It’s 96 inches tall, weighs more than 1,200 pounds and depicts a blissful little girl on tiptoes atop a globe.

It’s the College of Education’s new bronze statue, dedicated in April as a permanent symbol of the cause of education. Fittingly, it’s called “Teaching to change the world.”

The work, sculpted over 8 months by Dallas artist Angela Mia de la Vega, is mounted on a stone platform on the southeast side of the Bailey Building and is meant to inspire future education students.

“This beautiful statue represents what we accomplish in the College of Education,” said Sam Dietz, dean of the college. “Our task is to empower, to make teachers and children more able to succeed in a complicated and intertwined world. All education students and alumni will visit the statue, and it will make them smile and understand the heights they can reach.”

Donated by the Malcolm and Ann Louden family, the work is dedicated to Malcolm’s late parents, H. Malcolm and Olive Gooding Louden, who passed away in 2006 and 2005 respectively.

“I think the statue represents their spirit and courage,” said Malcolm Louden ’67. “They had great hope for their children and grandchildren and encouraged a dedication to learning.”

The work is 100 percent bronze with stainless steel supporting the interior of the globe.