More than 350 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students participated in a Love CTX community service project as part of Welcome Week. Students packed 18,000 meals to support One More Child of Belton, which provides Christ-centered services to vulnerable children and struggling families. The One More Child meals will go to Belton Independent School District’s Project Heartbeat program and will be distributed throughout the school year to help students who lack food at home. UMHB student volunteers also wrote encouraging notes to Belton ISD students.

The East Texas Baptist University women’s soccer team ministered in New Zealand during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as part of the Tiger Athletic Mission Experience. The Tigers volunteered at the South Auckland Christian Food Bank, packing and delivering boxes of groceries for families. The ETBU student-athletes served at Papatoetoe High School, meeting with the high school girls’ soccer team, visiting with students in classrooms, and competing with the faculty and staff in soccer games. They also walked the streets of downtown Auckland around the FIFA World Cup FanZone, praying with individuals they met. “God opened doors for our team to minister and share the gospel throughout the trip,” ETBU Head Women’s Soccer Coach Kristin Cox said. “These 12 days on the ground in New Zealand have left everlasting memories, not only in the lives of people we encountered, but in the lives of our ETBU students. It was amazing to see the women on our team gain confidence and become bold about sharing their faith throughout the experience.”

Hardin-Simmons University will dedicate three refurbished facilities in the near future. Abilene Hall, the renovated home of HSU’s new engineering program, will be dedicated at 11 a.m. on Aug. 29. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington will speak at the dedication. The refurbished Parramore Field at Shelton Stadium will be dedicated at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, prior to the 7 p.m. kickoff of a gridiron matchup between the HSU Cowboys and the Albright College Lions. The newly remodeled and expanded Moody Center Dining Hall will be dedicated at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 7.

Dallas Baptist University awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree to Richard Chang, a licensed engineer and leader in the global semiconductor industry for more than four decades. Chang worked at Texas Instruments more than 20 years, establishing and managing multiple semiconductor research and development facilities all over the world. In 1997, he founded WSMC in Taiwan, and three years later, he extended his business mission to Shanghai. He founded Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, which became the largest semiconductor foundry in China. After retiring from SMIC, he established companies devoted to providing new energy solutions. Since 2021, Chang has overseen the start of several semiconductor-related companies and continues to serve as a consultant in the development of the semiconductor industry.

Dallas Jenkins, creator of “The Chosen” series, will be the keynote speaker at Houston Christian University’s 2023 Spirit of Excellence Gala. The event, which benefits student scholarships, will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 on the HCU campus. Deborah Duncan, host of the “Great Day Houston” program on KHOU-TV, will emcee the gala, where President Robert Sloan will present its Spirit of Excellence Award to three couples—Dan and Cindy Wiliford, Benny and Nichole Agosto, and Randall and Alex Sorrels—for their support of the university. Gloria and Wiley Biles will be named the posthumous recipients of the President’s Award. For more information or to secure tickets, click here.

Ordination

Alberto Aguirre to the gospel ministry at Mission Bautista El Calvario in Kress.

Thirty 9th grade and 10th grade students from local schools recently participated in the CompassRN Student Nurse Summer Camp, hosted by Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing. The camp allowed students to hear from nursing faculty, nursing students and tour the School of Nursing and its Clinical Simulation Building. Campers learned about nursing school programs and admission requirements, and they observed basic nursing skills in the simulation lab. “The students learned all about the different opportunities offered within the profession of nursing. We encouraged them to take care of themselves, do well in school and consider being a part of our Baylor family,” said Lisa M. Jones, associate dean for the prelicensure program and clinical assistant professor at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing. CompassRN—geared toward underserved and underrepresented middle and high school students—seeks to create awareness of nursing career opportunities, facilitate access to the nursing community, and provide long-term mentorship from high school to nursing licensure. “Closing the gap between what students imagine nursing to be and receiving firsthand knowledge is a key priority of CompassRN,” founder Renée G. Omoyeni said.

Dallas Baptist University’s Global Community recently hosted the Forum on International Education and Leadership. The week-long itinerary was packed with conferences, local school visits, the opportunity to network and connect with others, and a plethora of plenary sessions led by both DBU faculty and guest lecturers. Guest speakers included administrators and faculty from Newman International Academy, McKinney Christian Academy, Association of Christian Schools International and the Network of International Christian Schools. Participants included representatives from Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Curacao, Panama, Brazil, China, Mexico, Nigeria and Colombia.

