Compiled by Public Affairs office
International and National Media Highlight
Community News New Jersey | June 30, 2020
Pastor Kristin Austew ’07 finds a new home at First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown, New Jersey. Austew credits her time as a student at Austin College for exposing her to students from many faith backgrounds. “While my faith is important to me, I don’t think it’s the only way; I think the interfaith dialogues that are starting to become a little more frequent are really important and really enriching to our society,” she says.
Dallas and Regional News
Dallas Morning News | June 17, 2020
The National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame announce nomiees for the 2021 class, which include former Austin College coach Pete Cawthon.
KERA News | June 18, 2020
Emma Chalott Barron ’18, who works with the North Texas Dream Team, an immigration advocacy group in Dallas and a “Dreamer” herself, reflects on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the DACA program.
Palestine Herald | June 17, 2020
Will Kollett ’17 is hired as head coach for the Grapeland High School Sandiettes. The team has made it to the state tournament the last two seasons, and Kollett hopes to make the third time the charm.
Local Media Highlights
Herald Democrat | June 24, 2020
Austin College is being recognized for its educational efforts in restoring a small portion of what was once the Blackland Prairie. The college has been award a 2020 Texas Environmental Excellence Award by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for its work on the Sneed Prairie Restoration Project.
Herald Democrat | June 23, 2020
Private recycling company Recyclops announced plans to enter into the Sherman market and provide recycling services for a fee. This comes about a week after the city effectively suspended its curbside recycling program. Dr. Peter Schulze spoke tentatively in favor of the service, while expressing some concerns, such as how this would affect the city returning to curbside recycling.
Herald Democrat | June 17, 2020
Former Austin College head coach Pete Cawthon is one of several coaches on the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Herald Democrat | June 8, 2020
An exploration of Sherman’s history as a city, including the historically significant move of Austin College from Hunstville to Sherman in 1876.
Herald Democrat | June 3, 2020
As the City of Sherman votes to suspend its recycling program, Dr. Peter Schulze, director of the Center for Environmental Studies at Austin College, attributed the issues with the program to a lack of education about the program and what can be recycled. “If you don’t know you are doing something wrong, you don’t go around looking for how to do it right,” he said.
Herald Democrat | June 2, 2020
Austin College announced a major gift from a long-time supporter of the school Tuesday. The estate of William Windsor Richardson of Sherman, who died in 2017, was recently settled, gifting the college almost $13 million.
Herald Democrat | June 1, 2020
Athletics director David Norman has announced Hayley Jamerson as the new head athletic trainer. Jamerson has served as the assistant athletic trainer for the ’Roos since 2018 and will move into the head position as Austin College enters the 2020-2021 academic year.
KTEN News| June 23, 2020
Austin College’s Sneed Prairie Restoration Project has received the 2020 Texas Environmental Education Excellence Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The project’s goal is to restore 100 acres of blackland prairie west of Sherman. With nearly 20 years of work from more than 1,000 student volunteers, the project is still far from over.
KXII News | June 4, 2020
Three Sherman Bearcat student-athletes signed their letters of intent to play sports at Austin College. Softball standout Ashley Boatright and Bearcat football teammates James Drenner and Cole Gibson will join ’RooNation in the fall.
Blogs and Online Media
Austin College | June 22, 2020
Dr. Jeremy Posadas, associate professor of religious studies and director of Gender Studies at Austin College, presents the webinar “Liberating People and the Planet: Christian Responses at the Intersection of Economics, Ecology, and Religion,” hosted by Vanderbilt Divinity School’s Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice.
Austin College | June 3, 2020
Dr. Kevin Simmons, Austin College professor of economics, is recognized internationally for his expertise in the economics of natural hazards.
This spring, he was recognized as the College’s 2020 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor nominee, the nomination itself considered an Austin College teaching award.
Austin College | June 2, 2020
Four faculty chairs established in spring 2020 correspond to recently developed academic programs at Austin College. The chairs and programs were endowed through a recent estate gift of William Windsor Richardson ’69 of Sherman. Dr. Lance Barton holds the new Richardson Chair for CREATE, a center that encourages and guides student research and creative scholarship efforts. Dr. Mark Hebert holds the chair for the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program. Dr. Jennifer Johnson-Cooper is the director and Richardson Chair for the Professionalism and the Humanities program. Dr. John Richardson (no familial relation to the donor) is an associate professor of chemistry and holds the Richardson Chair for the STEM Teaching and Research Leadership program.
Austin College | June 2, 2020
Every year, the Austin College faculty recognizes divisional colleagues for excellence in areas of scholarship, teaching, and service, and a new area of recognition. The 2020 faculty awardees were announced at the end-of-year faculty meeting. They are Victoria Cummins, Patrick Duffey, Melinda Landeck, Elena Olivé, Nathan Bigelow, Julia Shahid, Ashley Tharayil, Kevin Simmons, David Aiello, Jessica Healy, James Hebda, and Brad Smucker.
Austin College | June 1, 2020
Dr. Patrick Duffey, professor of Spanish, received the 2020 Excellence in Teaching and Campus Leadership Award. Duffey teaches, he said, because he never likes to journey alone. “Teaching for me is going on a journey — […] having students gives me companions to share the adventure.”
North Texas eNews | June 29, 2020
Dr. Jerry Lincecum, emeritus faculty in English, explores the recent resurgence of drive-in movie theaters, as well as their history as homes for low-budget camp.
North Texas eNews | June 20, 2020
Henry H. Bucher, Jr., emeritus faculty in Humanities, explores President Trump’s visit to Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Park in relationship to the differing perspectives on domination versus stewardship.
North Texas eNews | June 8, 2020
Retired English professor Jerry Lincecum proposes an amusing quiz as the “new high school exit exam,” encouraging readers to try their luck so that they may feel bright.
News ’Roos Can Use
Inside Higher Ed | June 25, 2020
College announcements fall along a continuum from mostly online to mostly in person. Some unusual elements: scheduled showers and a primarily freshman campus.
Inside Higher Ed | June 16, 2020
U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling extending protections against employment discrimination to LGBTQ people has implications for how colleges define sex and enforce gender equality on campus.
Inside Higher Ed | June 12, 2020
Black students want Salisbury administrators to hold students accountable when they use or post racial slurs and other offensive comments on social media and elsewhere.