The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Summer 2013
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Transcript of The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Summer 2013
nor thtexan.unt.edu
MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR
STUDENTS [page 26]
A U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O R T H T E X A S P U B L I C A T I O N F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S
V O L . 6 3 , N O . 2 | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
George F. Jones Jr. [page 18]
Faculty Focus [page 32]
Creative Writing [page 34]
TheCampaign for uNTpage 38
By modifying the composition of plant cell walls, we can develop lignocellulosic feedstocks for conversion to effective, carbon-neutral liquid biofuels. Available at less than $3 per gallon, these new biofuels would provide new crops for farmers, release less carbon dioxide and reduce our country’s dependence on oil.
— Richard DixonDistinguished Research Professor and National Academy of Sciences member
WHAT IF... BY 2050 GASOLINE WAS
NO LONGER NEEDED?
UNT gives faculty and students the green light to push the boundaries of innovative research, scholarship and creativity.
2 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
F RO M O U R President
UNT has always been focused on the success of our students, and there is no better reward or milestone than seeing them graduate. At the May commencement, I joined the UNT community in celebrating the more than 4,000 students who earned their degrees, becoming part of an annual graduat-ing class at UNT that is 8,500-strong.
Graduation is a time for both our students and our university to relish the fruits of our labor. The students’ hard work has paid off in the form of a college degree and a future ripe with possibility. And our overarching commitment to our students annually produces thousands of new UNT graduates who will excel as leaders, doers and thinkers. You can read more about the greatness of our alumni, students and faculty in the President’s Annual Report 2012 at annualreport.unt.edu.
This is public higher education at its best because it shows how UNT is a place of transformation. Each one of us is making a difference in our students’ education, whether we’re educators, mentors or proud alumni.
Many of us also are making a difference in more direct ways through our comprehensive fundraising campaign, called The light is green. The time is now. The Campaign for UNT, which we unveiled this spring. You can read more about the campaign on page 26 and about its leadership on page 38.
The Campaign for UNT is about much more than raising money. Like everything we do at UNT, it is ultimately about showing our students that the sky is the limit and helping them soar to the greatest heights.
Sincerely,
V. Lane [email protected]
The North Texan
The North Texan (ISSN 0468-6659) is published four times a year (in March, June, September and December) by the University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, for distribution to alumni and friends of the university. Periodicals postage paid at Denton, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. The diverse views on matters of public interest that are presented in The North Texan do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the university. Publications staff can be reached at [email protected] or 940-565-2108. It is the policy of the University of North Texas not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability (where reasonable accommodations can be made), disabled veteran status or veteran of the Vietnam era status in its educational programs, activities, admission or employment policies. In addition to complying with federal and state equal opportunity laws and regulations, the university through its diversity policy declares harassment based on individual differences (including sexual orientation) inconsistent with its mission and educational goals. Direct questions or concerns to the equal opportunity office, 940-565-2759, or the dean of students, 940-565-2648. TTY access is available at 940-369-8652. Postmaster: Please send requests for changes of address, accompanied if possible by old address labels, to the University of North Texas, University Relations, Communications and Marketing, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017. The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission.
URCM 6/13 (13-004)
The sky is the limit for UNT graduatesUNT helps sTUdeNTs sOaR
Leslie Wim
mer
University relations,
CommUniCations and
marketing leadership
viCe president
deborah leliaert ( ’96 m.ed.)
assoCiate viCe president
marty newman (’02 m.J . )
assistant viCe president
kelley reese ( ’95)
direCtors
kenn moffitt
dena moore
rolando n. rivas
magazine staff
managing editor
JUlie elliott payne (’97)
editors
randena hUlst rand (’88, ’07 m.J . )
J ill king (’93 m.s., ’00 m.a .)
online editor
miChelle hale
art direCtor
sean zeigler (’00)
photo editor
angilee wilkerson
integrated branding
Joy hoUser
fUndraising CommUniCations
meredith diCkenson
designers
steven altUna
kit yoUng (’06)
photographers
Jana birChUm
miChael Clements
brad holt ( ’09)
gary payne (’99)
Jonathan reynolds
writers
Jaime blanton
Carolyn bobo
ernestine boUsqUet
JessiCa deleón
nanCy kolsti
adrienne nettles
bUddy priCe
ellen rossetti ( ’00, ’08 m.J . )
ClaUdia taylor
margarita venegas (’96)
leslie wimmer (’07)
online CommUniCations
Christina dowers (’07, ’10 m.J . )
eriC vandergriff
proJeCt management
eriCa bloUnt
laUra robinson
stUdent Cont ribUtors
leigh daniels
amy hillberry
Crystal hollis
mollie Jamison
Jennifer kraUse
JUn ma
olmar venegas
President V. Lane Rawlins speaks at commencement this May. More than 4,000 students earned degrees. UNT graduates more than 8,500 students each year.
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 3
Inside S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
FEATURES
18 George F. Jones Jr.UNT is the foundation of success for the CEO and founder of one of Texas’ largest banks. By Jaime Blanton
32 Why I Teach Faculty share why they chose to teach and the impacts they make on students.
34 Creative Writing UNT’s rigorous program builds on a legacy for turning out talented authors. By Jessica DeLeón
D E P A R T M E N T S
F R O M O U R P R E S I D E N T • 2The sky is the limit for UNT graduates
D E A R N O R T H T E X A N • 5 Alibi ... Yankee in Texas ... Chilton days
U N T T O D A Y • 8Historical signs ... Lecture series ... Mean Green ... Alaska partnership ... Ask an Expert
U N T M U S E • 2 1Museum muralist … Making his (trade)mark ... Lady and the professor ... Unique type
T H E C A M P A I G N F O R U N T • 3 8 Q&A with President ... Gifts move UNT forward
E A G L E S ’ N E S T • 4 2 Armadillo Ale ... Connecting With Friends ... Annie Webb Blanton ... Friends We’ll Miss
L A S T W O R D • 5 2Music alum reflects on a century of memories.
Making a Difference for Students u N T u N v e I l S I TS Co M p r e h e N S I v e F u N D r a I S I N G Ca M pa I G N To 1 , 0 0 0 a lu M N I a N D S u p p orT e r S aT T h e e M e r a l D e aG l e h o No r S F u N D r a I S e r .By Ernestine Bousquet and Claudia Taylor
Cover: Seula lee, senior music performance major photography by Jonathan reynolds
Jonathan Reynolds26
4 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Online E X C L U S I V E S
northtexan.unt.edu/onlineONLINE FEATURES
aRTIsTVIdeOWatch how uNT professor turns
ordinary paper into extraordinary art, “Thurmanite.”
eMeRITUs COlleGe VIdeO learn how uNT is engaging
seniors through enriching classes and experiences and how you can join.
MORE ONLINE FEATURES
• VIDEO: BAND TO WATCH
• VIDEO: JAZZ FEST PLAYLIST
• VIDEO: EMERALD EAGLES
• VIDEO: THE UNION MAN
• SLIDESHOW: UNIVERSITY DAY
GET CONNECTED
visit the north texan online to:• Keep up with what’s happening between
issues of The North Texan• Tell us what you think about our stories• Learn more about your fellow alumni• Write memorials about friends we’ll miss• Enjoy an array of additional stories,
photos, videos and recordings
Connect with us on facebook at facebook.com/northtexas.
follow us at twitter.com/northtexan.
watch us on youtube.com/universitynorthtexas.
don’t forget to check in on four-square when you visit campus.
100,000 likes on FacebookuNT’S FaCeBooK paGe reaCheD 100,000 lIKeS ThIS SprING, aND To SaY “ThaNK You!” To everYoNe Who parTICIpaTeS oN The paGe, The uNIverSITY CreaTeD a vIDeo. See IT For YourSelF oN uNT’S FaCeBooK paGe aT FAC E BO O K . CO M / NORT H T E X A S .
When you see this arrow, join our North Texan community onlineat northtexan.unt.edu.
Jonathan Reynolds
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 5
d e a R North Texan America is a better place
because they persevered. Th ank you, grads of UNT,
for all your hard work.
John F. Clouse Jr. (’64), Azle
always pleasant
Retired now, I sold clothing and footwear to Cavender’s Boot City for many years. Th ey are, in my opinion, the most profes-sional and courteous people in the western industry.
Always pleasant and fun to be associated with, Clay, Joe, Mike and father James always had a warm smile and reception to visits to their offi ce in Tyler.
Th e people who work for them are just like the family members in that they are all friendly, courteous and receptive to looking at new product. I am truly happy for all their success.
Don Halasz Plano
50-mile walk
On Feb. 9, 2013, I was listening to NPR news and heard the story of the 50-mile
excellent alibi
Sue Ann Beals’ great letter brought back many memories from the “Keep it clean with Imogene” era. Humorous, in retrospect. For one example, at the end of my last semes-ter, one month before my 22nd birthday, my boyfriend off ered to drive me home for the holidays.
But his job as band director in Cisco required his participation in a Christmas program that night, so we couldn’t drive on to West Texas until the next day.
When I returned to my all-girl dorm, the Dean of Women’s offi ce gave me a stern summons to an inquiry into my behavior. It seems, unknown to me, they required a letter on fi le from
my folks giving permission if a girl didn’t go straight home.
Oops! Expulsion might have been the result except for my excellent alibi. I had accepted the gracious invitation from friends (Dr. Lester Matthews and his wife, Betty) to stay with them. Lester was the son of then President Matthews.
By the way, that boyfriend, Kenneth, whom I met in summer school, was a three-time graduate of North Texas. We married the following July and have now celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary.
Jan Downing StClair (’52)Stillwater, Okla.
Thank you to grads
I would like to recognize all the many graduates who made successes of whatever life they sought, regardless of being known to your maga-zine. Many thousands have gone on to successful careers
in education, government, business or self-employment and never have been nor will ever be recognized.
My wife, a 1967 graduate, taught 32 years in Azle’s elementary schools, I gave 30 years of service to placing folks in 10,000 jobs at Texas Employment, my ex-room-mate is a long-time commer-cial builder, and I know many in my hometown just like us.
You may never fi nd out their deeds, but thousands benefi t from your education. My wife is known all over my hometown as a good teacher, and her ex-students speak to us continually.
Th ere is no telling how many ex-cons I placed in a three-year period who came to Fort Worth to live after being released from the Huntsville prison system, whom I kept from returning to prison by helping them get a job.
You see, the graduates go everywhere and do various things after graduation, many never heard from again.
let us know what you think about news and topics covered in The North Texan. lett ers may be edited for length andpublication style.
Read more letters and share your comments at
northtexan.unt.edu.
6 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
deaR North TexanA Yankee in Texas
In 1964, this Minnesota Yankee was invited by Dr. Cora Stafford to join the then Department of Art. Thus began a 30-year unforgettable journey. The day I drove into Denton, the tempera-ture was 105 degrees of scalding heat. I asked a fellow where I might buy the coldest beer in town. I was instructed to get back on the highway and I would see Dallas about 30 miles down the road.
I fell absolutely in love with Texas and Texans. Yankees have to do that when they are assigned a summer non-air-conditioned classroom. One student brought ice cold watermelons to the 7:30 gathering, which he cut up and we ate during our breaks. The fans in the lecture auditorium wobbled. I was fearful a set of blades would fly off and decapitate everyone. I sat near the door.
At first, the students and I were equally bewildered by each other. I was, for example, very concerned about the young man in one of my classes who had a “pine” in his leg. Now when I hear Texan spoken in Minnesota it catches my attention so fast that I make any excuse for a conversation.
I made some of the best friends among the students and faculty that I have had in my lifetime. It brings tears to my eyes to recall how gracious, how helpful, how simply “good” everyone (well, almost) was to me.
At 82, I continue to paint and exhibit. So many memories, but still enough space left to express my gratitude.
Professor Emeritus Lorraine E. BergerMinneapolis, Minn.
At left, Berger is pictured as a sponsor of the Student Art Education Association in the 1968 Yucca. Read a longer version of her letter at northtexan.unt.edu/yankee-in-texas.
walk that Robert Kennedy made as part of the fitness program being promoted by President John Kennedy. This reminded me of the 50-mile walk that I made at UNT.
In February 1963, two other classmates (Edwin Kuehn and George Jones) and I started walking on a 50-mile loop outside Denton.
Charles Ludeman made several trips to check on us. He also kept Dian Hoppe of Crumley Hall informed of our status and told her that I would like to take her to a basketball game that evening. That changed our relation-ship, and our 49th anniver-sary will be this year.
Unfortunately, my two
good friends had to drop out of the hike but I did finish and ended up with my picture in the Campus Chat.
After graduating, we moved and I lost track of our North Texas friends until a year or so ago when I found them on the Internet. As we were filling in the stories of our lives, we all recalled that dark and chilly night when we departed on the Presi-dent’s walk.
Gary David Schill (’65)Mercer Island, Wash.
Chilton days
After learning my third niece will be attending UNT in the fall, I reminisced about attending from 1964 through 1967. I have many fond memories of North Texas.
I lived in Chilton Hall my entire three years. At that time sororities were housed in seven of the nine ramps that made up Chilton Hall. I
lived in one of the non-Greek ramps (Ramp 7). Each was only accessible through the front door, which opened onto a stoop onto the courtyard.
Men, even fathers, were not allowed into a ramp except at the beginning of a semester when they could help a girl move in.
The ramps had the look of a New York Brownstone. The doors were locked at 10:50 p.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. You could only stay out until 1 a.m. with special permission. The courtyard was the scene for fraternities’ pinning ceremonies. It was sort of magical and movielike!
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 7
The last 50 years
I am a 1962 speech and drama graduate who added an M.Ed. from East Texas State University in 1966. I taught, coached and was a principal at Mount Vernon, Yantis, Avery and Overton for 20 years. I also spent 14 years in my own business and almost 20 working for others.
I am the last graduate to never go “on line” or do anything with a computer. Good luck has allowed me to play golf in 10 states and two countries, travel extensively, stay connected to the theatre and be blessed with healthy kids, 12 grandchildren and a beautiful wife.
I attended a tour of the campus in 2002 with a niece who would be attending that fall. We toured Chilton, which is now an office building. The courtyard had been entirely filled in and incorporated into the building with no resemblance to the original dormitory.
I asked the tour guide if this had originally been a dorm and she answered it had been many years before. When my niece volunteered that I had lived there while attending UNT, the guide seemed absolutely stunned that I was still ambulatory!
We all had a great laugh. Connie Fielding Britz (’67)Okemos, Mich.
My best friend of a lifetime — Felix — I met at North Texas, but he was the only friend I stayed in contact with over the years.
I wonder what became of the others who shared my love for golf, theatre, dance, horseback riding. I search the letters for some of the names but never see them: Bogen, Young, Lee, Lopez, Peninger, Poyser, George, Sappenfield, etc. Where did the last 50 years go? North Texas was so special!
Joe Taylor (’62)Overton
Digital library
As an alum with a master’s in English, I was keenly
if you would like to comment
on a story, share your memories or
photos, submit news or obituaries,
or otherwise get in touch with us,
we would love to hear from you.
email: [email protected]
online: northtexan.unt.edu
(follow the “Contact Us” link)
phone: 940-565-2108
fax: 940-369-8763
mail: The North Texan;
University of North Texas;
Division of University Relations,
Communications and Marketing;
1155 Union Circle #311070;
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
Tell us about ... a favorite photo
Linda Tillman Gustwick (’61) of
Natchitoches, La., sent us this photo
from the 1959-60 school year,
showing her Alpha Phi sorority
sisters Lurline Krider and Ruth Ann
Hyndman posing with “The Student,”
a statue that graced the courtyard at
Chilton Hall from the 1940s through
the 1960s. “I am sure other alumni
from this era would remember the
statue and have stories to tell about
it,” she says. You’ll find part of the
statue on display in Chilton Hall today. Do you have favorite campus photos
from your North Texas years? Mail or email them to us and we’ll share them
with readers in print or online.
interested in a comment in the spring issue announcing the new digital library. I went to the Internet address and searched for my master’s thesis (“Mark Twain’s Views on Formal Education”) but could not find it. Is the digitization process not yet complete?
