The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Summer 2015

125th anniver sa celebrat ry ions page

18

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. 2 | Summer 2015

[page

24]

Joyce Pennington [ page 1 6] Faculty Focus [ page 30] Driving Effective Supply Chains [ page 32] Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 1

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

1 6/5/15 8:33 PM

a

FIGHTING CANCER AT THE NANO LEVEL Using the faculty-designed nanomanipulator, UNT scientists are focusing in on pulling apart and analyzing a single cancer cell. The patented innovation offers serious implications for medicine around the world. Doctors will one day personalize cancer treatments based on a patient’s unique cellular makeup. UNT’s university-managed BioAnalytics Facility is revolutionizing cancer treatment through nanoscale chemical analysis to make a difference on a global scale.

1

The

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

15_455_North_Texan_Summer_2015_Chronicle_Ad.indd 1 154010-UNT.indd 1

|

Summer 2015

5/14/15 9:55 PM AM 6/5/15 8:33

S U M M E R

2 0 1 5

FEATURES

16

Joyce Pennington

30

Faculty Focus

Alum brings precision and high kicks to dance teams across the nation as CEO of leading dance drill team company.

By Jessica DeLeón

Faculty share their students’ ‘light-bulb’ moments as they find academic success.

32

Driving Effective Supply Chains

UNT’s top-ranked logistics degree program partners with industry leaders to prepare students as experts in the distribution of goods and services.

By Monique Bird DEPARTMENTS

24

Mike Williams

9:55 AM

Inside

Biggest impacts DEAR NORTH TEXAN • 4

Public art ... Time capsule letters

The Power of Travel

UNT TODAY • 6

Turn back the clock ... Ask an Expert ...

Mean Green ... UNT Alumni Association

A S T R AV EL AG E NTS , G U I D E S , B LOGGER S A ND R ESORT M A NAG ERS , A LU M NI ARE C REAT I NG SPEC I A LI Z ED A ND SUSTA INAB L E E XP E RI ENC E S FOR TOUR I STS A ROUND

UNT MUSE • 19

Artistic energy ... Faculty fellows ... Dream gig ...

Upcoming Events ... Return to radio

TH E WORL D — A ND CO N T RI B U T I NG TO ONE OF T H E L E A D ING G LO BA L I N D U ST RI E S .

EAGLES’ NEST • 36

By Nancy Kolsti

Rise to top ... Connecting with Friends ... Going for gold ... Use your voice ... Friends We’ll Miss LAST WORD • 48

Cover: Illustration by Kit Young. Above: Casey Carr (’01), owner of Globe Trek Productions, filming in the Galápagos Islands.

Whitney “Free” Smith (’15) shares how UNT helped shape her life and the lives of her family.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 1

FROM OUR PRESIDENT • 3

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

1 6/10/15 1:20 PM

Online

E X C L U S I V E S

n o r t htexan .u nt.edu /o n li n e

ONLINE FEATURES MEMORY PROJECT Share how UNT is part of your history — legacy families, love stories and favorite people and places — for our 125th anniversary website.

BUMBLEBEE RESEARCH Learn how doctoral candidate Jessica Beckham is studying the ways that urban green spaces and gardens are preserving these important pollinators.

STUDENT INVESTORS Read how a club is teaching students how to get the best return on their investments in the stock market and land top-notch careers.

GET CONNECTED Michael Clements

Connect with us at facebook.com/northtexas.

Follow us at twitter.com/northtexan.

This is UNT

Watch us on youtube.com/ universitynorthtexas .

F RO M H I G H - FI V I N G S C RAP P Y O N T H E LI BR A RY M A LL A ND

Follow us at instagram.com/unt.

WATCH A V I D EO T H AT CAP T U RES UNT’S PER SONA LI T Y — F E E D IN G T H E CAM P U S S QU I RRE LS TO SEEI NG T H E I NSPI R I NG GR E E N G LOW O F M CCO N NEL L TOWER A F T ER T EA M WI NS — UN T IS W H ERE T RAD I T I O N A ND NON-T R A DI T I ONA L M EET.

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

2

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 2

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

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

Summer 2015

6/10/15 1:20 PM

F RO M OU R

President

Biggest impacts UNT CELEBRATES GRADUATES AND 125-YEAR LEGACY AS A LEADER

Gary Payne

FOR GRADUATION THIS year, we kicked off our new University-wide Commencement to honor the 8,300 graduates of the 2014-15 academic year as a university family. In addition to celebrating these graduates, the ceremony featured Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who chose to speak at UNT’s commencement during his President Neal Smatresk sits with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who spoke at May’s new first year in office. His message was University-wide Commencement ceremony. full of life lessons and humor.

Commencement was the perfect opportunity to launch our 125th anniversary year, which will celebrate our contributions and impacts as one of the state’s leading universities. In 1890, we were established as a teacher training school on the Denton square. Now — 125 years and hundreds of thousands of students and graduates later — UNT is the nation’s 25th largest public university and the largest in the North Texas region. See more about our anniversary celebrations — including Founder’s Day Sept. 16 — on page 18. Plan to join us in celebrating.

UNT’s biggest impact is through our students. There is nothing more rewarding than to see them transform into college graduates and go on to become leaders, entrepreneurs and creators. As you’ll learn in the essay by Whitney “Free” Smith (see page 48), a UNT education doesn’t just change students, it changes families.

As we look to the future, there are many signs of strength and progress. We’re earning top rankings for degree programs like logistics (see page 32), a strategic area we’re focusing on together with plant sciences and engineering to help us on our path to be recognized as a top public research university. We’re recruiting more academically talented students such as National Merit Scholars and students from the Top 20 percent of their high school class through the Eagle Advantage program. These are the things that will help UNT serve our region and state in new and important ways and claim our place among the top institutions.

UNT proud,

Neal Smatresk President president@unt.edu @UNTPrez

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

NOLA KEMP

K E L L E Y R E ESE

L AU R E N L E B R O N

(’95)

K I T YO U N G

(’92)

(’06 )

E X ECU T I V E D I R EC T O R DENA MOORE

P H OTO G R A P H E R S M I CH A E L CL E M E N TS

D I R EC TO R

AHNA HUBNIK

K E N N M O F F I TT

G A R Y PAY N E

M AG A Z I N E STA F F

V I D EO G R A P H E R S

E X ECU T I V E E D I T O R J U L I E E L L I OTT PAY N E

(’03)

(’99)

CH R I STO P H E R B R YA N B R A D H O LT

(’97)

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

(’08 )

(’09)

WRITERS (’88, ’07 M . J . )

MONIQUE BIRD

(’10 M . J .)

E R N E ST I N E B O U S Q U E T E D I TO R S

N A N C Y KO L ST I

J ESSI C A D E L EÓ N

L E SL I E M I N TO N

JILL KING

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

(’93 M . S ., ’0 0 M . A .)

(’07 )

M A R G A R I TA V E N EG A S O N L I N E E D I TO R

(’96 )

M ATT H E W Z A B E L

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

J E SSE G A R R I S O N NANCY KENT

(’0 0 )

(’94 )

S COTT SL E M M O N S P H OTO E D I TO R

(’94 M . S .)

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

ANGILEE WILKERSON ST U D E N T CO N T R I B U TO R S A DV E RT I SI N G

C A L E B D OW N S

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

AWO E N I

(’0 5)

CR YSTA L H O L L I S

(’01)

(’13)

B R E M A PSTO N J A S O N O RT I Z J OSH UA W I L L I A MS 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 University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit — and takes actions to prevent — discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence) and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, family status, genetic information, citizenship or veteran status in its application and admission processes, educational programs and activities, facilities and employment practices. The University of North Texas System immediately investigates and takes remedial action when appropriate. The University of North Texas System also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge, or testify, assist or participate in an investigative proceeding or hearing. 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 6/15 (15-452)

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R4.indd 3

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

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

3 6/17/15 3:03 PM

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

Campus favorites

Working on my M.B.A. in finance from 1981 to 1984, I would close my office door at Frito-Lay in Dallas at 5 p.m., travel up I-35 (always under construction!) toward Denton, stop at a Braum’s for a burger or, if I was in a hurry, at the gas station mini-mart for a bag of Lay’s and a soft drink, and spend the evening in class.

Saturday or Sunday meant a drive from Carrollton to the library for research of Federal Reserve data, or writing up the format for the marketing questionnaire for that CPA practice my wife and I were considering.

My favorite moments? As a grad student focused on

4

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 4

No r t h Texa n

|

completing my studies, all of them were academic: Making my way, like so many before me, through Dr. George Christy’s finance class, remembering when we all gasped when an instructor predicted in 1982 that it was possible that the Dow Jones Industrial Average would eventually hit 2,000, and the sincere and helpful counseling I got from Dr. James McDonald.

Thank you, UNT, for launching me into a successful financial career!

Mike Stoniecki (’84 M.B.A.) Duluth, Ga.

Public art

I recently was able to re-unite with some of my closest Kerr Hall dorm

northtexan.unt.edu

|

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

buddies from more than 30 years ago. It was a terrific weekend. We took one day to just walk around campus and re-live the memories of the paths to and from our classes.

We went up to our old rooms in Kerr, and although there have been many changes, there was still enough familiarity to recall some of the greatest times of our lives.

We went back down to the lobby and exited the doors heading toward the main campus. It was here that I was totally shocked to see my senior sculpture project on permanent display just to the right of the entrance.

Back in 1982, I began my senior project, a metal sculpture of an eagle with wings spread to a full 5 feet. The eagle was on a large rock, affixed to a metal base and post. During my last semester, I got married and sold the sculpture to the housing department. I made just enough to make it back home with my new bride. It

was all the money we had to begin our lives in Beaumont.

Someone had finally put the sculpture on display at Kerr where I had lived. I was so pleased to see it. Someday I would like to get an engraved nameplate put on it so that all who see it will know I was an R.A. in Kerr and a member of the Class of 1983.

Bret Brauninger (’83) Nederland

Time capsule letters The following are excerpts from letters found in the campus time capsules, unearthed in April (see page 6). Jan Poindexter Sholty (’63, ’97 Ph.D.), who died in 2002, was an English major when she wrote her letter in 1962, at the end of our first school year as a university. She went on to teach as an adjunct in the English department.

1962 has been a magic year for North Texans — University Year! The change in North Texas State College was more subtle and more profound than simply a change in name. In 1962, students were prouder, scholarship more important, and spirit more vital and purposeful than ever before. ...

There is very little that is stable or secure in this world of 1962 — and the students of North Texas are acutely aware of world problems and impending dangers. But I think

Summer 2015

6/10/15 1:20 PM

we are seeking more than material security. I think we are looking for the security of genuine values.

There are, you see, some values that, once learned, do not crumble with passing time.

The security that comes from understanding is the security sought by my generation. That is why we have come to the university — to grow in wisdom, to learn the things that will last. We hope you will enjoy looking at the old annual and papers in the capsule, and also that you will profit from remembering a great year in the history of your university.

Most of all we hope that you realize that the things that were important to us — really important — are still important to you.

Jan Poindexter

Jack Wheeler (’61, ’61 M.B.A.) was an alumnus and former dean of students and vice president for public affairs when he wrote a letter for the capsule in 1988, when NTSU became UNT. He was student body president in 1960 and active in Sigma Phi Epsilon and other groups. He died in 2011.

Students ... must have the common sense to make this a better world; we must feel what the other fellow feels, and understand his role.

When we do, we will be able to serve in his growth!

No generation is without its problems; hopefully more are solved than created.

Whoever reads this note, please know that only you can change the world. Do so with the gusto necessary! And when you finish, hopefully

someone will say you did so with love in your heart.

North Texas should provide you the essentials to accomplish that goal!

Jack Wheeler Donald Griswold (’88) was the outgoing president of the Student Association when he wrote for the 1988 capsule.

The entire NTSU family is excited about the changes ahead. ... It is a time when we realize our decades of accomplishment and recognize the diligence and dedication that was necessary. ... In my farewell address, I intend to leave our members with the following thought. “Remember where you have come from, then you will always know where you want to go.”

Donald Griswold

Tell us about ... your time capsule The time capsules unearthed on University Day were full of

@northtexan Had a great time meeting #UNT19 at #UNT Premiere this weekend. We have an amazing class joining us this fall!

— Neal Smatresk @UNTPrez Congrats to all of the graduates this weekend – welcome to the #UNTAlumniFamily #UNTProud — @DavidFWolf Met a UNT alum last night who said the very best part about him going to college was “finding the love of his life,” & wife of 50 years.

— @_amberreece I love how UNT is a place where you can just sit in the GAB cafe and talk to some complete strangers for hours. #UNTProud — @AuroraAverill #UNT is one beautiful campus.

— @Chancedillion10 30m

interesting items. The 1962 capsule included the books Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy, 1984 by George Orwell and a Cambridge Bible. Larry McMurtry’s (’58) Lonesome Dove was placed in the 1988 capsule, along with unusual items like vampire teeth and other memorabilia from campus blood drives, a metal ashtray from the NTSU

Pretty excited about this letter :) it’s not every day you’re accepted into your 1st choice university #UNT — @mirandasmithr

Union, and a photo of the members of the drumline along with their phone numbers. What items would you have put in a time capsule that was buried when you graduated? Or what items would you put in a UNT time capsule today? As we celebrate our 125th anniversary this year, we’re interested in hearing what you’d like future generations to discover and remember about UNT. Send email or letters to the

Follow us on Twitter.

We look forward to staying connected!

@northtexan

addresses above.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 5

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

5 6/5/15 8:33 PM

Today

New basketball coach page 10

Gary Payne

TURN BACK THE CLOCK Time capsules unearthed for University Day 2015 were buried to commemorate our first year as a university in 1962 and the year we became the University of North Texas in 1988.

Watch a video of the event at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

6

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 6

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES, UNT HAS celebrated University Day, which marks our change from college to university in 1961. This year’s festivities included the unveiling of the contents of time capsules buried on campus in 1962 and 1988, opened as scheduled the year of our 125th anniversary. Pulled from the capsules, in mostly good condition, were letters (see pages 4-5), recorded speeches, books and other items — like a 1960s cheerleader uniform and a tape of a championship debate from 1962.

“Our campus is full of rich tradition and history,” President Neal Smatresk says. “It was an honor to mark this milestone as we celebrate 125 years of growth, success and progress.”

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:13 PM

Andrea Tantaros spoke this spring at the Hyatt Regency Dallas as part of UNT’s Kuehne Speaker Series.

This spring, The Princeton Review ranked UNT’s online M.B.A. program No. 14 on its Top 25 list of such programs, making UNT one of only two Texas universities to make the list.

Michael Clements

DID YOU KNOW?

Kuehne speaker series

Andrea Tantaros, who rotates as co-host of Outnumbered and The Five on Fox News Channel and has been a contributor to the network since 2010, spoke in May on national security issues.

Tantaros, once described by The Washington Times as “the most pragmatic personality” on Fox News Channel’s The Five for her “calm, yet reasoned, personality mixed with a quick tongue and biting sense of humor,” shared with audience members her thoughts on the First Amendment.

