MavWire 2015 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, April 2, 2015

Dr. Sungyong Jung

Electrical engineer to build more efficient integrated circuits for better hearing aids

Sungyong Jung, associate professor of electrical engineering, is developing a more efficient, low-power integrated circuit for directional hearing aids that will lead to a better quality of life for the hearing impaired. 

Dr. Jung received a two-year, $144,000 grant from the Korean Electrotechnology Research Institute to build an integrated circuit for a tiny microphone that would mimic the auditory system of an Ornia ochracea—a parasitic fly known for its exceptionally miniscule ear.

His goal is to build a tiny integrated circuit and new microphone that can adapt the human ear to provide the user with better, more defined, and directional hearing. The research would represent a significant advancement from common over-the-ear hearing aid systems.

Read more about Jung's hearing aid research.

Dr. Matthew Fujita

Researcher earns NSF grant to study rich biodiversity, discover new reptiles, amphibians

Matthew Fujita, assistant professor of biology, will use a National Science Foundation grant to study and identify the processes that have generated high species diversity in West and Central Africa. He also hopes to discover new reptiles and amphibians in what is considered one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth.

Dr. Fujita is the principal investigator for the $670,797 grant awarded in March by the NSF’s Division of Environmental Biology. 

He says he hopes to identify the best and most efficient approaches to maintaining biodiversity, which boosts ecosystem productivity where all species, no matter how small, play an important role. 

Read more about Fujita's biodiversity research.

Cisneros, part deux What did former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros say at last Thursday night's Maverick Speakers Series event? Watch the video for a summary of his thoughts on urban development.

Robot workshops at library next week

Gain hands-on experience with UTA Libraries' new TelePresence robots at two workshops next week.

Practice using the robots and ask library staff questions. Bring your laptops, webcams, and smartphones for a full experience.

The workshops are 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, April 8, and 3-4 p.m. Thursday, April 9, in the basement of the Central Library.

Register online. Distance education students can attend virtually by registering then emailing Marquel Anteola at manteola@uta.edu.

Watch the video of the Double robot at work in the FabLab.

Updates made to OIT procedures

Two procedures in the Handbook of Operating Procedures have been updated by the Office of Information Technology.

Appointment of Information Resource Roles, Procedure 19-2, defines the process for naming appointees to the Information Resource Roles identified in Policy 5-603. OIT will contact vice presidents and deans for appointee nominations.

Securing Publicly Accessible Devices, Procedure 19-3, provides guidelines for securing information resources on the University's publicly accessible devices. Contact itcompliance@uta.edu for questions.

Emergency generator test Friday

Facilities Management will test the emergency electrical generators 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 3.

Buildings involved are the Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Business Building, College Park Central and South Garages, Hammond Hall, Health Services Center, Pickard Hall, Thermal Energy Plant, Trimble Hall, and the University Police Station.

The test will only affect the electrical services tied to each building’s generator, not the entire building. There will be a slight “blip” lasting a half-second as the electrical service transfers to the generator and another as it is transferred back to the normal building service. Keep computer work in progress saved during this time to prevent any possible data loss.

Questions? Call Toby Buhrkuhl at 972-832-1490 or Jeff Johnson at 817-798-8456.

Fine details Alumna Jennifer Cathcart, right, points out details to her daughter, Mikayla, at last Saturday's Glass Art Show and Sale. The annual event includes glass blowing demonstrations. Sales help fund glass art equipment, much of which is made by the department's faculty and students.

Texas Digital Humanities Conference on campus next week

The three-day Texas Digital Humanities Conference looks at combining traditional humanities aspects with the latest technology. The second annual conference is Thursday-Saturday, April 9-11, at the Central Library.

Digital humanities scholars throughout Texas will present information on everything from resources, applications, funding, and projects in different humanities disciplines. The event includes a tour of UTA Libraries' Special Collections and the FabLab as well as a "hackfest," where participants can try the technology illustrated in presentations.

