Fall2013 magazine

Fal l 2 013 | UN IVERS ITY OF HOUSTON Magaz ine 2UH Brings Student Success Home as Campus Becomes Residential!

A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R A L U M N I , F R I E N D S A N D S U P P O R T E R S

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PUBLISHER

Eloise Stuhr, Vice President for University Advancement

Mike Pede (’89), Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations

Richard Bonnin, Interim Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communication

EDITOR Eric Gerber (’72, M.A. ’78), Executive Director of Communication

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Marsha Carter

ART DIRECTOR Enita Torres (’89)

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Tammi Bui, Damisi DeLaney (‘11)

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shannon Buggs Melissa Carroll

Marsha J. Carter Jeff Conrad Mike Emery Mike Garrity

Audrey Grayson Jeannie Kever

Debra Kay Maurer Lisa K. Merkl (’92, M.A. ’97)

Marisa Ramirez (’00) Jeff Sutton

PHOTOGRAPHERS Thomas Campbell, Jessica Villarreal

CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT Renu Khator

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM BOARD OF REGENTS Jarvis V. Hollingsworth (J.D. ’93), Chairman

Nandita V. Berry (J.D. ’95), Vice Chair Welcome W. Wilson, Jr., Secretary

Spencer D. Armour, III (’77) Nelda Luce Blair (J.D. ’82)

Tilman J. Fertitta Jacob M. Monty (J.D. ’93)

Mica Mosbacher Roger F. Welder

Benjamin P. Wells (Student Regent)

Send address and email updates to: University of Houston, Alumni Records

5000 Gulf Freeway Building 1, Room 272

Houston, Texas 77204-5035

www.uh.edu/magazine Send feedback to: [email protected]

The University of Houston Magazine is published by the Office of University Marketing & Communication.

The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

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Copyright © 2012 by the University of Houston.

Printed on recycled paper

LIGHTING UP UH AS A TOP RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS IN TEXAS

Fal l 2 013 | UN IVERS ITY OF HOUSTON Magaz ine inside3www.uh.edu/magazine

3 MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY The regional economic impact of the UH System is comparable

to that of M.D. Anderson and Halliburton.

8 A COUGAR FAMILY LEGACY The Massad family creates a gift for generations of students

at the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

10 HOME SWEET HOME More students are moving in as the University becomes a

residential campus with two new, innovative residence halls.

17 A NEW ERA IN ALUMNI RELATIONS BEGINS The transition of the UH Alumni Association to UH Advancement opens new opportunities and services to UH alumni across the nation.

21 UPS AND DOWNS OF A COUGAR MOM Sometimes even the best students lose their way.

A Cougar Mom talks about getting back on track.

22 STADIUM STATUS Construction continues on the new UH stadium, and

excitement is building.

24 ALUMNI PROFILE: DAVE SMALLEY Meet the man who built the largest hospitality company of

its kind in North America and made sure UH student leaders

reaped the benefits.

26 CLASS NOTES Discover the latest and greatest achievements of UH alumni.

28 CALENDAR Alumni Association upcoming events boost Cougar Pride from

Homecoming through next year’s UH AA Awards Gala.

36 ART FOR ART’S SAKE Five stunning additions expand UH’s panoramic public art collection.

ON OUR COVER – UH welcomes more and more students to their campus homes, having reached residential capacity of more than 8,000 beds. Photo by Jesse Villarreal

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 President’s Message

4 Making an Impact: UH News

30 Professors Emeriti – Peter and Phyllis Gingiss

I N S I D E

LIGHTING UP UH AS A TOP RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS IN TEXAS

www.uh.edu/magazine

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While the University of Houston was working hard to achieve Tier One status, it also expanded its role as one of the major contributors to the area’s thriving economy.

UH, and the three other universities making up the UH System (UHS), now add $2.3 billion to the gross regional product and $3.8 billion in total regional sales each year, while generating more than 26,000 jobs.

“Only a dozen or so economic institutions, private or public, are more important to Houston’s economy,” says Barton Smith, the principal analyst for “The Regional Economic Impact of the University of Houston System,” a revealing new study produced by the Institute for Regional Forecasting. Smith concluded that UHS now has an impact comparable to that of The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center or Halliburton.

In addition to the detailed data about UHS’ financial impact, the study documents the considerable “community service” contributions, cataloging numerous programs, institutes and centers that provide support and services to area individuals, groups and public agencies while addressing a broad range of community issues. Although no specific dollar amount can be placed on such assistance, economist Smith says it is invaluable.

“The relationship between a university and the community becomes a symbiotic one, with each benefitting the other tremendously,” he explains.

MAKING AN IMPACT…. ON THE ECONOMY AND IN THE COMMUNITYW

elcome to a special edition of the University of Houston Magazine.

Actually, I think every edition is special. But this one is

particularly notable because it signals a significant change in the University’s relationship with its alumni. I have been committed to strengthening the connection between UH and its many former students and improving the support and services we provide them. Following the recommendations of a task force studying the best way to accomplish this, we have taken a bold step forward. The University of Houston Alumni Association (UHAA), which has previously operated as an independent organization, has become an integral part of the University.

The task force concluded that the reasons for doing this are good and the benefits considerable – stronger national networks, enhanced mentoring for our students, expanded community interaction and improved career services. In short, the task force determined that this is how UH can most effectively serve our alumni – and that is my main objective.

As one part of this change, this magazine will now include even more alumni-oriented material. Beginning with this issue, UH Magazine will offer compelling stories and vital information about our campus community and our alumni ranks.

Speaking of compelling, the cover story that chronicles our University’s transformation into a residential campus is an important account of another crucial change. As an increasing number of students call UH home, the fundamental character of our campus is changing – and definitely for the better.

Finally, one more remarkable change – UH’s legendary basketball coach Guy Lewis was recently enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. How pleased I was to attend the ceremony in Springfield, Mass. and watch him accept the honor he has so long deserved. You can read about his extraordinary career in this issue. Coach Lewis represents UH’s grand past, just as the change into a residential campus represents its future. And our alumni, now brought closer to UH than ever before, are our continuing legacy. Go Coogs!

Making Change: ALUMNI RELATIONS, RESIDENCE HALLS AND COACH LEWIS

RENU KHATOR President, University of Houston

THE FULL STUDY IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT UH.EDU/ECONOMICSTUDY

www.uh.edu/economicstudy

Fal l 2 013 | UN IVERS ITY OF HOUSTON Magaz ine 3

A.D. Bruce Religion Center Hosts regular religious services and other activities open to the University and community in general. Several religious denominations are represented, and their respective campus ministers offer personal and religious counseling and problem solving. Two chapels are available to the public for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and memorial services.

Abramson Family Center for the Future of Health This center empowers patients with information to manage their own health and brings medicine into the 21st century.

Arte Público Press Oldest and largest publisher of U.S. Hispanic books and anthologies of fiction, nonfiction and history for children and adults. It’s imprint for children and young adults, Piñata Books, is dedicated to the authentic portrayal of themes, characters and customs of the Hispanic culture in the U.S.

Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston Innovative, challenging exhibitions, programs and publications bring artists, the University community and the people of Houston into closer engagements with each other and with the important cultural issues of our time. Blaffer Gallery is free and open to the public.

Center for Consumer Law Educates attorneys, professors and lay people about consumer law; seeks legal, practical and legislative solutions to common consumer problems; and encourages the development of consumer rights.

GRADE Camp GRADE Camp (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence) is for female high school students interested in electrical engineering, providing a hands-on experience in electrical and computer engineering (ECE).

Graduate Design/Build Studio Designs and constructs site-specific solutions to climate-influenced building problems for regional non-profit organizations. Hobby Center for Public Policy Identifies and evaluates major public policy issues affecting the Houston metropolitan area, as well as the State of Texas. The Center is an active source for impartial research regarding regional, political, economic and demographic issues.

Houston Area Teacher Center (HATC) Sponsors the Student Teacher Workshop, which services 600 student teachers, culminating in a job fair where student teachers meet recruiters from the 32 area school districts.

Houston Shakespeare Festival Presents two productions each year at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. More than 34,000 people attend the free performances each summer.

Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival Summer residency orchestral and chamber music performance program for outstanding instrumentalists from Houston, the United States and abroad. It offers performance study with members of the UH faculty, the Houston Symphony and distinguished guest artists as well as performance institutes for younger musicians in the Houston area.

Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series One of the most highly regarded literary programs in the United States. It has brought in many famous authors and poets. Held at the Alley Theatre, the Reading Series runs from September through April on Monday evenings. Admission is $5 per reading and free for students.

Metropolitan Volunteer Program This program seeks to match community agencies and organizations with UH student, faculty and staff volunteers for ongoing programs and special events.

Office of Community Projects (OCP) Manages a majority of the community service projects and activities that link expertise within the Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) to the broader human service community.

Psychology Research and Services Center (PRSC) An outpatient mental health training facility offering proven psychological treatments for a variety of behavioral, psychological and adjustment problems.

Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Helps small and medium-size businesses start, grow and succeed through free one-on-one business consulting, affordable training seminars and specialty programs.

Summer Camps Variety of activities for young Houstonians, providing more than 180 recreational, athletic, arts, academic and other programs.

University Eye Institute Offers general eye and vision care for children, adults and senior citizens. Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance programs are accepted. In addition, the College of Optometry provides vision and eye care at clinics throughout Houston.

More than 50 pages of the study are devoted specifically to UH’s community service-related endeavors, including:

Contact information for UH community services is available at www.uh.edu/economicstudy

www.uh.edu/economicstudy


MAKING AN IMPACT

Award-winning actor and alumnus Dennis Quaid receives the President’s Medallion from University of Houston President Renu Khator during commencement ceremonies. Quaid, who studied theater at UH during the 1970s, was recognized for his artistic and creative achievements in cinema and stage, as well as his work with various children’s charities in Austin, New Orleans and Central America. Quaid was one of eight medallion recipients who were honored for their contributions in medicine, technology, higher education and the arts.

The University of Houston System will be partnering with Coursera, a leading massive open online course (MOOC) platform, to explore the possibilities of using that technology and content to improve completion, quality and access to higher education.

Because of the improved quality of online delivery platforms, the ability to personalize material and the capacity to analyze huge numbers of student experiences to see which approach works best, MOOCs are capable of providing higher education to hundreds of millions of people.

“Coursera is working with the most renowned and well-respected universities, and we’re excited to join with our peers in using the MOOC technology and content to improve the quality and access of our educational offerings,” said Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at UH. “Courses developed by our National Academy of Science faculty in engineering and natural sciences should be popular MOOCs that we can offer, as well as other online

UH System Joining MOOC Revolutioncourses that allow the student to self-pace instruction to achieve mastery before moving to the next topic.”

The MOOC content will be available to the consortium both across their combined audiences of approximately 1.25 million physically enrolled students and among Coursera’s global classroom of learners. In addition to offering free, not–for–credit online courses to anyone with Internet access, the UH System will phase in courses offering college credit, opening up a potential future revenue stream.

“With online instruction, the processes are young and everyone is learning,” said Jeff Morgan, interim associate provost for education and technology innovation at UH. “Education providers are learning better ways to teach in this venue, and students are learning how to learn in this venue.”

UH President Renu Khator is collaborating with other thought leaders in higher education to engage in proactive thinking about this new learning space.

The Presidential Innovation Lab, a groundbreaking effort by the American Council on Education that includes Khator and 13 other executive officers from a diverse group of colleges and universities, will guide a national dialogue about potential new academic and financial models that can boost the number of Americans able to earn a college degree and help close persistent attainment gaps, including those among low-income young adults.

“Clearly, these advanced technologies offer tremendous possibilities to deliver resources on a much broader scale,” Khator said. “That’s an exciting prospect, but it’s important that we all move forward in a thoughtful and constructive manner. The Presidential Innovation Lab allows us to identify the crucial issues facing us and begin developing the standards and next steps that need to be taken.”

The Presidential Innovation Lab began with a conference during the summer and continues with a meeting in Washington, D.C. this fall. H

—Shawn Lindsey


Nearly three decades after his final game, former UH basketball head coach Guy V. Lewis, best known as the father of Phi Slama Jama, was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

The induction is basketball’s highest honor and culminates a storied career for Lewis, who turned 91 earlier this year.

“We are filled with joy, and we’re not upset that it took as long as it did,” said Sherry Lewis, who spoke on behalf of her father. “As one friend said, `Dad is used to winning in overtime.’”

Lewis joined University of North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, NBA legend Bernard King, nine-time NBA All-Star guard Gary Payton, University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, University of Virginia star Dawn Staley and former University of Nevada Las Vegas coach Jerry Tarkanian in the class of 2013.

“Coach Lewis was an outstanding leader of young men, a pioneer in racial integration in this region and a visionary who instinctively realized the popularity of college basketball across the country,” Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades said.

UH’s current basketball coach, James Dickey, said, “Coach Lewis was a trailblazer in recruiting and assembled tremendous talent. His excellence was spread out through the decades with great teams, great players and great moments. With three of his former stars already enshrined, it

was only fitting that their coach take his rightful place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.”

Following his playing career at UH, Lewis served as an assistant for his coach, Alden Pasche, beginning in 1953 before assuming the head coach position in 1956. During the next 30 years, he assembled a resume that featured a 592-279 record, five NCAA Four appearances – three straight from 1982 to 1984 – six Southwest Conference championships, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and 17 postseason berths.

Early in his career, Lewis played a key role in the integration of college basketball in the South. He successfully recruited and welcomed legends Don Chaney and Elvin Hayes to UH basketball as the first African-American student-athletes in program history and some of the earliest African-American players in the region.

He coached some of the greatest names in Houston and college basketball history, including 1968 National Player of the Year Elvin Hayes and All-Americans Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in the early 1980s as part of the legendary Phi Slama Jama teams. In 1996, those three players were named part of the NBA’s Top 50 Greatest Players list, making Lewis and North Carolina’s Dean Smith the only head coaches to work with three players from that illustrious group in college.

To this day, Lewis remains one of only seven coaches in NCAA history to compete in nine or more Final Four games with one program. And his influence continues to be felt off the court to this day. In 1968, he was the architect of the Game of the Century between No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 UH. That game drew more than 52,000 fans inside the Houston Astrodome. It was the first regular-season college basketball game to be televised nationally and demonstrated the nationwide (and soon-to-be) worldwide popularity of college basketball on television and in large arenas. H

Coach Class Guy Lewis Enters Basketball Hall of Fame

UH has created a graduate school to better serve students enrolled in certificate, master’s and doctoral programs.

Dmitri Litvinov, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is serving as interim vice provost and dean for the graduate school.

Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president of academic affairs and provost, said she initiated the graduate school to solidify the university’s Tier One status and to ensure that students have the resources they need to succeed.

“Our efforts are focused on meeting the goals of student success and national prominence,” Short explained. “I look forward to the larger

community input on how the UH Graduate School can be beneficial.”

Historically, graduate education at UH has resided within the departments and programs, which offer 43 doctoral and 98 master-level programs and enroll 1,985 and 5,657 students respectively.

One goal of the new school is to recruit more high-quality doctoral students by developing a larger pool of funding and expanding competitive fellowship programs.

“UH has a rare opportunity to build its graduate school from the ground up, to learn from the best practices of our Tier One peers and to develop our own unique approaches to help equip our graduates with the knowledge

and skills needed to succeed in the highly competitive 21st century world,” Litvinov said.

Short also created a task force, made up of faculty and graduate students, to study issues dealing with graduate assistants and to come up with recommendations on employment policies, tuition and fee policies, and mentorship and professional development for the nearly 2,000 graduate assistants contributing to teaching and research at UH.

Among other things, the new school will offer online graduate admissions, which will go live for the fall 2014 admissions cycle and will cover more than 70 percent of programs. H

—Jeannie Kever

THE NEED TO SUCCEED New Graduate School promotes advanced studies

—Jeff Conrad


The University of Houston System’s Board of Regents wrapped up a busy fiscal year (FY). Before they closed the books on FY2013, the board approved a measure to simplify tuition for future students; elected new officers for the next year; and passed a budget focused on promoting student success.

In the spring, the board approved the development of optional four-year fixed tuition rates at all UHS universities. These rates will apply to freshmen entering UH and other system campuses in fall 2014. Rates would be contingent on students taking a full course load (30 hours or more per year). Students also may opt out of these fixed rates if they register on a part-time basis. The move toward fixed four-year rates complements other initiatives aimed at helping students more effectively plan their college costs.

During the summer, the board unanimously voted to approve a $1.6 billion system budget for FY2014, an increase of five percent from the previous year. UH’s FY2014 budget totals $1.2 billion, with $22 million dedicated specifically to student success initiatives (expanded residence halls, additional scholarships, new course offerings, graduate tuition fellowships and stipends); $21 million toward national competiveness efforts (recruitment and retention of faculty, new academic programs,

MAKING AN IMPACT

UHS Regents Close Out FY2013 with New Budget, New Officers and Plans for New Tuition Rates

infrastructures); and $17 million for infrastructure and administration (staff retention, parking improvements, new security personnel).

New leadership was elected as well. Jarvis V. Hollingsworth is the new chair, Nandita Berry was elected vice chair and Welcome W. Wilson Jr. filled the position of secretary. Hollingsworth succeeds chair Nelda Blair, whose term as a regent expired. Other regents with expiring terms were Jacob Monty and Michele “Mica” Mosbacher. They will continue to serve on the board until Texas Gov. Rick Perry appoints replacements. H

—Mike Emery

UH has been ranked fourth in the nation in a new study evaluating universities according to performance-based standards similar to those recently suggested by President Barack Obama.

This is one of three notable recognitions the University has enjoyed recently.

PolicyMic, a politics and public policy forum, recently unveiled its “12 Top Colleges Where Students Get the Best Bang for Their Buck” and UH was included among the leaders.

PolicyMic’s rankings took into consideration student debt upon graduation, starting salaries after graduation, tuition and room and board for four-year institutions, six-year graduation rates and the percentage of students eligible for Pell grants. PolicyMic cited UH as an above-average institution with regard to several of these areas.

“Remaining affordable, accessible and student success-oriented, while transforming UH into a Tier One university has been tremendously challenging,” said UH President Renu Khator. “So, it’s gratifying when our

hard work and accomplishments are recognized in performance-based ratings like this.”

Along with the PolicyMic distinction, UH was also recognized by Princeton Review and AffordableCollegesOnline.org.

The Princeton Review has again ranked UH as “one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education.”

The education services company features UH in the 2014 edition of its annual college guide, “The Best 378 Colleges” (Random House / Princeton Review).

Only 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges are profiled in the guide, based in part on surveys of more than 100,000 students.

“UH offers outstanding academics, which is the primary criterion,” said Robert Franek, the guide’s publisher/author.

UH is praised in the guide for its “ethnically and culturally diverse student body” while UH faculty are applauded for being “always prepared and

DOLLARS AND SENSE UH Praised for academics and return on investment

From left to right: Nandita V. Berry, Jarvis V. Hollingsworth, Welcome W. Wilson Jr.

www.affordablecollegesonline.org


The global war on terror may be winding down as U.S. troops pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq and return home, but suicide rates of U.S. service members reached an all-time high last year, a symptom of much bigger problems for military families who experience deployment, according to Candice Alfano, an associate professor of clinical psychology at UH.

“During the global war on terror, deployments have been longer and more frequent than any other war in U.S. history,” said Alfano. “Some families, some kids and some marriages have really suffered.”

She serves as co-principal investigator for a three-year, $2.7 million dollar grant funded by the U.S. Department of Defense titled, “When Parents Go to War: Psychosocial Adjustments among the Families of Deployed Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom.” The primary goal of the project is to examine how deployment impacts children and families in order to determine the types of programs and resources that would be most helpful for them.

“Unlike previous research studies, we plan to do more than have families just complete some questionnaires. In addition to comprehensive interviews, we’ll be measuring children’s salivary cortisol levels (a hormone linked to stress) and sleep,” said Alfano, who also serves as director of the Sleep and Anxiety Center for Kids (SACK) at UH. “Biological measures are highly sensitive to periods of stress, more so than a questionnaire. Self-reports are also subject to a range of biases, whereas cortisol and sleep are objective. Children in our study will wear an actigraph, similar to a wrist watch, which allows us to measure sleep-wake patterns. We think this is particularly important since sleep is usually the place where stress first rears its head.”

Alfano and her collaborators hope that results from the study will advance current knowledge of how military deployment affects children and families. “In our study, we are examining two types of military families, as well as two types of civilian families, to better determine how military-related separation specifically impacts children and families,” Alfano said. H

For more information, visit www.uhmilitaryfamilies.org.

ATTENTION! Study Examines Problems Affecting Military Families

Four MBA students from UH’s C. T. Bauer College of Business are the Americas champions of the 2013 Google Online Marketing Challenge, which evaluates students on their skills in advertising, ecommerce, integrated communication, management information systems, marketing and new media technologies. The team of James McLellan, Heather Nguyen, Jason Ruth and Adam Jalfon (left to right) won for their campaign for the Children’s Museum of Houston.

making lectures interesting through effective teaching strategies,” he said. “We base our selections primarily on data we obtain in our annual institutional data surveys.”

UH has also been ranked among the top 10 colleges in Texas for return on investment. In the ranking, compiled by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (AC Online), UH ranks fourth among the state’s public institutions and seventh among all Texas colleges and universities when it comes to measuring tuition against the lifelong earnings of its graduates.

AC Online, a nonprofit resource for college affordability and financial aid information, said it worked to identify the 49 colleges in Texas where degrees pay off the most.

“Students who graduate from these colleges earn more over their lifetimes, on average, than graduates from other Texas institutions,” said Dan Schuessler, AC Online’s founder.

The site said it used wage information from the 2013 College Earnings Report by PayScale.com, and tuition and fee information based on the latest government data and sources, including the Carnegie Foundation, to determine which schools have the best return on investment. H

— Mike Garrity —Melissa Carroll

www.affordablecollegesonline.org


Nick Massad Jr. (’73) was attending the University of Texas at Arlington and working at a Howard Johnson Hotel, unaware of the opportunities available at the University of Houston until the general manager at work put some brochures down on a table. The brochures just happened to be from the Hilton College of Restaurant Management. It

was after looking through this brochure that Nick’s eyes were opened, and he realized there was a place he could major in the field he had worked in since high school.

