Greetings, and a Hearty Semi-Farewell …….
For almost 6 years I have had the honor and privilege of serving as dean of the School of Math
and Sciences. There have been many changes and additions to our programs over that time,
but one thing has not changed – the dedication of our faculty to the well-being of our students
and to the mission of the university. I have said this many times in many venues – I have never
worked with a finer group of educators, nor have I ever worked for a better institution than
Wayland.
Over the past several months, Dr. Scott Franklin, Dr. Bill Hahn, Megan McPherson, and I have
been assembling a program review in which we documented the accomplishments of the school
over the past 4 or 5 years. Our findings are impressive! Even though college enrollment is in
decline nationwide and has declined for Wayland as well, enrollment in the school has
increased by more than 13% since 2010-2011. The numbers of students majoring in the
sciences has stabilized over that time frame, but the number of math majors has increased most
substantially. Of the 64 students graduating from our school since 2010-2011, 27 are employed
in a career path aligned with their degree and 23 are attending graduate or professional
schools. Indeed, almost every student who has applied to graduate or professional school
programs has been accepted – some on their second try – and those who remain in contact with
us express a deep appreciation for the quality of education Wayland provided them.
In several of my newsletter notes I have drawn attention to accomplishments toward our
school’s distinctives – an emphasis on undergraduate research; course-related travel and travel
to scientific meetings; and integration of faith and science. Over the past 4 years, 29 students
and 9 faculty have collaborated on laboratory and field research, as well as mathematics
research, resulting in about 40 poster or oral presentations at more than nine regional and
national scientific meetings. The significance of undergraduate research to the success of our
graduates is underscored by the fact that of 23 graduates pursuing graduate or professional
school degrees over the past five years, 13 of them participated in at least one research project.
HDG Newsletter – 3-19-15
Greetings, and a Hearty Semi-Farewell …….
For almost 6 years I have had the honor and privilege of serving as dean of the School of Math
and Sciences. There have been many changes and additions to our programs over that time,
but one thing has not changed – the dedication of our faculty to the well-being of our students
and to the mission of the university. I have said this many times in many venues – I have never
worked with a finer group of educators, nor have I ever worked for a better institution than
Wayland.
Over the past several months, Dr. Scott Franklin, Dr. Bill Hahn, Megan McPherson, and I have
been assembling a program review in which we documented the accomplishments of the school
over the past 4 or 5 years. Our findings are impressive! Even though college enrollment is in
decline nationwide and has declined for Wayland as well, enrollment in the school has
increased by more than 13% since 2010-2011. The numbers of students majoring in the
sciences has stabilized over that time frame, but the number of math majors has increased most
substantially. Of the 64 students graduating from our school since 2010-2011, 27 are employed
in a career path aligned with their degree and 23 are attending graduate or professional
schools. Indeed, almost every student who has applied to graduate or professional school
programs has been accepted – some on their second try – and those who remain in contact with
us express a deep appreciation for the quality of education Wayland provided them.
In several of my newsletter notes I have drawn attention to accomplishments toward our
school’s distinctives – an emphasis on undergraduate research; course-related travel and travel
to scientific meetings; and integration of faith and science. Over the past 4 years, 29 students
and 9 faculty have collaborated on laboratory and field research, as well as mathematics
research, resulting in about 40 poster or oral presentations at more than nine regional and
national scientific meetings. The significance of undergraduate research to the success of our
graduates is underscored by the fact that of 23 graduates pursuing graduate or professional
school degrees over the past five years, 13 of them participated in at least one research project.
As you will read in one of the accompanying articles to this newsletter, we had two students win
awards for their presentations at the recent Texas Academy of Sciences meetings, and another
student win a highly prized research grant.
The number of students impacted by field courses and travel to scientific meetings is difficult to
tally, and the diversity of opportunities for these important experiences is almost mind-boggling.
For example, biology and geology courses routinely take students on extended weekend or
longer field trips to sites across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and South Dakota. In
addition to numerous field trips, our faculty have taken students to more than nine regional and
national scientific meetings in Texas, California, Colorado, and Oklahoma in recent years.
These experiences are critical to the admirable success of our programs and the
accomplishments of our graduates after leaving Wayland.
Our faith and science seminar course is one hallmark of our commitment to integrating faith and
science. Another is the intentional incorporation of devotionals and prayer in many of our
classes, and the direct interest our faculty show for the spiritual growth of our students. There
are many examples of how our faculty and students “walk-the-walk”, but one that is most
eventful is the second medical missions trip to the Honduras that will be led by Drs. Reinhart,
Kasner, and Faucett in May.
The program review from which these accomplishment summaries were drawn is still in
progress. As part of the process we had an outside reviewer, Dr. Gary Wilson from McMurry
University, critically evaluate our self-assessment and offer suggestions and recommendations
for further improvements. He was notably impressed and highly complementary of our
accomplishments and made some very insightful and constructive suggestions. In future
months, Dr. Franklin will be taking the program review to the next level and will work with the
school faculty and the administration to develop strategic plans for moving our school forward.
