The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Fall 2012

nor thtexan.unt.edu

SHAPING THE FUTURE[page 24]

A U N I V E R S I T y O F N O R T H T E X A S P U B L I C A T I O N F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

V O L . 6 2 , N O . 3 | F a l l 2 0 1 2

Kristin Farmer [page 16]

Power of Place [page 30]

Plant Signaling [page 32]

MeanGreen

page 36

2 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | F a l l 2 0 1 2

F RO M O U R President

Energized by our four bold goals, UNT has great momentum going into this academic year. We’ve welcomed another talented, large freshman class this fall after graduating more than 8,700 students in 2011-12 — our largest class to date. Both are signs that UNT’s focus on providing a high-quality comprehensive education is attracting strong, degree-focused students. And we have committed faculty and staff members to help our students

succeed. I’m proud to announce that UNT’s distinguished faculty body now includes two National Academy members, with a third joining us in February (see page 32). This gives our students more opportunities to learn from leading innovators.

Our staff members are standouts, too. They go above and beyond to give our students support and resources, and many are being recognized nationally for their service. Every faculty and staff member here is dedicated to our promise to provide students with a high-quality education and great support for a fulfilling college experience.

We’re also extending our presence in the North Texas region, from remaining a pacesetter in teacher education as one of the nation’s top colleges of education (see page 24) to opening UNT’s Kristin Farmer Autism Center to provide help and research for individuals and families struggling with autism (see pages 16 and 30).

I hope you will join me in cheering on the Mean Green during our last year in the Sun Belt Conference before we move to Conference USA. The conference will raise the stakes for us in competition, national media exposure and name recognition.

These advances are about giving our students the ultimate educational experience, with the knowledge and skills they need to get ahead. UNT students are the back-bone of the Texas workforce and economy, and it’s because of them that we do such a good job of supporting Texas communities and businesses.

Sincerely,

V. Lane [email protected]

The North Texan

The North Texan (ISSN 0468-6659) is published four times a year (in March, June, September and December) by the University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, for distribution to alumni and friends of the university. Periodicals postage paid at Denton, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. The diverse views on matters of public interest that are presented in The North Texan do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the university. Publications staff can be reached at [email protected] or 940-565-2108. It is the policy of the University of North Texas not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability (where reasonable accommodations can be made), disabled veteran status or veteran of the Vietnam era status in its educational programs, activities, admission or employment policies. In addition to complying with federal and state equal opportunity laws and regulations, the university through its diversity policy declares harassment based on individual differences (including sexual orientation) inconsistent with its mission and educational goals. Direct questions or concerns to the equal opportunity office, 940-565-2759, or the dean of students, 940-565-2648. TTY access is available at 940-369-8652. Postmaster: Please send requests for changes of address, accompanied if possible by old address labels, to the University of North Texas, University Relations, Communications and Marketing, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017. The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission.

URCM 9/12 (13-001)

President V. Lane Rawlins visits with students and welcomes them back for the fall semester.

Making a differencehigh-qUality edUcatiOn sUppORts stUdent sUccess

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University relations,

CommUniCations and

marketing leadership

viCe president

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assoCiate viCe president

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magazine staFF

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F a l l 2 0 1 2 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 3

Inside F A L L 2 0 1 2

FEATURES

16 Kristin FarmerAlumna shares passion for children with autism and their families as benefactor of new UNT center. By Leslie Wimmer

30 Power of Place UNT’s new Kristin Farmer Autism Center offers treatment, education and research. By Leslie Wimmer

32 Plant SignalingPlant researchers

impact our food, health and environment. By Alyssa Yancey

36 Mean Green Season two in UNT’s Apogee Stadium. D E P A R T M E N T S

F R O M O U R P R E S I D E N T • 2Supporting student success

D E A R N O R T H T E X A N • 5 Bill Mercer ... Track great ... A courtin’ spot and other favorites

U N T T O D A Y • 8Enriching summer ... Energy grant ... Green Pride ... Cultural learning ... Ask an Expert

U N T M U S E • 1 9Mean Green Blue Man … Tandy Cronyn visit ... Symphony meets jazz ... Jack Sprague honor

E A G L E S ’ N E S T • 3 9Outstanding journalist ... Connecting With Friends ... Luxury travel by design ... Talons fraternity reunion ... Friends We’ll Miss

L A S T W O R D • 4 8Interim dean of the Mayborn School, Roy Busby (’59, ’66 M.B.A.), celebrates 50 years at UNT.

Shaping the Future a lu M N I co N T I N u e u N T’S r I c h l e Gac y I N e d u caT I o N — a S T e ac h e r S , cou N S e lo r S , S u P e r I N T e N d e N TS a N d P o l I c y M a K e r S — S h a r I N G T h e I r K Now l e d G e a N d I N S P I r aT I o N w I T h ST u d e N TS a N d P e e r S . By Jessica DeLeón

cover: high school math teacher danielli costa (’11). above: Principal andra Penny

(’73, ’76 M.ed., ’96 Ph.d.). Photography by Jonathan reynolds

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ONLINE FEATURES

WelcOMe back videO See how uNT rolled out the green carpet to welcome students back

to campus for the fall semester.

behind the scenes

check out a behind-the-scenes slide show featuring uNT basketball star

Tony Mitchell being photographed for the north texan (page 38).

MORE ONLINE FEATURES

• Video: plant signaling

• student publication: online

FashiOn Magazine

• Video: unt wind turbines

• download: unt alma mater

and Fight sOng

GET CONNECTED

Jonathan Reynolds

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d e a R North Texan production of Noel Coward’s

Private Lives he directed during the summer.

He was a wonderful man and a great professor. He made my time at UNT go quickly and he even “hooded” me at graduation. He will be remembered by this alum!

Karen Nichols (’88 M.S.)Beaumont

Meticulous scholarThe winter issue of The

North Texan reported the death of former history professor W.T. Hagan. I had the privilege to be one of Dr. Hagan’s students, to be his assistant as we collected information for and he wrote his first book on American Indians (I think the depart-ment paid 65 cents an hour), and to know him and his family as friends in later years.

He was a tough-minded man who was a meticulous scholar and a magnetic classroom lecturer. He expected honest effort from his students and he tolerated no cheating. For years after undergraduate work, I would hear comments from other graduates, some of whom were not even in Dr. Hagan’s classes, that he influenced their lives more than any other professor.

Al Murdock (’58)Denton

bill Mercer

Bill Mercer (namesake of the new Apogee Stadium press club, “The Voice of North Texas,” summer 2012) came from a generation of broadcasters who realized that they weren’t the game. Their job was to describe it to us so we could feel as if we were there, feeling the passions of each gain or loss, run or basket scored, or even the dreaded sleeper hold.

In Dallas alone, we had Bill, Frank Glieber and Verne Lundquist. Nationally, it was Vin Scully and Jack Buck, men who wanted their words to make whatever action they were describing real. Bill’s diversity, his unique abilities, as a broadcaster, teacher and human being, set him apart

from the rest and this honor is overdue and incredibly well deserved.

Alan Gordon (’75)Peoria, Ill.

Track great

Olympic track and field events make me think of my friend Max Goldsmith (’47), who was an official at the 1992 Olympic trials in New Orleans. He never became one of the great world athletes, but if you ever attend a gathering of track and field coaches, athletes or just plain enthusi-asts, his name always surfaces. When he coached at Andrews High School in the ’50s and ’60s, his track teams won five state championships and set national records. He was named Texas Coach of the

Year three times. He also coached and served as athletics director at Lewisville, where the football stadium bears his name. Max refereed high school and college track and field for almost 30 years and has been inducted into four halls of fame, including UNT’s. He is often called a quiet man, but I always say he is quite a man.

Victor Rodriguez (’55, ’62 M.S.), North Texas track, 1952-1955,

retired superintendent San Antonio

a great professorI was sad to see the obituary

for Dr. Ralph Culp (“Friends We’ll Miss,” summer 2012). I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Culp and the dance and drama department while I was getting my master’s degree in library science from 1987 to 1988.

I worked in the costume shop and the departmental office and assisted with a

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deaR North TexanThe pond

The fish pond (“Places on campus,” summer 2012) certainly has special memo-ries for me. I grew up across the street on Avenue B. My parents owned a large rooming house and a grocery and school supply store, later with a cafe.

The campus was my playground as a child. We caught tadpoles at the pond in a fruit jar and watched them grow into frogs. We attended the Demonstration School on campus, and the pond was a part of our science studies. It was a splendid place to grow up.

As a college student, I spent time on the park benches with boyfriends. We discussed the future and our dreams. This shady area was my own “secret” place.

Mary D. Balthrop Lankford (’52)Lakeway

The pond was a wonderful little oasis on the way to the old English building!

Once in 1964, I carelessly dropped a beautiful and rather old Bulova wrist watch in the water there. I was so devastated, I didn’t even bother to “fish” it out.

The same year, I ran into a young lady there who had gone to elementary school with me 10 years before. She had come up from San Antonio to attend North Texas — memories that have not crossed my mind in 48 years, until the summer North Texan arrived!

John T. Brown (’68) Haltom City

I remember the campus fish pond very well. It was the “courtin’” spot of choice back in 1943-1947 during my years as a student.

There weren’t many men around to court in those war years — but that all changed by fall 1946 when the guys returned in large numbers.

My future husband Harold Davis and I had our photo taken on a bench near the pond in 1947.

Mary Janell Wood Davis (’47)Big Spring

Kendall hallI arrived at Kendall Hall

as a freshman in the fall of 1962. My roommate and I shared a third-floor room, and of course, shared a bathroom with many other

girls. She married after our freshman year, but I re-mained at Kendall, eventually securing one of the coveted rooms with a private bath. That was luxury!

It was at Kendall Hall that I learned of the assassi-nation of President John F. Kennedy. We girls clustered in the living room and listened in disbelief as Walter Cronkite announced the president’s death.

When the pipes froze one winter, many of us walked across the street to shower in the girls’ physical education building.

Our dorm mother, Mrs. Pipkin, made blue garters for those of us who became engaged while at North Texas. Mine was handed down to my daughter, and my granddaughter hopes to wear it one day.

Diana BodenheimerHodde (’66)Brenham

other favorite spots

The pond was such a peaceful spot to pause — if one had a few minutes — to watch the fish or students (girls) passing by or maybe linger over a book or with a friend. One of my favorite places, though, was off campus, a block or so south.

I seem to recall it had once been a Boy Scout meeting hall — a long, two-room stone building where overflow art classes were held. Ronald

Williams’ illustration class was conducted in the front room.

In the back room, Carl Compton had his painting classes and a personal workspace in a back corner.

It was a neat, compact and very special little world then, back when we celebrated reaching 5,000 students.

Paul Hudgins (’50), retired graphic designer and illustrator Shady Shores

I don’t remember a pond on the campus grounds, but I do remember the pond on the old golf course where we threw our fraternity brothers (Chi Sigma Phi and, later, Sigma Nu) when they “pinned” their sweethearts.

Mine was Bettie Johnson, class of ’54. We were married in 1953 and are still going strong after 58-plus years. We had some great times over coffee at Dyches’ Corner Drug store and dancing at the jam sessions at the UB to the music of ’Fessor Gra-ham’s Aces with Pat Boone singing.

F.L. “Lee” Johns (’55)Bullard

I have such special memories of campus that have lasted a lifetime. Some of my fondest memories are of my senior year, spent in the Chilton Hall sorority ramp. Delta Zeta was the first sorority to be allowed to


I will always treasure those special times with special people and be forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to experience them all.

Jeri Hall Kirby (’69)Venus

The speech and drama department was housed in the Historical Building in 1959-1962 while I was a student. I remember doing

come on campus in 40 years and we appreciated so much the responsibility that we had. Our sponsor was Bess Townsend, a professor on campus.

Chilton Hall had a lot of character for an old building and witnessed many “short sheetings” and other pranks.

Many afternoons during the 1969 fall season also found our P.E. Play and Playgrounds class on the side yard of the campus elemen-tary Demonstration School.

Joe Hamilton, “Mean” Joe Greene, Cedric Hardman and the rest of us in the class were a comical sight playing those children’s games in that yard.

lighting for plays in the very small basement theater.

The old Student Union Building was where we did dinner theater and I learned to serve tables and do lighting in a theater in the round. I also recall the theater shop on Maple Street where we constructed and painted sets.

The facilities were not impressive then, but the training has lasted me a lifetime and has been useful in every career I’ve had.

Bob Johnston(’62, ’65 M.Ed.)Dallas

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Tell us about ... a Homecoming memory

As we look forward to our “Once Upon a Time” Homecoming Nov. 3 (see the poster at the

back for a schedule of activities), we’d like to know about some of your favorite Homecom-

ing memories. One of ours was last year’s first Homecoming game in Apogee Stadium

(above). It was a great day from start to finish, topped off by a win. Send us an email or

write us a letter — contact information is at the right. Enter a random drawing for prizes,

including Family Fun Packs to the game with tickets and food for four. Send us your name,

T-shirt size and mailing address by Oct. 5.

Editor’s note: Thank you for all the responses to our request for memories of the fish pond, Kendall Hall and other favorite campus spots. Go to northtexan.unt.edu/letters to read more. Several readers asked about the fate of the pond. The General Academic Building sits in that area now, but students do have new water features to enjoy such as Jody’s Fountain in Onstead Plaza. We think they also may have found other courtin’ spots.


Today

ENRICHING SUMMER

UNT is building meaningful relationships in the North Texas region and around the world through summer

research and language programs.

each summer, innovative research programs at UNT help students and teachers from across the North Texas region take an interest in science, and a unique language program gives students from Mexico the skills they need to learn English. These are just a few of the programs UNT has created through partnerships with communities and other institutions of higher education.

“Inspiring students from all over and at any age to expand their knowledge and take on new challenges is part of UNT’s bold goal to build relationships that help make our region and world stronger,” says Warren Burggren, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

i n t h i s s e C t i o n brilliantly Green p / 10

Green Pride p / 12

Global connection p / 13

ask an expert p / 14

uNT alumni association p / 15

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Transfer student engagement

Through a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UNT offered two summer experiences to engage community college students in science and research at the university level.