“I read it, and the next semester I was in Houston. I packed up, moved down, didn’t know a single person or have a friend in the area but I saw this hotel college and I couldn’t believe that education was available,” said Massad.

After earning his degree, Nick was working at the Sheraton Hotel Southwest in Dallas when he met a new coworker, Vicki (Hon ’03), who would later become his wife. The two would eventually move to Houston where Nick got the opportunity to be the general manager at the same hotel he worked at during his time as a Hilton College student.

Having put down roots and started a family in Houston, Nick noted, “The hotel business is a very familial type of business. The kids grew up crawling around hotels that we had under our management. They naturally built a love for the business.”

That love led all three to the Hilton College, with Nick Massad, III (’02), Margo Kaplan (’03) and Taylor Tritt (’03) all earning their degrees at UH. Nick Jr. added, “We didn’t pressure any of them to go in that direction. They just sort of naturally gravitated toward it.”

Not simply a family of graduates in the same industry, it has become a family business. Along the way, Nick, Jr. and Vicki purchased American Liberty Hospitality. The two of them serve as President and CEO and Senior Vice President and COO, respectively. Margo is the Director of Human Resources, Taylor is the Corporate Operations Manager and Nick III is the General Manager at the Sam Houston Hotel (owned by ALH).

The entire family has remained very involved on campus and with the Conrad N. Hilton College Alumni Association. Among the five of them, there have been multiple stints as alumni board president, service on advisory boards and time spent on the UHAA board. Additionally, you can count on seeing the Massads at the annual Gourmet Night at the Hilton College. Nick Jr. and Vicki were also recognized this past April as Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees at the 59th Annual UHAA Awards Gala.

In the early 2000s, Nick Jr. let it be known to the administration within the Hilton College that he was considering a meaningful donation. He had


mentioned his affinity for research and the archive side of the library at the Hilton College, and with that in mind, Assistant Dean of Business Development Jon C. Schultz had an idea.

“He came out to my office one day,” said Nick. “He came in and he said, ‘You know, I’ve thought and thought about what you’ve said and I think I have the perfect fit for what you want to do. [The library] is small and not used very much by the students and I think this is a great opportunity for you to contribute something that will be transformational to the college.’”

While hammering out details, Nick made the decision to give a gift of $1.5 million, even if that amount ended up being above what was needed for the library and archives.

“It was significant to us, the amount that mom and dad pledged, to make this transformation,” added Margo. “The amount had a special significance. It was the same amount that Conrad Hilton pledged to start the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.”

The result was the Massad Family Library Research Center and Hospitality Industry Archives, which officially opened in April 2010. The gift from the Massads was the largest gift to the Hilton College from a source other than the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The library with its archives is the only one of its kind in the world.

The gift has now created a legacy on the UH campus and at the college for the Massads. “I wanted it to be called the Massad Family Library, not only for Vicki and I and our children, but for all of our family,” said Massad. “I’m very grateful to the college for such a great education. It changed the direction of my life.” H

Nick and Vicki receiving their Distinguished Alumni Awards from Dorothy Nicholson (’77) at the 2013 UHAA Alumni Awards Gala

Vicki and Nick Massad in the Hilton College Library and Archives

From left to right: Monica Massad (’05), Nick Massad III (’02), Vicki Massad (Hon ’03), Nick Massad Jr. (’73), Taylor Tritt (’03), Ethan Tritt (MBA ’11), Margo Kaplan (’03), Craig Kaplan


Or, you could do laundry. Oh, you don’t have to look in the laundry room. Instead you’ll take advantage of free Wi-Fi throughout the residence hall and go to a website. There you will view a real-time snapshot of which machines are empty and which are in use in your nearest laundry room. And the same website will alert you when your own laundry is done.

Sound futuristic? It’s the latest version of life on the University of Houston campus, circa 2013.

UH has achieved its first goal, to become second in the state for residential living, just behind Texas A&M, with the completion of two new residence halls – Cougar Place

and Cougar Village II. These halls, specifically designed to encourage student collaboration and interaction, add 2,000 new beds to UH, bringing residential capacity to 8,008.

“We’re working right now to reach a housing capacity to potentially serve about 10,000 students,” says Don Yackley, executive director of Student

After an intense day of classes, you head for your new residence hall where wall-mounted televisions and clusters of comfortable couches in the main lobby or “commons” invite you to take a load off. The 24-hour receptionist is ready for any questions, but instead you gaze out the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and breathe a sigh of relief under a vaulted ceiling. In a minute, you’ll pull out your key card to go to your suite, and decide if there’s time to stop by one of the classrooms built into your college home to take advantage of tutoring or learning advanced computer skills.

HOMESWEET HOME

More Students Moving In as UH Becomes a Residential Campus

By Marsha Carter


SWEET HOME

Housing and Residential Life.

The expansion is part of a long-term master plan to meet Carnegie Foundation criteria to become a Primarily Residential Campus. The Carnegie designation requires 25 to 49 percent of degree-seeking undergraduates to live on campus; at least 50 percent of undergraduates to attend full-time; and a full-time enrollment of 10,000 or more degree-seeking students. So, with UH’s residential capacity now at 20 percent, UH still has a few steps left to climb. But, it’s a destination well within reach.

“Last fall, we conducted a housing feasibility study to explore current housing needs and anticipated future housing opportunities,” says J. Richard Walker, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services. “The study indicated that we can reach our goal of 10,000 residents. The goal of becoming more

residential is about providing more students with housing options that support their academic success. Expanded student housing also provides students more opportunities for engagement with the UH community, from academic advising to campus events and university services.”

Both new residences offer classrooms built into the design for lectures, tutoring and special academic programs as well as computer rooms, study areas on every floor and shared television and game rooms.

It took just more than three years and close to $50 million each to design and build these residence halls. Cougar Place was designed by PageSoutherlandPage, and the architectural firm for Cougar Village II was KSQ and Brave Architects. Each design, however, was guided by student feedback.

“Students asked for more privacy, community space and wanted those as cost-efficient as possible,” says Yackley. “Everything from how the building was designed down to the furniture selection has student-to-student interaction and success as the goals.”

There is an art to living on the UH campus. As you approach the new Cougar Place, you are greeted by a multi-paneled sculpture by New York artist Nathan Carter. Its colors and swirls reflect in the doors and large windows of the commons building. Slip through the door and the inner wall is a geometric surface of primary-colored squares.

“It’s very Mondrian-looking,” says Maggie Manley, senior project manager. Above you, vaulted ceilings paneled in Western red cedar cast a warm glow. Cougar Place, with buildings A, B and C, provides sophomore and above


students with nearly 800 beds and 49 student classrooms.

There is a laundry room on every floor, each with its own lounge and full kitchen attached. But no need to hang out with your laundry if you don’t choose to. The laundry rooms offer a proprietary website, Laundry View®, which offers up-to-the minute shots of empty washing machines and dryers (doors ajar, colored white) and unavailable ones (signified by shaking machines colored red). Students can also be alerted as to when their own loads are done washing/drying and even find out the busiest times of day for their respective laundry rooms.

Another innovation in both residences may offer a dream-come-true for many students – easy access bathrooms.

“They’re compartmentalized,” Manley explains. “We separated the toilet and the shower into their own cubicles. No waiting, and that’s a huge draw.”

Cougar Village II, for first year students, has 1144 beds and, at this writing, was outpacing Cougar Village I in new residents. While Dean Ruck, senior project manager, concedes that accommodating bathrooms are a factor, he also points to collaboration by design. Each of the seven floors features a study area with huge windows open to the campus, and on higher levels, the skyline of Houston. Here, students can study, compare notes, share thoughts and then walk down to grab a snack from the mini-refrigerator in their suite-style double rooms.

“Everything is arranged to help these freshmen get to know each other and learn together,” he says.

In a bow to tradition and the pride of being a Cougar, the hall outside the lobby of Cougar Village II features landscapes and crowd scenes created out of the ceramic tiles salvaged from the old Cougar Place.

“Students asked for more privacy, community space and wanted those as cost-efficient as possible,” said Yackley. “Everything from how the building was designed down to the furniture selection has student-to-student interaction and success as the goals.”

continues on page 15

New Cougar Place, red cedar ceiling in the lobby


Lounge areas encourage student collaboration. Hi-tech laundries have their own website.

Move-In Day volunteers welcome new Cougars to their campus homes.


The year UH entered the Southwest Conference and won the first season, 1976, Joe Pogge lived in the all-male Taub Hall in the Quadrangle.

“We were basically a brick and mortar fraternity house,” he recalls. “That year the tailgating before football games was great and winning the conference was even greater!” Pogge, CEO of Strike Marketing in Houston, lived in Taub Hall from 1974 until his graduation in 1979. By then, of course, the Quad had gone co-ed, but earlier years hold memories.

The annual Beauty Bowl on campus pitted women living in Oberholtzer Hall against women living in Moody Towers.

“The guys would dress up as cheerleaders to support our ladies’ team.” In those days, when less than 10 percent of students lived on campus, there were monthly parties cycled through various residence halls, movie nights every Wednesday and Food Service staff who would grill steaks in the courtyard under the Quad’s canopy of trees. The experience forged life-long bonds. “Dave Smalley was from Ohio, and I was from Iowa, and in 1974 we walked into Taub together,” Pogge said. “My grown son just got done working for Dave this summer in his national concessions business.”

Two years ago, Pogge was working with a client, the Omni Houston Hotel, when their new general manager walked into the meeting. “It was Bob Cowan, a fellow residential adviser with me in Taub. We’ve gotten our golf games back in gear.”

Pogge is also in touch with Chris Vaughan, who graduated UH in 1979 and lived in Oberholtzer Hall.

“My three top memories are Gourmet Nights at the Hilton College, bus trips for football games and running through the tunnel system under campus,” he says and laughs.

Leslie Dye, owner of the Deckhouse Bar & Grill in Houston, majored in hotel and restaurant management at the Hilton College. She found camara-derie and collaboration in Moody Towers her freshman year, 1985-1986.

“They placed us by our majors on the floor. It was a good thing, especially with difficult classes. Everyone sat with their doors open and you could go from one room to another, comparing notes and studying together,” she says. Leslie hosted a reunion with her past sorority sisters two months ago and 30 old friends showed up. “And I’m still friends with my old roommate on Facebook,” she adds.

Janelle Brown echoes Dye’s praise of the Towers experience, but has her own favorite residence – one that is now part of UH history.

“While the Towers were special, my all-time favorite residence hall was Cougar Place,” she says. Brown lived in the original Cougar Place from 1988-1991, and before that resided in Moody Towers and Settegast Hall in the Quad.

“By the time ‘we’ (meaning her and friends) moved into Cougar Place, we considered ourselves a close-knit family,” she says.

Brown, now housing manager with UH’s Student Housing and Residential Life, says graduating from the Bauer College of Business and forming lifetime friendships were the best benefits of her life on campus. Today she does marketing presentations for the residence halls.

