University Communications » Internal Communications » MavWire » MavWire 06-24-2010

Dr. Judy LeFlore

Nursing professor named national fellow for innovative contributions to field

The director of the College of Nursing's pediatric nurse practitioner program has been named a fellow in the National League for Nursing's Academy of Nursing Education. Judy LeFlore is an associate professor and a leader in the University's use of advanced technology to educate nurses.

The National League for Nursing is a New York-based nursing and healthcare education organization with 30,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members. It started the Academy of Nursing Education in 2007. The academy has inducted 86 fellows since then.

To qualify, applicants must have made sustained and significant contributions to the field of nursing education. They serve as role models and leaders in their field.

Dr. LeFlore is UT Arlington's director of pediatric, acute care pediatric, and neonatal nurse practitioner programs. She was the first graduate faculty member in the College of Nursing to use high-fidelity simulation and integrate it into her teaching. Since then, she has been a national leader in efforts to use simulation technology to better deliver care to patients.

Read more about LeFlore's honor.

Kelly Davis

Kelly Davis named interim vice president for business affairs and controller

President James D. Spaniolo announced to vice presidents and deans last week that Kelly Davis, formerly assistant vice president for academic financial affairs in the Office of the Provost, has been named interim vice president for business affairs and controller.

Davis will replace Rusty Ward, who will retire at the end of August after 20 years of service to the University.

"I have relied on Rusty's acute business acumen, sound advice, and wise counsel since my first days at UT Arlington," President Spaniolo says. "Likewise, Kelly brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job, and I'm looking forward to working closely with her in her expanded role."

Davis already has begun meeting regularly with the senior leadership team to ensure a smooth transition this summer.

Two benefits enrollment fairs planned in July

Annual Enrollment for the 2010-11 benefit plan year runs through July and will feature benefits fairs from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, and Wednesday, July 14, in the Bluebonnet Ballroom and Rosebud Theatre in the E.H. Hereford University Center. Vendors will attend with more information on their programs.

Information on benefits options, rates and changes is available in the June edition of A Matter of Health newsletter.

During Annual Enrollment, you may enroll, change your group insurance benefit elections, and add or remove dependents from coverage. In most cases, the elections will be effective on Sept. 1.

On or around July 1, look for the Annual Enrollment Coverage Option Letter from UT System, which contains information about insurance options and instructions on enrolling for insurance coverage. The letter also provides information on accessing your electronic Annual Enrollment Packet. If you do not receive the Annual Enrollment Coverage Option Letter via email, you will receive it shortly via U.S. mail.

If you do not make changes to your coverage, your current coverage as listed in the Coverage Option Letter will continue without change. To continue participating in UT FLEX, you must make that election online each year.

Access more information on the Annual Enrollment and your UT Arlington benefits at the Human Resources webpage, by contacting Employee Benefits Services at 2-5558 or by e-mail at benefits@uta.edu.

Counseling now on campus for war-zone vets

UT Arlington and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have signed an agreement that allows a counselor from the newly opened Tarrant County Veterans Center in Pantego to offer services on campus once a week.

The free counseling for war-zone veterans and their families is available Wednesday mornings at the UT Arlington Community Service Center in the Social Work Complex Building B, 211 S. Cooper St.

For more information, call Judi Fields at 817-274-0981.

Poore's iWin: Amanda Poore, art senior, won first prize at the New Media Film Festival for an iPod video.

Student's iPhone video takes New Media Film Festival first prize

A one-minute video created on a professor's iPhone has won first prize in its category at the New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Amanda Poore, an art senior, produced the video as an assignment in a mobile video class taught by Bart Weiss, an associate professor of art in the film studies division.

The New Media Film Festival, held June 11-13 in Los Angeles, showcased innovative ideas and technology in visual media. Videos made with a cell phone were a new category this year.

In the first 30 seconds of Poore's video, a variety of people are asked to say the first word that pops into their minds. Poole edited their responses to form sentences, with speakers combining to produce results like, "I swim in blue biopsy." For the next 30-second segment, Poore supplied the words.

Read more about Poore's video award or watch her prize-winning video online.

Deadline Friday to submit questions for SAC's annual Staff Forum

Submit your questions for the Staff Advisory Council's annual Staff Forum through an online survey. Complete the survey by 5 p.m. Friday, June 25, to allow ample time for research and to ensure that the appropriate administrators will be available to answer questions.

The Staff Forum is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 7, in the Bluebonnet Ballroom at the E.H. Hereford University Center. Lunch will be provided for the first 200 employees in attendance. Administrators will be present to answer questions about issues concerning staff members.

Questions also can be submitted to staff_advisory_council@uta.edu. Those submitting questions will remain anonymous.

Easy Rider Groundskeeper Merritt Hines glides across a campus lawn on mowing duty. Hines was one of 2006's employees of the year.

