, director of gift planning and endowed scholarships, says the beauty of endowed scholarships is that generations from now, these scholarships will still be helping students attend LeTourneau University. “Endowed scholarships are the backbone of many university gift aid programs,” Benson said. “Anyone can give to existing scholarships or start new ones. And as

endowed funds grow, more students attend LeTourneau without increasing their debt load.” LeTourneau University currently has close to 70 endowed scholarships and is responsible for investing and managing the funds as well as providing annual fund statements to all donors. Endowed scholarships funds have no limit, and gifts can be made as frequently as desired. Many employers will match charitable gifts such as these, doubling the donated amount. All endowment fund gifts are tax-deductible. Endowed scholarships can be named for the donor or as memorials and tributes. Those endowing scholarships can set the guidelines, establishing need-based or meritbased requirements, or a combination of both. Scholarships can be established for students pursuing a specific academic field, such as engineering or aviation, or based on academic performance, financial need and more. While a donor has a great deal of latitude in specifying criteria, federal guidelines mandate that endowed scholarships cannot be awarded based on gender, ethnicity, age or national origin. When an endowed scholarship fund reaches $30,000, LETU recognizes the individual(s) giving the scholarship with a plaque in the grand lobby of the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center. A matching plaque is also presented to the donor or honoree. When any donor’s cumulative gifts to endowed scholarships reach $50,000 the donor is inducted into the LETU Endowed Scholarship Legacy Society. Members of this society are invited to attend annual appreciation dinners where they meet scholarship recipients and other LETU partners in giving. Blatchley hasn’t yet had opportunity to meet any of the five Fly for Him recipients, but hopes to in the near future. Many students form relationships with those who establish endowed scholarships that impact the rest of their lives. Endowed scholarships carry the donors’ names and generosity far into the future, enriching the lives of students and strengthening LETU’s mission to claim every workplace and every nation for Christ. Recently, Dr. John and Lisa Ross showed their appreciation for LETU’s high quality, Christ-centered education and their desire to help students by establishing an endowed scholarship in their family’s name. They are active members in the Longview community and are leaders at their church where they share a passion for serving locally and abroad. The Ross Family Scholarship at LETU is now part of a lasting legacy in higher education. Endowed scholarships are gifts that never stop giving, and the Rosses’ and Blatchleys’ generosity will continue to impact students in the future. For more information on creating an endowed scholarship or donating to an existing one, contact Ben March (903) 233-3810, BenMarch@letu.edu, or Bryan Benson at 903-233-3809, BryanBenson@letu.edu. n

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NOW P.O. Box 8001 Longview, TX 75607

NON PROFIT

Dallas, Texas 178

LeTourneauUniversity

Ladies and Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES! Get ready for a fast trip down memory lane April 8-10 during Homecoming 2010 at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. This year will honor the 50-year reunion of the Class of 1960 and previous years, as well as the 50-year reunion of Alpha Omega service fraternity. Alumni can see how much things have changed and remember the golden days of LeTourneau Technical Institute, LeTourneau College and LeTourneau University!

April 8-10, 2010 Contact Alumni Director Martha Steed to register at alumni@letu.edu or visit the Web site at: