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Beatrice "Bea" Wallace Supports Pushing the Edge

Center for BrainHealth

At a dinner almost 20 years ago, Beatrice “Bea” and Ray Wallace met Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman. Sometime before dessert, Dr. Chapman shared with them her vision for advancing brain health. As Ms. Wallace remembers, it was an ambitious plan. “I was so intrigued that she would take on such a big health care issue. That she would be exploring brain health, a part of the body that had been overlooked for years, was intriguing to me,” said Ms. Wallace. Inspired by the pioneering research and new technologies aimed at advancing the science, Ms. Wallace says brain health is one of the last frontiers in medicine. “It’s a fascinating area and one that deserves support,” said Ms. Wallace. Through the years, Bea Wallace and her late husband Ray joined other private donors to help turn Dr. Chapman’s vision into a reality. As their friendship developed into partnership, the Wallaces’ philanthropy has become concrete – and glass. “We’re grateful for their support in funding of the new MRI reception area at the Brain Performance Institute,” Dr. Chapman said. “I feel there’s a kindred spirit between us. Bea likes things that are women leading – pushing the edge.” The subject of a 2008 book entitled A Renaissance Woman, Ms. Wallace grew up on an Oklahoma ranch during the Great Depression, and later attended the University of Oklahoma. Among her many accomplishments, she was the first woman to chair the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the first woman to serve on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. Today, Ms. Wallace is still ranching and actively supporting a variety of artistic and scientific efforts, including the advancement of brain health. Referring to the rapid growth of research initiatives at the Center for Brain Health, she commented, “I’m so glad we went to that dinner years ago.”CONTACT Stephanie Hoefken 972.883.3221 stephanie.hoefken@utdallas.eduABOUT CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH Center for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a translational research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting cognition and emotion in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations build on Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™), a proprietary methodology developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades.

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Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD

Chief Director Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project

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