The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Spring 2015 by University of North Texas

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A UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS P U B L I C AT I O N F O R A LU M N I A N D F R I E N DS VOL.65, NO. 1 | Spring 2015

ART IN PUBLIC SPACES [page

24]

Ashleigh Smith [ page 1 6] Power of Research [ page 30] STEM Innovators [ page 32] n o r t h texa n . un t . edu

Spring 2015

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RESTORING OUR WATERWAYS UNT researchers are working to protect and clean up the waterways in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. At the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, faculty and students measure the pollution in surrounding lakes and streams. But they don’t just collect data and make note of problems. They work in local communities to educate the public to bring about needed change. Their work has helped reduce the toxic chemicals polluting our public drinking water — a resource that’s precious to us all. At UNT, research extends beyond the classroom and is the bedrock of a healthy and informed society. Watch a video to learn how UN T researchers are helping to preserve water quality at research.unt.edu/water-quality.

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Inside

S P R I N G

2 0 1 5

FEATURES

Ashleigh Smith

Recent Miss Black Texas’ jazz career launched with prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition win. By Monique Bird

30 Power of Research

With powerful research and industry partnerships, UNT impacts society and the economy.

32 STEM Innovators

UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science celebrates 25 years in preparing talented high schoolers for science and tech careers. By Jessica DeLeón DEPARTMENTS Ahna Hubnik

F R O M O U R P R E S I D E N T • 3

Workforce of tomorrow D E A R N O R T H T E X A N • 4

Union Coffeecake ... Share your memories

Art in Public Spaces

UNT TODAY • 6

First choice ... Ask an Expert ... Mean Green ... UNT Alumni Association

A LUM N I A RT I STS S H ARE T H EI R TAL E NT WI T H AUDI ENC ES IN P UB L IC FORU M S — C I T Y PA RK S , MEMOR I A LS, A I R PORTS,

U N T M U S E • 1 8

M US E UM S A N D CO M M U NI T Y C E NT E R S — WOR LDWI DE,

Grammy gold ... Happy performance ... Drumming up success ... Upcoming Events

CR E ATIN G ART EXP E RI ENC E S T H AT A R E ACC ESSI BLE, E N GAGIN G A N D RE FL EC T I V E .

EAGLES’ NEST • 37

Swinging success ... Connecting with Friends ... Married and Counting ... Friends We’ll Miss

By Margarita Venegas Cover: Jesús Moroles (’78) at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas. Above: Moroles’ Veteran’s Memorial in Albuquerque, N.M. Photography by Ahna Hubnik

L A S T W O R D • 4 8

Spring 2015

John Lovelace (’52) remembers campus in the ’30s and the ’50s. |

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Online

E X C L U S I V E S

n o r t ht exan .u nt.edu /o n li n e

ONLINE FEATURES DESIGNING WOMEN Read about communication design alumnae who are making their mark at top retailers including Ann Taylor, Victoria’s Secret and Fossil. FEEDING UNT Learn how you can help support the Dean of Students Office’s new food pantry for students who find themselves without the funds to buy food. GO MEAN GREEN! Watch our video that captures the spirit of Mean Green athletic competition, on the field, the court, the track or in the water.

GET CONNECTED Ahna Hubnik

Connect with us at facebook.com/northtexas. Follow us at twitter.com/northtexan.

Interwoven Aspirations

Watch us on youtube.com/ universitynorthtexas .

L E D A W E AV I N G WO R K S H O P W I T H LO CA L C R A F TS WO M E N

I N JA N UA RY, ST U D I O A RTS L E C T U R E R L E S L I RO B E RTS O N I N K U WA I T A S A F U L B R I G H T S P E C I A L I ST A N D AT U N T W I T H ST U D E N TS I N H E R A DVA N C E D W E AV I N G C L A SS . L E A R N A B OU T T H E C R E AT I V E CO L L A B O R AT I O N T H AT E N S U E D.

When you see this arrow, join our North Texan community online at northtexan.unt.edu.

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Visit The North Texan online to: • Keep up with what’s happening between issues of The North Texan • Tell us what you think about our stories • Learn more about your fellow alumni • Write memorials about friends we’ll miss • Enjoy an array of additional stories, photos, videos and recordings

F RO M OU R

President

Workforce of tomorrow OFFERING BEST EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN TEXAS

U N I V E R SI TY R E L AT I O N S ,

P R O J EC T M A N AG E M E N T

CO M M U N I C AT I O N S A N D

E R I C A B LO U N T

M A R K E T I N G L E A D E R SH I P

CL AU D I A CO O P E R

V I CE P R ESI D E N T

DONALD WILSON

D E B O R A H L E L I A E RT

(’06 ) (’01)

(’96 M . E D.)

D ESI G N E R S

Michael Clements

AS I LOOK BACK ON MY first year as UNT president, I have a great deal to be thankful for and much to look forward to. UNT has felt like home since Debbie and I first arrived last February, and the UNT community’s “can-do” attitude is fostering change and progress. To start with, spring enrollment is up and, importantly, more of our President Neal Smatresk visits with students at students are taking more classes and a UNT Symphonic Band rehearsal. consistently staying in school — auspicious signs for improving timely graduation success. To sustain this growth and progress, we’re creating new initiatives to make UNT a first choice for the best and brightest, as you’ll see on page 6. Once here, they find a university with nationally ranked programs, high-quality and caring faculty, and more degree programs — or career choices — than any university in the North Texas region. These are the ingredients that will make them successful college graduates and, in turn, will foster a strong workforce for the region and state. We’re focused on offering the best educational experience in Texas. This doesn’t just mean being great academically but also being a place of discovery and innovation — a hub of new ideas and solutions. We’re growing as a public research university that is defined by the STEAM disciplines — science, technology, engineering, art and math — because the arts are a vital part of UNT’s legacy and of any of these fields. UNT is a place where science and art converge, as you’ll read in our cover story about artists creating public art (page 24) and in our coverage on recent research initiatives (page 30). As we begin to look forward to our 125th anniversary and the years beyond, it’s clear we need to chart a course toward tier one. I invite all of you to get involved to help us advance your alma mater and to help us reach the national prominence you all know UNT deserves. UNT proud,

Neal Smatresk President president@unt.edu @UNTPrez

A SS O CI AT E V I CE P R ESI D E N T

L AU R E N L E B R O N

K E L L E Y R E ESE

K I T YO U N G

(’95)

(’06 )

E X ECU T I V E D I R EC TO R

P H OTO G R A P H E R S

DENA MOORE

M I CH A E L CL E M E N TS AHNA HUBNIK

D I R EC TO R

G A R Y PAY N E

(’03)

(’99)

K E N N M O F F I TT V I D EO G R A P H E R S M AG A Z I N E STA F F

CH R I STO P H E R B R YA N

E X ECU T I V E E D I TO R

B R A D H O LT

J U L I E E L L I OTT PAY N E

(’08 )

(’09)

(’97)

WRITERS M A N AG I N G E D I TO R R A N D E N A H U L ST R A N D

MONIQUE BIRD (’88, ’07 M . J .)

(’10 M . J .)

E R N EST I N E B O U S Q U E T N A N C Y KO L ST I

E D I TO R S

L ESL I E M I N TO N

J ESSI C A D E L EÓ N

A D R I E N N E N E TT L E S

JILL KING

(’07 )

M A R G A R I TA V E N EG A S

(’93 M . S ., ’0 0 M . A .)

(’96 )

M ATT H E W Z A B E L O N L I N E E D I TO R M I CH E L L E H A L E

O N L I N E CO M M U N I C AT I O N S J ESSE G A R R I S O N

A RT D I R EC TO R SE A N Z E I G L E R

NANCY KENT

(’94 )

E R I C VA N D E R G R I F F

(’0 0 )

P H OTO E D I TO R

ST U D E N T CO N T R I B U TO R S

ANGILEE WILKERSON

C A L E B D OW N S AWO E N I

A DV E RT I SI N G

CR YSTA L H O L L I S

J I L L I A N J O R DA N W ES M A RT I N

(’13)

J A S O N O RT I Z

(’0 5)

J OSH U A W I L L I A MS

(’01)

J E F F R E Y WO LV E RTO N

T h e Nor t h Texan The North Texan (ISSN 0468-6659) is published four times a year (in March, June, September and December) by the University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, for distribution to alumni and friends of the university. Periodicals postage paid at Denton, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. The diverse views on matters of public interest that are presented in The North Texan do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the university. Publications staff can be reached at northtexan@unt.edu or 940-565-2108. Postmaster: Please send requests for changes of address, accompanied if possible by old address labels, to the University of North Texas, University Relations, Communications and Marketing, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017. The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission. The University of North Texas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, disability, marital status, ancestry, genetic information, citizenship, or veteran status in its application and admission process, educational programs and activities, employment policies and use of university facilities. Direct questions or concerns to the equal opportunity office, 940-565-2759, or the dean of students, 940-565-2648. TTY access is available at 940-369-8652. AA/EOE/ADA Created by the Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing ©2015 UNT URCM 3/15 (15-371)

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DEAR

North Texan Let us know what you think about news and topics covered in The North Texan. Letters may be edited for length and publication style. Online: northtexan.unt.edu (follow the “Contact Us” link) Phone: 940-565-2108 Fax: 940-369-8763 Email: northtexan@unt.edu

Sweet treat UNION COFFEECAKE Cake: ½ cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 egg 2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping: ¼ cup margarine, melted ¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon ¼ cup flour

Cake: Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk a little at a time, while mixing. Add vanilla. Pour into an 8x8-inch greased pan. Topping: Sift dry ingredients. Pour melted butter over unbaked cake. Sprinkle dry ingredients over top. Bake in 350-degree oven until lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean. Do not overcook or topping will crack when served. There was no better treat than the Union Coffeecake served at the Student Union Building. The North Texan published the recipe many years ago, and my husband and I make it about four

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times a year. What a sweet reminder of my college days! Elaine Wood Lloyd Hildebrand (’72) Bedford

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Mail: The North Texan University of North Texas Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing 1155 Union Circle #311070 Denton, Texas 76203-5017

The winter issue referenced the coffeecake at the UB. Funny how that scene and the heavenly taste was in me immediately. Where can I get that recipe? Margaret Brewer Needle (’67) Chandler Editor’s note: We’re happy to print that recipe again. You also can still find the coffeecake on campus during special events.

Sweating graduation I noticed in the winter issue (“The Last Word”) that the 1964 graduation ceremony was held in the Men’s Gym due to rain. For the record, the spring 1968 graduation was held in a gym as it looked like rain. It was so hot that everyone was fanning with whatever piece of paper they could find and wiping their faces to remove the sweat. Those of us in the graduation

gowns were so hot that sweat was running from head to toe. President J.C. Matthews, in his last spring commencement before retiring, said he had what he considered a good speech but it was too hot and there was no way he was going to put us through having to endure his talk. He said, “Congratulations to all graduates.” Diplomas were presented and then everyone ran for the doors. Linda Romer (’68) Houston

High school trio I enjoyed the story in the winter issue on the Folk Music Club. At least three of the folks you wrote about, in addition to their history at UNT, graduated from Adamson High School in Dallas — Michael Martin Murphey, B.W. Stevenson and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Bob Johnston (’62, ’65 M.Ed.) Dallas

Selfless graduate The Rev. Kyev Tatum (winter 2014) continues to look out for others in very selfless ways. My Brother’s Keeper has been his job since before the program even existed. He is the type of guy who is always looking for

opportunities for young people and to bring us up along with him. He knows that our generation is the future of this country and allows young voices to be heard while giving his support and providing his resources. He is an excellent man, friend and graduate of this university. While he was at UNT, he was very active and involved, adding a lot to programs that we benefit from today on campus. Ian Campbell, international studies major Flower Mound

Teacher and friend The United States was at war in Korea in 1952, and I

was a senior at North Texas. I was 1A in the draft, so my future seemed uncertain. Upon graduation, I immediately began looking for a job, but no one would hire me because of my 1A status. After two weeks of pounding the pavement in Dallas, I returned to North Texas and talked with Dr. C.L. Littlefield, my industrial management professor, about my problem. His words were, “I’ll get you a job,” which he did. I was hired at Consolidated Aircraft in Grand Prairie as a production planner trainee. If I remained in the training program for the full six weeks, I would be exempt from the draft because I would then be an essential to industry.

However, after two weeks, I was drafted. I will never forget what a wonderful man, teacher and friend Dr. Littlefield was and what his concern for me meant to me during that time. I served in the Army, in Germany, for two years, then worked for Exxon for 33 years, took early retirement and bought a hardware store in Tyler. After 20 years selling nuts and bolts, I sold the hardware store last year. I finally retired at age 83 and now spend my time in my woodshop making furniture and toys for my grandchildren. Thanks for the memories! James Kirkpatrick (’52) Flint

Tell us about ... you and UNT What would you put on a list of “125 Things We Love About UNT”? Or what is your favorite campus memory from your student days? What was Denton like when you were a student here? Who was your favorite professor? What was your favorite class? Do you have a favorite photo from your time on campus? How did UNT change your life for the better? Since our founding in 1890 as a private college for teachers, we’ve grown into a public research university that ranks as Dallas-Fort Worth’s largest and most comprehensive university and the nation’s 25th largest public university. Countless people and events helped shape us along the way, and as we observe our 125th anniversary this year, we want to remember and celebrate them. We would especially like to hear your memories and thoughts about your time on campus and gather up your favorite photos as we work on a special website and an anniversary issue of The North Texan this fall. Email or write us at the addresses above, and look for more information about our anniversary events on page 39 and in our summer issue.

Spring 2015

@northtexan We loved meeting #UNT19 and all of our future #UNT students at #UNTPreview. There are so many great students coming our way! #UNT #GoMeanGreen — Neal Smatresk @UNTPrez You know your college is awesome when the president of the college individually tweets to people who get accepted! @UNTPrez #loveithere #UNT — @AshleeRay3 Congrats to #UNT alum Lecrae for winning a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance or Song for “Messengers”. — @UNTnews Great talking with #UNT class today about impacting their community. Our city’s students are our best natural resource. — @KevinRoden No lie, it’s pretty awesome to talk football with fellow UNT students. #UNT — @JaredSoto48 I love my school. Forever a proud eagle!! #UNT — @jeannine_vargas Follow us on Twitter. We look forward to staying connected!

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Today

Top Fulbright producer page 9

Jonathan Reynolds

FIRST CHOICE UNIVERSITY UNT’s newest enrollment initiatives target the brightest students to create the best workforce.

Learn about university tours and watch UNT’s virtual tour videos at tour.unt.edu.

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UNT IS COMMITTED TO REMAINING A university of opportunity as it attracts new students and enhances the quality of its programs. With an increased focus on student retention, strategic enrollment growth and more targeted recruitment, UNT is seeking to attract and graduate the brightest students, offering them a high-quality education. “College is a life-changing experience, and a university education can make all the difference in one’s success, especially when that education culminates in a UNT degree,” President Neal Smatresk says. “We want to be the first choice for hardworking, talented students who will in turn lead the workforce in the region and state.”

More bright students

Michael Clements

This spring, UNT launched several initiatives to open up UNT to more college-bound students. Eagle Advantage gives high school juniors in participating school districts who are in the top 20 percent of their class guaranteed admission to UNT upon graduation. Arlington ISD is the first to partner with UNT on the initiative, and the program is expected to roll out across the North Texas region as more districts come on board. The university also is expanding its reach, finding ways to create a bigger pool of college-educated talent. Starting in fall 2015, Oklahoma residents pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UNT will no longer pay out-of-state tuition. UNT’s new Oklahoma Tuition Rate cuts that cost nearly in half. In addition to these initiatives, the university has created a new Division of Enrollment and hired a founding vice president, Shannon Goodman, who is leading the university’s efforts to achieve sustainable enrollment growth and expand UNT’s student population in new ways. (Learn more about Goodman on page 12.) The division is charged with improving the quality, quantity and diversity of UNT’s student body through effective enrollment management and strategic enrollment initiatives.

Ahna Hubnik

Plan for success

All of this builds on the work UNT has been doing to ensure students continue to get a high-quality, affordable education. Last fall, the university launched the Eagle Express Tuition Plan, a fixed-rate plan that helps students manage their costs and graduate in four years while saving them up to $4,000. With about 4,700 students taking advantage of the plan its first year, Eagle Express is the most popular guaranteed tuition plan in Texas. UNT also is finding innovative ways to offer more merit- and need-based aid, targeting student populations such as National Merit Scholars and transfer students. UNT annually awards more than $320 million in financial aid, including more than $36 million in scholarships. About 78 percent of UNT students receive financial aid and scholarships. To improve the financial aid process, the university has enhanced the verification process so it’s shorter and more streamlined — changes that will take effect this summer. And more call center representatives will be added to answer financial aid and scholarships questions. The initiatives are having immediate impacts. Spring enrollment is up over spring 2014. Students are taking more classes, and retention is better — all of which is expected to translate into more students graduating in four years. “Public universities like UNT produce the workforce of tomorrow,” Smatresk says. “The more we do to give students a world-class education, the better off our economy will be.”

From top, Arlington ISD juniors in the top 20 percent of their class receive guaranteed UNT admission as part of Eagle Advantage; prospective students attend UNT Preview. Eagle Express Tuition Plan Learn how UNT’s fixed-rate tuition plan locks in costs and helps students graduate on time at eagleexpress.unt.edu. Eagle Advantage Read more about the Eagle Advantage plan and who is eligible at unt.edu/eagleadvantage. Watch a video of the launch of the initiative at Arlington ISD at northtexan.unt.edu/online. Oklahoma Tuition Rate Learn how Oklahoma residents can pay about half the cost of out-of-state tuition at oklahomatuition.unt.edu. Take a tour If you know someone thinking about college, visit tours.unt.edu. Campus tours are led by students several times a day, Monday through Saturday, most of the year. Learn more about applying to UNT To learn about application requirements and deadlines, visit apply.unt.edu/admissions.

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Today Pass it on: Great things are happening at UNT. Learn about them here and share our successes with your family and friends. • NFL Alumni Career Touchdowns. Brelan Chancellor (’13) and Craig Robertson (’10, ’14 M.S.) are making news in the NFL. Robertson, in his fourth year as a linebacker with the Cleveland Browns, was named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in recognition of his charitable work and excellence on the field. Chancellor, recognized as one of the best all-around offensive players in Mean Green history, made headlines for becoming a 2015 reserve signee with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Go Mean Green! • Decoding STEM Success. UNT’s one-year-old Code Camp program, started by UNT’s Innovation Greenhouse, received a $20,000 gift from Verizon to build on its mission. Students in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science and College of Education participate in Code Camp to advance science, technology, engineering and math education. They teach Denton elementary and middle school students about computer coding by playing and customizing the popular video game Minecraft. • Daytime Talk at UNT. The Ellen DeGeneres Show stopped by UNT in December to tape a festive segment after DeGeneres tweeted for UNT students, faculty and staff to dress like presents for a chance at getting on air. The UNT community made a strong showing with students, faculty and staff and community members dressed as gifts and holding signs at the Library Mall as they talked to DeGeneres live via satellite from her studios in Burbank, Calif.

B R I L L I A N T LY GREEN

Michael Clements

Ahna Hubnik

Studying war crimes

Political science professors Kimi King and James Meernik are leading a survey sponsored by the United Nations to study the impact of war on victims

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and witnesses of war crimes. The survey is from interviews and court testimonial experiences of victims and witnesses from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the U.N.’s first international tribunal for war crime trials. The study examines what it means to “bear witness” before transnational tribunals and assesses how individuals are coping, if not healing, physically, mentally and socially since the

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peace accords in the 1990s. King and Meernik, experts on human rights, criminal tribunals, transitional justice and post-conflict security, began the work in July 2013. The preliminary findings were presented to top-level tribunal officials at The Hague, Netherlands, last summer. Tree Campus USA

The Arbor Day Foundation recognized UNT as a 2014 Tree Campus USA university

for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. This marks the seventh year in a row UNT has earned this national recognition. To achieve the status, UNT met the core standards of tree care and community engagement, which include establishing a campus tree advisory committee, having a campus tree-care plan and instituting a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.

Gen. Wesley Clark spoke this spring at UNT’s Auditorium Building as part of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

UNT PROUD Gary Payne

The UNT System is one of the nation’s top research institutions for Fulbright Scholars this year, according to a review by The Chronicle of Higher Education, and UNT accounted for four of the System’s six scholars. Texas’ only representation on the list was from the UNT System.

Distinguished lecture

Gen. Wesley Clark, former presidential candidate and author, spent 38 years of service in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of four-star general as NATO’s supreme allied commander. Clark spoke at UNT in February as the guest speaker of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series, which introduces the UNT community to the excellence of world-class speakers whose messages enhance student learning outside of the classroom. Since retiring from the military in 2000, Clark has taken on roles including investment banker, alternative

energy leader, author, network television military analyst and businessman. He shared with the audience his experiences and talked about his latest book, Don’t Wait for the Next War. Clark’s numerous awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and honorary knighthoods from the British and Dutch governments. Counseling award

Janice Holden, chair and professor of counseling and higher education, earned the Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person from the

American Counseling Association for her concern for the welfare of others and her passion to fight injustice. Holden researches the transpersonal perspective in counseling, addressing experiences that transcend the usual personal limits of space and time, and advocates for treatment of people who have had transpersonal experiences. Her primary scholarly focus has been near-death experiences. She is the editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies and served on the board of the International Association for Near-Death Studies for six years, three as president.

U N T P O RTA L H O N O R S The UNT libraries’ Portal to Texas History has been named one of 30 finalists for the 2015 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The portal, at texashistory.unt.edu, provides access to online materials from more than 280 collaborating partners reflecting the records, history and culture of Texas and engaging a broad public audience. Ten National Medal winners chosen by the institute for exceptional service to the community will be honored at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C., this spring and receive a visit from StoryCorps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs. Share your story of how UNT’s Portal to Texas History has touched your life at facebook.com/USIMLS.

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Today Basketball, Hall of Famers, Green and White Hoops highlights

Mean Green men’s basketball was

team also brought heat to the court this

hot on the court this season, putting

season. The team earned back-to-back

together a five-game win streak in

wins against Florida Atlantic and Florida

February before dropping the final home

International University in February.

game against Old Dominion Feb. 28. The streak was the program’s

Key players included senior guard BreAnna Dawkins and junior forward

longest since March 2011, and the

Acheil Tac. Dawkins’ outstanding play in

team’s success was due in part to the

the two wins earned her Conference

stellar play of the four seniors, Colin

USA Player of the Week honors.

Voss, T.J. Taylor, Armani Flannigan and Jordan Williams. The Mean Green entered the Photos by Rick Yeatts

The Mean Green women’s basketball

The team needed a win against UTSA in the last game of the season to clinch the 12th and final seed in the

Conference USA Tournament March

conference tournament, but lost a close

11-14 in Birmingham, Ala., as the No. 8

one, 57-54. They ended the season with

seed with high hopes for more stellar

the program’s second-best scoring

performances.

defense of all time.

into UNT’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The

Basketball tribute & Hall of Famers

ceremony and banquet take place at

George Dunham (’88), the voice of Mean Green athletics for 25 years and a

11:30 a.m. April 18 at Apogee Stadium in

part of the Mean Green Radio Network for

conjunction with the Green and White

nearly 30 years, called his final game as

spring football game. Dunham enters the

the Mean Green’s play-by-play man Feb.

Hall of Fame as the winner of the Fred

26 during the men’s basketball win

McCain Award, presented for contribu-

against Charlotte. Dunham, pictured at

tions that have a major impact on the

top right, retired from his play-by-play

athletic program. Also accepting Hall of

duties but will continue as co-host of the

Fame honors are, from left, Willie Parker,

morning-drive show on KTCK Sportsradio

football; Judy Buckles Nelson (’80 M.S.),

The Ticket. In his honor, KTCK broadcast

women’s basketball coach;

its afternoon show, The Hardline, from

Leonard Dunlap, football; and Walter

the Super Pit and then broadcast the

“Weasel” Johnson (’79), basketball. For tickets to the induction and

game along with KHYI.

banquet, call 800-868-2366. Admission

Dunham’s honors continue this spring

to the game, at 2 p.m. April 18, is free.

as he joins the latest class to be inducted

Find the latest Mean Green news and schedules, and buy season tickets at meangreensports.com.

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Spring 2015

I N V E N TO R S F E L LOW Richard Dixon, Distinguished Research Professor of biological sciences, was named a National Academy of Inventors fellow, the second UNT faculty member to earn the honor. The professional distinction is given to academic inventors who “have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.” Dixon’s research includes numerous projects in the area of bioproducts, including inventing a new, stronger plant-based carbon fiber, researching the impact of grape seed extract on Alzheimer’s disease, and developing more digestible and cattle-friendly alfalfa and improved bioenergy crops. In 2014, Narendra Dahotre, Distinguished Research Professor of materials science and engineering, was named a National Academy of Inventors fellow.

Partnerships with Mexico

GLOBAL CONNECTION

students and technical staff pursue a graduate academic certificate in archival studies, leading to a master’s degree in information science from UNT’s College of Information. The first 15 students will arrive at UNT in September. Faculty from UNT’s Department of Library and Information Sciences also will travel to Mexico to research and train with the Mexican staff. “The new agreement speaks to the quality and relevance of the UNT archival studies program and will strengthen our relationship with Mexico,” says Gabriel Carranza,

assistant vice provost for global engagement at UNT. Also this spring, a new partnership between UNT and the National Council for Science and Technology of the United Mexican States will allow 14 postdoctoral fellows from Mexico to conduct research at UNT. The fellows, jointly funded by UNT and CONACYT, will work with UNT faculty researchers. The council’s total contribution to UNT is $350,000 in research support.

Gary Payne

Two new research partnerships between UNT and the Mexican federal government will help UNT build on its reputation as a global partner. In the first partnership of its kind with a U.S. university, Mexico’s General Archives of the Nation — the equivalent of the U.S. National Archives — aims to establish a new Center of Excellence in Research for Archives with the help of UNT’s College of Information. As the keeper of Mexico’s government and historical documents, the General Archives of the Nation is considered one of the most important in the world. Funded by the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), the archives will house the new center and provide researchers with worldwide access to its archival database. An education fund for federal employees from the council will help the archives’

Gabriel Carranza, UNT’s assistant vice provost for global engagement Spring 2015

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New enrollment VP

This spring, Shannon Goodman, former associate vice president of enrollment and student services at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, was named UNT’s founding vice president for enrollment. UNT’s new

Division of Enrollment — which encompasses undergraduate admissions and student financial aid and scholarships — is charged with improving the quality, quantity and diversity of UNT’s student population. He also will oversee the division’s budget, personnel, policies and procedures, and new program development. Prior to joining UNLV, Goodman was managing partner for STK Consulting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University.

Ahna Hubnik

Green Pride

New TAMS dean

This spring, Glênisson de Oliveira was named dean of UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. De Oliveira has a history of enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education from kindergarten

through 12th grade and at the undergraduate level in Rhode Island. His work has been funded through science and education grants from multiple agencies, including a $12.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. He earned a Ph.D. in theoretical physical chemistry from Purdue University and most recently served as director of the Rhode Island STEM Center and as department chair and professor of chemistry at Rhode Island College.

Show your Mean Green pride on your ride

UNT license plates are one of the great ways alumni, students, faculty and staff can show their Mean Green pride on the go and help support student scholarships. UNT partners with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to carry UNT-themed plates as part of its specialty plate program. The cost of plates varies depending on how they’re customized. Kim Wendt (’11), executive director of development, says her personalized Mean Green plate is a way to celebrate the pride she feels for earning her bachelor’s degree in applied arts and sciences with a 4.0 GPA. “As a longtime employee of 22 years at UNT, I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to obtain my degree as a non-traditional student,” she says. “My personalized plates, UNT 11, celebrate that degree I earned.” To buy your own UNT plate and customize its lettering, visit txdmv.gov. Once on the website, follow these steps: • Under Motorists select Specialty License Plates. • Scroll down and select the University of North Texas. • Click Order and you are taken to myplates.com to create and customize your plate. • You can choose plates from a luxury series, custom series or standard design series. When you buy a UNT license plate, a portion of the proceeds from the cost of your plate will benefit student scholarships at UNT. Share your own photo with your personalized Mean Green license plate to win UNT prizes at northtexan@unt.edu.

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Anthropology students in the classroom share their fieldwork insights.

UNT PROUD

UNT has been named a Top School in the 2015 Military Advanced Education Guide to Colleges and Universities, which measures the best practices in military and veteran education.

Smart car

How can businesses better understand how people use products and services? Many companies are turning to anthropologists for answers. Nissan’s Research Center in Silicon Valley, which is researching self-driving cars, asked anthropology students to explore “the social life of the car” and investigate drivers’ behavior. Eighteen students in a class led by Christina Wasson, professor of anthropology, worked with nine study participants in interviews and ride-alongs in the fall. Also, Susan Squires, assistant professor of anthropology, led a class to help Pitney Bowes investigate

people’s move experiences and the types of information that would make the move go smoothly. The 16 graduate students who conducted the research made recommendations to Pitney Bowes to develop a moving mobile app to better meet people’s needs. Kinesiology grants

Three kinesiology researchers have received grants from the National Strength and Conditioning Association to study topics that may help athletes and fitness enthusiasts train more effectively. Jakob Vingren, associate professor of kinesiology, is using a Young Investigator Grant to study how alcohol

consumption affects physiological processes in the muscles’ ability to recover from exercise. Adam Venable, a biological sciences doctoral student, received a Doctoral Graduate Research Grant to examine the effectiveness of supplementation treatment with curcumin, a yellow substance in turmeric, after muscle-damaging bouts of resistance exercise. Danielle Levitt, a biological sciences doctoral and kinesiology master’s student, is using a Master’s Graduate Research Grant to investigate how alcohol consumption affects women after strenuous resistance exercise. Levitt and Venable are research assistants in the kinesiology program.

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Ahna Hubnik

S T U D Y I N G H I S P A N I C H E A LT H For three decades, researchers have pondered the Hispanic Mortality Paradox — why Hispanics in the U.S. tend to outlive non-Hispanic whites by several years, despite having, in general, lower income and educational attainment levels that are associated with shorter lives. Research led by John Ruiz, professor of psychology, suggests Hispanics live longer due to illness survival and recovery advantages. Researchers showed that Hispanic/Latino patients experienced lower in-hospital mortality and were hospitalized fewer days compared to non-Hispanics, a survival advantage consistent with the Hispanic paradox. The study was published in the Journal of Latina/o Psychology. |

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Gary Payne

Today

Intel talent finalist

Students in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science made a big showing at the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search competition, the nation’s most prestigious

pre-college science competition. Lily Liu, a second-year TAMS student, was named a finalist, one of only 40 in the U.S. and the only one from Texas. She was recognized for her research investigating transition metals that could help catalyze the degradation of lignin, a substance that makes plants woody and firm. Liu conducts her research with Angela Wilson, Regents Professor of chemistry. Liu displayed her research and

competed against other finalists March 5-11 in Washington, D.C. UNT had six TAMS students, including Liu, named 2015 Intel semifinalists, more than any other Texas school. (Read about TAMS alumni on page 32.) Retail scholarship

Ashley Nudge, a sophomore merchandising and digital retailing major, was one of five students in the U.S. chosen as a finalist for the National Retail

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Federation’s Next Generation Scholarship, winning a $10,000 scholarship. The only finalist from a Texas school, she also was recognized at the NRF Foundation Gala and attended The Big Show, the NRF’s annual conference in New York City in January. Nudge is the fashion show producer for Merchandising Inc., a UNT organization for students who are interested in fashion, home furnishings and digital retailing.

Ask an Expert

How can you protect yourself against identity theft?

dentity theft is difficult to prevent because thieves continually find new ways to commit the crime. Many times identity theft occurs online, and the thief may even be in another country. UNT police Sgt. Jeremy Polk says people need to know and respond immediately if their identity is stolen and be especially vigilant in protecting financial information. “Be a little OCD about your finances,” Polk says. “A lot of people don’t review their bank statements or they just log on to pay a bill and don’t look closely enough at the activity on their account.” Polk conducts seminars for student groups on campus and others, offering tips for preventing identity theft and for responding if it happens.

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Respond quickly • Notify your bank or credit card company immediately if you see suspicious activity on your account. • File reports first online with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint and then with local police. The FTC’s online form includes all the information local police will need to make their report, so filing that report first can save you time. — Matthew Zabel

Michael Clements

Protect and prevent • Don’t leave personal information like your Social Security number, date of birth, passwords, personal identification numbers, birth certificate or bank account information where others can find it. • Educate yourself about Internet fraud. • Be or befriend a trusty computer geek to help ensure that the information you store in your computer is protected. • Cancel unused credit cards.

Know when you’re a victim • Control your finances. Look closely at your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized charges. • Use alerts that banks and credit card providers offer to let you know if a large or unusual charge is made on your account. • Request credit reports regularly at annualcreditreport.com. You are entitled to receive a free credit report each year from each of the three reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Stagger those requests so you can receive a report every four months.

Black academy archives

Association president

Prathiba Natesan, associate professor of educational psychology, was elected president of the Southwest Educational Research Association, a regional organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of research in education. She initiated a paperless system by offering the program schedule of the annual meeting as an app instead of a printed publication, and she is one of the founders of the junior faculty mentoring initiative for the association. Natesan, who also is director of the College of Education’s Office of Research Consulting, will serve as the organization’s president-elect and program chair for 2015-16 and as president for 2016-17.

Gary Payne

SKYLIFE RESEARCH What’s the best way to drop emergency relief supplies such as water and cell phone batteries by air to people during disasters? UNT’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service has teamed up with SkyLIFE Technology to identify novel approaches and determine their potential for success. For the study, UNT students and faculty from the college’s emergency administration and planning program will travel to the scene of disasters to research the provision of relief, as well as how to mobilize and distribute humanitarian aid to those affected by war, terrorism, famine or natural hazards. The research also involves examining new technology developed by SkyLIFE.

UNT and the Black Academy of Arts and Letters entered into a partnership that will bring even more recognition to the contributions and accomplishments of African Americans in the cultural arts, such as Sarah Vaughan, Ruby Dee and Erykah Badu. The academy’s archives, including posters, photos and recordings, will be housed in the UNT libraries’ special collections, making the information publicly accessible. The partnership gives UNT faculty and students and the public opportunities for research, education and publication.

UNT Alumni Association UNT has a long-standing tradition of recognizing the outstanding achievement, service and support of UNT’s alumni and friends. And as a special celebration of this year’s 50th anniversary of the UNT Alumni Awards, the awards program will move to fall 2015, coinciding with festivities planned for Homecoming and the university’s 125th anniversary celebration. The awards ceremony was traditionally hosted in the spring. Among those honored during the last awards event was Distinguished Young Alumni Award winner Graham Douglas (’05), a top freelance advertising creative director. Douglas said the alumni awards are a “very meaningful” way to be recognized by your alma mater. “North Texas shaped my world view and prepared me well,” he said at the 2014 ceremony. UNT’s Alumni Awards showcase the high caliber of the university’s alumni and celebrate the depth and breadth of their professional accomplishments and service to the community. “The alumni awards are among the highest honors the university bestows,” Rob McInturf, executive director of the UNT Alumni Association, says. “We want to ensure the accomplishments of our alumni are highlighted at an event where they can receive recognition from their peers while still allowing us the opportunity to celebrate the impact they are making in their communities and around the world.” For more information about the alumni awards program, contact alumni@unt.edu or 940-565-2834. To join the association or learn more, visit untalumni.com, email alumni@unt.edu or call 940-565-2834.

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Ashleigh Smith

by Monique Bird

Music alum and recent Miss Black Texas USA wins prestigious jazz competition and enjoys a career that is sailing with soulful vocals.

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he second time was the charm for Ashleigh Smith (’11), who won the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2014 after being named first runner-up in 2012. The contest is designed to propel the career of an up-and-coming female vocalist to new heights. Presented in November, the award known as the Sassy comes with a $5,000 cash prize and an exclusive recording contract with Concord Records. Smith also gets to perform in the highly acclaimed Jazz Roots Concert Series. As a background vocalist for Grammywinning R&B artist Chrisette Michelle since 2012, Smith knows how to work the stage with an ensemble or singing solo. A graduate of the UNT vocal jazz program under the instruction of music professors Rosana Eckert, Jennifer Barnes and Timothy Brent, Smith has sung with The Manhattan Transfer and jazz singer and lyricist Jon Hendricks as a member of the UNT Jazz Singers. She also has performed across the U.S. and Northern Ireland. And as the 2014 Miss Black Texas USA, she promoted the preservation of music education in public schools. “A lot of the arts are being ripped out of public school programs,” says Smith, who hopes to open a music academy in an at-risk neighborhood one day. Born in LaGrange, Ga., to a family of music educators and informal musicians, she says music is in her DNA. “As a baby, you had to sing me to sleep,” she laughs. “And it had to be good.”

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She was two years into a full scholarship in classical music at a Georgia university when a professor challenged her to pursue her true passion — jazz. He recommended UNT’s Vocal Jazz Workshop. “The workshop was my first thrust into jazz education,” Smith says. “I had figured out things like scatting on my own, but I really didn’t know what I was doing. I was so inspired.” UNT’s jazz studies professors saw her natural talent. “Her voice had an interesting sound, reflective of history but with a nod to the future,” says Eckert. Smith transferred to UNT and transformed her music focus in the rigorous jazz studies program. She won three DownBeat awards, one as a soloist and two as a member of the UNT Jazz Singers. “UNT is the No. 1 school for jazz,” she says. “I knew I needed to be there if I really wanted to perform professionally.” In her second trip to the Sarah Vaughan competition, the confidence Smith had gained from professional experience combined with her UNT-honed soulful sound to make a subtle difference. “I was better this time embracing who I was,” she says. “Winning wasn’t my goal. I went in to get better.” Smith felt confident until her performance of “Tight” from Betty Carter’s 1976 jazz album, when the accompanying instrumentalists faltered. With her audience, Smith laughed off two restarts, early key changes and a skipped final chorus. She was sure she’d lost. The judges — jazz greats like platinum-selling artist Ann Hampton Callaway, Grammy-nominated Nnenna Freelon and producer Larry Rosen — thought differently. “They said I handled it like a professional,” Smith says, “and I thank my UNT training for that.”

Kauwuane Burton

Ashleigh Smith (’11) Lewisville

Lessons learned at UNT:

recordings I submitted to Sarah

recital lessons where you couldn’t

My former professors Jennifer

Vaughan. I know anywhere I go,

get it down. It’s for myself, my

Barnes and Rosana Eckert advised

there will be UNT alumni I can call

parents, UNT and everyone who

me to be prepared, be early and

for gigs, go to dinner or stay with.

has ever invested in me. The

Favorite jazz song:

know the music. In this industry,

When I was 8, my dad played a

you never know when your big

On the Sassy:

will be my first. I’m excited for

recording of Ella Fitzgerald’s “How

moment is going to come. Also,

I am honored to have people think

people to hear my sound.

High the Moon.” I was floored at

network and build relationships.

I was good enough to have an

her voice, realizing she had sung

The UNT community is still

award with Sarah Vaughan’s name

it on the spot. I learned that song

monumental to my success. All of

attached to it. The UNT jazz degree

Visit northtexan.unt.edu/

backward and forward. It was kind

the recordings I have done were

is no joke. All those years of

online to read more Q&A.

of like love at first listen.

with UNT classmates; even the

singing, exams, juries and having

album from this recording contract

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Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Muse

Check out upcoming events

GRAMMY GOLD UNT alumni and faculty soak in prestigious Grammy Award nominations and wins for contemporary Christian, jazz and opera. Read more about UNT’s Grammy wins at northtexan.unt.edu/grammy-gold.

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THE MEAN GREEN SNAGGED GRAMMY GOLD. At the 57th annual Grammy Awards show in March, rapper Lecrae (’02) won for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/ Song for “Messengers,” which he performed with the duo For King & Country. Alumni saxophonist Jeff Driskill and trumpeter Dan Fornero, members of Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band, took the award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Life in the Bubble. And associate professor of voice Jennifer Lane sang on a recording of Darius Milhaud’s L’Orestie D’Eschyle that was nominated for Best Opera Recording. “It means a lot to me,” Lecrae says. “People are appreciating my music, the craft and the content. I’m really grateful.”

Finding authenticity

Rob Shanahan

Lecrae’s road to the Grammys began his freshman year at UNT, when he visited the Music Building’s recording studio lab. “It was phenomenal,” he says. “It just lit a fire in me.” From that lab, Lecrae, who attended UNT as Lecrae Moore, began performing and producing music that he developed into a huge career as a hip-hop artist. His recent Grammy win and two other nominations follow a 2013 win for Best Gospel Album for his work, Gravity. His latest album, Anomaly, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart last year — a first for a Christian hip-hop artist. And he is the co-founder of Atlanta-based Reach Records. An applied arts and sciences major, Lecrae listened to the One O’Clock Lab Band in the University Union and says living in Bruce Hall gave him inspiration from other creative students. “If you wanted to wear blue hair, you wore blue hair,” he says. At UNT, he also found the ministry that led to his strong Christian faith and met his wife, Darragh Moore (’01). He attended Bible study at Plumbline Ministries led by Dhati Lewis (’99), a former Mean Green football player now based in Atlanta, started ministering to his fellow students and volunteered in a juvenile detention hall. In his song, “My Whole Life Changed,” Lecrae describes his tumultuous childhood and bout with drugs and mentions both UNT and Plumbline. His music is his outlet to express himself. “I want it to be authentic,” he says. “I never want to be a caricature.” Inspiring one another

Sheila Newberry

For Driskill and Fornero, Los Angeles-based musicians who attended UNT in the 1980s, the Grammy Award marks a big win. “I still haven’t really ‘owned’ that a band I’m in has won a Grammy,” Driskill says. “It’s so great that the whole band has been recognized.” The 18-member band has 14 previous nominations for Grammys. Fornero says his reaction can be summed up in one word — “relief!” Driskill has performed with many musicians, including Prince, Josh Groban and Annie Lennox. He also played for the soundtracks of Toy Story 3 and The Princess and the Frog. He’s a member of the Chris Walden Big Band and the John Daversa Progressive Big Band. Fornero, a former member of the One O’Clock Lab Band, played with the legendary Woody Herman. He’s played with Tom Jones, Phil Collins and Neil Diamond and played on the soundtracks of The Simpsons Movie, Toy Story 3 and Jersey Boys. He’s a member of the Bob Mintzer Big Band and released his CD, Not So Old School, last year. Fornero says UNT’s emphasis on sight-reading and high bar of musicality prepared him for the “incredible amount of competition” among freelance musicians. Driskill agrees. “North Texas is a unique community where musicians inspire one another to greater musical heights,” he says.

At left: Lecrae (’02) at the 2015 Grammy Awards From top: Alumni musicians Jeff Driskill and Dan Fornero, and UNT associate professor of voice Jennifer Lane

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Muse Books War stories In his latest book, A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire (Basic Books), history professor Geoffrey Wawro fills in a neglected but crucial aspect of World War I: the disastrous diplomacy, strategy and military performance of Austria-Hungary — which caused the war and doomed the German-led alliance by eroding the army’s military effectiveness. Wawro, director of UNT’s Military History Center, has a

personal interest in the subject. “My paternal grandparents came from Austrian Galicia — today’s western Ukraine — and my grandfather served in the Austro-Hungarian army before immigrating to America before the World War I,” he says.

Cochran tribute Economics: From the Dismal Science to the Moral Science, The Moral Economics of Kendall P. Cochran (UNT Press) compiles the writings of Cochran, who served as professor and chair of the economics department at UNT from 1957 to 1988. The book was edited by

Susan Dadres, alumna and senior lecturer of economics; Mona S. Hersh-Cochran, Cochran’s widow and a retired economics professor at Texas Woman’s University; and David Molina, chair and associate professor of economics. Cochran was a popular teacher, winning the ’Fessor Graham award in 1968. Proceeds from the book go to the Melton-Cochran Scholarship Fund, created when Cochran retired to reward some of the best students at UNT. “The theme running through his work is that economists have a moral responsibility to help society and to argue for social change,” Molina says.

