University Communications » Internal Communications » TrailBlazer » TrailBlazer 02-08-2011

Ice as art: The ice just would not go away last week as the conditions canceled classes and closed offices Tuesday through Friday. The frigid fountain at the Cooper Street center bridge created a wintry sculpture.

Icy conditions force rescheduling of Census Date, various events

Some of the events postponed because of the icy weather conditions last week will be rescheduled.

Because of last week’s closings, UT Arlington will recognize today, Tuesday, Feb. 8, as the official Census Date. Students may add classes through Tuesday with their advisers' approval. Students who drop courses before 5 p.m. Tuesday will not receive a W grade.

Events being rescheduled are a forum on concealed handguns, a panel discussion on war depicted in film, the Friends of the Library meeting featuring author Joe Bax, and The Ultimate Huddle football reunion.

Whenever the University is facing inclement weather, be sure to watch for notices via TrailBlazer EXTRA, the University's home page, local media outlets, Twitter, and Facebook. Additionally, up-to-date recorded information is available on the University's Emergency Information Hotline at 1-866-258-4913.

Career Month features carnival, job search workshops

Career Month starts with a carnival and ends with a fair. Those and everything in between benefit students and alumni looking for jobs. Career Month is a month-long series of workshops designed to prepare you for the Job Fair, your future job, and internship searches.

Carnival Career Month Kick-Off provides all the information on the month's activities. Find information, food, games, and prizes 11 a.m.-1 p.m. today, Tuesday, Feb. 8, in the Palo Duro Lounge of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Workshops during the month help students polish their resumes, interview and networking skills, interview attires, and social media pages. Sessions give tips on finding internships and federal jobs. See the career workshop schedule online.

The Job Fair is open to all students and alumni. Bring a stack of resumes and dress professionally 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, at the Maverick Activities Center.

More information is available by e-mailing careers@uta.edu or calling 817-272-2932.

Successful research: Materials science and engineering Associate Professor Seong Jin Koh's work on DNA detection is just one example of research highlighted in the 2010 President's Report, Extraordinary Success.

Extraordinary Success: 2010 President's Report now online

The 2009-10 academic year was one of tremendous growth and accomplishment for UT Arlington. By every measure, the University became bigger, better, and more productive than ever before.

The 2010 President’s Report, titled Extraordinary Success, details the many achievements of UT Arlington as it advances toward becoming one of America’s next great research institutions. Highlights include unprecedented increases in research activity that are fostering groundbreaking discoveries in the medical and energy fields, as well as award-winning academic initiatives that are preparing students to thrive in the global marketplace.

You’ll also read about record-setting philanthropic support, construction of the Engineering Research Building and College Park District, and partnerships that enhance the quality of life locally, nationally, and worldwide. In the student arena, you’ll find coverage of the University’s record enrollment and the launch of University College, which pulls a range of services under one roof to help students succeed.

“We continue to set the bar higher and higher,” writes President James D. Spaniolo in the report’s opening message. “Each day, each milestone fuels our mission to become a major national research university, a Tier One institution in every respect.”

Read the President's Report online.

Wheel deal Jose Zaldivas, aerospace engineering freshman, and Emmanuela Myica, biology lab manager, check out orange bikes given to 25 students to ride this semester for the Maverick Bike Program. The bike rally on Monday, Jan. 31, included a raffle for the two-wheelers as well as games, bike repairs, and information on RecycleMania.

Black History Month activities begin

Although the kickoff for Black History Month was canceled last week, the celebration continues.

A film screening of Katrina's Son with director Ya’Ke Smith, assistant professor of film, shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, in the Rosebud Theatre of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Leadership and volunteering are included in the month's activities. The deadline to apply for the second annual Black Leadership Institute is Friday, Feb. 18. Volunteers are needed for a college day at Dunbar High School on Saturday, Feb. 19, in Fort Worth.

See a full list of Black History Month events online.

University receives silver sustainability rating from STARS report

UT Arlington received a silver rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System report to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to gauge relative progress toward sustainability. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community.

"Achieving the silver rating proves that we are successful in our efforts," says Meghna Tare, director of the Office of Sustainability. "Our goal going forward will be to expand the existing programs, adopt new policies and initiatives, and strive to be a leader in campus sustainability."

Cal Ripken Jr.

