University Communications » Internal Communications » MavWire » MavWire 05-03-2012

Honored professors: Dr. Alusine Jalloh, left, and Dr. Ritu Khanduri have been named Fulbright Scholars.

Two faculty named Fulbright Scholars

The Fulbright Scholar Program has named Alusine Jalloh, associate professor of history and director of the Africa Program at UT Arlington, and Ritu Khanduri, assistant professor of anthropology, as new scholars.

The program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, offers U.S. faculty, administrators, and professionals grants to lecture, conduct research in academic and professional fields, or participate in seminars.

Dr. Jalloh will use his grant for research on his book, Muslim Fula Business Elites and Politics in Twentieth Century Sierra Leone. This summer he plans to teach at Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he received his bachelor’s degree.

Dr. Khanduri will use her grant to support ethnographic research on women in engineering. She plans to spend part of her time this year and the next conducting study in India.

Read more about UT Arlington's Fulbright Scholars.

Infant investigation: A study led by Dr. Sandy Dasgupta has found evidence that breast-fed babies can metabolize an environmental contaminant.

Dasgupta's research targets breast-fed milk

A group of infants and mothers tested at UT Arlington have given researchers another reason to extol the unique properties of breast milk.

A team led by Sandy Dasgupta, Jenkins Garrett Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has found evidence that breast-fed babies can metabolize the environmental contaminant perchlorate, decreasing their risks of detrimental developmental effects from exposure.

The research suggests a link between this characteristic and bifidobacteria, bacteria that is plentiful in the digestive systems of breast-fed babies.

The team’s work with 18 pairs of infants and mothers is detailed in the article “Breast-fed Infants Metabolize Perchlorate,” which was recently accepted for publication by the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology.

“Both Centers for Disease Control researchers and our lab have previously observed that there is a higher concentration of perchlorate in breast milk versus formula. Although the merits of breastfeeding far outweigh any risk posed by this, it has caused some mothers concern.” Dr. Dasgupta says. “Our results suggest that nature has already devised a way to at least partly take care of it.”

Read more about Dasgupta's study.

Pete Carlon

Carlon named to Southland Hall of Honor

Pete Carlon, senior athletics director for administration, will be inducted into the Southland Conference Hall of Honor on May 22 in Galveston.

Carlon served as the director of athletics from 1996 through January 2012 and helped the Mavericks capture 48 Southland championships and three Southland Commissioner’s Cups.

His career with UT Arlington began in 1981 when he became the school’s head athletics trainer. Since 1984, he has served as assistant or associate athletics director until he was named director of athletics in May 1996.

Following the 2009-10 academic year, Carlon was named the Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He was one of 29 athletic directors in four geographic awards separated into seven categories to earn this distinction.

Read more about the Southland Conference Hall of Honor.

By the book Joe Bax, right, autographs a copy of The General and Monaville, Texas, for Gerald Saxon, professor of history, at the Friends of the Library meeting Friday. Bax discussed his award-winning novel at the final Friends meeting of the spring semester.

Veit earns outstanding advising award

Dennis Veit, lecturer of management in the College of Business, has been awarded the Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Advising in the Primary Role category by the National Academic Advising Association.

Dr. Veit is graduate adviser for the Master of Science in Human Resource Management program in the Department of Management.

Established in 1983, the NACADA Annual Awards Program for Academic Advising honors individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.

Baker named editor of nursing journal

Joy Don Baker, clinical associate professor in the College of Nursing, has been appointed editor-in-chief of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Journal.

Dr. Baker has served as a member of the AORN board of directors, vice president, and former journal editorial board member. She is also a consultant to hospitals, specifically in the surgical services area relative to system analysis, team building, collaboration, and quality-improvement projects.

Tour College Park Center with Staff Advisory Council

Join the Staff Advisory Council for a tour of College Park Center at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 8. To reserve your spot and for the meeting location, RSVP by Monday, May 7, to Kevin Schuck at keschuck@uta.edu or 2-3313.

Join Blazing Race for wellness walk

Step up to the challenge of the Blazing Race. Join UT Arlington's faculty and staff at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 16, and get credit in the UT System Physical Activity Challenge.

Participants can walk or run either a low- or high-impact campus adventure course. The UT Arlington Wellness Committee hosts the free event.

Find details and registration information online or email wellness@uta.edu.

Mud monsters Participants turned into creatures from the muddy lagoons at the annual Oozeball tournament Friday. The mud volleyball match was moved to spring because of a drought last fall. See more photos, The Shorthorn photos and video, and a Star-Telegram photo gallery.

Order flower bouquets, leis for Commencement ceremonies

Take part in UT Arlington traditions by ordering flower bouquets or leis for students as Commencement approaches.

Flowers and leis are available for order through Friday, May 4, and can be purchased before and after each ceremony. Order and your gift will be waiting for you at the ceremony. Proceeds benefit the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact the Alumni Association at 2-2594.

University Club celebrates Cinco de Mayo at monthly buffet

The University Club celebrates Cinco de Mayo with its first Thursday of the month special 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today, Thursday, May 3. Cost is $8 per person plus tax.

Fajitas and enchiladas are served with Mexican rice, refried beans, and Mexican corn. Other items include chicken tortilla soup and sopapillas with honey and cinnamon sugar.

The regular menu will not be available. The University Club is located on the ground level of Davis Hall.

Steam outage planned May 21-23

The Thermal Energy Plant will shut down steam service to the campus Monday-Wednesday, May 21-23, to complete annual inspection and repairs.

Buildings served by the plant will be without hot water and steam during that time but will still have electrical power, air conditioning, and cold water service.

For information on buildings or equipment affected by the outage, call Larry Harrison in the Office of Facilities Management at 2-3458.

