College of Fine Arts and Communication 2023 Report

DONOR Spot l ight RON AND JUDY BROWN College Donors MICHEL CONROY College Donor AL AN AND PAUL A MANN College Donors Judy and Ron Brown arrived in San Marcos in 1975. Ron joined the History Department, and Judy became a San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District teacher. After the birth of their son, Brian, Judy returned to public school as an elementary teacher focusing on gifted education. She became a consultant in Texas and California and retired in 2015. Ron became a program director, a dean, and an assistant vice president before returning to the History Department. “As a child, Judy was involved with musical theatre and cherished those experiences. Taking our son Brian to Charles Pascoe’s children’s theatre productions revived those memories. When Kaitlin Hopkins came to Texas State, Judy, a Friends of Fine Arts and Communication past president, made Kaitlin’s program part of their annual contributions, because each $1,000.00 scholarship gift assured in-state tuition for students. This endowment honors Kaitlin’s accomplishments and will continue to bring outstanding Musical Theatre students to Texas State. ” Professor Conroy joined the Texas State University faculty to head the School of Art and Design’s ceramic art program. For seven of her thirty-seven years at TXST, she served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts and was honored as a lifetime fellow of the council. At TXST, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Service and the Faculty Senate Excellence in Leadership Award. She retired in 2020 as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus. “Before I chose a discipline, I knew that I wanted to teach. After testing the waters with five undergraduate majors, I finally landed on the field of studio art. As a first- generation college student with nine siblings, I relied heavily on scholarship support to complete my academic degrees. I am deeply thankful for the opportunities afforded me at Texas State. I am now gratified to help Texas State students achieve their goals.” Alan graduated from Texas State University, then known as Southwest Texas State University, back in 1981 as a business major. He is currently on the Executive Management Team at Dunhill Partners, a Dallas-based commercial real estate investment company. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Texas State University’s Development Foundation. Alan and Paula are the proud parents of three children and support causes such as the Dallas Arboretum and Avant Chamber Ballet. “I have many fond memories of my time at SWT. After doing a guest lecture at the McCoy Business School, I started getting more and more involved with Texas State. My wife and I were in a comfortable position financially to help in a small way. Our daughter, Olivia, is a professional ballet dancer and understands the performing arts always needs help in funding. We were pleased to be able to create the Olivia Mann Endowed Scholarship in Dance.” WHY WE GIVE : WHY I GIVE : WHY WE GIVE : 57 College of Fine Arts and Communication