University Communications » Internal Communications » TrailBlazer » TrailBlazer 09-28-2010

Special donation: President James D. Spaniolo, center, welcomes Carrizo Oil & Gas Chairman of the Board Steven A. Webster, left, and President and Chief Executive Officer S.P. "Chip" Johnson IV following the announcement Friday of a $5 million gift toward completion of the special events center at the annual Leadership Summit on campus.

Carrizo makes historic gift to support special events center

UT Arlington has received the largest single cash commitment in the University's philanthropic history, a $5 million gift toward completion of the special events center from Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc.

The gift follows Carrizo's generous $1 million contribution announced in fall 2009 that established a graduate research fellowship program to attract top scholars and researchers to the University.

The Houston-based, independent energy company has been developing the University's natural gas resources since 2007. Carrizo has demonstrated a commitment to bringing its wealth of knowledge, experience, safety, and reliability to its relationships with the University, the City of Arlington, and the North Texas community.

S.P. "Chip" Johnson IV, Carrizo's president and chief executive officer, described his company's relationship with UT Arlington as "strong and mutually beneficial." The natural gas program has generated more than $5 million in royalties for the University since campus wells went into production in late 2008.

Natural gas royalties are being used to encourage University supporters to leverage major gifts that boost UT Arlington's academic and research missions through the Maverick Match. The program allows philanthropic partners who make endowment gifts of $25,000 or more to see their contribution doubled through natural gas royalty matching funds.

"We are fortunate to have six new doctoral fellows this fall who have brought their talent to UT Arlington through our partnership with Carrizo," President James D. Spaniolo says. "This new commitment to our special events center is transformational for UT Arlington and, we believe, signals many great things to come."

Construction on the $78 million special events center continues east of Pecan Street, between Second and Fourth streets. A real-time webcam is capturing work on the center, which is expected to be complete in late 2011.

Read more about Carrizo's gift.

Browsing around: Mary LeVesque, left, who manages the Computer Store at the UT Arlington Bookstore, demonstrates to electrical engineering freshman Jackie Brewer one of the many new products available to students, faculty, and staff.

Computer Store going strong in its new Bookstore location

Business is brisk for the Computer Store in its new home at the UT Arlington Bookstore.

Formerly located in Ransom Hall, and temporarily in the E.H. Hereford University Center last spring, the Computer Store can be found on the west side of the ground floor in the Bookstore.

The move solved space issues and resulted in operational savings for the University, says John Hall, vice president for administration and campus operations.

"Combining the Computer Store with the Bookstore creates a much more convenient shopping experience for the campus community," Hall says.

The Follett Corporation acquired the rights to the Computer Store and manages the area through the Bookstore. The Computer Store was part of the Bookstore in the late 1980s, but was later made a separate entity, says Mary LeVesque, general book manager who oversees the computer area.

"We carried software and peripherals all along," LeVesque says. "We just did not have the contract to sell the licensed product."

Low academic pricing plus discounts on hardware, software, and accessories are available for faculty, staff, and students. Among the offerings are Office 2007 and 2010; Mac 2008 with the 2011 version available later this semester; Windows 7; some Adobe CS5 suites; Apple software; and several engineering and statistical packages such as Matlab, Mathcad, Pro/E, Mathematica, and SPSS.

Rick Bayless

Limited number of tickets available for celebrity chef appearance in Maverick Speakers Series

A limited number of tickets for "An Evening with a Celebrity Chef" featuring Rick Bayless are available at utatickets.com. Bayless will appear as part of the Maverick Speakers Series on Thursday, Oct. 14, in the Lone Star Auditorium of the Maverick Activities Center. Tickets are free, but a ticket is required for admission to the event.

He has won two James Beard Awards, including the organization's "International Humanitarian of the Year" award. He introduced Americans to authentic Mexican cuisine and changed the image of Mexican food in America. Bayless has written many best-selling cookbooks, including Mexico: One Plate at a Time, which inspired the PBS series now in its fifth season.

He owns and operates two Chicago restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolombampo, and recently opened a new restaurant called XOCO. He is the face behind the Frontera food brand in supermarkets.

Register to vote through Oct. 4

Voter registration applications are available through Monday, Oct. 4, in the Student Congress office, Suite B150, on the lower level of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

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. If you live in a residence hall or on-campus apartment, you can register to vote at your campus address and vote on campus.