Baylor University announced the second-highest fundraising year in its history, with more than $179 million given by alumni, parents and friends during the 2023 fiscal year. Since launching the Give Light campaign, Baylor has seen more than $1.37 billion given by more than 94,000 donors to support the university’s endowment, capital priorities and current funds. “I am grateful for the alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, fans and friends who have contributed to support Baylor University in the past year,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone. “Baylor’s mission as a Christian research university relies on the support of our Baylor Family, and it is humbling to witness the philanthropy of this community as our donors have responded to our call for support in truly transformational ways. We speak of a bright future for Baylor University, and that future is reliant upon the resourcing and prayerful commitment of our donors. We are truly grateful for their generous and continued support.”

Retirement

Karen Bullock as distinguished professor of Christian history and director of the doctor of philosophy program at B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary, effective Oct. 1. She has served with B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary since 2007. She previously was on faculty at Dallas Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bullock also has taught as a guest professor at Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary and Uganda Baptist Seminary. She will continue to serve with the Baptist Center for Global Concerns.

Seven University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Global Outreach teams served domestically and abroad this summer to spread the gospel and provide vital services to populations in need. More than 50 students participated in Global Outreach, including three teams that conducted medical missions in Belize, Kenya and the Dominican Republic. Teams also delivered supplies in the mountains of Nepal, worked with safe homes in Spain, and ministered to youth in Montana and Alaska. Tiffany Horton is director of Global Outreach at UMHB.

Baylor University appointed civil rights historian Felipe Hinojosa as the inaugural Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America, expanding Baylor’s international footprint and providing additional leadership to advance the priorities of the Baylor in Latin America initiative. Hinojosa comes to Baylor from Texas A&M University, where he serves as professor of history, assistant provost for Hispanic Serving Institution initiatives and director for the Carlos H. Cantu Hispanic Education & Opportunity Endowment. His appointment as the Jackson Family Chair is effective Aug. 1. Born and raised in Brownsville, Hinojosa earned an undergraduate degree in English from Fresno Pacific University, a master’s degree in history from the University of Texas Pan American and his Ph.D. from the University of Houston in 2009. He joined the faculty at Texas A&M in 2009. The Jackson Family Chair was established through a $1.5 million gift fromJohn and Nancy Jackson as part of Baylor’s Give Light Campaign’s Foster Academic Challenge matching grant program.

Researchers in Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work have been awarded a significant federal grant to bolster mental health services to school children by preparing licensed mental health providers for work in schools. The Department of Education awarded the project, Partnering for Heart of Texas Mental Health, more than $2.5 million in funding over a five-year period. The funds provide for internship positions, training and certificate program development and Spanish-language training. Carrie Arroyo, senior lecturer of social work at Baylor, serves as the project’s principal investigator and is joined on the grant by Mary Zane Nelson, co-principal investigator and project director, and Stephanie Boddie, project evaluator and associate professor of church and community ministries.

Dallas Baptist University recognized Beautiful Feet Ministries in Dallas at its Community Partnership Luncheon. Beautiful Feet has served more than 135,000 meals to the homeless, and its facility is open 359 days a year. Within the past year, 3,800 volunteers have served with the ministry. Beautiful Feet holds daily worship services in the inner-city and serves two meals a day, seven days a week. Showers and laundry services are offered to the homeless, and clothing is given to the needy every Sunday. Beautiful Feet also offers no-cost dental and medical clinics each week. DBU students have served with Beautiful Feet since 2005. Mike Myers, a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is pastor, director and co-founder of Beautiful Feet.

Baylor University President Linda Livingstone will chair the Big 12 board of directors for the next two years. She succeeds Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec, whose two-year term expired June 30.

Buckner International and Andrews University signed a memorandum of understanding to provide university students with experiential learning opportunities through Buckner volunteer and humanitarian aid projects. Beginning in September, Students will participate in community service and learn about ministry and service in the context of Buckner’s mission-driven outreach to vulnerable children, families and seniors. Opportunities may include advertising employment opportunities with Buckner, creating credit and non-credit opportunities for students, mission trips and involvement with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. The collaboration also will offer professional development and graduate study and degree options for Buckner staff.  “This initiative allows both organizations to excel at what we do best,” said Albert Reyes, CEO and president of Buckner International, who earned his doctorate in leadership from Andrews University in 2009. “Buckner will support Andrews University with opportunities for its students to follow the example of Jesus through service to others, while Andrews will offer Buckner employees the chance to grow their leadership skills through an exceptional program. Our Buckner leaders are definitely ready for this. Andrews is uniquely poised to help Buckner develop its talent and build leadership capacity for the future.”