Since 2010, UNT has partnered with community colleges in the North Texas region to offer its HHMI Summer Transitions Program for Community College Students. The two-tier program includes a Transitions Summer Workshop to introduce community college students to research in a university setting and a Transitions Summer Research Experience, giving them research experience in UNT’s cutting-edge laboratories with research faculty as mentors.

In July, community college student Kadi McNew transferred to UNT after participating in the programs for two summers. Now planning a career in medicine, she was inspired by working with Michael Hedrick, professor of biological sciences, and his team of researchers to study how well baroreceptors function under stress in three different varieties of frogs. Humans also have baroreceptors and this research could contribute to the medical field in the future, McNew says.

“The experience helped me decide to transfer to UNT and become a biology major,” she says. “The UNT-HHMI program also made me realize I want to further my own research.”

Teacher research experiences

UNT’s Research Experiences for Teachers in Sensor Networks program is supported by a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant and provides the opportunity for middle and high school teachers to spend six weeks learning engineering-based research projects and lessons to take back to

their classrooms and share with students. In its second year, the program partners the teachers with UNT faculty mentors.

This summer, 11 secondary teachers from six school districts in the North Texas region participated in the program. They used electrical engineering concepts and tools to investi-gate air and water quality and looked into the impact of emissions on the area’s carbon footprint. They also learned about equipping robots with depth-capable vision.

“This program is crucial in promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines among high school students,” says Miguel Acevedo, Regents Professor of electrical engineering and program coordinator. “And engaging teachers in research goes a long way in accomplishing this goal.”

English as a second language

For 10 years, UNT has partnered with the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico at Toluca to offer UAEM students the opportunity to attend UNT’s Linguistics and Technical Communication Department’s Summer Institute. This summer, a group of 74 students, faculty and staff from UAEM participated in the program at UNT.

The students spend time in ESL classes with other students at their proficiency level to increase their fluency in English through cultural immersion and unique social interaction activities. Students have attended workshops on a variety of subjects, including performing arts, oral presentation skills and business English, and take field trips for recreational activities.

“We tailor these activities and classroom curriculum so that UAEM students can easily learn English from their experiences here,” says Kristin Baer, director of the LTC Summer Institute. “We also require UAEM students to only speak English most hours of the day, which is instrumental to them learning English during their time at the institute.”

At left: Community college students work in a UNT biology lab as part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Transitions program. Above: Autonomous University of the State of Mexico students use group performance to learn English during UNT’s Linguistics and Technical Communication Department’s Summer Institute.

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Above: UNT Research Experiences for Teachers in Sensor Networks teacher participant Karl Gscheidle discusses turning methods of the Garcia robot with UNT student Philip Sterling.

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Today

B R I L L I A N T LY G R E E N

LGBT archives

The UNT Libraries recently received a collection of materials from Resource Center Dallas tracing more than 60 years of the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social movements in the North Texas region.

The Resource Center Dallas LGBT Collection of the UNT Libraries, includes approximately 400 boxes of newspapers, periodicals, press clippings, audio files, video-

tapes of gay pride parades and other events, music CDs, and movies focusing on LGBT and HIV/AIDS topics. The archive will be a strong foundation for the libraries’ goals of collecting LGBT archival material from the South and Southwest and an important resource for the study of LGBT history.

Resource Center Dallas, one of the largest LGBT community centers in the U.S., has had a long connection to

UNT through a partnership with UNT’s Center for Psychosocial Health Research, in which researchers study social support and coping strategies for people living with chronic disease and medical conditions, including HIV infection and AIDS.

P.E.O. scholarships

Graduate students Hagar Abdo and Monica Gastelu-mendi were each awarded a $10,000 Philanthropic

Educational Organization International Peace Scholar-ship. Abdo is pursuing her master’s degree in women’s studies and is researching postpartum depression in indigent communities. She plans to return to Egypt to continue her work in this area. Gastelumendi is pursuing a master’s degree in jazz studies and plans to return to Peru to train music teachers and to provide better music education for children.

Pass it on: Great things are happening at uNT. learn about them here and share our successes with your family and friends. • olympic tryouts. Three Mean Green track and field athletes qualified for Olympic trials, competing to represent the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom. Hurdler Steven White was fresh off a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. White is a second team All American. Former Israel youth champion Shahaf Bareni placed first in high jump in the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships. And Jo Adams, ranked 49th in England, recorded UNT’s second-fastest time in the 1,500-meter run.

• meet me at the Union. Students will have a new union in 2015, thanks to their approval of a fee to fund construction. The $130 million union — like all of UNT’s new construction — will be designed to meet LEED standards. The current University Union, built in 1964, was planned for 17,000 students. Enrollment has grown to 36,000, and more than 2.5 million people visit the building every year.

• zoom, zoom. The Mean Green Machine, the 1931 Model A seen at football games and spirit events, will zip around UNT’s Apogee Stadium with new vigor this season. A student team in the College of Engineering, funded by the Division of Student Affairs, gave the vintage car an engine transplant, converting its power source from gasoline to electricity. Read more at northtexan.unt.edu/model-a.

Jonathan Reynolds


Mayborn conference

The eighth annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Confer-ence featured Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and storytellers.

Keynote speakers for this year’s conference were Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes, who also is editor of 26 works of fiction, history, biography and memoir; The New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller Isabel Wilkerson, the first black woman in the history of American journal-ism to win a Pulitzer Prize; and nonfiction author and poet Luis Alberto Urrea, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist. The July conference also featured other

nationally known writers and authors whose nonfiction work has achieved national acclaim. In total, the 2012 conference showcased the work of more than 30 of the nation’s preeminent journalists, authors and visual storytellers.

As part of the conference, $15,000 in cash was awarded for winning essays, narrative writing and book manuscripts.

Each year, the conference is hosted by UNT’s Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism and publishes Mayborn magazine and Ten Spurs literary journal, a collection of the 10 best essays submitted to the Mayborn’s national writing contest.

Logistics program

UNT’s logistics program in the College of Business has been ranked the world’s fifth best program for supply chain and logistics productivity by the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, a leading publication for research bridging business-to-business management, logistics, marketing channels and supply chain management.

UNT’s ranking was based on faculty efforts in the Department of Marketing and Logistics to become the top program in North America and their research that was published in premier academic journals from 2008 to 2010.

E n E r G y G r a n T Rajiv Mishra, professor of materials science and engineering, is studying next generation materials that will help coal-fired energy plants to oper-ate at higher temperatures, making coal combustion more efficient and, in turn, resulting in lower emissions. Mishra has earned a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop the materials for clean coal technologies. He will work with a team of researchers from the Univer-sity of Idaho to study these high-performance materials for use in high-

temperature applications at the plants.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes was a featured keynote speaker at the eighth annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference in July.

UNT is ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 universities with the most degree-seeking transfer students by U.S. News & World

Report.

Jonathan Reynolds

Jonathan Reynolds


Today

national title

UNT Debate Team director Brian Lain, associate professor of communication studies, was named coach of the 2012 American National Debate Team.

Th is summer, Lain traveled to Japan to coach the American team in competitive and non-competitive exhibition debates against students at

colleges, universities and high schools in Japan. Th e event — hosted by the National Communication Association’s Committee on International Discussion and Debate — promotes international understanding and communica-tion through discussion and debates between students from the U.S. and other nations.

Under Lain’s leadership, the UNT Debate Team has qualifi ed eight out of 10 years for the National Debate Tournament. And UNT debate students have qualifi ed each year since 2002 for the Cross Examination Debate Associa-tion National Tournament.

new appointments

Five new administrators were appointed this summer.

Michael Monticino, dean of UNT’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been named interim vice president for advancement and director of development of the UNT Foundation. He is overseeing the university’s donor relations and fundraising campaigns.

Arthur Goven, professor and chair of UNT’s Depart-ment of Biological Sciences, was named acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, fi lling in for Monticino.

Yolanda Flores Niemann, a former psychology professor and administrator at Utah

State University, is serving as UNT’s new senior vice provost. She has a wide range of strategic planning and oversight duties.

UNT’s former interim senior vice provost Geoff Gamble was named interim vice president for research and economic development. He is heading a national search to fi nd a long-term appointment for the position.

Mark Wardell joined UNT as dean of the Toulouse Graduate School. Wardell is a former graduate school dean and professor of sociology at Wayne State University and has extensive experience in graduate school operations.

Be mean, green and proud this year while supporting two good UNT student causes — volunteer eff orts for the community and scholarships!

To multiply student volunteer eff orts in Denton and beyond each spring through The Big Event, UNT developed “Mean Green Pride — We’re All In,” a program to establish a lasting university tradition that encourages solidarity among the university community, alumni and the communities they serve. When you purchase “Mean Green Pride — We’re All In” UNT gear at the UNT Bookstore and Mean Green Gear stadium store, a portion of the sales will support The Big Event.

You also can help students and show your pride by ordering a UNT-branded license plate — a new design is available to order now. A portion of your cost goes toward UNT student scholarships.

For more details on “Mean Green Pride — We’re All In,” visit meangreenpride.unt.edu. For a list of retailers that carry UNT products, visit licensing.unt.edu/retail/resources-for-consumers or get your gear from the UNT Bookstore at www.unt.bkstr.com and at the Mean Green Gear stadium store at shop.meangreensports.com. And to order your UNT-branded license plate, go to www.myplates.com/go/unt, and click on the UNT design.

Get your green, help support students


G L O B a L C O n n E C T I O n

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Cultural learning

Multicultural and cultural student organizations at UNT embrace the university’s diverse student body and provide a platform for students to learn about other cultures and traditions.

The multicultural student organization, World Echoes, is one of more than 30 interna-tional and cultural groups at UNT whose sole purpose is to promote friendship, leadership and the understanding of other cultures. The group, founded at UNT in 2001, helps increase awareness of global issues, strengthen friendships among different cultures and serve the community, says Mallory Schier, World Echoes interim president.

The organization’s 540 members attend game nights, workshops, international festivals and movie screenings. Members also participate in volunteer work, camping trips and dancing events, Schier says.

“We organize events as

diverse as we are,” she says. “We want to help people of international backgrounds come together and foster new friendships.”

Chloé Halley, historian for World Echoes, says the organization often hosts events based on a particular culture’s interests or holidays, such as the Chinese New Year and American Thanksgiving.

“We bring everyone together while learning something new,” she says.

The UNT Multicultural

Center also is a great way for students to learn about different cultures, says Cara Walker, assistant director of the center. The Buddy System, the center’s peer mentor program, is one way it connects students with others on campus from different backgrounds, she says.

“The center offers resources, educational opportunities and events that build inclusion,” Walker says. “We teach diversity through student engagement.”

a d v I s O r a w a r d Throughout her 34-year career at UNT, Donna Ledgerwood, associate professor of man-agement, has earned numerous honors for her outstanding work as a teacher and mentor, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Award for being one of the Top 10 professors in Texas. Additionally, her service and leadership recently earned her the 2012 National Advisor of the Year award from the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation. The award recognizes advisors who provide exemplary leadership and service to the society’s student chapters. Ledgerwood was honored with the award at the group’s annual conference this summer. Awardees were chosen based on factors including length of service to their student

chapter and help in developing student leaders and innovative programs or projects.

Students in World Echoes multicultural student organization celebrate during the University Day flag parade last spring.

Jonathan Reynolds


TodayM

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ents

Biology Olympiad

David Hao, a senior in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, was named one of 20 national fi nalists for the USA Biology Olympiad Team.

Hao works in UNT’s Fundamental Neuroscience Laboratory headed by Jannon Fuchs, professor of biological sciences, investigating the role of the somatostatin-3 receptor, a protein found on cell organelles called primary cilia. He is fi nding evidence that this cilia receptor helps neurons survive after a brain injury.

After graduating from TAMS, he plans to major in molecular biology and conduct research on the molecular

bases of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

Cybersecurity leader

UNT was one of seven institutions in the nation in 2012 recognized as a leader in cybersecurity education and research and designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of

Homeland Security. UNT data security programs are based in the Center for Information and Computer Security, a multidisciplinary center bringing together individuals and organizations with an interest in the areas of information security, computer security, information assurance and cybercrime.

Th e center is in UNT’s College of Engineering.

Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, associate professor of political science, teaches courses on the U.S. government, the American presidency,

public policy, and media and politics. With 2012 being an election year, he says there is no better time to stay informed and get involved with civic organizations and local, state and national politics. “Some people don’t participate in politics and government because they think they can’t make a diff erence,” Eshbaugh-Soha says. “One may not be able to change the world in one election, letter or city council meeting, but active involvement can lead to gradual change.” Participating in politics has some inherent value, he says, off ering these tips to citizens: Stay informed• Read a national newspaper, watch the news on

television or visit political party and candidate websites to learn about presidential, state and local elections.

• Although it is much easier to receive news about national politics than local politics, a local newspaper, even just the front page, can provide you with informa-tion about important issues facing your community.

• Watch your city webpages for the time and topics of city council and school board meetings.

advocate for change• Write your member of Congress or state

legislator, or join an interest group.• Attend a city council meeting to inform

council members about what is needed in the community, such as a speed bump on a neighborhood street or repair of potholes. Request agenda space for your concern at a meeting that is not overly busy.

• Answer calls from city council members, state legislators and mem-bers of Congress when they request feedback on policy ideas.

vote• Whether in presidential, state or local

elections, your vote counts! • When you vote in elections, you’re

ensuring your voice is heard when government makes policy decisions.

• With voter participation rates in local elections rarely broaching 10 percent, your impact on these elections will be greater than at any other level.

— Adrienne Nettles

how can you make a political diff erence?

Gary Payne

................................................................................ask an expert


uNT alumni association

To join the association or learn more, visit www.untalumni.com, email [email protected] or call 940-565-2834.

The 2012 Mean Green football season is here, and there are plenty of social activities for alumni to enjoy.

Three hours before every home game, the UNT Alumni Association’s pavilion, which features a 3,200-square-foot patio, will open for fans to mingle with other alumni and enjoy games on high-definition TVs.

Entry to the pavilion for home games requires member-ship in the UNT Alumni Association. Members are allowed to bring one guest free. One-day memberships at the pavilion can be purchased for $10.

This fall, the association is again extending the opportu-nity for alumni to purchase brick pavers on the adjoining exterior patio of the pavilion. With as little as $100, alumni can have their names engraved on a brick paver, leaving a lasting legacy for future UNT students and alumni to enjoy. Contributions are tax-deductible. To order a paver, contact the alumni association at 940-565-2834 or visit www.untalumni.com.

