Texas Tidbits

Baylor School of Social work fills endowed posts. Dennis Myers has been named the Dorothy Barfield Kronzer Professor in Family Studies and Jon Singletary has been named the Diana R. Garland Chair in Children and Family Studies within the Baylor University School of Social Work. The two inaugural endowed positions in the social work school were established last August and become effective June 1. Myers, associate dean for graduate studies, will transition from that position to accept the responsibilities of the family studies professorship. Singletary is an associate professor and has been the director of the Center for Family & Community Ministries since 2005. Jim and Dorothy Kronzer of Houston provided an undesignated gift in 1985 to establish a Baylor endowment fund. Their children chose to designate the gift to the School of Social Work. An anonymous donor gave the lead gift for the Garland chair in 2005. Babs Baugh of San Antonio completed funding through a gift to the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation.

Baylor program gains national approval. Baylor University’s school psychology program has received national approval from the National Association of School Psychologists, one of the specialized professional associations of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education that conducts national program reviews. Recognition by the national organization serves as an important indicator of quality graduate education in school psychology, comprehensive content, and extensive and properly supervised field experiences and internships, as judged by trained national reviewers, according to Eric Robinson, interim chair of the department of educational psychology in Baylor’s School of Education and director of the school psychology graduate program.

BCFS Healthy Start Laredo program receives grant. Baptist Child & Family Services received $231,395 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to bolster the organization’s Healthy Start Laredo program, which provides critical medical care to families living in colonias. The funding will allow the program to serve 100 additional families in need, continue its pilot mental health project, and hire four new staff. Since its launch in 2001, Health Start Laredo has increased significantly the number of pregnant women in the Laredo area who receive prenatal care and the number of children receiving pediatric services.

Wayland receives foundation grant. Wayland Baptist University has received a $250,000 grant from the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Foundation in Midland for missions work. Wayland will use the gift to establish an endowment in the foundation’s name, the annual interest from which will assist students make foreign mission trips through the Wayland Mission Center. The foundation donated $150,000 up front, with the additional $100,000 to be given in 2011.

DBU benefits from $1.75 million gift. Dallas Baptist University has received a bequest of $1.75 million from the estate of Erma Barnett. Mrs. Barnett served three terms on the DBU board of trustees. She was a member of the DBU Legacy Society and a lifetime member of the Women’s Auxiliary Board, from which she received the Ruth Award in 1997.