Ernest Joe and Jo Ann Parks-Harber Endowed Scholarship (SP0046)

Ernest Joe and Jo Ann Harber Endowed Scholarship

This endowment was established in 2021 by Ernest Joe in honor of his wife and family. Jo Ann Parks and Ernest Joe Harber were married in 1958 and were married for nearly 60 years until her passing. They raised three children together and enjoyed 5 grandchildren together (2 that attend Texas State) and all have become successful individuals. Mr. and Mrs. Harber attended the Sunset Ridge Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas, taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and hosted church dinners together. Mrs. Harber volunteered countless hours to schools, PT As and churches, was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She lived with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for over 37 years, amazing her doctors before succumbing to Acute Leukemia in 2018. Mr. Harber is a Texas State Alumni who graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1953 and a Master of Arts degree in 1957. Attending classes taught by such professors as Dr. Henry Norris and Dr. Charles Smith. Mr. Harber spent 3 years in the United States Army serving at the Institute of Surgical Research Burns Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. After receiving his Master of A11s degree, he began teaching at San Antonio College first as a Chemistry teacher for 2 years and then was able to switch to Biology (his major as an undergraduate/graduate) and served as the Chair in Biology for just over 17 years, serving to educate students for over 36 years until his retirement in 1994. He retired as Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Biological Sciences, San Antonio College.

Distributions from the endowment shall be used to award scholarships to graduate students enrolled at Texas State University within the Department of Biology in the College of Science and Engineering.

Criteria to select recipients is as follows:
• Minimum 3.5 GPA;
• Pursuing a graduate or doctoral degree (any specialization) in Biology;
• In the process of completing masters/doctoral research;
• Funds may be applied towards tuition and fees or the recipient’s research work; and,
• Preference for the recipient to be pursuing a career teaching at the college level in Biology.