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Martha Boren Hook has written a historical romance novel, Glory Be!, published this spring by Xulon Press. The inspirational fiction novel is a story of “courageous love in post-Civil War America” and is the first in “The Springdale Series” about a Southern family. This is her sixth book and second novel. Though Martha attended Austin College only her freshman year, she reports she is pleased to remain in touch with friends she made that year. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from North Texas State College in 1957 and a master’s degree in literature from Southern Methodist University in 1959. She lives in Tyler, Texas.
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Paul Pearce is included in a new book about the history of open tennis, The Original Nine: The Visionaries Who Pioneered the Women’s Professional Tennis Circuit. The book was written by Donn Gobbie, a doctoral student at Indiana University and a former associate of tennis star Billie Jean King. In 1980, Paul, then-executive director of the Houston Tennis Association, and tennis pro Nancy Richey spearheaded what became the first tournament of the women’s professional tennis circuit, the Virginia Slims Tour. Paul is a retired officer of Club Corporation of America and runs a business providing interim management for country clubs in the Chicago area.
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Ed Jones married Jeffery Twu on July 29 at Saint Paul’s Chapel at Columbia University in New York City. Ed retired in 2010 from a career in philanthropy, most recently at the JPMorgan Private Bank. He currently teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) with the New York Public Library. Jeffrey is working toward a Ph.D. in anthropology at Columbia. The couple lives in New York City and looks forward to spending a year in Hong Kong during Jeffery’s field research in 2015-2016.
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Lyn Lockhart Gray has retired from teaching after 32 years in public schools and the last eight years at a private school, where she taught third-through-sixth-grade reading, language, and history. Now, she is writing children’s books about her dogs. Four books, available through Amazon, have been published and another one is on the way.
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David Baker is in his 42nd year in public education as an athletic trainer/teacher. As an athletic trainer, he is charged with providing sports medicine coverage for a suburban high school’s 2,700 students and 1,000 athletes. In coordination with the team physician, he is responsible for treatment and rehabilitation for the athletes and works with each sport’s head coach to implement conditioning, prevention, and sport specific training to enhance the individual athlete’s success. Though his position no longer includes teaching, he taught health education for 36 years.
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Julie Sager Miller, president of Advantage Trust Company in Salina, Kansas, was elected to the Kansas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees in June. She earned an MBA degree from Southern Methodist University and began her banking career at First National Bank of Dallas, following that with 21 years in banking in Salina. She has served as president of Advantage Trust Company since 1997. She has been very involved in her community, serving on the boards of the Airport Authority, Regional Health Center, Surgical Hospital, YWCA Endowment Trust, and Hospice of Salina, as well as Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure.
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Davina Grace Hill moved to Georgia in February to serve as executive director of the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County.
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Cynthia Hestand directed Lone Star/Laundry and Bourbon Off-Broadway at the Clurman Theatre in July, produced by Contemporary Theatre of Dallas.
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Rebecca Simmons is included in the Texas Lawyer listing of “Winning Women,” published this summer. The former justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals and the 408th Judicial District Court of Bexar County, Rebecca is now associate general counsel, litigation, at Kinetic Concepts, Inc. She sits by assignment on selected appellate and district court cases.
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Charla Glass Aldous, founder of Aldous Law Firm in Dallas, was among 18 legal practitioners teaching a small group of young lawyers the art of being a successful trial attorney at the National Trial College of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) at Harvard Law School this summer. Nationally recognized as a top trial lawyer, Charla consistently is included in “Best Lawyer” listings, with recognition among the top 50 women lawyers in Texas.
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Gregg Fort will become vice president for college advancement at Hartwick College in New York in January 2015. He makes the move from Hilbert College in New York, where he serves as vice president for institutional advancement. From 2007 to 2012, Gregg was an assistant vice president for advancement at DePaul University in Chicago and previously was executive director of the Big Red Fund at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
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Eric Schwab is the new cross country coach and assistant track coach at Tabor College in Kansas. He had been the cross country and track and field coach at Fresno Pacific University for 20 years. While at Austin College, he competed in track and swimming and finished 12th in the marathon at the 1989 NAIA National Track and Field Championship. Eric earned a master’s degree in physical education in 1991 from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California, where he served as the women’s cross country coach for two years and as an assistant track and field coach for four years. He was named Golden State Athletic conference Coach of The Year in 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 through 2011. Eric coached 62 NAIA All-Americans in track and field and cross country, 19 NAIA national champions in track and field, and 79 NAIA scholar athletes, among other accolades.