Tom Cameron (’66 M.A.)Bremerton, Wash.
Editor’s note: Thanks for checking. The libraries’ digital projects staff began work on the collection in 2010 and estimate they are about halfway through the 8,000 to 10,000 volumes to be digitized.
8 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Today
WHEN THE FIRST BUILDING ON CAMPUS, THE Normal Building, was completed in 1891 at Hickory and Avenue B, a barbed-wire fence was needed to keep out livestock. UNT has come a long way since its days as a 10-acre campus on the prairie west of town. New historical signs commemorate that first building and 10 others, telling stories of the generations and experiences that have made UNT what it is today — a major public research university that remains focused on its students and providing the best educational experience. UNT is now the nation’s 25th largest public university and home to many nationally and internationally recognized programs. A replica of one of the signs was unveiled April 12 at University Day (above).
THE CoRRIDoR oF YEARS
Signs commemorating early campus buildings are reminders of UNT’s rich history and spirit.
Read more about the historical signs and find a map of
their locations at northtexan.unt.edu/historical-signs.
i n t h i s s e C t i o n Brilliantly Green p / 10
Global Connection p / 11
Mean Green p / 12
ask an expert p / 16
uNT alumni association p / 17
Jona
than
Rey
nold
s
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 9
d i r e c T o r o f T h e y e a rCarol Hagen successfully combines her roles as senior lecturer of teacher education and administration in the College of Education and director of UNT’s Child Development Laboratory to make a difference in the lives of students, children and families. For her dedication, Hagen earned the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers’ 2013 Director of the Year Award. Since 1987, she has overseen the laboratory, a high-quality preschool program that also serves as a research center and training site for students pursuing careers in early childhood education, child
development and play therapy.
Condoleezza Rice spoke at the UNT Coliseum and participated in a Q&A with students as part of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
UNT was named among the top 100 “Most Affordable
Large Public Colleges” by Affordable Colleges
Online.
Gary Payne
Jonathan Reynolds
condoleezza rice lecture
Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke on democracy, immigration reform, education and terrorism this spring as part of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Now an award- winning Stanford University faculty member, she discussed her love for education and teaching during her keynote address. As part of the series, she also sat down for a Q&A with students.
Rice, Secretary of State under former President George W. Bush, is regarded as one of today’s foremost leading experts on foreign policy and terrorism. She made history as the second
woman and the first African American woman to hold the post. She also was the first woman to serve as national security advisor to a U.S. president. She held various other foreign policy posts under Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
digital retailing center
UNT’s new Global Digital Retailing Research Center in the College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism is a hub for UNT faculty and industry experts addressing complex issues in e-commerce. It is the first interdisciplinary center in the U.S. focused completely on digital retailing.
Professionals worldwide in retail, hospitality management, technology and other indus-tries will use the center to access faculty expertise and industry research.
The center also will provide opportunities for research collaborations between industry experts and faculty researchers, who will test websites, social media, smartphone shopping applications, tablets and other digital retailing technologies.
The center is home to UNT’s Consumer Experiences in Digital Environments research cluster. JCP.com founder Richard Last, lecturer in merchandising and digital retailing, is the center’s director.
10 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Today
B R I L L I A N T LY G R E E N
pass it on: Great things are happening at uNT. learn about them here and share our successes with your family and friends. • time travel. Reliving Texas history 1 million different ways just got easier thanks to UNT’s Portal to Texas History at texashistory.unt.edu. This spring, the UNT libraries celebrated a milestone of 1 million digitized Texas newspaper pages online, covering everything from the battle for independence against Mexico to the 1900 Galveston hurricane and more.
• growing future ecologists. UNT will get greener this fall when the university begins offering a new bachelor’s degree in ecology for environmental science — the first university in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to do so. Starting with water research in the 1930s, UNT has built a strong legacy in programs and research for students focused on ecology, conservation and environmental science.
• road test. Racing and ingenuity are what students in UNT’s Society for Automotive Engineers and Mean Green Racing are all about. This spring, members — engineering, business and other majors — with a need for speed and efficiency built a Formula SAE series race car from scratch at UNT’s Discovery Park. This summer, the team will put the car to its first test at the Society for Automotive Engineers International Formula SAE race against 80 other university chapters in Lincoln, Neb. Read more about the team’s building process at northtexan.unt.edu/mean-green-racing.
Michael Clem
ents
Jona
than
Rey
nold
s
NSf fellows
UNT’s supportive learning environment produces some of the nation’s top student researchers. Katherine Lester (’13) and Daniel Munro (’13) are among those who have
earned prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships while attending UNT.
As an undergraduate geography major, Lester studied homelessness and the distribution of services in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, identifying underserved areas with the help of Joseph Oppong, professor of geogra-phy. She will continue her research at UNT while earning a master’s in geography and a Ph.D. in environmental science.
Munro, a graduate of UNT’s Honors College, used computational methods to understand human microbi-omes, or communities of bacteria, in relation to HIV infection, gum disease, diabetes and other medical conditions in the Bioinformatics Research Laboratory of Qunfeng Dong, assistant professor of biological sciences. Munro plans to continue his research while pursuing a Ph.D. in quantita-tive and computational biology at Princeton University.
outstanding dissertation
Examining how Latino adolescent immigrants gain literacy skills outside of school made for an award-winning dissertation for Mary Amanda Stewart (’12 Ph.D.).
Stewart, who earned her doctorate in literacy and language, received the 2013 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from Phi Delta Kappa International. She is a postdoctoral research associate for the Morningside Children’s Partnership.
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 11
alaska partnership
Students taking the course “Introduction to Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation” at UNT now can explore wildlife and culture in the sub-Arctic region of Alaska as well as the sub-Antarctic region of Chile thanks to a new partnership between UNT and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Since last year, the course — offered through UNT’s Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Research and Conservation program — has included a component on the sub-Arctic region of Alaska. Three professors from UAF partici-pated in teaching and course discussions through video conference, says Jaime Jiménez, professor of biological sciences and co-director of UNT’s program.
This spring, the universities signed a formal agreement for UAF professors to teach the Alaska component through video conference. The class will compare the landscapes, cultures, wildlife and under-
standing of conservation in the sub-Arctic of Alaska and in Chile’s Cape Horn Biosphere, one of the world’s last pristine wildernesses, Jiménez says.
“The new agreement extends UNT’s program to the far north, allowing for research collaborations in the sub-Polar regions,” he says.
Since 2008, students taking the course have been exposed to wildlife and culture in the Cape Horn region as part of UNT’s partnership with the Universidad de Magallanes and
the Chilean Institute of Ecol ogy and Biodiversity. UNT also collaborates with its Chilean partners to offer the study abroad course “Tracing Darwin’s Path.”
“The partnership provides an umbrella for new academic and research collaborations between UNT and Alaska and eventually for Alaska students to participate in our study abroad course,” Jiménez says. “It has been very successful. Students love the course.”
G L o B a L c o N N e c T i o N
>>
f u L B r i G h T a w a r d SThree UNT professors earned Fulbright awards for 2013-14. Marc Cut right, associate professor of higher education and director of UNT’s Higher Education Development Initiative, was named a Fulbright Scholar to Uganda, where he will work with the Inter-University Council for East Africa to produce more Ph.D. graduates. Tomas Mantecon, associate professor of finance, was named a Fulbright Scholar to Johannes Kep ler University in Austria, where he will teach and conduct research investigating corporate gover-nance by American and Austrian financial firms. Lisa owen, associate professor of art history, earned a Fulbright-Nehru Research Award to conduct research in India for a second book examining medieval
temples carved into natural rock.
At left, Ricardo Rozzi, professor of philosophy and co-director of UNT’s Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Research and Conservation pro-gram, with Jamie Hollingsworth, manager of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research site.
Jaime Jim
énez
12 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Today
Sun Belt champions
The Mean Green women’s tennis team closed out the 2012-13 season with its third Sun Belt Conference Championship win in four years. And the women’s track and field team and the men’s golf team, which was ranked No. 37 in the country, each won their second consecutive Sun Belt Confer-ence Championships. Senior Rodolfo Cazaubon advanced to the NCAA Championship in Atlanta as the lowest-scoring golfer on a team that didn’t advance. He was UNT’s first individual player to vie for the national golf title in the modern era.
Tennis coach Sujay Lama, golf coach Brad Stracke and track coach Carl Sheffield were each named Sun Belt Coach of the Year for their sports. Beginning in July, the Mean Green will compete in Conference USA.
hall of fame honorees
Two of the best defensive linemen in Mean Green history, a running back great, an all-around standout football player and a track and field star were inducted into UNT’s Athletic Hall of Fame this spring. Pictured from left are long jump specialist Ron Linscomb (’66); Pat
Chapman, accepting for her late husband, lineman Walter Chapman (’77); lineman Brandon Kennedy; Jamario Thomas (’08), who led the nation in rushing as a freshman; and fullback and Mean Green ambassador C. Dan Smith (’62).
Student athletes excel, hall of famers named
Find the latest Mean Green news and buy season tickets at meangreensports.com.
Rick
Yea
tts
Volleyball standout
Competing comes easy for UNT volleyball
middle blocker and junior Courtney
Windham. She beat out 57 other middle
blockers participating in the 2013 U.S.
Women’s National Team open Tryouts at
the U.S. olympic Training Center in
Colorado Springs, Colo., to become one
of 48 players chosen for the USA
Women’s National Volleyball Senior A2
team. An All-Sun Belt Conference player,
she is training in Dallas and will compete
at the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National
Championships in July. Her performance
could secure her a spot on the U.S.
Women’s National Volleyball team.
Rick Yeatts
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 13
advanced weather radar
A new advanced radar system at Discovery Park — UNT’s 300-acre research campus — is allowing UNT to help provide severe weather data and warnings for the North Texas region.
The Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere radar, part of a multi-sensor weather monitoring network in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, helps local emergency manag-ers, National Weather Service forecasters and weather-sensi-tive industries by reducing injuries and costs associated with severe weather. The radar collects data faster and provides five to 10 times more detailed data than current systems.
UNT faculty will use the radar’s data to research how the emerging technology can contribute to developments in emergency management, public administration, engineering and business. UNT emergency staff also will have access to the data for campus emergency preparedness.
The system was brought to the region as part of a project among several universities and governmental organizations, including the Engineering Research Center for Collabora-tive Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, the National Weather Service Office of Science and Technology, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Student marketing award
With the help of faculty and alumni, marketing major Thomas Pemberton is making real-life impacts in business. He was named DFW Ameri-can Marketing Association Collegiate Marketer of the Year for implementing an innovative digital marketing strategy for Culinaire International.
Pemberton is a project manager with SPYCH, a Dallas marketing research and consulting firm, and owns the online business Trending Global. He credits marketing faculty Michael Gade and Francisco Guzmán and former UNT student and SPYCH CEO Ben Smithee for helping him succeed.
N e h G r a N TFor 25 years, Steven Friedson, Distinguished Research Professor of music and anthropology, has studied music and ritual in Africa and its effect on people, as well as medical and religious practices. The research has earned him a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support his work and travel in the Volta region of Ghana, where he is completing the last book in a trilogy documenting his findings. Friedson’s research is routinely cited in publications, from introductions to anthropology for undergraduates to
medieval studies on ritual. His book is expected to be published in 2015.
From left, Andrew Harris, vice president for finance and administration, and Randy Fite, director of facilities maintenance, at the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere radar installation at UNT’s Discovery Park, this spring.
As a leader in sustainability, UNT
has reduced its carbon footprint by more than
a half billion pounds through projects such
as installing wind turbines at Apogee
Stadium.
Jonathan Reynolds
Angilee Wilkerson
14 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Today
Goldwater Scholars
Before graduating this spring from UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Helen Xiong and Kevin Chen were named 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars, a prestigious honor for students planning careers in mathemat-ics, science and engineering. UNT leads all Texas universi-
ties, with 52 scholars, to date.
Xiong researched polymer brittleness and nanocomposites under Witold Brostow, Regents Professor of materials science and engineering and
director of UNT’s Laboratory for Advanced Polymers and Optimized Materials. She plans to study chemical engineering or physics at Stanford University this fall.
Chen worked with Xiaotu Ma, research scientist of molecular and cell biology at the University of Texas at Dallas,
and Adi Gazdar, professor of pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, to develop a new statistical tool for cancer data analysis. He will study molecu-lar biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University in the fall.
howard hughes grant
Irán Román, a senior majoring in biology, music theory and German, wants to discover which genes play key roles in diseases such as cancer, HIV and diabetes. He earned a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research
Opportunities Program grant to research genetics and cellular biology at Stanford University this summer.
He was among 20 students chosen to attend Stanford to train as the next generation of leaders in biological research under Tim Stearns, associate professor of biology and genetics. Román and Stearns’ research will use yeast as a model organism and molecular techniques to study human genes. Román will present his research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute headquarters.
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uNT’s emeritus college
UNT’s Emeritus College proves that learning can take place
at any age. Supporting UNT’s bold goal of serving its community
through meaningful outreach and partnerships, the college
provides lifelong learning through non-credit classes, travel-learn
trips and social activities for adults age 50 and older. The annual
membership fee is $140 for unlimited classes September through
May. Housed in UNT’s Center for Achievement and Lifelong
Learning, the college has quadrupled its membership to 400 and
increased its course offerings to more than 100 classes since it
began five years ago. This fall, the college will expand its reach by
offering classes at UNT, Texas Woman’s University and Robson Ranch, a Denton retirement community.
Ken Dickson (’66, ’68 M.S.), Professor Emeritus of biological sciences and founder and director of UNT’s Elm Fork Education
Center, oversees the growing college, which offers classes taught by active and retired faculty from UNT and Texas Woman’s
University, as well as area professionals.
“Emeritus College is a Denton treasure for our members because it allows them to attend thought-provoking classes
and meet interesting people,” Dickson says. “Both active and retired faculty who participate in Emeritus College love
teaching to an audience of smart, engaged people. We provide an experience that’s a win-win opportunity for both class
members and teachers.”
Learn more about UNT’s Emeritus College at call.unt.edu/emerituscollege and watch videos at
northtexan.unt.edu/online.
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 15
p h OTO Gallery
1
2
3
1 UNT’s first Graduate Exhibition March 2-3 showcased the work of graduate students who competed for $10,000 in prizes based on their ability to explain their research. Above, composer Mark Oliveiro’s re-creation of an ancient Roman musical document.
2 From left, Jake Heggie and internationally renowned tenor Richard
Croft discuss the rehearsal of Heggie’s Ahab Symphony, which premiered April 24 at UNT.
3 UNT’s College of Business hosted its third annual Golf Classic at The Vaquero Club in Westlake to raise money to benefit its inspiring students and educational programs. From left, President V. Lane Rawlins, John Wolfner, Doug Brooks, Taylor Brooks, Preston Phillips and Dean Finley Graves.
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16 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Today
................................................................................ask an expert
uNT dallas president
Ronald Brown, former provost and senior vice
president for academic aff airs at Wayne State University, has been named president of UNT Dallas. His appointment is eff ective July 1.
Brown brings a wealth of experience to the UNT System. He previously served as dean of the College of Health Professions and Social Work and interim dean of the School of Dentistry at Temple University. He succeeds UNT Dallas Founding President
John Ellis Price, who an-nounced last summer that he would step down at the conclu-sion of his current contract.
Presidential search
Th is spring, UNT President V. Lane Rawlins announced his plans to retire this year once a new president is appointed to replace him. A Presidential Search Advisory Committee is identifying strong, experienced candidates to lead the UNT
System’s fl agship campus. Th e 17-member committee appointed by Chancellor Lee Jackson includes students, alumni, faculty, staff , adminis-trators, a UNT System representative, and business and community leaders. Rawlins, who joined UNT in 2010, will remain involved upon retirement as President Emeritus.
