Texas Womans Spring 2024 Magazine

A PUBLICATION FOR
ALUMNI, FRIENDS
AND SUPPORTERS
SPRING 2024
TWU Pioneers
share one thing
in common:
BIG DREAMS

Preparing
for the Future
Texas Woman’s
is Dreaming Big

INSIDE
4
PUTTING THE BIG “D”
IN BIG DREAMS
Monica Christopher Named
Dallas Campus President
6
ESTABLISHING A NEW
FRONTIER IN EDUCATION
Dr. Melissa Tonn Opens Doors
8
PASSING ON THE TORCH
Devoted alumna Mary E.
Ridgway, PhD ’71, ’74 gives back
24
TRUE GRIT
Sheila K. Kellagher, DPT ’81, ’17
reflects on her path to success
Texas
Woman’s
SPRING 2024
PUBLISHER: Lisa Rampy
Interim Vice President, University
Advancement and Alumni Engagement
EDITOR: Brittany A. Connolly
Director, Executive Communications
CONTRIBUTORS: Michelle Cummings, Matthew
Flores, Elizabeth Gustwick, Christopher Johnson,
Kris Kaskel-Ruiz, Andy Palos, David Pyke, Amy
Ruggini, Christy Savage ’17, Isabella Serrano,
Korinne West
ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN:
Renee Victory
Director, Design Services
ILLUSTRATORS: Alem DeLaCruz ’19,
Victoria Nall ’22
PHOTOGRAPHER: Leo Gonzalez
CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT:
Carine M. Feyten, PhD
PRINT PRESS: Slate Group
©March 2024, Texas Woman’s University
TEXAS WOMAN’S 1

The
Opportunity
is Too Big to
Dream Small
P
ioneers at Texas Woman’s
come from a diverse range
of backgrounds and bring
different perspectives
and rich experiences with
them. Pioneers are resilient and dare to
achieve what they dream. To honor this
legacy and prepare future generations
of TWU graduates for success, TWU
Chancellor and President Carine M.
Feyten announced the launch of Dream
Big — The Campaign for Texas Woman’s
University — this past fall.
Focusing on three pathways — Open
Doors, Fuel Innovation and Cultivate
Grit — Texas Woman’s has a goal to raise
$125 million to celebrate its 125-year
anniversary in 2026.
“Together, we will raise $125 million
to ensure the pioneering spirit of the
largest woman-focused university
system in our nation continues
advancing opportunities and leadership,”
says Feyten. “One million dollars for
every year of our history — that’s what it
means to dream big.”
2 TEXAS WOMAN’S

OPEN DOORS
A door can be a powerful symbol.
Among its many metaphors, a door
can represent transformational
opportunities, signaling a wide array
of possibilities. At Texas Woman’s, the
many doors of opportunity are thrown
wide open, empowering all students to
dream big.
From student scholarships, graduate
assistantships, funding for study
abroad opportunities and other forms
of critical support, Texas Woman’s
provides the needed resources and
educational opportunities for students
to be successful and live productively.
Scholarships and fieldwork
opportunities have opened doors for
current graduate student and single
mother, Alicia Becker ’20, who earned
a bachelor’s degree in family studies
with a track in pre-occupational
therapy before being accepted
into the occupational therapy
graduate program.
Becker is training to become an
occupational therapist because she
“wants to help people regain the skills
they lost, so they can return to their
everyday activities.”
“Texas Woman’s scholarships have
been vital to my degree completion as
a single mother and working student.
And, I will complete my fieldwork
experience at AGAPE Clinic in Dallas,
where I will engage in practice-based
learning and provide quality healthcare
to underserved people. Scholarships
and the opportunity to train in the
community are opening doors for me
to new and innovative experiences,”
says Becker.
FUEL INNOVATION
From a single building in 1901 to the
first woman-focused university system
in the nation, Texas Woman’s continues
to blaze its own trail.
The Fuel Innovation pathway builds
on transformational ideas. Expanding
funding for research, establishing
named academic positions and
developing academic programs in
high-demand fields and industries will
bring the unique perspectives of Texas
Woman’s talented faculty and students
to real-world problem solving and
creative, ground-breaking solutions.
David Pugh is a second-year graduate
student in the physical therapy
program. He chose Texas Woman’s
after earning a bachelor’s degree in
biomedical engineering from Texas
A&M University, “because TWU has one
of the best physical therapy programs in
the country.”
Pugh began blazing new trails his very
first semester. With his background in
biomedical engineering, he was invited
to join Assistant Professor Hui-Ting Goh
in researching the relationship between
mental functions and motor movements
in stroke patients.
“I am proud to serve on this
innovative research team,” says
Pugh. “Adding to the collective body
of research knowledge can make a
real difference in patients’ lives. I am
inspired by this work.”
CULTIVATE GRIT
Grit is the desire to see the job done
right and the perseverance to see it to
completion. Texas Woman’s provides
tailored environments that help
cultivate a culture of grit. Expanding
opportunities, supporting programs,
and providing learning experiences
and leadership opportunities gives
students the confidence to make their
dreams come true.
Scholarship recipient Patty Lobos
Valle belongs to the weekend/evening
nursing cohort on the Dallas campus.
An immigrant from El Salvador, she
dropped out of school to support and
care for her family members. Despite
challenges, Lobos Valle never lost
sight of her dream to earn a college
education, and she returned at the
community college level.
“I transferred to TWU because the
weekend/evening nursing program
provides flexibility and allows me to
continue to work,” says Lobos Valle.
“My faculty mentors at Texas Woman’s
have taught me that no dreams
are off limits. After I complete my
undergraduate nursing degree, I plan
to pursue my doctorate so I can pay it
forward as a mentor and leader.”
To learn more
about the Dream
Big Campaign,
Visit dreambig.twu.edu
“We celebrate every success. We’re there to
lend a hand when anyone stumbles. We are
committed to honoring the pioneering qualities
of hard work, tenacity and taking risks to
achieve important things.”
Regent Ellen Amirkhan ’79
TEXAS WOMAN’S 3

