MavWire 2015 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, August 27, 2015

Early research: Dr. Kytai Nguyen, associate professor of bioengineering at UT Arlington, will collaborate with UT El Paso in an NIH grant aimed at recruiting more minority and underprivileged students to seek graduate degrees in the field.

UTA joins consortium to increase underprivileged, minority students seeking graduate bioengineering degrees

UT Arlington has joined a consortium of universities that hopes to expose underprivileged and minority undergraduate students to research early in their academic careers and increase their chances of continuing their education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Kytai Nguyen, associate professor of bioengineering, is leading UT Arlington's effort.

More than 10 universities have joined the consortium, which is led by UT El Paso and funded by the National Institutes of Health for $22 million. UTA will receive $198,225 to host and mentor student researchers interested in biomedical engineering.

Read more about the grant for underprivileged and minority students in bioengineering.

UT System adds $20 million in support for new UTA Science, Engineering Innovation and Research building

The UT System Board of Regents has approved $20 million from the Permanent University Fund for the new Science, Engineering Innovation and Research building and included the project in the UT System Capital Improvements Program.

Construction of the 200,000-square-foot contemporary facility is expected to begin in 2016 with substantial completion by mid-2018.

Read more about the UT System funding and the Science, Engineering Innovation and Research Building.

Get yourself to the ball game for UTA Night with the Rangers

Put on your Maverick blue for a night of fun when the Texas Rangers take on the Baltimore Orioles for UTA Night with the Rangers on Friday, Aug. 28.

Join fellow faculty, staff, alumni, students, and friends for a pre-game Maverick picnic from 6-7:30 p.m. on the third base concourse featuring an all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet with water and soft drinks, and great Maverick giveaways.

Pre-game tickets are $30 for the picnic and game or $20 for the game only. Ticket sales end at noon Friday, Aug. 28. For more information, go to Alumni Relations. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Also see the Rangers play the Oakland A's when the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) offers discount tickets for Friday, Sept. 11. Complete the ticket form and submit it by Friday, Aug. 28.

Register your vehicle before Tuesday

Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1, e-citations may be issued for unpermitted vehicles parked on campus. The person to whom the vehicle is registered with the state will be notified by email or by mail.

UT Arlington’s virtual parking management system, MAVPark, is an online service that increases efficiency for customers and eliminates the need for parking decals and paper citations. MAVPark uses vehicle-mounted license plate readers to identify license plate numbers of parked vehicles for comparison against the virtual database of permitted vehicles.

To purchase a parking permit, visit uta.edu/MAVPark and click on Obtain a Permit under the big blue P.

Read more about MAVPark.

Stimulating success President Vistasp Karbhari, left, and AISD Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos sign the agreement between UTA and Arlington ISD for the STEM Academy based at Martin High School. The academy, which starts this week, offers high school students the opportunity to earn early college credit in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Watch the video.

Summit Avenue to close for repaving

Beginning Friday, Aug. 28, Summit Avenue will be closed for resurfacing and will reopen by Monday, Sept. 21, weather permitting.

Summit Avenue will be closed from Fourth Street to Greek Row Drive and from Greek Row to UTA Boulevard. Greek Row will remain open. 

Parking for the Swift Center, the Veterans Assistance Center, and Summit Avenue parking will be relocated to the Meadow Run lot, accessed from Greek Row, and the YWCA Child Care Center overflow lot at Summit and UTA Boulevard.

Entrance to the Greek houses parking lot will be temporarily relocated to the Davis Drive side.

Facilities Management has asked University Parking Enforcement to not write tickets during the resurfacing. Vehicles parked on Summit during this time will be towed by the city.

Libraries offer free Textbook Project, technology for checkout

Remind students that the UT Arlington Libraries offer the free Textbook Project—a program offering a selection of 1000- and 2000-level textbooks that can be checked out for two hours—for the fall semester.

The Central Library also has 10 technology tools available for check out.