Smartphone usage Smartphone users can tell friends and the world about their surrounding space with apps such as Foursquare, Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram and Yelp. Jordan Frith, assistant professor of technical communication, explores their impact in Smartphones as Locative Media (Wiley Books). Frith looks at how these services have changed the way users navigate and engage with the world. “The privacy concerns are very real. Companies know a lot about our location information,” he says. “But, people find them to be useful.”

Happy performance Ten-time Grammy winner Bobby McFerrin visited UNT in February to work with jazz vocalists and the One O’Clock Lab Band. He participated in question-and-answer sessions where he discussed a variety of topics — everything from his experience in the music business to the types of microphones he uses in performances. McFerrin also rehearsed with the One O’Clock Lab Band, sang duets and rehearsed with jazz vocal students and participated in improvisation activities. McFerrin, the vocal innovator known for his worldwide hit song Don’t Worry Be Happy and his multi-platinum duo album Hush with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, improvises most of his performed music in a form of scat singing. “During this residency, our students had a rare and invaluable experience with Bobby Michael Clements

McFerrin, who challenged them all — instrumentalists and vocalists alike — to be truly present in the moment of music-making and free themselves from many of the usual inhibitions they might feel when it comes to improvisation,” says Jennifer Barnes, assistant professor and director of vocal jazz. “In every way, he was an inspiration and role model of this kind of thinking and being, and I know we will all take the lessons learned forward with us, with much gratitude.” The week culminated with the sold-out Glenn E. Gomez Endowment concert featuring the students and McFerrin. McFerrin asked the 1,000-member crowd to sing along and invited audience members on stage to sing and dance along with him. McFerrin’s residency was made possible by the Glenn E. Gomez International Artists Endowment for Jazz Studies and the Mary Jo and V. Lane Rawlins Fine Art Series.

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Drumming up success Years ago, John Wasson (’80, ’83 M.M.) wrote a big band arrangement of Juan Tizol’s “Caravan” for a band in Missouri. Then, in 2013, a music supervisor called him up to use it for an independent film, Whiplash. The movie used the work for its climactic scene and won three Oscars at the 2015 Academy Awards. “They heard the album from the Missouri band and decided that my version of ‘Caravan’ was the one they wanted,” says Wasson. “I never thought it would end up in a movie.” The movie, about an abusive jazz professor played by J.K. Simmons who skimps on praise and doles out reprimands and physical punishments, uses Wasson’s work to showcase the main character’s jazz drumming. But Wasson’s own experience studying jazz at UNT was far from that traumatic. “It was a great experience,” he says. “I was part of the One O’Clock Lab Band and we went to Europe twice. ” Wasson works at his studio in McKinney where he writes music and also works as a church music director. “This was kind of a good luck thing,” Wasson says. “It was complete happenstance. But I’m grateful for it.”

Dance and Theatre

Michael Hillen

Leading role

Sally Vahle, associate professor of acting and voice, crossed an item off her bucket list — the title role in Medea in a production by the Dallas Theatre Center in February and March. Vahle, a member of DTC’s Brierley Resident Acting Company, played the

role in the same semester she is teaching Classical Styles, a UNT acting class that begins with the Greeks. “I learn from my students every day and am constantly reminded of things that I need to remember in my own work,” she says. “Because I teach what I live, I am able to develop a curriculum that not only enhances traditional methods of teaching acting and voice, but also offers students practical current knowledge.”

Upcoming Events

At UNT on the Square, the UNT Painting and Drawing Show will display student work April 3-30, with a reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. April 3. In Sushi in Cortez May 6-9, scholars will present poetry, film, photography and philosophy from fieldwork in the Mesa Verde region, with a public presentation May 9. Learn more at untonthesquare.unt.edu. The 55th annual Voertman Student Art Competition will present student work in the College of Visual Arts and Design. Sara-Jayne Parsons (’96 M.A.) will serve as juror. The show runs April 7-25, with the reception and award ceremony from 5 to 7 p.m. April 9 in the UNT Art Gallery. Graduate students in the studio arts and design programs will show their work at the M.F.A. Showcase May 21-Aug. 29 at both the UNT Art Gallery and UNT ArtSpace Dallas, 1901 Main Street in Dallas. Visit gallery.unt.edu for more information. The Fine Arts Series will present the African Culture Festival, featuring percussion professor Gideon Foli Alorwoyie, a tribal chief from the Volta Region of Ghana, West Africa, at 8 p.m. April 11 in the Music Building, Voertman Hall. Organist Daniel Roth, a leading French organ virtuoso, will perform at 8 p.m. April 21 in the Main Auditorium. The 14th annual Campus Songwriters Competition finalists showcase will feature eight songwriters performing original compositions, with the winning musician receiving an invitation to perform and compete at the Kerville Folk Festival. It takes place at 7:30 p.m. April 28 in the Gateway Center. Learn more at studentaffairs.unt.edu/fine-arts-series. The Symphony Orchestra and Grand Chorus will perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs at 8 p.m. April 29 at Winspear Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center. Members of the voice faculty will sing. The One O’Clock Lab Band and UNT Jazz Singers unite to showcase the Music of Gene Puerling at 8 p.m. April 16-17 at Voertman Hall in the Music Building. The family of the Grammy-winning vocal arranger donated his personal collection to UNT’s Music Library. Learn more at thempac.music.unt.edu.

Visit calendar.unt.edu for more upcoming events.

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Muse Design for living

Adam Fish

Loyd Taylor (’59) was named to D Home Magazine’s 50 Best Designers survey — capping a long career as one of Dallas’ top interior designers. Taylor owns Loyd-Paxton, which he ran with his partner, the late Paxton Gremillion. Taylor’s love for fine arts and decoration began as a young child when his mother — who studied to be a fashion designer — taught him to feel the textures of fabrics, study color combinations and appreciate fine details and craftsmanship. His education at North Texas — under such faculty as Ray Gough, Cora Stafford and Ron Williams — further paved his career. He gave back to UNT by donating a large collection of his mother’s and his personal clothing to the Texas Fashion Collection in 2012. “I believe UNT has one of the best art schools in the United States, but from there, any student must continue to study, keep up with current trends, travel, look at great examples of designers’ work, look at great interiors of all periods and use the classics as a reference in all styles for balance, form, arrangements,” he says. “I am continually studying, going to exhibits and lectures, and meeting people of all cultures from around the world.”

Barbershop winner

Edward Holmberg

As a music education major, Charlie Lotspeich (’10) sang up to seven hours a day in Concert Choir, Recital Choir, voice lessons and barbershop performances. Now he works as a head choir director and

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subject of the documentary Midlake: Live in Denton, TX College of Music doctoral by actor Jason Lee that prestudents Jason Pockrus and Kimary Fick have earned pres- miered at Denton’s Thin Line festival in February. tigious research awards. Nichelson helped co-found Pockrus, a saxophone performance major, received a Ful- the Denton Music Workshop with bandmate Jesse Chand bright U.S. Student Program ler this spring. It began as grant to study at the Sichuan Midlake’s studio and now also Conservatory in Chengdu, China, where he will transcribe features a music school and rehearsal space for bands. classical Chinese music using Smith, who co-owns the the saxophone to replicate the sound of instruments tradition- popular Paschall Bar on the downtown square, is adding al to the country. another eclectic restaurant to Fick, a musicology major, was awarded a fellowship from the square called 940’s that will open this summer. Pulido also the Deutscher Akademischer has opened the restaurant BarAustausch Dienst/German Academic Exchange Service to ley and Board on the square. research German archives relating to her dissertation titled “Sensitivity Inspiration and Ra- Television and Film tional Aesthetics: Music in the Early German Enlightenment.” Documentary maker She traveled to Germany to explore how listening to and performing music were considered necessary for morality during the time period.

Erika Kapin

Music

co-musical theatre teacher at Coppell Middle School North, and his barbershop quartet group, Clutch!, won first place in the Southwestern District’s Barbershop Harmony Society’s quartet championship last fall. Lotspeich, right, began barbershop singing in high school and also performs with Dallas’ Vocal Majority Chorus. “The support of my wonderful college professors and my barbershop friends fueled my passion for singing and has helped me begin a very fulfilling career,” he says.

Music honors

Midlake news

Midlake’s members are making their mark, from the silver screen to Denton’s downtown square. The band, including former music students Paul Alexander, Joey McClellan, Eric Nichelson, Eric Pulido and McKenzie Smith, was the

A new documentary by David Alvarado (’07) has received critical acclaim. Alvarado served as director and cinematographer for The Immortalists, which features two eccentric scientists who want to reverse the aging process and potentially never die from old age. The film has played in more than 20 cities and in some of the top film festivals around the world. The movie, which is available on iTunes and will be on Netflix, earned good reviews

from The New York Times and the Huffington Post. “The professors and classes at UNT were exactly what I needed to move forward after graduating,” Alvarado says.

to a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for INSTRUMENT: One Antarctic Night. West will lead the team in producing software that will allow the public to manipulate 300,000 images of the uniVisual Arts verse captured by the robotic Antarctic telescope CSTAR. Art meets science Touch screens at a gallery exhibition and a mobile web app will allow participants to “remix” the astrophysics visual and sound data extracted by the team, thereby creating new and unique visuals and sounds. West’s project blends art Artists and astrophysicists will and science to help humanity come together to collaborate on understand the universe in the newest project by associate new ways and enables artists professor Ruth West, thanks

to express data and make it available for everyone to experience and enjoy. Her work was featured in Artweek, Wired’s NextFest, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and galleries and museums worldwide.

Picture perfect

Mariah Tyler (’14) is off to a great start with her career as a photo editor. She is working in the Steven A. Baron Work

Scholar Program at the Aperture Foundation in New York City. For six months, she will work with photographers, editors and designers on the production and editing of Aperture-published photobooks. She majored in studio art photography and anthropology, a combination that “had me critical of human storytelling and how photographs have a powerful impact in the way people conceive ideas about the world.” Her experience writing for a photography blog led her to her position and future aspirations. “Photo editors are in a position to edit and sort of control visual literacy and how photography is used in publications.”

Renaissance chicken UNT helped David McMahon (’97) become David Chicken. David Chicken is the children’s music performer who has released three CDs and two DVDs and won three Emmy Awards from the Lone Star Emmy chapter. McMahon, who majored in communication design with a minor in radio, television and film, took many music classes and had written funny original songs that didn’t fit with the local bands he was in at the time. “So I made one CD under the name David Chicken and, much to my surprise, kids and parents alike loved the music,” he says. “I loved performing it and they say to do what you Glen Hadsall

love, so I did more of that.” During his act, his dog Chihuahua Super Joanie performs tricks in between songs. He has entertained families of U.S. Navy members in Guam, Italy, Japan and Spain. His mother, Jane McMahon, helped build the show and rapped as “Mama Chicken” before she passed away last year. She helped foster art and music in McMahon, paying for private lessons and taking him to many live shows. McMahon recently launched a charity, Mama Chicken’s Kitchen, in honor of his mother to help provide food and supplies for the homeless in Dallas. The Dallas resident also co-owns the graphic design firm Bottle Rocket, which specializes in corporate branding and marketing. On most weekends David can be caught singing and rapping in the Elvis-inspired band Graceland Ninjaz, which performs across the nation. “UNT instilled a sense of adventure and wonder, and a yearning to achieve big goals,” he says. “I find that I am one of the few people I know who actually have a career doing exactly

Dallas Allen

what they went to school for. I credit UNT — and my mom — for allowing that to happen.” Watch videos of McMahon’s performances at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

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Art alumni create cultural landmarks for community spaces worldwide that enhance environments, reflect society and activate imaginations

by Margarita Venegas Each day, from Texas to Egypt to India to China, back to the United States and at dozens of other worldwide public locales, people experience art created by UNT alumni. Spectators might see a granite monolith reaching for the sky, a metal design twisting its way down a path or photographs of the faces of fellow community members. Alumni who create public art say it should blend in with a community while enhancing it, evoking thought and giving those who live there an appreciation for the shared meaning of art. “Without art, we’re a cultureless society,” says Jesús Moroles (’78), whose acclaimed public art sculptures contributed to former President George W. Bush awarding him the 2008 National Medal of the Arts, the highest award given to artists by the U.S. president. “It’s good for aesthetics, but you also can tie everything back to it. You can teach mathematics with it. You can learn a lot from art.”

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SACRED PLACES

Jesús Moroles (’78), sculptor and National Medal of the Arts recipient, has work in public spaces worldwide, including the Houston Police Officers Memorial.

UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design, considered one of the best art schools in the South and Southwest, has a legacy of notable alumni such as Moroles and other acclaimed sculptors, painters, designers and educators. In sharing their talent with audiences in a public forum, these artists break down barriers with works worldwide that are accessible, engaging, reflective, empathetic and honest. Moroles, for example, has art in Egypt, China and India and in the White House. At the Smithsonian Institute, his work also includes permanent collection pieces. “Art is one of the things that might save us, save humanity,” Moroles says. “If we could get people out of their cities, out of their countries and traveling to see art around the world, then we’d all have more of an open mind toward each other.”

In presenting Moroles with the 2008 National Medal of the Arts, Bush noted the alumnus’ “enduring achievements as a sculptor” that “grace America’s landscape.” It was a proud moment for Moroles and for his parents, who attended with him and his daughter, who he says is his greatest achievement. It also was a long way from Moroles’ childhood along the Gulf Coast of Texas, where his parents sent him to work with his uncle, a master mason from Mexico, during the summers. “He built hurricane-proof homes and hotels,” Moroles recalls. “I was 13 at the time and my attitude was, ‘If I can make a hurricane-proof home, then I can do anything.’ I think that’s how I gravitated to the heavy stuff.” Moroles’ medium is granite. When he can, he uses locally sourced granite for projects because it’s important to connect art to the community, he says. He prepares and finishes much of his work at his studio in Rockport before shipping it out for installation. When he arrived at UNT, he had never worked with stone or granite before. The first time he hit the granite, his chisel broke in half. But a bit of research and some additional shopping later, he acquired goggles, ear plugs and a coat to protect him from the debris cloud kicked up by the pneumatic hammer required to cut through the stone. “When I’m working, I’m in this cocoon,” Moroles says. “That first time I was working on the piece, it was pushing me and I was pushing back. When I turned off the pneumatic hammer and the dust settled, there were 30 other students standing right next to me. That’s when I felt a connection between me and the stone. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, and I think everyone around me could see that struggle. They could feel it.” Moroles’ ability to challenge himself through his sculptures impressed many early in his career. In 1982, he earned a prestigious Awards in the Visual Arts fellowship, and in 1985, he received a National Endowment for the Arts matching grant for an environmental installation in Alabama. In 1987, he completed one of his favorite — and likely most viewed — pieces. Lapstrake, a 64-ton, 22-foot-tall sculpture sits in the heart of New York City, just across from the Museum of Modern Art. “To have a piece of art in Manhattan is a major feat,” says Moroles, who received a UNT Distinguished Alumni Award in 1996. “I feel proud that it was put there so early on in my career.” One piece that is very meaningful to Moroles is the 1990 Houston Police Officers Memorial, one of his largest-scale single works. Shaped like a cross with one pyramid in the center, it has four outer pyramids inverted that sink into the ground. “It’s in the vein of work that I’m doing now, creating sacred spaces in the world,” Moroles says. “After I finished it, someone sent me a photo of two daughters of a police officer who died, who were at the memorial. They said it was their favorite place. I want it to celebrate life. I believe these spaces should be used. By being used, they create an energy that celebrates life.” Spring 2015

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David Iles

David C. Iles (’77 M.F.A.), sculptor, created Wildflower Great Egrets located at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

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Barrett DeBusk (’82), sculptor, created The Fat Happies series, located in cities across the country including Santa Fe, N.M.

