Texas Woman's Magazine Spring 2023

A PUBLICATION FOR
ALUMNI, FRIENDS
AND SUPPORTERS
SPRING 2023
TWU expands
health care for
rural and urban
communities

Caring for our
Communities
With a strong guiding
mission, students and
faculty in TWU’s College
of Health Sciences offer
hands-on health care
and wellness education
to community members
across Texas.

INSIDE
8
CELEBRATING
NOTABLE WOMEN
New interactive hall
commemorates Texas women.
10
THE GIFT OF READING
Literacy pioneer Dr. Gay Su
Pinnell honors late faculty
mentor Dr. Billie J. Askew
with $1 million gift.
24
TRUE GRIT
Dr. Anngienetta R. Johnson ’71
reflects on her 40-year
NASA career.
Texas
Woman’s
SPRING 2023
PUBLISHER: Kimberly A. Russell, Ed.D.
Vice President, University Advancement
and Alumni Engagement
Executive Director, TWU Foundation
MANAGING EDITOR: Brittany A. Connolly
Director, Executive Communications
CONTRIBUTORS: Matthew Flores, Patrice Frisby,
Shelby Gould, Christopher Johnson, Kristina
Kaskel-Ruiz, Nelda Martinez, Lisa Rampy,
George Spencer, Renee Thompson, Ashley
Torres, Korinne West
ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN: Zehno
ILLUSTRATORS: Sally Caulwell, Karen Gonzalez,
Delphine Lee, Vanessa Lovegrove, Josie
Portillo, Nadia Radic
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jill Broussard, Heather Key
CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT:
Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
PRINT PRESS: Slate Group
©June 2023, Texas Woman’s University
TEXAS WOMAN’S 1

2 TEXAS WOMAN’S
Ask Steve Latham
what he thinks
of Texas Woman’s
University, and
he’ll tell you
the university
saved his life.

A health crisis in 2016 had left the
former Southern Gospel quartet singer
with greatly compromised mobility
— until he found firmer footing again
through community programs offered
by TWU’s College of Health Sciences.
“TWU has been a salvation for me,”
proclaims Latham, 74, who attends
the LEAD-UP and AWAVE programs
on the Denton campus. “In the water,
I can stand, walk and run. I’m a whole
new person.
“These are fantastic programs and
resources for the community,” he adds.
“I hope and pray TWU continues to be
an integral part of my community long
into the future.”
GETTING IN THE SWIM
As part of their curriculum, students
in the School of Health Promotion and
Kinesiology complete clinical rotations
with LEAD-UP (Lifestyle Education
Access for Diabetics: a University
Program) and AWAVE (Adaptive
Water Activity Venues for Everybody).
Through LEAD-UP, students invite
community members to the Denton
campus, where they teach individuals
how to make wellness-oriented
lifestyle changes. Similarly, AWAVE
helps people regain their muscle
mobility and movement.
George King, the school’s director,
is excited not only about the
outcomes the programs provide
people like Latham, but also the
school’s new research-focused labs
and faculty hires.
King believes TWU’s strategic plan
enhances the school’s mission. “The
efforts underway are going to provide
a lot of future opportunities,” he says.
Health promotion and kinesiology,
occupational therapy, and physical
therapy are the three schools
along with the departments of
communication sciences and oral
health and nutrition and food sciences
that make up the College of Health
Sciences. The college encompasses an
array of allied health fields while also
exemplifying TWU’s values, especially
community service, through its
clinical and community outreach.
PLANTING THE SEED
Clinical experiences are essential
elements of the Department of
Nutrition and Food Sciences.
Experiential learning opportunities,
“whether in the lab or in the
community, give TWU students
experiences that employers want
to see,” says department chair
Shane Broughton. The department’s
community programs range from
teaching children about whole foods
and growing plants to providing health
assessments to firefighters.
This year 450 students in Head
Start programs received pots, soil
and seeds to grow tomatoes, beans,
beets and carrots. “The children were
so excited,” says Leyla Soleymani,
a director at the Mid-Cities Child
Development Center in Denton. “Their
parents came. They had so much fun,
and the children brought me pictures
of their plants at home. I told them,
‘When your radishes grow, bring some
to share.’ ”
The Denton Fire Department
has also benefited from TWU’s
holistic wellness-testing program.
Students conducted hearing
screenings as well as strength, fitness,
endurance and body composition
tests on 150 firefighters this year
alone. According to battalion chief
David Boots, “This provides a great
benefit to our firefighters. They can
see how they’re doing physically.
It’s absolutely huge for them, and it
makes a big difference.”
CORE VALUES ARE A GUIDING LIGHT
George King isn’t the only College of
Health Sciences school director for
whom TWU’s strategic plan offers
a guidepost.
Cynthia Evetts, the director of
the School of Occupational Therapy,
keeps TWU’s core values tacked to
the wall of her office as inspiration.
Caring, Collaboration, Creativity,
Diversity, Excellence, Opportunity and
Wellbeing “guide our actions on a daily
basis,” she says.
Living out that credo, the School
of Occupational Therapy participates
in more than 10 community clinics
and programs serving neurodiverse
populations in Dallas, Denton and
Houston. Evetts and her faculty believe
that altruism is integral
to wellbeing.
“Our students realize the benefits
of volunteering and being involved
in the community, and they see the
difference they can make in a person’s
life. That’s just a small glimpse of what
they will experience as professionals
in the field,” she says.
Juliette Greer, 66, is one
occupational therapy client who
has benefited from that altruistic
mission. Greer, who has arthritis and
uses a walker, has partnered with
TWU students who serve at Brother
Bill’s Helping Hand, a West Dallas
neighborhood center that offers
multiple resources, from food and
wellness to health care tests and
job training. Greer worked this year
with Jennifer Mosley-Garcia ’23,
who provided occupational therapy
services to seniors including adaptive
TEXAS WOMAN’S 3