What an exciting time that will be!
The challenges and opportunities for the school have never been greater. Even though my
commitment to Wayland remains stronger than ever, meeting these challenges and capitalizing
on the many exciting opportunities for growth and continued success will require energy and
technological skills that are better provided by a younger generation of service-minded and
purpose-driven leaders. Dr. Scott Franklin is precisely the right leader for the school at this
critical juncture and I firmly believe that God has prepared him to shepherd our school to even
greater levels of service and success.
As I write this note I am looking out the window of my very modest (i.e. “third-worldly”) mobile
home in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. My view is across a valley cut by the lower
Blanco River. There are cottonwoods and alders along the river, with the north-facing slopes
across the valley from me dominated by Engelmann and Blue Spruce. Spring is on the way –
patches of snow are here and there – grasses and forbes are greening up – magpies and
mountain bluebirds are foraging about – deer and elk are never far away. This will be my
basecamp for the next stage of my career. It is unclear at this time as to whether I will remain in
the classroom for another year – that depends on finding a faculty replacement – but I am eager
to focus again more fully on teaching students about the awe-inspiring qualities of His creation
that we are called to serve, whether that be through the traditional classroom setting, or the online environment.
I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve as dean of the School of Mathematics and
Sciences at Wayland Baptist University; for the confidence and support I received from the
faculty, students, administration, and friends of the school; and for the prayers that I know many
of you offered on behalf of our school. I hope that you will all listen to and benefit from my
admonition to get out into God’s creation and come to know Him through His works. God’s
words are indeed powerful, but even more so when you see what He has done!
God Bless!
Natural Blogarithms - The Dean’s Corner
by Dr. Scott R. Franklin, Dean
“I’m coming home…to the place where I belong!”
I actually remember it vividly, the spring of 1994, when I first walked onto the Wayland campus
pondering the possibility of attending school here as an undergraduate. I remember touring the
campus and not even having a clue what I should be asking the recruiter. I had a head full of
dreams but no clear vision of where my life could be headed. I can also recall sitting in my very
first course in the Moody Science Building, where my future mentor, Dr. Phil Almes, called me
and several others to stay after class just so he could tell us he was glad to see us in his church
the previous weekend. It would be unfathomable to that younger version of me that somewhere
down the road, I would be settling into the position of dean of this very school.
From glossy-eyed freshman, to an ambitious graduate with a 10 year plan, to a rookie faculty
member without a clue, to an associate dean eager to solve any problem you could throw at me,
to a virtual campus director honing the quality of our online programs, I have traveled a long
way through this system. Wayland and her mission are part of my core and there is no place I’d
rather be. I am so excited to have the opportunity to continue serving the university in a new
way.
As I begin the transition into the leadership of the School of Mathematics and Sciences, I am
looking forward to many new adventures, but most of all a continuation of what has made this
school great: a mission to provide an academically challenging, learning-focused and
distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
For the last six years, my predecessor, Dr. Herb Grover, has led the school to some amazing
achievements. As you can see through his article in this newsletter, the program review that is
currently underway has revealed some truly exceptional accomplishments in the last few years
centered around the distinctives of our school: an integration of faith and science, hands-on
undergraduate research experiences with exceptional faculty, and regular travel opportunities
as part of the curriculum and beyond.
It is my lofty goal to bring my many perspectives of Wayland together to build even better
opportunities for our students to launch into their careers. Fortunately for me, with giants like Dr.
J. Hoyt Bowers, Dr. Vaughn Ross and Dr. Grover preceding me, the momentum of our school is
strong and pushing us to be even better. With our incredible faculty and strong student base, we
have all the pieces to make a truly world-class educational experience right here in rural west
Texas. What shape it will take over the next few years is still up in the air, but thanks to the
timing of the transition of leadership with the program review underway along with the adoption
of a new University Strategic Plan, the School of Mathematics and Sciences is situated to make
some amazing achievements and accomplish exceptional new things in the coming months and
years.
I hope you’ll take time to read through what great things are already underway by scrolling
through our newsletter. From a recent graduate to completing their doctoral degree to
exceptional showings of our current students at recent conferences, we are still forging great
success stories. And we’re not even done yet for the year. Coming soon, our Spring Research
Day on April 24 will spotlight exceptional course projects and undergraduate research projects.
Plus, we’ll soon be crowning our School Champion, an award that recognizes outstanding
achievement among our undergraduate researchers.
If all my years at Wayland has taught me anything, it’s that God’s hand is truly on this university,
the faculty here, as well as the students. He has a great plan for the lives of the people He
brings here, and thanks to the visionary leadership of those who have come before, this great
place will continue to shape the leaders of tomorrow spreading His kingdom throughout the
world.