Keynote speakers include Adeline Koh of Stockton University, Alan Liu of UC Santa Barbara, and George Siemens, executive director of the Learning Innovation and Networked Knowledge (LINK) Research Lab at UTA. See the schedule. 

Register online. Cost is $60 due by Wednesday, April 8. Student tickets are $25 by Thursday, April 9.

Evening at Six Flags to benefit Student Emergency Assistance Fund

Enjoy an evening at Six Flags Over Texas with discount tickets that help Arlington schools. The theme park hosts Education Celebration 6-11 p.m. Friday, April 17, benefiting UTA and AISD through the AISD Education Foundation.

Tickets are only $20 plus tax. Advanced tickets are limited. No tickets will be sold at the gate. Special discounted parking is $10 per car at the gate.

With each ticket, $5 goes directly to the UTA Student Emergency Assistance Fund. See the gift codes on the website. Use the code UTA.

Discount deadline extended to Tuesday for HBO's boxing championship at College Park Center

Receive a 20 percent discount on tickets to the World Junior Welterweight Championship through Tuesday, April 7.

Undefeated WBO world lightweight champion Terence Crawford, the BWAA 2014 Fighter of the Year, will take on top contender Thomas Dulorme in an HBO After Dark rumble Saturday, April 18, at College Park Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

For discount tickets, use the promo code UTAHBO at utatickets.com or call 2-9595.

Thursday, April 2

Qualitative Research Networking Taryn Ozuna Allen and Leaf Zhang of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies present "Dedicated to the Degree: Adult Learners in Engineering Baccalaureate Programs." Noon-1 p.m., Room 415, Central Library. Also, Alexa Smith-Osborne of Social Work discusses "The Student Veteran Project and Military Youth Resilience Project," Thursday, April 16. Qualitative Research Networking.

Biology Colloquium Series Michael Sadowsky of the University of Minnesota on "Microbial Bile Acid Metabolism Is One Mechanism Behind the Success of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation." 4 p.m., Room 124, Life Science. Also, Rayna Bell of the University of California, Berkeley, Thursday, April 9. Biology.

Termini Distinguished Anthropologist Lecture Cemal Pulak, the Frederick R. Mayer Faculty Professor of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University, presents "Excavating the World’s Oldest Shipwreck: Uluburun and Late Bronze Age Trade in the Mediterranean.” Free. 7 p.m., auditorium, Architecture Building. Sociology and Anthropology.

Engineering Speakers Series Paul Nielsen, director and CEO of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, speaks on "Cybersecurity: Global but Personal." Free. 5 p.m. reception, Room 601; 6 p.m. lecture, Room 100; Nedderman Hall. Engineering.

Friday, April 3

LINK Lab Lecture Series Sabrina Habib, assistant professor of communication, presents "Qualitative Video Data Collection and Analysis." Noon, Room 601, Nedderman Hall. LINK Research Lab.

Transatlantic History Speakers Series Sven Beckert, the Laird Bell Professor of History at Harvard University, discusses his new book, Empire of Cotton: A Global History. Free. Noon-3 p.m. sixth floor parlor, Central Library. History. 

Your Professional Image Register online. 10 a.m.-noon, Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Accounting Research Workshop Anna Costello of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discusses the contracting role of accounting information, financial reporting quality, debt contracting, contagion, and counter-party risk. Free. 10:30 a.m., Room 609, Business Building. Business.

Wednesday, April 8

National Robotics Week Showcase Today’s most innovative technology by UTA faculty and industry collaborators. To reserve exhibit space, call 817-272-5900 or email utari-events@uta.edu. A shuttle will run between campuses. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., UT Arlington Research Institute, 7300 Jack Newell Blvd. S., Fort Worth. UTARI.

Conducting Effective Meetings Register online.  9-11 a.m., Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Thursday, April 9

Documentary: 'Alive Inside' Social worker Dan Cohen, founder of Music and Memory nonprofit organization, demonstrates music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. A panel discussion follows. Free. 5:30-8 p.m., Room 109, Social Work Complex Building A. Social Work. 

