Buzzcuts

ENROLLMENT CONTINUES UPSWING. Enrollment in the first summer session of 2001 totaled 9,833, a 7 percent increase over the same session a year ago. First-time undergraduate students increased 27 percent. Semester credit hours rose 6.5 percent, led by a 98.5 percent jump in distance education hours.

A WINNING COMBINATION. UTA and McLennan Community College in Waco have received an $800,000 grant from the state's Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund. The grant will allow the schools to develop technology that enables MCC students to take junior- and senior-level UTA courses via videoconferences.

INVESTING IN TEACHERS. The Meadows Foundation has awarded a $180,000 grant to the School of Education for a Web-based professional development program for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers. Electronic Reading: A Web-Based Reading Certification Program will give Texas teachers the opportunity to complete training for the state-mandated Master Reading Teacher Certificate by taking courses delivered entirely over the Internet.

PARTNERS IN SOLVING CRIME. UTA and Weatherford College have struck a deal to offer criminology and criminal justice courses on the Parker County campus. The agreement, which began this fall, also allows Weatherford College students to take online UTA courses. "The online courses will complement the existing number of on-site courses, thereby increasing the availability of advanced-level offerings," said Criminology and Criminal Justice Department Chairman Robert Bing.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION. The online MBA degree program offered by UTA and eight other universities in the U.T. System has been named the best in the nation by the U.S. Distance Learning Association. The UT TeleCampus, the U.T. System's support center for distance education and online degrees, administers the program. For more information, visit: http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu.

MAPPING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. The Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation of Dallas has awarded a $75,000 challenge grant to the UTA Libraries' Virginia Garrett Cartographic History Endowment. The grant will aid the Libraries' efforts to raise $700,000 for additional map acquisitions, to preserve the maps and to strengthen outreach initiatives.

SELECT COMPANY. Michele Bobadilla, associate vice president for outreach services, was one of 21 women inducted into the National League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Women's Hall of Fame for 2001. LULAC recognized Bobadilla for her commitment to education and service to the community. She was selected from among thousands of nominees from the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam.

COMPUTER GAMES. The National Science Foundation has awarded a $426,000 grant to the Computer Science and Engineering Department for research on intelligent agents and wireless computing. The project, an expansion of a computer game used as a teaching tool, is under the direction of Professor Diane Cook. "The game helps students understand the processes involved in developing an intelligent agent," said Dr. Cook.

ESPRIT DE CORPS. The 51 members of the UTA-Americorps program trained more than 6,700 people in conflict resolution, HIV and AIDS prevention, pregnancy prevention and guardianship services last year. A volunteer program operated by the School of Social Work's Community Services Development Center, UTA-Americorps also tutored 1,663 students in public schools and assisted 2,233 people with housing and employment needs.

NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT. Three staff members of the student newspaper, The Shorthorn, recently won national design and writing awards. Senior Michael Currie was named Designer of the Year by the Student Society of News Design. Sophomore Missy Fowkes won a national logo design contest sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America. And senior Matt Stiles received a first-place award in newswriting from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors.

GOOD ADVICE. History Professor Stanley Palmer has been selected to receive a 2001 National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Outstanding Adviser Award. He'll receive the honor in October during the annual NACADA conference in Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Palmer is the graduate adviser for the History Department.