Winter 2012 - Austin College Magazine

Along Grand Avenue
Texoma Women Make Connections
AAustin College has hosted Women Get Connected events in several cities over the
past few years, recognizing the prominent roles of women in the life of the College,
from the initial land gift made by Emily Austin, sister of Stephen F. Austin, to the
accomplishments of hundreds of alumnae to the inauguration of Marjorie Hass as
its first woman president in 2009.
The events are designed to engage women in the academic and cultural life of
Austin College, to inspire women to create social change in their communities, and
to support scholarships for the next generations of Austin College women.
The Texoma Women Get Connected events have included alumni, staff, faculty,
students, and friends, many of whom have given to the Texoma Women Get
Connected Academic Honors Scholarship at Austin College for a female student from
the Texoma community. The group’s leadership already has set goals to support
January Term study, Austin College Teacher Program participants, and Global
Outreach service projects.
At the October 2011 Texoma Women Get Connected event, group leaders
addressed another area of scholarship support that also honors a beloved member
of the Texoma community, announcing the creation of an endowed Sara Bernice
Moseley Scholarship for Presbyterian Students. The Sara Bernice Moseley
Scholarship program was established in 1996 as a tribute to Sara Bernice’s
leadership, and many of these scholarships have been created and named for a
donor or honoree. This is the first individual scholarship that names her as the
honoree. For the women of Texoma, the former first lady of the College and longtime
supporter was the obvious choice for the group’s first named scholarship.
Building
On An
IDEA
TThe construction phase for the College’s long-anticipated IDEA Center has begun!
Preparation of the site began with the arrival of the first heavy equipment in November
2011 and continued throughout December.
The three-story science facility, scheduled for completion by fall 2013, is the next
significant step in Austin College’s strategy to integrate science and technology into the
liberal arts curriculum and maintain a competitive program in these fields, said Austin
College President Marjorie Hass. “A liberal arts education fosters and develops an
inquisitive mind, a thirst and excitement for discovery, and a fearless, entrepreneurial
spirit. Our goal is to make this type of education accessible to all our students to equip
them to be successful throughout their lives,” she said.
Hunt Construction Group, general contractor for the project, is “renowned for
expertise in LEED/green initiatives and building bio-medical research facilities
nationwide,” said Heidi Ellis, Austin College vice president for Business Affairs. Other
major partners for this effort include American Bank of Texas in Sherman, Dallasbased
Pritchard Associates as project management consultants, and Page Southerland
Page, also based in Dallas, as the architect of record. Conceptual design
for the building was completed by Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott
of Boston, Massachusetts.
8 | Austin College Magazine Winter 2012