University Communications » Internal Communications » TrailBlazer » TrailBlazer 06-26-2012

Announces retirement: President James D. Spaniolo announced last week that he will retire after more than eight years at UT Arlington.

President Spaniolo's contributions bring praise from UT System leaders

President James D. Spaniolo announced last week that he will retire from UT Arlington, saying he will continue to lead the University until the UT System Board of Regents completes a search for his successor.

“After careful thought, I have concluded it is the appropriate time to pass the baton and let others continue the stewardship of our remarkable institution,” President Spaniolo said. “It has been the highest honor of my career to have served as president of UT Arlington for the past eight-and-a-half years, and I will devote myself in the months ahead to assuring a smooth transition in leadership.”

UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa issued a statement expressing his gratitude for President Spaniolo’s service. He indicated The UT System Board of Regents will begin the search for a successor who can continue the significant momentum created by President Spaniolo to make UT Arlington one of Texas’ top-tier research institutions.

“The UT System is honored to have had President Spaniolo’s leadership for more than eight years. He has led significant transformations at the UT Arlington campus in teaching, research, student life, and athletics,” Chancellor Cigarroa said. “I am extremely impressed with the quantum leaps UT Arlington has made under his direction in virtually every area of the institution. He has been a superb and collaborative president, and he has led his university with great integrity, vision, and creativity.”

Spaniolo’s administration is widely credited for dramatically lifting and improving the profile of the University—boosting enrollment, increasing research expenditures, recruiting new faculty, assembling a strong executive team, strengthening the academic profile, leading the way in online and international education programs, and constructing major new facilities.

“President Spaniolo has been a magnificent leader of a very progressive effort at UT Arlington," said Wm. Eugene “Gene” Powell, chairman of The UT System Board of Regents. "He was ahead of the curve of most universities in augmenting the classroom experience with blended and online learning, successfully reaching out to more than 6,000 additional students. His ability to build the academic stature of UT Arlington and recruit and retain excellent faculty without requesting any undergraduate tuition increases this year is a testament to his excellent stewardship of resources. He has served with distinction, and the Board of Regents is grateful for his vision, leadership, and collegial spirit.”

Spaniolo took office as UT Arlington’s seventh president in February 2004.

Read more about President Spaniolo's retirement.

Celebrate Independence Day with downtown fireworks, parade

Arlington's legendary Fourth of July celebration brings fireworks, live music, and a traditional parade to the downtown area next week.

Start the celebration early with LightupArlington 6-10:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 3, in downtown Arlington. Live music, a children's area, and fireworks are the highlights.

Cheer on UT Arlington representatives in Arlington's 47th Annual 4th of July Parade starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 4, in the east campus and downtown area.

University supporters Jeannie ('98 BA, '11 MA) and Will Deakyne sponsor the University's parade float again, as they have since 2003. University community members can walk by the float by emailing pk@uta.edu.

Mr. and Ms. UTA, Navjot Singh and Ify Okonkwo; Student Congress President and Vice President, Jennifer Fox and Alaina Cardwell; UTA Ambassadors; and The Shorthorn are among the parade's 150 entries. The number of spectators has reached about 70,000.

The parade route begins at West and Mitchell streets, turning north on Pecan Street, west on UTA Boulevard, north on West Street, then east on Abram Street. The route will turn south at Center Street, west on Mitchell Street to Pecan Street, and concludes near Doug Russell Road.

The parade route is closed to vehicle traffic 7:30 a.m-1 p.m. Residents living within the parade route who plan to leave their residence in a car that morning should do so before 7:30 a.m.

Cool lane Traffic is cool and colorful this summer at the outdoor pool by the Physical Education Building, which has an indoor pool, too. Students have free access to the pools. Guest passes may be purchased and are valid at the outdoor pool only. For details, visit uta.edu/aquatics.

Get tickets now for UT Arlington's own Six Flags Day in August

Go higher and go faster with more than 50 thrilling rides at UT Arlington Six Flags Day on Sunday, Aug. 26, at Six Flags Over Texas.

Discount tickets for students are $25 each with a limit of 10 tickets per person. Tickets include admission to Six Flags, parking, and a "splash back" ticket to Hurricane Harbor. Get tickets at utatickets.com.

Enjoy the fun at the park starting at 10:30 a.m. or come 6-9 p.m. when its the UT Arlington-only crowd.

The event is open to the UT Arlington community and is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs.

Student Chapter Receives Distinguished Award From National Association

For the second year in a row, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has conferred the Superior Merit Award to the UT Arlington Student SHRM Chapter for an exceptional job of providing opportunities for growth and development to its student chapter members. The UTA Student SHRM Chapter also earned this level of recognition in 2011.

The College of Business offers a Master of Science in human resource management. It is the only master’s program of its kind in the North Texas region.

SHRM is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management.

Maverick All-Sports Pass available now

Students can purchase a Maverick All-Sports Pass for admission to all home sports events and a get free T-shirt, too. The Sports Pass is $50.

