MavWire 2015 Archive » MavWire — Monday, December 7, 2015

Dr. Ali Abolmaali

High-tech tools to evaluate sustainable structural life of Arlington sewer pipelines

Civil engineers at UTA's Center for Structural Engineering Research and Simulation have a more efficient, cost-effective solution for aging and failing sewer lines.

UTA engineers will complete the work under a three-year, $882,000 contract approved by the Arlington City Council in November.

Ali Abolmaali, center director and chair of the Civil Engineering Department, leads the UTA team, which also includes Yeonho Park, a UTA civil engineering post-doctoral fellow, and Mohamad Razavi and Mohsen Shahandashti, senior lecturers in civil engineering. They will evaluate all sewer pipes with a 60-inch or greater circumference and, in a second phase, will recommend a new, more sustainable and resilient system of fiber-reinforced pipes for the future.

Read more about sewer pipeline project.

Dr. D.J. Seo

Lake level prediction tool to aid water providers

Environmental engineer D.J. Seo, associate professor of civil engineering, is creating a tool for water supply systems that will allow water providers to make better decisions about when to transfer water from one reservoir system to another and when to release water downstream from the reservoirs.

Dr. Seo will use a two-year $283,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Program Office to forecast inflows into water supply reservoirs and to generate optimal solutions for operation of water supply systems for major water providers in the region.

He will collaborate on the project with the Tarrant Regional Water District, the National Weather Service, the Trinity River Authority, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Read more about the water planning tool.

Dr. Siamak Ardekani

Transportation agencies, civil engineers collaborate on fee to encourage tollway use

The use of managed lanes could help traffic move more efficiently on North Texas highways if UTA researchers can determine a toll price that will encourage use without increasing congestion.

Civil engineering Professor Siamak Ardekani and doctoral student Maryam Zabihi are working with the North Central Texas Council of Governments through a $35,000 project to determine the sensitivity of drivers to toll prices that would ensure that managed lanes are used efficiently and that traffic consistently travels at speeds of at least 50 mph, which is the benchmark set by NCTCOG.

Read more about the NCTCOG managed-lanes project.

Proposals wanted for Strategic Research Appointments for Faculty program

The Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President for Research have created the Strategic Research Appointments for Faculty (SRAF) program to enable faculty members to conduct research at other institutions and develop research collaborations.

The appointments will be awarded on a competitive basis and provide support for one semester at full salary. Awards will be limited to full-time, tenured faculty members who have been at UTA for at least two consecutive academic years. Funds will be provided to cover instructional needs during the appointment period.

Information sessions are 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, in Room 228 of the Engineering Research Building and 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, in Room 210 of the Life Science Building.

Read more about Strategic Research Appointments for Faculty.

Maverick on the move Keep the Maverick momentum going Wednesday, Dec. 8, when the Kaelon Wilson (5) and the rest of the men's basketball team take on Bradley at College Park Center. Have your smartphone ready for social media contests throughout the game, and the first 250 fans garner #MavCity T-shirts. The Mavs are 7-2 after a 90-67 victory over North Texas on Thursday and Saturday's 76-62 win over UT El Paso. Then on Sunday, Dec. 13, be among the first 200 fans to nab a UTA stocking for Santa to fill with goodies when the Lady Mavs face Western Kentucky. All games include a Maverick basketball T-shirt toss. Single game tickets are $7-20. Take advantage of the Faculty/Staff All-Sports Pass for $99 and catch all home athletic competitions. For these and other ticket options, go to utatickets.com. Watch the Maverick motivation video.

Have you enrolled in NetIDplus yet?

Faculty and staff using VPN to access UTA resources from off-campus must enroll in NetIDplus by Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Starting Thursday, Dec. 10, faculty and staff will be required to use NetIDplus and the .Employees VPN option when accessing UTA resources from off-campus.

NetIDplus, UTA’s two-factor authentication, is the best defense against password compromise via phishing schemes or malicious software. Use of two-factor authentication is mandated by UT System policy.

You will receive an email from no-reply@duosecurity.com titled NetIDplus Security Enrollment. The enrollment process requires the use of a computer and an authentication device, such as a cell phone, landline, or tablet. Self-enroll at any time using the NetIDplus enrollment site.

Later, NetIDplus will be expanded to UTShare and additional UTA applications.