“I always say ‘you get a room for shelter and lodging for xxx amount of dollars, but the friendships and experience you receive are priceless,” she says. H

Other Voices, Other Rooms

A Few Residents Look Back at Earlier Days Living on Campus

“While the Towers were special, my all-time favorite residence hall was Cougar Place,” says Brown, who lived in the original Cougar Place from 1988-1991, and before that resided in Moody Towers and Settegast Hall in the Quad.

By Marsha Carter


This ambitious transformation into a residential campus has been one of UH President Renu Khator’s priorities since assuming office in 2008.

As UH moves forward to achieve Residential Campus status, the university also embraces its residential history.

The first students on campus were returning World War II veterans and their families who lived in a collection of temporary buildings and surplus government trailers where the Law Center is today. Then came the Quadrangle in 1950, the first housing built on campus. The Quadrangle offered two buildings assigned to men (Dormitories B and C) and two buildings for women (Dormitories D and E). Oberholtzer Hall, named for the first UH president E. E. Oberholtzer, was the center building and original social center of the Quad with two cafeterias, a ballroom, lounges, a game room and special rooms for guests. Later the other buildings were given names. Taub and Settegast were named in honor of Ben Taub and Julius Settegast, two

Houston philanthropists who donated land for the UH campus. Bates and Law commemorate Colonel William B. Bates and F. M. Law, respectively, members of UH’s Board of Regents in the 1940s and ’50s.

When the “Quad” was built, it was a time of rules at school: all unmarried women under age 21 who did not live with their families were required to live on campus; all residents had curfews based on their grades; and of course there were no co-ed floors or residences. The “Quad” went co-ed in the late 1970s, which is progressive considering that the two towers of Moody Towers, built in 1970, didn’t become co-ed until 1984. Two years ago, Quad halls and Moody Towers received upgrades to rooms, lounge areas and bathrooms, with renovated elevators and expanded Wi-Fi connections. The Calhoun Lofts, which offer loft-style

continues from page 13


LIVING ON CAMPUS IS ALWAYS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR STUDENTS ON THE ROAD TO ADULTHOOD. But for one University of Houston professor, it’s also a family affair.

“I am living in Cougar Village I with my wife and cat while my son is living in Cougar Place,” said Professor Cameron White, the latest participant in the Faculty-in-Residence program.

The Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) program began in 2010 as a collaboration between the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. FIR, which places teachers in student residence halls, acknowledges the critical connection between a student’s academic life and residential life on the road to academic success. To date, there have been nine FIR participants:

• Raúl A. Ramos/History

• Carroll Parrott Blue/Technology

• Catherine Horn/Education

• Jose De Los Reyes Heredia/

Hispanic Studies

• Imani Goffney/Education

• Helen Valier/Honors College

• Lyle McKinney/Education

• Cameron White/Education

• Temple Northup/Communication

Each faculty member taking part in FIR is provided a room in the residential facility and a meal plan for the extent of his/her role. The FIR program is a full-time commitment, with the professors joining students in the dining facilities, in the laundry rooms and in the halls.

FIR: PROFESSORS MAKING THEMSELVES AT HOME ON CAMPUS

“The transition to college, especially away from home and friends, is difficult, and every effort should be made to help with this,” White said. “Students need adults to be there during the challenging times. The Faculty-in-Residence program is designed to work with individuals, groups and organization, to enhance this.”

Assistant Professor Temple Northup of the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication has moved into the new Cougar Village II residence, with his wife, two-year-old daughter and dog in tow.

“I see my role as facilitating success, and one way to do that is to make sure that students are aware of the many services available to them,” Northup said.

Associate Professor Raúl A. Ramos was one of the first Faculties-in-Residence, serving for three years in Cougar Village I with his wife and two young sons. He looks back on the experience with fondness. His youngest learned to ride his bike near the Statue of Four Lies.

“The new FIR participants will be surprised how active the campus is at night and on weekends, and how college life for today’s students is so different from their own experience,” Ramos predicted. “This changed my connection to UH and to students significantly. The experience was really transformative.”

FIR participants also have opportunities to create social and academic events within the residences to solidify their roles as mentors and advisers – something Northup relishes.

“When I think about why I decided to become a professor, it was to make an impact in the lives of students in the same way professors made an impact in mine,” Northup said. “I hope that living among the students allows me to make that positive impact.” H

– Marisa Ramirez

urban living, was upgraded in both 2010 (landscaping) and 2012 (new main lobby doors and increased security).

In the past, three other residences – Cambridge Oaks, Cullen Oaks and Bayou Oaks – have operated under public/private partnerships between the University and private developers, with UH consulting on facilities management and sharing the profits. There is, however an increasing amount of research showing that living on campus drives student success, not only because of proximity to campus, but also because of the programming and support that residence halls’ staff provide. With that in mind, UH’s Student Housing and Residential Life will take over operation of Bayou Oaks. The University purchased the residence in 2011 and just recently completed $2.4 million in upgrades.

“We take great pride in having designed spaces that enhance student-to-student interaction,” says Vice President Walker. “I am confident in knowing we are supporting our students in their success with an ethic of care.”

From the early days of Veterans Village to today’s leading-edge living and learning spaces, UH has clearly been building a way for each new generation of students to succeed.

This ambitious transformation into a residential campus has been one of UH President Renu Khator’s priorities since assuming office in 2008.

“This represents a fundamental change in the very nature of our University,” she explains. “Along with the academic benefits this provides, it creates more energy and enthusiasm on campus every day. There is a stronger sense of connection, not only among students, but also faculty and staff as UH becomes more than a collection of classrooms and labs. For a certain period in our students’ lives, it’s home – and home is where the heart is.” H


A NEW ERA IN

ALUMNI RELATIONS BEGINS…

H O U S T O N

A S S O C I A T I O NALUMNI


No doubt, you have heard University of Houston President Renu Khator talk passionately about student success being her top priority. That most certainly includes our former students as well.

Simply put, our alumni deserve the very best UH can give them.

Alumni are the heart and soul of a university – visible proof of the transforming educational benefits the institution can provide. Here at the University of Houston, many of our quarter of a million alumni are very satisfied customers, people who serve as goodwill ambassadors, financial supporters and enthusiastic advocates for their alma mater.

The remarkable progress UH has been making is based, to a large degree, on the hard work and accomplishments of dedicated students who went to school here and are now valued leaders and productive citizens in our community. We certainly want to ensure that UH continues to play a significant role in our alumni’s lives – and vice versa.

That is why we are undertaking this ambitious change regarding the University and the UH Alumni Association (UHAA).

For many years, UHAA has operated independently, but it has now become a crucial part of the University’s ongoing journey to excellence, with expanded programs and

services that will reach more of our alumni more effectively. UHAA is now a vital part of UH’s Division of Advancement, allowing a more unified approach to alumni relations.

Aligning alumni relations with the University follows the model now in place at the most successful of our peer institutions.

Moving forward, this new relationship enables us to better serve our alumni with rewarding career services, stronger national networks and other meaningful programs, including new community service project opportunities and superior student recruitment and mentoring.

While UH has clearly accomplished a great deal of late, there is still much to do to attain the overall excellence we strive for. To take the next logical steps toward greatness at UH, we need the participation of truly engaged alumni, and this new approach will help make that happen.

Former UHAA President Michael Pede has joined us at UH as associate vice president for alumni relations and is diligently working to implement our ambitious new efforts.

If you have any thoughts you’d like to share with me about this exciting chapter in UH’s history, I invite you to email me at [email protected].

I’m confident that this important transformation will lead to a new era of closer collaboration between UH and all our alumni, an era filled with even greater optimism and pride about being a Cougar. H

ELOISE DUNN STUHRVice President for Advancement

Taking Alumni Relations in an Exciting New Direction


While the multi-member task force charged with studying and defining the UHAA/UH transition made a number of important recommendations, it specifically identified “Seven Initiatives” that will serve as the primary objectives for fundamentally enhancing alumni relations at the University of Houston.

College-Based Programming UHAA has been operating 35 constituent groups based on colleges, geographic areas and special interests. Moving forward, engagement of alumni from all colleges will be vital as an effort is made to grow college-based alumni groups.

Student Programming & Recruitment UHAA has traditionally been involved with student programming, including events such as Cat’s Back, Homecoming, Family Weekend, Senior Sendoff and Frontier Fiesta. New initiatives that UHAA will be taking in will include new student mentoring programs, pairing students with alumni. Career Services will play a greater role as the alumni association partners with University Career Services to put on more events geared toward alumni. This past August, we began hosting sendoff events for incoming freshmen from various cities and areas of Texas.

National Constituencies UHAA currently has 17 networks and groups based on geographic location with plans to grow these groups. A greater priority will be placed on creating constituent groups around the country in cities with large

Seven Initiatives: Counting on Improved Alumni Relations

Why is this change being made? In the past, UHAA and UH operated as separate organizations. Positioning UHAA under the larger UH umbrella will streamline processes and combine resources to better meet alumni needs and ease of interaction with UH. This shift will provide a more united focus to meet the common goal of student success and alumni engagement.

What will change now that UHAA is a part of the University? All former students and graduates will automatically be part of the University of Houston Alumni Association and will have access to UH clubs, networks, communications, career services and other opportunities.

Is every person who attended UH at any time now automatically a member? Yes. Every individual who attended UH is automatically recognized as a member of UHAA.

What happens to my UHAA membership? All current members of UHAA will maintain member status, but annual membership dues will no longer be necessary. However, alumni can continue to support alumni activities with a gift to the University of Houston or with an annual or monthly gift to the college, program or scholarship of their choice. Visit uh.edu/giving/ways for more information.

Will UHAA still manage and offer scholarships? Yes. UHAA will continue to manage and offer their essential scholarships that make it possible for so many students to attend and successfully complete their college education. Alumni and friends can continue to support these scholarships by making an annual or monthly gift.

How does this benefit the university and alumni? This transition will unify processes, events,

information and services, allowing the University of Houston to better meet the needs of alumni.

Can alumni still buy a UH license plate? Yes.

Will alumni still have access to UH libraries? Yes. You will need an alumni card to check out books, but you can use the computers without any card. Note: The library currently allows anyone with a TexShare Card to check books out of the library.

What happens to the medical insurance UHAA offers? This will remain available.

Will UHAA ‘Clubs & Networks’ continue to operate? Yes. All UH/UHAA Clubs and Networks will operate in partnership to advance the University of Houston and serve the needs of our alumni community. H

FAQ A change such as this always generates a lot of questions … Here are answers to some of the most important.

numbers of UH alumni. In addition to focusing on all Texas cities, UHAA will be establishing networks in Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and more.

Support of Athletics In addition to hosting events around all home and road football games, UHAA will have increased alumni events at home athletic contests. Alumni in cities targeted for expanded national constituency events can also expect to see events in support of road games for teams traveling to their cities. Additionally, UHAA will continue to sponsor and promote alternate jerseys for one game per football season.

Career Services and Continuing Education UHAA began hosting a career mixer in 2011 and will aim to provide more opportunities for career services through the alumni association, including more events with potential employers. A new emphasis will be placed on continuing education, with opportunities for alumni to earn certificates through continuing education courses. New mentoring programs will also be a new priority for the alumni association.

