Community Champions: Courtney Wallace

Community Champions: Courtney Wallace

SHSU Professor Marks Nearly Two Decades of Life-Saving Impact Through National Donor Program

Since joining Sam Houston State University in 2006, Clinical Assistant Professor Courtney Wallace has dedicated her career to advancing student engagement, community health and life-saving service. Nearly 20 years later, her work with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), formerly Be the Match, stands as one of the university’s most impactful public health initiatives.

As the NMDP campus liaison, Wallace has helped enroll about 12,000 potential donors into the national registry, all from SHSU. Of those, 97 individuals — “that we know of currently,” she noted — have already completed the donation process, providing life-saving matches for patients battling blood cancers, blood disorders and other serious conditions.

“Finding a compatible donor is complex, but registering is as simple as a cheek swab,” Wallace said. “My goal is to ensure our students and staff understand the impact they can make and feel empowered to take that step.”

Wallace first launched SHSU’s donor program in 2009 alongside colleague Susie Stone, who has since retired. Together, they organized annual registration drives and collaborated with NMDP representatives to connect the campus with national donation efforts. According to NMDP officials, SHSU consistently records an unusually high donor-commitment rate, meaning enrollees are more likely to follow through once a match is identified. Wallace attributes that success to informed education at the point of registration and strong faculty collaboration across departments.

Over the years, Wallace has woven NMDP participation into the academic experience, including integrating the program as an Academic Community Engagement component in her Multicultural Health course. NMDP representatives frequently present in Public Health, Kinesiology, First-Year Experience and other classes with support from faculty partners.

In 2023, Wallace founded the SHSU NMDP Chapter, a student organization aimed at expanding outreach and strengthening campus involvement. She serves as the group’s advisor alongside colleague Rachael Wilcox.

“Our success is the result of collaboration among countless faculty, staff and students,” Wallace said. “Together, we’ve created a campus culture that values service and recognizes the real power we have to help others.”

SHSU’s contributions have earned national recognition. In 2015, the university received a National Service Award from NMDP, and Wallace was invited to speak at the organization’s conference in Minnesota.

The university’s commitment extends well beyond annual drives. Since 2013, SHSU has hosted biannual, four-day registration events each fall and spring. The initiative has also involved athletics teams, Greek organizations, the Honors College, First-Year Experience courses and numerous health-related classes.

The campus also collaborates through friendly competitions like “Battle of the Swab” with Stephen F. Austin State University and the new “Battle of the Cats” with Texas State University. In fact, NMDP just announced that SHSU won the new donor-registration competition with Texas State University. The contest measured two categories: the total number of individuals registered and the total volunteer hours completed by students. A traveling trophy was awarded to SHSU as this year’s winning institution.

Wallace has partnered with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to host blood drives, expanded outreach to SHSU’s Woodlands Center campus, and engaged student groups through philanthropic projects and grant-supported initiatives. Several Public Health students have secured internships through the partnership, and one student was later hired by NMDP.

Two SHSU student-athletes (one in softball and one in bowling) have also gone on to complete donations through the registry.

Most recently, NMDP at SHSU has strengthened ties with the Student Wellness office, partnering on Health Fairs, Blood Drives, De-Stress Fest and other health-promotion events. Wallace said she remains committed to expanding the university’s outreach and helping more students understand the significance of registering.

“Through my work with NMDP, I hope to inspire students with a passion for helping others,” she said. “We have already changed so many lives, and I look forward to continuing this mission at Sam Houston State University.”