“Our students realize the benefits of
volunteering and being involved in the
community, and they see the difference
they can make in a person’s life.”
> CYNTHIA EVETTS, DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
strategies for activities of daily
living, fall-prevention methods and
home-safety practices as part of the
Cultivating Healthy Habits program
at Brother Bill’s.
“The students are patient and
professional,” says Greer. “They’re
diligent about reviewing the exercises
with us until we understand them. I’m
so thankful TWU students help us live
safely in our homes, allowing us to
remain independent.”
In the School of Physical Therapy,
students and faculty are improving
local accessibility to public resources.
Faculty member Luciano Garcia
and his students have worked with
the Houston Parks and Recreation
Department’s Adaptive Sports
and Recreation section (HARC) to
increase resource awareness. HARC
offers youth and adult adaptive and
wheelchair sports, an accessible
fitness center and adolescent
bariatric surgery support, among
other resources.
“HARC is the only resource of its
kind in the region. TWU students are
helping spread the word, and they’re
providing on-site instruction to
community members,” says Garcia.
TRANSFORMATIONAL THERAPIES
The Department of Communication
Sciences and Oral Health is
likewise dedicated to providing
“life-changing care to community
members,” as department chair
Cynthia Gill-Sams describes.
The department’s speechlanguage
pathology students and
faculty evaluate and treat a range
of communication and swallowing
disorders in adults and children in
two departmental clinics: the Speech-
Language-Hearing Clinic on the
Denton campus and the Stroke Center
on the Dallas campus.
Since beginning therapy at TWU’s
Stroke Center early this year, JD Cantu
has made remarkable progress. Cantu,
33, has apraxia and aphasia — speech
and language disorders impairing
his ability to communicate — caused
by a 2019 stroke. Since beginning
three-hour sessions with TWU
speech-language pathology students
three times a week, the former sports
manager can now string sentences
together. He realizes how lucky he is
to have received medical treatment.
“TWU offers specialized, comprehensive
health care. I am so grateful to have
found this university clinic serving my
community,” he says.
Cantu’s experience encapsulates
what the college’s clinics and
community programs can achieve.
“We are always working to find
solutions to the communication
problems our clients are faced with
day in and day out,” says Gill-Sams.
SERVING THE UNDERSERVED
“Our community clinics have a major
local impact,” according to Charlene
Dickinson, head of the dental hygiene
program, housed in the Department
of Communication Sciences and
Oral Health on the Denton campus.
“We have a dental hygiene
program with a strong emphasis
on interprofessional education
and community impact,” she says.
“We are graduating professional dental
hygienists who are trained alongside
fellow allied health professionals and
who are instrumental in maintaining
the highest standards of oral health
care practice.”
Dental hygiene students serve
patients of all ages who otherwise
would not receive dental care. They
complete clinical rotations in Dallas
and Denton at the Texas Scottish Rite
Hospital, Children’s Medical Center and
Denton State Supported Living Center,
a residential home for people with
cognitive and developmental disabilities.
At Oak Point Elementary, as many
as 50 children, some of whom have
experienced homelessness, attend
TWU’s Denton campus clinic during
special Saturday events. “Kids who don’t
have insurance get the dental attention
and education they need,” says the Head
Start school’s family facilitator Yamile
Quintero. “It’s an amazing resource with
fantastic students and faculty.”
Dental hygiene patients aren’t just
served by off-campus clinics. The
department’s Denton campus clinic
will expand to over 21,000 square
feet this fall, and its grand opening
will coincide with the program’s 50th
anniversary celebration.
Dental hygiene students are
motivated by their core values, as are
all students in the College of Health
Sciences. “They go into their fields
prepared and passionate,” according
to Dickinson, who also commends
the incredible dedication of the faculty.
In her words, “We all do it because
we love caring for our students and
our communities.”
4 TEXAS WOMAN’S

“This year 450 students
in Head Start programs
received pots, soil and seeds
to grow tomatoes, beans,
beets and carrots. The
children were so excited.”
> LEYLA SOLEYMANI, A DIRECTOR AT THE MID-
CITIES CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER IN DENTON
“I’m so thankful TWU
students help us live safely
in our homes, allowing us
to remain independent.”
> JULIETTE GREER, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CLIENT
“Kids who don’t have
insurance get the dental
attention and education
they need. It’s an amazing
resource with fantastic
students and faculty.”
> YAMILE QUINTERO, HEAD START
SCHOOL’S FAMILY FACILITATOR
TEXAS WOMAN’S 5

The Pinnacle of Health
New world-class health sciences building expands TWU’s impact
T
exas Woman’s will
have a new, more than
$100 million health
sciences building on
its Denton campus by
2025. Once completed, the facility
will be one of its kind in the North
Texas region and will serve as an
interprofessional teaching and
training space that supports rural
and urban communities.
“Projects of this magnitude have the
potential for extraordinary impact,”
says Texas Woman’s Chancellor and
President Carine M. Feyten. “This
future facility will play a key role in
meeting the fast-growing demand
for health care workers in Texas by
graduating highly skilled professionals
and offering expanded clinical care for
our communities.”
Groundbreaking for the state-ofthe-art
building is slated for fall 2023.
Its location, adjacent to the residential
Parliament Village, will expand the
campus to the east.
The building will fulfill a major
part of the university’s strategic
plan to serve and support local
communities. It will also support
a TWU priority — training highly
qualified students to serve in rural
and urban health care settings. The
future 136,000-square-foot facility
will feature student-focused learning
through teaching labs, a simulation
center and a comprehensive
community clinic.
The new facility will unite the
university’s five colleges through
interdisciplinary programming. Also
housed within the new building will
be the clinics that undergird the
College of Health Sciences’ nationally
ranked, prestigious programs. To meet
the growing demands of the Texas
workforce, “we plan to graduate over
30% more nursing and health care
professionals,” says Feyten.
The planned expansions within
the College of Health Sciences and
the College of Nursing at TWU reflect
the tremendous success of their
programs and the rising demand for
qualified practitioners. “The new
building will continue TWU’s legacy
of health care innovation, which will
benefit students and Texans for decades
to come,” says College of Health
Sciences Dean Christopher T. Ray.
Tell us what
you think
Send us a note at
advancement@twu.edu
6 TEXAS WOMAN’S