The most common mistake — and worst response — in a disaster is to panic, says Capt. Jim Coff ey (’93) with UNT’s Police Depart-
ment. Coff ey has more than 25 years of experience teaching groups how to remain calm and save lives in the event of public disasters or emergencies, which are becoming increasingly more common across the U.S.
He says panic causes unclear thinking and the inability for people to see escape options when faced with danger. Th ey often react inappropriately and make “non-life-saving reactions” in high-stakes situations.
“When you panic, you are less likely to be able to think clearly and eff ectively,” Coff ey says. “You are more likely to pick up on natural warning signs and cues when you are aware and paying attention to your surroundings.”
Coff ey off ers the following tips to increase your chances of survival in the event of a public disaster by thinking clearly and choosing lifesaving responses.
Be aware• Keep your head up when walking in public. Do not text
or do anything that would cause you to be unaware of your immediate surroundings.
• Stay alert and aware.• Note things out of the ordinary.
Trust your instincts• Do not suppress or ignore feelings of fear.
Th ey can be used to your advantage. Gavin DeBecker’s book, Th e Gift of Fear, is an excellent resource on self-protection and reducing risk in everyday life.
• Be willing to change your plans if something appears wrong or you get a bad feeling.
• Trust your instincts if someone around you acts suspiciously. Notify authorities.
Take action• Have a plan. Be conscious of escape
routes and areas that provide shelter and concealment.
• Do not overload your arms with packages or sacks when walking to your car. Use a cart when possible.
• Consider changing your route or walking in a diff erent direction to avoid potentially dangerous situations.
how can you prepare for a public disaster or emergency?
Michael Clem
ents
— Adrienne Nettles
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 17
uNT alumni association
To join the association or learn more, visit untalumni.com, email [email protected] or call 940-565-2834.
Gary Payne
UNT’s Big Event impacts communities throughout the North Texas region in big ways with the help of UNT alumni, students, student organizations, and faculty and staff volunteers. For the past three years, the Big Event, a nation-wide community service program, has been held at UNT with volunteers committing thousands of hours to nonprofi t organizations to make a diff erence in the community. More than 2,500 volunteers and 60 organizations reached out to help local communities in the North Texas region this spring. And for the fi rst time, members of the UNT Alumni Association were offi cial partners.
More than 20 alumni signed on to participate in packaging meals on campus for Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization, and the association hopes to see that number grow in the future, says Robert McKinney (’03), director of events for UNT’s Alumni Association.
“We were honored to participate in an event that brings together the entire UNT community through service opportunities,” he says.
Ernest Martinez (’11), above, and his wife, Monica (’06), helped package meals. He says it was a great opportunity to show students that being involved with UNT doesn’t end after graduation.
“We hope all students will commit themselves to doing something positive in our world and community now and as alumni,” Martinez says.
a L Z h e i M e r ’ S r e S e a r c h
Grapes could be the key to slowing Alzheimer’s disease. Richard Dixon, Distinguished Research Professor of biological sci ences and a National Academy of Sciences member, is conducting research to uncover how grape seed extract helps slow the progression of the disease. He and researchers from Mount Sinai’s Ichan School of Medicine and Purdue University are continuing the fi rst-of-its-kind study to show how the extract prevents development or delays progression of Alzheimer’s in mice. His lab at UNT is developing synthesized versions of the grape seed-derived compounds and the pro-cedure to create and test them. His work is funded by a National Institutes of Health grant through
Mount Sinai.
Shuford hall of honor
Dallas icon Vivian Castle-berry, a staunch advocate for women’s rights and peace, has received the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journal-ism’s most prestigious honor, the C.E. Shuford Hall of Honor Award.
Castleberry, the fi rst female editor of the Dallas Times Herald, is a founder of the Women’s Center in Dallas and Th e Family Place, the fi rst women’s shelter in the city. In 1987, she created the nonprofi t Peacemakers Inc. UNT’s peace studies program collaborated with Peacemakers Inc. in 2010 to establish the Castleberry Peace Institute at UNT, the only peace science research institute in the southern U.S.
cardiomyopathy research
UNT undergraduate researchers Alysha Joseph and Diana Wang, who graduated this spring from UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, conducted research with Douglas Root, associate professor of biological sciences, to discover a new drug to treat hereditary cardiomyopathy disease, the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes.
Th ey found that positively charged polyamine compounds stabilized the weakened region of heart muscle protein that causes the disease, the fi rst step in developing new drugs. In April, they presented their work at a Council on Under-graduate Research event in Washington, D.C.
Members of the UNT Alumni Association helped prepare food packages for Stop Hunger Now as part of this year’s Big Event.
18 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Was Ceo and founding
executive of one of the
largest Texas-based banks,
George F. Jones Jr. (’67)
says uNT gave him the
foundation to jumpstart
his 40-year career and
taught him that focus,
hard work and collabora-
tion are key to success.
develop my interest in banking.”Born and raised in Dallas, Jones
commuted to campus, attended classes during the day and worked at least 30 hours each week.
“I was pretty focused,” he says. “I didn’t have time not to be.”
Now, with more than 40 years of banking experience, Jones is one of the most recognizable figures in Dallas finance. His professional credits include executive leadership in many of Dallas’ key financial institutions, including Resource Bank Dallas and Comerica Bank-Texas, where he supervised a commercial loan portfolio of nearly $1 billion. Jones also was president and CEO of NorthPark National Bank and president of North-Park National Corp.
But Jones is more than a dedicated banking professional. He also is focused on giving back. He actively serves as a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and was a past chair of the club’s Foundation Board of Trustees. The organization is committed to working with troubled and at-risk children and their families to help them transform the children’s futures.
“Community service is an essential part of being a good citizen,” he says. “It’s the right thing to do, and it’s rewarding for so many reasons.”
And Jones says he will be forever grateful for the education and the mentor-ship he received at UNT. He still remem-bers his economics professor challenging him to broaden his worldview and approach economics through the lens of real-life applications.
“It’s hard to put into words the influence the university had on me as a young man,” he says. “UNT was such a helpful and nurturing environment, but the professors also really challenged us to think critically about the world and our role in it.”
hen George F. Jones Jr. (’67) transferred to the university in 1965, he was a young man looking for a fresh academic start. He discovered a career path that has made him one of the most influential men in the Texas banking industry.
Jones, 68, says his early college years lacked focus, discipline and purpose.
“From the point I was admitted, UNT took the time to care about me. The faculty made an effort to get to know me,” he says. “They understood my needs and found a way to foster talents I didn’t know I had.”
Jones says the personal attention he received from faculty and their high- quality instruction transformed him from a wayward young man into a hardworking college student who spent the hours he wasn’t in class working as a teller at a bank just blocks from campus.
Today, he serves as president and CEO of Texas Capital Bank and its parent company, Texas Capital Bancshares Inc. By assets, Texas Capital is considered the second-largest bank headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Jones and others founded the bank in 1998 with $80 million in private capital. At the time, it was the largest privately held bank in the U.S., raising $125 million before going public in 2003.
“I owe so much of my success to my time at UNT,” Jones says. “The experience was such a stabilizing force in my life, giving me direction and helping me
by Jaime Blanton
George f.Jones Jr.
S u m m e r 2 0 1 3 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 19
George F. Jones Jr. (’67)Dallas
degree in: Banking and finance
advice for graduates: It’s important to be purpose-
driven about who you want to be
personally and professionally.
Spend time thinking about how
you want to define success,
visualize your goal and
follow it through.
Best career lesson learned:Have the self-confidence to trust
your instincts. You have to learn
when to trust yourself and when
to just go for it.
definition of leadership: A lot of people mistakenly think
that leadership is about getting
to the top, but it’s not that at
all. It’s building an organization
where everyone feels like they
contribute in a meaningful way.
Good leaders hire and surround
themselves with smart people
who share their vision, look for
ways to move their organization
forward and are empowered to
achieve success personally and
as a group.
on serving the community:I give back in part because UNT
gave me a second chance to
be successful, and so now it’s
important for me to help other
young people.
visit northtexan.unt.edu/online for more Q&a.
Andrew Klein
UNT KRISTIN FARMER AUTISM CENTERProviding autism diagnostic testing, counseling and comprehensive intervention services, including behavioral, speech, occupational and physical therapy services.autism.unt.edu
UNT SPEECH AND HEARING CENTEROff ering comprehensive assessment and treatment services, including state-of-the-art hearing aid technology, for individuals with hearing, speech and language problems.speechandhearing.unt.edu/sphs-clinic
UNT CENTER FOR SPORT PSYCHOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE
Off ering sport psychology consultation to individual athletes and sport teams to help them develop the skills and mindset needed to reach optimal levels of performance.sportpsych.unt.edu
UNT EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC PROGRAMOff ering musical development and preparation to children 5 years of age and younger.music.unt.edu/musiced/ecmusic
H U — L PWe are proud to be the hometown university for the North Texas region and a partner in addressing the needs and solving the problems of the communities we serve. Together, we’re building a stronger region and a better tomorrow.
AA/EOE/ADA © 2013 UNT
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MuseH U — L P
MUSEUMMURALIST
Wildlife and natural history leap from the walls of museums through art alumna’s realistic digital painting.
Read more about Carr’s career as a museum artist and her creative process at northtexan.unt.edu/karen-carr.
i n t h i s s e c t i o n Books p / 22
Dance and Theatre p / 23
upcoming events p / 23
Music p / 24
Television and Film p / 24
visual arts p / 25
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KAREN CARR’S ’84 JOB REQUIRES NIFTY research. She has painted murals and illustrations for more than 100 museums worldwide — including 700 human origin images for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., fi ve plant life murals for the Australian Museum and eight murals and 41 dinosaur images for Dallas’ new Perot Museum of Nature and Science (above).
“I’ve seen polar bears in the wild, stood on a volcano, dug up dinosaurs, boated past hippos, walked across the planet’s oldest rocks, hiked in rainforests, and touched historic artifacts from Addis Ababa to Washington, D.C., just to learn more before painting,” she says.
22 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
MuseBooks
Immigrants’ viewsAssociate
professor of
sociology Ami
R. Moore, who
came to the
United States
from Togo
in 1992, was inspired by her
own and other African immi-
grants’ experiences to write Th e American Dream Th rough the Eyes of Black African Immigrants in Texas (University Press of
America).
In the book, she examines
whether black African immi-
grants in Texas are achieving not
only economic success but also
moralistic success, such as being
valued and respected. Moore,
who received a Fulbright U.S.
Scholar research grant to study
AIDS-related issues in her
native country, says, “I wanted to
understand the lived experiences
of black African immigrants and
their views with regard to the
American dream.”
Tribute to CampbellTh is Corner of Canaan: Essays on Texas in Honor of Randolph B. Campbell
(UNT Press) is an anthology of
17 essays on Texas history
written by colleagues and former
students of Campbell, UNT’s
Lone Star Professor of Texas
History and one of the leading
authorities on the subject.
Rick McCaslin, history
department chair, edited the
book along with Donald E.
Chipman, Professor Emeritus of
history, and Andrew J. Torget,
assistant professor of history. He
says they wanted to honor
Campbell, who has been a
mentor and friend to them.
“It was not hard to fi nd
colleagues and former students
who were eager to contribute to
the project,” McCaslin says.
Poetry collectionRegents Profes-
sor of English
Bruce Bond
suff ered two
long-term
nervous system infections that
led him to think about the
relationship between the mind
and the body — and inspired his
newest poetry collection, Choir of the Wells (Etruscan Press).
Bond wrote most of the
poems during a fi ve-year span,
using a UNT Institute for the
Advancement of the Arts
Fellowship and a Research and
Creativity Enhancement award.
“Th e scope of the work
attempts to hit many registers in
terms of meditative depth, lyric
speed and surreal vitality,” he
says, “while grounding itself in
dimensions of personal and
cultural history.”
Learn more about Bond’s
impact on UNT’s creative
writing program on page 34.
Making his (trade)markJames Thurman can turn an atlas into a dinner plate. He can transform a stack
of offi ce paper into a bangle bracelet. He can make a necklace out of a novel.
How does he do it?
With Thurmanite.
Thurman, assistant professor in the College of Visual Arts and Design, makes
plates, bowls, glasses, pendants, bracelets and other artistic works out of a
material that he describes as similar to “plasticized wood.” Made of paper and
epoxy resin, the hard, plastic-like material resembles the grain of wood with
its layers of colors. And this year, that material was offi cially trademarked as
Thurmanite.
The trademark serves the useful purpose of identifying the material around
the world. Thurman has taught people how to make Thurmanite across the U.S., as well as in Japan and Turkey,
where his wife lives and he frequently has exhibitions and workshops during his summer and winter breaks.
Musicians have asked him to make keepsakes from their music practice books, and authors have asked him
to create Thurmanite from their written works. His favorite materials are maps, which hold layers of meaning in
their pages.
“Think of your life like layers of experience, and think of a map as one experience,” he says. “Layer all those
maps, and they become a composite of your life experience.”
Read more about Thurman and watch a video about how he creates Thurmanite at
northtexan.unt.edu/thurmanite.
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upcoming events
The College of Music’s offering of summer workshops will include free concerts for the public. The concerts include the Unt Jazz winds workshop faculty concerts at 7 p.m. July 8-11 at Kenton Hall in the Music Building; the Jazz Combo workshop faculty Concert at 3 p.m. July 14 at the Recital Hall in the Music Building; and the mariachi workshop Concert at noon July 27 at Winspear Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center. Check music.unt.edu/calendar for more information.
The Orchid Thief author Susan orlean, Texas Monthly writer Skip Hollandsworth and Pulitzer Prize-winning military historian Rick Atkinson will speak at the mayborn literary nonfiction Conference July 19-21 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Confer-ence Center in Grapevine. This year’s theme focuses on writing historical narratives. For more information, go to journalism.unt.edu/maybornconference.
UNT employees will show off the work they create in their off hours in on my own time: Unt employee art exhibition from July 29 to Aug. 14 at UNT on the Square. Prizes will be given for “Best of Show” and “People’s Choice,” as well as in 11 categories for different media. Those winners will be displayed at the regional exhibition, sponsored by the Business Council for the Arts, at NorthPark Center in Dallas. Learn more at untonthesquare.unt.edu.
The UNT Art Gallery will feature the works of nine contemporary artists who explore nature and botanical forms in sculpture, ceramics and other installations in the exhibit beyond natural
running from Sept. 17 to Nov. 2. Lisa Hatchadoorian, an indepen-dent curator based in New York, organized the exhibit. The opening reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 19. Learn more at gallery.unt.edu.
visit calendar.unt.edu for more upcoming events.
Dance and Theatre
The Heights of success
Senior theatre major Matt
Ransdell waited five years to
play Usnavi, the Dominican-
American rapper and “good kid”
in the award-winning musical In the Heights. After auditioning for
Heights for its Broadway run and
not getting the part, he remained
drawn to the story.
He followed the progress of
the musical, which won four Tony
Awards and was nominated for
the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Dra-
ma. And his determination finally
landed him the role this spring in
the production presented by the
Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center
in Fort Worth.
Four other UNT students
also were involved with the
production. Senior performance
major Michael Alonzo played a
secondary character, The Piragua
Guy, and members of the ensem-
ble included senior theatre major
Aigner Mathis, senior kinesiology
major Jordan Ghanbari and junior
theatre major Rashard Turley.
Ransdell says the musical —
which depicts life in the Wash-
ington Heights neighborhood of
New York City — is a positive
depiction of Latinos trying to
make a better life for themselves,
their loved ones and community.
“Usnavi’s spirit is infectious
and you, or I, just can’t help but
root for him,” he says. “Playing
him changed my life.”
Lady and the ProfessorAndrew B. Harris, professor of
theatre history, play analysis and
playwriting, found some other
revelations when his play The Lady Revealed — about the “Dark Lady”
behind Shakespeare’s sonnets — was
presented in the Department of Dance
and Theatre this April.