Friday, April 10

Social Work Ethics Forum “Big Data, Privacy, and Your Agency’s Functioning: A Forum on Social Work Ethics in the Age of Electronic Record Keeping and Coordination of Care.” Free but registration required. 1-4 p.m., Room 245, Business Building. Social Work.

Engineering Speakers Series President Vistasp Karbhari, an engineer, discusses “Engineers: Technicians, Scientists, or Futurists? Where Are We Headed?” Free. 2-3 p.m., Room 105, Nedderman Hall. Engineering.

Management Lecture Series Margaret Shaffer of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee discusses “Global Work Experiences: A Research Journey from Concept Creation to Scale Development to Model Testing.” Free. 2 p.m., Room 140, Business Building. Business.

Coming up

Walter Prescott Webb Lecture Series "Beyond Attics and Activists: Rethinking Family in Disability History" has been rescheduled for Friday, April 24, Rio Grande Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. History, Disability Studies, Office for Students with Disabilities, Women's and Gender Studies, Movin' Mavs Adapted Sports and Recreation.

Human Resources Training Register online. Customer Service 101, 9-11 a.m., Tuesday, April 14; Leadership Skills for Supervisors, 10 a.m.- noon, Friday, April 17; Administrative Professionals’ Recognition Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday, April 20; Powerful Presentation Skills, 9-11 a.m., Thursday, April 23; Partnering with Your Boss; 9-11 a.m., Tuesday, April 28; Time Management: Keys to Everyday Office Success, 9-11 a.m., Thursday, April 30. All in Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

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

Sweepin' up: Sophomore Sam Montes, above, and outfielder Mallory Foster were named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively. Foster also was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week.

Baseball Mavericks defeat No. 2 TCU

A seven-run outburst in the seventh inning propelled UTA past second-ranked TCU in an 8-1 victory at Clay Gould Ballpark on Tuesday night.

Senior Levi Scott was 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Freshman right-hander Daniel James picked up the win, allowing three hits and no earned runs in three innings.

The Mavericks are 13-14 overall and 4-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. The team begins a three-game SBC series Friday, April 3, at Louisiana-Monroe.

Softball players garner weekly honors

Sophomore outfielder Mallory Foster has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week. She is the first player in UTA softball history to win the award.

Foster and sophomore pitcher Sam Montes were selected Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively. Foster batted .875 with 16 RBIs in four games, while Montes picked up three wins in as many starts while posting a 1.65 ERA.

Senior infielder Meagan Michele was named the College Sports Madness Sun Belt Player of the Week. She batted .571 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.

Track performers excel at Texas Relays

Senior sprinter Quentin Butler finished fourth in the 100 meters Saturday at the Texas Relays in Austin. His time of 10.18 was a personal best and ranks fifth on UTA’s all-time list.

The men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Butler, Treyvion Johnson, Cameron Newson, and Tarik Crear placed eighth. Junior Roland Sales took fifth in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 11 inches.

Tobi Fawehinmi set a world Paralympic record in the triple jump. He placed 11th overall.

The men’s and women’s track teams return to action Friday, April 3, at the Baylor Invitational in Waco.

Movin' Mavs take titles at tennis tourney

The Movin' Mavs wheelchair tennis team earned titles at the Cajun Classic International Wheelchair Tennis Tournament this past weekend in Baton Rouge, La. 

First-place wins went to Ricardo Lucien in B Division
, Andreas Kraft in C Division, and Kraft and Juan Soto in C Division Doubles. Soto also took second in C Division.

Sports Shorts

• The softball team stretched its winning streak to five games with a 5-1 victory over North Texas on Wednesday at Allan Saxe Field. The Mavericks welcome No. 24 South Alabama for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series opening Friday, April 3. 

• Senior Lonnie McClanahan was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I District 24 second team. He previously picked up All-Sun Belt Conference second-team honors after the regular season.

• The men’s tennis team defeated SMU 4-3 on Tuesday in Dallas. The Mavericks face Georgia Southern and Louisiana-Lafayette this weekend in Lafayette, La.

• The women’s tennis team lost 4-2 to SMU on Tuesday in Dallas. The Mavericks return home today, Thursday, April 2, to play Louisiana-Lafayette.

