UTA In The News — Friday, October 6, 2017
McNair Scholars
The University of Texas at Arlington received a five-year, $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to further the efforts of the McNair Scholars program, MyInforms.com reported. The program assists undergraduate students who are first-generation college students, from low-income and minority populations, in continuing their education and pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.
Dallas Video Festival starts
Bart Weiss, UTA associate professor of film and video, starts the 30th anniversary of the Dallas Video Festival this week, The Dallas Morning News’ GuideLive reported. Weiss' commitment to film and video goes well beyond UTA and the festival, though. He also is the producer of Frame of Mind, a show about movies that airs at 10 p.m. Thursdays on KERA PBS 13. That show is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Frame of Mind airs
KERA’s Art + Seek reported that the fifth episode of KERA’s Frame of Mind would center on Chassidy Young, a UTA alumna, who navigates life without arms or legs. Local filmmaker Fatimah Jawad, who also teaches film at UTA, said the film centers on the bond between Young, her sister and mother.
Life science summit
Life science experts will meet at bionorthTX Third Annual iC3 Life Science Summit at UTA next week, Dallas Innovates reported.
Zinc supplements
Zinc supplements can significantly inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells, according to a new study co-authored by Zui Pan, an associate professor of nursing in UTA’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Sci News and Easy Health Options reported. The finding was published this month in The FASEB Journal, the official journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
Planetary evolution
New research from UTA and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology suggest hydrogen, oxygen, water and carbon dioxide are being generated in the earth's mantle hundreds of kilometers below the earth's surface, TerraDaily and Archaeology News Network reported. The discovery shows how earth’s planetary evolution may have happened. Asish Basu, UTA professor of earth and environmental sciences, co-authored a cover paper in Geology publishing the results of the research.
Flexible transistor
An engineering team has created the most functional flexible transistor in the world, Solid State Technology reported. Weidong Zhou, UTA electrical engineering professor, is a part of that team.
Public transit
Arlington city leaders say that a lack of public transit could usher in on-demand rideshares and other technology, KXAS NBC 5 reported. Currently, Arlington has one bus route dubbed the Max, which runs between the UTA campus and CentrePort Station near DFW Airport.
DACA concern
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA Program, is in the 11th hour in Congress, WENY ABC 36 in Horseheads, N.Y., Pennsylvania’s Erie News Now, KDAF CW 33 and many other media outlets reported. The story quoted Giovanny Torres, a UTA master’s student, who admitted being nervous about the situation.
Varner honored
Michael Varner, the former director of Percussion and World Music at UTA, has been honored by Yamaha Artist Services for his outstanding contributions to percussion music education, KLTV ABC 7 in Tyler, Texas, WWBT NBC 12 in Richmond, Va., SB&O School Band and Orchestra magazine and many other media outlets reported. Varner retired from UTA after a 36-year tenure. There, he taught all percussion and world music courses and served as a member of the Honor’s College faculty. He also was recently chosen as the university’s Honor’s Faculty Member of the Year.
Maintaining security
Kiran Chitturi, a computer scientist and network architect, wrote an Information Week column about how to maintain security when rolling out development operations programs. Chitturi earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from UTA.
Street smarts needed
Rehan Siddiqi, owner of Hum FM Radio and a showbiz legend, said that education is necessary to be a successful businessman but “street smarts” also are needed, The International News reported. Siddiqi shared his comments with the UTA Students Entrepreneur Society in Business & Management for an event titled “Turn people into paid clients.”
Barrier free campus
Sarah Rose and Trevor Engel were roundtable speakers at the Building a Barrier Free Campus exhibit Wednesday night at the Perry-Castañeda Library at UT Austin, the University of Texas Libraries website reported. Rose is the UT Arlington Disability Studies Minor director, a history associate professor and exhibit co-curator. Engel is a UT Arlington Disability Studies Minor graduate and staff member, and exhibit co-curator.
Lessons learned
Arrione Pinkney died trying to protect her mother after being attacked by her mom’s husband, WFAA ABC 8 reported. The story quotes Aailyah Johnson, Arrione’s best friend and a UTA sophomore. Johnson said she sees lessons in her friend’s death.
Soldier tribute
UTA student Ashlyn Tompkins remembered Spc. Alex Missildine, a former Tyler Lee high school classmate, in a tribute to the soldier, who died while serving in Afghanistan, the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported.
Scholarship winner
Daniel Estes of Bentonville, Ark., received a presidential scholarship for the 2017-18 academic year at The University of Texas at Arlington, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported.