University Communications » Internal Communications » TrailBlazer » TrailBlazer 03-06-2012

Mavericks point toward SLC tourney; sign up today to ride the bus

UT Arlington faces Nicholls State in the opening round of the Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.

The Mavericks are the tournament's top seed, finishing with a 15-1 regular season conference record after losing 97-88 at UT San Antonio on Saturday. Coach Scott Cross's team is 23-7 overall.

The tournament semifinals, which will be televised by the Southland Conference Television Network, are Thursday, March 8. The championship game tips off at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, and will be televised by ESPN2.

Sign up by noon today, Tuesday, March 6, at the Maverick Activities Center services and information desk to ride the bus to the tournament Thursday, March 8, and Saturday, March 10. Tickets are $10, which includes a round-trip charter bus ride, a complimentary meal for both games, and a T-shirt for the Thursday game. Students receive free admission to the games with their Maverick ID. For more information, call 817-272-3277.

Movin' Mavs seek eighth national title

Seeking their eighth national title and first since 2006, the Movin’ Mavs begin play Friday, March 9, in the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament at Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill.

The Movin' Mavs, who are 15-3 in intercollegiate play and 29-4 overall, are seeded No. 1 in the tournament and receive a bye into Friday's semifinals. Coach Doug Garner's team plays the winner of Thursday's game between Illinois and Missouri at 3 p.m. Friday. The championship is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10. Games will be streamed at stickam.com/niwbt and stickam.com/movinmavstv.

Attend a sendoff party for the Movin' Mavs at Trinity House 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 6. The evening includes a cookout with burgers, hot dogs, and drinks along with comments by coaches and players before they leave for the national tournament.

Oceanographer Robert Ballard here tonight for Maverick Speakers Series

Oceanographer Robert Ballard discusses "Adventures in Deep Sea Exploration" in the Maverick Speakers Series presentation at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at Texas Hall.

Best known for finding the wreck of the Titanic, Dr. Ballard has made startling undersea discoveries in recent years, both natural and man-made.

He has designed deep-diving submersibles, is the pioneer of the JASON Project that allows schoolchildren to virtually explore the oceans, and has written 16 books.

Most recently he discovered the wreck of John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 and visited Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, indigenous people of the Solomon Islands who saved the PT boat's crew.

Tickets are free, but required, and are sold out. If you would like to attend and don't have a ticket, arrive at Texas Hall at 6:30 p.m. and check in at the Box Office. Guests without tickets will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis if space permits.

MavAlert Emergency Notification System test Wednesday; update your contact info

To ensure timely communications in the event of an emergency, UT Arlington plans a system-wide test of the MavAlert Emergency Notification System at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7.

The MavAlert system is designed to rapidly notify students, faculty, and staff in the event of a campus emergency. The multi-tiered communications system sends emergency notifications via registered email addresses, telephone numbers, and mobile devices when an urgent situation arises.

To receive a MavAlert text message notification, you must add your cellphone or other SMS text message device to your UT Arlington emergency contact information. To ensure that your cellphone is registered, verify your contact information by signing in to MyMav.

During the March 7 test, faculty, staff, and students will receive the following message via the email addresses, phone numbers, and mobile devices designated in their MavAlert profile: “TEST: This is a test of the UT Arlington MavAlert Emergency Notification System. In an actual emergency, you would be instructed as to what actions to take. Thank you.”

Since March 7 is the first Wednesday of the month, a routine test of the Outdoor Warning System also will occur at 12:30 p.m. The University’s voice annunciation system will be activated inside campus buildings. The City of Arlington's monthly weather warning test will follow at 1 p.m.

Help make the MavAlert system test a success by confirming and updating your information prior to March 7.

University to host White House conference March 20

The White House has announced that it will partner with UT Arlington for an LGBT conference on safe schools and communities Tuesday, March 20. The event will feature remarks from U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. and Valerie B. Jarrett, senior adviser to President Barack Obama.