• The golf team is back in action Monday, April 6, to begin the two-day Jim West Intercollegiate in Bastrop, Texas.

Intramural deadlines include badminton doubles

Upcoming entry deadlines for intramural sports include badminton doubles, Sunday, April 12; FAF video game, Wednesday, May 6; and poker tournament, Thursday, May 7.

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.)

April's a musical month A month of musical performances showcases the artists in the Department of Music. Four concerts require a fee, but most are free. Start the entertainment today, Thursday, April 2, with the UTA Symphony Orchestra Concert. The orchestra returns with another performance Saturday, April 25. Jazz things up at the Spring Jazz Concert on Thursday, April 16. The UTA Choir Concert gets vocal Thursday, April 30.  Tickets for each of the four concerts are $9 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at utatickets.com and at the door. All concerts are at 7:30 p.m. in Irons Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Building. Free concerts and recitals feature music faculty members, students, and guests. See the schedule.

Thursday, April 2

Women's Tennis Mavericks vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. 2 p.m., UTA Tennis Center. Athletics.

Maverick Musical Student groups perform 8-minute, Broadway-style productions. Free. 7 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Friday, April 3

Softball Mavericks vs. South Alabama. Tickets $5-7; $3 students. 4 and 6 p.m., Allan Saxe Field. Also, 1 p.m. Saturday, April 4. Athletics.

Closing Reception: 'Subject: Disability' Rescheduled reception for art exhibit focusing on disability. Free. 5:30 p.m., curator talk 6:30 p.m., The Gallery at UTA, Fine Arts Building. The Gallery at UTA.

Saturday, April 4

International Week Soccer Tournament 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Fields Complex. International Education.

Monday, April 6

Disability Studies Meet and Greet Meet faculty, staff, and students interested in disability studies and learn about projects and fall classes. RSVP to srose@uta.edu by Thursday, April 2. For disability-based accommodations, contact Sarah Rose at srose@uta.edu or 2-2861. Noon-1 p.m., Room 25, University Hall. History, Disability Studies.

Tuesday, April 7

Zumbathon Join the third annual Dance for a Cause. Snacks, door prizes, giveaways. Proceeds benefit Safe Haven of Tarrant County. Register. $6 students, faculty, staff; $8 public. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Maverick Activities Center. Campus Recreation, Relationship Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program.

Wednesday, April 8

Afternoon Variety Showcase: So Long Solo Indie folk/pop duo performs. Free. 11 a.m., Palo Duro Lounge, E.H. Hereford University Center. EXCEL Campus Activities. 

Homerathon A marathon recitation of Homer's "The Odyssey." Homerathon T-shirts and coffee mugs for sale. Register to volunteer. 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on the University Center mall. Classical Studies.

Monday, April 13

Maverick Speakers Series Bob Costas, an acclaimed sportscaster, presents "Sports in America: Is It Still Only a Game?" Preferred seating and free general admission tickets at utatickets.com. For VIP tickets, contact Mark LaVelle at mlavelle@uta.edu or 817-272-5235. 7:30 p.m., College Park Center. Maverick Speakers Series.

Ongoing

The Gallery at UTA: 'Subject Disability' Nine artists address disability by illustrating the ways art can challenge and inform our experience of others. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Through April 4. The Gallery at UTA.

MavsArt The semi-annual UTA community art show features 67 works by 25 artists who are UTA students, faculty, and staff. Through May 15. UT Arlington Libraries, MavsArt.

Special Collections: !Viva Mexico! A Comic Book History of Mexico A rare look inside the rise of comic books in 20th century Mexico, their literary, cultural, and entertainment value, and influence by the Mexican government. Hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, sixth floor, Central Library. Through Aug. 8. UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections.

Visual Resource Commons and Gallery The African Art Collection is a multi-dimensional collection of 11th- to 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 spring schedule features Black Holes, Dynamic Earth, Pink Floyd, Secret of the Cardboard Rocket, and Spacepark 360: Infinity. Planetarium.

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