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In sequence: Genomics Core Facility director Dr. Raymond Jones works with the GS FLX 454 genome sequencer.

Advanced genome sequencer a
time-saver for University researchers

A state-of-the-art genome sequencer is the newest tool in the Department of Biology genomics research group at the Genomics Core Facility in the Life Sciences Building.

The state-of-the-art Roche GS FLX 454 sequencer, the only one in North Texas, significantly increases sequencing capacity, according to Raymond Jones, the facility's director.

"To put it into perspective, the Human Genome Project required tens of thousands of researcher hours and seven years to complete," Dr. Jones says. "If a 454 had been available, one person could have sequenced the entire human genome in about five months."

Read more on the genome sequencer.

Researcher tests topical zinc oxide
as solar cell efficiency booster

Meng Tao hopes his research will let the sun shine in a little more efficiently.

Dr. Tao, an electrical engineering professor, received a $120,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of an effort to boost power from solar cells through use of zinc oxide as a topical treatment.

He uses a technique called "doping" to make zinc oxide highly conductive, which increases the efficiency of the solar cells. If he is successful in boosting energy from solar cells, that type of power could be used in more applications and more locales, lowering the cost of solar energy.

Read more about Tao's solar research online.

Free H1N1 flu vaccinations available Friday in Davis Hall

Health Services will offer free H1N1 vaccinations to faculty, staff and students from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18, on the first floor of Davis Hall in front of the Bursar's Office.

Health Services is also still offering free H1N1 vaccinations at the Health Services Center, 605 S. West St. The immunization clinic hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. No appointments are needed. For more information, contact Health Services, 2‑2771.

Planetarium offers preview
of 2010 NASA mission

Star gazers can get an advance look at NASA's new Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which will begin operations in 2010, through the UT Arlington Planetarium original production, "Unseen Universe: The Vision of SOFIA."

The program showcases the new infrared 2.5-meter (100-inch) telescope housed in a refurbished Boeing 747SP aircraft, which will climb to altitudes up to 45,000 feet. Attaining high altitudes enables the telescope to escape 99 percent of the water vapor that restricts ground-based observatories in most of the infrared spectral range.

The production was funded by a NASA grant and produced by the Planetarium staff, led by Levent Gurdemir.

The program is at 1:30 p.m. Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Holiday programs are "Season of Light" and "Holiday Music Magic."

Visit www.utaplanetarium.com for more information.

Campus network upgrade set for Friday night

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.

Just the beginning College of Science candidates line up for commencement ceremonies last weekend. Overall, 2,475 students were presented as candidates for doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees. Videos of commencement ceremonies for all colleges and schools are available online.

Two phases of maintenance
scheduled for e-mail system

Maintenance on the faculty and staff e-mail system is set for 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, to 2 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, and from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 20.

The e-mail system will be unavailable during these times. Messages received during the maintenance period will be stored and delivered immediately after the system is returned to service.

For details or if e-mail is unavailable for more than 24 hours, contact the HelpDesk at 2‑2208 or helpdesk@uta.edu.

Electrical upgrades
to affect three buildings

Electrical upgrades are scheduled during the winter break for the Geoscience Building, the Engineering Lab Building and the Fine Arts Building. These buildings will close at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, with electrical service restored no later than Sunday, Jan. 3.

The buildings will remain closed during this electrical outage. Prior approval from both Facilities Management and the Police Department is needed to enter the buildings.

Special accommodations for temporary electrical service for research-related projects are available. Contact Jeff Johnson at 2‑3232 or Walt Tenery 2‑3091.

SAC collecting toys on campus through Friday

Mission Arlington still needs toys for needy families. New and unwrapped toys are being collected on campus by the Staff Advisory Council Outreach Committee through Friday, Dec. 18. The Christmas Store at Mission Arlington assists families in providing toys for their children. See campus drop off locations.

E-mail questions to Staff_Advisory_Council@uta.edu.

Outside employment forms due Friday

Faculty and staff must complete the online Outside Board Service and Outside Employment form no later than Friday, Dec. 18.

The Regents' Rules require that each full-time employee complete the form. Contact Eunice Currie or Robert James at 2‑5554 for more details.

