TWU
Home > Marketing
& Communication > News
Releases
TWU to recognize distinguished alumni during 2006 Homecoming
celebration
3/31/06
DENTON
—Texas Woman’s University and the TWU Former Students
Association will recognize four distinguished alumni during
Honors Convocation ceremonies Thursday, April 20 and at an
awards luncheon on Saturday, April 22. The honorees are Dianne
Baker of Denton, Dr. Elizabeth Hall Burns of Lubbock, Marie
Chapman Martch of Belton and Barbara Dianne Nunneley of Hurst.
The ceremonies
are part of TWU’s 2006 Homecoming celebration scheduled
April 18-23. Convocation is at 10 a.m. April 20 in the Margo
Jones Performance Hall, located at Oakland Avenue and Pioneer
Circle on TWU’s Denton campus. The Distinguished Alumni
Awards Luncheon is at 11 a.m. April 22 in the Southeast Ballroom
of Hubbard Hall. Luncheon tickets are $25. For more information
or tickets, call the TWU Office of Alumni Relations at (940)
898-2586 or visit www.twu.edu/alum.
Dianne
Baker
Ms. Baker is the
former TWU head softball coach and currently serves as the
national promotions manager for softball for Schutt Sports.
She has spent more than 27 years in women’s sports,
impacting hundreds of student-athletes and coaches with her
untiring work ethic and a passion for sports.
Ms. Baker is one
of the winningest coaches in NCAA softball history and compiled
a record of 285-165-2 (.633) during her nine years at TWU.
She started her coaching career in the Lewisville Independent
School District in 1975, followed by a remarkable 15-year
coaching run at Stephen F. Austin State University, which
included an NCAA Division II national championship in 1986.
Ms. Baker lettered
in five sports and played shortstop on the softball squad
as a Pioneer before receiving her bachelor of science in physical
education and health in 1975. She returned to TWU in 1995
and the softball program was reinstated during the 1996-97
academic year. She was inducted into the TWU Intercollegiate
Athletics Hall of Fame shortly thereafter.
Ms. Baker led the Pioneers to two NCAA tournament appearances
in the South Central Regionals and one Lone Star Conference
South Division championship.
Ms. Baker was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches
Association Hall of Fame in 1988. Her coaching honors also
include being named the 1999, 2002 and 2004 LSC South Division
Coach of the Year, 1986 NCAA Division II National Coach of
the Year, 1985 and 1986 Regional Coach of the Year, and the
1984 Gulf Coast Conference (GCC) Coach of the Year. She was
inducted into the SFA Ladyjacks Hall of Honor in 1987. She
has coached 26 All-Americans and one Olympian: Sandy Green,
a left fielder on the 1996 Canadian Olympic Team.
Dr. Elizabeth
Hall Burns
Dr. Hall Burns’
distinguished career in higher education spans more than 25
years. She received her master’s in physical education
from TWU in 1979 and her doctorate in the same field from
the university in 1981.
Since 1981, Dr.
Hall Burns has been affiliated with Texas Tech University
in several capacities including associate professor of health,
physical education and recreation; chair of the department
of health, physical education and recreation; and assistant
provost for academic affairs. Currently she serves as a vice
provost for Texas Tech University where her duties include
implementing the university’s strategic goals related
to diversifying the faculty, serving as the compliance officer
for the Americans with Disabilities Act and other budgetary
and administrative duties in support of the Office of the
Provost. In addition to overseeing the largest budget line
at the university – faculty salaries – Dr. Hall
Burns also represents the provost’s office on numerous
university councils and committees, including the academic
council.
Dr. Hall Burns
has received several prestigious grants and fellowships and
published a number of papers on issues in health and physical
education. She also has been heavily involved in the Olympic
Academy, sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee
and has published several articles and contributed to many
books and publications about the importance of the Olympics
in society.
Dr. Hall Burns
recently was selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to
attend the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference - a week-long,
multi-service orientation program for civilian public opinion
leaders designed to familiarize them with command and control
strategies of the various military services. As part of this
group Dr. Hall Burns traveled to various bases in the European
Command for a first hand look at the United States activities
in the war against terrorism.
Marie Chapman
Martch
Mrs. Martch, a
former TWU regent, is a retired professional engineer whose
lifetime contributions to the petrochemical industry have
had a global impact. She received her bachelor of science
in chemistry from TWU in 1965 and successfully pursued a career
in science during a time when women were seldom seen in the
field. She worked as an environmental and process safety engineer
in the engineering/construction arena for more than 24 years,
rising through the ranks to become manager of environmental
safety for ABB Lummus and a principal engineer for Brown &
Root Braun.
During her distinguished
career, Mrs. Martch was responsible for the planning, integration
and design of water, pollution abatement, and process safety
systems for grassroots refineries and petrochemical complexes
worldwide. Her work has made refineries and petrochemical
complexes safer throughout the world.
Mrs. Martch served
as an elected director and Vice Chairman pf the Clearwater
Underground Water Conservation District. Her other civic contributions
include service to the Belton Senior Citizens Center –
Meals on Wheels Program, Belton Helping Hands – the
Belton Interdenominational Food Bank and a member of the board
of the Killeen Free Clinic.
She also has been
involved with the Texas Federation of Republican Women and
the Central Texas and Salado Area Republican Women.
Ms. Martch also
served as a member, vice-chair and chair during her tenure
on the TWU Board of Regents from 1999 to 2003.
Barbara Dianne Nunneley
After receiving
her bachelor of arts in political science from TWU in 1975,
Ms. Nunneley went on to receive a master’s degree from
Southern Methodist University and her law degree from the
Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She is a certified specialist
in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and
has been practicing for more than 25 years. She has dedicated
thousands of hours to underprivileged and impoverished children
in Tarrant County and was honored as an Outstanding Attorney
Ad Litem by the Child Advocates of Tarrant County in 1994
in recognition of her tireless efforts on behalf of Tarrant
County’s needy children.
Ms. Nunneley is
a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and
serves as secretary of its Texas chapter. Ms. Nunneley is
a frequent and popular speaker for the Texas State Bar. She
also has served as secretary, treasurer and on the board of
the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists. Ms. Nunneley
was chosen a “Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics
Magazine and Texas Monthly in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
She also was named a “Top Attorney” by Forth
Worth, Texas magazine in 2003.
Ms. Nunneley is
one of a long line of women in her family to graduate from
TWU – her mother, two sisters, aunt and two great aunts
all graduated from the university. Since her graduation, she
has been a life member of the TWU Former Students Association
and has served on the TWU Foundation Board in various offices,
including past chair of the foundation. Ms. Nunneley has been
member of the Chancellor’s Circle for more than a decade,
and 20 years ago she established the Shaun Burns Memorial
Scholarship at TWU in memory of a friend’s child and
has funded the scholarship every year.
###
For Further
Information Contact:
Amanda McKeen Simpson
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: asimpson1@twu.edu |