Mavs meeting New and returning Mavericks gathered at College Park Center on Wednesday for the annual MavsMeet Convocation and were treated to performances from the UT Arlington bands, Los Potrillos Mariachi, and the UT Arlington A Cappella Choir. Keynote speaker Shayla Rivera, above, a comedian and writer, delivered words of inspiration, telling students, “It's not about what you CAN do, it's about what you DO do.” The AfterParty on The Green gave students a chance to play before the first day of classes, which started today. See more photos.

Sign up for a table at Activity Fair Day

Have your department or program represented at the Maverick Cookout Featuring the Activity Fair Day on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The event is part of Maverick Stampede events welcoming students to campus for the fall semester. Hundreds of campus and community resources and opportunities will be represented along with live music and food.

A limited number of tables are available. Sign up through the Student Activities and Organizations website by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31.

E-Verify required for new hires, rehires

Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1, UT Arlington will be required to use the federal electronic employment verification system know as E-Verify for all new hires and rehires.

The E-Verify system compares the information that employees submit on their Form I-9 with records maintained by the federal government.

The program has stringent deadlines for processing verifications and penalties for non-compliance.

With this new requirement, Human Resources is making changes to the post-hire processes that involve completion of Form I-9.

Read more about the E-Verify system.

Nominate a speaker for TEDxUTA 2016

Suggest a great speaker for TEDxUTA 2016. Complete the nomination form online.

TEDxUTA provides an opportunity for people to share ideas. An independent organization, TEDxUTA is designed to give communities, groups, and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue at the local level.

Coffee and books Starbucks at the UTA Bookstore opened Wednesday, part of the summer renovations. The coffee house is open 6 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, even when the bookstore is closed, says café manager Johan Djivo. A grand opening is planned for September. After the semester's initial rush, the bookstore will begin a total renovation, which may take up to a year to complete, says Jason Smith, UTA Bookstore director. The store will remain open during the renovations.

IRB Mini-Conference examines how-to of review

Faculty, staff, and students can learn about the Institutional Review Board submission process, how to conduct ethical research studies with human subjects, and more at the new, improved IRB Mini-Conference.

The conference is 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, in the upstairs lounge of the Maverick Activities Center.

Sessions include what to expect during the IRB review process, hot topics in human subjects research, and a sampling of protocol case studies. Those attending can earn credits for RCR training and human subject training requirements.

See the conference schedule and RSVP. Regulatory Services and Research Administration sponsor the conference.

Windows 10 testing underway

The Office of Information Technology is testing Windows 10 and its compatibility with other software used at UT Arlington.

Do not upgrade your Windows 7 or Windows 8 Operating System until all testing is completed and OIT announces that upgrades can be done.

Questions? Email desktop@uta.edu or itssupport@uta.edu.

Complete annual health assessment, receive gift card

If you don't keep track of them, changes can be hard to pin down. That’s why the annual health assessment is part of the Living Well program each year.

This online questionnaire, which takes about 15-20 minutes to complete, includes questions about your diet, physical activity, safety habits, and more. Completing it once a year gives you a way to easily see what has changed and where you need to focus your attention to best take care of your health and wellness.

To complete the health assessment, log in to the Living Well Health Platform and click on the Health heading.

You have until Monday, Aug. 31, to complete the health assessment and preventive exam to earn a $25 gift card. If you have any questions about the platform, contact Provant at 888-703-2296 or email livingwell@provanthealth.com.

Employment Information

Check out employment opportunities at uta.edu/jobs. Have questions? Call Human Resources/Employment Services at 2-3461 or TDD 2-8139, or email employment@uta.edu. The University of Texas at Arlington is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Thursday, Aug. 27

Payment Vouchers Register online. 2:30-4:30 p.m., Room E200C, Continuing Education Building. Business Affairs.

Friday, Aug. 28

UTARI Lunch and Learn Ganesh Sankaranarayanan, assistant director for research at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, discusses “Robots for Surgery and Human Computer Interaction Applications Through Sense of Touch (Haptics).” Register online. Shuttle available. Lunch provided. Noon, UTARI, 7300 Jack Newell Blvd. S., Fort Worth. UT Arlington Research Institute.

