UTA In The News — Monday, May 16, 2022
Graduate feature
UT Arlington graduate Christine Abasi was featured on Yahoo News and FOX 7 Austin for her inspiring story about how she overcame a childhood stutter to complete bachelor's degrees in psychology and communication studies this May. “What matters is you have a voice and a right to be heard with that voice,” said Abasi.
School Board Elections
Rebecca Deen, UTA associate professor of political science, spoke with The Texas Tribune and the Texas Observer about a trend growing in statewide school board elections. Experts like Deen say more GOP involvement in local politics may embolden Republicans to continue passing laws based on political wedge issues during next year’s legislative session.
Brittney Griner in Russia
Brian Whitmore, assistant professor at UTA’s McDowell Center for Global Studies and an expert on Russian-American relations, spoke with The Washington Post about WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia. Russia’s state news agency reported that U.S. and Russian authorities were discussing a prisoner swap of Griner and convicted arms smuggler Viktor Bout. “Bout has always been a high priority for Russia, so [this] doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Whitmore. “My first reaction is it’s just signaling or wishful thinking on the part of Russians."
Celebrating Black excellence
UTA celebrated its graduating Black, African and African American students with a ceremony that embraced the pillars of scholarship, heritage, culture and community, The Black Chronicle reported. Graduates received a kente cloth graduation stole with colorful, intricately woven patterns from UTA’s Center for African American Studies.
Lavender Graduation
UTA's largest Lavender Graduation celebrated the achievements of LGBTQ+ students and their allies, honoring spring 2022 graduates as part of a series of specialized commencement celebrations, U.S. Fed News reported. UTA is one of more than 200 institutions around the country to hold a Lavender Graduation.