Letitia Huckaby (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10 M.F.A.) used photography and mixed media for a public installation at Oak Cliff Branch Library in Dallas.

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Leisa Rich (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;07 M.F.A.), fiber artist, creates 3-D installations for traveling exhibitions at airports and universities.

John Rich

Leisa Rich

“Without art, we’re a cultureless society. It’s good for aesthetics, but you also can tie everything back to it. ” —Jesús Moroles (’78) PERSONABLE AND ACCESSIBLE Public art bridges the gap between artist and viewer, says David C. Iles (’77 M.F.A.). He recalls taking his son, Martin, to museums at a young age so that the youth could appreciate art — but the obvious disconnection bothered him. “He was 3 and we told him, ‘Put your hands in your back pocket. Don’t touch,’” remembers Iles. “I like public art because it’s more personable. You can touch it. I like the idea that viewers can feel a sense of ownership over the art.” The path to creating public art sculptures almost didn’t happen for Iles. Originally a painter, he took a class in sculpture after completing his undergraduate degree at Lamar University. He enjoyed it and began to get serious about sculpture while working at the lumber yard owned by his wife’s family, carving pieces of wood. “When I came to North Texas to get my master’s degree, I had never cast metal; I was only carving in wood,” Iles says. “The professors here were very open to letting us explore and experiment with different media.” After a brief career working in oil fields, Iles gravitated back toward art and worked for UNT in the metals shop from 1987 to 2000. It was after an encounter with Dallas real estate developer Trammell Crow that Iles realized his dream of working full time as a sculpture artist. “I had been making a lot of animal skulls, skeletons and marionettes,” Iles says. “Mr. Crow asked if I could do some pieces for him so I started creating animals with their flesh on and I liked it.” Iles’ lifelike grackles, deer, rabbits, ducks, squirrels and other wildlife attracted attention. He has pieces at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Dallas Arboretum and public commissions from the city of Denton, the Irving Art Association and others. At his foundry north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Iles casts his own and other artists’ projects, using UNT students when he can. “It was a dream come true to work full time as an artist,” Iles says. “It’s important to be involved in public art, nice to do something that so many people get to see and experience.”

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UNIVERSAL AUDIENCE While completing his master’s degree, Iles taught classes at UNT, and freshman Barrett DeBusk soaked up everything he could from Iles’ 3-D art class. “I went straight for sculpture,” says DeBusk (’82). “I put myself through school building houses. I liked the construction part of it.” When DeBusk started creating metal sculptures, he received encouragement from the art faculty. He remembers Regents Professor of ceramics Elmer Taylor telling him that his works looked cool and that he should do more of them. “That was about the best advice from a teacher I’ve received,” DeBusk says, “to keep going.” DeBusk’s early sculptures led to a series in the 1990s of welded steel structures painted black to look like ink drawings of people engaged in different activities — playing in a band, riding bikes. DeBusk’s next body of work was what he calls The Fat Happies, playful, brightly colored tubular sculptures that stand on one leg and have the other leg and arms spread out as if dancing.  “Outdoor sculpture needs color, especially if it’s sort of humorous,” he says, “and I’ve never been one to be too serious.” His artwork, which appeals to children and adults, was chosen for Santa Fe’s Art in Public Places program and Art in the Streets in Mesa, Ariz., and is featured at a playground in Washington, D.C., the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and a children’s hospital in Chicago. DeBusk was in college when he visited his first museum and says it’s important to him to reach out to children so they can experience art at a young age. “Kids will tell you the truth about what they think,” he says, “and if they respond well to your work, you’ve hit a universal nerve.”

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Creating public art also is a way to give back to people, says Letitia Huckaby (’10 M.F.A.). “I like that you can create something specific to the community,” says Huckaby, who uses photography and mixed media in her work. She was a documentary photographer when she decided to pursue her master’s at UNT. Right before she started, her father died. The experience made her think about how she’d always wanted to tell others’ stories through her photography but never her own. So, she began to concentrate on stories from Louisiana and Mississippi where her family is from — places she didn’t get to know since she was in a military family that traveled for much of her childhood. “The work I just finished is a portrait project on a group of nuns in New Orleans,” Huckaby says. “They are an African American order that was started in the late 1800s and is still going strong.” She printed the images onto fabric, hand-stitched them in traditional quilting patterns and had them framed. Using quilts as a subject is something she learned from observing her husband’s work, a painter who was a great inspiration during her time at UNT. “My professor, Dornith Doherty, really pushed me,” Huckaby says. “It was kind of odd to be in the photo program making quilts,

REFLECTION OF LIFE Public art can inspire and provoke, says Leisa Rich (’07 M.F.A.). It can be positive or negative, a political statement or fun, she notes. “It can open up people’s minds in ways they’re not normally exposed to,” she says. “A good part of the public will never go to a gallery or a museum. I think it is the responsibility of public art to expose those people to creativity.” That creativity many times comes in the form of contemporary art since it’s often the work of living artists. That is helpful for artists such as Rich, whose artwork has been seen in Atlanta’s Hartsfield airport, at the Los Angeles airport, in the Dallas Museum of Art, in university and public art galleries, museums around the nation and traveling international exhibitions. Rich also is a finalist for a large commission for Fulton County Public Art in Atlanta, Ga., and will exhibit at the Baylor University gallery in fall 2016. She started as a fiber artist creating 3-D and installations, but lately has branched out to include 3-D printing in her mixed media constructions and environments. Rich notes that having her art in the public domain allows her to reach a diverse audience. Reaching out to others is important to Rich, who is partially deaf. A confrontation with a clerk who ridiculed her inability to hear firmed up the importance of working through her issues with her disability in her art — something that others responded to as well. In fall 2014, Rich won Crafthaus and Surface Design Association project grants to organize an exhibition and events showcasing works by artists with disabilities who remain positive and creative despite dealing with everything from bipolar disorder to brain injury. “The majority of artists are doing this to give something of ourselves and to get something back from the viewers,” Rich says. “When you put your artwork on display, you are reaching out to other people. You hope to affect them in some way.”

Ahna Hubnik

but she encouraged me to find my voice and allowed me the space to use mixed media.” That experience at UNT led her to create public art in Dallas and Fort Worth using photographs and more. At the Trinity River trailhead, her artwork commissioned by Fort Worth nonprofit Streams and Valleys includes black-and-white images of community members printed on porcelain enamel steel. The weather-proof substance allows the art to remain on display year-round. Her most recent public artwork is a photographic installation at Oak Cliff Branch Library in Dallas. “My family and I went to see the library project after it was installed, and while we were there, we saw a young man walking toward us,” Huckaby recalls. “It was one of the teenagers I had photographed and he got this big smile on his face. That just made me so happy — to see him recognize himself in a piece of artwork.” Public art also is fulfilling for artists because their artwork is constantly on view, rather than only on display every so often. “With public art,” she says, “the work is always being engaged by the community.”

UNT’S ART ON CAMPUS More than 80 pieces of art are displayed on UNT’s campus, including the works of 13 alumni. These pieces represent media such as sculpture, fiber, painting and drawing, and can be found outdoors and inside buildings on campus. The university’s art collection is complemented by collections held by the College of Visual Arts and Design, the University Union, the University Archives and Judge Sarah T. Hughes Reading Room, the library’s Rare Book Room and the College of Music. UNT has made it a long-standing practice to commission, purchase and accept gifts of artwork. Two of the earliest known works include a mural painted in 1935 that depicts campus life and a cast marble sculpture created in 1940, titled The Student. Go to northtexan.unt.edu/online to see the results of a recent photo scavenger hunt highlighting alumni artwork on campus such as the Diamondback Ruin Totem by Jesús Moroles (’78) in the lobby of the Office of the President; Caged and Confused, a sculpture by Barrett DeBusk (’82) on the lawn at the northwest corner of the Art Building (pictured above); and J.K.G. Silvey and animal sculptures by David C. Iles (’77 M.F.A.) around the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building. And share what your favorite artwork was when you were a student on campus.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES Learn how alumna Jo Williams (’69) has made a difference in the Denton community as an active watercolor artist and volunteer with the Greater Denton Arts Council for years. Also read about art master’s student Julie Libersat’s recent award from the Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas competition for the app she designed to explore art in an urban setting at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

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Research

Michael Clements

P OW E R O F

Brian Sauser, associate professor of logistics and director of UNT’s Complex Logistics Systems Laboratory.

Leveraging Strengths UNT is growing as a public research university by focusing research efforts on solutions and partnerships.

With creative researchers, state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, UNT is putting an increased focus on each to develop an even stronger research enterprise. This year, UNT is investing in creating Research Institutes of Excellence in areas where there is a critical mass of knowledge and faculty collaborating on research. This not only enhances the educational experience of students by giving them crucial critical thinking and problem-solving skills, but leads to opportunities to connect with industry and business through partnerships, technology transfer and commercialization to support robust economic development Read more about UNT Research in the North Texas region and beyond. “Increasing UNT’s research enterprise will help us enhance at research.unt.edu. our role in tackling societal problems, finding solutions and making discoveries, while achieving our goal of becoming recognized as a top-tier research university,” says Tom McCoy, vice president for research and economic development.

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FACILITIES

Gary Payne

UNT’s research facilities and state-of-theart instrumentation are key to new discoveries. Associate professor of chemistry Guido Verbeck’s patented nanomanipulator, housed in UNT’s university-managed BioAnalytics Facility, is helping researchers examine the chemistry of individual cancer cells. And UNT’s Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) provides characterization and computational methods to analyze new materials, while UNT’s TALON high-performance computing system calculates big data.

NEW INSTITUTES

Ahna Hubnik

This year, UNT will launch three institutes: the Logistics Systems Institute, the BioDiscovery Institute and the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes Institute. Each builds on UNT’s existing expertise — areas in which UNT faculty are recognized for making significant impacts. These initiatives create a stronger platform for research, federal funding and public-private partnerships. And they give UNT new ways to partner with industry and further contribute to the region’s economic growth.

DESIGN REFRESH Visit the newly redesigned UNT Research website to learn how UNT researchers are solving real-world issues, such as preserving our drinking water, understanding cancer cells more clearly, creating bio-based products by mimicking plants’ natural systems, making safer materials for aircraft and solving logistics issues by more efficiently managing distribution of goods and services and responding to emergencies quickly. Visit research.unt.edu.

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Laurie Y. Carrillo (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;94 TAMS)

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STEM

Innovators

UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science celebrates 25 years in preparing the next generation of engineers, scientists and physicians.

by Jessica DeLeón

Laurie Y. Carrillo’s (’94 TAMS) work has to survive in a tough place — space. As a thermal engineer at NASA, Carrillo creates the calculations so hardware — such as payload experiments on the International Space Station — can withstand the extreme hot and cold temperatures in orbit. “I get to see the payloads go from a computer screen to the robotic arm installing them on the station,” she says. “It is very rewarding, and also kind of humbling, to see my little piece of the puzzle that I am able to contribute.” Carrillo can trace her career at NASA to her time at UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. The program that allows gifted teenagers to complete their last two years of high school while working on their first two years of college is celebrating 25 years since graduating its first class. In 1987, TAMS became the nation’s first accelerated residential program for students to take research-focused university classes while earning the equivalent of a high school diploma, and it since has graduated 4,000 students. These students consistently win and are finalists for the most prestigious competitions for high school students in math, science and engineering — the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, the Intel Science Talent Search and the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. “One of the most significant opportunities TAMS students have is to be mentored by UNT professors, who are at the cutting edge of their fields,” says Dean Glênisson de Oliveira, who joined TAMS in January. “In this environment, our talented students flourish and go on to make significant contributions as researchers and scientists.” Carrillo is one of the 85 percent of TAMS alumni who earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in STEM fields. They are solving real-world problems, from designing materials for space to creating better medical devices, practicing high-risk neurosurgery and fighting malaria. And they credit TAMS for providing them with faculty mentors, research projects and scholarship opportunities that paved their way to success.

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Gary Payne

Ankur Patel (’05 TAMS) and Toral Patel (’99 TAMS)

International Space Station

Currently, Carrillo is teaming up with the Japanese space agency Jaxa, which will use its vehicle to replace nickel hydrogen batteries with lithium ion batteries at the space station. She also is working with commercial companies Space X and Orbital Sciences Corp., which launch cargo to the station. She teaches at Rice and the University of Houston at Clear Lake and often speaks to high school students about her career. “I never had a female Hispanic engineering professor,” she says. “Now I’m going to be able to share that experience.”

Carrillo remembers lying on her dorm room floor at McConnell Hall, the residence hall dedicated to TAMS students, filling out an application for a scholarship sponsored by NASA. “That application,” she says, “really changed my whole life.” In earning the scholarship and the internship that came with it, she fulfilled a dream to work for the space agency that was sparked in her childhood when she saw astronaut Sally Ride on Sesame Street. The San Antonio native learned about TAMS during a summer math camp at UNT. While at TAMS, Carrillo participated in two internships that focused on biomedical engineering and geophysics — giving her a taste of industry research. The NASA scholarship allowed her to work summers at the Johnson Space Center while she attended Rice University. After earning bachelor’s degrees in computational and applied math and in materials science and engineering, she was offered a full-time job at NASA. She worked in aerospace engineering and space operations while earning her master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Rice.