Sign up by Wednesday for Six-Week Summertime Slimdown

Need a little motivation to help you meet those exercise goals this summer? Commit to a healthy lifestyle and join the Staff Advisory Council for the Six-week Summertime Slimdown from July 5 through Aug. 16. Registration ends Wednesday, June 30.

For challenge rules, registration, and additional tips on jump-starting your lifestyle changes, visit uta.edu/sac/slimdown.

City requests input for traffic plans

Share your thoughts about Arlington's roadways and learn about Arlington's Thoroughfare Development Plan update at an open house Wednesday, June 30. Details will be presented 6:30-9 p.m. in the third floor briefing room at City Hall, 101 W. Abram St.

Miss Texas, Teen Texas pageants on campus next week

Texas Hall is home for the second year to the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant starting Monday, June 28. The final competition is Friday, July 2.

This year is the pageant's 75th anniversary and includes appearances by Texas' Miss Americas, Phyllis George (1971) and Shirley Cothran (1975).

Tickets and information on contestants and the 75th anniversary are available online at www.misstexas.org.

Follow the bouncing ball Sabreena Denure, business sophomore, shows girls' basketball campers a dribbling exercise. The camp is one of many summer programs on campus for elementary to high school students.

Summer movies at MAC, Planetarium

Budget-friendly movies are shown this summer on the west lawn of the Maverick Activities Center and at the Planetarium.

Free movies are Thursdays on the MAC's west lawn, sponsored by EXCEL Campus Activities. Free popcorn and concession drinks and candy are available. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

The free films include Clash of the Titans, June 24, PG-13; The Last Song, July 1, PG; Kick-Ass, July 8, R; The Back-Up Plan, July 15, PG-13; How to Train Your Dragon, July 22, PG; A Nightmare on Elm Street, July 29, R; Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Aug. 5, G.

The family-friendly $2 movies at the Planetarium are at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays. Check the schedule at utaplanetarium.com.

Films at the Planetarium include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (this week's show), Alice in Wonderland, Fly Me to the Moon, Toy Story, and Where the Wild Things Are.

Online orders, reduced prices available for parking permits

Faculty and staff parking permits for the 2010-11 academic year are now available online at uta.edu/mymav. All employees need a permit to park on campus. Faculty and staff must have their permits no later than Aug. 31.

Current employees who work at least 30 hours per week may use payroll deduction, which starts with the Oct. 1 paycheck for eight months. Options include pre-tax or after-tax payroll deduction or charging to your University account. Reduced pricing and additional shuttle routes on remote parking are available to all faculty and staff because of construction on campus.

Print the confirmation receipt and post on the front right-hand, passenger side of the vehicle window. This receipt is good for two weeks from the date of order while the decal is mailed within two weeks from the printing company.

Only permits for reserve space owners and upgrades will be issued in person at the Parking Office. Reserved permits will not be offered online, but are available at 1225 W. Mitchell, Suite 112, in the Wetsel Service Center.

Call the Parking Office at 2-3907 or e-mail mabry@uta.edu for more details.

Dealing with Difficult People

Never again fall victim to those who love to make life miserable for the rest of us. This training gives you concrete techniques for dealing with difficult people in the workplace and at home. It provides specific strategies for getting adversaries to cooperate, bullies to back off, wallflowers to open up, and chronic complainers to quiet down. Knowing how to deal with difficult people at work will allow you to approach your job with more enjoyment and your co-workers with greater confidence. 9-11 a.m., Tuesday, June 29, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. See a complete list of HR training classes.

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

Bring an image into Photoshop and be amazed how you turned a dull photo into a masterpiece by scaling, adding text, saturating it, and more. Register online. 3-5 p.m. Thursday, July 8, Room B29, Central Library. See a list of other OIT classes.

Employment information

Check out employment opportunities at 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.

Wednesday, June 30

Writing with Clarity and Cohesion Graduate students can learn to make their academic writing clearer and more cohesive. Bring an assignment in progress or part of a thesis or dissertation. Noon-1:30 p.m., Writer's Studio, Room 411, Central Library. Michael Saenz, saenz@uta.edu.

Wednesday, July 7

Blue Horizons: Capabilities and Technologies for the Air Force in 2030 Col. Ted Hailes, USAF (retired), former associate dean of the Air War College, discusses the Air Force's Blue Horizons research program, a multiyear study to provide a vision for what the Air Force must start doing today to be prepared for the challenges of 2030 and beyond. Light breakfast provided. Free to members of the Arlington Technology Association, students, and first-time guests. $5 for others. Reservations required. 7 a.m., Room 601, Nedderman Hall. 2-3682.

Landfills to Wildlife Habitats Greta Calvery of Waste Management outlines the basic requirements of developing a certified Wildlife Habitat Council project and the responsibilities associated with the project. Bring a brown bag lunch; dessert and drinks provided. Registration required. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Guadalupe Room, E.H. Hereford University Center. Becky Valentich, becky@uta.edu, 2-1099.

