MavWire 2016 Archive » MavWire — Thursday, June 2, 2016

Dr. D.J. Seo

Civil engineer creates phone app to gather public input on flash flooding conditions

D.J. Seo, associate professor of civil engineering, has launched a new Android cell phone app called iSeeFlood to encourage the public to file timely reports when they see flooding of varying severity on the streets, in and around their houses, and in streams and creeks. Such flash floods can be dangerous to pedestrians and motorists alike.

The free Google Play app is a new addition to the tool kit that researchers, forecasters, and emergency management professionals are using to improve their ability to protect lives and property. An iPhone version is under consideration.

Read more.

Dr. Kamesh Subbarao

Engineer wins Air Force grant to help unmanned vehicle systems work together

Kamesh Subbarao, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has received a three-year, $201,000 grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory to create an algorithm that will allow cooperative control of multiple spacecraft and address uncertainties and time delays in the information received.

If successful, Dr. Subbarao’s work would allow the Air Force to assign multiple satellites to an object and collect information about it. The grant applies to spacecraft, but the algorithm Subbarao develops ultimately could be used on any unmanned platform.

Read more.

Dr. Taryn Ozuna Allen

Study examines academic experiences of Latino students at HBCUs

A new UTA study by Taryn Ozuna Allen, assistant professor educational leadership and policy studies, reveals that Latino students experience academic and interpersonal validation from a variety of on- and off-campus individuals while enrolled in historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).

The study was published online in the The Journal of Higher Education.

Dr. Allen examined Latinos’ experiences, specifically HBCUs in Texas, where the state’s Latino population is quickly increasing.

Read more.

University Club, more food sites open Monday

The University Club and two other campus dining sites open Monday, June 6.

Opening are the University Club (11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays), the MAC Outtakes, formerly the MAC Market (8 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays), and the Connection Café (7-9 a.m., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-7 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays).

The Plaza Food Court (7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays) and Starbucks (7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays) already are open.

Locations closed this summer for renovations are the former We Proudly Brew and POD Market in the Central Library, Einstein Brothers Bagels in the Fine Arts Building, and POD Market in the University Center.

Pathways between Carlisle, Preston, Ransom halls temporarily closed

To facilitate a construction project at Carlisle Hall, fencing and scaffolding has been installed around the perimeter of the building and the current pedestrian pathways have been closed between Carlisle Hall, Preston Hall, and Ransom Hall for 30-60 days. Signs will be placed around the area to identify the modified pathways.

For questions or concerns, contact Nick Myers at nmyers@uta.edu or Don Lange at donlange@uta.edu.

Hot stuff Special Olympics fans cheered on the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics as it wound through campus last week. Watch the video.

UTA Flow training sessions cover new features

Training sessions for new and improved features of UTA Flow HR Forms begin next week. The new process to create, modify, and add new assignments begins Monday, June 13. Sessions are:

Wednesday, June 8

• College of Liberal Arts—2-3 p.m., Room 455, University Hall

Thursday, June 9

• College of Science—2-3 p.m., Room 609, Business Building
• College of Business—3:30-4:30 p.m., Room 609, Business Building

Friday, June 10

• College of Engineering—10:30-11:30 a.m., Room 132, Engineering Research Building
• College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs; College of Education; College of Nursing; and School of Social Work—2-3 p.m., Room 211, Pickard Hall

For questions, contact Ana Millan at ana.millan@uta.edu or Maria Martinez-Cosio at mcosio@uta.edu or 2-3302.

Use UTShare for FY 17 blanket purchase order, service agreements

Requisitions for fiscal year 2017 on the Blanket Purchase Orders and Service Contract template may now be entered into UTShare.

Only the blanket purchase orders and services listed on the template with a value of $15,000 or more may be submitted. Fully approved requisitions must be received in Procurement by 5 p.m. Friday, June 3. Late requisitions will be processed on or after Sept. 1.

The budget date on these requisitions must be changed to 09/01/2016 using the line defaults page or on the distribution line. For problems or questions on this step, contact your department's buyer in Procurement.

