MavWire 2016 Archive » MavWire — Monday, April 11, 2016

Jazz Brunch brings Mavericks together at Main Street Arts Festival

Enjoy food, Maverick fellowship, and music at the Jazz Brunch during the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival on Saturday, April 16. Main Street runs Thursday-Sunday, April 14-17.

Brunch is served 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the UTA Hospitality Suite at Main and Ninth streets in downtown Fort Worth. Tickets are $15 per person and free for children 5 and younger. Register online by Wednesday, April 13.

While you dine, listen to performances by the Jazz Ensemble at 11 a.m., the Jazz Orchestra at 12:30 p.m., and the Jazz Combo 1 at 2 p.m., all on the Main Stage at Main and Ninth.

Stop by the UTA booth for fun giveaways and lots of information about upcoming events and programs offered in Arlington and Fort Worth.

For more details, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@uta.edu or 2-5297. Find parking information at fortworthparking.com.

The largest four-day event in the Southwest, the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival is a nationally recognized art showcase with over 60 live performances, a variety of food options, and activities for all ages.

UTA a top winner at CASE awards

The Office of University Communications recently won top honors for video production, graphic design and writing at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District IV awards in Dallas.

CASE is an international organization for professionals in alumni relations, communications, and philanthropy. District IV represents 2,904 members from 261 institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

UTA earned a gold award for the video “There’s No Shortcuts to Success: 2015 Men’s Basketball.”

Both UTArlington Magazine and Inquiry, UTA’s research magazine, won silver awards for design.

An honorable mention was awarded for the article “Making Dreams Come True” in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation’s magazine, UTA Health.

60x30TX conference Educators strategized at the first North Texas conference for 60x30TX, hosted by UTA. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s challenge calls for 60 percent of 25- to 34-year olds to obtain a degree or certificate by 2030. Watch a video recap and see more photos.

Police Department receives reaccreditation

The UTA Police Department has been reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. The accreditation was approved at the CALEA national conference scheduled for March in St. Louis.

This is the fourth time the department has received reaccreditation from CALEA. Less than five percent of municipal and university police departments achieve this level of excellence.

Military Appreciation Week includes campus events

Express your gratitude to veterans and active service members during Military Appreciation Week on Monday-Friday, April 11-15.

Events include a barbecue fundraiser Military Appreciation Night at the Mavericks baseball game, a souvenir T-shirt sale,a drawing for suite for two at the May 13 Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays game, and Operation: Careers for Heroes.

The Veterans Connection Committee hosts this week's programs. Read more about UTA's Military Appreciation Week.

Tell students about workshop for completing final assignments

UTA Libraries is ready to help students with tools and techniques to complete their final course assignments. Experts will assist students with project planning, software/technology, citation/writing, and managing group work/dynamics in one-on-one conversations.

The workshops are 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, and noon Wednesday, April 13, in the Academic Plaza near Room 203 in the Central Library.

New workflow added to Exception Tracker

The Division of Business Affairs has implemented department management workflow within the BA Exception Tracker that will go into effect Friday, April 15.

The workflow process will require deans, chairs, and department heads to review the exception being submitted and approve or deny any exceptions requests prior to Business Affair’s final review.

Read more about the exceptions and workflows.

Cheer team wins fourth national championship

UTA's cheerleading squad won its fourth overall and third consecutive national championship at the National Cheerleader's Association annual competition in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Watch videos of the preliminary performance and the finals competition for the small coed division 1 title.

See the Maverick dance team perform in preliminary competition for jazz dance.

Friday deadline for sustainability faculty fellowships

Applications are due Friday, April 15, for faculty fellowships on sustainability in the curriculum for the Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact.

Faculty fellowships ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for one semester support development of modules on sustainability for existing courses, laboratory exercises, service learning exercises, field trips, development of new courses, or development of other curriculum products.

For more information, see the sustainability website or contact Chris Morris at morris@uta.edu.

Robotics rocks The UTA Research Institute hosted approximately 500 students and community members during their National Robotics Week showcase. See more photos and watch a video recap.