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Biomedical advances Chris Bettinger (’99 TAMS) wants to make it easier for people to take their medicine. He researches biomaterialsbased medical devices as an assistant professor of materials science and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. He says he has liked solving problems ever since he attended TAMS. He worked with Kent Chapman, Regents Professor of biological sciences, to help extract different plant tissues as natural sources of small lipid molecules that could extend the life of flowers, research which he entered in the Siemens competition. Chapman remem|

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Chris Bettinger (’99 TAMS)

bers Bettinger’s “tenacity and staying power,” traits essential in researching new materials, which may not always pan out. Bettinger earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, master’s in biomedical engineering and doctorate in materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a finalist in MIT’s $100,000 Entrepreneurship Competition for his part in creating a device that controls the release of drugs around the site of hip replacement surgery. He’s received several patents for his work in making polymers stretchable, so when seeded in cells, they can grow and be used for wound healing and tissue regeneration. They also can be used as materials for ingestible electronics for smart drug delivery systems or noninvasive biosensing. “You have to be an eternal optimist,” he says, likening it to baseball players who are more likely to get an out than a hit. “You have to be persistent with risky projects that might fail because the payoff could be a transformative idea or technology.”

High-risk neurosurgery Many people would see neurosurgery as an intense field. But siblings Toral Patel (’99 TAMS) and Ankur Patel (’05 TAMS) see it as a way to change lives. Toral, a

Courtesy Julie Thwing

Debra Endley/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

neurosurgeon and researcher, and Ankur, a resident in neurosurgery, both work at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. At TAMS, Toral studied cardiac perfusion at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth and enjoyed the investigative aspects of science. “TAMS inspired me to not just be a doctor, but to be a doctor who’s constantly questioning and innovating,” she says. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University and her medical degree at UT Southwestern, where she returned last year after a residency at the Yale School of Medicine. Now, she researches nanoparticle-based drug deliveries for the central nervous system. Ankur Patel followed his sister to TAMS and, under the guidance of UNT biology professor Jannon Fuchs, studied primary cilia and their possible significance in neuron formation, diseases and defects. That research led to his recognition as a 2005 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. After TAMS, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned his medical degree from UT Southwestern. The Patels also have collaborated on cases with their older sister, Shivani Patel, an assistant professor of obstetrics and

Julie Thwing (’93 TAMS)

hadn’t been through TAMS,” Thwing says. During college, she took a year off to volunteer for a public health outreach organization in Cameroon, which inspired her to pursue a career in international health. She attended medical school at Vanderbilt University, completing a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics, then worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. She’s been with the CDC ever since, working for its malaria branch in Atlanta until 2012, when she moved to Senegal to serve with the President’s Malaria Initiative. Thwing also has tutored Somali Bantu refugees and traveled to Africa and Haiti to help people battling tuberculosis and HIV. “I love my job,” she says. “It’s the combination of a fascination with science and the ability to have an impact on the lives of other people.”

gynecology at UT Southwestern. Together, they removed a brain tumor from a woman who was 26 weeks pregnant. Helping high-risk patients is challenging but rewarding. Ankur says he often sees patients, many young and in the prime of their lives, after a bad car accident. “Some don’t survive their head injuries,” he says. “But, there are other times we can intervene through surgery and save patients’ lives. They walk out of the hospital and go back to their families, friends and jobs. It is those moments that you cherish.”

Malaria initiatives A lifelong love for international work and her TAMS education helps Julie Thwing (’93 TAMS) fight malaria. Thwing, who grew up in Cameroon where her parents served as missionaries, attended high school in Duncanville. She learned about the TAMS program when a student spoke to her math class. While at TAMS, she researched the effects of low water oxygen concentration with biology professor Tom Beitinger, won a fellowship to study the effects of altitude on exercise — and gained the experience and skills to be admitted to one of the country’s most prestigious universities. “I wouldn’t have made it to Harvard if I Spring 2015

Learn about Tiffany Jiang, a TAMS student who presented her forensic chemistry research at the Texas State Capitol in Austin as part of Texas Undergraduate Research Day at northtexan.unt.edu/tiffany-jiang.

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Join us under oak trees & sunshine for the finest jazz in Texas UNT’s award-winning musicians return to the UNT Showcase Stage for t he 35th annual Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. Unwind as various ensembles — including the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band — show off the trademark creativity that makes UN T a mecca for coming-of-age music legends year after year.

Visit dentonjazzfest.com for more information and performance schedules.

Denton Arts & Jazz Festival Quakertown Park 5 –11 p.m. April 24 10 a.m.–11 p.m. April 25 11 a.m.–9 p.m. April 26

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EAGLES’

Save the dates for UNT’s 125th anniversary events

SWINGING SUCCESS Former Mean Green golfer is voted Web.com Player of the Year and lands spot on the PGA Tour.

Read more about Ortiz’s time as a UNT student-athlete at northtexan.unt.edu/swinging-success.

CARLOS ORTIZ (’13) HAS ALWAYS LOVED TO play golf. As a boy watching his parents and grandfather play at their local golf club in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, he was inspired to take up the sport. Now, he’s a professional. His career success began with the 2013-14 season on the developmental Web.com Tour. His peers voted him the Web.com Player of the Year, and his three tournament wins — at the Panama Claro Championship, the El Bosque Mexico Championship and the WinCo Foods Portland Open — earned him an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour and fully exempt status for the year. Ortiz, who is only the sixth Mexican-born golfer to gain PGA Tour eligibility, says he’s very proud. “Representing my country is a great honor.” Spring 2015

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C O N N E C T I N G

W I T H

Keep up with the latest developments in the UNT family and tell your peers what you’ve been up to since leaving the nest. Send your news to The North Texan (see contact information on page 4). Members of the UNT Alumni Association are designated with a . Read more, share comments and connect with friends at northtexan.unt.edu.

1968

1936 Anna McReynolds Guffin,

Pacific Grove,

Calif. :: celebrated her 100th birthday in December. Her passion for music led her to study at the Fort Worth Conservatory as a concert violinist. She also played the organ and studied voice. She taught for more than 40 years and earned a master’s in school administration from what is now California State University at San Francisco.

1963 Janice Stahly Scott, Plano :: is the namesake for Janice Stahly Scott Elementary School, opened in Frisco ISD last year. She retired from the district in 2010 after teaching for 18 years and serving as library media specialist for 15 years. She earned teacher certification from North Texas in 1979.

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Olivia Masih White (’83

Friends

1970 Darrell Bledsoe, Amarillo :: was appointed coordinator of music business studies at West Texas A&M University in August. He has traveled the world as an author and recording producer for Simon and Schuster and McGraw/Hill publishing and has more than 9,000 production credits to his name, selling more than 30 million units.

1971

Ph.D.), Falmouth, Mass. :: was

Lizzy Greene Hargrove,

Houston :: is a poet, artist and

James H. Jorgensen (’70

M.S.), Boerne :: was named

Emeritus Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 2014. Until partially retiring last spring, he served as professor of pathology, medicine (infectious diseases), microbiology and immunology and clinical laboratory sciences and was director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of University Hospital for 38 years.

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1973 Thomas Allen, Kempner :: published Jenny Kissed Me!, a historical romance novel extolling the beauty of Eros as seen from the perspective of C. S. Lewis. He retired in 2011 after 25 years as a professor of philosophy for Central Texas College in Killeen.

1976 David Tiffin, Coppell :: joined

elected president of the New Comers Club of Falmouth. She also serves on the boards of the Cape Cod Council of Churches and Church Women United. She taught in UNT’s Department of Biological Sciences for 20 years, retiring in 2003.

1969

Jazz Band and assistant director and director of the Gator Marching Band for many years.

collector of nostalgia. At North Texas, she was the 1968 Homecoming Queen. She is pictured with her granddaughters Cameron and Jessica Hargrove.

Gary Langford (M.M.),

Gainesville, Fla. :: was inducted

into the Florida Bandmasters Association’s Roll of Distinction. He is a Professor Emeritus of music at the University of Florida, where he has worked for 38 years, serving as director of the

William Blair & Co., a global investment and asset management firm, as a director in the debt capital markets group. He specializes in K-12 and community college finance. He has served as an assistant superintendent and CFO in the Richardson ISD for 26 years and had financing roles at RBC Capital Markets, David Tiffin & Associates, and Robert W. Baird & Co. for 12 years.

1978 Jim Durrum, Gilmer :: retired after 35 years as a parole and probation officer. He is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He has been a school board member at Harmony ISD for 14 years. He has two children — Molly (’09) and Will, a sophomore at UNT.

Bruce Jordan, Fort Worth. ::

published his third book, En Recuerdo de: The Dying Art of Mexican Cemeteries in the Southwest (University of Nebraska Press). His photographs of the cemeteries are accompanied by essays. He is a documentary photographer and a guest speaker at photography workshops. He also has written Texas Trilogy: Life in a Small Texas Town and Early Texas Schools: A Photographic History.

1980

William B. Baun (M.S.), Houston :: contributed two

chapters on workplace health promotion management for the textbooks Health Promotion in the Workplace and Corporate Wellness Programs. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Wellness Association. He is wellness officer at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Doyle Dillon, Portland, Ore.

:: joined LoanStar as a loan officer at the Portland branch. He previously worked in both the hospitality and transportation industries and has worked eight years in the mortgage business.

When he is not working, he enjoys cycling and exploring the great Northwest with his dog. He recently completed his first triathlon.

Janet McLain, Bend, Ore. :: was named an Oregon finalist for the 2014 Presidential Awards in Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest honors for teachers of math and science. She has taught in Oregon since graduation.

Michael J. Truncale (M.B.A.), Beaumont :: a partner at Or-

gain, Bell & Tucker LLP, received a diploma in international arbitration and was made a fellow in the London-based Chartered Institute of Arbitration, a leading organization for the appointment of international arbitrators. He is married to Denise Holland Truncale (’82 M.M.Ed.) and is the son of the late Joseph Truncale (’47) and the late

Ruth Henderson Truncale (’46, ’47 M.M.)

1981

Lisa Burkhardt Worley, Flower

Mound ::

co-wrote the book If I Only Had … Wrapping Yourself in God’s Truth During Storms of Insecurity (Believer’s Press). She founded Pearls of Promise Ministries and previously worked as a sports reporter for KENS-TV in San Antonio, HBO’s Inside the NFL, ESPN and the Madison Square

Garden Network. She attended North Texas from 1979 to 1981.

1983

lege of Surgeons and American Academy of Pediatrics, and is a member of the American Pediatric Surgery Association.

Barry R. Cofer, San Anto-

1985

at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and associate professor of surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is board certified in general and pediatric surgery, is a fellow of the American Col-

Lora-Marie Bernard, Hous-

nio :: is the surgeon in chief

ton :: published her first book,

Lower Brazos River Canals (Arcadia Publishing), a pictorial history of the Texas river. She is a graduate student in liberal arts

Upcoming Alumni Gatherings Many exciting events are planned to celebrate UNT’s 125th anniversary year. Here are a few events on our calendar: Green and White Game: The 2015 spring football scrimmage will take place at 2 p.m. April 18 at UNT’s Apogee Stadium. Admission is free. Get season tickets at meangreensports.com. UNT Kuehne Speaker Series on National Security: Andrea Tantaros, co-host of Outnumbered on the Fox News Channel, is the guest speaker at 11:30 a.m. May 12 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dallas. The series was established by Ernie Kuehne (ʼ66), an attorney and president and board chair of Kuehne Oil Co., to showcase UNT programs and faculty engaged in issues related to national and human security. To register, visit kuehneseries.unt.edu. Spring 2015 Commencement: UNT’s inaugural University-wide Commencement ceremony begins at 8 p.m. May 16 at Apogee Stadium. A Jazz on the Green festival from 4 to 7 p.m. ushers in the event, which will include a nationally prominent speaker and will serve as the soft launch of UNT’s 125th anniversary celebrations. Also, Undergraduate College Recognition Ceremonies will take place May 15 and 16 at the UNT Coliseum and Murchison Performing Arts Center, and a Doctoral and Master’s Convocation will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 15 at the UNT Coliseum. For more information, visit unt.edu/commencement. Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference: The 11th annual conference, hosted by the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism, will take place July 17-19 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine. Barbara Ehrenreich, author of bestselling memoir Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, will be a keynote speaker. Visit themayborn.com. Founder’s Day: Save the date for Sept. 16, when UNT will formally kick off its 125th anniversary by celebrating UNT’s Founder’s Day. The first classes of the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute were held Sept. 16, 1890. A highlight of the day will be President Neal Smatresk’s State of the University address. For more information or to join the UNT Alumni Association, call 940-565-2834 or go to untalumni.com.

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at Harvard University and a media/outreach consultant for businesses and nonprofits. She also is working on a biography of a Brazos River slave smuggler and forger.

organization based in Coppell that raises awareness for organ donation.

sary. In a 2009 story in The North Texan, Paul says, “The campus will always be home, pulling us back like a magnet.”

1988

Nancy K. Gibson, Texarkana

:: earned her master’s degree

1986

in education from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in spring 2014.

Theresa Morrow Polley,

David Kosofsky (’86 M.S.), Plano :: is the founder and

Rusalyn Erwin Kosofsky (’92, ’92 M.S.), an internal audit

specialist with Oncor for 20 years.

the Pines, a yoga and wellness center for women, in 2004. She runs it with her daughter, Nina Herndon (’10), left. Theresa, who earned her degree in journalism, worked in marketing for 20 years. She teaches yoga and leads the retreats, while Nina, whose degree is in entrepreneurship, assists with managing the business and catering. Nina also works part-time with Taylor’s Gift Foundation, a nonprofit

Gary Payne

online marketing director of GoRVRentals.com, an online marketplace for RV rentals. The website launched in September and allows visitors to find and compare recreational vehicle, motorhome, travel trailer, camper and toy hauler rentals in one search. David is married to

Mineola :: founded Retreat in

1989 Geralyn McClure Franklin (Ph.D.), Al Ain, United Arab

Paul Croteau and Sue Friesenhahn Croteau (’89), Universal City :: celebrated their

30th anniversary at the site of their first date — the Bruce Hall lobby windowsill — on Oct. 1. The music alumni also came back to campus for their 25th anniver-

Emirates :: became dean of the

College of Business and Economics at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain in August. She previously served as business dean at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg

Lost sight, gained insight When Angie Braden (’97) came to UNT seeking independence, she found opportunities and experiences to help others. Braden developed glaucoma at the age of 10 and in the next seven years had 14 surgeries, but the disease was too aggressive. A few months before graduating from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, she lost her sight. “I was completely devastated,” she recalls. Braden knew she needed support from her family to help her adjust to her new way of life, but she wanted to learn to step out on her own. So when a friend offered to room with her at UNT, she jumped at the opportunity. “I was so unprepared. I didn’t have a cane or any assistive technology,” she says, adding that her grades dropped. “I became depressed and overwhelmed.” The next semester she registered with UNT’s Office of Disability Accommodation and sought a counselor on campus to help her cope with her disability. “I surrounded myself with positive people who kept me encouraged,” she says, crediting fellow student Cheylon Brown ( ’99, ’09 M.Ed.), who now is director of UNT’s Multicultural Center, as one of many to help her while at UNT. “She kept me motivated with pep talks and volunteered to read my textbooks for me.” Braden’s grades improved and each semester things got better. Earning a degree in communication studies, she now gives speeches on motivation, student success and living with a disability. She shares her story on blogs and television programs and has been commissioned to speak by groups including the National Basketball Retired Players Association. A speech teacher at Lone Star College in Kingwood, she recently received the Lone Star College’s Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award for her exemplary teaching. And she hopes to publish her memoir, Black Sky: Memoir of a Blinding Girl, this fall. “Success isn’t something you stumble upon,” she says. “It’s a choice to make good decisions, work hard and endure during challenging times.” — Awo Eni

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and the University of Dallas and as interim dean at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Cavemen performing the show inside Harrah’s at The Improv on the strip in Las Vegas.