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Jim Tarpley has a new role ahead. Read more about his work at Texoma Medical Center.
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Dennis Womack has earned a doctorate in educational administration from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. He has served as the assistant superintendent for Lovejoy ISD for the past nine years.
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Dave Youngblood has been named vice president of communication for Analog, DLP, and the corporate brand by Texas Instruments. He joined TI in 1999 as a launch marketing manager for Standard Linear and Logic products. He has held a number of positions in marketing and communications in his 15 years at TI, most recently serving as director of communications for Analog, DLP, and the corporate brand. After graduating from Austin College, he earned a master’s degree in communications from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
Kevin White was awarded the 2014 Distinguished Writing Award in Law by the Burton Awards in association with the Library of Congress. Award winners are selected from nominations submitted by the nation’s top 1,000 most prestigious and largest law firms. Kevin received the award for co-authoring “The Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions: A Critique of the EEOC Guidance,” which appeared in volume 43 of the Seton Hall Law Review. He is a partner on the Labor and Employment team at Hunton & Williams, L.L.P.
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Marissa Elkins was sworn in to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the group’s annual meeting in Philadelphia in August. She is a solo practitioner in western Massachusetts, where she focuses almost exclusively on criminal defense. She previously was a partner at the Amherst law firm of Allison, Angier, Bartmon, Elkins, & Fernald, and began her career as a public defender. She has been especially dedicated to indigent defense, accepting major felony appointments in state court at both the Superior Court trial level and post-conviction cases before the Massachusetts Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court and in the U.S. District Court in Springfield as a member of the local CJA panel. Marissa is president-elect of the Hampshire County Bar Association and has been a member of that organization’s executive board since 2010. She works in the area of criminal defense training for the Hampshire County Bar Advocate Program. In 2013, she organized and recruited lawyers to participate in a required training for ASL and Certified Deaf Interpreters seeking certification as court interpreters and acted as lead counsel in the mock trial culminating the training. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law and a member of NACDL’s Indigent Defense Committee.
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Stephanie Barnes has been promoted from courtroom litigator to partner by the Texas-based law firm Siebman, Burg, Phillips & Smith. She practices in the firm’s offices in Plano and is a veteran of courtrooms across the U.S., with a focus on representing clients before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. Stephanie handles a variety of litigation atters for clients in both state and federal courts, including business disputes, intellectual property claims, and employee benefits litigation tied to ERISA and non-ERISA life and disability plans. She previously clerked for Judge Curtis L. Collier, who served as Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. She also practiced in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, office of Miller & Martin, one of the largest firms in the Southeast.
Tim Kennedy earned a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School (YDS) in May, and also graduated from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, the Episcopal seminary within YDS, with a diploma in Anglican studies and a certificate in educational leadership and ministry. He received the Hicks Prize, awarded to the graduate who most benefited the seminary community. He is chaplain and religion teacher at Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda, Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Jack Skaggs, an attorney with Jackson Walker was selected to the “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list by Thomson Reuters and published this spring in Texas Monthly. Those on the list are among 2.5 percent of lawyers selected each year to receive this award.
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Audrey D. Ebel has been named regional human resources manager for Bed Bath and Beyond in all its Canadian operations. She transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2010 as the district human resources manager for the company in British Columbia and Alberta provinces. BuybuyBaby, a firm subsidiary, entered the Canadian market with its first store in Edmonton, Alberta, this fall. Audrey also serves as regional human resources manager for this store and future stores as the Canadian market grows. She is the daughter of Bonnie M. Scranton ’90, who retired from Austin College in 2010 as director of donor relations and advancement services.
Jake Estes opened Estes Law Office in McKinney, Texas, in April. The firm represents a wide variety of clients in the practice areas of wills and trusts, probate, guardianship, and corporate law.
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Jake Davis has been promoted to head baseball coach at Celina High School. He has taught U.S. history for the past four years at the school and served as pitchers and catchers coach and defensive ends coach for the football squad. He and his wife, Shandee (Richey), have two adopted sons, Slade, 5, and Dax, 2.