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

Burns notice Ken Burns reflected on 30 years of documentary filmmaking during a master class with film, history, and journalism students Friday afternoon prior to his Maverick Speakers Series presentation at Texas Hall. Burns said he vowed never to do a sequel, but so much has happened since his 1994 film Baseball, such as the increase in the number of Latin and Asian players and the use of steroids. His latest film, The Tenth Inning, debuts on KERA TV at 7 p.m. in a two-part series today and Wednesday. Click on the photo for highlights of Burns' campus visit.

Get up, sleepyhead, and register for the 30th annual Bed Races this week

It's back to the '80s for the 30th annual Bed Races at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, at Maverick Stadium. The 1980s Remix theme features teams of five students—four pushing and one on the bed—competing in three categories: women's, men's, and co-ed. Costumes are encouraged. Entry fees go to the Student Life Fund.

Deadline to enter is Tuesday, Oct. 5. Register online. EXCEL Campus Activities and the Department of Campus Recreation sponsor the event. For more details, call Student Activities at 817-272-2963 or Campus Recreation at 817-272-3277.

Flu shots available for $15

Influenza immunizations are now available at Health Services. Cost is $15 for students, faculty, and staff. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Health Services Center. Walk-ins are welcome.

For more information, contact Health Services online or at 817-272-2771.

Learn to 'Stay Safe at College' Thursday

Learn how to protect yourself at the Stay Safe at College program hosted by the UT Arlington Police Department. The program is at noon Thursday, Sept. 30, in the Guadalupe Room of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Learn how to collaborate with your peers to make your campus and campus experience safer for everyone. The presentation will focus on residence hall safety, protecting your possessions, and protecting yourself.

Keep on rollin' Juan Soto, left, advertising junior, collects donations while Anthony Pone, social work senior, pedals away for the World Heart Day Cyclethon at the Maverick Activities Center. Soto and Pone are members of the Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball team and used a hand cycle instead of a stationary bike for their team, Arm-Strong. Monday's event raised money for the American Heart Association.

Health Services' Open House Wednesday has some healthy info

Meet Health Services staff, tour the Health Center, and learn about services at the Health Services Open House from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29. Giveaways, snacks, health info, and a drawing for a $100 Wal-Mart gift card are planned.

For more information, contact Donielle Smith at Health Services at 817-272-2771.

Chemistry professor, students take science to State Fair of Texas

A UT Arlington chemistry professor and his students left their lab for the State Fair of Texas, taking with them fun experiments they hope will get fairgoers excited about science. They will be at the fair through Monday, Oct. 4.

The first-time exhibit is funded by the National Science Foundation as part of Diversity in Science in the United States (DISCUS), a program started by Assistant Professor Kevin Schug. The DISCUS booth will feature live experiments demonstrating concepts such as density and gravity and some "chemistry magic." Features on famous minority and women scientists and microscope-aided lessons on microorganisms also will be part of the action.

"We wanted to reach as large a group of people as possible," says Dr. Schug, whose research focuses on developing new methods for drug discovery. "It occurred to me, here is a very large and diverse group of people that you could communicate science to. The fair just seemed like the perfect fit, and it's just right down the road."

Schug and his students spent the summer preparing thousands of goodie bags of take-home experiments for all ages.

See more information about DISCUS.

Job Fair fall 2010 Students and alumni networked with business representatives with the hope of landing jobs at the Fall Career Fair. The fair was Sept. 22 at the Maverick Activities Center. Click on the photo for more on the Fall Job Fair.

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 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.

Sen. Hutchison unveils initiative of Chamber of Commerce, UT Arlington

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison unveiled a model for economic development centered on transferring federal technology to the marketplace Thursday during the Arlington Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet.

Hutchison worked with chamber leaders to secure funding for TechComm (Technology Commercialization and Manufacturing), a new partnership between UT Arlington and the Arlington Chamber.

TechComm is a technology transfer arm of the Center for Innovation at Arlington, a cooperative high-tech business accelerator operated jointly by the Arlington Chamber and UT Arlington. TechComm's mission is moving ideas and technologies from concept to market across an eight-state region.

Read more on the TechComm initiative.

College Park Center The special events center will now be called College Park Center, President James D. Spaniolo announced Friday. The University will seek approval from the UT System Board of Regents to rename the center, which should be complete by December 2011. The facility will anchor the College Park District.

