the north texan - unt alumni magazine - spring 2011

nor thtexan.unt .edu

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 1 , N O . 1 | S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

Sun Belt Champs

World of Fashion [page 14]

Marian Brock [page 32]

Founder’s Circlepage 34

LOVE StOriES

[page 24]

2 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

S p r i n g 2 0 1 1 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 1

Inside S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

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Angilee W

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FEATURES

14 World of Fashion Rigorous fashion design program creates leaders in couture. By Ellen Rossetti

32 Marian Brock Alumna’s acting talents shine in Oscar-winning short film God of Love. By Ellen Rossetti

34 Founder’s Circle UNT supporters change lives and leave lasting impacts on the campus.

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 • 3Momentum in growth and excellence

D E A R N O R T H T E X A N • 4The Gross House … Music beginnings

U N T T O D A Y • 6Expanding research … Equity and Diversity Conference … Mean Green … Chile Field Station

U N T M U S E • 1 9Grammy honors … Ray Moseley … Upcoming Events … Pink Floyd ... Design Research Center

E A G L E S ’ N E S T • 3 6Advocate for diversity … Connecting With Friends … Upcoming Alumni Gatherings … Solar Punch … Photo Essay ... Chemistry centennial ... In the News … Friends We’ll Miss

L A S T W O R D • 4 8Tommie Phillips Harris (’37) recalls campus highlights during the Depression.

Love StoriesF o r g e N e r aT I o N S , U N T h a S B e e N T h e B aC k d ro p F o r Lov e . F ro M F I r ST daT e S To M a r r I ag e p ro p oS a L S , a LU M N I Co U p L e S F I N d L a ST I N g Lov e a S C L a S S M aT e S . By Randena Hulstrand

Cover photography by angilee Wilkerson


Online E X C L U S i V E S

northtexan.unt.edu/online

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ONLINE FEATURES

unt love StorieS on video Three alumnicouples tell theirstories of how

they met at UNT, fell in love and eventu-ally married.

faShion on filmUNT fashion design faculty members talk about how they

prepare students for the competitive fashion industry.

MORE ONLINE FEATURES

• CAROL WEST, DIVERSITY

advoCate

• mEAn gREEn 3-D

Stadium tour

• mARIAn BROCk q&A

• VIDEO: RESEARCh On hOW

plantS adapt

• VIDEO: DEnTOn ARTS & jAzz

feStival

UNT rolls out Mobile Sitek e e p U p W I T h U N T W h I L e yoU’ r e o N T h e g o. U S e yoU r S M a rT p h o N e or oT h e r Mo B I L e d ev I C e S To B roW S e To m . u nt. e d u To C h eC k oU T U N T’S N eW Mo B I L e S I T e . yoU’ L L F I N d a S o C I a L M e d I a d I r eC Tory, I N T e r aC T I v e M a p S , a p eo p L e S e a rC h , a N d U N T N eW S a N d ev e N TS .

When you see this arrow, join our North Texan community online at northtexan.unt.edu.

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

Don’t forget to follow us at twitter.com/northtexan.


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, 940-565-2737, 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. “University of North Texas,” “UNT” and “Discover the power of ideas” and their associated identity marks are official trademarks of the University of North Texas; their use by others is legally restricted.

URCM 3/11 (11-153)

f ro m o u r President

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

J immy Friend

kenn moFFitt

dena moore

rolando n. rivas

magazine staFF

managing editor

JUlie elliott payne (’97)

editors

randena hUlstrand (’88, ’07 m.J . )

J ill king (’93 m.s. , ’00 m.a.)

online editor

miChelle hale

art direCtor

sean zeigler (’00)

designer

kit yoUng (’06)

photo editor

angilee wilkerson

photographers

Jana birChUm

miChael Clements

brad holt (’09)

gary payne (’99)

Jonathan reynolds

mike woodrUFF

writers

ernestine boUsqUet

nanCy kolsti

adrienne nettles

bUddy priCe

ellen rossetti ( ’00, ’08 m.J . )

mellina stUCky

alyssa yanCey

online CommUniCations

eriC vandergriFF

integrated branding

Joy hoUser

proJeCt traFFiC

amy kioUs (’08)

laUra robinson

stUdent ContribUtors

megan beCk ( ’10)

thomas saldana

elizabeth smith

leslie wimmer ( ’07)

maintaining excellencePROmISE AnD POSSIBILITIES mARk the road to the future

Mike W

oodruff

It’s an honor to lead this great university and to collaborate with those in our UNT family. Part of my decision to stay on at UNT was to ensure stability and maintain momentum.

We are at an exciting time in our history, when the road ahead is paved with promise and possibilities and the destination is even greater excellence.

And yet, it’s a challenging time to be involved in public higher education because the road has many potholes that we can’t properly fix in light of dwindling state funding.

But we will not lose sight of our mission to focus on:• Educating our students and providing them with the best opportunities and

experiences for learning and growth; • Protecting the quality of instruction and the integrity of UNT degrees; and • Growing our areas of excellence — the jewels in our crown. As the nation’s 33rd largest public university, we provide many opportunities for

students from all walks of life to succeed. We’ve become a leader in helping underrep-resented and first-generation students earn a college education. And each year, nearly 8,000 UNT graduates turn their knowledge into action.

We also are a nationally recognized university with programs that are among the very best. We are building on this foundation to become a stronger research univer-sity, one that is equally focused on educating students and generating knowledge, ideas and innovation, because we exist to serve the public and our students.

In this tough fiscal climate, the support of our alumni and friends is more important than ever. And it makes a difference. It helps us ensure that our students now and in the future continue to have the opportunity to change their lives through higher education.

Sincerely,

V. Lane [email protected]

President V. Lane Rawlins talks with students on campus.


d e a r North Texan

deposit. I am asking you to do the same!

Phil Lee (’88)North Richland Hills

dr. gionet

Arthur J. Gionet, retired professor of French who died Jan. 16 (see page 45), was my high school teacher and then my mentor at the university. I achieved a B.A. in French because of his excellence as an educator, and our friendship continued through the years.

His belief in the cultural and practical benefit of hands-on learning and direct access to modern language profi-ciency resulted in a state-of-the art language center in the new Language Building constructed in the late 1960s.

Rewarded for his efforts in promoting the study of French, Dr. Gionet was awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques on three occasions by France.

He enjoyed mentoring incoming professors at UNT, and he was a lifelong mentor of prospective French teachers. After his retirement, he continued to encourage

Fouts FieldI noticed in the winter

issue that you were collecting memories of Fouts Field. The field was named after my grandfather, Theron Judson Fouts, and my dad was Theron Judson Fouts Jr. (Tom). He died Aug. 30 (see page 45).

Dad loved North Texas and worked to improve and help achieve development of the campus and surrounding areas. As Fouts Field ends its reign as UNT’s field, with Dad’s death ends the name of Fouts in a line of great men.

After the funeral of my mother, we were driving past the new construction of the stadium and Dad stopped and pointed to it with pride. We will remember Fouts Field with fondness, but celebrate with the students of today and tomorrow for the future of UNT.

Mary Fouts LuebckeLone Tree, Colo.

The gross house I just read in The North

Texan (“Dear North Texan,” winter 2010) about the Gross House. In 1943, my mother, Gladys Renfro (’43), and I lived in the house on the lower floor and ate all our meals there.

My mother had come back to the college to finish her degree in history and get a teacher’s certificate so she could work while my father served our country in the U.S. Marine Corps.

While my mother was in class, Sonny Blondell, who lived on Hickory Street, and I had the run of the campus. We spent lots of time with Dr. Kingsbury at the college museum. Those were the good old days for an 11-year-old.

I believe the picture showed not only the Gross House, but also the Ad Building, the President’s House, the Science Building and the museum.

Later, from 1950 to 1953, I lived at the Methodist House on Avenue B. I am

now a retired United Meth-odist pastor.

Matty Barrett Renfro (’53) Austin our own scene

My only regret from my time at UNT is the fact that although we had a large student body and a beautiful campus, we never had a football program and facilities that were on par with many of our competitors in Texas.

I will be the first to confess my own apathetic lack of support and interest in the UNT football program over the years. But with our unbelievable new stadium on track for completion and the exciting hire of our new coach, it’s time we stepped forward with support.

Let’s fill those seats now, and create our own scene. Let’s make our new home a tough place for visiting teams to endure. Mean Green success on the field will follow.

I just secured my own season tickets with a small

Let us know what you think about news and topics covered in the north texan. Letters may be edited for length and publication style.

Read more letters and share your comments at

northtexan.unt.edu.


educators and prospective teachers to travel to France to enrich themselves through cultural exposure.

He was a marvelous educator and representative of UNT.

Donna Beth Lee Shaw (’61)Houston

Editor’s note: Read Shaw’s full obituary for Gionet at northtexan.unt.edu/obituaries. dr. hardin

I was very saddened to read of the passing of Dr. Robert Hardin (winter 2010).

I first encountered him while taking a summer French

course, and he highly encour-aged me to apply for a teaching fellowship in French. Later, after I received my master’s in French, he was instrumental in my gaining a teaching job in a local high school.

In addition to his knowl-edge of 18th and 20th century French literature, I will remem-ber Dr. Hardin as a very refined gentleman always.

Ollie Adamson (’77 M.A.)Garland

Sweet estes

Sweet Estes (“Dear North Texan,” winter 2010) brought her horses to North Texas in 1941-42. She intended to use

their rental to pay for her edu-cation. We admired her grit and determination, at her young age. I wanted to take lessons, so I set out walking to the stables (nobody had cars then). I encountered a barbed wire fence 8 feet high and ended up caught on top and had to be “rescued.”

Next trip, I walked around the fence, but I did go. Thanks to Sweet, I enjoyed horseback while at North Texas.

Jackye Anderson Bruner Plummer (’41)

Wichita Falls

Music beginningsRumors were floating on the wind sometime during

1947 or so that something exciting was happening in the Department of Music. I later learned it was the result of Dean Wilfred C. Bain coming to the school. He evaluated the Texas music scene and decided the quickest route to growth was to get a music organization on the road. So he hired Frank McKinley and encouraged him to develop an A Cappella Choir as quickly as possible and to take it on tour.

The rest is history, of course; but in addition to the choir, he needed a faculty ready to train and hold the students who were to be attracted to the school. I knew George Morey (“Legacy Families,” winter 2010), and there were numerous other teachers here by 1949, including Robert Ottman (’56 Ph.D.), Frank Mainous, Jean Mainous, Gene Hall (’41, ’44 M.A.), ’Fessor Graham, Maurice McAdow, Helen Hewitt, Lloyd Hibberd, Robert J. Rogers, Willard Elliot (’45). These were the foundation stones of the College of Music we have today.

T. Jervis Underwood (’55, ’70 Ph.D.)Oak Point

Frank McKinley directs the A Cappella Choir in 1955-56. “Mr. Mac,” who led the choir for more than 30 years, was among many outstanding music teachers who joined North Texas in the 1940s.

If you would like to comment

on a story, share your North Texas

memories or photos, submit news

or obituaries, or otherwise get in

touch with us, we would love to

hear from you.

E-mail: [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,

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1155 Union Circle #311070;

Denton, Texas 76203-5017


Today i n t h i s s e c t i o n Brilliantly green p / 8

Mean green p / 10

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UNT alumni association p / 13

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With the help of its collaborative research clusters, UNT is making strides toward becoming a major research university. In 2008, the university launched the first phase of the research cluster initiative with the goals of advancing research, strengthening the state’s economy and developing technology vital to addressing today’s most pressing needs. With two years’ momentum behind them, these clusters have attracted top faculty and students and continued ground-breaking research. UNT expanded its commitment to the initiative in the fall by investing in four new research teams and five areas of strategic development.

ExPANDING RESEARCH

From improved crop protection, cancer treatments and energy sources to novel interactions between art

and science, UNT researchers are changing the world.


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Research clusters

UNT’s research clusters are part of a long-term plan to bolster high-impact research and address complex scientific, technological, environmental and societal problems through multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation. The original seven clusters are Bio/Nano-Photonics, Developmental Physiology and Genetics, the Initiative for Advanced Research in Technology and the Arts (iARTA), Materials Modeling, Renewable Bioproducts, Signaling Mechanisms in Plants, and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems and Biocultural Conservation.

The four additional clusters announced in December will focus on Computational Chemical Biology, Knowledge Discovery from Digital Information, Multi-scale Surface Science and Engineering, and Renewable Energy and Conservation. UNT also is supporting five additional areas deemed strategic for their seminal contributions and potential to expand — STEM Research and Education, Forensic and Investigative Science and Technology, Advanced Bio-Sensor Technology, Computational Life Sciences and Complex Bio-Environmental Systems, and Logistics.

Premier researchers

The multidisciplinary research environment supported by the cluster initiative already has attracted premier researchers and top students to UNT. Two internationally renowned plant science researchers joined the faculty last spring, bringing decades of experience and a wealth of technical expertise to one of the university’s most prominent areas of research.

Vladimir Shulaev and Ron Mittler are now working with the Signaling Mechanisms in Plants cluster to develop a better understanding of cellular communication in plants. Mittler and Shulaev were among the international team of researchers featured in the February issue of Nature Genetics for unraveling the DNA sequence for strawberries. This development is expected to help plant breeders create crops that yield tastier, hardier varieties of the berry and other crops in its family.

The Renewable Bioproducts cluster made its first senior hire earlier this year. Joining the faculty in January was Stevens Brumbley, senior research fellow and project leader of the Sugarcane Metabolic Engineering Group at the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute of Bioengineering. Brumbley’s research focuses on engineering plants, specifically sugarcane, to produce a range of industrial bioplastics and bioplastic precursors, which will provide alternatives to petrochemical-based plastics.

Advancements

The shared expertise and resources of the cluster model have allowed established UNT researchers to advance their unique research interests. Pudur Jagadeeswaran, professor of biology and a key member of the Developmental Physiology and Genetics cluster, has made important strides in the area of prostate cancer detection. He presented research to the American Association for Cancer Research that suggested zebrafish may one day replace mice as the preferred model to study prostate cancer.

Researchers participating in iARTA also have made considerable progress. The group’s advisory board members participated in the ART-TEC speaker series that included conversations among leading interdisciplinary artists, curators and scholars. David Stout, a noted interactive video-audio performer and iARTA’s first senior hire, earned recognition at the VIDA 13.0 International Arts and Artificial Life Competition in Spain. And the cluster has formed Moebius, a journal exploring the theory and practice of new media, along with an editorial board. David Schwartz, associate professor of music theory, will serve as editor-in-chief and work with 17 international board members, including five UNT faculty members.

Learn more about UNT’s research and how it is changing the world at www.unt.edu/untresearch.

Vladimir Shulaev and Ron Mittler, Signaling Mechanisms in Plants cluster faculty, left, are internationally renowned in the field of plant science. iARTA faculty member David Stout with guest artist Cory Metcalf, above, debut NoiseFold, an interactive media ensemble, in UNT’s Merrill Ellis Intermedia Theater.


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Wildlife on campus

Jeff Corwin, wildlife biologist, author and host of Animal Planet’s Corwin’s Quest, spoke on campus in February as part of UNT’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

Corwin’s presentation featured several exotic animals, including amphibians and reptiles, with audience members joining him onstage to interact with the critters. He discussed his insights into culture, animal behaviors and interactions

among humans and animals. An expert on wildlife, ecology and conservation, Corwin has appeared on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Morning Show, Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

The Distinguished Lecture Series brings world-class speakers to UNT several times throughout the year. Previous speakers include former President George W. Bush, former Mexican President

Vicente Fox, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Suze Orman. Tree Campus USA

The Arbor Day Founda-tion has honored UNT as a 2010 Tree Campus USA University for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental steward-ship, for the third year in a row.

Tree Campus USA, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation, is a national program that honors colleges

and universities for promoting healthy management of their campus forests and engaging the community in environ-mental stewardship. UNT met the required five core standards of tree care and community engagement including a campus tree advisory committee, a tree- care plan, dedicated expendi-tures on the plan, involvement in an Arbor Day observance, and a service-learning project engaging the student body.

pass it on: great things are happening at UNT. Learn about them here and share our successes with your family and friends. • UNT to go. A new mobile site that keeps UNT at your fingertips has just been launched. You can stay connected with a social media directory, UNT news, event information, interactive campus maps, a people search and features to keep you up to date on all Mean Green sports. Also, alumni can update contact information, subscribe to publications and connect with other UNT grads through social media channels. Simply use your mobile device to browse to m.unt.edu and you’ll have UNT To Go.

• Tiny insect, big honors. Ken Stewart, Professor Emeritus of biological sciences, was included on Outdoor Life magazine’s list of 25 people who have had a significant impact on hunting and fishing. His research on stoneflies, a critical forage insect for fish, makes him one of the world’s leading authorities on the water insect that is of special interest to trout fishermen. Texas has 30 species of stoneflies, including one that’s named for Stewart.

• Center stage. The North Texas Dancers performed on the main stage with the Black Eyed Peas in the Super Bowl XLV Halftime show. As part of the elite dance group, they wore silver LED-illuminated costumes with cubes atop their heads. February’s mega-production had a record-breaking audience of an estimated 111 million viewers worldwide.


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Equity and Diversity

Conference

Soledad O’Brien, host of the In America documentary unit on CNN, and Hill Harper, who portrays coroner Sheldon Hawkes on CBS’ CSI: NY, were among the keynote speakers at UNT’s 11th Equity and Diversity Confer-ence in February.

The Celebrating the Big I.D.E.A.: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access conference was aimed at students, educators and professionals who are committed to equity and diversity in the workforce and in higher education. Topics included mentoring, equal pay, black masculinity, communication skills for

student leaders, social justice and veterans’ transition to civilian student life.

O’Brien, who joined CNN in 2003, is a former host of its morning newscast American Morning and has been a correspondent for CNN: Special Investigations Unit and the anchor of a CNN special, Black in America.

Harper is the author of the motivational books Letters to a Young Sister and Letters to a Young Brother, based on his life. Other keynote speakers included activist Tim Wise, author of Between Barack and a Hard Place: Challenging Racism, and Evelyn Hu DeHart, who has published three books on the Yaqui Indians.

Private investigator certificate

UNT is simplifying the process required to become a private investigator with the launch of the state’s first training program that will qualify participants for the Texas private investigator licensing exam. The program, launched in March, is admin-istrated by the Professional Development Institute at UNT and is offered in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Participants are trained in theory, practice and business of private investiga-tions and will earn a certificate in professional private investigations upon comple-tion. For more information, visit legal.pdi.org.

f U l b R i g h T A W A R DChristopher Heiden, associate director of academic services in the College of Engineering, was one of twenty scholars nationwide to receive a grant to participate in the 2010 Fulbright Seminar for U.S. Administrators in International Education in Germany. The program is designed to help international education professionals and senior higher education offi-cials from the U.S. better serve and encourage international students and

prospective study-abroad students.

Soledad O’Brien, host of the In America documentary unit

on CNN, speaks in the University Union in February

at UNT’s 11th Equity and Diversity Conference.

As the nation’s 33rd largest public

university, UNT continues to be the

largest, most compre-hensive university in

the North Texas region and an important

driver for the country’s sixth largest economy.


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Programs’ first graduates

The first five graduates of UNT’s Teach North Texas program received their degrees in December, only two years after the program began. Teach North Texas is helping to increase the number of qualified mathematics and science secondary teachers by giving students the opportu-

nity to interact with experi-enced high school teachers and explore the teaching profes-sion. Since it launched in 2008, UNT’s program — run collaboratively by the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences — has exceeded expectations for enrollment growth. About 200 students are enrolled and are pursuing degrees in math and science along with teaching certificates.

Also in December, UNT’s first aviation logistics degree was awarded to Laura Rusnok. UNT launched the first

four-year aviation logistics program at a public Texas university. The program, with about 100 students enrolled, is one of only two in the nation focusing on the role of aviation in modern industrialized trans-portation and logistics systems.

Plastic research

Researchers led by Witold Brostow, director of UNT’s Laboratory for Advanced Polymers and Optimized Materials, have discovered a way to reinforce plastics at lower processing tempera-tures, resulting in energy

savings and improved produc-tion efficiency. Improving the strength of plastics allows manufacturers to create products traditionally made of metal from lighter-weight polymer materials and leads to improved gas mileage and easier maintenance in aircraft and automobiles.

The team’s research was published on the Society of Plastics Engineers website at 4spepro.org/index. Next, the researchers will explore other ways to produce similar results, with plans to patent the findings.

Come take a look at the new Mean Green as new head football coach Dan

McCarney hosts the annual Green and White Spring Game beginning at 1 p.m. April

16 at Denton ISD’s C.H. Collins Stadium, 1500 Long Road. The spring game, played in

a full scrimmage format, is the finale of the 2011 spring practice season, which began

March 23. The game provides an opportunity for fans, faculty, staff, students and

friends of the university to preview the 2011 Mean Green football team. Admission to

the event is free.

“As a coaching staff, we are excited about spring football because it is our first

opportunity to coach this team on the field,” McCarney says. “We are going to make spring practice fun for our fans as well,

opening it up to see everything we do from the first practice through the spring game to get them excited about what they can

expect from the Mean Green this fall.”

The first home game is Sept. 10, when the Mean Green will host the University of Houston.

Reserve your season tickets now. With a new innovative online tool, you can view sight lines in 3-D from every section inside

the stadium to assist you in choosing your seats. Deposits for tickets to the 2011 fall football season are being accepted through

the athletic ticket office. Ticketing options start at $100, with reserved sideline seating at $150 per ticket. For more information,

contact the athletic ticket office at 800-UNT-2366.

gearing up for Mean green football season 2011

To take a virtual 3-D tour of the stadium and reserve your seats, go to meangreensports.com.


G L O B A L

C O N N E C T I O N>>

Adam W

ilson

Cape horn research field

station opens

UNT, in partnership with the Universidad de Magallanes, the Chilean Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, and several U.S. and Chilean nonprofit organizations, opened the world’s first field station dedicated to environ-mental philosophy, science and policy at the southern tip of Chile in the village of Puerto Williams in January.

The new Cape Horn Field Station — equipped with a kitchen, library, classrooms, computer area and laboratory for processing and storing research samples and other field equipment — supports an international network for interdisciplinary environmen-tal research opportunities for faculty, students and affiliated research scholars. The station will help to place UNT’s work at the forefront of research, education and conservation of biocultural diversity.

“The goal is to have students doing research in

Chile year-round so they can have a direct experience in crossing language barriers and working with students from other countries, scientists and the local society,” says Christo-pher Anderson, assistant research professor of biology and coordinator of the Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems and Biocultural Conservation Program and research cluster.

“Our mission is not just to do research but to develop long-term working relation-

ships with local authorities and community members and to make the research socially relevant.”

The program’s unique integration of ecological sciences with the humanities builds upon UNT’s strong tradition as the world’s premier program in environ-mental philosophy.

U n D E R g R A D U AT E S P R E S E n T R E S E A R C h Adrian Cadar, senior biology major, and Udayan Vaidya, a student in the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, were among more than 140 undergraduate students who presented 80 research projects at the Texas Undergraduate Research Day in Austin in February. The event showcased the research experiences of undergraduate students for Texas legislators and the public, highlighting how research conducted by undergraduate students positively impacts Texas. Cadar’s research of the cardiovascular system could lead to improved treatment for premature babies at risk of developing a heart defect that causes abnormal blood flow. Vaidya’s computational model to predict outbreaks of Dengue fever could be used by public

health services to forecast outbreaks as well as assess prevention strategies.

Visitors to the Omora Park in Chile for the inauguration of the Cape Horn Field Station in January included participants in UNT’s Travel Learn program, as well as university administrators.


Today

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

Gary Payne

Tax time doesn’t have to be stressful. Paul F. Goebel, senior director of campus life and founding and managing director of UNT’s

award-winning Student Money Management Center, advises that the key to low-anxiety tax returns is starting early, being organized and getting help if needed. Goebel works to help students develop and strengthen their money management skills. In addition to reminding us that this year tax returns are due April 18 — a three-day extension to allow for April 15 being a legal holiday in the District of Columbia — he offers the following tips to help you prepare your return this tax season.

Understand• The tax code is ever-changing, so be sure to research

what changes have been made and how they may affect your tax return.

• Seek out professional counsel, advice and assistance to receive the benefit of professionals’ knowledge of all possible deductions and credits.

prepare• Don’t procrastinate. Waiting until the last

moment will add an unnecessary burden of stress and frustration to the process.

• Get organized. Unnecessary delays may occur if you have to request forms, receipts and other documents you need to file your return.

put your refund to work• Use a tax refund for a pre-determined

financial goal or a priority you have already identified.

• Pay off debt or increase an emergency fund for quick access to cash reserves during challenging economic times.

• Invest the funds by depositing them into a savings account, a 401(k) or Roth IRA to make your money work harder for you.

— Leslie Wimmer

Political science fellow

Christopher Wall, senior political science and economics major, was named a Minority Fellow by the American Political Science Association

for 2011-12. Wall is a student in the Honors College, a Ronald E. McNair Post-bacca-laureate Achievement Program scholar and president of the UNT chapter of Mortar Board National Honor Society. After graduating in May, he plans to enter graduate school to become a university professor and continue research on weak states and democratization. The Minority Fellowship Program was

established to increase the number of political science scholars and professors who are ethnic minorities, are applying to doctoral degree programs and plan to teach and conduct research.

Rotary Scholars

Two recent graduates won 2011-12 Rotary Ambassado-rial Scholarships to study abroad for a year and engage in global public service. T. Lane

Ingram (’10 M.Ed.), who received a master’s in counsel-ing, will travel to New Zealand to earn a certificate in counsel-ing at the Wellington Institute of Technology.

Juan Oliveros Facio (’09), who received a bachelor’s degree in communication design, will pursue a master’s degree in cultural management from Universidad Iberoameri-cana-Puebla in Mexico.

how can you be money smart through tax season?


UNT alumni association

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

UNT’s alumni network reaches around the world. In November, a group of about 100 Malaysian and Indone-sian alumni — some who had not seen each other in 20 years — had a reunion in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Not even flood problems in neighbor-ing states that closed some roads and airports could keep some alumni from attending. In addition to sharing memories, the group auctioned off and gave UNT memo-rabilia as door prizes.

“The reunion was a resounding success,” says Suzana Meor Abdul Aziz (’86, ’88 M.A.). “Close to 100 alums and their families turned up. We were standing room only.”

The group is planning to return to Denton in 2012 to mark the 30-year anniversary of the enrollment of 46 Malaysian students at the university in fall 1982.

“I am excited to see an increasing number of our international alumni reconnecting with UNT from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and around the world,” says Derrick P. Morgan, executive director of the UNT Alumni Association. “UNT International has been instrumental in driving these reconnections, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with them to continue building our far-reaching global alumni network.”

For information on how the alumni association can help you plan your alumni event, call 940-565-2834 or visit www.untalumni.com.

Co M P U TAT i o n A l l i n g U i S T i C S Co M P E T i T i o n

For the third year, the Department of Computer Science and Engineer-ing hosted the North Amer ican Computational Linguistics Olympiad, in which North Texas high school students used a set of rules and their analytical skills to decipher unfamiliar languages and translate them into English. The competition serves as an introduction to com-putational linguistics and computer science for many high school students and is just one of the ways UNT part-ners with area schools to encourage an inter-est in higher learning, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math. As a leader in computational lin-guistics research, UNT is uniquely equipped to introduce students to

the field.

Behavioral research

UNT researchers are helping to improve treatments for behavioral and emotional disorders. Lyndal Bullock, Regents Professor of educa-tional psychology, received a grant from the U.S. Depart-ment of Education to support graduate students aspiring to work with adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Amy Murrell, assistant professor of clinical psychology, and Adriel Boals, assistant professor of experi-mental psychology, were awarded a grant from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to study post-traumatic stress disorder and use of acceptance and commitment therapy.

Intel and Siemens

semifinalists

UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science students swept early rounds of two premier science competi-tions. Five students were named regional finalists for their research in computer science, chemistry and biological sciences and another 11 were named semifinalists in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, winning more awards than students from all other participating Texas schools.

Seven students were semifinalists in the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search. TAMS had more semifinalists than any other school in Texas.

Malaysian and Indonesian UNT alumni gathered in November for a reunion in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur.


Dan

a Ca

se (

’10)

victoriaBleakley


Victoria Bleakley’s (’07) interest in fashion began out of necessity.She lost her ATM card while living in Germany after high school and

needed warm clothes in the November cold. Bleakley rummaged through bins of free thrift-store rejects and found outdated “mom jeans” and long-sleeved shirts. She ripped them apart and stitched them into chic garb.

“I was hand-sewing with needle and thread, and I didn’t even know how to do anything,” she says. “But then, I thought this might be something I could get into.”

