Monthly News Archives: September 2012

HPU’s Jazz Ensemble to present fall concert

BROWNWOOD – September 28, 2012 – Howard Payne University’s Jazz Ensemble will present its fall concert October 4, at 7:30 p.m., in HPU’s Mims Auditorium. There is no charge for admission and the public is welcome to attend.

The group, led by Stephen Goacher, professor of music, will present a variety of selections from composers such as John Carisi, Paul Lohorn, Andrew Neu, Astor Piazzolla and Billy Strayhorn. In addition, the Jazz Ensemble will play a piece titled “Latin Blue,” composed by Joseph Dunlap, a 2009 HPU graduate.

Dunlap, a native of Brownwood, is influenced by jazz musicians such as Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, and classical artists such as Samuel Barber, Johannes Brahms, P.I. Tchaikovsky and Philip Glass. While at HPU, his principal teacher was Dr. Elizabeth Wallace, professor of music. He went on to complete a Master of Music in Theory and Composition at Hardin-Simmons University in May 2012. Dunlap will perform at the concert with members of the Jazz Ensemble.

HPU’s Jazz Ensemble is composed of Kevin Baker, a senior from Brownwood, guitar; Christopher Burnett, a sophomore from Early, trumpet; Johnathan Cox, a junior from Brownwood, trombone; Joshua Farquharson, a freshman from Iowa Park, soprano and alto saxophone; Jonathan Grady, a senior from Goldthwaite, alto saxophone; Jamison Greenhaw, a freshman from Brownwood, baritone saxophone; Matthew Hazelwood, a freshman from Brownwood, trombone; Juan Hernandez, a sophomore from Brownwood, tenor saxophone; Micah Huebner, a sophomore from Brazoria, tenor saxophone; Megan Irwin, a sophomore from Brownwood, trumpet; Nicholas Johnson, a sophomore from Lockhart, trombone; Jose Lopez, a May 2012 graduate from Brownwood, drums; Tyler Matthews, a senior from Peaster, trombone; Jason Murphy, a freshman from Brownwood, trombone; Kristin Musgrove, a sophomore from Brownwood, trumpet; Dustin Rollings, a sophomore from Mineral Wells, trombone; Zacchaeus Steidel-Santiago, a freshman from San Antonio, bass; and Ethan Yeats, a sophomore from Big Spring, trumpet.

For more information, contact HPU’s School of Music and Fine Arts at (325) 649-8500 or via e-mail at jholamon@hputx.edu.

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Photo cutline: HPU’s Jazz Ensemble will present its fall concert on October 4.

Howard Payne University student spends summer in Malaysia

By Jes Miera, Howard Payne University junior

BROWNWOOD – September 21, 2012 – Many Howard Payne University students spend their summers working at camps. This summer Jessi Galindo, an HPU athletic training major from Del Rio, followed in the footsteps of her peers. However, Galindo’s camp was in Malaysia.

The camps at which Galindo volunteered were offered through the Christian Sports Medicine Alliance (CSMA) through a partnership with the International Sports Federation. Galindo served as an athletic trainer and volunteered at camps in four Malaysian cities.

A goal of the camps was to teach fundamental basketball skills to students from elementary through high school. Additionally, Galindo functioned as an athletic trainer, taping ankles, helping players stretch and attending to other minor scrapes and bruises. CSMA’s other main goal with the camps was for the volunteers to build relationships and share the Gospel with students.

“We held basketball camps in the morning and in the afternoons we played pick-up games against colleges and other teams,” Galindo said. “After the games we would go out to eat with the teams and talk to them.”

Galindo spoke about one student with whom she grew close while she was there. One night at dinner she simply asked him, “What do you believe?”

He replied “When you do bad, you have to do good to make up for it. Otherwise you won’t go to heaven.”

Then it was Galindo’s turn and she began to tell him what she believed. Galindo quoted Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Then she asked him if he had ever heard of Jesus. He had not.

Reflecting back on the conversation Galindo said, “It was so peculiar to me that he was 19 and didn’t know who Jesus was. It really made me think about how many people have probably never heard about Christ. If there was no one to tell this teenager, then it was likely his parents and grandparents didn’t know about God either.”