UT Arlington receives $1.45 million 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 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 grant comes on the heels of a previously funded NSF Robert Noyce Grant to UT Arlington for $900,000. Together, the two NSF 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.

Read more about the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant.

Professors awarded $1.3 million to develop nanomaterials for homeland security

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 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.

Read more about the nanocomposite research.

Continuing Education fall catalog available online

Whether for work or play, courses offered in the Continuing Education fall catalog have something for nearly everyone.

The Sustainability and Going Green program offers courses from basics, such as how to make a rainbarrel, to LEED Green Associate certification preparation. Several online classes are offered, also.

Learn more at uta.edu/ced.

Need a past TrailBlazer?

Want to read a previous TrailBlazer but lost the original e-mail? Bookmark TrailBlazer's index page for perusing some Maverick news.

Six-course-drop alert, check out the implications before you drop a class

All students who entered a Texas public college or university in fall 2007 or later are limited to dropping six courses in the span of their undergraduate career. Link to policies and procedures for UT Arlington's implementation of this statute. You will need to meet with an academic adviser in your major department to drop or withdraw from classes. The last drop day this fall is Friday, Nov. 5.

Still time for undergrads to apply for fall graduation

If you missed the undergraduate deadline to apply for fall graduation, you can still submit an application through Friday, Oct. 8. The late application fee is $50. Read more about undergraduate graduation requirements.

Wednesday, Sept. 29

$2 Movie: Prince of Persia Prince, princess, villain, special dagger, magic sand, time travel. Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m.; also 5:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Planetarium. 817-272-1183.

Wednesday, Oct. 6

$2 Movie: Robin Hood Russell Crowe in tights. Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m.; also 5:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Planetarium. 817-272-1183.

Flamenco Showcase Part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Free. 6:30 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. Multicultural Affairs, multicultural@uta.edu, 817-272-2099.

Volleyball Mavericks face Texas State in a Southland Conference match. Free with student ID. 7 p.m., Texas Hall. Athletics. 817-272-2261.

Don't Get Busted BBQ Student Legal Services provides tips on how to handle police encounters. The video Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters is followed by a Q&A session with Keisha A. Ware, attorney for students, and a UTA Police representative. The first 30 guests to RSVP receive a prize. Free. Reservations online. 7 p.m., Room 133, Maverick Activities Center. Legal Services, legalservices@uta.edu, 817-272-4191.

Ongoing

Planetarium Programs This month see Stars of the Pharaohs; Wonders of the Universe; One Sky, One World: Big Bird's Adventure; Secret of the Cardboard Rocket; Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame; and the $2 Movie. Planetarium, 817-272-1183.

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.

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.)

