Now available online, the latest issue of TCU Magazine is packed with timely, engaging stories that illustrate the knowledge, spirit and compassion of the Horned Frog community. The winter issue showcases TCU research, people and programs, including advances in research coming from the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, a heartwarming story on an alumna’s journey to bestselling author, a heart-pounding tale of an alumnus’ high-risk adventures as a venture capitalist and a cover story on pandemic-spurred disruptions in global supply chains.
“I’m very excited about the cover story, which is an opportunity to highlight some great programs at Neeley as well as some really accomplished alumni in a way that makes sense for 2020,” said Caroline Collier, TCU Magazine editor.
Inspired by empty shelves, the cover story draws wisdom from thought leaders in TCU’s Center for Supply Chain Innovation to explain why the global supply chain broke down during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It had to do with lean systems that car manufacturers invented back in the 20th century to get just the right amount of parts just in time in the manufacturing process so they wouldn’t be wasting space storing stuff,” Collier said. “The pandemic showed the weakness in that arrangement. So TCU’s supply chain experts talk about how academic leadership in business is helping to reimagine the supply chain going forward by shifting from just in time systems to just in case systems.”
A Ranch Management Program alumnus and industrial manufacturers highlight how advances in technology and artificial intelligence are helping improve efficiency and make up for the extra costs inherent in closer-to-home manufacturing.
“We also have two big alumni features that I can’t wait to share,” Collier added. “I think they’re both fascinating for different reasons.”
Nursing alumna Sue Monk Kidd ’70 wrote her first novel — The Secret Life of Bees, an instant bestseller — at age 50. Her latest — The Book of Longings — came out during the pandemic.
“Robyn Ross, an amazing writer and TCU graduate, talked to Sue and wrote this really touching, warm story about Sue’s personal spiritual and religious journey that’s combined with her feminist awakening,” Collier said. “Those two things together resulted in The Book of Longings, which centers on the fictional wife of Jesus and reimagines the tale of Jesus through a woman’s perspective. She approached this work with these big questions of what if women had a bigger role in Christianity from the beginning. It’s really a beautifully written story, and I can’t wait for people to see it. It will spark some deep thoughts, and it’s also very easy to relate to.”
Former student body president Andy Mitchell ’98 majored in accounting and went on to build a private equity powerhouse.
“He’s built this vast empire by being shrewd and knowledgeable about how to buy struggling businesses at a really good price, and then instead of selling them off at a profit, his group hires an experienced person to manage the venture and they keep it in their portfolio,” Collier said. “He pulled off a major coup in buying disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein’s company, which has an entire library that includes The King’s Speech and Silver Linings Playbook, and continues to make new television and movie products. So this is kind of a heart-racing tale that gets into the details of how he made that acquisition happen — late night phone calls and really tense negotiations with the lawyers representing Weinstein.”
Other stories to look for in the Winter 2020 issue:
Horned Frog writers: A children’s literature feature spotlights three authors who followed distinctly different paths from TCU to publication and the creation of characters whose literary journeys lead readers to Texas, the White House and even outer space. For added fun, TCU Magazine hired an illustrator of one of the books to create illustrations of SuperFrog as the hero of the stories, and there’s also a downloadable coloring book page.
Techniques that heal: For more than 20 years, TCU’s Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development has been using its Trust-Based Relational Intervention® methods to help adoptive families across the world bond with their children who have experienced trauma. “They’ve branched out into the criminal justice system because these same techniques work for anyone who might have to handle a situation involving conflict,” Collier said. “They’re training all of Texas’ DPS officers in how to use their TBRI® Method to help deescalate potentially bad situations. They’re also training people who work with sex trafficking victims with these same techniques to help them heal.”
Transformative research: Dr. Sai Chavala, an ophthalmologist and a professor of surgery at the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, is restoring vision in blind mice by genetically engineering skin cells into retinal cells. This particular therapeutic could potentially be applied to people who have lost their vision because of dry macular degeneration. His findings are being published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Empathy for dementia patients: Michelle Kimzey, assistant professor of nursing, is launching a campaign using empathy-based techniques to ensure TCU nursing students are well educated in how to serve patients with dementia. “The class she teaches has a virtual dementia tour where students put on foggy eyeglasses, thick earmuffs and heavy gloves to see what it’s like to navigate the world when you have dementia,” Collier said.
Nonprofit Frogs: Two alumni profiles highlight Horned Frogs doing fantastic work in the nonprofit realm. Platt Allen ’88 (MBA ’97) is executive director of Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth, which not only serves blind people, but also provides employment opportunities for blind adults. Julie Buel Butner ’88 took the reins as CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank in early 2020 — as the coronavirus pandemic hit.