MavWire 2016 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, April 21, 2016

Lab plans: Dr. Shaher Rababeh, center, dean of the Hashemite University College of Engineering, and Hashemite University and UTA officials visit the test lab site in Jordan.

UTA collaborates with the Hashemite University in Jordan

A unique collaboration between UTA and Hashemite University in Jordan has led to the planning of the Hashemite University’s Structural System Laboratory, which is in the design phase, led by a team based in North Texas.

A visit to UTA by Princess Muna Al Hussein, mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan, and a delegation of Jordanian scientists and educators sparked the idea of creating a test lab in their country similar to UTA’s Structural Laboratory.

Impressed by the scope and abilities of UTA’s civil engineering laboratory, Hashemite University's President Kamal Bani Hani committed to creating the lab and through discussions with, and under the guidance of, Professor Ali Abolmaali, chair of UTA’s Department of Civil Engineering, it has since become a reality.

Read more about the UTA-Hashemite University project.

College of Nursing and Health Innovation launches public health track with an urban focus

The College of Nursing and Health Innovation will begin offering an undergraduate track in public health this fall.

Initially, students who successfully complete the 40-hour track will earn a bachelor’s degree in exercise science with an emphasis in public health. The college plans to seek approval from the UT System and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board during the 2016-17 school year for a stand-alone bachelor’s degree in public health.

Among the career opportunities for public health professionals are positions as health educators, health policy analysts, health advocacy specialists, environmental specialist, and disease intervention and industrial hygiene officers.

Read more about the public health degree.

Candidates for dean of College of Engineering to visit campus

Candidates for dean of the College of Engineering will have a session open to the University community at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in Room 204 of the Architecture Building; 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, in Room 100 of Nedderman Hall; and 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 2, in Room 204 of the Architecture Building. Each candidate will speak and then answer questions.

The candidate's name will be released 24 hours in advance of his or her campus visit.

Visit the Senior Leadership Searches webpage to learn more about the dean search for the College of Engineering as details become available.

All that jazz UTA's various jazz musical groups performed Saturday at the Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival. The annual Jazz Brunch allowed alumni to enjoy a meal, music, and fellowship. See more photos.

Don’t become victim of 'virtual' kidnapping scam

The Federal Bureau of Investigation advises that a telephone scam alleging that a relative or friend is a victim of kidnapping and a ransom will ensure their safety has been reported in Texas, California, Nevada, and New York.

Criminals call people at random and claim to have kidnapped a family member when no actual kidnapping has occurred.

The caller will likely go to great lengths to keep you on the phone, insisting you remain on the line, prevent you from contacting the “kidnapped” victim, and demand ransom money to be paid via wire transfer, not in person; ransom demands may drop quickly.

The UTA Police Department asks that if you receive such a call, contact the office immediately at 817-272-3003 to make a report and for additional assistance.

Read the FBI’s action tips and virtual kidnapping overview.

The Federal Trade Commission provides background information with options for filing a complaint related to the incident.

The FBI also has advice about a telephone scam about a relative in financial or legal crisis and an email scam about being a hit man’s target.

ERB crosswalk's electronic warning system awaiting upgrade

The electronic crosswalk notification/warning system on UTA Boulevard, north of the Engineering Research Building, will be out of service for an undetermined amount of time.

Signage regarding the outage is in place, but students, staff, and faculty need to take special precautions when accessing this crosswalk to ensure all pedestrians remain safe. Facilities Management has ordered a replacement circuit board, but is unsure of the delivery schedule.

For questions, contact Toby Buhrkuhl at 972-832-1490 or Jeff Johnson at 817-798-8456.

Nedderman Society Cookout honors employees next Friday

The Nedderman Society Cookout will serve up burgers and information 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, in the Palo Duro Lounge or the E.H. Hereford University Center.

The society, founded to recognize faculty, staff, and retirees who contribute financially to UTA, is named for President Emeritus Wendell Nedderman and his late wife, Betty. During Dr. Nedderman's 20-year tenure as president (1972-1992), the University added 21 baccalaureate, 27 master's, and 17 doctoral degree programs, and enrollment increased by more than 10,000 students.