Wednesday, Sept. 2

Arlington Technology Association Michael McCabe, executive director of the UT Arlington Research Institute, describes how its interdisciplinary team of engineers links discovery, development, and commercialization to achieve new products, new companies, and economic impact for our region, state, and nation. Light breakfast provided. RSVP. Free. 7-8 a.m., Room 100, Nedderman Hall. Arlington Technology Association.

Thursday, Sept. 3

Qualitative Research Brown-Bag Series Debbie Cockerham of the Fort Worth Science Museum is guest speaker. Noon-1 p.m., Room 415, Central Library. Qualitative Research Networking.

Wednesday, Sept. 9

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

Food for Thought Rodney Caffey, a USA Olympic sports performance coach and a personal trainer, discusses “Exercise Frequency and Intensity: Is the Bro-science Really Science?” Free. Noon-1 p.m., Room 213, Maverick Activities Center. Campus Recreation.

Friday, Sept. 11

Peer Observation of Teaching Training Learn about this powerful tool for professional growth, documenting great teaching, and sharing new ideas. Register online. 1-4 p.m., Room 415, Central Library. Also, 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 9; 1-4 p.m. Nov. 20; 9 a.m.-noon Dec. 11. Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Faculty Affairs.

Coming up

Human Resources Training Register online. Fundamental Skills for Supervisors and Managers, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16; Partnering with Your Boss, 10 a.m.-noon Friday, Sept. 18; Leadership Skills for Supervisors, 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22; Managing Stress in the Workplace, 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24; Developing Assertive Communication Skills, 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29; and Advanced Supervisory Skills, 9-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. All in Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

UT Arlington Photonics Symposium For the International Year of Light, this daylong symposium includes presentations by faculty, a poster session, panel discussion, and a final reception. 7:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, Bluebonnet Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. Engineering. 

Engineering Speaker Series Mary "Missy” Cummings of Duke University discusses the state of automation and autonomy in our everyday lives. Free. 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, Room 100, Nedderman Hall. Engineering.

Architecture Lecture Joshua Nimmo presents “Someplace Else.” Free. 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, Room 204, Architecture Building. Architecture.

Second Annual Women in the Americas Series Lori Celaya of the University of Idaho is guest lecturer for the topic "Human Trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico Border and the Role of the Commercial Sex Trade Client." Free. Noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, Neches/Pedernales Rooms, E.H. Hereford University Center. Free and open to the public. Women’s and Gender Studies, Center for Mexican American Studies, Department of Modern Languages.

Focus on Faculty: Ritu Khanduri Ritu Khanduri, assistant professor of anthropology, is guest speaker. Free. Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, sixth floor, Central Library. UT Arlington Libraries. 

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

Mavs head to Paralympics: From left, sophomore Abby Dunkin, alumnus Mikey Paye, sophomore Rose Hollermann, and alumnus Aaron Gouge competed with the USA team at the ParaPan Am Games in Toronto, Canada, which was the qualifying competition for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hollermann scored 37 points to lead the USA to first place in women’s wheelchair basketball. Paye and Gouge, Movin’ Mavs alumni, led the USA in scoring for a gold medal in men’s wheelchair basketball. UTA jumper Tobi Fawehinmi secured his spot in Rio by taking second in the long jump. Playing for Canada, former Movin’ Mavs player Brent Lakatos won first in the 400-meter track event, and alumnus David Eng was a leading scorer in wheelchair basketball.

Volleyball season starts Friday with Maverick Classic

The volleyball team opens the 2015 season at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, against Campbell at College Park Center as part of the Maverick Classic. On Saturday, Aug. 29, UTA faces Grambling at 1:30 p.m. and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m.

The Mavericks are predicted to finish fifth in the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Coaches’ Poll. Outside hitter Qiana Canete was selected to the Preseason All-Sun Belt team.

Season and single-game tickets for the 2015 volleyball season are on sale at utatickets.com or by calling the College Park Center box office at 2-9595. The Faculty-Staff All-Season Ticket is $99 for all home games in all sports.

Men’s basketball dominates in Bahamas

The Mavericks went undefeated on their Summer Tour 2015 in Paradise Island, Bahamas, winning their four games by an average of almost 39 points.

