The University of Texas at Austin recently established an endowment named for former women’s basketball coach Jody Conradt to promote female leadership and equity to students and to encourage faculty research in the area.

In its first years, the endowment will support the Texas Undergraduate Leadership Program in the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, providing stipends, mentoring, workshops and community-service opportunities to 10 women from each undergraduate class. To participate, students must come from groups that are under-represented on campus or study disciplines in which women are under-represented.

Conradt, who coached the Longhorns for 31 years, led her teams to national championships and helped her players develop on and off the court.

Texas President William Powers Jr. described Conradt as “a pioneer in women’s college basketball, and thereby in progress toward equality for young women.”

Conradt said she was gratified and humbled to be associated with the fund and its mission to advance, enrich and educate female students.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of coaching and being in athletics administration was witnessing the maturation, confidence-building and empowerment of undergraduate women,” she said. “Developing leaders is central to our university mission. The academic programs offered by the College of Liberal Arts and the Center for Women and Gender Studies prepare young women for such roles.”

The fund marks the first time that an academic endowment at Texas was created to honor the coach of a women’s team.