MavWire 2016 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, April 28, 2016

Brenda McClurkin and Dr. Sarah Rose

UTA Libraries earn NEH grant to develop online portal for disability history

Leading U.S. disability history scholars and practitioners will converge at UTA Libraries in July to formalize a consortium committed to developing an online portal for disability history resources.

The meeting is supported in part by a $40,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded to Brenda McClurkin, project director and department head of UTA Libraries Special Collections, and to Sarah Rose, project co-director and associate professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts.

UTA Libraries received a $25,000 grant in August to digitize and publish disability history relating to UTA and Texas. The ongoing digitization project, called Digitizing for Accessibility, is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Read more about the online disability history project. Read about the "Building a Barrier-Free Campus" exhibit about UTA's own disability history.

Dr. Kevin Schug

Research finds groundwater quality changes with expansion of fracturing, horizontal drilling

New research demonstrates that groundwater quality changes alongside the expansion of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing but also suggests that some potentially hazardous effects may dissipate over time.

The new research, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, is the first to analyze groundwater quality in the Cline Shale region of West Texas before, during, and after the expansion of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.

Kevin Schug, lead author of the study, and his team discovered the presence of chlorinated solvents, alcohols, and aromatic compounds exclusively after multiple unconventional oil wells had been activated within five kilometers of the sampling sites. Dr. Schug is UTA’s Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of Analytical Chemistry and director of the University’s Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, or CLEAR lab.

Read more about the groundwater quality research.

Nedderman Society Cookout honors employees Friday

The Nedderman Society Cookout will serve up burgers and information 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, in the Palo Duro Lounge or the E.H. Hereford University Center.

The society, founded to recognize faculty, staff, and retirees who contribute financially to UTA, is named for President Emeritus Wendell Nedderman and his late wife, Betty. During Dr. Nedderman's 20-year tenure as president (1972-1992), the University added 21 baccalaureate, 27 master's, and 17 doctoral degree programs, and increased enrollment by more than 10,000 students.

The Nedderman Society exists in the same spirit of progress and improvement that the Neddermans exhibited. Faculty and staff who contribute to any area of the University are automatically members. If you'd like to become a Nedderman Society member, learn more about giving options.

The Nedderman Society Cookout is presented by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations and sponsored by Texas Trust.

Mav Milestones President Vistasp Karbhari spent time with several winners recently. At left, he honored history Professor Jerry Rodnitzky for 50 years at UTA along with other employees at receptions for service awards and the 2016 Outstanding Mavericks. At right, Dr. Karbhari joined UTA student Daniel Velasquez at the 33rd Annual Barbara Jordan Media Awards on Saturday, April 24. Read more about these and other UTA happenings in the blog Mav Milestones.

Candidate forums for dean of College of Engineering begins today

The first candidate for dean of the College of Engineering will have a session open to the University community at 2:30 p.m. today, Thursday, April 28, in Room 204 of the Architecture Building.

The candidate is Jyotirmoy Mazumder of the University of Michigan, where he is the Robert H. Lurie Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering and the director of the Center for Laser-Aided Intelligent Manufacturing. Dr. Mazumder is the director of the Center for Lasers and Plasmas for Advanced Manufacturing for the National Science Foundation's Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program.

The feedback survey on Mazumder is available until 5 p.m. Friday, April 29.

The second candidate, Ranu Jung of Florida International University (FIU), will speak at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, in Room 100 of Nedderman Hall. At FIU, Dr. Jung is the Wallace H. Coulter Eminent Scholar Chair in Biomedical Engineering, and professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She is an adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University in the Center for Adaptice Neural Systems.

Other candidates are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 2, in Room 204 of the Architecture Building, and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in Room 204 of the Architecture Building. Each candidate will speak and then answer questions. The candidate's name will be released 24 hours in advance of his or her campus visit.

Visit the Senior Leadership Searches webpage to learn more about the dean search for the College of Engineering as details become available.

Temporary electrical outage Sunday at Business Building

A temporary electrical outage will occur 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at the Business Building. The outage is required for maintenance to the building's electrical service.

The Business Building is equipped with an emergency generator that will operate during the outage but will support egress lighting and life safety only. To prevent any possible damage, Facilities Management recommends turning off all electronic equipment including computers, scanners, and copiers before leaving for the weekend. These devices do not need to be unplugged. All refrigerators and freezers should be cleared of perishable items.

For questions, call Toby Buhrkuhl at 972-832-1490 or Jeff Johnson at 817-798-8456.

Prepare proposals for HUB Spot Bid Fair

Small and historically under-utilized businesses (HUBs) can bid "on the spot" at the Spot Bid Fair hosted by state Sen. Royce West on Monday-Tuesday, May 9-10, at the Irving Convention Center.

The fair is in conjunction with the Statewide HUB Program’s 2016 Procurement Connection Seminar and EXPO (PCSE), and the Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council’s Business EXPO. Read more details about Spot Bid Fair bid opportunities.

Questions? Contact Laurie Thompson, HUB coordinator, at lauriethompson@uta.edu.

Get Texas Rangers' discount tickets

To claim discounted tickets for selected Texas Rangers' home games, visit texasrangers.com/grouptickets, click on the University of Texas at Arlington, and use the password GOMAVS.

Plan now for South Nedderman closure

To allow for an upgrade of the water and sewer lines, Facilities Management will close South Nedderman Drive from Cooper Street to Planetarium Place to all traffic at noon on Friday, May 13, for an indefinite time period.

The closure includes the exit from Lot F-10.

Deliveries to the Central Library and Life Science Building will need to be made from West Street. Visitors to the Planetarium also will need to use West Street.

Pedestrian will be redirected from the south student parking lots and Parking Lot F-10.

Questions? Contact Jeff L. Johnson at jljohnson@uta.edu or 817-798-8456.

Step up to Blazing Race challenge

Join your fellow Mavericks for an hour-long event of wellness and competition in The Blazing Race at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 18.

Individuals or teams will race—running or walking—around campus on the two routes—low impact and high impact—to follow clues to lead them to several destinations on campus.

To register and find details, go to uta.edu/wellness.

Block Party requires Spaniolo Drive closure

The annual Block Party is set for today, Thursday, April 28, requiring Spaniolo Drive to be closed 1-11 p.m. between First and Third streets.

Moritz Plaza will be closed until Friday morning. College Park District residents and businesses should plan accordingly.

Look for updated announcements on social media and an electronic sign board on Spaniolo Drive.

The Block Party is an annual student event of live music, carnival-style treats, games, and activities.

Thursday, April 28

Finance Lab Register online. 8:30-10:30 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Degrees of Recycling Join colleagues for lunch and participate in informative discussions with three local experts on recycling programs. 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Concho Room, E.H. Hereford University Center. Register online. $25 general public. North Texas Corporate Recycling Associates, Institute of Sustainability and Global Impact.

Frontiers in Science Edward F. DeLong of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, “Towards 4-Dimensional (Eco) Systems Biology in the Sea.” 1 p.m., Carlisle Suite, E.H. Hereford University Center. Biology.

Friday, April 29

UTARI Lunch and Learn Frank Lewis, the Moncrief-O'Donnell Endowed Chair at the UTA Research Institute, "Optimized Assistive Human-Robot Interaction using Reinforcement Learning." Register online. Shuttle available. Lunch provided. Noon, UTARI, 7300 Jack Newell Blvd. S., Fort Worth. UTA Research Institute.

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

Sports Shorts

• Sign up now for the 43rd annual Metro Golf Tournament on Monday, May 16, at the Golf Club at Fossil Creek in Fort Worth. The annual Florida scramble is for faculty, staff, alumni, and friends. Register online by Monday, May 2.
• The Maverick baseball team fell to No. 2 Texas A&M 7-3 on Tuesday in College Station. The team is 22-20 overall and 8-10 SBC in league play. The Mavs compete against Louisiana-Lafayette in a three-game series Friday-Saturday, April 29-30, at Clay Gould Ballpark.
• Men’s golf remained in fifth place after a 1-over-par 285 Monday in the Sun Belt Men's Golf Championship at The Raven Golf Club in Miramar Beach, Fla. The top four teams after Tuesday's third round advance to Wednesday's match play championship.
• UTA’s softball team fell 4-2 to Georgia State on Sunday in the series finale. The Mavericks moved to 28-14 overall and 7-11 in Sun Belt play. Wednesday's game against Lamar was cancelled because of flooding in Beaumont. The final home series is against Troy Saturday-Sunday, April 30-May 1.
• The track and field teams placed in the top 10 spots in several events at Oklahoma’s John Jacobs Invitational last weekend. UTA will close out the regular season Saturday, May 7, at the Longhorn Invitational in Austin. The SBC Championships are Friday-Sunday, May 13-15, in Lafayette, La.
• For the second consecutive season, UTA's women's tennis team ended its championship hopes at the hands of South Alabama in the SBC semifinals in New Orleans.
• Tickets are available for the 2016 UTA All-Sports Banquet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at College Park Center. Emily Jones, the Texas Rangers field reporter and host of Rangers Insider, is the keynote speaker. Tickets are $25. Table sponsorships are available for $250 and $500. For details, contact Danielle Sanders at 817-272-0694 or danielle.sanders@uta.edu.

Intramural deadline for battleship, FIFA video game

Upcoming intramural sports deadlines are battleship, Monday, May 2; FIFA video game, Wednesday, May 4; and poker tournament, Thursday, May 5.

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.)

Daugherty Festival features original composition Grammy-winning composer and artist-in-residence Michael Daugherty will premiere his newest work, The Diaries of Adam and Eve, at the Music Department's Daugherty Festival this week. The work was commissioned for Jack Unzicker, assistant professor of double bass, and Martha Walvoord, associate professor of violin, who will perform the work at each of the three concerts. Daugherty has been hailed by The Times (London) as “a master icon maker” with a “maverick imagination, fearless structural sense, and meticulous ear.” The collaborative festival, which began Monday, includes master classes, lessons, open forums, rehearsals, and performances involving every student in the Music Department. Concerts during the festival are UTA Symphony and UTA Chorus on Thursday, April 28, and Saturday, April 30, and the UTA Wind Symphony on Friday, April 29. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Irons Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $10. Friday’s concert also will be live-streamed. Go to the bottom of uta.edu/music for the link.

Thursday, April 28

Zumbathon The fourth annual Zumbathon Dance for a Cause benefits Safe Haven of Tarrant County. Door prizes, snacks, and refreshments. Register online or at the MAC. $6 faculty, staff, students; $8 public. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Maverick Activities Center. Campus Recreation, Relationships Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program.

Friday, April 29

Baseball Mavericks vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Tickets $5, $3 students. 6:30 p.m., Clay Gould Ballpark. Also, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, and 1 p.m. Sunday, May 1. Athletics.

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

Friday Night Film: 'Deadpool' Rated R. Free popcorn. Concessions for sale. $2, $2.50 with credit card. 8 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Saturday, April 30

Softball Softball Mavericks vs. Troy. Tickets $5-7, $3 students. 1 and 3 p.m., Allan Saxe Field. Also, 11 a.m. Sunday, May 1. Athletics.

The Day of the Child The multicultural celebration of children, families, and reading includes storytelling in several languages, entertainment, crafts, games, and prizes. 2-5 p.m., Maverick Activities Center. Modern Languages.

Monday, May 2

The Gallery at UTA: Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition Works by 44 graduating art students, including drawing, sculpture, glass, printmaking, film/video, photography/digital imaging, and visual communication design. Through Thursday, May 14, The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 6. Art and Art History.

Wednesday, May 4

Opening Reception: 'Building a Barrier-Free Campus' The exhibit explores how UTA began to become a model accessible campus for students with disabilities starting in the mid-1960s. An opening reception panel discussion with Wayne Duke, former vice president for student affairs; Laura Kelsey-Raney, sister of Jim Hayes, founder of UTA’s adaptive sports program; John Dycus, co-founder of the Arlington Handicapped Association and UTA alumnus; and Mark Knoblock, Freewheeler wheelchair basketball player and UTA alumnus. Free. Noon, sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Exhibit through Sept. 16. UTA Libraries, History, College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Global Ideas, Office for Students with Disabilities.

Friday, May 6

Via Dance A collection of dance works by UTA faculty, student choreographers, and guests that includes includes contemporary ballet, modern, musical theatre, and tap. Tickets $7 faculty, staff, students, seniors; $10 general public. 8 p.m. Mainstage Theatre, Fine Arts Building. Also, 8 p.m. Saturday, May 7, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8. Theatre Arts.

Coming Up

Friends of the Library Debra Wintergarten, author of Oveta Culp Hobby. 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, sixth floor parlor, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

Ongoing

MavsArt Enjoy the art of UTA faculty, staff, and students. See the online gallery. At right, woman in gold, blue, orange, brown by Miston Khonje. Free. second floor, Central Library. Through May 13. UTA Libraries.

Gallery 76102: 'Tree House Divided' Works by artist Jessica Fuentes. Gallery hours noon-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Through May 31. Free. Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

UTA Libraries: 'Academic Evolution: The University of Texas at Arlington' An exhibition of UTA's academic history. Through Aug. 31. Sixth floor, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

Planetarium Explore the secrets of the universe in the new show Dark. The spring schedule includes Astronaut, Cosmic Colors, From the Earth to the Universe, Pink Floyd, and SpacePark 360: Infinity. Through May 29. UTA Planetarium.

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