Fluid: Leading Through a Pandemic | 2021 Chancellor's Annual Report

FLUID
Leading through a pandemic

“
We are in the same
storm, but not in
the same boat.
“

Dear Friends:
The promise of a bright 2020 dimmed quickly when COVID-19 gripped the world.
In a week’s time, our campuses pivoted to a mostly virtual environment to keep
students on their path to success.
Fortunately, Texas Woman’s pioneered distance education decades earlier, making
for a smooth transition. We found new approaches to delivering quality instruction.
Choir practice moved to an acoustically friendly parking garage and Shakespearean
sonnets were performed in a drive-in setting.
In a year marked by unprecedented challenge, we exceeded expectations. We
enrolled more students, launched new programs, acquired additional honors and
expanded our Denton campus footprint.
Fitting to our legacy, many faculty, staff and students became health heroes.
One faculty member led a team of inspired volunteers and raised nearly $240,000
to purchase badly needed PPE for health care workers; students and faculty
supported front-line efforts by helping with COVID testing and vaccination; and
some alumni traveled to COVID hot spots to backfill hospital staffing shortages.
TWU’s Center for Women Entrepreneurs distributed $1 million in grants to help
women keep their Texas businesses afloat. And when COVID forced us to scratch
our traditional commencement, we produced an innovative live event so proud
graduates could celebrate with their loved ones.
We summoned every ounce of resilience, creativity and compassion from our
Denton, Dallas and Houston campuses, and as time passed, it was clear that all
higher education institutions were weathering the same pandemic storm — just in
different boats. Buoyed by our fluid nature, we continued on a path of excellence.
This brochure is a tribute to all who demonstrated perseverance in helping advance
Texas Woman’s. They inspire us in all they do.
Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President
1

1#
in Texas for student
diversity, 5th in the nation
(tied) (U.S. News & World Report)
1#
in DFW area for graduates’
earnings vs. cost
1#
public university in
the nation as a “Best
Colleges for Students
with Children”
(bestcolleges.com)
(Dallas Business Journal)
2

Anchoring
a distinctive position
Adding to its longtime distinction
of being the nation’s largest woman-focused university,
a “best-value” institution and an innovator in health,
education and business, Texas Woman’s recently was
recognized as the most diverse institution in Texas
(fifth most diverse in the U.S.) and a leader in online
graduate programs in nursing and education.
TWU has a profound impact on Texas’
vitality. In addition to having an annual economic
impact of $1.8 billion, we confer half of all doctoral allied
health degrees and 24% of doctoral nursing degrees
from Texas public universities each year, and 85% of
our graduates find jobs or enroll in graduate school
within a year of getting their degree.
3

Changing
course
Highest
Ranking
For transition to
online learning
during a pandemic
(Educate to Career)
Adapting activities to suit safety
The pandemic forced a quick transition in lesson plans
across all Texas Woman’s campuses, but it was faculty and
student ingenuity that led to creative approaches for conducting
otherwise routine activities while maintaining safety. Perhaps there
were no better examples of this innovation than those demonstrated
by the university’s creative community.
The Department of Dance held is first virtual performance,
“1200 Seconds,” a collection of 20 60-second dance solos streamed online to viewers.
Students showcased choreographed talents from living rooms, kitchens, garages and
back yards to express life under lockdown.
4

The parking garage in Denton’s Oakland Complex
was a perfect acoustical setting for the Chamber Singers and Concert Choir,
which delivered precision performances to delighted visitors. A few hundred
feet away, a parking lot was the stage for a drive-in event featuring theatre
students performing Shakespearean sonnets as patrons watched from their
vehicles and listened through their car stereos.
5

Cresting
new heights
Texas Woman’s legacy of meaningful applied research,
despite the pandemic. Xiaofen Du, Ph.D., in nutrition and food sciences published her
work on the benefits of watermelon rinds on post-exercise recovery, and the Golf Channel
interviewed kinesiology’s Young-Hoo Kwon, Ph.D., on developing a better swing. Kwon
should know; it was one of his graduate students, Chris Como, who golf icon Tiger Woods
hired as a consultant in 2014.
TWU is
pioneering health in
80 degree/certificate
programs across
five colleges.
TWU
dental hygienists
conduct community
clinics for the
underserved.
6

It took 11 years, but the payoff was big for a team
of researchers led by associate professor Michael Bergel, Ph.D., who
discovered three key compounds that can save cancer patients’ lives.
Bergel’s team earned a patent for its work on the compounds, called
“bisamidoximes,” which inhibit growth of human breast, lung and
colon cancer cells — without killing healthy human cells.
TWU Stroke
Center-Dallas
has advanced
research, treatment
and training since
1992.
Did you know the way a person walks
can predict future diseases or injuries?
Health Sciences Dean Christopher Ray, Ph.D., and
colleagues earned a patent for their process of predicting
medical conditions based on a person’s gait, or walking
motion. Experts analyze video data to predict injuries and
diseases, including falls, osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s disease and
cardiovascular disease. Through early detection – particularly
in geriatric patients – doctors can intervene for the best
possible health outcomes.
7