Tantaros has worked on high-profile political campaigns, including as communications director for former

Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld when he was the Libertarian candidate in the 2006 New York governor’s race against eventual winner Eliot Spitzer.

She also served as a press secretary to Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The UNT Kuehne Speaker Series showcases UNT’s nationally and internationally recognized programs on national and human security and faculty members engaged in research related to security issues. The fall edition of the series in November will feature Richard W. Fisher, retired president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas.

Visit kuehneseries.unt.edu.

Logistics ranking

Housed in UNT’s College of Business, the logistics and supply chain management program was ranked third in a new study of supply chain technology education by Software Advice, an online database providing research and reviews of software applications. UNT ranked high due to its integration of new technology into the program.

UNT’s program includes several courses that teach students about enterprise resource planning software, which helps companies interpret data from many aspects of their business. Read about alumni who are working in logistics careers on page 32.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 7

Gary Payne

NSF CAREER AWARD The research of Yan Wan, assistant professor of electrical engineering, could impact industries using smart cyber-physical system technology. This spring, Wan, who has researched Wi-Fi capable drones, earned a National Science Foundation CAREER award to develop an innovative theoretical framework for cyber-physical systems. The systems enable airborne networking, using direct flight-to-flight communication for flexible information sharing, safe maneuvering and coordination of timecritical missions. Wan’s research findings have broad applications to smart power grids, smart transportation systems and smart health systems. |

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

7 6/5/15 8:33 PM

Today Pass it on: Great things are happening at UNT. Learn about them here and share our successes with your family and friends.

• Designing for families. This spring, College of Visual Arts and Design students created handmade products from recycled old garments and materials to sell in the Friends of the Family Thrift Store to benefit the Denton County Friends of the Family Upcycle Project. Proceeds from the project, which occurs every semester, are used to assist families affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.

• Hall of Fame knock out. It took a few jabs in the ring, but Richard “Dickie” Cole earned a boxing scholarship to attend UNT in the 1950s. In April, the boxing legend became the first inductee into the newly formed Texas Boxing Hall of Fame. Cole was honored for devoting 66 years of his life to the sport as a fighter, referee and judge at the amateur and professional levels, including some world title fights. From 1993 to 2014, he was head of Combative Sports for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

• Live on The Ticket. The Musers of Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket closed out a weeklong college tour in April with a live broadcast from UNT’s Pohl Recreation Center, where President Neal Smatresk announced that alumnus and radio personality George Dunham (’88) would receive the Presidential Medal of Honor at May’s commencement. Not to leave anyone out, the president also inducted alumnus and talk show host Craig Miller (’88) into the “Intramural Hall of Fame,” and talk show sidekick Gordon Keith was presented with an “Honorary Doctorate of Gentle Musings.”

B R I L L I A N T LY GREEN Ahna Hubnik

Honorary doctorate

Former UNT System regent and alumnus Don Buchholz (’52) was honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree at May

8

The

154010-UNT.indd 8

No r t h Texa n

|

commencement for his extensive contributions to UNT as a longtime supporter.

Buchholz served as a governor of the New York Stock Exchange and became a force in the securities and banking industry. As a staunch supporter of higher education, he served on the UNT System Board of Regents from 2007 to 2013 and helped lead the system during record growth.

In 1999, Buchholz received UNT’s Outstanding Alumni

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Service Award. He and his wife, Ruth, provided a gift to establish UNT’s Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education, a research center studying critical community college issues. They also have supported UNT through scholarships and gifts.

Goldwater honors

Vishnu Dantu, second-year Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science student, was one of 10 students from Texas

to receive a prestigious 2015 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for innovative research.

Dantu created an application for people with diabetes in which a smartphone camera analyzes light wavelengths transmitted through a person’s fingertip to measure glucose levels. TAMS students Anushree Agrawal, Michael Hashe and Tiffany Jiang earned Goldwater Honorable Mentions. In all, UNT has had 55 Goldwater scholars.

Summer 2015

6/5/15 8:33 PM

C Y B E R SECU R I T Y D ESI G N AT I O N The National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security have designated UNT a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research. UNT is one of about 60 designated research centers in the U.S. UNT also is one of only a few Texas universities to be named both a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research and a Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.

Cybersecurity research at UNT spans several colleges and departments, including business, criminal justice, information science, political science, economics and engineering. UNT researchers focus strongly on network security and human behavior in relation to cybersecurity. UNT also is the only institution in the U.S. to receive National Science Foundation funding for a Scholarship for Service program exclusive to doctoral students studying cybersecurity.

Antarctic expedition

GLOBAL CONNECTION

>>

transport vessel Aquiles to study sites to focus on geology, entomology, microbes, plant life and animals.

In assessing Antarctica’s plant life, world scientists hope to find potential uses in applications for pharmaceutical, textile and food industries.

“This was a very noteworthy expedition,” Kennedy says.

Kennedy, a founding member of UNT’s SubAntarctic Biocultural Conservation Program, co-teaches UNT’s annual wintermester

James Kennedy, Regents Professor of biology, above, and Tamara Contador (’06, ’11 Ph.D.), University of Magallanes professor, studied this spring in Antarctica as part of the Chilean Antarctic Institute’s 51st Antarctic Science Expedition.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 9

study abroad course, “Tracing Darwin’s Path,” in Puerto Williams, Chile, the world’s southernmost town and the site of the UNT Cape Horn Field Station.

Kennedy and Contador focused their research on the distribution, phenology and physiology of the Antarctic Midge, the only winged insect native to Antarctica. The midge is being evaluated as a long-term monitor of the continent’s climate change.

Gonzalo Arriagada

For nearly a month this spring, James Kennedy, Regents Professor of biology, and Tamara Contador (’06, ’11 Ph.D.), a professor at the University of Magallanes, braved chilly weather and icy conditions to conduct research in Antarctica.

They were joined by teams of scientists from across the world to study the continent’s marine and freshwater ecosystems and climate change as it relates to native species as part of the Chilean Antarctic Institute’s 51st Antarctic Science Expedition.

The large undertaking involved 25 research projects and more than 200 scientists and Chilean Navy personnel.

Scientists canvassed an area that included Antarctica and the South Shetland Islands, an extensive archipelago.

Kennedy served as an international collaborator on a research team led by Contador. The team traveled aboard the Chilean Navy AP-41

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

9 6/16/15 10:14 PM

Today New basketball coach, cheer and golf team wins on her first career head coaching

Association & National Dance Alliance

position and dream job. She previously

Collegiate Cheer and Dance Champion-

was an assistant coach at UNT, the

ship in Daytona Beach, Fla., this spring.

University of North Carolina at

The squad competed in the Division I

Wilmington and the University of Texas.

All-Girl Intermediate category, finishing

David Pyke

A letter winner with the Mean Green

13th place in the competition and

from 1998 to 2002, she finished as the

representing the Mean Green Nation

all-time leading scorer with 1,764 points

with pride.

and tops the list of career free throws made and attempted. She earned

Hoop hoop hurrah

all-conference honors all four years at

Former star women’s basketball player and 2007 UNT Athletic Hall of

UNT. Her No. 44 is one of only two

Famer Jalie Mitchell (’02) returned to her

numbers retired by the program.

alma mater this spring to serve as the Cheer kudos

new head coach for women’s

Tracie O’Neil

The North Texas Cheer team

basketball. Mitchell is the eighth head

competed at the National Cheerleaders

coach in the program’s history, taking

hard-fought win over No. 30 UAB. Churchman and senior Juan Munoz were

Commissioner’s Academic Medal.

The Mean Green football team had the

named to the C-USA All-Tournament team,

most honorees, with 31 student-athletes

and UNT clinched the automatic bid to the

on the honor roll, followed by swimming

NCAA tournament, making its 34th

and diving with 28 honorees.

appearance.

David Pyke

Cheer on Mean Green football C-USA honor roll

Our student-athletes are showing Men’s golf team conference win

The Mean Green men’s golf team captured its first Conference USA championship this spring. Sophomore Cory Churchman made a 5-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to clinch the C-USA

success in the classroom and in competi-

backyard. Plan to be a part of the sea of

tion. This spring, 164 UNT student-ath-

green at Ford Stadium in Dallas as the

letes made Conference USA’s academic

Mean Green and Southern Methodist

honor roll, which recognizes student-

University face off Sept. 12.

athletes who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Forty of our student-athletes had a 3.75

title for the Mean Green and seal a

Mean Green football action begins this season with an away game right in our

GPA or higher and also received the

And join us at Apogee Stadium Sept. 19 for the home opener against Rice. Visit meangreensports.com for the full schedule and ticket information.

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

10

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 10

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Summer 2015

6/10/15 1:20 PM

Ben & Jerry’s founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield spoke to students on campus this spring as part of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

SHOUT OUT Computer science degrees from UNT’s College of Engineering are ranked fourth in the country for the best annual return on investment value by PayScale.com.

Dist i n gu ishe d l e c ture rs

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Vermont’s Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., spoke on campus this spring as part of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

The two iconic ice cream makers talked about the startup and success of the company, which is a leader in researching and implementing sustainable dairy farming practices, using alternative energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The company also is a member of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies.

Cohen and Greenfield launched Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. in 1978 with

an ice cream shop inside a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vt. The company is worth more than $300 million today. After their lecture, the ice cream makers joined audience members for an ice cream party.

Fine Arts Series

Laverne Cox, a transgender advocate and an actress on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, spoke at UNT in April about how race, class and gender shaped her experience as a transgender woman.

The lecture, presented by UNT’s Fine Arts Series, was part of her ongoing series titled “Ain’t I a Woman: My Journey to Womanhood.” She spoke of overcoming challenges as she

grew up in Mobile, Ala., went to college in New York to pursue a career in acting and found the courage to become the woman she always knew she was.

Cox told the audience that these challenges taught her how to move beyond gender expectations and live a more authentic life. This lesson, in turn, led her to a successful career as an actress and activist.

Today, she’s the first transgender woman to produce and star in her own television show, TRANSForm Me; appear on the cover of Time Magazine; and be nominated for an Emmy, for her role on Orange is the New Black.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 11

Ahna Hubnik

NOBEL PRIZE NETWORKING Michael Jones, a doctoral student majoring in chemistry, traveled to Germany to meet and network with Nobel Prize winners during the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting this summer. The event brought students together with laureates in physiology, medicine, physics and chemistry. Jones was one of 672 attendees from 88 countries who participated in this year’s event.

Working with faculty mentor Angela Wilson, Regents Professor of chemistry, Jones combines physics, chemistry, math and computer science in his research to find answers to biological problems, including what triggers cancer.

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

11 6/5/15 8:33 PM

Today

New diversity & inclusion VP

Joanne Woodard, former vice provost for institutional equity and diversity and chief diversity officer at North Carolina State University, was named UNT’s new vice president for diversity and inclusion this spring.

Woodard has more than 25 years of experience in higher education. She’s also received numerous honors for her diversity work, including two in 2014 – the Leadership in Diversity award from the Triangle Business Journal and the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity.

She began her institutional equity and diversity work at North Carolina State in 1997 as the vice provost for equal opportunity and equity. She also was a lecturer in history there and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Green Pride

New advancement VP

Alumnus David Wolf (’04 Ph.D.), with more than a decade of experience in higher education fundraising, alumni relations and marketing, was named UNT’s new vice president for advancement.

He began at UNT June 1.

Wolf most recently served as executive director of individual giving at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he managed university central fundraising and engagement operations.

At UCLA, he led efforts that realized significant increases in planned and estate gifts, regional giving, and alumni giving. Wolf previously worked in senior advancement and development positions for the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Alabama, Cameron University and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Be bold, be proud wearing UNT tartan

Join UNT in commemorating 125 years since our founding in 1890 by wearing UNT tartan starting this summer. The university’s official tartan design was created by College of Visual Arts and Design senior Casey Heidt (’15) as a unique and lasting way to show your green pride during our 125th anniversary celebrations and for years to come.

Heidt’s innovative tartan pattern represents a double-layered map, one of campus with the Hurley Administration Building in the center, and the other of Denton with the downtown square — the location of the first classes — in the center. The thick white lines and thin black lines represent streets.

In 2014, UNT’s official tartan was accepted by the Scottish Register of Tartans and you’ll see it on blankets, scarves, ties and other merchandise with local retailers this fall. Get your UNT tartan gear on campus at the Barnes and Noble at UNT, Apogee Stadium’s Mean Green Team Store or at shop.meangreensports.com starting July 1. Proceeds will go to support student scholarships.

Be bold and be proud when you display your UNT tartan. It’s a great way to show how we’re unique and why we’re known as the most creative university in the North Texas region. Learn more at tartan.unt.edu.

12

The

154010-UNT-R4.indd 12

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Summer 2015

6/17/15 3:04 PM

PHOTO

Essay

Ahna Hubnik

1 1 Students from different organizations on campus joined the annual Flag Parade as part of University Day celebrations this spring.

2 UNT students, faculty, staff and alumni participated in The Big Event, a nationally recognized day of service in March. Through the annual event, the campus community performs 10,000 hours of community service, assisting local schools, nonprofits and community organizations.

Ahna Hubnik

2

3 Students in UNT’s intermedia performance art course, led by David Stout, professor of composition and new media, combine architecture, art, film and music in “nanoGalactic,” performed in April at the Merrill Ellis Intermedia Theater.

Gary Payne

3 Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 13

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

13 6/10/15 1:20 PM

Gary Payne

Today

Materials science research

Until now, researchers and professionals in the materials science field have only assumed that as a material becomes more brittle, it also becomes less tough.

Witold Brostow, Regents Professor of materials science and engineering, working with Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science student Sameer Khoja, conducted a study that confirms that assumption.

Haley Lobland (’01 TAMS, ’08 Ph.D.), research associate, co-advised Khoja on the study.

They compared stress and brittleness values of materials and plotted data. They presented their findings at the 23rd annual World Forum on

Advanced Materials in Lincoln, Neb., in May. Medical internship

Terry Scholar Zehra Hussain, a sophomore political science major, is pursuing her dream to work in the medical field. A UNT Honors College student and medical anthropology minor, she is taking courses to prepare her for physician assistant training she plans to complete while earning a master’s degree in public health.

................................................................................

This spring, she was one of seven students chosen to participate in Parkland Hospital’s Auxiliary Collegiate Fellows Program, which provides paid internships for students to learn about hospital management. She hopes to work for the World Health Organization or another organization that provides medical aid internationally, after gaining experience by working for a healthcare organization in the U.S.

Ask an Expert

What is the best way to stargaze?

T

he clear skies of summer make it the perfect time to check out the constellations.

Ron DiIulio, director of UNT’s planetarium and astronomy observatory, encourages anyone with astronomical enthusiasm to look up to the stars.

“You don’t need an expensive telescope,” he says.

“Just an interest to discover and join the adventure.”