“The pavilion has become the place for alumni to gather for food, fun and fellowship,” says Derrick Morgan, executive director of the UNT Alumni Association.

“And it’s a great reason for alumni to return to UNT to support their alma mater, whether it’s enjoying the excite-ment of game days in the pavilion or having their names permanently etched at the facility.”

M a P P I n G T E x T s P r O j E C T

Andrew Torget, assis-tant professor of his-tory, and Rada Mihalcea, associate professor of computer science and engineering, have made it easier for users of the Portal to Texas His-tory — part of the UNT Libraries’ digital collec-tions — to browse the pages of historical Texas newspapers online. With support from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, they partnered with research-ers from Stanford Uni-versity’s Bill Lane Center for the American West to develop their Map-ping Texts Project, a new tool giving users access to interactive visualiza-tions that will offer new ways to explore the con-tent of historical Texas newspapers rather than typing words into a

search engine.

Korean textile scholars

The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles has recognized UNT merchandis-ing faculty members HaeJung Maria Kim, JiYoung Kim and Kiseol Yang as distinguished scholars for their research in the global clothing and textile industries. They were among 20 scholars of Korean origin from universities in China, Japan and the U.S. acknowledged by the society for their contribu-tions to the Korean and global clothing and textiles industries and educational societies. UNT had more faculty members selected than any other university.

Kinesiology award

Katie Wendling (’12), a kinesiology major, was named a 2012 Undergraduate Scholar by the American Kinesiology Association. The association’s annual awards recognize undergraduate students on a national level for distinctive academic and leadership accomplishments. Wendling earned a 4.0 GPA throughout her four years at UNT and was a member and officer of UNT’s Pre-Physical Therapy Club. She is working on her doctoral degree in physical therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and hopes to work in pediatrics and eventually open her own practice.


KristinFarmer

Inspired by her experiences

as a uNT student, Kristin

Farmer (’95 M.ed.)

founded a company to

assist children with autism

and their families. Now as

benefactor of uNT’s

Kristin Farmer autism

center, she’s come

full-circle in changing lives

— one person at a time.

to shape her passion in the field of special education and autism. Combes remem-bers Farmer as a strong student at UNT.

“When I see the successes of my students like Kristin, it rekindles my own passion and commitment to teaching,” Combes says.

Through her donation to UNT, Farmer is working to improve the lives of children and families in the North Texas region. The programs in the center will provide comprehensive educational, diagnostic, treatment and training services for children with autism and their families, and will support field-changing research.

“Kristin is not only a gifted scholar, but a highly motivated and committed person,” says Kevin Callahan, director of the center and adjunct associate profes-sor of educational psychology in the College of Education. He also taught Farmer when she was a student at UNT.

“Her amazing success is a product of her experience and leadership skills, as well as her warm heart and focus on providing the highest quality services for children,” he says.

Beyond helping children with autism and their families, the center will provide new opportunities for UNT students across several departments and colleges.

They will gain valuable experience working directly with children, families and researchers in fields including special education, behavior analysis and speech and hearing therapy.

“I would not be successful and have what I have today if it weren’t for UNT,” Farmer says.

“The university works hard to keep strong programs going for future students, and when a student graduates and goes into teaching, that’s another teacher with excellent training who can make a difference in hundreds of lives.”

n the early ’90s, while working on her master’s degree in special education at UNT, Kristin Farmer (’95 M.Ed.) was a student teacher in Lewisville.

She worked with a small class of elementary children with autism spec-trum disorders, and one young student, Johnny, changed her life.

When Farmer first met the 7-year-old, he had severe speech limitations and could only imitate a few sounds.

She began working with him on forming sounds into words and soon, for the first time, he was able to say “Mommy, I love you.”

“When his mom heard this, she cried,” Farmer says. “She was just beside herself because her son learned those words and how to communicate. I’ve been hooked ever since. I realized this is how I can make a difference.”

Today, Farmer is making a difference for families across the United States. She serves as the CEO of her successful California-based company Comprehen-sive Educational Services Inc., known as ACES, which she founded in 1996. She also is making an impact as the benefac-tor of UNT’s Kristin Farmer Autism Center, which opened this fall.

Farmer says in addition to the training she received from UNT’s Department of Behavior Analysis, Bertina Combes, associate professor of educational psychology, was instrumental in helping

by Leslie Wimmer

i


Kristin FarmerSan diego, calif.

Originally from: Richardson — I attended J.J.

Pierce High School.

Lessons learned at UnT: Kevin Callahan was my supervis-

ing professor for my student

teaching. I learned so much from

him about working with chal-

lenging behaviors and that really

it’s all about attitude. Everything

is 90 percent attitude and 10

percent situation. You can do

anything in life if you come at it

from that perspective.

Philosophy of giving:When I think about UNT, I think

about the impact of the univer-

sity’s teaching and programs,

which help thousands of children

and individuals with special

needs and their families. I’m so

eternally grateful for the support

I received as a student, and I

want to give back.

Finding inspiration:I am always inspired by the

starfish story. An old man walked

along a shore littered with

starfish, beached and dying after

a storm. A young boy was picking

them up and flinging them back

into the ocean. “Why do you

bother?” the old man scoffed.

“You’re not saving enough to

make a difference.” The young

boy picked up another starfish

and sent it spinning into the

water. “I made a difference for

that one,” he says.

Frank Rogozienski


Creative expression shines at UNT.This fall, greatness is spotlighted through imaginative art retrospectives, fresh interpretations of dance and theatre

classics, creative musical collaborations and global culture exhibitions.

Welcome to My World, 1979-2012Regents Professor Elmer Taylor: A Retrospective

Oct. 9 – Nov. 105 p.m. Oct. 11 — Opening Reception

5 p.m. Oct. 13 — Artist’s ReceptionUNT Art Gallery — Art Building

gallery.unt.edu

A Jazz DreamA modern jazz take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Presented by UNT Dance and Theatre

7:30 p.m. Nov. 1-3, 8-102 p.m. Nov. 4, 11

University Theatre — RTVF Buildingdanceandtheatre.unt.edu

UNT College of Music GalaAn afternoon of symphonic music, jazz and American standards featuring the UNT Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Singers and A Cappella Choir

4 p.m. Oct. 14Winspear Performance Hall — Murchison Performing Arts Centermusic.unt.edu/mpac

Cloth TalksCollection of West African Adinkra and Kente cloths, a visual embodiment of proverbs, events and cultural values from one of the only remaining traditional Adinkra villages in GhanaPresented by UNT Institute for the Advancement of the Arts

Through Sept. 29UNT on the Square, 109 N. Elm St. in Dentonuntonthesquare.unt.edu


Muse i n t h i s s e c t i o n books p / 20

dance and Theatre p / 21

upcoming events p / 21

Music p / 22

Television and Film p / 22

visual arts p / 22

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MEAN GREEN BLUE MAN

UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science grad Bhurin Sead was determined to get the part.

Read more about Sead and his path to blueness at northtexan.unt.edu/blueman.

BHURIN SEAD CAN TRACE THE SEEDS OFhis career as a Blue Man back to his days as a TAMS student at UNT in the late 1990s. He says he saw lots of students carrying instruments, which inspired him to pick up the guitar and perform in local bands.

A few years later, he auditioned for the Blue Man Group —the part-multimedia, part-science experiment performance group whose members wear blue paint. He got the gig on his second try and now performs up to seven shows a week with the national traveling tour.

“It’s defi nitely physically demanding,” he says. “But I’ve never had a mentally draining day at work. It’s so much fun.”

Creative expression shines at UNT.This fall, greatness is spotlighted through imaginative art retrospectives, fresh interpretations of dance and theatre

classics, creative musical collaborations and global culture exhibitions.

Welcome to My World, 1979-2012Regents Professor Elmer Taylor: A Retrospective

Oct. 9 – Nov. 105 p.m. Oct. 11 — Opening Reception

5 p.m. Oct. 13 — Artist’s ReceptionUNT Art Gallery — Art Building

gallery.unt.edu

A Jazz DreamA modern jazz take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Presented by UNT Dance and Theatre

7:30 p.m. Nov. 1-3, 8-102 p.m. Nov. 4, 11

University Theatre — RTVF Buildingdanceandtheatre.unt.edu

UNT College of Music GalaAn afternoon of symphonic music, jazz and American standards featuring the UNT Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Singers and A Cappella Choir

4 p.m. Oct. 14Winspear Performance Hall — Murchison Performing Arts Centermusic.unt.edu/mpac

Cloth TalksCollection of West African Adinkra and Kente cloths, a visual embodiment of proverbs, events and cultural values from one of the only remaining traditional Adinkra villages in GhanaPresented by UNT Institute for the Advancement of the Arts

Through Sept. 29UNT on the Square, 109 N. Elm St. in Dentonuntonthesquare.unt.edu


Musebooks

German militaryRobert M.

Citino, profes-

sor of history,

has written his

ninth book,

Th e Wehrmacht Retreats: Fighting a Lost War, 1943 (University of Kansas

Press), about the German army’s

campaigns near the end of World

War II.

Citino is considered one of

the foremost experts on German

military history and has been

featured on the History Channel

and in other publications. In

this book, he describes how the

Germans’ major campaigns put

them on the defensive against the

Allies and were just as much the

fault of the offi cer corps as they

were of Adolf Hitler. Th e book

follows Death of the Wehrmacht: Th e German Campaigns of 1942, which was published in 2007.

Mid-South barbecue Diverse

barbecue

traditions from

West Tennessee

and Memphis

to South

Arkansas and North Louisiana

are explored in Th e Slaw and the Slow Cooked: Culture and Barbecue in the Mid-South (Vanderbilt University Press).

Co-edited by James R. Veteto,

assistant professor of anthropol-

ogy and director of the Southern

Seed Legacy project at UNT,

and Edward M. Maclin, the book

covers such topics as Mid-South

barbecue sauce diversity, a com-

petition barbecue team, barbecue

in the digital age, and race and

barbecue.

Veteto knows the subject well,

having grown up on the barbecue

of his mother’s family in Hot

Springs, Ark., and his father’s

family in Lexington, Tenn. He is

an environmental anthropologist

whose areas of expertise include

food and culture.

Technology and lifeAdam Briggle,

professor of

philosophy,

co-edited The Good Life in a Technological

Age (Routledge) with Phil-

lip Brey and Edward Spence,

examining how new media

infl uences the quality of life and

how technology relates to human

well-being.

Contributing essays from

UNT’s Department of Phi-

losophy and Religion Studies are

faculty J. Britt Holbrook, David

Kaplan and Robert Frodeman

and master’s student and teach-

ing fellow Kelli Barr.

“To me, the question of

whether we — or only some of

us — are living better or worse

lives than our grandparents lived

is of utmost practical and theo-

retical importance,” Briggle says.

“We seem so convinced we are

progressing, but what, really, does

it mean to live well?”

changing the world — and herselfAbout a year aft er graduation, Christena Dowsett (’10) was facing severe depression.

Although she enjoyed the adrenaline rush of being a newspaper photographer, she wanted to pursue something bigger with her life. Dowsett now works as a

photojournalist, writer and social media manager for the non-governmental humanitarian organization, Action Africa Help International, taking pictures of life in

Kenya, Sudan and other parts of East Africa.

The job can be challenging.

“I am constantly comparing my life to those I photograph,” she

says. “A hot shower, warm bed and a full meal can be really hard to

stomach when you’ve spent the day surrounded by people who live

in a shack on a trash dump and have nothing except the clothes on

their back. I just spent a month in South Sudan and I’m truly not the

same person I was before I left . It changes you and your perspective

on the world.”

But she loves using her training and skills from the Mayborn

School of Journalism to help others.

“To be honest, I oft en fi nd myself catching moments of awe when

it hits me that I’m actually in Africa, working and living my dream. If I

never become famous or rich, I know I’ll be able to look back on this

time in my life and say I did something to make the world a better

place. And that means more to me than any physical or monetary

reward can bring.”

Check out Dowsett’s photography at

www.christenadowsettphoto.com and the-righters.com.

Chris

tena

Dow

sett

(’10

)


upcoming events

dance and Theatre

World premiere

Dance and theatre students

worked with actress Tandy

Cronyn, British playwright Simon

Bent and director David

Hammond on the world premiere

of Bent’s play, The Tall Boy, in

August. During their two-week

residency, the three internationally

renowned artists helped polish

Pick up a few helpful tips for warding off the undead at max brooks:

how to survive the zombie apocalypse, presented by the UNT Fine

Arts Series at 8 p.m. Oct. 9 in the University Union, Silver Eagle

Suite. A signing follows the presentation

by Brooks, the author of The Zombie

Survival Guide and World War Z: An Oral

History of the Zombie War. The event is free

for students, $20 for the public, and $10

for UNT faculty, staff, alumni association

members and seniors. Call 940-565-3805 for

tickets. Arrangements for the appearance

were made through Greater Talent Network

Inc., New York, N.Y.

Sixty-five years since its first show at UNT, the dallas symphony

orchestra performs at 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Murchison Performing

Arts Center’s Winspear Performance Hall. The concert features DSO

principal cellist Christopher adkins (’80) performing the Saint-Saëns

Cello Concerto No. 1. Visit www.thempac.com for tickets, or for the

full schedule, check music.unt.edu/calendar.

UNT on the Square presents an exhibition from Universidad

autónoma del estado de méxico Oct. 10-Nov. 7, commemorating

the university’s 10-year partnership with UNT. david blow —

retrospective, Nov. 30-Feb. 6, features work from the retired

associate professor of design. Visit untonthesquare.unt.edu.

The annual Faculty and staff exhibition showcases works

from faculty and staff in the College of Visual Arts and Design.

The exhibit runs Nov. 27-Dec. 15 in the UNT Art Gallery, with an

opening reception 5-7 p.m. Nov. 29. Visit gallery.unt.edu.

The Department of Dance and Theatre presents the new

Choreographers Concert Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in the University Theatre.

Call 940-565-2428 or visit danceandtheatre.unt.edu.

Visit calendar.unt.edu for more upcoming events.

the production on the play they

have been developing since 2010.

“The precision, rigor and

creativity these professionals bring

to the script development, acting

and staging is something that I

think can really inspire young

theatre artists,” says Marjorie

Hayes, managing director of

theatre production.

