University of Texas Arlington

Safety alert

Classes, events and summer camps at The University of Texas at Arlington were closed for almost two hours Wednesday morning after authorities received a report that an armed man was headed to the campus, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and several other outlets reported. There was never an indication that the suspect actually made it to campus, and authorities announced that the threat passed and the campus reopened about 9:30 a.m. Normal class schedules will resume at noon Wednesday.

Looking to the sky

Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington have published what may be the first academic study of "drone journalism" -- the controversial use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in journalism and mass communication, according to the National Journal, UPI, Science Newsline, the Dallas Observer's Unfair Park blog and several other websites. Mark Tremayne, assistant professor of broadcast communication, is lead author on a paper published in Digital Journalism. Associate professor Andrew Clark is his co-author. Until now, there has been no formal research on the use of smaller drones to photograph and record on private property without permission.

Literature discovery

There’s a brand new poem to add to Juneteenth celebrations this year -- a previously unknown work by the country’s first published black writer, Jupiter Hammon, and it was discovered by a UT Arlington student, according to a story on NPR affiliate KERA/90.1 FM. UT Arlington grad student Julie McCown, uncovered the handwritten poem, an “An Essay on Slavery,” while looking for a specific piece of Hammon’s work. Associate English professor Cedrick May, an expert on Hammon and McCown’s adviser, confirmed the find, and he reads the full poem in the audio story.

Zebra mussels' peak season

Millions of tiny mollusks in two North Texas lakes will raise the cost of water in the region as soon as this summer, and experts, such as UT Arlington professor emeritus of biology Robert McMahon, say they could do the same in other parts of the state, according to a story by the National Public Radio project StateImpact. Texas is entering its peak season for the spread of zebra mussels. “This is not a cheap animal,” McMahon said