Tarleton State University Fall-Winter 2021 by Tarleton State University

tarleton state UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FALL/WINTER 2021

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

IN THIS ISSUE

Purple Way

Spurring Innovation

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Esprit de Corps

Littleton Legacy

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PAG E S 1 4 -1 5

Homecoming

The Simpson Way

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UPDATE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS

Forward Together

Game Changers

Three ways to update

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PAG E S 4 0 - 4 5

Tarleton State University Magazine Fall/Winter 2021 | Volume 13 Number 2 President Dr. James Hurley Chief University Communications Officer Cecilia Jacobs Director, Creative Services Robin DeMott Associate Editor, Photographer Kurt Mogonye, ’04 Associate Editor, Writer Phil Riddle, ’03 Contributor Harry Battson Designer Rosemary Gutierrez Videographers Joey McReynolds | Logan Hiemke, ’21 Student Interns Rhett Gore, Reagan Rodgers, Carson Leatherwood

DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Box T-0415, Stephenville, TX 76402 | 254-968-9890 Vice President for University Relations/Chief of Staff Dr. Credence Baker, ’03, ’05 Tarleton State University Magazine is published by the Department of Marketing and Communications, Box T-0730, Stephenville, TX 76402

Cover: Tarleton’s fall Homecoming game ball came from above, parachuted in by retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Dana Bowman, who lost his legs in an accident at the annual Golden Knights training in 1994.

1) tarleton.edu/giving/updateinformation 2) advserv@tarleton.edu TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 3) 254-968-9948

FALL/WINTER 2021

A LETTER FROM PRESIDENT JAMES HURLEY

It has been a fall like no other! Record setting on all fronts. Climbing enrollment numbers. More academic partnerships with area school districts and community colleges. Unequaled fundraising. Magnified national visibility. And an all-time-high Homecoming attendance, with more than 16,000 fans buying tickets to see our Texans beat former rival Midwestern State. Texas Senate Bill 52, passed by both chambers of the Legislature in October, is a big win for Tarleton. The university received the third largest allocation in the state — $90 million to construct a College of Health Sciences building in Stephenville and expand the Fort Worth campus. House Bill 159, authored by Rep. DeWayne Burns, a Tarleton alumnus, provided the framework for SB 52. We’re profoundly grateful for his leadership, the support from Rep. Shelby Slawson, Rep. Craig Goldman, Sen. Brian Birdwell and all of our advocates in the Legislature. Design is ongoing on our second building in Fort Worth, with construction set to begin next year and a grand opening planned in 2024. The Interprofessional Education Building will add more than 100,000 square feet of classroom and specialized laboratory space and propel our nationally recognized health sciences and kinesiology programs. This issue contains an interview with Dr. Rupa Iyer, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development, and more about our largest-ever comprehensive capital fundraising campaign. We are surging ahead of schedule toward a $100 million target. A record 2,700 donors made gifts to Tarleton in fiscal year 2021.

The Faculty Development and Research Initiative, announced in September, provides more time for discovery by reducing classroom teaching to three courses (from four) each semester for 47 tenure-track faculty researchers and backfilling instructional capacity with high-achieving graduate students. My best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful holiday season. As always, bleed purple and happy holidays!

We are blessed to have such visionary friends and family who consistently give more, and we are grateful for their generosity. But more impressive than the dollars is the impact. Their gifts provide life-changing educational opportunities for our students. Dr. Iyer and her team are doing remarkable work expanding university research opportunities and securing grant funding to explore life-changing breakthroughs.

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PAVING THE

PURPLE WAY OFFICE OF DIVERSITY Named for Longtime Benefactors Tarleton has named its Office of Diversity, Inclusion and International Programs in honor of longtime benefactors Joe R. and Dr. Teresa Lozano Long. The couple donated $2 million this spring to assist under-represented students. In addition to scholarships, the gift supports study abroad and research opportunities for students who might not have the chance to earn a university degree. The Longs have given liberally to Tarleton over the years, starting with $1 million to establish the Joe R. and Teresa L. Long Endowed Scholarship for students in the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, and the College of Science and Technology. Joe earned his associate degree at Tarleton before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin for his bachelor’s and juris doctorate. The couple received honorary doctorates of humane letters during Tarleton’s spring 2012 commencement ceremonies.

believed to have learned blacksmithing while serving time in a Texas penitentiary in the early 1920s; and contemporary craftsmen Wilson Capron and Randy Butters. A public showing of the collection runs through January 30, 2022.

MOBILE DISCOVERY LAB Makes Summer Debut Tarleton’s Center for Educational Excellence Mobile Discovery Lab launched at BSA Camp Tonkawa in Tuscola, Texas, this summer. Funded by private support and more than $250,000 in grants from the Texas Pioneer Foundation, the lab has a dual mission — to provide outreach to intermediate-level students and to recruit and teach preservice educators and professionals in science, technology, engineering and math. The lab features activity stations and hands-on learning, allowing students in area organizations to explore real-world STEM challenges.

HUGH EDMONDSON Donates Spur Collection to Gordon Center Thanks to Hugh Edmondson, Tarleton’s W.K. Gordon Museum and Research Center for the Industrial History of Texas is now home to a collection of spurs and bits made by more than 60 craftsmen over 120 years. Featured artists include Joseph Petmecky, J.O. Bass and three generations of the Boone family, descendants of Daniel Boone, the American frontier pioneer; Harold “Swede” Strong, an immigrant from Sweden; Marvin “Cowboy” Traylor, who is 4

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TARLETON SHATTERS Fundraising Records Tarleton set numerous fundraising records and generated more than $14 million in private gifts in fiscal 2021, creating scholarships and endowments to support the student experience, promote faculty excellence and increase research. Fiscal 2021 donations included the most cash — $11.3 million — received in a single year, up 91 percent from the previous FALL/WINTER 2021

record of $5.9 million. The record eclipses the university’s average of $4.3 million in each of the previous five fiscal years. And the number of donors reached an all-time high of 2,700, compared to an average 2,101 over the past decade.

Tarleton honors Joe R. and Dr. Teresa Long with the naming of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and International Programs.

Private funding comes from alumni and friends who donate directly to the school or through the Tarleton State University Foundation. Created almost 43 years ago, the foundation provides financial support via earnings on endowed funds, gifts and property. It acts independently of the university and The Texas A&M University System for the benefit of students who otherwise might not earn a degree. Since 1979 private funding to the foundation has averaged just over $547,000 annually, with a fiscal 2020 portfolio value of $23 million. This year foundation funding increased more than $7 million for an all-time-high portfolio value exceeding $30 million.

Hugh Edmondson donates his spur collection to the W.K. Gordon Museum and Research Center.

TARLETON, MCC CELEBRATE 20-year Partnership Tarleton and McLennan Community College this fall celebrated 20 years of shared space in the Michaelis Academic Center on MCC’s Waco campus and the arrangement that makes it possible. In 2001 McLennan invited Tarleton to become the second of five partner institutions known as MCC’s University Center. Two decades ago Tarleton’s enrollment there was less than three dozen. Today it approaches 1,000, with 4,400 graduates over the 20-year collaboration.

Tarleton and McLennan Community College celebrate 20 years of shared space on MCC’s Waco campus.

Tarleton offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs in Waco. Seamless degree paths make it easy to begin at MCC and then transfer to Tarleton to complete the bachelor’s, saving dollars and class hours.

DR. SHERRI BENN Named VP for Diversity Following a rigorous national search, Dr. Sherri Benn this fall was named Tarleton’s inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Dr. Sherri Benn, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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As a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet, she will play a vital role in cultivating a climate that encourages diversity and inclusion throughout the Tarleton community, aligning with the university’s core values and 10-year strategic plan. “We are honored to welcome an innovator like Dr. Benn,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “Our path to become the premier comprehensive regional university in the country requires an inclusive learning and working environment.” Dr. Benn began her 20-year career at Texas State University in the Dean of Students Office and served as an adjunct faculty member for eight years, advancing to Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and then Assistant VP for Institutional Inclusive Excellence.

PROVOST Stepping Back in 2022 Dr. Karen Murray announced in August that she will step back from her role as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs in summer 2022, following more than three decades at the university. In addition to initiating Tarleton’s outreach efforts in Fort Worth and Waco, Dr. Murray has served in several leadership positions since arriving in 1987, including Associate Vice President for Curriculum, Assessment and Outreach; Assistant Vice President for Curriculum and Outreach; and head of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. She was named Provost in July 2011.

$1.97M GRANT Improves Student-Advisor Ratio Tarleton has received a $1.97 million U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program Grant to support Texan Smart (the university’s 2021-26 Quality Enhancement Plan), specifically to improve the school’s student-advisor ratio and expand tutor services. The grant will create a financial center and add six advisors, which will lower the student-advisor ratio 25 percent. Distributed over five years, the funds also will increase applied learning experiences, internships and job placement assistance.

