University Communications » Internal Communications » MavWire » MavWire 09-30-2010

Granted an extension: Dr. Ann Cavallo is the principal investigator for two Robert Noyce grants received from the National Science Foundation.

University receives almost $1.5 million NSF grant to prepare science, math teachers

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.45 million Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant to the College of Education and Health Professions and the College of Science to support the education and certification of new science and math teachers.

The colleges will work with the Arlington, Dallas, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, and Fort Worth school districts on the five-year project, placing teacher candidates in early field experiences with mentor teachers in the four districts.

The new grant comes on the heels of a previously funded NSF Robert Noyce Grant to UT Arlington for $900,000. Together, the two grants offer two-year, $10,000 annual scholarships to selected undergraduate students seeking teacher certification in middle school science/mathematics and in high school earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics.

Professor Ann Cavallo, associate dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, is the principal investigator on both Robert Noyce grants. She is collaborating on the new NSF grant with co-principal investigators Greg Hale, assistant dean of science; Ramon Lopez, professor of physics; Theresa Jorgensen, assistant professor of mathematics; and Laura Mydlarz, assistant professor of biology. Hale, Lopez, and James Epperson, associate professor of mathematics, were co-investigators on the previous grant.

See more about the NSF/scholarship program grant.

Detecting radiation: Dr. Wei Chen, assistant professor of physics, sees great potential in the development of more effective radiation detection devices.

Physics research team awarded $1.3 million to develop nanomaterials

The National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security have awarded more than $1.3 million to a team of UT Arlington researchers who will spend the next five years exploring ways to develop various nanoparticles for radiation detection.

Their research could lead to a new type of radiation detector that would help reduce the threat of nuclear materials being brought into the country illegally and used in terrorism.

Physics Assistant Professor Wei Chen, the principal investigator, and physics Professor Andrew Brandt, the co-principal investigator, will lead the research efforts. The nanocomposites designed for radiation detection are polymer thin films embedded with luminescent nanoparticles. These nanocomposites will glow with light when they encounter radiation sources, such as gamma rays.

"The broader impact of this proposal is potentially enormous," Dr. Chen says. "Development of more effective uranium detection devices could be of immeasurable benefit to society if it were to help deter or prevent a nuclear incident."

See more about the NSF/Homeland Security grant.

Dr. Cedric Feschotte

Biologists find 19 million-year-old genomic fossils of hepatitis B-like viruses in songbirds

Biologists from UT Arlington have uncovered virus fragments from the same family as the modern hepatitis B virus locked inside the genomes of songbirds such as the modern-day zebra finch.

"And they've been sitting there for at least 19 million years, far longer than anyone previously thought this family of viruses had been in existence," say Cédric Feschotte and Clément Gilbert, co-authors of the new study being published today in PLoS Biology, the flagship journal of the Public Library of Science. Dr. Feschotte is an associate professor and member of the UT Arlington Genome Biology Group. Gilbert is a post-doctoral research associate in the group.

The article, titled "Genomic Fossils Calibrate the Long-Term Evolution of Hepadnaviruses," marks the first time that endogenous hepadnaviruses have been found in any organism. An endogenous virus is one that deposits itself or fragments of itself into the chromosome of an organism, allowing it to be passed from generation to generation. Previously, most of these known "fossilized" virus sequences came from retroviruses.

Feschotte and Gilbert's results also suggest that the birds could be carriers of these types of viruses today. They dated the hepadnavirus fragments by locating them in the same spot on the genome of five species of passerine birds and then tracing those species to a common ancestor that lived more than 19 million years ago.

See more about the biologists.

Tickets sold out for Oct. 14 Rick Bayless appearance

Tickets are sold out for an "An Evening with a Celebrity Chef," which features award-winning chef-restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality Rick Bayless on Thursday, Oct. 14.

It is the second installment of the 2010-11 Maverick Speakers Series. The event in the Lone Star Auditorium at the Maverick Activities Center is free, but tickets are required.

Vicious cycle Doug Kuykendall, assistant vice president for student affairs, participates in the annual Cyclethon, which raised $1,055 for the American Heart Association on World Heart Day on Monday at the Maverick Activities Center. A total of 14 teams competed for donations from noon until midnight. The Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball team was the winner, collecting more than $250.

Annual Fire and Safety Report now available from campus police

The 2010 Campus Fire and Safety Report, which includes crime statistics for the previous three years, is available at the UT Arlington Police Department.

The report includes crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by UT Arlington, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies about campus security.

Fire data for the past two years from the Department of Environmental Health and Safety is part of the report.

The 2010 Campus Fire and Safety Report is available online and by e-mailing campus_safety_report@uta.edu.

Employee charitable campaign starts

The State Employee Charitable Campaign begins this week. Each year UT Arlington employees have the opportunity to impact the lives of many who are less fortunate through the SECC.

For example, your contribution could help someone through America's Charities, one of many charities you can support.

Contact your department's SECC representative to receive a guidebook and pledge form. Make time to consider a pledge to a charity of your choice. For more information, visit the UT Arlington SECC webpage or contact Rosa Newman or Jake Allen at 2-5554.

Register to vote in upcoming election and encourage students to register

Faculty and staff are urged to encourage students to register to vote. And if you haven't registered yourself, now is your chance.

Voter registration applications are available through today, Monday, Oct. 4, in the Student Congress office, Suite B150, on the lower level of the E.H. Hereford University Center. Students living on campus, in a residence hall or apartment, can register at their campus address.

UT Arlington is an early voting polling site 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 25-28 in the Palo Duro Lounge of the University Center.

For more information, contact Jennifer Fox, Student Congress external relations director, at sc-extr@uta.edu.

