A Texas Wesleyan University - Office of Communications Publication

April 23, 2008

Commencement: May 2008
Texas Wesleyan will host graduation exercises at 7 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the Will Rogers Auditorium, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. Sheryl Kappus, president of Hill College, will be the keynote speaker. The precommencement robing ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Friday in Polytechnic United Methodist Church. The deadline for getting your tickets for the commencement ceremony is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 8. To make arrangements, contact Krista Hughes-Bailey in the Provost's Office at khughes@txwes.edu or 817-531-4472.

2008 Board of Trustees Award Recipients

The Texas Wesleyan Board of Trustees announced the recipients of its 2008 awards at the annual meeting April 17. Click on each award to read more about the recipient:

Texas Wesleyan Faculty Receive Grants

Congratulations to several Texas Wesleyan faculty who have recently been awarded grants. Carlos Martinez, dean of the School of Education, and Twyla Miranda, professor of education, have received an award from the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. The Foundation has approved a grant in the amount of $70,000 to provide a third year of funding for the Institute of School Leadership, which follows two years of support from the Richardson Foundation in the establishment of Wesleyan's principal program. Funding provides support for students pursuing principal certification through retreats, stronger mentoring and scholarships, as well as advertising in the greater Tarrant County area.

     Miriam Espinosa, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and the Pre-Professional Program have received a grant from the M.D. Anderson Foundation. The Foundation has once again renewed its commitment to 3PR through a grant of $50,000 per year for two years. With this $100,000 award, the Fall 2008 semester marks the 28th anniversary of the Foundation's support, through which thousands of students seeking careers in the "helping" professions have received additional enrichment activities, including guest speakers, ethical studies, test preparation (LSAT, MCAT, etc), individual counseling, and mentoring.

     Bruce Benz, associate professor of biology, and Ricardo Rodriguez, professor of chemistry, have received awards from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under the Teacher Quality Grants Program. Each faculty member has received a grant of nearly $87,000 each to support the costs of tuition scholarships and classroom materials for area school teachers to increase their content knowledge in the areas of biology and middle school science. Courses begin this summer and continue through the fall/spring academic calendar. Authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act, the Teacher Quality Grants Program represents the largest federal initiative for using professional development to improve teaching and learning and is designed to support training and retention of elementary and secondary teachers.

Men's Golf Wins Fifth Consecutive Championship

Armando Villarreal

The Texas Wesleyan men’s golf team shot a final round 289 April 22 to win their fifth consecutive RRAC championship and remain perfect all-time in the Red River Athletic Conference tournament. The Rams also rose to fourth in the Region VI competition being held concurrently with the RRAC tournament. On the final day, Texas Wesleyan passed Northwood, Southern Nazarene, and Lubbock Christian University to finish fourth in the power-packed Region VI competition. Third-ranked Oklahoma City won the event with a total card of 856, while ninth-ranked Wayland Baptist (862) and top ranked Oklahoma Christian (868) finished second and third. No. 12 Texas Wesleyan finished at 887, three shots ahead of 19th-ranked Northwood. Michael Loppnow of Wayland Baptist shot a final round 68 to take the Region VI title at 208 for the tournament. Texas Wesleyan’s Armando Villarreal shot a final round 70 to catch Northwood’s Lucas Bogdan. Villarreal and Bogdan tied for the RRAC title at 215. Villarreal’s 215 was good for seventh in the overall competition. Paco Saracho’s third round 71 lifted him to 222 and a tie for 16th.  Stuart Martin finished at 225 (T22), Mitch Hendon 227 (T27), and Kevin Doskocil 233 (43rd) to round out Texas Wesleyan’s card. Carlos Arenas played as an individual and tied for 33rd at 229. The Rams now await a bid to the 57th NAIA National Championships, which will be held at Indiana National May 13-16.

Second Annual Golf Tournament

The Texas Wesleyan University Graduate School of Business will sponsor its Second Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, May 19, at Woodhaven Country Club.

Prizes will be awarded for closest to the pin on all par 3s, longest drive on the 12th hole, and hole-in-one contest. All proceeds will be used for scholarships and other assistance for Texas Wesleyan’s graduate business students. For more information or to register, call (817) 531-6500 or email jperez@txwes.edu or clittle@txwes.edu. Space is limited. Register now!

