Buzzcuts

ON AN ENROLLMENT ROLL. Summer enrollment jumped 3.5 percent to 11,205, marking the 10th consecutive semester of enrollment gains. First-time undergraduates increased 15.5 percent, and new graduate students increased 17.8 percent. Minority enrollment also grew, with a 16 percent gain in Hispanic students and 7.8 percent for African-Americans.

SMART FELLOW. Chemistry Professor Krishnan Rajeshwar has been selected a fellow of the Electrochemical Society, the highest honor bestowed upon society members. On the UTA faculty since 1983, Dr. Rajeshwar is a pioneer in water purification research and is a past recipient of the University's Distinguished Record of Research Award.

NO LANGUAGE BARRIER. Linguistics graduate student Kenneth Zuercher has been awarded a Fulbright Student Grant to conduct language research in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. He's the second UTA linguistics student in the last two years to win a Fulbright. Zuercher received a bachelor's degree in German from UTA in 1988.

LOCAL LEGEND. The Gallery at UTA director/curator Benito Huerta has been named one of two recipients of the 10th annual Legends Award by the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art. The award goes to leaders of the Texas art community. Huerta is the co-founder of the statewide arts magazine Art Lies.

EASY TO READ. UTA's student newspaper, The Shorthorn, has been named the best-designed college newspaper in the nation by the Student Society of News Design. Shorthorn designers cited were Seth Schrock, Jessica Felkel and Michael Currie. Individually, Schrock won first and second place in editorial page design and second in feature page design.

NO. 1 NURSE. Nursing Assistant Clinical Professor Ellen Palmer has been selected Nurse of the Year by the Texas Nurses Association District IV. She has received numerous awards, including UTA's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997. Dr. Palmer, who earned her master's degree from UTA in 1981, has been recognized for her work with the International Child Care program and her dedication to providing nursing education to Third World countries.

QUICK PICK. Management Professor James Campbell Quick recently received the Harry and Miriam Levinson Award from the Society for Consulting Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association. The award goes to an APA member who has translated psychological theory into concepts that managers can use in dealing with employees to create successful organizations. Dr. Quick is a nationally recognized authority on stress in the workplace.

EQUIPMENT UPGRADE. Lockheed Martin Aerospace in Fort Worth has donated equipment valued at more than $500,000 to UTA chemistry, materials science and engineering research laboratories. Included are an atomic absorption spectroscope, furnaces capable of reaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit and an infrared camera.

DEDICATED TO DIVERSITY. UTA President Robert E. Witt has been awarded the Publisher's Salute to Educators of Distinction Award from Saludos Hispanos magazine. The award recognizes his and the University's commitment to diversity.

A BASTIEN OF SUCCESS. Anthropology Professor Joseph Bastien recently received the Andean Cross of Gold, the highest honor given by Bolivian anthropologists and the government for scholarship and research. Dr. Bastien's work in Bolivia has included child and maternal care, adult leadership and community development. He has helped the country combat AIDS, polio, tetanus and Chagas Disease.

LONG-RANGE LEARNING. The Texas Distance Learning Association has recognized UTA for its outstanding commitment to distance education. The University was designated a 2002 bronze partner, signifying its ongoing support of promoting distance education for Texans. TxDLA is the largest state chapter of the United States Distance Learning Association.

ART OF BART. Art Assistant Professor Bart Weiss has been elected president of the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers. He is also president of the Video Association of Dallas and producer of "Frame of Mind"on KERA-TV.

ENERGY SAVER. UTA has saved more than $1.2 million on utility bills since implementing energy conservation measures in January 2001. The University reduced its electricity consumption by 11 percent and its natural gas consumption by 28 percent.