“This will make them more

aware of the standards they need

to meet if indeed they want to

become professional actors,

playwrights and directors.”

Cronyn performed the solo

role in the play, which is based on

the Kay Boyle short story, “The

Lost,” about a Bavarian displaced

persons camp for children after

World War II.

Jack of all trades Jeffrey Schmidt (’96) has done

voice-over work and acted in com-

mercials and television shows such

as Prison Break and Friday Night Lights. But he’s also a set designer

whose work will be seen this fall

Off-Broadway and in the UNT pro-

duction of Cinderella Sept. 27-30.

“When it comes to design for the

theatre, essentially, there are no rules.

Of course, it has to be safe and con-

form to some sort of budget, but really and truly the sky is the limit,”

Schmidt says. “If you can dream it, then the challenge of creating it on

a bare stage is thrilling.”

Dance and theatre faculty Marjorie Hayes and Barbara Cox were

impressed with the 2009 production of The Old Woman in the Wood that Schmidt wrote, directed and designed for the Dallas-based

theatre group, The Drama Club, and thought his design aesthetic

would be a great fit for Cinderella. Schmidt says the set will have lots

of texture and color, but the stage will be spare.

“I believe in coaxing the audience into participating in the set

design and using imagination to fill in the gaps. After all, Cinderella is a

play for kids and they have the best imaginations!”

Trix Rosen


MuseCollege of Music gala

The College of Music will

present the gala Symphony Meets Jazz: An afternoon of symphonic music, jazz and American stan-dards, at 4 p.m. Oct. 14 in the

Winspear Performance Hall at

the Murchison Performing Arts

Center.

The afternoon will include

original arrangements of

Gershwin and Bernstein works

by Richard DeRosa, associate

professor of jazz studies, per-

formed by the UNT Symphony

Orchestra. The Jazz Singers and

A Cappella Choir will join in the

grand finale, followed by a dinner.

Tickets are $25 for the

concert or $100 for the concert

and dinner. Proceeds go toward

scholarships. For information,

call 940-369-8417 or visit www.thempac.com.

Television and Film

New mixing app

Kirk Wheeler (’93) has used

his radio/television/film degree

in diverse ways. Wheeler works

as an audio engineer who mixes

the foreign music and effects for

TV shows such as Castle and

Once Upon a Time so they can be

dubbed internationally.

He also has created an app,

Mixeroo, that allows children to

mix, too. He wanted a music app

for his then 2-year-old daughter

The group was one of

only four college early music

ensembles from across the nation

selected to perform, by a blind

audition, and received a $1,000

grant toward travel costs. The

group performed Tomas Luis de

Victoria’s Officium defunctorum. “This gave us the opportunity

to let people in the early music

world know that an extraor-

dinarily high quality of work

is done at UNT,” says Richard

Sparks, professor of music

and chair of conducting and

ensembles.

Go to northtexan.unt.edu/ online for links to the perfor-

mance on YouTube.

Music

Collegium performance

The Collegium Singers — a

group of UNT student vocalists

specially trained in singing music

of the 16th, 17th and 18th centu-

ries — performed at the Early

Music America’s Young Perform-

ers Festival, part of the Berkeley

Early Music Festival in June in

Berkeley, Calif.

who was enthralled with the

iPad, but he couldn’t find one.

So, he taught himself code, had

a friend arrange music and, six

months later, Mixeroo was born.

“It combines all of the skills I

learned at UNT as well as many

others I have picked up along the

way,” he says.

visual arts

Jack Sprague honor

A $2.5 million anonymous

estate gift will support students,

faculty and programs in the Col-

lege of Visual Arts and Design

and lead to a name change for the

communication design program.

When the gift is in place, the

program will bear the name Jack

Sprague Communication Design

Program. Sprague, Professor

Emeritus of communication de-

sign, taught at UNT for 20 years

before retiring in 2009. He now

works as the education director

at the Smart Center Santa Fe.

“Jack’s expectations for

excellence fueled his students’

academic achievements,” says

Eric Ligon, associate dean for

academic and student affairs in

the college. “He is a man worth

honoring for his contributions to

the lives and livelihoods of all his

students and to the greater good

of the program.”

On My Own TimeSam Ivie (’97), an art alum and

UNT library specialist, created a

series of dots that turned into an

award-winning portrait.

His piece, Girl (detail pic-

tured), won Best in Show, People’s

Choice and the Works on Paper

(Professional) category at the On My Own Time exhibition, an

annual competition in which artists in the North Texas region can

show off the work they create away from their jobs.

Thirty-four UNT faculty and staff members created 58 pieces

— including paintings, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics

and jewelry — that were displayed in August at UNT on the

Square in Denton. Winners in 11 categories at each exhibition

around the region are being displayed at NorthPark Center in

Dallas through Sept. 30. The Business Council for the Arts has

sponsored the event for 20 years.

Ivie’s portrait of a girl is a progression of smaller drawings he

created in ink through stippling, which uses dots to form imagery.

He says from a distance the piece may look like any other graphite

or charcoal drawing, but on closer inspection, “the illusion fades.”

“A stippled surface is meant to be examined,” he says, “and,

hopefully, arouses a certain level of curiosity about how the

image was made.”


UNT’s Institute for the Advancement of the Arts gave two faculty members a rare com-

modity — time. The institute’s faculty fellows program gives honorees a semester off

from teaching to work on their own creative projects. This year, Vincent Falsetta, profes-

sor of studio arts, will work on his paintings, and Miroslav Penkov, assistant professor of

English, will write a novel.

Falsetta plans to work on his abstract paintings, with wave-like strokes intricately

planned and recorded on index cards and in color studies. His work has appeared in

more than 50 solo and two-person shows and in public collections across the country.

“The most important benefi t of being a fellow is having the time to work,” Falsetta

says. “The commitment necessary to research, create and evaluate requires the ability to

work day aft er day with a project.”

A faculty member at UNT since 1977, Falsetta served as artist-in-residence at the Blue-

coat in Liverpool in 2011 and two residencies at Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia.

Penkov, the author of a short story collection, will conduct research in the Standja

Mountains in his native Bulgaria for his second book, Nominalia of the Imaginary Khans.

“Writing a novel is oft en compared to running a marathon, and for good reason. Like

a runner who must fi rst train for months, a writer must fi rst do research and consider his

characters, setting and story carefully before putting pen to paper,” Penkov says.

“On some level, this fellowship also serves as a validation — a sign that perhaps there

is promise in the pages I’ve already written.”

Penkov’s fi rst book, East of the West: A Country in Stories, received national attention,

including a feature on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, when it was pub-

lished in 2011. One of the stories was selected for The PEN/O Henry Prize Stories 2012, a

collection of 20 of the best short stories from the previous year.

New faculty fellows

of Visual Arts and Design func-

tion, received funding for the

project from the Mary McMullan

Grant Fund through the Na-

tional Art Education Foundation.

Th eir project, “Situated

Meaning: Exploring a Changing

Suburban Community Th rough

Artistic Inquiry,” asks students

to examine growing income

disparity in their community, to

question their values and

assumptions, and to refl ect on

their results and spur dialog.

Th e six-week project will end

with an exhibition at a local high

school or public venue.

Artistic expression

Pedrameh Manoochehri

(’08 M.A.), an art teacher at

Marcus High School in Flower

Mound, and Cala Coats, a doctoral

student in art education (pictured

from left), will hand cameras to

high school students next spring

in the Flower Mound and Lewis-

ville area so they can explore

their communities.

Th e duo, who met at a College

Student magazine

Th e M7M online magazine

produced by UNT students

features the latest fashions from

local designers, UNT design stu-

dents and Denton retailers. Adri-

ana Solis, a junior merchandising

student, founded the Method

Seven Magazine organization,

and a team of 105 students from

various fi elds helped put together

the fi rst issue last spring.

“Th e word ‘method’ refers to

the way we do things at M7M,” Solis says. “We give students an

opportunity to discover their in-

ner strength, enhance their skills

and learn from others in order to

reach their dreams.”

Th e “seven” refers to the words

the students want refl ected in

each issue — individualistic,

creative, real, unique, genuine,

contagious and bold.

Read the magazine at www.methodsevenmagazine.com.

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From left, Miroslav Penkov, assistant professor of English, and Vincent Falsetta, professor of studio arts, are working on creative projects as 2012 faculty fellows of the Institute for the Advancement of the Arts. Penkov will conduct research in Bulgaria for his next book, and Falsetta plans to work on his abstract paintings.

Danielli Costa (’11) knew she was taking on a tough job when she was hired to teach math at Th omas Jeff erson High School in Dallas last spring.

Her students had already had fi ve teachers that school year and were about to take Texas’ important standardized tests, which would determine if they could pass to the next grade. Th omas Jeff erson, a school on the rise, has had some tough circumstances. Nearly 85 percent of its students are economically disadvantaged, 78 percent are considered “at risk” and 36 percent have limited English profi ciency.

But Costa had graduated from UNT’s Teach North Texas program, which helps students earn a bachelor’s degree in math, science or computer science while also earning teacher certifi cations.

“I was very prepared,” she says. “By being exposed to new styles of teaching at UNT, I’ve been able to help my students be successful both in my classroom and in life.”

Teach North Texas is just one of many ways UNT has been a leader in excellence and innovation in the world of education, starting in 1890 when it began as a teacher’s college and continuing today as it trains administrators and researchers, and creates specialized programs for educators.

UNT graduates become certifi ed as teachers at high rates. In 2010-11, UNT had the second highest number of teachers from a Texas university — 1,147. But more importantly, more than 72 percent of UNT’s teaching graduates remain as teachers in Texas after fi ve years on the job, the highest percentage in the state. Th at’s critical when nearly 50 percent of teachers leave the job after fi ve years, according to the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future.

Th e education world has noticed UNT’s College of Education successes. Teach for America, the prestigious national program that takes teachers into low-income communities across the country, tapped eight recent UNT graduates for the 2012-13 school year. U.S. News & World Report ranked UNT’s counseling program 12th nationwide and the fi rst in Texas in 2012. And national organizations have bestowed awards and high-ranking positions on UNT education alumni, including principals, superintendents and college presidents. UNT graduates conduct research that is used by the Texas Legislature to set state education policy and best practices. Th e Center

Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute founded by Joshua Chilton

1890 Training (Demonstration) School begins1914

Graduates of UNT’s College of Education are transforming their students’ lives through learning and development that includes creative curriculums, specialized programs and research

by JessiCA DeLeÓN

Danielli Costa (’11), math teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, graduated from UNT’s Teach North Texas program.

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Summer school becomes state-funded, contributing to huge enrollment growth (becoming the largest teachers’ college in the Southwest by the 1920s)

1917Education Building built to house the Demonstration School1918

for Play Th erapy provides the largest play therapy training program in the world, with graduates duplicating the program at other universities around the globe. And innovative bilingual programs are being created to meet changing demographics.

Even with all of these achievements and special programs, educating the educators comes down to the basics, says Kathryn Everest (’80, ’90 M.Ed.), a former teacher and counselor who also earned her mid-management/adminis-tration certifi cation from UNT in 2000. She serves as director of guidance and counseling for the Fort Worth ISD and sits on the State Board of Educator Certifi cation, which monitors the teacher preparation program.

“UNT teaches the importance of relationships and rigor,” she says. “You have to develop the relationships with your kids and your colleagues. Th e more there’s that trust and communication, the more there’s that connection to learning.”

ONE CLASSROOM TO ANOTHERWhen Costa entered her classroom,

she knew what to expect. As a student teacher, she learned about curriculum and planning lessons, with opportunities to teach those lessons at diff erent schools. But the Teach North Texas faculty provided her with subtler teaching techniques that would serve her well, too.

John Quintanilla, professor of mathematics and co-director of Teach North Texas, often asked off beat, sometimes diffi cult questions that students pose and then would have the future teachers answer them as practice, Costa says.

“One of my students asked me a question about statistics,” she says. “So, to get him to think it through, I asked him,

‘What do you think?’ And he answered his own question.”

UNT’s Teach North Texas program was initiated with $2.4 million in grants from the Greater Texas Foundation and the National Mathematics and Science Initiative and further supported by the Texas Instruments Foundation. Th e program began in fall 2008 as a partnership between the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences and prepares students to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

UNT has been a leader in developing innovative education programs, going back to 1914, when it became one of the fi rst colleges in the nation to off er a professional development model by establishing the training, or demonstra-tion school.

As a student in the 1970s, Stella Cook Bell (’73) says her professors emphasized that kindergarten would be an important and growing fi eld, as early childhood education was proving to help increase the learning of disadvantaged students prior to entering elementary school. UNT’s training also was holistic and interdisciplinary, with instruction in the social, emotional, intellectual and physical aspects of students’ lives.

“I learned the importance of educat-ing the whole child,” says Bell, who went on to earn a doctorate and worked 29 years as a teacher and principal in the Austin ISD.

During that same decade, Elva Concha LeBlanc (’75, ’78 M.Ed., ’86 Ph.D.) earned her bachelor’s degree, then went to work as a kindergarten teacher in the Fort Worth ISD. In the evenings, she pursued her master’s in early childhood education and Spanish literature.

LeBlanc — now president of Tarrant County College’s Northwest Campus

— tested theories she was learning in class at her job, creating an environment for active learning by arranging the classroom into centers for art, math, books and pretend play. She also understood the importance of assessing student progress and preparing portfo-lios to identify areas in which students needed additional support.

“It made quantum sense,” she says.

PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE AND BEYONDTeachers who want to advance to

higher levels — whether as counselors or administrators — often are taught at UNT by working professionals who give them a fi rst-hand look at the world they’re pursuing.

Adjunct professor Andra Penny (’73, ’76 M.Ed., ’96 Ph.D.) says one of the fi rst questions she asks the graduate students who take her educational administration, communication and fi nance courses is, “Are you sure?”

Penny defi nitely knows the fi eld. She taught elementary school for 20 years and has been principal for Cottonwood Elementary School in Coppell for 16 years. She also teaches courses on teaching, learning and assessment at the Summer Principals Academy at Colum-bia Teachers College in New York City and Tulane University in New Orleans. She has served as president of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.

“I’m going to tell you like it is,” she says. “It’s beyond the book.”

Most of Penny’s students are profes-sionals, so she says she can relate to them.

