MavWire 2014 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, October 2, 2014

'Understanding Gandhi' lecture today with great-grandson

Celebrate the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who used nonviolent civil disobedience to lead India's independence movement, by attending a lecture by his great-grandson.

Satish Dhupelia, Gandhi's great-grandson, and Prasad Gollanapalli, managing trustee of the Gandhi King Foundation, present "Understanding Gandhi in Contemporary Context" at 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2—Gandhi's 145th birthday—in Room 100 of Nedderman Hall.

Satish Dhupelia is the son of Shashikant Dhupelia, daughter of Manilal Gandhi, who was the second son of Mahatma Gandhi. A photographer, Dhupelia is director of S.D. Video Enterprises in Durban, South Africa. 

Gollanapalli has taught courses on Gandhian philosophy, peace, nonviolence, sustainable development, and related issues in Indian and U.S. universities. He works for Sarvodaya Social Order, a society based on truth and nonviolence.

The free event is sponsored by the Office of International Education, the Leadership Center, and the Fine Arts Society of India.

Today also marks the opening of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas in Irving's Thomas Jefferson Park. The event is at 5 p.m. at the park, 1201 Hidden Ridge, near MacArthur Boulevard and Walnut Hill Lane.

Dignitaries from India will attend the dedication of a 7-foot bronze statue of Gandhi. The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial plaza includes 8-foot granite walls engraved with quotations by Gandhi and others.

Questions and answers: Dr. Chengkai Li, associate professor of computer science and engineering, is helping design a system that will ask better questions when querying databases.

Forming better database queries at heart of NSF research project

Chengkai Li, associate professor of computer science and engineering, is helping design a system that will ask better questions when querying databases and lead to improved decision-making in our data-driven society.

Dr. Li has been awarded a $241,778 National Science Foundation grant for his proposal about “perturbation analysis of database queries.” He is teaming with Duke University and Stanford University on the joint grant, which is worth more than $1.2 million.

Perturbation analysis studies how tweaks of database query templates and parameters affect query results.

Read more about Li's database research.

In good company: Architecture students are taking an advanced design studio class this semester at the Dallas headquarters for architecture firm HKS Inc.

Architecture students in Advanced Design Studio embedded at HKS

The Center for Metropolitan Density has teamed with internationally recognized architects HKS Inc. to embed graduate students in an advanced design studio within the firm’s downtown Dallas headquarters.

The collaboration gives architecture students a true feel for what the professional world will be like, says Michael Buckley, director of the center, which is part of the School of Architecture.

The real-world experience started on a trial basis in the spring. That test drive went well so the embedded design studio class was made a continuing option for this academic year.

The Center for Metropolitan Density teams with professionals, regional associations, and governmental entities to address the challenges of the built environment with an emphasis on sustainable, higher-density development in the 21st century.

Read more about the architecture students and HKS.

Light the way: Physics Professor Wei Chen and his research team say recently identified radiation detection properties of a light-emitting nanostructure built in their lab could open doors for homeland security and medical advances.

Researchers develop nanoscintillators for radiation detection

A research team says recently identified radiation detection properties of a light-emitting nanostructure built in their lab could open doors for homeland security and medical advances.

In a paper published in the Oct. 1 issue of Optics Letters, physics Professor Wei Chen and his co-authors describe a new method to fabricate transparent nanoscintillators by heating nanoparticles. A scintillator refers to a material that glows in response to radiation. 

The researchers say the resulting scintillators have better energy resolution than currently used materials. It also has a fast luminescence decay time that is essential for radiation detection because it affects how quickly a detector can work.

Dr. Chen is head of the Security Advances Via Applied Nanotechnology, or SAVANT, Center. Andrew Brandt, professor of physics and co-director of the SAVANT Center, is co-principal investigator and co-author of the paper.

Read more about the radiation detection research.

Political pair start Maverick Speakers Series on Oct. 20

Husband-and-wife political commentators James Carville and Mary Matalin open the 2014-15 season of the Maverick Speakers Series on Monday, Oct. 20. 

The duo will present "All’s Fair: Love, War, and Politics" at 7:30 p.m. at Texas Hall. An autograph signing follows the lecture.

One of America’s best-loved political couples, James Carville is a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, and Mary Matalin is a well-known consultant for the Republican Party. Together, they are known for their stimulating, candid, and always-entertaining take on politics from both sides of the political aisle. Carville and Matalin are co-authors of the national best-seller Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home.

Season and preferred packages and general admission tickets are available at utatickets.com. For VIP tickets, contact Mark LaVelle at mlavelle@uta.edu or 2-5235.