She chose to study fashion design at UNT, saying “UNT was everything I wanted.” Building on Bleakley’s humble sewing roots, UNT gave her the skills she needed for a high-powered career in the nation’s fashion capital. Now, she works as a pattern maker for prominent New York-based designer Nicole Miller.

fashion successHoused in the College of Visual Arts and Design, the fashion design

program gives students a solid artistic foundation. Faculty members have years of industry experience, preparing students to make everything from couture creations to mass market designs. Graduates of the famously difficult program gain expertise to land positions with big names in the fashion world or open their own businesses.

David Dang (’01) worked with major retailers before moving on to start a new company. Finley Moll (’85) built a business known nationwide for the iconic Finley Shirt, seen in the pages of Redbook and O Magazine.

Others who studied in UNT’s fashion design program include Shirin Askari (’08), a Project Runway contestant who launched her own line; Michael Faircloth (’83), designer of the red presidential inauguration gown worn by former first lady Laura Bush; Khanh Nguyen (’08), who started her own elegant, edgy fashion label; and Nicolas Villalba (’96), who opened an atelier to make custom creations in 2002 and was appointed Stanley Korshak in-house designer in 2004.

graduates of UnT’s

famously difficult

fashion design

program pursue

high-powered

careers.

by Ellen Rossetti

World ofFashion


Finley Moll

Jonathan Reynolds

The program offers rigorous training, demanding classes and a senior-year runway show judged by pros. Students are granted access to UNT’s prestigious Texas Fashion Collection, studying works of great masters — Balenciaga, de la Renta, Givenchy and more.

Pieces of the puzzleAt UNT, Bleakley learned how to sew,

choose fabrics, and drape and fit gar-ments. She got hooked on the New York fashion scene during a trip with faculty members.

Straight out of college, she earned a three-week Nicole Miller internship that led to her full-time position.

“Being a pattern maker is like being a garment engineer,” she says. “We are creating the pieces of the puzzle that will fit together to create the final garment.”

Bleakley has helped create several tops that have debuted during New York Fashion Week — the semi-annual exhibition of the hottest up-and-coming fashion trends.

During one Fashion Week show, Miller herself wore a button-down shirt that Bleakley engineered.

“It was great to see my work out there on this national stage,” Bleakley says.

Knowing the solid work ethic of UNT graduates, Nicole Miller has recruited several UNT interns, Bleakley says. Those include Dana Case (’10), who after an internship earned a full-time spot as a production and pattern maker assistant working next to Bleakley.

Strong foundationsDang (’01) says his UNT professors

pushed his creativity while keeping him grounded in reality. (“Have you heard of gravity?” longtime fashion design faculty member Marian O’Rourke-Kaplan is


known to ask students when she sees some of their designs on paper.)

After college, Dang worked as a designer for Dillard’s and a technical designer at Kellwood, making clothing lines for premier brands.

He later nabbed a position as designer, then senior designer and later account manager at sweater manufacturer KBL, working with such major retailers as L.L. Bean, Kohl’s and Target.

In 2010, Dang moved to Shanghai to become vice president of design and product branding for Full Linkage Corp. Dang is developing a business plan and marketing strategy to launch a line of brand-name golf apparel and accessories in China.

In tackling this newest challenge, he still uses advice he received from O’Rourke-Kaplan, now an associate dean in the college.

“She had a very strong technical background and showed me that as long as you have a strong foundation of knowledge and think clearly, you can

build upon it,” Dang says. “I took that foundation with me to

work, and I am applying all of that now.”

A unique aesthetic At UNT, Moll found freedom to

make fashions that stretched her creativity — including one memorable but perhaps too experimental dress made of metal. The model — still her friend today — loves to remind her that the dress “cut her to pieces,” Moll says.

“Being at North Texas in the ’80s was really fun,” she says. “There was so much happening with music and fashion and art, it was kind of a microcosm of the art community that a lot of people didn’t know about — kind of like Austin before Austin got discovered.”

Today, Moll runs Finley, a successful Dallas-based company that sells to 500 retailers, including Nordstrom. She and business partner Heather McNeill began the sportswear company in 1995 before honing in on the success of their tailored

white shirts for women.“We took a hard look at what we

were doing, and the shirts were by far outselling everything,” Moll says. “At the time, no one was doing a shirt with our aesthetic and our attitude.”

The company eventually added colored shirts and original prints designed by Moll. Today, she is proud the business stayed privately owned with loyal local employees while gaining national attention. She sees women of all ages wearing the Finley Shirt — from the Los Angeles airport to the streets of New York.

“Probably an ‘aha’ moment for me was when I was in New York seven or eight years ago, and I was walking through SoHo after market, and there was my shirt in a window in a store,” she says. “I was surprised. To experience it and not be looking for it — it was just wonderful. It made it very real to me.”

Watch a video about the fashion design program at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

Students in UNT’s fashion design program examine haute couture

creations in the Texas Fashion Collection, considered one of the most

important historic fashion collections in the country. The collection

lives in a 4,500-square-foot climate-controlled room on campus.

In 2006, UNT opened a 500-square-foot exhibition space, Fashion

on Main, to display gems of the collection in Dallas. The College of

Visual Arts and Design plans to eventually expand the gallery, bring-

ing more items into public view.

A new support group, The Dress Circle at UNT, works to ensure the

goal of caring for and preserving the collection. Providing funds for

exhibitions and new acquisitions also is a goal of the group.

The collection began in 1938 when Stanley and Edward Marcus

preserved examples of top designers’ works in honor of their aunt,

Carrie Marcus Neiman, a co-founder of the Neiman Marcus store.

The Carrie Marcus Neiman Foundation maintained the collection

after her death in 1953, and the Dallas Fashion Group took over in the

1960s. The collection came to campus in 1972. Under UNT’s care, it

has grown to more than 15,000 historic items.

Learn more about the collection at tfc.unt.edu.

— Ellen Rossetti

T e X a S Fa S h I o N C o L L e C T I o N


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

dance and Theatre p / 21

Upcoming events p / 21

Music p / 22

Television and Film p / 22

visual arts p / 23

Al K

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GRAMMY HONORS

Renowned pianist and music professor Joseph Banowetz was nominated for Best

Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra.

Watch a report on Banowetz from WFAA-TV’s Debbie Denmon (’91)

at northtexan.unt.edu/culture.

JOSEPH BANOWETZ’S LATEST GRAMMY nomination came for his recording of Paul Kletzki’s Piano Concerto in D Minor, Op. 22, with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra. The music of the Jewish composer Kletzki was lost in Nazi Germany and uncovered through UNT’s Lost Composers Project. Banowetz previously was nominated for a Grammy with Alton Chung Ming Chan (’82, ’94 Ph.D.) for Best Chamber Music Performance.

In other UNT-related Grammy news, Michael Daugherty (’76) won for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for “Deus ex Machina,” and Norah Jones and Christian rapper Lecrae (’02) also were nominated.


Muse

Books

Architectural spacePalaces in

Saint-Cloud

and Würzburg,

courtesans’

homes, and

gentlemen’s

galleries in post-Napoleonic

London are among the interiors

covered in Architectural Space in Eighteenth-Century Europe: Con-structing Identities and Interiors (Ashgate).

Co-edited by Denise Amy

Baxter, associate professor and

interim chair of the Depart-

ment of Art Education and Art

History, and Meredith Martin

of Wellesley College, the book

explores how bankers, bishops,

bluestockings and courtesans used

architectural space and décor to

shape and express identity.

The book’s contributors address

identity as it relates to gender,

class and ethnicity and cover the

role that spatial environments

played at defining historical and

cultural moments.

Richard WrightIn Richard Wright: From Black Boy to World Citizen (Ivan R. Dee),

Jennifer Jensen

Wallach traces the life of the

author best known for his novel

Native Son and notes the effect of

his work on later African

American writers. Wallach,

assistant professor of history,

follows Wright from his origins

as a sharecropper’s son in

Mississippi to his life as an

American expatriate in Paris

involved with Marxism,

existentialism and Pan-African-

ism. She says her goal was “to

examine Wright’s various

attempts to answer the driving

question of his life, ‘How can I

live freely?’” The book was

published in 2010, the 50th

anniversary of his death.

The Young LordsThe Young

Lords, a

national

political

movement of

the late 1960s

and early 1970s, originated as a

Chicago street gang fighting

gentrification and unfair evictions

in Puerto Rican neighborhoods.

Its politically radical members

were part of the original Rainbow

Coalition with the Black Panthers

and the Young Patriots. The Young Lords: A Reader (New York

University Press), edited by

Darrel Enck-Wanzer, assistant

professor of communication

studies, provides a look inside the

movement.

The collection of essays,

speeches, pamphlets and

photographs created by Young

Lords members, primarily in New

York and on the East Coast,

includes the organization’s

13-point platform and rules of

discipline. The book covers the

group’s activism in education,

health care, police injustice and

gender equality.

In Foreign FieldsFive years after leaving North Texas with his journalism degree, Ray Moseley

(’52) found himself at Central High School in Little Rock, covering the violent

desegregation for the Arkansas Gazette. He thought at the time it might be the

biggest story of his career. But it was just the beginning.

In his book In Foreign Fields: A Veteran Correspondent’s Brushes with Wars,

Revolution, Secret Police and Flea-Pit Hotels (Lulu), the UNT Distinguished

Alumnus and Pulitzer Prize nominee recounts the adventures of nearly 50 years

in journalism, many spent as an overseas correspondent for United Press Inter-

national and the Chicago Tribune. Covering the world’s news from Rome, Cairo,

Nairobi, Moscow, Berlin, Belgrade and London, Moseley was on the scene for the

revolution in Iran, the Six-Day War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and more, dodging

bullets and the KGB along the way.

Robin Knight, formerly a foreign correspondent for U.S. News & World Report

and book reviewer for Time, writes that “a reader is left amazed at the versatil-

ity, stamina, resourcefulness and dogged legwork that kept Moseley chasing the

news for so many years in so many awful places.”

Knight calls foreign correspondents today “an endangered species,” and

Moseley refers to the book as his “testament to a vanishing age.”

“Had I come into journalism just a few years ago, and finished work a half cen-

tury from now,” Moseley writes, “I would never have had experiences remotely

similar to those recounted in this book.”

Read Knight’s full review at northtexan.unt.edu/online.


Upcoming events

The Wind Symphony conducted by Eugene Migliaro Corporon

performs the wind version of Cindy McTee’s Double Play at 7:30

p.m. April 7 in the Murchison Performing Arts Center. The Detroit

Symphony Orchestra premiered the original piece by McTee, win-

ner of its Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award and retiring Regents

Professor. Visit music.unt.edu/calendar for concert information.

Convergent Boundaries, an exhibition of original fashion designs

by Zigwai Remy Odukomaiya, opens April 8 at Fashion on Main,

1901 Main St. in Dallas. This body of work created by Remy is a

requirement for the Master of Fine Arts in the College of Visual

Arts and Design. Exhibit hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays and

Fridays through June 10. For more information, visit tfc.unt.edu.

The 51st annual Voertman Student

Art Competition features a juried

selection of new works in all media

by students in design and studio

arts. (Last year’s award-winning

oil on canvas by Michael Blair is

pictured.) The show runs April 12-30

at the UNT Art Gallery in the Art Building. An opening reception

and award ceremony, with awards sponsored by Voertman’s, is at

noon April 12. Check gallery.unt.edu for information.

The Multicultural Center presents Blake Mycoskie, founder and

chief shoe giver of TOMS Shoes, at 4:30 p.m. April 13 at the

Main Auditorium in the Auditorium Building. Tickets — free for

students, $5 for faculty and staff, $10 for the general public — are

available at the Union Information Center, 940-565-3805.

UNT dance faculty members and guest choreographers share

their artistry with the public at the Faculty Dance Concert, 8 p.m.

April 28-30 and 2:30 p.m. May 1 at the University Theatre. Visit

danceandtheatre.unt.edu for more information.

Visit calendar.unt.edu for more upcoming events.

dance and Theatre

Music for dance

The work of Claudia Howard

Queen, assistant professor of

music for dance, is making news in

Taiwan. After teaching for the

Taipei National University of the

Arts — Taiwan’s premier arts

school — on her second Fulbright

grant to Taiwan in August, she

was invited to collaborate with

artistic director Ming-Shen Ku

and her professional dance

company for the concert Decode

2010. Queen improvised an

evening-length live music score in

performances with Ku & Dancers

at the Taipei National Theatre and

the Wei-Wu-Ying Center of the

Arts in Kaohsiung.

The Taipei Times’ review notes

that Queen “provided percussion,

piano, flute, guitar, vocals and

computerized sounds (dripping

water, rain, crashing waves, the

buzzing of night-time insects)

— and at one point in the matinee

she played the piano with her left

hand while strumming a guitar

with her right. It was amazing to

watch her. ”

Queen, who has been invited

to return to Taiwan, says she is

using this interdisciplinary

collaborative experience in her

teaching at UNT and hopes to

bring Ku & Dancers to campus

for a residency.

Noise “Edgy, “disturbing” and “riveting” are words

reviewers are using to describe Darin Brad-

ley’s debut novel Noise, published by Spectra,

a division of Random House.

Bradley (’02, ’04 M.A., ’07 Ph.D.),

administrative editor of the UNT English

department’s Studies in the Novel, earned his

doctorate in English literature and theory and has taught courses on

writing and literature at East Tennessee State University, Furman

University and UNT.

In Noise, after anarchists hijack the old analog airwaves to warn

of the collapse of civilization, two young men use their scouting and

gaming skills to write their own survival guide and lead a band of

hackers and misfits into the post-Apocalyptic world. Their guide

begins: “[1] i) This Book assumes many things. ii) Among them, that

you are still alive. …”

Publishers Weekly calls Noise “an exceptionally polished debut”

that falls “somewhere between The Lord of the Flies and The Zombie Survival Guide.”

Learn more about the book at www.salvagecountry.net.


MuseSample jazz

If you’d like to know about

the latest work from UNT jazz

studies alumni, just head to

jazz.unt.edu/alumnitracks, where

the jazz studies division is featur-

ing sample tracks from jazz alums’

recent CDs.

Guitarist and alumnus Justin

Cash (’07 M.M.), who suggested

the project, got things started with

tracks from his latest CD Beautiful World. Alumni from any era of

UNT jazz are invited to send in a

track from a recent project. Send

tracks to John Murphy (’84, ’86

M.M.), professor and chair of jazz

studies, at [email protected].