“I can identify and understand what they’re going through.”

And UNT’s graduate school provides fi nancial resources for aspiring superin-tendents, such as the Southwest Securi-ties Superintendent Certifi cation

First doctoral degrees offered in education and music (fi rst doctoral graduate in 1953)

1951 Education Building (now named Matthews Hall) built1961

Mark Henry (’89 M.Ed., ’92 Ed.D.) is superintendent of the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Houston, the third largest school district in Texas and the 25th largest in the nation.

Elva Concha LeBlanc (’75, ’78 M.Ed., ’86 Ph.D.) is president of Tarrant County College’s Northwest Campus in Fort Worth.

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UNT’s counseling program among the fi rst accredited in the U.S.1978

Endowed chair established: Velma E. Schmidt Endowed Chair for Critical Early Childhood Studies

1995

Gabriela Borcoman (’04 Ph.D.) works as a senior program director for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin.

Scholarship Program funded by UNT System Regent Don Buchholz (’52), chairman emeritus of Dallas-based Southwest Securities.

UNT graduates serve as superinten-dents in various districts in Texas. Mark Henry (’89 M.Ed., ’92 Ed.D.), a superin-tendent for 20 years, in 2009 was a fi nalist for Texas Superintendent of the Year and was named Association of Texas Profes-sional Educators Texas Administrator of the Year.

He was a 27-year-old teacher and coach when he was observed by Watt Black, founding director of the Meadows Excellence in Teaching Program at UNT, and Black suggested Henry go into educational leadership. Henry heads Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in the Houston area — the third largest school district in Texas and the 25th largest in the nation.

“I went through North Texas at the best time ever,” he says. “It was a good mix of career and adjunct professors giving me exposure to everything I would need coming from a superintendent’s perspective.”

RESEARCH TO REAL LIFEUNT also prepares researchers and

educators in higher education. Soko Starobin (’96, ’98 M.Ed., ’04 Ph.D.) saw how research could be a powerful tool as a research associate at UNT’s Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education, which prepares leaders and teachers for specifi c careers in community colleges.

She studied higher education policy under Stephen G. Katsinas, the inaugural director of the center, and learned about students’ access to college and success, including how the maximum amount of

federal Pell grants given to students was not enough to pay for all college expenses.

Starobin also learned how colleges develop targets for student retention and graduation rates as part of the Closing the Gaps Higher Education Plan.

“Eventually, those policies informed by the research are going to aff ect individu-als in higher education,” she says. “Th at excited me.”

Starobin, now assistant professor of higher education and director in the Offi ce of Community College Research and Policy at Iowa State University, focuses on the impact of community colleges. Her work was recognized with the 2010 Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges.

She says her education at UNT was helpful because she got to work with many

UNT’s Teach North Texas program established2008

First endowed superintendent certifi cation program in Texas created 2009

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administrators at Dallas-Fort Worth community colleges.

“It was quite an experience to see their roles in executing their institutional policies,” she says. “Th at’s the learning I couldn’t get in the textbook.”

Gabriela Borcoman (’04 Ph.D.) works as a senior program director for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin, where her research is read and used by some of the most infl uential leaders in the state and in education.

“Legislators want to know a lot of information,” she says. “When they work on a bill, they need research.”

Bell, the former teacher and principal in Austin, now works at the Texas Compre-hensive Center, where she disseminates research so teachers can use eff ective strategies — such as collaborating with their colleagues to align curriculum,

instruction and assessment to state standards.

“Th ese eff orts need to be mutually supportive for student achievement,” she says.

INTO THE FUTUREWhile UNT has a long and rich history

in successfully educating educators, it continues to set new goals, says Jerry Th omas, dean of the College of Education. In the past decade, the college has produced 548 doctorates. It also has increased its grant funding so it now brings in as many grant dollars as faculty salary dollars to support research and innovative educational programs that have worldwide impact.

And UNT is keeping up with the nation’s rapidly changing demographics through its bilingual/ESL program. Th e

Future Bilingual Teachers Academy hosts a summer camp for Hispanic high school students interested in pursuing a career in bilingual education.

In the last decade, UNT has increased its bilingual/ESL teaching graduates tenfold. From 2004 to 2007, UNT had a total of 22 bilingual/ESL teaching graduates. From 2008 to 2012, it grew to 239 graduates with that specialty.

With her math and bilingual back-ground, Costa fi ts the attributes of the teacher of the future. Just as UNT prepared Costa for teaching, her students were ready for their standardized tests. More than 95 percent of her freshmen passed the state tests.

“Th at feeling,” she says, “is more rewarding than anything.”

Soko Starobin (’96, ’98 M.Ed., ’04 Ph.D.) is an assistant professor of higher education and director in the Offi ce of Community College Research and Policy at Iowa State University.

U.S. News & World Report ranks the counseling program 12th nationwide, the 10th time rated fi rst in Texas and in the top 20 nationally

2012UNT’s Kristin Farmer Autism Center (see page 30), the fi rst endowed autism center in Texas focused on intervention, research and education, opens

2012

Jonathan Reynolds


p OW e R O F Place

Many families caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder need testing and more effective treatments, and face long commutes from school to diagnostic facility, to therapy center, to doctor’s office. UNT’s Kristin Farmer Autism Center, opening in Denton in September, will serve as a comprehensive resource for families across the North Texas region. The center is a one-stop facility for education, diagnosis, treatment, training and research.

Founded with the help of Kristin Farmer (’95 M.Ed.), CEO of Comprehensive Educational Services Inc., known as ACES, the center will provide high-quality services designed and implemented by top researchers, professors and professionals at UNT.

“The opening of the center is the realization of a dream of mine for many years,” Farmer says. “Together with UNT, I proudly share in this commitment to develop a cutting-edge, world-renowned center for individuals with autism and their families.”

uNT’s new 20,000-square-foot center on I-35e will serve the community with cutting-edge

autism interventions and treat-ments, combining innovative

research with student training.

kristin Farmer autism center

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E d U C aT I O n

Four classrooms will support full-time individualized instructional

activities for students with autism spectrum disorders. The center

also features classroom space for UNT students taking special education, applied behavior

analysis, and speech and hearing therapy courses.

d I a G n O s T I C s a n d T r E aT M E n T

Two large rooms will be used for compre-hensive diagnostic testing and evaluation in autism determination, early childhood development, global educational assess-

ments and assessments of academic, developmental, vocational, adaptive

behavior and social skills. Nine therapy rooms offer space for applied behavior

analysis; speech and language therapy; play, music, art and recreational therapy;

nutritional services; and psychological counseling for individuals, families,

parents and siblings. The building also features a large occupational and

physical therapy room.

T E C H n O LO G y

Video capture technology will give students, researchers, families and professionals an

advantage by allowing remote viewing of activities throughout the center. Cameras will replace

antiquated two-way mirrors and allow for fine-tuned data collection and analysis. And video

teleconference systems that provide research resources will allow for collaboration with

partners around the world.

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ichael Clements

r E s E a r C H a n d s E r v I C E

Experts from several areas will collaborate at the center, continuing UNT’s history of expanding

autism research and programs. UNT is home to the first graduate training program accredited

by the Association of Behavior Analysis Interna-tional, and graduates help thousands of children

each year. Graduate-level concentrations in autism intervention and research are offered

within the special education program. And the speech and hearing program provides under-graduate education and clinical services that help people with autism spectrum disorders.


IIn the 1880s, Charles Darwin discovered that a blade of grass would no longer grow toward sunlight if the tip was covered with tin foil. This discovery sug-gested that the tip of the plant was somehow communicating with the rest of the plant to ensure optimal exposure to the sun. Darwin’s discovery created the field of plant signaling, or the study of how plants use chemical signals to control their responses to the environment. More than a century later, Heidi Szemenyei (’97 TAMS, ’99, ’01), as a graduate student researching plant science at the University of California-San Diego, published a paper in Science magazine about another role of genes responsive to auxin, the same chemical studied by Darwin. She explained how they signal genes to facilitate root initiation in the bottom but not the top of the developing plant. Szemenyei, who attended UNT’s prestigious Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science and later earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and anthropology from UNT before her graduate studies, is one of many UNT alumni who are part of a new generation of researchers pushing the boundaries of plant science. In 2008, UNT formed the Signaling Mechanisms in Plants research cluster, a multi-disciplinary team of researchers studying plant signaling to improve energy, agriculture, nutrition and medicine. “We are trying to help plants do what they do, better, especially in our changing environment. It’s getting hotter and dryer, so to produce the same yield in those conditions is challenging,” says Kent Chapman, Regents Professor of biology. “What we really need is to get more yield under even worse conditions.” Triple impact

Catalina Pislariu (’06 Ph.D.), a postdoctoral research fellow at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., is looking for ways to reduce the amount of outside nitrogenous fertilizer that needs to be introduced to crops. Sustainable agriculture is an area she researched while completing her doctorate with Rebecca Dickstein, professor of biology. Pislariu originally came to Texas from Romania to study with Camelia Maier (’92 M.S., ’96 Ph.D.), an assistant professor of biology at Texas Woman’s University and a fellow Romanian, but she earned her degrees at UNT after becoming interested in Dickstein’s work.

Nitrogenous fertilizers supply large amounts of “fixed” nitrogen, reduced forms that plants can use and that are required for productive agriculture, but

alumni and faculty

work to increase crop

yields, protect the

environment and

create sustainable

energy solutions

by Alyssa Yancey

plant signaling


Heidi Szemenyei (’97 TAMS, ’99, ’01)

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plants typically absorb only about 30 percent of the fertilizer applied on the soil. The other 70 percent is released into the atmosphere, leaches into the groundwater or runs off into ponds and streams, causing air pollution and water quality issues.

With Dickstein, Pislariu studied the beneficial association between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, to better understand how the legumes could obtain fixed nitrogen more efficiently.

“By characterizing legume genes that regulate this environmentally friendly biological process, we might be able to control some of them and make natural nitrogen fixation more efficient,” Pislariu says. “This research has a triple impact: on our environment, our food and our health.”

Pislariu’s work on symbiotic mutants was published in Plant Physiology and is expected to be a valuable resource for legume researchers. Pislariu is now focused on characterizing more of the thousands of genes involved in this process at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and continues to collaborate with Dickstein. UNT has a decade-long relationship with the founda-tion, including joint grant programs, and this fall recruited Richard A. Dixon, who is credited with building the foundation’s plant biology program.

A world-renowned specialist in metabolic engineering of plants and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Dixon will bring new levels of bio-based products expertise to UNT when he begins work in February.

Defense against insects UNT biology graduate Joe Louis (’11

Ph.D.) is trying to improve the environ-ment through his research on the relation-ship between plants and insects. Louis earned a master’s degree in entomology at Kansas State University and stayed to work on his doctoral degree in molecular biology. When his major professor, Jyoti Shah, came to UNT, so did Louis.

“UNT gave us the opportunity to establish new labs in the new Life Sciences Complex and to collaborate with really great faculty members,” Louis says.

Under Shah’s direction, Louis studied the mechanisms that allow plants to defend themselves against insect attack. Specifi-cally, Louis used green peach aphids and the Arabidopsis plant as a model system to study what kinds of mechanisms and genes mobilize plant defenses.

“One way to control these infestations is to apply more insecticides. We want to identify the plant’s indigenous defenses so we can enhance them, allowing the plants to better resist the insects by themselves,” Louis says. “This method would reduce our dependence on costly insecticides, make our environment cleaner and promote better health for humans and animals.”

In Shah’s lab, Louis was part of a team that identified the role of MPL1, a gene that helps provide defense against aphids. The findings, published in Plant Journal, were significant as they illustrated for the first time how lipids or their products help provide defense against sap-sucking insects.

While at UNT, Louis won many awards, including the International Congress on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology Student Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, Toxicology and Molecular Biology from the Entomological Foundation. He also won the John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award from the Entomological Society of America.

Currently, he works as a postdoctoral fellow at Pennsylvania State University, where he focuses on how insect salivary proteins alter plant defenses.

Bio-based economyResearchers in UNT’s Signaling

Mechanisms in Plants cluster have formed strong connections with engineers in UNT’s Renewable Bioproducts cluster, which is focused on green solutions for products using plants, bacteria and other bio-agent materials. Researchers from both areas hope to establish a group focused on metabolic engineering to bridge the two clusters.

“There is a whole research area focused on what is called the bio-based economy, a significant field for the future,” Chapman says. “We are looking for replacements for all the things that we draw from fossil fuels, including energy and materials. We can significantly lower our carbon footprint by using renewable materials.”

Szemenyei, now a project scientist at the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of California-Berkeley, is

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F a l l 2 0 1 2 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 35F a l l 2 0 1 2 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 35

working on the cutting edge of the renewable energy movement with projects aimed at converting plants into biofuels more effi ciently. She says that although she didn’t begin studying plants until later in her graduate career, she developed a passion for research and lab work while attending TAMS. Currently, she is working with tobacco plants to fi nd a way to produce more of the enzymes necessary for creating ethanol naturally.

“One of the most expensive parts of creating cellulosic ethanol is the cost of the enzymes used to break down plant cell walls,” Szemenyei says. “We hope to modify the plants to produce those enzymes at very high levels.”

Chapman believes the future for plant science is bright at UNT. All of the research cluster members have external funding, including grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture and Cotton Inc.

Earlier this year, UNT researchers published papers in three consecutive issues of Plant Cell, the journal with the highest impact in the fi eld.

“It really has been the perfect combina-tion. We had the opening of the new Life Sciences Complex, UNT’s support and investment in the cluster program and a big recruiting eff ort for faculty experts, so it all just came together,” Chapman says.

“With our growing expertise, we’re emerging as one of the leading programs in plant sciences in the country.”

S I G N a l I N G M e c h a N I S M S I N P l a N T S

Groundbreaking research is earning UNT a national rep-

utation in plant science, enabling the university to attract

top scientists, secure millions in funding and build cutting-

edge labs. UNT recently hired internationally renowned

plant signaling expert Richard A. Dixon, director of plant

biology and senior vice president at the Samuel Roberts

Noble Foundation, to join the collaborative Signaling Mech-

anisms in Plants research cluster.

A member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences,

Dixon was aware of UNT’s impressive investment in

research and world-class facilities in the new Life Sciences

Complex as a member of the cluster’s advisory board.