QPeople Focused
> DR. CHRISTOPHER T. RAY
College of Health Sciences Dean
Expanding our research from bench to bedside
What sets Texas Woman’s Health
Sciences apart?
We pride ourselves on serving a
diverse community of students and
patients, and we’re leading the way
in Texas by providing affordable and
accessible educational opportunities.
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the employment outlook
for the allied health sector is
expected to increase 16% by 2030.
The College of Health Sciences is
preparing Texans for that trend by
producing more than 1,000 graduates
this academic year alone.
Our School of Health Promotion
and Kinesiology and our Department
of Nutrition and Food Sciences offer
top-ranked undergraduate and
graduate programs. Our Ph.D. in
physical therapy is the only one in
Texas and one of six in the country.
Our nationally ranked School of
Occupational Therapy produces
highly trained health professionals.
Our Department of Communication
Sciences and Oral Health offers
some of the best speech-language
pathology and dental hygiene
programs in the state.
What’s unique about your
educational approach?
We’re expanding our research from
bench to bedside. We’re combining
scientific research with educational
partnerships. As we like to say, we
balance the theory and practice of
health science.
We recently hosted a grant-writing
retreat on our Denton campus to
support faculty research on women’s
health. Our faculty are now applying
for national grants from competitive
funding agencies like the National
Institutes of Health and the National
Science Foundation. These grants
will support the enhancement of
patient care.
Our graduate students actively
engage in research. We offer several
M.S. and Ph.D. programs as well as
the Master of Public Health, Doctor
of Occupational Therapy and Doctor
of Physical Therapy degrees. Some of
these programs include accelerated
or dual degree options, making them
especially appealing.
Our undergraduates also practice
the bench-to-bedside approach. On
our Houston campus, occupational
and physical therapy students partner
with nursing students to simulate
clinical scenarios with patient actors.
How will the new health sciences
building benefit the college?
Our new building will include
specialized labs and clinics enabling
us to offer new programs unavailable
elsewhere in North Texas serving
the underserved.
Students will also work
in immersive, collaborative
environments that represent the
diversity of their future workplaces.
Physical therapists will work
alongside nurses, occupational
therapists, social workers and health
care administrators.
We’re helping people live happier
and healthier lives by synchronizing
our research, teaching and
community outreach.
TEXAS WOMAN’S 7

DONOR IMPACT
Celebrating
Notable Women
New interactive hall
commemorates
Texas women
I
f you visit the Sue S.
Bancroft Leadership
Hall, you will find
yourself face to face
with a massive replica
of the classical Greek statue Winged
Victory of Samothrace, honoring the
goddess Nike. This replica was given
by the class of 1929 to commemorate
Armistice Day and the defeat of
autocracy. With the generous support
of Nancy P. Paup ’73, ’74 and Thaddeus E.
Paup, this second replica was purchased
from Paris and restored.
“The statue speaks to the spirit of
the university,” says Curator Elizabeth
Qualia. “This museum is about
courageous women who assumed
leadership roles and took charge of
their life stories.”
The interactive hall opened in
September and is the state’s only history
museum dedicated to Texas women.
Located in the Jane Nelson Institute
for Women’s Leadership in Old Main
on the Denton campus, the hall is
Tour the hall
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Free admission. For more information,
visit twu.edu/hall
named in honor of Sue S. Bancroft, who
donated $2 million to the institute. She
is the founding chair of the institute’s
advisory council and is a former TWU
System Board of Regents Chairwoman.
“I believe in TWU’s purpose: Educate
a woman, empower the world. And
it’s in this spirit of paying it forward
that I have invested in supporting
women who aspire to lead in the
boardroom, in the arts, in community
organizations and in political and
policy arenas,” Bancroft says.
A DOZEN NOTABLE WOMEN
The hall celebrates the lives of 12 Texas
women through an interactive digital
gallery. Using touchscreens, visitors
can learn about First Ladies Claudia
Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson, Barbara
Bush and Laura Bush; Supreme Court
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; State
Representative Martha Wong; and
Chicana activist Martha P. Cotera.
The most popular exhibit, according
to Qualia, is the Rising Star interactive
podium. Visitors can stand behind the
podium, with an image of the Texas
State Capitol in the background,
and read excerpts from speeches by
crusading women. Or, they can write
one of their own. Screens around the
exhibit display the speaker’s image
while she presents, as if she were
delivering a press conference. Guests
can preserve their experience through
a digital photo booth.
A SYMBOLIC LOCATION
The location in the university’s most
historic and iconic building is deliberate,
according to Chancellor and President
Carine M. Feyten. “It’s our intention that
the institute and its exhibit hall will have
a similar historic impact 100 years from
now,” she says. “Our university holds a
significant place in Texas history.”
“The idea behind the leadership hall
was to have a space where we could
inspire women to become leaders and
help them find their passion. There’s
no better place for that than Texas
Woman’s University,” Qualia says.
8 TEXAS WOMAN’S