Putting the Big “D”
in Big Dreams
Monica Christopher
Named Inaugural Dallas
Campus President
T
exas Woman’s launched
the nursing program at
Parkland Hospital more
than 70 years ago. Today,
the university system is
taking another historical leap forward
by appointing the first president of the
T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health
Sciences – Dallas Center.
Monica Christopher is a seasoned
nonprofit executive and community
relations professional with a disarming
smile and extraordinary poise. Her
engaging community spirit shines
through in every conversation.
It is her passion for Texas Woman’s,
combined with years of proven
experience, that makes her uniquely
qualified to contribute to TWU’s
goal of expanding its influence and
partnerships and blossoming into a
thriving university system that will
serve more Texans and have a greater
impact on the Dallas region.
MAKING HISTORY
Christopher’s appointment marks the
beginning of a new and exciting chapter
for Texas Woman’s and the communities
being served.
“Monica is an exceptional innovator
and collaborator with a solid track
record of successful fundraising and
relationship building in Dallas, which
will serve our university system
well as we work toward growing the
Dallas campus,” says Texas Woman’s
Chancellor Carine M. Feyten. “She
demonstrates great passion for
our shared mission with polished,
energetic professionalism.”
DEEP COMMUNITY ROOTS
Christopher’s Dallas roots run deep,
spanning 25 years of experience
in philanthropy and community
relations. She has an extensive
background working with boards,
foundations, nonprofits and
corporations, and has held key
leadership positions at Communities
Foundation of Texas, WFAA and The
Dallas Morning News.
“I am over the moon about the
opportunity to work for Texas
Woman’s, and to be the first president
of the Dallas campus is really special,”
Christopher says. “TWU has a
distinguished history in Dallas, and
I am honored and beyond thrilled to
serve in this capacity. I look forward
to working with the university’s
talented faculty, staff and students
to grow the campus, build on its
legacy of excellence and bring greater
awareness to the outstanding degree
programs offered here.”
BUILDING ON OUR STRENGTHS
Today, the T. Boone Pickens Institute
of Health Sciences – Dallas Center is
a 190,000-square-foot facility that
sits in the heart of the Southwestern
Medical District. Texas Woman’s is a
notable contributor to the healthcare
workforce, graduating an average
of 2,000 nursing and allied health
professionals each year.
The Dallas campus is also home
to the university’s renowned Stroke
Center, which provides more than
5,000 hours of clinical, neurorehabilitation
services annually at no
cost to members of the community.
In addition to an MBA and graduatelevel
healthcare administration
programs, the Dallas campus offers
undergraduate, graduate and
doctoral courses and programs
in nursing, occupational therapy
and physical therapy.
Asked how she is acclimating to
her new role since taking the mantle
Feb. 1, Christopher says, “The last
few months have been inspiring
and energizing. The faculty, staff
and students have been welcoming,
and I’ve been so impressed by how
committed everyone is to TWU’s
mission. I’m learning so much and am
truly excited about the opportunities
and challenges that lie ahead.”
Boldly Go
Learn more about our
Dallas Campus
twu.edu/dallas
4 TEXAS WOMAN’S