Through her experiences this summer, Galindo was greatly encouraged because God showed her that He is the one who leads her steps. Not only was she able to encourage the students, but she was encouraged by the relationships she built with them. “He puts the right people in your life to encourage you and push you along, because He knows exactly what you need,” she said.

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Photo cutline: Jessi Galindo volunteered at summer camps in Malaysia. She is shown with one of the camp participants.

HPU to host organ dedication ceremony

BROWNWOOD – September 20, 2012 – Dr. Yoon-Mi Lim will be the featured performer at a special organ dedication ceremony at Howard Payne University on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Mims Auditorium and a reception will immediately follow. Admission is free and the public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Dr. Lim is associate professor of organ and holds the Albert L. Travis Chair of Organ in the School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where she teaches courses in organ literature, organ pedagogy, service playing and applied organ. She also maintains an active schedule as a concert organist performing throughout the United States and overseas.

Originally from South Korea, Dr. Lim received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Yonsei University in Seoul and her Doctor of Music in organ performance and literature from Indiana University in Bloomington. She has been an active church musician from an early age as a singer in youth choirs, organist, pianist and director of both choral and handbell choirs. Dr. Lim has served churches and led their music programs in diverse capacities.

The organ, originally installed in the El Paso Symphony Hall approximately 30 years ago, was secured for HPU in 2003 by Dr. and Mrs. Burton Patterson of Colleyville. The organ has been completely refurbished through the Pattersons’ continued generosity.

Having served as a church organist for many years, Dr. Patterson has a great love for organ music and promotes the use of the organ, particularly in the worship of God. The Pattersons have been privileged to place organs, both pipe and electronic, in a number of colleges in the hope that the “King of Instruments” will lead students to learn to play the organ.

For more information about the ceremony, contact HPU’s School of Music and Fine Arts at (325) 649-8500 or via e-mail at jholamon@hputx.edu

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Photo cutline: Dr. Yoon-Mi Lim will perform at a special organ dedication ceremony at Howard Payne University.

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas meeting on HPU’s campus postponed

UPDATE: The presentation has been rescheduled for November 29. More details will be released at a later date.

BROWNWOOD – September 14, 2012 – A presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, originally scheduled to be hosted on Howard Payne University’s campus on September 25, has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

The presentation will be re-scheduled at a later date. More details will be announced as available.

HPU lauded by national publication for providing quality education and great value

BROWNWOOD – September 13, 2012 – Howard Payne University was again named one of the “Best Regional Colleges of the West” in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges by U.S.News & World Report released Wednesday. HPU was also named to the “Great Schools at Great Prices” list, in which the publication determines the value of education received by comparing the quality of the programs offered to the cost of attendance.

In the “Best Regional Colleges of the West” category, HPU maintained its 2012 ranking, tying for 13 out of 35 ranked institutions. The university ranked eighth among “Regional Colleges of the West” in the “Great Schools at Great Prices” category.

“HPU continues to add new academic programs, extracurricular activities and other opportunities for students, all of which contribute to the high-quality education we provide at the university,” said Dr. Bill Ellis, president. “HPU’s faculty, staff and administrators are dedicated to offering these opportunities at an incredible value to our students.”

To determine a school’s ranking on the “Best Colleges” list, U.S.News & World Report measures a number of objectives including peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. Schools are ranked within four geographic regions: North, South, Midwest and West.

The “Great Schools at Great Prices” rankings are determined through a formula that relates the school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2013 “Best Colleges” ranking, to the 2011-12 academic year net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid.

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas to host discussion at HPU

BROWNWOOD – September 10, 2012 – The public is invited to attend a special presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas on Howard Payne University’s campus September 25. The presentation, “Dialogue with the Dallas Fed,” will be held in the Bullion Suites of the Mabee University Center from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Highlighting the program will be Thomas F. Siems, senior economist and director of economic outreach in the Financial Institution Relationship Management Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. In this capacity, he partners with economists in the Fed to gather information on emerging trends and policy issues of interest to financial institutions in Texas, northern Louisiana and southern New Mexico. He also oversees economic outreach that provides additional opportunities to listen to and learn from the region’s constituents. Siems also teaches operations research and management sciences courses for Southern Methodist University. He has published more than 50 articles in various academic journals, books and Federal Reserve publications. Siems earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan and master’s and doctoral degrees in operations research from SMU. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Public Finance Institute, the University of Colorado’s Graduate School of Banking and SMU’s Graduate Marketing Certificate program.