NEW INITIATIVE Creates More Time for Research President James Hurley’s Faculty Development and Research Initiative, unveiled in September, provides more time for discovery by reducing classroom teaching to three courses (from four) each semester for 47 tenure-track faculty researchers and backfilling instructional capacity with high-achieving graduate students. Tenure-track faculty members were selected based on their success in securing external research funding. They are in addition to full-time faculty researchers already making robust discoveries in the university’s 12 research centers and institutions.

An executive search firm will assist in finding Dr. Murray’s replacement. “Tarleton is a big part of who I am, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as Provost,” she said. “Working with visionary administrators and extraordinary deans, faculty and staff has been a privilege. I cherish a lifetime of countless memories, inspiring friendships and unparalleled experiences. The future for the purple and white is extremely bright.”

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SCHOOL OF KINESIOLOGY Celebrates Centennial Part of the College of Education and Human Development, Tarleton’s School of Kinesiology celebrated its centennial this fall. The school began in 1921 as the Department of Physical Training, graduating its first students in 1923.

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Today the School of Kinesiology boasts more than 1,000 students, almost evenly split between allied health and sports-related majors. The name changed through the years, to the Department of Physical Education, the Department of Exercise Science and Sports Studies, and finally, in 2018, the School of Kinesiology.

Dr. Karen Murray, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

SENATE BILL 52 Provides $90M for Facility Expansion Texas Senate Bill 52, passed by both chambers of the Legislature in October, represents a big win for Tarleton and The Texas A&M University System. The Tuition Revenue Bond bill authorizes $3.3 billion for higher education projects statewide, with almost $728 million for A&M System developments. Tarleton received the third largest allocation in the state — $90 million for capital improvements, including construction of a College of Health Sciences building in Stephenville and expansion of the Fort Worth campus. House Bill 159, authored by Rep. DeWayne Burns, a Tarleton alumnus, provided the framework for SB 52.

Tarleton’s School of Kinesiology celebrates its centennial.

BUILDING 2

BUILDING 1

Design is ongoing for the Interprofessional Education Building on Tarleton’s Fort Worth campus.

“It’s no secret that I care deeply about the Tarleton State University family,” Rep. Burns said. “I also care about the future of Texas and doing what’s in the best interest of our communities. This funding is about creating educational opportunity and preparing the workforce that will address current and future healthcare needs across our state.” Design is ongoing on a second building on Tarleton’s Fort Worth campus, with construction set to begin next year and a grand opening planned in 2024. The $66 million Interprofessional Education Building, funded by the A&M System, will add more than 100,000 square feet of classroom and specialized laboratory space for health sciences and kinesiology programs. Tarleton-Fort Worth’s Central Administration Building opened in fall 2019 and now serves more than 2,000 students. Plans are for the campus to serve 9,000 students by 2030.

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Dr. Rupa Iyer, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development 8

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Leading Research and Innovation to Spur Economic Development By Harry Battson

Opportunity to cultivate an entrepreneurial ecosystem to enhance research scholarship and regional partnerships was the big lure for Dr. Rupa Iyer to become Tarleton’s first Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development. “I really have three charges,” says the former Founding Director of Biotechnology Programs and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Houston’s College of Technology. “It’s an opportunity to expand the university’s research efforts, integrate that new knowledge into applications in the field, and then bring in different stakeholders to use these improvements to become more economically competitive.” After joining Tarleton in February, the new vice president spent her first six months in “listen and learn” mode. “It’s important to find out what the faculty, their deans and our students think are the areas where we can make important contributions, what our strengths are.” She faced a similar task at the University of Houston, where she developed a biotechnology degree that now boasts more than 600 majors and disseminates its undergraduate research component at five institutions nationally. As a director of the Center for Life Sciences Technology, she created an innovation space where the university and industry connect and students provide talent while learning new skills.

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That’s the model she plans for Tarleton State: exploring opportunities, from broadband access to healthcare to agriculture, where university expertise can solve problems in industry. As a start, the university committed seed funding this summer for 60 faculty, which produced 55 research proposals. Now those proposals must be developed so they can attract federal dollars to conduct sponsored research and scholarly activities. Dr. Iyer, a former program director with the National Science Foundation, also will help create a research and innovation park where faculty and students will partner with community enterprises. “In this area, I’m more like an entrepreneur,” she said. “We have to take our strengths and enhance opportunities for faculty, students and staff to engage with the public, industry and the government beyond their disciplines. “We have to break down silos inside the university as well as form outside collaborations. If our faculty can work across disciplines in teams, we can use such convergent approaches to address complex problems from multiple perspectives. Scientists, social scientists and other stakeholders can combine their talents to best compete for external funding.”

RURAL

COMMUNICATION INSTITUTE Institute for

CRIMINAL JUSTICE LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC POLICY

Some faculty already are doing this. The College of Health Sciences and Human Services, the Department of Mathematics and the Tarleton Analytics Institute, for example, have combined to work on issues related to healthcare disparities. The Fort Worth campus offers a rare opportunity, Dr. Iyer said, to expand Tarleton’s research footprint and involve diverse student populations, both rural and urban (“a very strong area of community engagement for us”). She sees additional opportunities in Fort Worth for collaborations in areas such as health sciences, cybersecurity and technology. Dr. Iyer’s NSF experience positioned her to observe partnerships as they developed across the country. She can call on that background in assessing Tarleton’s initiatives. “We’re seeing much more integration of different disciplines, such as engineering with biology and computer sciences. Our presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth market will provide our students with access to innovative learning and research opportunities in a wealth of industries. Our strategic partnerships will help our students gain 21st-century skills and prepare them in the workforce as next-generation innovators while contributing to industry success and economic development.”

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The first priority is to invest in faculty efforts to mentor student research and enhance research productivity, then identify and build strategic partnerships. The goal is to be active in a regional ecosystem that supports innovation-based 10

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economic development. Dr. Iyer sees Tarleton as a strong Research II institution, an impressive national classification of proficiency. Dr. Iyer has a powerful background in research and innovation. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in her native India, she pursued a doctorate in botany and plant pathology at Michigan State University. She did postgraduate research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The Gulf Coast/Houston chapter of the Association for Women in Science gave her its Outstanding Women in Science Award in 2020. At UH she won the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014, the Summer Undergraduate Research Mentor Award in 2013 and a Distinguished Leadership in Teaching award in 2017, when she also was the university’s nominee for the state’s top teaching honor, the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award. At the University of Houston she generated millions of dollars in state and federal funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to develop research and education programs and to design laboratories. She authored over 50 research papers. She invented an approach to integrating classroom instruction and research at Houston that has become a national model. She wants to bring the same approach to Tarleton. “As we find success in transferring our research into useful and relevant applications for society, we will spur economic development in the region through job creation and increased prosperity.”

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Such success should enable students to apply their classroom instruction to research and then industry to improve products. “As we engage students, we will improve their critical thinking skills, and the involvement of teams across disciplines will enhance their understanding of how different perspectives can produce innovations.” This will make Tarleton students more regionally, nationally and globally competitive, Dr. Iyer believes. “We have a lot of excitement as our faculty see these opportunities and as we begin to identify potential collaborating partners. The potential for knowledge generation is open ended, and the potential impact on the community and the region is incredible. “Now faculty are thinking outside the box and coming to me to pitch their ideas. We’re building trust, and that’s a very good beginning.” TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

ESPRIT DE CORPS

Longtime Tarleton Supporters Acquire WWI Cannon for Campus By Phil Riddle

Texan football games and other ceremonial events now feature a fully operational cannon with a historically significant name. Donated by university benefactors Mark and Suzie McKenzie, it replaces a working artillery piece that had been on loan from Texas A&M University.

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“This gift from our longtime friends celebrates the university’s military heritage and symbolizes our deep appreciation for veterans,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “It embraces many of Tarleton’s longstanding traditions. I am extremely grateful to Mark and Suzie for their generosity.” The 1905 three-inch field gun was unveiled on campus late last spring. It is the same model engraved on Tarleton’s class ring. “We’re now going to have our own cannon and crew,” retired U.S. Air Force Col. Kenny Weldon, then the Texan Corps of Cadets Commandant and Dean of the Leadership and Military College, said at the time. He has since retired from the university. “It’s a reflection of the excitement surrounding the Corps of Cadets and the military heritage of Tarleton. We owe gratitude to the McKenzies and to the entire Tarleton family for rallying behind the idea.” The McKenzies created the Focused Post Acute Care Partners Scholarship to support Tarleton kinesiology students, and they were presenting sponsors of the university’s 2020 gala. They are lifetime members of the Tarleton Alumni Association and Championship-level members of the Texan Club. They have financially supported a number of university projects. Mark, an alumnus, is a Tarleton State University Foundation board member. And, now, a big cannon fan.