Pictured from left to right: Regent Jill Jester, former
Regent Sue S. Bancroft, Secretary of State Jane Nelson
and Chancellor and President Carine M. Feyten
“I believe in TWU’s purpose:
Educate a woman, empower
the world.”
Sue S. Bancroft
TEXAS WOMAN’S 9

DONOR IMPACT
The Gift of Reading
Literacy pioneer honors
late faculty mentor
Dr. Billie J. Askew with a
$1 million gift to create
an endowed chair in
Reading Recovery
> DR. GAY SU PINNELL
Educator, literacy trailblazer
and philanthropist
HOW DO YOU improve society?
Through reading. “It’s that simple,”
says Gay Su Pinnell. To spread that
message, the literacy trailblazer and
philanthropist has honored a fellow
early-intervention literacy advocate
by establishing the Dr. Billie J. Askew
Endowed Chair in Reading Recovery at
Texas Woman’s. Named after the late
founder of TWU’s Reading Recovery
program, TWU Distinguished Alumna
and Cornaro Professor Emerita of
Reading, the $1 million gift will bolster
the Department of Literacy and
Learning and preserve Askew’s legacy.
The early literacy intervention the
late Askew brought to TWU in 1989 is
based on an individualized approach
to reading that has helped struggling
students in more than 50 school
districts across a dozen states learn
to read. Since 1984, when Reading
Recovery was introduced to the United
States, 2.5 million Americans have
learned to read.
HONORING A LEADER
The new endowed chair recognizes
Askew’s leadership and Texas
Woman’s role in promoting the
Reading Recovery program both
nationally and internationally. “It’s
important to maintain that strong
leadership,” Pinnell says.
Pinnell, who established the
endowed chair after Askew’s passing in
2021 says, “Billie and I were colleagues
for almost 40 years. She not only was a
scholar and a researcher, but she was
dedicated and passionate, an advocate
for literacy and children and a very
warm and generous person.” Pinnell
herself is professor emerita in the
Department of Teaching and Learning
at The Ohio State University.
Pinnell’s passion for reading began
when she discovered comic books at
age 4. She later decided to teach first
grade “to bring that gift [of reading] to
children,” says Pinnell. Yet she quickly
noticed that some students struggled
10 TEXAS WOMAN’S

with reading and writing assignments.
“I wanted to do something to ensure a
route to success for everyone.”
MEETING KIDS’ NEEDS
While pursuing her master’s and
doctoral degrees at The Ohio State
University, Pinnell encountered the
work of Marie Clay, a New Zealand
cognitive psychologist. Clay pioneered
the internationally acclaimed Reading
Recovery method. The program
provides struggling first-graders with
30 minutes of intensive, customized
reading instruction for up to 20 weeks.
“It’s responsive to exactly what the child
knows and needs to learn next, not a
one-size-fits-all approach,” Pinnell says.
Pinnell not only helped pioneer the
statewide implementation of Reading
Recovery in 1984 by establishing a
pilot program in Ohio, she also helped
develop other innovative literacy
methods for young children. And she
has published dozens of scholarly
books and instructional guides for
fellow educators, often in collaboration
with her colleague Irene Fountas, the
Marie M. Clay Endowed Chair in Early
Literacy and Reading Recovery and
Director of the Center for Reading
Recovery in the Graduate School of
Education at Lesley University in
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Pinnell hopes her gift to Texas
Woman’s will enable the university to
continue changing students’ lives, one
book at a time. “Reading is essential to
living a quality life,” she says. “Becoming
an informed citizen with the ability to
participate in and contribute to society
starts with literacy.”
Boldly go
Learn how you can support
TWU colleges and programs
at advancement@twu.edu
TEXAS WOMAN’S 11

WHAT IF?
What if TWU trained
fermentation scientists?
Food, science and entrepreneurship meld here
DID YOU KNOW that pickles, coffee and
chocolate are fermented? So are bread,
cheese and many other foods. The field
of fermentation science explores the
chemistry of cooking with microbes. As
Nutrition and Food Sciences Department
Chair Shane Broughton notes, “The U.S.
is a diverse country that’s becoming
more diverse every day. As this trend
continues in Texas, we’ll need to meet
the flavor desires of our communities
through fermented foods.”
While some consumers think of
alcoholic beverages when they hear the
term fermentation science, others are
growing savvy about its health benefits.
“A lot of people use probiotics to
optimize the healthy bacteria in their
large intestine,” says Danhui Wang,
assistant professor of nutrition and food
sciences. “Fermented foods are natural
sources of probiotics because they’re
made with the healthy bacteria we want
to cultivate in our GI tract.”
Developing women fermentation
scientists wouldn’t be a reach for TWU.
As the nation’s only woman-focused
university system, “we have the unique
ability to train women scientists in TWU’s
interprofessional, entrepreneurialoriented
environment,” says College of
Health Sciences Dean Christopher T. Ray.
THE TWU ADVANTAGE
The expanding field of fermentation
science plays to TWU’s strengths. While
drawing on scientific disciplines such as
biology and biochemistry, it overlaps
with economics, entrepreneurship and
other business fields.
TWU already has a foundation for
fermentation science. “We have a
microbiology lab and recently added
a bioreactor,” explains Xiaofen Du,
assistant professor of nutrition and food
sciences. “Our facilities are growing,
and we’ll continue to expand our
infrastructure.” There’s an increasing
trend to use fermentation technologies
to produce food ingredients that many
consumers like to see labeled as
natural additives. These types of flavors
help satisfy consumer demand for
clean labels.”
TWU’s campus locations are another
asset. “The growing DFW metroplex is
home to a dynamic market known for
its specialty stores and farmers markets
selling fermented foods like artisanal
cheeses and hot sauces,” says Associate
Professor of Economics Gilbert Werema.
“And Houston, the nation’s most diverse
city, has a vibrant culinary scene
contributing to a strong interest in many
fermented foods.
“TWU could develop specialized
courses with applied research foci
to address industry challenges,
improve production processes and
develop new production innovations,”
Werema continues. “The possibilities
are truly endless.”
Tell us what
you think
Send us a note at
advancement@twu.edu
12 TEXAS WOMAN’S