Advancing
health heroes
Heroes do wear masks
When COVID cases spiked across the U.S. early in 2020, health care workers faced a perilous
shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). Fuqin Liu, Ph.D., an associate professor of
nursing, mobilized fellow health care professionals to raise funds to purchase PPE for first responders
throughout the region. Within weeks, the volunteer effort raised $239,500 and collected hundreds of
thousands of pieces of critical gear for health providers in Texas and Oklahoma.
Nursing alumni volunteer at COVID hot spots
Furloughed from clinics that offered mostly elective surgeries, nurses Courtney Waddle
(BS ’12) and Maybelle Anderson (BS ’12) volunteered to ease front-line staffing shortages
at hospitals in COVID-ravaged New York City. They provided critical support to patients
treated in hallways; relatives unable to visit dying family members; and health care
workers forced to re-use soiled protective gear.
8

Students find reward in pandemic response
Dallas and Houston nursing students got an experience no textbook could match
in supporting the COVID response. Students took up to 600 daily calls at centers
to offer guidance to concerned, symptomatic patients. “I am glad I’m able to
provide a valuable service during this difficult time,” said Houston nursing student
Douglas Schwartz.
24%
of nursing Ph.D.s
conferred by Texas
public universities
come from TWU
(public universities)
3,200+
COVID vaccinations given by
TWU nursing students
9

Channeling
student success
Keeping students healthy in mind, body and spirit
has taken on new meaning during the pandemic.
TWU integrated a psychologist with first-year residential students and used grant funds
to hire a part-time case manager who helped students in COVID-19 quarantine and
isolation. Despite facing many challenges, students enjoyed opportunities to connect
with each other during Block Party, Pioneers on Ice and other socially distanced events
and found ways to excel in and out of the classroom.
Students will
be coached by
U.S. Olympic
medalist
Sara Lilly
10
49%
of undergraduate
students transferred
to TWU
68%
TWU’s graduation rate
for foster care youth, compared
to 3% statewide average

With new competitive sports teams slated to start soon,
including synchronized swimming, TWU Athletics continues to make a splash.
Although fall sporting events were canceled, student-athletes carried forward their
winning streak by posting a combined grade point average of more than 3.0 for
the 77th consecutive semester.
Creative
social distancing:
a ‘block party’
on blankets
95%
Pass rate on state
licensure exam for TWU
nursing graduates
Innovative
student
engagement:
ice skating on
tennis courts
84%
of undergraduates employed or
enrolled in a Texas graduate school
within one year of graduation
11

Crossing
the finish line
COVID-19 forced the university to scratch plans for an in-person
graduation ceremony in Spring 2020, paving the way for a one-of-a-kind graduation
celebration in December. All graduates in 2020 were invited to take a victory lap at
Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway as part of the university’s two-day drive-thru
commencement ceremonies. At the finish line, graduates exited their cars and crossed
the racetrack’s checkered stripe while hoisting their diploma covers. It was an
exhilarating experience for nearly 1,300 pandemic-weary graduates and their
families who participated in the event. Another drive-thru event was held
in Houston at Heavy Construction Systems Specialists.
12

13

Propelling
women leaders
Major grant programs give boost to women
entrepreneurs. The pandemic hit women-owned businesses in
Texas hard, so TWU’s Center for Women Entrepreneurs launched a
$1 million grant program to get them back on their feet. The center
awarded $10,000 grants to 100 struggling businesses and provided
training on how to adapt and expand their businesses to the changing
environment. The center also launched a $250,000 grant program
in Spring 2021 to help women veterans in Texas boost their existing
businesses or start new ones.
Broadcast executive tapped to
run women’s leadership center
With a history of forging crucial partnerships, public
broadcasting executive Mary Anne Alhadeff was a
perfect fit for the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s
Leadership. At Dallas’ KERA, she increased the station’s
budget by 250% and promoted a record number of
women to management posts. As the institute’s chief,
she will advocate for more women leaders in business
and elected office.
14

New exhibit space at Old Main pays homage to Texas’ trailblazing women
In our quest to showcase the indomitable spirit of Texas’ women pioneers,
TWU completed the Sue S. Bancroft Leadership Hall in our stately Old Main
Building. The space has a series of interactive platforms to showcase these
trailblazers – from suffragists to civil rights advocates – and the extraordinary
struggles they endured. Visit us at twu.edu/lead
Historical
Images
Interactive
Exhibits
Artifacts &
Memorabilia
Sue Bancroft,
left, joined
Sen. Nelson and
me in touring
the new facility.
Texas iCivics
Program
15