The conference is one of a series of events the White House is coordinating this year to raise awareness of issues of interest to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

“UT Arlington is pleased to be a partner in presenting this important conference focused on what educators, law enforcement officials, and others can do to curb bullying, harassment, and violence in our schools, neighborhoods, and communities,” says President James D. Spaniolo. “These issues relate to critical research and academic studies under way within our University, and we look forward to the awareness this event will help foster.”

The conference is co-hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement and the U.S. Department of Justice in partnership with the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, a division of the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Education and Health Professions.

Read more about the White House conference.

Jeb Bush

Jeb Bush tickets available Wednesday

Tickets to see former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be available starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 7. He will speak Friday, March 23, in College Park Center as part of the Maverick Speakers Series.

General admission tickets are free. Premium seating also is available and includes parking. Tickets may be reserved at utatickets.com.

Bush served as Florida’s governor from 1999 to 2007 and has been mentioned as a potential Republican presidential candidate. He is the son of 41st U.S. President George H.W. Bush and the younger brother of 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush.

The 8 p.m. lecture is titled “Achieving Excellence in Education.” Prior to becoming governor, Bush started the Foundation for Florida’s Future, for which he serves as board chairman. The organization’s aim is to increase academic standards and accountability while advocating for school choice.

Bush’s appearance coincides with the Annual Celebration of Excellence by Students (ACES) Symposium and is co-sponsored by the Office of the President, College of Liberal Arts, College of Education and Health Professions, School of Urban and Public Affairs, and the Office of Graduate Studies.

The event closes out the fourth season of the Maverick Speakers Series.

Hear library dean candidates this week

Students are invited to attend two open forums for library dean candidates this week. Presentations from two other candidates will be scheduled following Spring Break.

Rebecca Bichel, associate director for public services at Florida State University, will make her presentation 1:30-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 in the sixth floor parlor of the Central Library.

Hear Grace Agnew, associate university librarian at Rutgers University, 9-10 a.m. Thursday, March 8, in Room 204 of Pickard Hall.

Central Library closed Friday, March 16, with limited online access

The Central Library will close at midnight Thursday, March 15, and will remain closed Friday, March 16, because of power outage and water drainage correction projects. The library will reopen at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 17, but will close two hours early at 6 p.m.

The library website will be available Friday, March 16, but with limited access to library databases.

There will be no access to the Central Library basement on Saturday and Sunday for replacement of electrical subpanels. Work will be completed during the weekend, and full access to the library resumes Monday, March 19.

The Science and Engineering Library and the Architecture and Fine Arts Library, along with the rest of the University, will be closed Friday, March 16, for Spring Break.

New direction: Kate Holliday is the director of the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture.

Architecture launches David Dillon Center

The establishment of the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture, an initiative of the School of Architecture, honors the legacy of the longtime architecture critic for The Dallas Morning News.

The center will support the research of faculty and students as they investigate how North Texas and its architecture have changed in the past several decades. It also will promote public dialogue about architecture and urbanism in the region and beyond.

Kate Holliday, an architectural historian and assistant professor of architecture, has been named director of the new center, which will debut with “Architecture Criticism Today,” the inaugural David Dillon Symposium April 26-27 at the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. The symposium is open to the public, but seating is limited.

Read more about the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture.

University receives gift of $4.4 million in seismic interpretation software

Global information and analytics provider IHS has granted a software license worth an estimated $4.4 million over three years to the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, giving students and professors access to the latest in petroleum industry technology.

The grant represents the largest in-kind gift ever to the College of Science.

The IHS KINGDOM software is used in the petroleum and natural gas industry for seismic interpretation related to exploration and production. The in-kind agreement for three-year licensing will provide software packages for 25 UT Arlington computers.

Read more about the seismic interpretation software grant.

Contagious energy Drake dazzled a screaming crowd and gave plenty of shout-outs to UT Arlington students during his electric 90-minute performance Friday at College Park Center. The Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist's sold-out show was the first concert in the striking $78 million special events venue.

Webb Memorial Lecture Series reflects on Medieval Mediterranean

The 47th Annual Walter Prescott Webb Memorial Lecture Series, "Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Medieval Mediterranean" begins at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 8, with events in the Central Library and the E.H. Hereford University Center.

