Austin College

Austin College | Sherman Texas | March 17, 2018

Austin College will celebrate the inauguration of its 16th president, Steven P. O’Day, with an investiture and installation ceremony Friday, March 23, at 5 p.m.in Wynne Chapel. Members of the campus and surrounding communities are welcome to attend the ceremony and several accompanying events occurring throughout the week at no charge. Attendees are asked to register in advance on the Austin College website at www.austincollege.edu/inauguration, where a full listing of activities may be found.

The inauguration ceremony will include the color and tradition of the academic procession as bagpipers play the processional, and College Marshal Dr. David Baker of the physics faculty leads the procession into Wynne Chapel bearing the College mace. He will be followed by one representative of each of the current Austin College classes; delegates representing several colleges and academic associations from around the country; the Austin College faculty; officers of the College; senior trustees; the Board of Trustees; past presidents of the College; the platform party; and finally, the president.

Austin College Board of Trustees Chair David Corrigan of Dallas, a 1981 graduate of the College and president of Corrigan Investments, will officiate. During the installation, he will be assisted by Michelle Filander, women’s basketball coach and senior women’s athletics administrator at Austin College, who served on the Presidential Search Committee that brought O’Day to campus, and by Dr. Marjorie Hass, 15th president of Austin College, who left in June 2017 to become president of Rhodes College in Tennessee.

Dr. Kent Trachte, president of Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, will introduce the newly installed President O’Day to present his Inaugural Address, which will continue his inaugural theme, “What’s Next: Looking to the Future with Confidence.”

Following that address, Dr. Carmen Tafolla, a 1973 graduate of Austin College and the 2015 Poet Laureate of Texas, will offer a poem written especially for the inauguration; several individuals will present greetings and congratulations to President O’Day on behalf of larger groups; and the event will end with the traditional benediction response by the A Cappella Choir “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” before the recessional. Then the entire group exits Wynne Chapel for a reception in Wright Campus Center to celebrate the officially installed leader. The Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble will perform.

Music will be provided during the ceremony by the Austin College A Cappella Choir, directed by Dr. Wayne Crannell. Megan Chiu ’18 and Jacob Martin ’20, students of Dr. Ricky Duhaime, will perform Vivaldi’s “Concerto in G Minor for Two Cellos, RV 531.” One anthem performed by the choir has been arranged by musician and former first lady of Austin College Anna Laura Page especially for the inauguration. Lisa Thomas will serve as college organist, presenting the prelude and recessional.

Wednesday | March 21

Regional Leadership Breakfast, Wright Campus Center, Mabee Hall, 7:30 a.m.

“Partners in Education: Meeting the Workforce Needs of Texoma”
Panelists: Steven P. O’Day, J.D., President, Austin College
Dr. Jeremy P. McMillen, President, Grayson College
Mark Anderson, Plant Manager, Emerson
Janie Bates, CEO, Workforce Solutions Texoma
Jeff Brown, Ph.D., Vice President & General Manager, Finisar – Sherman
Terrence Steele, Director of Administration, City of Sherman

Thursday | March 22

Dessert Reception featuring music by The Grand Avenue Trio, Wright Campus Center Living Room, 6:30 p.m.

Student Elevator Speech Competition, Wright Campus Center Living Room, 7:15 p.m.

This competition is part of the Austin College Student Scholarship Conference, held this year in conjunction with Inauguration events.

Friday | March 23

Inauguration Ceremony | Wynne Chapel, 5:00 p.m.

Celebratory Reception follows in Wright Campus Center, Mabee Hall and hallways, featuring music by the Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble

9:00 p.m. Adams Observatory Star Party in the IDEA Center

Members of the local community are welcome to attend any inauguration events, but are asked to register in advance at www.austincollege.edu/inauguration.

About President O’Day

Steven P. O’Day became the 16th president of Austin College on October 30, 2017. He came to Austin College from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, where he was serving as vice president of strategic initiatives and secretary of the college. During his four years at the college, President O’Day also served as interim vice president of advancement and special assistant to the president. In addition, he held leadership roles there in institutional strategic planning and campus master planning. He managed major capital improvement projects for the college, including the construction of a $20.8 million facility that will house several of the college’s health professions academic programs. President O’Day also was instrumental in record-setting fundraising efforts, oversaw government and community relations, and served as a member of the college’s senior leadership team.