MONICA
CHRISTOPHER
Inaugural Dallas
Campus President
TEXAS WOMAN’S 5

DONOR IMPACT
Establishing a New
Frontier in Education
Opening Doors
to Success for
Foster Care Students
“Take every opportunity
you have to build the
life you want. In foster
care, so many decisions
are not our own. But
your education is yours.”
Tomi Choyce, Business Administration ’25
I
n 2011, nationally
recognized and boardcertified
occupational
medicine physician
Dr. Melissa Tonn was
appointed by then-governor Rick Perry
to the Texas Woman’s University Board
of Regents.
Through her leadership and service
as a TWU Regent, Dr. Tonn learned
about the Frontiers Program, which
is designed to help students who have
experienced foster care earn a college
education. It would become a cause
she would embrace as her own.
“Right place, right time,” Dr. Tonn
says. “Right thing to do.”
National studies show 62% of high
school graduates enroll in college, and
63% of those complete their education.
But among students who experienced
foster care, only 33% will enroll
and fewer than 10% will earn a
college degree.
Students who have experienced
foster care face some unique
challenges. They can’t rely on parents
for help with applications, paying
tuition, or support to deal with the
demands of college, and frequent
school changes due to movement
through the system negatively
impacts their ability to adequately
prepare for college.
In 2015, Dr. Tonn made her first gift
to the Frontiers Program, and she
has become one of its most generous
supporters. Her gifts have provided
the program with much needed
funds for mentoring and counseling,
as well as for helping with housing,
food, financial aid, employment
opportunities, career development,
money management and social
activities.
But getting involved in the Frontiers
Program was not enough. She also
set up the Tonn Emergency Fund,
which provides financial assistance to
students who have aged out of foster
care and face catastrophic events that
may disrupt their education.
Some of these students are “only
one minor crisis away from dropping
out,” says Dr. Tonn. “They lose their
roommate or get sick or their car
breaks down, and the first thing
they’re going to have to do is drop out
of school. That’s how the emergency
fund was originally set up, for students
who had some life event that they
needed some bridge funding.” To date,
Dr. Tonn’s support for the Frontiers
Program and the Tonn Emergency
Fund has exceeded $500,000.
Even that was not enough.
“I found out that a number of the
students didn't go anywhere for
Christmas,” says Dr. Tonn. “They were
staying on campus, so I invited the
students to come over for Christmas
Eve. We had dinner one or two years at
my house, one year at a restaurant in
Snider Plaza, and we drove around and
For more
information
visit twu.edu/frontiers
looked at the Christmas lights.”
Right thing to do, indeed.
Dr. Tonn is president and chief
medical officer of OccMD, LLC, a
member of the American and Texas
Medical Associations and the Dallas
County Medical Society, and past
president of the American Academy of
Disability Evaluating Physicians. She is
a past president of the Texas College
of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine, a fellow of the American
College of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine and a member
of the Parkland Foundation Board.
6 TEXAS WOMAN’S

Pictured from left to right: Tomi Choyce ’25 Business Administration, Dr. Melissa Tonn,
president and chief medical officer of OccMD, LLC and Khyra Parks ’18, ’24 Informatics
“The biggest impact TWU’s Frontiers Program
has had on my university experience is helping me
see the opportunities that I didn’t know existed.”
Khyra Parks, MS Informatics ’24
TEXAS WOMAN’S 7

DONOR IMPACT
Passing on the Torch
Devoted TWU Alumna
Gives Back
BOLDLY
GO
> MARY E. RIDGWAY, PHD ’71, ’74
R
etired Professor Emerita
of Kinesiology Mary E.
Ridgway, PhD ’71, ’74 has
held many titles during
her 30-year career, from
1976 to 2006, at the University of Texas
at Arlington (UTA), including professor,
head coach and chief. She achieved a
number of notable accomplishments
including leading the NCAA Division
I UTA Volleyball team to five national
tournaments, leading the U.S.
Wheelchair Sports Team in the 1992
Barcelona Paralympics and serving
as the chair of UTA’s Department
of Kinesiology.
Her favorite title, though, is teacher.
“It’s the student — it’s all about them.”
“I loved teaching undergraduates,”
says Ridgway. She shares how she truly
enjoyed being in the classroom and
challenging her students to succeed.
“At a young age, I was named the best
faculty member at a UTA annual award
ceremony, and I’m so proud of that
accomplishment.”
So, it’s not surprising that Ridgway’s
gifts creating three endowed
scholarships at Texas Woman’s are
devoted to students.
“They’re to support undergraduate
scholarships because that’s what my
whole career was about,” says Ridgway.
“We wouldn’t have research chemists or
physicians if we didn’t get them in at the
undergraduate level and support them
along the way.”
Ridgway received her master’s and
doctorate degrees from Texas Woman’s
in physical education, then taught
biomechanics and served on the UTA
faculty in kinesiology. She was named
the vice president for undergraduate
academic and student affairs, becoming
the third woman at UTA to serve in a
vice president role.
The Dr. Paula L. Scott Scholarship
Endowment in Communication
Sciences is named in honor of Ridgway’s
partner, Paula L. Scott, EdD, who
passed away in 2014 and served on the
faculty as an associate professor in
TWU’s Department of Communication
Sciences and Oral Health.
The second gift created the
Dr. Mary E. Ridgway Scholarship
Endowment, which supports
kinesiology undergraduates. Ridgway
devoted her career to the field of
kinesiology and sport, and she still
plays golf three times a week.
The Dr. Helen J. Ridgway and Dr. Mary
E. Ridgway Scholarship Endowment was
created by her third gift to TWU and is
named in honor of her sister, Helen J.
Ridgway. “My sister was a genius,” says
Ridgway. “She was seven years older and
was my role model and mentor. Helen
was just so humble.”
Helen Ridgway was a biochemist and
remained one well into her eighties until
she passed away. The endowment in
her honor supports students pursuing
their bachelor’s in chemistry and
biochemistry with a certification
from the American Chemical Society.
Ridgway’s generosity to support TWU
students and her lifelong dedication
to public education and sports are
leaving a lasting impact and inspiring
future professionals and scholars.
“I thought, I would never be where
I am today if it hadn’t been for TWU,”
says Ridgway.
8 TEXAS WOMAN’S