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President David Dockery named W. Madison Grace II as provost and vice president for academic administration and as dean of the School of Theology. Grace has served as interim dean since January. Dockery also named former missionary Dean Sieberhagen, associate professor of Islamic studies, as interim dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, and he named Carl J. Bradford, associate professor of evangelism, as interim associate dean of the Fish School of Evangelism and Missions.

East Texas Baptist University was named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2023 Transfer Honor Roll. Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for two-year colleges, recognizes the importance of institutional commitment and investment of resources to support transfer students. The Transfer Honor Roll was based on analysis from the National Student Clearinghouse, and on data submitted through the institution’s profile on PTK Connect, Phi Theta Kappa’s online tool designed to help students find their best-fit colleges and career pathways. The profile includes information about the university’s admissions practices, cost of attendance, campus life, recruitment practices, bachelor’s degree completion and student reviews. This year, Phi Theta Kappa named only 208 colleges and universities to its 2023 Transfer Honor Roll from across the United States. ETBU was selected as being among the most transfer-friendly colleges in the nation. This year’s PTK Transfer Honor Roll awarding for ETBU is the institution’s 6th consecutive recognition since 2018.  “God has a unique path for each of our students, and our role is to help students follow that path,” said Jeremy Johnston, ETBU vice president for enrollment “The Transfer Honor Roll affirms the work the transfer admissions counselors are doing to help students enroll at ETBU. We have been intentional in reaching transfer students and it’s an honor to be recognized by Phi Theta Kappa.”

During a Foster Care Appreciation Month event for Dallas-area families at First Baptist Church in McKinney, Buckner Foster Care and Adoption recognized Troy and Bekah Webster as Foster Parents of the Year. Five other families were honored with awards inspired by Buckner organizational values: Faith, Megan and Jason Homan; Integrity, Matt and Kristen Allcorn; Respect, Stephanie and Buck Baskin; Service, Katie and Kyle Madison; and Teamwork, Brian and Julie Price.

Students gathered in Pilgrim Chapel at Dallas Baptist University recently to be commissioned for missions service. More than 260 students will serve with Go Now Missions this summer. During this year, 441 students will serve through Go Now Missions, including summer or semester missionaries, spring break or Christmas break teams, special impact missionaries and campus missionary interns.

Hardin-Simmons University will offer Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events training beginning at 9 a.m. on July 6 in the HSU Houston-Lantrip Center. The training is offered in cooperation with the HSU Police Department and Sgt. Marc A. Couch of the Texas Department of Public Safety. To register, click here

Dallas Baptist University students spent a month of travel and study in Germany and France, engaging in academic learning, ministry and cultural immersion. The course offered to students was “Living and Leading in a Secular World: Biblical Images and Modern Applications,” led by David Cook, dean of global studies, and Brent Thomason, dean of the Graduate School of Ministry. In Siegburg, Germany, classes were held at Evangelische Freikirche, an evangelical church with a personal connection to DBU through the Thomason family. The students served alongside church members by aiding in organizational tasks throughout the week and making breakfast on Sunday mornings. Students participated in guided walking tours around important cities, engaged with on-site lectures and spent intentional time exploring Cologne, Bonn, Nuremburg, Munich, Brussels and Paris. In Paris, students helped Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionaries by handing out water bottles to visitors at the Departmental Estate of Sceaux Park.

Stark College and Seminary named Ellis Orozco as the public theologian in residence, effective July 1. Orozco, a coach to pastors and struggling churches with Karooso Ministries, is the former pastor of First Baptist Church in Richardson. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching and biblical exegesis from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. Orozco served as pastor about 30 years in three churches, including Iglesia Bautista Gollihar in Corpus Christi and Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, before becoming senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Richardson.

Fellowship Southwest will host a Compassion and Justice Conference Sept. 8-9  at the Life in Deep Ellum faith community in Dallas. Keynote speakers are Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World; Kaitlin Curtice, author and poet-storyteller from the Potawatomi nation; Alexia Salvatierra, academic dean of the Centro Latino at Fuller Theological Seminary; and Jemar Tisby, historian and author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism. Zach Lambert, pastor of Restore Austin, is the worship preacher. Workshops will focus on hunger, indigenous topics, immigration and racial justice. Cost is $99. Discounted registration is available for college and seminary students. To register, click here.