Caring for the new acquisition will be a group from the Corps of Cadets, “Rudder’s Riders,” led this year by Cadet Easton Cox. Once the cannon was located and bought by the McKenzies, another benefactor, Dave Shelton of Western Dairy Transport, donated the logistical support to bring it home. The new gun is named Doc’s Revival, in honor of Tarleton manual arts instructor E.A. “Doc” Blanchard, who had a hand in repairing the old cannon after an infamous attempted theft. That World War I-era artillery piece is no longer operational. A campus landmark since 1922, it sits in front of the E.J. Howell Education Building. It arrived at Tarleton for ROTC training and was fired during celebrations and special events until World War II began. It was stolen in 1928 during the week of the football game with Tarleton and archrival North Texas Agricultural College. NTAC students had regularly attempted to vandalize the cannon but decided this time to haul it back to their Arlington campus. Except the cannon proved difficult to tow, and the bandits aborted their plan and dumped it in the Bosque River outside Stephenville. Blanchard used a tractor to tow the artillery piece back to campus and then repaired its broken wheels.

Designed to be pulled by a team of horses, Tarleton’s latest cannon is a model of those used in World War I. Some saw duty with Gen. John J. Pershing in the Mexican expedition.

Recounting Tarleton’s wish for a fully operational cannon, Col. Weldon said the search ended with a collector in Montana telling him about someone in Michigan who had the desired model.

The artillery pieces eventually became training assets that the U.S. Army pushed all across the country. Only 441 were built; Tarleton has No. 382.

When Col. Weldon mentioned his find to Mark McKenzie at a Texan football game, Mark said, “We’ve got to get that cannon.”

“We were also able to purchase a caisson (the wagon that carries the ordnance), giving us a matched set,” Col. Weldon said. “The caisson is in pristine condition.”

And that they did.

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Texan Corps of Cadets, university benefactors (including Mark McKenzie, second from right) and Tarleton leaders welcome the arrival of the school’s new cannon.

LITTLETON LEGACY Visionary Couple Go Big with Two Endowments to Aid Students By Harry Battson

When two professors spend 60 years combined on the Tarleton faculty and retire with emeriti status, you might expect they’d want to continue making a difference. Drs. Pam and Mark Littleton certainly do. Pam spent 33 years teaching in the Department of Mathematics with an emphasis on preparing future teachers. Mark spent 27 years in the College of Education and Human Development. It just felt right: Create an endowment to support math students who want to be educators. It will provide funds to host guest lecturers, help students attend conferences and provide stipends for research as preparation for becoming teachers. With the academic side in hand, the Littletons pivoted to athletics, endowing a scholarship for members of the Texan volleyball team, for whom Mark and Pam have become almost surrogate grandparents.

Drs. Pam and Mark Littleton

Their devotion to volleyball began when daughter Tiffany became a Texan mascot, which led to a friendship with Mary Schindler, now in her 17th season as head coach. Schindler guided the team to a winning season its first year in the Division I Western Athletic Conference after producing six straight 20-win, national tournament teams in Division II. The Littletons recently returned from trips to Florida and California to cheer the team. “We’ve developed a bond with

the coach and the girls,” Mark said.

consulted the clearinghouse for techniques and ideas.

With two of their three daughters Tarleton graduates, the Littletons have experienced the university from multiple perspectives. Tiffany Littleton Overton (’05) earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, while Stephanie Savins (’98) received hers in biology. Rebecca Henley attended Texas Tech and then graduated from Southern Methodist University’s law school.

Mark also helped develop Tarleton’s first doctoral program, the EdD in educational leadership. That put him in contact with superintendents and principals from many school districts, “some really incredibly brilliant people.”

Pam and Mark both left an academic legacy at Tarleton. Pam in 2010 was named a Texas A&M University System Regents Professor — the highest honor awarded to faculty members. Established in 1996, the award recognizes faculty who have made “exemplary contributions.” Pam takes pride in being the first female Tarleton professor to win the honor as well as the university’s first female full professor in mathematics. Her accolades are extensive, including receiving the O.A. Grant Teaching Award and being named a University Teaching Mentor and a President’s Teaching Fellow. When she began at Tarleton, she was the only faculty member focused on mathematics education. Now there are six. She’s pleased that the department recently recruited an outstanding mathematics education professor and that a team has developed to prepare students to teach math. More than a decade ago, Pam won a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to work with math teachers to improve service, professional development, research and teaching. Through that grant, she said, Tarleton tripled its number of certified middle school math teachers. Pam recognized that prospective teachers need to “work with the kids, so they know if they really want to teach junior high or high school.” They also should incorporate the latest research into their own methods and be alert to service opportunities, such as holding a family math night. The Pam and Mark Littleton Enrichment Endowment for the Advancement of Mathematics will fund opportunities for students to increase their hands-on educational experiences. “A scholarship may help one student a year, but this will affect a lot of our students,” Pam said. “Everyone should have these kinds of experiences as they prepare for their career.” Mark, too, has had a major impact on academic initiatives. Working with local architects Huckabee & Associates, he wrote a three-year $2.8 million federal grant to establish a clearinghouse for best practices in school facilities construction. School systems across the nation have

“The clearinghouse meshed well with the doctoral program,” he said. “We’ve been involved in some exciting things all over the place, from large districts in the Metroplex to smaller schools in rural areas.” The Littletons hope alumni will look for ways to assist Tarleton. “It’s not always about money,” Mark said. “It’s also about time.” Pam added: “You can provide internships, shadowing opportunities, mentoring. Students often don’t know if they really want the career they’re aimed at, and you might provide the personal experience that helps them decide.” She remembers a student who wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon until she shadowed one. Then she told Pam, “That’s not for me.” Both Pam and Mark were first-generation college students who found learning so stimulating that they earned doctorates and crafted successful careers in higher education. Now through their Tarleton endowments, they can “give forward.” “No one has an education career without the help of others,” Mark said, “whether it’s personal support or monetary.” The Littletons will continue adding to both endowments. “We want to grow them long term, with about half the money we have in our retirement accounts eventually going into the two endowments,” Mark explained. “Tarleton has a good thing going. It’s a heck of a place to go to school, where you can make your own mark. I hope that alumni will take their interests and help the university grow and develop, similar to what we’re doing. “You know, we want people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but first you’ve got to get the boots from someone.” The Littleton endowments will help students struggling to get those boots.

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ALUMNI LIFE

FAMILY MATTERS Alumnus Follows Five Siblings to Tarleton Degree By Phil Riddle

All six of the Herrera children graduated from Tarleton. They are, from left, Gerardo, Basty, Elizabeth, Jose, Martin and Miguel.

Just a short conversation with Martin Herrera Jr., and it’s abundantly clear: Family means the world to him. Martin is the youngest of six children, all of whom earned degrees at Tarleton.

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Gerardo got his bachelor’s in accounting, while Elizabeth majored in criminal justice. Miguel has a degree in computer science, Basty went through the nursing program, and Jose holds both bachelor’s and master’s biology degrees. “He went back while I was in school,” Martin said of Jose. “It made it pretty easy to catch a ride to school.” The Herreras have lived in the Proctor-Stephenville area since 2003, the year they migrated to the United States. Martin went to Comanche High School, but part of his childhood was spent in Mexico. After five siblings had already collected their diplomas, higher education was an easy choice for the baby of the family. He would become its sixth first-generation college student, graduating in December 2019 with a criminal justice degree.

kind of generational wealth for the family.” Martin Sr. has three decades of experience in construction, and Martin Jr. has been around the business seven or eight years. And what do the Herreras build? The younger Martin has a quick list at the ready: “Dairies, commodity barns, free stalls, pretty much anything that has to do with dairies, as far as structural concrete or steel.” This year, add custom homes. MH Construction Services, LLC opened in March 2020, just as the pandemic began raging. “It was pretty difficult in the beginning, but fortunately, with my father’s experience and reputation, we were able to make it work.” Even though occupied by a thriving business, Martin Jr. still has a passion for his college major — criminal justice. He hopes to one day become a state trooper.

“It was a bit of pressure as the last one going to college,” he admitted, and the pressure extended to finances. “Our parents didn’t have the funds to send six kids through college, so we all had to find jobs to be able to afford it. “The first thing I did out of high school was start a small landscaping business. I did that all through my college years. I think I was pretty successful. I was able to afford college, pay for books and everything I needed.” Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Kelli Styron remembers the first time she met Martin. “At the end of the first day of my criminal justice class he walked up and introduced himself to me,” she said. “He gave me his card for his landscaping business. It’s that kind of initiative that has helped him and his family be so successful.

“The greatest memories I have of Tarleton are discussions in class about what laws need to be implemented and how they would affect our communities. It made me feel like I was part of a bigger idea. I’m friends with several law enforcement officers in the area, and it’s still something I want to accomplish.” Martin Herrera Jr. shows off his diploma at Tarleton’s east gates following his graduation in 2019 with a degree in criminal justice.

He praises the Tarleton classroom experience with giving him the drive to keep meeting new goals.

“Life as a student at Tarleton was pretty neat. The professors made me feel like they cared about me. I know I had a couple of conversations with professors about leaving classes early to take care of my landscaping customers, then coming back to school. They helped make it possible for me to graduate.” While Tarleton played a big role in his post-collegiate success, Martin hands the bulk of the credit to his parents.

“The Herrera family work ethic and professionalism are to be greatly admired. Graduates like the first-generation Herrera students are something all of Tarleton can be proud of. What a family.”