“Because of TWU, we know we
can do anything we put our
minds to, and we know how to
work hard to achieve our goals.”
Visit
twu.edu/waystogive
Mary E. Ridgway, PhD ’71, ’74
TEXAS WOMAN’S 9

WHAT IF?
What if Fashion Stepped
Off the Runway?
> REMY ODUKOMAIYA, MFA
FASHION DESIGN LECTURER WITH YOUNG
PATIENT AT SCOTTISH RITE FOR CHILDREN
WE OFTEN THINK OF FASHION and
envision models, runways, red carpets or
designer labels. What if it could impact
the needs of people who are experiencing
homelessness? What if fashion could
create garments for patients who are
limited by medical devices or treatments?
Texas Woman’s Remy Odukomaiya
and her students from the Mass
Production Techniques course are doing
just that. They’re smashing fashion
boundaries and designing apparel for
underserved communities.
In 2022, Odukomaiya’s students
created outfits designed specifically
for the needs of those experiencing
homelessness.
The 2023 class crafted clothing for
children in prolonged hospital treatments
who were encumbered by medical devices
and equipment. It’s not the glitz and
glam of runway shows, but it’s a lot
more rewarding.
The Mass Production Techniques
class visited Scottish Rite for Children
in Dallas, one of the top pediatric
orthopedic centers in the nation, where
severe scoliosis patients reside to
undergo treatments. To heal the spine, a
child is fitted with a halo, which is braced
around the chest and shoulders and
bolted into the skull.
Because the clothes kids love to wear
like sweatshirts and sports jerseys are
next to impossible to put on over the
halo and brace, the project required
a fundamental shift in the design and
patterning of their clothing.
“It’s a whole different level of
thinking,” says Odukomaiya. “It’s not
only about the aesthetics, it’s about
functionality. We’re designing it, and
we’re asking what the function is. Is it
useful? Is it needed?”
And this may just be the tip of the
fashion design iceberg. How many other
communities are out there and in need
of the creative approaches from TWU’s
Fashion Design and Merchandising
students?
Check it out
NBC 5's Report on Odukomaiya's class
10 TEXAS WOMAN’S

RESEARCH
THAT
MATTERS
Learn how you
can support
research at TWU
Send us a note at advancement@twu.edu
> KATHERINE SHARP LANDDECK, PHD
PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND DIRECTOR
OF PIONEERS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
Flying into
the Archives
TWU professor honored
by the Smithsonian
THE WOMEN AIRFORCE
Service Pilots (WASP) of
World War II have been the
focus of study for Texas
Woman’s Professor of
History Katherine Landdeck.
The WASPs were the
topic of her dissertation
when she earned her PhD
from the University of
Tennessee.
Landdeck turned decades
of research and personal
relations with these
groundbreaking aviators
into The Women With Silver
Wings, her book about the
women who flew airplanes
for the United States during
World War II.
In 2023, the book earned
Landdeck recognition from
the Smithsonian National
Air and Space Museum,
which invited her to be
the speaker at the premier
lecture in aviation history,
the Amelia Earhart Lecture.
“It’s very humbling,”
Landdeck says. “To have
people you respect say it’s
good is very meaningful.”
TEXAS WOMAN’S 11

Innovation is in Our DNA
A discovery of DNA sequences in the classroom inspires
Associate Professor Pislariu to recruit students into research
RESEARCH
THAT
MATTERS
> CATALINA PISLARIU, PHD
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF BIOLOGY, WORKS IN HER RESEARCH LAB WITH
TWO DOCTORAL STUDENTS, SHABAB MEHEHUB (LEFT) AND HALA SAMARA (RIGHT).
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, a
phrase that didn’t exist until
1945, is the study of how
molecules interact with one
another in living organisms
to perform the functions of
life, and it’s applicable across
a swath of scientific fields.
It is also the specialty of
study for Texas Woman's
Associate Professor of
Biology Catalina Pislariu.
Last year, Pislariu’s
students didn’t just learn
molecular techniques and
instrumentation.
They discovered several
unique DNA sequences that
were verified and published
by the National Center for
Biotechnology Information
at the National Library
of Medicine.
“They were thrilled,”
Pislariu says of her students.
“The excitement this brings
is when you have a project
that has a purpose, starting
with an initial question
and finishing with an end
product that gives you
a scientific answer.”
50%
of biomedical scientists are women
47%
of biomedical scientists were people of color in 2021
–zippia.com
12 TEXAS WOMAN’S