Also speaking will be Stephen M. Clayton, economic education specialist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He is responsible for researching and developing technology-driven resources to enhance understanding of economics and personal finance. His particular focus is the secondary classroom. Clayton has a bachelor’s degree from Austin College with a focus on economics, philosophy and mathematics and has done post-graduate work in economics at the University of North Texas.

“We hope the public will seize this unique opportunity to engage in dialogue with the distinguished guests from our regional Federal Reserve Bank,” said Dr. Les Plagens, dean of HPU’s School of Business. “This should be of importance not only to students, but to anyone with an interest in economics.”

The event is free of charge. For more information or to reserve a seat, contact Mary Hill, administrative assistant for HPU’s School of Business, at (325) 649-8704 or via e-mail at mhill@hputx.edu.

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HPU alumna killed in Jordan

Cheryll Harvey, a 1979 Howard Payne University graduate and missionary to Jordan, was killed on September 4, 2012, during an apparent robbery attempt on her home.

“HPU was extremely saddened to learn of her death,” said Dr. Bill Ellis, HPU president. “We at the university take comfort in knowing that she lived her life for our Lord. We are also proud of the example that we have in Cheryll of a woman who dedicated herself to service in the Kingdom of God.”

The following excerpt is reprinted with permission from the Baptist Standard. The complete article, dated September 7, 2012, is available on the Baptist Standard website.

Harvey, a Texan, worked in Jordan 24 years, teaching English and other subjects in connection with the Jordan Baptist Society.

Ten years ago she founded the ESL language center where she taught in Irbid, Jordan’s second-largest city and home to several universities. The center, which averages between 300 and 400 college students each semester, is so popular that a lottery system is used to determine which students can apply for entrance.

Previously, Harvey taught primary school-age children at the Ajloun (Jordan) Baptist School.

Teaching wasn’t just a job for Harvey; it was a passion, according to people who knew her well. Co-workers had to pressure her to take a vacation once in a while.

“God has given me the ability to teach,” she once said — and she used that ability to the fullest. But it wasn’t an end in itself. For her, teaching was a way to express the love of Christ to generations of Jordanian students.

“It’s obvious that they love her because they feel her love for them,” a friend observed.

Despite her relentless work schedule, Harvey made time to connect with her students as a friend and mentor.

“What was so amazing to me about Cheryll was that she could be the director of the center and teach full time and make numerous visits every week [to her students’ homes],” said a colleague. “In my whole life I’ve never known anybody who could pack one day with as much as Cheryll constantly did.”

She spent many hours of her own time tutoring Jordanian high school students to pass the high-stakes, comprehensive exams that determine who graduates, who gets into college and what they will study.

She helped one student struggle through nursing school, even studying medical terms and textbooks to tutor him more effectively. He respected Harvey so deeply that he asked her to visit the family of his prospective bride to help him decide if she would be a suitable wife.

“She had such a gentle and mild spirit,” said a friend. “She was a person that people could come to.”

It was the same with her younger students at the Baptist school in Ajloun.

“Cheryll was known throughout the village,” recalled a co-worker. “She visited in the homes of all of her students. She even showed up at students’ homes when they weren’t expecting her. … Cheryll was all about the people. She spent a large portion of every year visiting her students, making sure that she went into the home of every single student.”

A colleague asked Southern Baptists to pray for the many people touched by Harvey’s life.

“Cheryll was a gentle person who loved Jesus,” he said. “She showed that love to Jordanians, first to the many children she taught in Ajloun and their families and then to those in Irbid as she taught English. … She connected with her people at the heart level. We pray that her witness continues to bear much fruit. … Cheryll’s life has crossed the finish line. She was faithful through the end of this life and to the beginning of her real life.”

IMB President Tom Elliff also appealed for prayer.

“We pray for her immediate family members in Texas, and for her family members and friends around the world, but especially in Jordan,” Elliff said. “The impact of Cheryll’s life will live on for eternity. For Cheryll’s assailant and his family, we pray God’s mercy and grace to invade the dark corners of his heart. For us, Cheryll’s death brings us face to face with the urgent importance of our work. With every word, thought and action we must glorify the one who purchased our salvation.”

