University Communications » Internal Communications » MavWire » MavWire 06-14-2012

Hypersonic research: Dr. Luca Maddalena, left, and Dr. Luca Massa are the only collegiate researchers in the country to receive the NASA hypersonic award.

NASA grant fuels study for aerospace engineers

Two engineering researchers have been awarded a three-year, $640,000 NASA National Research Award to study novel injector designs to support combustion at hypersonic speeds, work aimed at reducing air travel times and making space access affordable.

Luca Maddalena and Luca Massa, both assistant professors in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, are the only collegiate researchers in the country to garner the NASA hypersonic award.

“We’re honored to be the only U.S. grant winners to study this very important topic,” Dr. Maddalena says. “This study on the effectiveness of new fuel injection schemes might lead to enabling affordable access to space for large hypersonic vehicles.”

Hypersonic speed is that which reaches Mach 5, or 3,500 miles per hour and more. Hypersonic technology differs from rocket technology in that hypersonic engines pull oxygen from the surrounding air. Rocket propulsion engines carry their oxygen source on board, which limits the payload of what the aircraft can carry.

Read more about the NASA grant.

Fellow honorees: Dr. Judy LeFlore, left, and Dr. Jeannette Crenshaw have been selected as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing.

Professors selected as fellows in national nursing academy

Two nursing professors have been selected as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing for their contributions to the nursing profession.

Judy LeFlore, a professor in the College of Nursing, and Jeannette Crenshaw, a clinical assistant professor who teaches in the college’s online program, will be honored along with 174 other fellows from around the world at the Academy’s 39th annual meeting and conference this fall in Washington D.C.

Dr. LeFlore is director of pediatric, acute care pediatric, and neonatal nurse practitioner programs. She has garnered national attention in recent years for her leadership in using simulation and game-based technology in teaching.

Dr. Crenshaw is an expert in evidence-based maternity practices, preoperative fasting practices, and administrative practices. In 2010 she led a unique study using video-ethnography and interactive analysis to improve immediate skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding rates. Collaborating with experts from the U.S. and Sweden, she improved skin-to-skin care during cesarean surgery by 25 percent.

Read more about the national honors.

Schnavia Smith Hatcher

Director named for African American Studies

UT Arlington has named Schnavia Smith Hatcher, a University of Georgia associate professor of social work, as director of the new Center for African American Studies. Her first day will be July 1.

As director of the center, Dr. Hatcher will work to enhance students, faculty and staff members, and the community's understanding of African Americans’ unique social circumstances and heritage.

The center, a collaboration between the School of Social Work and the College of Liberal Arts, will be the only one of its kind in North Texas and the third in the state.

“From the onset of our process, Dr. Hatcher emerged as an exceptionally strong candidate from multiple dimensions,” says Ron Elsenbaumer, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “She is a true scholar committed to the support and success of all students and particularly those pursuing studies focused on issues of significance to African Americans.”

Read more about Hatcher and the Center for African American Studies.

Getting on the radar: The new weather radar system to be installed on top of Carlisle Hall will look like this. The white, domed cover in the background will protect the system from the elements.

Radar system coming to campus

A weather radar system to be installed soon atop Carlisle Hall promises faster, more precise information about severe weather and flash flooding that may save lives by giving people more time to take action.

The system is a joint venture of the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

D.-J. Seo, an associate professor of civil engineering, is leading a research team that will help mine the data for important weather information that can be used in emergency management, development, and stormwater drainage planning.

“In severe weather, minutes can mean the difference between life and death,” Dr. Seo says. “The new system can see the small details in the atmosphere. You can tell what is happening very close to the ground every minute.”

Read more about the weather radar system.

Get tickets for Passion Pit on Friday

Tickets go on sale at noon Friday, June 15, for a performance by Passion Pit, a popular band known for its soulful, danceable, pop sound. Passion Pit will perform in concert Friday, Sept. 14, at College Park Center.

Ticket prices range from $21.50 to $29.50 and will be available at utacollegepark.com, the box office at College Park Center, or by calling 2-9595.

Launched five years ago as a one-man, multi-track laptop project in frontman Michael Angelakos' college dorm room, Passion Pit has rapidly evolved into a five-member, in-demand concert attraction, with sold-out tours and a growing international reputation.

The event is co-sponsored by the University and Austin City Limits. Read more about the Passion Pit concert.

Green Team has many rewards, including recognition, mountain bike

Form a Green Team in your office and start reducing, reusing, and recycling. Meet certain environmental initiatives and your team can earn recognition.

Complete a self-audit by July 31 and be entered to win a chance for a new mountain bike. The winning department will hold a drawing, and one lucky individual in the office will go home with the bike, courtesy of Pepsi.

For more information, see uta.edu/greenteam or email Becky Valentich, recycling coordinator, at becky@uta.edu.

Pools offer cool respite from summer heat

Cool off this summer at the indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Both pools are located at the Physical Education Building.

Summer memberships may be purchased by faculty and staff. Guest passes may be purchased and are valid at the outdoor pool only.

For more information, visit uta.edu/aquatics.