The Nedderman Society exists in the same spirit of progress and improvement that the Neddermans exhibited. Faculty and staff who contribute to any area of the University are automatically members. If you'd like to become a Nedderman Society member, learn more about giving options.

The Nedderman Society Cookout is presented by the Development and Alumni Relations and sponsored by Texas Trust.

Prepare for professional learning communities' virtual mini-conference

A virtual mini-conference for UTA's professional learning communities is set for Monday-Friday, April 25-29, in an online-only environment.

The event showcases the work of the Blended Learning and Synchronous Learning Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for the 2015-2016 academic year. These fellows are supported by the LINK Research Lab and the Office of the Provost.

Read more about the PLC virtual mini-conference.

Emergency generator test on Friday

Facilities Management will test the emergency electrical generators on some buildings 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 22.

Buildings to be tested are Carlisle Hall, Central Library, Chemistry Research Building, Engineering Lab Building, Nedderman Hall, Science Hall, and Woolf Hall.

There will be a slight “blip” of a half-second as the electrical service transfers to the generator and another as it is transferred back to the normal building service. The test will affect only the electrical services tied to each building’s generator, not the entire building.

For questions, call Toby Buhrkuhl at 972-832-1490 or Jeff Johnson at 817-798-8456.

Step up to Blazing Race challenge

Join your fellow Mavericks for an hour-long event of wellness and competition in The Blazing Race on Wednesday, May 18.

Individuals or teams will race—run or walk—around campus on the two routes—low impact and high impact—to follow clues to lead them to several destinations on campus.

To register and find details, go to uta.edu/wellness.

Earth Day T-shirts: There's still time to buy an Earth Day T-shirt in the Sustainability Office in Room 204 of Preston Hall. Sizes small, medium, and large are available and some children's sizes.

Money Smart Week workshops, credit counseling available

The Department of Finance at the College of Business will host a series of financial literacy workshops and free credit counseling during Money Smart Week, Monday-Thursday, April 25-28.

Receive personal financial advice and credit consultations from financial services professionals 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at different locations on campus.

Professional loan officers will be available to offer personal credit report evaluations and recommendations for improvement. Attendees will obtain a free copy of their credit report and consultation.

Read more about the Money Smart Week workshop schedule.

Thursday, April 21

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

Political Science Week Panel Discussion Political science faculty Daniel Sledge and Trey Thomas discuss "Understanding Emerging Threats." 12:30 p.m., Room 108, University Hall. Political Science.

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.

Friday, April 22

Materials Science and Engineering Lecture Joseph Ngai, assistant professor of physics, "Electrically Coupling Multifunctional Oxides to Semiconductors: A Route to Novel Material Functionalities. 11 a.m., Room 105, Nedderman Hall. Materials Science and Engineering.

Tuesday, April 26

Dealing Effectively with Conflict and Confrontations Register online. 9-11 a.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Financial Statements and the Reconciliation Process Register online. 2-4 p.m., Room E200C, Enterprise Development Building, 140 W. Mitchell. Business Affairs.

Wednesday, April 27

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

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, Lone Star Auditorium, Maverick Activities Center. Kinesiology.

Social Work Colloquium Joanne Sobeck of Wayne State University, “Building Research Capacity.” RSVP to michael.olayiwole@mavs.uta.edu. 1-2 p.m., Room B107, Social Work Complex B. Research and Professional Development, Social Work.

Thursday, April 28

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

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., Carlisle Suite, E.H. Hereford University Center. Biology.

Friday, April 29

Psychology Colloquium Stephan Motowidlo of Rice University, “Knowledge about the Utility of Prosocial Professionalism.” Noon, Room 110, University Hall. Psychology.

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

Homebody: Junior catcher Kacey Everett makes it home in one of three games against Louisiana-Monroe this past weekend at Allan Saxe Field.

