UTA In The News — Monday, April 9, 2018
Ogden named
Chris Ogden, formerly an assistant coach at Texas Tech and UT, has been named UTA’s head men's basketball coach, an Associated Press story on the ESPN website reported. The Star-Telegram, KXAS NBC 5 and many other media outlets also reported the story. The Star-Telegram also ran video interview with Jim Baker, UTA athletic director about the new coach.
Durant congratulations
One of new men's basketball coach Chris Ogden’s first endorsements came from Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant, a former UT standout, in an article in The Dallas Morning News. “Congratulations to my friend [Chris Ogden] on becoming the next head coach for UT Arlington,” the current NBA All-Star and former Texas standout tweeted. “He is the true definition of a players coach! Big things ahead for him and his program.”
Malik family gift
UTA alumnus Raj Malik and his wife Mona have pledged $500,000 to endow need-based scholarships at UTA, The Dallas Morning News reported. The grants will be available to domestic and international students.
New microscope project
Juhyun Lee, an assistant professor in UTA’s Bioengineering Department, is creating a 3D motion microscope to examine how blood flow and cardiac muscle contraction affects gene development which leads to ventricular chamber development in the heart, Dallas Innovates reported. The work, which could one day help doctors identify heart abnormalities, is being funded by the American Heart Association.
Smart Homes
UTA’s Smart Homes initiative was featured in a DZone article about the importance of providing homes specifically designed for older living for the British market. The article listed UTA’s Smart Homes technologies, including sensors underneath tiles on the floor that will allow researchers to measure and evaluate changes in walking gaits and weight that might suggest illness or injury. The article also highlighted a special camera the system uses that is embedded in a bathroom mirror that will tell researchers about day-to-day heart rate, facial expression and skin color.
Book review
W. Marvin Dulaney, UTA emeritus professor of history, reviewed The Benefactors: Gold Factor, a thriller about the World War II-era Office of Special Services, a precursor to the CIA, BizWire Express, PR Web and Street Insider reported. “I was intrigued by the mixing of actual historical figures with fictional characters. I was also impressed by how the historical figures interacted with the fictional ones,” Dulaney said.
Improving language
Helen Abadzi, a former UTA visiting researcher in UTA's College of Education and former education specialist at the World Bank, commented in DotEmirates and The National newspaper in the UAE about the need to improve teaching of Arabic as pupils lag behind in their own tongue. “Whether you like it or not, research shows that Arabic students are not performing as well. For many, their reading of Arabic is a little slower than reading English," Abadzi said.
Theatre company featured
The newest Culture Buzz segment on MyArlingtonTV visits The University of Texas at Arlington for the Maverick Theatre Company's Heal The Divide On Campus, written and performed by students on April 4 in the Architecture Courtyard, U.S. Fed News reported. Viewers can find MyArlingtonTV programs on the following cable systems: Spectrum Channel 16 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99, and streaming capabilities at www.arlington-tx.gov.
Raising awareness
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Grain and Feed Association formed an alliance to raise awareness about grain engulfment prevention and other hazards in the grain handling industry, guidance and access to resources to help protect employees, WorkersCompensation.com reported. UTA has established a website with information on hosting or participating in local stand-up events and educational resources for the grain industry.
UTA senior on roundtable
UTA public relations major Waed Alhayek participated in a roundtable on school violence with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and gave her ideas on how to make schools safer, including universal background checks, a ban on bump stocks and a ban on high-capacity magazines, Al Dia reported.