Spring residency

Composer Jake Heggie,

renowned for his nationally

acclaimed opera Moby-Dick,

returned to campus in February

for a series of concerts, lectures

and other events.

Serving as the artist-in-

residence for UNT’s Institute

for the Advancement of the Arts,

he visited for the first part of his

residency in the fall.

The February events included

concerts featuring his works, a

convention in January in San

Antonio.

Two Czech specialists worked

with students during prepara-

tion for the opera, coaching the

principal roles on how to speak

the language and helping students

perfect their Czech singing skills.

The Bartered Bride was produced

in collaboration with the Czech

Educational Foundation of Texas

Frank J. and Hermine Hurta Kos-

tohryz Residency in Czech Music

and Culture.

Previously, UNT has won

awards from the National Opera

Association for two productions:

Argento’s Postcard from Morocco

and Britten’s Albert Herring.

Music

National opera honor

The first opera to be presented

in Czech at UNT earned third

place from the National Opera

Association’s Opera Production

Competition. Director Paula

Homer accepted the award for the

UNT performance of Smetana’s

Prodaná nevesta (The Bartered Bride) at the association’s national

panel discussion and opera work-

shop master class. In addition to

coaching students, performing

and lecturing, Heggie continued

work on a commission from

UNT to compose a major work

for orchestra, chorus and soloist

to further explore his interest in

Moby-Dick.

Television and Film

Denton public access Journalism students are gain-

ing more experience in broad-

cast operations through a new

agreement between the Mayborn

School of Journalism and the city

of Denton.

The school began operating

the city’s public access television

channel, Denton Community

Television, in January.

Nann Goplerud, principal

lecturer and interim chair of

the Department of News, is the

station manager. Students from

the news and strategic com-

munications departments will

be producing a local newscast,

public service announcements

and other programming for the

station, which operates from a

renovated studio in the General

Academic Building.

The channel (Charter Cable

Channel 25 and Verizon FIOS

Channel 39 in Denton County)

also continues to provide a voice

to Denton residents.

New president Sam Sauls (’77, ’80 M.A.,

’93 Ph.D.), associate professor

of radio, television and film, was

elected the 2011-12 president

of the Broadcast Education

pink Floyd at UnTUNT’s 40-foot domed

Sky Theater planetarium is

taking audiences to the Dark Side of the Moon with a new

program of computer-

animated images set to the

music of the 1973 album by

Pink Floyd. The 45-minute

program features surround

sound and a kaleidoscope of

flowing colors and shapes through complex video imagery. The

program’s creator, Aaron McEuen at Utah-based Starlight Produc-

tions, says it’s “like having headphones for your eyeballs.”

Ron “Starman” DiIulio, UNT planetarium and astronomy

laboratory director, hopes the program will encourage those with

interests in computer animation, music, physics and other disciplines

to create similar planetarium shows for UNT. He plans to screen

more Starlight Productions programs this year such as Pink Floyd’s

The Wall and Wish You Were Here.

Dark Side of the Moon is presented at 9 p.m. Thursdays and 9:30

p.m. Saturdays through the spring semester at the Sky Theater in the

Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building. Tickets,

available 30 minutes before each show, are $7 for general admission

and $6 for UNT students, faculty and staff with UNT ID. Only cash

and checks are accepted. To view the trailer, visit skytheater.unt.edu.

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UNT’s new Design Research Center in downtown Dallas is the first of its kind in the

region. Opened in January, it serves as an “urban laboratory” where graduate students

and faculty use design to solve contemporary problems. The renovated 3,000-square-

foot space, which includes a conference room, student work stations and classrooms, is

a former police substation at 1908 Elm St., adjacent to the UNT System Building.

Interdisciplinary teams of faculty and students at the center will work with community

nonprofits, government agencies and corporations to address social, environmental,

economic and public policy concerns. Researchers already are working with public

television station KERA to create a “Kids and Family” portal and website; collaborating

with the nonprofit Downtown Dallas Inc. on ideas for improving the quality of life and

economy in the West End and other Dallas districts; and helping employees of the World

Factory corporation with innovations for developing new products.

Directed by Keith Owens, associate professor of communication design, the center

will support graduate students pursuing degrees in innovation studies along with faculty

members from five UNT schools and colleges: business, public affairs and community

service, merchandising and hospitality management, and arts and sciences, as well as

visual arts and design. Researchers are expected to present preliminary results of some

of their studies at a grand opening this spring.

For more information, visit art.unt.edu/designresearchcenter or contact the center at

[email protected] or 214-752-5556.

design research Center

visual arts

International award

Studio arts graduate student

Naomi S. Adams earned

worldwide recognition for her

unusual designs as the winner of

the Future of Quilting Award at

the 2010 International Quilt

Festival in Houston. The award

was part of the judged show of the

Inter national Quilt Association.

Adams created her quilt,

Diamonds, by dyeing the batting

used to make four quilts, cutting

Association, the professional

organization for faculty mem-

bers, industry professionals and

graduate students interested in

teaching and researching elec-

tronic media and multimedia

enterprises.

Sauls is the association’s vice

president for academic relations

and has served on its board of

directors since 2006.

He joined UNT in 1984 as a

lecturer and as station manager

of campus radio station KNTU-

FM. He is now the associate

chair and director of graduate

studies in the Department of

Radio, Television and Film.

He has 15 years of experience

in commercial and noncommer-

cial radio.

crescent-shaped pieces and gluing

them to a fifth quilt. The resulting

three-dimensional quilt stands

out three inches from the wall.

Adams also won the Olfa

Okada Young Designer Award at

the American Quilters Society

Show in 2008. Her work will be

shown at Quilt National 2011, a

juried international art quilt

exhibition, May 28 through Sept.

5 at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in

Athens, Ohio.

Artist in residence

Regents Professor Harlan

Butt, an internationally known

metalsmith, was one of four

artists chosen to participate in

the 2010 Artist-in-Residence

program at Denali National Park

and Preserve in Alaska. Butt,

whose enamel and silver vessels

are inspired by a love of nature

and poetry, stayed in a historic

cabin and documented locations

in the park through photographs,

sketches and a journal of poetry

and impressions.

He made a presentation for

visitors during the residency in

August and has donated a piece

of artwork to the park’s art

collection inspired by his time

there. There are plans to exhibit

his National Park Series pieces,

including several inspired by

Denali, at UNT on the Square in

the fall. View photos from his

residency at northtexan.unt.edu/culture.

Keith Owens directs the new Design Research Center in downtown Dallas, where graduate students and faculty collaborate with nonprofits, government agencies and businesses, using design to address social, environmental, economic and public policy concerns.

24 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S p r i n g 2 0 1 124 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

LOVE STORIES

by R andena Hulstrand

ollege years filled with inspiration set the course for self discovery — and sometimes for falling in love. Throughout its history, UNT has provided a lively backdrop for Cupid’s arrows, igniting love interests and growing relationships from first glimpses in classrooms and first dates in the University Union to marriage proposals under McConnell Tower. Love stories intertwined with memories of UNT span the years and occur in multiple generations for some alumni families. From a romantic rendezvous at the fish pond in the early years to a hand-in-hand walk on the Spirit March today, love at UNT is timeless.

C

If you, too, met the love of your life at UNT, we want to hear from you. Tell us what year you met, your favorite places on campus to spend time together, and when you knew you had found true love. Share your stories and photos and read more UNT love stories online at northtexan.unt.edu/lovestories.

by R andena Hulstrand

See Eugenia McKinney (’52) and William “Bill” Foxworth King (’51) tell the story of how they met and fell in love on their first date to a Marquis and Terrill Hall dance at northtexan.unt.edu/lovestories.

When she first spotted William “Bill” Foxworth King (’51) during freshman English class in 1947, Eugenia McKinney (’52) didn’t know she would repeat history.

“He had the cutest turned-up nose, just like the movie star Lon McCallister,” she says. “I knew I wanted to go out with him.”

After failed attempts to get Bill to notice her by dropping her books after class, she asked him to a Marquis and Terrill Hall dance, which led to two more dates that week. Bill was a pre-med student teaching physiology in the then newly built chemistry building. She took his class, washed lab bottles for him and helped him grade papers.

“We’ve been dating ever since,” Bill says.They weren’t the only couple in their family who had love blossom on campus.

Forty years prior, Eugenia’s aunt, Lila Gertrude McDonough (1907) met Jesse Harrison Legett (1905), her biology teacher, while she was earning her teaching certificate, and fell in love. After teaching at a rural school in Canon, Lila returned to marry Jesse. An avid gardener who taught agriculture and biology courses for more than 40 years, he retired from the faculty in 1946. They lived where West Hall now stands with their five children, including three who attended North Texas and married fellow classmates.

Eugenia and Bill’s courtship included hanging out at Perryman’s Drug Store across campus, going to movies at the Campus Theatre, ’Fessor Graham’s Saturday Night Stage Shows, dancing to the Aces of Collegeland on the slab between Marquis and Terrill halls and riding in Bill’s 1927 Model-T. They restored the car, “Betsy,” and cherish it with reminiscent rides back to campus and at UNT Homecoming parades.

After graduation, Bill attended Northwestern Medical School in Chicago to study radiology while Eugenia worked at Terrell Laboratories in Fort Worth. They married in Denton in 1954, his third summer in medical school.

Following family tradition, two of their three children attended the university, son William David King (’81) and daughter Ann Catherine King Durick (’85), who met her husband, Dennis Durick (’85), as a student. And now, Eugenia and Bill’s grandson, Will King, a sophomore composition student, lives in Bruce Hall, just as his dad, aunt and uncle did.

“We’re four generations strong,” Eugenia says.

legacy love affairs


enduring love

You never know what life is going to throw at you, says Max Raymond (’76). He and Priscilla Langston (’77) accidentally met in the foyer of the Administration Building in 1975.

“Priscilla was a Green Jacket and worked in the public information office in the Administration Building, and I was a tour guide showing prospective students and parents around the campus,” Max says.

The day they met, Priscilla was working at the information desk in the lobby, filling in for the regular staffer who was on vacation.

“There sat this beautiful woman with dancing green eyes and gorgeous auburn hair flowing down to her waist,” he says. “I walked into a life-changing experience.”

Both biology majors, Priscilla and Max began dating and discovered other similar interests, including a love for baseball and a desire to be Peace Corps volunteers.

But their relationship hit some rocky times. “I was dating other guys and needed to tie up loose ends,” she says.Max says he thought it was over between them.“I graduated and was resigned to never seeing Priscilla again when I received a letter

from her congratulating me,” he says. “We began corresponding by mail nearly a year after we first met, and we learned that we needed each other.”

After Max proposed on the LBJ library lawn in Austin before a North Texas-UT football game, they wed in December 1976 at The Little Chapel in the Woods in Denton. Shortly thereafter, they enlisted as Peace Corps volunteers in Tonga where they taught for two years.

Thirty-four years of marriage, four children and two grandchildren later, the Raymonds are both high school teachers and say more Peace Corps work might be in their future.

“We are still very much in love,” Max says.


Introduced by her Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sisters and his Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers in 1953, juniors Beverly Ann Tidmore (’55) and Thomas Leeth (’55) began walking together from their 10 a.m. class to the Student Union Building three times a week for coffee. But their first date didn’t come until just before Christmas break.

“There came a tremendous snow fall and a snowball fight ensued between a number of sororities and fraternities in front of the old Administration Building on Hickory Street,” Tom says. “We battled it out and afterward I invited Beverly to a party at my fraternity brother’s home.”

In the spring, their relationship began to “heat up,” particularly on Thursday afternoons, when they frequented Blondy’s in Saginaw and listened to what became their song, “Once I Had a Secret Love,” he says.

In Lambda Chi Alpha tradition, Tom pledged his love for Beverly by presenting her with his fraternity pin and a dozen red Talisman roses on the steps of her dorm, Chilton Hall, while his fraternity brothers serenaded them.

“I still have that pin,” she says. “I knew he was for me and I was for him.” Tom says by that summer, he was “totally smitten” and gave Beverly an engagement

ring. They planned to marry following their 1955 graduations, but plans changed.“We were a few minutes late one night, smooching in the parking lot in front of my

dorm, and we didn’t see the lights blink to come in,” Beverly says. “And Imogene Bentley Dickey, dean of women, ‘campused’ me for the rest of the semester, just two months short of our graduation.”

With Beverly not allowed to attend his spring fraternity formal and Tom unable to persuade the dean to let her, he and Beverly eloped two days later, April Fool’s Day.

Their nearly 56-year marriage — producing two daughters, four grandsons and one great-grandson — is a testament to lasting love.

“Fate intervened,” Tom says. “No joke.”

fate intervened

Hear Beverly Ann Tidmore (’55) and Thomas Leeth (’55) tell the story of their April Fool’s Day elopement on a video at northtexan.unt.edu/lovestories.


Through some of Edna Jo “Bo” Allen Chapman’s (’47) most challenging times, UNT has given her hope. She worked at the Campus Chat for 35 cents an hour to help pay for her expenses at Terrill Hall and pledged Kappa Theta Pi. But the reality of World War II dictated she move home to work at the Southern Aircraft Corp. plant in Garland for a year.

“I came back to North Texas in the fall of ’45 and it was a good thing,” she says. “The fellows were returning from the war.”

By spring of 1946, one special soldier returned. Pat Chapman (’47) had enlisted in the Air Force and left the university in 1943, serving in the Pacific Theatre on Tinian Island.

“Pat, who was a very handsome young man and president of the Betas, came by the Theta house where I was living and invited me to the ‘Corner’ at Hickory and Avenue A for a Coke,” Bo says. “We began our courtship.

“So many activities were all around us. We went dancing in Dallas at Maurice’s Flight 21, and on campus we had many Beta and Theta dances, Saturday nights with ’Fessor Graham and the Aces of Collegeland, football and basketball games, and movies. And yes, some studying.”

Pat and Bo married in May 1948 at The Little Chapel in the Woods in Denton and built a life together in Dallas, until Pat’s death in 1976.

It was during a Homecoming reunion in the early ’90s that Bo reconnected with six of her Theta sisters. The group still convenes several times a year.

“These are friendships of more than 68 years and a continuation of the life I started at North Texas with Pat — a life that gave us two sons, two daugh-ters-in-law and five grandchildren,” Bo says. “He would be very proud.”

postwar romanCe

Nancy Acker (’50) says she first saw Luther “Bugs” Fambro (’50) in 1946 when they were business administration students studying in the library. Weeks later, they were introduced to each other by a friend at Eagle Drug, across from campus.

