TWU – Connecting the Dots

ONNECTING
THE DOTS

LEADING IN A
COMPLEX WORLD
When arriving here in 2014, I was immediately struck by the long and storied history of faculty, staff, students
and incredible alumni—stories known by far too few.
Steve Jobs once said that it’s only in looking back that we can “connect the dots.” For Texas Woman’s, looking
back revealed a wonderful legacy but also a challenge to take that legacy even further into the future.
To lay the groundwork for that challenge, a university-wide team collaborated to create a strategic plan based
on our raison d’être, “Educate a woman, empower the world.” That plan has sharpened our focus on preparing
students for the world they will enter; bolstered academic, research and athletic activities; and nearly doubled
the physical footprint of our university—bringing our student life and academic support services to a level that
is becoming the envy of our peers.
Meanwhile, our faculty and students continue to pioneer new approaches to meeting the needs of our everexpanding
state—from cutting-edge preparation for those in nursing and the health sciences, to cultivating
entrepreneurs and educators, and advancing strong programs in the arts and sciences. And we do these things
well—The Economist ranked us 45th in the country and Dallas Business Journal ranked us #1 in the region for
our graduates’ earnings vs. the cost to attend.
Plans often go on shelves with little noticeable outcome. I could not be more proud that our strategic plan,
Learn to Thrive—and all those who have had a hand in creating it and bringing it to life—will result in the
creation of many more noteworthy “dots.” Dots, that when connected in the future, will make Texas Woman’s
University a prominent and important centerpiece in the lives of our students, our faculty and staff and the
entire state of Texas.
“You can’t connect the dots
looking forward; you can
only connect them looking
backwards. ... You have to
trust in something – your gut,
destiny, life, karma, whatever.
Because believing that the
dots will connect down
the road will give you the
confidence to follow your
heart even when it leads
you off the well-worn
path; and that will make
all the difference.”
—Steve Jobs
Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President

Persevering
BLAZING NEW TRAILS
Michelle Tribble grew up in a household of good cooks, so it wasn’t surprising when she enrolled in
a culinary program at a community college. She sharpened her culinary skills after transferring to
TWU, then successfully navigated a career through a male-dominated industry. Her perseverance
paid off in a way Tribble never expected when in 2018 she took the top prize on the reality show,
Hell’s Kitchen. Now the head chef at the show’s namesake restaurant in Las Vegas, Tribble has broken
the mold and inspires others to lead beyond expectation.
3
1
Student
Body
2
She finished high school at 13, and by 16
Haley Taylor Schlitz graduated from TWU and
entered a prestigious law school. One of many
outstanding 2019 grads, Schlitz plans a career
advocating for greater inclusion in gifted and
talented student programs.
2019 Incoming New Students
1. Traditional Undergraduates 33%
2. Transfer Students 33%
3. Graduate Students 34%

I always loved being
toe-to-toe with all
the guys and being
able to not just keep
up with them, but
do even more.
– Michelle Tribble ‘16

Pioneering Spirit
RESEARCH FROM THE GROUND
Roxanne Vogel struck career gold in 2017 when she landed a job at an athletic performance company that lets
her combine her passions for nutrition and mountaineering. In 2019, she literally was on top of the world after
reaching the peak of Mount Everest in a lightning-fast ascent that took less than two weeks—a world record. Using
the research skills she gained while earning her master’s degree in exercise and sports nutrition at TWU, Vogel
collected biometric data before and during her climb. Her findings could change the way climbers scale mountains.
2018
TWU Research expenditures
2017
94.8%
increase
2014
2016
2015
TWU neuroscientist Dayna Averitt, botanist Camelia Maier and then-doctoral
student Paramita Basu ’19 linked the analgesic properties of a compound found
in a Texas plant to its potential use as an alternative to opioid-based pain killers.
Their findings may lead to the development of non-addictive medications.

UP
One goal I have is to contribute
to the science of high-altitude
physiology. The other is to be
a role model for young women
or minorities who haven’t
spent much time outdoors,
just to show them that it
can be a place where we are
welcome and can excel.
– Roxanne Vogel ‘17
Photo Credit: Lydia Bradey

Thinking Differently
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Texas Woman’s students leverage their collective strength in tackling previously intractable problems. When the Acolytes
of Apollo, a group of undergraduate kinesiology students, set out in 2018 to solve a vexing health issue related to space
travel, they weren’t afraid of being the first Texas college team of non-engineers to compete in NASA’s Texas Space Grant
Consortium Design Challenge. The team’s high-tech garment, designed to reduce back pain in astronauts, dominated a
design showcase, winning first place in nearly every category—demonstrating the power of diversity to innovate.
TWU’s fashion &
textiles program
constructed the
prototype garment.
The garment’s
integrated
technology
can be controlled
remotely.
The shirt holds
electrical stimulators
that activate lower
back muscles.

