Pioneers > BERNADETTE
Pioneers > BERNADETTE COLEMAN ’93, ’96 Occupational therapist and TWU regent > COLEMAN said, “TWU was vital in my personal and professional growth, and I wanted to help make it vital for other women’s growth.” GIVING BACK Striving for Excellence Regent Bernadette Coleman ’93, ’96 brings her passion for TWU to the board BERNADETTE COLEMAN ’93, ’96 has dedicated her life to helping others — as an occupational therapist, parent volunteer and active TWU alumna. For the last five years, she’s been making an impact on an even bigger scale as a member of the TWU System Board of Regents. Coleman, an occupational therapist for the Denton County Special Education Cooperative, has served on the board since 2018. She feels honored to have approved new academic programs, weighed in on improvements for the Denton, Dallas and Houston campuses and supported Chancellor and President Carine M. Feyten’s vision for the entire university system. “TWU was vital in my personal and professional growth, and I wanted to help make it vital for other women’s growth,” says Coleman, who earned degrees in occupational therapy. “It makes me really proud as a Hispanic woman, and the first in my family to go to college, to be on the board and to watch TWU continue to grow and strive for excellence.” Coleman also has given back to TWU by hosting occupational therapy students for fieldwork, interviewing prospective students and joining the university’s Pioneer Club, which provides financial support to student-athletes. When not in board meetings, you can find Coleman cheering on the Pioneers at athletic events. 20 TEXAS WOMAN’S
BAILEY HAMMACK ’14, ’17 Physical therapist and softball hall-of-famer > MUCHINKA PEELE ’22 Speech-language pathologist, physical therapist and education advocate A TRUE PIONEER Bailey Hammack ’14, ’17 is named to the LSC Hall of Honor MUCHINKA PEELE ’22 hails from the south-central African nation of Zambia. But it took extensive study and initiative, and a Ph.D. from Texas Woman’s, to pioneer her nation’s first speechlanguage therapy program. Peele, whose prior experience is in physical therapy, began her quest to bring speech-therapy training to Zambia 10 years ago. She and 17 other Zambians studied remotely with Texas Woman’s professors for two years to learn the techniques of speech-language pathology. Peele made the journey to TWU’s Denton campus to pursue her Ph.D. in 2019. She urged senior Zambian government officials to FROM ZAMBIA TO TEXAS AND BACK TWU enabled Muchinka Peele ’22 to bring the profession of speech therapy to her home country establish the nation’s first speech-language therapy bachelor’s program. As an indication of her success in helping those in need, Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU), in Zambia’s national capital, Lusaka, now offers a bachelor’s degree in speech and language therapy. “Muchinka has been courageous in helping Zambians better understand speech and language disorders, and TWU has been instrumental in the creation of the program at LMMU,” says Communication Sciences Chair and Professor Cynthia Gill-Sams. Peele earned her Ph.D. in special education with an emphasis in communication sciences to gain the necessary skills to help those with speech-language disorders in hospitals, clinics and classrooms. “I plan to return home this year to reopen my speech-therapy clinic, teach courses at LMMU and begin the initial phase of a new school for children with disabilities in Lusaka,” says Peele. Although excited to return to Zambia, she calls TWU her second home. Says Peele, “TWU’s become my family. I’m grateful for the TWU professors who invested years of work and were dedicated to making speech-language therapy training possible in Zambia.” WHEN BAILEY VRAZEL HAMMACK learned she was being inducted into the 2022 Lone Star Conference (LSC) Hall of Honor, her initial reaction was shock. Then came pride. “It solidified all of the work I’ve put into my career,” she says. She joins Dianne Baker ’75, former student-athlete and softball coach, and Jo Kuhn, former athletic director and professor, as the newest Pioneer inducted into the LSC Hall of Honor. Hammack, who began playing softball at age 4, chose to attend TWU because of the close-knit community in the classroom and on the field. “You didn’t get lost in the shuffle, and I built relationships that will last a lifetime,” she says. As an infielder, Hammack helped the Pioneers achieve an LSC championship title and two regional titles. She set multiple records and earned numerous accolades, including being a four-time All-America selection. Hammack attributes her athletic and scholastic success to TWU’s womanfocused mission. “You’ve got to give it your all,” she says. Hammack, who earned a bachelor’s in kinesiology in 2014 and a doctorate in physical therapy in 2017, brings the same dedication to her career. This year, she opened a physical therapy practice, where she treats and trains athletes. “I want to help people stay active for a lifetime,” she says. TEXAS WOMAN’S 21
