University Communications » Internal Communications » TrailBlazer » TrailBlazer 05-25-2010

Remember when, Class of 2010: Graduating students celebrated their hard work with pomp, circumstance, and plenty of cheers at ceremonies at Texas Hall. See the Class of 2010's commencement photo gallery.

Class of 2010 milestone: 2,247 undergrad, 869 grad degrees conferred a new record

The 2010 spring graduating class became the largest ever at the University as 3,116 candidates crossed the Texas Hall stage to claim their degrees.

This class is 10.5 percent larger than last year's previous high mark, with 2,247 receiving undergraduate degrees and 869 earning master's or doctoral degrees.

The increase is driven by several trends, particularly in the College of Nursing, where enrollment has been boosted through the RN-to-BSN program, and through the University Studies degree program, which allows students who haven't decided on a major or who want to pursue interests in a range of academic areas to earn their degrees.

Comments from Maverick Celebration (held May 7 at the Levitt Pavilion), a festive gathering that began the graduation season:

• President James D. Spaniolo spoke of what awaits graduates. "You wield the instruments of knowledge and discernment that will help you become engaged citizens of our new world."

• William McKenzie, a 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning alumnus and keynote speaker, advised them on success. "Find your passion. Be flexible. And whatever you do, don't quit ... not now ... not ever."

• "Mavericks," aerospace engineering major Wendy Okolo called her fellow graduates in her celebratory speech, "I know that you are capable of doing, to the utmost of your abilities, whatever you have chosen to do."

College Park's coming: Street-level retail and office suites south of UTA Boulevard, between Pecan and Center streets, will be part of College Park near the Special Events Center. Also included will be campus residence halls wrapped around an 1,800-vehicle parking garage.

UT System Regents approve final design, funding for College Park

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the final design and funding for College Park at its May 13 meeting in Austin. College Park is an $80 million, mixed-used development on UT Arlington's eastern edge that will fuel new activity in the University and downtown business district.

The development includes campus residence halls wrapped around an 1,800-vehicle parking garage with street-level retail and office suites south of UTA Boulevard, between Pecan and Center streets. College Park also will include a new campus welcome center, a satellite campus police station, and—in response to rising demand for on-campus housing—81 new apartment units.

The project marks the largest partnership to date between UT Arlington and the city of Arlington. The city has committed up to $18 million toward the parking structure, which will serve visitors to the University's 6,500-seat Special Events Center, under construction immediately south of the College Park site, as well as visitors to other downtown venues.

The events center is scheduled to open in late 2011, and College Park is expected to open in summer 2012.

Other notable College Park amenities include:

• 484 residence hall beds and 15 residence hall assistant rooms;

• a new First Street connection, updated from initial concept drawings, will encourage street-level retail activity between Pecan and Center streets;

• improved streetscapes and landscapes; and

• enhanced architectural finishes that will create vertical separation and give the development the look of urban townhouses.

Read more about and view artist renditions of College Park online.

SUPA offers minor in sustainability beginning in fall

The School of Urban and Public Affairs will offer a minor in sustainability in its undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program beginning this fall. The minor will provide credentials in the field of sustainability to students in a variety of majors.

Biology Professor James P. Grover, who serves as chair of the University Sustainability Committee's curriculum work group, says the minor will benefit students like the science major who wants to work in environmental science or oversight with a regulatory agency and the liberal arts major who wants to work in broad areas of public policy.

Meghna Tare, director of sustainability for UT Arlington, says the offering will build a solid foundation for a sustainability major in the future and give students an opportunity to learn the principles of sustainability and the expertise to possibly pursue a career in sustainability.

Read more about the sustainability minor, or contact Rod Hissong, associate professor in the School of Urban and Public Affairs, at hissong@uta.edu or 817-272-3350 for more information.

Bridge-to-Doctorate fellowship program to dole out nearly $1 million

UT Arlington has been awarded $987,000 from the National Science Foundation for 2010-12 to increase the number of students attaining their doctoral degrees in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

The Bridge-to-Doctorate program awards a dozen students full tuition and fees, $30,000 annual stipends for two years, an allowance for textbooks and research supplies, participation in the NSF Joint Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., research conference participation and support, and developmental workshops and activities.

The funding for the BD fellowships at UT Arlington comes from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program at the NSF. Stokes played a pivotal role in the quest for civil rights, equality, and social and economic justice throughout his tenure in the U.S. Congress.

Read more about the Bridge-to-Doctorate program online.

Commencement review Take a quick tour of graduation ceremonies, speeches, and celebrations. Commencement videos are available online and for download.