Harvey was a member of College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview and grew up attending First Baptist Church in Sudan, in northwest Texas.

She had been back to speak at First Baptist Church in Sudan on several occasions during furloughs.

“She was a wonderful lady,” Pastor Robert Roecker said. “She was very soft spoken. When you hear the words ‘meek and mild,’ they applied to her, but she had a such an obviously strong faith in God, it was amazing.”

“She was very well liked in by the people in our church, and we’re all just in shock,” he said.

Pastor Don Robertson of College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview said Harvey made reference to the danger she lived in during her last message to the Plainview church where she once served as a children’s worker.

“She knew she was putting her life on the line, but she also knew she was doing what God wanted her to, so she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to let anyone scare her away from those people she loved so dearly,” he said.

While acknowledging Harvey’s mild temperament, Robertson said she had a steel to her when she was convinced she was doing the right thing.

“Anything she set her mind to do, you better get not get in her way because she was going to do it.”

Robertson added he is praying that the fruits of Harvey’s ministry will continue to unfold.

“If she could have chosen where she died, I believe it would have been there with those people she loved. I’m praying that somehow something will happen over there even through her death, and that something good can come from this,” he said.

“She was a wonderful lady. She deserves all the plaudits that can come her way.”

Harvey earned the bachelor of science degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, the master of arts degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and the master of education degree from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview. She taught in several Texas schools before going to Jordan.

Harvey is survived by two brothers who reside in Texas. Funeral arrangements are incomplete pending the ongoing police investigation of her death.

HPU alumnus Randy Johnson to retire from youth ministry after 38 years

BROWNWOOD – Sept. 6, 2012 – Randy Johnson, youth minister at First Baptist Church of Richardson, does not attribute his longevity with the church to his skills as a minister. In fact, Johnson, who will retire in January after 28 years at FBC Richardson and 38 total years as a youth minister, says just the opposite.

“My long tenure in the ministry is what made me good at my job,” he said.

This summer, Johnson gathered 225 youth and staff from FBC Richardson, FBC Killeen and NorthHaven Church from Norman, Okla., for the last summer camp of his career. The camp was the 15th held at his alma mater, Howard Payne University.

“I love having camps on a Baptist campus and being able to expose kids to HPU,” he said. “And HPU has a great staff that takes care of us.”

Johnson, a 1971 graduate, serves on HPU’s President Development Council (PDC) and the Youth Ministry Graduate Program Advisory Council. He was also one of five youth ministry professionals and HPU alumni to begin the process of bringing the Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry program to HPU in the late 1980s. Johnson, along with Chuck Gartman, Chris Liebrum, the late Wayne McAfee and Jerome Smith, spoke to then-president Dr. Don Newbury about beginning an undergraduate program in youth ministry at HPU.

“We hoped it would boost our school,” Johnson said. “At the time, there were very few training opportunities for youth ministers at the university level.”

In 1990, Dr. Newbury hired Dr. Gary Gramling, professor of Christian studies, to design and start a youth ministry degree. HPU began offering the degree in 1991 and a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry in 2006. Gramling serves as the director of the graduate program.

“I actually got my job because of Randy and the others,” Gramling said. “I have enjoyed the continuing blessing of Randy’s friendship and support ever since coming to teach here. I have been able to point many students to him as one who ministers effectively and who genuinely lives his faith.”

According to Gramling, Johnson is one of the best-known and -loved youth ministers to be found anywhere in the state.

“Many youth ministers started out as interns for Randy, and he has a love for investing in young ministers as they get started,” Gramling said.

Johnson also speaks about the investment he makes in the youth. He refers to a quote from author and theologian Elton Trueblood who wrote, “Man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.”

Said Johnson, “Youth ministry is the business of investing in people. I’ve been lucky to see the result of my investment as well as the investment of others.”

He began his career at Monterey Baptist Church in Lubbock in 1975 after earning a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

“I thought God was calling me to be a pastor,” he said. “But I was unmarried at the time and no church was looking to hire a single pastor. I accepted a job as a youth minister, planning to stay for three years. I stayed for five. Obviously my interpretation of God’s call changed.”

He then served for five years at First Baptist Church Bryan. Johnson noted that the average tenure for a youth minister at a church was about 18 months in those days.