Millie Hughes-Fulford ’72
Among the first women
civilian scientists in space
6O-year
connection with
NASA
In 2019, Texas Woman’s released an award-winning documentary that
highlights the life of former TWU Research Director Pauline Beery Mack and
her groundbreaking research for NASA. Her studies of astronauts throughout
the 1960s determined that weightlessness reduces bone density. She was a
trailblazer and a role model for women of her time through today.

Global Impact
I am passionate about nursing,
and I want to help nurses in Vietnam
achieve the same level of nursing
expertise that they have over here.
– Tuong-Vi Ho, PhD ‘06
$550K
Education abroad scholarships awarded
32
Destinations

EMPOWER THE WORLD
Clinical Professor Tuong-Vi Ho, PhD, fled war-torn Vietnam decades ago and started life over in the U.S., learning to be a nurse
and a heath care provider. In 2012, as part of her role in our Center for Global Nursing, she led a TWU contingent back to her
home country to take part in an exchange aimed at improving patient care and cross-cultural patient empathy in both nations.
Similar relationships have been established with medical and educational institutions in China, Indonesia, Peru, Spain, Korea,
the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. She also produces two monthly TV health programs for an audience of nearly
40,000 Vietnamese in Houston, America’s second-largest Vietnamese community.
PhD student Muchinka Peele is leading an effort to
help people with disabilities in her native Zambia. A
practicing physical therapist, Peele helped establish
the country’s first multifaceted rehabilitation center
and plans to train speech therapists in Lusaka.

Educating the Whole Person
Children with autism often have sensory processing disorders that make some environments seem
overstimulating. TWU occupational therapists routinely work with these children and their families to
help them feel more comfortable in their surroundings. They’ve created multi-sensory zones at the Frisco
RoughRiders baseball stadium, the Dallas Zoo, Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

A FOCUS ON HEALTH
Aside from our focus on the overall wellbeing of students, we believe in the health of
our community. We’ve developed camps that work with children who have learning and
physical disabilities, programming that supports veterans coping with PTSD, and training
that helps our first responders avoid injuries. For our students, we launched an institutionwide
plan for communicating, assessing and promoting health. It’s a culture of wellness
that we believe will benefit our students and have a ripple effect for their families and the
communities in which they will live, work and play.
TWU competes with nearly 100 universities in the nationwide Campus Challenge with the aim
to get people outside and active, leading to healthier lifestyles. In the last year of the competition,
Texas Woman’s placed second. Our goal is to be named the National Outdoor Champion.

Developing Leaders
INSTITUTE FOR
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
Texas Woman’s is home to the Institute for Women’s Leadership, which was established
in 2018 to help women attain leadership roles as students, as entrepreneurs and in
civic life. Through its three centers, women receive training and support to become
successful businesswomen; to run successfully for elected offices and shape policy that
improves society; and to seek positions of leadership as college students.
1st of its kind
in TEXAS and one of only a few in the U.S.

I owe a lot to those who helped me, and it’s in this spirit
of paying it forward that I wanted to support women who
desire to lead in the boardroom, in the arts, in community
organizations and in political and policy arenas.
– Sue Bancroft
Institute Advisory Council Chair
Center for Student
LEADERSHIP
Center for Women
ENTREPRENEURS
Center for Women in
POLITICS & PUBLIC POLICY
Trains young women to lead teams,
manage projects and sharpen
public-speaking skills
Assists women in becoming successful
business owners through advising,
funding, networking and training
Seeks to increase the number of
women who dedicate their careers to
public service, advocacy and leadership

Developing Leaders
WOMEN WHO LEAD
The university has a century-plus legacy of educating women scientists, educators, health
professionals, entrepreneurs, artists and others who possess outstanding talent. Among TWU’s
extraordinary alumni are hospital CEOs, business owners and civil servants, including U.S.
Representative Sylvia Garcia, who in 2018 was one of the first two Latinas from Texas elected to
Congress, and U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, who in 2001 was the first woman appointed to a
federal bench in the Western District of Texas.
Alia Moses ’83
U.S. District Judge
Sylvia Garcia ’72, ‘83
U.S. Representative

Victoria Parades ‘17
2nd Lt. Army
Roxayne Strong
Founder of CodeStream Studios
2018 recipient of TWU
entrepreneurial microgrant
Ashley McClellan ‘16
CEO, HCA Research Medical Center
Winged Victory The foyer of the Old Main Building, home of the Institute for Women’s Leadership,
features a replica of the Louvre’s well-known statue purchased from the famed museum and originally
given to the university by the class of 1929 to commemorate Armistice Day.