Blazing Race winners announced

TRIO 1 and University Skinnies took top honors in The Blazing Race, an on-campus race sponsored by the Wellness Committee. The race on Employee Health and Fitness Day had 173 employees in 44 teams participating.

TRIO 1 won in the high-impact category with team members Jose Briseno, Apphia Bulus, and Enrique Delgado. The low-impact winner, the University Skinnies, included Megan Janky, Alex Weaver, Tammy Williams, and Laura Wolf. See more race results at uta.edu/wellness.

Dr. Anne Bavier

Vote for Bavier as influential in health care

Cast your vote for Anne Bavier, dean for the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, as one of the 100 most influential people in health care.

Modern Healthcare magazine has placed a list of 300 people, including Dr. Bavier, on an online ballot.

Voting takes only a few seconds. Go to the Modern Healthcare site, scroll down to Anne Bavier (names are listed alphabetically by last name), and vote. Then continue scrolling to the bottom, click Next, and scroll to the bottom of the second page and click Next. On the last page, click Done.

Anyone can vote through Friday, June 24, so encourage your family and friends to participate.

IT maintenance scheduled Saturday

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) will perform maintenance to ensure continued stability and reliability of internet, network, telephone, and IT services for the campus community. Planned maintenance will be:

• Midnight-6 a.m. Saturday, June 4, equipment critical to all data connectivity both on campus and off campus; will affect internet, VPN, and inside networks.
• Midnight-4 a.m. Saturday, June 11, equipment required for outside local and long-distance telephone service; may affect outside telephone service.

Service disruption is not anticipated, but if it does happen, go to the system status page for updates. For questions, contact the Help Desk at 2-2208 or helpdesk@uta.edu.

A decade of Dancing Classrooms Since 2006, Dancing Classrooms has been teaching North Texas fifth graders ballroom dancing techniques while UTA measures the impact on students’ physical fitness. Watch the video.

Beware of crypto malware attacks; get CrashPlan

Ransomware can maliciously encrypt files on your hard drive and make them permanently inaccessible. Successful attacks also can affect files on your network (K: and J:) drives.

To prevent being infected, make sure you do not click on any suspicious attachments or emails, and be careful about which websites you browse. Read more about crypto malware attacks on the Information Security blog.

Be prepared by having CrashPlan installed backups on UTA-owned computers. To install CrashPlan, please contact the Help Desk at 2-2208 or helpdesk@uta.edu.

Campus police, UTA Libraries want your feedback

The UTA Police Department seeks your opinion regarding its performance in serving the community. Take the survey to give your input to enhance UTA PD's professionalism and the services provided to faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Share your opinions with UTA Libraries in a simple, anonymous, and confidential survey. Complete the survey. Questions or comments? Email utalibqual@listserv.uta.edu.

Get Texas Rangers discount tickets

To claim discounted tickets for select Texas Rangers' home games, visit texasrangers.com/grouptickets, click on the University of Texas at Arlington, and use the password GOMAVS.

Annual Enrollment for benefits begins July 15

Watch for an Annual Enrollment newsletter via email by Wednesday, July 6. The retiree edition print version should arrive by mail by July 15. Annual Enrollment runs Friday, July 15-Sunday, July 31.

File your UT FLEX claims early this year

Maestro Health will be the new UT FLEX vendor beginning on Sept. 1.The Office of Employee Benefits is working with Maestro and PayFlex (the current vendor) to ensure a smooth transition for current and future UT FLEX participants. Do your part by filing your claims as early as possible. Although claims can still be filed as late as Nov. 30 in most cases, if you have receipts and still need to be reimbursed, don’t wait. Submit your claims via the UT FLEX website at utflex.com.

Flexible Summer Hours Program begins June 6

UTA again will offer the Flexible Summer Hours Program June 6-Aug. 12. Participating employees work a compressed week of four 10-hour days with one day off during the work week. Employees who wish to participate must have their manager's written approval of their flexible schedules before beginning the program. Questions? Contact Eunice Currie at currie@uta.edu or 2-7091.

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, June 2

Maverick Service Excellence: Building Customer Rapport and Goodwill Register online. 2-4 p.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Also, 10 a.m.-noon Friday, June 3, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center; 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, Room 549, Pickard Hall; and 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Upcoming sessions for the Maverick Service Excellence include How to Communicate With Your Customers; Handling Problems and Complaints; Dealing Effectively With Difficult People; and Projecting a Positive, Professional Image. Human Resources.