Monica Mendez-Grant (’92

1993

M.Ed., ’01 Ed.D.), Valley View

:: was named vice president for Married and Counting collection

student life at Texas Woman’s University. She was TWU’s associate vice president for student life for 13 years and director of its Center for Student Development and Student Orientation for seven years.

Karen Elledge Walker (’95

M.Ed., ’14 Ed.D.), Murphy ::

received the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children’s Teacher Educator of the Year award. She is a charter member of the Zeta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She is in her second year of teaching at Texas A&M University at Commerce and is the co-president of the Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children.

1990 Victor Sower (Ph.D.), Huntsville :: has written his latest

book, Statistical Process Control for Managers (Business Expert Press). He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of management at Sam Houston State University.

Lt. Col. Paul Berg (’95 M.B.A.), Fort Leavenworth,

Kan. :: was promoted to assistant

professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He also was selected battalion commander for the1-223rd Aviation Regiment at Fort Rucker, Ala. He and his wife, Tanya Anderson Berg (’94), who met as resident assistants at UNT, have two children, Kaela and Logan. At a pre-command course, he met Col. John L. Smith (’90), left, who will command the 128th Aviation Brigade at Fort Eustis, Va.

S. Sheridan Stancliff, Colorado Springs, Colo. :: founded

the website novelexpressions.com, which offers thousands of fully released images for the genre fiction market.

1991 John Venable, Los Angeles :: has been performing on the national tour of the show Defending the Caveman for two years and is now one of the

Married and Counting

Alumni Pat Dwyer and Stephen Mosher met in the green room of UNT’s drama department in fall 1985. It was love at first sight, and the two, who now live in New York, have been together ever since. The 2013 documentary Married and Counting, directed by Allan Piper and narrated by George Takei, followed Dwyer, right, and Mosher, left, as they celebrated 25 years together and embarked on a journey to get married in all the states that had legalized same-sex marriage — Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa and Massachusetts, and on the steps of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. “Though we couldn’t gain equality under the law in every state, we wanted to seek the maximum protection we could get,” Dwyer says. The documentary also follows the couple to their homes in Texas where they visit their families and make a stop at the RTVF building on campus. Many of the friends they made at UNT are still in their lives, and they plan to have a reunion if or when same-sex marriage becomes legal in Texas. “Our friend Christine Stinson Wetzel insisted she host a ceremony in her home,” Mosher says. “It will be a party of epic proportions.” Mosher has been a photographer for 34 years and also is a personal trainer and a columnist for Edge magazine. His love of photography began at UNT, where he taught himself as he photographed friends. Dwyer is an actor working on the stage, performing on television and recording voice-overs. He recalls UNT’s entry into the American College Theatre Festival with a production of Children of a Lesser God. “Being bound together as a company was a magical time,” he says.

David Toney, Houston

has completed training to become an American Arbitration Association arbitrator. He is a partner and construction team leader for the Houston law firm Adams and Reese, which

Dwyer says that Married and Counting brought the couple closer together and helped them realign their lives with their true selves. They plan on resuming the weddings in the spring. “Married and Counting was all about love and showing the world that our love is the same as anyone else’s,” Dwyer says. “If that’s activism, then we are activists,” adds Mosher.

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— Awo Eni

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he joined in 2008 to help lead its construction and real estate litigation practice.

1994 Bryan Gaskill, Houston :: joined Pierpont Communications as vice president of marketing. He has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, branding and communications, working with clients such as Shell Oil Co., Halliburton, Dell, Domino’s Pizza and others.

Tim Rolen, Lewisville :: retired last year after 23 years of service with the city of Euless. He was certified as a playground inspector, pool operator and aquatics facility operator.

1995

LLP. He has more than 14 years of management and supervisory experience in accounting and auditing and is a frequent guest lecturer for local university internal audit departments.

Ben Patterson, Austin :: serves as a preparedness section administrator for the Texas Division of Emergency Management, where he oversees the organization’s training, technical hazards and exercise units. He previously was a recovery section administrator and has served as state coordinating officer for several disasters. He has 17 years of experience in emergency management and grant administration.

Gene Woodard III, Arling(M.S.), San Antonio :: was

awarded the 2014 Best CFO for private medium companies by The San Antonio Business Journal. At her firm The Energy CFO, she works as an energy CFO for entrepreneurs and start-ups across South Texas and Houston. She and her husband, Roland Aguilar, share their home with three rescue dogs.

1996 Jeff Hemphill (’96 M.S.),

Dallas :: was

named assurance partner with BDO USA

The

Mendy Landreth (’02 M.Ed.), Keller :: launched a new website,

youjustgave.com, that provides parenting, spirituality and health information and donates money from advertising sales to charity. She studied child development and family studies and worked as a professional counselor.

1997

No r t h Texa n

ton :: established the Gene M.

Woodard Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Inc., a nonprofit organization named after his father that provides scholarship grants to music students in the Fort Worth ISD. Tobi Jackson (’85 M.S.), a former teacher and administrator who serves on the Fort Worth ISD board of trustees, and Andrew Woodard, a former TAMS student at UNT, serve as board members.

1999 Richie Escovedo, Fort

Worth :: was named an account

director and public relations specialist for the Balcom Agency in Fort Worth. He has more

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2001

2000

Paul Martinez (’03 M.Ed.), Den-

Paula Waggoner-Aguilar

than 13 years of experience in public relations, including work with the Mansfield ISD and Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth. He is president of the Greater Fort Worth chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

ton :: was

named the new principal at Calhoun Middle School in Denton. He has worked in the Denton ISD for 14 years and previously served as assistant principal at Denton High School. He is married to Anyah Mar-

tinez (’99, ’04 M.S.).

Emmitt Jackson, Dallas :: is a lieutenant who, in his 12 years in the Dallas Police Department, has never failed to decorate offices and cubicles with a splash of green. He is pictured with fellow Dallas police officers and UNT alumni Sgt. Jason Gindratt (’99), left, and Sgt. Dexter Ingram (’91), center.

Adam Knox, Irving :: released his third novel, the ebook Dyed in the Wool, a psychological thriller about serial killers in East Texas in the 1970s. His first two novels, co-written with Austin Wright (’10), are part of an action adventure series that continues this year. The covers for all three of his released novels were designed by his fiancée, Sarah

Tapp (’11).

John Woolley and Brett Allen

2002

second location of Woolley’s Frozen Custard in August 2014. The new store is on Heritage Trace Parkway in Fort Worth. The original store, which is on North Beach St. in Fort Worth, opened in 2003. Their menu includes the Mean Green concrete (vanilla with mint and oreos).

Raven Oak (’05 M.S.),

(’00), Fort Worth :: opened their

Seattle, Wash. :: published her

first novel, Amaskan Blood (Grey Sun Press) and is following it up this year with two science fiction books, The Silent Frontier and Class-M Exile. She is a former Denton ISD teacher.

LEGACY

Families

FOLLOWED FOOTSTEPS

Courtesy of the Harvill Family

Four generations of bright and talented Harvill men have attended UNT. “North Texas is a great school,” says 83-year-old John Bowman Harvill Jr. (’55, ’57 M.S.), alumnus and former adjunct math professor whose father, son and now grandson have all attended UNT. John Bowman Harvill IV is a student in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a two-year residency program for gifted high school students with an interest in math and science. “It is pretty neat that I’m going here,” says Harvill IV, who will graduate in May. “My dad brought me to UNT when I was younger to show me where my grandpa worked. I also love math, and TAMS was a way to explore it more in depth.” The first of the Harvills to attend UNT were Marion Madge Donnelly Harvill and John Bowman Harvill Sr. (’30), who was the oldest of 10 children. From Forestburg in Montague County, he took summer courses in the late 1920s to earn his degree while working in the winter as a school teacher. “My father became a certified teacher of a rural one-room school and he wanted a college degree,” Harvill Jr. says. His father earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Texas in 1930, going on to earn a master’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University. He became the school superintendent of Deport and later worked as an attorney in Paris, Texas.

From left, John Bowman Harvill Jr. (’55, ’57 M.S.); John Bowman Harvill III holding a portrait of his grandfather, John Bowman Harvill Sr. (’30); and John Bowman Harvill IV.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Harvill Jr. studied at North Texas from 1949 to 1950 before joining the U.S. Air Force in 1951. When the Korean War ended, Harvill set his sights on returning to Denton to finish his UNT degree. “I joyfully returned to North Texas in 1954 and used the G.I. Bill to complete my degrees in mathematics,” says Harvill, who rented a room from a family living on Hickory Street to pursue his studies. He remembers dedicated professors Herbert Parrish, J.V. Cook and George Copp, and says they helped make UNT’s math department highly reputable. “After I graduated, I was hired on the spot during my first job interview with Texas Instruments,” he says, adding that he also served as an adjunct professor in the math department, teaching digital computer programming and numerical analysis classes for four years.

“Being at North Texas was one of the best times of my life,” he says. “I loved that my parents had the same experiences. ” He was thrilled when his son, John Bowman Harvill III, began taking classes at UNT during his junior year at Denton High School in the early 1980s. Harvill III says high school students with a high enough SAT score could take college courses, so he signed up for math and computer courses at UNT. The courses helped hone his interests, says Harvill III, who is a database administrator at Dell computers in Austin. Harvill Jr. later in his career taught at SMU and Lamar University, but he says his fondest teaching memories are those from UNT. “UNT was full of great teachers and mathematicians,” he says. — Adrienne Nettles

Read about other UNT legacy families at northtexan.unt.edu/ legacy-families and share the story of your own UNT legacy. Spring 2015

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Combine :: was accepted to the

graduate studies program at The King’s University at Gateway in Southlake and will be starting in fall 2015.

Marin Riegger (M.M.),

Blacksburg, Va. :: joined the

Gary Payne

Climb to heights A love for the environment and childhood education has shaped

Christine Kallstrom’s (’72 Ph.D.) teaching career. Kallstrom, who earned a doctorate in early childhood education, is director emeritus of Treetops-in-the-Forest, a nonprofit organization that provides environmental education for children of all ages and encourages them to explore the connections of nature to the arts, sciences, social studies and math. The school, founded in 1989 as an extension of the Treetops School — a charter school in Euless that Kallstrom helped found — sits on 20 pine-covered acres in the Davy Crockett National Forest. Kallstrom calls it “a live-in museum for the harmonious convergence of human and nature.” Kallstrom, whose late husband, James (’61), and children Kathy (’76) and Dwight also attended UNT, taught elementary education early in her career. She formed home school groups when home-schooling her children and, as the groups grew, helped start a school that could provide the best education possible for all children. The Treetops School began in the 1970s as an alternative school, where she realized that both gifted students and students with learning disabilities benefit from individualized education. “It’s not about just teaching students to use their strengths and weaknesses,” she says. “It’s about teaching individuals and finding a way to stir their interests and realize their potential.” The school later was a co-op before it became a charter school and bought the land to start the forest camp. Kallstrom’s hope is that the students there are able to climb to heights that are not just their own. “I want students to explore the world that is around them and that is within them — to get an education not just found in textbooks,” she says. As a Ph.D. student, Kallstrom remembers going to the office of Velma Schmidt, her early childhood professor, with 4-year-old Dwight. Schmidt gave him three shiny rocks to play with while they discussed class. “Dr. Schmidt taught me that we talk to our children too much,” she says. “A gesture is more powerful than words.” — Awo Eni

Graduate School at Virginia Tech as child care coordinator. She previously owned and directed Paper Moon Playgroup in Brooklyn, N.Y., which she began in 2009 as an early childhood education program for children ages 2 to 5.

2003 Jason Lim (M.M.), Denton

:: won second place nationally in the professional orchestra division of The American Prize competition for conductors. He is the music director for Odysseus Chamber Orchestra in McKinney and Frisco. He won two third-place awards last year.

for his paper on the rebranding of the Associated Press. He recently earned a master’s in corporate communication from the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences and is a senior design manager in the AP’s corporate communication department.

Howard Sherman (M.F.A.), Houston :: has artwork fea-

tured on the cover of the book Texas Abstract: Modern + Contemporary as an example of the future of contemporary art in Texas. An essay about him and photos of some of his other works are included in the book. His artwork also is featured in museums, at the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport and at Houston City Hall.

2007

2004 Scott Lindsey, Denton :: founded Audacity Brew House, the first brewery in Denton, with Doug Smith. Audacity, which opened in October, also has a fully functional bar that serves their craft beers on tap.

2006 Hal Hilliard, Wantagh, N.Y. :: received the Highly Commended Applied Paper Award at a Corporate Communication International conference in Hong Kong

April Kelly, Bronx, N.Y. :: studied cheetah physiology and ecosystem management with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia last summer. A flight attendant at United Airlines, she took the graduate course in pursuit of her master’s from Miami University’s Global Field Program.

Charles Luke (Ed.D.), Lipan :: was appointed to the Child Welfare League of America’s FaithBased Advisory Committee. He

Jeffrey Mitchell (M.S.), Albuquerque, N.M. :: graduated cum

laude from the University of New Mexico with a juris doctorate and M.B.A. He also passed the New Mexico Bar and has joined the firm of Doughty, Alcaraz & deGraauw in Albuquerque as an associate attorney specializing in litigation and election law.

2009 Jeff W. Kline, Oklahoma

City :: was named to the “Forty

Under 40” list of community and business leaders by the Oklahoma Gazette and OKC Biz Journal. He also earned a spot on the “Thirty Under 30” list by Ion Oklahoma Online. He is an associate attorney at Bays Law Firm PC, where he assists clients in family law matters, bankruptcy, adoptions and criminal defense cases.

2011 Lauren Gay, Carrollton :: received the 2014 Innovations in STEM Teaching Award from the Texas Instruments Foundation, given to secondary math and science teachers who demonstrate high-quality instruction and build student achievement. She is a math teacher at Richardson

ISD and an alumna of the UNT Teach North Texas program.