“My parents were there for me. I had some difficulties when I started my business. They gave me a hand when I needed it. It’s important to give them credit for being what I am today.”

After graduation, Martin, his father and brothers made a decision with implications for all. “We always wanted to start our own company,” Martin said, “to try to create some

It really is all about family.

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OCTOBER 17-23, 2021 Two Homecomings are Better than One Students and alumni were assured a “new, tremendous” kind of celebration in spring 2021 to coincide with Tarleton’s pandemic-altered football season, and a second, equally memorable, occasion come fall. Double the fun. Twice the excitement. And, as it turns out, dual victories over Midwestern State. Purple Pancakes, Yell Contest, Snake Dance, Beating of the Drum, L.V. Risinger Bonfire and the J. Dixon White Golf Tournament all took place this spring when Tarleton played its first football game as an NCAA Division I institution, beating rival Midwestern 33-21. Other traditions — Lighting of the Smokestack, Silver Bugle Hunt, Launching of the Ducks and Purple Out Picnic — happened as part of Texan Spirit Week in fall 2020. Everything was repeated this October for Homecoming at the traditional time. Fans couldn’t have asked for a more thrilling win (17-14) over the Mustangs, filling Memorial Stadium more than 16,000 strong and setting an all-time-high attendance record. Even more electric: The game ball came from above, parachuted in by retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Dana Bowman, who lost his legs in an accident at the annual Golden Knights training in 1994.

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For a recap of Homecoming 2021, visit

trltn.info/HOCO21

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FAC U LT Y P R O F I L E

kinesiology lab named in honor of

dr. steve simpson By Phil Riddle

On Steve Simpson’s first day at Tarleton, Ronald Reagan was president of the United States, Tom Landry was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and Prince had just released “Purple Rain.” After 37 years and teaching an untold number of students, Dr. Simpson's commitment to the School of Kinesiology was recognized as part of fall Homecoming activities with the naming of a lab in his honor.

University friends and family celebrate the ribbon cutting for a kinesiology lab named in honor of Dr. Steve Simpson.

“It’s a blessing and an honor to serve at Tarleton State University,” he said. “When I came on this campus it immediately felt like home and we never looked anywhere else.” Dr. Simpson earned bachelor’s degrees in health, physical education and English from Hardin-Simmons University. He took his master’s in health and physical education from East Texas State University and his doctoral degree, also from ETSU, in health, physical education and recreation. A member of the faculty since 1984, he has received Tarleton’s highest academic honors — the O.A. Grant Excellence in Teaching Award, the Barry B. Thompson Service Award, the Engaged Faculty Award and the Jack and Louise Arthur Teaching Excellence Award.

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Former student Elecia Leal is an athletic trainer in China. Dr. Simpson recruited her to join his program as a freshman. She made a virtual appearance at the naming ceremony. “He was the head athletic trainer my freshman year, 1985, and was looking for students to join his program. I politely declined and continued to work with the basketball team. Steve continued to ask me to join, so my sophomore year I told him I would attend a meeting and see if I liked it or not. “All I can say is thank God for creating Steve Simpson and for making him so persistent. I would not be the athletic trainer that I am today if it wasn’t for his perseverance, teaching, knowledge, expertise, mentorship, character and, most importantly, his friendship.”

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FAC U LT Y P R O F I L E

The National Athletic Trainers Association named Dr. Simpson the Division II Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2009. He received the Frank Medina Award and the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award from the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association and is in the organization’s Hall of Fame. “Think about the legacy he’s had in physical training,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “Dr. Simpson embodies what we want to see in our faculty. That’s educational excellence. That’s academic excellence for his entire career. “Not only are we recognizing him here, he was an A&M University System Regents Professor. He has given us so many hours, days, weeks, months and years. He is dedicated to making Tarleton State University a better place.” Dr. Simpson’s research has resulted in 26 published articles and 40 scholarly presentations, including “Social and Moral Character of College Athletes: Is There a Difference?” for the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in 2017. “Steve elevated the Tarleton State athletic training program to the highest level of the profession,” Elecia said. “They say that our lives are a reflection of what we see. I can only hope that mine is half the reflection of Steve Simpson. He certainly deserves an athletic training education lab to be named after his outstanding legacy at Tarleton.” Dr. Simpson created Tarleton’s undergraduate sports medicine/athletic training licensure program and was its director for 30 years. He led two study abroad courses, taking kinesiology students to Scotland in 2015 and athletic training students to Argentina in 2019. “My favorite part has been the people,” he said, “seeing and working with the students, getting texts from alumni, and all the connections with the kids over the years. I very much appreciate the alumni that are responsible for initiating this great honor. “It has been an honor to serve the School of Kinesiology, Tarleton State University and The Texas A&M University System. My colleagues have always been supportive, and I have been blessed with great mentors.” For more information about the Steve Simpson lab naming, visit

trltn.info/Simpson

Dr. Steve Simpson TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

ALUMNI PROFILE

Changing Plans Diverse Projects Keep Rambling Redhead on the Go By Phil Riddle

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Jennifer Todryk, host of HGTV’s “No Demo Reno” FALL/WINTER 2021

ALUMNI PROFILE

Jennifer Todryk graduated in 2009 with big plans for her fashion merchandising degree. Growing up in Burleson, she chose Tarleton because it was close to home. Then the job for which she studied took her all the way to the Big Apple. “Literally the day after graduation, my mom and I went on an airplane to New York City,” she said. “I was an intern at Marie Claire magazine and lived there a few months. I thought I wanted to do editorial work for fashion magazines. I found out quickly that I did not want to do that.”

yet. I don’t even have to stew on ideas. I take a phone call, give it a couple of hours, and I just know what I need to do.” A homebody by nature, she credits Mike for many of their business decisions. “He’s the reason I started my blog,” she said. “Which is why I’m here. He gets a lot of the credit for pushing me to do things. I love doing them, but he definitely made me more entrepreneurial. “I would be completely fine not leaving my house for a month. He’ll say, ‘You have to give this a try. It will be 100 percent amazing.’ ”

That realization proved fortuitous. Jennifer pivoted to become The Rambling Redhead, social media content creator. She wrote a book, W(h)ine: 50 Perfect Wines to Pair with Your Child’s Rotten Behavior, and recently became host of HGTV’s “No Demo Reno,” in which she transforms homes without massive demolition.

A member of Delta Zeta sorority at Tarleton, Jennifer also was invited to join an honors fraternity as a high-achieving student. (She graduated with a 3.7 GPA.) “I never really thought I would be an honor student. But when I got to college and started taking classes in my major, I just loved it and started making a lot of A's.”

She and her husband, Mike, still North Texas residents, also own a coffee shop and a brewery.

Lessons learned at Tarleton have helped as she maneuvers through life. “College is so beneficial in so many ways,” she said. “It helps you learn to navigate and take care of yourself.”

What triggers her career moves? It’s simple. “Whatever makes sense for me, for my brand and my family. Whatever presents itself and I feel like I’m being led to do it. God has blessed me with a gut that has not steered me wrong

After several years in the media spotlight, she has accepted her celebrity and being recognized. “I love meeting people out in public. They are the reason I am where I am. I’m so grateful and feel so blessed. It’s amazing. It has given me so much support to help me through hard times.” As Season 2 of “No Demo Reno” ramps up, the adventures keep coming for Jennifer, Mike and their kids, Von, Berkley and Vivienne. “I would love to have a home decor line,” she said. “I think that’s my end-all dream. We’re actually taking steps to make that happen.” She still has big plans. All of them close to home.

The Todryk family: Jennifer, husband Mike, Von, Berkley and Vivienne

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DONOR PROFILE

debbie garrison Roping Friends for Tarleton By Harry Battson

Debbie Garrison, left, and Betty Sue Fraser Cook, also a Tarleton alumna, compete in the 2013 U.S. Team Roping Championship.

“When you leave Tarleton, you never really do,” says alumna Debbie Johnston Garrison. “That phrase ‘bleed purple’ sticks with us.” Inducted into the Tarleton Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2016, Debbie continues to count among her best friends those she met at Tarleton. “I recently went to Ruidoso for the All American Futurity time trials — a group of us go every year, and the majority of us started together at Tarleton. Our roots stay really tight.” And the roots are extensive. At the Ruidoso event, her group ran into other Tarleton rodeo alums.

The gymnastics team received some support from Tarleton but had to raise its own travel money. “People in town would bring their children out and we’d teach them on the trampoline and gymnastics, and the money the parents paid enabled us to cover most of our expenses,” Debbie recalls. “We did pretty well, too, for a small program. We qualified for the state meet in El Paso, placing top five among the colleges in our class.”

Attending Tarleton in the early 1970s, Debbie’s involvements included the gymnastics team and being head cheerleader. Both led to rodeo.

Since she had been both on the rodeo team and a cheerleader at Mineral Wells High School, Tarleton rodeo friends urged her to go out for cheerleading. “I thought, ‘Oh, no, just one more thing on my plate,’ but then I decided it might be fun.”