U.S. News & World Report awarded four Buckner senior living communities with multiple recognitions on this year’s list of Best Senior Living Communities. Baptist Retirement Community in San Angelo, Buckner Villas in Austin, Buckner Parkway Place in Houston and Ventana by Buckner in Dallas received awards as part of the 2023-24 Best Senior Living Ratings. Baptist Retirement Community won awards for Best Continuing Care Retirement Community, Best Independent Living and Best Memory Care. Buckner Villas won two awards in Best Continuing Care Retirement Community and Best Independent Living as well. Ventana by Buckner and Parkway Place both won Best Independent Living. Nearly 4,000 senior living communities received an evaluation this year in the U.S. and the categories included independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement. “We are honored to be some of Texas’ best senior living communities and among the best in the country,” said Charlie Wilson, president of Buckner Retirement Services. “Our quality of service is reflective of the passion each of us have for serving seniors and inspiring happiness in their lives.”

Royal Ambassadors Leadership Training Camp drew teenaged young men who will serve on staff at various camps around the state this summer and adult RA and Challengers leaders to Latham Springs Camp and Retreat Center in June. Participants gained experience in campcraft and skills for outdoor living in a structured wilderness camp setting. John LaNoue, a pioneer in Texas Baptist Men disaster relief and former state RA director, challenged participants: “Follow God. Pray every day for God’s will to be done that day.”

Wayland Baptist University’s Ben and Bertha Mieth School of Nursing has a 100 percent pass rate on the next generation of the National Council Licensure Examination. All seven students in the first cohort to take the updated exam passed the test. The newly structured exam requires nursing students to have a deeper understanding and application of the knowledge acquired throughout their nursing education than the old licensure exam, which has been phased out. All seven students—Julian Applewhite, Virginia Vela, Nikole Larsson, Adela Moyado, Kim Wassenich, Lauren Scrudato and Whitley Casas—are employed now as direct care nurses in the greater San Antonio area.

In August, the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing will start a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner track within its Doctor of Nursing Practice graduate degree program. The Louise Herrington School of Nursing currently has seven tracks in its Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program. Its advanced nurse practitioner tracks use the same core curriculum, but each track requires specialized courses. The new specialized track will prepare registered nurses to become psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners to address the mental and behavioral needs of individuals and help solve the critical shortage of mental health care providers.

The National Council on Teacher Quality recognized the undergraduate teacher preparation program at Dallas Baptist University. Its rigorous preparation of future teachers in how to teach reading earned an “A” grade in the council’s new report. The program is among just 23 percent of teacher preparation programs nationwide to earn an “A” for meeting standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction—often called the “science of reading.” To earn an “A,” programs needed to meet targets for coverage of the five core components of scientifically based reading instruction—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension—and not teach more than three instructional methods unsupported by the research on effective reading instruction. DeAnna Jenkins is dean of the College of Education at DBU.

For the second year in a row, Baylor University has been named among the nation’s Top 10 Most Trusted Universities, according to global research firm Morning Consult. The Most Trusted Universities report measures public trust in the top 135 doctoral research universities featured in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best National University rankings and explores how trust varies among diverse groups and different types of institutions. Baylor ranked No. 9 and is the only Texas school among the Top 10 Most Trusted Universities. “Trust is hard to earn and perhaps even harder to keep. So, for Baylor University to be recognized again as one of the Top 10 Most Trusted Universities in the country is a continuing testament to our dedicated faculty and staff who live and support Baylor’s Christian mission every day, as well as the entire Baylor Family who serve as our brand ambassadors across the country,” President Linda A. Livingstone said. The survey was conducted April 3-9 among a representative sample of 11,010 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent.

Houston Christian University—formerly Houston Baptist University—named Lesli Fridge as dean of its College of Education and Behavioral Science. Fridge joined the HCU faculty in 2015 after a 30-year career as a schoolteacher, counselor, assistant principal, principal and a district human resources administrator in public school districts. The past two academic years, she was associate dean for academic operations in the College of Education and Behavioral Science, and she served as interim dean since January. President Robert Sloan described Fridge as “a consummate professional who is experienced in the world of public and private education.” She earned degrees in secondary education and counseling from Nicholls State University and received her Ed.D. degree in executive education leadership from the University of Houston.

