From April Fool’s and tulips to natural gas and climate change, TCU and its faculty, alumni and students are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
AACSB Recognizes 32 Schools Extending Business and Accounting Accreditation
April 4, 2024
AACSB International announced today that 26 institutions have extended their business
accreditation and six have extended their accounting accreditation. TCU extended both its business accreditation and accounting accreditation. Achieving
this milestone ensures greater access to high-quality business education for learners
around the world and businesses seeking top talent. “AACSB congratulates each institution
on achieving AACSB accreditation,” said Stephanie Bryant, executive vice president
and global chief accreditation officer at AACSB. “The commitment to earning accreditation
is a true reflection of each school’s dedication—not only to its students, alumni
network and greater business community—but to society as a whole.”
TCU says safety improvements are coming to this busy thoroughfare through campus
April 3, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU announced its plans to work with the city to update the traffic signal and improve
the crosswalks between West Berry Street and West Cantey Street. Currently there are
four crosswalks pedestrians can use to traverse South University Drive. Only one of
them is protected by a traffic signal. The other three have signs indicating cars
should stop for pedestrians, but vehicles regularly speed through, leaving students
and others to either wait or try their luck dodging traffic. “While we may experience
some inconveniences along the way, the final result of this much-needed project will
improve safety for both vehicles and pedestrians through campus and also provide additional
beautification,” said facilities project manager Morgan McGlothlin in the university blog post.
Best private colleges in Texas
April 2, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Almost all of the oldest universities in the United States are private colleges. Harvard
and St. John’s College, for example, were founded before the 18th century and boast
alumni and founders, respectively, who signed the Declaration of Independence. Stacker
compiled a list of the best private colleges in Texas, using data from Niche released
in 2024. Niche ranks schools based on a variety of factors, including academics, value
for money, professors, campus and diversity. No. 4 on the list is TCU, with an acceptance rate of 54%, net price of $42,574 and SAT range of 1130-1350.
TCU's Niche grade is an A.
Act of kindness blooms into 36-year legacy of beauty at Texas Christian University
April 2, 2024
The Dallas Express
The hundreds of tulips that dot TCU’s campus are not a natural phenomenon but the result of a single person’s desire to
beautify the school. Mary Beasley, a former member of the school’s board of trustees, is the reason tulips saturate
the campus each spring. She is responsible for creating the $800,000 Mary Evans Beasley
Endowment Fund for Campus Beautification. Thanks to the $800,000 in support, TCU has
the necessary funding to maintain its tulip program for 36 years. While Beasley died
in 2005 at the age of 102, her legacy will live on for decades.
Fort Worth Symphony unveils summer concert series
April 2, 2024
Fort Worth Business Press
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will present a special series of concerts this summer
as the symphony pauses its Concerts in the Garden while the Fort Worth Botanic Garden
constructs an outdoor amphitheater as part of its master plan. The Mercedes T. Bass
Sounds of the Summer Series, offered in collaboration with local businesses and arts
organizations, will feature intimate live performances, new partnerships and community
engagements. Other concerts in the series will include the 2024 Piano Texas International
Festival at TCU this June at Van Cliburn Concert Hall.
The Most Breaking News Ever: TCU To Change Name From Horned Frogs?
April 1, 2024
Fort Worth Magazine
Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. took to social media today to make a major announcement concerning the school’s next
150 years. Goodbye, Horned Frogs. Hello, Squirrels. “Starting today, I’m excited to
announce that we are transitioning from the TCU Horned Frogs to an animal seen daily
and abundantly across our beautiful campus, the TCU Squirrels,” Boschini says on a
video posted to X. That video has more than 1.2 million views — and counting — according
to a TCU spokesperson.
Texas Christian University changes mascot — Another April Fool’s joke?
April 1, 2024
KDAF-TV (Dallas, TX)
TCU posted on its Instagram a huge announcement that sent shockwaves through the campus
community. The once-beloved Horned Frog mascot will now be… A Squirrel? TCU posted
a cheeky announcement about the “change” in mascots after over 150 years. However,
after watching the video for a while you realize this is nothing more than another
April Fools’ joke!