“Many nights we sat in the great hall of my dorm, Terrill Hall, talking. We have the same birthday, Feb. 4,” Nancy says. “And I loved his blonde hair and good looks.”

Bugs lettered four years in football and also ran track. He was an all-Gulf Coast Conference end in football in 1949 and went on to set school and conference track and field records. In 1998, he was named to the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame.

By their sophomore year, Nancy and Bugs began talking of marriage and decided not to wait until after graduation. In August 1948, they wed and moved into the caretaker’s garage apartment on the golf course.

“‘Pop’ Noah, the track coach, was not pleased. He didn’t want one of his athletes to marry while he was participating in track,” she says, “but he soon mellowed.”

Living on the golf course, they played golf whenever they could and created many memories.

“Bugs gave me a cocker spaniel puppy, and every morning when we went to class, there was a pile of golf balls that he had retrieved at our door.”

The college sweethearts received many honors. Bugs, a member of Talons, was voted Eagles Outstanding Athlete in 1949. Nancy, who pledged Kappa Theta Pi, was chosen Homecoming Queen by the football team in 1948 and 1949.

With more than 62 years of marriage, four children, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, the Fambros say they will always be loyal to UNT, where they got their start.

“We proudly fly a bright green UNT flag to greet everyone who enters the Fambro Bear Creek Ranch south of Strawn.”

golf course newlyweds

eagle proposal

Pamela Pineset (’03) had a crush on Vernon Bryant (’00) since they were teenagers, growing up and attending church together in Austin. But they didn’t start dating until her freshman and his junior year at UNT.

Vernon, a photojournalism major, worked at the North Texas Daily, while Pamela, a public relations major, worked at Voertman’s bookstore. Together, they were members of the National Association of Black Journalists student organization.

“I always knew he was a good guy and came from a great family,” she says. “He was dedicated to school and serious about his career, and I thought I better hang on to him.”

When Pamela was a senior, Vernon, already working for The Dallas Morning News, hatched an elaborate plan to propose to her. After asking Pamela’s parents for her hand, he organized a trivia game that included a succession of questions paired with letters he photographed, spelling out “Will you marry me?”

His final question, “What icon ties the two of us together?” led her to the Eagle statue in front of the University Union, where he kneeled, proposed and presented her with a ring.

“I was so nervous,” he says, “but in being friends before we dated, we really knew each other, and I thought, ‘What am I waiting for?’”

They married in Jamaica in July 2003 and live in Frisco with their twin 3-year-old girls, Carmen and Sanaya.

“Pamela makes me a better person because where I falter, she helps me do better,” Vernon says. “And she laughs at the same things I do.”

See how UNT played a part in Vernon Bryant’s (’00) elaborate marriage proposal to Pamela Pineset (’03) through a video at northtexan.unt.edu/lovestories.

sparks fly

On the first Wednesday of the spring semester in 2006, Ryan Tuomey (’08) sat behind NaShae Menefee (’08) in their geography lab in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building. They had never met before but recognized one another — they were Facebook friends.

“Ryan had spotted me at a new members’ mixer for our sorority and fraternity, Alpha Delta Pi and Lambda Chi Alpha, during the fall semester,” NaShae says, adding that he learned her name from a mutual Facebook friend and sent her a friend request on the social networking website.

“After class that first day, I received a Facebook message from Ryan saying ‘hello.’ We began talking, agreed to be lab partners and exchanged phone numbers,” she says.

During their first date at Hailey’s in Denton, they clicked.“I knew right away she was for me,” Ryan says.NaShae says that even though they are both shy, they talked for hours. A year later, Ryan proposed at a picnic during the Fourth of July fireworks show at

UNT near Fouts Field, not far from where they first met. They married after gradua-tion in 2008.

Ryan teaches in Mansfield at a high school career center, while NaShae teaches ninth grade world geography at North Crowley.

“It’s fun to explain that I met my husband in a geography class,” she says. UNT has become a part of the Tuomeys’ anniversary celebrations. They continue to

attend the fireworks shows and are avid Mean Green fans. Ryan says he can’t wait to bring their children to football games and tailgating one day.

“I am so happy I decided to attend UNT,” NaShae says. “If not, I may have missed finding my soul mate.”


M

MarianBrock

Marian Brock has come

a long way from her first

role as a tightrope walker

in a kindergarten play.

The hard-working actress

is the female lead in the

oscar-winning short film

God of Love.

just so awesome, so inspiring, and I am still completely awestruck.”

In the film, Matheny’s character, the darts playing lounge singer Ray, is secretly in love with jazz drummer Kelly and mysteriously receives a box of darts. Any person hit by a mystery dart becomes romantically attached to him for six hours.

Brock nabbed the part by posting her resume on a website for actors. Her jazz-drumming roommate taught her to play drums in the basement.

Brock’s fascination with theatre began early — with her first role as a tightrope walker in a kindergarten play. By third grade, she made her debut as a playwright when her Austin private school produced her play about two mice scared of a cat — with Brock playing the cat.

At UNT, she learned from theatre professors Marjorie Hayes, Lorenzo Garcia, Barbara Cox and Andy Harris. They insisted she learn the technical aspects of theatre. That knowledge helped when she had to prepare her own cos-tumes and makeup in non-paying roles to gain exposure in New York.

She has found balance doing what she loves and earning money, she says. She acts in theatrical productions and films and earns extra money as a children’s party entertainer.

She also is a member of the National Comedy Theatre, performs in the arts education organization Story Pirates, does voice-over work at Studio Center and performs in Renaissance festivals across the country as a member of the Washing Well Wenches.

“To have balance and a life where I do what I love and get paid for it is the best thing I can ever imagine,” she says. “And I think that’s true of everybody.”

arian Brock (’05) knew she had stumbled upon something special when filming God of Love.

On the first day of shooting, the actress walked onto a set with balloons on the ceiling and a treasure chest full of wine. Every detail of the romantic scene seemed picture-perfect.

But she’s still trying to wrap her head around the news that the 18-minute film about a love struck, lounge-singing darts champion won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short. Brock played the female lead, Kelly, in God of Love, which already had won critical acclaim and snagged a student Oscar for best narrative film.

“Everyone was always willing to go that extra step,” Brock says of the cast and crew for the film, which was created as a graduate thesis by New York University student Luke Matheny. “I am so proud of everyone involved.”

Now, New York-based Brock — who worked seven non-acting jobs last summer — is scheduling interviews with agents and getting audition invitations, including one from a respected theatrical company. The Academy Award winners were announced in Los Angeles Feb. 27.

“This is truly the greatest blessing I have ever had in my career,” says Brock, who earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre. “I worked very hard, and I am very proud of that, and to have it come to fruition is

by EllEn RossEtti


Q and A

Travis William

s (’06)

Marian Brock (’05)New york

Degree in: Theatre

favorite movie: Too many to count. Random

favorites in no order: The

Fountain, The Lion in Winter, Elf,

Singing in the Rain, Amelie and

The Cutting Edge

What i love about acting:I love living someone else’s life.

I’m a pretty boring person. I like

playing Scrabble and watch-

ing movies. So playing people

from every walk of life can be a

fascinating challenge. I also love

the collaborative aspect of film,

theatre and television. Getting all

kinds of different artists together

to create something greater

than ourselves is inspiring and,

frankly, a lot of fun.

favorite UnT memories: Hanging out with friends,

rehearsing shows, Fry Street Fair,

writing papers in the Willis lab at

4 a.m., drinking coffee outside

the RTVF building

My ultimate goal: To make my income entirely from

acting work. And to make a very

comfortable income through

acting work. Oh, OK, and to win

an Oscar for Best Actress. Yeah.

That’s my wildest dream come

true.

visit northtexan.unt.edu to read more of Brock’s

answers.


F O U n D E R’ S CircleM

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Woo

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f

When Ernie Kuehne (’66) came to the university on a track scholarship, he knew it was taking him away from his family’s cotton farm in the hardscrabble town of Otto, where he grew up.

But he didn’t know then just how different his world would become. Kuehne graduated with a political science degree, earned his law degree and became a success in the oil and banking industry. Now the managing partner of Kuehne and Shilling LLC law firm, he is at the top of the ladder.

But he has never forgotten the athletics program or the university that helped him take that first step. He returned the favor by donating $1 million to UNT’s athletics program to support student-athletes and athletic facilities, including the new football stadium at Mean Green Village that will open this fall. And he’s hoping that his gift will help other UNT students blaze their own trail to success.

New Founder’s Circle recognizes donors whose

contributions have a profound impact

President V. Lane Rawlins speaks with members of UNT’s Founder’s Circle, an elite group of donors whose lifetime giving contributions to the university range from $250,000 to beyond $1 million.

The gift of opportunity


R e c o g n i t i o n S o c i e t i e S

• T H E M C C O N N E L L S O C I E T Y The McConnell Society recognizes those with contributions of $1 million or more.

Horace and Euline Brock Ruth and Don A. Buchholz Kristin Farmer-Totah Alan and Shirley Goldfield Ernest Kuehne The Frank W. & Sue Mayborn Foundation James McIngvale Gayle and Ken Murphy Ken and Ann Newman Robert A. Nickell G. Brint and Amanda Ryan John and Lindy Rydman C. Dan and Le’Nore Smith Ed and Nikki Smith Mrs. Virginia Street Charn Uswachoke Paul Voertman and Richard Ardoin Dr. Leroy and Wanda S. Whitaker Margot and Bill Winspear

• T H E M A T T H E W S S O C I E T Y The Matthews Society recognizes those with contributions between $500,000 and $999,999.

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Baird Mrs. Nancy Dedman Ms. Nancy Hamon Dr. Francis Kostohryz Dr. Peggy Ladenberger and Mr. Charles Ladenberger Mr. and Mrs. Don Lovelace Dr. Charles Onstead Mr. and Mrs. Fred Patterson Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Pinkerton CDR and Mrs. Nicholas D. Ricco Sr. USN (Ret.) Dr. and Mrs. Robert Toulouse

• T H E K E N D A L L S O C I E T Y The Kendall Society recognizes those with contributions between $250,000 and $499,999.

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Bancroft Mercedes and Sid Bass Charlie Bond Janet and Frank Bracken Elinore and Benjamin Brown Dan Cathy Mack and Linda Christian Col. Guy Cloud Anne Fields Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Gomez Tony and Toppy Goolsby Bob and Fran Kimmel Frank A. Kubica Elaine Mathes George and Nesha Morey Dr. Charldean Newell Mr. Charles Nobles Sara Sue and Don Potts Phyllis and Bobby Ray Marc A. Smugar Dr. Frank C. SpencerJohn and Bonnie Strauss Foundation Dr. Fran VickRoss W. Vick Jr.

To learn more, contact Kim Wendt, director of donor relations, at 940-565-3689 or [email protected].

“North Texas and the athletic program gave a young man an opportu-nity to grow and create a path for his future. The impact it had on my life and later successes is immeasurable and I am humbled and honored that I can give back to help others do the same,” says Kuehne, whose three children became well-known golfers. “I challenge every North Texas alum and fan to step up and help move this university forward.”

Kuehne’s gift landed him in the university’s newly created Founder’s Circle, which recognizes those whose generous contributions of $250,000 or more are game-changers for UNT and its students.

The Founder’s Circle consists of three recognition societies — the McConnell Society, the Matthews Society and the Kendall Society. Each is named for a former president who left a deep and lasting impact on UNT, just as the supporters have who are part of the Founder’s Circle.

Kuehne’s gift earned him a spot in the McConnell Society, the most elite of the recognition societies. And it places him in great company, with fellow supporters whose gifts have supported landmark programs, buildings and initiatives.

“Anyone who supports UNT and our students is changing lives by giving the gift of opportunity, regardless of the amount of the gift or where the money is directed,” says Lisa Baronio, vice presi-dent for advancement and director of development of the UNT Foundation. “But we created the Founder’s Circle to recognize those whose contributions help opportunity knock much louder and much longer for our students.”

UNT Athletic Director Rick Villar-real says Kuehne’s gift will help the Mean Green continue aiming for the top.

“Gifts like these are validation of the progress we have made and the achieve-ments that are possible,” Villarreal says. “Ernie’s gift is making it possible for athletics to compete on a national basis and I hope others will follow his lead, whether to athletics or one of the many other outstanding areas of our university.”

President V. Lane Rawlins says the contributions of Founder’s Circle members signal to others that UNT is a place of excellence, worthy of the highest of investments.

“These gifts enable us to do what we do best: provide the best possible education to our students,” he says. “And with more gifts like these, we’ll become a university offering the best undergradu-ate education in Texas as well as a first-rate research university.”

Being part of the Founder’s Circle also encourages members to stay connected to the university through annual exclusive events such as the President’s Council Reception and the biennial Founder’s Circle dinner.

At these events, supporters often have the opportunity to meet UNT students and hear firsthand about the impact they are making on their lives.

“Our donors direct their gifts to areas that are meaningful to them, and our Founder’s Circle members are no exception. We work with them to provide the most impactful gift to the university, while providing a very gratifying gift experience to them personally,” Baronio says. “This gifting opportunity is very meaningful to the donors as well as to the recipients of their generosity.”


NestEAgLES’

i n t h i s s e c t i o n

| Connecting With Friends p / 37

| Upcoming alumni gatherings p / 38

| photo essay p / 41

| In the News p / 43

| Friends We’ll Miss p / 44

Gar

y Pa

yne

ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY

Carol West (’71), ordained minister and counselor,

earned a humanitarian award for helping to bring a community together.

Learn more about West and the work

she is doing at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

CAROL WEST (’71) FELT HER CALLING IN LIFE was to help people, and she has been doing just that for nearly three decades as a minister, a teacher, a suicide prevention counselor and the first AIDS chaplain funded by a grant from the state of Texas. She says UNT offered her camaraderie at a time when there was less sensitivity to diversity. Now, as pastor of Celebration Community Church in Fort Worth, she heads one of the most recognized churches in the area serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. She received the 2010 Kuchling Humanitarian Award for her work.

“North Texas showed me that everybody wasn’t alike,” she says. “You learned to work with people.”


C O N N E C T I N G W I T H Friendskeep up with the latest developments in the UNT family and tell your peers what you’ve been up to since leaving the nest. Send your news to The North Texan (see contact information on page 5). Members of the UNT alumni association are designated with a .

Read more, share comments and connect with friends at

northtexan.unt.edu.

EAgLES’ Nest

Sheva Roquemore Wilkins (’96) represented unt at a College Fair in South Korea. She teaches at a depart-ment of defense school at Yongsan Army Base in Seoul.