A $1.5 million gift from the family of Louise Herrington Ornelas to Baylor University will establish the first endowed chair position in the history of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing. The Louise Herrington Endowed Chair in Mental Health will support research and teaching within the nursing school, with a special focus on the areas of mental and behavioral health research, including the need for more mental health professionals. “We are grateful to Ms. Lou’s family for this generous gift to support mental health research and instruction at Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone said. “Their gift honors a wonderful family legacy of support and transformational investment in the mission of our School of Nursing, and it is humbling to see how they have honored that legacy through the naming of this chair.”

Anniversary

125th for First Baptist Church of Olney. Chad A. Edgington is pastor.

Hardin-Simmons University’s “World Famous” Cowboy Band marked its centennial with a weekend reunion in Abilene during the spring semester. Current band members connected with former band members and bonded over cherished traditions passed down from class to class. Past and present band members gave more than $100,000 for the band’s foundation to fund scholarships and travel. The HSU Cowboy Band has traveled the world, having entertained audiences in the Azores, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, Newfoundland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with countless domestic trips. The Cowboy Band has performed for six presidential inaugural parades and 11 Texas gubernatorial parades and events.

Baylor University announced a $5 million gift from John and Helen Carona of Dallas, providing support for the renovation and construction of the Honors Residential College, as well as other major capital priorities through the Give Light Capital Fund. The Coronas are members of First Baptist Church in Dallas. Baylor will name the Carona Family Commons at the Honors Residential College and the Carona Family Premium Entry in the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion in recognition of their gifts. The Honors Residential College project involves the renovation and expansion of two of the university’s oldest residential facilities—Alexander Hall and Memorial Hall. Currently separate structures, the two buildings will be connected by the Carona Family Commons. Another project element includes refurbishing and consolidating offices for the Honors College’s faculty and professional staff in the adjacent Draper Academic Building. The Carona Family Premium Entry at Foster Pavilion will serve as one of four entry points for Baylor fans to the new home for Baylor basketball. The Pavilion, a 223,547-square-foot facility, will hold more than 7,000 fans, with improved sight lines and access to concessions via an integrated concourse.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor named Tucker Glaske as vice president for advancement and Rebecca O’Banion as vice president for university relations. Glaske will lead the university’s fundraising, records and gift management departments as the reorganized advancement division. He has served as a fundraiser for UMHB since June 2012. He was promoted to senior director of development in June 2020 and associate vice president for fundraising in April 2021. Glaske earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and his Master of Business Administration degree from UMHB. O’Banion will lead the alumni engagement, marketing and communications departments. She has served nearly 17 years in leadership at UMHB, most recently as vice president for advancement. Previously, she served six years as vice president for development, one year as associate vice president for development and eight years as director of alumni relations. O’Banion earned her doctoral degree in higher education administration from UMHB, having previously received a master’s degree in human services-executive leadership from Liberty University and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from UMHB.

Rebekah Crowe, professor of history in the Wayland Baptist University’s School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, was honored by Alpha Chi National College Honor Society during the society’s national convention. Crowe, who serves as adviser for Wayland’s Alpha Chi chapter, was one of six advisers recognized with Distinguished Service Awards during the convention in Albuquerque, N.M. She was selected for her service to Region 1. Also attending the national convention were Wayland students Sarah Manchee and Elizabeth Wirth. Manchee presented part of her honors thesis at the convention, while Wirth served as student delegate for Wayland’s chapter.

About 200 senior adults participated in Hilltop University at East Texas Baptist University, an annual conference featuring worship, Bible teaching, fellowship and entertainment. Mike Lawson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Sherman, was the keynote speaker. The Purple Hulls, a bluegrass gospel group from Kilgore featuring twins Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark, and Grammy Award-winning artist Sandi Patty provided music. Breakout session leaders included John Hatch, pastor of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Longview; Laurie Smith, dean of the ETBU School of Natural and Social Sciences; and Bil Barkley, minister of education and senior adults at First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant. Don Parks, associate pastor and minister of music at Ebenezer Baptist Church in El Dorado, Ark., directed the conference choir.

The Dallas Baptist University women’s golf team won their second NCAA Division II National Championship. The Patriots defeated No. 3 Nova Southeastern in the final round of Medal Match play at the Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Mo. The team held off the four-time national champions, 3-2, to finish the 2022-23 season as the top team in the nation. “I just love walking in this journey with these girls and am just so happy for everyone involved,” said Head Coach Kenny Trapp. “It truly takes a village and players that buy in, and this group exemplifies everything on and off the course that it takes to be a champion.”