Did you get fooled? Businesses did not hold back this year on April Fools’ pranks
March 31, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)
Happy April Fools’ Day! Businesses, brands, corporations and even government organizations
are pranking people on social media. Did any of them fool you? In a serious-sounding
video, with a sad music track, Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. shared that TCU would be abandoning its beloved Horned Frog mascot and instead become
the Squirrels. At the end of the video, they revealed it was a joke.
Power of the flower: The story behind TCU’s tulips
March 30, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)
Have you seen the hundreds of tulips that cover the campus every spring? This is only
possible because of one girl’s wish to beautify the campus. Mary Beasley, a former member of the Board of Trustees, was passionate about the beautification
of TCU’s campus. Instead of donating funds to the general upkeep of the university,
Beasley created the Mary Evans Beasley Endowment Fund for Campus Beautification. Around
$50,000 of the fund each year goes specifically to the tulips. According to Erik Trevino, director of Landscaping and Grounds at TCU, flowers only last one season so his
team has to change out the flower beds multiple times a year. “It costs a lot of money
to do that,” said Trevino. “So, it was her investment years ago that keeps our campus
beautiful.”
FACULTY
Filmmaker to screen dance film at Hazleton about family’s Holocaust survival
April 10, 2024
www.psu.edu
Filmmaker and TCU dance professor Suki John will visit Penn State Hazleton on April 18 to present her film detailing the experiences
of her family before, during and after the Holocaust. A narrative dance film developed
by John over the course of 30 years, “Sh’ma: A Story of Survival,” is based primarily
on the life of John’s mother. It follows her from a young age to her deportation to
a concentration camp, her time as a refugee and her eventual life as a U.S. citizen. John
created the film as part of “The Sh’ma Project: Move Against Hate,” an initiative
aimed at educating audiences about the Holocaust.
Fiesta Bowl Taps Burnett School of TCU Associate Dean as Board Chair
April 10, 2024
Fort Worth Magazine
Judy Bernas, senior associate dean and chief communication and strategy officer for the Anne
Burnett Marion School of Medicine, has been appointed chair of the Fiesta Bowl, a
two-year term beginning in the 2024-2025 season. “This is such an exciting time for
the Fiesta Bowl Organization and we truly have the best board, staff and volunteers
in all of college sports. I’m eager to support our returning and incredibly impressive
new board members and work closely with our Yellow Jacket Committee, ambassadors and
volunteers,” Bernas said.
How will the Baltimore bridge collapse impact the supply chain?
April 5, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)
On Friday, President Joe Biden is traveling to Baltimore to visit the site of the
deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, which left six presumed dead and is expected
to have a major impact on the port’s economy. TCU’s Center for Supply Chain Innovation
has been keeping a close eye on the situation. The port is also the top domestic port
for autos because it’s the closest port to the Midwest auto industry so having that
out of commission could mean some degree of disruption with cars. “A lot of auto dealerships
now have pretty good inventories again. So [this is] probably going to be some smaller
companies that feel it the most. Companies that couldn’t afford to have a lot of extra
inventory or couldn't afford to reroute their goods to other ports, which is going
to take more time and money to do that,” said Tyson Browning, an operations management professor.
Texas sues over pause of new natural gas exports
April 4, 2024
KTBC-TV (Austin, TX)
Sixteen states, including Texas, have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s
decision to pause new exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The lawsuit argues
that the ruling requiring the U.S. to study how LNG exports affect climate change
and national security is illegal. Tom Seng of the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute said, “The Federal Regulatory Commission has to
go through the process of approving the actual export facilities. That includes an
environmental impact statement, so the Biden administration is sort of changing the
rules in the middle of the game, to say be evaluated based on impact on climate change
and national security. That’s not what the situation has been up until now.”
TCU panelists explore what makes climate change a heated topic
March 30, 2024
Fort Worth Report
As the chair of the environmental and sustainability sciences department, Michael Slattery is often asked whether he believes in global warming. Depending on his answer, Slattery
said he expects to be put into one of two pigeon holes that he cannot crawl out of.
“I either say, ‘Yes, of course, I believe in global warming,’ — then I must be a Hillary
voter and an Al Gore lover and off I go. Or if I say, ‘No, I don’t believe in global
warming,’ then I must be on the other side of the fence,” Slattery said. Slattery
was one of three panelists who tackled the complex challenges and politics related
to discussions of climate change during an event hosted by the journalism department
and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
STUDENTS
Is immigration the ‘No. 1’ issue in DFW? We asked North Texans what they care about
April 11, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Immigration and border security are top issues for many North Texas candidates, but
when you look at what residents care about most, other issues are often front of mind.