RESEARCH
THAT
MATTERS
Learn how you
can support
research at TWU
Send us a note at advancement@twu.edu
> MI HYANG LEE, pictured in Dr. Kwon's lab on the TWU Denton campus, is a
professional golfer who played on both the LPGA Tour and Symetra Tour in 2012.
A HOLE IN ONE
The Science
of Golf
Dr. Young-Hoo Kwon
tees up scientific swings
YOUNG-HOO KWON has a
swinging job. For the last
14 years, this professor
of kinesiology has used
motion-capture technology
in his Biomechanics and
Motor Behavior Lab on
the Denton campus to
understand the science
of golf.
Thanks to Kwon, TWU
has become one of the
world’s leading researchers
in golf biomechanics.
Hideki Matsuyama,
winner of the 2021 Masters
Tournament, and other
champions have sought
his scientific expertise.
Over 100 professional
and amateur golfers visit
Kwon’s lab every year.
Covered in sensors, they
hit balls into nets and are
transformed into computer
animations for analysis.
What is the secret
to a better golf swing?
“Improve your backswing,”
according to Kwon,
although this strategy is
counterintuitive. “Trust
yourself,” he says. “Don’t
try to blindly imitate elite
players, or you might ruin
your swing.”
TEXAS WOMAN’S 13

RESEARCH
THAT
MATTERS
Transcending
linguistic
boundaries
Award-winning
faculty conduct
speech-language
pathology research
> Cornaro Professor
Jyutika Mehta received
the Kenneth Viste, Jr.,
MD Memorial Lectureship
Award at the 2023
American Society of
Neurorehabilitation.
Learn more at
twu.edu/mehta
THANKS TO AN innovative
program at Texas Woman’s,
children with autism can now
utter sounds — and even words
— through imitation.
Imitation Therapy usually
involves toys, but Cornaro
Professor Jyutika Mehta and
Professor Cynthia Gill-Sams of the
Department of Communication
Sciences and Oral Health have
developed an alternative in which
children mimic their parents.
“In as little as two weeks,
children who had never made
vocal sounds produced up to 30
vocalizations for the first time,”
Mehta says. “One child who had
never spoken began using 12
different words. Imitation Therapy
is an incredibly effective and
simple process that is also
easily teachable.”
Their research is supported by
a $450,508 grant for Parent-Led
Imitation Therapy for Children
with Autism Spectrum Disorders
from the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board.
> DR. JYUTIKA MEHTA
Director of the Stroke Center-Dallas
14 TEXAS WOMAN’S

MY INSPIRATION DONOR
GOING
GLOBAL
A gift from sisters
Mildred Tribble ’45
and Marie Tribble ’46
will assist students
from the College of
Professional Education
to study abroad.
> THE TRIBBLE SISTERS
sparked a passion for
adventure by traveling
across the world to countries
including China and Brazil.
> MILDRED
TRIBBLE ’45
> MARIE
TRIBBLE ’46
MILDRED TRIBBLE ’45,
who turns 100 in October,
displays a giant map of the
world on the wall of her
home office. Red pins mark
the dozens of countries she
has visited — from England
to Brazil to China to Kenya
— often accompanied by
her sister, Marie Tribble ’46.
Now, Mildred wants “to
give other people the same
opportunities that we had
to travel,” she says. The
Mildred and Marie Tribble
Study Abroad Scholarship
Endowment will honor
Mildred and the memory
of Marie, who passed away
in 1994, while enabling
students in the College of
Professional Education to
enjoy the cultural enrichment
the sisters shared.
Mildred studied home
economics education and
graduated in 1945, while her
sister earned her degree
in food and nutrition the
following year. Attending
college during World
War II, they relied on ration
coupons to purchase
groceries. “We were very
privileged to be able to go
to college then, and I’m
glad I earned my degree,”
Mildred says.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
The sisters began traveling
the world in their 20s,
sparking a lifelong passion
for adventure. “Travel
enhanced and broadened
our lives,” says Mildred. “It
made us realize that we live
in a wonderful country, but
we’re also influenced by
tradition and history from
other countries. We learned
that there are different
ways of living.”
The sisters didn’t go the
traditional route of marriage
and family after graduating
from college, instead
earning master’s degrees
and building careers —
Mildred in the marketing
department of a utility
company and Marie as a
food and nutrition specialist
for the Texas Agricultural
Extension Service. “Texas
Woman’s University
fostered leadership skills in
women of my generation,”
Mildred says.
What is Mildred’s advice
to students who travel
internationally? “Travel
light and absorb all you
can!” Thanks to the Tribble
sisters’ gift, countless
TWU students will have an
opportunity to experience
the world.
Make an impact
Learn more about planned gifts
at plannedgiving.twu.edu
TEXAS WOMAN’S 15

