September '07 
Center of Activity
Phase one of the Maverick Activities Center opens, ushering in a new era of fun and fitness. With 190,000 square feet of new and renovated space, the MAC quickly becomes a choice destination for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Bill Bradley Visits Campus
New York Times best-selling author and former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley addresses the United States' problems and his proposed remedies in a lecture at Texas Hall. The Rhodes Scholar and basketball hall-of-famer answers questions and signs books following his speech.
Khrushchev's Son Talks Space
Sergei Khrushchev, son of former Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev, speaks on campus in observance of the 50th anniversary of Sputnik I, the world's first artificial space satellite.
Vice Presidents Named
President James D. Spaniolo adds two members to his leadership team. Jerry Lewis begins as vice president for communications and Jean Hood as vice president for human resources. Lewis has more than two decades of higher education communications and marketing experience and most recently was communications vice president at the University of Miami. Hood has 20 years of human resources experience in higher education, including vice president for human resources at Roger Williams University.
Jerry Lewis
Jean Hood
Turning 40
The School of Urban and Public Affairs celebrates its 40th anniversary and 1,000th graduate. Originally called the Institute of Urban Studies, the school was established in 1967 by an act of the Texas Legislature.
October '07
A Home for Hispanics
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities Hispanic Student Success Study recognizes UT Arlington as a trailblazer in closing the gap
between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students. The AASCU examined why some state-supported four-year universities graduate Hispanic students at higher rates than others. UT Arlington was one of 11 universities selected to participate based on high graduation rates.
Alumnus Lands Major League Managerial Job
Former UT Arlington infielder Trey Hillman ('91 BA) is named manager of the Kansas City Royals. He spent five seasons managing the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan, leading the team to Japan Series and Asia Cup titles in 2006.
Mascot Gallops onto Scene
Blaze, UT Arlington's new mascot, debuts at men's and women's basketball games in Texas Hall.
The Future of Education
Former Secretary of Education Rod Paige stresses global education standards and broader accountability during a speech in the Central Library.
November '07
Mavericks Go Green
UT Arlington launches Mavericks Go Green, a strengthened sustainability thrust to help meet serious environmental challenges. Key components of the initiative include the establishment of the President's Sustainability Committee and membership in the Association for the Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education.
A Day to Remember
The City of Arlington declares Nov. 2 Aaron Gouge Day. The sophomore Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball player earned National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-America first-team and conference MVP honors last year.
Palko Gift Establishes Mind, Brain Professorship
Donations to the College of Education from Steffen Palko and his wife, Betsy, exceed $1 million. The couple's November gift of $250,000 establishes a professorship for Mind, Brain Education. A previous gift of $766,800 helped create the Southwest Center for Mind, Brain Education.
Golfers Earn High Ranking
The golf team earns its first NCAA top-20 ranking after defeating host UT Austin in its own tournament and winning the UT Arlington Fall Classic.
December '07
Accreditation Reaffirmed
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirms UT Arlington's accreditation. SACS approval means the University has met the criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education and SACS, which administers the accreditation process for colleges and universities in 11 states. The three-step reaffirmation process, which occurs every 10 years, began in 2004.
20,000 and Counting
A testament to its status as the largest and most comprehensive engineering school in North Texas, the College of Engineering celebrates its 20,000th graduate.
School of Nursing Awards First Doctoral Degrees
The School of Nursing graduates its first two students, Maxine Adegbola and Gloria Carr, from the Ph.D. in Nursing program. It is significant that our first two doctoral graduates are members of minority groups underrepresented in nursing,
said Mary Lou Bond, the program's inaugural associate dean.
January '08
New Laboratory Links
Genomics, Patient Care
The School of Nursing cuts the ribbon for its Genomics Translational Research Laboratory. A partnership with the Department of Biology's genome biology group and the Department of Psychology's health psychology program, the lab works to transform genomics discoveries into better patient care. The Human Genome Project changes traditional nursing roles, as heath care activities will increasingly be affected by genomic-related issues,
says Patricia Newcomb, the lab's science director.
Fine Arts Dining
Sandwiches, shmears and smoothies find a home in the Fine Arts Building as Einstein Bros. Bagels opens.
Safety Takes Center Stage
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration selects UT Arlington as an OSHA Training Institute Education Center. This addition to the University's Division for Enterprise Development serves safety and health instructional needs throughout Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
February '08
Service Recognition
UT Arlington is named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. The award is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for volunteering, service learning and civic engagement. UT Arlington is cited for its student involvement in volunteer activities, service-learning classes and internships that contributed more than 120,000 service hours to local, national and international communities.
Spike Lee Packs Texas Hall
Filmmaker Spike Lee talks about life's challenges and tells a Texas Hall crowd that a strong work ethic and careful career selections will define their futures. You must be strong enough to tell the people you love what is, or is not, your calling,
says the twice Oscar-nominated producer. Stand up and make your choice.