Alumni Awards and Recognition The Annual Alumni Awards Gala will continue, recognizing exceptional alumni for their achievements and their service to the University. The Engineering and Black Alumni groups also hold annual awards galas. Additionally, our more than 4,000 Life Members will continue to be recognized and engaged for their commitment to the alumni association. UHAA will also continue its recognition on campus with annual faculty and staff awards.

Communication and Social Media UHAA will no longer produce its own magazine, instead merging with the University of Houston Magazine, published twice a year, with increased distribution. Improved social media presence and reach will be another area of focus for UHAA, aiming to continue growth through Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers. LinkedIn will be a stronger priority, with UHAA looking to provide a strong resource for the nearly 100,000 UH graduates registered with the social network. H

www.uh.edu/giving/ways


Change is everywhere on the University of Houston campus these days – and that includes the University of Houston Alumni Association as well.

As you may recall, in February, 2013, Chancellor Renu Khator and the Board of Directors of the University of Houston Alumni Association (UHAA) announced that we were joining together in our quest to make our University the best in the nation. Specifically, that announcement began the transformation of UHAA, which has historically functioned as an independent entity, to an entity that has become a part of the Division of University Advancement led by Vice President for University Advancement Eloise Dunn Stuhr.

UHAA Board Chair Sees Even Brighter Future for UH Alums

The discussions between the UHAA Board of Directors and the University that led to this announcement were spirited and, at times, sometimes difficult, as this change was not only very significant but also went in a totally new direction from our past. There were many days when I was asking myself exactly what were we as an organization getting into, and why did I even agree to serve as Board Chair in the first place? I would have had an easier time herding cats!

Fortunately, cooler heads ultimately prevailed, and after a lot of hard work by the UHAA Transition Task Force, we are close to finalizing the transformation of alumni relations at the University of Houston. As President Khator has stated, “The importance of our alumni to the University of Houston’s future success cannot be overstated.” Both UHAA Board and the Division of University Advancement agree that the primary objective with the transformation of alumni relations is to engage more alumni in satisfying and high-quality events, while also increasing direct alumni participation in the life of the University. Opportunities for engagement include programs to recruit more students, establishing mentoring partners for student success and expanding career services for current and former students.

Finally, I believe that the transformation will also allow us to provide a single platform and aligned vision for our current and former students. Working together under the same organizational structure rather than as an independent entity will strengthen our alumni relations program for the future, and I am very excited about this change.

It has been a privilege for me to serve as the chairman of the board of the University of Houston Alumni Association for the past 12 months. I thank you for the honor.

We are moving into one of the most exciting chapters in the history of the University of Houston. Now is the time for the Cougar family to come alive and take UH to another level of enthusiasm and commitment. Our job at UHAA is to engage our alumni, and our new model will allow us to do that in a meaningful and relevant way!

The excitement and support for our transition of UHAA and the new alumni relations program have been incredible. Clearly, our alums are looking forward to our new programs, new initiatives and new enthusiasm to engage them in energizing and innovative ways.

I want to thank all alums, supporters and friends of UHAA who have had input and suggestions as we have done all we can to make this new model the best alumni relations program in the country.

“True we’ll ever be…”

ENGAGED AND EXCITED: WHERE UHAA IS HEADED

MICHAEL PEDE ’89Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations

John Clarke JOHN CLARKEChair, UHAA Board


He was all set to go to another four-year school in town when at the last minute, my middle child decided he wanted to go to the University of Houston instead. Taking this left turn at the 11th hour meant abandoning a not-insubstantial partial

academic scholarship (more painful to his parents than to him) at the other university. But suddenly he was determined to become a Cougar.

It was impossible to deny his change of heart.

This enthusiasm was tempered somewhat in the realization that he’d have to live at home because rooms at the student residence halls were already taken by the time he’d settled on UH. He signed up for classes, got his parking space and set off on his great adventure on the main campus.

His enthusiasm continued.

He came back talking about his courses, the professors who impressed him, especially the one in chemistry who also talked to the class about how UH students needed to develop more of a sense of ownership of their school, to really belong to it.

This continued until, well, he wasn’t enthusiastic.

He stopped making the drive to classes every day. He held on to chemistry the longest, but in the end, he wasn’t engaged. Maybe if the school had a men’s soccer team he could have played on there would have been more to bind him to UH, but there wasn’t (and still isn’t anything above club level).

As he himself said later, “Mom, I shouldn’t even have been going to school then. I wasn’t ready.” He really didn’t have an idea for a major and wasn’t at all certain how to make the transition from the structure of high school to the relative freedom of college.

So he stepped back, started working part-time, took a few classes at Houston Community College. He wasn’t exactly engaged there either, initially, but eventually academics started kicking back in. He started making good grades again, even got invited to be in the National Honor Society.

And he started talking about taking classes at UH again. That’s when we discovered that the slogan “Once a Cougar, Always a Cougar” wasn’t always operative. He’d have to reapply for admission. He did and was admitted on a provisional basis with the understanding that he had to make a certain grade point.

Thankfully, he didn’t overmatch himself.

He began, again, with one UH course (still taking others from HCC). Then, two. He met with a UH adviser more than once. He attended during the summer. His grades remained respectable and this fall, he’s signed up for four courses at UH. He’s holding down two part-time jobs. He plans to graduate in two more years. And, as he points out wryly, it’s not all bad, this less than direct route he’s taken. While he was going through his own transitions, so was UH. Now, he’ll be graduating from a Tier One university.

Certainly the fast-track students are to be commended. It is a glorious thing for them and their parents when they are able to finish in four years. But even the smartest kids can need a little longer to develop. The Brits build in a gap year between high school and college. My son’s stretched a bit longer, but it wasn’t a bad idea. Amid all the modern

COUGAR COMMENT

Sometimes, Even the Best Students Lose Their Way… A Cougar Mom Talks About Getting Back on TrackBy Margaret Downing

push and pressure to achieve, kids can get where they need to be with the right support and encouragement. That is what my son is getting from UH.

Did I mention that he’s already talking about going on to grad school? H

Downing is the editor of the Houston Press.


STADIUM STATUS By Mike Emery

The Cougars made college football history at both the Astrodome and Robertson Stadium. From conference championships

to record-breaking performances, the team left its mark on both venues.

Soon, the Coogs will have a chance to dig their claws into a new home that will accommodate more fans and offer an enhanced game-day experience.

“Throughout the design process we worked with our architects to create the best possible game-day experience for both our fans and student-athletes,” said Mack Rhoades, vice president for intercollegiate athletics. “We feel the unique design reflects the architectural character of our Houston campus and adds a spirited facet to the ever-growing Tier One university.”

The new football stadium is being constructed on the west side of campus (near Wheeler Avenue and Cullen Boulevard) and is on target for a fall 2014 kickoff.

The ambitious facility will seat 40,000 fans and is designed to expand to 60,000 seats in the future. It will offer spacious locker rooms, showcase the action on a new LED video board and include expanded seating options with a dramatic view of the downtown Houston skyline.

Just as fans from different eras reminisce about the glory days at the Dome and the Rob, Cougar enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating memorable experiences in the new venue.

Among the enthusiastic fans is Simon Bott, instructional professor and director for undergraduate affairs in UH’s Department of Chemistry. The British-born Bott is a big fan of

As construction continues on the new facility, excitement is building for the campus – and the city of Houston

American football and can be found cheering on the Coogs wherever they play.

“Having this beautiful new stadium on campus is going to create great memories for students, alums and the community,” Bott predicted.

PageSoutherlandPage is the stadium’s architect and DLR Group is serving as sports venue design consultant. It is being constructed by Manhattan Construction. The structure’s estimated budget is $105 million.

The structure will be a perfect place for future home games, but Houstonians can relive and celebrate past Cougar triumphs in Legends Plaza and revisit the university’s history in the UH Gallery. Both the plaza and gallery will be located at the stadium’s northeast corner. For young fans, the Memorial Hermann Family Fun Zone (location to be determined) will offer fans of all ages a place for pre-game play.

In addition to these amenities, the facility will offer football fanatics 5,000 premium seats. These options include:

• CLUB AREA – A 12,400-sq.-foot climate- controlled space with food, beverages and televisions. This area also will be available for special events, meetings and classes.

• SUITES – All 26 premium suites will include padded armchairs, bar stools and entertainment areas.

• LOGE BOXES – Each of the 34 loge boxes will include four seats and high-definition TV monitors.

• CLUB SEATS – Located in the stadium’s lower bowl, 766 club seats offer a cozy game watching experience with padded armchairs.

• ADDITIONAL PREMIUM SEATING – Armchair seats and benches with backs will be located primarily in the lower bowl.

Four party decks and two open-air party suites also will deliver a unique, festive game-watching experience.

The new stadium will also be the new home of the Spirit of Houston Marching Band. The 38,000-sq.-foot Bert F. Winston Band and Performance Center will house recital halls and classroom spaces. It also will contain multi-purpose areas and the UH Athletics ticket offices.

Of course, a bigger stadium will mean fewer parking spaces in the immediate area. Still,

Building the future of Cougar football


the recently built Stadium Garage (at Cullen Boulevard and Holman Street) will offer a convenient new point of entry during game day, and tailgating will continue to be a campus tradition. Exact locations for the various pregame festivities are still being discussed.

The stadium complements several other buildings that are on campus (including the neighboring student residence hall Cougar Place). The stadium also arrives at a propitious time for the Coogs as the team settles comfortably into the American Athletic Conference it joined this year.

Although the new home field launches a new age for Cougar football, it will also resonate far beyond campus, taking another bold step in UH’s evolution as a city landmark.

“In developing the architectural character of the new stadium, the design team was charged with creating a visually iconic facility, unmistakable to the network television viewer with a one of a kind portal to the downtown Houston skyline,” explained Jonathan Thurston,

UH’s executive director of facilities and planning. “The challenge came in accomplishing those important goals while also preserving architectural relevancy to other newly constructed facilities within this district of the campus as well as subtle references to UH’s art deco history.”

“We feel the unique design reflects the architectural character of our Houston campus and adds a spirited facet to the ever-growing Tier One university.” — MACK RHOADES

Rhoades echoed those sentiments.

“This is an exciting time for UH and the City of Houston,” he said. “We believe the stadium will serve as a cornerstone for future success and as a focal point of college football for the nation’s fourth largest city.” H

Rendering of completed stadium

Building the future of Cougar football


There is nothing “small” about Dave Smalley. Not him (he’s 6’4”), not his company (he’s built the largest hospitality company of its kind in North America) and not his generosity (he recently gifted $500,000 to endow the Conrad N. Hilton College’s Student Leadership Program). Tan and athletic, he’s one of the nicest and most unassuming CEOs you’ll ever meet. He also has a really cool company that allows him to work outdoors, travel and partner with people he considers family. And it all “just kind of happened.”

Dave Smalley (’79) is the only caterer you’ll ever meet who owns a John Deere tractor and a Zamboni. He also has 100 ovens, more than 1,000 tents, 50 trucks, countless tables, miles of fencing and other tools of the trade so numerous that his current storage facility is bursting at the seams.

His company, Spectrum Catering, Concessions and Events–based in The Woodlands, Texas–has grown so much that it’s splintered into three different campuses. Construction is currently under way on a 100,000-square-foot warehouse and a 20,000-square-foot office building to house the national operations under one roof.