“UNT had a very clear vision of what it wanted, and that

was excellence,” he says. “I felt this would be a great

opportunity to build something new at UNT.”

Researchers in the cluster, which was formed in

2008, study how plants use a complex network of

molecular signals in growth, development and defense

responses to stress. Understanding these signaling

processes has far-reaching eff ects, including advancing

new technologies in agriculture, nutrition, energy and the

environment.

Dixon’s research and expertise will build on the bridged

work between the Signaling Mechanisms in Plants research

cluster and the Renewable Bioproducts research cluster,

solidifying UNT’s commitment to fi nding sustainable solu-

tions for reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

From left: Catalina Pislariu (’06 Ph.D.) with Rebecca Dickstein, professor of biology; and Joe Louis (’11 Ph.D.)

Watch a video about UNT’s innovative plant research at northtexan.unt.edu/online.


The celebration is under way with a high-profile second season for the Mean Green in UNT’s world-class Apogee Stadium. The first-of-its-kind green stadium hosted record crowds last year, breaking the all-time single-season attendance record with more than 113,000 fans. Enjoying the final Sun Belt Conference campaign before moving to Conference USA in 2013, the Mean Green is primed for success with many televised games, including a national broadcast on ESPN2.

Come out and celebrate each home game day with tailgating activities around campus. A new pedestrian bridge over I-35E will provide easier access for fans heading to the stadium. Arrive early for fan-friendly, family-oriented festivities including the Mean Green March. And follow Scrappy through his kingdom for this year’s “Once Upon a Homecoming” Nov. 3 against Arkansas State (see inside back cover for details).

Season two in uNT’s apogee Stadium brings national audience and media

exposure as the Mean Green’s days in the Sun belt conference wind down.

building excitement

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UNT’s Apogee Stadium, the nation’s first newly constructed collegiate football stadium to achieve the highest level of LEED certification recognizing its sustainable building features, hosted record crowds in last year’s inaugural season.

To order tickets and to keep up to date on Mean Green scores and

highlights, visit meangreensports.com.


academic excellence

Mean Green student-athletes continue to perform well in the classroom, accord-ing to the latest Academic Progress Report released by the NCAA. The men’s cross country team had its second consecutive perfect multi-year score of 1,000. Three other teams — men’s golf, women’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving — all recorded a 992. And for the second year in a row, the Mean Green football program posted its best-ever multi-year score with a 938.

Since the inception of the APR in 2004, the football program has raised its score from 907 to the current 938, making improvement in each of the last four years. The combined GPA of all student-athletes improves each year and in

2011-12 was at its highest since 2001. In other good academic news, Ty

Spinella, a senior on the men’s golf team, was named an All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

sun Belt Tv games

Several Mean Green football games are slated to be broadcast this fall, focusing the eyes of the college football world on UNT. In addition to five ESPN family network games, including the nationally televised home game on ESPN2 — 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, against Louisiana-Lafayette — the Oct. 6 game at the University of Houston will be shown on Comcast Sports Southeast.

For a complete season schedule and to order tickets, visit meangreensports.com.

mean green Football home games ahead

Sept. 22: Troy University, Family Weekend, ESPN3 regionally televised

Oct. 16: University of Louisiana-Lafayette, ESPN2 nationally televised

Nov. 3: Arkansas State University, Homecoming

Nov. 10: University of South Alabama, Sun Belt Conference home finale,

TXA21 regionally televised

diplomacy specialistThe U.S. Embassy in Paris had the perfect job

for Kelsey Perlman (’12), an international studies

and French major and captain of the Mean Green

soccer team her junior and senior years.

The embassy was looking for a French-speak-

ing female athlete to serve as a sports diplomacy

specialist. The job has Perlman touring France

to promote gender equality and the benefits of

sports for professional success. Besides playing

soccer with various clubs, she talks to kids about

the benefits of Title IX and other topics.

She says that Laetitia Knight, lecturer in

French, and her UNT athletic scholarship paved

the way to her job, allowing her to take unpaid

internships and study for a semester abroad at

the University of Caen in France.

“I think this job was made for me,” she says.

“I’d never be in the position I am now if I hadn’t

gone to UNT.”

Read more at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

Kelsey Perlman (’12) talks to youth in France as a sports diplomacy specialist.

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— Tony MiTchell, Mean Green forward, Sun BelT conference freShMan of The year

Tony Mitchell may be the next NBA superhero. Here’s why:

• One of only 21 invitees to LeBron James Skills Academy

• One of only 14 players invited to Amar’e Stoudemire Skills Academy

• U19 Team USA leader in rebounding and blocked shots

• Lou Henson Award finalist for Mid-Major Player of the Year

• Nation’s only freshman to average a double-double

800-UNT-2366 | 940-565-2527meangreensports.com

Catch the fever as the Mean Green make a run for the NCAA tournament before moving to Conference USA.

Buy your season tickets online or by phone today.


Nesteagles’

OUTSTANDING JOURNALIST

Former North Texas Daily editor Andrew McLemore (’10) earns

prestigious prize for article series.

Read the full story at northtexan.unt.edu/outstanding-journalist.

i n t h i s s e C t i o n

| connecting with Friends p / 40

| upcoming alumni Gatherings p / 40

| down the corridor p / 42

| In the News p / 44

| Friends we’ll Miss p / 45

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ANDREW MCLEMORE (’10) MADE HIS MARK on journalism at just 25 years old. McLemore won the Livingston Award, given to journalists younger than 35 for outstanding work. He was recognized in the local reporting category for his stories in The Williamson County Sun about Michael Morton, a man who had been wrongly convicted and imprisoned for his wife’s murder in 1986.

McLemore, who now works for the Fort Worth Weekly, says he was honored to win the prestigious prize.

“To have it happen this early in my career is more gratify-ing than words,” he says.


C O N N E C T I N G W I T H FriendsKeep up with the latest developments in the uNT family and tell your peers what you’ve been up to since leaving the nest. Send your news to The North Texan (see contact information on page 7). Members of the uNT alumni association are designated with a .

eagles’ Nest

1932

Jewell bruner hutson, Kerens :: celebrated her 101st birthday

this year. After she graduated

from high school in 1929, she and

her mother and sister moved to

Denton so she could attend

college. Her mother eventually

ran a boarding house for girls.

Jewell studied education, served

on the Fine Arts Committee and

was a member of the Mary

Ardens. She is still active in her

church and community.

1948 bill r. Neale (’53 M.a.), dallas :: was inducted into the

Southwest Advertising Hall of

Fame last fall by the American

Advertising Federation 10th

District for outstanding contribu-

tions to the advertising industry

and community. He was presi-

dent and CEO of Point Com-

munications, and at TracyLocke

he was art director, vice president,

manager of the creative depart-

ment and member of the board.

1953

louis b. houston, Siloam Springs, ark. :: published a

collection of short stories and

essays, The Grape-Toned Stude-

baker (Dog Ear Publishing).

Many feature colorful characters

in his life, including his father’s

1936 Studebaker President in the

title role and a young king of rock

in “Elvis Ate My Hamburger.” 1955

helen lucas reed, Grapevine ::

was named

Woman of the

Year by the Grapevine Chamber

of Commerce. Since retiring from

Mobil Oil Corp. in 1994 as a tax

accountant, she has served as

board member and president of

the Grapevine Historical Society,

nergis soylemez-sayed (’06), quality assurance engi-neer for thermadyne, is named to “40 new Voices of Quality.” read more at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

Read more, share comments and connect with friends

at northtexan.unt.edu.

upcoming alumni GatheringsAlumni and friends are cheering on the Mean Green and the university this fall. Here’s a sampling of events:

Family weekend: Join us Sept. 21-23 for a fun-filled weekend of activities, including cheering on the Mean Green football team against Troy University. Learn how to get involved at transition.unt.edu/family_weekend, [email protected] or 940-565-4198.

homecoming 2012: Check out the poster on the inside back cover for information about Homecoming Nov. 2-3. Visit homecoming.unt.edu for a full listing of events. Enter to win tickets to the game and prizes by emailing [email protected] by Oct. 5 with “Homecoming” in

the subject line. Include T-shirt size and mailing address.

Unt Fall preview: Prospective students and their families are invited to campus Nov. 10 to learn more about what UNT has to offer. Free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Michelle Bradley at [email protected] or 940-565-2681.

mean green merit day: High-achieving high school seniors and their families are invited to visit the UNT campus Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to learn about UNT’s Honors College, academics and scholarship opportunities. For more information, contact Michelle Bradley at [email protected] or 940-565-2681.

Jona

than

Rey

nold

s


worked as a museum docent and

tour guide, and donated many

hours to the chamber’s Women’s

Division. At North Texas, she was

a member of Delta Gamma.

1976

Jillien Garrison anthony, camano Island, wash.

:: was promoted by FedEx

Services from account executive in

Fort Worth to business develop-

ment in Bellevue, Wash. She and

her husband, Charles, now live

north of Seattle.

Ken Simpson, Palm Springs, calif. :: is

founder and

CEO of Skin 2 Skin Care, an

award-winning line of non-toxic

skin care products certified

cruelty-free and vegan. He drew

on his experience in product

development for luxury resort

spas to develop this line when

radiation treatments left his skin

damaged. As a fashion design

student, he was inspired by betty Marzan Mattil, with whom he

worked on what is now the Texas

Fashion Collection.

1979

Jeanne Twehous, North con-way, N.h. :: started Vesta Velo,

a bicycle touring company for

women only, based in the White

Mountains of New Hampshire.

She says the tours feature deluxe

accommodations and gourmet

meals along with spectacular

scenery and challenging rides.

1981

Terry hunt, waco :: is back

in Texas after 10 years in radio

in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is the co-

host of a morning show on new

Waco radio station KRMX, 92.9

Shooter FM.

1982

Karla burkholder (’90 M.S.), lake Kiowa

:: director

of instructional technology at

the Northwest ISD, was elected

2012-13 president of TCEA,

the largest state organization

devoted to the use of technology

in education. She also worked

in instructional technology in

Lewisville and Callisburg.

M. Katherine Turpin Gravatt, Nacogdoches :: retired

after 22 years with the U.S.

Department of Defense as a

graphic manager. She recently

married Dennis Gravatt, chair

of the Department of Biol-

ogy at Stephen F. Austin State

University.

1983

dennis bull (Ph.d.), richard-son :: was made a full-time fac-

ulty member at the North Dallas

campus of Strayer University,

teaching psychology, humanities,

sociology and religion.

luxury travel by design

It’s not where you are going, it’s how you get there. That’s the philosophy of Viaggio Lux, the luxury travel design company

Julie Mandrell (’97) started in 2009.

It keeps her busy designing the interiors of private aircraft and buses

for clients ranging from royalty to NASCAR.

Mandrell says her mother, Lahna Wood Wheeler, who attended the

university in 1965-66, recommended UNT as the right university for her

and her interest in interior design.

“When I was growing up, my grandmother and mom were constantly

painting rooms, putting up wallpaper or space planning,” she says.

Mandrell remembers UNT offered many creative influences, beginning

with a roommate who introduced her to one of her now-favorite foods,

bun, a Vietnamese dish.

“There were new friends, music, art, a variety of cultures, things I had

never experienced before. I took in everything,” Mandrell says.

After earning her interior design degree, she landed a job in Dallas

with a fabric company, which opened the door to designing the interiors

of customized buses for manufacturer Country Coach. And through an

invitation from a vendor, Mandrell experienced her first NASCAR race.

“I became fascinated with the sport and its culture,” she says.

In 2005, Mandrell expanded to airplanes as a designer for Gulfstream

Aerospace. She traveled to exotic places with clients that included the

royal family of Abu Dhabi. When the luxury travel business put the brakes

on in 2008, she didn’t slow down. She opened Viaggio Lux, designing for

NASCAR clients through Amadas/Featherlite Coaches in Suffolk, Va. and

Piaggio Aero in Denton retained her to design private planes.

“I’ve always wanted to design and knew I could do it,” Mandrell says.

“I’m completely passionate about interior design.”

— Rebecca Poynter

Bra

d Fl

ower

s (’9

5)


eagles’ Nest

Talons swap stories at the EgyptianFuture doctors, lawyers, educators, businessmen and some well-known

names were Talons at North Texas. Founded in the 1920s as the earliest men’s social club on campus, the Talons became the Kappa Alpha Order in 1953-54. (Later, the Talons name was used for the spirit group on cam-pus.) Talons from the 1940s and ’50s got together in July to share stories at Campisi’s Egyptian Lounge in Dallas.

“We used to take our dates to the Egyptian,” says Sid Holliday (’53), who hosted a Talons get-together about a decade ago that kicked off the reunions. “That was the place to go. Of course, they only had one road coming from Denton at the time.”

Holliday passed the organization of the reunions along to George Ferrell (’54), who recently passed that duty to longtime doctor Jim Nicholson (’55). Nicholson says the Talons were just “good blue-collar guys from blue-collar families” who made something of themselves. They were a popular group, and administrators were familiar with them, too.

“We did some good things, and we did some college-boy mischief,” he recalls. “Let’s just say President Matthews knew us all by first name.”

The organization was “a magnet for golfers,” including Billy Maxwell, Don January (’53), Marion Hiskey (’54) and A.J. Triggs (’55). Soon after the Talons became the KAs, an already well-known singer by the name of Pat Boone pledged the group. The story goes that it took several rounds of voting before he was admitted, thanks to a few members who jokingly blackballed the highly sought-after pledge.

College days were put on hold as the men joined the military during the Korean War. Talons were represented in all branches, and Nicholson was awarded the Silver Star just last year for his actions as a Marine there.

The group has stayed in touch with UNT over the years. Bill Lawhorn (’50, ’51 M.S.), a football player who became a dentist, returns for Homecoming. As an athlete, Lawhorn had access to laundry facilities and washed clothes for fellow Talons. He says they mostly paid their bill — with some exceptions.

“Be sure and say that Billy Maxwell still owes me for two shirts and a pair of pants,” he jokes.

For more information about the group’s activities, email [email protected]. To read more, visit northtexan.unt.edu/online.

in the 2012 Composition Contest

at the Humboldt Brass Chamber

Music Workshop for his trio

“French Quarter Snapshots.” The

contest focuses on original 8-10

minute works for college-level

brass trio or quartet. The submis-

sions were performed during

the workshop this summer at

Humboldt State University.

