Buzzcuts

ADMINISTRATORS NAMED. Kent Gardner, senior associate vice president for student affairs, has been promoted to vice president for student affairs, effective Sept. 1. Dr. Gardner will continue to serve as dean of students. H. Keith McDowell, formerly dean of the Graduate School, has been named vice president for research and vice president for computing and information technology. Dale Anderson, who had served as both vice president for research and vice president of the UTA/Fort Worth Riverbend campus, will remain vice president of the Fort Worth campus. Philip Cohen, formerly associate dean of the Graduate School, has been promoted to dean. Chauncey Jackson, formerly interim vice provost for computing and information technology, has been promoted to assistant vice president for that area.

METROPLEX LEADERS. The Welch Foundation has awarded $1.12 million in research funds to 19 UTA professors. The amount exceeds all other nonmedical, public or private institutions in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The grants are awarded over a three-year period for physics and chemistry research projects.

WINNING FORMULA. UTA placed first overall and won every driving trophy but one in the recent international Formula SAE vehicle design competition in Melbourne, Australia. Hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the competition features Formula-style, open-wheel racecars with motorcycle engines. The UTA car was designed and operated by students Stewart Myers, Ken Hassler, Jordan Ransome, Erick Kohler and Josuh Juve under the supervision of mechanical engineering Professor Robert Woods.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION. UTA was the subject of a four-page article in the March issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. The story features interviews with President Robert E. Witt and Manuel García y Griego, director of the Center for Mexican American Studies. The article also notes UTA’s 18 percent increase in Hispanic enrollment, its positive relationship with the Hispanic community and its recent national education award from the League of United Latin American Citizens.

MAPPING THE FUTURE. UTA has established the Virginia Garrett Cartographic History Endowment to ensure the viability and vitality of a collection of 900 maps of Texas and the Gulf Coast donated two years ago by Virginia Garrett. Interest generated from the endowment will help underwrite future acquisitions, assist with preservation and launch outreach initiatives.

NEW DIGS. To help meet the growing demand for on-campus housing, construction is scheduled to begin in August on a 120-unit apartment complex. University Village West, which will house 250 students, will be built on four acres bordered by West Second Street, West Fourth Street, Summit Avenue and Shady Lane. The complex is scheduled to be completed by July 2002.

LONG ON TALENT. The Shorthorn is one of eight national college newspapers and the only one in Texas to receive the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Crown award. The award reflects stories, photography, art and design published from Oct. 16, 1999, through Oct. 16, 2000. The Shorthorn has received the honor two of the past three years.

A FAIR TO REMEMBER. UTA has committed $100,000 in scholarships to winners of the ExxonMobil Texas State Science and Engineering Fair. The 10 scholarships will be awarded to students who earn top recognition at the fair, which attracts hundreds of young people across Texas.

HIGH NOTE. The UTA Marching Band is one of two college marching bands in the nation selected to perform in November at the Band of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis. The event will be held in the RCA Dome before more than 18,000 music educators, fans, parents and other marching band members.

WHEN IN ROME. History Department Chairman Donald Kyle served as the historical consultant for a TV program on Roman gladiators that aired this spring on the History Channel. The fall 2000 issue of UTA Magazine featured Dr. Kyle’s research on the ancient Olympic Games.

PREMIER PERFORMANCE. Karlee Company Inc., which has worked with UTA’s Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC), was one of four companies to receive the 2000 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement. Karlee, a Garland-based precision parts machining and fabrication business, is the second business with TMAC connections to receive the national honor. TMAC is a component of UTA’s Automation & Robotics Research Institute.