Mitchell-Reed Lecture Series

The last Mitchell-Reed Community of Learners lecture of the semester will be from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, in the Orientation Room of the West Library. Ron McManus, professor of religion and psychology, will present, "Bringing Ethics Discussions to the Classroom." Please join us for this interesting and informative discussion. Beverages and cookies will be provided by the Provost's Office, co-sponsors of the Mitchell-Reed Community of Learners lecture series; attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch.

Teaching Circles Meeting/Celebration

With the spring semester coming to a close the participants of the 2007-2008 Cross-Discipline Teaching Circles will come together for an open discussion of their experiences from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the University Club. At this meeting each group will present some of the more interesting topics covered during the academic year and discuss ideas for improving future Circles. This meeting/celebration is open to anyone who is interested.

Day & Night/Darkness & Light: A Celebration of National Poetry Month

Aries will host an open-mic event, "Day & Night/Darkness & Light: A Celebration of National Poetry Month," from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the University Club. Poetry, microfiction, nonfiction, rap, spoken word, vocals, instruments, photos, art, etc. are welcome at the mic! Read a favorite author or your own original work. Snacks and door prizes will be available. Bring a friend! Aries: a journal of creative expression is Texas Wesleyan University's national literary magazine.

2008 Annual Athletic Awards Ceremony

All Texas Wesleyan faculty and staff are cordially invited to the 2008 Annual Athletic Awards Ceremony, which will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in Martin Hall. Please join us as we honor the academic and athletic accomplishments of our student-athletes. Hors d’oeuvres will be served prior to the ceremony starting at 6 p.m. in the Louella Baker Martin Pavilion. Dress is business casual.

Wesleyan Gay Straight Alliance Sponsors Event for National Day of Silence

The Texas Wesleyan Gay Straight Alliance will sponsor a presentation as part of the National Day of Silence at 12 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the West Library Orientation Room. The student-led National Day of Silence protests the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. Bruce McDonald, visiting assistant professor of philosophy and religion, and a representative of MoSAIC: Methodist Students for an All Inclusive Churchwill, will discuss the full ordination of openly gay and lesbian clergy within the United Methodist Church conference and whether it would help or hurt the conference. The event is free and open to the community. Click here to learn more about the National Day of Silence.

Senior Recital: Roman Coronado, Classical Guitar

Roman Coronado, classical guitarist, will present his senior recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, in Martin Hall. The program will include the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos, Girolamo Frescobaldi, and Isaac Albéniz. Coronado was selected to perform at the President's Honors Concert in February. This senior recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. The concert is free and open to the public. Martin Hall is located at 1309 Wesleyan St. on the Texas Wesleyan campus. For more details, contact the Department of Music at (817) 531-4992 or visit them on the web at www.txwes.edu/music/music/index.htm.

Wesleyan Chorale in Concert April 29

The Wesleyan Chorale will perform Anton Bruckner's Mass in E Minor at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, in Martin Hall. Bruckner's late Romantic style is evident in the rich harmonies of the Mass, which he completed in 1866. The chorale will be accompanied for the Mass in E Minor by a wind orchestra of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets and trombones. The evening will begin with a performance by the chorale of Bruckner's motet Os Justi, directed by Jerome Bierschenk, visiting assistant professor of music. The 60-voice chorale, directed by Steve Simons, professor of music, includes Texas Wesleyan students, faculty and staff members, Wesleyan music alumni and other friends to the University community. The concert is free and open to the public. Nicholas Martin Hall is located at 1309 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth. For more information about Wesleyan Music, click here or call 817-531-4992.

Third Annual Prairie Fest at Tandy Hills Natural Area
The Third Annual Prairie Fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at Tandy Hills Natural Area. The free event will feature live music by Brave Combo and entertainment, arts and crafts, green living exhibitors, environmental speakers and botanical educators, and wildflower tours. Tandy Hills Natural Area (THNA) is a magnificent 160-acre piece of undeveloped prairie located just northeast of the Texas Wesleyan campus. It contains an amazing collection of prairie plant species that produce a spectacular show of blooming wildflowers each spring.

     If you'd like to volunteer for the event, contact 817-348-8683 or lwvtarrantcounty@sbcglobal.net or Judy Wood at 817-346-4832 or email her at jwwriting@gmail.com.   

     THNA is located at 3400 View St. in Fort Worth (view map). For more information, visit www.tandyhills.org.

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