Sports Shorts

• The Maverick baseball team lost 13-2 to Dallas Baptist on Tuesday. The Mavs are 20-18 overall and 6-9 in Sun Belt Conference play. The team plays Troy Friday-Sunday, April 22-24, in Alabama.
• Softball's game between the Mavs and Lamar has moved to 2 p.m. Wednesday April 27, in Beaumont because of heavy rain and flooding. UTA is 27-12 overall and 6-9 in league play. The team plays Georgia State Saturday-Sunday, April 23-24, in Atlanta.
• The women's tennis team is the No. 3 seed in the Sun Belt Championship tournament. Play begins at 11:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, against Louisiana-Lafayette. The winner will meet one of three teams competing in the lower portion of the bracket that features reigning tournament champion No. 2 South Alabama, ranked No. 46 in the latest ITA/Oracle Collegiate Rankings.
• Maverick men's tennis is the fifth seed for the Sun Belt Championship tournament. The team plays its opening round against Louisiana-Lafayette at 3 p.m. Friday, April 22, in New Orleans. Friday's winner will take on No. 1 Georgia State at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 23.
• UTA’s women's tennis was one of 14 Sun Belt Conference programs recognized for outstanding academic performance by the NCAA. The Mavs also were recognized in 2014 and 2015 for having the highest GPA for women's tennis in the conference.
• The men’s golf team plays in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Destin, Fla., Sunday-Tuesday, April 24-26.
• Tickets are available for the 2016 UTA All-Sports Banquet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at College Park Center. Emily Jones, the Texas Rangers field reporter and host of Rangers Insider, is the keynote speaker. Tickets are $25. Table sponsorships are available for $250 and $500. For details, contact Danielle Sanders at 817-272-0694 or danielle.sanders@uta.edu.

Intramural deadline for table tennis

Upcoming intramural sports deadlines are table tennis, Thursday, April 21; wheelchair football, Monday, April 25; battleship, Monday, May 2; FIFA video game, Wednesday, May 4; and poker tournament, Thursday, May 5.

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.)

Flute choir presents unique musical play Musical theater has a new sound with The Princess and The Dragon, a musical play for flute choir by Terri Sánchez, senior lecturer of music. Showtime is noon Friday, April 22, in the Irons Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Building. The 40-minute play is free. Dr. Sánchez wrote the script and co-wrote the music with written by Katie Binkley, Rashaad Calaham, Sanket Karve, Stephanie Kalina, Sonia Kinra. Kinra and Caitlin Hall star in the lead roles. Other performers include Calaham, Carmen Chavez, Brittany King, Alba Cumba Berrocal, Estela da Costa, Kalina, Karve, Shannon Lotti, Yang Yi, and Lesdy Zapata. Lotti is the narrator.

Thursday, April 21

Percussion Ensemble Concert Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

MavPlays: 'Helios 24/7' Helios 24/7 by playwright-in-residence Natalie Gaupp follows a businesswoman and her artist daughter at odds in a world where the need for sleep can be permanently expunged. Tickets $7 faculty, staff, students, and seniors; $10 general public. 8 p.m., Studio 137, Fine Arts Building. Also, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 23. Theatre Arts.

Friday, April 22

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.

MavPlays: 'Dogwood' Dogwood by playwright-in-residence Nova explores three people still nursing the scars of childhood whose aging parents were not aware of the damage they caused. Tickets $7 faculty, staff, students, seniors; $10 general public. 8 p.m., MainStage Theatre, Fine Arts Building. Also, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24. Theatre Arts.

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

Sunday, April 24

Symphonic Band and Winds Concert Free. 5 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Monday, April 25

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

Friday, April 29

Baseball Mavericks vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Tickets $5, $3 students. 6:30 p.m., Clay Gould Ballpark. Athletics.

Clavier Piano Recital Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Saturday, April 30

Softball Softball Mavericks vs. Troy. Tickets $5-7, $3 students. 1 and 3 p.m., Allan Saxe Field. Athletics.

The Day of the Child The multicultural celebration of children, families, and reading includes storytelling in several languages, entertainment, crafts, games, and prizes. 2-5 p.m., Maverick Activities Center. Modern Languages.

Ongoing

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.

UTA Libraries: 'Academic Evolution: The University of Texas at Arlington' 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.)