Education
BY MARK FADDEN
TWU lands $30M donation for new business college building
UNT HSC at Fort Worth launches new graduate school
BuzzBallz founder and CEO Merrilee Kick, a Texas Woman’s University alumna, donated a record-breaking $30 million to TWU’s College of Business. The details According to an Aug. 8 TWU news release, Kick, a teacher-turned-entrepreneur, made the donation to help support the following initiatives: • An institute focused on innovation and entrepreneurship • An endowed chair • An entrepreneur-in-residence program • Construction of a new business college building What they’re saying “This gift a ords us an opportunity to shine a huge light on the innovation and business acumen women bring to the table in our globally competi- tive economy,” Chancellor Carine Feyten said.
“The Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship will undoubtedly add greater value and visibility, signi cantly amplifying our mission and impact on the future of business education,” said Rama Yelkur, dean of the business college. The backstory The news release states Kick is a former teacher at Plano West Senior High School. She earned her MBA from Texas Woman’s University in 2009, and her master’s degree thesis was the basis for the business plan that led to the creation of BuzzBallz/ Southern Champion—the company behind the read-to-drink cocktail brand. “My MBA from TWU enabled me to write a solid business plan for what became BuzzBallz, a bil- lion-dollar company,” Kick said. “I have had some good teachers—and parents—who really cared about me and my success, and I am committed to make that happen for others.”
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth o cials announced Aug. 29 they are launching a new graduate school to enhance education. The details According to a news release, the new graduate school will be led by Dr. Tom Cunningham, interim vice provost, and serve as the central hub of support for master’s, doctoral and dual degrees. The news release states the school will focus on aligning graduate education with HSC’s research enterprise, ensuring a seamless student experi- ence and coordinating administrative services across various programs. In other news To clarify the distinction between HSC’s six col- leges, which o er degrees, and schools that o er support, three schools were renamed on Sept. 1.
The Health Science Center is part of the University of North Texas higher education system and was founded in 1966.
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HSC
will help us ... by facilitating collaboration among existing programs and standardizing certain aspects of research-heavy degree programs so we can serve our students better.”
Quote of note “Our continued growth is creating opportunities for new degree programs and interdisciplinary training,” Cunningham said. “The graduate school
From left are TWU Business College Dean Rama Yelkur, BuzzBallz founder and CEO Merrilee Kick, and TWU Chancellor Carine Feyten.
COURTESY TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY
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