“I then went to FBC Richardson where I noticed they had several staff members who were long-tenured,” he said. “I’ve served with three different pastors in the time I’ve been here. I’m very fortunate to have stayed for so long.”

Johnson has worked to keep his ministry fresh and creative and shares ownership of his youth ministry with three groups – students, parents and volunteers.
“And I’ve taken care of myself spiritually,” he added. “People ask me, ‘How old is too old to do youth ministry?’ I don’t know the answer. But I know you can do it until you’re at least 62.”

Johnson is unsure of his plans after his retirement, but he hopes to stay involved with youth ministry in some way. FBC Richardson plans to name him as the church’s first youth minister emeritus.

In his 38-year career, Johnson estimates that he’s worked with approximately 6,000 students through his ministry.

“The most exciting thing is seeing the way people’s lives change and it’s gratifying to see them grow spiritually and become involved in a local church,” he said. “How can you beat that?”

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Photo cutline: Randy Johnson brought about 225 students and staff to summer camp at his alma mater, Howard Payne University.

Randy Johnson laughs with Ryan Reynolds, student at Wylie High School, while on HPU’s campus for summer camp.

HPU’s Millard Kimery completes doctorate in English

BROWNWOOD — Sept. 5, 2012 — Millard Kimery, associate professor of English at Howard Payne University, recently completed his doctorate in English. His dissertation is titled Imagining Membership and Its Obligations: The Voice of John Ruskin in Wendell Berry’s Fiction.

Dr. Kimery is shown with his daughter Elin (left) and wife, Cindy. Not pictured is daughter Jesse.

HPU named “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education

BROWNWOOD – September 4, 2012 – Howard Payne University was recently honored as a “2012 Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. This year, a record 47,000 employees from universities across the nation participated in The Chronicle’s survey. Of the 294 colleges represented, 103 were named as great places to work, being recognized for specific best practices and policies. HPU was honored in the areas of Work/Life Balance and Supervisor or Department-Chair Relationship.

“HPU is a close-knit campus community, not only with students but also among faculty, staff and administrators,” said Dr. Bill Ellis, university president. “Employees have long felt that HPU is a great place to work, and we are thrilled that The Chronicle has made it official. I am proud, but not the least surprised, that HPU is receiving this recognition.”

Faculty and staff members at institutions across the nation evaluated their colleges in 12 categories, such as job satisfaction, teaching environment and benefits.

To be recognized in the category of Supervisor or Department-Chair Relationship, surveyed employees agreed that supervisors or chairs make expectations clear and solicit ideas. Employees also agreed with statements like “I believe what I am told by my supervisor/department chair.”

In the area of Work/Life Balance, survey participants agreed that college policies give employees the flexibility to manage their lives on the job and at home. Employees agreed with statements such as “My supervisor/department chair supports my efforts to balance my work and personal life.”

The Chronicle is the nation’s most important source of news about colleges and universities.

“The institutions that the ‘Great Colleges’ program recognize provide innovative educational experiences – while also offering their employees outstanding workplace experiences – and we are eager to help readers learn more about them,” said Liz McMillen, The Chronicle’s editor.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle worked with ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous “Best Places to Work” programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide.

“Great Colleges to Work For” is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all the results of the survey, visit The Chronicle’s website at http://chronicle.com/section/Academic-Workplace/617/

In their own words

So, what makes HPU such a great place to work? Here’s what some of the employees had to say:

“I enjoy working at HPU because I know that my efforts daily impact the future of tomorrow. I may not have direct contact with students, but I love knowing that each report I pull or process that I write gets them closer to their ultimate goal and helps the faculty and staff assist them more efficiently.” – Randy Ginther, database coordinator

“I love to work at Howard Payne University because I am allowed to express my love for the Lord through my job.” – PJ Gramling, director of admissions

“I was not at all surprised to learn that HPU was named by The Chronicle as a great place to work. At the heart of every organization is its people and we quite simply have an outstanding group of people at Howard Payne. You can look at every area of campus – the faculty, the staff, the administration and the student body – and you will find fantastic, hard-working folks who love the Lord and who love Howard Payne University. This is why I love working at HPU.” – Dr. Michael Rosato, dean of the School of Education