To purchase through your MyMav account, follow this map: Student Center>Finance Section>purchase items>Athletics>Maverick All-Sport Pass.

Or write a check to UT Arlington Athletics and note that it is for the Maverick Sports Pass. Send to Box 19950, Arlington, TX 76019-9950 or drop by Suite 1102 of College Park Center. To purchase over the phone, contact Leigh Coggiola at 817-272-0694.

Individual student tickets are $3 each to all athletic events.

Stop here Stop signs have been added to both northbound and southbound lanes on Pecan Street at the corner of Third Street beside College Park Center. The speed limit has been reduced to 15 mph along Pecan Street, from UTA Boulevard to Mitchell Street.

Housing open at The Heights on Pecan

There are still some apartments open at The Heights on Pecan for the fall semester. This community, located at 1225 S. Pecan St., was purchased by the University and features only furnished apartments.

Tour the model rooms 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Preview the community page, rates, and floor plans.

For questions, call 817-272-2791 or email housing@uta.edu.

Lane closures on UTA Boulevard

Various lanes will be closed 7 a.m.-7 p.m. today, Tuesday, June 26, and Thursday, June 28, on UTA Boulevard at the crosswalk connecting the Engineering Research Building and the Social Work Complex.

MyMav unavailable Friday night

OIT will conduct maintenance on network equipment connecting the main UT Arlington campus and the Arlington Regional Data Center 8 p.m.-midnight Friday, June 29. Any interruption in service caused by this maintenance activity during the four-hour time frame should last between five and 15 minutes.

Student email and storage, and connectivity from the campus to the Internet will not be affected by this work. Connectivity to resources housed at ARDC—MyMav, access to campus web pages, file servers—will be affected.

Sign up for strength training course

The Weight/Strength Training class at the Maverick Activities Center teaches proper lifting techniques, basic exercises for each muscle group, human anatomy as it relates to your workout goals, and how to structure workouts to reach your goals.

Sign up by Monday, July 9, for the course, which is 1-2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays July 10-Aug. 16. Class price is $120.

For more information contact Jeremy at jroden@uta.edu.

Special served up for UT Arlington license plates

A buy-one-get-one-free deal is available for the official UT Arlington license plate. The bargain is offered through Saturday, June 30. Go to myplates.com/go/uta. For assistance, call 888-7MY-PLATES.

Discount tickets reserved for students for Passion Pit performance Sept. 14

Discounted tickets for 500 students are reserved for the Passion Pit concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 14, at College Park Center.

Tickets are on sale at www.utacollegepark.com; the Box Office at College Park Center, 601 S. Pecan St.; or by calling 817-272-9595.

Ticket prices range from $21.50 to $29.50. An $5.50 service fee will be added to each ticket. UT Arlington students are eligible for a $5 discount on one ticket while quantities last.

Passion Pit has won praise for “Take a Walk,” the first single from its upcoming Gossamer album, available July 24.

Read more about the Passion Pit concert.

Meningitis vaccination documentation required

As of January 1, 2012, incoming Texas college students and students returning after an absence of at least one fall or spring semester who are under 30 years old must submit documentation of meningitis vaccination.

You must have received the vaccine within the past five years and no less than 10 days before the start of your first session at UT Arlington. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be dropped from courses and will not be able to register during the blackout periods listed above.

UT Arlington has contracted with Magnus Health SMR to collect student vaccination records, verify the documents, and maintain the records in compliance with federal privacy laws. You will receive your Magnus Health SMR username and password via your UT Arlington email address.

To be able to register, send vaccination documentation to Magnus at service@magnushealthportal.com or call 1-877-461-6831. The hold will be released approximately one day later.

For summer II term, the vaccine deadline is Saturday, June 30, and the documentation deadline is Monday, July 9.

For more information, go to uta.edu/meningitis.

Impact of dropping classes

Impact of dropping on undergraduate students: Students who entered college for the first time in fall 2007 are limited to a total of six dropped courses during their undergraduate career. Read more about this state law and procedures for its implementation at UT Arlington.

Impact of dropping if you receive financial aid: Students receiving financial aid must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements established by UT Arlington. Please refer to the SAP policy on the Office of Financial Aid website, uta.edu/fao, to ensure that you are meeting the requirements. Students who do not meet the minimum standards outlined will lose eligibility to receive financial aid. For questions, make an appointment to see a financial aid counselor by calling 817-272-3561 or sending an email to fao@uta.edu.

Summer I grades due July 15

Summer I grades are scheduled to be available after noon Friday, July 15. View grades by logging in at uta.edu/mymav. Click on Student Center and then click on the drop-down box under Other Academic. Many grades can be viewed before they are official, so check Records and Registration to ensure that your grades are official before ordering your transcript.