Million-Dollar Gift Addresses Nursing Shortage
The School of Nursing receives more than $1 million to help meet the demand for nurses by providing a hospital-based, accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. An in-kind donation of $664,848 from Texas Health Resources will be coupled with a three-year, $556,291 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The project, LEARN (Leveraging Existing Academic Resources in Nursing), aims to increase enrollment, maximize graduation rates and improve readiness to practice.
Homecoming Tradition Debuts
Homecoming 2008 features the first golf cart parade as student organizations drive their blue-and-orange decorated vehicles from the University Center to the Central Library mall.
On the Campaign Trail
Students jam the Palo Duro Lounge for a question-and-answer session with former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, on the campaign trail for her mother, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton.
March '08
Forest Whitaker Discusses Prejudice, Career
Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker visits campus as part of the University's OneBook program focusing on prejudice. During a lecture in Texas Hall, the native Texan says everyone judges and separates. When you start defining things, that creates desires,
he explains. Desires fuel how you view the world.
Smart Hospital Gets Smarter
The School of Nursing and Cardinal Health establish the Cardinal Health Nursing Discovery Center at the Smart Hospital. A key strength of this partnership is the opportunity to work together to conduct research to advance best practices that improve patient safety,
nursing Dean Elizabeth Poster says.
A Ratings Winner
U.S. News & World Report ranks the School of Urban and Public Affairs among the nation's top graduate public affairs programs. The 2008-09 rankings are based on survey responses of deans, directors and department chairs representing Master of Public Affairs and Administration programs in the United States. SUPA jumps 19 places from last year.
Phase Two Adds to MAC
Grand opening ceremonies herald phase two of the Maverick Activities Center. Additions include an indoor soccer field, racquetball courts, 16-lap indoor track, badminton courts, video-gaming area, outdoor sand volleyball courts, outdoor basketball courts and multipurpose rooms.
Heading to the Big Dance
Senior Larry Posey celebrates UT Arlington's 82-79 win over Northwestern State in the championship game of the Southland Conference Tournament. The victory gives the Mavericks their first NCAA Tournament berth in 32 years of Division I basketball. In Little Rock, Ark., UT Arlington falls to top-seeded Memphis in the first round. The team posted a school-record 21 wins and ranked 27th in the nation in opponents' field goal percentage at 40.1 percent.
April '08
Political Insider Comes Home
Alumnus Jim Wilkinson ('93 BBA) delivers keynote remarks at the President's Convocation for Academic Excellence in Texas Hall. Chief of staff for U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Wilkinson also has been counsel to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and retired Gen. Tommy Franks ('71 BBA).
A Roof Like No Other
Volunteers install a green roof test site on 1,000 square feet atop the Life Science Building. The roof, part of the University's commitment to creating a more sustainable campus, has benefits ranging from energy savings to improved air quality. The installation includes roofing systems; irrigation; plants; wireless sensors to monitor light, temperature and moisture; and about 30,000 pounds of soil.
A Banner Year
UT Arlington celebrates its rich history of embracing international students by unveiling new banners in the atrium of Nedderman Hall. The 120-plus banners represent the native countries of College of Engineering students.
Social Work Anniversary
At its fourth annual Night of Excellence, the School of Social Work commemorates 40 years of advancing social work education.
May '08
Music to His Ears
Sophomore music performance major Adam Hanna wins the International Trombone Association Larry Wiehe Solo Competition at the International Trombone Festival in Salt Lake City.
Development Vice President Joins Administrative Team
James C. Lewis joins UT Arlington as vice president for development. He brings 25 years of experience in higher education development, the past 13 as vice president for institutional advancement at Austin College, where his leadership helped raise more than $120 million for the New Era Campaign.
Legendary Coach Eulogized
The Maverick community mourns the sudden death of revered wheelchair basketball coach Jim Hayes. The 1974 UT Arlington alumnus began the Office for Students with Disabilities in 1976, where he advised and mentored students with physical and mental disabilities. He coached the Movin' Mavs to seven national basketball championships and was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1982. We'll always feel his influence,
says Tyler Garner, a four-year player under Hayes.
Large Commission
The Military Science Department commissions 15 cadets as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, marking UT Arlington’s largest cadet class in almost two decades.
News Legend Offers Advice
Keynote speaker Bob Schieffer advises graduates to find a career they enjoy during his remarks at the fourth annual Graduation Celebration at Maverick Stadium. "I urge you not to worry so much about success, which to most people means making a lot of money," the CBS News icon says. "Instead, I hope you will pursue what really excites you."
June '08
TXU Energy Tree Donation Boosts Green Efforts
The campus gets greener as the first of 100 trees donated by TXU Energy is planted near the Central Library mall. A gift through the School of Social Work, the trees support UT Arlington’s efforts to preserve the environment.