1987 Tracy bolt (’87 M.S.), Fort worth :: is a tax partner at

Hartman Leito & Bolt and has

been with the accounting firm for

more than 16 of its 25 years. He

focuses on leadership develop-

ment, family succession, and

transactional and business

advisory, along with federal tax

consultation.

Pamela rainville, Grapevine ::

began her own

counseling

private practice, PRainville

Counseling, this year. She offers

general counseling for adults and

adolescents and helps those who

have experienced trauma.

down the corridor

1984

doug renfro, Keller :: is

president of Renfro Foods, one of

seven finalists across the nation

for the 2012 Dream Big Small

Business of the Year Award,

presented by the U.S. Chamber of

Commerce. The family business

makes salsas, sauces and relishes.

1986 John bennett (M.a.), amarillo :: earned his seventh degree, a

Ph.D. from the University of

Birmingham in the U.K. His

doctoral thesis was on the his-

tory of renting pews in Anglican

churches. He practices law in

Amarillo, representing indigent

appellants in criminal cases. He

says, on the basis of one of his

appeals, the Texas statute permit-

ting cross-examination of chil-

dren by written interrogatories

was declared unconstitutional.

lisa doty oliphant, Spartan-burg, S.c. :: was promoted to

marketing specialist at Spar-

tanburg Regional Healthcare

System. She earned her RTVF

degree at UNT.

Zachary Smith, Fredericks-burg, va. :: won the grand prize

From left, standing, Darrell Arnold (’55), Kenneth Fuller (’54), Sid Holliday (’53), A.J. Triggs (’55), Bobby Mote (’54), George Ferrell (’54), Don January (’53), John Roberts (’53, ’73 Ed.D.), Winston Hudson (’54), Gene Bond; seated, Harold Secker (’54), Kenneth Casaday (’53), Jim Nicholson (’55), Bob Donohue (’53). Also at-tending: Bill Lawhorn (’50, ’51 M.S.) and John Wright (’51).

Michael Clem

ents


Celebrate your holidays with UNT and help students at the same time. The UNT Alumni

Association’s 2012 holiday ornament features the “In High Places” Eagle statue in front of the Hurley

Administration Building and McConnell Clock Tower. Finished in 24-carat gold, the ornament

includes a custom gift box. A portion of the proceeds benefits the association’s scholarship fund.

“The ornament is a unique way to remember special moments on campus while helping raise

money for a good cause,” says Derrick P. Morgan, executive director of the association.

The cost is $20 plus $2.50 shipping and tax for Texas residents. Supplies are limited.

To order, email [email protected] or call 940-565-2834.

Holiday ornament sales to fund scholarships

1991 lori emerson conrad, dallas :: was named Dallas-Fort Worth

market communications director

for CBS Local Media in April,

with properties including

television stations CBS 11 and

TXA 21 and radio stations

KLUV, KRLD and others.

1992 Nick Norwood (M.a.), columbus, Ga. :: who teaches

at Columbus State University,

wrote Gravel and Hawk (Ohio

University Press), the winner of

the annual Hollis Summers

Poetry Prize. The poems, set in

the Texarkana area, focus on a

single extended family and its

encounters with violent death.

1994 Kimberly Priest-Johnson, dallas :: opened her own

Power of Story (McGraw-Hill), by

Mike Bosworth and Ben Zoldan.

1997

Ken Prouty (M.M.), lansing, Mich. :: assistant professor of

musicology and jazz studies at

Michigan State University, has

written a new book, Knowing Jazz: Community, Pedagogy and Canon in the Information Age (University Press of Mississippi).

1998

Mandy hamilton-o’Neill, dallas :: was appointed CEO

of Leukemia Texas this spring.

She previously led small and large

nonprofits, such as the American

Heart Association and MADD,

focusing on education, health,

equality and victim’s rights.

1999

Gretchen Schermerhorn, Silver Spring, Md. :: received

a 2012 Maryland State Arts

Council Individual Artist Award.

A printmaker and papermaker,

she is artistic director at Pyramid

Atlantic art center in the Wash-

ington, D.C., area. She took her

first printmaking class with Judy youngblood at UNT in 1997

and says it changed her life — and

her major.

2000

heather ancheta (’02 M.a.), McKinney :: was named Leader

of the Year at Highland Springs, a

retirement community in North

Dallas. As health services

manager, she oversees the

Highland Springs Medical Center

and programs related to wellness,

rehabilitation and home support

services for more than 500

residents.

boutique law firm, Priest Johnson

PLLC, representing clients in

complex commercial litigation

and defending companies and

corporate officers in white-collar

criminal investigations and

prosecutions.

1996

Mary burke (M.a.), Fort worth ::

is the new

director of the

Sid Richardson Museum in

Sundance Square. She previously

was the museum’s director of

education and was a Marcus

Fellow at UNT.

Phil Godwin, richardson :: is

global vice president of sales and

marketing at Clear Technologies.

His story is highlighted in the

book What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the


eagles’ Nest

➺ It’s been 10 years since

the release of Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me, the Gram-

my-winning album that would

become one of the best-selling

of the decade. This year, the for-

mer UNT music student is in the

news with her fifth solo effort,

Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note/

EMI), featuring original songs

she co-wrote with producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton).

NPR says Jones is “making her sound cooler and more

unflappably sophisticated than ever.” She’s touring the U.S.,

Europe, Japan and South America, with shows in Austin,

Houston and Dallas Oct. 19-22.

➺ Sudhish Srikanth, 2012 graduate of the Texas Acad-

emy of Mathematics and Science at UNT, was the lead author

on research featured in more than 100 media outlets, includ-

ing WebMD and ScienceDaily. The research, conducted in the

UNT Center for Sport Psychology and Performance Excel-

lence, indicates that middle school students who have good

cardiovascular fitness — strong hearts and lungs — are more

likely to score higher on state-required tests in mathematics

and reading than those who aren’t as physically fit. Srikanth

worked with center director Trent Petrie and faculty

christy Greenleaf and Scott Martin and presented

results at the American Psychological Association annual

meeting in August.

➺ The research of Jason haxton (’80) led to a production

consultant credit on the Sam Raimi-produced horror film The

Possession — and a multitude of interviews. In the movie,

released by Lionsgate in August, a mysterious cabinet

said to be haunted by an ancient spirit wreaks havoc on

its victims. Haxton is the current owner of the cabinet and

details its history in his book The Dibbuk Box (Truman State

University Press). The director of the Museum of Osteopathic

Medicine at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Mo., he exhibits

the museum’s artifacts around the world. Haxton credits

UNT’s English faculty and rigorous writing program for his

success as an author. He attended the movie’s red carpet

premiere at the ArcLight theater in Hollywood.

. . . . . . I N T H E / / news 2003

amanda dawn Mccullough, denton :: and her husband,

Ryan, welcomed their first child,

Garrett Cade McCullough, in

January. He weighed 7 pounds, 9

ounces and was 21 inches long.

dave ragan, denton :: was

promoted to senior financial plan-

ning specialist at Grunden Finan-

cial Advisory Inc. He previously

was a financial planning specialist

with the firm for nine years after

earning his degree in finance. He

also teaches a personal finance

course at UNT.

2004

yo Goto (M.M., ’05 M.ed.), Tokyo, Japan :: was

awarded the

American Bandmasters Associa-

tion 2011 Sousa/Ostwald Award

for his composition Songs for Wind Ensemble.

2007

robin buckallew (Ph.d.), hastings, Neb. :: wrote the play

There is no Woman, which was

chosen to be presented at the

spring workshop of the Great

Plains Theatre Conference, a

nationally renowned competition.

chris correa, chicago, Ill. ::

received his Doctorate of Podiat-

ric Medicine from Scholl College

at Rosalind Franklin University

of Medicine and Science this

summer. He is a resident at West

Houston Medical Center in podi-

atric medicine and surgery.

2009

Jasmine Stewart (M.b.a.), atlanta, Ga. :: student rela-

tions coordinator for the Georgia

State Alumni Association,

received the Outstanding Advisor

award from CASE Affiliated

Student Advancement Programs.

She also was accepted into the

Colonial Academic Alliance Visit-

ing Professionals Program.

2010

chelsie Springer witt (M.S.), roanoke :: is the new adminis-

trator of Good Samaritan Society

Lake Forest Village in Denton.

She moved from Bozeman,

Mont., to earn her master’s in

long-term care, senior housing

and aging services from UNT and

completed an internship at Good

Samaritan. She worked there as

director of resource development

for a year while studying for her

license.

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F R I E N D S W E ’ L L M I S S

uNT’s alumni, faculty, staff and students are the university’s greatest legacy. when members of the eagle family pass, they are remembered and their spirit lives on. Send information about deaths to the north texan (see contact information on page 7).

Read more, write memorials and connect with friends at northtexan.unt.edu.

university communityJim albright, associate

professor of

advertising in

the Mayborn School of Journalism,

died June 30 in Denton. Albright

joined the faculty in 1989 and

served as chair of the Department

of Journalism from 2000 to 2003.

He was previously a copywriter,

broadcast producer and creative

chief for several advertising agen-

cies and was the president of Jim

Albright Advertising and Albright

Council during the 1970s. As a

creative group head at TracyLocke

in Dallas during the late 1960s and

early 1970s, he helped to create

a Doritos ad campaign that ran

for 12 years and made Doritos the

best seller for Frito-Lay. He also is

credited with creating the name

“Funyuns” for the company’s

onion-flavored snack. While teach-

ing, Albright continued to work

as an advertising consultant and

producer. In 1998, he received two

national awards for a Sally Beauty

Co. commercial he created with

JDK Communications in Dallas. The

author of the textbook Creation of

the Advertising Message, he wrote

numerous articles for AdWeek and

other publications.

russell Gene bilyeu (’52, ’57 M.S.),

Professor

Emeritus of

mathematics, died March 12 in

Chico. He served on the math fac-

ulty from 1960 to 2000. He was a

member of the Mathematical Asso-

ciation of America and the Ameri-

can Mathematical Society.Prior

to joining UNT, he was a National

Science Foundation Fellow and

was employed by Chance Vought

Aircraft. Bilyeu earned bachelor’s

and master’s degrees in math from

North Texas and a doctoral degree

from the University of Kansas.

After retiring, he moved to the

country with his son where he

attended high school basket-

ball games, learned guitar and

became a Texas Master Naturalist,

1930s

Gladys lewallen longoria (’36, ’48 M.S.), austin :: She was a teacher and then

worked for the American Red

Cross for 33 years, first as a

caseworker and later as director

of service to military families

and veterans. She continued as a

volunteer after retiring in 1978,

and was inducted into the Hall

of Fame at the American Red

Cross national headquarters in

1996. She said she was able to

attend college due to the generos-

ity of her uncles and was proud

to stay involved with UNT.

Tommie Phillips harris (’37), San angelo :: She

earned a bachelor’s degree in his-

tory and taught in rural schools

in Burkburnett and Pecos until

she retired in 1980. She and her

husband moved to Kermit in

1946 to raise a family and work

in the oil fields of West Texas.

elizabeth ‘liz’ Knox rowe wupperman (’38), cedar Park :: Her grandfather, J. A.

Withers, was one of the early

leaders of Denton. As a student,

she was a member of the Current

Literature Club. She taught in

the Austin area and later enjoyed

traveling with friends and family

and visiting her children.

elma Frances roberts Miller, athens :: She attended North

Texas from 1938 to 1940. Her

daughter carol hudson (’66) says that although Frances left to

get married before graduation,

her college years continued to be

a highlight of her life. She was a

florist by trade and loved music.

1940s

Mary lynn hicks Mc-culloch (’42), Sherman ::

She taught home economics at

Putnam, Grand Prairie, Seago-

ville and Sherman high schools,

retiring in 1983. She was a mem-

ber of Grayson County Retired

Teachers Association and enjoyed

cooking, sewing and being with

her daughters and their families.

eva lucille rumsey cole-man (’44), San angelo ::

She taught in West Texas towns

including Eola, Eldorado, Me-

nard, Miles and San Angelo for

more than 40 years. She earned a

master’s in elementary education

in 1965 and, after retiring in

1985, remained an active educa-

tion advocate and community

volunteer. She encouraged her

granddaughter lara (’07) to

attend UNT.

dave Spencer (’47), Pitts-burg :: He served in the Marine

Corps during World War II in

the South Pacific and returned to


eagles’ Nest

protecting native grasslands and

developing his skills as an avid

bird watcher.

harold d. holloway, (’49, ’50 M.S.),

Professor

Emeritus of

psychology, died Aug. 11. He was a

member of the psychology faculty

from 1961 to 1995 and had served

as department chair. Holloway

was a member of the American

Psychological Association, Sigma

Xi, Psi Chi and the Society for Re-

search in Child Development. He

previously taught at the University

of Tennessee and the University of

Colorado. Holloway served in the

U.S. Army Air Corps before earning

his psychology degrees at North

Texas, where he served as a teach-

ing fellow and taught history and

systems of psychology, general

experimental psychology and the

psychology of personality, primar-

ily to undergraduates. He earned

a doctorate in child psychology

from the University of Iowa, where

he was a research associate and

completed postdoctoral research.

Zhibing hu, Regents

Professor of

physics who

had worked

at UNT since 1990, died July 16

in Houston. Hu was an expert on

hydrogels, water-based polymers

with applications in medicine and

other areas, and he had numerous

patents. Research he conducted

with a team from Harvard and

Columbia was published in the

journal Nature and could lead to

better design and manufacturing

of glass. His papers also were

published in Science, Physical

Review Letters and the Journal of

Chemical Physics, among many

others. His work was funded by

the American Chemical Society

Petroleum Research Fund, the

Army Research Office, Kimberly-

Clark Corp. and Alcon Laboratories.

He mentored students in UNT’s

Texas Academy of Mathematics

and Science who earned Goldwa-

complete his degree. He was an

independent dealer for the 3M

Company before retiring

to his farm in Pittsburg. He

and his brothers — ralph (’50), richard (’52) and the

late John Spencer (’47) —

were all members of the Geezles.

barbara M. Getts (’49, ’52 M.b.ed.), Fort worth :: She

served as associate professor in

the business education depart-

ment at the Tarrant County

Junior College South Campus

until her retirement in 1983. She

also was a member of BOHN

Citizens on Patrol.