DiIulio offers monthly star parties at UNT’s Rafes Urban Astronomy Center and produces shows for UNT’s Sky Theater planetarium. He recommends these tools for new stargazers.

Choosing a telescope • A Dobsonian-style scope is low-cost. Its portability and simple design make finding targets easy.

• For backyard stargazing, consider an affordable, large-aperture telescope. Telescope diameter is more important than magnitude. The larger the aperture, the brighter and sharper your targets in the sky.

• Good 8X50 binoculars are a great way to quickly survey the sky and enjoy daytime viewing.

14

The

154010-UNT.indd 14

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Join other enthusiasts • Search the web to find a local club. The Fort Worth Astronomical Society and Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas are two in our area.

• Visit planetariums like UNT’s Sky Theater and its Saturday public star talks. See a live sky show or gaze at the sky with experienced stargazers.

• Attend a star party. The Rafes Urban Astronomy Center hosts parties on the first Saturday of every month. Visit astronomy.unt.edu.

— Bre Mapston

Gary Payne

Identifying stars and planets • Use a guide. Download a sky chart app, such as Google SkyMap, on your phone for a virtual guide

through the sky or check out a beginner’s astronomy book at telescope.com.

• A clear night offers best results.

Choose easy targets. Nebulae and galaxies are faint and difficult to find, so as a beginner concentrate on the moon and planets. A star will typically shimmer or “blink” when viewed with the naked eye, while a planet appears rather bright and very steady.

Summer 2015

6/5/15 8:33 PM

Counseling program

Librarian appointment

Dreanna Belden, assistant dean for external relations at the UNT libraries, is making history as the first librarian to be elected president of the Texas Association of Museums.

Belden’s term began in March and ends in February 2017. She plans to focus on growing the museum association’s membership base and making the association more financially sustainable. In 2011, she was the first librarian elected to its volunteer managing board, the association’s council. She also served as the association’s elected vice president for development.

Michael Clements

VETERANS’ COPING STRATEGIES Military veterans who use avoidant coping strategies, such as denying or minimizing distressing thoughts, experiences and emotions, are more likely than others to exhibit symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. However, emotional help and support from family members reduces the negative impacts of these conditions, which affects academic functioning, according to a UNT study on veterans’ transition to becoming college and university students.

Shelley Riggs, associate professor of psychology, and four doctoral students in the UNT Family Attachment Lab conducted the VETS, or Veterans Experiencing the Transition to Students, project.

This spring, UNT’s graduate rehabilitation counseling program in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service was ranked 15th in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools list. It is consistently ranked as a top program in the state.

Students learn from national and international experts in the field, receiving an expansive education in serving individuals with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive and emotional disabilities. The program is designed to meet requirements for rehabilitation counselor national certification and professional counselor licensure by the state.

UNT Alumni Association Alumni in the Dallas-Fort Worth area soon will have more opportunities to connect with UNT and each other. The UNT Alumni Association is working to build alumni networks throughout the North Texas region and participation in campus events, such as Homecoming, through innovative new programming and engagement opportunities.

“We’re concentrating on building our regional alumni programming here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where 136,000 degree-holding graduates reside, as well as enhancing and growing our campus-based programs,” says Rob McInturf, executive director of the association. “This will help us reconnect our alumni to UNT through programming focused on their interests and locations.”

Leading these two new efforts will be new association directors Annie Carter, right, and Kara Klement, left. Carter, director of affinity alumni programming, will focus on building upon and leading signature alumni programs such as the university’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards, Homecoming and Class Ring Presentation Ceremony.

Klement, director of regional alumni programming, plans to work on building official UNT alumni networks throughout the North Texas region and help the association offer more consistent, sustainable engagement programming to alumni.

She will focus her efforts in areas where there are large concentrations of alumni.

For more information about the UNT Alumni Association, 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.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 15

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

15 6/10/15 1:20 PM

Joyce Pennington

J

by Jessica DeLeón

oyce Eaton Pennington (’72) arrived on the North Texas campus for Freshman Orientation on a bright sunny day as an undecided major. Her best friend, Eddie Lou Judge, who was on the Haltom High School drill team with Pennington, encouraged her to choose physical education as a major, as she had.

“P.E. has shorter registration lines,” Judge told her. “We will be out in an hour and we can go to the lake.”

So Pennington followed suit and majored in P.E., which included dance classes (the only dance program at the time). That fateful decision put her on a path to becoming a high school dance team teacher and the originator of the NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers, which she served as director for five years.

Now she’s the president and chief executive officer of American Dance/Drill Team, one of the most prominent drill team education companies in the nation.

The Salado company hosts camps and clinics and a yearly competition at UNT. “Not everybody goes into college with a perfect game plan, but I’m glad I had so much support and fabulous professors,” says Pennington, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Dance/Educators Association in 1995 and was inducted into the Texas Drill Team Hall of Fame in 2000.

During her freshman year, Pennington says she and others interested in dance found help and camaraderie with their P.E. classmates who were focused on sports.

“I said, ‘Look, next year you have to take

A quick decision at Freshman Orientation led Joyce Pennington to a career as a leader in the dance team world.

16

The

154010-UNT.indd 16

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

folk dance and modern dance. If you help us learn basketball and volleyball, we’ll help you with dance,” she says.

The deal worked. Instructors Jean Pekara and Nancye Hood had been concerned she would have trouble making it through the program because she was not a high school athlete and had not competed in sports.

But they told her she proved them wrong.

“They let me know I defied the odds,” she says. “It meant a lot to me.”

After she graduated, Pennington, who minored in English, went on to teach English and then P.E. and dance for 10 years. She taught first in the Denison ISD, where she met her husband, C.R. Pennington, and then in the Garland ISD. As a drill team instructor for those schools, she took her students to camps run by the American Dance/Drill Team. The company works with schools, colleges, dance studios and other organizations to fine-tune drill team dancing, known for its precision and high kicks. In 1977, she became an instructor for the organization.

Four years later, the company offered her a spot as executive vice president.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to take on an executive role because I loved teaching,” she says. “But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

In 1984, she and her husband, who worked in the clothing industry, bought the company. Now their two sons and granddaughter work for them and they have 150 contract employees nationwide who conduct dance team workshops and summer camps and judge competitions.

The highlight of the year is the spring national/international competition that brings teams from as far away as Australia, Japan and South Africa to UNT — and brings Pennington back to campus.

“I wake up every morning realizing how lucky I am to have a job in such an incredible field,” she says.

Summer 2015

6/5/15 8:33 PM

Michael Clements

Joyce Pennington (’72) Salado

claim to fame. I also was in Angel

competition. The facilities were

men) to become involved in a

Flight (the women’s auxiliary of Air

fantastic. Plus, Steve Selby (’70)

group performing art. They learn

Force ROTC), a big deal in the ’60s

was the director of the Coliseum at

discipline, poise, confidence and

and ’70s. I attended in the era of

the time and he was a P.E. major

how to work together with respect,

‘Mean’ Joe Greene. I didn’t miss a

when I was a student. I was so

and they learn to accept construc-

football game.

proud to host this event at UNT

tive criticism that will be an asset

and it grew quickly into one of the

to them in any job setting. It builds

largest-grossing events in Denton.

skills that will last a lifetime.

Favorite campus memories: It was an honor to be a Yucca

Coming back to UNT:

Beauty twice at the same time

We decided about 20 years ago

with two future Miss Americas,

that the UNT Coliseum and campus

Advice for parents:

Visit northtexan.unt.edu/

Phyllis George and Shirley Cothran

would be a great place for the

Dance and drill team is a wonder-

online to read more Q&A.

Barret (’73, ’74 M.Ed.). That’s my

annual American Dance/Drill Team

ful way for young women (and

Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 17

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

17 6/5/15 8:33 PM

JOIN US THIS YEAR Established in 1890, the University of North Texas thrives as a public research university with 36,000 students and a path to any career. As we’ve grown into the nation’s 25th largest university, our impact has grown, but we’ve never lost sight of our beginnings above a hardware store on the Denton town square.

Founder’s Week

Homecoming Week Oct. 5-10, 2015

April 14-17, 2016

UNT will formally kick off its 125th anniversary by honoring the day of its founding – Sept. 16, 1890 – with highlights including the President’s State of the University Address and the season’s first home football game.

Celebrate UNT’s spirit, history, traditions and achievements through a weeklong series of activities, including UNT’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards, Spirit March and bonfire that Friday and parade and football game on Saturday.

This series of events to culminate UNT’s 125th anniversary year will include the grand opening and dedication of the new University Union, open houses and tours, Green and White game, concert series and the Wingspan Gala.

Sept. 16-19, 2015

Wingspan

Visit 125.unt.edu 18

The

154010-UNT.indd 18

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Summer 2015

6/5/15 8:33 PM

Muse

Check out upcoming events

Michael Clements

page 21

ARTISTIC ENERGY Alum is leading a DIY community through his art and music collective endeavors and was named one of Dallas Observer’s 100 Dallas Creatives.

Read more about UNT’s influence on Peña’s career at northtexan.unt.edu/artistic-energy.

ARTHUR PEÑA (’08) IMMERSES HIMSELF IN creative projects one after another. He founded the former experimental art space Ware:Wolf:Haus in West Dallas and now runs Vice Palace, a “roving music venue” in which acts perform at galleries and various locations in DFW. And Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs awarded him $5,000 to start a cassette tape label. But he says painting helps him reflect on life.

“It’s a way to slow myself down and attempt to work through the inevitability of death and the impending void of nothingness,” says Peña, who studied art at UNT. “The paintings can be beautiful, but there’s something manic about them.”

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 19

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

19 6/16/15 10:19 PM

Muse Books Essays of a lifetime Bonnie Friedman, associate professor of English, describes her book, Surrendering Oz (Etruscan Press) as “a memoir in essays about how I learned to think.”

Friedman completed the project thanks to a fellowship from UNT’s Institute for the Advancement of the Arts, which gives faculty members a semester off to work on creative projects full time.

“It charts the emotional awakening of a bookish Bronx girl — a desire to understand

the significance of my own life experiences and what they indicated about the nature of friendship, marriage, life and death, all the big subjects,” she says. “An essay is a way to think and feel something through.

It is the tool I use to grasp my own experiences.”

Texas women Elizabeth Hayes Turner, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of history, co-edited the book Texas Women: Their Histories, Their Lives (University of Georgia Press), which profiles women who have made profound changes in the Lone

Star state. The 22 chapters cover subjects ranging from essays on Indian women, businesswomen and ranchers, to biographies of Jovita Idar, Mae Jemison, Oveta Culp Hobby and Barbara Jordan.

Contributors to the book include Jean Stuntz (’96 M.A., ’00 Ph.D.), Jessica BrannonWranosky (’10 Ph.D.), Laura McLemore (’98 Ph.D.) and Bianca Mercado (’08 M.A.).

Mesa Verde inspiration Steve Wolverton (’07 Ph.D.), associate professor of geography, and former UNT English lecturer David Taylor, now a visiting

assistant professor at Stony Brook University, co-edited Sushi in Cortez: Interdisciplinary Essays on Mesa Verde (University of Utah Press), which focuses on the region in Colorado and Utah known for its archaeology and indigenous population.

Wolverton, Taylor and Melinda Levin (’92 M.S.), professor of media arts, joined researchers from around the country who traveled to the area to gain new perspectives on their disciplines. The visit inspired a film by Levin and poetry by Taylor.

“This was not a creative process for me,” Wolverton says. “This was a self-reflection process. It was one of the most enriching experiences in my career.”

Faculty fellows Two faculty members will expand upon work they’ve done in the past when they complete projects as the 2015-16 fellows in UNT’s Institute for the Advancement of the Arts. Shelley Cushman, professor of dance, and Matthew Bourbon, associate professor of studio arts, will be granted a semester off from teaching duties to work on their projects.

For Cushman, that project will be research to choreograph a new work and to reconstruct three existing works, with the goal of having them filmed and included in Cinematic Caricatures, which is part of the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts’ dance collection. She began the project in 1996 when College of Music professor Phil Winsor, who died in 2012, asked Cushman if she would choreograph some of his music compositions.

It includes 30 works, 26 of which have been completed.

“Each piece takes the title of the music composition — but I don’t know what the title Gary Payne

is before I choreograph it,” Cushman says. “I want to get the feel from the music when choreographing the piece, rather than knowing what Phil thought it was about.”

Bourbon will be completing a new body of mid- and large-scale paintings and a suite of drawings. In recent years, he has traveled to various points in Europe and Japan and returned to create works that combine his interest in the historical traditions of Western art with the shallow and truncated space found in Eastern art.

He finds inspiration from images in a variety of sources — film stills, illustrations, advertising, mail catalogs and fabric designs — and his collage-like paintings appear both representational and abstract.

“I think of it as akin to jazz music,” he says, “where there is a foundational structure for the medium but, within it, ample room for improvisation.”

20

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 20

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:20 PM

Dream gig Jason Levi (’04, ’07 M.M.) gets lots of questions about his job with Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza.

“Maybe the hardest thing about the gig is explaining to people that, yes, I’m an artist in Cirque, and no, I don’t fly through the air,” he says.

Levi plays trumpet for the show. And he’s used the music and business skills he learned at UNT. Levi created GigShark, web-based software that allows freelance performers to manage their calendar and financial details.

He was inspired to create GigShark from a music industry entrepreneurship class he taught at UNT in the late ’00s.

The software makes it easier for him to focus on his music.

Levi says Cirque du Soleil is a “dream gig” because he can travel around the world for free. He even performed at Royal Albert Hall in London for eight weeks.

He always remembers his time at UNT, which includes playing in the One O’Clock Lab Band.

“I truly believe there is no better place to hone your skills as a musician,” he says. “And the professional connections you make with your peers will last a lifetime.”

Dance and Theatre

Ashley Fisher

Class clowns

The improv group Roll Out the Barrel knows how to stir up laughs. The group of UNT students placed third in the preliminary round of the national College Improv Tournament in March in Chicago.

That makes it the No. 1 team in the Southwest

and third in the South. The team — seniors Jason Pollard and Cotton Hensley, junior Seth Jones and sophomore Jose Rodriguez — shows the rise in improv at UNT. Last year’s team, Cell Block Tango, also made it to nationals, and students often train at the Dallas Comedy House.

“The experience was amazing,” Pollard says. “Improv is naturally a more supportive thing than other ‘tournament’ performance arts, so everyone there was just really accepting and great. It didn’t feel like a tournament. It felt like a big all-day improv show!”

Upcoming Events

The work of Joe Clark and his son Junebug, left, whose photographs have been featured in Life and National Geographic magazines and Jack Daniel’s Distillery advertisements — will be on display in the exhibition Pictures That Tell a Story through July 22 at UNT on the Square. The pictures include many of their shots of life in Cumberland Gap, Tenn. Junebug Clark is a consultant for the Mayborn School of Journalism. Learn more at untonthesquare.unt.edu.

Summer camps at the College of Music bring plenty of free concerts.