The lectures reflect critically on relations between the three major cultures in the medieval Mediterranean, the movements of people, goods, or ideas within or across the region, and the theoretical concepts that inform our discussions of intercultural communication and relationships in the pre-modern world.

Speakers include Travis Bruce, SUNY Binghamton; Robin Vose, St. Thomas University; and Paul M. Cobb, University of Pennsylvania, who will present the keynote address. See the Webb Memorial Lecture Series schedule.

For more information, contact the History Department at 817-272-2861 or history@uta.edu.

Hermanns Symposium views 'Animals'

Hear distinguished scholars discuss animals in history, literature, philosophy, art, and cultural theory at "Animals" in the Hermanns Symposium 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, March 30, on the sixth floor of the Central Library.

New art works, including videos and photographs, provide challenges to see nonhuman animals differently. Snakes with female faces, cross-species affinities, and nonhuman animal bodies will provoke significant questions and discussions regarding culture, sympathy, ethics, and biopolitics.

For more information, see the Hermanns Symposium schedule.

Balancing act Charmaine Thomas, a nursing junior, performs a waterdance during MavFest, an event to showcase Maverick unity, on the University Center mall Wednesday. A total of 23 student organizations participated in the activities, which also included a Movin' Mavs obstacle course. The event was part of the Diversity Week celebration presented by Multicultural Affairs and the Office for Students with Disabilities.

Site leaders needed for The Big Event

Site leaders are needed for The Big Event, a day of community service set for Saturday, April 21.

Applications are available until 5 p.m. Friday, March 9, on The Big Event website.

Additionally, project sites are now viewable on the website. There are currently more than 40 project sites for volunteers to choose from. Volunteer registration opens Monday, March 19.

For more information, email thebigevent@uta.edu or call 817-272-2963 and ask to speak with a Big Event planning committee member.

Housing has rooms, apartments available for move-in now

University Housing has apartment units and residence hall rooms available in many of the University's communities for immediate move-in. Check the Compare Rates and Features page to view amenities and prices. Apply now.

For questions on current vacancies, contact the University Housing office at 817-272-2791 or housing@uta.edu.

UT Arlington hosts camp for humanities and technology this weekend

The intersection of the humanities and technology is explored at THATCamp Texas 2012 Friday-Saturday, March 9-10. The Humanities and Technology Camp (THATCamp) starts with technology workshops Friday and an "unconference" Saturday at the Central Library.

Topics include GIS for humanities, video creation and editing, teaching and using search tools in the classroom, open-source screencasting, XML and text encoding, and e-book creation.

The camp is free and open to anyone interested in humanities and technology. For more details, go to the THATCamp blog or contact Cathy Corder at ccorder@uta.edu.

TrailBlazer goes on Spring Break, returns March 20

TrailBlazer joins students in taking time off for Spring Break next week. There will be no issue March 13. TrailBlazer returns Tuesday, March 20.

There are a few things going on when you get back. Check the University calendar for more details.

Midterm progress report grades in MyMav through March 7

UT Arlington faculty will continue to provide midterm progress report grades through Wednesday, March 7. Look for a notice in your UT Arlington email account to see whether you receive midterm progress reports. If so, check your grades in MyMav and seek guidance from an academic adviser with any concerns about your academic performance.

A list of academic advising offices is online. Most advising offices will be open during Spring Break.

Advising begins for summer and fall 2012

Advising for summer and fall terms is now open. MyMav is your gateway to the Schedule of Classes and the Registration Timetable for making registration plans for the summer and fall terms. Priority registration opens Monday, April 2.

The schedules of classes that are available in MyMav now are not final and are for planning purposes only. You’ll need to validate your course selections when registration opens Monday, April 2.

Think before you drop

The last day to drop courses for both undergraduate and graduate students is 5 p.m. Friday, March 30. Undergraduate students who entered college for the first time in fall 2007 are limited to a total of six dropped courses during their undergraduate career. Discuss the impact of this when you meet with your adviser to discuss dropping a course. Read more about this state law and procedures for its implementation at UT Arlington.

A list of academic advising offices is online. Most advising offices will be open during Spring Break.

