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Commencement ceremonies begin tonight

December commencement ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Dec. 10, with the School of Nursing getting things started at Texas Hall. Other commencement ceremonies are scheduled through Monday at Texas Hall. Doors open and guest seating begins one hour prior to the start of each ceremony.

All guest tickets must be claimed and printed in advance. No tickets will be available at Texas Hall. No UT Arlington IDs will be accepted in place of a ticket for admittance.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early to ensure proper seating. Guests arriving more than 10 minutes late will not be seated.

Specific information about commencement is at www.uta.edu/commencement.

Commencement ceremonies are:

Thursday, Dec. 10 — School of Nursing, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 11 — School of Social Work, University Studies, 11:30 a.m.

Friday, Dec. 11 — School of Architecture, 3 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 11 — School of Urban and Public Affairs, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12 — College of Engineering, 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12 — College of Liberal Arts, 4 and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 13 — College of Business, 12:30 and 4 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 14 — College of Science, 3 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 14 — College of Education and Health Professions, 7 p.m.

Free H1N1 influenza vaccination
available to faculty and staff

The Health Services Center is now offering free H1N1 flu shots to faculty and staff at the campus clinic, 605 S. West St.

The immunization clinic hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Vaccinations are available on a first-come, first-served basis for faculty, staff and students. No appointments are needed.

Tarrant and Dallas county health officials also have free H1N1 vaccinations available at area public health clinics. The Arlington Public Health Center, 536 W. Randol Mill Road, near North Cooper Street, is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. A storefront clinic at 5415 S. Cooper St., Suite 125, south of campus, is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

For other locations, call 2-1-1 or go online to: Tarrant County Public Health, Dallas County Public Health, Texas Department of Health.

More information is available at www.uta.edu/flu

Kinesiology professor studying how
partial gravity affects body temperature

Is it possible for the human body to withstand living on the moon and eventually a manned mission to Mars? An assistant professor of kinesiology is helping NASA's space program search for an answer.

David Keller is the principal investigator in a NASA pilot study examining how exposure to the moon's partial gravity affects astronauts' ability to regulate their body temperature.

Dr. Keller has obtained a three-year, $500,000 grant for the study, which is tied into The Vision for Space Exploration.

One major obstacle is that the human body isn't suited for space. When astronauts return to earth, their skeletal muscle shrinks, and their heart function is often reduced or impaired and they lose bone density.

Humans also lose the ability to regulate their body temperature, which is what Keller is tasked with solving.

See more on Moon Mission.

Police comment session set for Monday

Members of the public and the University community are invited to comment on the UT Arlington Police Department's compliance with the highest professional standards during a 6 p.m. session Monday, Dec. 14, in Room 200 at the Wetsel Service Center.

It's that festive time of year Staff members from the College of Engineering enjoying Tuesday's Faculty/Staff Holiday Reception are, from left, Carole Coleman, engineering cooperative education/intern coordinator; Shelly Hamedi, administrative assistant in the dean's office; and Sandy Koenig, administrative assistant for engineering student services. Faculty and staff members filled the Bluebonnet Ballroom for the annual festivities.

The hearing is part of an on-site assessment that will be conducted Monday by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. 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 at 2-8601 between 1 and 5 p.m. Monday or at 2-8600 from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday. 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.

Campus network upgrade due Dec. 18

The Office of Information Technology will conduct maintenance on the network between UT Arlington and the outside world such as Internet, Internet2 and National Lambda Rail 8 p.m.-midnight Friday, Dec. 18. Any outage caused by this maintenance activity should last between five and 10 minutes.

Screen videos by film students tonight

Enjoy an evening of films by UT Arlington students at Overcranked '09 Fall Film Screening, the first event of the new Student Film and Video Organization. Films roll at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Lone Star Auditorium at the Mavericks Activities Center. Tickets are $7. Advance tickets are available in Room 157 in the Fine Arts Building.

Street work should be completed during break

Work on drainage facilities at West and Mitchell streets will be completed during the winter break.

West Street going north from Mitchell Street will be closed briefly. Faculty, staff and students will be allowed to use Nedderman Drive to West Street to enter the student lot and lot F-10.

Temporary signs will direct traffic appropriately. West Street north from Nedderman Drive will remain one way.

Think green for the holidays

UT Arlington and Air North Texas, a regional clean air partnership, offer tips for a green holiday season, such as:

• Send e-cards instead of paper cards.

• Avoid shopping during rush hour to save time and gas.

• Buy locally made items, such as arts and crafts at the Arlington Farmers Market, open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday in downtown Arlington.