Bass Bash, the finale concert of the Lynn Seaton Jazz Double Bass Camp and the UNT Bass camps, will feature 80 to 90 bassists on stage performing together and takes place at 7:30 p.m. June 12 in the Music Building’s Voertman Hall. The Texas All-State Choir Final Concert, with students in grades 9-12, will perform at 3:30 p.m. July 11 in the Winspear Performance Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center.The Mariachi Workshop Final Concert will spotlight high school students who have performed and practiced their mariachi music skills with Jose Hernandez, founder of Mariachi Sol de Mexico. It takes place at 1:30 p.m. July 25 in the Winspear. Learn more at music.unt.edu.

Barbara Ehrenreich, who wrote about working at minimum wage jobs for three months in the bestselling memoir Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference July 17-19 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine. More than 25 nationally acclaimed writers will explore the conference theme of the great divide in social, economic, racial, cultural and political issues in American society. Learn more at themayborn.com.

Permanence/ Impermanence is an exhibition curated by the College of Visual Arts and Design photography program that features video, sculpture and photography from five artists around the nation. It runs Sept. 10-Oct. 17 in the UNT Art Gallery. At UNT ArtSpace Dallas, four CVAD artists will be featured in the Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas show Aug. 15-Sept. 16. Learn more at gallery.unt.edu.

Visit calendar.unt.edu for more upcoming events.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 21

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

21 6/10/15 1:20 PM

Muse Veteran performer

Music

International theatre

Kelsey Frvi

Ana Armenta (’15) is spending her first summer out of college at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland, attending a four-week intensive program that accepts only 21 students from around the world.

22

The

154010-UNT.indd 22

No r t h Texa n

|

Armenta knew it was right for her because she loves Irish theatre and wanted one-onone direction.

She appeared in the lead role of the UNT production of The Diver’s Wife and would like to pursue acting as a career. She originally intended to go into production.

“But, I took an acting class, loved it and stuck with it,” she says. “My education has really helped me refine my skills and explore different ways of approaching a role or a project.”

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Wesley Kirk

Timothy Fielding

House music

Some of the haunting music in the Netflix TV show House of Cards was made in a dorm room at UNT. Henry Beal, a sophomore jazz studies major who plays bass, is the son of the series’ composer, Jeff Beal, and his recordings were used for the main titles and several episodes.

“I’d played bass tracks on scores for my dad previously, but this one was easily the most high profile and compelling,” he says. “It’s always odd to hear yourself play, but Jeff mixes everything extremely well, so it sounds like my bass is a natural part of the soundscape of the show.”

Trumpet man

Freddie Jones (’83) is often heard playing the trumpet during the national anthem at the Dallas Cowboys’ home games and in venues around the world.

Snarky Puppy movie Mr. Magic Carpet Ride Productions

K Callan (’64) has dueled with Archie Bunker and raised Superman. Callan, who first attended North Texas in the 1950s as Kay Borman and returned in the ’60s to complete her degree in speech and drama, has established herself in a wide range of parts in four decades of acting.

Her breakthrough performance came in 1970 in the movie Joe with Peter Boyle. She got to shoot in Spain for A Touch of Class with Glenda Jackson and George Segal. On a groundbreaking episode of All in the Family, she played the lesbian partner of Edith Bunker’s cousin Liz. She portrayed Ma Kent in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and she guest starred in countless episodes of ER, CSI, How I Met Your Mother, Nip/ Tuck, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and Justified.

She’s written several books including How to Sell Yourself as an Actor and Directing Your Directing Career about how to get work in the entertainment field. But her love for acting comes first.

“I decided I wanted to be an actress at about age 5,” she says.

“I’m sure if you had asked me, I would have said what most young people say: ‘I just want to.’ And it’s a rocky road — a terribly difficult, but very rewarding career.”

And the Carrollton-based musician makes sure others get to play the instrument. In 2007, he founded the organization Trumpets4Kids, which has donated at least 15 trumpets a year to students and invites them to concerts to hear trumpeters. In return, the students promise to practice one hour a day.

Those students might develop the same affection for the instrument that he has.

“I am a trumpet player because it’s what I find is my soul mate,” he says.

Snarky Puppy, the Grammy Award-winning jazz band that was formed at UNT, is now on the big screen. The concert film Sylva features the band recording with the Metropole Orkest, an orchestra based in the Netherlands. It also includes interviews and rehearsal footage. Sylva is the name of the band’s latest album and is the first on a major label.

The band’s leader Michael League co-directed the film with Andy LaViolette (’11).

It premiered in April at the Movie Tavern in Denton and will be shown at other theaters.

“It was surreal to see something we created on such a familiar screen,” says LaViolette,

Summer 2015

6/5/15 8:33 PM

who runs Mr. Magic Carpet Ride Productions in Denton.

“Snarky Puppy has given my career such a meaningful direction with the way their web videos speak to millions of people all over the world.”

Television and Film Beautiful job

Renee Vance Brunson (’02) has stitched up a nice career in the entertainment world.

She and her husband, actor Will Brunson (’00), whom she met when they worked on a play at UNT, run FreakFly production company.

She has worked in costuming in New York City theatre, including the Broadway run of The Color Purple, and several soap operas. For the last three years, she has served as wardrobe supervisor for The Bold and the Beautiful. The show recently won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costume Design.

“We all feel really proud to be recognized because our team is very small,” she says.

“We each play a pivotal role to get the show looking good.”

Visual Arts Artist community

Abigail Sherrill (’15 M.F.A.), left, and Rachel Fischer (’08, ’15 M.F.A.), right, are turning a former auto mechanic’s shop on S. Woodrow Lane in Denton into an artists’ community.

They plan to open Brick Haus Collective, which will

provide studio space and host arts programming, such as pop-up exhibitions, workshops and lectures.

The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas awarded them a $1,000 micro-grant for their efforts.

“The multidisciplinary environment that we experienced in graduate school was a huge inspiration in the development of our own work, and we wanted to make that accessible beyond a university setting,” Fischer says.

“There has been a history of successful collectives and DIY art organizations in Denton. We are really reviving that tradition but on a more expansive level.”

Return to radio For three weeks in March, listeners of North Texas Jukebox on campus radio station KNTU-FM heard a voice that introduced music on KDGE-FM, The Edge’s Local Edge show for five years, and now showcases Dallas-Fort Worth musicians on KTCK-AM’s newest program, The Local Ticket.

Mark Schectman (’05), who majored in radio, television and film, returned to campus as a fill-in host of North Texas Jukebox, which he helped to start as a student.

The program, airing Sundays from 7 to 10 p.m., is KNTU’s only all-request show for any genre of music. Schectman, voted Best Local Music Advocate by readers of the Dallas Observer, trained the show’s current student DJ, Bennett Morris, to take over as the new host on March 22.

Gary Payne

Morris’ debut was the same evening as Schectman’s debut on The Local Ticket, which airs opposite North Texas Jukebox from 8-10 p.m. Sundays.

KNTU programs, operations and news manager Mark Lambert invited Schectman to be the fill-in host.

“Mark and I have stayed in touch over the years since he graduated,” Lambert says. “I couldn’t have been more pleased that he had the time, and willingness, to come back and help a current student at KNTU learn how to do a show that he helped create. Bennett was able to learn some on-air skills from a really good broadcaster and Mark got a kick out of reliving some of his past.”

Schectman adds, “I had some of the best times of my life at KNTU, so it was an honor to get asked to come back and help out. Having the opportunity to work at a fully operational radio station on campus, under the guidance of Mark Lambert and (KNTU general manager) Russ Campbell, was instrumental in my career. I loved seeing the enthusiasm for radio that Bennett and the rest of the current students have.”

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 23

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

23 6/10/15 1:20 PM

by N K

C

asey Carr (’01) knows the impact that travel can have on people’s lives. As a general manager of his family’s travel agency and award-winning filmmaker for the cruise and tour industry, he connects people to places on their bucket lists ranging from weekend escapes and family vacations to soul-seeking adventures.

He has journeyed to and filmed on all seven continents, including Antarctica, and the Arctic Circle. In 2012, he organized a unique journey to Vietnam and Cambodia, trekking along with several Vietnam vets — men who had not been back since the war ended 40 years earlier.

“It was a very emotional trip for them,” Carr says.

The group visited the Cu Chi tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City, site of the Viet Cong’s base of operations for the 1968 Tet Offensive.

“We sat and listened to a Viet Cong vet tell his side of the war through an interpreter,” Carr says, adding that it brought a sense of peace. “At the end, our vets hugged and cried and shook hands with him. It was a pretty powerful moment, and from that point on, those guys seemed a little bit lighter, like they had let go of something.”

Carr is just one of many UNT alumni working in tourism and hospitality careers helping to shape travelers’ specialized experiences. The industry supported more than 100 million jobs worldwide and 8.1 million direct jobs in the U.S. during 2013, according to the U.S. Travel Association and World Travel and Tourism Council.

24

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 24

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

While a large number of graduates of UNT’s hospitality and tourism management bachelor’s and master’s degree programs seek careers at resort, hotel and restaurant brands, alumni from disciplines such as business, history and journalism also work in the industry as tour guides, filmmakers and travel writers.

And since 2012, graduates of MIST — a joint master’s degree program in international sustainable tourism that is the first of its kind in the U.S. — have worked in sustainable tourism. The graduates of this joint program between UNT and CATIE, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica, are ensuring that travel to fragile, pristine and, often, environmentally protected areas is low impact and on a sustainable scale.

Students are engaging in the management of intangible services, which is vastly different from managing a product manufactured by a company, says Daniel Spears, UNT associate professor of hospitality and tourism management and director of the MIST program.

“We don’t have inventory, so how we assess quality in the travel and tourism field is through experiences,” he says.

“The nature of our industry is people, and understanding the industry as a whole is vital for our success.”

FAMILY BUSINESS Carr grew up in the tourism industry after his father began Sharon Carr Travel in Dallas in 1969. Carr and his

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:31 PM

Casey Carr (’01), filmmaker for Globe Trek Productions and general manager of Sharon Carr Travel agency in Dallas.

Gary Payne

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 25

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

25 6/16/15 10:31 PM

“It’s a lot of work to coordinate all of the reservations and activities for a huge group, but it’s so fulfilling when we get to be there to see our customers’ experiences,” he says. “Some clients bring postcards with them that their grandparents sent years ago from their native country, and now they’re finally getting to go.”

Jansen Medeiros (’14 M.S., ’14 M.B.A.), a native of Maui and managing director of Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts there, also grew up with tourism as a family business. His parents and grandmother worked at resorts in the Ka’anapali Beach area. As a child, Medeiros was at his parents’ workplace almost daily during the summer and weekly during the school year.

“I wasn’t alone. Many of my friends’ parents also worked at the resorts,” he says. “In the summer, I’d ride my bike to Ka’anapali in the morning, then meet my dad for a ride home during the afternoon. I always had an interest in the business.”

Medeiros served in the Hawaii Air National Guard and earned a bachelor’s degree in management online before working in information technology for Royal Lahaina Resort, one of Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts’ four properties. After meeting his wife, Kellie, a Fort Worth native, Medeiros decided to move to Fort Worth and attend graduate school at UNT. “A master’s degree was always part of what I wanted to achieve,” says Medeiros, who earned master’s degrees in hospitality management and in Mike Pistana business administration. (’93), vice Not long after Medeiros president of sales for entered the M.B.A. program, Monte Carlo real estate professor John Resort and Baen connected him to UNT Casino in Las alumni who were executives Vegas, Nev. for Prism Hotels and Resorts in Dallas. Medeiros worked for the hotel management, investment and advisory services company during the rest of his time at UNT. At Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts, a family-owned company that focuses on providing authentic island culture, Medeiros says he makes it a point to attend weekly guest receptions showcasing Hawaiian

older sister started traveling with their parents when they were still infants. Thinking he would someday work in travel himself, he began studies at UNT as a business major, but he was drawn to history.

“I had been exposed to so many different cultures and We want to historical sites while growing provide [our guests] up,” he says.

Carr was a captain on both with a one-of-a-kind the intramural hockey and experience. lacrosse teams at UNT. Just after graduating, he spent nine — Jansen Medeiros months traveling through the U.S., Canada and Mexico with a friend, and then worked briefly for Cruise West in Seattle and for Carnival Cruise Lines before returning to Dallas to work with his family.

The company contracts with CBS Radio in Dallas and radio stations in Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix and other markets to offer vacation packages and cruises, serving about 5,000 radio listeners each year. Carr, who leads group tours to Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and other destinations, hosts the KLUV World Tour on the station’s Jody Dean Morning Show.

Jesse Antonio

154010-UNT-R3.indd 26

6/16/15 10:31 PM

Manuel Balesteri

Jansen Medeiros (’14 M.S., ’14 M.B.A.), managing director of Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts in Maui, Hawaii.

food and entertainment and employee training sessions for providing traditional island hospitality.

“I enjoy observing how our guests interact with our associates and use our services,” he says, adding that the more he learns, the better the staff can respond to guests’ needs.

“We want to provide them with a one-of-a-kind experience.”

DESTINATION TRIPS Mike Pistana (’93) also strives to create a special experience for visitors to Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. As vice president of sales, he books and oversees accommodations for more than 500 conventions, tour groups and others each year, including meeting space and hotel rooms. He also serves on Monte Carlo’s executive committee, helping with daily operations.

“It’s fast-paced action 24 hours a day. I love being part of that,” he says. “The Monte Carlo has 3,000 rooms, so

154010-UNT-R3.indd 27

we could have 10,000 people in the building on a day.”

Pistana meets with convention and tour planners at least a year in advance, working with them and the hotel’s staff on everything from audiovisual services to floral arrangements and banquets. He also provides options for activities in the resort, including entertainment and meals at the eight on-site restaurants.

“The reward is knowing that a group had a successful stay,” he says, noting that his staff goes the extra mile, often forming welcoming lines, greeting customers and thanking them for their stay. “We have a lot of repeat business. It’s also great to hear about feedback given to employees by the planners.”

Pistana came to UNT on a basketball scholarship, playing small forward. He chose to study hospitality management after growing up in a tourist area — Daytona Beach, Fla. His uncle, an executive with American Airlines, also steered him toward the industry. A year before he graduated, Pistana landed a summer internship with the Golden Nugget Las Vegas after his uncle introduced him to contacts at the resort and casino. The opportunity led to a full- time job after graduation at the property, which at the time was owned by MGM Resorts International.

Pistana has since spent his career with other MGM properties — the Bellagio Las Vegas as well as Monte Carlo. His wife, Andrea Bresler Pistana (’94), also has a hospitality degree and worked for MGM until she became a stay-at-home mom.

The Pistanas left Las Vegas for five years when Mike was hired for the pre-opening team of MGM’s Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss. It was the largest casino and hotel outside of Nevada, and one of the most expensive to be built, when it opened in 1999.