Physics team discovers unexplained matter-antimatter asymmetry

UT Arlington physicists are part of the DZero collaboration research team that has found new evidence that may help explain why the universe is composed of matter. The findings are outlined in a May 18 article in The New York Times.

Headed by Physics Professor Andrew White, the team includes Professor Kaushik De, Associate Professors Andrew Brandt and Jaehoon Yu, researcher Mark Sosebee, and students Arnab Pal and Heather Brown.

DZero is an international experiment of about 500 physicists from 86 institutions in 19 countries. It is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and a number of international funding agencies. Fermilab is a national laboratory funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy, operated under contract by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC.

In analyzing data from collisions of protons and antiprotons at Fermilab's Tevatron, which until the opening of the Large Hadron collider near Geneva was the world's largest particle accelerator, the scientists found something inexplicable. In the production of pairs of muons and antimuons, scientists found, instead of symmetry, more movement from the antimatter state to the matter state.

Read more about UT Arlington's high energy physics research online.

World No Tobacco Day event Friday

Learn more reasons to quit smoking at the World No Tobacco Day event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, May 28, in front of the Health Services Center.

You can check your lung capacity as well as your knowledge of smoking trivia while comparing the display of healthy lungs with those of a smoker. Representatives of the North Texas Coalition Against Alcohol and Tobacco will be on hand.

Participants can sign up for the free Fresh Start From Tobacco classes. Free popcorn, lemonade, and prizes will also be available.

UT Arlington will become a tobacco-free campus by August 2011 to foster a healthier community for students, employees, and visitors. Current University policy prohibits tobacco use in all campus buildings and facilities, including residence halls, apartments, and houses. Tobacco may not be used within 50 feet of building entrances or air intake vents of campus buildings.

To learn more about how to quit tobacco use, contact Nekima Booker at 817-272-2716 or nekimab@uta.edu.

New phone support hours at OIT Help Desk now in effect

The Computer Help Desk for the Office of Information Technology has new telephone support hours. The Help Desk will answer phones until 8 p.m. daily. Walk-in help and e-mail assistance at helpdesk@uta.edu will continue during the Central Library's regularly posted hours.

Campus steam shutdown continues through Wednesday

It's that time of year again when the Thermal Energy Plant must shut down steam service to the campus to complete inspection and repair requirements of the system components. Steam outage began Monday and ends at 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 26. It was determined that this time period would cause the least disruption for campus functions and activities.

Buildings will be without hot water and steam. Electrical power, air conditioning, and cold water service will be available.

If you have questions concerning the buildings or equipment affected by this outage, contact Larry Harrison in the Office of Facilities Management at 817-272-3458.

Special Olympics on campus starting Thursday

More than 3,000 Special Olympics Texas athletes from across the state will be on campus Thursday-Sunday, May 27-30, for the 2010 Summer Games. This is the fifth year for the event to be held at UT Arlington and surrounding community venues.

The games kick off with opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 27, at Maverick Stadium. Competition also will take place at the Maverick Activities Center, Intramural Fields, and Tennis Center. A motor skills training program and volunteer meals will be at the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Volunteers are needed. Individuals, groups, families, and companies can assist in competitions and special events. Volunteer opportunities and registration are available online.

Special Olympics Texas is a privately funded nonprofit organization providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than 36,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Texas. Visit www.specialolympicstexas.org.

Park art Anna Long, art history senior, stands with some of her creations Saturday at Art in the Park at the Arlington Highlands. The event featured more than 100 area artists, including UT Arlington art students and faculty.

Take a break with Mindful Moments

Take a break from stress with Mindful Moments, which returns Wednesday, May 26. Mindfulness draws on one's internal resources to cultivate awareness and practice being present in each moment of our lives. The summer session ends Aug. 11. Free. 12:15-12:45 p.m. Wednesdays, Room 235, Business Building. Marie Bannister, 817-272-2771.

Dining, MAC, P.E. building hours change for summer intersession

Maverick Market and Starbucks in the E.H. Hereford University Center are the only dining facilities open between spring and summer semesters. Other dining spots are closed through Saturday, June 5.

The Maverick Activities Center and the Physical Education Building are open 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays through Friday, June 4, except for Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, when hours are 5-10 p.m. See the pool schedule online. The buildings are closed Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, June 6.

MAC has summer intramural sports, events, exercise programs

The Maverick Activities Center offers intramural sports and exercise classes through the summer.

Intramural sports include team and individual sports and events. Registration for softball and indoor soccer starts Thursday, May 27, and ends Thursday, June 10 Check the intramural schedule for other registration dates.

Exercise classes for the summer intersession run through Friday, June 4. The summer exercise schedule starts Monday, June 7.