Learn more
about annual giving at
twu.edu/annualgiving
MY INSPIRATION
DONOR
A HARVEST
BEGINS
WITH A
SINGLE SEED
50 years
of giving
IT WAS PROBABLY WRITTEN
in the stars that Glenda
Brock Simmons’ life would
be intertwined with Texas
Woman’s. Simmons ’61, ’62
is an alumna and a long-time
affiliate who grew up two
blocks from the Denton campus.
Simmons has the unique
distinction of being the
longest-standing member of
the Redbud Society. Members
of the university’s Redbud
Society are donors who
have given more than three
consecutive years. Simmons
has given annually for more
than 50 years.
“I have always wanted
to contribute to TWU in
whatever way I could,” says
Simmons. “I have a wonderful
life, and a lot of it was spent
at the university.”
Simmons’ association with
TWU began in the mid-1900s,
when her father asked for
a work transfer to Denton.
He wanted his wife and
daughters to attend Texas
Woman’s.
“I roamed the campus
when I was 12 years old,” says
Simmons. “My love for the
university began there.”
Texas Woman’s was a home
away from home for Simmons.
“It never in a million years
would have occurred to me
that I would have a chance to
teach at the university,” says
Simmons. “That opportunity
was just made in heaven.”
After teaching subjects
ranging from typewriting to
investments for 20 years,
she served as the vice
president for student life for
another 15 years. One of her
proudest achievements was
establishing family housing.
Simmons isn’t sure when
she started giving. “I know
every penny counts,” says
Simmons. “I gave small
amounts when I was a student
and when I first graduated.
You give what you can give.”
“I’ve done what my heart
has told me to do. And, one
thing it has told me to do is to
be generous with TWU.”
TEXAS WOMAN’S 13

1921
WWII pilot, June Ellington
Petto, stationed at the
Camp Davis Army Air Field
in North Carolina during
the war.
Photo: TWU Special Collections
TWU Libraries is home to
the official archive of the
Women Air Force Service
Pilots (WASPs).
> 2024
TWU will begin preparing
the next generation of
pilots Fall 2024.
Want to
know more?
Send us a note at
advancement@twu.edu
THEN AND NOW
THE SKY ISN'T
THE LIMIT
It’s our destination
TEXAS WOMAN’S
University has a long
connection to women
aviators. The TWU libraries'
Women’s Collection is a
repository of documents
and artifacts of the Women
Airforce Service Pilots
(WASP), and scholars come
to TWU to study the WASPs.
Now, TWU will prepare
pilots.
This fall, TWU will open
the Doswell School of
Aeronautical Sciences
to train new generations
of pilots. It’s a program
urgently needed to address
an international pilot
shortage. While senior pilots
were reaching mandatory
retirement, the airlines,
facing financial strain
because of the pandemic,
offered early retirement
to the next generation of
pilots. However, when the
world emerged from the
COVID shutdown, a pilot
deficiency was exposed.
The TWU program will
not just address that
scarcity, it will create a
more diverse group of
aviators. The school will
have its own aircraft and
conduct flying lessons from
a Denton-area airfield.
14 TEXAS WOMAN’S

BOLDLY
GO >
TORION LEWIS ’24
Nutrition major in the
College of Health Sciences
TEXAS WOMAN’S 15

THE GAME OF LIFE
COLLEGE EDITION
OPEN
DOORS
Want a leg up in the game
of life? Studies show
the value of a college
education offers the
best chance for people
to secure sustainable
economic opportunities.
But there’s more — it
keeps on giving, driving
social mobility from
one generation to
the next, especially
for students who identify
as low-income or
first-generation.
BOLDLY
GO
Start Here w
FIRST AND ONLY
WOMAN-FOCUSED UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM IN THE NATION
52%
first-generation student body
#1 IN TX
FOR STUDENTS WITH CHILDREN
72%
of incoming undergraduate
students identify as minorities
TWU is a top university
for Latino/a student success
THE ZERO TUITION
GUARANTEE HELPS
ELIMINATE ECONOMIC BARRIERS
CULTIVATE
GRIT
To prepare for the long
game, Texas Woman’s
provides a diverse and
vibrant community
focusing on the whole
person and helping
students thrive. A
TWU education is one
that elevates student
prosperity. By cultivating
a culture of perseverance
and tenacity that
prepares students for
their chosen fields,
expands professional
and social networks,
and plans for financial
realities, TWU graduates
are prepared for
#7
whatever comes next.
16 TEXAS WOMAN’S