Tuesday, June 7

Requisitions Register online. 1:30-4 p.m., Room E200C, Continuing Education Building. Business Affairs.

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

Wednesday, June 8

Payment Vouchers Register online. 8:30-10:30 a.m., Room E200C, Continuing Education Building. Business Affairs.

Thursday, June 9

ProCard Register online. 8:30-10:30 a.m., Room E200C, Wets Continuing Education Building. Business Affairs.

Advanced Supervisory Skills Register online. 2-4 p.m., Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

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

Jump start: High jumper Alexus Henry will compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Saturday, June 11. Triple jumper Tobi Fawehinmi broke a Paralympic world record at the NCAA West Preliminary Round for the Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Sports Shorts

• UTA freshman Alexus Henry finished fifth in the high jump Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary Round to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. She cleared 5 feet, 10 3/4 inches, the second-best mark in school history, on her second attempt at the height. Henry is the first women's high jumper from UTA to advance to the NCAA Championships. She will compete in Oregon on Saturday, June 11. Read more.
• Tobi Fawehinmi broke the world Paralympic record in the triple jump Saturday to highlight the action on the final day at the NCAA West Preliminary Round for the Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Fawehinmi posted a personal-best mark of 50 feet, 11 1/2 inches on his first attempt. The junior finished 17th in the event, five spots shy of earning an appearance in the NCAA Championships. He will compete in the Paralympics in September. Read more.
• The season ended for UTA baseball with Friday afternoon's 3-0 loss to South Alabama in the Sun Belt Championship. The seventh-seeded Mavericks beat the No. 2 Jaguars 4-2 on Wednesday, but lost the rematch to get bounced from the league tournament. UTA lost 6-0 earlier Friday to Georgia Southern. Read more.
• Five UTA baseball players were named to All-Sun Belt Conference teams. Senior Darien McLemore and junior Brady Cox were first team selections, while juniors Kadon Simmons, Quintin Rohrbaugh, and Colton Turner were named to the second team. Read more.
• Softball players Sandra Mendoza and Krista Rude were named to the NFCA 2016 Division I Central Region teams. Mendoza was named to the second team, while Rude is a member of the third team. Read more.

Intramural deadline for tennis, indoor soccer

Upcoming intramural sport deadlines are tennis and indoor soccer, June 8; softball, June 15; sand volleyball and racquetball, June 22; billiards, June 30; badminton, July 12; basketball, July 13; poker, July 21; and MavStrong, Aug. 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.)

Animals, supernatural part of African exhibit See how animals are part of life and the afterlife in Ritual and Animism: Visual Investigations of the Soul and Supernatural in African Art and Artifacts. The exhibit showcases some of the artwork and artifacts known for their use in indigenous ritual practices of various African people. Many of the masks, headdresses, and power figures on display represent the spirit of a specific animal or deity, and some still retain vestiges of the rites or rituals in which they were used. Items in the exhibit are from the Campbell-Dowdey and Brodie African Art collections in the Department of Art and Art History. The exhibit opens Friday, June 3, and runs through Monday, Aug. 26. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, in the Visual Resources Commons and Gallery, Suite 2109, of the Fine Arts Building.

Ongoing

Planetarium The summer schedule includes Dynamic Earth; One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure; Pink Floyd; Secret of the Cardboard Rocket; Spacepark 360: Infinity; Texas Stargazing; and We Are Astronomers. Through Aug. 28. Planetarium.

UTA Libraries: 'Academic Evolution: The University of Texas at Arlington' An exhibition of UTA's academic history. Through Aug. 31. Sixth floor, Central Library. UTA Libraries.

CAPPA Gallery: 'End of Year Show' A selection of student works from the architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design programs. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Second floor gallery. Through Aug. 31. Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.

UTA Libraries: 'Building a Barrier-Free Campus' Explore how UTA began to become a model accessible campus for students with disabilities. Sixth floor parlor, Central Library. Through Sept. 16. UTA Libraries, History, College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Global Ideas, Office for Students with Disabilities.

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