In the final game Monday, UTA cruised past the Atlantis All-Stars 109-77. Sophomore guard Kaelon Wilson scored 25 points and junior guard Drew Charles added 17. The Mavericks previously defeated the Real Deal Shockers 93-67, PJ Stingers 114-64, and Providence Storm 108-61.

The regular season tips off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, with the Homecoming game against Fordham University at College Park Center. Season tickets for men’s and women’s basketball go on sale Monday, Sept. 14, at utatickets.com. Individual game tickets go on sale Thursday, Oct. 1.

Cross country teams picked high in preseason polls

The men’s cross country team is favored to win the Sun Belt Conference title this year, while the women are picked second in the 2015 Cross Country Preseason Polls.

The men return two all-conference performers in seniors Craig Lautenslager and Eric Ojeda. For the women, senior Katelyn Hayward is back after earning all-SBC honors last season.

The Mavericks kick off the 2015 season Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Bear Twilight Invitational in Waco.

Sports Shorts

• Golf coach Stuart Deane qualified for the 2016 PGA Professional Championship after finishing seventh Tuesday at the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship in Lewisville. He shot a 1-under-par 143 over two rounds.

• Softball coach Kristie Fox helped Team USA win the Junior World Championships last week in Oklahoma City. She served as an assistant coach for the team, which went undefeated in 10 games.

• The Maverick Open, formerly the Chip-N-Classic, will take place Thursday, Sept. 10, at Texas Star Golf Course in Euless. To reserve your place, contact Kris Wood at kriswood@uta.edu or 2-9613.

Fall intramural sports deadlines approaching

Upcoming intramural sports deadlines are Madden NFL '15 Tournament, Monday, Aug. 31; co-rec flag football, fantasy football, and college football pick 'em, Thursday, Sept. 3; tennis, Friday, Sept. 4; foosball, Tuesday, Sept. 8; softball, Wednesday, Sept. 9; and racquetball, Friday, Sept. 11.

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.)

Thursday, Aug. 27

Movin' Mavs-Lady Movin' Mavs Back-to-School Game Watch the Movin’ Mavs and the Lady Movin’ Mavs play. Free. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Maverick Activities Center. Movin' Mavs.

Friday, Aug. 28

Welcome Back Movie: 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron' Rated R. Free admission and popcorn. Concessions for sale. Lawn seating; bring a blanket or chair. Free. 9 p.m., west lawn, Maverick Activities Center. EXCEL Campus Activities.

$2 Movie: 'White Room 02b3' Filmed with a 360-degree camera, this movie examines six strangers who wake up in a white room to find out they are part of an extraordinary experiment that could change the face of humanity forever. Not recommended for children under 13. $2. 7 p.m., Planetarium.

Volleyball—Maverick Classic Mavericks vs. Campbell University. Welcome Back calendar giveaway, post-game autographs. Tickets $5. Faculty-Staff All-Season Ticket $99, all 2015-16 sports. 7 p.m., College Park Center. Also, vs. Grambling State, 1:30 p.m., and vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29. Athletics.

Monday, Aug. 31

Blood Drive Give the gift of life with a blood donation. Donate in August for a chance to win FOX Sports Southwest tickets. Register to donate. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., through Friday, Sept. 4, Library mall; Aug. 31, Sept. 3-4, University Center mall. University Events.

University Center Gallery: Digital Photography Student Exhibit Student artwork showcased. Gallery hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. University Center Gallery, E.H. Hereford University Center. Through Dec. 12. EXCEL Campus Activities.

Tuesday, Sept. 1

Faculty Jazz Recital Jazz artist-in-residence Stefan Karlsson, piano, joins jazz faculty members Ken Edwards, trumpet; Tim Ishii, saxophone; Mike Drake, drums; and Brian Mulholland, bass. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music. 

Wednesday, Sept. 2

Tail-Waggin' Wednesday Faculty, staff, and students can take a break filled with unconditional love from therapy dogs. Free. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., second floor, Central Library. UT Arlington Libraries. 