For more information, visit the NetIDplus website and two-factor authentication site or contact Help Desk for assistance at helpdesk@uta.edu and 2-2208.

Celebrate the season at annual holiday reception for faculty, staff

Ring in the holiday season with the annual Faculty and Staff Holiday Reception 3-5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, in the Bluebonnet Ballroom of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

President Vistasp Karbhari is the host and will make remarks. Enjoy the festive sounds of the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Tim Ishii, associate professor of music.

Holiday refreshments will be served. The reception is sponsored in part by UT Arlington Dining Services.

Pumpkin chunkin' catapult lecture today looks at STEM motivation

Got pumpkins? Maybe you need a catapult, too. The two are topics for a Mechanical Science and Engineering Department seminar at 4 p.m. today, Monday, Dec. 7, in Room 100 of Nedderman Hall.

David Mollenhauer, senior materials engineer for the Air Force Research Laboratory, will discuss how a world-championship class pumpkin chunkin’ catapult motivates people to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He will review a new, carbon-fiber composite throwing arm for the catapult, as well as catapult history and improvements.

Dr. Mollenhauer also will advise on selecting the optimum pumpkin for use as a projectile in competition-level shots.

Use correct address for FedEx, UPS deliveries

The Office of Property Management is working with FedEx and UPS to ensure proper delivery of packages to campus buildings and departments. Please use one of the following formats to ensure the proper delivery of packages from any carrier to campus addresses.

Deliveries should include this information when sent to:

A deliverable address is an address that is complete. It must include a block number, street name, suite number if applicable, city, state, and ZIP code. Undeliverable addresses are those that are missing any element of the full address, as described above.

Packages with an undeliverable address will be delivered to Central Receiving. Property Management staff will deliver those packages to the appropriate department.

For questions about UTA package delivery, email property_management@uta.edu or call 2-2191.

At your service Participants of the Total Customer Experience training program were recognized at a reception Thursday by President Vistasp Karbhari and Jean Hood, vice president of human resources. The train-the-trainer classes were the first steps of a customer service project. Completing the course were Loretta Cooper, Accounting Services; Danielle Sanders, Athletics; Laura Silva, Auxiliary Services; Pete Fitch, Choon Leong, Jairo Omana Penaranda, Jasmine Young, College of Business; Erin Cavazos, Keith Halman, Business Affairs; Betty Scammell, Budgeting and Planning; Tiffany Gonzalez, Compliance and Legal Affairs; Amy Kling, Development; Tamra Rains, College of Education; Kelly Henshall, Facilities Management; Sherelle Shaw, Human Resources; Thelma Cabera, Mark Graves, College of Liberal Arts; Candice Calhoun-Butts, Tiffany Kirksey, College of Nursing and Health Innovation; Terrill Richardson, Project Management; Mary Lybrand, Regulatory Services; Mandy Hall, Special Events; Nelda Lawson, Social Work; Bear Lunce, University Center/summer camps; Laura Wolf, University College; Lori-Lea Cobb, University Communications; Christina Graves, UTA Fort Worth; Marquel Anteola, Jody Bailey, Alyson Malczon, Antoinette Nelson, Heather Scalf, UTA Libraries; Yvonne Roque, UTA Police; and Carl Colwell, UTA Research Institute.

Police Department compliance comment session set for Dec. 16

The public and the University community can comment on the UT Arlington Police Department's compliance with professional standards at 3:30 p.m.  Wednesday, Dec. 16, in Room 200 at the Wetsel Service Center or by telephone at 2-8860.

The session is part of an on-site assessment by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The commission requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services.

The assessment team also will accept comments by telephone 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 16 at 2-5604.

Appearances at the public information session and telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency's ability to comply with CALEA's standards. A copy of the standards is available at the police department office, 700 S. Davis Drive. Local contacts are Chief of Police Kim Lemaux, 2-3389; Assistant Chief Glenn Cole, 2-1744; and Accreditation Manager Melissa Mais, 2-2847.

Submit written comments about the Police Department’s compliance with the standards for accreditation to CALEA, 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Va., 20155.

ACES symposium now accepting abstract submissions

At ACES, undergraduate and graduate students work with faculty mentors in their disciplines to write and submit abstracts for the competition.