Residents interviewed by the Star-Telegram pointed to policies and concerns related to the economy, taxes, health care, education
and affordable housing when asked about their concerns. For Brody Grasher, a TCU sophomore, the economy — particularly lowering taxes and keeping a free market
— and the Texas-Mexico border are top priorities. “Those two probably affect me the
most,” Grasher said.
Grants help TCU med school student expand barbershop talk therapy project
April 10, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)
A medical student in Fort Worth who wanted to do something good to support Black men
is seeing his efforts pay off. Antonio Igbokidi, a fourth-year medical student at Burnett School of Medicine, started the Barbershop
Talk Therapy Project back in 2021. Igbokidi had a big Barbershop Talk Therapy event
in New Orleans last month alongside the 60th Student National Medical Association
Conference. SNMA is the oldest Black medical student organization in America, and
Igbokidi served as president this past year. He partnered with 100 Black Men in America
to pack Dennis Barbershop in New Orleans with residents and Black medical students
from all over America for a discussion on mental health.
ALUMNI
Meet April’s Fort Worthian Evan Michael Woods
April 10, 2024
Fort Worth Magazine
Evan Michael Woods ’19 is a theatrical renaissance man. Whether he’s writing, photographing or starring in a show, he consistently proves his ability to thrive in any role, onstage
or off. When Woods stumbled into his first theater class at his small-town Mississippi
middle school, he immediately fell in love with the art form’s amalgamation of creative
disciplines. He later set his sights on attending a premier college theatre program,
and despite navigating the audition process without a coach or mentor, earned a full
ride to study acting at TCU.
Fort Worth Cowgirl Captures Beautiful Progression Of Eclipse
April 8, 2024
COWGIRL Magazine
Fort Worth cowgirl Conner West ’18 captured a beautiful series of photos of the solar eclipse phenomenon as she was
in the path of totality. West said, “I have been riding since I was 6 years old and
started competing with Arabians 19 years ago. I was on the TCU Equestrian team from
2014-2018 and have continued competing as an alum after! ... My passion for photography
started back when I was in high school. It has definitely been focused mainly around
my love for horses but I always like to take the opportunity to try something new
when it comes along. What better time to do that than the eclipse?!”
Maple Branch tapped as brewery of the year
April 2, 2024
Fort Worth Report
If there’s a favorite among the 20-plus beers on tap at Maple Branch Craft, it’s probably
Raspberry Fields. But co-owner and brewer Stuart Maples ’15 has a hard time deciding. He likes them all. So, apparently, do other brewers. In
February, Maple Branch took home the Texas Brewery of the Year honors from the Texas
Craft Brewers Guild for brewers making 600 barrels or fewer at this year’s Texas Craft
Brewery Cup in Austin. Maples has loved brewing beer since his days at TCU’s Neeley
School of Business, where the finance major began experimenting with the beer-making
process. After graduation, Maples and his wife, marketing major Allyssa Maples, began
making plans to open a brewery, saving money and thinking about how they would set
up the business.
ATHLETICS
Chase Elliott wins AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race at Texas Motor Speedway
April 14, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Chase Elliott wins the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway
on Sunday. It was Elliott’s first win this season and his first in his last 42 races.
Elliott, a Chevrolet driver, was sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings coming into
the race. TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes got the day started as the race’s grand marshal alongside his family.
Jamie Dixon signs contract extension with TCU
April 4, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jamie Dixon and TCU have finalized a contract extension that will keep Dixon leading the men’s
basketball program for the foreseeable future. After leading the Horned Frogs to a
third straight NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, Dixon had spoken
at length throughout this season about what he wanted to build in Fort Worth. Since
Dixon took over the program in 2016, the Horned Frogs have experienced their best
stretch of basketball in program history with four tournament appearances and a NIT
championship in Dixon’s first season. “It was my dream for TCU to be respected nationally
and for people to see TCU on TV,” Dixon said during the regular season. “I love to
see them talk about TCU basketball.”