Mike Davis of Pampa, who remembered the late JoAnn T. Jones as his teacher, school counselor and friend, established an endowed scholarship in her honor benefitting students attending the Alaska campuses of Wayland Baptist University in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Jones once lived in Fairbanks. The JoAnn T. Jones Alaska Endowed Scholarship is the 13th endowed scholarship Davis has established at Wayland.

LaDonna Gatlin is the featured musical artist when Hardin-Simmons University hosts its Hymn Sing at 2 p.m. on June 4 in Logsdon Chapel. Gatlin, a West Texas native, grew up onstage with her siblings, the Gatlin Brothers. In the 1970s, she performed with the Blackwood Singers and with Dallas Holm and Praise.

Houston Christian University—in partnership with Verizon and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship—will offer a free project-based immersive science, technology, engineering and math program, Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers, for middle school students starting June 5. The program aims to empower middle school students in under-resourced communities to explore science, technology, engineering and math; learn problem-solving skills; and gain exposure to career opportunities in technology fields. Participating students will receive mentorship, access to next-generation technology and hands-on training connected to real-world challenges. The initiative provides engaging programming where students can learn design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality and social entrepreneurship. No prior knowledge or experience is required. The program begins with a four-week in-person session this summer June 5-30, and an in-person full-day workshop at HCU in the fall and in the spring.

East Texas Baptist University will host the NCAA Division III Softball National Championship June 1-7 at Jason Bell Park at Taylor Field. The tournament will feature eight teams from across the country vying for the championship title. “ETBU is honored to be chosen to host the NCAA Division III Softball National Championship,” said Ryan Erwin, vice president for student engagement and athletics. “We are excited to showcase our beautiful campus, state-of-the-art facilities, and the historic city of Marshall to universities and fan bases from across the country. In addition, we are thankful for our community partners from the East Texas region who have helped us bring the event to life.”

Richard Fountain, professor of piano at Wayland Baptist University since 2008, was named dean of Wayland’s School of Creative Arts, and Yahui Zhang, professor of communication and media studies since 2008, was named associate dean. Fountain, who has served as associate dean, succeeds Ann Stutes as the top administrator for the School of Creative Arts.

Anniversary

10 years for Thomas Estes as pastor of Cottonwood Baptist Church in Cross Plains.

100 years for Wylie Baptist Church in Abilene. Mike Harkrider is pastor.

Baylor University’s board of regents approved a $902.4 million university operating budget for 2023-24, an increase of $39.2 million (4.5 percent) from last year. The board authorized $24.5 million in total funding for three renovation projects involving residence halls, the Honors College and Baylor Law School. Regents also approved a master’s degree in physician assistant studies and a Bachelor of Science/Master of Science degree program in biology of global health. The board elected William “Bill” E. Mearse of Houston as chair, effective June 1. He succeeds Mark V. Rountree of Dallas as chair. Melissa Purdy Mines of Austin was elected vice chair. The board elected three at-large regents—David R. Brooks of McKinney and Martha Delehanty of Jupiter, Fla., along with Carey P. Hendrickson of Arlington, a Baptist General Convention of Texas-appointed regent. Steve Wells, pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Houston, begins a three-year term on the board as an alumni-elected regent June 1.

Wayland Baptist University presented its Citizenship Awards to graduating seniors Araceli Torres of Odessa and Devin Davis from Opelousas, La., during a recent recognition chapel service. Torres was a molecular biology major with a minor in chemistry who volunteered at the local food bank. Davis was a history major who has been part of the track, cross country and eSports teams. He also was involved in Student Alumni Council and Student Union Board.

Dallas Baptist University awarded an honorary doctorate to Kristyn Getty, a Grammy-nominated Christian recording artist and songwriter from Northern Ireland. She received the honorary Doctor of Humanities degree at a May 12 commencement ceremony at DBU. Getty and her husband Keith are co-founders of the Sing Conference, held annually in Nashville, Tenn., and she is creator of the award-winning Getty Kids Hymnal.

The Baptist History & Heritage Society named Stephen M. Stookey, dean of Wayland Baptist University’s School of Christian Studies, as the 2023 recipient of the W.O. Carver Distinguished Service Award. The award pays tribute to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of Baptist history. Stookey came to Wayland in 2016 as a professor of religion and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in classroom and online settings. He taught previously at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, B.H. Carroll Theological Institute and Dallas Baptist University. Stookey has been involved with the Baptist History & Heritage Society since the early 1990s. In 2017, he received the society’s Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award.