1964

M.L. dan-iels (ed.d.), austin ::

retired after

teaching music

at Abilene Christian Univer-

sity for 34 years. In Austin, he

continues to write music and play

golf. He has more than 100 music

publications and is the composer-

in-residence of the Williamson

County Symphony Orchestra.

He gives much of the credit to his

composition study with Samuel adler.

Walter L. ellis (’66 M.A.),

pearland :: retired after 33

years as an Episcopal priest,

serving churches in Glade water,

Longview, League City and Hous-

ton. He previously worked in the

Lunar Receiving Labora tory at

the Johnson Space Center in the

Apollo and Skylab programs. He

earned his Master of Divinity

from Virginia Theological Semi-

nary and his Doctor of Minis-

try from Austin Presbyterian

Theological Seminary. He and his

wife, Susan, enjoy being near their

children and grandchildren.

Charlie d. Nichols (M.a., ’69 ed.d.), Mansfield :: worked for

35 years in education as a high

school teacher, coach, superin-

tendent and professor. He retired

from Texas Wesleyan University

in 1995, having served as profes-

sor of education, chair of second-

ary education and director of

international summer programs

in Mexico and Costa Rica. He still

actively manages private invest-

ment company Southwest Invest-

ments Ltd. and enjoys creative

writing and watching his small

stable of race horses run. He and

his wife, Arline, have been married

for 50 years.

1965

robert B. Foard (’71 M.S.), Fort Worth ::

taught speech

and drama for 25 years and was a

director at the Abilene Commu-

nity Theatre and the Hill Country

Arts Foundation Point Theatre.

He earned certification in English

as a second language and taught

English for 12 years in Saudi

Arabia, also earning doctoral

certification in voice and diction.

He is the author of two Christian

books. As a student, he was presi-

dent of the University Players and

the Sigma Gamma Cast of Alpha

Psi Omega.

1966

diane Shank, Shawnee, okla. ::

retired from

Oklahoma Baptist University in

2010 as a technical services

librarian, after joining the OBU

faculty as a librarian in 1969. She

is a member of the Oklahoma

Library Association and the

Southern Baptist Librarians

Association. Before joining OBU,

she worked as a children’s

librarian at the Dallas Public

Library.

1968

Mike McCurley, dallas ::

founder

and partner

of family law firm McCurley

Orsinger McCurley Nelson &

Downing LLP, was named one of

the country’s Top 100 Attorneys

in Worth magazine. He also was

named to the 2010 Texas Super Lawyers list and was singled out

as one of the state’s best family

lawyers in Texas Lawyer’s Go-To

Guide.


EAgLES’ Nest

1970

paul hammons, Hooks ::

received a patent on his invention,

the Flush Meister, that saves 1 to

3 gallons of water every time a

flapper-controlled toilet is flushed.

His interest in water-saving

devices began in 1980, when a

state commission was formed to

look for ways to meet the future

water needs of Texans.

1972

g.W. adams, hurst ::

program manager for the forensic

services unit of the Center for

Human Identification at the

UNT Health Science Center,

spoke in Columbus, Ohio, in

August at the Ride for Their Lives

event. The bicycle ride across the

U.S., hosted by the Surviving

Parents Coalition, raised funds to

advocate for laws and educational

initiatives to protect children from

abduction and abuse.

aaron Bonds, Corpus Christi ::

football, basketball and track and

field coach at Agua Dulce ISD,

received a Texas Heroes Award

from the NAACP in November,

recognizing his outstanding work

in the community as a tutor and

mentor. He also was profiled this

spring in STV, the magazine of

the Fellowship of Christian

Athletes.

Mike Friedman, dallas ::

senior vice president for CB

Richard Ellis, was honored at the

2010 Dallas Hebrew Free Loan

Association 75th Anniversary

Gala in October. He serves on

the UNT Alumni Association

board among many other boards

and has supported charitable

causes for 35 years. Proceeds

from the gala benefited the loan

programs of the association,

which assists Dallas Jewish

community members in

financial need.

Jim hansford (M.M.ed., ’82 ph.d.), Shawnee,

okla. :: Burton Patterson

Professor of Music and director

of bands, retired in July from

Oklahoma Baptist University

after 20 years of service. He has

been the conductor of the

Oklahoma Baptist All-State

Symphonic Band, the OBU

Symphonic Band and the

OBU-Shawnee Community

Orchestra. He stays active as a

guest conductor, clinician and

adjudicator in schools and

churches across the Southwest.

1973

Michael Maddox, duncan-ville :: was appointed platinum

marketing underwriter in the

Dallas Core Service Center of

Amerisure Mutual Insurance Co.

He joined Amerisure in 1990

and has been recognized twice

as a finalist for the Market-

ing Underwriter of the Year in

Amerisure’s Champions Through

Excellence program.

Upcoming alumni gatheringsUNT alumni are gathering to network and celebrate – and you can join them. Here’s a sampling of events coming up:

UNT Career Fairs and Workshops: Career fairs offered by the UNT Career Center are free to alumni job seekers. The College of Education Career Fair is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 in the UNT Coliseum. Offered in the Alumni Job Search Webinar Series,

noon to 1 p.m. via interactive webinar, are: “Resume Basics” on April 20, “Networking to Enhance Your Job Search” on April 27, “LinkedIN and the Job Search” on May 4 and “Navigating a Career Transition” on May 11. Contact [email protected].

Alumni Awards Dinner: A long-standing university tradition, the UNT Alumni Awards Dinner is an annual event that recognizes the outstanding achievement, service and support of UNT’s alumni and friends. This year’s event begins at 7 p.m. April 15 in the Gateway Center Ballroom. For more information, contact Rob McKinney at [email protected] or 940-565-3162 or Karen Selby at [email protected] or 940-656-3480. Official Ring Presentation Ceremony: Part of UNT tradition, the official class ring and presentation ceremony reminds students of their college success. The spring ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. April 21 in the Gateway Center Ballroom. For more information or to join the UNT Alumni Association, call 940-565-2834 or go to www.untalumni.com.

1975

Larry C. Stevens, (M.S., ’83 ph.d.), Flagstaff,

ariz. :: is a professor of psychol-

ogy at Northern Arizona

Uni ver sity where he has taught

and conducted research for 25

years. He received a three-year

National Science Foundation

grant last year to study the social

psychophysiology of compassion.

He is the coordinator for NAU’s

Research Experiences for

Undergraduates program.

1976

Sparky koerner (M.M.ed.), Texas City :: is in his 27th year

at College of the Mainland,

where he is chair of fine arts and

director of instrumental studies.

He coordinates TMEA High

School All State Jazz Ensemble

auditions and is president of the

Texas Jazz Educators Associa-

tion. He says his time at UNT

prepared him “to carry out the

important message of music

education and especially jazz edu-

cation” over the years.

danny Ward (’77 M.a.), oakton, va. :: did the photog-

raphy and image layout for a

book of consolidated poetry and


photography images. The Plane of Life collection was published by

Blurb press and featured in a fall

2010 show at the Atrium Gallery

in McLean, Va.

1980

Lendell M. hawley, austin ::

accepted a position as laboratory

manager with Invista S.a.r.l. in La

Porte. Invista produces polymers

and fibers, primarily for nylon,

spandex and polyester applications.

Cynthia roepke-Breeding, (M.ed.), Corpus Christi :: is

leading a Camelot Tour across

England and Scotland this sum-

mer, visiting sites associated with

the legend of King Arthur. She

has written numerous books,

including Camelot’s Destiny, Fate of Camelot and Prelude to Camelot.

1982 Cynthia I. gonzales (’90 M.M.), San Marcos :: is a ten-

ured associate professor of music

theory at Texas State University,

where she is coordinator of theory

and aural skills. She is celebrating

her 15th season with Austin-

based Conspirare, the Grammy-

nominated professional choral

ensemble. In May, she married

Guillermo “Bill” Guajardo Jr. and

says she “had no idea marriage

would be so fun.”

Linda Messick Montez, San antonio :: wrote a book titled Me and the Lord on the Bus (Xlibris).

In the collection of 30 vignettes,

she shares “how God turned her

ordinary bus rides into extraor-

dinary blessings” and encourages

readers to look for him in their

everyday living.

Stephen M. Wolfinbarger (M.M., ’89 d.M.a.), kalama-zoo, Mich. :: professor of music

at Western Michigan University,

received WMU’s 2010-11 Distin-

guished Teaching Award. He has

taught trombone at the university

for more than 30 years. In 2009,

he received an International

Trombone Association Award

honoring his career as a teacher

and mentor.

1984

Mark Mcdaniel (’87 M.p.a.), Tyler :: city manager of Tyler, was

named the Texas Administrator

of the Year by the Texas City

Management Association. He

became Tyler’s city manager in

2009, after serving as city

manager designate for 10 months

and deputy city manager for four

years. He also has worked for the

cities of Corpus Christi, Wood-

way, Lake Jackson and Denton.

Bill robin-son, raleigh, N.C. :: earned

a doctorate in

physics from

North Carolina State University

in May, then joined the physics

faculty there. He continues

composing and giving concerts

locally, especially at Duke.

Friends can contact him at

billrobinsonmusic.com.

Solar punch

When particle accelerator physicist alan Bigelow (’91, ’93 M.S., ’00 Ph.D.) is not smashing atoms, he’s playing guitar with

his eco-rock band Solar Punch to promote solar energy and ecological

responsibility. Bigelow, an associate research scientist at Columbia Uni-

versity, taught UNT’s popular “Science and Technology of Musical Sound”

course as a teaching fellow.

“I learned tools of the trade from extraordinary physics professors,” he

says, “and gigged in local clubs with outstanding UNT musicians.”

Solar Punch’s first studio album of environmental rock released in 2009

featured all-original songs with tailored messages about solar science and

environmental activism. The title, Surya, translates as “sun” in Hindi.

And the sun isn’t only a theme but a method. The band’s equipment is

powered by an off-grid solar power station assembled from portable solar

panels, a charge controller, batteries and a power converter. Bigelow can

charge the station in transit to gigs with a solar panel mounted atop his

Subaru. At each performance, he puts his teaching skills to work, showing

audiences how the gear works and expounding on sustainability.

In early 2009, the band traveled by solar-electric cars across India on a

40-day tour to spotlight climate solutions.

“We negotiated for electrical power at gas stations, hotels and dhabas

(road-side eateries),” says Bigelow (kneeling above), who fondly

remembers repairing a solar lantern “using a multi-meter, spoon and

razor” and discussing solar-induced water-purification techniques

through an interpreter at a town-hall meeting.

With another trip to India in February, a second album due out this year

and plans for a tour of France and the Caribbean, Bigelow hopes to inspire

others to join the cause.

“Music is indeed an international language,” he says.

Visit www.solarpunch.org to learn more about the music and gear.

— Elizabeth Smith


EAgLES’ Nestdedicated to jazz flutist Herbie

Mann.

1988

amy pippin Mire, Wolfforth ::

is the assistant university archivist

for Texas Tech University after

working 21 years as a full-time

“domestic engineer.” Her husband,

Charles Mire (’88 M.S.), is the

founder and owner of Ultra-Nav

Aviation Inc., providing software

to the international business

aviation market. They have three

children: David, 21; Katy, 18; and

Clemmie, 15.

1991

Lori emerson Conrad, dallas ::

won a Lone

Star Emmy award as co-producer

of the half-hour television special

Rocky Top Therapy: Horses, Healing and Hope. The program

aired on CBS 11 and TXA 21

in December 2009, highlighting

the work of a Keller therapeutic

riding facility.

Cynthia Sisto Wenz, houston :: is executive direc-

tor of The Source for Women

of Houston. She was captain of

UNT’s varsity cheerleading team

and returned to coach the 1995

squad to its first-ever national

championship.

1995

Matt eiser-loh, euless ::

was named

chief market-

ing officer for

Parker College of Chiropractic

in northwest Dallas. Among the

organizations he supports are the

Fort Worth chapter of Habitat

for Humanity, the Hurst-Euless-

Bedford ISD Bedford Heights

Parent-Teacher Association,

Martin United Methodist Church

and the Dallas chapter of the

American Marketing Association.

Betsy Troup, dallas :: joined

a new real estate company,

Nathan Grace Realtors. Friends

can contact her at btroup@

nathan-grace.com.

1996

Chad andrus, aurora, Colo. ::

accepted a position as sports talk

show host on KXDP 87.7 The

Ticket in Denver, hosting from

9 a.m. to noon Monday through

Friday. He called play-by-play for

Turner Sports at the NBA Sum-

mer League games in Las Vegas

in 2010.

Tammy Theis, dallas :: is

owner and creative director of

Wallflower Management, a new

modeling agency. She has been in

the Dallas fashion community

since graduation, when she was

hired by The Dallas Morning News Fashion! Dallas section. She

reported on the 9/11 tragedy

from New York City, where she

had been reporting on fashion. As

a student, she was vice president

of the university’s fashion club,

Fashion Inc. She is a proud Mean

Green supporter and has spoken

at various functions at UNT.

1985

Jim Cavender, huntsville, ala. ::

released To A Planet, the third

CD of original jazz by his group,

Rolling Jazz Revue. It was released

on Startlingly Fresh Records, a

label owned by Jim and his wife,

Terri Smith Cavender (’85, ’92

M.A.). Startlingly Fresh also

released A Cellarfull of Noise, an

alt-country collaboration between

Jim and fellow guitarist-singer-

songwriter Skip Heller. Alumnus

ken Watters plays trumpet and

flugelhorn as a special guest. Jim

wanted his former journalism

professors to know “Cellarfull” is

spelled with a double ‘l’ because

the cover was designed by a

Canadian artist.

Jeffrey Longoria, alpharetta, ga. :: joined

SecureWorks,

an information security services

provider, as vice president of

North America channel sales and

business development. He leads

the channel sales team, partner-

ing with technology firms that

resell SecureWorks’ information

security services to targeted

industries.

1987

Mitchell a. kaplan, provi-dence, r.I. :: who studied jazz at

the university from 1984 to 1987,

published the book Jazz Flute: An In-Depth Study Into Contemporary Jazz Flute Performance (Mel Bay),

Reserve your place in UnT history

Leave your mark on UNT by purchasing a brick paver

engraved with your name that will be placed in the

exterior patio of the new UNT Alumni Pavilion, under

construction at the northeast entrance of the new

multipurpose football stadium. Options start at $100 for a small

paver, which is 4 by 8 inches and holds two lines of text with 16

characters and spaces per line.