Tickets sold out for Cal Ripken Jr. appearance

Cal Ripken Jr.'s appearance for the Maverick Speakers Series is sold out. Ripken will speak on "The Keys to Perseverance" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in Texas Hall.

Ripken played 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. His Hall-of-Fame career includes being one of only eight players to have 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. In 1995 he broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played (2,130), and he voluntarily ended the streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games.

Bill Nye—scientist, educator, engineer, comedian, author, and TV host—is the next guest in the speakers series. "A Night with the Science Guy" is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at Texas Hall. Tickets will be available at utatickets.com later this month.

Jon Daniels

Rangers general manager to speak Wednesday

Jon Daniels, general manager for the Texas Rangers, will speak on "Creating a Competitive Advantage" at the 30th Anderson Sport Performance Lecture at noon Wednesday, Feb. 9, in the Lone Star Auditorium of the Maverick Activities Center.

Daniels was named the eighth general manager for the Texas Rangers in 2005. He was named Baseball America’s 2010 Executive of the Year when he was 28 years old, the youngest general manager in Major League Baseball history.

The Anderson Sport Performance Lectures are designed to supplement the Department of Kinesiology's educational mission through presentations and interactions with significant professionals from various areas of the sport culture.

Memories of Six Flags Over Texas featured in new exhibit

Celebrate 50 years of an Arlington landmark with the free interactive exhibit “What You Wish the World Could Be: The Early Years of Six Flags Over Texas” Feb. 14 - May 14 in Special Collections on the sixth floor of the Central Library.

The exhibit, which is co-sponsored by Six Flags Over Texas, includes an original Spee-Lunker in an Abraham Lincoln costume, a carousel horse from the Silver Star, personal memorabilia from former park employees, memory walls where visitors can leave their own recollections, and photos from the historic collections of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Arlington Citizen-Journal.

While the park is a half-century old, the exhibit will focus primarily on the venue’s first 25 years. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 

Read more about the Six Flags Over Texas exhibit.

Leadership lineup Goolsby Leadership Academy members, from left, Jesse Placencia, Janelle Broyles, Esteban Aguilar, and Maria Mejia talk about their program at the Activities Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 26, in the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Biology professor's research on worm could help control some diseases

A paper published in the online journal Nature Communications that reveals the molecular biology behind a certain worm’s ability to ignore the laws of genetics could lead to control of some parasitic nematode species.

This work was a collaboration between the laboratories of Andre Pires da Silva, assistant professor of biology at UT Arlington, and Diane Shakes, associate professor of biology at The College of William & Mary. Jyotiska Chaudhuri and Henry Huynh, biology doctoral students, also collaborated on the project.

Dr. Pires da Silva says Third World countries could control or eliminate some diseases that depend upon these organisms to start. The World Health Organization estimates that 2.9 billion people are infected with nematodes.

Nature Communications is a new online offering from the publishers of Nature, the preeminent journal in the life sciences. Read more about the rhabditis research.

Vassilis Athitsos

Engineering prof lands NSF grant for continuing development of an American Sign Language visual dictionary

The National Science Foundation has awarded computer science engineering Assistant Professor Vassilis Athitsos a five-year, $513,000 Early Career Development grant to further develop a computer recognition system that will become a visual dictionary for American Sign Language.

This is the second major NSF award in recognition of Dr. Athitsos' work.

The new project, “Large Vocabulary Gesture Recognition for Everyone: Gesture Modeling and Recognition Tools for System Builders and Users,” will automatically annotate, recognize, and index large vocabularies of gestures.

To find the meaning of a particular sign, the user would form the sign in view of a camera atop a computer. The recognition system would compare the gesture with thousands of images stored in the computer’s database, display a selection of similar images, and allow the user to select the most appropriate meaning.

See more information on Athitsos' Early Career Development grant.

Darryl Lauster

Art professor wins prestigious national grant

Darryl Lauster, an assistant professor of art, has been awarded a prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation grant for painters and sculptors, one of 25 artists to receive the honor this year.

The $25,000 award is to assist artists who are under-recognized for their artistic achievements and whose careers would benefit from the grant. The Joan Mitchell Foundation is named for an acclaimed second-generation, abstract expressionist painter who died in 1992.

“Joan Mitchell was one of the best of contemporary American artists; this is quite an honor,” says Lauster, who plans to use the grant for various projects, including interviews for a film he began during a summer 2010 residency at the Wassaic Project in New York’s Hudson Valley near his hometown of Wawayanda, N.Y.

Lauster’s work incorporates digital media, printmaking, sculpture, and installation, and it often reflects his interest in American history and mythology. His depiction of the runners-up for president on ceramic plates will debut in March at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. He created an artificial archeological dig highlighting local history for the Wassaic Project.

See more information on Lauster and the Joan Mitchell Foundation grant.

Bookstore to close for annual inventory

Plan ahead for your textbooks, school supplies, and Maverick gear shopping. The UT Arlington Bookstore will be closed Saturday, Feb. 12, for annual inventory.

Census Date changed to today

Because of last week’s closings, UT Arlington will recognize today, Tuesday, Feb. 8, as the official Census Date. Students may add classes through Tuesday with their advisers' approval. Students who drop courses before 5 p.m. Tuesday will not receive a W grade.

What happens when you drop after Census Date?

If you drop or withdraw after 5 p.m. today, Tuesday, Feb. 8, a grade of W will be recorded on your transcript to reflect the drop.

The W will be counted toward the six-course drop limit (which affects students who entered a Texas public college or university in fall 2007 or later) and the excessive hours tuition law (which affects students who have more than 45 hours in excess of the hours required for a degree plan).

To drop or withdraw from classes, undergraduate students must meet with an academic adviser in their major department. Check the list of advising offices.

Spring graduation applications due

Undergraduates can still apply for spring graduation, but the candidate’s name will not appear in the program nor will the candidate receive commencement ceremony tickets from the respective college or school. The undergraduate application for graduation is online.

Graduate students have until Monday, Feb. 14, to apply for spring graduation through the Office of Graduate Studies.

University College opens late Monday

University College offices will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14. During this time, offices will not schedule appointments or see students. Offices include the Advising Center, Counseling Services, University Studies, Tutorial and Supplemental Instruction, the McNair Scholars Program, Student Support Services, Testing Services, and University College programs.

Future spring semester closure dates are March 14, April 11, and May 9.

Mark Twain returns in 'The Trouble Begins at 8' Dennis Maher, associate professor of theatre arts, brings Mark Twain to life through the author's writings and speeches in The Trouble Begins at 8. Performances are Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 12-13, and Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 19-20. Performances are at 8 p.m. Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays in the Studio Theatre of the Fine Arts Building. This joyous one-man show presents Twain at his finest, most introspective, comic, and philosophical. The show is a "must-see" performance for the Department of Theatre Arts' 2010-11 season. Admission is $7 for students, faculty, staff, and seniors; $10 for the general public. For ticket reservations, call 817-272-2669.

Tuesday, Feb. 8

Music Honors Recital Music faculty members and outstanding students perform in solo and chamber settings. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall. Music, music@uta.edu, 817-272-3471.

Alternative Spring Break Hot Dog Sale Grab some lunch (hot dogs, drinks, and chips) and find out how you can participate as a volunteer for an alternative Spring Break. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; also Wednesday, Feb. 9, and Thursday, Feb. 10. Library mall. UTA Volunteers, 817-272-2963.

Wednesday, Feb. 9

$2 Movie: Secretariat A precocious stallion sets an unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown. Rated PG. Free. 5:30 p.m. Also 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12. Planetarium, 817-272-1183.

Men's Basketball Mavericks vs. Sam Houston State. Free with student ID. 7 p.m., Texas Hall. Athletics, 817-272-2261.

Katrina's Son Film screening with director Ya'Ke Smith, assistant professor of art and art history. Part of Black History Month. Free. 7:30 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. Multicultural Affairs.

Thursday, Feb. 10

Mavs Book Club Mavs Book Club members discuss Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue. Club selections are in stock at the UTA Bookstore with a 20 percent discount. Free. 5:30 p.m., basement, Central Library. Mavs Book Club.

Friday, Feb. 11

Men's Tennis Mavericks vs. University of Dallas, 10 a.m.; vs. Cameron, 2 p.m. Free. UTA Tennis Center. Athletics, 817-272-2261.

Saturday, Feb. 12

Women's Basketball Mavericks vs. Texas State. Free with student ID. 2 p.m., Texas Hall. Athletics, 817-272-2261.

