Editor’s note: Welcome to On Campus: A roundup of what’s new and notable across Tarrant County’s colleges and universities.
Bernard Rousseau steps in as dean of Texas Christian University’s Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences on June 30.
Rousseau previously held roles at Vanderbilt University, the University of Pittsburgh and Saint Louis University — all schools with the coveted Carnegie R1 status that signals the highest level research activity.
His appointment comes as TCU pursues its own R1 status, which signifies a university has at least $50 million in total research spending and awards a minimum of 70 research doctorates annually.
Rousseau will lead the next phase of growth for the college and will support research and educational excellence, according to a news release.
“My vision for Harris College is to be a national leader in health sciences education and student success and retention,” Rousseau said in the release.
He follows Christopher Watts, who served in the role for nearly seven years. Watts died of cancer in January.
TCU gifted $10 million for research
TCU received $10 million from The Roach Foundation of Fort Worth for research, officials announced Monday.
The funds will support interdisciplinary collaboration in subjects such as engineering and applied technology, according to a news release.
“By connecting the strength of our research agenda with talented Horned Frogs, we’re creating new pathways for discovery, innovation and real-world impact,” Chancellor Daniel Pullin said in the release.
The gift is the latest from the Roach family, whose philanthropy endowed faculty positions, academic programs, scholarships, campus spaces and athletics facilities. TCU’s honors college is named for former trustee and board chair John V. Roach, a graduate of the university who became CEO at Tandy Corp. in 1981, soon after which he hired then-young coders Bill Gates and Paul Allen to design software for one of the first personal computers.
“Our family’s giving has always been centered on creating opportunities that benefit all Horned Frogs across campus,” said Amy Roach Bailey, a TCU trustee and alumna. “This investment reflects our belief in TCU’s strategic vision and in the students and faculty who will shape the future through research, innovation and discovery.”
ICYMI: These new FWISD managers have ties to higher ed
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Tuesday appointed a new superintendent and nine managers to lead Fort Worth ISD after the state took control of the district.
The takeover came after a Fort Worth campus received five consecutive failing grades. Several members of the appointed board of managers have ties to higher education:
Bobby Ahdieh is the chief operating officer of Texas A&M Fort Worth and the dean of A&M’s law school. He became law school dean in 2018 after teaching for 18 years at the Emory University School of Law. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School.
Luis A. Galindo is a business, construction and real estate attorney. He also teaches business law at Texas Wesleyan University and supervises the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at Texas A&M’s law school. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas School of Law.
Pete Geren is president and CEO of the nonprofit Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which has provided various education- or research-related grants to universities. He previously served as secretary of the Army and as a U.S. representative. He earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Texas.
Laurie George is a former teacher and current teaching fellow in the educational psychology department at the University of North Texas, where she is a doctoral student.
Tennesse Walker is a personal injury attorney and board chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Tarrant County. He is an adjunct professor at the Texas A&M University School of Law, and a graduate of Texas A&M University and Baylor Law School.
Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation is a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. Laurie George is a member of the Report’s reader advisory council. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Science Center. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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