State Employee Charitable Campaign begins

Learn about organizations that need your help through the State Employee Charitable Campaign, which runs through Oct. 31. UT Arlington's goal is $80,000.

The SECC Charity Fair is 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Bluebonnet Ballroom South of the E.H. Hereford University Center. 

Look for a pledge form from your department representative soon. A listing of agencies and organizations will show which groups benefit from your gift. Fill out that form and return it to your SECC representative.

Or pledge online at dfwmetroplexsecc.org by clicking Pledge Online, then select University of Texas Arlington, register, and create your pledge.

Make a one-time gift or pledge monthly. Donations may be made to one or more organizations.

Attorney discusses intellectual property, draft patent claim

Attorney Mark Dodd of Sidley Austin LLP in Dallas explains "What Is Intellectual Property and Why Should I Care?" at 11 a.m.-noon Friday, Oct. 3, in Room 210 of Woolf Hall.

Dr. Dodd will explain what intellectual property is, how to create and protect it, and why all researchers should care. 

Time permitting, participants will help Dodd draft a patent claim for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The program is sponsored by Research Administration

Major event Freshman Ashley McComas, left, makes notes while talking with English academic adviser Elise Elliott, right, at the Maverick Major Fair on Wednesday in the Palo Duro Lounge. Lecturer Bethany Shaffer, center, also assisted during the event designed to help students learn about degree plans and resources.

High-speed cancer screening topic of next Focus on Faculty

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Samir Iqbal, associate professor of electrical engineering, will discuss high-speed cancer screening using nanotechnology tools at the next Focus on Faculty lecture. The program is at noon Wednesday, Oct. 8, on the sixth floor of the Central Library.

The miniaturization of computer chips has revolutionized medical diagnostics.

"We can now quantify cellular and molecular behaviors with specialized silicon chips that were hard to measure before," Dr. Iqbal says.

Nanotechnology is making early diagnosis of diseases like cancer easier and affordable. Iqbal will present work on cancer diagnosis using silicon chip-based nanotechnology.

Parking lot reserved for event today

Portions of Lot F11, north of the E.H. Hereford University Center, and part of the College Park Central Garage will be reserved Thursday, Oct. 2, for a special event. Individual reserved spaces in F11 will remain open. Parking options include permit spaces in the College Park South Garage on Spaniolo Drive.

Contact Parking and Transportation Services at parking@uta.edu or 2-3907.

Streets closed Saturday for fundraising walks

Two benefit walks will involve street closures on and around campus early Saturday, Oct. 4.

The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walk/run will be on the east side of campus. The area is between Cooper Street, UTA Boulevard, Mary Street, and Bessel Avenue, south of Mitchell Street. About 6,000-8,000 participants are expected.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be on the west side of campus. Participants will be using sidewalks, but motorists may experience slight delays at the intersections of Greek Row Drive at Davis Drive and Summit Avenue as walkers cross the street.

Access to parking lots and streets adjacent to the route may be delayed.

Questions? Contact Sgt. Dean Peterson at 2-0026.

National Night Out is Tuesday

Join the UTA Police Department for the annual National Night Out event Tuesday, Oct. 7. 

Meet police officers and staff as well as campus leaders while learning crime prevention tips and watching fire safety demonstrations. Enjoy free food, prizes, and more.

UT Arlington’s National Night Out includes more than 500 students, faculty, and staff each year.

The event is 6-7:30 p.m. on the University Center mall. If it rains, activities move to the Palo Duro Lounge of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Dillon Symposium centers on 'Building the Just City'

World-renowned architects, criminal justice experts, planners, sociologists, and journalists will explore the idea of “Building the Just City” at the Third Annual David Dillon Symposium.

The symposium begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at 3015 at Trinity Groves, 3015 Gulden St., in Dallas. Panel discussions are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St., in Dallas. 

Keynote speaker is Raphael Sperry of Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility. Sperry researches the intersection of architecture and planning with human rights with a special focus on prisons and jails.

The David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture was established in 2012 as an initiative of the School of Architecture.

Read more about the David Dillon Symposium.

Riding for roomie Carlos Chicas, biomedical engineering junior, filled in for his roommate at Monday's Cyclethon at the Maverick Activities Center. He kept the Vietnamese Student Association's bike in motion for the World Heart Day event. Proceeds went to the American Heart Association.

Consensual relationships, sexual harassment policies added

New policies have been made on consensual relationships and sexual harassment. See HOP ADM 5-511 Consensual Relationships Policy and HOP ADM 5-513 Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy in the UTA Handbook of Operating Procedures.

Questions? Contact Jean Hood, vice president for human resources, at jmhood@uta.edu.

Travel, speaker grants available from sustainability committee

The University Sustainability Committee offers travel and speaker grants.

