UCM Celebrates Dedication of Hough Education and Counseling Center

From left, University of Central Missouri (UCM) President Roger Best, counseling program student Rachel Wesley, Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership Chair Dr. Nancy Forth, alumnus Greg Thurman, alumnus Mike Hough, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Foundation Executive Director Courtney Goddard and College of Education Interim Dean Matt Thomas celebrate the ribbon cutting for the new Hough Education and Counseling Center on Thursday, Oct. 24.

 

 

During a week filled with Homecoming spirit, the University of Central Missouri (UCM) College of Education and the UCM Alumni Foundation celebrated the dedication of the Hough Education and Counseling Center on Thursday, Oct. 24.

The new facility, which is housed in the former Lovinger Building gymnasium, is the result of a generous gift from alumnus and supporter Greg Thurman, ‘74, as well as additional support from UCM. 

Thurman said he and his wife, Carla, felt that donating to the UCM Alumni Foundation fits their giving philosophy.

“I know how lucky I've been and I believe giving back is an essence of who we are as people,” Thurman said. “I know I didn't do all this on my own, and I don't have a right to all my money, so I think it has to be given back to people who made a difference. That first step for me is UCM.”

Thurman said he is happy to know the Hough Center will play a role in training future teachers and counselors who can help children and adults navigate their mental health. He chose to name the facility after his nephew, Dr. Michael Hough, ‘93, ‘98, who has been an educator for more than three decades.

Hough, who has four degrees from UCM, is the Holden R-III School District superintendent and a UCM Alumni Foundation board member. He said an educator’s primary goal is to impact their students, and he sees the Hough Center’s impact as twofold: training future mental health professionals who can break down barriers for students and providing a space for professional development and collaboration. 

“One classroom teacher can't make a difference for everybody, but the whole school system can,” Hough said. “And so that's what we want to do and that's what I love about this facility is that there's going to be mental health improvements and collaboration improvements, and I think that's amazing.”

UCM President Roger Best thanked the Thurmans, the Board of Governors and university faculty and leadership for their contributions to the Hough Center, which will help UCM fill a vital need in Missouri.

“The mental health training and counseling education we're able to provide because of all of these individuals, and especially the generosity of the Thurmans, is going to make a huge difference for our region, the state and beyond,” Best said.

Students and faculty began using the Hough Center in Fall 2023. Half of the renovated space includes faculty offices, a lobby, an intern office, conference rooms that double as small classrooms, a play therapy room and several individual and group counseling rooms. Each room was designed to reflect real-world mental health clinics while providing clients with a comfortable and cozy environment.

The other half is a large meeting room that has already been used for new student orientation meetings, new faculty workshops, gatherings of regional K-12 school administrators, UCM’s Rural Schools Summit and Alumni Foundation board meetings.

Matt Thomas, interim dean of the College of Education, said the new space allows the university to advance its mission for the nationally accredited Counselor Education Program and the College of Education in general.  

“As we try to do our very best to provide our community, state and region with great teachers, counselors and school leaders, it is a wonderful resource to be able to host meaningful meetings right here in the College of Education,” Thomas said.

The play therapy and counseling rooms all feature large one-way windows that allow faculty and students to observe those offering counseling services. 

“We have space where we can do direct supervision of our students so that we’re able to give them immediate feedback that can help them grow and develop into the wonderful counselors they’re going to be,” said Dr. Nancy Forth, chair of the Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership.

Counseling students previously used a clinic space on the ground floor of the Lovinger Building. Forth said the previous clinic was state of the art when it was built in the late 1990s.

“But we outgrew the space, and the new center is more welcoming for clients, much more efficient and allows for better supervision,” Forth added. “It’s just fabulous.” 

For more information about the College of Education and the Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership, visit ucmo.edu/college-of-education. For more information about the UCM Alumni Foundation, visit ucmfoundation.org.

 

Dr. Michael Hough, left, stands with his uncle, Greg Thurman, inside the Hough Education and Counseling Center after the ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, Oct. 24.