MavWire 2015 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, June 18, 2015

Dr. Marco Brotto

College of Nursing and Health Innovation appoints Brotto as George W. and Hazel M. Jay Professor

Marco Brotto, an internationally renowned scientist with the schools of medicine, nursing, and biological sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been named the George W. and Hazel M. Jay Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation. He will join UTA in August.

Dr. Brotto is an expert in muscle and bone physiology, sarcopenia, and excitation contraction coupling and is the Dale and Dorothy Thompson/Missouri Endowed Professor for Nursing Research and director of the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Muscle Biology Research Group. 

Read more about Brotto's appointment.

Dr. Kevin Schug

New study of Barnett Shale area well water finds elevated levels of metals, other chemicals

A team led by Kevin Schug, the Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry, has published a comprehensive study of potential groundwater contamination in areas of unconventional oil and gas drilling.

The peer-reviewed study was published in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Tests of 550 water samples from public and private water wells in North Texas’ Barnett Shale region in the past three years found elevated levels of 10 different metals and the presence of 19 different chemical compounds associated with hydraulic fracturing. The study also found elevated levels of methanol and ethanol.

Read more about the groundwater study.

Dr. Christian Zlolniski

Anthropologist's book explores demand for produce, impact on Mexican farmworkers

A new book by Christian Zlolniski, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, examines the perennial demand for fresh produce in the United States and the effect of a robust agro-export business on workers in Mexico.

De Jornaleros a Colonos: Residencia, Trabajo e Identidad en el Valle de San Quintin (From Migrant Farmworkers to Settlers: Residency, Work and Identity in the San Quintin Valley) sheds light on how transnational agribusinesses in Mexico are growing crops to meet U.S. demand.

The research team led by Dr. Zlolniski, director of the Center for Mexican American Studies, looked at the living conditions of farmworkers in Valle de San Quintin, Baja California, an agricultural community located 90 miles south of San Diego.

Read more about the farmworkers study.

Dr. Chunke Su

Researcher receives U.S. Army grant to explore knowledge hoarding in the workplace

Chunke Su, associate professor of communication, has received a U.S. Army grant to explore when and why employees hide critical information on the job in what is commonly referred to as knowledge hoarding.

The three-year $360,000 grant also will evaluate the potential beneficial or harmful effects of knowledge hoarding on the performance of work teams.

Dr. Su’s research was motivated by a recent newspaper poll that found that 76 percent of 1,700 readers surveyed admitted to withholding knowledge from their co-workers.

Read more about the knowledge-hoarding research.

Dr. Anand Puppala

Giant foam blocks may keep bridges, roads from settling, causing bumps

A research team is using giant lightweight geofoam blocks to bolster the earth beneath roads and bridges and slow down the settling of roadways and bridges.

Anand Puppala, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Distinguished Scholar Professor in the Civil Engineering Department, says many of Texas' 52,000 bridges have bumps due to settling of the soil.

A new $336,000 implementation grant from the Texas Department of Transportation received by UTA’s Sustainable and Resilient Civil Infrastructure Center will allow Dr. Puppala's research team to test the use of the geofoam blocks to ease the problem.

Read more about the road and bridge support research.

Dr. Todd Castoe

Study could bring better understanding into how vertebrates control organ growth, function

A new study has found that dramatic changes in the anatomy and physiology of the Burmese python after it eats a large meal are controlled by a series of alterations in gene expression.

Todd Castoe, assistant professor of biology, says the study is a breakthrough because it delves explicitly into how genes are utilized in creating the stunning changes that take place in the Burmese python’s organs.

The research is published in the May edition of the journal Physiological Genomics. 

Read more about the organ growth control study.

Cold storage At top, Brenda S. McClurkin, archivist for Special Collections and Archives, works in the new cold storage vault in the Central Library's basement. Operational testing runs for about six months before its 950 square feet are filled with negatives. The vault will maintain a temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit with 30 percent relative humidity, which can extend the life of the negatives by approximately 500 years. At bottom is an example of damage to a negative as a result of heat and humidity over time. Read more about the library cold storage.

Purchasing year-end deadline Friday for 2015-16

The Office of Procurement has implemented procedures to ensure that year-end purchasing is efficient and effective.

The deadlines for submitting the Requisitions and Associated UTAFlow Approval forms to Procurement for purchases that might exceed $5,000 will improve the overall processing for the end of the fiscal year.

Deadlines are:

Friday, June 19—Fiscal Year 2015-16

Friday, July 24—Fiscal Year 2014-15

Items for the 2015-16 fiscal year budget must have the budget date changed to 09/01/2015. Make the date change using the Line Defaults page or on the distribution line (budget information tab). For questions, contact Nancy Czarowitz at 2-7146 or czarowitz@uta.edu.

All Requisitions and Associated UTAFlow Approval forms received in the Office of Procurement after 5 p.m. Friday, July 24, will be processed against fiscal 2015-16 funds.