The play focuses on British scholar
A.L. Rowse’s claim that Emilia Bassano was Shakespeare’s muse.
Harris, right, discovered Bassano’s relatives while researching the play in
England through a Research and Creativity Enhancement award from
UNT’s Office of Research and Economic Development. Those relatives
led him to Bassano relatives in Paris, Texas, including Pat Bassano, left,
and others in Dallas who saw the play. Harris has conducted talks to
mount a professional workshop next March with Jac Alder of Theater
3, one of Dallas’ most prominent theatres. Harris says he hopes the play
will be produced by other theatres in both the U.S. and in England.
“There is the potential to have a much wider audience.”
Learn more about the play at theladyrevealed.com.
Steve Cullen
24 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
Muse
Music
Band to watch
Andrew Savage (’08) and
Austin Brown met at UNT
at a meeting of the Knights of
the Round Turntable, a club in
which members listened to new
records. Now they’re members
of Parquet Courts, a Brooklyn-
based band whose CD, Light Up
A vision for music
Jeff Ryan (’95) has played
drums since he was 6, but he got
serious when he saw drummers
perform accross the UNT cam-
pus and was inspired by their
different sounds.
Now Ryan’s work can be
heard on the ambient album we were here, in which he performs
under the name Myopic, as
well as Jackleg Devotional to the Heart, the newest CD by the
Denton-based Baptist Generals.
He also played for Sarah Jaffe
and St. Vincent and the bands
Pleasant Grove, the New Year
and the War on Drugs.
He released his first CD,
plays in pieces, as Myopic in
2009. Myopic’s sound is instru-
mental, ambient “soundtrack-
ish” music.
“I just love painting my own
pictures and letting listeners
do the same,” he says. “I have
always been inspired by sounds
rather than lyrics and collaging
them together. It’s kind of what
Myopic is all about.”
Watch Ryan perform in a
Dallas Morning News video at
northtexan.unt.edu/online.
Gold, earned them the title of
“band to watch” by Rolling Stone magazine and features in Spin
and Interview magazines and the
New York Post. Savage says he’s surprised by
the larger venues and new fans
that the attention has drawn for
the band, but he considers it a
success that they’re working on
their second CD.
“My only goal is to remain
creative,” he says. “And to keep
focused and continue to have an
output people are interested in.”
Watch a Rolling Stone maga-
zine video of Parquet Courts at
northtexan.unt.edu/online.
Television and Film
Winning documentary
Sara Masetti’s (’13 M.F.A.)
film, Undocumented Dreams —
made for her master’s degree
in documentary film produc-
tion and studies — has earned
the Rising Star Award at the
Canada International Film Fest
in Vancouver and an Award of
Merit at the Best Shorts Com-
petition online.
The film also was shown
at several film festivals across
the country, including the New
Filmmakers Series in New York
City and the United Nations
Association Film Festival.
The documentary focuses
on a Texas student affected by
the DREAM Act, a federal bill
that would provide conditional
permanent U.S. residency to
students who arrived in the U.S.
as minors.
Masetti, who is from Italy,
says she could identify with
other immigrants.
“One of the challenges was
trying to craft an argument that
could be appealing to both sides
of the debate,” she says. “I was
trying to show the human story.”
Watch a trailer of the film at
northtexan.unt.edu/online.
Unique typeMichael Cina’s work can be seen on
an ad for a TV show or in an art gallery.
Cina has created graphics for Coke,
Pepsi, Disney and Nike and typefaces
for various companies and productions,
including the USA Network TV show
Covert Affairs. He’s also received
attention for his abstract paintings,
which were featured recently in the PBS
NewsHour arts blog.
Cina, who attended UNT from
1990 to 1995, says his visual communication and art classes gave him a
good foundation for the structure of graphic design and how to use it as
a springboard for other art. He also appreciates that he was given the
freedom to explore while being taught to have a strong work ethic and
extreme attention to detail.
“Those lessons are what I feel set me apart from other designers
today,” says Cina, who is based in Minneapolis, Minn.
“There is a delicate balance that feeds my creative needs,” he says.
“I love the firm structure of designing typefaces and drawing logos, but
it is 180 degrees from the free restraints of painting. Graphic design is
somewhere in between. The things I do inspire each other in an odd
way. It is how I am wired.”
Visit northtexan.unt.edu/online to see more of Cina’s work.
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Three faculty members will get a semester off from teaching so they can paint,
write and compose music, which will enhance their student’s learning environment
when they return to the classroom — thanks to a UNT Institute for the Advance-
ment of the Arts fellowship they each received for the 2013-14 academic year.
Robert Jessup, professor of studio arts, wants to develop and explore his paint-
ing, which has evolved from realistic fi gures to more abstract forms. He plans to
show his works at UNT on the Square, and at shows in Dallas and Houston.
Bonnie Friedman, assistant professor of English, will continue work on her
book of creative nonfi ction essays, Kingdoms of the Bronx, which focuses on how
a group of second-generation-immigrant Bronx residents imagine how they will
escape their circumstances.
Claudia Howard Queen, assistant professor of music for dance, will travel to
sacred Celtic sites in Ireland to compose a 20-minute music score for a new dance
work based on Celtic mysticism. The music/dance work will premiere in New York.
“I see the UNT IAA fellowship as a great honor,” Queen says, “and also as a
responsibility to strive to create something of signifi cance toward this goal.”
outstanding professors
M.F.A.), assistant professor of
international fi lm in the Depart-
ment of Radio, Television and
Film.
“Th e community has shown
me that there is a tremendous
need for an Arab fi lm festival
and I can’t wait to make it bigger
and better next year.”
Union proud
Bobby Lewis (’12 M.F.A.),
adjunct instructor of radio,
television and fi lm, wanted
to make a movie that proves
everyone has a story. He found
that subject in Earl Th ompson,
a janitor who works in UNT’s
University Union.
Film festival fi rst
Th e response to the Arab
Film Festival — the fi rst in
Texas — was so positive that
UNT’s Contemporary Arab and
Muslim Cultural Studies Insti-
tute plans to sponsor it again.
Th e festival, which took place
in April in Dallas, included
movies from Lebanon, Syria,
Palestine and other Arab
nations, as well as a panel
discussion about stereotypes
in the Arab world.
“We received support from
all over Texas, and attendance
for this year’s festival went
beyond everyone’s expecta-
tions,” says the festival’s founder
and director, Tania Khalaf (’07
Th e result is Th e Union Man, a nearly 10-minute movie
that follows Th ompson during
his night shift. Th e movie was
shown at several fi lm festivals
across the nation, including
Dallas and Minneapolis.
“Earl’s willingness, his lack
of ego and his transparency
made this fi lm possible,” Lewis
says. “I think this project helps
people realize we are not defi ned
by what we do for a living.”
Th ompson enjoyed the atten-
tion he received at the Dallas
International Film Festival.
“I felt like a movie star that
day,” he says. “It feels good when
people know who you are when
you walk in the room.”
Watch the trailer and the red
carpet interview with Lewis and
Th ompson at northtexan.unt.edu/online.
visual arts
Artistic vision
Jordan Roth (’98) opened
Ro2 Art in Dallas in 2009 with
his mother, Susan Roth Romans,
as a contemporary art gallery to
support artists in all types of
visual media. Th e gallery received
the 2012 Obelisk Award from
the North Texas Business
Council for the Arts, which
honors partnerships between arts
and businesses. Roth says he is
committed to exhibit the area’s
most talked-about artists.
“Being an alumnus, I’m proud
when we have the chance to show
someone from UNT,” he says.
From left, UNT’s 2013-14 Institute for the Advancement of the Arts Fellows Robert Jessup, Bonnie Friedman and Claudia Howard Queen.
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Hanny Lee
Jonathan Reynolds
Alisa Levy
or violinist Seula Lee, music defi nes how she perceives the world. How she conveys her emotions. How she envisions her future.
Th e music performance senior chose UNT’s world-renowned College of Music to perfect her craft under the guidance of acclaimed violinists. Lee, a co-concertmaster of the UNT Symphony Orchestra and a violinist for the UNT Center for Chamber Music Studies Piano Trio, spends up to 10 hours a day practicing.
Th at dedication has translated into numerous achievements, including winning the 2013 Coeur d’Alene National Young Artists Competition, the 2012-13 Sheila & Werner Harms Young Artist Competition and UNT’s annual Concerto Competition in 2013. With such notable awards and the knowledge she’s gained at UNT, the virtuoso is on her way to fulfi lling her dream of playing the violin as a lifelong career.
But this wouldn’t be possible without the donors who support scholarships that fund her education and competition travel.
Other donors bestow their gifts to support faculty who push her to musical greatness and the university where her transformation is possible.
F
Transforming UNT through its comprehensive fundraising campaign
by E B C T
MAKING A DIFFERENCEFOR STUDENTS
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“Without scholarships, I wouldn’t have been able to attend UNT’s music program, and I wouldn’t be able to pursue music full time,” says Lee, who earned a scholarship that honors UNT’s renowned former conductor Anshel Brusilow and another established by longtime benefactor Paul Voertman. “Th e scholarships helped change my life.”
Donors, including both UNT alumni and outside supporters, have coalesced around UNT’s push to greater excellence in a powerful way. At a gala event April 15, UNT unveiled the public phase of its comprehensive fundraising campaign. Th e campaign, called Th e light is green. Th e time is now. Th e Campaign for UNT, has raised 85 percent of its $200 million goal.
Th e campaign also includes a banner year of giving in 2011 during which UNT received a $22 million pledged gift — the largest in its history — and a $20 million naming sponsorship for UNT’s Apogee Stadium.
More than just a fundraising eff ort, Th e Campaign for UNT is raising the profi le for UNT as a growing public research university while expanding the university’s reputation and sphere of infl uence. Th e campaign is focused on three main goals: raising money to support the university and its people; engaging more alumni and supporters in the life and progress of the university; and developing a stronger culture of philanthropy at UNT.
“Th e campaign name says it all,” says President V. Lane Rawlins, who will continue to help with fundraising as President Emeritus after his retirement later this year. “UNT has momentum that builds on our long history as the engine of the North Texas region and our commitment to being the green light to greatness for our students. We’re maturing as an institution in everything from research to infl uence. And there’s widespread excitement about what we’re doing and where we’re going.
“All this, coupled with the strength and growth of the region and the state, has put
UNT in a prime position to seize new opportunities. Th is campaign is helping fuel our eff orts.”
UNT announced the campaign to an audience of more than 1,000 alumni and supporters at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas as part of the university’s star-studded Emerald Eagle Honors: Recognizing a Lifetime of Contributions to the American Landscape. Th e event was a fundraiser for UNT’s signature, award-winning Emerald Eagle Scholars program, which supports primarily fi rst-generation college students from families with limited means.
Hosted by two prominent UNT alumni — Melissa Rycroft Strickland (’05), who won Dancing With the Stars: All- Stars, and actor Peter Weller (’70), who is best known for starring in RoboCop and is starring in this summer’s Star Trek Into Darkness — the event honored alumni and future graduates, celebrating the transfor-mative power of a UNT education.
Alumni honored at the event included Dallas City Manager Mary K. Suhm (’74 M.S., ’84 M.B.A.), NFL Hall of Famer “Mean” Joe Greene and the late Roy Orbison, a rock ‘n’ roll icon who attended UNT in 1954-55 before his quick rise to fame. Th e event provided the perfect backdrop to publicly announce a cam-paign that is changing the face of UNT, says Michael Monticino, vice president for advancement.
“Th is campaign is about supporting our students and reinforcing excellence at UNT,” Monticino says. “Every dollar we raise, every donor we attract, every additional alum we bring back into the fold goes toward creating the best educational experience for our students.”
Notable alumni Melissa Rycroft Strickland (’05) and Peter Weller (’70) hosted UNT’s Emerald Eagle Honors fundraiser — the backdrop for the announcement of The Campaign for UNT — at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas this April.
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Supporting student successWhile every area of UNT benefits
through the campaign, Monticino says, it is directing critical support to scholar-ships, student life programs, faculty positions, research and facilities through private support, as well as foundation and corporate support.
Fostering student success is fundamental to UNT’s mission. And thanks to more than $27 million raised for new scholarships, The Campaign for UNT is making it possible for Lee and other high-quality students like recent public administration graduate Chelsea Gonzalez (’13 M.P.A.) to find their path to greatness.
Gonzalez chose UNT because of the strength of its graduate city management program, which U.S. News & World Report ranks first in Texas and eighth nationally. She also earned the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation Scholarship, which provides $27,000 for tuition and expenses over the course of the program to five UNT M.P.A. students each year.
The Sumners Foundation has partnered with UNT for more than 35 years, ensuring that the university has an impact in city government throughout the North Texas region.
“That scholarship played a big role in why I chose UNT,” says Gonzalez, who landed a full-time job with the town of Addison under city manager Ron Whitehead (’80 M.P.A.) after she graduated in May. “Now that I see how much UNT’s M.P.A. program has helped me, I see how critical it is to help the next generation succeed.”
UNT’s M.P.A. network is far-reach-ing. More city managers in Texas hold a degree from UNT than from any other university, according to an analysis of the Texas City Management Associa-tion’s directory.
Gonzalez also earned the College of Public Affairs and Community Service’s Debra Brooks Feazelle Internship Award, an endowment that honors one of Texas’ first female city managers, the late Debra Brooks Feazelle (’89). The award, which provides a subsidy to small cities or organizations to hire UNT’s M.P.A. interns, gave Gonzalez the opportunity to intern in Kennedale with its city manager, Bob Hart (’78 M.P.A.).
Career preparation and personal development is something to which campaign co-chair Frank Bracken (’63) can relate. Bracken, retired president of Haggar Clothing Co., says what sets
UNT apart from other institutions — and a big reason he chose UNT himself and excelled in business — is that it offers a full college experience filled with opportunity, all at an affordable cost.
Frank and his wife, Janet, give time and money to UNT. They support six student scholarships in the College of Business and recently committed $100,000 for study abroad and student exchange experiences. Frank Bracken also serves as the president of the Sigma Nu fraternity’s Dallas Alumni chapter, volunteering time to mentor his UNT brothers.
“If all you do when you’re in college is go to class and go to work, then you miss half your college experience,” Bracken says. “That’s why scholarship support is so important. It helps take the financial burden off students so they can focus on growing as individuals.”
Promoting faculty excellenceThe campaign is reinforcing faculty
excellence by supporting research and scholarship and helping UNT attract additional distinguished researchers and scholars, an important focus for a public research university committed to
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achieving recognition among the country’s top research universities. Th e campaign has led to the creation of a number of endowed chairs and professorships attracting renowned faculty.
Yong X. Tao, an internationally known expert in sustainable energy research and technologies, joined UNT as the PACCAR Professor of Engineering and the director of the PACCAR Technology Institute. Both positions are supported by a $1.5 million gift from PACCAR, the parent company of Denton-based Peterbilt Motors Co.
“Having support for research is critical for faculty members like me as we seek solutions to grand challenges such as dealing with a limited supply of energy sources to sustain the growing population,” says Tao, who also serves as chair of the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering and directs UNT’s Zero Energy Laboratory. Th e department and the lab have established UNT as a leader in research developing renewable energy and sustainable technologies.
“A big part of what we do as research-ers is share our knowledge with the next generation so they can carry on the innovative ideas and apply problem- solving skills,” Tao says.
UNT’s communication design program has inspired donors, too. In 2012, UNT received a $2.5 million bequest from an anonymous donor to establish the Jack Sprague Communica-tion Design Program, in honor of one of the College of Visual Arts and Design’s most distinguished faculty members.
Th e endowment created with the gift will generate more than $100,000 a year in scholarships and support for faculty and student projects, program resources, guest lectures and publications. Sprague retired in 2009 after 20 years of teaching at UNT, including 14 as head of the program.