Maverick Mariner President James D. Spaniolo presents a UT Arlington cap and T-shirt to former Maverick baseball player Adam Moore, now a catcher for the Seattle Mariners. Moore played for the Mavericks in 2006 and was in town with the Mariners on Monday for UT Arlington Night at the Rangers, when President Spaniolo threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

Internationally noted artist, architect, filmmaker brings talents to campus

Artist, architect, and filmmaker Alfredo Jaar will speak at the Art and Architecture fall artist and lecture series at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, in Room 204 of the Architecture Building.

A native of Chile, Jaar recently completed two important public commissions: The Park of the Laments for the Indianapolis Museum of Art and The Geometry of Conscience, located next to the new Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile. He became a Guggenheim Fellow in 1985 and a MacArthur Fellow in 2000. In 2006 he received Spain's Premio Extremadura a la Creacion.

The program is sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History, the School of Architecture, and the College of Liberal Arts.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Contact Michele Dulock at mdulock@uta.edu, 2-2891 for ticket information.

Celebrate Maverick Madness on Oct. 15

Join in on the celebration of the first official night of basketball practice and the introduction of the men's and women's teams with Maverick Madness at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, at the Maverick Activities Center. Events include three-point and slam-dunk contests, free T-shirts, food, giveaways, and more.

Before the madness begins, join EXCEL Campus Activities for two free screenings of the smash hit, Inception, in the Lone Star Auditorium at the MAC.

Maverick Madness is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Athletics.

Mav Talk: Mind/Emotion Wellness Day

Screenings are available for stress, anxiety, depression, eating and sleeping problems, ADHD, and alcohol and relationship concerns. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 5, Palo Duro Lounge, E.H. Hereford University Center. Counseling Services, Mental Health Services.

Food for Thought: Training for Fat Loss

Gone are the days of long hours of cardio for fat loss. Come learn cutting-edge techniques along with fast, effective, and efficient methods to shed those pounds quickly. Presented by Jeremy Roden, assistant director for QUEST University Wellness. Noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 6, Room 213, Maverick Activities Center. See the complete list of HR training classes.

Introduction to Adobe InDesign

Explore the basics of Adobe's desktop publishing software. Learn how to work with images, text, and document formats to create exciting custom page layouts. Register online. 10 a.m.-noon., Thursday, Oct. 7, Room B 29, Digital Media Studio, Central Library.

Building a Successful Research Program and Mentoring Graduate Students

Presenters discuss philosophies and methods for building a successful career in academic research through mentoring of graduate students. Presenters also share their tips and expertise about the tenure process, conducting productive research, and building a successful research program. Sponsored by the Office of Graduate Studies and the College of Engineering. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to Krismer@uta.edu. 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15, Room 100, Nedderman Hall.

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.

Another first: Freshman Emily Koenig won for the second time in three cross country outings this season.

Koenig boosts women's cross country to second-place finish

Freshman Emily Koenig took home first place for the second time this season Friday as she led the Maverick women's team to a second-place finish at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islander Splash Cross Country Meet.

The men's team placed third and was led by sophomore Cody Widener, who crossed the finish line in 15th position.

Up next, the UT Arlington men and women head to Lake Charles, La., for the McNeese Cowboy Stampede Saturday, Oct. 9.

Tennis' Hadvigerova takes singles D championship

Monika Hadvigerova showed how dominating she is last weekend at the Sooner Fall Invitational in Norman, Okla., capturing the singles D championship Sunday afternoon.

The senior from Bratislava, Slovakia, battled Tulsa's Anamaria Candanoza for the championship, winning 6-2, 6-4. Hadvigerova finished the weekend a perfect 4-0 in singles play, defeating opponents from DePaul, North Texas, and two from Tulsa.

Freshman Giada D'ortona won the North singles bracket, defeating Big 12 opponent Brittany Parks, 0-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The Mavericks will now set their sights on the ITA/Riviera All-American Championships on Saturday, Oct. 2, in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Volleyball Mavericks split SLC pair, travel again this week

After losing 3-1 on Thursday at UT San Antonio, the Maverick volleyball team won 3-2 at Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on Saturday in Southland Conference play.

Junior Amanda Aguilera notched her 16th career double-double with 20 kills and 24 digs to highlight the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Mavericks travel to McNeese State today, Thursday, Sept. 30, and play at Lamar on Saturday, Oct. 2, before finally getting to play an SLC match at home Wednesday, Oct. 6, against Texas State.

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

Through Friday, Oct. 1

Semana de Cultura Works by Andrew Ortiz, professor of photography, displayed as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. "Blackbird Speaking" (pictured at right) exemplifies the idea of struggling to communicate and resulted in a series of allegorical portraits of crows. Featured lecture and reception, noon-1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1. Free. E.H. Hereford University Center Gallery. Multicultural Affairs.

Friday, Oct. 1

$2 Movie: Prince of Persia Prince, princess, villain, special dagger, magic sand, time travel. Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m.; also 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Planetarium, 2-1183.

Wednesday, Oct. 6

$2 Movie: Robin Hood Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett star. Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m.; also 5:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Planetarium. 2-1183.

Flamenco Showcase Part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Free. 6:30 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. Multicultural Affairs, 2-2099.

Volleyball Mavericks vs. Texas State in a Southland Conference match. $6. 7 p.m., Texas Hall. Athletics, 2-2261.

Ongoing

Levitt Pavilion Concert Series The free concert series concludes this weekend with Incendio, Big Sam's Funky Nation, and Asleep at the Wheel. 7:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday. Levitt Pavilion Arlington, 100 W. Abram St.

Private Collections II See Dallas and Fort Worth art collectors' private treasures. Free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Through Oct. 16. The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building.

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.

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