Tuesday, Sept. 28	Next Generation Nuclear Plants and Related Material Issues Uner Colak, professor of nuclear engineering at Hacettepe University in Ankara, discusses existing reactor technologies and introduces the need and expectations for future nuclear power technologies. Free. 2 p.m., Room 100, Nedderman Hall. Dr. Rasool Kenarangui, kenarang@uta.edu, 817-272-3423. Writing with Clarity and Cohesion Graduate students learn to make their academic writing clearer and more cohesive. Participants should bring a sample of their academic writing or part of a thesis or dissertation. Free. 4:30-6 p.m., Writers' Studio, Room 411, Central Library. Graduate Studies, Michael Saenz, saenz@uta.edu. 'Cabaret' Lecture Series: 1920s Photojournalism in America Erika Pribanic-Smith, assistant professor of communication, discusses Another Perspective: 1920s Photojournalism in America. Free. 6 p.m., Studio Theatre, Fine Arts Building. Theatre Arts, Natalie Gaupp, ngaupp@uta.edu. Nursing: Successful Sophomores Start Here Nursing advisers discuss the admissions process, while faculty and nursing students provide tips for nursing school success. Free to pre-nursing students. 7 p.m., Room 104, Pickard Hall. College of Nursing, Mary Jane Ashe, 817-272-2776.
Wednesday, Sept. 29	Graduate Admissions and Financial Resources Workshop Thinking about applying to graduate school? Meet with a representative from the Office of Graduate Studies and learn about graduate opportunities, services, financial assistant, and general admission processes. Refreshments served. Free. Noon-1 p.m., San Jacinto/Neches/Pedernales rooms, E.H. Hereford University Center. Graduate Studies, gradservices@uta.edu, 817-272-5286. Architecture Lecture Series Dallas architect Ron Wommack is guest speaker. Free. 4 p.m., Room 204, Architecture Building. Robert Rummel-Hudson, rhudson@uta.edu, 817-272-2314.
Thursday, Sept. 30	Word for Dissertations and Theses Learn advanced features in Word 2007 used to write longer documents that will make meeting the Graduate School formatting requirements a less arduous process. Free. 4-6 p.m., Room B20, Central Library. Michael Saenz, saenz@uta.edu, 817-272-2315.
Friday, Oct. 1	Marketing Brown Bag Series Jin-Woo Kim, doctoral student in marketing, and Traci Freling, assistant professor of marketing, discuss "Is Super Bowl advertising worth the expense? An event study analysis." Free. 12:30-2 p.m., Room 609, Business Building. Marketing Brown Bag Series. Ritesh Saini, saini@uta.edu, 817-272-0221.
Through Saturday, Oct. 2	Banned Book Week In celebration of Banned Book Week, the staff at UT Arlington libraries encourages you to check out a banned book. Need some suggestions? See the display at the Central Library or the Banned Book Week slideshow showing the Maverick librarians reading their favorite banned books.
Saturday, Oct. 2	Word for Dissertations and Theses Learn advanced features in Word 2007 used to write longer documents that will make meeting the Graduate School formatting requirements a less arduous process. 10 a.m.-noon, Room B20, Central Library. Graduate Studies, Michael Saenz, saenz@uta.edu, 817-272-2315.
Monday, Oct. 4	Nursing Career Fair Nurses and nursing students can meet with hospital and various health care agency representatives to discuss employment opportunities. Free. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Rio Grande Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. College of Nursing, Star-Telegram. Architecture Lecture Series Phoenix architect Will Bruder is guest speaker. Free. 4 p.m., Room 204, Architecture Building. Robert Rummel-Hudson, rhudson@uta.edu, 817-272-2314.
Tuesday, Oct. 5	Vocabulary + Identity Visiting artist Alfredo Jaar is an artist, architect, and filmmaker who 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. Free ticket through Art and Art History or Architecture. 6 p.m., Room 204, Architecture Building. mdulock@uta.edu, 817-272-2891.
Wednesday, Oct. 6	Engineering Sustainment: Support after the Sale Neal McCollom, director of Integrated Sustainment Engineering at Lockheed Martin, provides an engineer's perspective on performance-based logistics and why it is critical for an engineering design effort. Light breakfast provided. Free for students and first-time guests; $5 others. Register online. 7-8 a.m., Room 601, Nedderman Hall. College of Engineering and the Arlington Technology Association, 817-272-3682. Focus on Faculty: Bart Weiss Bart Weiss, professor of art and art history, discusses history through film, from documentary to dramatic perspectives. Free. Noon-1:30 p.m., sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Tommie Wingfield, wingfield@uta.edu, 817-272-2658. Writing with Clarity and Cohesion Graduate students can learn to make their academic writing clearer and more cohesive. Participants should bring a sample of their academic writing, such as an assignment in progress or a part of a thesis or dissertation. 1-2:30 p.m., Writer's Studio, Room 411, Central Library. Graduate Studies, Michael Saenz, saenz@uta.edu. Architecture Lecture Series Corvin Matei is guest speaker. Free. 4-5:30 p.m., Room 204, Architecture Building. Architecture, rhudson@uta.edu, 817-272-2314. Graduate Student Senate general assembly Become an active participant in graduate student life. Meetings are the first and third Wednesday of each month. 5-6 p.m., Student Congress Chambers, E.H. Hereford University Center. Graduate Student Senate, gss@uta.edu.
(For an expanded list of events, see the UT Arlington Calendar.)

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

Koenig brings 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 against 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, and 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 on 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.

Golfers fifth at Waterchase Invitational

The golf team finished fifth at the UTA/Waterchase Invitational in its first tournament of the season last week at the Waterchase Golf Club in Fort Worth.

Maverick senior Zack Fischer tied for ninth with a 54-hole score of 215, one under par. Senior Wes Worster shot a 6-under-par 66 in the final round to finish at even par 216 and in a tie for 12th. See the UTA/Waterchase Invitational results.

The golfers are participating this week in the Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic at Notre Dame, Ind.

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