As a freshman physical education major (switched later to business), she was in the gym doing cartwheels and flips when gymnastics coach Jymmye Lowrance asked her to join. “She talked me into it, and I spent two years on the team with a fun group of girls.”

At the tryouts, rodeo team members cheered her on. “I think that was a large part of my getting selected,” Debbie said with a laugh. The cheerleaders then voted her head cheerleader. “Either they thought I would be good, or no one else wanted to do it — I never have been sure.”

The rodeo connection: Jymmye’s husband was a calf roper, and Martha Thompkins Jordan — NIRA Championship women’s team member — was competition judge. Debbie was secretly more excited about meeting Martha Jordan than winning gymnastics meets.

The experience led to more lifelong friendships. “That’s the thing about Tarleton. There’s no single thing that stands out as my favorite memory because the whole thing was such a constant, wonderful experience.”

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DONOR PROFILE Debbie’s first riding experience came when her grandfather and uncle put her on the back of a mule after a hard day’s plowing. “I was instantly attracted to mules, and at the end of each day when they unhitched the harness, I would ride back to the barn.” When her stepfather was stationed at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells, the base had a stable. Debbie saw a fellow third-grader’s “show and tell” horse trophy, and the two became fast friends. “I began hanging around, and her father offered to teach me how to ride if I rented a horse from the stable,” she remembers. “You could rent one for 50 cents an hour, so once a week I’d get a free lesson, and that’s how I learned to ride.”

Debbie takes pride in the fact that Tarleton continues to excel in rodeo, with many team members advancing to the pros and doing well there. Her own professional rodeo career didn’t begin until long after leaving Tarleton and marrying Walt Garrison, who was active in rodeo during and after his storied time with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Crowned Miss Rodeo America in 1979, she met Walt on the rodeo circuit. After they married, a former Miss Rodeo America, Pam Minick, said Debbie needed to start team roping. She found it fun but challenging to learn at age 35. Challenging, but quite doable.

Riding hunters and jumpers and learning Western events, Debbie advanced to join the strong high school rodeo team, competing in barrel racing, goat tying and pole bending. She even attempted bull riding and bareback riding. “You could get team points at some events in those competitions, so I got talked into that. I was young and dumb. I’ll tell you, I was extremely sore after some of those bareback rides. The bulls weren’t as bad, but when you came off the horses, you’d get slammed.” Call it fate or divine providence, but Tarleton Rodeo Hall of Famer Angie Watts Averhoff chose Mineral Wells High School to do her student teaching during Debbie’s sophomore year.

Joining the Professional Women’s Rodeo Association, she qualified for the national finals 15 times in team roping, winning Team Roping Rookie of the Year in 1990. Twice she took the Team Roping Average (1993 and 1996) and Reserve World Champion Team Roping Header (1991 and 1998). She was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame (1999), the Cowboy Capital Walk of Fame (2000) and the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame (2017). Mineral Wells didn’t forget Debbie, either, inducting her into its Athletic Hall of Fame (2003). Through the years, her heart never left her university. In the early 2000s she roped Walt into making a financial commitment toward a new rodeo teaching and training facility. “What really motivated me was that whatever we donated, the A&M System would match, so that was a huge boost for Tarleton.”

Debbie Garrison was selected Miss Rodeo America in 1979.

“All of us rodeo kids knew who she was because the Tarleton women’s rodeo team had just made history by winning its third straight NIRA championship. Needless to say, we were all star-struck having Angie Averhoff as our teacher. “My high school rodeo career was good, but Tarleton was a whole different level. It had a much greater impact on me, from the competition to the friendships.” Coming from a small town, going to a university was a big step. “Walking into Tarleton, there was such a warmth and openness,” Debbie said. “Dr. (W.O.) Trogdon was President then, and he was so embracing of students and involved in the activities, and that has continued through the years with Presidents (Dennis) McCabe and (Dominic) Dottavio and now President James Hurley. They all have been kind and generous in allowing students the opportunities to experience new things, to try things out.”

Debbie also has served on the Tarleton Foundation Board of Directors and was named Outstanding Young Alumna and inducted into the Tarleton Spurs Honor Roll. She remains an enthusiastic Tarleton advocate, particularly for the rodeo team. “You know, the gates are always open,” she reminds her fellow alumni. “Anyone who wants to stay involved and help out, in whatever way you want, Tarleton’s always there. Find a way to help our students — you were one, too. “And bring your friends!”

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Investing in Today’s Students for Future Success

“We believe, that is, you and I, that education is not an expense. We believe it is an investment.” — LY N D O N B . J O H N S O N

A founding member of The Texas A&M University System, Tarleton State University transforms generations by inspiring discovery, leadership and inclusion through educational excellence.

ENDLESS

POSSIBILITIES

Astronauts, athletes, politicians, medical experts, entrepreneurs, educators, celebrities. All have graduated from Tarleton State University.

They conduct biomedical experiments in space, scale vertical cliffs to secure U.S. military victories, educate future generations, play professional ball, star in movies and represent Texas at the nation’s capital. Their possibilities are endless. Their impact is infinite. Your help is invaluable.

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The spirit that inspired a farmer and rancher to start a college in 1899 is the same spirit that propels Tarleton State University today. Our founder dreamed of a school that prioritized education over the ability to pay for it. He envisioned an institution responsive to regional challenges, where everyone is welcomed. John Tarleton’s dream is playing out in grand style. Hands-on learning and faculty-led research extend well beyond the classroom into hospitals and medical laboratories, farms and ranches to prepare Tarleton Texans for today’s workplace and markets yet imagined. From water quality to data analytics, professors and students are incubating technologies, accelerating discovery and creating robust partnerships that improve the quality of life in North Central Texas and around the globe. Collaborations with two-year Distinguished College Partners and regional Distinguished High School Partners deepen the university’s commitment to educational attainment and affordability, offering guaranteed scholarships for qualified students. Additionally, the Tarleton Promise provides tuition, fees, books, and room and board to students who exhaust federal and state financial aid. While a move to NCAA Division I as the ninth full-time member of the Western Athletic Conference is increasing national recognition for student-athletes and academic endeavors, Tarleton’s storied rodeo program continues to tally national team titles and produce individual College National Finals Rodeo champions, making the university a top pick for many cowgirls and cowboys. Performing arts and communication majors are moving from the college stage to center stage with fulfilling careers in theater, tourism and news, while education and business graduates redefine America as teachers and entrepreneurs. Whether just down the street or from halfway around the world, students call Tarleton State University home. From the moment they arrive, they know they’re part of something big — a family that learns together, works together and serves together. Family today and long after graduation. Tarleton is on the move. Our family is growing. Our reputation is strengthening. But much work remains. Our hope is that every graduate, every parent and every university friend will help advance John Tarleton’s dream. Although the school receives state funding, we rely on private support to fully develop academic and athletic programs, attract promising students and faculty, provide scholarships, advance research and innovation, and construct and update campus facilities. Regardless of how or when you give, you ensure Tarleton’s ability to uplift future Texans, empowering them to achieve their own dreams and transforming them into leaders.

Earning a university degree is life altering for students, their families and those they impact. Regardless of their background, Tarleton Texans with the drive to succeed harness the stars and uphold the common good.

WHO KNOWS THE PLACES THEY’LL GO? Like the young man who showed up in 1927 with less than $100 in his pocket and most of what he owned in a cardboard suitcase. He became a star athlete, a coach, a U.S. Army hero, a respected state elected official and eventually chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. Today a life-sized bronze of Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder stands at the heart of Tarleton’s Stephenville campus. Or like the young woman who wanted to be a teacher so badly that she commuted an hour each way to take classes. She wanted a quality education at a school that embraced her culture and made her feel valued. Krisol Villa Flores came to the United States eight years ago, not knowing English but determined to succeed. Today she’s a first- and second-grade bilingual teacher in the Waco Independent School District.

When you give to Tarleton, you do more than support a world-class university. You push the boundaries of what’s possible.

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STRENGTHEN STUDENT EXCELLENCE

Helping every Tarleton Texan reach full potential

At Tarleton, exceptionally bright minds pursue the unknowns, the what-ifs and the never-been-dones. Your philanthropic support ensures their success while they’re here and long after they graduate. From the beginning, Tarleton has represented endless possibilities for students of modest means, and we’re still creating opportunity. John Tarleton’s commitment to affordability and student success commands everything we do. More than half of Tarleton Texans are first generation with no family tradition of seeking a university degree. Others are legacy students following in the footsteps of their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents as proud defenders of the purple and white. Some graduate from the only high school in their rural county, and some transfer from large urban community college districts. No matter their background, they come to Tarleton with one goal — to secure a bright future for them, their families and their communities. Tarleton students are a diverse group (almost 40 percent report an ethnicity other than white) from all parts of Texas, 43 states and almost three dozen countries. Nearly 80 percent receive some form of financial assistance, and about 40 percent are Pell Grant eligible. And they love the university — its people, its traditions, its commitment to student triumphs in and out of the classroom. Our students are driven to succeed, and when state and federal financial aid falls short, many obtain student loans or work a job, sometimes two, which diverts attention from their education and can suffocate them under a mountain of debt. Increasing support is critical to keeping them in the state and in the game. When we educate students in Texas, they stay in Texas. The social and economic health of our state depends on the broad-based educational empowerment that only a place like Tarleton can provide. That’s the way John Tarleton saw it. It’s the way we see it, too. Our founder recognized that victory isn’t counted in dollars but in the difference you make in people’s lives. That’s why he invested his life savings to place a high-quality university education within reach of all students. It’s why Tarleton’s benefactors choose to give to the university they love through myriad avenues, going all in to improve quality of life today and for generations to come.

