Gail Burris Cooksey, B.J. ’76

Birmingham, AL

What are your favorite UT memories?
Walking through the campus in the spring and in the fall was so beautiful. I’m thinking about how many times I had to ride my bike across campus a million miles an hour to get to class on time. As a student, I lived and breathed “The Daily Texan” and reported on major events, including Richard Nixon’s resignation. I still remember all the people I worked with there.

How did UT prepare you for success?
I worked as a journalist and in corporate PR for many years before I started my own PR firm. I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did without the knowledge and experiences I gained at UT. Griff Singer, a journalism professor and Daily Texan advisor, was very influential. He was so supportive, and all of his classes were great. He taught me how to do a good interview, find and write a good story, and how to get to the truth and communicate it.

Why did you choose to give to UT?
So much of what I learned at UT helped me throughout my career. This is a way to give back. The gift planning advisors at UT have been super helpful. They let me know that if I designated the University as the beneficiary of my IRA to support the Moody College of Communication, UT would get 100% of the money without paying taxes. That was something I never knew

What impact do you want your gift to make?
First I funded a scholarship for students, but I wanted to do more. Now I’m supporting an advertising and PR lab that offers real-world situations so students can build a portfolio of work and prepare for the job market. With a current gift, I can support students now, and with an estate gift, I can continue that support in the future. My goal is to help the next generation of students along their path toward changing the world.

Bette Spain

New Braunfels, TX

Why did you choose to give to UT?
I have lived with multiple sclerosis for more than 20 years. MS is a common disease of the nervous system with the same symptoms as many other conditions, so it took a while to get diagnosed. I spent lots of time searching for a physician, even traveling to Dallas to see an MS specialist. I finally found Dr. Léorah Freeman, a neurologist in the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Dell Medical School. She is an excellent physician, created an innovative exercise program to improve long-term outcomes of people with MS, is committed to advancing knowledge of MS and has received research funding from national and international organizations. She keeps up with the latest treatments and research and provides MS educational seminars that let me connect with other patients. We all learn from each other, and I finally feel truly supported. I am excited about supporting a world-class academic medical institution that is so close to home.

What impact do you want your gift to make?
When my husband and I were newly married 54 years ago, we took out a life insurance policy to give us peace of mind in case something should happen to one of us. We don’t need the policy anymore, so we named Dell Medical School as the owner and beneficiary — a unique and easy way to support Dr. Freeman’s work. I’m already feeling my gift’s impact through the care I receive and the seminars available to me, which I know are helping others too. I’ve learned valuable tips on exercise and nutrition that help people with MS, and if I’m not feeling well enough to travel, I can access seminars online from home. I’m happy to make this investment in the health of present and future generations.

Dr. Carolyn R. Mueller, Ph.D. ’97 & Dr. Gary L. Mueller

Austin, TX

What are your favorite UT memories?
Carolyn: During her 20-year tenure at the School of Nursing, Dean Dolores Sands would tell the audience at commencement, “You may never need an architect or a lawyer or a communications professional, but I guarantee you that at some point, every one of you will need a nurse, and when you do, you better hope that nurse graduated from UT!” It was always fantastic to hear.

Gary: Thinking about the Longhorns winning the national championship in 2005 still gives me goosebumps!

How did UT prepare you for success?
Dean Sands was a tremendous leader and instilled a lot of confidence in me and the other students in my cohort. When a faculty position at UT became available just after I had graduated from the School of Nursing, I knew I was qualified, and I was ready to put my education to work on the Forty Acres. The experience and knowledge I gained while getting my Ph.D. positioned me perfectly for this next step. And to get the key to the building from which I had just graduated? That felt fabulous!

Why did you choose to give to UT?
Gary and I both value education tremendously. We seek to support programs that often are overlooked or forgotten. And where better to give back than to the school that helped you get ahead! We’ve done a lot to support our schools and have gone beyond for those schools that have gone beyond for us.

What impact do you want your gift to make?
Our gift will endow a professorship focused on clinical pediatric nursing education at the Ph.D. level. It is of critical importance for nursing students to be educated in how to care for children and their families. We hope our support for education and research in this highly specialized and complex field will make a positive impact not only on future UT graduates, but also on the patients they will treat.