FUEL
INNOVATION
in the nation
for best student
experience
RATED AS A
MILITARY
FRIENDLY
SCHOOL SINCE 2009
FRONTIERS
PROGRAM
44%
of May 2023 graduates
earned a bachelor’s degree
DEBT-FREE
What’s the end game? At
Texas Woman’s, we want
to transform labor forces
by giving more women
equal opportunities to
pursue and thrive in a
wide array of careers that
will enhance women’s
economic security
and prevent biases in
industries. To do that,
we’re focusing on
innovative approaches
to preparing students
that can translate into
higher-paying careers
in fields where women
have been historically
underrepresented.
83%
of alumni employed or
enrolled in graduate
school within one year
of graduation
#2
for highest median first-year
earnings of bachelor’s degree
graduates in Texas
JANE NELSON
INSTITUTE FOR
WOMEN’S
LEADERSHIP
Graduate
17%
of all critically needed
nursing doctoral degrees
in Texas (3-year average)
TWU athletes
EARNED OVER
A 3.0 GPA
83 semesters straight
#2
for economic mobility
of all universities in North Texas
DOSWELL
SCHOOL OF
AERONAUTICAL
SCIENCES
Produce
40%
of all Texas allied health
doctoral degrees
TEXAS WOMAN’S 17

NEWS ROUNDUP
Campus by Campus
Learn what’s happening in Denton, Dallas and Houston
> ABBY AND TODD
WILLIAMS RECEIVE
TWU LEADERSHIP AWARD
At the spring Dallas
Leadership Luncheon,
philanthropists Abby
and Todd Williams were
awarded for their public
education advocacy efforts.
18 TEXAS WOMAN’S
RANKING #1
U.S. News & World Report
ranked Texas Woman’s
among the nation’s best
for social mobility and
named the university to the
publication’s “Best National
University” and “Top Public
Schools” lists.
ABBY AND TODD WILLIAMS
HONORED FOR LEADERSHIP
At the March Dallas
Leadership Luncheon,
philanthropists and public
education advocates Abby
and Todd Williams were
awarded the 2024 Virginia
Chandler Dykes Leadership
Award. All proceeds from
the annual event support
TWU graduate student
scholarships.
DENTON
ANOTHER NASA WIN FOR TWU
KINESIOLOGY STUDENTS
The all-women space
design team, dubbed Atlas,
built an exercise device to
prevent muscle atrophy
and earned TWU’s fourth
first-place finish in the
NASA-sponsored statewide
competition.
TOP 10 GOLD MILITARY
FRIENDLY DESIGNATION
TWU was named a Top
10 Gold Military Friendly
School, the highest
designation awarded to
institutions that provide
exceptional support to
military members, their
families and veterans.
DALLAS
MHA TEAMS EARN TOP PRIZE
Two master’s in healthcare
administration teams
finished in the top three at a
competition where students
used evidence-based
research to identify and
recommend interventions to
improve hospital programs.
VANDERKOOI ENDOWED
LECTURESHIP HITS
The Vanderkooi Endowed
Lectureship established in
1994 to honor occupational
therapy’s first program
director, Fanny B.
Vanderkooi, celebrated
its 31 st anniversary at the
annual event in February.
HOUSTON
PACT TO PRODUCE TEACHERS
Houston ISD has awarded
a $500K grant to TWU
to support nearly 100
teaching assistants toward
bachelor’s degrees and
teaching certificates
to produce more Texas
public educators.
CARS FOR KIDS
Occupational therapy
and nursing students
partnered with Texas A&M
engineering and medicine
students to provide electric
vehicles for children with
special needs to help them
move, socialize and play
independently.

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Thank you to our alumni,
friends and supporters
who attended the campaign kick-off events on TWU’s campuses
and the Maroon and White receptions across Texas and the nation.
We invite you all to the next series of events.
JOIN US AT ONE OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS
LUBBOCK, JUNE 9 | COLORADO SPRINGS, JUNE 23
Learn more at twu.edu/alumnievents
TEXAS WOMAN’S 19

Pioneers
> STACIE D.
MCDAVID ’80
& ELLEN
AMIRKHAN ’79
TWU Regents
Right on Track
From Teammates to Regents
ELLEN AMIRKHAN ’79 AND
STACIE D. MCDAVID ’80
arrived at Texas Woman’s in
the 1970s as track and field
athletes. Little did they know
that their time at TWU would
lead to invaluable lifelong
lessons and friendship.
They first met at former
head track and field coach
and director of athletics Bert
Lyle’s house, where they
would become fast friends
and roommates.
“My superpower is the
women I surround myself
with, and it started with
Ellen. When I first met her in
1974, I thought, she’s brilliant.
I had been around bright
people, but I felt that I’d
found my person, someone
who makes you better and
lifts you up. That was Ellen
for me,” says McDavid.
Throughout their time
at TWU, the two women
worked hard inside and
outside of the classroom.
Both credit their experiences
to great mentors and strong
work ethics from the “lessons
and traditions we both
gained from our immigrant
families who became
successful entrepreneurs
in the U.S. and Texas,”
says Amirkhan.
Amirkhan’s grandfather
immigrated from Armenia
in 1909 and established a
rug cleaning plant. McDavid
grew up in Denton and was
surrounded by family and
friends from Lebanon.
The two friends would
go on to become highly
accomplished entrepreneurs.
Amirkhan took over her
family’s Dallas-based rug
business in 1980 and hasn’t
looked back since. McDavid
currently serves as CEO
of McDavid Investments
Company and has a long
and successful track record
of running businesses and
serving on numerous boards,
partnerships and charitable
organizations.
Both women find
themselves full circle —
working together and
making important decisions
as members of the Texas
Woman’s University System
Board of Regents, where
they set policy direction
that ensures a quality TWU
educational experience
for all students.
20 TEXAS WOMAN’S