Over the years, Spectrum’s client list has grown to include the world’s most recognizable brands: Cirque du Soleil, the PGA Tour, the NFL and Live Nation Entertainment top the list. It also specializes in services for major music festivals–like Bonnaroo, ACL and Lollapalooza–and it’s the industry leader in artist- and tour-catering for bands like Mumford +Sons, Dave Matthews and the Eagles. And, the company operates three dozen Broadway and music venues, 10 stadiums, plus a host of retail venues.

With annual revenues fast approaching $100 million, you might wonder–if there was no plan, how could Spectrum have grown large enough to even need a Zamboni? The simple answer?

THE SPECTRUM OF SUCCESS

Dave Smalley’s ‘No Plan’ Plan Has Created a Catering & Events Mega-Company

By Debra Kay Maurer

Dave Smalley


---- AlumPROFILE ----

THE SPECTRUM OF SUCCESS

By Debra Kay Maurer

Referrals, services that are unrivaled and a sterling reputation.

“I’ve never had a plan and still don’t have a plan. I don’t have any sales goals,” said Smalley, whose company was born out of a necessity to survive in the restaurant business during the sluggish economy of the early ’80s.

With mortgage payments to make on a restaurant called Dave’s that he opened in The Woodlands in 1983, Smalley started learning the catering business, manned a beer booth at a festival, did backstage catering for a friend – anything that would create additional revenue. He stored his equipment in his garage and spent the next decade establishing catering and concessions operations while nurturing his restaurant. With his core team in place, Smalley began serving the Shell Houston Open in 1984.

In 1992, he officially founded Spectrum.

“Things just kind of happened,” said Smalley. “There are so many opportunities in the world, and I’m a big believer that you just have to recognize them–there isn’t just one door that opens and that’s it.”

Creating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships has been the hallmark of Smalley’s success, but it’s his company’s ability to change people’s lives in which he places the most stock.

“It took me a good 10 years before I figured out what the purpose of our company really was. We were doing well, but once it became so clear to me that the point of this business was to change the lives of our associates and clients for the better, things really took off. It’s like somebody laid a brick on the accelerator and away we went,” said Smalley. “If money is your purpose, you lose sight of what you’re trying to accomplish.”

This renewed vision, along with adherence to the Golden Rule, is what guides Smalley’s business decisions and has contributed to his extraordinary success. That and diversification.

“When I started Spectrum, I was doing a lot of work with Pace Concerts (now Live Nation) through my friendship with Gary Becker,” said Smalley. “I was literally lying in bed one morning thinking about how fast our company was growing and how Pace made up such a tremendous amount of our business. I thought, ‘Wait a minute! What if I’m not the fair-haired boy tomorrow? I’m not going to be able to sustain our business.’ I didn’t want to make Pace Concerts any less of our volume, but I saw the need to create volume in other areas as well.”

So Smalley kept his eyes open and was able to expand at the PGA Tour. He saw an opportunity to partner with Cirque du Soleil in 1999, and then started operating music venues and theaters all across America. For the last few years, Spectrum has worked with the NFL to manage its Hall of Fame event at the Super Bowl. He’s also created a division called Wicked Whisk that does local catering for individual clients. And, he’s kept his concert business!

Smalley estimates that he’s on the road 250 days a year and logs 100,000 air miles annually. He also spends weeks living on his tour bus, outfitted with all the comforts of home. Since much of Spectrum’s business is outdoors, he usually hits the road in March and heads home in October. With summer being his busiest season, that’s the ideal time to hire students from universities throughout the country to help staff venues for his golf and music clients. In just the last couple of years, Smalley has provided an estimated 50 internships to Hilton College students at UH and hired about a dozen graduates.

“I love working with these kids and giving them an opportunity to experience something that will give them a different perspective on the industry,” said Smalley. “I’m happy to recruit my interns from the College because I’m proud of what UH did for me, but I don’t see it as giving back. I do this for the kids.”

What he does see as giving back is his support

Smalley will be the featured speaker for the 25th Eric Hilton Distinguished Chair Alumni Lecture Series Nov. 7, 2013, at 10 a.m. in UH’s Alumni Hall (S104).

of the College’s Student Leadership Program. His generous gift of $500,000, combined with matching funds of $135,000 from the Hilton Foundation, has created the Dave Smalley/Spectrum Catering Student Leadership Endowment.

“Attending UH was one of the opportunities that changed my life, and it’s been a goal of mine to do something meaningful for the College,” said Smalley. “I was at the point where I was able to give away more money than I make personally.”

As a student, Smalley was an All-American and captain of the UH Men’s Swim Team. He trained six hours a day. Between competing and classes, he had an exceptionally singular focus, so he understands what it’s like to have to work to stay in school and be unable to take advantage of opportunities that make you more hirable. The Student Leadership Program provides an array of practical experiences for both working and nonworking students that simply didn’t exist when he was in school.

“For me, this was a perfect fit, and I got fired up about it pretty fast. It’s a game-changer, I think,” said Smalley.

“The harder you work, the luckier you get. Everybody is ready to win, but it’s those who are prepared to win who are going to be successful,” said Smalley. “A university experience is about learning how to compete and taking advantage of the opportunities in front of you so that you are prepared.”

Thanks to this new $635,000 endowment, the College now has nearly $4 million in gifts that support the Student Leadership Program; now all students can “be prepared” to win.

As for any long-term plans for Spectrum, there are none.

“I’m sticking with my ‘no-plan’ strategy,” he said with a laugh. “Why not? It seems to be working.” H

A version of this article originally appeared in the Conrad N. Hilton College’s Dean’s Report.


Class Notes

Gene Locke (’69) and his wife Aubrey were honored by Career and Recovery Resources (a United Way agency) for their outstanding contributions to the Houston community at the 17th annual Barrier Breakers Luncheon on June 24.

1969

Lou Martini Jr. (’84) won Best Actor at the 2013 WorldFest Houston International Film Festival.

UH Alumni Making News Around the Globe

Wayne Klotz (MS ’76) was reappointed by the Mayor of Houston to serve as the President of the Board of Directors for the Coastal Water Authority (CWA) for another two years.

1976

Mitchel L. Winick (JD ’78), President and Dean of Monterey College of Law, has been granted a new five-year contract by the Board of Trustees of the California-accredited law school. Winick has served as dean of the law school since 2005.

1978

Nancy Hamilton (JD ’77) was recently elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation.

1977

1980Carol Burke (’80, JD ’83) joins Reed Smith LLP as a partner in the new Houston office. She is a member of the Financial Industry Group.

Barbara J. Barron (JD ’83), a shareholder with MehaffyWeber P.C., has been named “2013 Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® in Beaumont for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants. She was also selected by her

peers for inclusion in the 19th edition of Best Lawyers in the United States in the practice areas of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants.

1983

1984

Sean Gorman (’85, JD ’88), a partner at Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C. or AZA, is being recognized as a leader in Texas general commercial litigation in the 2013

edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business published by London-based Chambers and Partners.

1985

Christopher H. Molloy (JD ’86) was selected to be the new vice president for university advancement at the University of Indianapolis.

1986

Sweetie Marbury (’69) was elected to the City of Durango City Council in 2011. She will serve four years on the City Council.

1969

Howard Joe (PH.D. ’75) had his book Essential Guide to Treat Diabetes and to Lower Cholesterol published by Tate Publishing in Oklahoma earlier this year.

1975

Miguel R. San Juan (’74) has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Atlanta.

1974

Stanley Wileman (’69, MS ’72) was honored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association with one of nine 2013 UNO Alumni Outstanding Teaching Awards.

1969


Glynda McGinnis (’89) has been announced as the Houston Small Business Segment leader for Wells Fargo.

1989

Marcus Aldredge (’94) had his new book, Singer-Songwriters and Musical Open Mics, published by Ashgate Publishing. Burlington, VT.

1994

Craig Enochs (’94) joins Reed Smith LLP as a partner in the new Houston office. He is a member of the Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group.

1994

Robert R. Riddle (’94, PH.D. ’00) joins Reed Smith LLP as a partner in the new Houston office. He is a member of the Intellectual Property practice group.

1994

John Daniel Strong (M.E. ’94) had his book, The Last Muster; published, and it is currently available on Amazon.

1994

Jeff Huddleston (’96) was promoted to managing director from director by financial turnaround and management consulting firm Conway Mackenzie, Inc.

1996

Dr. Kevin Gee (’98, OD ’02) assumed the presidency of the Texas Optometric Association at the association’s 113th annual convention in February. Gee is an assistant clinical professor at the school and serves as director of the University Eye Institute’s Sports Vision Performance Center.

1998

Steven Pike (’98) was promoted to manager of Klotz Associates TxDOT Department.

1998

Jay Reavis, (MBA ’98) VP of Sales, Account Management and Underwriting for Delta Dental of Tennessee, has been named VP of Sales and Account Management for Delta Dental of Arkansas.

1998

Melissa A. Lovell (’01, JD ’05) has been named a member of Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan LLC’s Houston office.

2001

Win Haggard Jr. (’02) has been named vice president at Colvill Office Properties, Houston.

2002

Erin (Dorris) Cassidy (’04) has earned tenure and promotion to the rank of associate professor in the Newton Gresham Library at Sam Houston State University, effective September 1, 2013.

2004

Rhonda Harris-Scott (MED ’04) was featured in a documentary photojournalism project at California State University-Northridge (CSUN) called Los Angeles Makes a Difference 2013.

2004

Dr. Sandra Fortenberry (OD ’07) has received state and national accolades as Young Optometrist of the Year. In February, Sandra received Young Optometrist of the Year at the annual Texas Optometric Association meeting. In June, Sandra received Young Optometrist of the Year at the annual American Optometric Association meeting in San Diego.

2007

Navy Ensign Michael G. Cox (’09), has graduated from Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) and has received a commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy while assigned at Officer Training Command, Newport, R. I.

2009

Navy Ensign Shaun A. Khan (’09), has graduated from Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) and has received a commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy while assigned at Officer Training Command, Newport, R.I.

2009

Alicia Guerrero (’12) joined Soluble Systems, LLC, a medical product company, as territory manager for Southeast Houston and surrounding vicinities.

2012

Chadwick “Chad” D. Covey (MBA) has been hired as a consultant in the Houston office of Spencer Stuart, one of the world’s leading executive search consulting firms.

2012

UHAA Life Members are listed in red.

We invite you to submit your Alumni news and updates at [email protected]


CalendarAlumni Association Upcoming Events

OCTOBER DECEMBER17 15

18

19

25

26

Quail Valley Golf Course Get details and register at

www.houstonalumni.com/golf

Fall Ring Ceremony Cullen Performance Hall

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Scholarship

Luncheon UH Hilton

Homecoming: UH vs. BYU Reliant Stadium

New York Area Reception Embassy Suites Piscataway

UH at Rutgers Football Tailgate Brother Jimmy’s BBQ

NOVEMBER8

9

15

31

Orlando Area Reception Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa

UH at UCF Football Tailgate Cypress Room Event Center –

Knights Plaza

Moores School of Music Alumni Network Kickoff

Reception TBA

Louisville Area Reception Seelbach Hilton Louisville

UH vs. South Florida Reliant Stadium

MARCH22

UH Black Alumni Association Awards Gala

Hilton Americas

APRIL16

60th Annual UH Alumni Association Awards Gala

Westin – Memorial City

For up to date calendar information for UHAA and all constituent groups, visit

www.houstonalumni.com/calendar

Join UHAA at Quail Valley for the Fourth Annual

UHAA Celebrity Golf Classic!