“UNT’s reputation as a leader in art education comes from its ability to nurture creativity,” says communication design student Steven Schroeder, who earned the Taylor Austin Hicks Memorial Scholarship for the exploration of conceptual thinking in his work and the Mack Mathes Scholarship, another award for UNT’s best art students.
A portion of the gifts raised during the campaign have earned matching funds from the state’s initiative to help its eight emerging research universities move to the top tier. Th ey include a gift from Don Buchholz (’52), a former member of the
UNT System Board of Regents, who along with his wife gave $1 million to establish the Mike Moses Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership.
Th e Buchholzes generously gave an additional $1 million for the Donald A. Buchholz Doctoral Program in Educational Administration Scholarship. And Buchholz’s Dallas-based fi rm, Southwest Securities Inc., gave $1 million to support scholarships for the College of Education’s Southwest Securities Superintendent Certifi cation program.
Left: Robert Bland, professor and chair of public administration, with mentee Chelsea Gonzalez (’13 M.P.A.), recent public administration graduate. Right: Yong X. Tao, PACCAR Professor of Engineering and director of the PACCAR Technology Institute at UNT.
“A big part of what we do as researchers is share our knowledge with the next generation so they can carry on the innovative ideas and apply problem-solving skills.”
— Yong X. Tao, sustainable
energy expert at UNT
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Developing a culture of philanthropyWith transformation being a key
theme, Th e Campaign for UNT is helping usher in a new era of giving, led by longtime donors who’ve paved the way. Many of them are part of UNT’s Founder’s Circle, which consists of donors who have given more than $250,000 during their lifetime and are members of the McConnell Society, the Matthews Society or the Kendall Society. Each society is named for a former president who had a deep and lasting impact on UNT.
C. Dan Smith (’62), a former chair of the UNT System Board of Regents, has
been supporting Mean Green athletics for 30 years. He was instrumental in raising funds for UNT’s one-of-a-kind Apogee Stadium, giving $1 million and rallying other supporters. Smith is committed to helping UNT build state-of-the-art facilities, where student-athletes can excel and fans can enjoy cheering them on.
Smith, a former football player who was recently inducted into UNT’s Athletic Hall of Fame, says athletics is the key to engaging alumni and current UNT students, a critical element of Th e Campaign for UNT.
“A lot of people think athletics takes time and resources away from the academic side,” Smith says. “But the reality is if you get the athletic side moving and you get people involved and excited, a lot of them also will get excited about academics.”
Smith is not alone. Last year, a committee led by former UNT track and fi eld standout Ernie Kuehne Jr. (’66), who made a $1 million gift to athletics, helped raise more than $3 million in 30 days to fund a new basketball practice facility, new score-boards in the Coliseum and endowed scholarships. Th e eff ort capped off a
decade of momentum for Mean Green athletics, with more than 10 new facilities opening since 2004.
Smith, his wife, Le’Nore, and Kuehne are part of the McConnell Society, recognizing generous donors who have contributed $1 million or more. But Smith points out that every gift helps the university succeed.
“We do need the large gifts, but people who initially donate $100 or $500 will be the same people who in the future will donate larger amounts,” Smith says. “Every gift is important regardless of the amount.”
Engaging alumni and supportersKey drivers in Th e Campaign for
UNT are the new alumni and friends who are connecting with UNT with fi rst-time gifts to the university or by enrolling in the UNT Alumni Associa-tion. Th e UNT Annual Fund comprises thousands of donors who support UNT with small gifts that make a large impact.
Brian Heldebrandt (’97), one of the fi rst UNT students to study logistics and supply chain management in the College of Business, is now a regional manager for supply chain operations at Verizon.
“The reality is if you get the athletic side moving and you get people involved and excited, a lot of them also will get excited about academics.” — C. Dan Smith (’62),
former regent, former
UNT student-athlete
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Heldebrandt says he would not be where he is today if his mentor — Jeff Sager, marketing and logistics department chair — hadn’t encouraged him to take an internship. Th at opportunity, coupled with strong mentoring, launched his career.
And now he’s giving back to UNT through a monthly gift to the UNT Annual Fund and represents a younger generation of alumni who are maintaining strong ties to UNT. For its part, the university is hosting more alumni networking events and is concentrating on more personalized engagement. UNT has doubled membership in the UNT Alumni Association during the campaign.
In organizing the campaign, several infl uential alumni and major donors agreed to serve on a steering committee to oversee the eff orts of more than 100 volunteers who are raising gifts on behalf of UNT’s 12 colleges and schools as well as athletics and other programs.
Th e steering committee is led by four campaign co-chairs who include Janet and Frank Bracken (’63); Gayle Strange (’67), former chair of the UNT System Board of Regents and president of Axiom Commercial Co.; and G. Brint Ryan (’88, ’88 M.S.), vice chair of the UNT System Board of Regents and founder, chair and CEO of Ryan LLC. (Read more about the campaign leadership on page 38.)
Th e Campaign for UNT will open doors for students of all backgrounds and help them achieve their goals, says Strange, who, along with her husband, Virgil (’68), is a member of the Founder’s Circle.
“Today, private giving is more important than ever to a public institution like UNT,” she says. “Without the help of our alumni and friends, we can’t help our students reach new heights and achieve what we know UNT is capable of achieving.
“UNT has made a diff erence in so many lives — that’s the legacy we are upholding through this campaign.”
How to Give to UNTThere are many ways to support your favorite cause at UNT. These options allow you to make the impact you want, when you want and in the way you choose. Here are a few of the top ways to donate to UNT.
Outright gifts can be made online, by
mail or in person and are the fastest, easiest
way to make an immediate impact on UNT.
Annual gifts to scholarships, student life,
research and academic programming are
critical to the growth and continued success
of UNT.
Memorial or honorary gifts recognize
special people through a gift to UNT.
Planned giving options allow you to
create a carefully considered strategy for
giving by making a long-lasting gift to UNT.
Matching gifts allow your organization or
company to multiply your impact.
Get involved by contributing your time
and talents to helping students succeed
and supporting UNT’s goals.
Learn more about how you can give and be involved at giving.unt.edu.
Left: Le’Nore and C. Dan Smith (’62), former UNT football player and former chair of the UNT System Board of Regents. Right: Brian Heldebrandt (’97), regional manager for supply chain operations at Verizon.
Watch videos about the alumni honored at the Emerald Eagle Honors fundraiser and about the program at northtexan.unt.edu/online.
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FaC U lT Y Focus
UNT’s faculty members, many who are recognized as experts in their fields, are the foundation of the university’s excellence. Their commitment to high-quality, meaningful education comes from their personal passion for teaching and care for their students.
“I am often reminded of the things I cannot or should not do. Many came before me who were not afforded the opportunity to work or receive a fair education,” says Brandi Darensbourg, assistant professor of disability and addictions rehabilitation, who is legally blind. “Teaching allows me the opportunity to educate students on the vast accomplishments of people of color and those with disabilities. Being at the front of the classroom, I give the students the opportunity to see a person with a disability perform-ing and not limited by an inaccessible world.
“I truly enjoy being a part of their educational journey.”
Faculty — recognized for their outstanding efforts as educators — share
personal insights on what inspires them as teachers, scholars and mentors.
Brandi Darensbourg, assistant professor of disability and addictions rehabilitation, earned UNT’s Student Government Association Honor Professor distinction at last year’s Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards event.
Why I teach?
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“
“
“
“
”
”
”
”
Teaching requires creativity, empathy, mastery of a topic and consideration of others. When a student understands a new concept, she smiles, her eyes light up and she is engaged in learning. It is rewarding to see that growth. It is my role to expand minds to consider real-world problems and to realize value in the way economists think. I also am fortunate to share with students the importance of personal responsibility and respect.
I enjoy the logical structure and consistency of mathematics and its usefulness in modeling and solving real problems. I think that the logic needed to master mathematics can be useful regardless of career. It is a pleasure to work with young people who are just starting their adult life. How can I not get excited about future plans and goals? I also feel younger and invigorated from just being around and working with young people.
I had a choice of performing or teaching. I chose teaching — the right choice — and am surrounded by colleagues who are gifted, devoted to teaching, performing and to their students. Every day, I learn new things. I hear the progress my students are making, and share their achievements. After almost 50 years, I go to work each day with gratitude and anticipa-tion. What a great journey it has been and continues to be.
Why do I teach? Because it is one of my favorite things to do and I have always wanted to make a difference. In graduate school, I realized that I loved to teach. Every day, I look forward to getting in front of a class. Although I do research, teaching is a daily reward. I teach also because I want to make a difference in people’s lives. This sounds a bit cliché, but I really do believe it.
— Neal Brand, professor of mathematics and winner of the president’s Council Teaching award
— Janice hauge, associate professor of economics and winner of the president’s Council Teaching award
— John Ishiyama, professor of political science and winner of the Distinguished research professor award
— Keith Johnson, regents professor of performance and winner of uNT’s Distinguished Teaching professor award
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Danny hoey Jr.
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when Danny Hoey Jr. (’10 Ph.D.) turned in a short story for a creative writing class assignment, he thought it was an idea going nowhere.
But Barbara Rodman, assistant professor of English, could see that Hoey had a landscape in the characters and setting that should be developed more fully. He took her advice.
“It gave me the confi dence to explore it,” Hoey says. “Th at’s how the novel came about.”Th e Butterfl y Lady, which tells a story of how residents in an African American
neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, seek love in spite of barriers such as race, class, gender and sexuality, was published earlier this year by the independent Flaming Giblet Press — fulfi lling a lifetime goal for Hoey. Th e project is just one of many examples of accom-plishment by students in UNT’s creative writing program.
And Hoey, now an assistant professor of English at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla., is one of many alumni who are thriving in the literary scene and now mentoring other writers.
UNT’s program, part of the English department, has earned additional prestige by attracting such faculty members as poet B.H. “Pete” Fairchild, who won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2004, and novelist Miroslav Penkov, who recently received the BBC International Short Story Award. In 2012, the UNT program began awarding the $10,000 UNT Rilke Prize, named after the Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainier Maria Rilke, to mid-level poets.
But, more importantly, creative writing alumni are winning literary awards and seeing their work published. Many say their writing has grown because of the English depart-ment’s strong faculty, and the cordial environment that allows students to critique each other’s work respectfully.
“We want to draw students who are thrilled and challenged by the environment,” says English professor Corey Marks, director of the program.
main attractionUNT has a rich literary history that helped to lay the foundation for notable novelists
such as Larry McMurtry (’58) and Anne Rice, and Texas Poet Laureates Cleatus Rattan (’65, ’69 M.Ed.), Alan Lee Birkelbach (’78) and Jan Seale (’69 M.A.).
CreativeWriting
uNT’s rich literary program off ers a supportive community for aspiring wordsmiths as they develop into professional writers.
by Jessica DeLeón
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Th e creative writing program has grown in the last two decades thanks to the hiring of senior-level faculty and writers, writing and poetry series and awards, and the students themselves.
During his tenure as director from 1995 to 2001, Bruce Bond, Regents Professor of English, helped launch the master’s degree and the Ph.D. concentra-tion in creative writing — UNT is one of only three Texas universities to off er such a doctoral program. He also helped develop UNT’s Visiting Writers Series, which brings acclaimed novelists and poets to campus.
Marks, who took over the program in 2005, increased the variety and number of writers on the faculty.
Th ese faculty serving as mentors are the main reason students are drawn to UNT.
Hoey read the works of Rodman and John Tait, assistant professor of English, and felt they could help him grow as a writer. He also worked with Walton Muyumba, associate professor of English.
“Because of them, the novel’s actually fi nished,” Hoey says. “Th ey challenged me just to think diff erently as a writer, to deepen my characters and make them more complex.”
Rodman says she asks students questions that therapists might ask — “What do you think the story is trying to do?” and “What does the character want?”
— so they can better understand their characters’ motivations.
Chad Davidson (’97 M.A.), now an associate professor of English at the University of West Georgia, describes Bond as “super devoted,” saying Bond would have lunch with him or call him on a Friday night to talk about changes to Davidson’s poems.
Poet Ash Bowen (’12 Ph.D.) loved Bond’s poetry and received valuable advice from him — such as getting each line exactly right, even if he had to rewrite it a hundred times, before he wrote the next line.
Both Bond and Marks expected their students to work hard and produce work.
“You don’t sit around waiting for inspiration to strike,” says Bowen, now an English instructor at the University of Alabama. “You have to write every day. Th e rigor of the program ultimately makes everyone a better writer.”
work and workshopsJust as important as the faculty
members’ advice to students is the feedback from fellow classmates. Along with literature courses, students are required to take workshop classes in which they critique each other’s work.
Britta Coleman (’08 M.A., ’12 Ph.D.), lecturer in English, didn’t tell any of her classmates she already had published a novel, Potter Springs (Center Street/
Hachette), in 2005, because she wanted to be judged by her current work.
“Th ere’s a level of respect that is key,” she says. “You’re sharing your baby.”
But there can be challenging moments. A classmate once asked Hoey why one character in a story was so angry.
“I had to say something,” Hoey says about the exchange. “‘No, you’re not reading it right,’ I answered. It was a very tense moment in the workshop.
“We were friends, but we also were critical of each other because we wanted to become better writers.”
In order to earn their degree, students must complete a thesis or dissertation that consists of a novel or a series of poems or essays and a critical preface explaining their work in the larger literary context. For students who want to get published, the process can be just as rigorous as getting their degree.
But UNT prepares them well for success in both academia and publishing. Students read and edit submissions for the American Literary Review — a biannual literary magazine established at UNT in 1990 — which gives them a sense of where their writing fi ts in the literary world. Th ey also can attend panels about the business of writing hosted by the program.
A few students have taken the initiative and created the Kracken Reading Series, which brings in poets for readings.
“Many students are hungry to do all of
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those things,” Marks says. “Th at’s the thrill of the job. You get to work with talented people who are always trying to challenge themselves.”
now in printAnd students who have completed the
program are being rewarded for their hard work. Bowen’s dissertation, a collection of poems about loss, beat out 300 other entries for the Orphic Book Prize and will be published by Dream Horse Press in August. He also co-manages the online poetry magazine Linebreak.
Davidson has written three poetry collections. Th e most recent, From the Firehills (Southern Illinois Press), was inspired by his travels to Italy, where he studied thanks to a $23,000 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship he earned at UNT.
But he says getting published is not the end goal.
“You’ve got to love just to write without praise or acknowledgement. It reaffi rms what you’re doing,” he says.
Hoey, who spent fi ve years working on Th e Butterfl y Lady, agrees.
“I discovered that writing the truth is ugly and painful but necessary for it to be good art,” he says. “Once you commit yourself to telling the truth, you have to follow through.”
lITerarY SuCCeSS STorIeSUNT has a rich literary history of turning out notable
writers across many genres including fi ction, creative nonfi ction and poetry.
David Lindsey (’70) has written numerous mysteries, including the Stuart Haydon series. And Larry McMurtry (ʼ58) is considered one of America’s greatest writers, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fi ction for Lonesome Dove and an Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain.
Several Texas Poet Laureates also have UNT ties — Alan Lee Birkelbach (’78) and Jan Seale (ʼ69 M.A.) (both pictured below), Cleatus Rattan (’65, ’69 M.Ed.), former English professor Arthur Sampley and Lexie Dean Rob-ertson, who attended in the 1910s.
Billy Bob Hill (’78 M.A., ʼ92 Ph.D.) has edited numer-ous anthologies of Texas poetry and short stories and operated Browder Springs Publishing in Dallas.
More recent poet graduate successes include Chel-sea Woodard (’12 Ph.D.), who was featured in the 2011 Best New Poets anthology, as well as The Threepenny Review, Southwest Review and Shenandoah — consid-ered some of the best literary magazines in the nation.