BARBARA D.
NUNNELEY ’75
Distinguished
Alumna
Texas Woman’s Roots
A Family Legacy
FOR DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNA and TWU
Foundation Board member
Barbara D. Nunneley ’75,
there was no question of
where she’d attend college.
The Nunneley family’s road to
Texas Woman’s began in the
1940s, when her grandfather
sold his West Texas ranch and
moved his family of seven
to Denton.
“Texas Woman’s is part of
my family’s roots. My mother
Mildred Nunneley ’47, ’48
earned her bachelor’s and
master’s degree from the
then-Texas State College
for Women. My aunt Rita
Beth Whatley attended the
university in the late 1940s
but graduated from The
University of Texas at Austin’s
engineering program in 1945.
My aunt Ann Whatley ’45
and my sisters Karen Nunneley
Young ’73 and Beth Nunneley
Mazziotta ’80 are all
TWU alumnae.”
My sister Karen ’73
“blazed the trail for me,” says
Barbara. “She introduced
me to professors and invited
me to club meetings. The
leadership opportunities at
TWU were unparalleled.
You grew into your own
person at TWU knowing
you were just as capable
as anyone else in the
classroom and developed the
confidence to make decisions
and the discipline to excel.”
That discipline to excel
led Nunneley to attend law
school. Practicing for more
than four decades, this
award-winning attorney sums
up her career succinctly, “The
beauty and draw of being a
lawyer is that it teaches you
to think critically and to solve
problems. Once you learn
how to analyze a problem,
you can find a solution to
any situation.”
Outside the courtroom,
Nunneley has carried on
another family tradition —
ranching. She lives on 10
acres in the small town of
Bartonville with her horses.
A family legacy and
tradition may have brought
Nunneley to the university,
but it was at Texas Woman’s
where she found her own
person and the confidence
to light up the sky.
TEXAS WOMAN’S 21

JADA CELSUR ’26
Basketball #23
“To be a part
of the team
and study
kinesiology at
TWU is a dream
come true.”
Gymnast Kaitlyn Hoiland ’25
TWU ATHLETICS keeps
racking up the accolades.
The program continues to
grow with more than 200
student-athletes and nine
teams ranging from artistic
swimming to wrestling.
Champions on and off the
field, the department posted
a GPA of 3.468 for Fall 2023,
continuing a streak of 83
consecutive semesters of
a 3.0 GPA or higher. TWU
also came in sixth out of
304 Division II schools for
MY SCHOLARSHIP MATTERED
Inspiring Generations
of Student-Athletes
Agnes C. Talley Athletes Endowed Scholarship
community service hours.
Athletics Director Sandee
Mott says it well, “Our team
of amazing coaches is
training future leaders with a
championship work ethic.”
Not only has Texas
Woman’s athletics
undergone a dramatic
transformation in the past
decade, women’s sports
at the nation’s collegiate
and professional levels
are breaking barriers and
stepping into the limelight,
shattering attendance and
viewership records as they go.
Recruiting the best and
brightest student-athletes is
a competitive sport in and
of itself and often comes
down to scholarship support.
On average, 40% of TWU’s
student-athletes are in need
of financial support.
Second-year kinesiology
student and basketball
champion Jada Celsur ’26
says, “I’m so blessed to
receive this scholarship and
promise to continue to put
100% into everything I do
at TWU.” As a freshman,
Celsur was a recipient of
Oakley’s Newcomer of the
Year and listed on the LSC
All-Freshman Team.
Early on, Agnes C. Talley,
who graduated in 1945
with a degree in physical
education from what was
then the Texas State College
for Women, recognized the
importance of women’s
athletics. After establishing
the Agnes C. Talley Athletes
Endowed Scholarship, she
ensured generations of
Pioneers would have the
funding support to compete
as well as inspire future
women athletes to pursue
their dreams.
Gymnast superstar Kaitlyn
Hoiland ’25 can attest to
this, “I’m so grateful for
this scholarship and to be
a part of TWU’s amazing
gymnastics program.”
22 TEXAS WOMAN’S

