TrailBlazer 2014 Archive » TrailBlazer — Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Inside action: College Park Center hosted Saturday's Homecoming events when rain caused the street festival and pep rally to move indoors. More than 4,000 fans cheered on the men's basketball team to an 87-69 victory over Houston Baptist. See more photos.

Rain doesn't dampen Homecoming excitement

Maverick pride filled College Park Center on Saturday as thousands of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members enjoyed indoor fun and festivities for Homecoming 2014.

Events moved inside because of the rainy day, which didn't dampen the fun time on the concourse of College Park Center. Booths for the street festival lined the halls for afternoon activities and the pre-game pep rally. The Party on the Plaza headed to the Hospitality Suite, where alumni enjoyed food, beverages, and fellowship, plus reserved seats for the game against Houston Baptist.

Tung Nguyen and Cynthia Heisch, marketing seniors, were crowned Homecoming king and queen in front of more than 4,000 fans at halftime. The Mavericks defeated Houston Baptist 87-69 on Petsche Court in College Park Center.

Rain caused the parade to be canceled and the golf tournament and fireworks show to be rescheduled.

The week included the Distinguished Alumni Awards, The Bash dance party, the chili cook-off, the step show, and alumni gatherings.

UT Arlington joins White House technology initiative

UT Arlington is one of more than a dozen universities that will be included in a new White House initiative aimed at empowering teachers and students nationwide to use technology in the classroom.

During a news conference Thursday in Washington, D.C., President Obama announced ConnectED, a program that partners with online learning platform edX to offer free professional development courses and their accompanying certifications to teachers, along with courses to prepare students for Advanced Placement exams.

UT Arlington’s College of Education and the Learning Innovation and Networked Knowledge (LINK) Lab will offer one massive open online course, or MOOC, in 2015 called Technology, Literacy, and Diversity in Education. The course will likely be followed by additional courses through 2018.

Read more about ConnectED.

Candidates for College of Science dean to visit campus

Candidates for dean of the College of Science will meet with administrators, faculty, staff, and students Monday-Friday, Dec. 1-5.

The name of each candidate 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 Science, as details become available.

Forever Arlington The Distinguished Alumni Awards became a new Homecoming event this year. From left, President Vistasp Karbhari, Lisa Karbhari, and honorees Serena Simmons Connelly, Fred Perpall, Vicki Tanner, Baron Concors, and James Greer. Also honored was Bruce Tanner. Read more about the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Awards honorees, and watch the video.

Campus closed for Thanksgiving holiday

The UT Arlington campus is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 27-30.

E.H. Hereford University Center—The center will close at 7 p.m. Wednesday and open 1-11 p.m. Sunday.

Campus Recreation—For the Maverick Activities Center and pool hours, see the Campus Recreation schedule online.

Libraries—Libraries are closed Thursday. Check the library schedule for hours on other days.

Planetarium—Go online for the Planetarium schedule.

Metro Arlington Xpress—The MAX will not run Thursday-Friday.

Dining Services forum at noon Monday

Share your opinions on Dining Services at an open forum noon-1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, in the Rio Grande Ballroom of the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Join Loan Ho, Student Congress president; Timothy Quinnan, vice president for student affairs; and the Dining Services Task Force for thoughts, ideas, and free pizza and drinks.

ACES symposium now accepting abstract submissions

Abstracts are now being accepted for the Annual Celebration of Excellence by Students (ACES), a University-wide symposium highlighting the best in student research and creativity. Submission deadline is Friday, Feb. 6, 2015.

To be featured at ACES, undergraduate and graduate students work with faculty mentors in their disciplines to write and submit abstracts for the competition. The approved abstracts are then turned into oral presentations or posters to be presented at the symposium. The day-long event includes a keynote speaker. 

ACES 2015 will take place Wednesday, March 25, in the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Email questions to aces@uta.edu.

Visit with UTA authors at CAAS event

Meet the authors from UT Arlington at “An Evening with Authors” hosted by the Center for African American Studies. 

The program is 5:30–7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the Carlisle Suite of the E.H. Hereford University Center. Copies of literary works will be available.

RSVP to caas@uta.edu by Friday, Nov. 28.

Give your travel thoughts in I-30 survey

The North Central Texas Council of Governments Transportation Department, in partnership with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, is asking travelers of Interstate 30 about how incentives might influence their trip choices. A survey is online at I-30survey.org until Nov. 30.

