Dr. Pug Deavenport Parris will be the featured speaker for McMurry University’s Fall 2008 Opening Convocation at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, in Radford Auditorium. McMurry’s national champion men’s track team will be honored at a reception just prior to the Convocation in the Furr Welcome Center at 10:15 a.m. All All-School picnic will follow the convocation ceremony.
Dr. Parris is Professor of Physical Education at McMurry University. She joined the McMurry physical education department in fall of 1978 and has served as Program Director of the Department of Kinesiology & Health Fitness since 2000.
Dr. Parris graduated from Stanton (Texas) High School in 1969 and received her Bachelor of Science degree from McMurry College in 1973. She received a Master’s of Education from Abilene Christian University in 1977 and her Doctor of Education degree from Texas A&M University in 1991.
In 1997, Dr. Parris served as President of the Texas Association for Health and Physical Education, a 5000-member professional alliance. She is the co-author of "Physical Education Funbook: Grades K-8," published in 1999 by Great Activities Publishing Company and of the book “And the Beat Goes On,” published in 2002 by Mirror Publishing.
Dr. Parris served as Chairperson of the McMurry faculty in 1999-2000. She was a 2007 Recipient (with co-workers Paul Smith and Cynthia Rutledge) for a McMurry Kiva Grant used to investigate the physical fitness profiles of NCAA Division III athletes. In 2003, she received the Cross & Flame Award, Northwest Texas Annual Conference for service to the United Methodist Church and to McMurry University.
In 1999, she was the first recipient of McMurry’s highest faculty award, the Bennett Award for Outstanding Teaching, Service and Leadership. Other awards she has received include the Samuel Taylor Fellowship for research in Physical Education, the Sears National Collegiate Award for Outstanding Teaching and Leadership, and the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Honor Award in 1993.
Dr. Parris conducts an average of six workshops annually. Recent bookings include Chicago, Minneapolis, West Orange (NJ), St. Louis, Nashville, New Orleans, Dallas, El Paso and Phoenix as well as numerous other Texas cities. Internationally, she has presented at the European Alliance for Health & Physical Education in Berlin (1993).
Dr. Parris is an active member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church and is a certified lay speaker for the United Methodist Church. She has been married since 1972 to Rickey Parris, a McMurry graduate and recently retired physical educator. Their only child, Brad, is McMurry graduate (class of 2001), and is the assistant track coach at McMurry. Brad is married to the former Corissa Thompson, a nurse at Abilene Regional Medical Center, also a graduate of McMurry. She is the proud grandmother of twins Braxton & Brody Parris, born July 17, 2008.