1973
TWU dental hygiene
students providing
teeth cleanings to
community residents
on the Denton
campus.
Photo: TWU Special Collections
> 2023
This fall a new
20,142-square-foot
dental clinic with
32 operatories,
12 radiology units
and a simulation
lab will open on the
Denton campus.
THEN AND NOW
A BRUSH WITH
PROGRESS
Dental hygiene program
celebrates 50th anniversary
Learn more
Schedule a screening with
the dental hygiene clinic
at twu.edu/dental
“REMARKABLE CHANGE.”
That’s how Dental Hygiene
Program Director Charlene
Dickinson describes how
the profession of dental
hygiene — and dental
hygiene education at Texas
Woman’s — has evolved in
the last 50 years.
In 1973, six students
graduated with a bachelor’s
in dental hygiene. The
program has evolved
significantly since its
inception. Fifty years later,
TWU’s dental hygiene
program has experienced
an enrollment increase
of over 2,000% at the
undergraduate level alone.
The program offers three
bachelor’s degrees and
a master’s of science in
health studies with a focus
in dental hygiene.
“The competitive and
rigorous program has
a strong emphasis on
community engagement and
interpersonal education,”
says Dickinson. “I love
witnessing students’ lightbulb
moments.
Our graduates have a
wonderful reputation in
their communities. They
are prepared, successful on
their boards and ready to
go into practice.”
Coming this fall, TWU will
open a new 20,142-squarefoot
dental clinic with 32
operatories, 12 radiology
units and a simulation lab.
16 TEXAS WOMAN’S

BOLDLY
GO
> A FOURTH-YEAR
KINESIOLOGY student
who participated in
TWU's team at the
Texas Space Grant
Consortium Design
Challenge Showcase.
TEXAS WOMAN’S 17

NEWS ROUNDUP
Campus by Campus
Learn what’s happening in Denton, Dallas and Houston
NEW HUB FOR WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS
The award-winning
AccelerateHER program,
a part of TWU’s Jane Nelson
Institute for Women’s
Leadership, has expanded
its efforts to provide earlystage
women entrepreneurs
with resources and
education to fast track their
companies into scalable
and successful businesses.
Abilene is the fourth hub —
other sites are in Denton,
Dallas and Houston.
DALLAS
INFORMATICS CONFERENCE
DELIVERED INSIGHTS
Clinical informatics, patient
safety, and artificial intelligence
were some of the topics
explored at the 2023 Doswell
Health Informatics Conference
at the Dallas campus.
> LUCY BILLINGSLEY
RECEIVES TWU
LEADERSHIP AWARD
At the spring Dallas
Leadership Luncheon,
former university
regent and commercial
real-estate developer
Lucy Billingsley was
awarded for her
professional and
civic achievements.
All proceeds from
the annual event
support TWU graduate
student scholarships.
Learn more
Read about the award
at twu.edu/leadership-award
ACCELERATED PROGRESS
EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
TWU’s commitment to
positive change has paid
dividends. The university
won the 2023 ACE/Fidelity
Investments Award for
Institutional Transformation
from the American
Council on Education. This
annual award recognizes
a university’s innovative
responses to higher
education challenges in
a brief period of time.
BRIDGING THE GAP
TWU’s Zero Tuition
Guarantee aims to
remove economic barriers
to help eligible students
complete their TWU
education. The renewable
effort helps bridge the
gap between tuition, fees
and federal grants to
cover the remaining
attendance costs.
DENTON
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION
AWARDED
The College of Business
earned accreditation from
AACSB International — The
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of
Business — considered
the world’s top association
of business schools. Less
than 6% of the world's
business schools have
gained this distinction.
The AACSB recognizes
when a business college
has met the most
rigorous standards of
educational excellence.
KOREA’S BEST NURSING
STUDENTS HOSTED
TWU’s Center for Global
Nursing hosted about a dozen
nursing students from the
Republic of South Korea at the
Dallas campus. The students
participated in lectures,
shadowed at local hospitals,
observed simulations and more.
HOUSTON
GRADUATE TEAM WINS TOP PRIZE
A graduate team from TWU’s
Health Care Administration
department earned the top
prize at the 13th Annual
Case Competition hosted
by the George McMillan
Fleming Center for
Healthcare Management
at UTHealth Houston.
18 TEXAS WOMAN’S

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
2023 ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Congratulations to this year’s TWU Alumni Achievement Award winners!
> Pictured from
left to right at the
Alumni Achievement
Awards Luncheon:
Dr. Carol Ireton-
Jones’ daughter
and husband;
Dianne Randolph;
Chief Judge Alia
Moses; Chancellor &
President Carine M.
Feyten; Tiana James;
and Joan Kuehl
Learn more
Read about the awards
at twu.edu/awards
CHANCELLOR’S ALUMNI
EXCELLENCE AWARD
Carol Ireton-Jones,
Ph.D. ’82, ’88
Carol Ireton-Jones
is a nationally
recognized nutrition
therapy specialist.
She earned her
doctorate and
master’s degrees in
nutrition from TWU
and is well known
for the Ireton-Jones
Energy Equations,
which are widely
used nationally
and internationally
to predict energy
expenditure in patients.
DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNI AWARD
Dianne
Randolph ’69, ’71
Dianne Randolph is
an artist, educator
and activist who
earned her bachelor’s
and master’s degrees
in music from TWU.
A classically trained
soprano, she has
performed throughout
the world, exploring
the rich styles of
African American
and European music
traditions. Randolph
was instrumental
in founding the
university’s Black
Alumni Association.
THE JANE NELSON
INSTITUTE FOR
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC
SERVICE AWARD
Chief U.S. District
Judge Alia Moses ’83
Chief Judge Alia
Moses oversees the
Western District of
Texas, which is one
of the country’s
largest, covering
93,000 square miles.
Moses was appointed
in 2002 by then-
President George W.
Bush, becoming the
first woman to serve
on a federal bench in
the Western District.
MAROON AND
WHITE AWARD
Empowering Women
as Leaders, Dallas and
Fort Worth Chapters
Empowering Women
as Leaders was
formed in 2004
with the mission
to support women
through scholarships,
mentoring and
networking. Since
2018, Joan Kuehl
has served as board
president. The
organization assists
non-traditional-age
women students
who have financial
need and are
beginning college
for the first time or
returning to college.
YOUNG ALUMNI
AWARD
Tiana James ’14
Tiana James is
manager of PR &
Partnerships for
Victoria’s Secret
PINK. She specializes
in public relations
strategy, influencer
marketing and
celebrity affiliations,
and has earned
personal accolades,
including an honoree
recognition for Ad
Age 40 Under 40
and PRSA Dallas 40
Under 40.
TEXAS WOMAN’S 19