John Poch (’00 Ph.D.) has been published in Plough-shares, The Paris Review and The New Republic and founded 32 Poems Magazine, serving as editor for 10 years. He and Chad Davidson (’97 M.A.) wrote poems about one of their favorite sports, resulting in the mock anthology Hockey Haiku (St. Martin’s Press) in 2006.
Novels written by alumni and released by major pub-lishers in the last few years include Leila Jaynes Meacham’s (’63) Roses in 2011 and Tumbleweeds (Grand Central Publishing) in 2012 and Darin Bradley’s (’02, ’04 M.A., ’07 Ph.D.) Noise (Spectra) in 2010.
Steven Broome
Learn more about UNT’s creative writing program and other standout alumni authors at northtexan.unt.edu/creative-writing.
Gary Payne
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Learn more about The Campaign for UNT at giving.unt.edu.
The light is green. The time is now. The Campaign for UNT. More than 100 alumni and friends have dedicated time, energy and resources to advancing UNT’s mission to serve its students with top-quality faculty and programs. (Learn more about the campaign on page 26.)
Four fundraising campaign co-chairs lead this volunteer effort: Janet and Frank Bracken (’63), Gayle Strange (’67) and G. Brint Ryan (’88, ’88 M.S.).
“Who better to tell our story than our strongest champions?” asks Michael Monticino, UNT vice president for advancement. “Their longstanding passion for UNT sets the example for new generations of alumni and friends.
“Where they lead, others will follow.”
Moving the university forward to best support students and academic programs
From left, Frank Bracken (’63), Janet Bracken, President V. Lane Rawlins, Gayle Strange (’67) and Michael Monticino, UNT vice president for advancement. At right, G. Brint Ryan (’88, ’88 M.S.).
The Campaign for UNT
Mic
hael
Cle
men
ts
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Frank Bracken’s (’63) campaign leadership began in 2007 because the campaign supported his belief in UNT’s strategic goals. Bracken retired from Haggar Clothing Co. in 2005 after a 42-year career with the company, joining as a management trainee and retiring as president.
“If you believe in kids and you believe in the opportunities that an education provides, then you have to believe in UNT. And you should invest in what you believe in,” he says.
Community volunteer and UNT student Janet Bracken is not an alumna yet, but she calls herself an “alum of the heart.”
“I didn’t fall in love with Frank Bracken at UNT, but I fell in love with UNT because of him,” she says. “I am proud to be associated with a place that cares so much and means so much to so many people.”
She serves on the Dallas board of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Working on a bachelor’s in applied arts and sciences, she often meets classmates who chose UNT because of the strength of its programs and its reputation in the North Texas region.
Vice chair of the UNT System Board of Regents, G. Brint Ryan (’88, ’88 M.S.) is chair and CEO of Ryan LLC, a global tax services firm. He has given more than $1 million to support the College of Business’ accounting pro-gram and supports other areas such as scholarships, the Emerald Eagle Scholars program and UNT’s Apogee Stadium.
Ryan says he is living proof of the transformative power of education. He counts himself among those who started with little and succeeded with help from UNT.
“When it comes to providing our region with a professional workforce, no other institution of higher education can match UNT’s impact,” Ryan says. “Each academic year, UNT graduates more than 8,500 new professionals who are driving the economic prosperity of our region.”
Gayle Strange (’67) has stayed connected to UNT since she arrived as a freshman in 1963. She and her husband, Virgil (’68), own Axiom Construction Co., a commercial construction firm in Denton. Appointed to the UNT System Board of Regents in 1997, she served as chair from 2007 to 2009.
Strange says the goal of the campaign is to create superior learning experiences for students.
“We’re here to help every student reach their very best po-tential,” she says. “The inherent value that’s here, our attitudes on student success and our marvelous faculty, are proving that we want to be the very best we can be.”
Q&A WITH PRESIDENT V. LANE RAWLINSPresident V. Lane Rawlins says
UNT’s comprehensive campaign
is changing the face of UNT and
supporting a stronger culture of
engagement and philanthropy.
To keep the momentum, he will stay engaged with the campaign
as President Emeritus upon retirement later this year.
Q: What does the campaign’s name — The light is green. The time is now. The Campaign for UNT — speak to?
UNT is in the right place at the right time, with opportunities
that few institutions have available. We’re in one of the fastest-
growing, most economically vibrant regions in the U.S. As the
largest university in the North Texas region, we have a proven track
record of meeting the region’s workforce and educational needs.
There are so many high school graduates from all walks of life who
need and deserve a superior college education from a university
defined by excellence. This is what our campaign is about. There is no
better time to seize the opportunity and rise to national prominence.
Q: How does the campaign support UNT’s progress and its focus on student success?
It all comes down to students. Every gift to UNT — no matter
what area it supports — helps us to provide our students
with a high-quality education rich with knowledge, opportunity and
experience. We’re here to uplift our students and give them the best
chance for lifelong success. Private support helps us do that.
Q: You made your gift to the campaign, a scholarship in your wife’s name for students in fashion design. Why are scholarships so important?
I’m a first-generation college student and I know how
life-changing it can be to have private support. I’m here today
because of the many people who believed in me and in the
transformative power of higher education. Now, as president of
the nation’s 25th largest public university, I have a much better
understanding of what it takes to drive that kind of transformation.
It takes private support, and giving to scholarships is one of the most
direct ways that you can help students succeed.
A:
A:
A:
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Gift impact The Campaign for UNT strengthens support for students, faculty and programs. Every gift signals that an investment made in UNT is an investment in the future. The Campaign for UNT supports student scholarships and programs; funds innovation; builds athletic champions on and off the field; advances leadership in the arts; and accelerates education in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. These donors agree that the light is green and the time is now to invest in UNT.
Learn more about The Campaign for UNT at giving.unt.edu.
ARTS As busloads of middle school students streamed into UNT’s Murchison Performing Arts Center for a spring band festival, donors Horace, left, and Euline (’74 Ph.D.) Brock, right, observed the scene, happy to be surrounded by what they love: the Murchison, with its grand lobby — bearing their names — and young musicians.
UNT’s College of Music holds a special place in their hearts. In 1954, as new faculty members, the Brocks met at UNT and attended concerts on dates.
“It’s always been so central to us,” Euline says. “We give out of gratitude, but also because people around the world know about UNT because of the College of Music.”
ATHLETIcS Ernie Kuehne Jr. (’66) and the members of UNT’s Basketball Committee secured more than $3 million in 30 days for Mean Green Athletics, funding a new basketball training facility and a state-of-the-art scoreboard in the UNT Coliseum while providing additional support for scholarships. As part of that campaign, Kuehne, at right with senior student-athlete Brandan Walton, presented the athletic department with a cornerstone $1 million gift.
“I care deeply for this university because it shaped me as a person and prepared me for life,” Kuehne says. “I am not alone. Our effort proved that a lot of people believe in UNT and credit the education they received here for their success in life.”
Jona
than
Rey
nold
sG
ary Payne
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INNOVATION Neither Bette, left, nor Bob Sherman, right, attended UNT, but their ties to the university run deep. Bob’s father spent more than 30 years as a UNT professor and administrator. Bette developed her bond when staff members helped her review and archive the historic military documents of her father, the late Maj. Gen. Olinto Mark Barsanti. The Shermans gave $350,000 to establish the Sherman/Barsanti Inspiration Awards, a competition designed to showcase student creativity. Part of UNT’s Innovation Greenhouse, any original project, invention, composition or artwork is eligible. “Students need to be encouraged to think outside the box,” Bob says. “Great ideas emerge when we give them freedom to explore and create.”
ScIENcE, TEcHNOLOGy, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATIcS Chris Pearce (’90) earned bachelor’s degrees in both computer science and English composition and went to work as a software developer. Now, Pearce, a distinguished engineer for Cisco Systems Inc., serves on UNT’s Col-lege of Engineering Advisory Board. The university innovates to prepare students for careers in science and technology, he says. Pearce, who holds 39 software patents, calls UNT the springboard for his career. Through his involvement with the computer science department and The Campaign for UNT, he is encouraging his network of STEM professionals to support UNT. “With my degrees, I was immediately marketable,” Pearce says. “UNT gets students ready to enter the workforce.”
ScHOLARSHIPS Retired Highland Park ISD Superintendent Cathy Bryce (’91 Ph.D.)volunteers for The Campaign for UNT because she believes “those of us whose lives were transformed by this university have an obligation to ensure that those same opportunities are available for future generations.” Bryce, right, and her husband, Jack Atkins (’66, ’69 M.S.), left, earned three UNT degrees and two professional certifications between them. They established a College of Education scholarship in memory of their mothers, who believed education opens doors. “Jack’s mother carried him as a baby in her arms to enroll him in UNT’s lab school,” Bryce says. “I remember my mother, who became a widow when I was 2 and my sister was 4, showing me her savings book and saying, ‘This is your college fund.’”
Gar
y Pa
yne
Michael Clem
ents
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TURNING A COLLEGE HOBBY INTO A CAREER isn’t always easy, especially if the hobby is brewing beer. But Bobby Mullins (’07), left, and Yianni Arestis (’08, ’11 M.B.A.) got a boost when their plan for Armadillo Ale Works earned $10,000 in the 2010 New Venture Creation Contest of UNT’s Murphy Enterprise Center. Now recipes are invented at Mullins’ house, then brewed and distributed around the state by Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Raising capital for a Denton brewery is next.
“That whole thing where your parents tell you that you can be anything when you grow up?” Mullins says. “That is very true if you give it your all.”
ARMADILLo ALEGreenbelt Farmhouse Ale and Quakertown Stout
are vintage Denton, and so are the UNT alumni entrepreneurs who brew them.
Read more about their work at northtexan.unt.edu/armadillo-ale.
NesteaGles’
i n t h i s s e c t i o n
| Connecting With Friends p / 43
| upcoming alumni Gatherings p / 45
| Down the Corridor p / 46
| In the News p / 48
| Friends We’ll Miss p / 49
Gar
y Pa
yne
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C O N N E C T I N G W I T H Friends
eaGles’ Nest
C O N N E C T I N G W I T H Friends
1954
eddie John Dees Sr. and Jatis perryman Dees (’53), porter ::
celebrated their 60th wedding
anniversary in December. They
met in college while earning their
music degrees and, during the
1960s, performed in the Eddie
Dees Combo. They spent most of
their careers educating students.
All three of their children
attended UNT.
Marcus e.
Drewa, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. ::
has received
many honors for his lifetime
service to the health care field. As
president of Methodist Medical
Center in Jacksonville, Fla., for 33
years, he helped transform the
hospital, which became known as
“The Miracle on Eighth Street,”
into a leader in health care in
North Florida. He began his
health care career as a storeroom
clerk in a Tyler hospital in 1951.
A distinguished chair in health
care administration at the
University of North Florida
College of Health is named in his
honor. 1967
Mary lou veal (’77 M.ed.), Murfreesboro, Tenn. ::
retired after 44 years of teaching.
Most recently she was a tenured
professor at Middle Tennessee
State University where she was
director of the graduate program
in physical education teacher
education. Before moving into
higher education, she taught for
16 years in Denton public schools.
land Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble
was selected to perform at the
Jazz Education Network Confer-
ence in January in Atlanta, Ga.,
with guest artist and former One
O’Clock Lab Band member Tom ‘Bones’ Malone (’69), a mem-
ber of the CBS Orchestra on Late Night With David Letterman and
an original member of The Blues
Brothers Band.
Dan l. Ward (’77 M.a.), oak-ton, va. :: is
the senior
editor of the new American Man-
agement Association book Posi-tioned, a collection of articles about
strategic workforce planning writ-
ten by top leaders in the field.
1980
Ken Burchett (ph.D.), Branson, Mo. :: released his new book, The Battle of Carthage, Missouri, which
tells the story of the first full-scale
land battle of the Civil War. He
teaches at the University of Cen-
tral Arkansas.
1972
richard Crummel, Fort Worth :: retired from public education
after 41 years, last serving as
superintendent of the Burleson
ISD. He was a high school band
director for 15 years with the
district before becoming an
administrator. His bands won
many honors, including being
selected to perform for President
Gerald Ford in 1976. At North
Texas, the place he wanted to be
since attending his first One
O’Clock concert in 1963, he per-
formed with the jazz bands and
the marching band.
Michaelene ‘Micki’ pillow, Tulsa, okla. :: celebrated the
35th anniversary of her dance
school, Miss Micki’s School of
Dance, in May. She moved to
Tulsa after earning the first
physical education degree with
a dance emphasis.
1976
Sparky Koerner (M.M.ed.), Texas City :: is in his 29th year
directing the College of the Main-
Keep up with the latest developments in the uNT family and tell your peers what you’ve been up to since leaving the nest. Send your news to The North Texan (see contact information on page 7). Members of the uNT alumni association are designated with a .
Read more, share comments and connect with friends
at northtexan.unt.edu.
Nominate candidates for Alumni Awards 2014. Deadline is
Aug. 1. For the criteria and nomination process, go to unt.edu/
alumniawards or for more information, email Robert McKinney
(’03) at [email protected] or Karen Selby at karen.
alumni awards 2014
44 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
eaGles’ NestBridge to good health
In many ways, research is as important to health care as treatment is. Sick people generate important data that can help the medical
community fight disease and find cures — and that’s where Xuequn ‘Della’ pan (’12 Ph.D.) comes in. Pan, who earned her Ph.D. in information
science in UNT’s nationally recognized health informatics program, is
making health care information more transparent and accessible.
She is a postdoctoral fellow in clinical informatics at the Lister Hill
National Center for Biomedical Communications, a research division
of the National Library of Medicine, which is part of the National
Institutes of Health.
She specializes in clinical research information systems, working from
electronic health records from the NIH Clinical Center, the world’s largest
research hospital. It’s Pan’s job to develop approaches for extracting
reliable and usable phenotypic information — physical or biochemical
characteristics. She also designs next-generation electronic health records.
“I help clinicians and researchers understand and use health
information,” Pan says. “I’m part of a field facilitating information-rich
health care.”
Information science and computer science skills, both of which she
honed at UNT, are helping Pan succeed. In the College of Information’s
health librarianship graduate program — ranked sixth nationally by U.S.
News & World Report — Pan explored information and communication
theories and learned about the behavior of people seeking information.
“I want to be a bridge between health resources and people,” Pan says.
“I want to make sure they are getting the best health information so they
can understand their health problems and make good medical decisions.”
— Ernestine Bousquet
ralph Stannard (M.M.ed.), Dallas :: has been the artistic
director for the Plano Civic Cho-
rus, an auditioned group of 120
singers, for 12 years. He also is
director of music for First Presby-
terian Church in Richardson and
director of the Temple Choir of
Temple Emanu-El in Dallas.
1981
lisa Burkhardt-Worley, Flower Mound :: co-edited Pearls
of Promise, a book featuring 120
devotions for women from authors
across the country, including Lisa, a
former national television sports
reporter and anchor who appeared
on HBO’s Inside the NFL and
ESPN. She was an RTVF graduate
student from 1979 to 1981 and is
the founder of Pearls of Promise
Ministries.
1982
Cheryl richards, Dallas :: is the
first senior vice
president and
chief diversity and inclusion officer
for the Dallas Convention &
Visitors Bureau. She previously
served as vice president of strategic
alliances and has worked for the
bureau for 24 years.
1985 Sharon McGowan, Dallas :: is executive director for Friends of
Wednesday’s Child, an organiza-
tion designed to bring hope and
healing to North Texas children in
foster care. She previously served
in leadership roles for the Girl
Scouts of Northeast Texas, Susan
G. Komen for the Cure and the
American Heart Association.
Mike Myers (’85 M.M.ed.),
Denton :: released a solo album,
The Big Picture, a collection of cre-
ative instrumental music. He plays
all the instruments and records,
mixes and produces his original
music from his home studio. His
jazz/rock compositions rely heav-
ily on analog synthesizer sounds
made popular in the 1970s.