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

Top scholar-athletes: Volleyball setter Raegan Daniel, left, and baseball pitcher Jason Mitchell were selected as Southland Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year for the Mavericks.

Mitchell, Daniel receive conference scholar-athlete honor

Senior baseball pitcher Jason Mitchell and junior volleyball setter Raegan Daniel were selected as the UT Arlington representatives for the 2009-10 Southland Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

The conference annually recognizes the outstanding male and female student-athletes from each of the league's member institutions. Student-athletes must be a letter winner with a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade-point average and have completed at least two years of intercollegiate competition at the school from which they are nominated.

Mitchell set school, game, and season records for strikeouts and was named second team all-conference and second team academic all-district.

Daniel led the volleyball team in hitting percentage and assists while being named to two all-tournament teams.

Carlon named region's top athletic director

Pete Carlon, Mavericks athletics director, won Athletic Director of the Year for the west region of Division I of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He was one of 29 winners of the Under Armour AD of the Year Award.

Intramural entries due for sand volleyball, World Cup

Entries for intramural sand volleyball teams are due today, Thursday, June 24. Faculty and staff with a Campus Recreation membership are eligible. FIFA World Cup Stage Two Pick ‘em entries are due Friday, June 25.

Information is available at the Maverick Activities Center and the Campus Recreation website.

(For more sports news, go to utamavs.com, utamovinmavs.com, or uta.edu/campusrec.)

Three Dog Night at Levitt Pavilion Saturday An appearance by Three Dog Night will highlight the Levitt Pavilion Summer Concert Series at 9 p.m. Saturday, June 26. The concert series is co-sponsored by UT Arlington. From 1969 to 1974, Three Dog Night was one of the most popular bands in America with 21 consecutive Top 40 hits and 12 straight gold LPs. Some of the group's top songs include "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)," "Joy to the World," "Black and White," "Shambala," "One," and "Old-Fashioned Love Song." Ticket sales for the benefit concert help raise funds for the Levitt Pavilion to produce 50 free concerts a year. The Three Dog Night concert is the only summer concert that requires a ticket purchase. Concert-only tickets are $25. A VIP dinner complete with wine, a live luxury auction, and cash bar is available from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Sheraton Arlington, 1500 Convention Center Drive. VIP tickets include dinner and the concert and are $150 each. Tables for 10 people are available for $1,500. After dinner, VIP ticket holders will go to the Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram, where they will park in the VIP parking area and enjoy the concert in a reserved seating area near the stage. Find more details at www.levittpavilionarlington.org.

Thursday, June 24

Lemonade Thursdays Join in for lemonade and refreshing conversation, sponsored by the Office of International Education. 3-4:30 p.m., Swift Center. Lauren Cutcher, lcutcher@uta.edu.

Free Summer Movie: Clash of the Titans Rated PG-13. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concession for drinks, candy. Free popcorn. Free. 8:45 p.m., West lawn, Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities, excel-entertainment@uta.edu.

Wednesday, June 30

$2 Movie: Fly Me to the Moon Rated G. 5:30 p.m.; also 5:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Planetarium, 2-1183.

Thursday, July 1

Free Summer Movie: The Last Song Rated PG. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concession for drinks, candy. Free popcorn. Free. 8:45 p.m., West lawn, Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities, excel-entertainment@uta.edu.

Saturday, July 3

Independence Day Parade See the College of Engineering float depicting research activities and the Formula SAE racing car, just two of the 100-plus floats and groups participating in this Arlington tradition. The parade route is in and around downtown Arlington. Free. 9 a.m.-noon, downtown Arlington, Center, Abram, and Pecan streets.

Through July 3

Summer Concert Series Concerts each Wednesday through Sunday. All concerts are free except for the special benefit concert featuring Three Dog Night on Saturday, June 26. Co-sponsored by UT Arlington. Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram. levittpavilionarlington.org, 817-543-4301.

Leading Ladies Anne Healy, adjunct lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, directs this comedy. The show includes work from alums Chase Mitchell ('09 BFA), Casey Hines ('10 BFA), and Jack Hardaway ('76 BA), plus students Stephen Howell and Miguel Marin. Thursdays-Sundays, Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St. theatrearlington.org.

Through July 31

New Works: UTA Photography Faculty The work of photography faculty members Kenda North, Andrew Ortiz, Leighton McWilliams, Bryan Florentin, and Scott Hilton. Hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Through Aug. 7

For All Workers: The Legacy of the Texas Labor Movement, 1838-2010 The personal papers of labor and political activist John "J.W." Jackson, as well as numerous items from the Texas Labor Archives at UT Arlington. Free. Summer hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Special Collections, sixth floor, Central Library. 2-7511.

Ongoing

Downtown Farmers Market Arlington's downtown farmers market features locally grown produce and locally made baked goods, arts, and crafts. Co-sponsored by UT Arlington Dining Services. 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays, 215 E. Front St.

Planetarium programs See more about the Planetarium in The Starry Messenger. Planetarium, 2-1183.

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