DID YOU KNOW?
CAPPING OFF A
TRADITION OF PRIDE
Nursing is a Job of Many Hats
Share your
TWU tradition
Email us at advancement@twu.edu
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS
nowadays often show their
school pride with a T-shirt
or a hoodie emblazoned
with their university logo.
When Claudia Dille ’69
worked as a nurse, she
showed her school pride
with her Texas Woman’s
nursing cap.
“The cap was a way
to express pride in your
university,” says Dille, whose
career as a nurse, educator
and healthcare professional
spanned 43 years.
When Dille began her
nursing career, the traditional
uniform consisted of a white
cap, white dress, pantyhose
and white shoes. The uniform
evolved to a pantsuit in
the 1970s and the more
comfortable medical scrubs
in the 1990s.
Each nursing school had
its own unique cap. The caps
came in a variety of shapes
and sizes. Some were small;
some were round; some had
frills. Dille says the TWU
nursing cap was a more
traditional design. It had a
wide front with a black stripe
and crossed in back to form
the cap.
Students put the caps
together, starching and
folding the piece of white
cotton into a cap.
“It was quite an art to
get the cap ready to wear,”
says Dille. “The cap was a
distinguishing characteristic,
letting people know that you
were a nurse,” says Dille.
Dille held onto her cap.
“It is a symbol of
my career.”
TEXAS WOMAN’S 23

True Grit
Small Town,
Big Dreams
B
orn and raised in the
Lone Star State, TWU
Distinguished Alumna
Sheila K. Kellagher,
DPT ’81, ’17 is a skilled
physical therapist and passionate
entrepreneur. “I’m a Paris, Texas girl
and am the first woman in my family to
earn a college degree,” she says.
Kellagher’s journey from small-town
Texas to founding her own company and
developing it into a multi-million-dollar
business began with great mentors.
“In high school, so many of my
teachers were TWU graduates. My
health education teacher, Joe Francenia
Hicks ’40, helped me find my passion for
health and physical education.”
That’s how Kellagher found herself on
TWU’s Denton campus in the late 1970s,
interviewing for a spot in the physical
therapy undergraduate program. She
had spent her summers volunteering
as a candy striper at the local hospital
and was inspired by the work of physical
therapists. The interview didn’t end the
way she’d hoped, but she knew what she
wanted and persevered.
“I stuck with my plan, earned a
4.0 GPA my first two years at TWU,
and was accepted into the physical
therapy program my third year. I was
also accepted into what was the Basic
Master’s Program," she says.
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
After graduating, she worked as a
physical therapist at Presbyterian
Hospital in Dallas.
“I wanted to help more people, so
I developed a business plan to open
my own clinic," Kellagher says. She
presented her business plan to mentors,
including her father, who managed a
clothing store for more than 40 years,
her mother, who owned and operated a
health foods store, and a neurosurgeon
at Presbyterian Hospital.
“Sharing my business plan and laying
the groundwork for my own company is
when I learned the value of a network,"
she adds.
Her mentors guided her along the way
and her colleagues in the healthcare
sector offered to send her patients.
To get the business started, she
applied for a loan at 10 different banks
and was rejected nearly every time.
“It was important that I keep trying,"
she says.
She was approved for a $20,000 loan
in 1982 and given three years to pay it
back. The business grew to two physical
therapists in year two, three clinics in
year five and 25 clinics in year six. She
paid off the loan in just one year.
INNOVATION AND DETERMINATION
In the late 1980s, Kellagher observed
how elderly patients struggled to
receive treatment due to transportation
difficulties. She thought, “why don’t we
just go to them?” Her company began
“TWU instilled in me
a hunger for lifelong
learning. I wouldn’t
trade my experiences
for anything. Every
TWU graduate is
empowered to do
whatever they put their
minds to, and we have
the determination to see
our dreams come true.”
Sheila K. Kellagher, DPT ’81, ’17
to build an infrastructure that allowed
physical therapists to treat patients
in their homes and living facilities. By
1992, Kellagher’s company had 2,000
employees across 250 clinics in six states.
She always remained connected to
Texas Woman’s and was appointed to the
TWU Board of Regents in 1994 and served
as chair from 1998-1999. She describes
the experience as “an honorable and
empowering one that made me so proud.”
Kellagher returned to TWU and earned
her doctorate in physical therapy in 2017.
Today, she serves as principal partner of
TruCare Solutions and a member of the
TWU Foundation Board.
24 TEXAS WOMAN’S

SHEILA K.
KELLAGHER ’81, ’17
Distinguished
Alumna
What inspires you
to support TWU?
Send us a note at advancement@twu.edu
TEXAS WOMAN’S 25

Texas Woman’s University
University Advancement
1605 N. Bell Ave.
Denton, TX 76204
Scan with your smartphone
camera to view the digital edition.
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE CAMPAIGN FOR
TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY
June 9
LUBBOCK, TX
THIS IS OUR MOMENT TO SHAPE THE UNIVERSITY’S FUTURE
and to magnify the impact it has made for nearly 125 years — this
is our moment to Dream Big. In honor of the university’s 125th
anniversary in 2026, we have launched a $125 million comprehensive
campaign, the first in TWU’s history. This effort will carry our
purpose — educate a woman, empower the world — forward for
decades to come.
June 23
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO