UTA In The News — Friday, July 23, 2021

Friday, Jul 23, 2021 • Media Contact : UT Arlington Media Relations

Waste as business

Sahadat Hossain, UT Arlington civil engineering professor, was quoted extensively in a CNBC report about the waste management industry. He said there is money to be made in that industry. Many of Hossain’s research projects involve landfills, including mining them for recyclables and harvesting energy from gas emitted from them. The story also ran on YouTube.

 

COVID breakthrough infections

COVID-19 infections are rising among vaccinated Texans, The Dallas Observer reported. Experts are seeing more "breakthrough" infections among fully vaccinated Texans, but that doesn't mean the vaccine is ineffective, said Erin Carlson, an associate clinical professor in the UT Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation. Even though the chances of severe symptoms are much slimmer, some are again sporting masks in crowds, Carlson added. “If I'm going to run the risk of being around multiple unvaccinated people, I'm going to wear a mask,” she said.

 

Racial justice award

Aiming to address racial injustice and inequity through university-city partnerships, the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities named The University of Texas at Arlington as its inaugural Racial Justice and Equity Program Award Winner, KERA 90.1 FM and Diverse Issues in Higher Education reported. UT Arlington will focus on improving health literacy to address inequities as part of its efforts to create a thriving community.

 

Tumor therapy

A University of Texas at Arlington chemist is using light to target and destroy tumor cells in a process known as photodynamic therapy, D Magazine reported. Sherri McFarland, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and her team have developed a chemical compound that produces an oxygen reaction When that compound mixes with oxygen and light it becomes a cancer-fighting agent that targets the cancer cells. The treatment is currently in a phase II clinical study for patients with bladder cancer.

 

UTA My Way

Though she isn’t starting classes until the fall, Veronica Levrie has already received a unique welcome to The University of Texas at Arlington thanks to the UTA My Way program, Mirage News reported.

 

Weiss stepping down

Bart Weiss, a UT Arlington associate professor of film, reflected on his 35 years of leading the Dallas VideoFest in a Dallas Observer article. This year’s festival, which starts Sept. 20, will be the last. Dallas Innovates also ran the article.

 

CSE lauded

The UT Arlington computer science and engineering program was lauded as one of many programs that produces numerous working graduates, Tech Republic reported.

 

Real estate icon dies
Arlington real estate legend Gloria Van Zandt died this week after suffering an aneurysm, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Van Zandt was a member of the UT Arlington’s Friends of the Library Advisory Council. Gerald Saxon, former dean of the UT Arlington libraries, said Van Zandt made the Friends of the Libraries organization what it was. Her passion for the UTA library came from a love of Arlington, Saxon said. Van Zandt was the founding president.