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Katharine Battaie Clark was selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars 2014 by Thomson Reuters, published in Texas Monthly in April. The list includes the top-ranked 2.5 percent of Texas attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. Katharine is a bankruptcy and business attorney in the Dallas offices of Thompson & Knight.
Tanya Eustace recently earned a Ph.D. at Garett Evangelical Theological Seminary in the field of Christian education and congregational studies. In July, she was appointed director of children and inter-generational ministries at the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tennessee. Tanya’s Portuguese Water Dog puppy, Bela Esperanza (Portuguese for “Beautiful Hope”), will join Tanya in ministry soon, having recently passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test and training to be a therapy dog and a canine ministry companion. Tanya continues to run (she completed the Chicago Marathon in October 2013), cycle, and sing in her spare time, and wrote that she loves the beautiful and hilly parks of Nashville.
Stephanie Odom completed her Ph.D. at UT-Austin in 2013 and joined the UT-Tyler faculty that fall, teaching within her specialties of English with a concentration in rhetoric and writing, as well as some literature classes.
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Sarah Carabias-Rush was promoted early this year to vice president for corporate recruitment and economic development for the Dallas Regional Chamber. Her role is to lead efforts to market the Dallas/Fort Worth region as a location for headquarters, technology-based companies, and other targets. She led the team’s efforts on recent corporate headquarter relocations, including Toyota Motor North America, Active Network, and Omnitracs. Sarah has worked at the Dallas Regional Chamber for more than 10 years with increasing responsibility in the areas of economic development, technology and healthcare industry programming, and international business recruitment.
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Chris Moore became senior pastor of New Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, in February. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of San Augustine, Texas, to teach and coach at his former high school. Two years later, he enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned a master’s degree in Christian education. He is pursuing a doctorate in education and ministry at the seminary. Ordained in July 2011, Chris also served as youth pastor at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.
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Jason Burton was named the women’s basketball head coach at Texas A&M–Commerce in April 2014. He was coaching at McKinney Boyd High School at the time of the hire, though the position at A&M-Commerce is a return trip to the university, having spent 2007 to 2011 as an assistant and associate head coach for the men’s basketball team. Jason spent the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons as an assistant basketball coach at Texas State University. He previously was a coach with the Dallas Mustangs, a non-profit youth basketball program. He earned a master’s degree in business administration at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2009.
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Hillary Powlen Croissant graduated in May 2014 with her doctorate in education with an emphasis on supervision, curriculum, and instruction from Texas A&M Commerce. Her dissertation is entitled “Classroom Environment Influence on Student Self-Efficacy in Mathematics.” This preceded the birth of her son, Weston Eric, in April. She lives in Melissa, Texas, and continues to work with elementary students in the north Dallas area.
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Leeta Faye Britton and Logan Batlle, a graduate of UT-Arlington, were married in Rosemary Beach, Florida, on May 3. Festivities began with a beach barbecue the evening before, including alumni Ebby Arias ’09, Doan Vuong ’09, Chelsea Chappell-Cox ’08, Shannon Graves ’08, Lenora Hendley ’07, Liz Varner Strathman ’08, Cari Hubbard Solano ’08, Courtney Baker Anders ’08, Mason Anders ’09, Lance Frank ’08, bride Leeta Faye ’08, and Kyle Clayton ’08. The newlyweds live in Grapevine, Texas, where Leeta Faye is an eighth grade U.S. history teacher for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Logan is a commercial insurance manager at McKamie Insurance.
Hillary Luckett-Clark and Edwin Clark were married May 10, 2014, in Sherman with alumni Josh Muchnicoff ’11, Kelby Archer ’09, Melida Ailshire ’06, and Sam Thorpe ’84 attending. The new couple lives in Sherman where Hillary is an associate attorney with the LeCrone Law Firm. Edwin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mississippi State University and a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University.
DJ Hardy passed the Texas Bar Exam and married Rachel DeWitt in November 2013. The wedding party included Wesley Johnson, Colin Renner, Robert Likarish, Britain Bruner, and Elizabeth Elliot, all ’09; Sean Simpson ’12, and Gabe Vasquez ’11.