“It’s a mini Bellagio,” says Pistana, who adds that it was difficult at first to book conventions and other groups for a hotel that didn’t have a major airport nearby, was located in an area that had never had a four-star resort, and needed 3,000 employees trained UNT’s MIST in four-star-level program opened service.

“The prea whole new way opening team’s of thinking for me. goal was to make the Beau Rivage — Kristina Blahová

6/16/15 10:31 PM

Elaine Nunn Schoch (’99), founder and blogger for Carpe Travel in Denver, Colo.

Kristina Blahová (’13 M.S.), tour guide and volunteer coordinator for the Foundation for Alternative Responsible Development in the Galápagos Islands.

Christina Kiffney

a destination, but people weren’t used to paying higher hotel rates,” he says, recalling the challenge of getting them in the door the first time with special incentives and discounts. “The first year was a little rough. I really learned to hone my sales skills.”

Pistana notes Beau Rivage has since been “incredibly successful,” with rebookings and repeat business even after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and closing for a year.

NICHE TRAVEL Elaine Nunn Schoch (’99) writes about specialized travel experiences for Carpe Travel, a blog she founded and edits. Schoch, who graduated with a journalism

28

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 28

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

degree, says her readers expect exceptional value for the money they spend.

“They want to go to luxury hotels or stay at a nice resort, but they still want prices that are friendly for their budgets,” she says.

Carpe Travel is a second career for Schoch, a Denver resident who worked in public relations and marketing for technology companies for more than 10 years. While she often traveled for business, she didn’t do a lot of vacation travel until her father died suddenly at age 53.

“My dad had planned to travel the world after retirement, but he never got to,” she says. “So, I made my own bucket list and started making it happen.”

Traveling first on her own, then with her husband and two young daughters, Schoch has visited Brazil, Canada, Italy, Mexico and Russia as well as many parts of the U.S. She says Carpe Travel started as a hobby.

“I was traveling a lot when I first left the corporate world and began public relations work as a consultant.

The world was literally my office,” Schoch says. “I decided I would write about my travels and share photos on a blog to update the family on what we were doing and seeing. When I saw the potential business opportunities, I shifted gears and put more focus on taking the blog to the next level.”

She writes about two specific types of travel — winerelated travel and value luxury travel with children, based

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:31 PM

Luis Arias Morales

on her personal experiences.

Schoch recalls a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she and her daughters met family friends.

Her daughters spoke little Spanish and her friends’ children spoke little English.

“Within five minutes of reaching the beach house, the kids were in the backyard playing chase,” she says, adding that children have a built-in tolerance for those who are different than they are. “Language didn’t matter and the color of their skin was not important. All they knew was that they had an amazing time and made new friends.”

Both children and adults should travel to become more respectful of different cultures and traditions and experience them outside of textbooks, magazines and travel blogs, Schoch says.

“That doesn’t mean you have to go to India, Russia, Italy or another country,” she says. “It can be going from Denton to New York City.”

On Carpe Travel, Schoch shares tips and reviews of destinations as well as travel products, hotels and restaurants. She reaches out to specific brands and also is contacted by companies to advertise on the blog.

“The power of word-of-mouth marketing from online influences can be better than gold for the travel industry,” says Schoch, whose long-term goal is to make the blog a full online travel magazine. “This audience is one that’s loyal and trusts the influencer they’re reading.”

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM A part of the world that has only recently embraced tourism is the focus of Kristina Blahová (’13 M.S.), who leads tours in the Galápagos Islands west of Ecuador.

After receiving her master’s degree in international sustainable tourism from UNT’s MIST program, Blahová went to Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos to volunteer with the Foundation for Alternative Responsible Development. The nonprofit organization created the Pájaro Brujo Reserve and offers volunteer projects in organic agriculture, ecological restoration, environmental education and other areas.

Blahová volunteered for three months at the reserve,

leading high school and university groups on tours, before being hired as the foundation’s volunteer coordinator. She now gives private tours of Santa Cruz and also teaches English as a second language. Blahová, whose native language is Czech, learned English and Spanish at a young age and traveled to other nations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

She became interested in sustainable tourism on a scuba diving trip in Egypt, years prior to enrolling in UNT’s joint master’s program in the field.

“I saw the immense impact of mass tourism on the marine environment and also the local culture, including damaged coral reefs, a depleted and vulnerable Red Sea ecosystem, pollution and degradation of cultural and social values,” Blahová says. “UNT’s MIST program opened a whole new way of thinking for me and of looking at the world and its issues.”

As part of the program, Blahová studied for a year at CATIE in Costa Rica, and knew she wanted to find a job in Latin America to explore more of its nature and culture.

“I decided on the Galápagos because of its unique history, endemic species of animals and plants, and issues associated with population growth and the increase of uncontrolled tourism to the islands,” she says.

Annual tourist numbers in the Galápagos soared from less than 50,000 in 1991 to more than 180,000 in 2012, leading to one of the islands’ two airports being renovated for larger planes.

Blahová, who hopes to start her own sustainable travel business in South America, reminds her English students and foundation volunteers about the value of ecotourism.

“It’s important for travelers to be responsible for decisions that may have an impact not only on them,” she says, “but also on other people, animals and nature.”

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES Visit northtexan.unt.edu/online to find Casey Carr’s (’01) and Elaine Nunn Schoch’s (’99) best travel tips to ensure that your next family vacation, business trip or excursion with friends is memorable. Also, share photos of you wearing UNT green on your summer vacation by emailing them to northtexan@ unt.edu or posting at twitter.com/northtexan for inclusion in a future issue.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R2.indd 29

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

29 6/12/15 6:35 PM

Focus

Michael Clements

FA C U LT Y

John Quintanilla, professor of mathematics, earned UNT’s nomination for the 2014 and 2015 U.S. Professor of the Year at the last two Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards events.

Seeing students succeed Award-winning faculty members reveal how students ‘get’ the lessons that they have taught.

30

The

154010-UNT.indd 30

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

It could be as simple as a note or an expression on a student’s face.

Or it could be as significant as seeing a student turn a class assignment into a presentation or of knowing the teaching methods they modeled are used in other classrooms. But faculty members say that, whatever the method, it means a lot when they see their student succeed.

“I maintain high standards for my students, and I also provide them with the necessary tools to meet those standards,” says John Quintanilla, professor of mathematics and UNT nominee for 2014 and 2015 U.S. Professor of the Year. “I show compassion to my students and their struggles. I’m happy to stop and talk with groups of students who are studying in the lobby if they have questions about my course. I especially hope that I provide a positive example for my future mathematics teachers when they begin their careers.”

Summer 2015

6/5/15 8:33 PM

“

I know I have made a lasting impact when students experience and appreciate the connection between what is studied and how it relates to the real world. I may get calls or emails from former students thanking me for information they are now using in their jobs. Sometimes, they share information and articles they find in the media that relate to our course content. These are the times when I feel that they ‘got it,’ and that I did my job well.

”

— Nancy Boyd Lillie, professor of management and 2014 winner of the Outstanding Online Teacher and Course Award

“

Nothing is more rewarding to me as a teacher than seeing my students succeed. When a former UNT student sits on a plenary panel at a national conference with me, as Paige Reynolds (’02 M.A., ’06 Ph.D.) recently did, or when a former UNT student places an article in the most competitive journal in our field, as Jeff Doty (’02 M.A.) recently did, or when a former UNT student secures one of the few tenure-track positions in our field, as Amanda Kellogg (’14 Ph.D.) recently did, I feel that I have succeeded as a teacher.

“

”

— Jacqueline Vanhoutte, associate professor of English and UNT Distinguished Teaching Professor and 2014 winner of the J.H. Shelton Excellence in Teaching Award

In my early years in higher education, my questions centered on the issue of how to do all the teaching, research and service, as well as ‘have a life.’ My dean at the time said something that I will never forget — and that I always pass on to my doctoral students. Teach, research, present and write. This is the way to build your focus and expertise effectively as you use your limited time well.

”

— Jane B. Huffman, professor of teacher education and administration and 2014 winner of the Research Leadership Award

“

I teach a class that is required of economics majors involving basic concepts in probability and statistics. A substantial proportion of students in this class come to the class expecting it to be tremendously boring and not especially useful to them. The moments of which I am most proud as an educator are those ‘light bulb’ moments when a student realizes that he or she is capable of the work, and that the material is relevant to his or her life and career.

”

— Michael A. McPherson, professor of economics and 2014 winner of the UNT Piper Professor Nomination Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 31

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

31 6/5/15 8:33 PM

Michael Clements

Connie Hong (’12)

32

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 32

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Summer 2015

6/10/15 1:21 PM

Driving Effective

Supply Chains Optimizing transportation with big data, alumni provide solutions for efficiently managing distribution of goods and services.

)

J

by M B

Jets and helicopters fascinated Connie Hong (’12) as a little girl. She never realized she would one day be responsible for aircraft like those her father maintained in the U.S. Air Force or the airplanes her mom worked on for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, then known as General Dynamics. Now Hong, who is forging her own career as a program planner at Lockheed Martin — one of the world’s largest defense contractors — is part of a fleet of people responsible for keeping the company’s military aircraft safe and in the sky.

“We have to know how to sustain an aircraft over time and maintain it for its life after we have built it,” says Hong, a graduate of UNT’s logistics program with a specialization in aviation. “We must work with our suppliers and manage staffing for the repairs. It’s all about minimizing down time, improving efficiency and reducing costs.”

Hong, like many others, turned to UNT’s top-ranked logistics program for its national reputation in preparing students to manage supply chains effectively.

Best in class UNT’s supply chain management undergraduate program is ranked No. 3 in the nation on Software Advice’s 2015 list, and after two consecutive wins of the Intermodal Association of North America’s annual challenge and expo, a UNT team took the top prize at the IANA-University of North Florida annual case competition this year for the first time.

UNT ranked sixth on Gartner Research’s list of top U.S. supply chain undergraduate programs and 24th on its graduate programs list. And soon, the aviation logistics program will expand, in a partnership with Tarrant County College to propel community college students to a four-year degree and a career as a pilot.

“I was impressed with UNT from the start,” says Hong, who was able to gain hands-on learning through an internship at the Denton Municipal Airport. She says with the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s seven interstate highways, seven freight rail lines and three big airports — DFW International Airport, Alliance Airport and

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 33

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

33 6/16/15 10:42 PM

George Fegan (’13)

Michael Clements

Michael Clements

Jason Campbell (’00, ’05 M.B.A.)

Lessons learned

Love Field — UNT logistics learners are poised for their careers in an ever-expanding logistics hub.

“There is definitely a demand for UNT graduates,” Hong says.

Jason Campbell (’00, ’05 M.B.A.), transportation and logistics manager for Martin Marietta, agrees.

“There are tremendous opportunities for logistics careers in our region,” he says.

Campbell got his start as an undergraduate working part time as a concrete dispatcher 17 years ago for TXI, or Texas Industries, one of the largest construction materials producers in the U.S. He’s held many positions in the company and now manages inbound and outbound logistics for the DFW Ready Mix division of Martin Marietta, a heavyweight in the manufacture of construction and building materials that merged with TXI in 2014.

They deliver the pre-mixed concrete up to a thousand times a day throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The variable weather, number of delivery trucks, traffic patterns and unpredictable needs of clients leave little room logistically for errors.

“It ultimately doesn’t matter how much product you can make if you can’t move it,” says Campbell, who wrote his master’s thesis on centralized distribution of ready-mixed concrete. “The challenge of our finished product is, once it’s mixed, you only have so long to deliver. You can’t return it, put it on a shelf or stockpile it.”

34

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 34

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

Campbell recalls “the beer game,” a lesson in the bullwhip effect shared by Terry Pohlen, associate professor of logistics, showing how small changes become amplified along a supply chain. Assigned a hypothetical beer delivery for a football game, students were given roles for everything from sourcing materials to client ordering. They all needed someone else in the supply chain to complete their parts.

They didn’t know that one student was told to purposely sabotage the game.

“It made me think of logistics in a different way and consider the impact that outside forces can have on your supply chain,” Campbell says. “It stuck with me.”

George Fegan (’13), a railcar equipment specialist at BNSF in Fort Worth, says UNT’s program helped him learn about the importance of hands-on experience, which helped him develop his talents.

He began in the management trainee program at BNSF, an industry leader in logistics transportation and the secondlargest freight railroad in North America.

That training role eventually led to his current position, in which he oversees and manages a fleet of railcars.

The required internship program has made UNT logistics graduates highly competitive in the field.

“They have near perfect job placement,” says Fegan, who started work two days after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in

|

logistics and professional certification from the American Society of Transportation and Logistics. “I realized how competitive the degree program is on a national scale.”

It was as a UNT student at Operation Stimulus, a nationwide conference and logistics case competition, that Fegan first networked with recruiters from BNSF. He also was a member of the supply chain management organization and met logistics leaders throughout the U.S. “The power of networking is crucial,” says Beth Mars (’06), manager of the transportation, technology and network optimization team for Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo that manufactures snack goods.

“Students should take every opportunity they have to meet people in the industry and learn from them — that’s invaluable in the workplace.”

Mars made friends with fellow students in the logistics student association. They still keep in contact, nearly 10 years later.

“We run problems by each other and network when we know of someone looking for a job,” says Mars, who received the certified transportation professional top graduate award from the National Private Truck Council in 2014.

Rich collaborations At Frito-Lay, Mars and a team of network coordinators are responsible for transportation planning, network efficiency and technology solutions for 31 traffic

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:42 PM

NEW LOGISTICS CENTER With the opening of UNT’s Complex Logistics Systems

Beth Mars (’06)

Laboratory, students and faculty team with industry partners to solve real-world problems faced by top companies. From PepsiCo to Greyhound to BNSF — the very businesses hiring

Michael Clements

UNT graduates — students uncover ways to best manage

154010-UNT-R4.indd 35

The lab comes equipped with interactive simulation systems, data visualizations, research capabilities, complex 3-D modeling, six computer workstations and two 70-inch touchscreen monitors.

The facility, which opened in UNT’s Business Leadership Building in 2014, will be part of the coming Logistics Systems Institute to further bring together researchers across disciplines and serve as the intellectual hub for researching complex logistics systems and their potential to impact regional economies in a global network. Logistics experts are offering companies research that can help cut costs and save consumers money.

“We want to be the go-to place where people can get current information about what is happening in logistics and international trade,” says Terry Pohlen, associate professor of logistics and director of the Center for Logistics Education and Research.

Michael Clements

centers in the U.S. and Canada.

She began working at the Plano-based company 10 years ago, helping to secure third-party freight carriers, and has since worked to improve supply chain efficiency by managing data in financial accounts and optimizing the freight network.

“I work cross functionally with data to come up with new and innovative ways to do the things we do better: reduce miles from the transportation network, enhance routing systems,” Mars says.

Along the way, she’s learned that logistics is more than delivering goods from one place to another and crunching numbers. For example, weather events like a hurricane can be crippling to the supply chain.

“We have to redeploy our assets and provide products where they’re most needed,” she says. “And keep employees and consumers out of harm’s way.”