Travel support grants up to $500 for one event will be awarded to faculty, staff, or students for conferences, seminars, or workshops that take place Sept. 1, 2014-Aug. 31, 2015. Application deadline is Friday, Oct. 17.

Sustainability speaker grants up to $500 support speakers who address sustainability and environmental stewardship. Applications must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to the event.

For more information or an application form, contact Christopher Morris at morris@uta.edu.

Event parking informational meeting on Oct. 15

If your department sponsors or assists groups in planning for events on campus, learn about parking fees and facility-use agreements at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Room 1108 of College Park Center.

To attend, contact Parking and Transportation Services at parking@uta.edu or 2-3907.

Monthly buffet offered today at University Club

The University Club's monthly special today, Thursday, Oct. 2, features brisket, vegetarian lasagna, potato salad, beans, cole slaw, cornbread, and banana pudding.

Cost is $8 per person. Regular menu items will not be available.

The University Club is open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the ground floor in Davis Hall.

A continental breakfast is available 7-9 a.m. Breakfast menu items are muffins, danish, fruit, yogurt, juice, and coffee.

Thursday, Oct. 2

MARK Adviser Training: Adviser Toolbox Maverick Advisors Reaching for Knowledge (MARK) program is for academic advisers. Register online. 2-4 p.m., Room 200, Trimble Hall. Academic Advising Center.

Earth and Environmental Sciences Speaker Series  Amelia Shevenell of University of South Florida presents “The Southern Ocean Reveals its Climate Secrets: Paleotemperatures from Antarctic Margin Marine Sediments.” Free. 4 p.m., Room 100, Geoscience Building. Also, Thursday, Oct. 9, Dilhan Ilk of DeGolyer and MacNaughton. Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Friday, Oct. 3

Bi-national Health Week Symposium "Teaming Up to Bridge the Gap Between Patient and Provider" is a public symposium on the increasing need for health care partnerships to serve the growing Latino patient population. Register E.H. Hereford University Center. Bi-national Health Week, College of Nursing.

The Art of Listening Register online. Free. 9-11 a.m., J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Series Nai Yuen Chen, Distinguished Research Professor, presents “Fuels to Automobiles: Past, Present and the Future.” Free. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Room 229, Engineering Research Building. Also, James C. Williams, “Additive Manufacturing: Potential, Reality and Challenges,” Friday, Oct. 10. Materials Science and Engineering.

Tuesday, Oct. 7

Professional Telephone Techniques Register online. Free. 9-11 a.m., J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Fall Meeting of University Faculty and Associates New professors emeriti honored and new faculty members introduced. 4 p.m., Rio Grande Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. Office of the Provost.

Sean Covey: The Leader in Me Sean Covey, co-author of the Leader in Me, has inspired educators to implement the "7 Habits" principles into curriculum and culture for leadership development of youth. RSVP by Friday, Oct. 3, to receive a free copy of his book. Free. 9-11 a.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. EXCEL Campus Activities, Leadership Center.  

Friday, Oct. 10

Faculty Mentoring Brown Bag Series Robin Dickey, Regulatory Services manager, discusses practical tips and examples of challenging research protocols to help campus researchers learn about the IRB review process. RSVP. Free. Noon-1 p.m., upstairs lounge, Maverick Activities Center. Faculty Affairs.

Qualitative Researchers' Meet-Up Kathryn Pole of the College of Education's Literacy Studies Program will demonstrate her use of NVivo. Noon-1 p.m., Room B-17, Davis Hall. Qualitative Research.

Coming up

Ninth Biennial Virginia Garrett Lectures on the History of Cartography "The Price of Manifest Destiny: War and American Expansion, 1800-1865." See schedule. Register online. Thursday-Friday, Oct. 16-17, Central Library. UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections.

Innovation Symposium and National Academy of Inventors Chapter Launch A TED-style symposium highlights research by UTA nominees of National Academy of Inventors Fellows. A poster session features research of faculty inventors. Afterward, a ceremony inducting UTA's inaugural class of the National Academy of Inventors. Register. Free; open to public. Innovation Symposium, 1-4 p.m.; NAI chapter launch, 4:45-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30, College Park Center. Innovation Symposium.

Human Resources Training Fundamental Skills for Supervisors and Managers, Wednesday, Oct. 15; Dealing Effectively with Conflict and Confrontation, Thursday, Oct. 16; Your Professional Image, Tuesday, Oct. 21; Leadership Skills for Supervisors, Thursday, Oct. 23; Team Building for Supervisors, Tuesday, Oct. 28; Time Management: Keys to Everyday Office Success, Friday, Oct. 31. Register online. Free. 9-11 a.m., J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)

Volleyball team sweeps UL-Monroe

The volleyball team used a strong defensive showing to post a 3-0 sweep over UL-Monroe on Sunday at College Park Center. The Mavericks are 13-3 for the season and 3-1 in the Sun Belt Conference.

