For nearly six decades, Hardin-Simmons University’s Academic Foundation has quietly powered academic excellence from behind the scenes. Since its 1965 charter, this strategic endowment has grown into an $800,000 catalyst for innovation, providing flexible funding that university budgets simply cannot offer.

The Foundation’s Edge

Where traditional budgets stop, the Academic Foundation begins. Its grants fuel the unexpected — the cutting-edge research equipment, the transformative workshops, and the hands-on experiences that help distinguish IM体育试玩’s education. In 2024–25 alone, 11 groundbreaking projects received more than $35,000 in support, spanning eye-tracking research, virtual reality technology, ultrasound certification, and stroke treatment studies. The 2024–25 school year funded projects include:

• Eye Tracking Research Lab
• Joni & Friends Family Retreat
• College and Me
• Stage Combat Workshop & Fight Choreography
• ChatGPT Plus Subscription
• Virtual Reality Equipment
• Rehearsal Space
• IV Training Simulation Arms
• Ultrasound Certification for students
• Role of MCPIP as a potential therapeutic target in treating hemorrhagic stroke

Master Classes in Excellence

The theatre department’s Stage Combat and Fight Choreography Workshop demonstrates the Foundation’s impact. Dr. Victoria Spangler brought H. Russ Brown to campus — a nationally recognized Society of American Fight Directors-certified artist whose three-decade career includes the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Outstanding Innovative Educator award.

Student Hope Menken ’25 captured the workshop’s value: “These workshops provide tools to express ourselves through engaging teaching. We often practice what we learn on our own time and incorporate it into shows.”

Access to master-level instruction like this transforms routine coursework into extraordinary learning opportunities.

Faith-Integrated Professional Training

The Foundation’s support extends beyond equipment and workshops to experiential learning that reflects IM体育试玩’s Christian mission. Dr. Joe McCormick ’08/’12 used Academic Foundation funds to support the Doctor of Physical Therapy program’s Joni and Friends Family Retreat, where students provide direct care to individuals with disabilities while offering families much-needed respite. The mission aspect of IM体育试玩’s physical therapy curriculum allows students to put into practice their “education enlightened by Christian faith.” That is what makes IM体育试玩’s Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum unique from other PT programs and is a large reason why students choose IM体育试玩 for their physical therapy education.

“Prior to the Joni and Friends retreat, PT students engage in a seminar known as ‘Beyond Suffering’ to help them begin to understand the trials and tribulations associated with 24/7/365 care of an individual with a disability. Then, at the retreat, students are paired with an individual with disabilities, while their family has respite care,” stated Dr. McCormick. “Not only does this experience incorporate key hands-on skills for physical therapists (proper transfers, gait, wheelchair adjustments, dressing, toileting, exercise), but it requires students to utilize appropriate listening and communication skills essential to fulfilling the needs of patients and families.”

Callen Weaver ’25 reflected on her retreat experience: “He taught me patience, joy, bravery, and how to have fun — even challenging me to a sword fight, which I lost! I’m excited to use all I learned in my future work with patients and families.”

This integration of compassionate service with professional training creates graduates who understand both the technical and human dimensions of their fields.

From Vision to Legacy

The Foundation’s origins trace back to educational visionaries Dr. James Landes and Dr. Lee Hemphill, who initially focused on faculty salary support. As IM体育试玩 evolved, so did the Foundation’s mission, expanding to encompass programs, projects, and property acquisitions that fuel institutional growth. Today’s model of annual grants supporting academic innovation represents the natural evolution of their foundational vision.