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 20102011, 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 lead 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 on-line 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!