Spring issue of 'Maverick Safety Matters' now online

It's storm season in Texas, so be prepared by reviewing severe weather guidelines in the spring issue of Maverick Safety Matters. You can pick up some heat stress facts to help keep yourself cool when the hot summer arrives. Also read about driving University vehicles, using Stericycle boxes for disposing of biohazard materials, and a history of the Environmental Health and Safety Office.

Meet last candidate for parking director at Thursday forum

Faculty and staff can meet candidates for director of Parking and Transportation Services at upcoming forums. The next meeting is 7:30-8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14, in Room 609 of the Business Building.

Space requests now handled by Facilities Management

The procedure for submitting space requests by campus departments has moved to the Office of Facilities Management. Send requests to Amelia Firsching at amelia@uta.edu. The Space Acquisition, Renovation, and Utilization Committee will review requests.

Read more about the space request procedures and meeting dates for the Space Acquisition, Renovation, and Utilization Committee.

Get foot loose at family-friendly Dance-A-Thon

Dress in your favorite 1950s outfit for the family-friendly Dance-A-Thon that supports the Student Emergency Assistance Fund.

Faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to bring the family, hit the dance floor, see dance performances and demonstrations, and enjoy carnival-style games.

The fun is 3-11 p.m. Friday, April 15, in the Bluebonnet Ballroom of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

EXCEL Campus Activities and Freshman Leaders on Campus sponsor the event.

Friday's Evening at Six Flags to benefit Student Emergency Assistance Fund

Enjoy an evening at Six Flags Over Texas with discounted tickets that helps Arlington schools. The theme park hosts Education Celebration 6-11 p.m. Friday, April 15, 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 UTA's Student Emergency Assistance Fund. See the gift codes on the website. Use the code UTA.

Tax help at Central Library through Tuesday

Representatives of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) are available to help with figuring out your taxes. The free service runs through Tuesday, April 12, in Room B20 of the Central Library. Hours are 5-9 p.m. Monday-Tuesday.

Give your input on bike share program

Complete a bike share survey for the Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact.

A bike share program would allow students, faculty, and staff to check out a bicycle from one or more locations and return the bike at a later date. This will reduce congestion in parking lots, improve public health, reduce emissions, and create a cleaner, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable campus.

Books and bargains with UT Press online sale this week

The University of Texas Press is holding a spring online book sale for all campuses in the UT System. The sale will run from 8 a.m. Monday, April 11, through midnight Friday, April 15, on the UT Press website.

All titles on the site already are 33 percent off. Faculty, staff, and students will receive a discount of 45 percent off the full retail price. To receive 55 percent off, use the code UTPS16. Sales tax and shipping apply.

Blue Cross, HCA in negotiations on contract renewal

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) has notified the UT System Office of Employee Benefits (OE) that it is in negotiations with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) facilities throughout the state regarding renewal of network contracts. If no agreement is reached, these facilities will transition out of the BCBSTX PPO network as of May 1, 2016.

BCBSTX is notifying affected participants as is required, via a postcard that was mailed last week. OEB is following the situation closely and remains hopeful that an agreement will be reached. Most of these situations are ultimately successfully resolved resulting in a renewal of the network agreement.

Alternative network facilities are available in the event that these facilities do actually leave the network. Employees who have upcoming services scheduled and would like to know their options for in-network care can speak directly with their physicians for assistance about in-network care. Benefits do remain available through the UT SELECT Plan at a lower level for non-contracting facilities.

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.

Tuesday, April 12

Timekeeper Register online. 8:30-11 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Power Presentation Skills Register online. 9-11 a.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Safe Zone Training Register online. 1-4 p.m., San Saba Room, E.H. Hereford University Center. LGBTQA Program.

Moritz Speaker Series Ironman athlete Elmar Sprink of Germany and sports cardiologist André La Gerche of Australia are speakers for the inaugural series. Sprink is considered the fittest heart transplant recipient in the world. Dr. La Gerche developed a cardiac MRI test that can examine patients while exercising. Free. 4-6 p.m., Lone Star Auditorium, Maverick Activities Center. Moritz Speaker Series, Nursing and Health Innovation.

Wednesday, April 13

Maverick Service Excellence: Manager Overview Register online. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Timekeeper: Lab Register online. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Documentary screening: 'The Story of 1915 in Armenian Documents' The Turkish Student Association at UTA is hosting a screening of this film examining the end of the Ottoman Empire during World War I and the genocide aimed at the Armenian people. The film will be followed by a panel discussion. 6:30 p.m., Pedernales Room, E.H. Hereford University Center.

