1965
Al Ellis (BA, History) was named a Legal Legend by the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association. A trial lawyer of 45 years, he is a past president of the Dallas Bar Association and a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. A Maverick Battalion ROTC alumnus, Ellis was named a UTA Distinguished Alumnus in 2011 and a member of the Military Science Hall of Honor in 2013.
1976
William Dawson (MS, Geology) recently retired after 38 years in the international petroleum industry. During his career, Dr. Dawson was involved in research, exploration, and training activities in more than two dozen countries. He published 70 technical papers.
Deborah Lynn Mosby (BA, Sociology) was promoted to professor of human services at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She oversees the Alcohol and Drug Counseling program in the Department of Human Services.
1978
Ed Speyers (MA, Applied Linguistics) published a 200-page book called Burn Your Bed, an autobiography of his life as a Bible translator in South America.
Kelcy Warren (BS, Civil Engineering) was appointed to the
UT System Board of Regents by Gov. Greg Abbott. Warren is chairman and CEO of Energy Transfer Partners. He serves on the UTA President’s Advisory Board and is a member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
1980
Steve Parker (BBA, Marketing) has been elected chairman of the board of directors for the National Bank of Texas (NBT) in Fort Worth. He joined NBT in 2010 and served as president of its Azle Bank until his retirement in 2017. He was elected to NBT’s board in 2011. He has more than 40 years of banking experience.
1981
Deborah Messemer (BBA, Management Information Systems) was appointed to PayPal Holdings’ board of directors.
1985
Tarek Alzien (BS, Industrial Engineering) has been hired as vice president of operations for Boomerang Tube LLC, an oil tubular goods producer in Houston, Texas. Previously, he was vice president of supply chain and operations for SouthWest Oilfield Product Inc.
Jason Burnette (BBA, Operations Management) has been hired as business director for Liphatech Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“UTA’s nursing program has prepared me for the diverse and dynamic field of nursing today and in the future.”
—DORETH HOSANG
(’13 MSN, nursing)
Clinical Resource Nurse, Harris Health System
1986
Darryl Brewer (BA, Speech Communication), owner of Magic Carwash & Detail, has been named the new economic development manager of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce.
1987
Ademola “Peter” Adejokun (BS, Physics; ’90 BS, Computer Science and Engineering) was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. Adejokun is a software engineer with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. He serves on the Industry Advisory Board for UTA’s Computer Science and Engineering Department.
Rose Mary Lindemann Gatlin (BS, Architecture) serves as chief financial officer for Inwood Estates Vineyards Inc. and as general manager of Inwood Estates Winery & Bistro, specializing in winery and tasting-room design in the Texas Hill Country.
Steven Morris (BA, Theatre Arts) has been named executive director of Theatre Arlington. In 2018, Morris joined the theater as interim executive producer after retiring as theater director for 27 years at Arlington’s Lamar High School. He has been associated with Theatre Arlington since 1977, when he ushered as a high school student and later performed as an actor. In 1984, he became the theater’s first director of children’s theater.
1988
Lee Mulcahy (BA, French; ’01 PhD, Humanities) exhibited his paintings at the Carbondale Council for the Arts in February 2019, The Collective in Snowmass Village in March 2019, and throughout the year at his Bauhaus Gallery in Aspen. He will be exhibiting in Art Basel Miami in December 2019 and Beijing’s 798 in 2020.
1990
Robert Morris (BS, Biology) has been appointed to the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District board of directors in Lake Arrowhead, California.
Wendy Okolo (’10 BS, ’15 PhD, Aerospace Engineering) shared her personal experiences at UTA with a rapt crowd at Texas Hall during the annual MavsMeet Convocation. In her speech, she discussed her time as president of the Society of Women’s Engineering and as a resident assistant at Kalpana Chawla Hall. “To my fellow Mavericks, you are the only you here,” she said. “No one else has your perspective, so bring your full self to everything that you do. You are special and different, and we need that.”
1992
Vidya Ramnath (MS, Industrial Engineering) was named president of Emerson Automation Solutions in the Middle East and Africa. Emerson is a global engineering and technology company.
Gregory Ropp (BS, Industrial Engineering) was selected as an associate technical fellow by The Boeing Co. The Boeing Technical Fellowship program is a highly selective technical leadership career path.
Michael Thurston (MArch, Architecture) is a senior project manager at Spiezle Architectural Group Inc., which has offices in New Jersey, New York , Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Previously with HDR Inc., he has 27 years of experience creating acute health care environments.