Intellectual Property Education Seminar Series

David Risley, a patent attorney with Thomas Kayden law firm, will answer questions about intellectual property. Potential topics can be submitted by emailing otm@uta.edu before May 10. Snacks and beverages provided. Free. 1-4 p.m., Thursday, May 24, Room 100, Nedderman Hall. Office of Technology Management.

Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Notification

UT Arlington seeks to provide its faculty, staff, and students with a drug-free environment. In accordance with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, the University is required to notify faculty, staff, and students each semester about:

Health risks associated with drug and alcohol abuse

• Alcohol and Drug Awareness
• Illicit Drugs and Alcohol Abuse (Brochures are at UT Arlington Police Department and Health Services)

University policies related to the illegal possession, use, or distribution of drugs or alcohol

• Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy
• Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace Policy
• Drug-Free University Community and Workplace Policy
• Drugs and Alcohol Policy

Availability of treatment for drug or alcohol problems

Employees - Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is provided through UT Arlington’s Office of Human Resources at 1-800-343-3822 or visit alliancewp.com.

Students - Drug and alcohol counseling and referral services are available through UT Arlington Health Services at 2-2771 or visit uta.edu/healthservices.

Internal sanctions and federal, state, and local legal penalties that may result from the illegal sale, possession, consumption, or distribution of drugs or alcohol

• Disciplinary Penalties
• Student Conduct and Discipline
• Standards of Conduct Guide
• Illicit Drugs and Alcohol Abuse (Brochures are at UTA Police Department and Health Services.)

For more information, contact UT Arlington's Health Services at 2-2771 or visit uta.edu/healthservices.

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.

Netting awards: Maria Martinez-Romero, left, and Mindaugas Celedinas captured Southland Conference Tennis Player of the Year honors.

Mavericks earn top tennis awards

UT Arlington’s Maria Martinez-Romero and Mindaugas Celedinas were named Southland Conference players of the year for women’s and men’s tennis last week.

Martinez-Romero was 10-1 in conference matches at the women’s No. 1 singles position, and Celedinas was 5-0 for the men.

The women’s team lost to Stephen F. Austin in the finals of the SLC championships on Saturday in Nacogdoches.

The men were eliminated in the semifinals by Nicholls State on Friday.

McConnell earns all-conference golf honors

Paul McConnell was selected to the All-Southland Conference golf first team by a vote of the league’s coaches and sports information directors. Hunter Brown was named to the third team and Cameron Hollek earned honorable mention.

McConnell's stroke average of 73.16 was fifth best in the league. He won the Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic in September and finished the year with two other top 10 finishes.

Baseballers host league-leading Sam Houston

Seeking to improve their third-place standing in the Southland Conference, the baseball team hosts league-leading Sam Houston State with games at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 4; 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5; and 1 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Clay Gould Ballpark.

The Mavericks lost two of three at Stephen F. Austin last weekend and are 14-10 in the SLC. Sam Houston State is 19-5 followed by Southeastern Louisiana at 15-9.

Tracksters third at Wichita meet

The men's and women's track and field teams each placed third at the Track-It Buster Invitational hosted by Wichita State last weekend.

Quentin Butler led the men’s team, finishing first in the 100 and second in the long jump. Lionel Mungwari won the triple jump, and Isiah Clements was first in the high jump. Romain Martin and Anthony Rene added second-place finishes in the pole vault and 800, respectively.

For the women, Shannon Reynolds won the 100 while runner-up spots went to Eld-hah Kaswatuka in the triple jump and Lindsey Putman in the 800.

It was the final tune-up prior to the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships May 11-13 in San Marcos.

Mavs softball team takes two from Nicholls State

Teri Lyles homered and pitched a shutout as the softball team downed Nicholls State 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday at Allan Saxe Field. The Mavericks then closed out the home portion of their schedule with a 2-1 win in the second game.

The softballers lost two games to Sam Houston State on Friday and Saturday. A trip to Southeastern Louisiana this weekend completes the season.

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

Friday, May 4

Opening Reception: BFA Exhibition Recent work by 59 graduating seniors of the Department of Art and Art History is showcased, demonstrating concentrations in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, glass, printmaking, film/video, photography, and visual communication. Free. 5-7 p.m., The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building.

$2 Movie: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m.; also 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5. Planetarium.

Baseball Mavericks vs. Sam Houston State. Tickets $5. 6:30 p.m.; also 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5, and 1 p.m. Sunday, May 6; Clay Gould Ballpark. Athletics.

Friday, May 11

School of Architecture Commencement Guests are encouraged to arrive one hour early. 4 p.m., Texas Hall. Commencement.

Graduation Celebration Featured speaker is Oscar-nominated actor and Golden Globe winner James Franco, right. President James D. Spaniolo and Melissa Sepulveda Tran, a nursing graduate student, also will speak. A Texas-sized fireworks show, music, and free food are on the agenda. The free celebration is open to the public. In case of inclement weather, Graduation Celebration will move to College Park Center. 7:30 p.m., Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram St., Arlington. Graduation Celebration.

Saturday, May 12-Sunday, May 13

Commencement Ceremonies Live music begins one hour prior to the start of each ceremony. See Commencement schedule. College Park Center.

Ongoing

India Unveiled A collection of 35 images by photographer and author Robert Arnett. Free. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Through Saturday, May 26. Special Collections, sixth floor parlor, Central Library.

Novus Ordo Seclorum In his works, Anthony Thompson Shumate uses the design that appears on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays. Through Thursday, May 31. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Planetarium Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s climate engine with visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations. Free showings during May. 3:30 p.m. Sundays. Planetarium.

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