Center for Mexican American Studies Distinguished Lecture Leo Chavez of the University of California, Irvine, "From Amnesty to Anchor Babies: Immigration Discourse Over the Last 50 Years." 7 p.m., sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Center for Mexican American Studies.

Thursday, April 14

Payment Vouchers Register online. 8:30-10:30 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Sunbelt Politics: The Rise of the New Right Author Edward H. Miller of Northeastern University, Boston, and Michelle Nickerson of Loyola University, Chicago, discuss the importance of Dallas Congressman Bruce Alger, right, and the Republican Southern strategy in 1956. 12:30-2 p.m., sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Center for Greater Southwestern Studies.

Fundamental Skills for Supervisors and Managers Register online. 2-4 p.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Interdisciplinary Research Program Info Session Duane Dimos, vice president for research, explains how this new program supports research teams representing different disciplines. 2:30-4 p.m., Room 327 in Davis Hall. Also, Friday, April 15. Interdisciplinary Research Program.

Executive Presence: Powerful Actions, Communication, and Appearance Teri Bump of American Campus Communities demonstrate how communication, gravitas, and appearance can drive your career advancement. Register online. 3:30 p.m., Rio Grande Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. New Maverick Orientation.

Biology Colloquium Series Adam Siepielski of the University of Arkansas, “A Niche for Neutrality in Structuring Species Assemblages.” 4 p.m., Room 124, Life Science Building. Biology.

Monday, April 18

Art Lecture Mohamed Keshavjee of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, author of Into That Heaven of Freedom: The Impact of Apartheid on an Indian Family’s Diasporic History. 5 p.m., auditorium, Architecture Building. Art and Art History.

Position and Workforce Management Register online. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Tuesday, April 19

Managing Projects and Making Decisions Register online.  9-11 a.m.,  Room 200, Wetsel Service Center .Human Resources.

Human Resources Lab Register online.  2-4 p.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Wednesday, April 20

Question, Persuade, Refer: Ask A Question, Save A Life Register online. 9-11 a.m., Room 601, Nedderman Hall. Human Resources.

Welcoming Diversity Register online. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Focus on Faculty Julienne Greer, associate professor of theatre arts, Empathy and Embodiment: The Interdisciplinary Collaboration of Theatre Arts and Social Robotics. Noon-1:30 p.m., sixth floor parlor, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

Women’s and Gender Studies Brown Bag Lecture Stephanie Tavera, English doctoral student, "Conspiracies of Silence: Sexing the Body in Nineteenth-Century Women's Medical Fiction." Noon-1 p.m., Room 200, Trimble Hall. Women's and Gender Studies.

Thursday, April 21

Coaching Skills for Supervisors Register online. 9-11 a.m. Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Adventures in Antiquity Symposium Christopher Fuhrmann of the University of North Texas, "Police Brutality in the Roman World." 3:30 p.m., Room 2102A, Fine Arts Building. Philosophy and Humanities.

Travel and Expenses Register online. 8:30-11:30 a.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Biology Colloquium Series Jason Head of the University of Cambridge, “Snaking Through Morphospace: Anatomical Test of the Role of Regulatory Genetics and Ecology in the Evolution of a Hyperdiverse Clade.” 4 p.m., Room 124, Life Science Building. Biology.

Coming Up

Human Resources Training Register online. Dealing Effectively with Conflict and Confrontations, 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, April 26; Effective Delegation, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, April 27. All in Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Business Affairs Training Register online. Financial Statements and the Reconciliation Process, 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, April 26; Finance Lab, 8:30-10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 28. All in Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Texas American College of Sports Medicine Lecture Hirofumi Tanaka, director of the Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory at UT Austin,  “Masters Athletes: Super Humans with Gray Hair and Wrinkled Skin?” Noon Wednesday, April 27, Lone Star Auditorium, Maverick Activities Center. Kinesiology.

Frontiers in Science Edward F. DeLong of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, “Towards 4-Dimensional (Eco) Systems Biology in the Sea.” 1 p.m. Thursday, April 28, Carlisle Suite, E.H. Hereford University Center. Biology.