Other tips are online at the Mavericks Go Green Web site.

Keys to Everyday Office Success

If your office is a mess and you are drowning in your to-do list, then this class is for you. Participants will learn how backlogs happen, how to manage paperwork, how to eliminate clutter and discover the benefits of organization. 2-4 p.m. today, Thursday, Dec. 10, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Shawn DuMond, 2‑5518, dumond@uta.edu.

Keep holiday stress to a minimum: learn to say no

For many, the holidays were magical in childhood, carefree times to be savored. But then we grew into harried adults, falling victim to the season's high expectations. Holiday stress has become as much a tradition as the seasonal ham. Learn ways to combat stress at Connecting Work & Life.

Find foods that boost mood and fight holiday weight gain

Neither stress nor weight gain need ruin your holidays this year. Here are tips about eating habits and foods that can boost your mood when a stressful situation strikes. You'll feel calmer and be trimmer throughout the holiday season. See more at A Matter of Health.

Employment information

Check out UT Arlington employment opportunities at www.uta.edu/jobs. Have questions? Call Human Resources/Employment Services at 2‑3461 or TDD 2‑8139, or e-mail employment@uta.edu. The University of Texas at Arlington is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Movin' on up: James Patin is a senior for the Movin' Mavs.

Movin' Mavs host wheelchair basketball tourney

The Movin' Mavs host the ABC Medical Invitational Friday-Sunday, Dec. 11-13, in the P.E. Building. Movin' Mavs games are:

6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, vs. Uro-Sports Texans
10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, vs. Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks
3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, vs. Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks
9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, vs. LA Fast Breakin' Lakers.

Women resume play Saturday at SE Missouri

Following a break for final exams, the women's basketball team will play at Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Dec. 12.

The Mavericks stand 3-4 after a loss to Oklahoma last week. Coach Samantha Morrow's squad will be on the road during the holiday break, playing in a tournament at St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., along with games at Arkansas State and Houston Baptist. Following a Jan. 5 game at UT Austin, the Mavericks open Southland Conference play Jan. 9 at Texas State before returning to Texas Hall Jan. 13 to face Lamar.

Men's basketball team off until Dec. 20

Men's basketball action resumes Sunday, Dec. 20, when the Mavericks play at Baylor. The men are 3-3 for the season after taking the runner-up trophy in the Drake Hy-Vee Classic last weekend.

Following the game at Baylor, the Mavericks will host Texas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, before playing at nationally ranked Michigan State on Dec. 30.

(For more sports news, go to www.utamavs.com)

Friday, Dec. 11 Downtown Arlington Farmers Market Now features arts and crafts along with fruits and vegetables. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 215 E. Front St. 817-303-2800, info@downtownarlington.org.

Friday, Dec. 11 $2 Movie: Polar Express 5:30 p.m., Planetarium. 2‑1183, planetarium@uta.edu, www.utaplanetarium.com.

Saturday, Dec. 12 $2 Movie: Polar Express 2:30 p.m., Planetarium.

Through Dec. 12 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition Showcase for recent work created by the graduating seniors of Art and Art History. Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building.

Wednesday, Dec. 16 $2 Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas 5:30 p.m., Planetarium.

Through Dec. 22 Selected 2D Works Five accomplished artists from the Fort Worth area share their works. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; 2-6 p.m., Wednesdays, Fridays. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Through Dec. 31 UT Arlington Planetarium programs Check the Planetarium Web site for the schedule, which includes Season of Light and Holiday Music Magic. Contact the Planetarium at 2‑1183 or planetarium@uta.edu for tickets.

Through Jan. 9 Everything Is Interrelated Special Collections' fall exhibit features "Alexander von Humboldt and Our Nineteenth-Century German Connections." Free. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, sixth floor, Central Library. See Special Collections.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UT Arlington Calendar)

Editors: Jim Patterson, Teresa Newton Web Developer: James Barberousse Photographers: Beth McHenry, Robert Crosby Executive Director for University Publications: Mark Permenter Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing: David Johnson Vice President for Communications: Jerry Lewis Published by University Communications © 2009 The University of Texas at Arlington

MavWire is published by the Department of University Communications on Mondays and Thursdays (except for holidays) during the fall and spring semesters, and on Wednesdays during the summer. To submit items for possible inclusion in MavWire, e-mail mavwire@uta.edu. Items must be received three working days before distribution. Inclusion of events and activities in MavWire does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the University. Read the MavWire Guidelines. MavWire welcomes any non-employees of UT Arlington who would like to subscribe.