For more information, contact the UNT Alumni Association at

940-565-2834 or visit www.untalumni.com.


p h oto Essay

1

2

3

1 Several Emerald Eagle Scholars and President V. Lane rawlins

attended this year’s Emerald Ball, which attracted more than

300 guests and raised more than $90,000 for the Emerald Eagle

Scholars program. the program helps academically talented

students with high financial need attend college.

2 Provost Warren Burggren speaks with Johnnie (’71) and Delva

King (’72), who is a member of the UNt Foundation Board. the

scholars program joined forces with the Children’s Defense Fund

– texas Beat the Odds scholarship program to promote higher

education opportunities for deserving young people.

3 UNt’s Jazz repertory Ensemble kept ball-goers dancing.

Mik

e W

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uff

Mike W

oddruffM

ike Woodruff


EAgLES’ NestLLC as the controller. The

computer services company caters

to small- and medium-sized

businesses in the Dallas-Fort

Worth area.

1999

ashley akers, Fort Worth ::

showed her art work for the

first time at the Bayou City Art

Festival Downtown in Houston

in October. She was selected from

more than 1,000 applicants. Her

current jewelry collection, the

Pebble Series, was inspired by her

work at a garden center.

2000

Stan Weeber (ph.d.), Lake Charles, La. :: attended the

Oxford Roundtable on Social

Justice at Oxford University in

July, where he was a discussant

and presented a paper. He is on

the sociology faculty at McNeese

State University.

2002

damali Johnson Crain (’02), houston :: was married to Sam Crain Iv in 2004 and they now

have two children, Avery, 3, and

Sam V, 1. Damali says the couple

was in a photo in the North Texas Daily about a month into their

relationship. “Thinking about our

time in Denton brings back so

many memories,” she says.

2003

Toyah Nikole hickman Bowman, alvarado :: and

down the Corridor

paul Mcdonnold (M.S.), dal-las :: published The Economics of Ego Surplus: A Novel of Eco-nomic Terrorism (Starving Analyst

Press), described as “part action

novel, part literary novel, part

guidebook to economics.” He is a

freelance nonfiction writer who

has taught economics courses at

UNT, the University of Delaware

and North Lake College in Irving.

1998

Jason Cooper, denver, Colo. ::

leads a new

Denver office

of Stratford

Land, a land investment manage-

ment company, as director of

investments for the Rocky

Mountain region. He previously

was president of Dallas-based

Stratford Realty Capital and

served as vice president with First

Horizon and SouthTrust banks.

david

dollar (M.S., ’03 ph.d.), Fort Worth ::

received the Chancellor’s Award

for Exemplary Teaching for the

Tarrant County College

South east Campus, the highest

teaching honor given to TCC

faculty. He has served as a

chemistry associate professor at

TCC for 11 years and has 25

years of experience in education.

Jennifer kriston gilligan, Frisco :: joined IntegraSys IT

Chemistry CentennialIn 1910, Wallace Newton Masters established UNT’s chemistry department, a program he developed

and served as director for 30 years. A century later, his granddaughter, Catherine Dawson, was among those on campus to greet nearly 200 alumni and friends of the department for the Chemistry Centennial Celebration in October.

Activities throughout the day included a student poster session, a continuous history presentation and a seminar by Frank Carey (’70, ’72 M.S.) of Wharton College, all sponsored by professional chemistry frater-nity Alpha Chi Sigma. At a celebration at Fremaux’s Metropolitan, 100 birthday candles were extinguished by chairs of the department through the years: Leroy Theriot, James Marshall, Ruthanne Thomas, Michael Richmond and William Acree. In addition to Dawson’s greeting, attendees enjoyed a history presentation by Marshall, followed by personal reminiscences from alumni. Leroy Whitaker (’50, ’52 M.S.) ended the evening with a challenge to create a special Chemistry Centennial Fellowship, an endowed fellowship for chemistry students.

Among the attendees were Elaine Truitt (’42), widow of Professor Emeritus Price Truitt (’41, ’42 M.S.), and alumni Bill (’68) and Dee Carrico, son and daughter-in-law of the late “Kit” Carrico (’27), who served as chemistry chair for 26 years following Masters.

Also present was UNT’s first recipient of a doctoral degree in chemistry, Linda Creagh (’62, ’64 M.S., ’67 Ph.D.), the Truitts’ daughter.

To share your memories and read more about the department’s history and the

celebration, including how to order a DVD of the event, visit northtexan.unt.edu.

Chemistry faculty member Diana Mason, left, presents a brick from Masters Hall to Catherine Dawson, granddaughter of W.N. Masters.


. . . . . . I N T H E / / newsBrandon Bowman celebrated the

birth of their twin boys, Liam

Edward Bowman and Landry

Rivers Bowman, in August. The

twins joined their proud

5-year-old sister Kendal. Toyah’s

sister Misti Skye hickman and parents, Rick Hickman and

Mary Loera hickman (’78),

are proud aunt and grandparents.

emily Callahan (M.J.), Memphis, Tenn. :: was named

chief marketing officer for

ALSAC, the fundraising

organization of St. Jude Children’s

Research Hospital. She previously

served as senior vice president of

global marketing and networks at

Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Calvin Sexton, dallas :: was

selected for

inclusion on

the Texas Commission on the Arts

Touring Roster with his band

Inner City All-Stars. He is the

bandleader and founding member

of the group, which also was signed

to National Performing Arts

booking agency Betsy Dubois.

debra voth Sicking, Muenster :: was named 2010 Teacher of the

Year for Muenster Elementary

School. She is a fifth-grade

reading and language arts teacher

and the district web master. She

also works in technology support.

She and her husband, Jason, have

four children. She says she is

proud to follow the example set

by the instrumental educators she

had throughout her college career.

2005 van Nguyen and Ngoc Nguy-en (’09), denton :: opened NV

Cupcakes, a gourmet cupcake

shop, in Corinth in October. The

sisters have been exhibitors in the

Dallas Bridal Show, were featured

on Good Morning Texas and have

sponsored several charity runs.

Jordan Smith, denton :: mar-

ried Justin Harmon in July. Jordan

is a research compliance analyst in

the Office of Research Integrity

and Compliance at UNT. Justin is

the marketing project coordinator

at Northstar Bank of Texas. 2007 kellie greenleaf, dallas :: teaches first grade in the Garland

ISD. She was chosen as lead

teacher for the first grade at

Carver Elementary School. 2008 khanh Nguyen, dallas :: fash-

ion designer and founder of label

Nhã Khanh, had work featured

in Against the Grain’s Fashion

for a Passion in 2009 and 2010,

raising money for orphanages and

community outreach. She received

the 2010 Brilliantly You fashion

award from Women That Soar.

2010

grant Watters, amarillo :: is the youth fitness director of the

Amarillo Town Club, part of a

health club chain there. He was

married in October.

➺ The CBS Evening News profiled artist John Bramblitt (’07), who began painting after he lost his sight, in its

American Spirit series March 1. “The future is so open,

and there’s so many things I want to do,” he tells cor-

respondent Don Teague. “It’s brilliant, it’s just the most

brilliant colors and I can’t wait to see it take form, to see

it take shape.”

➺ Music educator Carla Moreno (’97, ’01 M.M.Ed.),

with her “unshakable passion for world music,” was

featured in The Huffington Post Feb. 14. She won a

one-week trip to Jordan last fall through Queen Rania’s

Twisit Jordan contest, a Twitter video contest to promote

cross-cultural exchange.

➺ The work of longtime jazz educator robert Morgan (’63, ’65 M.M.) in shaping musicians was recognized in

The New York Times and in a Houston Chronicle edito-

rial in January. Morgan, the retired director of the jazz

program at Houston’s High School for the Performing

and Visual Arts, was in New York attending concerts by

many of his former students in an event organized by

pianist Jason Moran to celebrate Houston musicians.

The Times notes of the “sophisticated and totally joyous

concerts” that “because the common denominator was

not just a city or a school but also one specific teacher,

you sensed respect. … This wasn’t just another gig.”

UNT alums Billy harper (’65) and Tex allen also

performed.

➺ A T-shirt company

co-owned by business

graduate drew Bowers (’99), right,

was featured on

msn.com after being

named America’s Best

Home-Based Busi-

ness in the “Wackiest” category of StartupNation’s 2010

competition. The company, My God Designs, produces

T-shirts combining unique messages and artwork featur-

ing a fun-loving God.


EAgLES’ Nest

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 5).

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

University Community hershel M. anderson (’55),

Rockport, Pro-

fessor Emeritus

of accounting,

1961-1988, died

Dec. 26. After

serving two tours in the U.S. Armed

Forces, he earned a bachelor’s

degree from North Texas and was

named the outstanding accounting

graduate. He worked for two years

on the audit staff at Arthur Ander-

sen in Dallas. He earned a master’s

degree from the University of Texas

and a doctorate from the University

of Illinois. The author of multiple

articles and books, he co-wrote

Introduction to Taxation, one of the

most widely used textbooks in the

field for 25 years. He and his wife,

elaine austin anderson (’54), spent

many of their retirement years in

Ruidoso, N.M. They worked with

the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico,

building a school and establishing

an orchard.

david Fleming dawson (’47,

’48 M.S.), Den-

ton, mathemat-

ics professor,

1959-1985,

died Feb. 7. He

earned a doctorate from the Univer-

sity of Texas and taught mathemat-

ics there, at George Washington

University and at the University of

Missouri at Columbia before joining

North Texas. He served in the U.S.

Navy from 1951 to 1953. He was a

member of the American Mathemat-

ical Society and published more

than 40 papers on analysis, contin-

ued fractions and infinite series in

various mathematical journals in

the United States and abroad. He

spoke at mathematics meetings all

over the country.

Joseph doster, Southlake,

professor

of psychol-

ogy since 1976,

died Dec. 12.

He was director

of the health psychology program

1930s

Ina Mae renfro Jacobs (’33), Mckinney :: She worked in

the University Book Room and

earned her bachelor’s degree in

elementary education. She was

a member of the Mary Ardens

and the Elementary Council. Her

daughter says she often spoke of

her fond memories of attending

dances and enjoying the Stage

Band. Ina taught in Texas and

New Mexico, retiring in 1977.

Marianne kingsbury hart (’37), harker heights :: She taught for 25 years and

was named teacher of the Year

in Pecos in 1964. She was a

member of Delta Kappa Gamma

and the Association of Retired

Teachers. Her father, Joseph L. kingsbury, history professor

from 1925 to 1948, started the

Historical Collection on campus

and her mother, Mabel kings-bury, became curator after his

death. Marianne spoke at the

dedication of the J.L. Kingsbury/

Troy M. Thomason Library on

campus in 1998. She is survived

by her children, Jean gallinger (’63), richard hart (’69) and

Margaret helm (’70).

1940s

ross T. Collins (’48, ’51 M.S.), kerrville :: He helped

lead the golf team to Lone Star

Conference championships in

1946 and 1947 and also earned

letters in tennis and basketball.

He was inducted into the Athlet-

ics Hall of Fame in 1983. A for-

mer head golf pro, he was named

PGA Golf Professional of the

Year in 1971 and was inducted

into the Texas and Arkansas golf

halls of fame and the PGA of

America Hall of Fame. He also

was in two military halls of fame

for his work as a Navy pilot in

World War II.

Sam houston Bell (’49, ’58 M.ed.), Tyler :: A U.S. Marine

Corps veteran of World War II,

he attended North Texas on an

athletic scholarship. During his

senior year, he was elected captain

of the basketball team and was

the high scorer. He taught and

coached at high schools in

Bellville, Overton, Big Spring and

Tyler and was appointed assistant

principal at Tyler’s Robert E. Lee

High School in 1969. From 1973

to 1990, he was principal of Hub-

bard Middle School.

Ned W. Smith (’49), Tyler :: He attended North Texas on

the G.I. Bill after fighting with

Patton’s Third Army in the Battle

of the Bulge. He was awarded

the Purple Heart and the Bronze

Star with valor as well as other

medals. As a student, he was a lab

assistant for J.k.g. Silvey and

as a taxidermist prepared study


skins for the biology department.

After graduation, he worked as

chief tester in the oil lab at La

Gloria Oil and Gas Refinery, retir-

ing in 1982. He was married to

Betty ellen daniels (’45) for

66 years.

1950s

Theron J. ‘Tom’ Fouts Jr. (’50, ’52 M.S.), denton :: He

was the son of Fouts Field name-

sake and former athletic director

and coach Theron J. Fouts. A

realtor for 46 years, he worked in

Dallas in the early 1960s before

starting his own real estate busi-

ness in Denton, which today in-

cludes commercial and industrial

real estate, property management

and oil and gas divisions. He and

his wife, the late Shirley Irene prather Fouts, met as students.

He was a veteran of World War

II and a 50-year member of the

Masonic Lodge in Sherman.

robert Miles payne Jr. (’50, ’55 M.M.ed.), Las vegas,

Nev. :: He served in the U.S.

Army from 1951 to 1953 based

in France with the USO. He

served as director of music in

Galveston, Pampa and Dallas

public schools before entering the

insurance business. After his 1992

retirement, he served 10 years as

coordinator of music appreciation

with the Osher Lifelong Learn-

ing Institute at the University of

Nevada.

Bob allen Littlejohn (’51), dallas :: He served in the U.S.

Army from 1952 to 1954. He was

a CPA and began a career at First

National Bank, served in various

executive positions with Centex,

and was CEO of Metro Bank in

Dallas. After a lengthy career in

insurance, oil investments and

banking, he worked at Wells

Fargo Bank until his death.

arthur Lee Buchanan (’57), Washington, d.C. :: After

graduation, he began a career in

interior design in the Dallas-Fort

Worth area. His career was inter-

rupted in 1961 when, following

the sudden death of his father, he

returned to Denton to manage the

family business, the Super Dog

Drive In, until his younger siblings

finished school. He went on to

pursue his profession in Dallas and

Washington, D.C. He was retired

from the Hirshhorn Museum, a

unit of the Smithsonian Institution.

rosemary voltin Cox (’57), Midland :: She volunteered full

time at Coleman High School,

where she received awards includ-

ing Grandparent of the Year. She

was a member of the Kappa Delta

sorority and actively involved with

the local chapter of the Kappa

Delta Alumnae Association.

She also volunteered at Midland

Memorial Hospital and was a

member of the 20th Century

Study Club, Midland Society of

University Women, Petroleum

Industry Wives Association of

Midland and Midland Associa-

tion of Retired School Personnel.