Registration for student Leadership Retreat now open

Tell students about the annual fall Leadership Retreat for students Sept. 11-13. The retreat focuses on resilience in leadership development. Working with small group leaders, students will have the opportunity to push the boundaries they have set for themselves. Cost to students is $60, which includes transportation, lodging, and food.

The Leadership Center and the Division of Student Affairs host the retreat.

For questions, email leadership@uta.edu or call 2-9220.

Part of lot 33 to close for camps

The west side of lot S33 will be closed Thursday-Friday, June 18-19, for the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas iCan Bike Camp.

The same space will be closed Sunday-Thursday, June 21-25, for the annual UT Arlington Marching Band Camp.

Contact Parking and Transportation Services at parking@uta.edu or 2-3907.

Thursday, June 18

Management Leadership Tools: Compliance Register online. 10-11:30 a.m., Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Friday, June 19

Statistical Software: SAS SAS training. Free. 1-3 p.m., Room 04, University Hall. OIT Statistical Services.

Monday, June 22

Writing and Designing NSF Proposals A one-day program geared on winning research proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Register online. $375 with discounts available. 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Houston Marriott Medical Center, Houston. Also, Monday, July 13. Webinar 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24. Writing and Designing for National Institutes of Health Proposals, Tuesday, July 14. Grant Training Center.

Thursday, June 25

Advanced Supervisory Skills Register online. 9-11:30 a.m., Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Coming up

Human Resources Training Register online. Dealing with Difficult Employees and People, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, July 8; Writing Effective Email, 9-11 a.m. Thursday, July 16; Dealing Effectively with Conflict and Confrontation, 9-11 a.m. Thursday, July 23; and Coaching Skills for Supervisors, 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, July 28. All in Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)

Vaughn earns sixth All-American honor

Clayton Vaughn closed out his storied college career last week, earning All-America honors in the 100 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Vaughn, who earned All-America accolades last year at the outdoor championships in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100 relay, finished his career as a six-time All-American, including his 60-meter indoor honors in 2012 and 2013.

He is the fourth UTA athlete ever to claim at least six All-America honors, joining Elston Cawley (seven), Romain Martin (six), and McClinton Neal (six).

Vaughn posted a time of 10.04 to claim eighth place in a blistering final at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Junior Roland Sales placed 17th in the high jump after clearing 6 feet, 11 1/2 inches.

Conference sets basketball schedules

The Sun Belt Conference finalized the 2015-16 men's and women's basketball schedules, utilizing a 20-game conference schedule. Men's and women's basketball games will be played as doubleheaders for the second consecutive year.

Read more about the 2015-16 basketball schedules.

Summer intramural sports available

The deadline for sand volleyball is June 24. Individual sports are free and include racquetball, June 24; billiards, June 25; badminton, July 14; poker, July 23; and MavStrong competition, Aug. 6.

See the intramural sports schedule. Pick up entry forms at the Services and Information Desk of the Maverick Activities Center. For questions, call 2-3277 or email imsports@uta.edu.

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

ArlingCon for comic, anime, sci-fi fans Arlington’s comics, anime, and sci-fi convention lands on campus noon-5 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at the E.H. Hereford University Center. Admission is free. The event features local artist appearances, a cosplay runway, a free showing of Guardians of the Galaxy, drawing workshops, anime screenings, Lego scenes, demonstrations of 3-D printing for cosplay, and a swag table. ArlingCon is sponsored by the UT Arlington Libraries and the Arlington Public Library.

Thursday, June 18

Free Outdoor Movie: 'Cinderella' Bring a chair or a blanket, a picnic, and friends for outdoor movies each Thursday. Free popcorn. Upcoming movies are Jurassic Park (1993), June 25; Furious Seven (2015), July 9; The Breakfast Club (1985), July 16. Free. 9 p.m., lawn behind the Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Tuesday-Thursday, June 23-25

Discount Rangers Tickets Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics. Visit texasrangers.com/grouptickets, click on University of Texas at Arlington, and use the password GOMAVS to get your discounted tickets. Various times, Globe Life Park. Upcoming games are Los Angeles Angels, July 3-5; Arizona Diamondbacks, July 7-8; San Diego Padres, July 10-12; New York Yankees, July 27-30.

Ongoing

Juneteenth in Texas: 150 Years of Freedom More than 60 photographs explore issues of Texas African-Americans from Emancipation to the Civil Rights era. Hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Aug. 9. Sixth floor, Central Library. Center for Greater Southwestern Studies.

Special Collections: !Viva Mexico! A Comic Book History of Mexico A rare look inside the rise of comic books in 20th century Mexico, their literary, cultural, and entertainment value, and influence by the Mexican government. Hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, sixth floor, Central Library. Through Aug. 8. UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections.

Planetarium The summer schedule includesTexas Stargazing; Stars of the Pharaohs; One World, One Sky; Cosmic Color; Dynamic Earth; Pink Floyd; Secret of the Cardboard Rocket; and Spacepark 360: Infinity. Planetarium.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)