MAGNOLIA – Keeping Southern Arkansas University’s Nursing Department on the front lines of health care technology will be one benefit of a generous donation recently made by Troy and Francoise Hendricks to the SAU Foundation, said Dr. Karen Ainsworth Landry, Chair of the Department of Nursing. This donation was given in memory of Baxter and Callie Ainsworth Hendricks, Leonard and Ruth Sedberry, Mattie Lou Sullivan Sedberry, Tillman Baxter Hendricks, and Mary Nell Sedberry Raborn. 
The $100,000 contribution will advance simulation technology and help provide additional hands-on training for nursing students. “Technology is at the forefront of nursing,” said Landry. “This generous donation will help us improve our level of simulation instruction in ways that will continue to make SAU the best choice for nursing students.”
The department utilized a portion of the donation to purchase a new SimMan simulator with life-like human responses that will provide students with real-world experiences in a simulated health care environment. The funds also allowed the department to acquire a new simulation laptop that monitors vital functions as students work with the patient simulator. A touchscreen patient monitor enhances the student’s learning experience, simulating what actually takes place in nursing practice.
A smaller portion of the funds will also be used to upgrade technologies within the simulation center. “Through the generosity of our donors, we can commit to improving resources to secure excellent evidence-based practices within an ever-changing health care technology landscape,” said Landry.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. David Lanoue, agreed that this upgrade will greatly enhance nursing instruction at SAU. “We have one of the most successful nursing programs in the state,” Dr. Lanoue said, “and we are so grateful to Troy and Francoise Hendricks for helping us to provide a state-of-the-art simulation experience for our students.” 
Troy Hendricks, a graduate of Village High School, completed one semester at Magnolia A&M (now SAU) before serving four years in the U.S. Air Force. He took his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 1958 from Louisiana Tech. Hendricks was one of the many engineers at NASA who worked on the Apollo 11 mission that put men on the moon in 1969. He designed a tool used by astronauts to collect core samples from the moon. Prior to passing away in 2020, Hendricks retired from Amoco Oil Co., now BP, in Texas City in 1989, and he and Francoise relocated to Lindale, Texas, in 1997.
The Southern Arkansas University Foundation assists and coordinates raising and managing funds on behalf of SAU to further the purposes of the University. For more information on how you can give, please visit www.saufoundation.org.