Check on the impact of dropping if you receive financial aid by going to uta.edu/fao or emailing fao@uta.edu.

Apply now for next year's financial aid; complete the FAFSA for grants, loans

Students applying for financial aid for the summer 2012, fall 2012, and spring 2013 terms should complete the 2012-2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA will help UT Arlington determine your eligibility for traditional financial aid programs.

Students and their parents who have already filed their 2011 federal income tax returns may use the IRS Data Retrieval function available online through FAFSA. The tax returns must have been filed with the IRS electronically two weeks before they are available through the IRS Data Retrieval process. This process will ensure the accuracy of the income information for most students.

The U.S. Department of Education selects a certain number of applications for a verification process. This means UT Arlington will be required to collect some additional information to compare to the data reported on the FAFSA. These documents will include the 2012-2013 Verification Worksheet. If the IRS Data Retrieval process was not used during the initial application process, UT Arlington will need to collect copies of the 2011 IRS tax transcripts for students and parents, if parent information was used to complete the FAFSA.

Signed photocopies of federal tax returns are no longer acceptable for documentation. This is a change from prior years.

Tuesday, March 6

Fun in the Sun Health Fair Get health screenings, massages, yoga lessons, and information on vision, blood pressure, diabetes, dental, chiropractic, and nutrition. Also features prizes and giveaways. Free. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Palo Duro Lounge and Bluebonnet Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. Health Services.

Through Friday, March 9

Beauty Across Cultures Exhibit highlighting Women's History Month. Free. 8 a.m.-8 p.m., University Center Gallery, E.H. Hereford University Center. Multicultural Affairs.

Wednesday, March 7

Blood Drive 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Library mall. Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity.

$2 Movie: Cowboys and Aliens Rated PG-13. 5:30 p.m.; also 5:30 p.m., Friday, March 9, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10. Planetarium.

Guest Artist Piano Recital Juyeon Kang, an associate professor of music at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, performs. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Friday, March 9

Softball Mavericks vs. Nicholls State. Free with student ID. 6 p.m.; also 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10; Allan Saxe Field. Athletics.

Baseball Mavericks vs. Texas State. Free with student ID. 6:30 p.m.; also 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, and 1 p.m. Sunday, March 11; Clay Gould Ballpark. Athletics.

Wednesday, March 14

Men's Tennis Mavericks vs. Southern Miss. Free. 2 p.m.; also vs. Sacramento State, 11 a.m. Sunday, March 18; and vs. Drake, 2 p.m. Monday, March 19. UTA Tennis Center. Athletics.

Softball Mavericks vs. North Dakota State, 2 games. Free with student ID. 5 p.m., Allan Saxe Field. Athletics.

Monday, March 19

Maverick Monday Showcase your school spirit. Contests include best spirit wear and best fight song performance. Trophy and prize for first-place winner. Games and trivia for individual contestants. Win UTA gear, a free T-shirt, and more. To sign your organization up, contact ms.uta@uta.edu or visit the Ambassador Mavorgs page at mavorgs.uta.edu. Free. Noon, University Center mall.

Guest Artists: Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse World-renowned horn quartet group, the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse, break the traditional barrier between the musician and the listener. They entertain audiences with their unique sense of humor and technique. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Tuesday, March 20

Music Honors Recital Features performances by music faculty members and outstanding students in solo and chamber music settings. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Ongoing

Kana Harada and Ruben Nieto Exhibit A sculptural installation by Harada and oil on canvas paintings by Nieto. Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays-Fridays; noon-5 p.m., Saturdays. Through Saturday, March 31, closed during Spring Break. The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building.

There's No Sun Shining Through Exhibit by graduate student Corey Gossett ('06 BFA), whose works explore personal disappointment, fear, dread, and despair. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; 2-6 p.m., Wednesdays, Fridays. Through Saturday, March 31. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

Impressions of the West: Works of Art from Special Collections The American West comes alive in more than 30 paintings, sculptures, and prints. Free. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Through Saturday, April 28. Special Collections, sixth floor, Central Library.

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.

Planetarium Enjoy a '60s style laser light show set to the music of Pink Floyd. 7 p.m. Saturdays. Planetarium.