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Erin Bailey married Jordan Davidson, a 2010 graduate of Angelo State University, on March 14. Pointing out their 3.14 (Pi) wedding date, Erin said they could have truly had a Pi wedding if they delayed a year (3.14.15). Love must have won out, and they settled for 2014. The couple lives in Odessa, Texas.
Jered Dominey, an intelligence analyst with Bravo Company, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2/10 Security Forces Assistance Brigade, was presented the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device during an awards ceremony in September 2013 at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.
Kate E. Murphy is the Mental Health Policy Fellow contributing to the centers for Effective Justice and Health Care at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, funded through the Hogg Foundation. She earned her law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2013, where she was an Austin College Presidential Scholar and a member of the Texas Tech Arbitration Team that won the national championship at the 2011-2012 ABA Arbitration Competition in Chicago, Illinois. While in law school, Kate interned for Justice Phil Johnson at the Texas Supreme Court, and as a Judge K.K. Legett Fellow, interned at the Washington Legal Foundation where she drafted arguments that were included in amicus briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. Upon graduation, she was inducted into the National Order of Barristers for her achievements in oral advocacy and received awards for her accomplishments in constitutional and property law. Before joining the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Kate worked as an attorney in Houston, focused primarily on oil and gas law.
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Casey Coplin and John Rauschuber ’11 were married January 26 in Fort Worth, Texas. Casey and John met on a JanTerm trip to South Africa. Casey works for North Texas Public Broadcasting as a project coordinator, and John started a manufacturing company in Irving, Texas, shortly after graduating. The couple lives in Irving, Texas.
Katie Heath was one of eight candidates, of 1,200 applicants, recruited to join the management training program with Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo. She is stationed in Paris, France, at a flagship store of more than 250 employees and the highest sales of the 2,000 boutiques worldwide. As part of her training, she has traveled to London and Tokyo, and stores are quickly opening around Europe so opportunities for global mobility are “endless,” she said. Though the move in fall 2013 came after a long and frustrating job search in Paris, passing the DALF language studies diploma recognized by the government of France, and immigration nightmares requiring much research, she is now “living the dream I envisioned for myself when I first enrolled at Austin College.”
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Lauren Hill earned a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She is a management analyst for the City of Mesquite, Texas.
Jill Murphy met and fell in love with Benjamin Elberson ’12 during JanTerm 2011 trip to London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Munich, exploring the great scientific discoveries of Europe. They were engaged on New Year’s Eve 2012, and were married July 12 at The Brookwood Community Chapel. Keatan King ’09, associate pastor at St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas, officiated at the ceremony. Kate Murphy ’10, sister of the bride, was maid of honor, and bridesmaids included Lauren Hill ’13 and Evy Mitchell ’13. The best man was Hanaro Yoon ’12, and groomsmen were Sean Simpson ’12, Prateek Shukla ’12, and Graham Crannell ’13. Adam Phillips ’13 and Matthew Wescott ’12 were ushers. Guests included Kimberly Cook, Connor Patton, Kolme Ray, Parneet Dhaliwal, Ben Sater, Scott Meara, Blair Lenhan, Bliss Froelich, Ashley Fitzpatrick, Kate Wofford, Ellen Kenzora, Tyler Liang, Haley Freeland, Aaron Baldwin, Anthony Tatar, Brian Clinton, Michael Luk, Alexandre Fegalhi, Jake Wilson, Amy Kalmbach, Brian Botello, Casey Titus, Caitlin Larsen, Rachel Crooks, Eric Gordon, Amanda Kelly, Sarah Cravens, John Rudder, Emily Olvera, Amanda 
Hovey, Vanessa Castro, Mara Lipow, Julie Coggins, Zack Bengsten, Sarah Bennett, Samantha Matulis, Kelly McDaniel, Jason Henry, Heather Farquhar, and Jared Zimmerman. The first group dance at the wedding was an ACtivators’ Energizer, and all the Austin College students and many Presbyterian guests joined the newlyweds on the dance floor for “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. Ben has completed two years of medical school and is currently working toward his M.D./Ph.D. at Texas Tech School of Medicine and Health Science Center. Jill is director of after-school activities at The Covenant Child Development Center in Lubbock, Texas, where they will live for the next five years while Ben completes his degrees.
Jordan Rose graduated with honors from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and recently sat for the Texas State Bar examination.
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