Around the State: Hendrick gift helps endow nursing scholarship at HPU

Howard Payne University’s new Brown County Endowed Nursing Scholarship recently received full funding, thanks to a $12,500 lead gift from Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood and additional support from other donors and community partners. The endowment fund was established to help deserving nursing students from Brown County attend HPU. “The Brown County Endowed Nursing Scholarship is poised to provide major assistance to future nurses from our area,” said Dale Meinecke, vice president for development at HPU. “On behalf of Howard Payne University, I express heartfelt gratitude to our friends at Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood for giving this fundraising effort such momentum. Likewise, I offer our appreciation to so many others whose additional contributions helped us reach our goal.” To be eligible for the scholarships, students must be from Brown County, admitted into HPU’s School of Nursing and maintain a 3.25 grade point average. Once a student has received the scholarship, he or she will continue to receive the scholarship for the remainder of his or her undergraduate career at HPU, provided the criteria continue to be met.

“Unlikely” is the theme of the Global Faith Forum, sponsored by Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, March 6-7 at Northwood Church in Keller. Co-hosts are Bob Roberts, co-founder of Multi-Faith Neighbors Network and senior global pastor of Northwood Church, and Mohamed Magid, executive imam of All Dulles Area Muslim Society, chairman of International Interfaith Peace Corps and former president of the Islamic Society of North America. Featured speakers include David M. Beasley, executive director of U.N. World Food Programme and winner of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize; Mohammad Al-Issa, secretary-general of Muslim World League; Rashad Hussain, newly appointed U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, and his two predecessors, Sam Brownback and David Saperstein; and Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The event is free but advance registration is required. To register, click here.

Dallas Baptist University’s Institute for Global Engagement will host “An Evening With Ken Starr” at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the Hillcrest Great Hall of the Mahler Student Center. Starr will discuss his latest book, Religious Liberty in Crisis. Cost is $20 for individual tickets or $10 each for groups of 10 or more. To order tickets, click here.

Houston Baptist University appointed Brenda Rios Brombacher as director of its McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. For the past five years, Brombacher was the director of entrepreneurial initiatives and community relations at Houston Community College. She also has teaching experience at the University of Houston-Downtown, worked five years for the U.S. Department of State, and has more than two years of experience in a start-up company. Brombacher has a bachelor’s degree in international business from UH-Downtown, a master’s degree in diplomacy from Norwich University, and is near completion of a doctorate of business administration in entrepreneurship from Walden University.