Developing Nursing Leaders
Professor Beth Mancini, associate dean for undergraduate programs in the School of Nursing, is appointed to the Baylor Health Care Research Professorship. Established in August 2007, the $100,000 professorship promotes research collaboration between UT Arlington and Baylor Health Care System hospitals on leadership development among nurses.
The Physics of Partnerships
The Physics Department establishes a joint graduate degree program with the Changwon National University Physics Department in Korea. Students will complete coursework and research in Korea and at UT Arlington and receive master’s degrees or doctorates from both institutions.
Grant Helps Math Majors
The National Science Foundation awards a $483,000 grant to the Mathematics Department for scholarships for academically able students with financial need. Called SURGE (Scholarships for Undergraduates to Reach Goals in Education), the program aims to increase the number of students majoring in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
Freshman Receives All-America Baseball Honors
Outfielder Michael Choice lands a spot on two Freshman All-America teams. Choice is selected for the Louisville Slugger Freshman Team, voted on by Collegiate Baseball Magazine, and the Proline Athletic NCBWA Freshman All-American Team.
July '08
Provost Brings Research Focus
Dr. Donald Bobbitt takes the reins as UT Arlington’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. Since 2003, he had served as dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. His research expertise is in bio-analytical chemistry, and he holds two patents in the field. UT Arlington has made dramatic progress in expanding its research and scholarship profile over the past several years,
he says. This is critically important in solidifying our national reputation.
Building for the Future
Construction begins on the Engineering Research Complex. The project’s centerpiece is the Engineering Research Building, a 230,000-square-foot facility that will foster cutting-edge collaborations between the colleges of engineering and science. Other components include expansion of the Engineering Lab Building and the creation of pedestrian walks to form the Engineering Quad.
Honors College Dean Named
Dr. Karl Petruso is appointed dean of the Honors College. He joined the UT Arlington faculty in 1990 and has served as professor and director of the Anthropology Program in the College of Liberal Arts and as Honors College associate dean since 2002. He is a classical archaeologist specializing in the prehistory of the eastern Mediterranean.
Clean Air Collaboration
UT Arlington becomes the first educational entity to partner with Air North Texas, a regional clean air campaign that aims to be a comprehensive resource and promote a consistent air quality message. Air North Texas was formed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments with support from the Air Quality Public Relations Task Force.
August '08
New Leader for School of Urban and Public Affairs
Dr. Barbara Becker joins UT Arlington as dean of the School of Urban and Public Affairs. She has more than two decades of experience in higher education and for the last 10 years served as director of the School of Planning and the Planning Degree Program at the University of Arizona.
Art Meets Academia
Carried by biology Professor Daniel Formanowicz, UT Arlington’s new mace debuts at the MavsMeet New Student Convocation. The mace was designed and created by glass art Professor David Keens, with assistance from metal art Adjunct Professor Fred Miller. The design includes the school colors in glass below an etched-metal University seal. Surrounding the seal, a wreath in transparent glass symbolizes the pursuit of higher education. Below the seal, wreath and colored glass is a forged metal nest. Under the nest, the mace transitions to the past with etched transparent glass depictions of the University’s former names. All sections rest on a long, swirled-glass, undulating tendril.
Glass Artist Has His Day
The Arlington City Council declares Aug. 5 as David Keens Day. The citation recognizes the art professor’s work in the glass program, as the 2007 Texas State Artist, as a member of the University’s Academy of Distinguished Scholars and notes his solo exhibition at the Arlington Museum of Art.
Collaborative Center Fosters Imaging Breakthroughs
A ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the opening of the UT Arlington Optical Medical Imaging Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The collaboration enables UT Arlington engineering professors to work with UT Southwestern’s medical doctors to create and transfer medical technology from research labs to patients.
New Degree Combats Shortage of Nurses
The School of Nursing announces a new Master of Science in Nursing Education program. The offering addresses the escalating nursing shortage in Texas and the nation, as well as a shortage of nursing faculty by preparing nurses to practice as nurse educators in schools of nursing and health care delivery systems. Associate Professor Wendy Barr is named the program’s director.
Professor Lands $4 million Grant for TMJ Research
Psychology Department Chair Robert Gatchel receives a $4.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue his clinical research on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Approximately 75 percent of the U.S. population experiences symptoms of TMJ during their lifetime. An internationally recognized authority on pain management, Dr. Gatchel has designed an early assessment and intervention program to prevent problems associated with the disorder.
Greek Row Facelift Features Landscaped Median
Greek Row becomes a boulevard with a tree-lined median. Workers resurfaced the area from Davis Street to Nedderman Drive and landscaped the median with trees donated by TXU Energy.
New Eatery Draws Crowds
A Subway sandwich shop begins serving E.H. Hereford University Center diners.
University Unveils Tuition Assistance Program
UT Arlington announces a plan to provide tuition assistance to eligible employees, their spouses and dependent children. Those who qualify for the innovative program receive a 50 percent discount on the University’s regular flat-rate tuition for Texas residents.