The team hits the road to take on Arkansas-Little Rock on Friday, Oct. 3, and Arkansas State on Sunday, Oct. 5.

Tennis pair aces tourney

Pablo Colvee and Stefan Williams of the men’s tennis team were undefeated in doubles play at the Rice Invitational on Sept 19-21 in Houston. 

The pair defeated Nebraska’s Linus Erhart and Scott Elsass 6-4, followed by Rutger’s Adam Gustafasson and Max Andrews 6-5 (4). In the quarterfinals, they saved three match points against SMU’s Julio Olaya and Eric Fitz-Randolph to win 6-5 (2). The doubles competition was not completed due to heavy rain.

The women's tennis team was successful at the Rice Invitational last weekend, winning numerous matches in both singles and doubles play. 

The women's team heads to New York City this weekend to compete in the Billy Jean King-USTA College Invitational.​ Next for the men's team is the ITA Texas Regionals on Saturday-Monday, Oct. 18-20, in College Station.

Sports shorts

• The cross country squads were plagued by injuries to several top runners at the Roy Griak Invitational last weekend. The Mavs compete in the Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Oct. 18.

• The men's golf team placed 13th at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate in Albuquerque. The Mavericks shot a 24-over-par 312 in Saturday's final round. The team returns to action Monday, Oct. 6, at the Utah Invitational.

• Forty-nine student-athletes earned spots on the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List for the 2013-14 academic year.

• The Movin' Mavs host the USTA Wheelchair Tennis Nationals on Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 9-12, at the UTA Tennis Center.

Intramural entries due for volleyball

Upcoming entry deadlines for intramural sports include volleyball, Wednesday, Oct. 8; drop-in basketball, Tuesday, Oct. 14; fantasy basketball, Friday, Oct. 17; and table tennis, Wednesday, Oct. 22.

See the intramural sports schedule. Pick up entry forms at the Services and Information Desk of the Maverick Activities Center. For questions, call 2-3277 or email imsports@uta.edu.

(For more sports news, go to utamavs.com, uta.edu/movinmavs, or uta.edu/campusrec.)

Manifest Destiny topic of maps exhibit Discover how maps and war interlock in the 19th century in "The Price of Manifest Destiny: Maps Relating to Wars in the Southwest Borderlands, 1800-1866," a new exhibit in the UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections. Curator Ben Huseman, Special Collections cartographic archivist, selected approximately 100 rare maps for the exhibit. Included in the exhibit are John Robinson’s Map of Mexico, Louisiana, and the Missouri Territory, the first map to name Pike’s Peak, Stephen F. Austin’s map of Texas, and John Disturnell’s “treaty map” used in the negotiations to end the U.S.-Mexico War in 1848. Other exhibits featured are U.S. Army maps relating to various Indian wars and the “Mormon War” of the 1850s, maps relating to the Civil War in the American Southwest, and maps pertaining to the French Intervention in Mexico. The exhibit is in conjunction with the Ninth Biennial Virginia Garrett Lectures on the History of Cartography, set for Thursday-Friday, Oct. 16-17.  Special Collections is located on the sixth floor of the Central Library. Hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Oct. 8

MavsArt Exhibit Opening Reception 4:30 p.m., first floor Central Library. UT Arlington Libraries.

Thursday, Oct. 9

34th Annual Bed Races The Bed Races feature beds on wheels with five students—four pushing and one riding on the bed—competing in three categories. Free admission. 7 p.m., Maverick Stadium. Campus Recreation, EXCEL Campus Activities.

Friday, Oct. 10

Friends of the Library Andrew Hall discusses his book, Civil War Blockade Running on the Texas Coast. Free. 7:30 p.m., sixth floor, Central Library. Friends of the Library.

Ongoing

The Gallery at UTA: Mary McCleary and Andrea Rosenberg Two Texas artists create artworks ranging in scale from the intimate to oversize, but utilizing very different processes, themes, and media. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Through Oct. 4. The Gallery at UTA, Art and Art History.

Visual Resource Commons and Gallery The African Art Collection is a multi-dimensional collection of 11th-20th century art and artifacts. Free. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, Suite 2109, Fine Arts Building. Art and Art History.

Planetarium The fall schedule includes Astronaut; One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure; Pink Floyd; Spacepark 360 Infinity; Two Small Pieces of Glass; and We Are Astronomers. Planetarium.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)