Mars says UNT prepares students to be thought leaders for logistics in the North Texas region and beyond. And industry connections make graduates marketable.

She often returns to campus as the UNT liaison for Frito-Lay’s supply chain steering committee and has partnered with transportation students on class projects.

“They’ve come up with great ideas and solved problems for us,” she says, adding that she also speaks to student groups.

“I hope to help students gain a foothold in their careers,” Mars says, “the way that UNT helped me.”

distribution of goods and services, saving time and money.

Learn how Nathan Chaney (’09), a logistics branch manager for Mainfreight in Grapevine, provides distribution services solutions for customers at northtexan.unt.edu/ online.

6/17/15 3:05 PM

EAGLES’

Nest

Get connected at upcoming alumni gatherings page 39

Michael Clements

RISE TO TOP Accounting alums created their own recipes for success, and now they’re recognized for being among the best in their fields.

Read more about their UNT experiences and careers at northtexan.unt.edu/rise-to-top.

36

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 36

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

G. BRINT RYAN (’88, ’88 M.S.) AND RHYS BEST (’69) say their award-winning careers came through hard work and the foundation they received as accounting students.

“UNT gets credit for helping me grow up in a hurry,” says Ryan, chairman of the UNT System Board of Regents and chairman and CEO of the global tax services firm Ryan, adding that he landed a job before graduating. He was honored as the 2014 International Business Awards Chairman of the Year.

Best credits UNT’s faculty for helping shape his early banking career. Today, you’ll find Best, named 2014 Director of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors, serving on corporate boards and helping rebuild companies.

“I enjoy building a successful enterprise,” he says.

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:42 PM

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.

Friends

named Distinguished Alumnus at Sul Ross State University. He worked in education for 35 years as a high school teacher, coach, superintendent and professor.

He founded Southwest Investments Ltd., a diversified investment company, which he managed for more than 40 years.

Award, the highest honor given by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, in June. A past president of the organization, he has served as director of athletics at the University of South Dakota, the University of North Dakota and the University of the Pacific.

1965

1973 Terry Grapentine, Ankeny,

Michael Davidson (’67

M.Ed.), Hurst :: serves as chair

The Delta Sigma Phi National Fraternity chose UNT’s unique Greek Life Center as the site for a regional leadership academy in March. Chapters from five Texas and Louisiana universities attended. Mike Cox (’74), alumni association president for the UNT chapter, also was one of the group (pictured toward the top center, in a white shirt).

1962 Joe Taylor (’66 M.Ed.), Overton ::

retired in 2013 after 20 years of teaching and serving as a high school principal and more than 30 years of working in private business. He made a

national commercial — which also featured Felix Madrigal (’68), his North Texas roommate — for the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. He now serves on the board of the Tyler Civic Theatre.

1964 Charlie D. Nichols (M.A.,

’69 Ed.D.), Mansfield :: was

of the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation scholarship committee in Fort Worth. At a recent committee meeting, he and former scholarship winners Vianet Fuentes (’15) and UNT freshman Zoe Cannon helped select the new winners. He served as a counselor for Grapevine, Grand Prairie and Lake Worth ISDs before he retired in 2000 and also was a teacher for the Weatherford ISD.

1969 Carl Miller (Ph.D.), La

Crosse, Wis. :: received the

James J. Corbett Memorial

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 37

|

Iowa :: published Applying Scientific Reasoning to the Field of Marketing: Make Better Business Decisions (Business Expert Press). He is a marketing research consultant, helping organizations solve marketing problems and strengthen their marketing research departments.

1976

William Jackson and Chuck Gatlin (’74, ’96

M.A.), Hurst :: celebrated 41

years together in March on their 10th Caribbean cruise. They met at North Texas in 1974 when they started doing homework together and performed in German-language plays for the foreign languages department.

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

37 6/10/15 1:21 PM

EAGLES’

Nest 1978 Russ A. Schultz (D.M.A.),

Beaumont :: is retiring as dean

Margaret Swanzy

Going for the gold A pulled hamstring as a freshman on the North Texas track and field team in 1961 cut Floyd Eddy Swanzy’s (’66) athletic career short — until four years ago, when the then 69-year-old began competing in the Senior Games circuit. He read stories about Adolf Hoffman, an athlete then in his 80s who was clearing 8 feet on the pole vault. Swanzy knew he could do that.

“It was a life-long dream of mine to be a pole vaulter,” he says.

And in July, he will be one of 12,000 athletes older than 50 to compete in the 2015 National Senior Games in St. Paul, Minn. He qualified in his top event, the pole vault, as well as in the high jump, long jump, triple jump, javelin, 50m and the shot put, events he competed in for fun.

Despite his injury at North Texas, he continued to practice with the team under coach Winton “Pop” Noah. A Sigma Nu, Swanzy studied physical education and biology and took a job teaching biology and physical science at South Garland High School and serving as an assistant track coach. Later, he worked as a pharmaceutical representative for Parke-Davis and as a lighting consultant as the owner of a retail lighting store.

Swanzy’s daily workout routine includes machines at the gym in the mornings and sprints and distance running at the high school stadium — where the Springtown Porcupines play — in the afternoons. He also has a vaulting coach in Keller who helps him with his technique. A self-proclaimed multisport enthusiast, Swanzy and his wife support all the high school athletic events in Springtown.

“He’s a hero in our town,” says Margaret Newby Swanzy (’64), who studied health education and played basketball as a student. “They think he’s something because he’s now 73 and doing all this.”

At the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland, Ohio, Swanzy came in fifth in the nation with a jump of 9 feet. This year he hopes to medal.

“If I do my 9, 9-6 or maybe 10 feet, I can,” he says, and recommends the Senior Games for all those who wish to be an athlete and accomplish their goals. “There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

— Awo Eni

38

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 38

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Lamar University. He served in the position for the past 16 years after working for the previous 23 years as chair of three different music units. Last October, the International Council of Fine Arts Deans named him an Emeritus Member in recognition of his years of service.

1984 Rod Evans, Houston :: cowrote the book I’ve Been Out There: On the Road with Legends of Rock and Roll (Texas A&M University Press). The book explores the life of saxophone legend Grady Gaines, who played in the original lineup of The Upsetters, Little Richard’s back-up band in the 1950s.

1986 Steven Brown (Ph.D.), Pen-

sacola, Fla. ::

was appointed dean of the University of West Florida’s newly formed College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. Prior to that, he served as associate vice dean and dean at Mississippi State University in Meridian.

album Fork in the Road, which features blues, Irish and Christian contemporary themes. She also plays the congas and sings in the praise band for her church and she has served on musical mission trips to Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and across the United States. She works as a licensed professional counselor.

Laura Cobb Hayes (M.Ed.), Dallas :: is one of 40 women

selected to join the Leadership Women’s Leadership America Class of 2015. She has a 30-year career in education, serving as a teacher, principal and administrator. She is the chief academic officer of EdisonLearning.

William Gregory Sawyer (Ph.D.), Camarillo,

Calif. :: was named a Diamond

Program Honoree by the American College Personnel Association for his work as a mentor and student advocate at California State University Channel Islands, where he is vice president for student affairs. He previously was founding dean of students and chief student affairs officer at Florida Gulf Coast University and dean of students at UNT.

1987 Mark Spicer (’90 M.M.), New Haven, Conn.

Bonnie McEver Estes

(M.Ed.), Minden :: released the

:: is completing a three-year term as associate

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:44 PM

editor of Music Theory Spectrum, the flagship journal of the Society for Music Theory. He is a professor of music theory at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. He regularly performs as a keyboardist and vocalist with his “electric R&B group,” the Bernadettes.

1988 Georgia Caraway (M.S., ’95

Ph.D.), Denton :: has written her fourth book of Denton history, Legendary Locals of Denton (Arcadia Publishing). She was director of the Denton County museums for 14 years and now has an antique business, the Howe Mercantile, in Howe.

She also has written Tips, Tools & Techniques: Caring for Your Antiques and Collectibles (UNT Press) and is co-writing North Texas State Fair and Rodeo with Nancy Kimmey, who attended North Texas from 1975 to 1977.

Jackie Ward, Denton :: was

Phil McGraw (’76 M.A., ’79

was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Texoma branch of the National Association of Social Workers Association. She has been involved as a member of numerous boards and committees and in volunteer activities, mentoring and employment in the field of social work.

Ph.D.), presented an award at

verton, Ore. :: published his

new book, Safer Barlik: Famine in Mount Lebanon During World War I (Inkwater Press). He has traveled extensively in the Eastern Mediterranean and has studied political science and modern European history. He previously wrote The Way of the Emigrants.

joined Milligan Partners as a marketing strategist. He has more than 20 years of experience in public relations, crisis communications, branding and marketing and has worked with clients in the technology, healthcare, transportation, education, government and nonprofit fields.

Upcoming Alumni Gatherings Many exciting events are planned to celebrate UNT’s 125th anniversary year. Here are a few events on our calendar: Alumni Tailgate Events: Tailgating is a Mean Green tradition and a great way to show your green pride with your fellow alumni before home and away football games. Check out untalumni.com or visit Game Day Central at meangreensports.com throughout the season to find the latest on tailgating gatherings.

Football Season Opener: Help fill SMU’s Ford Stadium in Dallas with a sea of green for our season opener Sept. 12 against SMU. And don’t forget to buy season tickets at meangreensports.com.

Founder’s Week: Save the date for Sept. 16-19 when UNT will formally kick off its 125th anniversary by honoring the day of its founding, Sept. 16, 1890. Highlights will include the President’s State of the University Address, Family Weekend activities and the season’s first home football game against Rice.

(’89 M.S.), Washington, Ill.

Shawn Schietroma, Allen

:: was reunited with former classmates — all percussionists — when they performed at the 50th annual Academy of Country Music awards ceremony at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium in April.

He is shown second from right along with (from left) Aaron Lyons, Brian West (’92), Robert Anderson (’94), Jim Riley (’97) and Quiyan Murphy (’96). Another UNT alum,

Homecoming: Save the date for Homecoming week Oct. 5-10, when the university will celebrate 125 years of UNT’s spirit, history, traditions and achievements. Events will include long-held traditions – the Spirit March, bonfire, parade and football game against Portland State – as well as the UNT Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards event, celebrating its 50th year. Visit homecoming.unt.edu and meangreensports.com.

Alumni Cruises: Travel to far-away destinations on a UNT Alumni Association cruise. An eight-night Mediterranean cruise is set for Oct. 4-13 and will take you from Athens to Barcelona. In 2016, get away on cruises from London to Copenhagen June 13-14 and from Barcelona to Rome Oct. 14-22. Prices range from $2,899 to $3,799 per person. Visit untalumni.com.

UNT Preview: Visit campus Oct. 31 to discover UNT with your family and your friends. Learn more at untpreview.unt.edu or contact preview@unt.edu.

For more information or to join the UNT Alumni Association, call 940-565-2834 or go to untalumni.com.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT.indd 39

James Black, Houston ::

Louis Farshee (M.A.), Bea-

Paula Klendworth Skory

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time to Thrive, which came out in May. Two years ago, she underwent treatments for stage 3 breast cancer and her story is about how cancer changed her outlook on life. She is an accountant who enjoys yoga, cooking, gardening and decorative painting. At UNT, she was in Beta Alpha Psi.

Beth Ziesenis, San Diego :: spoke in April at the Phi Theta Kappa Nerd Nation conference in San Antonio and signed her book Release Your Inner Nerd.

She is the founder of technology blog Your Nerdy Best Friend.

1990

1989

:: had her essay published in

the ceremony.

1992

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

39 6/5/15 8:33 PM

EAGLES’

Nest

1993 Terry Huston, Fort Worth

:: is vice president of commercial sales at Herndon Products, a St. Louis-based distributor of aerospace components. He has more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry.

Prior to this appointment, he was a special projects manager at Lockheed Martin and, most recently, senior director of military and commercial sales at UFC Aerospace.

Keith Javors (’96 M.M.),

Philadelphia :: is president

and CEO of Inarhyme Records, which is releasing the latest recording from NDR Bigband The Hamburg Radio Jazz

Orchestra. Tales of Jasper County: The Double Double Suite is composed by Dale Wilson (’91, ’93 M.M. ) and features the band’s lead alto saxophone player Fiete Felsch. NDR Big Band is the premier orchestra of German public radio.

1994 Marshie Dodds Morgan,

Bertram :: published Thirteen

Interactive Challenges for Self-Discovery (CreateSpace), a journal that allows readers to assess their life in categories including money, health/fitness and legacy. She is a personal financial analyst, adjunct professor in culinary arts, certified life coach and writer.

Richard E. Watts (Ph.D.),

Huntsville ::

distinguished professor of counseling education at Sam Houston State University, was named a Regents Professor by the Texas State University System for his performance and contributions to the educational community.

for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

She has more than a decade of experience in governmental, private sector and nonprofit settings, including work with the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

1996 Meredith Martin,

Southlake ::

was named manager in the new offices of the Development Planning and Financing Group Inc., a real estate and financial consulting service firm,

Ewell Condron (’03 M.S.), Pottsboro, and his brother Lee Condron (’97), Anna :: completed the Frisco Railroad Run marathon in Willard, Mo. This is

Partners in life and business Carley (’02) and Carlos Gomez-Meade, who went on to become a pediatrician and a dermatologist, met during orientation week at the UNT Health Science Center’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine through mutual friends. They helped each other through medical school, earning Doctor of Osteopathy degrees in 2005, then got married and moved to Florida to start their residency programs.

“We learned to work together as a team,” says Carley, who earned her undergraduate degree in biology at UNT. After becoming parents, the Gomez-Meades, who now live in Austin, say they searched for casual and affordable clothing that would protect their children from ultraviolet radiation. They found very few options. They decided to combine their two specialties and in 2013 started Little Leaves Clothing Co., specializing in sun-protective playwear for children.

They worked to find a fabric that would be gentle enough for children’s sensitive skin and effective at protecting them.

“We settled on a bamboo, cotton and spandex blend,” says Carlos, who specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery, a process that removes layers of skin to detect cancer cells. “This fabric has an ultraviolet protection factor of 50 and is ideal for children with eczema, atopic dermatitis and other sensitive skin conditions.”

Carley, a Denton native and the daughter of John Holman, Professor Emeritus of criminal justice, says she knew UNT would provide her with the education needed to prepare for a medical career. During her junior year, she learned about the seven-year combined medical school program at UNTHSC. She was accepted into the program and completed her undergraduate degree after her first year of medical school.

“UNT and UNTHSC provided me with an excellent, well-rounded medical education,” says Carley, who is focusing her time on their two boys and Little Leaves.

Carlos grew up in Brownsville and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame. He says returning to Texas for medical school and meeting Carley was a special bonus.

“It was the beginning of our partnership in life and business,” he says.

