As soon as Dr. Trudy Hanson announced her retirement was set for Jan. 15, faculty sprang into action to establish a scholarship in honor of her 31 years at WT and 14 years as head of the Department of Communication.

The Dr. Trudy L. Hanson – Write Your Own Scholarship, which honors Hanson’s service to the University and to thousands of students who crossed her path during her time at WT, will become endowed once it reaches $25,000.

The scholarship started through quiet fundraising among current and former faculty from the department and the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. Dean Jessica Mallard revealed those efforts to Hanson at her retirement party on Nov. 17, with more than $5,000 raised for the scholarship at that point.

“I was filled with gratitude to see it,” Hanson said. “To see a scholarship that will help students continue their education is humbling.”

Hanson joined the WT Art, Communication, and Theatre Department in the fall semester of 1989. In 2007, she was named the first department chair for the newly formed Department of Communication. (See related story.)

Community members, alumni, students, and staff who want to honor Dr. Hanson through a donation can help reach the $25,000 needed for endowment by calling the WT Office for Philanthropy and External Relations at 806-651-2070.

-West Texas A&M University