Monday, October 14 Homecoming Kickoff Pep Rally

Lynn Eusan Park 1-3 pm

Tuesday, October 15 Go Coogs Day

Lynn Eusan Park 4-7 pm

Thursday, October 17 UHAA Celebrity Golf Classic

Quail Valley Golf Course 8:30 am

Saturday, October 19 UH vs. BYU

Reliant Stadium

HomecomingOctober 13-19

In 2012, the University of Houston lost a great man and huge supporter of this university and this alumni association, Ken Baxter. Ken was a tireless volunteer who annually helped put on the UHAA Celebrity Golf Classic in addition to countless other events and functions for the university. Ken and his wife Judy were both 2011 Distinguished Service Award Honorees by the UH Alumni Association.

In his honor, the winning trophy of the UHAA Celebrity Golf Classic has been renamed and will be presented to the tournament champions annually as a traveling trophy. Each year’s winning team will have the four members’ names engraved on the Baxter Cup. The trophy will remain a legacy to this great man and great Cougar.

In 2012, Ken’s wife, Judy, and his daughter, Traci were on hand to present the Baxter Cup for the first time.

The Baxter Cup


P R O F E S S O R S E M E R I T I

When they started at the University of Houston decades ago – Phyllis at the College of Education in 1980 and

Peter in the Department of English in 1970 – UH was a different place. And, though these two scholars began on disparate paths, they ended up on the same track in more ways than one, first becoming a married couple (1985) and eventually both earning coveted professor emeriti titles (2012).

“Preparing for this interview helped us step back and realize a lot about each other’s careers,” Peter Gingiss explains. “One thing we both enjoyed is technology. The other is collaboration. I always thought of Phyllis and me having taken very different paths, but some things clearly resonate for both of us.”

And as they often do for one another, Phyllis Gingiss completes the thought. “We show you can take different paths, love the University and arrive at common ground in the end.”

This symbiotic relationship began from the moment they met. Phyllis, newly single, had no intention of getting married again.

“We met on New Year’s Day across a crowded room,” Phyllis recalls. “We had many mutual friends, although none knew each other. Peter introduced himself, and I thought, ‘What a nice man … if I were to date anyone.’ But I was deeply involved with my research projects, teaching full time and keeping up with a single-parent family.”

Peter continues: “I was scared stiff, but I knew

this was a woman you’d be lucky to marry.”

Now married for nearly three decades with two children, five grandchildren plus twins on the way, Phyllis concludes, “Well, Peter kept knocking, and it was a blessing.”

One of their dates brought them particularly closer, both professionally and personally. While his main passion was linguistics as an English scholar, Peter says his interest in technology emerged fairly early when Phyllis brought home an Apple IIe, which he gallantly offered to unpack.

“I had no interest in computers, but I proceeded to set it up,” he recalls. “I became so engrossed with the technology, Phyllis kept reminding me to eat.”

PETER AND PHYLLIS GINGISS –

A Chance Meeting Leading to a Life of CollaborationBy Lisa K. Merkl, ’92, M.A. ’97

Peter & Phyllis Gingiss


Phyllis proudly remembers her bachelor’s degree in education and her Mom’s graduate degree in education. “We were both early Coogs,” she says. “My degrees in education and public health fit together perfectly. All of my subsequent research, teaching and community service has been focused on ensuring our children and adolescents are ready to learn.”

Phyllis continues: “Before UH, I worked with a program for teen mothers and high risk infants. Needs of the babies and young mothers were many and complex. I recognized the need for new measurement tools and insights for advancing collaborative services among our many providers. I also realized most of the young mothers, all school dropouts, had literacy and other learning problems.”

At that time, computer-assisted instruction was becoming available. “When I joined UH, we began to examine their effectiveness to meet various learner needs, laying the groundwork for today’s Web-based applications,” she explains.

Peter adds: “As Phyllis was pioneering new technology applications in health education, we began to work together. I did programming on many of her early projects.”

“And without Peter’s expertise many of these projects would not have succeeded,” she says.

“Thirteen years ago we developed a database and a website to inform Texans about the status of smoke-free laws. That website is still growing and is recognized as the definitive state reference source of smoke-free ordinances,” she

PETER AND PHYLLIS GINGISS –

A Chance Meeting Leading to a Life of CollaborationWhile too modest to claim direct credit,

Phyllis and Peter were clearly among those ‘pioneers’ helping pave the way for UH’s

ascension to a Tier One research university.

points out.

Of course, Peter has similarly proud moments and says, “Reflecting on my career at UH, I am amazed how much variety there was in what I did and how many things I enjoyed.”

While his undergraduate degree is in English, Peter earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in African Linguistics from Northwestern University, so his first love has always been linguistics, having taught it to more than 6,000 students, as well as directing numerous theses in the field. Alternately, his publications were in the field of sociolinguistics, which is language in the real world and in context, taking societal customs, cultural norms, use and interpretation into account. One of his legacies at UH was introducing sociolinguistics into the English curriculum.

With his interest in multiculturalism, Peter participated in a college summer program, made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, called Common Ground, in which he and his colleagues introduced minority literature, paired with classic American literature, to high school teachers. His involvement in the program led him to become the first director of the Humanities Teaching Institute, a CLASS initiative for encouraging university-high school partnerships.

“Multiculturalism also led to some of my most exciting linguistics teaching with a colleague from the intensive English program for

international students – now called the UH Language and Culture Center,” he recalls. “And my interests in technology and composition blended when I was named the initial director of the English Computer Writing Lab, a position I held for 12 years. I also constructed the first English department website before we had specialists.”

While too modest to claim direct credit, Phyllis and Peter were clearly among those ‘pioneers’ helping pave the way for UH’s ascension to a Tier One research university.

“I have loved conducting research and advancing faculty research in general,” says Phyllis. “As Associate Dean of Research in my college, as well as the first female chair of the UH Research Council, I was fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues to strengthen our research policies and practices.”

Peter concurs, witnessing firsthand the school’s steady progress. Of particular note, he believes, is UH’s celebrated diversity. “In the first classes I taught in 1970, you didn’t notice many minority or non-native students, but now that is the norm. For a social linguist like me, diversity is a goldmine, and now it’s a hallmark of the University.”

Both stress the importance of having the resources necessary to develop a research infrastructure and are pleased with UH’s progress.

“UH has been doing more than simply increasing the amount of research,” Phyllis observes. “UH has created a culture that encourages it.”

Looking back on their careers at UH, both expressed a sense of wonderment and gratitude.

“Above all,” says Phyllis, “I feel blessed to have been able to play a part in improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents.”

“For me,” says Peter, “I was always finding some new interesting position or skill to develop. This wasn’t just one job. It was a kaleidoscope.”

Even more special, of course, is the love and admiration they’ve shared along the way.

“Navigating my university journey with such a smart, warm and delightful companion like Peter has been a blessing,” says Professor Emerita Gingiss.

“We are lucky that we were – and still are – able to celebrate each other’s successes and be so proud of each other,” says Professor Emeritus Gingiss. H


The University of Houston is now home to an innovative, fish-fueled farming system that serves as a laboratory to study food safety.

Along with the important information harvested from this research, the Aquaponics System is also growing as much as 75 pounds of produce to be donated to area food pantries.

“Though the practice of using fish as a source of nitrogen to feed plants has been around for more than 30 years, primarily in Japan where farmland is a premium, Aquaponics is moving more and more into the U.S.,” says Jay Neal, assistant professor of food safety in the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

The UH Aquaponics system is built entirely in a 15 x 25-foot laboratory where a 600-gallon water tank is home to more than 200 tilapia. Water from the fish tank flows through a PVC pipe over clay media into a floating garden supporting squash plants. From there, the nutrient-rich water is drained into a second floating garden of lettuce and assorted herbs. The root systems clean the water, which is then filtered back into the tilapia tank.

“It’s a completely closed system,” he said. “The water is completely replenished and recycled.”

The project is in collaboration with the agricultural department at the Houston Community College-Katy Campus. Neal, whose research on food safety has yielded best practices for small farms and farmers’ markets, is using the system to examine the prevalence of contaminants on produce from Aquaponics gardens compared with farmers’ markets and supermarkets produce.

Something Fishy Researchers Growing Produce from New Tilapia-fueled Aquaponics System

RESEARCH NEWS

“Certainly, there is bacteria everywhere, but we have found that with an Aquaponics system, the microbial load is very limited,” he said.

One growing cycle yields approximately 75 pounds of produce–squash, lettuce and herbs. Neal says the harvest is being donated to area organizations to help their clients.

“We’d like to use this as a model to supplement food deserts in urban environments, places that are without steady sources of nutrition,” Neal said. “This is an immediate need and something we can do for our community.” H

UH Professor Carl Lindahl’s exceptional research about how people cope during calamities has been applauded as “an impact-oriented solution to a critical global problem” by the Rockefeller Foundation.

The foundation is providing Lindahl with the use of the Bellagio Center in northern Italy to host the “Survivor-Centered Responses to Massive Disasters” conference in July 2014. Lindahl is the Martha Gano Houstoun Research Professor in the Department of English and director of the Houston Folklore Archive.

The three-day symposium will convene 19 scholars, ethnographers and public health

specialists from five nations – Haiti, Italy, Japan, Sierra Leone and the United States – to strategize ways to help disaster survivors become active agents in their own recoveries.

The conference stems from work Lindahl started with the “Surviving Katrina and Rita in Houston Project,” which he co-founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

It was the world’s first disaster response effort to encourage and enable disaster survivors to take the lead in documenting their own experience of disaster. Through the project, Lindahl and co-director Pat Jasper provided hurricane survivors with free training, as well as

pay, to record the stories of fellow evacuees in the Houston area.

The University of Houston supported the project with the use of its facilities; the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress provided personnel to the project; and the Houston Endowment gave funding.

“Through the acts of sharing their stories, the survivor interviewers and survivor interviewees formed networks based on shared experience and shared afflictions; these bonds in turn strengthened their sense of community and aided in their recovery,” said Lindahl. H

Professor Set to Host Disaster Recovery Symposium

UH Aquaponics system grows fresh produce for area food pantries.

—Shannon Buggs

—Marisa Ramirez


A device co-developed by a UH physicist to detect the spread of breast cancer and allow physicians to better plan intervention is extending its market reach, bringing it another step closer to clinical trials in the U.S.

The SentiMag is a novel intraoperative probe that enables surgeons to more effectively locate the sentinel lymph node – the first lymph node to which a tumor’s metastasizing cancer cells drain. The highly sensitive SentiMag instrument and its associated Sienna+ tracer combine nanotechnology and advanced magnetic sensors. Their patented technology removes the need for radiation, speeds up the process and puts the detection of the sentinel lymph node directly in the hands of surgeons.