Tuesday, Feb. 15

Clavier Piano Recital Piano students perform. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Wednesday, Feb. 16

$2 Movie: Easy A A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Rated PG. 5:30 p.m. Also 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. Planetarium, 817-272-1183.

Men's Basketball Mavericks vs. Stephen F. Austin. Free with student ID. 7 p.m., Texas Hall. Athletics, 817-272-2261.

Thursday, Feb. 17

Evolution of Hip-Hop Discover the ever-changing hip-hop world. Part of Black History Month. 7 p.m., Rio Grande Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. Multicultural Affairs.

Wind Symphony Concert The UT Arlington Wind Symphony presents three iconic works for winds. $3 students, seniors; $5 general public. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Friday, Feb. 18

Free Movie: Due Date Things go awry for an expectant first-time father as he tries to get home in time for the birth. Rated R. Free. 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Lone Star Auditorium, Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Guest Strings Recital The Aspen Trio with David Perry, violin; Victoria Chiang, viola; and Michael Mermagen, cello, perform Beethoven, Schubert, and Mozart. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Ongoing

Planetarium Register for Valentine's Day's Romancing the Stars and Dinner Under the Stars at the Planetarium. See the complete Planetarium schedule, 817-272-1183.

The Gallery at UTA "John Hitchcock: Epicenter" showing concurrently with "Impressions: Prints Made in Texas." Free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, and noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Through Feb. 12. The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building. 817-272-5658.

Gallery 76102 "A Certain Shade of the Aftermath," an exhibit by Timothy Harding, deals with U.S. history, corporate infrastructure, heavy metal music, terrorism, and popular culture. Free. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Through March 31. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Combat Narratives: Stories and Artifacts from UT Arlington Veterans Artifacts, memorabilia, and gear on loan from UT Arlington military veterans and objects carried, used, or found by U.S. servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Free. Through May 21. Sixth floor, Central Library.

Exposure: Photos from the Second Battle of Fallujah Photographs from the Second Battle of Fallujah taken by UT Arlington student and Marine Corps veteran Joel Chaverri. Free. Through May 21. Sixth floor, Central Library.

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

Floor general: Shaquille White-Miller leads the men's basketball team in assists with 3.2 per game.

Mav men tied for first in SLC

The men’s basketball team is tied for first place in the West Division of the Southland Conference after winning four of its last five games.

Following a 93-70 win over Central Arkansas on Monday, the Mavericks are 5-3 in the SLC and host Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, at Texas Hall.

Gray sets record, Vinson ties mark

Cordero Gray set a school record in the 60-meter dash, and Pamela Vinson tied the mark for the 55-meter dash at indoor track meets at Houston and Wichita, Kan., over the last two weekends.

Men’s and women’s teams will compete in the Iowa State Classic Thursday - Saturday Feb. 10-12, at Ames, Iowa.

Movin' Mavs lose two of three, travel to Missouri next

The Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team downed Alabama, but lost to Illinois and Wisconsin-Whitewater in a tournament at the University of Alabama on Friday and Saturday.

The team travels to the University of Missouri for another tournament this weekend. Watch games live online at stickam.com/movinmavstv as the Movin' Mavs play Friday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m. against Edinboro; 4 p.m. Missouri; and 7 p.m. Wisconsin-Whitewater; and Saturday, Feb. 12, at 10:30 a.m. Southwest Minnesota; and 1:30 p.m. Illinois.

Women seek to get back on winning track

After losing three of its last four, the women’s basketball team hopes to get things turned around at Sam Houston State on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

The Mavericks return home to face Texas State at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Texas Hall.

Billiards tonight, dodgeball reset for Wednesday

The intramural billiards tournament starts at 7 p.m. today, Tuesday, Feb. 8, at Bowling & Billiards in the E.H. Hereford University Center, with signup from 6 to 6:50 p.m.

The entry deadline for dodgeball, originally scheduled last week, has been reset for Wednesday, Feb. 9.

Upcoming entry deadlines are racquetball singles and doubles, Thursday, Feb. 10; foosball, Tuesday, Feb. 15; and outdoor soccer and tennis singles and doubles, Wednesday, Feb. 16.

For more details, contact Campus Recreation or go to the information desk at the Maverick Activities Center.

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