2013

...... I N T H E //

News Nick Marino (’10) surprised Halie Gibbs, an

Kevin Smith, Flower Mound

:: won a position in the first

violin section of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra — making him one of the youngest graduates to win such a position with a major orchestra. He joins Madeline Adkins (’98), who serves as the orchestra’s associate concertmaster.

studies major and Honors College junior, with a marriage proposal on the NBC Today show Feb. 9. Nick is director of social change for the app TangoTab, which feeds people in need in your community when you use a deal or check in at a partner restaurant. Halie is the North Texas Coalition coordinator for Drug Prevention

2014

Resources Inc., and the two have started the nonprofit

Janae Graves, Hutto

began serving as a secondary education English volunteer for the Peace Corps in Rwanda in September. She spent her first three months living with a host family to learn the local language and culture and will spend the next two years of service teaching middle and high school students.

integrative

Courtesy of Today

will be part of a national group of faith leaders who will help the league expand its work into the faith arena. He currently serves as executive director of the Tarrant County Spiritual Care Network in Fort Worth.

Sarah Wright, Fort Worth :: is

now working as junior art director at the Balcom Agency, an advertising firm in Fort Worth. She previously had internships at Balcom and at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake and The Karma Group in Green Bay, Wis. As a student, her awards included a Silver Addy at the national level of the 2013 Student American Advertising Awards.

Unconventional Hope to help those affected by suicide, depression and mental illness. As Nick said in his proposal, “We were meant to change the world together.” In February, media such as The New York Times and CNN covered a unique performance by the jazz band Animation, led by Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Bob

Belden (’78) — unique because it also was covered by the Tehran Times and Al Jazeera. Part of the 30th Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran, the concert marked a cultural breakthrough as the first by American musicians in Iran since the 1979 revolution. Animation includes Roberto

Verastegui (’11) on keyboards, Pete Clagett (’12 M.M.) on trumpet and senior jazz studies major Matt Young on drums. A CD and LP of the concert are due out this summer.

Samra Bufkins (’87 M.J.), social media expert and lecturer in UNT’s Mayborn School of Journalism, was a contestant on the Feb. 28 broadcast of National Public Radio’s news quiz, Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! After host Peter Sagal commented on her name, which he said sounded like “a character from Game of Thrones or a curse in Harry Potter,” she correctly answered three out of three questions on homeland security, Hillary Clinton and the latest theory on the cause of the Black Death — gerbils. She also managed to plug UNT and share some public relations advice. Her winning prize is scorekeeper emeritus Carl Kasell’s voice on her home answering machine.

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F R I E N D S

W E ’ L L

M I S S

UNT’s alumni, faculty, staff and students are the university’s greatest legacy. When members of the Eagle family pass, they are remembered and their spirit lives on. Send information about deaths to The North Texan (see contact information on page 4). Read more, write memorials and connect with friends at northtexan.unt.edu.

1940s Mary Keith Stephenson (’41), Denton :: She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Spanish and a minor in English. She taught for a year in Mirando City and worked as a codebreaker at the National Security Agency from 1943 to 1947 in Washington, D.C. Her

University Community

family had a dairy farm in Canton for 12 years and a floral shop in Jacksonville for 20 years. She is survived by five children, including William H. Stephenson (’73) and Debra M. Stephenson Landis (’73), and a niece, Rita Joyce Stephenson

Lokie (’73). Nell Chandler (’43, ’47 M.S.), Fort Sumner, N.M.

She spent her career teaching in New Mexico, and many of her students attribute their careers as teachers to her motivation. She is a member of the New Mexico Teacher Hall of Fame.

Polly Sweet Wagner (’44), Silver Spring, Md. :: She worked for the Pentagon, NATO, the Veteran’s Administration and the Food and Drug Administration. She was an avid cook and gardener, and a fan of animals, art, jazz and opera. Her aunt was longtime faculty member Mary Sweet.

1950s William C. Pinson, Little Rock, Ark. :: He attended

North Texas in 1954. He served as a musician in the U.S. Navy

and later worked in petroleum sales, teaching and performing music on the side. His wife of 51 years, Marguerite Swilley Pinson (’78 M.M.), who died in 2013, also attended in the 1950s and returned to earn her master’s degree in voice. She taught music at elementary schools and universities and was a painter in her later years.

Ralph L. ‘Buddy’ Cole Jr. (’55), Pilot Point :: He was a member of Kappa Alpha at North Texas. He worked in banking and served as a Denton County commissioner and judge. A hunter and fisher, he was a Texas Master Naturalist and wrote outdoors columns for the Denton Record-Chronicle and the Pilot Point Post Signal.

at Southern Methodist University,

was at UNT, he received the Service

Andy Everest, 90,

Edmond ‘Ed’ Daniel DeLatte, 84,

Learning Award, and the Ed DeLatte

died Dec. 21 in

University of Utah, as well as with

Musical Theatre Scholarship was

Arlington. He

the Italian professional league and

established in his honor. He earned

was assistant

the New Orleans Saints. He was

who served as

his bachelor’s degree at Texas

head football coach for the Mean

inducted into the All-American Foot-

an associate

Christian University, a master’s de-

Green under Hayden Fry from 1973

ball Foundation Hall of Fame in 1997.

professor of theatre in the Depart-

gree in religious education and dra-

to 1978 and athletic director from

He served in the U.S. Navy during

ment of Dance and Drama from 1984

ma from Brite Divinity School and a

1979 to 1981. He was inducted into

World War II before attending the

until his retirement in 1995, died

Master of Fine Arts in theatre from

UNT’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004

University of Texas at El Paso, where

Feb. 12 in Dallas. He founded the

Southern Methodist University. Do-

for his work, which included helping

he was a star football player.

Dallas Repertory Theatre in 1969.

nations may be made in his memory

coach the Mean Green to some of

Throughout his career he directed

to UNT’s Ed DeLatte Musical Theatre

the best seasons in program history

70 plays and musicals. He was a

Scholarship or Department of Dance

and raising money for new athletic

member of Actor’s Equity and the

and Theatre.

of films and commercials. While he

Stanford, Foothill College and the

facilities. He served as head coach

Clark ‘Corky’ Nelson, 75, one of

Screen Actors Guild for more than

at the University of California at

the winningest

40 years and appeared in dozens

Santa Barbara and held positions

coaches in

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Spring 2015

Mary Kay Herring Eddings (’55), Burnet :: She taught school and earned a master’s degree at UT-Permian Basin while raising her family, who sometimes called her “FEMA” because of her busy schedule of service. She was a charter member of the Delta Gamma fraternity and a member of Phi Gamma Kappa and the Future Teachers of America.

Floyd D. ‘Jack’ Krodell Jr. (’57), Fayetteville, Ark. :: He belonged to the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, served in the U.S. Army, worked as manager of the General Adjustment Bureau in Little Rock for 35 years and sang in the Singing Men of Arkansas. Survivors include his wife,

worked in law enforcement, serving for many years as a probation officer and director for the Dallas County Juvenile Department and as director of adult probation in Tarrant County. Survivors include his brother C. Dan Smith (’62).

1960s John F. Clouse Jr. (’64), Azle

:: He worked for the Texas

Workforce Commission for 30 years. He was a member of the National Rifle Association and the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, and he was an alumni life member of the FFA and recipient of the Lone Star Farmer Degree. Survivors include his wife,

Earlene Slate Clouse (’67).

attended North Texas on a football scholarship and later

:: He was a radio, television and

the Texas State University athletic training staff since 1990 and served as head athletic trainer since 1998. He was serving as president of the executive board of the Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association. He received an award from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association in 2010 for his service to the profession.

2010s

Gloria LaVonne Wright Russell (’64), Houston ::

Anita Eugster, Sanger

She taught English in the Dallas ISD and worked as a legal secretary. She was passionate

began working at UNT in 2003 and was classified as a senior in the College of Business, where

:: She

North Texas football history, died

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

academic affairs and as assistant to

Nov. 17 in Temple. He was head

He is survived by his wife, Judy

the chancellor for planning. She was

football coach from 1982 to 1990

Buckles Nelson (’80 M.S.),

a mentor to hundreds of students

and also served as athletic director

former women’s basketball coach

and colleagues. Even after her

in 1990. He was inducted into

at UNT.

retirement, she wrote textbooks,

UNT’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013

taught courses for the International City/County Management

football in the 1980s. His teams

Charldean Newell (’60,

won the Southland Conference

’62 M.A.),

of charity efforts. She also was the

championship in 1983, when he

75, Regents

founding director of special projects

was named conference coach of the

Professor

for the Federation of North Texas

after bringing order to Mean Green

Association and served in a number

year, and went to the Division I-AA

Emerita of public administration,

Area Universities. She earned her

playoffs three times. After playing

died Nov. 22 in Denton. She retired

North Texas degrees in journalism

football at Texas State University,

from UNT in 2002 after 37 years on

and government and a doctorate in

he began his coaching career at

the faculty. She served as chair of

government from the University of

the high school level and also

the political science department,

Texas in 1968.

coached at Baylor University and the

as associate vice president for

Spring 2015

she majored in real estate. She retired as a student services specialist in the Office of the Registrar last fall.

Joseph Nedbalek, Pasadena

1980s David Gish (’84), San Marcos :: He was a member of

Carolyn Krodell (’58). Donald Ray ‘Don’ Smith (’58), Grapevine :: He

about genealogy and was a 20-year member of the Houston Genealogical Forum, which she served as president for four terms.

film major and Honors College student while at UNT from 2010 to 2013. He was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Alpha Lambda Delta and Golden Key.

Jaclyn Moehring (’14), Plano :: She was a student in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. Her bachelor’s degree in applied arts and sciences was awarded posthumously in December.

Candice M. Tunnell, Double Oak. :: She was a senior working on her teacher certification in the College of Education and was known for her love of children and of teaching.

Memorials Send memorials to honor UNT alumni and friends, made payable to the UNT Foundation, to University of North Texas, Division of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle #311250, Denton, Texas 762035017. Indicate on your check the fund or area you wish to support. Or make secure gifts online at development.unt.edu/givenow. For more information, email giving@ unt.edu or call 940-565-2900.

northtexan.unt.edu

The

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T H E L AS T

Word

GENERATIONS OF GROWTH by John Lovelace (’52)

The

No r t h Texa n

northtexan.unt.edu

Michael Clements

MY PERSPECTIVE ON growth and change at UNT comes in two parts. One is from summers in the mid-1930s when my dad, William True Lovelace (’38, ’40 M.S.) was completing first a baccalaureate and then a master’s degree in education at North Texas. We lived near campus, and I spent lots of time playing on those shaded grounds, admiring, from afar, the President’s Home, hearing ’Fessor and the Aces outdoors (weather permitting), enduring organ recitals in the Main Auditorium and skating on curvaceous sidewalks. I remember attending Demonstration School where my dad was the principal, having lunch at the boarding house where he and my mother, the former Cleo Wayne Crandall, had met, and enjoying the serenity of a pre-war campus. In 1949, when I returned as a midsemester freshman, the post-war building boom had produced or was producing the all-male Quads and a new Journalism Building. Talk of a new gym was in the air. The golf team won the NCAA championship four years in a row, and, as editor of the 1952 Yucca, I broke tradition by opening the sports section with a double-page wire service photo of my classmate, Billy Maxwell, winning the 1951 U.S. Amateur golf title. Football, featuring a darn good running back named Ray Renfro (later with the Cleveland Browns), came next, then basketball, track and field. With encouragement from faculty advisor J.D. Hall, the Yucca spent extra

John Lovelace has been married for 62 years to the former Mary Ellen Reynolds (’52), “the jewel of all my years at UNT.” bucks that year hiring a Dallas-based fashion photographer, Max Plake, to shoot the student-elected “beauties.” The beauties’ gowned full-page vertical pictures continue to dazzle me each time I look through the book. The Who’s Who pages likewise benefited from Max’s keen on-campus individual portraiture. By 1952, local chapters of national fraternities and sororities were on the scene, urged there, I’ve been told, by Dean Imogene Bentley as an antidote to the historic local groups. The Campus Chat was honing the skills of rapidly employable journalists like Bill Brammer, subsequent author of a novel about a not-too-disguised Lyndon B. Johnson, and an international news service reporter named Ray Moseley. Music majors like Monte Hill Davis, Ivan Davis, Dale Peters and Juanita Teal (later Mrs. Dale Peters) were setting high pre-professional standards, the Great Chorus was singing with the Dallas Symphony and Frank McKinley’s A Cappella Choir was about as good as it gets at the collegiate level. My dad said that in the summer of 1937 Dr. Wilfred C. Bain organized some

Spring 2015

of the sizable number of music teachers and singers on hand into the first a cappella choir. My dad was in it and, through the years, spoke proudly of it. In doing so, he unwittingly set a goal for me. And in the fall of 1950 I tried out with Frank McKinley and made it! The choir toured as far away as southern Illinois that year and recorded a Bach double motet and other choice vocalise at a studio in Dallas. The aforementioned Juanita Teal, by the way, was also in the choir. Yearbook duties, courtship opportunities and, of course, occasional homework filled my senior year, 1951-52, so I had just the one year in the choir. From my parents’ days there in the 1920s and ’30s to mine and my wife’s in the 1940s and ’50s, North Texas outgrew its “teachers college” status and began the ongoing march to international recognition as a multi-sited, multi-purpose university that, by the way, still harvests a mighty fine crop of school teachers. Lovelace earned a master’s in religious journalism from Syracuse University and retired as editor of The United Methodist Reporter, a national weekly newspaper.

Senior center fielder Kathlene Strunk is well-adjusted to success as a star player on the winningest softball team in UNT history. With the fourth most runs batted in ever for the Mean Green, Strunk was named Conference USA’s Newcomer of the Year last season — the first UNT softball student-athlete to receive the award. Success of this kind does not come overnight. It takes hard work and an environment of committed players and coaches. Strunk says college ball gave her a renewed love of the sport and she has discovered what she’s capable of as an individual and as part of a dedicated team with the attitude to win.

— KATHLENE STRUNK,

MEAN GREEN CENTER FIELDER

Buy your tickets now and cheer the Mean Green to victory! 800-UNT-2366 | 940-565-2527 meangreensports.com

Spring 2015

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The

No r t h Texa n

The North Texan

Adam Michael Wilson

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing 1155 Union Circle #311070 Denton, Texas 76203-5017

PA RT I N G S H O T UNT’s Cape Horn Field Station and Omora Ethnobotanical Park in the UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve in South America was the site for the International Association of Bryology World Conference in January. Hosted by UNT’s Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program and Center for Environmental Philosophy with the Chilean Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity and the University of Magallanes, the conference marked the first time environmental philosophers and ecologists from across the world have converged at Omora’s S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 1 Navarino Island to share their perspectives and discuss research on mosses and lichens.