Campus is headquarters for state College Radio Day

UTA Radio will help recruit and spread the word about this year’s College Radio Day after being named the event's state headquarters. College Radio Day is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 2.

College Radio Day began last year with the goal of raising awareness of the many college and high school radio stations that operate around the world by encouraging people who would not normally listen to college radio to do so for one day.

UTA Radio will help recruit stations to add to the growing movement and schedule its own special event. Currently, 16 Texas college stations are part of this year’s event.

MyMav systems unavailable early Saturday

The MyMav systems will be unavailable 7-11 a.m. Saturday, June 16, as the Office of Information Technology will be applying the latest application bundle.

Campus Internet/network outage June 22

The Office of Information Technology will replace critical security hardware that will require the campus network to be shut down 8 p.m.-midnight Friday, June 22.

The outage will affect all network communications outside of the campus. Efforts will be made to limit the down time to minimize disruption.

Annual Enrollment Set for July 15-31

Annual enrollment for employee benefits and insurance options is July 15-31. Watch for a special newsletter that contains a summary of benefit changes, including premium rates for the new year.

The annual enrollment benefits fair is 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, July 20, in the Rosebud Theatre and the Bluebonnet Ballroom at the E.H. Hereford University Center. Insurance and retirement plan providers will conduct presentations throughout the day and will be available to answer questions.

Tobacco Cessation: Fresh Start from Tobacco

Four one-hour sessions cover steps to understanding addiction, quitting and coping strategies, and receiving help. It is important to attend all four sessions. Register. Free. Tuesday-Wednesday, June 19-20. Room B03, Health Services Center. See the complete HR training calendar. HRTraining@uta.edu.

Mindful Moments

Mindful Moments takes a break June 20 from its weekly meeting. The Wednesday program returns June 27. Free. 12:15-12:45 p.m., Wednesdays, Room 219, Health Services Center. Health Services.

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 email employment@uta.edu. The University of Texas at Arlington is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

NCAA Runnerup: A personal best in the javelin event propelled Romain Martin to a second-place finish in the decathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last week.

Martin second in NCAA decathlon

Multi-event specialist Romain Martin posted the best NCAA finish by a UT Arlington athlete since 1991, as the junior claimed runnerup honors in the decathlon last week at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Martin surged from eighth place into second on the final day with a gutsy performance in the final five events. His score of 7,956 points edged the third-place finisher by one point. Boise State's Kurt Felix won the decathlon with 8,062 points.

It was the highest placement by a Maverick athlete at an NCAA meet since McClinton Neal won the 1991 crown in the 400-meter hurdles.

Martin was the lone UT Arlington representative at the meet, and his performance boosted the Mavericks into the 33rd spot in the men’s team scoring, ahead of all Southland Conference competitors.

Beck signs contract with Rangers

Outfielder Preston Beck signed a contract with the Texas Rangers last week after being drafted in the fifth round of Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft.

Beck, who will report to Spokane in the Class A Northwest League this month, earned All-Southland Conference honors, leading the league in home runs (14) and runs batted in (71).

This week Beck was named to the All-South Central Region first team by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Pitcher Lance Day, who has signed a contract with the independent Grand Prairie AirHogs in the American Association, was named to the ABCA second team.

Tennis players net academic honors

Maria Martinez-Romero and Yauheni Yakauleu each earned Student-Athlete of the Year honors for women’s and men’s tennis in the Southland Conference.

Both compiled 3.6 GPAs to receive the academic award. Martinez-Romero has a double major in broadcast communication and Spanish, while Yakauleu is majoring in information systems.

Movin' Mavs in 'People' magazine

Movin' Mavs Anthony Pone and Blake McMinn are pictured on page 81 of the current issue of People magazine as they participated in the 2012 Warrior Games.

Pone and Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks star Chuck Allen also are pictured on page 4, along with former Movin' Mav player and Per4Max representative Daniel Fik.

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

Thursday, June 14

Rembrandt Lecture Beth Wright, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of art history, lectures on "Rembrandt the Dutch Master" as part of the Rembrandt: An Evolution of Etchings exhibit. 6 p.m., Arlington Museum of Art, 201 W. Main St.

Gallery 76102 Opening reception for the annual juried competition, 897 Square. Features artists who live or work in Tarrant County. Free. 6-9 p.m., Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Outdoor Movie: Mirror Mirror Enjoy free popcorn or buy soft drinks and snacks at the concession stand. Bring a blanket or chair for the lawn seating. Children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Free. 9 p.m., west lawn, Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Thursday, June 21

Rembrandt Lecture Nancy Palmeri, associate professor of art and art history, lectures on "What Is an Etching?" as part of the Rembrandt: An Evolution of Etchings exhibit. 6 p.m., Arlington Museum of Art, 201 W. Main St.

Outdoor Movie: 21 Jump Street Enjoy free popcorn or buy soft drinks and snacks at the concession stand. Bring a blanket or chair for the lawn seating. Children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Free. 9 p.m., west lawn, Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Ongoing

Planetarium Travel to ancient Egypt to see how science was used to tell time, make a workable calendar, and align huge buildings in Stars of the Pharaohs. 2 p.m. Fridays, 5:30 p.m. Saturdays. Planetarium.

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