Compiled by Public Affairs Interns
National and Regional Media Highlights
The Washington Post| March 24, 2020
The traditional deadline for college-bound students to accept admission offers is traditionally May 1. But the coronavirus crisis has led some colleges, including Austin College, to push that decision day back to June 1 or later.
Yahoo! Finance | March 17, 2020
Chris Harris ’04 is named to the AI Ethics Board for the company Axon. The board was established in April 2018 to guide the responsible development and use of AI-powered technologies being developed by Axon.
Prairie People| February 20, 2020
Ann Crews Melton ’03, an associate editor at the State Historical Society of North Dakota and current vice chair of Humanities North Dakota’s board of directors, has been hired as the executive director of the Consensus Council, a nonprofit dedicated to the improvement of government structure, services, and policy, primarily in the Great Plains region of North America.
Dallas and Regional News
Dallas Morning News | March 20, 2020
Frisco’s Liberty High School’s girls basketball team, under the direction of coach Ross Reedy ’05, won the first basketball state championship in Frisco ISD history, beating San Antonio Veterans Memorial 36-25 in a 5A state championship game.
DMagazine | February 28, 2020
Commercial real estate veteran Joe Kline ’86 is named vice president for Fort Worth- based commercial real estate firm JLL.
Dripping Springs Century News| February 12, 2020
Dripping Springs swimmer Kiara Bobb, who also has been involved in the Youth and Government program, signs with Austin College. Bobb, who lettered in swimming at Dripping Springs, has received an Academic Excellence Scholarship to attend Austin College.
Fox 44 News Waco| February 5, 2020
Bruceville-Eddy High School footballer T.J. Jarmon signed his letter of intent to play football at Austin College.
Gainesville Daily Register | March 10, 2020
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is hosting activities for children March 12 during spring break. “Birding by Ear” presented by Wayne Meyer will be the “Second Saturday” program where participants will learn to identify birds by their sounds. Meyer is chair of the Biology Department at Austin College.
KENS 5 News San Antonio | March 10, 2020
San Antonio’s Sam Houston High School academic decathlon team, which includes a future ’Roo, defies negative perceptions about their school with a series of wins.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal| March 26, 2020
In an article about how the COVID crisis is affecting the wedding industry, Austin College spokesperson Vickie Kirby comments that two weddings scheduled for Wynne Chapel in May have been canceled.
Voyage Dallas| February 24, 2020
A profile on Laura Westerlage ’08, director of client services at the non-profit The Stewpot, explores her work providing meals and other services to people who are currently or are at risk of experiencing homelessness in downtown Dallas. The Stewpot is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas.
Local Media Highlights
Herald Democrat | March 24, 2020
Austin College spring sports seasons are ended early as the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference officially cancels all conference competition for the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Herald Democrat | March 18, 2020
Austin College joins schools in the area and around the country in moving to remote-only instruction in efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus. In addition to canceling in-person classes, Austin College will also suspend all campus visits.
Herald Democrat | March 16, 2020
Austin College had their baseball and softball seasons canceled late last week after decisions made by their respective conferences, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and the Great American Conference.
Herald Democrat | March 13 2020
As universities, school districts, and other organizations take precautions against the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, two Texoma colleges are joining them; Austin College and Southeastern Oklahoma State University will extend their spring breaks an extra week. College officials said they are looking into options to continue courses remotely.
Herald Democrat| February 26, 2020
A new school is looking to open its doors in Texoma: the EC Stanton Texoma Community School, which follows a Sudbury School model. School co-founder Micaela Hoops ’09, recently spoke before the Sherman Planning and Zoning Commission and requested permits to open a permanent location at 214 W. Brockett in Sherman.
Herald Democrat | February 19, 2020
Dr. Felix Harcourt, assistant professor of U.S. history at Austin College, moderated the Grayson County “Primary Forum 2020.” “As a historian of the United States, you see over and over again that anything that works toward civic engagement in a community is key to the health of our democracy,” Harcourt said before the event kicked off.
Herald Democrat| February 18, 2020
A new survey by the Hope Center at Temple University reports on the financial concerns that college students’ face, ranging from managing financial aid to how to pay for groceries. Shelby Bagby ’20 shares about her own money concerns, as well as some strategies for managing those.
KTEN News | March 6, 2020
The 12th annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation Shave for the Cure at Austin College gave people the opportunity to raise money for and awareness of childhood cancer by shaving their heads. Claudia Theriot ’22 shares her motivation for taking part. The event is sponsored by the Austin College Rotaract Club with support from local Rotary clubs.