Pioneers
> BERNADETTE
COLEMAN ’93, ’96
Occupational
therapist and
TWU regent
> COLEMAN said,
“TWU was vital in
my personal and
professional growth,
and I wanted to help
make it vital for other
women’s growth.”
GIVING BACK
Striving for
Excellence
Regent Bernadette
Coleman ’93, ’96 brings
her passion for TWU
to the board
BERNADETTE COLEMAN
’93, ’96 has dedicated her
life to helping others — as
an occupational therapist,
parent volunteer and active
TWU alumna. For the last
five years, she’s been
making an impact on an
even bigger scale as a
member of the TWU System
Board of Regents.
Coleman, an occupational
therapist for the Denton
County Special Education
Cooperative, has served on
the board since 2018.
She feels honored to have
approved new academic
programs, weighed in
on improvements for the
Denton, Dallas and Houston
campuses and supported
Chancellor and President
Carine M. Feyten’s vision for
the entire university system.
“TWU was vital in my
personal and professional
growth, and I wanted to
help make it vital for other
women’s growth,” says
Coleman, who earned
degrees in occupational
therapy. “It makes me really
proud as a Hispanic woman,
and the first in my family to
go to college, to be on the
board and to watch TWU
continue to grow and strive
for excellence.”
Coleman also has given
back to TWU by hosting
occupational therapy
students for fieldwork,
interviewing prospective
students and joining the
university’s Pioneer Club,
which provides financial
support to student-athletes.
When not in board meetings,
you can find Coleman
cheering on the Pioneers
at athletic events.
20 TEXAS WOMAN’S

BAILEY
HAMMACK ’14, ’17
Physical therapist
and softball
hall-of-famer
> MUCHINKA
PEELE ’22
Speech-language
pathologist,
physical therapist
and education
advocate
A TRUE PIONEER
Bailey Hammack ’14, ’17
is named to the
LSC Hall of Honor
MUCHINKA PEELE ’22 hails
from the south-central
African nation of Zambia. But
it took extensive study and
initiative, and a Ph.D. from
Texas Woman’s, to pioneer
her nation’s first speechlanguage
therapy program.
Peele, whose prior
experience is in physical
therapy, began her quest
to bring speech-therapy
training to Zambia 10 years
ago. She and 17 other
Zambians studied remotely
with Texas Woman’s
professors for two years
to learn the techniques of
speech-language pathology.
Peele made the journey to
TWU’s Denton campus to
pursue her Ph.D. in 2019.
She urged senior Zambian
government officials to
FROM ZAMBIA TO
TEXAS AND BACK
TWU enabled Muchinka Peele ’22 to bring the
profession of speech therapy to her home country
establish the nation’s first
speech-language therapy
bachelor’s program. As an
indication of her success
in helping those in need,
Levy Mwanawasa Medical
University (LMMU), in
Zambia’s national capital,
Lusaka, now offers a
bachelor’s degree in speech
and language therapy.
“Muchinka has been
courageous in helping
Zambians better understand
speech and language
disorders, and TWU has
been instrumental in the
creation of the program at
LMMU,” says Communication
Sciences Chair and Professor
Cynthia Gill-Sams.
Peele earned her Ph.D. in
special education with an
emphasis in communication
sciences to gain the
necessary skills to help
those with speech-language
disorders in hospitals,
clinics and classrooms.
“I plan to return home
this year to reopen my
speech-therapy clinic,
teach courses at LMMU
and begin the initial phase
of a new school for children
with disabilities in Lusaka,”
says Peele.
Although excited to
return to Zambia, she calls
TWU her second home.
Says Peele, “TWU’s become
my family. I’m grateful
for the TWU professors
who invested years of
work and were dedicated
to making speech-language
therapy training possible
in Zambia.”
WHEN BAILEY VRAZEL
HAMMACK learned she was
being inducted into the
2022 Lone Star Conference
(LSC) Hall of Honor, her initial
reaction was shock. Then
came pride. “It solidified all
of the work I’ve put into my
career,” she says.
She joins Dianne Baker ’75,
former student-athlete and
softball coach, and Jo Kuhn,
former athletic director and
professor, as the newest
Pioneer inducted into the
LSC Hall of Honor.
Hammack, who began
playing softball at age 4,
chose to attend TWU because
of the close-knit community
in the classroom and on the
field. “You didn’t get lost
in the shuffle, and I built
relationships that will last a
lifetime,” she says.
As an infielder, Hammack
helped the Pioneers achieve
an LSC championship title
and two regional titles. She
set multiple records and
earned numerous accolades,
including being a four-time
All-America selection.
Hammack attributes
her athletic and scholastic
success to TWU’s womanfocused
mission. “You’ve got
to give it your all,” she says.
Hammack, who earned
a bachelor’s in kinesiology
in 2014 and a doctorate in
physical therapy in 2017,
brings the same dedication
to her career. This year, she
opened a physical therapy
practice, where she treats
and trains athletes. “I want to
help people stay active for a
lifetime,” she says.
TEXAS WOMAN’S 21