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FROM SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT TO ATTORNEY When Scott Summy received the Dick Smith Scholarship as a political science freshman, he knew he wanted to pay it forward some day. The Dallas attorney and his wife, Lenna, established the Scott Summy Pre-Law Scholarship Endowment to provide a permanent source of support for Tarleton legal studies students.

ACHIEVING THEIR DREAMS Valeria Muñoz has a special connection to the Tarleton family. She and her three sisters all came to Tarleton as first-generation students seeking opportunity through education. What they did not expect was just how much Tarleton would help them achieve their dreams. All four of the sisters received scholarships, and Valeria, a 2019 graduate, credits the funding as a main reason for her success. Scholarships came rolling in her sophomore year, helping relieve the financial burden for her family. They also led to resources that helped secure her goals. Resources that included three study abroad trips, a laptop and course materials as well as tuition and fees.

Scott graduated in 1986 and earned his juris doctorate four years later from the Texas Tech University School of Law. Nationally and reverentially known as “The Water Lawyer,” he has successfully represented thousands of individuals and public entities against corporate giants responsible for environmental contamination.

“I was able to graduate and go on to earn a second degree,” Valeria says in thanks to donors. “The contribution to my education really made the difference.”

“Our gift is a tribute to the huge role Tarleton has played in my success as an attorney,” he says. “It’s our way to help students pursue their dream of a university education.”

The former first-generation college student now helps others navigate higher education as a financial aid outreach coordinator.

Valeria parlayed her Tarleton degrees into a full-time position with her alma mater.

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ENHANCE

THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Our vision for the future stretches far beyond the horizon

From mitigating watershed issues caused by Gulf Coast hurricanes to improving communication in rural communities to playing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Tarleton faculty are at the forefront of invention and inspiration, encouraging students to go farther than they think possible and establishing the university as an educational powerhouse. Tarleton faculty move ideas from mere vision to proof of concept. They treat our students like they are just as capable — and just as deserving — as those at Ivy League schools. They promote thought-provoking dialogue and provide transformational hands-on learning to prepare Tarleton Texans for the great next step. Philanthropic support to recruit distinguished faculty and promote student-faculty interaction sustains Tarleton’s reputation for academic rigor and student development. Your gifts help Tarleton faculty thrive in their teaching, research and creative work so that Tarleton graduates can meet career goals and raise their quality of life. Our distinguished professors and skilled student researchers are reshaping what we know about everything from racial profiling to grassland revitalization to pain control. They’re reaching beyond the university to create a regional vortex of excellence. They’re using big data to fight cybercrime, study healthcare fraud and combat political gerrymandering. A psychological sciences team is exploring cannabis use by humans while an equine science group sorts facts from fiction to quantify how CBD affects inflammation and negative behavior in horses. Our researchers are probing chemotherapy delivery systems, gender-based violence, dairy cow nutrition, rural communication and healthcare, bioenergy recovery, social media, chronic stress in law enforcement, brain cell death after a heart attack, biodiversity, child development, mental health, pollinators and food production, disaster epidemiology and white-nose syndrome in bats. With your help, more discoveries await to impact the greater good. That’s because your support matches the determination, talent and relentless spirit we’ve had from the beginning. Together, we can go far and do much. 32

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RETHINKING WATER TREATMENT, DRUG DELIVERY Tarleton’s inaugural Burnaby Munson Distinguished Research Professor in Chemistry and a team of student researchers are exploring the use of polysaccharides in food-grade materials to treat water and wastewater. Green polymers could also prove an effective drug delivery system in chemo and gene therapies.

S.T.E.M. LEARNING HITS THE ROAD Thanks to a Mobile Discovery Lab, under-served school students and preservice educators in North Central Texas are getting a hands-on education in science, technology, engineering and math. The traveling STEM center features a custom-fitted learning lab and activity stations that enable students and teachers to explore and solve real-world challenges.

Private support along with grants of more than $250,000 from the Texas Pioneer Foundation make the lab possible. The interior buildout is the work of agricultural mechanics grad students.

Already Dr. Rajani Srinivasan has patented her work to use materials like tamarind and fenugreek seeds, psyllium husks, okra fruits, cactus cladodes and aloe vera leaves to separate solids, pollutants and pathogens from contaminated water and wastewater. Environmentally safe and biodegradable, these cost-effective materials generate byproducts that can be used for other applications, including animal feed. Dr. Srinivasan sees her work as vital to improve quality of life and train the scientists who will advance her discoveries. She says: “Mentoring students while addressing critical and complex global challenges is the height of accomplishment for any academic researcher.”

“It’s like a field trip in a parking lot,” says Dr. Lesley Leach, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development in Tarleton’s Center for Educational Excellence. “We’re providing educational experiences to students who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity.” Fred Markham, Executive Director of the foundation, applauds Tarleton’s commitment to educational opportunity and access. “Tarleton is shaping the future of Texas and transforming young lives for a promising tomorrow. We want to be part of that.” “So many students in rural areas don’t realize the value of a university degree or see themselves in life-changing careers,” Dr. Leach says. “The Mobile Discovery Lab lets them envision a bright future where they are the stars and all the world awaits their arrival.”

The world is taking notice.

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ELEVATE

OUR INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE July 1, 2020, marked the start of an era

Tarleton State University moved to NCAA Division I as the ninth full-time member of the Western Athletic Conference, increasing national recognition for student-athletes and academic programs alike. The move extends the university’s geographic reach, supports enrollment growth, boosts the value of a Tarleton degree, improves diversity, expands partnership opportunities and aligns with the university’s goal to be the premier comprehensive regional institution in the nation. In the classroom and on the playing field, Tarleton is a talent magnet for the brightest minds and most gifted student-athletes. Not to mention deeply accomplished faculty, tirelessly supportive staff and highly recognized coaches. D-I is a game-changer for Tarleton student-athletes, leading to increased scholarship opportunities and greater possibilities for signing with professional teams, along with state-of-the-art training facilities and accelerated competition. With change on the horizon, we started preparing for the boundless possibilities that come with being a D-I institution long before summer 2020. A $24.6 million renovation and west side expansion of Memorial Stadium was completed in 2019, welcoming a fired-up Texan nation passionate about maybe making a move to Division I. More than just a better place to play football or run track, the stadium is a testament to Tarleton’s commitment to provide the best student experience possible — in and out of the classroom. Wisdom Gym got a facelift, and both fields in the Cecil Ballow Baseball and Softball complexes were transformed with state-of-the-art turf, new fencing and LED lighting to meet Division I standards. Tarleton’s new rodeo digs saw improvements, too. Additional bleachers ensure fans have more space to watch the action and ropers and riders have more room to warm up, thanks to an extension of the main arena. Tarleton State University never set out to be a secret. From our founding as John Tarleton Agricultural College to our first athletic contests of the 1900s, we have always put it on the line to go big. Now it’s our time to stand up. Stand out. Stand together. We’re on the map and on the move.

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‘EVERYBODY BENEFITS’ FROM GIVING

BASKETBALL STAR SCORES BIG WITH SCHOLARSHIP

Misty Wilson knows every inch of the basketball court at Wisdom Gym. For more than two decades she has reported for practice there, first as a player, then as a member of the coaching staff.

For four years Tarleton basketball fans enjoyed watching Nosa Ebomwanyi on the floor at Wisdom Gym. The Nigerian-born athlete helped fuel the Texans’ back-to-back runs to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and Tarleton’s only Final Four appearance.

Not originally a scholarship athlete, Texan coaches saw her potential at a pickup game on campus. “The scholarship changed the course of my life,” she said. “I was looking at taking out student loans to go to college.”

Nosa came to the United States while still a baby and grew up in the Austin area. He and his siblings, a brother and a sister, all attended college on athletic scholarships.

The women’s head coach (since 2014) earned a place in the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a player, served 12 seasons as an assistant under coaches Claude Cummings and Ronnie Hearne, and has guided the Texans’ transition to NCAA Division I.

“I saw how my parents struggled getting my older brother and sister into college,” he said. “Seeing them earn basketball scholarships made me think my best chance of going to college, and obtaining the life I imagined, was to earn a scholarship, too.” By the time Nosa graduated from Tarleton with an electrical engineering degree, he already had a position with Fort Worth defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

She boasts a career head coaching mark of 122-80 at Tarleton and led the team to all nine of its tournament appearances. She’s also a faithful donor to her alma mater. “Every time a student travels, every time a student gets to participate in a program, every time a student gets an experience outside the normal parameters of life, that brings exposure to things that might not have happened for her,” she says. “We all know it takes money to do that. That’s why it’s important to give, to enhance the student experience. Everybody benefits.”