Prior to his work at Lebanon Valley College, President O’Day spent 15 years at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, holding multiple senior leadership roles. He began his career in higher education as the head coach of the college’s women’s soccer team from 1997 to 2007. He was appointed associate dean for advisement at F&M in 1998, a position he held until 2001 when he became associate dean for student academic affairs. He remained in that role until receiving appointment as senior associate dean of the college in 2007, a position he held throughout the remainder of his tenure at F&M.

President O’Day describes his career in higher education as “being driven by a deeply held belief that we are called upon to personally educate and support the whole student—mind, body, and spirit—in the classroom and lab, on the athletic field, on the stage, in the studio, in the workplace, in the residence hall, throughout the global community, and in every facet of the student experience. This belief is grounded in a blending of the liberal arts and specialized training necessary for lives of significance, leadership, service, and integrity.”

Having earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, President O’Day received a juris doctor (J.D.) degree from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia. He also completed the Management Development Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to beginning his career in higher education, President O’Day was a practicing attorney in Lancaster and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

His wife, Cece, has been a high school English teacher and swimming coach for more than 25 years. Their son, Ryan, lives and works in the greater Boston area.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

SHERMAN, TEXAS—February 16, 2018

Austin College’s free ’Roo Bound program for area children in kindergarten through 5^th grade continues for the spring term this Saturday, February 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This month’s session is “All’s Fair in Love and War,” and students involved in Austin College’s Improv Troupe and Delta Omicron international music society will provide programming for the session that invites children to spend fun, learning time on campus. Participants will have free lunch in the Austin College dining hall in Wright Campus Center, courtesy of the Service Station and Aramark Food Service.

The day of the program, parents should drop students off between 10:45 and 11 a.m.at Wright Campus Center’s main entrance off Brockett Street.

Advance registration is requested so that sufficient volunteers and materials will be available. Only 50 slots are available but openings still remain. To register or for more information, contact the Austin College Service Station at 903.813.2333 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays or email servicestation@austincollege.edu. To register by email, include the child’s name and grade level, along with the parents’ phone number.

In addition to the special learning opportunity for children, ’Roo Bound, coordinated by the Austin College Service Station but involving many students across campus, is designed to expose children to the idea of college in a safe, fun environment. The organizers hope that the program makes college attendance seem accessible to children, particularly those who might be the first in their families to consider college. Other spring events are scheduled for March 17 and April 21.

The Austin College Service Station is a student-run organization that connects Austin College students available for service with local agencies and groups needing volunteers. Many students do individual service projects in the community; campus organizations often do group projects; others take part in projects such as ’Roo Bound or the College’s annual Great Day of Service, when several hundred students volunteer at more than 40 agencies in the north Texas region.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

February 3, 2018 | Austin College

Austin College Adams Observatory opens its doors to the community for a Star Party on February 22, 2018 where visitors can explore the universe through the largest research grade telescope in North Texas. The come-and-go, free event begins at 8:15 p.m. and runs until 9:45 p.m. Advance registration is requested. Should weather conditions require a cancellation, the announcement will be posted on the Austin College website, and registrants will be notified by email on the day of the event.

Dr. David Whelan, assistant professor of physics says, “At the Star Party, we get to share our enthusiasm, and our telescopes, with the community. Come join us to experience the vastness of space. There is no better way to appreciate our place in the universe than by sharing it with other space enthusiasts.”

With the Adams Observatory telescope, guests will be able to see celestial objects that are normally invisible to the naked eye. The evening will feature the moon and the beautiful Orion Nebula, along with other delights of the sky. 

The IDEA Center is located at 1108 E. Richards Street, and parking is available nearby. Visitors meet outside the main entrance of the IDEA Center, and guests will be taken to the Observatory in small groups on a first-come, first-served basis. More telescopes will be available on the roof and lawn, and light refreshments will be available. Students and faculty will be on hand to assist and provide details about the night’s featured objects.

Dr. David Baker, Physics Department chair and director of Adams Observatory, says, “We are fortunate to have one of the top college observatories in the country at Austin College. Our students have conducted exciting research on massive hot stars and searched for planets orbiting other star systems. But for this Star Party, we will replace the scientific camera with an eyepiece so that visitors can explore the universe with their own eyes.”

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.