Co-developed by Audrius Brazdeikis, a research associate professor of physics in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UH, and his colleagues at the University College of London (UCL), the device has been

in use for more than a year in Europe and will now be distributed in the Middle East and Africa. Brazdeikis

says approval for use in the U.S. is not far behind.

This most recent development of distribution beyond Europe is the result of an agreement signed between Sysmex Europe GmbH, a leading international company designing and producing diagnostic solutions for medical laboratories worldwide, and Endomagnetics Ltd., a UH

spinoff medical devices company.

Brazdeikis, who heads the Biomedical

Imaging Group

Is a person’s ability to effectively respond to stress an indicator of his vulnerability to use and abuse drugs?

A five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of Health / National Institute of Drug Abuse will support research from the UH College of Education to investigate mechanisms that influence drug-related health disparities in the African-American community.

Associate Professor Ezemenari M. Obasi, who directs the college’s Hwemudua Addictions and Health Disparities Lab, will lead research in Harris and eight surrounding counties. He says this kind of research that is specific to the African American community’s social and cultural experiences is limited.

“Our longitudinal study will include 350 participants,” he said. “It will partner with the community to learn how a person’s social environment

and related stressors can ‘get-under-the-skin’ and have a harmful impact on the body’s regulatory system or its capacity to effectively cope with day-to-day stressors across time.”

Those stressors, he says, could include exposure to violent crimes, experiences of discrimination, lack of green space, unemployment, substandard housing, substandard educational systems, pollution, high density of drug-retail outlets, and ability to pay bills and/or put food on the table.

Obasi’s research team includes investigators from UH, University of Georgia, Emory University, University of New Orleans and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The team also includes a post-doctoral fellow, graduate students and undergraduate students.

Long term, his goal is to expand this research to include other underserved communities so culturally informed prevention and treatment programs can be designed to reduce drug-related health disparities.

“Houston is a very diverse city, so we are in a unique environmental context to disentangle biological, social and cultural determinants of health,” he said. H

Non-Radioactive Breast Cancer ProbeNow Closing in on U.S. Distribution

UH RESEARCHER GETS $2.5 MILLION TO STUDY STRESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

—Marisa Ramirez

at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH (TcSUH), formed Endomagnetics with physics professor Quentin Pankhurst and systems engineer Simon Hattersley from UCL to bring their technology to the marketplace.

“The most rewarding aspect in this adventure has been taking our original idea and seeing it through to market introduction,” Brazdeikis said.

Current protocol for locating the sentinel node involves injecting a radioactive isotope several hours before surgery, followed by a surgeon using a highly directional Geiger counter, called a gamma probe, in the operating room to locate the lymph node with the highest radioactivity. Alternately, the SentiMag from Endomagnetics uses a detection system based on magnetics rather than radiation, with the radioactive tracer being replaced by the magnetic nanoparticle tracer and the handheld magnetic sensor replacing the gamma probe.

“This new method requires a surgeon to simply inject the area around a tumor with the Sienna+ nanoparticle, wait 30 minutes for the tracer to accumulate in the lymph nodes and then scan the area of interest using the SentiMag probe,” Brazdeikis said. Initially funded by the UK-Texas Bioscience Initiative, the SentiMag system is in use in the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland. When used together with the injectable Sienna+ nanoparticle, SentiMag gives physicians the ability to better gauge the extent to which cancer has spread.

Sysmex, being granted the exclusive right to provide sales and support for this revolutionary system across the European, Middle Eastern and African regions, will provide a strong platform for further investment and growth. This is Endomagnetics’ first multi-region agreement, and it promises to extend widely the clinical use of the company’s technology. H

—Lisa Merkl


Crystal Clear Researcher’s Theories to be Tested Aboard Space StationA UH chemical and biomolecular engineering professor’s theories on crystal formation will be tested aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Professor Peter Vekilov received a grant from NASA to study how proteins in a liquid solution nucleate (form crystals). While researchers understand how crystals grow, they want to know more about how they transform from liquid to crystal.

Vekilov discovered in 2004 that before forming a crystal, proteins in a solution come together in dense droplets, where they possibly begin to unfold into the shape they have when crystalized. His theory was proved through direct observation three years later, but there is still much about this phenomenon that is not understood. For example, crystallization processes that work well in a small volume of solution often do not work at all when scaled up to industrial-size levels of 100 or 1,000 liters – the amounts used to produce medicines, chemicals and other products.

Vekilov believes this is largely due to sheer flow, meaning the uneven flow of liquid in a system, such as a river. But he cannot effectively test his theory on Earth because gravity affects sheer flow. NASA awarded Vekilov a grant of nearly $100,000 to further his research in space.

“We have relevant scientific questions that can only be answered by doing experiments in space. We hope to see a difference between the nucleation rate on earth and in space,” Vekilov said.

His experiments will be performed by astronauts affiliated with the European Space Agency, most likely in 2016. H

—Laura Tolley

RESEARCH NEWS

Thanks to electrical and computer engineering faculty members David Jackson and Ji Chen, UH will be among only 13 universities

chosen by NASA to design and develop new small satellite technologies.

With seed funding provided by the Cullen College of Engineering, Jackson and Chen launched a research program at the college last May to develop antennas for small satellites (called cubesats). Beginning this fall, Jackson and Chen will receive up to $200,000 from NASA over the next two years to continue their research.

The idea behind the small satellites laboratory, Jackson explained, was to create an integrated environment where antennas and communication systems for small satellites can be designed, simulated, fabricated and tested within a single lab space. “The funding from NASA will enable the development of this laboratory as well as provide support for the mission of the laboratory, which is to develop novel antennas and communication systems to improve the performance and reliability of small satellites,” he said.

Small satellites are generally classified as those that weigh less than 500 lbs. Compared to their larger counterparts, they are less expensive to build and to launch into orbit. These cost factors make it practical to operate multiple satellites in coordination, providing the benefit of redundancy: if one is damaged or malfunctions, others can pick up the slack.

Antennas remain one of the challenges to the use and reliability of small satellites, however.

Most small satellites rely on antennas that are mechanically deployed after launch. These mechanical systems can easily become damaged during launch, Chen said, making the entire satellite essentially worthless.

Jackson and Chen, by way of their small satellites laboratory, are working to develop antennas that can be etched directly onto the solar cells that power these satellites. “We don’t want any moving parts,” said Chen. “By etching an antenna on a solar cell, we can make it rigid. There’s no mechanical deployment.”

The actual etching isn’t a challenge, noted Chen. The real work comes in finding the right patterns to etch in order to facilitate reliable communication among small satellites and between an individual satellite and Earth.

Jackson, Chen and their student research team will be working side-by-side with engineers and scientists from NASA Johnson Space Center with the ultimate goal of transforming small spacecraft technologies.

“This collaboration will allow our faculty and students to benefit from the wealth of experience and knowledge that NASA personnel have in the areas of satellites, antennas and communication systems,” Jackson explained.

Moreover, Jackson noted that faculty and students working within the laboratory will have the opportunity to use the testing facilities at NASA JSC, “which will be instrumental in the final testing and space-qualification phases of the small satellites.” H

Up in the Air Small Satellite Technology Earns Big Rewards

Up in the Air Small Satellite Technology Earns Big Rewards

—Audrey Grayson


Andrea Huang understands the magic that happens onstage. She’s been acting since elementary school.

But the work that goes on backstage – from acquiring the rights to a play to the intangibles of running an organization – is still something of a mystery, one Huang needs to solve if she is to create her own theater company.

Huang will be among the first students in the University of Houston’s new Master of Arts in Arts Leadership, which began classes this fall.

It is an eclectic group, made up of dancers, actors, musicians, writers and even a community activist.

The program, within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, is designed to train creative professionals to launch and run arts organizations. Director Fleurette Fernando said the curriculum covers leadership, technology, marketing and fundraising.

“We’ll give them the basic tools in the classroom,” Fernando said. “Their experiences in the real world will be a big part of the learning from each other.”

Designed to appeal to working professionals, classes will be held in the evening. Full-time students can complete the program in two years, although Fernando said some students will take only one or two classes a semester.

While some students, including Huang, a 2011 graduate of Texas A&M University, are just a few years removed from college, others bring a wealth of life experience.

Tamra Pierce graduated from the University of West Florida with a degree in theater, music and art in the 1970s, and although she is a real estate appraiser by profession, she is also a community activist and advocate for the arts in education.

The master’s degree, she said, will be a way to nudge that passion toward reality.

“I always dream really big,” she said. “I’d love to see the fine arts as core

curriculum. I’ve been in the business world, but I’ve never really let go of the art world.”

There are graduate programs in arts leadership elsewhere in the country, but this is a first for Houston, and Fernando, who previously was grants director for the Houston Arts Alliance, said local arts leaders had asked for the training. The Houston Endowment provided seed money to launch it.

“Many arts administrators learn on the job,” Fernando said. “I’m one of them. If we had the tools, I think we could have saved ourselves a lot of heartache.”

The degree will require 30 semester hours of coursework; students will be able to take electives in the fine arts, as well as through the Bauer College of Business, the Valenti School of Communication and elsewhere on campus. It also will require an internship with an arts program.

But, as a new program, it will be a work-in-progress.

“Like any creative process, we collectively have a vision of the end result, but in many ways we will be building the bridge as we walk along it,” Fernando said. “I think these first students are aware that they will be instrumental in helping define the program for future students.”

And the timing is right, as many founders of arts organizations are preparing to retire.

“There’s going to be a lot of room for new leaders,” she said. “A lot of people are antsy about, ‘Who am I going to pass the baton to?’ It’s an interesting time to talk about leadership in the arts community.” H

Mastering the Art

of Arts LeadershipNew Program Provides Tools for Creative Professionals

By Jeannie Kever

Fleurette Fernando

“I’d love to see the fine arts as core curriculum.”


5 Houston Radio Radar Reflectors – by Nathan Carter

5 Untitled, 2008 – by Gael Stack

ART FOR ART’S SAKE

Since 1966, the university has dedicated 1 percent of campus construction costs specifically to acquire works of art. With more than 400 pieces, the UH Public Art Collection is now one of the most remarkable in the country, much to the delight of the campus community and pleasantly surprised visitors. Here are five recent additions. More info: uh.edu/uh-collection/

5 Fiesta Dancers – by Luis Jimenez

www.uh.edu/uh-collection/


5 Houston Radio Radar Reflectors – by Nathan Carter

3 Flow – by Kendall Buster

6 Windows on the World, 2005 – by Al Souza


0073040572

5000 GULF FREEWAY

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U . S . P O S T A G E

P A I DPERMIT N O. 5910

HOUSTON, TEX AS

LASTLOOK

The Cougar Marching Band roused the Homecoming crowd in 1978, past echoes of Cougar Pride that reverberate anew every year. Homecoming 2013 kicks off with a week of spirited events leading up to the game between UH and BYU Oct. 19 in Reliant Stadium. Check out Homecoming 2013 at uh.edu/homecoming.

Photo by Martha Hayes

Photo by Martha Hayes

UH HOMECOMING

www.uh.edu/homecoming

Fall2013 magazine

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Transcript of Fall2013 magazine