Referring to his basketball scholarship, Nosa calls himself gifted and lucky. “But what about those students who are just as academically talented and need assistance? Tarleton donors make it happen, stepping into the gap and providing them a chance for success like I had. “My experience at Tarleton was a positive one. Every person I had the pleasure of encountering impacted me in some way. Before, if someone had asked me how my college experience was at Tarleton, I would take the time to talk about the amazing opportunities and experiences I gathered here. “But now, I would simply say, ‘Come see for yourself.’ ”

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FORTIFY

OUR INFRASTRUCTURE Providing world-class facilities for world-class programs

From its iconic gates in Stephenville to a distinctly urban look and feel in Fort Worth, Tarleton State University is inspired by the power of special places. Great learning requires them. Great students and faculty demand them. Both modern and rooted in tradition, Tarleton is home to spaces designed to invigorate forward thinking, empower discovery, promote community and celebrate its storied history as an institution of opportunity. With the help of our philanthropic partners and The Texas A&M University System, we’re creating classrooms, laboratories, and living and activity facilities that propel us past the 21st century to guarantee Tarleton Texans a university experience second to none. Our new $54 million state-of-the-art Engineering Building proclaims a commitment to bolster the regional economy and address professional workforce needs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of engineers is projected to increase 7 percent through 2026, with some careers growing as much as 22 percent. That’s a bright future for anyone earning an engineering degree at Tarleton. Expanded lab space at Tarleton’s Agriculture Center (a.k.a. the college farm) is increasing program options and student participation in faculty-directed research. Agriculture’s annual economic impact tops $115 million in Texas, and one out of seven workers holds an agriculture-related job, so more room at Tarleton makes perfect sense. An almost $12 million Aquatics Center and a multimillion-dollar renovation of the field house on the south end of Memorial Stadium are taking Tarleton’s swimming, football and track programs to the next level. The Aquatics Center features an NCAA Division I indoor pool, and the updated field house includes more space for training and equipment. Just a stone’s throw from the Stephenville campus, three tracts of land with improvements — approved for purchase by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents — are now home for Tarleton’s acclaimed rodeo program. A best-in-class covered arena and 20-stall horse barn (part of the former Downunder Horsemanship Ranch) are game changers for the university. And of course more room would strengthen Tarleton’s Fort Worth location. Construction of the Interprofessional Education Building will add more than 100,000 square feet of classrooms, labs and offices and elevate Tarleton’s nationally recognized health sciences and kinesiology programs. Plans for a third building already are underway. A product of history and tradition. An institution of scholarly learning and athletic championships. Tarleton is a very special place. 36

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A HOME IN FORT WORTH

A LEGACY OF COMMITMENT

Standing proudly on a hill, the Central Administration Building in Fort Worth foreshadowed a new era when it opened as Old Main in 2019, establishing a foothold for success on a parcel of donated land. The story recalls the beginning of the Stephenville campus 120 years before.

Tarleton alumnus Mike A. Myers is committed to helping people.

Now design is ongoing for a second building on Tarleton’s 80-acre campus in Southwest Fort Worth. Adding more than 100,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory and activity space, the Interprofessional Education Building will propel the university’s nationally recognized health sciences and kinesiology programs and help meet regional demand for skilled nurses, medical laboratory scientists and public health professionals.

The chairman and owner of Myers Financial Corporation (for more than 50 years) gave $2.4 million to help renovate and expand Memorial Stadium. He knew the project would promote Tarleton spirit for generations and encourage others to give.

It’s something he learned from his mother and the reason behind his success as a self-made entrepreneur and philanthropist.

“Giving back is about so much more than money or buildings or stadiums,” he says. “It’s about creating an example that you hope your children and grandchildren, even people you don’t know, will follow. It’s a commitment to make life better for others.”

When Old Main debuted, A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said, “You ain’t seen nothing yet, Fort Worth. This campus will grow like a weed. That’s because it’s located in the very center of growth.”

The $26.4 million Memorial Stadium project, completed in 2019, increased overall seating, converted the west stands to seat home fans, enhanced concession facilities, replaced track and field surfaces, and improved the press box, suites, entrances and ticket booths.

It’s also a testament to the continued commitment of Tarleton and the A&M System to provide accessible, affordable higher education for students throughout Tarrant County and North Central Texas.

In addition to supporting stadium enhancements, Mike’s gift honored Tarleton’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics by designating the west side expansion the Lonn Reisman Athletic Center.

The second building will frame formal and informal quads to provide general classroom and lab spaces as well as non-academic areas. Providing a range of on-campus amenities is important to attract and retain students, making the Fort Worth campus not just a learning center but a destination.

“Helping others — whatever the cause — gives me a lot of personal satisfaction and makes me happy,” Mike says, “just like it did my mother. It’s the right kind of commitment to leave as a legacy.”

Now Tarleton-Fort Worth has a place to truly call home.

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MAKE A GIFT. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Learn why investing in today’s students is important.

Tarleton State University is undeniably on a path to greatness. Our graduates spearhead businesses and lead nonprofits, care for the sick and educate our youth, preserve natural resources and fight cybercrime, excel in the arts and athletics. They succeed in changing lives because of donors who believe in Tarleton and invest in its future. Our region, state and country forever will be impacted by what happens here. Our students don’t just go to Tarleton. They take Tarleton with them. Be a part of that. Together, we can move forward faster.

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Connected

“ T H E

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SPRING FORWARD Tarleton Student-Athletes Impress in WAC Debut By Phil Riddle

Tarleton spring athletic teams made a strong showing their first season as part of the Western Athletic Conference in NCAA Division I. Texans earned 37 postseason honors and awards in baseball, softball, track and field, tennis and golf. And they did it while maintaining an average overall GPA of 3.11, meaning bragging rights for the highest Academic Progress Rate (987) of any first-year school transitioning to D-I. TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“We had a great first year in the WAC,” said Lonn Reisman, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “We’re playing teams from major conferences in every sport. We played Texas A&M and TCU in baseball. Our softball team beat Texas Tech and UTEP. “We are a Division I university, and I’m very pleased with where the programs are, entering our second year of transition.” Track and field led the parade with 22 postseason recognitions, followed by seven for the baseball team, and four each in softball and tennis.

Baseball Tyler Fowler, Bryan Aguilar, Dean Frew, London Green, Wade Raburn, Kemuel Thomas-Rivera and A.J. Wood were named All-WAC Honorable Mentions by conference head coaches. Fowler, a four-year starter, hit .291 with 59 hits, second highest on the team, including seven doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI. Aguilar, an early-season WAC Offensive Player of the Week honoree, started 39 games and had a .252 batting average with 34 hits and eight doubles. One of his three homers was a grand slam against No. 10 TCU in April. Third baseman Frew appeared in 39 games and hit .322. His .440 on-base percentage was third in the conference. He finished the campaign with five doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI. Green started in all 54 Texans games in ’21. He stole 14 bases, good for third in the conference, and his 18 doubles were fourth best. He hit .313 on the year with a team-high 60 hits and drove in 30 runs. 42

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Raburn’s season highlight was a five-RBI game against Abilene Christian. For the year his .288 average included 42 hits, eight of them doubles, and 22 runs batted in. Thomas-Rivera slammed a team-high nine homers (fourth in the WAC), five doubles and a triple while hitting .281 and accounting for 37 RBI. Right-handed reliever Wood appeared in 19 games and earned a team-best 3.19 ERA and 3-1 won-loss record. His nine saves put him third in the WAC. The Texans, seventh in the final conference standings, got their first D-I victory with a 10-4 drubbing of Abilene Christian in February and their initial WAC win by outlasting Sacramento State 16-13 in April. They took Texas A&M to extra innings before falling 8-7 in a February matchup and got hot toward the end of the season, at one point winning eight of 12.

Softball Georgia Capell, Katy Schaefer, Jordan Dickerson and Bailey Riggs were named All-WAC Honorable Mentions in the Texans’ first foray into Division I softball. Entering the season as the program’s all-time home run leader, Capell then became the school record holder in total bases and runs scored. With a grand slam against Grand Canyon, she became the first player in program history to hit 50 home runs in a career. Schaefer, holding down third base, started strong, pounding Tarleton’s first home run of the season against then-No. 11 Oklahoma State. She hit .298 for the season with seven doubles, eight home runs and a team-high 35 RBI. FALL/WINTER 2021

Freshman second baseman Dickerson hit .274 for the season and .333 in conference play, including a pair of walk-off hits in two of Tarleton’s final five wins. For the year she had three doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI.

“This was a great first season in the WAC,” said head coach Elianne Miron. “I’m very proud of the way this team competed at the Division I level and how they represented Tarleton all year.”

Riggs, a true freshman, forced her way into the lineup, leading the team in hitting at .340 and swiping 12 bases. The outfielder from Keller also boasted a flawless defensive season with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 38 chances.

Vaudiau earned No. 5 flight first team honors after going a perfect 6-0 in WAC play.