1950s

Gilbert Gorman (’50), houston :: He graduated with

a degree in journalism after

serving in the Navy during

World War II. He was a writer

for the Houston Chronicle whose

career included public relations

and advertising. As a student,

he was editor of the Campus

Chat and was named Who’s

Who.

Janet hoyl burch (’55), Italy

:: She earned a bachelor’s degree

in education at North Texas and

was a member of Kappa Delta.

She taught school for 10 years

in Avelon prior to joining Ellis

County Coop as an educational

diagnostician. She also earned

a master’s degree. She married

her college sweetheart, the late

robert “bob” burch (’58).

Gail wesley york (’55), brownwood :: He was registrar

and director of admissions at

North Texas in the 1960s and

early ’70s. He served in the U.S.

Air Force and was a teacher and

principal. He also worked at

Midwestern State University and

Tarleton State University. He was

a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

James richard Griffin, brady :: He was a retired CPA

and a past member of the Mc-

Culloch County Chamber of

Commerce and the boards of the

Brady School District, Memo-

rial Hospital and Historical

Museum. At North Texas from

1954 to 1957, he was a member

of Phi Kappa Sigma and FBLA.

Survivors include his wife, Glee crawford Griffin (’57). winford craig boyd (’58), Tool :: He was a member of

Sigma Phi Epsilon and was

named Who’s Who. He earned

his medical degree from South-

western Medical School in Dallas

and served in the U.S. Air Force

before starting his medical prac-

tice. He retired in 1999. He had

completed seven marathons, was

an avid bridge player and traveled

with North Belize Medical Mis-

sions. He passed away while on a

world cruise.

helen wilson Gardner

(’58), arlington :: She fol-

lowed her brothers howard wilson (’52) and Marlin wilson (’54) to North Texas,

where she was active in the Bap-

tist Student Union. She met her

husband, david (’64 M.S.), while teaching in California.

After they moved to Arlington,

she taught third grade for 25

years before joining him

in retirement in 1987. They trav-

eled extensively in the U.S. and

Canada and spent the last several

summers on the Oregon coast.

Nancy l. Nance Myers

(’58), Peachtree city, Ga. :: She taught home economics

in the Duncanville, Dallas and

Longview school districts for

24 years. After retirement, she

enjoyed sewing, Bible study and

volunteer work at Elmira Chapel

in Longview.

Joyce lee Thomas hawthorne (’59, ’68 M.M.ed.), arlington, va., and boyce ‘Sonny’ lee Thomas, hayward, calif. :: The twins studied music

at North Texas and taught in

Fort Worth before relocating to

California in 1969. Joyce was


a member of the Alpha Kappa

Alpha Sorority and Jack and Jill.

Sonny had served in the U.S.

Army during the Korean War

and played saxophone in the 6th

Army Band. He also performed

with the Warlocks, a San Mateo,

Calif.-based band. Joyce retired

from the San Francisco Uni-

fied School District, and Sonny

retired from East Palo Alto ISD.

They died eight months apart.

1970s

Marcia Mae dickson Kinsey

(’70 M.a.), austin :: She

worked at St. Edward’s Univer-

sity in Austin for 35 years in a

variety of roles, including dean

of the School of Humanities and

associate professor of English.

Her family says she had a passion

for teaching and for music, dance,

theatre and literature.

linda Jean Kamp Gary

(’74), lake dallas :: She

earned her degree in political sci-

ence and had a long career with

several technology companies.

She was last employed by Citi

Group in Las Colinas.

linda louise Fredrichsen Griffith (’74), North rich-land hills :: She taught at Ev-

erman High School and returned

to teaching after her children

were grown, spending several

years at Carroll High School and

St. John’s School. She also earned

a master’s degree in fine arts. She

played the alto saxophone and

was a member of the Fort Worth

Greater Fairmount Marching

Band. Survivors include her

husband of more than 40 years,

clark Griffith (’74).

1980s

carmen lopez weldon (’80), dallas :: She worked for Xerox

and Southwestern Bell, and in her

later years taught in the Dallas

ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Pantego

Christian Academy and Mans-

field ISD. She was twice named a

Teacher of the Year.

Peggy hendricks whisler (’80), San antonio :: A for-

mer North Texas Daily editor, she

worked as a copy editor at the

San Antonio Express-News and

before that had worked at the

San Antonio Light, Temple Daily Telegram and The Orange Leader.

1990s

amy K. Frazier (’91), dallas :: She was employed as

an accountant at Philip Vogel &

Co. She earned her UNT degree

in psychology.

2000s

Josephine onita (’09), houston :: She and her sister,

Jennifer, were killed in a plane

crash in Lagos, Nigeria, where

they were attending a wedding.

Josephine earned her degree in

accounting control systems and

was manager of all five locations

of the Houston-area accounting

business founded by her father,

who immigrated to the U.S. more

than 20 years ago. She was a

member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

2010s

david Patrick Spencer (’11), denton :: He served in the U.S.

Army with the 173rd Airborne

Division and with the Infantry

Division in Fort Riley, Kan. He

earned his degree in English-

linguistics.

ryan Joseph Schindler, denton :: He was a native of

Fort Worth and a 2009 graduate

of Western Hills High School.

He was majoring in psychology

at UNT.

Melissa Michele whitte-more, Forney :: She was a

senior pursuing an applied arts

and sciences degree in the Col-

lege of Public Affairs and Com-

munity Service.

ter Scholarships and recognition

in the Intel and Siemens science

competitions based on their

research in his lab. His son, Peter,

also attended TAMS and placed

sixth in the national Siemens

competition.

James r. lerch, Profes-

sor Emeritus

of music,

died Aug. 9.

He served on the faculty at UNT

from 1966 to 1992 as an instruc-

tor of violin and was coordinator

of the strings area for 20 years.

He previously was concertmaster

and associate conductor of the

Akron Symphony and founder

and conductor of the Winston-

Salem Symphony. He taught at

Salem College, Baldwin-Wallace

Conservatory, the University of

Maine, the University of Akron and

Tunghai University in Taiwan. He

was a violinist with the Carnegie

Trio and a member of the Eastman

String Quartet, the American

String Teachers Association, Music

Teachers National Association,

Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Mu

Alpha Sinfonia of America. He was

a recitalist and chamber music

performer in Texas, Maine, New

York, North Carolina, Ohio and

Virginia. Lerch earned bachelor’s

and master’s degrees from the

Juilliard School of Music, where he

received a Juilliard Foundation Fel-

lowship, and earned a doctorate

from the Eastman School of Music.

He was a U.S. Army veteran.

Memorials Send memorials to honor UNT

alumni and friends, made payable

to the UNT Foundation, to the

University of North Texas, Division

of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle

#311250, Denton, Texas 76203-

5017. Indicate on your check the

name of the fund or area you wish

to support. Make secure gifts

online at development.unt.edu/

givenow. For more information,

email [email protected] or call 940-

565-2900.


t h e last Word

WHy I NEVER LEFT

IN THE 1950s AS A HIGH school student in Lancaster, I “heard” from college students in my hometown that North Texas had a good journalism program.

Once a small department founded in 1945 by one of my mentors — C.E. “Pop” Shuford — today, the “little engine that could,” the nationally accredited Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism has 1,000-plus undergradu-ates. The Mayborn Graduate Institute has more than 75 master’s students and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program. The institute is home to the preeminent annual narrative nonfiction conference in the country.

People often ask me why I never left North Texas. After all, I had worked in a large corporation, my last two degrees (M.B.A. and Ph.D.) are in business administration, and I never intended to be at a university.

Let’s start by blaming “Pop” Shuford, whose large presence and dominance in the classroom, and in the hallways of the old Journalism Building, captivated every student he touched.

He demanded excellence and proved it in every setting with a constant sea of red ink on what we all thought was good enough at the time. My three no-hitters in one year while in high school and as a semi-pro pitcher meant nothing to Pop.

Every classmate I had and others who follow me in the journalism program excelled in school and later in life. People like Bill Moyers, Ray Moseley, Joe

Murray, Keith Shelton, Reg Westmore-land, Charldean Newell, Wendi Strong, Mike Cochran, Cragg Hines, Bob St. John and hundreds of others.

One of those, Burle Pettit, longtime journalist in Lubbock, later became vice-chair of the UNT System Board of Regents. At his regent retirement party, Pettit said he had thought about becoming a tenured professor in journalism upon retirement but feared if he did I would become a regent.

Few people in life experience the variety of positions I’ve had, enjoying what they do and who they’ve worked with for as long as I have. That’s how Shuford, Jim Rogers (who wrote The Story of North Texas), and the 12 university presidents with whom I worked spoiled me. Rogers often matched Shuford’s red ink critiques of my work, yet hired me first as a student assistant, then for my first administrative job here.

Someone asked me recently how many serious chances I had to leave during all these years. Six in all, three administrative and three academic.

Maybe it was all those 50 clients I had during three decades of consulting while teaching that made me better in the classroom.

Maybe it was the chance to give the only C in journalism to a future three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who later wrote a letter of support for an honor I received and said of his C, “I earned it.”

Or maybe it was the incredible hunger for learning I saw in the hun-dreds of students who filled my classes and went on to do great things.

Or maybe it was just me — after that former minor leaguer tagged me for a long home run in a summer league — choosing college over a professional baseball career.

Or maybe it was just what I heard from people about the good things in journalism happening at UNT.

Roy Busby is interim dean of the Mayborn School of Journalism and a Regents Professor. He celebrated 50 years at UNT this spring. Read more about his career in a Q&A at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

by Roy Busby(’59, ’66 M.B.A.)

Michael Clem

ents


Friday, Nov. 2 11:30 a.m. Golden Eagles Luncheon/Reunion — Class of ’62 University Union, Silver Eagle Suite. Reservations, $20. RSVP: [email protected] or 940-565-4851.

3-5 p.m. International Students Reception Come visit advisors and friends. International Welcome Center in Sycamore Hall.

For information: [email protected] or 940-369-5264.

7 p.m. Spirit March Begins at Fraternity Row on Maple Street and proceeds to the bonfi re site on the northwest side of UNT’s Apogee Stadium.

7:30-10 p.m. Black Alumni Network Reception UNT Alumni Center, Gateway Center.


8 p.m. Bonfire Lighting of the bonfi re will be on the northwest side of UNT’s Apogee Stadium.

Saturday, Nov. 3

7:15 a.m. Fun Run Free and open to everyone, the 2.5 mile race starts in front of the Pohl Recreation Center. Preregistration not required. Registration until 7 a.m.

For information: [email protected], 940-565-2275 or visit www.unt.edu/recsports.

9-11 a.m. UNT’s Kristin Farmer Autism Center Open House Stop by UNT’s new Kristin Farmer Autism Center to meet our staff and get a closer look at our newly renovated 20,000-square-foot facility. 490 S. I-35E frontage road. For information: [email protected], 940-369-7426 or [email protected], 940-891-6849.

10 a.m.-noon Chi Omega Open House Refreshments served. 930 S. Welch St.


10 a.m. Black Alumni Network Brunch University Union, Golden Eagle Suite.

For information: [email protected] or 940-369-8234. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Floyd Graham Society 40th anniversary celebration featuring Jack Petersen, guitar, with UNT jazz alumni and faculty. 115 S. Elm St. Petersen attended UNT, and later was the Resident Artist in Jazz from 1976 to 1988. Reservations, including lunch, $30 pre-paid by 5 p.m. Oct. 31.

RSVP: 940-565-0804, or fax 940-891-0690, VISA/MC, Paypal to [email protected] or mail checks to Floyd Graham Society, 815 Ector St., Denton, Texas 76201.


11 a.m. Homecoming Parade Begins at Welch and Hickory Streets, travels around the Denton town square and up Oak Street. From Oak to Welch, right on Hickory (going the wrong way on Hickory through campus), left on North Texas Boulevard to Highland Street.

1-3:30 p.m. Mean Green Village Tailgating around campus starts early and ends 30 minutes before kick-off. Organizations, department and college tents at UNT’s Apogee Stadium add to the Homecoming spirit along with live music, the Junior Mean Green Fun zone, and the Mean Green March featuring the cheerleaders, dancers, marching band, Head Coach Dan McCarney and the Mean Green football team.

For tent reservations: homecoming.unt.edu.

Alumni Pavilion Party* Join UNT Alumni Association members and friends three hours prior to kickoff at the alumni pavilion near UNT’s Apogee Stadium.


Black Alumni Network* For information: [email protected] or 940-369-8234.

College of Business* Refreshments served. For information: [email protected] or 940-565-4333. RSVP: www.cob.unt.edu/rsvp.

College of Education Alumni/Reunion/ Teacher of the Year Recognition* Special honors for alumni who were named 2012 Teachers of the Year by area school districts.

RSVP: [email protected] or 940-369-7805.

College of Public Affairs and Community Service* BBQ and games.


Department of Political Science & Legal Eagles* RSVP: [email protected] or 940-565-2276.

Department of Psychology* RSVP: [email protected] or 940-565-2339.

Speech and Hearing Sciences* Refreshments served. For information: [email protected] or 940-565-2481.

TAMS Alumni Reception* Featuring the Class of 2007’s 5th anniversary, Class of 2002’s 10th annniversary, Class of 1997’s 15th anniversary and Class of 1992’s 20th anniversary. Photos and cake at 3 p.m. For information: [email protected] or 940-565-3726.

UNT Career Center* Second annual cake decorating contest, theme: Dream Jobs.


4 p.m. Mean Green vs. Arkansas State Ticket options start at $15. For information: [email protected], 800-868-2366 or visit meangreensports.com.

*Events are part of Mean Green Village at UNT’s Apogee Stadium

Enter a drawing to win prizes, includ-ing Homecoming Family Fun Packs (tickets to the game and food for four) by emailing [email protected] by Oct. 5 with “Homecoming” in the subject line. Include T-shirt size and mailing address.



This fall, a new pedestrian bridge — 354 feet long, 20 feet wide and 17 feet tall — will open over Interstate 35e. The joint uNT and Texas department of Transportation project will connect the main campus to the athletics complex and give fans direct access from the Fouts Field parking lot to apogee Stadium on game days. See a slide show of the installation progress at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

The North Texan U n i v e R s i t y O F n O R t h t e X a s division of University Relations, communications and Marketing1155 Union circle #311070 denton, texas 76203-5017

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Documents

The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Fall 2012