1986
Jeff Briggs, Dallas :: was
promoted to
managing
director of the
Real Estate Group at the Dallas
office of American Appraisal. He
also is serving as vice president of
the North Texas chapter of the
Appraisal Institute.
1988 rosemary Meza-Desplas, Dallas :: exhibited her work in
Santa Fe, N.M., this year in “Art
on the Edge” at the New Mexico
Museum of Art and “Pretty Blun-
derbuss” at Wade Wilson Art.
1989 Kelley Coppinger, Bowling Green, Ky. :: is a professional in
residence for Western Kentucky
University’s advertising and public
relations department. She was
born in Iran and went to high
school in Belgium and chose to
Fran
San
drid
ge
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upcoming alumni GatheringsUNT alumni can reunite, reminisce, support students and cheer on the Mean Green this fall. Here are just a few of the events to come: mean green move-in: The UNT community helps new students
move into the residence halls for the fall semester Saturday, Aug. 24. For more information, email [email protected].
football season opener: The Mean Green face the Vandals of Idaho at UNT’s Apogee Stadium for the first game of the season Aug. 31. Other opponents coming to town include Ball State and new Conference USA in-state rivals Rice, the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Check meangreensports.com for tickets and details.
save the date for homecoming: Keep your calendars open for Homecoming festivities the weekend of Nov. 8-9. It’s a great time to visit with friends, share memories and enjoy campus. Look for details in the fall issue of The North Texan, visit
homecoming.unt.edu or email [email protected] for more information.
For more information or to join the UNT Alumni Association, call 940-565-2834 or visit untalumni.com.
attend UNT in part because of its
large international population. She
later married her college sweet-
heart, Chuck Coppinger. 1990 Michael J. Guyette, eagin, Minn. :: was named president
and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Minnesota. Guyette pre-
viously was president of national
accounts for Aetna in Hartford,
Conn., and held senior leadership
positions at Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Florida.
Kevin land, Scottsdale, ariz. ::
senior medical director at Blood
Systems, was named one of Mod-ern Healthcare’s Top 25 Clinical
Informaticists. The annual award
recognizes the accomplishments
of medical professionals who use
data to improve the clinical and
financial performance of their
organizations. He earned his M.D.
at the University of Texas South-
western Medical Center in Dallas. Si Millican (’95 M.M.ed.), San antonio :: was promoted to asso-
ciate professor of music education
with tenure at the University of
Texas at San Antonio. 1991 Chris abraham, Frisco :: was
named the CEO of Service King
Collision Repair last fall. After
playing Mean Green football and
earning his business degree, he
began working for Service King in
1995. The company now has more
than 80 locations in five states and
was recognized as a Best Place to
Work by Dallas Business Journal. robert ellison (M.a., ’95 ph.D.), hurricane, W.v. :: is
a visiting assistant professor of
English at Marshall University in
Huntington, W.V. He co-edited
The Oxford Handbook of the British Sermon, 1689-1901. Mike Davis, lawton, okla. :: who earned his Ph.D. from
Princeton, has published widely.
Writing under the pen name
Studio Dongo, he recently released
the first books in a science fiction
series, Danglers, concerning the
colonization of the ocean and the
variety of services possible in inter-
national waters. The second book,
The City That Traveled the World, was released in May.
1992 Mitch Ballard, Nashville, Tenn. :: was named editor-in-chief for
Nashville.com, the worldwide
brand of Nashville. He also owns
DevDigital LLC, a software de-
velopment company in Nashville,
Austin and Baroda, India.
Becky Dunlap Dennis, plano :: wrote the book Brain Wreck, which was a bestseller on Amazon
in the e-book medical category
within a month of its release.
She wrote the story to spread
awareness of encephalitis, based
on her own experience with the
life-threatening illness.
1993
Cathryn Bowie (M.S.), Salem, ore. ::
was named the
2012 Unsung
Legal Hero of the Year by the
Daily Journal of Commerce. She is
the head law librarian at the state
of Oregon’s Law Library and is
featured in the November 2012
issue of DJC Magazine.
Mark hunt, los angeles,
Calif. :: teaches at Lincoln Middle
School in Santa Monica, Calif.,
where his Wind Symphony was
selected as the middle school
honor band for California. The
group performed at the California
All-State Music Education
Convention in February.
1996 phil Godwin, Murphy :: is vice
president of sales and marketing
at Visual Storage Intelligence,
which was nominated as one of
four finalists in the storage man-
agement tools category of the 11th
annual “Storage Products of the
Year” awards, presented by Storage magazine and SearchStorage.com.
1997 Greg allbright (’00 M.p.a.), Frisco :: and his wife, Emily,
welcomed their son, James Louis
Allbright, in November. Proud
grandparents pat Drolet hull (’71) and Drew allbright (’70) also attended UNT.
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eaGles’ Nest
Legacy of Annie Webb Blanton
This spring, the Texas Historical Commission recognized North Texas educator and leader Annie Webb Blanton for her significant role in Texas history with an official Texas historical marker at a Denton ISD school named for her, the Dr. Annie Webb Blanton Elementary School in Argyle. Among those in attendance were the school’s 730 students, as well as teachers and administrators, many who are UNT alumni.
“When we opened the doors of Annie Webb Blanton in 2008, it was just a building,” says
Karen Satterwhite (’91 M.Ed.), principal of the school. “But then the children entered and the legacy for Dr. Blanton could be seen. This historical marker symbolizes the work of a great lady —a true servant of children.”
The marker — the first state marker honoring a woman in Denton County — was co-sponsored by Denton County Historical Commission and Denton ISD.
Blanton began her career in higher education in 1901 at North Texas, where she spent 17 years as an associate professor of English and pro-moted gender unity, published grammar exercise books used across the country, and assisted in numerous school activities. She was elected as the first woman president of the Texas State Teachers Association in 1916. And in 1918, she was elected to serve as state superintendent of public instruction, the first woman in Texas elected to statewide office.
Down the Corridor
Mar
io Z
aval
a
1999
Tracy Fenwick (M.S.), Dallas :: was named
senior tax
manager at Hartman Leito & Bolt
LLP. Based out of the accounting
firm’s Dallas office, she is
managing portfolios in industries
including real estate, technology,
manufacturing and distribution. 2000
Stephen Shoop (ph.D.), Brownsville :: joined the music
faculty at the University of Texas at
Brownsville, where he teaches
applied tuba and euphonium and
instrumental conducting. He also
coordinates student teachers and
the graduate music program.
2001
rachel Burlage (’06 M.a.) and Marc Knight (’05), Denton ::
are the parents of fourth-genera-
tion North Texan Amelia Burlage
Knight, born in December. Rachel
and Marc work at UNT’s Discov-
ery Park. Amelia’s grand mother is Georgianne Burlage (’76).
Her late great-grandparents were
Willie Mae Donnelly Burlage
(’43, ’49 M.a.) and George Burlage (’60, ’69 M.a.).
2002
Katy Kennedy (’06 M.ed.), Dallas :: is the new territory
manager for the northeast Dallas
area for Soluble Systems LLC, a
company that provides medical
products used in the treatment of
audrey Garza Morton, austin :: was
hired as
Relevant Radio 970 AM
development associate in Austin
full time for Starboard Media
Foundation. She also is a music
host at KUTX-FM and was a
reporter at NPR affiliate KUT.
Michael patrick peterson, Tioga :: has
worked in
public education for 11 years and
was promoted to director of
technology at Whitesboro ISD. He
served in the Navy in the Persian
Gulf before attending college. He
and his wife, Christina, have two
daughters, Alyssa and Jessica.
1998 Kika Neville and Shawn Wallace (’11), austin ::
welcomed their first child, a son,
Django Ryne Wallace, in Decem-
ber 2011.
Kimberly packard, Colleyville :: released her debut novel,
Phoenix (GoodMedia Press), the
story of three individuals tied by
crimes committed 10 years and
thousands of miles apart and
their journeys for redemption and
forgiveness. She earned her degree
in journalism.
Bradley a. Scott (M.S.), Corpus Christi :: and his wife,
Tiana, welcomed their son, Ethan,
to the world in March 2012.
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chronic wounds. She formerly was
an exercise physiologist at Baylor
Heart and Vascular Hospital.
James riley, Woodbury, N.J. :: and his wife, Megan, and son,
Colin, welcomed a healthy little
girl, Hannah Michelle Riley, to
their family in December.
2003
Damon Gochneaur, lewisville :: celebrated the birth of his third
child, Kingston, in August. He
also was promoted to director of
marketing for Globe Runner
SEO, a Lewisville-based digital
marketing agency.
Brian henry, Fort Worth :: is
the new owner of Seven Stones
Healing Massage & Spa in Fort
Worth.
Jennifer Snoek-Brown
(M.S.), portland, ore. :: was
hired as a faculty librarian at Mt.
Hood Community College, where
she also coordinates the library
instruction program.
2005
Jordan Smith harmon and Justin harmon, Denton :: welcomed their first child, Lillie
Rhea, in November. Lillie was six
weeks premature, weighing 4
pounds, 11 ounces, and measur-
ing 17 inches long. With her
mom an alum and her dad a
current student, she “couldn’t wait
to join her Mean Green family”
and is looking forward to our first
season in Conference USA.
Karen Kanakis (D.M.a.), Decorah, Iowa :: is an associate
professor of music at Luther
College in Decorah. She has
performed in many operas in the
United States and Italy. Her
signature roles include the Verdi
heroines Violetta in La Traviata, Abigaille in Nabucco and Alice
Ford in Falstaff.
Julie Kibler (M.S.), arlington :: wrote the new book
Calling Me Home (St. Martin’s
Press), about a forbidden
relationship in 1930s Kentucky
and an unlikely modern-day
friendship. Julie’s daughter,
emilie pickop, is a student in
the UNT Honors College,
majoring in education.
2006
Melissa Ferro Cole, austin, and Mackenzie rollins (’07), New York City :: have launched
RollinsCole, a boutique wedding
photography business combining
fine art and documentary
photography. They were both
photo editors for the North Texas Daily. Mackenzie traveled abroad
as a documentary storyteller and
writer, and Melissa created her
own wedding and children’s
photography companies before
they formed the new company.
preparing to strike
Joshua Dalton (’12), an electrical engineering graduate, is preparing to represent the United States as a competitor in the 22nd
Summer Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria, which takes place July 26-Aug. 4.
The USA Deaf Sports Federation is sending 120 athletes, who are
deaf or hard of hearing, to compete in 10 different sports. Dalton will
compete as part of the USA Summer Deaflympics Bowling Team.
Dalton’s father, Larry, first took him bowling when he was a young
child. Larry, who also is deaf, was a talented bowler.
“When my father found out I was deaf, he started teaching me what
he knew,” Dalton says. “I’ve been bowling since before elementary
school. My dad made it to the Professional Bowlers Association when
he was 19, and seeing his success inspired me.”
Dalton was a member of UNT’s bowling club while he was a student.
He credits the coach and fellow members with helping him develop his
skills and prepare for a competition like the Deaflympics.
“Being on the UNT team really helped me build competitive experi-
ence,” he says.
Dalton, who has bowled a perfect score of 300 six times, is working
on a master’s degree in telecommunications engineering at the
Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.
The athletes participating in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics come
from more than 80 countries, and Dalton looks forward to meeting his
competition and experiencing world cultures.
“It feels like a world championship game,” he says. “I’ll be going up
against the world’s best, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Learn more about this summer’s Deaflympics at usdeafsports.org.
— Leslie Wimmer
Dou
glas
Bak
er
48 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
eaGles’ NesteaGles’ Nest2007
Samuel Snoek-Brown (ph.D.), portland, ore. :: received an
Oregon Literary Fellowship, one
of only two for fiction this year.
The statewide fellowship was
awarded on the strength of Sam’s
historical novel, set in southwest
Louisiana during the Civil War.
2008
Joshua underwood, Muncie, Ind. :: who earned his bachelor’s
degree from UNT in music
education, graduated in December
with a master’s in instrumental
conducting from Ball State
University.
2010
Benjamin C. Maynard (M.S.), Greensboro, N.C. :: joined the
Noble Academy in Greensboro as
director of media and educational
technology.
lisa Thomas (D.M.a.), anna :: completed her first professional
label CD, released by Toccata
Classics in London, featuring first
recordings and first complete
recordings of solo piano music by
Arthur Farwell. After numerous
performances and lecture recitals,
she joined the faculty of Austin
College in Sherman as college
organist and instructor. She also is
the organist and pianist for
Covenant Presbyterian Church in
Sherman and maintains a small
teaching studio of piano students.
2011
Michal Broussard, Denton :: who earned her English degree
in creative writing, says she is
living the dream in Denton. “I’m
lucky enough to work at my alma
mater, to raise money for current
and future students,” she says. “I
live in a small house and enjoy
trips to the Square for an
afternoon of coffee and writing.”
Madison Dale Ford, Dallas :: earned her degree in hospitality
management after completing an
internship with Omni Hotels and
became a full-time assistant to the
office manager of the Omni
Dallas Hotel.
2012
Jeffrey heaton, highland village :: was
named art
director for Balcom Agency in
Fort Worth. He also is assisting
with motion graphics and video
editing for the agency. He worked
as a part-time graphic designer
while attending school and had
internships with Lending.com and
Credit Solutions in Dallas. Jeff ’s
unofficial Balcom title is “Click-
asso” — Picasso with expertise in
digital art.
➺ Numerous UNT faculty shared their expertise with the
media after the April 17 West fertilizer explosion. Guido verbeck, associate professor of chemistry, commented
about chemicals that could have caused such a large
explosion; amie lund, assistant professor of biological
sciences, spoke about air quality; and Wendy Middle-miss, associate professor of educational psychology,
was quoted about the need for counseling. From the
Department of Public Administration, Gary Webb, associate professor, and David Mcentire, professor,
spoke about the emergency response, and Bob Bland, professor and chair, discussed zoning issues in a C
hristian Science Monitor article exploring why homes and
a school were built nearby.
➺ Two guests on KERA’s April 9 Think, “Are Heroes Made,
Born or Both?” were Michael J. Mooney (’09 M.J.),
whose profile of slain Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle ran in
the April D Magazine, and Shaun Treat, assistant
professor of communication studies, who researches
mythic archetypes such as superheroes.
➺ James Kennedy, Regents Professor of biological
sciences, and UNT biology students discussed their
discovery of zebra mussels in the Trinity River in Denton
County, the first found in a Texas river, with KXAS-TV and
KLIF-AM radio in Dallas-Fort Worth April 2. The invasive
species, which clogs water intake pipes and disrupts the
food chain, was found during a student research trip.
➺ For History.com’s March
nod to Texas Indepen-
dence Day, richard B. McCaslin, professor
and chair of history, is
quoted in “9 Things You
May Not Know About
Texas.” Commenting on the six flags that have flown over
Texas, he says when the French established their outpost
near Matagorda Bay, that “galvanized the Spaniards, [who
said], ‘There might not be anything there, but damned if
we’re going to let the French have it.’”
. . . . . . I N T H E / / News
Portal to Texas History
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F R I E N D S W E ’ L L M I S S
uNT’s alumni, faculty, staff and students are the university’s greatest legacy. When members of the eagle family pass, they are remembered and their spirit lives on. Send information about deaths to The North Texan (see contact information on page 7).
Read more, write memorials and connect with
friends at northtexan.unt.edu.
1930s
everett roy Denison, lew-isville :: He attended North
Texas from 1935 to 1937. He
was a telephone man with South-
western Bell for 41 years and was
a founding member and one of
the builders of Lewisville Bible
Church. In his younger days, he
was one of Texas’ top bull riders.
Florine ermine Sadler Mur-phy (’37), Fort Worth :: She
worked through the Depression
and finished her bachelor’s degree
at North Texas. She taught in
Electra and Wichita Falls, then
taught second grade in Fort
Worth from 1945 until 1965
before teaching in the Spring
Branch ISD for eight years. She
retired in 1973 and returned to
Fort Worth. She was 100.
1940s
Frances hart raycroft, alexandria, va. :: She studied
music at North Texas from 1939
to 1941 and was a member of the
Phoreffs. In her 60s, she joined
the Peace Corps and spent 18
months in Niger.
Mary elizabeth Grubbs
(’42), Crandall :: At North
Texas, she was a Green Jacket
and named Who’s Who Among
Students in American Universi-
ties. She retired after more than
30 years of service as secretary
to the captain at the Seagoville
Federal Correctional Institu-
tion. She was an active volunteer
with many organizations in her
community. Survivors include
her niece, Shirley Grubbs latham (’68, ’71 M.M.).
lou Nell Craver ragsdale McDowell (’42), paris :: She
taught in the Dallas ISD and
retired after 40 years of teaching.
She earned a master’s degree in
education and was a longtime
member of the Paris Women’s
Study Club and Retired Teachers
Association.
elaine Boyd Truitt (’42), Denton :: As a freshman at
North Texas, she met and mar-
ried price Truitt (’41, ’42 M.S.), who would start his
long career as a UNT chemistry
professor in 1945. They had been
married for 69 years when he
died in 2008. They operated a
chicken farm west of Denton and
in the 1960s owned and operated
a store near Yellowstone Park
during the summers. She helped
to found the Denton Quilt
Guild and volunteered as a Pink
Lady at Flow Hospital for many
years. Memorials may be made
to the Price and Elaine B. Truitt
Endowment Fund at UNT.
Pianist and Professor Emeritus of
music Robert J. “Bob” Rogers never
missed a note when it came to
being a volunteer, philanthropist,
educator and mentor. The longtime
UNT supporter and beloved fixture
in the Denton community died
May 14. He was 91.
Rogers first arrived at North Texas in 1939 on a double bass scholarship
and studied piano, only to be drafted into the U.S. Army three years later.
After graduating from the Juilliard School of Music and Columbia Teachers
College, he returned to campus in 1948 to teach piano pedagogy and
remained until 1984, serving as assistant dean in the College of Music from
1969 to 1975. He served as chair of a committee charged with remodel-
ing the Music Building and as a charter member, province governor and
chapter advisor for the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. In 1990, the
fraternity named the Robert J. Rogers Lifetime Service Award in his honor.
Rogers’ legacy of service and volunteerism at UNT continued long after
he left his teaching post. He was the pianist at countless fundraisers and
campus events, and he and his wife, Daisy, were known for tirelessly vol-
unteering at the UNT Music Library and supporting students through schol-
arships. In 2012, when he was honored with UNT’s outstanding Alumni
Service Award, he shared that UNT also brought out the best in him.
“It was my privilege to teach, for 36 years, many talented students who
are performing and teaching throughout Texas and the USA,” he said.
Memorials may be made to the Robert J. Rogers Piano Scholarship in the
College of Music. Donate at giving.unt.edu.
robert J. ‘Bob’ rogersD
ento
n Re
cord
-Chr
onic
le
50 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
eaGles’ Nestlilla Belle Dodson Taylor (’45), Canton :: She taught
home economics in Canton for
many years. At North Texas, she
was president of Kappa Kappa
Kappa, the Ellen H. Richards
Club and the Girls’ Forum.
helen Finnell Margulis-altman (’46), New York, N.Y. :: She earned an M.F.A. at
Indiana University and became
a professional pianist and cellist,
performing and teaching on both
instruments. She wrote program
notes for Columbia Concerts in
New York and befriended many
musicians and artists with her
first husband, Max Margulis, co-
founder of Blue Note Records. At
North Texas, she was president of
Delta Chi Delta and played in the
Symphony Orchestra.
George lewis Jordan (’49), highrolls, N.M. :: Originally
from Maine, he came to Texas
after serving in the military
during World War II. He taught
in Texas schools for 33 years,
including Permian High School
for 18 years. He retired to New
Mexico and was choral director
for New Mexico State University
at Alamogordo for 20 years.
1950s
Gordon Tidmore (’50), vernon :: He earned a business
degree at North Texas, where
he was a Geezle. He served in
the Army during World War
II. After graduation, he was an
automobile dealer for 55 years.
He was married to lucy evelyn lemon (’49) for 64 years.
Jack h. Dodson (’55), littleton, Colo. :: He earned
his degree in industrial arts and
worked in Denver, Colo., before
retiring to Van.
virginia linguist Winker
(’55), round rock :: She
earned her bachelor’s in journal-
ism and later earned a master’s
in journalism and a law degree.
She was a member of the Federal
Bar and the State Bar of Texas
and worked as an attorney for
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development until 1986,
when she entered private practice
in Arlington.
Doyle odus Winters (’56), Dallas :: He served in the U.S.
Navy on the destroyer U.S.S.
Lloyd Thomas, and when the
Korean war broke out joined
the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He
met Betty ann howard while
they were both students at North
Texas, and they eloped in 1955.
After graduation, he worked for
25 years in the banking business.
He also owned many small busi-
nesses and was an accomplished
golfer. At North Texas, he was
president of Sigma Nu fraternity.
Thomas ‘Tom’ e. Moore (’57, ’58 M.ed.), plano :: He served
in the Army during the Korean
War and ran track at North
Texas. In high school, he set
the state record in the 440-yard
dash. He retired after 30 years as
a coach, principal and assistant
to the superintendent in Plano
schools. Many of the assistant
principals who worked under
C. Steven Cole, pro-
fessor of
finance since
1988, died
March 16. He had earned numerous
honors, including the outstanding
Faculty Award for Service from the
Department of Finance, Insurance,
Real Estate and Law in 2010, the
outstanding Educator Award from
the Southwestern Finance
Association in 2008 and the Sigma
Phi Epsilon outstanding Faculty
Award and Honor Professor Award
in 1996. He was a member of the
American Finance Association and
a former president of the South-
western Finance Association and
had been a reviewer for the Journal
of Business and Economic
Perspectives and others. He
previously taught at the University
of Tulsa and the University of
Arkansas. Memorials may be made
to the College of Business general
scholarship fund.
lorna owens Francis died
April 9 in
Castroville. She
was an instructor in what is now the
College of Visual Arts and Design
from 1969 to 1976. Francis traveled
in India and Europe and lived in
Sumatra from 1956 to 1959, where
her work was displayed in a U.S.
Department of State exhibit. She
was a member of the Denton
Handweavers Guild, Dallas
Craftsman Guild and Southwestern
Watercolor Society. She also taught
at the University of Texas at Austin
and Texas Woman’s University,
among other colleges. She and her
husband restored the 1846 Wieser
House in Castroville, converting the
barn into an art studio, and Francis
made pen and ink drawings of the
many historic buildings there.
o. lee Gibson (’60),
Professor
Emeritus of
music, died
Jan. 26 in Estes Park, Colo. He was
coordinator of woodwind instruc-
tion from 1945 to 1980. Gibson was
a renowned clarinetist and
authority on clarinet design. In
1988, he created the Vandoren V12
clarinet reed, which remains
popular around the world. He was
the first editor of The Clarinet, the
journal of the International Clarinet
Society, and later served as the
society’s president. His book,
Clarinet Acoustics, was published
in 1998. Gibson was principal
clarinetist for the Fort Worth
Symphony and Fort Worth opera
and played with the Dallas
Symphony and Rochester Civic
orchestra. An avid amateur radio
operator, he taught at the U.S.
Navy Radio School in Idaho during
World War II and at RCA in New York
City. Donations may be made to the
o. Lee Gibson Clarinet Scholarship
in the College of Music.
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him went on to schools of their
own, and some became superin-
tendents. He was married to Sue ann Beals (’58) for 56 years.
1960s
Thomas Wayne park Jr. (’68), Weatherford :: He
earned a degree in history and
government and taught for 15
years at Western Hills High
School in Fort Worth. He was
later the director of the Weath-
erford College Bookstore. He
was a leader in the Weatherford
community, serving as a longtime
member of the Parker County
Heritage Society, as president of
the Weatherford Parks and Rec-
reation board, and as a member
of many other boards.
anthony ‘Tony’ roso (’68), Grand Junction, Colo. :: He
earned his degree in business
and went on to earn an M.B.A.
from the University of Wyoming.
He was a business manager,
computer specialist, economist,
musician, cowboy poet, photo
artist, soldier and philanthropist.
His brother, Nicholas roso (’71), says he was a “true renais-
sance gentleman.”
1970s
Clarence leon Cook Jr. (’75), Matthews, N.C. :: He earned
his bachelor’s degree in history
and was employed for nearly 40
years by AEP Industries, where
he served as the national inven-
tory control manager.
1980s
Judy ann Stewart (’84), Denton :: She worked at UNT
as a personnel specialist and
assistant director of equal oppor-
tunity from 1969 to 1988. She
was a life member of the UNT
President’s Council donor recog-
nition society. Survivors include
her husband of 55 years, Joe G. Stewart (’71 ed.D.), retired
UNT vice president of student
affairs. Memorials may be made
to the Dr. Joe and Judy Stewart
Scholarship Fund at UNT.
2000s
arun ramachandran (’04), Bangalore, India :: He was
born in Nairobi, Kenya, and
grew up in the U.K. He earned
his degree in computer science at
UNT, where he worked on both
the freshman and parent orienta-
tion staffs.
2010s
Jordan r. Baker, Sachse :: He was a senior studying
entrepreneurship and had been
a member of the in-line hockey
club at UNT for three years.
Brianna ridge, Galveston :: She was a biology major with a
minor in chemistry and was plan-
ning to graduate this summer.
Michelle Younis Murphy, Denton :: She was a freshman
majoring in international studies
and minoring in Arabic.
Jake Kobler, Professor
Emeritus of
English, died
Jan. 4. He was a
faculty member in the Department
of English from 1964 to 1997 and
served as department co-chair. He
taught composition, rhetoric and
American literature, specializing in
works by Ernest Hemingway,
William Faulkner and F. Scott
Fitzgerald. His publications
included articles in Modern Fiction
Studies, Arizona Quarterly and
Studies in Short Fiction. He was
active in the College English
Association and the South Central
Modern Language Association. He
also worked as a reporter for the
Shreveport Times, Houston
Chronicle and United Press
International and worked for the
U.S. Department of Defense and
Shell oil. He was a U.S. Air Force
veteran. Memorials may be made to
the UNT English department.
richard harlow laing died
Dec. 23 in
Greenville, N.C.
Laing was recruited by Cora
Stafford to join the art department
at North Texas in 1960 and later
served as chair of art education and
developed courses in printmaking.
Sculptures he created were
installed in many locations around
Denton and one was used in a logo
for the music department. His work
also was included in a 2011
exhibition at UNT on the Square.
After serving as head of art
departments at Ball State
University and Edinboro University
of Pennsylvania, Laing became
dean of the School of Art at East
Carolina University in 1979. In 1992,
he was named Distinguished Art
Educator of the Year by the North
Carolina Art Education Association.
He retired from East Carolina in
1999 and was named Professor
Emeritus. During the Korean War,
he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve
and served for eight years.
Survivors include his wife of 42
years, penelope Gamble laing (’66).
Memorials Send memorials to honor UNT alumni and friends, made payable to the UNT Foundation, to the University of North Texas, Division of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle #311250, Denton, Texas 76203-5017. Indicate on your check the name of the memorial fund or area that you wish to support. You can make secure gifts online at giving.unt.edu. For more infor-mation, email [email protected] or call 940-565-2900.
52 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3
T h e lasT Word
A CENTURY OF MEMORIES
I WAS ONE OF THE ONLY women in my music classes and received the fi rst Bachelor of Music degree at North Texas. But of all the achievements in my life, the one I’m most proud of is teaching 3-year-olds.
I’ve taught students of all ages, but little children need to move around, and while you’re teaching them music they can learn their ABCs and numbers. Years ago, when people asked me to teach their 3-year-olds, I couldn’t fi nd music books for that age.
So, I wrote my own book, Th e Littlest Beginner, which includes games so they can play while they learn. Clavier magazine wrote about it in 1993. I was 80 at the time and teaching 35 students, whose ages ranged from 3 to 80. When I was 96, after College of Music professors heard about my book, they invited me to lead a master class on teaching young children for the college’s music education students.
My mother started teaching me music when I was 5 and music has been my whole life since. I think music is important to have in your life, especially for children, who are eager to learn and enjoy it so much.
Both my sister, Marinell, and I took piano and then violin lessons. Back then, school only had 11 grades. I graduated at 16 as valedictorian of Henrietta High School, and when my sister went to North Texas in 1930, I followed her.
I majored in piano and played in the orchestra. In my music theory classes, my teachers found out I already knew everything because I’d had such good theory teachers growing up. Professors had me grading my classmates’ papers. All of the band boys I played with were in classes together and they treated me like a queen because I was grading their papers.
It was 1934 when I earned my degree. Th is was during the very heart of the Depression. I started teaching, but I also played music for a dancing school in Dallas for extra money.
Th en, my sister called me and said a friend of ours who lived in Nocona had died. She wanted to know if I could come take her place and teach her piano students. Th at’s how I ended up back in Henrietta, riding the bus back and forth to Nocona.
Most Saturdays, I had the same bus driver, H.A. Baker. He and his whole family could play instruments by ear. He played the accordion, piano, guitar — you name it — and in the 1940s he was in a band with his brothers, the Harmony Boys.
We married on St. Patrick’s Day in 1948.
Today, I still teach, but I don’t have as many students as I used to or participate in as many musical activities. I still play for the Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Gainesville, but I recently had to stop playing for the Gainesville State School. I played piano for their morning services every Sunday for 47 years.
I had so much fun at North Texas and I think it’s important to always keep learning. I’ve always taught myself new things and enjoyed teaching others.
I won’t be able to teach forever, but I’ll hang on as long as I can.
Maudell Gentry Baker (’34) earned a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentra-tion in music education, making her the fi rst graduate to do so. She received UNT’s College of Music Alumni Appreciation award in 2004. Baker will celebrate her 100th birthday in August.
by Maudell Gentry Baker (’34)
Michael Clem
ents
Celebrating 100 Years of Mean Green FootballThe North Texas football team played its fi rst offi cial game in 1913 on a cleared fi eld. One hundred years later, the Mean Green play in Apogee Stadium, a one-of-a-kind sustainable facility. In this centennial season, UNT celebrates the past and present. Join us as we move to conference USA and pay tribute to a proud legacy of outstanding athletes by honoring the fan-selected North Texas All-century Football Team.
Be a part of Mean Green history by buying season tickets online or by phone today.
QuarterbackSteve Ramsey
Running backsPatrick cobbs, Abner Haynes and Ray Renfro
Wide receiversJohnny Quinn and Ron Shanklin
Tight endBrian Waters
Offensive linemenScott Bowles, Andy Brewster, Bill carrico, Glen Holloway and Willie Parker
Defensive linemenWalter chapman, Joe Greene, cedrick Hardman and Brandon Kennedy
LinebackersByron Gross, Brad Kassell, cody Spencer and Burks Washington
Defensive backsBill Brashier, Jonas Buckles, Leonard Dunlap and J.T. Smith
PunterJohn Baker
PlacekickerIseed Khoury
Return specialistAbner HaynesCoach
Odus Mitchell
800-UNT-2366 | 940-565-2527meangreensports.com
This spring, the campus marked its successes at university Day — an annual event celebrating uNT’s transition from a college to a university in 1961 — in full Mean Green pride. as part of the festivities in the library Mall — including a barbecue, fl ag parade and music — uNT dedicated its new campus historical signs (page 8), the Talons unveiled the refurbished Mean Green Machine and Denton’s Mayor pro Tem pete Kamp (’75) read the university proclamation. Watch a slideshow of the event at northtexan.unt.edu/online.
The North Texan U N I V e R s I T Y O F N O R T h T e X a s division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing1155 Union Circle #311070 denton, Texas 76203-5017
p a R T I N G s h O T
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