40

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 40

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Summer 2015

— Awo Eni

6/10/15 1:21 PM

Ewell’s 65th marathon and Lee’s 61st. Ewell is the site engineer for SunEdison in Sherman and is married to Dadie Condron (’96, ’01 M.Ed.), an elementary school counselor in the Pottsboro ISD. Lee directs customer service at National Government Services Inc. Their mother is Susan

Mayfield Condron (’89).

Remelle Edwards (’03

M.Ed.), Dallas :: received her

doctorate in higher education leadership from Texas A&M Commerce in May. She has served in public school education for the past 19 years and looks forward to working in the higher education sector.

Brooke Clarke Fish and Adam Fish (’98), Dallas ::

1998 Elizabeth Marie, New

York, N.Y. ::

wrote and illustrated the children’s book An Eagle Soars (Balboa Press). Leaving the Nest will come out this summer. She also is the illustrator of Don’t Forget to Bloom. She opens her first Elizabeth Marie Fine Art Gallery in Nyack, N.Y., in June.

1999 Stephanie Baird (M.S.),

Granby, Mass. :: is a private

practice psychotherapist who serves as treasurer of the Western Massachusetts Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing International Association’s regional network.

Her poetry, prose and linocut prints also have been included in several publications. She got married in 2007 and has a 4-year-old daughter.

started Fresh Bib, which encourages moms and delivers specially packaged bandana bibs. Brooke is a fashion designer who worked for Todd Oldham, Fossil and Bell Sports. Adam is a commercial photographer who has produced work for Gatorade, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Goldman Sachs and Western Union.

2001

1997

Laura J. Cleveland (M.S.),

Tony Fierro, Heath :: was named to Insurance Business America magazine’s 2015 “Hot 100” list, one of the insurance industry’s highest distinctions.

The annual list recognizes people who have had an impact in the insurance industry. He is president at K&S Insurance Agency.

He also serves on the UNT Program Advisory Council for Finance.

El Dorado, Ark. :: was chosen

to direct six libraries in the Union County System. She is the author of Columbia County: A Pictorial History (Arcadia Press) and is under contract to write a companion volume on Union County.

2002

for the first time in the exhibition Memories and Moments in April at Texas Wesleyan University, where she is a professor in the school of education. The 85 original works were sold to benefit Theatre Wesleyan.

Andrea Duncan Morian,

Keller :: a speech pathologist at the Medical Center of Arlington, earned her board certification in swallowing and swallowing disorders (BCS-S) after a threeyear application process and an invitation to sit the exam. She is one of 16 people in the state to hold this certification. She and her husband, Matthew, have two children.

2003

Jennifer Trejo Day (’09

M.B.A.), Corinth :: and her husband, former UNT student Nick Day, welcomed their second child, Owen Edison Day, in July 2014. Owen’s family of UNT supporters includes his grandfather Rey Trejo (’73) and his grandmother Kaaren Day, a retired UNT early childhood development professor.

They look forward to Owen attending UNT in fall 2032.

Mound :: and her husband,

Billy, say their daughter Avery Michelle Wolf is ready to cheer for the Mean Green. She was born in January 2014.

2004 Megan Lanz, Denver :: helped found the nonprofit organization Whole Musician, five flutists from the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom — including Meg Griffith (’04) — who host retreats around the world to share a holistic approach to musical pedagogy. The group was recognized by the National Flute Association in 2014 as a finalist in the Arts Venture Competition.

2005

Erin Fleming Swain, Frisco :: and her husband, Chris Swain (’02 M.B.A.), welcomed their first

child, a son, Brock Harlan Swain.

Ellen ‘Aileen’ Curtin (Ph.D.),

Hurst :: showcased her artwork

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 41

Jennifer Huber Wolf, Flower

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

41 6/16/15 10:48 PM

EAGLES’

Nest

2006

2008

Christopher Klement, Dallas

Kedrick Brown, Houston ::

International Film Festival 2015. He also has appeared in national commercials for Allegra and True Value.

appeared in several episodes of the ABC drama American Crime. He had appeared in national commercial spots with Ford, Footlocker and Fuddruckers and starred in the play Fly, about the Tuskegee Airmen, at The Ensemble Theatre in Houston in January.

Jaime Perez (M.S.), McAllen

:: joined Cantey Hanger LLP

law firm as an associate specializing in bankruptcy and general civil litigation. He spent the past two years as corporate counsel for ViewPoint Bank, where he advised senior management. He also is an advisory board member for the Emmett J. Conrad High School Academies.

Alexander Taylor, Argyle :: is co-owner and manager of Artisan Vapor in Las Colinas. While at UNT, he was a writer and editor for The North Texas Daily.

His wife, Claudia, works as an assistant director of donor communications in UNT’s Division of Advancement.

2009 Gerald Henderson, North

Hollywood, Calif. :: received the best actor of the year award at the Phoenix Film Festival for his role in the short film Flight Fright. Also, he was lead in the short film The Class Analysis, which was nominated for best picture at the Pasadena

:: saw his first novel, Through You, win the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award for best faction title, a fiction novel based on fact. The idea for the novel was sparked in a class at UNT taught by Yvonne Chandler, associate professor of library and information sciences. He also wrote the novel The Vacant Space. He is a librarian in Valley View ISD.

Intensive English Language Institute orientation session at UNT. A Thailand native, she is now a plan and policy analyst with the Drug Demand Reduction Bureau for the Office of the Narcotics Control Board in Bangkok, and her Korean-born husband is a senior associate purchase, supply and IT manager with Tom N Toms Coffee.

Jared Zimmer, Denton :: was a guest on the radio show Catholic Connection, discussing how to stick with goals for the new year.

He is an author, blogger, speaker and all-natural body builder. He is the founder of the Strength for the Kingdom ministry and works at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Grapevine.

2012 Madelyn Cintron-Nolasco,

Jasmine Stewart (M.B.A.),

Atlanta, Ga. :: married William

Share your UNT pride on vacation Ryan Buggs (’12) recently enjoyed the sights of Sydney, Australia, in spirited UNT fashion

Carter, a recruiter, in June in Hurst. She works for the alumni association at Georgia State University.

2010

holding the North Texas

one-year work and holiday visa working for a craft brewing company’s sales and marketing department while in Australia. At UNT, he worked in the housing and residence life department and was a member of the UNT Drumline.

issue by emailing northtexan@unt.edu or posting on twitter.com/northtexan.

42

The

154010-UNT-R4.indd 42

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Joseph D. Lawson Houston ::

marketing degree, is on a

photos showing your UNT spirit for inclusion in a future

first book, Ditch the Dating Bullsh*t: A Straightforward Relationship Guide for Twentysomethings. She is a freelance bilingual blogger.

(M.S.),

flag. Buggs, who earned a

How green is your Mean Green Pride? Share your vacation

Richardson :: published her

Tanittha Poonsin (M.S.), Bangkok :: married Kysang Lee, whom she met at a 2008

won the Law Library Journal Article of the Year for his article “What About the Majority? Considering the Legal Research Practices of Solo and Small Firm Attorneys,” published in the scholarly journal. He is the deputy director at the Harris County Law Library.

Summer 2015

6/17/15 3:05 PM

Brian Schmidt (D.M.A.),

and artistic director of the South Dakota Chorale, a professional choral ensemble that has signed an international recording contract with Pentatone Classics. Chorale members include alumni Alex Bumpas (’05), Julianna Emanski (’11

Naomi Wood, Denton :: self-

M.M.), Fiona Gillespie (’13

published Kitty Cat Meow Pants, a children’s book about a cat who has a stinky problem and his friends who come to rescue him. She wrote the book for her daughter, Jocelyn. Naomi works as a domestic and international evaluator in UNT’s Toulouse Graduate School and is pursuing a master’s in international studies.

M.M.), Joseph Hubbard (’11),

Elizabeth Johnson Knight (’13 D.M.A.), Sara Staples (’09), Corey Trahan (’12 D.M.A.) and Amber Wellborn (’10), and doctoral candidates

Fabiana Gonzalez and Robert Ward. Brian also is a choral conductor at Duke University Chapel and directs the Duke Vespers Ensemble.

2013 Jenna Rose Nelson,

Southlake :: was accepted to

Damin Spritzer (D.M.A.), Dallas

::

was appointed professor of organ at the University of Oklahoma beginning this fall.

She continues as artist-in-residence for the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Matthew in Dallas.

She also released her critically acclaimed second CD of the music of R.L. Becker. She and her husband, James Francey, have three children — Soren, Rowan and Morgan.

the Peace Corps and is serving in Senegal for two years. As a business advising volunteer, she works in small enterprise development to assist organizations and entrepreneurs with business planning, marketing, financial management and product design.

Crystal Vasquez, Frisco :: was hired as a producer for the Fox4 sports department. She previously served as a writer for the Dallas Mavericks website and as an anchor and a reporter at KVII in Amarillo.

Michael Clements

Durham, N.C. :: is the founder

Use your voice With 30 years’ experience as a licensed counselor, Annetta Ramsay (’82 M.S., ’89 Ph.D.) knows how to listen — and now, she is discovering the power of her own voice to help individuals heal and recover from struggles with eating disorders. Through the OpEd Project, a fellowship largely designed to bring female voices to the male-dominated realm of opinion writing, Ramsay is reaching a wider audience.

“They’re teaching you to use your voice,” says Ramsay, who was named an OpEd fellow in 2014 through Texas Woman’s University. “‘Eating disorders’ is my voice. It speaks to 30 million women and men in this country who struggle with disordered eating, and millions who care about them.”

It’s a new role for Ramsay, who is the founder and director of the Chrysalis Program, a Denton-based nonprofit specializing in treating anorexia, bulimia and overeating disorders with a six-person team — including alumnae Laura Pace (’07 M.Ed., ’11 Ph.D.) and Whitney Bunch (’13 M.Ed.). She founded the center after her administrative career at UNT. Her year in the OpEd Project has included mentoring and editing with novelist Martha Southgate and seminars and live web chats with editors at CNN, The New York Times and other top media outlets. Ramsay joins leading female and underrepresented male scholars from institutions like Harvard, Stanford and Yale for training in using their expertise to lead discussions in print, broadcast and online commentary forums.

She’s written pieces alongside Sen. Patrick Kennedy and Katrina Mason, national director of the Eating Disorders Coalition, and has contributed 18 opinion articles in top publications like Pacific Standard and the Dallas Morning News. One of her most impactful stories was a poignant post for families: “Parents Can Help Make Eating Disorders Go Away.” The February post became the top-rated article at Women’s eNews for the week. A single tweet showcasing the op-ed reached 216,000 Twitter account holders.

“I used to want to write a book,” Ramsay says. “But if you can get a short article tweeted to a quarter million people, why would you write a book?”

— Monique Bird

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 43

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

43 6/16/15 10:48 PM

EAGLES’

Nest

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

➺

News

2014

The research of Jakob Vingren, associate

professor of kinesiology and former Mean Green

ability as inspiration in his research on chemical synthesis.

He is a graduate student in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s department of chemical and biological engineering.

football walk-on, helped Outside magazine answer a

2015

question May 1: “Should I give up alcohol before a big race?” Vingren is studying how drinking alcohol after workouts affects muscle growth and repair. He says an occasional beer in the weeks before a race shouldn’t affect performance — unless you’re drinking right after hard workouts. That could impair rehydration and slow the body’s ability to repair. “Let’s put it this way: I certainly don’t see a benefit to drinking while training,” Vingren says, “and if you’re worried about whether it’s affecting you, it may be worth cutting out.”

➺ Meredith Clark,

assistant professor of

journalism, was interviewed in the April 10 issue of The

Chris Ann Coleman (’93)

Black Twitter — the network of culturally connected

were married in June. They met as students in 1990 and marched in the Green Brigade together. Daniel was a member of the drumline and Chris Ann, now a custom exhibits account manager for The Expo Group in Irving, was on the color guard.

blacks in the U.S. and abroad. After #IfTheyGunnedMeDown — a discussion about how the national media depicts black victims — became a trending topic, a story on the issue appeared in The New York Times. “That’s probably one of the most interesting parts of the research to me,” Clark says, “to watch how media might change the focus of the story, or make changes to their reporting, and to see some of those changes take place after there’s been a big dust-up on Twitter.”

➺

Herman Totten

spoke about the library of the future on KERA’s March 17 broadcast of Think. A condensed version of the interview also ran as a Dallas Morning News Q&A March 29. Retiring dean of the College of Information and longtime professor of library and information sciences, Totten says we have to move beyond thinking of a library as a place. “Libraries are universal; they are every place,” he says. “Anything that needs to be supplied to a user, libraries have to figure out a way to get it and connect the users and the resources that they want.”

The

154010-UNT-R3.indd 44

ville :: is assistant band director and percussion director at Timberview High School in the Mansfield ISD. He also writes music for and is the captain of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue Drumline. He and

Atlantic and spoke on KERA May 1 about her research on people using Twitter to talk about issues of concern to

44

Daniel Neimeyer, Lewis-

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

Shari Esquenazi, Carroll-

ton :: was accepted to partici-

pate in Yale University’s Summer Institute in Bioethics.

She is completing an accelerated bioethics program at Albany Medical College. After the program, she intends to complete a combined J.D./Ph.D. at law school.

Clifford Morrison, New

York, N.Y. :: received a 2015

Andrew and Denise Koehler

(’15 Au.D.), Frisco :: were married on campus in the Goolsby Chapel March 14 — Pi Day (reflecting eight digits this year, 3.1415926, if you count the time of day as well as the date). Denise is an audiologist for the Tucson VA Medical Center and hopes to continue working for the VA in Dallas.

Andrew works as a computer systems engineer at the United States Automotive Association in Plano. They say they “appreciate pi because we have studied a lot of math and science.”

Connor Ryan, Denton :: works as marketing director at A Dub Entertainment Recording Studios in Denton. The business, open for a little more than a year, was recently renovated.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

In his grant application, he credited UNT’s passion for sustain-

Summer 2015

6/16/15 10:48 PM

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.

1930s Helen Snodgrass Ryan (’38), New Braunfels :: She graduated with a degree in vocational home economics and went on to teach home economics at the high school level. After moving to College Station, she worked with her husband as the secretary-treasurer of the

University Community Deborah Stewart Arnold, 63,

International Poultry Science Association. At North Texas, she served as president of Alpha Chi and was active in the Ellen H. Richards Society and the W.N. Masters Chemical Society.

private schools before moving on to teach at the university level. A Professor Emeritus at Midwestern State University, she had organized the department of elementary education and programs in early childhood education and reading education.

She was 100 years old. Her husband, H. Bedford Furr (’68 Ed.D.), died in 2011.

Armender Hayes (’48), Baytown :: He was an educator

II. After retiring, he enjoyed traveling and dancing.

Jack Legett (’48), Pantego :: He was the purchasing agent for The Trading Post, the first commercial bookstore on campus, and went to graduate school from 1950 to 1953. He worked at Tarrant County Community College until his retirement. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Bennett Legett, who attended from 1943 to 1944. He was the son of agriculture-biology professor Jesse Harrison Legett and Lila McDonough Legett, who also were alumni.