Social Work Colloquium Joanne Sobeck, associate dean and director of the Center for Social Work Research, “Building Research Capacity.” RSVP to michael.olayiwole@mavs.uta.edu. 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, Room B107, Social Work Complex B. Research and Professional Development, Social Work.

(For an expanded list of events, see the Events Calendar.)

MavPlays on stage for next two weeks Theatre productions by playwrights-in-residence Natalie Gaupp and Seraphina Nova are featured in MavPlays, a year-end production showing the talents of theatre arts faculty, staff, and students. Dogwood by Nova explores three people still nursing the scars of childhood whose aging parents were not aware of the damage they caused. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursday, April 14, Saturday, April 16, and Friday, April 22, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24, in the MainStage Theatre of the Fine Arts Building. Helios 24/7 by Dr. Gaupp follows a businesswoman and her artist daughter at odds in a world where the need for sleep can be permanently expunged. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday, April 15, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 17. The show repeats at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 21, and Saturday, April 23. Productions are in Studio 137 of the Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $7 for faculty, staff, students, and seniors and $10 for the public. For tickets, call 2-2669. MavPlays is produced by the Theatre Arts Department.

Monday, April 11

Faculty Creative Works Exhibit Artwork by faculty of the Art and Art History Department and posters, playbills, and a model set design by Theatre Arts faculty from their 2015 productions. Sixth floor, Central Library. Through Monday, April 25. UTA Libraries.

Tuesday, April 12

Earth Day Learn more about taking care of Mother Earth. Free herb plants while available. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., University Center mall. Institute of Sustainability and Global Impact.

Baseball Mavericks vs. Houston Baptist. Tickets $5, $3 students. 6:30 p.m., Clay Gould Ballpark. Also, vs. Georgia Southern, 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 15, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16, and noon, Sunday, April 17. Athletics.

Faculty Creative Works Reception Celebrate the creative works from 2015 by faculty members at the annual reception and exhibit. 4-6 p.m., sixth floor atrium, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

Thursday, April 14

Homerathon A public reading of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. Text in English available in Room 305 of Carlisle Hall. Recitation in Greek and other arcane languages is encouraged. Homerathon T-shirts and coffee mugs for sale. Register to participate. 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m., University Center mall. Philosophy and Humanities.

Dallas Wings Basketball: WNBA Draft Party Jersey reveal at 5:30 p.m. Special appearances by Odyssey Sims and Skylar Diggins. Concessions available. RSVP by Monday, April 11. Free. 5-8 p.m., College Park Center. Dallas Wings.

Saturday, April 16

Softball Mavericks vs. Louisiana-Monroe. Tickets $5-7, $3 students. 1 and 3 p.m., Clay Gould Ballpark. Also, noon, Sunday, April 17; vs. Troy. 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30. All at Allan Saxe Field. Athletics.

Men's Tennis Mavericks vs. Midwestern State. Free. 2 p.m., UTA Tennis Center. Athletics.

Tuesday, April 19

Baseball Mavericks vs. Dallas Baptist. Tickets $5, $3 students. 6:30 p.m., Clay Gould Ballpark. Also, vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 29. Athletics.

Friday, April 22

Friends of the Library Kathleen Kent, author of The Outcasts. 7:30 p.m., sixth floor parlor, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

Maverick Film Festival The competition features four-minute films by students. 7 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, E.H. Hereford University Center. Art and Art History.

Coming Up

Administrative Professionals Day A luncheon for UTA's administrative professionals. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, April 25, Bluebonnet Ballroom, E.H. Hereford University Center. Human Resources.

Ongoing

UTA Libraries: 'Score' Using Special Collections photos, the exhibit showcases the early days of baseball, basketball, and track; the end of Maverick football; and Olympians and Paralympians from UTA. Through April 30. Also, Academic Evolution: The University of Texas at Arlington runs through Aug. 31. Sixth floor, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

Planetarium Explore the secrets of the universe in the new show Dark. The spring schedule includes Astronaut, Cosmic Colors, From the Earth to the Universe, Pink Floyd, and SpacePark 360: Infinity. Through May 29. UTA Planetarium.

(For an expanded list of events, see the Events Calendar.)