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ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University has conferred dean emeritus status upon Russ Schultz, retired dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication. The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired members of the faculty and administration who have given faithful and distinguished service to the university for ten or more years.

 “It was an honor to present Russ with the news that he’d been awarded dean emeritus status,” said Kurt Gilman, chair of the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music, who announced the news at the recent Texas Music Educators Association conference in San Antonio. “His dedicated leadership of the College of Fine Arts and Communication for so many years more than warranted this prestigious distinction. I gained so much from his vast experience in music mentoring over the many years that we worked together. I cannot thank him enough."

Schultz retired as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication in May 2015 after serving at LU for 16 years. He was previously chair of the music department at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash.

Schultz has also recently been honored with two other major awards established through the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University Foundation. Last fall, alumna Sandra Clark established the Dr. Russ A. Schultz Innovation Fund in Fine Arts, which will support the areas of music, theatre, dance and visual arts. It will allow funding for scholarships, professional development activities and new programs, or the enhancement of existing programs.

Together with his wife Susan, Schultz is also the recipient of a scholarship endowed by their daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Jennifer S. and Omar Hernandez. The Dr. Russ and Susan Schultz Scholarship in Music benefits students in the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music.

During his 24-year career as a music administrator, Schultz was active in the accreditation process of the National Association of Schools of Music. In that role, he served on the accreditation commission and visited many schools as an evaluator. While in Beaumont, he served on the boards of the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Young Audiences of Southeast Texas, Leadership Southeast Texas and the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce. He also was president of the Symphony of Southeast Texas and vice president of the Beaumont Rotary Club.