Submissions deadline is Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. ACES 2016 is Wednesday, March 23, in the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Email questions to aces@uta.edu.

Proposals due next week for annual advising conference

The UTA Advising Association is looking for interactive, innovative, and engaging presentations for its 19th annual advising conference. "Professional Growth in Advising: Dig it!" is set for Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016.

Abstracts of approved proposals will be included in the conference program and on the conference website. Submissions are due by Monday, Dec. 11.

Plan for departmental summer camps

If your department is interested in sponsoring a day or overnight summer camp, check the Conference Services website for information and requirements for making your program a success.

The Summer Camp Guide outlines information needed to host a summer program on campus. All camps are required to complete a Request to Host form for approval. Complete the housing and dining forms as soon as possible.

Questions? Contact Maggie Quinn at mquinn@uta.edu.

Wednesday, Dec. 9

ProCard Register online. 8:30-11 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building. Business Affairs.

Coaching Skills for Supervisors Register online. 10 a.m.-noon, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Thursday, Dec 10

Financial Statements & the Reconciliation Process Register online. 8:30-11 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building. Business Affairs.

Friday, Dec. 11

Professional Telephone Techniques Register online. 10 a.m.-noon, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Tuesday, Dec 15

Requisitions Register online. 8:30-11 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building. Business Affairs.

Effective Delegation Register online. 9-11 a.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Wednesday, Dec 16

Payment Vouchers Register online. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building. Business Affairs.

Thursday, Dec. 17

Motivating Your Employees Register online. 9-11 a.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Friday, Dec 18

Travel and Expenses Register online. 8:30-11 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building. Business Affairs.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)

Via Dance highlights choreography, dance talent "Via Dance" is a collection of new, entertaining, and progressive dance works by UTA faculty, student choreographers, and guests. The collection includes contemporary ballet, modern, musical theatre, and tap. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec 11-12, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Mainstage Theatre in the Fine Arts Building. Artistic director Amanda Jackson and associate artistic director Meredith Knight are joined by Dallas-based guest choreographer, Danielle Georgiou, internationally recognized guest sound designer John Osburn, and student choreographers, Bri Bowens, Randi Kosik, Jonathan Switzenberg, and Brittany Wachsmann. Student dancers are Bri Bowens, Kimber Carter, Iván Díaz, Kandace Davis, Niki Davis, Markicia Johnson, Randi Kosik, Kacie Le, Cheyenne Masters, Megan Medina, Tyler Moore, Alex Pope, Stephanie Ramirez, Tiffany Sellers, Shelby Solis, Gabrielle Steele, Elizabeth Stevens, Kelly Stewart, Jonathan Switzenberg, Ariana Vera, and Brittany Wachsmann. Tickets are $7 for faculty, staff, students, and seniors, and $10 for the general public. For tickets and reservations, contact the Maverick Theatre Company Box Office at 2-2669.

Sunday, Dec. 13

Women's Basketball Mavericks vs. Western Kentucky. Holiday Hoops. Tickets $7-20. 2 p.m., College Park Center. Also, vs. Georgia State, 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30; vs. Georgia Southern, 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2. Athletics.

Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 17-19

Commencement Ceremonies College Park Center. Commencement.

Ongoing

Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition The exhibit showcases showcases recent work by graduating seniors in painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, glass, film, and photography. Opening reception is 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 11, The Gallery at UTA. Through Dec. 19. The Gallery at UTA.

Ornament and Adornment: The Decoration and Application Techniques of African Masks 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, Visual Resources Commons, Room 2109, Fine Arts Building. Through Dec. 9. Art and Art History.

University Center Gallery: Digital Photography Student Exhibit 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. University Center Gallery, E.H. Hereford University Center. Through Dec. 12. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Special Collections: Ringside: Memories of WCC Wrestling 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, sixth floor, Central Library. Through Jan. 16. UTA Libraries Special Collections.

Planetarium Holiday season  includes four programs using a full-color, 360-degree laser projector: Laser Country, Laser Holidays, Laser Pink Floyd, and Laser Zeppelin. Also, Holiday Music Magic and Season of Light as well as One World/One Sky, Cosmic Colors, Spacepark 360: Infinity, and Secret of the Cardboard Rocket. See the schedule. Closed Fridays, Dec. 24 and 30. Planetarium at UTA.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)