She taught in both public and

for more than 30 years with the Goose Creek CISD, serving first as a math teacher at Baytown Junior High School and then as principal at James Bowie Elementary School and Cedar Bayou Junior High School. He joined the Texas National Guard in 1940 and received the Bronze Star for his service in World War

Texas. She earned bachelor’s and

service in the Battle of Okinawa and

master’s degrees from East Texas

continued his education on the G.I.

C. Ray Gough (’40,

Baptist University.

Bill, earning bachelor’s, master’s

’41 M.A.), 95,

1940s Oneta Roberts Furr (’40 M.S., ’68 Ed.D.), Abilene ::

1950s Dan Trew (’51), Fort Worth

:: He spent 18 years as a public

school principal for the Hereford,

and doctoral degrees from Wichita

Professor

State University. Before joining UNT,

Emeritus of art,

former senior

Claude Wallace Cheek,

he held director positions at the

died April 12 in Denton. Gough, who

associate direc-

89, former

Rehabilitation Center in Philadel-

worked at North Texas from 1950 to

tor of financial aid, died Feb. 25 in

associate

phia, the Institute of Logopedics in

1979, is considered the founder of

Denton. She worked in the student

professor of

Wichita and the North East ISD in

the interior design program. He led

financial aid and scholarships

special education, died May 25. He

San Antonio and was chair of spe-

the program to receive accreditation

department at UNT for more than

taught at UNT from 1972 to 1992 and

cial education at Lamar University

in 1977 — making North Texas one

30 years, retiring in 2013. She

was chosen as an Honor Profes-

in Beaumont. His hobbies included

of the first universities in the country

served as president of the Texas

sor in 1980. He was a member of

watercolor painting, gardening and

to earn that distinction. He and his

Association of Student Financial Aid

several national education and

developing orchids. He also was a

Administrators from 1999 to 2000

Texas MHMR committees. A U.S.

member of the UNT Retired Instruc-

wife, Georgia Leach Gough (’46 M.F.A.), also a Professor

and was active in the financial aid

Army veteran of World War II, he

tor and Personnel Committee.

Emeritus of art, established the

community in universities around

received a Purple Heart for his

Georgia and Ray Gough Scholar-

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 45

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

45 6/10/15 1:21 PM

EAGLES’

Nest

Borger and Canyon ISDs and 16 years as a professor at Amarillo College until his retirement in 1983. He also worked as a real estate investor, home builder and land broker in Amarillo before moving to Fort Worth. He was a 48-year member of Shriners International. At North Texas, he was a member of Chi Sigma Phi.

for eight years, and taught second grade for 30 years in the Lampasas ISD. At North Texas, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority and a 1951 sweetheart of Alpha Mu Alpha.

Frankie E. Williams (’52), Austin :: She earned her biology

research for Mobil Oil Corp. for 33 years. He earned his doctorate at Southern Methodist University and, after retiring from Mobil, taught math at Dallas Baptist University. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1956. He is preceded in death by his wife,

degree, then received her medical degree from UT Southwestern Medical Center. She worked for the state MHMR department from 1957 to 1989, serving as clinical director of Big Spring State Hospital, superintendent of Vernon State Hospital and deputy commissioner of mental health services for the state. After retirement, she served outpatient clinics in central Texas.

Nancy Jean Jones Barham (’52). Survivors include his twin brother, Robert Barham (’52).

Ed Henry Stewart (’53, ’57 M.Ed.), Jacksboro :: He had a

Richard H. Barham (’52), Arlington :: He worked in

Teresa Haber Davis (’52), Lometa :: She taught third and fourth grades in the Dallas ISD

career as a teacher and also owned and operated Ed’s Clothes Shop in Jacksboro. After retiring, he assisted in managing the Stewart

Family Ranch, his family’s property. He was a supporter of UNT athletics — holding season football tickets for more than 40 years — and a member of the Mean Green Club. When he attended North Texas, he was a charter member of Sigma Nu and adopted and cared for a live eagle.

who taught himself to play jazz organ. He played basketball for North Texas and was the son of former head football coach Odus

Bill R. Alexander (’54), Bryan :: He was vice president

CEO of Clarke American Checks Inc., which became the third largest check printer in the U.S. and won the Malcolm Baldrige National Award for Quality. He was named Alumnus of the Year for the management department in 2013-14. Memorials may be made in his name to a scholarship fund in the College of Business.

of personnel and administration for Mesa Petroleum from 1971 to 1985. He also worked for 15 years in human resources with Conoco in Texas, Louisiana and New York. He retired to his family farm in Westover and owned the Ben Franklin store in Olney.

Mitchell.

1960s James ‘Jim’ E. Coln (’60), Louisville, Ky. :: He served as

Joe Mitchell (’56), Granbury

:: He worked as an international

Frank Leon Klein (’61), Granbury :: He attended

DC-10 captain for American Airlines for 30 years. He flew for the U.S. Air Force for more than 10 years. He was an avid woodworker and a music lover

North Texas on a football scholarship, beginning on the freshman team that was the first to be integrated in 1956. After his senior season in 1959, he was

John J. Kamerick,

add high-quality graduate programs

maintained an architectural practice

Rebecca ‘Becky’ Lynn Hall, 59,

95, president

programs continued to improve.

while teaching and was active in the

died March 31

of North Texas

He left to become president of the

community. He was honored by the

in Denton. A

from 1968 to

University of Northern Iowa. He

ship. He also started the annual Ray Gough Lecture in interior design. He

while ensuring undergraduate

Governor’s Conference on the Arts

native of Denton, she was the travel

1970, died April 13 in Sarasota,

received a bachelor’s degree from

and received the UNT Green Glory

coordinator for the UNT athletics

Fla. He was a strong proponent of

St. Ambrose University and earned

Award. He earned his degrees in

department and administrative

faculty governance policies and was

master’s and doctoral degrees from

art at North Texas. After serving in

assistant to the athletic director

instrumental in establishing the Fac-

the University of Iowa.

World War II as a lieutenant in the

from 2007 until her death. She was

ulty Senate with substantial policy-

U.S. Navy, he earned a second bach-

well known by coaches, players and

making authority. He also instituted

Karla Lynch

elor’s in architecture at the Illinois

fans for her willingness to help. She

some of North Texas’ first black

(’84, ’92 M.S.),

Institute of Technology. Memorials

enjoyed reading and spending time

history courses, paved the way for

53, adjunct

may be made to the Georgia and

with her family.

a campus chapter of the NAACP and

lecturer in the

Ray Gough Scholarship.

46

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 46

No r t h Texa n

hired the university’s first black

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

economics

administrator. Kamerick spoke

department, died Feb. 21 in Denton.

during his tenure about the need to

She earned her degrees in finance

Summer 2015

6/10/15 1:21 PM

among the first players signed to the team that would become the Dallas Cowboys. He worked as a mortgage lender and a commercial real estate broker. Survivors include his wife, Carol Creswell Klein (’62), whom he met at North Texas.

1970s

area. His television and radio broadcasting career also included work for Dallas-Fort Worth stations KRLD, KERA and KXAS and Houston’s KTRK. He was a major supporter of heavy metal music, hosting bands in his home and editing the Heavy Blog Is Heavy blog.

1990s

Jesús ‘Chuy’ Luna (’73 Ph.D.), Edinburg :: He was named Professor Emeritus of history at California State University-Fresno, where he taught for more than 30 years. At North Texas, he was a Woodrow Wilson Scholar specializing in Latin American history.

1980s Brian Shields (’85), Sausalito, Calif. :: He was the digital manager and editor of KRON, a television station covering the San Francisco Bay

Marshall Ray Brown (’90), Lake Worth :: He was a U.S. Marine from 1966 to 1970 and a Vietnam veteran. He taught in private and public schools in Fort Worth and was a mentor to area children. He officiated sports and volunteered as a coach in his children’s sports leagues and for Meals on Wheels, church and senior citizens activities.

Lisa L. Rollins (’96), Guthrie, Okla. :: She wrote and edited for the North Texas Daily while majoring in journal-

ism and created her own magazine, Lone Star Beat. She worked for many publications and in public relations before becoming a journalism professor and earning her Ph.D. Survivors include her mother, Marianne

Coffman Rollins (’67).

2000s Tristan Shelton Leggett, (’03), College Station :: He graduated from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at UNT in 2002 and earned a doctorate in physics from Texas A&M University in 2014. He was a research assistant and rock climber.

2010s Victor Carpenter, Houston :: He was in the first graduating class of Clear Springs High School in League City in 2010 and enrolled in the College of

Visual Arts and Design to study photography.

Spencer Douglas Crandall (’11), Rhome :: He earned a degree in accounting, with a minor in real estate, and was self-employed in construction and farming. He was an Eagle Scout and served a church mission in Roseville, Calif.

Rogelio Olivas, Dallas :: He was a junior majoring in social science and also had attended Dallas County Community College.

Faizan Shaikh, Euless :: He was enrolled as a sophomore in the College of Business and first came to UNT in 2013.

Eric David Williams, Denton :: He was an engineering student in 2013-14 and held the rank of first class petty officer in the U.S. Navy.

and economics and taught many

2012, died Feb. 22 in Wimberley. At

semesters at UNT and at North Cen-

sons, Grant (’07, ’09 M.S.)

UNT, he was in charge of the open-

tral Texas College from 1992 until

and Travis (’07).

ing of the Highland Street parking

her death. She was remembered

garage and expansion of the bike-

as a master teacher and a caring

sharing, web-based ride-sharing

mentor. She also enjoyed cooking

Steven Vocelka, 65,

and car-sharing programs. He also

and gardening. She is survived by

a computer op-

able to the UNT Foundation, to

was responsible for designing and

erations director

University of North Texas, Division

implementing the campus shuttle

with information

of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle

her husband, Robert Lynch (’81,

’97 M.S.). The economics depart-

Memorials Send memorials to honor UNT alumni and friends, made pay-

service and other transportation

ment is establishing a scholarship

technology shared services, died

#311250, Denton, Texas 76203-

programs. Before joining UNT, he

fund in her honor.

April 1 in Allen. He was a long-time

5017. Indicate on your check the

worked for 18 years with Capital

ITTS team leader and served as di-

fund or area you wish to support.

Metro in Austin. In 2013, he retired

rector of operations and infrastruc-

Or make secure gifts online at

as director of transportation

ture services. He worked for 17 years

development.unt.edu/givenow. For

services at Texas State University.

65, director of

at UNT and the UNT System, after he

more information, email giving@

He was a graduate of West Texas

transportation

and his wife had operated Software

unt.edu or call 940-565-2900.

State. Survivors include his wife,

from 2003 to

Etc. for 17 years. He was a University

Jennifer (’06 M.A), and two

of Missouri graduate.

Joseph Lee Richmond,

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 47

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

47 6/16/15 11:12 PM

T H E LAS T

Word

AN EAGLE FOR A REASON

by Whitney ‘Free’ Smith (’15)

48

The

154010-UNT-R1.indd 48

No r t h Texa n

|

northtexan.unt.edu

Ahna Hubnik

On May 16, I graduated from UNT. The event meant more to me than earning a diploma. It meant I’d be moving forward from a place where I’d found family, literally and figuratively.

Three years ago, I was invited by a friend to attend a spring football game at Apogee Stadium, and that very day, I knew UNT was where I belonged. What I didn’t know then was that my mother and my sister, Whitley, would follow me to UNT — and they’d both be living in the dorms on campus.

When they received their acceptance letters, I was ecstatic. First came my mom, Darla Ray, who had taken her first college classes in 1984. Last year, she decided to move into a dorm to get the full college experience, and Whitley joined UNT as an Emerald Eagle Scholar.

I was so happy to have my family here.

When I was in high school and Whitley was in middle school, my mother was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. She didn’t expect to live to see our high school graduations.

I watched my mother’s strength in pursuing her dreams no matter what obstacles she faced or what other people thought. And when my sister and I saw her on stage at the Homecoming yell contest, wearing a feather boa and dancing in her wheelchair with the Traditions Hall group, we knew she was making the most of her second chance at college life.

For me, it all started at that spring game at Apogee Stadium, and I began

From left, sophomore Whitley Smith, senior Darla Ray and Whitney “Free” Smith (’15). right then and there making a list of goals I wanted to accomplish by the time I graduated. I set the first goal when I saw a group of people sitting on the 40-yard line with shirts that said “NT40.” I had no idea what that meant, but I knew they were special and I wanted to be a part of that group.

The second goal was to get into an organization that would continue to develop me mentally, emotionally, professionally and spiritually. The last goal I set was to be remembered for how I impacted my community and, more importantly, for how my community impacted me.

The first semester I attended UNT, I was inducted into NT40, a group I learned was focused on philanthropy, student leadership and UNT pride, and I was voted onto the executive board.

By my second semester, I was serving on the executive board for the Black Student Union.

As I grew on campus, UNT administrators listened to my concerns as the child of a woman who struggles to walk, and I helped advocate for more ADA accessibility on campus.

|

As a converged broadcast media major working with NTTV, the student television station, I met actress and producer Vivica A. Fox and interviewed hip-hop artist B.o.B. My involvement at UNT helped me make lasting friends.

Sometimes I wonder where I would be if I had not attended UNT. Would I have had a successful college career? Would I even have stayed in school? I remind myself there is no day but today, and I was chosen to be an Eagle for a reason.

My mother is on track to graduate this summer with her degree in rehabilitation studies, and Whitley begins her sophomore year as a fashion design major this fall. It was so special to have my family here with me that I wouldn’t change it for the world. Some may think it’s weird, but I think it’s wonderful. We write our own rules and we create our own destiny.

Smith plans to spend a year with Teach for America in North Carolina before working in TV news production. She hopes to own her own news agency one day to provide a voice in the media for those with disabilities.

Summer 2015

6/10/15 1:21 PM

Talk to Mean Green student-athletes and they consistently speak of the role their families play in their success. Likewise, they talk of how their UNT coaches build teams around a sense of family.

Long hours of practice, adversity and triumphs all merge into a shared camaraderie.

Mean Green linebacker Fred Scott, a high-achieving kinesiology major, comes from a family of accomplished collegiate football players. Committed to his teammates, coaches and fellow students, he is geared up to deliver Mean Green glory and help dismantle the offenses of Conference USA.

— F S

M G L

Follow Mean Green Sports for information and game updates.

800-UNT-2366 / 940-565-2527 MEANGREENSPORTS.COM Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R3.indd 1

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

1 6/16/15 11:01 PM

The North Texan

Michael Clements

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 Congratulations to the 8,300 Eagles crossing the threshold from student to UNT graduate in 2014-15. UNT’s inaugural University-wide Commencement this May was attended by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who shared an inspiring message with graduates, their families and friends, making for a momentous celebration. Read about UNT alumni who were bestowed honors at commencement on page 8.

Summer 2015

154010-UNT-R1.indd 1

|

northtexan.unt.edu

|

The

No r t h Texa n

1 6/10/15 1:21 PM