1934 – 2009
t h e o f f i c i a l s t u d e n t n e w s pa pe r o f t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f h o u s to n s i n c e 1 9 3 4
THE DAILY COUGAR Apple not alone in innovative tablet market LIFE & ARTS »
thedailycougar.com
years
®
WEATHER » hi
63 Lo 48
Forecast, Page 2
Sign up to follow the Opinion section on Twitter at @TDCOpinion Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Issue 84, Volume 75
thedailycougar.com
UH, TSU strengthen relationship Memorandum opens opportunities for research improvement
gg
By David Haydon The Daily Cougar UH and Texas Southern University have signed a memorandum of understanding in order to solidify the relationship between the two universities through collaborated research and
opportunities for their respective students. “For our purposes, a MOU is used to express mutual goals and a commitment to work together going forward,” UH Division of Research Communications Coordinator Amanda Hosey said. “By signing an official document, both institutions are solidifying their efforts to strengthen existing academic and research collaborations and seek out new opportunities.”
Although it is not impossible for two or more universities to work together without an MOU, the processes of research g g Birx collaborations, partnerships and sharing grants are simplified with the explicit agreement. “An MOU is important to funding agencies that are interested in
supporting research undertaken by faculty at one or more universities, which sometimes indicates the importance of the research,” TSU Associate Provost Elizabeth BrownGuillory said. “Sunny Ohia, provost and vice president for academic affairs and research at TSU, began discussions with (UH Vice President for Research) Donald Birx nearly a year ago to establish a formal relationship to partner on research projects between TSU and UH.”
The memorandum also allows either university access to resources such as grants with prerequisites that one or the other previously did not meet without the partnership of the MOU. “Our goal was to build a stronger long-term research relationship between two universities systems that are across the street from each other,” Birx said. “We have had and continue to see MEMORANDUM, page 3
Architecture dean begins tenure Oliver appreciates Houston’s diverse art, museums gg
By Michael Baerga The Daily Cougar
Voltaire Archelus The Daily Cougar
The UH chapter of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was one of many organizations to hold relief efforts for Haiti. The group collected money, clothing and canned goods for the victims of the earthquake.
Community reaches out to Haiti Professor encourages people to send money instead of food, clothes
gg
By Sarah Wiggins-Goff the daily cougar As teams around the city are working to send aid to victims of the Haiti earthquake, students and faculty at UH are coming together to figure out how they can help. Economics professor Thomas DeGregori is an expert on disaster relief, having written articles regarding Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and now the earthquake in Haiti. DeGregori points out that in many cases people are more inclined to send items such as clothing or canned food after a natural disaster occurs. However, he argues that the most effective way for Houstonians to lend a
hand to the victims of a crisis is actually just to reach into their pocketbooks and leave the decision-making up to the experts. In his Jan. 5, 2005 article entitled “Tsunami: Tragedy as a Teacher,” DeGregori wrote, “It is far easier, once a reputable organization is identified, to go to the Internet and give a donation using your credit card than it is to search through the house for items and then haul them off to a collection center, where they will likely collect dust and do little if any good … giving money is both easier and more effective.” Taking this into account, the Student Government Association has partnered with other student governments across the country in an initiative called “Stand With Haiti Fund Raising Challenge.” They are working with Partners in Health — a non-
profit organization that has had a presence in Haiti for over 20 years — to raise money for disaster relief. They aren’t the only ones to get involved. Organizations across campus are collecting donations to send to Haiti, including the Metropolitan Volunteer Program and the UH chapter of the Black Student Union. Music venues such as Warehouse Live and AvantGarden hosted Haiti benefit shows featuring local bands, with portions of the proceeds going directly to relief organizations. Many local area businesses donated portions of their sales on specific days, including Carino’s Italian and Sugarbaby’s Cupcake Boutique. Associate professor of world cultures and literatures Mariesee HAITI, page 3
The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture has named Patricia Belton Oliver the new dean of its academia. John Antel, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, announced that Oliver’s appointment would begin Jan. 20. “Each institution builds from its strengths,” Oliver said. “I hope to instill a school in which students may build a solid foundation to be well-equipped for any market place they wish. The key is to prepare UH students to be exceptional leaders, which I have seen (thus far).” In 2007, Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education Magazine gave the UH College of Architecture the highest recognition among other architecture programs in the country for awarding degrees to Hispanic students. In architecture, there are several different types of work. An architect can expect to be assigned to anything from basic commercial housing and strip mall projects to lavish and abstract avant-garde museums. “In the work force any type of problem (architectural project) can be anticipated. My goal is to prepare students for any type of problem big or small, because each problem in architecture is unique,” Oliver said. “In order to move into a place where architecture is not so formulaic, I strive to prepare students to consider the various characteristics that exist within the range of different assignments in their studies and in the workforce.”
Antel selected Oliver as dean of Architecture in December. “With her keen intellect and broad interests of architecture, design and literature, she is an amazing leader with viable skills needed to maintain and promote the tier-one status of our Architecture program,” Antel said. Antel said that Oliver coming from California, another diverse setting like Houston, makes her suitable for UH and this city. “I find inspiration for my work in all art forms music, visual arts, paintings ... I love Houston’s museums, they are fantastic,” Oliver said. Houston differs from sectioned California, where zones restrict such diversity in neighborhoods. “I find the little architectural gems and pockets in Houston unique to the city. One could drive through the neighborhoods of Houston and amidst new housing and developments there exists monumental and culturally rich structures that still stand, displaying they’re legacy to the city.” Oliver succeeds Joe Mashburn, who retired after serving as the dean of Architecture for 12 years. One of Mashburn’s achievements was the creation of The Burdette Keeland Jr. Design Exploration Center. Last year, students in the Graduate Design/Build Studio used the center to create an awardwinning outdoor stage for an elementary school. “I stepped down as dean to return to a life of designing and teaching,” Mashburn said. “I feel that much has been accomplished, that the college is in a good place. I wanted to leave at see ARCHITECTURE, page 3