Plan now for summer II session

Summer II classes begin Tuesday, July 10. Late registration for summer II is July 10-11. For summer II session classes, the last day to drop is Tuesday, July 31. All grade exclusion requests for the summer term must be submitted by 5 p.m. July 31.

Grade exclusion requests

On Tuesday, July 31, the grade exclusion site will close for any further submissions for the summer term. All grade exclusion requests submitted in the summer term must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 31. The grade exclusion site will be reopened on Sept. 11 for fall submissions.

Register for fall 2012

Registration for the fall term is continuing through Aug. 22. Late registration for fall is Aug. 23-29.

Registration timetables are online. To determine if you need advisor clearance, check your portal page at MyMav and click on Student Center. You will see a section on the right titled Holds. Click the details link for specific hold information. If your academic department requires advising, you will see an academic department service indicator (hold).

A list of advising offices is online. Check the fall schedule of classes.

'Glengarry Glen Ross' on stage this week Students join faculty and alumni on stage for David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross, all for a good cause. Box office proceeds benefit the theatre arts scholarship fund. Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of four Chicago salesmen and their supervisor who work together selling undesirable real estate at inflated prices. The play takes place at the end of a month in which the bosses of the company have declared a sales contest: the salesman who clears a certain high dollar amount will win a Cadillac, and the two salesmen who perform worst will be fired. Above, theatre arts senior Robert Bell, left, plays salesman Aaronow, and alumnus David Wilson Brown (BFA'06) plays Moss. Directing the show is Natalie Gaupp, senior lecturer of theatre arts and playwright in residence. Tickets are $5, cash only at the door. Due to adult language and adult themes, children are not permitted. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, June 28-30, at the Studio Theatre in the Fine Arts Building.

Thursday, June 28

Outdoor Movie: Wrath of the Titans 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.

Tuesday, July 3

Light Up Arlington Celebrate our nation's independence with live music, a children's area, and fireworks. Free. 6-10:30 p.m., downtown Arlington. LightupArlington.

Wednesday, July 4

Fourth of July Parade Come out to see the Arlington's 47th Annual 4th of July Parade. 9 a.m., east campus and downtown area.

Thursday, July 5

Outdoor Movie: American Reunion 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, July 12

Outdoor Movie: The Hunger Games 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

897 Square Exhibit features artists who live and/or work in Tarrant County. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesday, Saturdays; 4-8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays. Through July 31. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

India Unveiled: The Photography of Robert Arnett A collection of images highlighting the diversity of India and its various regions. Free. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. The exhibit has been extended through Jan. 5, 2013. Special Collections, sixth floor parlor, Central Library.

Planetarium Spacepark 360 is an out-of-this-world entertainment experience. Get transported to surreal vistas and experience the most thrilling amusement park rides the solar system has to offer. 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Planetarium.

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

New softball coach: Kristie Fox, who was an assistant at Texas Tech the past three years, has been named head softball coach for the Mavericks.

Fox named new softball coach

Kristie Fox has been named head softball coach at UT Arlington.

Fox spent the past three years as an assistant at Texas Tech and worked primarily with the Red Raiders' hitters and infielders. She has been recognized as one of the top young assistants in the country.

She was an All-American shortstop and played on two national championship teams in 2006 and 2007 at the University of Arizona.

Fox replaces Debbie Hedrick, who served as head softball coach for the past 15 years.

Martin earns All-America accolades

Romain Martin received first-team All-America honors from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association by virtue of his runner-up finish in the decathlon at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

It is the fourth All-America honor of the junior's career. He has twice been named an NCAA Indoor All-American and was a second-team honoree last outdoor season.

Former Maverick selected for baseball futures game

Former UT Arlington outfielder Michael Choice has been selected to participate in the All-Star Futures Game on July 8 in Kansas City.

The game, which is put on by Major League Baseball, features the top minor league prospects. Choice is playing for Midland in the Oakland A’s organization. He is hitting .264 with six home runs and 43 runs batted in.

Sports shorts

• Southland Conference All-Academic Teams – Named to their respective teams were baseball players Adam Boydston and Ryan Walker, softballer Courtney Zink, and track and field athletes Samantha Little, Hance Loyd, Lionel Mungwari, and Jeff Rodriguez.

• Golf – Paul McConnell finished second in the Texas Amateur Championship at the Honors Golf Club in Carrollton on June 17. He also has qualified for the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links championship, which will be held July 9-14 in Midway, Utah.

• Baseball – Outfielder Preston Beck was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-America third team. Beck, who is now playing for Spokane in the Texas Rangers organization, was selected to the All-South Central Region first team by the ABCA and pitcher Lance Day was named to the second team. Day is now playing for the independent Grand Prairie AirHogs in the American Association. Pitcher Adam Boydston signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox while pitcher Collin Reynolds inked with the San Diego Padres.

Intramural entries due this week

Intramural entries for 3-on-3 basketball and racquetball are due Wednesday, June 27. Entries for the poker tournament are due Thursday, June 28.

See intramural sports for more information.

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