Tarleton went on a 5-1 streak to offset a 0-6 start in the conference and was tough to beat in Stephenville, going 8-5 at home.

Track and Field The WAC Championships in Edinburg saw 22 track and field competitors earn all-conference accolades, including nine named first teamers. Jasmine McQuirter won the conference crown in the 100-meter dash, Gentrye Munden won the high jump, and Oscar Rodriguez took top honors in the discus. The Texans’ 4x400-meter team of Brandon McKissick, Anterius Brown, Zachary Martinez and Bailey Smotek earned first, Alan Palmer won the long jump, and 100-meter hurdler Cornelius Coleman was first at the season-ending event. Over three days at UT Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo County, Tarleton claimed five conference championships and 22 sets of first or second team all-conference accolades.

Codreanu and Makantasi earned All-WAC Second Team recognition in singles while Aguilar and Makantasi were named one of three All-WAC Second Team doubles pairings. Codreanu was 9-11 as the No. 1 player in the Tarleton lineup, going 4-2 in conference play. Makantasi was a spectacular 16-2 between the No. 2 and 3 flights and was 5-1 in league play. Her 16 wins in singles is the most by a Texan since 2013. On the doubles side, Aguilar and Makantasi led the team from the No. 1 doubles flight and boasted a 9-4 overall record, 4-2 conference. The tandem ended the season on a five-match win streak.

Golf Tarleton women’s golf led from start to finish at the Prairie View A&M Invitational to open the ’21 season, then concluded the spring campaign at the WAC tournament in Nevada. Sofia Rodriguez tied for medalist honors at Prairie View with a +11 227 and posted a team-best 74-72-78–224 in the conference championship. Julie Khaw played the final event of her standout Tarleton career and tied for 19th with a score of 77-72-83–232 (+16).

Tennis Tennis all-conference performers Celia Vaudiau, Mihaela Codreanu, Jemi Aguilar and Martha Makantasi led Tarleton’s tennis team to a 5-1 record against WAC competition.

The four-year Texan placed in the top 20 in all five tournaments in the inaugural Division I season, and four times she was inside the top 10.

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Three-time NCAA All-American and track and field star Anterius Brown competes in the 400-meter hurdle relay.

New on the Sidelines Tarleton Taps Proven Winner to Lead Soccer Program By Phil Riddle

Pete Cuadrado knows how to build winning athletic programs. It’s what he does.

regionally. He earned his bachelor's degree in marketing in 2000.

As the first women’s soccer coach at Tarleton State University, he’s working from the ground up. Tarleton adds the sport in fall 2022 and will compete in the Western Athletic Conference.

He has already hit the recruiting trail and appreciates Tarleton’s positive reputation for athletics.

A two-time Division I Conference Coach of the Year and NCAA Tournament coach, Cuadrado spent the last nine seasons leading women’s soccer at the University of Wyoming, where he’s the school’s all-time winningest coach. He has been a head coach for 18 seasons and a Division I head soccer coach for 17 years at Wyoming and North Dakota State. “It’s everything I want in a job,” he said of the Tarleton position. “It’s close to a major metropolitan area and still a small community that gets behind the athletic teams. It’s a quality education, a program on the rise. It’s a great time to get in.” Cuadrado has three regular-season conference championships as a head coach and two coach of the year honors. He has coached three defensive players of the year, 51 all-conference selections, 15 all-region selections, 88 conference all-academic recipients and 17 NSCAA team academic awardees. “As the hiring committee went through the impressive list of candidates, Coach Cuadrado's name continued to rise to the top,” said Tarleton Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lonn Reisman. “He brings an immediate impact and credibility to this program and the WAC.” Cuadrado played college soccer at Northeastern Illinois University for two seasons before transferring to TCU. He was on a Horned Frogs soccer team that ranked No. 8

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“There are two kinds of recruits I’ve talked to — those who are kind of scared off by the fact it’s a new program, and the ones who are excited. I want the student-athletes who are excited. I want the ones who will represent us well and who are looking at the long-term picture, where we’re headed. “I want to make waves in this conference. I want to be in the conference tournament. I want our freshmen to come in and, hopefully, leave with a conference championship ring.” Cuadrado is enjoying being near family in Texas and Louisiana, and away from Wyoming winters. “We’re loving it,” he said. “We’re so happy to be down here. It’s such an exciting time. I wasn’t raised in the Tarleton family, but I’ve been welcomed in. “Our conference is a destination location. Stephenville is a destination location. As a student-athlete, this is a great place to come and be a part of something.” He sees an opportunity to be a force in the WAC, and not that far down the road. “If we’re competitive, we’re going to win games. With the Metroplex and the soccer talent that’s in this state, I don’t view it as some eight- or 10-year build.” Maybe more like a swift bicycle kick to the back of the net.

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TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

CLASS NOTES BY DECADE Each of us can play an important role in the continued success of Tarleton State University. Remember, big accomplishments begin with small acts. The Tarleton Alumni Association encourages all former students and friends of the university to join in this tradition of promoting excellence.

KENT FIRESTONE ’88, BS industrial technology, has joined EOS North America, the world’s leading supplier of industrial 3D printing technologies for metals and polymers, as Senior Vice President of Operations. He will oversee the manufacturing, field service, logistics, quality and materials activities within EOS’s North American operations. He has served in numerous engineering, operations and management positions throughout his 30-year career.

MICHAEL HONEA ’04, BS biology, has been named CEO of Glen Rose Medical Center. He began his medical career at his hometown Goodall Witcher Hospital in Clinton, where he worked as a CNA and EMT for six years. As a student affiliate, he rotated in clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, blood banking and more at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.

JEFFREY SHANNON ’05, bachelor’s in education, is the new Principal at Copperas Cove Junior High School. He has worked for the district 16 years, starting at Copperas Cove Junior High as a coach and math teacher. At Copperas Cove High School he was a coach and taught math before becoming Assistant Principal.

JEFF GUISE ’90, BS exercise and sports studies, has been named head girls basketball coach and girls athletic director at Weatherford High School. He has coached basketball, track and cross country at Mason, Dublin, Munday, Baird and Bridgeport. At Mason he compiled a 390-102 record, leading the Cowgirls to three state tournament appearances.

MARK E. WILLIAMS ’94, ’96, BBA and MBA, has been named Chair of the Texas Association of Life and Health Insurers’ 2021-2022 board; he previously was Vice Chair. Williams has been with National Farm Life Insurance Co. since 2002. He’s a member of the American Council of Life Insurers’ Life Insurance Investments Committee and Insurance Regulation Committee, and the Life Insurance Council Investment Committee.

LIN BEARDEN ’98, MBA, has been named Parker County President of Texas Bank. The 30-year banking veteran has served with numerous area organizations, including Center of Hope, the Weatherford College Foundation, Civic Development Inc., Christian Men’s Fellowship, Weatherford Rotary and the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce.

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MOLLIE AVELINO ’07, master’s in education administration, was named Principal at Lake Dallas High School. She previously worked in the Austin ISD for three years supervising English Language Learner programs and in the Del Valle ISD for a year as an Assistant Principal. She taught at Ryan High School in Denton, Fossil Ridge High in the Keller ISD and North Central Texas College in Corinth.

AUBREY PAGANELLI ’09, ’10, BBA and MBA, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor for United Advisors America, a Texas-based investment company. She oversees day-to-day operations, supervises a team of advisors and works with clients. She has been involved at every level of the firm since joining in 2013 — Investment Advisor, Deputy Compliance Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.

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C O N TA C T U S Send your alumni and class updates to Tarleton State University Box T-0730, Stephenville, TX 76402 media@tarleton.edu

ERIKA MCCOMIS ’16, BBA, is the new Breckenridge City Manager. She has more than 20 years experience in municipal government with an emphasis in law enforcement, management, budgeting and records. She had served as Argyle Assistant Town Administrator since May 2020. From 2001 to 2018 she worked for the city of Bridgeport, starting out as a Communications Officer in the dispatch center and moving up to Communications Supervisor and then police department Administrative Manager before serving as City Secretary/Court Administrator for more than three years.

ABDUL PRIDGEN ’17, master’s in public administration, has been named City Manager in San Leandro, Calif. He previously served as San Leandro Chief of Police and, before that, Seaside Chief of Police. Prior to Seaside, he spent 26 years with Fort Worth PD, where he attained the rank of Assistant Chief.

ELENA SIMS ’18, BS professional communication and public relations, was promoted to Vice President and Mortgage Loan Officer with Community National Bank and Trust of Texas in Burleson. She has been with the bank nearly four years.

ANGELA JACKSON-GALLARDO ’18, BS environmental science, is now Recreational Director for the city of Granite Shoals, Texas. She comes to the job after stints with Inks Lake State Park and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. She has a background in photography, graphic design and organizing volunteers, and will serve as the liaison between City Hall and organizations wishing to hold events in Granite Shoals.

Box T-0570 Stephenville, TX 76402

254-968-9000

tarleton.edu

DEJA VIEW | DOC’S REVIVAL CANNON

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