Making
waves
It was sheer grit and determination that made Merrilee Kick’s
packaged cocktail business a resounding success. As founder and CEO of BuzzBallz/
Southern Champion, the country’s largest woman-owned winery and distillery, Kick
(Executive MBA ‘09) never lost sight of her struggles, which fuels her philanthropic
streak. In 2020, she paused production at her plant to make 18,000 gallons of hand
sanitizer, which were donated to pandemic front-line workers.
He’s a physical therapist, a decorated U.S. Army veteran,
author and entrepreneur, but to many people in the Houston area,
Sterling Carter, DPT (MSPT ‘07) is a civic leader who provides mentoring and
internships to college students interested in physical therapy. Carter is active in
the community and brings jobs to the neighborhoods where his clinics are located.
16

Sophie Rydin had a love for students and teaching,
but her engagement with the university goes much further. She secured housing
for students displaced by a hurricane, funded gathering areas and research spaces
at the Houston campus and organized acute care workshops for students. After her
death in 2020, her husband, Mike, gave TWU $2 million in Sophie’s name to support
scholarships for OT students and faculty programing.
Angeles González (BA ’93)
elementary principal
Launched TWU’s first
Latina sorority, ΣΛΑ
Jamie Covey (PhD ’21)
U.S. Navy Reservist
American Sign
Language teacher
Women Who Lead
Virgina Chandler Dykes Leadership Award
recipient Cynt Marshall has been a dynamic
force for inclusion and diversity efforts.
She brought that energy to the Dallas
Mavericks, where she is now CEO.
17

Deepening
partnerships
Collaboration is integral to success, and TWU has
many partnerships that produce impactful programs benefiting students,
faculty and communities. Among them is the Dallas County Promise, a
tuition-assistance pact with high schools that improves student recruitment,
access and retention.
The Go Center is a mobile college-and career-readiness
information hub, and TWU has partnered with 17 high schools to provide
students with essential resources to help them chart a post-secondary school path.
As the first Texas university to offer distance education
in speech-language pathology, TWU introduced innovative coursework to
rural enclaves. The partnership with the Texas Education Agency now
involves 19 Education Service Centers, helping educate critically
needed speech-language pathologists across Texas.
18

As part of its $900,000 Blockchain Innovation Challenge,
the American Council of Education awarded a grant to a TWU-lead team establishing
a shared platform that gives students access to portable educational records they
can share with schools or prospective employers.
19

Overcoming
winter’s spell
Much like the pandemic was the “storm”
we all weathered, a late-winter freeze caught
most of Texas unprepared for the onslaught of lingering
challenges: power outages, failing generators, broken
pipes, water-logged facilities and food shortages. All three
TWU campuses were impacted in varying degrees, but
the university emerged and transitioned immediately into
recovery mode. It was a grim reminder of Mother Nature’s
force – but a revelation, too, of TWU’s resilient spirit.
20

21

Navigating
growth
As part of its largest building boom in decades, the university
completed the state-of-the-art Scientific Research Commons, an 80,000
square foot facility that provides students with collaborative research
experiences on par with those they will encounter in their professions.
The building is home to a new master’s degree in biotechnology –
one of only two such programs in the state – which adds to TWU’s
health legacy.
The stately Hubbard Hall was updated to include
high-tech conference, meeting and lecture spaces, and an inviting food
court and gaming area. The renovated building is a central focus for the
Denton campus and is a hub for activities, learning and rejuvenation.
22

To further raise TWU’s visibility, the university added an
exterior light display to the Administration Conference Tower that bathes
the building in brilliant colors to celebrate events such as Breast Cancer
Awareness Month. TWU also refreshed landscaping at the Dallas campus
and installed eye-catching signage that luminates the Houston campus.
23

Seeing
the glass half full
Texas Woman’s has now endured two pandemics.
(The first was the Spanish flu in 1918). But despite the most recent turbulent waters,
the university navigated a successful path forward to become an even brighter beacon.
New challenges are now on the horizon.
The university has embarked on an expansion initiative that will give our Denton,
Dallas and Houston campuses greater impact on Texas through expanded partnerships,
increased programming and robust research.
We have enhanced our role in the health industry with a wider breadth of programs –
such as health administration, music therapy and nutrition – and we are producing more
professionals in disciplines critical to Texas.
Likewise, we have broadened the scope of educational programs, such as bilingual and
special education, to better serve our state’s changing demography. We look forward to
our growing role of making Texas prosperous, and we do so with renewed vigor and purpose.
24

“
The pessimist complains about the
wind. The optimist expects it to
change. The leader adjusts the sails.
- John Maxwell
“
Quote submitted by Katie K. Rose, Ph.D., Faculty Senate Speaker Ex-Officio
25

Wishing you fair winds and following seas.
A nautical blessing of good luck and safe journey
twu.edu
This printing supports a woman-owned business
Spring 2021