Defining TWU
BRANDING THE FUTURE
New logos for the university and its athletics teams, a new mascot, a new hand sign, a
student-designed official plaid and a striking new cape for the towering statue of Minerva
highlight some of the changes over the past five years at Texas Woman’s University. These
additions represent the ongoing evolution of a university that boldly embraces the future.
New traditions and a refined visual identity enhance the institution’s profile and build spirit
across the university community.
The Pioneer Woman statue, nicknamed “Minerva” by our students, is “caped”
and “sashed” for a variety of popular student photos throughout the year,
including commencements, Election Day and university anniversaries.

OAKLEY, TWU’s first-ever costumed mascot, flew
onto the scene in 2018, promoting spirit at athletic
competitions and university functions. The mascot
has been a huge hit ever since.

Building Champions
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
If winning traditions, sportsmanship and dedication are key ingredients to championships, then TWU
Athletics teams have a recipe for success. A case in point is the university’s gymnastics team, which
won back-to-back national championships in 2017 and 2018, the latter punctuated by the highest
score ever at the Division II championship. In all, TWU gymnastics teams have tallied 11 national titles.
TWU athletes practice discipline and integrity, and they also excel on the softball field, the basketball
and volleyball courts, and on the soccer pitch.
11X
USA Gymnastics
National Champions

For 37 consecutive years,
TWU student-athletes
have achieved a combined
3.0 GPA or higher.

Changing Landscape

BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER.
We’re doubling the footprint of our Denton campus with a construction boom unrivaled in
four decades. Our master plan envisions building onto our picturesque environment with
cycling and fitness trails, well-lit walkways and green spaces that enable easy access across
our gently rolling campus. Besides a new residential community, the campus will feature
expanded teaching spaces and labs, a fieldhouse, a new student union, and several dining
spots with adjoining patios—all with a nod to “biophilic design,” so our community will benefit
from nature even while indoors.
Denton Campus Footprint
Future Campus Footprint
New Construction
New Outdoor Experiences
The next phase of our master plan will provide direction on the future of our Dallas and Houston
campuses. These health science institutes are in the Dallas Southwestern Medical District and Houston’s
Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest.

Purposeful Giving
VISIONARY FRIENDS AND ALUMNI
The recent growth and future potential of our university depend on the engagement of a growing number of generous
people who believe that advancing women’s education, capabilities and leadership are of paramount importance to
society. In the past five years, we’ve doubled our endowment and the number of individual donors. We received two
historic gifts: one from alumna and businesswoman Mary L.A. Stanton and the other from Richard W. Woodcock, the
world-renowned psychometrician who developed the Woodcock-Johnson cognitive test, among others.
$10M+
2018
single largest gift
to the university
As a working single mother, Mary L.A. Stanton ’85 wasn’t a
typical undergraduate student when she attended TWU. Her
experience motivated her to donate more than $10 million
toward the construction of TWU’s new residential village.
The east building now bears her name: Mary’s Hall.

Dianne I. Baker ‘75
Former softball coach
Single largest TWU Athletics gift by living alumna
$500K
2019
$5.8M+
2016-19
$9.2M
2015
Richard W. Woodcock’s gift established the Woodcock Institute for
the Advancement of Neurocognitive Research and Applied Practice at
TWU. In recognition of Woodcock’s generosity and achievements, the
historic Human Development Building was renamed in his honor in
2018. His endowment funds cognitive research and assessments.

Statewide Reach
TAKING CARE OF TEXAS
TWU is committed to enhancing the state and keeping Texas vibrant and prosperous. The university
in 2018 had a $1.8 billion economic impact on the state – the equivalent of adding more than
29,000 jobs. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed that Texas should be the No. 1 producer of women
entrepreneurs, and legislators in 2019 invested $17 million to enhance TWU’s Institute for Women’s
Leadership. Additionally, the university is helping the state meet demand for jobs in key areas such
as health care, technology, management and education, with nursing and teaching comprising
the largest share.
Economic Impact on the State
$1.8
billion
more than
29,000
Equivalent Jobs
Chancellor Carine M. Feyten and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
visited in Denton in 2016 to induct a new group of women
into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, which is housed at
the university’s Blagg-Huey Library.
$1
Taxpayer Investment
$4.80
Back to the State

If every woman-owned business in America
were able to add just one new job tomorrow,
the nation would reach full employment.
Women business owners are a powerful
economic force, and my goal is to make
Texas the most welcoming home for them.
– Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
CLOSING
THE LOOP
At Texas Woman’s, we look at
the world through a different lens,
focused on what’s possible rather than
what exists. As we connect these dots,
we celebrate a legacy of faculty,
students and alumni who pioneer
solutions to society’s challenges.
BOLDLY GO!
TWU.EDU