Torchlite

March 2009
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Dr. John McClusky, Dr. Lorne Davis and Dr. Mark Gustafson join President Ann Svennungsen and Board Chair Karen Norman in cheering the opening of the new AT&T Science Facility.  Senior biology major Sarah Junco and Koehler Company President Charlie Koehler open the doors of the new building during ceremonies Feb. 27.

 

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In This Issue TLU Today Growing and Giving Lucky's Pack Scoreboard Happenings

TLU Today

AT&T Dedication – On Friday afternoon, despite unseasonably warm weather, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and faculty emeriti took part in the dedication of TLU’s newest building – the AT&T Science Facility.

Hundreds gather to celebrate the dedication of the new building.

The Bulldog Brass Quintet played for the celebration, and President Ann Svennungsen, Dean John Sieben, AT&T-Texas President Don Cain, The Hon. Edmund Kuempel, and Mr. Charlie Koehler each spoke before Koehler passed the keys of the new building to senior biology and chemistry major Sarah Junco who unlocked the building.

“This wonderful new wing will provide additional space for our outstanding science faculty to continue to support and challenge our students,” Svennungsen said.  “Texas Lutheran has long been recognized as a community that produces successful doctors, professors and professionals in the sciences, and the AT&T Science Facility will enable the continued growth and strengthening of those programs.”

Dr. Harold Bier, professor emeritus of chemistry, right, visits with Dr. David Wasmund, professor of chemistry and President Svennungsen after the dedication program.

“The continual success that Texas Lutheran University has achieved makes it one of the most respected schools in the United States,” Cain said.  “We want to commend President Svennungsen, the faculty and staff for their hard work and devotion to the students of TLU and also Representative Kuempel for his work in supporting educational needs in the state of Texas.”

“To see the private and public sectors come together like this for the benefit of all is a wonderful experience,” said Kuempel, a TLU alumnus.  “Few things are as important as improving education for our students.”

The AT&T Science Facility is a three-story addition to Moody Science Hall, providing 12,000 square feet of state-of-the-art chemistry, biology and physics laboratories, preparation rooms, faculty offices, research areas, and a greenhouse.

Alumni, students, faculty, and friends of TLU toured the new Lee Mueller Organic Chemistry Lab.

In the organic chemistry lab, individual, ventilated workspaces for each student enlarge the range of experiments they can complete.  The hoods shield students from chemical vapors and allow expanded investigations into reaction mechanisms and reactivities through analysis of product distribution.  New equipment allows for rapid analysis of data and the new organic lab enhances both independent and group research projects in which they draw scientific conclusions regarding chemical reactivity and reaction processes.

The new physics and engineering laboratories and classrooms are dual purpose spaces that support one of the university’s fastest growing programs. Equipment and computers in the larger lab are devoted to mechanics topics and to robotics. The equipment and computers in the smaller lab are devoted to electricity and magnetism topics and to computational applied science.

Dr. Harry Bischoff, professor emeritus of biology, hugs Dr. Deb Hettinger, professor of biology. Looking on are Beth Bischoff Raetzsch ’79, Becky Bischoff Gililand’73, and Dr. John Sieben, dean of the college of arts and sciences.

In the new biology laboratory, additional space with movable lab tables allows for a variety of teaching methods. New equipment, including an advanced stereomicroscope with digital imaging system allows students to photograph, measure and analyze microscopic structure of animals and plants.

The two-story greenhouse provides an attractive dimension to the facility as well as housing a wide variety of plants for use in teaching and providing space for student research projects.  A small pond will enable culture of aquatic plants and animals so that live specimens can be studied during laboratory sessions.

Evelyn Streng’s birthday – TLU will honor one of its favorite professors on her 90th birthday, and you’re invited to be part of the celebration.  Dr. Evelyn Fiedler Streng, professor emeritus of science, will be honored by faculty and friends on March 6, 2-4 p.m., at the Fritz Homestead on the TLU campus.

Dr. Streng joined the science faculty of Texas Lutheran in 1946 and retired May 31, 1988.  She received the Hugo E. Gibson Award for Spiritual and Academic Enrichment in 1988 and the TLU Distinguished Church Service Award in 1990.  A very active and visible part of the Seguin community, Dr. Streng volunteers her time to many causes, speaks to many community and civic groups in Seguin and the area, and continues as the director of TLU’s Fiedler Memorial Museum and adjacent rock garden, which contain regional natural history artifacts.

Although her birthday is actually March 11, because of Spring Break, the TLU Community will celebrate March 6.  She asks “no gifts, please,” but those wishing to honor her on this milestone birthday may make a contribution to the Adolph and Evelyn Streng Endowed Scholarship Fund at TLU or to the Seguin Christian Cupboard.

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Growing and Giving

Nancy Hershfield

Nancy J. Hershfield, CFRE, has joined TLU as vice president for development and alumni relations. With 19 years of fundraising experience, she most recently served as director of development at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., and was interim vice president for advancement there in 2007-2008.  In 2008, she received the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification, the highest certification available in the fundraising profession.

“We are delighted to welcome such an experienced professional to our university,” President Svennungsen said. “She brings an understanding of servant leadership and is committed to helping advance TLU’s mission of preparing our students academically, spiritually and socially in a community of faith and learning.”