MavWire will return in January

Today's MavWire will be the last issue until Thursday, Jan. 7. Most campus offices will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 23, through Sunday, Jan. 3.

Enroll now in HR training classes

Among the classes coming up in January are "Coaching Skills for Supervisors," 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, and "Fresh Start from Tobacco: Understanding Addiction and Steps to Quitting," 10:30 a.m.-noon Thursday, Jan. 14. Classes are held in Room 200, Wetsel Service Center.

See a complete list of training classes and events provided by the Office of Human Resources.

The "Managing Across Generations" class will not be offered today.

Medco pharmacists available to answer questions

Medco pharmacists are available 24/7 via Medco Customer Service to discuss your prescription-related questions. Patients with chronic and complex diseases can contact a Medco Specialist pharmacist who has expertise discussing long-term medications used to treat conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, depression, cancer and women's health concerns.

Contact Medco Customer Service at 1-800-818-0155 or www.medco.com/ut for information.

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.

Scoring leader: Meghan Nelson scored 19 points in each of the last two games.

Women at St. John's tourney this weekend

Trying to get back on the winning track, the women's basketball team will face St. John's University Saturday, Dec. 19, in the opening round of the St. John's-Chartwells Holiday Classic at Queens, N.Y. Championship and consolation games will be Sunday, Dec. 20.

The Mavericks are 4-5 following an overtime loss at Arkansas State Tuesday night. Senior Meghan Nelson leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game.

Men at Baylor Sunday, home for TWU Tuesday

Following a two-week layoff for finals, the men's basketball team will get back in action at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, against Baylor at Waco. The Mavericks then will host Texas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, at Texas Hall.

Senior Marquez Haynes leads the Mavericks in scoring with an average of 25.7. He was named Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 7.

Fischer named Golfer of the Month

Junior Zack Fischer was named Southland Conference Men's Golfer of the Month for November.

Fischer earned his second career victory, and his first of the 2009-10 season, as he fired a 5-under 67 in the final round to win the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate in Springfield, La. His other career victory came at last year's conference tournament when he was a co-medalist before losing the conference title in a playoff.

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

Movin' Mavs get big win, split in weekend tourney

The Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball team won two and lost two in the ABC Medical Invitational community division tournament last weekend in the P.E. Building.

Coach Doug Garner's squad won 55-41 over the Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks, ranked No. 1 nationally in the community division coming into the tournament. The Movin' Mavs also defeated the Los Angeles Fast Breakin' Lakers 61-49. Seniors David Wilkes and James Patin led the scoring for UT Arlington.

The Movin' Mavs return to collegiate action next month with a tournament Jan. 22-23 at the University of Missouri.

(See more at www.utamovinmavs.com)

Thursday, Dec. 17 Holiday Reception for Office Decoration Contest Join the holiday cheer and enjoy some light refreshments as you watch the slide show presentation of all the offices who entered the holiday decoration contest. Winners will be announced at the reception. 3:30 p.m., Maverick Activities Center.

Friday, Dec. 18 Downtown Arlington Farmers Market Last day of the season. Market 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. 18 $2 Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas 5:30 p.m., Planetarium.

Friday, Dec. 18 The Nutcracker Presented by the Metropolitan Classical Ballet. $10, $20, $30. 7:30 p.m., Texas Hall.

Saturday, Dec. 19 The Nutcracker Presented by the Metropolitan Classical Ballet. $10, $20, $30. 2 and 7:30 p.m., Texas Hall.

Saturday, Dec. 19 $2 Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2:30 p.m., Planetarium.

Sunday, Dec. 20 The Nutcracker Presented by the Metropolitan Classical Ballet. $10, $20, $30. 2 p.m., Texas Hall.

Tuesday, Dec. 22 Men's Basketball UT Arlington vs. Texas Wesleyan. $4 faculty, staff. 7 p.m., Texas Hall. www.utamavs.com.

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.

Wednesday, Dec. 23 $2 Movie: Elf 5:30 p.m., Planetarium.

Saturday, Dec. 26 $2 Movie: Elf 2:30 p.m., Planetarium.

Through Dec. 30 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.