Compiled by Institutional Marketing and Communications Interns Megan DeVaney and Carrie Johnson.

International and National Media Highlight

Forbes | January 28, 2022
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced this week that it was awarding a total of $16.1 million in grants to twelve liberal arts colleges. The awards are part of what the Foundation is calling its Humanities for All Times Initiative, which was created to demonstrate the relevance of the humanities to a range of real-world social justice issues like racism, health inequities, environmental threats, and criminal justice reform.  Austin College was one of 12 grant recipients, for the project “Pathways to a Just Society,” which will generate over 30 new or re-designed courses and six community-based research and internship experiences involving the humanities, social justice, and career readiness.

Half Moon Bay Review | January 26, 2022
Basketball standouts Ally Longaker ’21 and Addison Walling ’21, who were both part of the team that won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title in 2020, are celebrated by their hometown of Half Moon Bay, California, where they were both also part of the high school basketball team that won the Central Coast Division 4 title in 2017.

Inside Higher Ed |
Jake Sapp, chief compliance officer and deputy Title IX coordinator, comments on the legal implications of a recent Title IX ruling over an incident at Millersville University in Pennsylvania that potentially extends liability to nonstudent guests.

PR Newswire | January 11, 2022
Monica Shah ’00, MD, FAAP, has been recognized by Continental Who’s Who for her impressive work as a Neonatal-Perinatal Physician.

Dallas and Regional News

 D Magazine | January 17, 2022
Jessica Wescott ’09 has been tapped to lead financial strategy and growth for branding and advertising agency Johnson & Sekin. She previously served as CFO and COO of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, where she worked for four years.

 D Magazine | January 17, 2022
Kat Kornegay ’04 has been named Chief Purpose Officer for Johnson & Sekin.  Kornegay has been with the agency for nearly a decade, previously serving as account director and digital director. In her new role, Kornegay now helps brands, teams, and organizations across industries determine and showcase their greater purpose.

The Eagle | January 17, 2022
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp recently announced the appointment of Rick Avery ’85 as acting director of AgriLife Extension. Avery, currently the deputy director of the Brazos Valley Council of Governments, has a long track record in government and governmental relations.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | January 26, 2022
Texas Tech eLearning & academic partnerships receives accolades from U.S. News & World Report for the quality of their programs. Texas Tech and Austin College have partnered to bring one of these programs to north Texas, offering a Master of Arts Degree in Strategic Communication and Innovation with courses offered on the Austin College campus and online.

Office of the Texas Governor | January 26, 2022
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Heisha Freeman ’93 to the State Independent Living Council. The council serves as a resource to state and local organizations on independent living and related issues for persons with disabilities. Freeman is Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for MoveCenter. Additionally, she is the founder of Special Needs Parents of North Texas and a former member of the Agape Resource & Assistance Center Board.

Office of the Texas Governor | January 18, 2022
Todd A. Williams ’82 has been appointed to the permanent School Fund Corporation Board of Directors by Governor Greg Abbott. 

The Oklahoman | January 25, 2022
The National Hispanic Institute will be hosting its annual leadership program for about 200 high school sophomores and juniors at Austin College this July. NHI and Walmart are coming together to provide scholarships for the program for Hispanic students living in Texas and Oklahoma. 

Talequah Daily Press | January 23, 2021
The National Hispanic Institute, a nonprofit providing leadership education to top Latino high school students, has announced its 2022 Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session program. The program will host 200 top academic students in a weeklong leadership experience in July on the campus of Austin College. NHI is partnering with Walmart to provide tuition scholarships for students from Oklahoma and Texas to attend.

Weatherford Democrat | January 16, 2022
Weatherford-based law firm Eggleston King LLP has announced a merger with California-based law firm Davis Trial Counsel, rebranded as Eggleston King Davis LLP.  Eggleston King Davis has elected Courtney A. Kuykendall ’02 as a partner. Kuykendall is a graduate of SMU's Dedman School of Law.

Local Media Highlights

KXII | January 24, 2022
Austin College Women’s Basketball player Natalie McCoy ’22 and Men’s Basketball player Jason Jones ’24 were named SCAC conference players of the week.

KXII | January 17, 2022
Each year Austin College hosts a community-wide celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year, the keynote speaker at the celebration was Carllos Lassiter, Vice President of Student Affairs and Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, and the student speaker was Clemon White ’24.

 Herald Democrat | January 17, 2022
Taylor Goyen ’19 has been announced as the new head coach for the Austin College men’s soccer team. Since graduating from Austin College, Goyen has been an assistant coach at Ranger College, Sul Ross State University, and Schreiner University. Goyan played as a midfielder for during his time at Austin College and is excited to return to his alma mater.

Herald Democrat | January 17, 2022
The annual Grayson County community MLK Day celebration was hosted at Austin College on January 17. This year’s keynote and student speakers Carllos Lassiter and Clemon White ’24 both focused on how Dr. King’s legacy has impacted education and opened doors for Black people today.

 Herald Democrat | January 12, 2022
Austin College to host the annual celebration to honor MLK on January 17, 2022. This event has had wonderful speakers in previous years and this year will be no exception with Carllos Lassiter and Clemon White ’24 as the keynote and student speakers.

KTEN | January 17, 2022
On January 17 Austin College hosted the 18^th annual MLK community celebration. This year the event highlighted the strides Dr. King made in gaining equality for Black Americans, particularly his impacts on education.

Blogs and Online Media

Austin College | January 11, 2021
Austin College, the Sherman Economic Development Corporation, and the Grayson Small Business Development Center have come together for the 2022 RISE Challenge Program. This program is meant to encourage local entrepreneurs in the Sherman area. “Many cities are recognizing the importance of establishing and cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem within their business community,” said Kent Sharp, President of SEDCO. “RISE will allow some of Sherman’s economic development sales tax dollars to be allocated to aspiring young entrepreneurial endeavors in need of capital for growth.”

North Texas e-News | January 24, 2022
Austin College will team up with the Sherman Economic Development Corporation and the Grayson Small Business Development Center to sponsor the RISE Challenge Program. The goal of the program is to support "Raising Innovative Sherman Entrepreneurs” and will award up to $250,000 in cash incentives to local entrepreneurs.

North Texas e-News | January 17, 2022
Austin College hosted the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Speakers at this event included Carllos Lassiter, Clemon White ’24, Dr. Al Hambrick ’79, and others, alongside a performance by Susie Viars-Allen.

News ’Roos Can Use

Dallas News | January 24, 2022
In the shadow of COVID-19, interest in public health studies is climbing in North Texas and beyond.

Inside Higher Ed | January 25, 2022
As gender identity norms shift, institutions move to allow students to choose their preferred names and pronouns. However, these efforts are often limited by campus information systems that struggle to adapt or don’t communicate the information well between different systems.

Inside Higher Ed | January 18, 2022
Writer Mary Churchill explores leadership lessons from Marjorie Hass’ new book A Leadership Guide for Women in Higher Education. These include approaching a new role with a “beginner’s mind,” focusing on the ‘maybes’ and not the ‘nevers,’ and calm anger—“the importance of finding ways to express anger that feels empowering rather than exhausting.”

Chronicle of Higher Education | January 14, 2022
The Chronicle explores what a “new normal” might look like on college campuses in which COVID becomes endemic.