Hershfield holds a B.A. in cultural anthropology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and has completed graduate work at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.  After graduating from Luther, she was in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica and Ecuador for two years.

Front Row 2009 with Verne Lundquist!  Scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, Front Row 2009 will feature Verne Lundquist ’62 sharing entertaining personal stories and video clips from his distinguished career in sports broadcasting. The event will be held at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel in Houston. Money raised at this event supports the Texas Lutheran athletic program. Save the date – more information will follow!

Donor Jo Murphy with her scholarship recepients Jaclyn Viggato and Zachery Dibrell-Hall during the Endowed Scholarship Lunch Saturday in the Hein Dining Hall. The annual event gave the students a special opportunity to meet the people who have made their education at Texas Lutheran possible. (Photo by Ryan Brown)

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Lucky's Pack

Attention Alumni – Help us keep you informed of everything happening at TLU! Update your information at http://www.tlu.edu/alumni_update.  Use the form to let us know what is going on in your life! As space allows in the Torch magazine, we will include alumni information about marriages, births, promotions, and moves.  We also welcome high resolution photos to publish on the Alumni Photo Album on the TLU Web site.

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Scoreboard

(Photo of Jeremy Macklin by Ron Macklin)

Baseball – With the wind blowing out at Katt-Isbel Field at up to 40 mph, the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs produced runs in all but two innings on Saturday, Feb. 28 in 17-7 and 19-12 wins over Mississippi College. TLU pounded out 13 extra-base hits in the doubleheader and hit six home runs. TLU pitchers, despite the windy conditions, did not allow a home run. The Bulldogs (9-5) won all three games of the cross-divisional series with the Choctaws (6-6). TLU defeated MC on Friday, Feb. 27 by a count of 15-12.

On Saturday, TLU third baseman Jeremy Macklin (Austin/Bowie/Huston-Tillotson) set a school record for RBI in a doubleheader, with 14. He tied the school record for RBI in a single game, with eight in the first game. In that first game, Macklin was 3-for-3 with four runs scored and the eight runs driven home. He homered twice, giving him five home runs this season. He also doubled and had a sacrifice fly. In game two, Macklin was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and six RBI. He doubled and walked twice. Macklin also set a new school record for RBI in a three-game series, with 18. He finished the series with 11 hits in 12 at-bats. He collected four doubles, three home runs and three walks. Macklin entered the MC series with 12 RBI; he left it with 30 RBI.

Women's Basketball – After going winless in 2007-08, the TLU women's basketball team put together seven wins in 2008-09. Under the direction of first-year head coach Roxanne Long, the Bulldogs posted a 7-18 overall record with a 5-15 mark in the American Southwest Conference. The seven wins by the Bulldogs exceeded by two the number of wins the program had in the previous three seasons combined.

The Bulldogs set or tied three new school records in 2008-09. Sophomore post Courtney Haskell (San Antonio/Southwest) established a new single-game blocks record with nine against Southwestern Christian (Okla.). Haskell tied the school mark for blocks in a single season, with 49. She shares the record with Freda Williams, who blocked 49 shots in the 1997-98 season. The Bulldogs also broke the single-season team record for blocks, with 106.

Senior post Madilyn Caran (Yorktown/Yorktown) completed her fourth season with the Bulldogs.

Men's Basketball – The Bulldogs ended the 2008-09 season with a 6-18 overall record. The Bulldogs were 6-15 in the American Southwest Conference. TLU's six wins were three more than the previous season's total. Seniors Nate Walton (Houston/Westside) and Josh Scott (The Woodlands/The Woodlands) concluded four-year careers with the Bulldogs. Walton finishes his four-year career at No. 21 on the all-time scoring list at TLU. Walton scored 1,195 points.

Find all the scores, schedules and stats for TLU athletics at www.tlu.edu/athletics.

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Happenings

Alumni Baseball Event
2 p.m., March 6
Katt-Isbel Field

SAUCE.Y! Mission Trip to Galveston
March 7-9

U.S. Navy Band Concert
7:30 p.m., March 10
Jackson Auditorium

Houston Alumni & Friends Gathering
11:30-12:30, March 12
The Armadillo Palace
5015 Kirby Drive at Bartlett
Houston

Katy Alumni & Friends Gathering
5:30-7:30 p.m., March 12
Baker Street Pub
23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd.
Katy

John Nellermoe: A Retrospective
Art Exhibit
March 19-April 13
Opening Reception Honoring Retiring Prof. Nellermoe
4:30-7 p.m., March 19
Annetta Krashaar Gallery
Schuech Fine Arts Center

TLU Dramatic Media Production:
Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl
7:30 p.m., March 19-21
2:30 p.m., March 20, 22
Jackson Auditorium

TLU Choir Tour

Seguin Alumni & Friends Gathering
5:30-7:30 p.m., March 26
The Oak

Band Tour

Dr. David Wasmund’s Retirement Party
April 4 – 6:30 p.m. Reception, Katie Conference Center
7 p.m.-Dinner, Timmerman Room
RSVP to Hope Dean at 830-372-6030 or hdean@tlu.edu

Homecoming 2009 – Nov. 6-7

For more information on these and other TLU events, to update your contact information, or to receive e-mail notification of Torchlite, please e-mail alumni@tlu.edu, or call 830-372-8026.

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