TrailBlazer begins summer schedule, publishes every other week

TrailBlazer is published every other Tuesday through the summer. Submit news and calendar items to trailblazer@uta.edu or call Teresa Newton at 817-272-7078. The TrailBlazer guidelines are online.

Spring grades available online

Spring grades are now available online. View grades by logging in at uta.edu/mymav. Click on Student Center and then click on the drop-down box under Other Academic. Grades will be the sixth item in the drop-down list.

Alumni Association offers scholarships

The Alumni Association offers 13 different scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year. Application forms are available in the Financial Aid Office in Davis Hall and online at uta.edu/alumni/scholarships. Return applications to the Alumni Association, 841 W. Mitchell St, or to P.O. Box 19457, Arlington, TX 76019. Call 817-272-2594 or e-mail scholarships@uta.edu for details. Deadline to apply is Friday, June 4.

Engineering hosts Band of Heathens at the Levitt The College of Engineering hosts a free evening concert with Band of Heathens at 8 p.m. Friday, June 4, at the Levitt Pavilion in downtown Arlington. Their music has been compared to that of the Black Crowes, The Band, and Little Feat. They finished 2009 with two major accomplishments: an "Emerging Artist of the Year" nomination at the American Music Association awards and a coveted taping for the 35th anniversary season of the Austin City Limits television program. The quintet's current album, One Foot in the Ether, reached No. 1 on the Americana airplay charts and has won critical acclaim from the indie-rock, alt-country, and jam press alike. The Levitt Pavilion is located on the south side of West Abram Street between Center and Pecan streets. See upcoming concerts at levittpavilionarlington.org.

Wednesday, May 26

$2 Movie: Astro Boy The boy with "a hundred horsepower strength." 5:30 p.m., Planetarium. Also 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 28, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 29. 817-272-1183.

Through May 31

Timpani: New Works Artists Carol Benson, Susan Harrington, and Chris Powell use disparate media in this art exhibit. Free. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center. 817-272-5988.

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 Shows this week include One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure. See the complete Planetarium schedule. $3 students with ID. planetarium@uta.edu, 817-272-1183.

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

Outstanding on the track: Jasmine Walls added the outdoor Southland Conference Women's Outstanding Track Performer award to her list of honors after receiving the indoor award earlier this year.

Walls named top track performer, two others win awards

Senior Jasmine Walls was named the Southland Conference Women's Outstanding Track Performer after winning the 100- and 200-meter dash events in the SLC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Maverick Stadium. It marked the third straight year that she has won both the 100 and 200. Walls also ran with the 4x100-meter relay team, which finished second.

Shannon Reynolds is the Freshman of the Year after placing third in the 100 meters, second in the 200, and running on the second-place 4x100-meter relay team in the conference meet. The Women's Newcomer of the Year is junior Jerono Patrober, a transfer from Butler (Kan.) Community College, who was third in the SLC 3,000-meter run and sixth in the 10,000.

The men have nine entries and the women seven in the NCAA West Preliminary Meet Thursday-Saturday, May 27-29, at UT Austin. Cordero Gray ranks among the men's top 10 in the meet in both the 100- and 200-meter events while Walls is listed in the women's top 10 for the 200. Top qualifiers at the preliminary meet advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships June 9-12 at Eugene, Ore.

Mavericks face SFA in conference baseball tourney

UT Arlington is seeded fifth and faces fourth-seeded Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, in the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament at Corpus Christi. The double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday, May 29, with the champion earning a trip to an NCAA Regional.

The Mavericks lost two of three at Texas State last weekend to finish fifth with a 19-14 conference record. Texas State won the regular season title with a 23-10 mark.

Softball season ends with losses at conference tournament

UT Arlington won three games at the Southland Conference Softball Tournament May 13-15, but a pair of losses to Texas State eliminated the Mavericks as they finished the season with a 29-25 record. McNeese State topped Texas State to win the conference title.

Senior Cara Hulme hit a pair of home runs in the tournament and finished with 11 this season to lead the team. Freshman Teri Lyles picked up a pair of pitching victories to finish the year with 15, tops for the Mavericks.

Sports shorts

Marquez Haynes is regarded as a possible second-round pick in next month's NBA draft. See stories in the Detroit Free Press  and on the Indy Cornrows blog. ... Senior catcher Samantha Chumchal was named to the All-Southland Conference softball first team while pitcher Teri Lyles received the Freshman of the Year award. ... Junior Zack Fischer started off tied for 12th last week, firing a 73 in the first round of the NCAA Regional Golf Tournament at the Carlton Oaks Golf Club in San Diego. But he slipped in the second and third rounds with scores of 77 and 78 to finish in a tie for 49th.

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