Return appearance Former UTA President James Spaniolo, center, visited campus last week to honor scholarship winners. New recipients of the Spaniolo First Generation Scholarships are, from left, Tania Garcia, Jaqueline Ramos, Kelly Zarate, Connor Torrealba, Madison Maynard, Britney Berger, Victoria Cortez, and My Tien Bui.

Food drive sets one-ton goal

The Golden Key International Honour Society seeks your help to reach its goal of 2,000 pounds of food for needy families.

Donation box locations are:

• Room 318, Science Hall

• Watson Building, 219 W. Main St.

• Room 118, Fine Arts Building

• Room 501, Nedderman Hall

• First floor, Central Library

• Room 130, Chemistry and Physics Building

• Room 205, J.D. Wetsel Service Center

Donations are due by Tuesday, Dec. 2. For drop-off or pick-up details, contact Kevin Schuck at keschuck@uta.edu or 817-272-0102 or Micaela Seals at mlseals@uta.edu. All donations go to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.

Participate in emergency response exercise

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend the Office of Emergency Management’s annual Clery Act tabletop exercise Thursday, Dec. 4. The program is 1-4 p.m. in the back gym of the Maverick Activities Center.

The exercise addresses emergency response and evacuation on a campus-wide scale.

MyMav maintenance planned for Dec. 7

Maintenance is planned for the MyMav system noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, by the Office of Information Technology. During this time, MyMav will be unavailable.

Questions? Contact the Help Desk at 817-272-2208 or helpdesk@uta.edu.

Peer educators needed for spring

The TRIO-Student Support Services and University Tutorial and Supplemental Instruction offices are looking for motivated students to become peer educators for the spring semester.

Peer educators are students who are successful in their courses and have completed at least one semester of coursework at UT Arlington. Applicants must have a 3.0+ GPA and have earned an A or B in the course for which they are applying. Students also should have great communication skills, excellent leadership qualities, and a positive attitude.

Available positions for peer educators include one-on-one tutors, small group tutors/mentors, and Supplemental Instruction leaders. 

For details, visit uta.edu/tutoringjobs. Application deadline is Friday, Nov. 28. 

Beware of cyber criminals when shopping online

The Information Security Office encourages you to be aware of holiday seasonal scams, phishing, and malicious software distribution campaigns.

Cyber criminals often send personal messages that appear to be legitimate and include websites that look real with logos, email, or web templates.

These phishing and malware campaigns include fake shipping/courier notifications; electronic greeting cards or links to holiday screensavers; requests for charitable contributions that appear to be from the real organization; and credit card or gift card applications or enticing discounts that lead to unfamiliar websites.

Look for signs that an email or website is not legitimate:

• Sender’s address or website address does not match the organization listed in the content of the message.

• Grammar in the message or website is poor.

• Format of the email or website is poor or inconsistent with what you’ve seen from the organization.

• Hovering your mouse over the links reveals web addresses inconsistent with the content of the message.

Never click on links in emails that you’re not expecting, open attachments in emails that you’re not expecting, nor provide personal information in an email or on a website unless you are confident of the source.

If you do receive suspicious email messages, contact the Information Security Office at security@uta.edu.

Read more online security tips.

Recruit for your program at transfer New Maverick Orientation

During the fall and winter months, Involvement Fairs take place at orientation sessions for students transferring to the University in the upcoming spring term.

University departments and registered student organizations may host a table to provide information about their programs to incoming students.

Upcoming sessions are Saturday, Dec. 6; Wednesday, Dec. 10; Monday, Jan. 12; and Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Learn more and register online.

TrailBlazer will return in December

Today's TrailBlazer is the last issue until after Thanksgiving. The next issue is Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Send your stories or photos for TrailBlazer to trailblazer@uta.edu to be considered for publication.

Find previous issues in the TrailBlazer archives.

Fall final exam schedule available

The final exam schedule for the fall term is available online. Finals are scheduled Dec. 6-12.

Spring registration is open; see your adviser now

Make plans to register for the winter intersession and spring 2015 terms. The schedule of classes and the registration timetable are available on the MyMav portal page.

Check your Student Center in MyMav to see if you need to meet with your academic adviser before registering. A list of advising offices is online. Call to schedule an appointment or check walk-in hours.

Transcripts available in PDF format

UT Arlington now offers transcripts in PDF format. Students can send PDF transcripts by email to another university, a potential employer, or themselves. Read more about ordering transcripts.

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Women's Basketball Mavericks vs. Northern Arizona. Tickets $3 with student ID. 7 p.m., College Park Center. Athletics.

Monday, Dec. 1-Wednesday, Dec. 10

Paws for Finals Therapy dogs help with the stress of final exams. Free. Second floor, Central Library. UT Arlington Libraries.

Friday, Dec. 5

Friends of the Library Chants Encounters performs holiday music. Free. 7:30 p.m., sixth floor Central Library. Friends of the Library.

BFA Exhibit Opening Reception The Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition showcases works by 47 graduating seniors in painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, film/video, photography, and visual communication. Gallery hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays. Reception 5-7 p.m., The Gallery at UTA. Through Dec. 13. Art and Art History.

Saturday, Dec. 6

Men's Basketball Mavericks vs. Weber State. Tickets $3 with student ID. 2 p.m., College Park Center. Also, Howard Payne, Saturday, Dec. 20. Athletics.

Ongoing

Gallery 76102: Above & Beyond Kalee Appleton's series is inspired by time and time’s tendency to both transform and preserve. Gallery hours noon-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, Gallery 76102, 1401 Jones St., Fort Worth. Through Nov. 30. Fort Worth Center, Gallery 76102.

MavsArt The semi-annual UTA community art show features 67 works by 25 artists who are UTA students, faculty, and staff. Through Dec. 3. UT Arlington Libraries, MavsArt.

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

Max Sullivan Gallery: Statera-Hymns of Balance Paintings by Andrew Kochie. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Free. Max Sullivan Gallery, Room 206, Architecture Building. Through Dec. 15. Architecture.

Cuba: Histories of the Present Explore daily life in modern Cuba through photographs by David LaFevor, assistant professor of history. Sixth floor, Central Library. Through Dec. 22.

Special Collections: The Price of Manifest Destiny Discover how maps and war interlock in the 19th century in a new exhibit. Hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Sixth floor, Central Library. Through Feb. 7, 2015. UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections.

Visual Resource Commons and Gallery The African Art Collection is a multi-dimensional collection of 11th-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 Closed Thanksgiving Day. The fall schedule ends Nov. 30 and includes Astronaut; One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure; Pink Floyd; Spacepark 360 Infinity; Two Small Pieces of Glass; and We Are Astronomers. The winter schedule, Dec. 4-21, features Season of Light; Holiday Music Magic; Back to the Moon for Good; Experience the Aurora; One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure; Pink Floyd; and Spacepark 360 Infinity. Planetarium.

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

Mavericks claim Homecoming victory

The men’s basketball team defeated Houston Baptist 87-69 Saturday night in the Homecoming game before 4,163 fans at College Park Center.

Senior guard Jamel Outler paced the Mavericks with 26 points, including seven 3-pointers. UTA made a season-high 13 of 21 from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Drew Charles and senior guard Lonnie McClanahan added 12 points apiece.

The win improves the Mavericks to 3-1. They face top-ranked Kentucky in Lexington at 6 p.m. today, Tuesday, Nov. 25. Watch the game on the SEC Network.

Women's basketball suffers first defeat

The Mavericks lost for the first time this season, falling 71-61 Saturday night to Wichita State in Wichita, Kan.

Freshman guard Cierra Johnson led the way with 17 points. Freshman center Rebekah Van Dijk added 13 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.

Now 2-1, UTA hosts Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at College Park Center.

Volleyball team wins final regular-season match

UTA ended its regular season with a 3-1 victory Friday night on the road against Georgia Southern.

The win puts the Mavericks at 24-8 this season and 14-6 in Sun Belt Conference play. Junior outside hitter Hannah Baptiste registered a team-high 11 kills to go along with seven digs.

Next up is the SBC Championship in San Marcos. UTA finished fourth in the regular season and is the tournament’s No. 4 seed. The Mavericks face fifth-seeded Appalachian State at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, in first-round action.

Final intramural sports wrap up semester

Upcoming entry deadlines for intramural sports include MavStrong, Wednesday, Dec. 3; and CollegeFB Bowl Pick 'Em, Saturday, Dec. 13.

See the intramural sports schedule. Pick up entry forms at the Services and Information Desk of the Maverick Activities Center. For questions, call 817-272-3277 or email imsports@uta.edu.

(For more sports news, go to utamavs.com, uta.edu/movinmavs, or uta.edu/campusrec.)