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

Wednesday, March 7	Chill Out: When Life Heats Up Reduce Stress with Pranayama and Meditation Lisa Rose-Michalski, adjunct instructor with the Department of Kinesiology, shows how to cope with the everyday demands and pressures of life through simple techniques to ease the mind. Breathing work and meditation exercises taught in a group setting. Bring a lunch. Free. Noon-1 p.m., Room 213, Maverick Activities Center. Engineering Structures Are Made of ... Erian Armanios, right, professor and chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, provides an overview of laminated composites and examples of their potential uses. Light breakfast provided. Register. Free with student ID. 7 a.m., Room 601, Nedderman Hall. Engineering. Women's History Month Lecture Series Crista DeLuzio, associate professor of history at Southern Methodist University, presents "New Girls for Old: Psychology, Anthropology, and the Making of the Modern Adolescent Girl." Free. Noon, Room 303, Chemistry and Physics Building. Women's and Gender Studies. Women: Friends or Frenemies Forum Discussion Part of Women's History Month. Free. Noon, Bluebonnet Ballroom South, E.H. Hereford University Center. Multicultural Affairs, Leadership Center, Relationship Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program. Architecture Lecture Series Sandro Marpillero, founding partner of Marpillero Pollak Architects in New York and adjunct professor in architecture and urban design at Columbia University, is the guest speaker. Free. 4 p.m., Room 204, Architecture Building. Architecture.
Thursday, March 8	Graduate Studies walk-in visitor info session Participants gain insight and information on applying for graduate studies in a one-on-one or small group setting. An admissions counselor will discuss how to apply, the admissions process, ways to seek financial assistance, and available graduate student services. 4-5 p.m., Room 333, Davis Hall. Graduate Studies.
Wednesday, March 21	Mini-Conference and Student Excellence Awards In conjunction with the 2012 ACES conference, the Women's and Gender Studies Program hosts a mini-conference of student scholarship related to women's and gender studies topics. The first Women's and Gender Studies Student Excellence Awards will also be presented. Free. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Women's and Gender Studies. Architecture Lecture Series Features Victoria Meyers, founding partner at Hanrahan Meyers Architects, New York. Free. 4 p.m., Room 204, Architecture Building. Architecture.
(For an expanded list of events, see the UT Arlington Calendar.)

All in a Day's work: Senior pitcher Lance Day leads the baseball team with a 4-0 record and a 2.81 earned run average.

Baseball has big week

A 10-3 win over 16th-ranked Oklahoma was just the start of a big week for the Maverick baseball team as they won three of four games in a weekend series with Houston Baptist and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Mavericks, now 9-3, play at Wichita State today, Tuesday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 7, before opening Southland Conference play with a weekend series against Texas State Friday-Sunday, March 9-11, at Clay Gould Ballpark.

NCAA meet next for Martin

Romain Martin competes in the heptahlon for the second straight year at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship Friday-Saturday, March 9-10, in Nampa, Idaho. He finished third in the event last year.

Clayton Vaughn set a school record in the 60-meter dash this past weekend with a first-place time of 6.66 seconds at the Alex Wilson Invitational in Notre Dame, Ind. Jeff Rodriguez finished third in the pole vault.

Softball opens conference action

Nicholls State provides the opposition as the Maverick softball team opens Southland Conference play this weekend. Games are at 6 p.m. Friday, March 9, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Allan Saxe Field.

The Mavericks lost four of five games in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic in Lubbock this past weekend to slip to 9-8 for the season.

Women win final basketball game

Senior Bianca Sauls scored 24 points as the women’s basketball team closed out the season with a 75-65 win at UT San Antonio on Saturday.

Women's tennis off to good start in SLC

Victories over McNeese State and Lamar this past weekend gave the women’s tennis team a 4-0 record in the Southland Conference.

Enter NCAA Tournament contest next week

Entries for the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament Pick 'em contests will be available next week at the Maverick Activities Center services and information desk and online. Entries for the men’s bracket are due at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 15, and women’s entries are due at 5 p.m. Friday, March 16. See NCAA Tournament Pick 'em online.

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