1960s

Wallace dayne Cook (’60), Stephenville :: He served in the

U.S. Army and was a longtime

insurance agent before retiring

in 2005. He and his wife owned

Cook Insurance in De Leon and

he served a term on the board

of the Independent Insurance

Agents of Texas.

Joann Sanneman ashby (’61), Longmont, Colo. :: She

served in the Woman’s Army

Corps before earning her degree

in education and was an elemen-

tary teacher in Texas, Minnesota

and San Diego, Calif. She earned

a master’s in special education

and became an expert in the field,

lecturing with Delta Kappa

Gamma and providing the initial

curricula to support autistic

children in the San Diego County

education system. She was a

founder of the Explorers, a women

education support group. She also

was a principal before retiring.

for 25 years. He received a doctor-

ate from Emory University and

taught at the University of Missouri

and the University of Georgia before

joining North Texas. He provided

the leadership that resulted in the

initial national accreditations for

the clinical and health psychology

programs and was involved in find-

ing financial support for students

completing graduate studies. He

researched cognitive and interper-

sonal processes in health, illness

and recovering roles.

arthur Joseph gionet, Denton,

Professor Emer-

itus of French,

1961-1995, died

Jan. 16. After

serving in the

U.S. Air Force from 1948 to 1952, he

completed his bachelor’s degree at

St. Thomas University and earned

master’s and doctoral degrees from

the University of Texas. He served

as advisor for UNT’s cooperative

education exchange program with

France and was a translator and

interpreter, working with the French

consul. In 1987, he was named one

of the university’s first Regents Pro-

fessors, selected for distinguished

teaching and research. He was

knighted by the French government

for his promotion of French, the

highest honor bestowed upon a

non-French citizen.

e.v. ‘vaughn’ huffstutler, Denton, Profes-

sor Emeritus

of education,

1968-1981,

died Feb 22. He

developed the doctoral program for

school superintendents. An expert

on administration, he created and

revised policies for many Texas

school districts from 1969 into the

1980s. He began his career at age

19 in a two-teacher school in Carter

and was superintendent in Millsap,

Glen Rose, Clarksville, Belton, Port

Lavaca, Texarkana and Beaumont.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from

Daniel Baker University, a master’s

from Texas Christian University and

a doctorate from Baylor University.


Link Marks (’62), Lovington, N.M. :: After graduation, he

moved to New Mexico to start an

oilfield engine servicing company

with his father. He expanded to

operating oil and gas wells and

drilling rigs. He was a member

of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

Link earned his pilot’s license in

1968 and logged 7,500 hours in

single and multi-engine aircraft.

He also was a lifelong sportsman

and collector.

Judith Bishop Ward Taubinger (’63), roseville, Calif. :: She earned her degree in educa-

tion and was a member of the

Chi Omega sorority. She was a

military wife for more than 23

years, who traveled and enjoyed

spending time with her family.

She was an active member of the

Roseville and Folsom quilting

guilds. Survivors include her hus-

band of 50 years, Col. richard C. Taubinger (’62).

Bevard eugene hargrave (’64), richardson :: After

graduating, he earned an M.A.

and M.B.A. from Michigan State

University. He served 21 years

in the Supply Corps of the U.S.

Navy, retiring as a commander,

and finished his working days as

a computer information systems

instructor at Tarleton State Uni-

versity. Survivors include his wife,

Sarah B. hargrave (’65).

Jack vedder Jones (’64, ’66 M.B.a.), Fort Worth :: He spent most of his life in the

Dallas-Fort Worth area and was

a Burger King franchisee for 36

years. He was president of the

Young Presidents Organization

and the Texas Restaurant

Association of Fort Worth.

Sam William Morphew (’65 M.S.), helotes :: He earned his

master’s degree in physics and was

an officer in the student section of

the American Institute of Physics.

He earned his doctorate from

Auburn.

William Beryl West (’65 M.ed., ’69 ed.d.), Murfrees-boro, Tenn. :: He was a Profes-

sor Emeritus at MiddleTennessee

State University and had stayed

active with the psychology depart-

ment there. A preacher for 60

years, he served as pastor of Mt.

Carmel Baptist Church in Mur-

freesboro from 2001 to 2010. He

was a cancer survivor since 1996

and had published works pertain-

ing to that, as well as textbooks and

articles dealing with education and

psychology. He traveled exten-

sively across the United States and

China.

allison Clinton ‘Clint’ ed-mundson Jr. (’67), rockport ::

He earned his B.B.A. in insurance

and was a member of Delta Sigma

Pi business fraternity. Following a

career in insurance in the Dallas-

Fort Worth area, he retired to the

South Texas coast. Survivors in-

clude his wife, ernestine ‘ernie’ Trietsch edmundson (’69).

1970s

Smith Blair III (’70), hono-lulu, hawaii :: He lived part of

the year in Honolulu and at the

time of his death was at his wife’s

home in Pattaya, Thailand. He

spent his post-college career in the

U.S. Army, Navy and Merchant

Marine. He also earned an M.B.A.

from the University of Hawaii.

Bruce earl haliburton (’76), Washington, d.C. :: After

graduation, he worked for U.S.

Rep. Bob Poage, Speaker of the

House Tip O’Neill and Congress-

man Thomas Foley in Washington.

He earned a Master of Divinity

at Virginia Union University and

completed his doctorate in the

School of Divinity at Howard Uni-

versity. He had served as a church

youth minister, a substance abuse

counselor and a teacher at Wash-

ington Baptist Seminary. In 2009,

he established LifeLine Ministries.

Survivors include his brother,

William haliburton (’05).

karl richard ‘dick’ Johans-son, Denton,

professor of

microbiology,

1973-1986,

died Jan. 19.

He was chair of the Department of

Biological Sciences from 1973 to

1982. He earned an undergradu-

ate degree in microbiology, a

master’s in veterinary science and

a doctorate in microbiology from

the University of Wisconsin. He

served as an officer in the U.S.

Navy Reserve aboard the U.S.S.

Cleveland in World War II. He

also taught at the University of

California-Davis, the University of

Minnesota, the California Institute

of Technology and the Univer-

sity of Texas Medical School and

worked at the National Institutes

of Health and the Wistar Institute

in Philadelphia.

Frank M. rachel, Denton,

Professor

Emeritus of

management,

1962-2005,

died Dec. 31. He earned a bache-

lor’s degree from Oklahoma State

University and his master’s and

doctorate from the University of

Illinois. He wrote books on office

and administrative management,

business systems and strategic

compensation management and

published numerous articles in

his field. He was named a Regents

Professor in 1989. He worked in

managerial positions for South-

western Bell before joining the

university.

Francis Stroup (’29), DeKalb, Ill.,

composer of

“Fight, North

Texas,” died

Dec. 1 at 101.

He wrote the

fight song in 1939 as an entry in a

contest for a new marching song.

As a student, he was a member of

the basketball team, played football

and was a swimmer and diver. He

was inducted into the UNT Athletics

Hall of Fame in 1987. He served in

the U.S. Army Air Corps and earned

his master’s and doctorate from the


Mary ann Tate grundborg (’77 M.S.), arlington, va. :: She was librarian at the Academy

of the Holy Cross in Kensington,

Md. She was a member of Alpha

Delta Pi sorority and was the

regent of Thomas Nelson Daugh-

ters of the American Revolution.

daniel k. Marmion (’78, ’85 M.S.), granger, Ind. :: He was

associate director for the informa-

tion systems and access division at

the University of Notre Dame for

the past 10 years. He previously

worked at Western Michigan

University, Oklahoma State

University, AMIGOS, Southern

Methodist University and UNT.

He was editor of Information Tech-nology and Libraries for five years

and a frequent speaker at regional,

national and international library

conferences.

1980s

rowell ‘rowdy’ Cheatham Stanton Jr. (’81 M.S.), Carrollton :: He served in the

U.S. Army Reserve while earning

his bachelor’s degree from the

University of Georgia. He was a

CPA, specializing in tax account-

ing from 1982 until his 2007

retirement. He enjoyed sports and

summer vacations on the beach

with his family.

Mark Wendell hutchison (’83), kennesaw, ga. :: He

was the creative force behind

Light Image and the Highlands

Photographic Workshop. He

enjoyed outdoor photography and

received many photography ac-

colades, including Fuji and Kodak

specialty awards. He also enjoyed

teaching and at his death was

enrolled in Reformed Theological

Seminary pursuing a master’s in

religion.

Marc anthony Madore (’86, ’88 M.p.a.), Waco :: He was

an emergency management sys-

tem analyst for Argonne National

Lab.

Thomas robert austin (’89, ’91 M.S.), Seattle, Wash. :: He held a variety of jobs until

deciding to become a librarian and

specialize in law. He began his

library career at the Dallas firm

of Hughes & Luce as a gradu-

ate student and was hired as an

assistant law librarian. In 1995,

he became library manager for the

firm’s Texas offices and stayed on

through its absorption by K&L

Gates until his death. His family

says he was a world-class amateur

chef and sports fan who relished

rock and roll, Italian loafers and

the Denton Record-Chronicle police

blotter.

1990s

Jennifer Lee Mullin Wright (’99, ’03 M.B.a.), Lake Jackson :: She taught business

and computer classes at Grand

Prairie High School, then at Mary

Grimes School in Farmers Branch

before moving to Lake Jackson.

She taught economics at Angleton

High School for three years. An

avid runner, she completed seven

full marathons and also enjoyed

reading, traveling, beachcombing

and crafts.

2000s

Wesley dale Slinkard (’00), Cleburne :: He attended

Grandview schools and was a

member of the National Honor

Society, graduating in 1993. He

was employed in his family’s

Cleburne saddle shop until he

graduated from UNT, earning a

B.B.A. in decision sciences.

Cheryl Marie Strittmat-ter (’05), Fort Worth :: She

graduated from Amon Carter’s

Riverside High School in 1999

and earned her B.F.A. from UNT.

She worked at Belk Department

Store in Weatherford as a shoe

specialist. Memorials may be

made to the UNT Alumni

Association.

University of Southern California.

At Northern Illinois University, he

wrote the words to the fight song

and was the first swimming and div-

ing coach. His teams won 13 NCAA

championships. After retiring as a

professor of physical education, he

continued to enjoy composing and

playing music. His mother, Mina

gist Stroup, and brother, Malcolm

Stroup, also were alumni.

a.M. ‘Monk’ Willis, Longview,

former regent

for whom

Willis Library

was named,

died Jan. 14.

He served on the Board of Regents

from 1965 to 1983, including 10

years as chair. Willis was a graduate

of Washington and Lee University

and the Harvard Business School.

He was a lieutenant commander in

the U.S. Navy and had served as

an advisor to President Lyndon B.

Johnson. He operated an insurance

business in Longview before joining

the staff of U.S. Rep. Ray Roberts

in 1972. In 1976, he was appointed

staff director of the U.S. House of

Representatives Veterans’ Affairs

Committee, retiring in 1983. Memo-

rials may be made to the A.M. Willis

Jr. Scholarship at UNT.

Memorials Send memorials to honor UNT

alumni and friends, made pay-

able 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 you wish

to support. Make secure gifts

online at www.development.unt.edu/givenow.

For more information, e-mail

[email protected] or call

940-565-2900.


t h e l a St Word

JuST THE BEST

ATTENDING NORTH TEXAS in the early 1930s was one of the highlights of my life. Growing up in Blue Grove near Wichita Falls, I was always interested in history, and I knew from an early age I wanted to be a teacher. I began my studies in the fall of 1933 at North Texas, because it was one of the highest recommended colleges in the state.

I am the oldest of four children from a family of stock farmers and ranchers. In 1933, the Great Depression was going on and money was very tight. I lived at the Beville House, a girls’ rooming house on Oak Street. There were two rooms downstairs and four rooms upstairs, with two girls in each room. To save money, the girls brought food from home. I remember bringing cooked ham, canned fruit and different vegetables raised on our farm. We all cooked our meals together, and the girls were like family.

One of my favorite places on campus was the library. I spent many hours there reading about history and geography. I loved learning about other parts of the world. I worked very hard to make good grades, and it paid off as I was asked to be a member of the Historical Society. My favorite teacher was Dr. L.W. Newton, head of the history department. He inspired me even more to be a teacher.

My father would come and pick me up in the summer time and take me home, but during the holidays I often rode home with a boy who lived near our farm. I rode in the rumble seat in the

back of his car. It was so much fun to make the trip back home this way.

But because there always seemed to be so many interesting things to do around campus, I hardly ever wanted to go home. Many times I would walk to downtown Denton to see the movies, sometimes even in the snow. I always took advantage of my activity card that came with the school tuition. It gave me access to all of the fine arts programs.

One of my favorite memories was seeing Fred Astaire in a movie that was shown in the auditorium. I can still see him up there on that stage dancing away. He was so graceful and light on his feet. I have always loved music. My mother played the piano and my father played the French harp. When my family could afford it, I took piano lessons.

In 1935, my family did not have enough money to send me back to school. I stayed home for a year and helped my dad on the farm. This was a very hard time for everyone. The bank went broke in Henrietta, the closest larger town. We

all survived this difficult time and became stronger people because of it. We learned to appreciate the little things in life.

When I was able to return to school in 1936 and complete my studies, I was so happy to see the campus with all the pretty trees again. I am now 96 years old and I still wear my senior ring on my right hand. The date has been worn smooth because I have worn it all these years. I think North Texas has always had many advantages to offer its students. It is just the best. Tommie Phillips Harris (’37) earned a bachelor’s degree in history and taught in rural schools in Burkburnett and Pecos until she retired in 1980. She stressed the value of education to her two daughters, who both became teachers. She also has one grand-daughter and one great-grandson. She has lived in Kermit since 1946, moving there with her husband to raise a family and work in the oil fields. She says keeping active and being interested in the world around you is the secret to staying young at heart.

by Tommie Phillips Harris (’37)

The Mean green men’s basket-ball team advanced to its second straight Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship final in March after taking down Western kentucky 81-62 in the semifinal. The University of arkansas at Little rock won the final 64-63 with a last-second three-pointer in a game that featured 17 lead changes, ending UNT’s hopes for a second straight NCaa berth. The Mean green finished the year 22-11, its fifth consecutive 20-win season. pictured is UNT senior Josh White, who was named to the all-Tournament Team along with Tristan Thompson and george odufuwa.

The North Texan U n I V E R S I T Y O F n O R T h T E X A S Division of University Relations, Communications and marketing1155 Union Circle #311070 ● Denton, Texas 76203-5017

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the north texan - unt alumni magazine - spring 2011

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