John Davis, professor of management and coordinator for the program in management, was elected president of the faculty at Hardin-Simmons University.

Ordination

Chance McMillan, Garrett Mathis, Keith Mayberry, David Murphree, Danny Salazar, Chris Styne and Chris Williams as deacons at First Baptist Church in Plainview. Jacob West is pastor.

Dallas Baptist University presented the DBU-Oak Cliff Good Samaritan Award to Scott Coleman and Leigh Gettman-Allen for their Christian leadership and service to the Oak Cliff community in Dallas. Coleman is associate director of Dallas Baptist Association and has served churches in the association 25 years. He and his wife Krisi, who is director of the intercessory prayer ministry at DBU, are members of Cliff Temple Baptist Church. Gettman-Allen was named Miss Oak Cliff in 1996 and 1998, serving as an ambassador for racial reconciliation. Her program “Racial Unity: It’s Up to Us” was shared in nearly every school in the Dallas Independent School District. She is co-author of Modern Images of America: Oak Cliff and serves as an adjunct professor of communications at DBU. She and her husband Billy attend Tyler Street Church in Oak Cliff.

Ten students from the Fred Hale School of Business at East Texas Baptist University will receive Certified Management Accountant scholarships from the Institute of Management Accountants. ETBU students receiving the scholarship are Cayden Adamson, Kara Scott, Slade Austin, Lillie Ziegler, Scott Bright, Joshua Whitmore, Blake Mullen, Haley Brown, Jacey Hicks and Skylar Wilabay. “We are so excited and appreciative that the IMA offers this wonderful opportunity to our students,” said Anthony Sawyer, ETBU associate professor of economics. “The scholarship includes the program entrance fee, registration fees for both of the required exams, study materials and three years of IMA membership.”

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor signed a letter of intent with the Johanniter Academy of Germany for a three-year international student exchange program. Members of UMHB traveled to Germany in March to begin this relationship with an official ceremony attended by the U.S. Consulate from Leipzig and administrators from the Academy. The student exchange program is made possible by a grant from the German Apprenticeship Training Exchange Foundation. About six UMHB students from nursing, teacher education, and social work will be included in the first-year cohort through this exchange program. They will join six German students to gain professional training for two weeks at the Johanniter Academy in Leipzig, Germany, at the end of the fall 2023 semester. While in Germany, the selected UMHB students will experience German campus life, attend courses and shadow their partners in field placements. In the spring of 2024, the German students will visit UMHB for two weeks, spending time on campus, in class and shadowing the UMHB students in the cohort.

Wayland Baptist University posthumously promoted Bill Hardage, who served the university in a variety of administrative roles during a 40-year career, to vice chancellor emeritus. Wayland’s board of trustees voted to grant the title to Hardage. President Bobby Hall, who served with Hardage many years, praised his “remarkable passion for and loyalty to Wayland.” Hardage, who competed in track and field during his student years, was one of the first inductees into Wayland’s Athletic Hall of Honor. After he earned his undergraduate degree from Wayland in 1965, Hardage coached high school football and track in Lubbock and served as an assistant track coach and physical education instructor at Texas Tech University while earning a Master of Education degree there. He went on to earn a Doctor of Education degree from East Texas State University, now Texas A&M-Commerce. Returning to Wayland, he was track coach, chairman of the physical education department and director of special services.

Buckner Rio Grande Children’s Home received a $20,000 grant from the Maximus Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting community development, health care and youth development programs. The grant will support Buckner’s programs to serve vulnerable children and families in the Rio Grande Valley through foster care and adoption services. Buckner Rio Grande Children’s Home enables foster families to live in Buckner-owned cottages, providing a consistent home environment for children who are in the state’s custody. Criselda Cuevas is the director of administration and operations for Buckner in the Rio Grande Valley.

Anniversary

100th for Highland Baptist Church in Waco. John Durham is lead pastor. About 4,000 people attended the centennial celebration, where the church raised $381,000 to help three church starts in Texas.

Retirement

David E. Garland from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary after 26 years on the faculty as professor of Christian Scriptures. During his time at Baylor, he served two stints as interim president of the university—in 2008 to 2010 and 2016 to 2017—as well as two years as interim provost and nearly a decade as dean of Truett Seminary. Previously, he served 21 years on the faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.