KTEN News | February 28, 2020
In an industry filled with men in top positions, Kelle Kennemer is out to beat the odds. Last month, she became the first female police chief in the history of the Austin College Police Department.
KTEN News| February 24, 2020
Austin College senior basketball player Kameron Hill ’20 shares his struggles with hearing impairment and his pride at getting to play college basketball with a team that has been happy to accommodate.
KXII News | March 5, 2020
Thursday afternoon, Austin College students and faculty, and local Rotary club members shaved their heads to raise money for cancer research. Claudia Theriot ’22 raised more than $1,100 on her personal pledge page, winning the medal for the highest amount of money raised this year. Classics professor Bob Cape also participated in the event. Both did so in honor of family members lost to cancer.
KXII News | March 4, 2020
The Austin College women’s basketball team prepares to compete for the NCAA Division III tournament in San Antonio.
KXII News | March 4, 2020
Pottsboro High School football standout Hunter Fulton signed his letter of intent to play college football at Austin College.
KXII News | March 1, 2020
Nine Austin College basketball players received All-Conference honors after a very successful season.
KXII News | February 26, 2020
The Austin College men’s basketball team heads to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 2015.
KXII News | February 20, 2020
At Durant High School signing day, softball standout Kalee Rush declares her intent to join the softball team at Austin College next fall.
Blogs and Online Media
North Texas eNews | March 30, 2020
Jerry Lincecum, professor emeritus of English, discusses two different ways to go back to your childhood and revisit some familiar memories and perhaps recall ones that you didn’t know you had.
North Texas eNews | March 28, 2020
The annual ATHENA Leadership Awards program hosted by Austin College for the last six years has been postponed indefinitely for 2020.
North Texas eNews | March 22, 2020
Photojournalist and writer Alyssa Banta ’90 presents a program for the Dallas Historical Society and will discuss her book The Texas Ranch Sisterhood: Portraits of Women Working the Land.
North Texas eNews | March 14, 2020
Writer David Hall reflects on his experiences attending Star Parties at Austin College, getting to see stars through the telescope in Adams Observatory. He humorously connects the experience to another kind of “Star Party”; a celebrity gathering he stumbled into in Beverly Hills back in the ’70s
North Texas eNews | February 26, 2020
Professor emeritus Dr. Jerry Lincecum discusses recent Stanford University research that says today’s average normal human-body temperature is closer to 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
North Texas eNews | February 23, 2020
The Austin College Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies hosted Dr. Andrea Easley Morris ’95 to present the lecture, “21st-Century Migrant and Tourist Mobilities: Dominican and Cuban Encounters Abroad.”
North Texas eNews| February 20, 2020
Austin College’s Adams Observatory will host a Star Party, inviting visitors to search the universe through the largest research telescope in North Texas.
North Texas eNews | February 19, 2020
Austin College will host the ‘Roo Bound program, where children in kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to “Spring into Safety.” The Sherman Fire Department will bring emergency vehicles to campus and Austin College Police Chief Kelle Kennemer will teach a program on individual safety for school-age children.
North Texas eNews | February 15, 2020
Rev. Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters, professor of religious studies at Elon University, will present the Austin College 2020 Allen-Head Lecture. Her talk on globalization and economic inequality, “After Capitalism: Imagining a Solidarity Economy,” will take place at Sherman Hall in Hoxie Thompson Auditorium.
North Texas eNews | February 10, 2020
The “Marsupial Mindfulness” series at Austin College continues in the spring term with four upcoming sessions. The series focuses on creative pedagogy, student learning, stress reduction, mindfulness, and a variety of helpful techniques in examination of mindfulness as part of the emerging field of contemplative studies in higher education.
The Observer| February 19, 2019
Teams from the campus residences Baker, Caruth, Clyce, Dean, and the Brockett Complex competed in “Battle of the Halls.” The teams competed in a series of games concluding with a trivia competition. This tradition was revived this year, in hope that it will become an annual event.
News ’Roos Can Use
Insider Higher Ed | April 1, 2020
President emeritus of Tulane University Scott Cowen, who was at the helm during Hurricane Katrina, offers his perspective on working through a crisis and looking forward to the bigger picture.
Inside Higher Ed | April 1, 2020
Residential Liberal arts college face a unique set of challenges as classes go remote, but there may also be some silver linings. Because these are close-knit communities, the groundwork of relationships to continue courses through online formats has been built. There is also a giant window for pedagogical innovation — and with a lower penalty for failure than in any normal circumstance.
Hardin Simmons University | February 10, 2020
HSU announces intent to close Logsdon Seminary and its graduate programs. The Logsdon School of Theology will continue providing Christian undergraduate education at HSU.