FRANCELIA
MEDINA ’24 AND N EVA
COCHRAN, M.S. ’78
Recipient and donor
of the Neva Cochran
Endowed Scholarship
in Nutrition
MY SCHOLARSHIP MATTERS
Advocating
Healthy Habits
Scholarship recipient Francelia Medina ’24
plans to promote weight inclusivity
WHEN NUTRITION
communications consultant
Neva Cochran ’78 reviewed
Francelia Medina ’24’s
application essay after
she was selected for the
nutrition scholarship
bearing her name, she was
impressed with her work
regarding the accessibility
of canned food as a healthy
option for people who can’t
afford fresh produce.
Medina’s evidencebased
approach impressed
the registered dietitian
nutritionist who created
the Neva Cochran Endowed
Scholarship in Nutrition in
2020 to ease the financial
burden of graduate school
and to offer stipends for
dietetic internships to
master’s degree students.
She has since expanded
her giving to include a
$1 million planned gift through
her estate, supporting
additional scholarships and
faculty research.
Receiving the scholarship
not only reduced Medina’s
debt but also bolstered her
confidence to complete her
degree as she struggled with
a demanding workload. “It
helps encourage students
like me to keep pursuing my
dreams,” she says.
TWU’s program appealed
to Medina because “the
curriculum is comprehensive,
immersive and challenging.
I am gaining a great depth
of knowledge, which will
sharpen my skills as a future
clinician,” she says.
After completing an
internship at Houston’s
Michael E. DeBakey
VA Medical Center,
Medina plans to become
a registered dietitian
nutritionist specializing in
eating disorders, with the
goal of opening a practice
emphasizing weight
inclusivity for all people.
“People’s overall health
has a much better chance
of improving once shame
is lessened and, ideally,
removed altogether,”
says Medina.
22 TEXAS WOMAN’S

FLAVOR
CHEMISTRY
Texas Woman’s
recent creations
include sweeter
watermelon juice,
tastier cucumbers
and hydroponically
grown lettuce.
DID YOU KNOW?
A MATTER OF TASTE
Nation’s only flavor chemistry
focused food science program
Boldly go
Learn how you can support
TWU colleges and programs
at advancement@twu.edu
XIAOFEN DU has a taste
for excellence. An assistant
professor in the Department
of Nutrition and Food
Sciences, Du is one of the
few flavor chemists in Texas.
As head of Texas
Woman’s flavor chemistry
program, she breaks down
the chemical structure of
foods. What is the goal?
To understand flavors at
the molecular level and
concoct artificial flavors for
more palatable foods. Her
recent creations include
sweeter watermelon
juice, tastier cucumbers
and hydroponically
grown lettuce, and richer
flavors for sugar-reduced
beverages.
“I’m very proud to have
helped build this program,”
says Du of the nation’s only
food science program that
focuses on flavor chemistry.
“It’s been incredibly popular
with students,” she adds.
Du, who earned her
Ph.D. from Oregon State
University, arrived at TWU
six years ago when the
flavor chemistry program
was founded.
Not only has she been
awarded research grants
from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, but she has
also received funds from
nearly a dozen leading
food industry companies
including Firmenich, the
world’s largest privately
owned fragrance and taste
company. Other supporters
include Century Snacks,
Simple Foods, Scifi Foods,
Brianna Salad Dressings
and Truco Enterprises
(the parent company of On
the Border). A prolific and
well-funded researcher,
she has published more
than 20 papers in the last
two years.
TEXAS WOMAN’S 23

True Grit
Her Place in Space
Mathematics alumna, who received the 2012
Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award, reflects
on her 40-year, trailblazing career with NASA
F
or space pioneer
and mathematician
Anngienetta R.
Johnson, D.Sc., ’71,
her time at Texas
Woman’s represented a
personal and professional Big Bang that
led to a dream job at NASA.
At Texas Woman’s, Johnson
developed a passion for mathematics,
crediting the math department for
her “incredible TWU experience and
career trajectory. The university was
growing and full of women leaders who
were making amazing strides at an
important time in American history,”
she says.
Raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, by
a father who left school after the
fourth grade to help support his
family and a high school graduate
mother, Johnson and her twin sister,
Margienetta Norris ’71, were the first
in their family to earn college degrees.
TAKING FLIGHT AT NASA
Noticing her strong aptitude, the
late Cornaro Professor John Christy,
then-chair of mathematics, nominated
Johnson for NASA’s cooperative
educational employment program.
Johnson kept on track to graduate,
co-oping “every other semester with
NASA, taking classes on alternating
semesters,” she recalls.
The grit and gumption she first
brought to NASA in 1968 led to an
illustrious career including as the first
Black woman payload officer, a critical
duty she performed for NASA’s second
space shuttle flight, in 1981.
She also led a team of experimental
flight controllers and managed a
front-room console position — the
base of operations for a flight-control
team. “It was my ultimate place in
space,” she says.
After serving in NASA for over
40 years, Johnson retired as senior
advisor for safety and mission
assurance in 2009. Today, she reflects
on her achievements with pride and
gratitude. While traveling the country
on motivational speaking tours, she
reminds students and professionals
alike that “it’s important to follow your
dreams and share what you know with
those who need it most.”
“We can be
anything we
want to be.
The sky isn’t
the limit. Aim
for the stars,
and land on
the moon.”
Anngienetta R. Johnson ’71
24 TEXAS WOMAN’S

ANNGIENETTA
R. JOHNSON ’71
Space pioneer and
mathematician
What inspires you
to support TWU?
Send us a note at advancement@twu.edu
TEXAS WOMAN’S 25

Division of University Advancement
1605 N. Bell Ave.
Denton, TX 76204
Scan with your smartphone
camera to view the digital edition.
Texas Woman’s
Leads the Way With
National Award
The American Council on Education (ACE)
recognized TWU with the
2023 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award
for Institutional Transformation.