1997
Angie Owens (MBA, Business Administration) was named vice president and corporate controller for American Airlines. She joined American in 1992 and has held roles in corporate accounting, investor relations, internal audit, and the credit union. She serves on the board of directors for CUNA Mutual Group.
2001
Joe Gumm (BA, Broadcast Communication) is an anchor at KXXV-25 in Waco, Texas. He is an Emmy and AP award-winning journalist who has worked for ESPN Radio, FOX Sports, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast SportsNet. He hosts a travel show with his family online.
Major Michael E. Murray (BA, Criminal Justice), a judge advocate with the U.S. Army, has been assigned as the chief of the Military Justice Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He earned a Master of Laws degree from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School.
2002
Sharisse Stephenson (MS, Biology), a board-certified headache and brain injury medicine specialist, wrote a Q&A column about migraines for BlackAmericaWeb.com.
2003
Cretia Basham (MEd, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) was named principal at Hajek Elementary School in Burleson, Texas.
2004
Matt Caldwell (MS, Health Care Administration) was named president of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, South Carolina. Previously, he was president of Mercy Health in Springfield, Ohio; CEO of Tennova Healthcare in Tennessee; and CEO of Dallas Regional Medical Center.
“My alma mater is doing the little things that become the big things, not just in our community, but worldwide.”
—LARRY KEMP
(’80 BBA)
Chief Operations Officer, Kemp & Sons
2005
Cody Cartusciello (BS, ’07 MArch, Architecture) has been promoted to managing principal of EYP Architecture & Engineering’s Dallas office.
Chad Edwards (MCRP, City and Regional Planning) is the city of Fort Worth’s new mobility and innovation officer.
2007
Mark Duffy (MS, Accounting) has been named partner at Whitley Penn. A certified public accountant, he assists clients in the energy, real estate, professional services, international tax, manufacturing and distribution, and state and local tax sectors.
2010
Mercy Mumba (BSN, Nursing; ’16 PhD, Nursing Science) was honored with the Southern Nursing Research Society’s Early Science Investigator Award, which is given annually to a nurse scientist who shows potential to develop a sustained program of research to enhance nursing science and practice. She also was called “the youngest Zambian professor” in a profile in the Zambian Observer. At age 29, she is as an assistant professor in the Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama.
2011
Michael Schwartz (MEd, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) has been named principal at Ursula Stephens Elementary School in Katy, Texas.
Alfred Vega (BBA, International Business) was named chief credit officer at Community Bank & Trust in Corsicana, Texas.
2012
D.J. Gross (BSN, Nursing) has been hired as nurse practitioner at Ozarks Medical Center in Winona, Missouri.
Sherqueena Jackson (MEd, Curriculum and Instruction) was named principal of Irving Elementary School in the Cleburne Independent School District.
Valerie Landry (MBA, Business) is manager of the Sanford House Inn and Spa in Arlington, Texas.
“I can’t believe it’s been 37 years since I graduated. I really cherish those wonderful days.”
—MOHAMMED AQEL
(’83 MS, Civil engineering)
General Manager, Central Trading Company
2013
Rachel Cardwell (BA, History/Pre-Law; ’15 MA, Political Science) joined Faegre Baker Daniels, a full-service law firm, to practice with the firm’s business litigation group. She graduated cum laude in 2018 from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Bailey Wynne (MS, Health Care Administration) was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the statewide Health Coordinating Council. She is a clinical pharmacist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
2014
Demetrus Liggins (PhD, Educational Leadership) was named superintendent of the Greenville Independent School District in Texas.
Omar Sandoval (BS, Information Systems), who works with the nephrologists and endocrinologists at UT Physicians Multispecialty-Bellaire, was honored at the Houston Chronicle’s Salute to Nurses Luncheon.
2016
Margarita Aguirre (MArch, Architecture) works for HKS and is part of the team designing Globe Life Field, the soon-to-be new home of the Texas Rangers.
Kim Arnold (BSN, Nursing) was profiled in the March 2019 issue of D Magazine for choosing to attend UTA to pursue a career in nursing after eight years caring for her critically ill son. She is a pediatric cardiology nurse at Children’s Health in Dallas.
2017
Tricia Lyday (MEd, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) was named principal at Frazier Elementary in the Burleson Independent School District.
2019
Cody Hogan (MEd, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) was hired as the full-time athletic director/football coach for the Stanton Independent School District in Texas.
