UTA In The News — Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Mathematical modeling
A UTA researcher has used mathematical modeling to demonstrate that negative peer pressures can spread in a high-risk setting, influencing students' decisions to drop out of school, ScienceMag, SpaceWeekly.com, Science Daily and many other media sites reported. Christopher Kribs, UTA professor of Mathematics and Curriculum & Instruction, was co-author in the study published in the prestigious Royal Society Journal Proceedings A.
Bernard Harris camp
The University of Texas at Arlington is hosting the 2017 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp June 11-23, Public Now reported. While living on the UTA college campus for two weeks, these future innovators will have an all-expenses paid science, technology, engineering and math learning experience and mentorship from Bernard Harris and ExxonMobil engineers. Harris was the first African American man to go in space as one of NASA's research teams.
UTA in NIT
UTA takes on Brigham Young at 10 p.m. tonight on ESPN 2 in the first round of the NIT, the Star-Telegram reported.
Movin' Mavs recruit
Bryce Cruz signed a letter of intent to play for the UTA Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team recently, KRIV Fox 26 reported in a feature about Cruz and his commitment to overcome his challenges in life. Cruz is a senior at Dekaney High School in Spring, Texas.
Baseball team gets big win
The UTA baseball team beat the No. 4-ranked team in the nation, Texas Tech, 5-1, at Arlington’s Globe Life Park Tuesday, KXAS NBC 5 reported.
CSE professor featured
Chengkai Li, UTA associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is one of the featured speakers at South-by-Southwest on March 13 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Patch.com reported. Li, Bill Adair of Duke University and Alexios Mantarlis of the Poynter Institute will talk about fact-checking software, including ClaimBuster, which Li helped develop.
Alternative spring break
Two UTA students, Niyousha Davachi and Mark Scheldberg, were interviewed in a story about college students volunteering during their spring break, WLOX ABC 39 in Biloxi, Miss., WTVM ABC 9 in Columbus, Ga., WSFA NBC 12 in Montgomery, Ala., and many other media outlets reported. The students were busy fixing floors and planting new produce at Starfish Café in Bay St. Louis, Miss. The café is not only a restaurant but a nonprofit that offers life and job skills training to adults.
Scholarship money
The Arlington Arts League Spring Gala on April 8 will raise money to fund scholarships to UTA and other colleges, the Star-Telegram’s Social Eyes column reported.
Last-minute bills
Allan Saxe, UTA associate professor of political science, said some of the bills that are filed last minute by state lawmakers are the oddest, KTKR 760 AM The Ticket in San Antonio reported. Saxe said a proposal to excuse all breast feeding women from jury duty is one of the strangest proposals.
Magnolia Award winner
Elizabeth Bigler, a project engineer at McCarthy Building Companies Inc., was recently awarded The Construction Industry Association’s 2016 Magnolia Award, Texas Contractor reported. Bigler received her bachelor’s degree from UTA. The Magnolia Award annually recognizes outstanding women in construction.
Financial aid
Texas must completely revamp how it funds higher education, particularly financial aid going to the state's neediest students, if it wants to meet its long-term goals, the higher education chief said Tuesday in The Dallas Morning News. Raymund Paredes, commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, said if budget cuts are significant, institutions will worry about whether they invest more money in operations and instruction, or financial aid to students.