Maverick Cookout Featuring the Activity Fair Day Enjoy a $3 hamburger lunch, with a vegetarian option, and learn about campus organizations, clubs, and departments. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., University Center mall. Campus Recreation, Student Activities and Organizations.

Anna Karenina Book Club A new book club to share ideas and impressions about humanity expressed in Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel Anna Karenina. Noon, Wednesdays in September. RSVP to conway@uta.edu for location, details. Modern Languages, English.

Volleyball Mavericks vs. North Texas. Wear your Maverick gear for the Blue Out game. Tickets $5. Faculty-Staff All-Season Ticket $99, all 2015-16 sports. 7 p.m., College Park Center. Also, vs. Abilene Christian. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, luau-Mav 1000 tailgate. Athletics.

Friday, Sept. 4

Friday Night Film Film to be determined. Free popcorn. $1; $1.50 with credit card. 8 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. EXCEL Campus Activities. 

Tuesday, Sept. 8

Music Honors Recital Music faculty and students perform. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Thursday, Sept. 10

Faculty Organ Recital Linton Powell, Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Coming up

Volleyball Tickets $5 per game. Faculty-Staff All-Season Ticket $99, all 2015-16 sports. Mavericks vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, Fiesta Friday, Hispanic Heritage Night, Los Mavericks shirt giveaway; vs. Georgia State, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, volleyball alumni reunion, Camper Reunion Day, Boys and Girls Club Night, post-game autographs; vs. Georgia Southern, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, tailgate, OctoberFest/beer tasting, Pink Night, Greek Out; vs. Arkansas-Little Rock, 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, Jersey Day, Blaze's Kids Club, Youth Day, International Frugal Fun Day, post-game autographs. All at College Park Center. Athletics.

Free Music Recitals and Concerts Guest Double Bass Recital with Milton Masciadri of the University of Georgia, Monday, Sept. 14; Clavier Recital with UTA piano students, Tuesday, Sept. 15; Faculty Bassoon Recital with Scott Pool, Thursday, Sept. 17; Voice Division Recital with UTA vocal students, noon-1 p.m., Monday, Sept. 21. All free, at 7:30 p.m. Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Discount Rangers Tickets Discount tickets are available. Upcoming games are Toronto Blue Jays, Aug. 27; Baltimore Orioles, Aug. 28-30; Oakland Athletics, Sept. 11-13; Houston Astros, Sept. 14-17; Seattle Mariners, Sept. 18-20; Detroit Tigers, Sept. 28-30; and Los Angeles Angels, Oct. 1-4. Visit texasrangers.com/grouptickets, click on UT Arlington, and use the password GOMAVS to get your discounted tickets.

Oozeball This mud volleyball tournament is a long-standing campus tradition. 1-6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, Fourth Street at Summit Avenue. Campus Recreation. 

UTA Symphony Orchestra Concert The UTA Symphony Orchestra performs, conducted by Clifton Evans. Tickets $9 general admission, $6 students and seniors, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

UT Arlington at the Levitt UTA Wind Symphony performs Saturday, Sept. 26, and UTA Jazz Orchestra with jazz master Stefan Karlsson and Swedish jazz trumpeter Magnus Broo on Sunday, Sept. 27. Free. 8 p.m., Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram St. Levitt Pavilion.

Ongoing

Planetarium Two new shows—Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and From the Earth to the Universe—are part of the fall schedule, which begins today, Thursday, Aug. 27. Also showing are Astronaut, Pink Floyd, and Spacepark 360: Infinity. Planetarium.

Ornament and Adornment: The Decoration and Application Techniques of African Masks Examine the design and style of decorations on African masks from the Dowdey-Campbell and Brodie African Art Collections. Gallery hours 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Visual Resources Commons, Room 2109, Fine Arts Building. Through Aug. 31. Art and Art History.

Gallery 76102: 'Tshuchigama/Earthen Kiln' Tsuchigama or “dirt kiln” is recognized by scholars as Japan's earliest high-fire kiln type. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays; 4-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, Gallery 76102. Through Oct. 10. Fort Worth Center.

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