Southwest
Baptist University News Release
Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu
SBU to
award honorary doctorates April 17
BOLIVAR,
Mo. — Southwest Baptist University’s First Lady, Judy Taylor, and
an SBU graduate who is a licensed psychologist and assistant clinical professor
at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Jeffrey Brown, will receive honorary doctorates
from SBU during the Founders’ Day chapel at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, in
Pike Auditorium. The chapel service also will include a musical performance by
Charles Graham, an SBU alumnus who received an honorary doctorate from the
University in 2007.
Judith
C. Taylor
Judy Taylor has been
first lady of Southwest Baptist University for 17 years. She and her husband,
Pat, were selected by the SBU Board of Trustees to lead the University in 1996.
Judy has worked for the University as SBU’s first lady, which includes a variety
of roles. When she isn’t assisting with the beautification of the campus or
some other SBU project, she is ministering to someone on campus or in the Bolivar
community who has a need.
She has taught
English as a second language in China, Hungary, Brazil and Russia. Since 1991,
she has traveled overseas eight times to teach English. In addition, she helped
organize an English Institute in Brazil in 2000. Numerous SBU students have
benefited from Judy’s mentoring and expertise. She has devoted her life to teaching
and service to others.
Judy received a
bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Tennessee at
Martin in 1968 and a master’s degree in elementary counseling at Western
Kentucky State University in 1971.
Judy and Pat have two
daughters: Marijo Gronewold, and her husband, Tom, who live in Illinois where
they are special agents for Homeland Security criminal investigations; and
Charla Austermann and her husband, Adam, who live in St. Louis with their two
sons, Drew and Luke. Drs. Adam and Charla Austermann are SBU graduates and work
as physical therapists.
"I am just very honored that
the trustees and faculty agreed to give me this honor,” Judy said. “I’m
very excited to be called Dr. Judy.”
Dr. Jeffrey Brown
Dr. Brown is an assistant
clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,
specializing in cognitive-behavioral psychology.
Outside of his
private practice, Dr. Brown is the psychologist for the Boston Marathon medical
team and is on Runner’s World magazine’s scientific advisory board. His
psychology expertise has been cited by national publications and TV news
reports, and he has written two books, one of them co-authored.
Dr. Brown received a bachelor
of science in psychology and sociology in 1992 from SBU, a master of science in
psychology in 1994 from the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, and a
doctor of psychology of clinical psychology from Forest Institute in
Springfield in 1997. He and his wife, Carolynne, also a graduate of Southwest
Baptist University, live in Massachusetts with their son, Grant.
“Receiving an honorary doctorate from Southwest is
humbling and incredibly meaningful,” said Dr. Brown, who grew up in Lebanon.
“It’s a special time for reflecting on the solid life foundation God has given
me through devoted family, loyal friends and a Christ-centered University that
will always feel like home. To God alone be the glory for this honor, for it’s
through Him that great things are being done in each of our lives.”
The Founders’ Day chapel is open
to the entire community, including retired University faculty and staff. For
more information, call Paula Livingston at (417)
328-1807.
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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in
truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive
professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff
create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders
in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.
