the north texan - unt alumni magazine - summer 2012

nor thtexan.unt.edu

CULTURAL IMPACT

[page 24]

Sun Belt Champs

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

V O L . 6 2 , N O . 2 | S u m m e r 2 0 1 2

John Norris [page 16]

Mentoring for Excellence [page 32]

Soaring Eagles [page 36]

Conference USA

page 14

THE BEST MEDICINE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS IS ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION?

Stagnant water can create breeding

grounds for mosquitoes carrying

West Nile virus.

As human factors such as pollution, deforestation and global emissions alter the environment, they have a correlating effect on the emergence and spread of diseases such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease and the avian fl u. As a geographer and an environmental scientist, I am collaborating with molecular biologists, geneticists, chemists and others to uncover the interplay of disease, humans and their environment. This is powerful research with the potential to stop epidemics and save lives.

— Jody Huddleston, doctoral student and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

WHAT IF...THE BEST MEDICINE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS IS ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION?

THE BEST MEDICINE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS IS ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION?The UNT Institute of Applied Science brings biologists, geologists,

engineers, computer scientists, chemists, geographers,

archaeologists, policy experts and philosophers together to

address the world’s pressing environmental problems. UNT’s

dedication to cross-disciplinary research gives faculty and

students the green light to generate breakthrough discoveries

through innovative problem solving.

UNT research is powerful.

THE BEST MEDICINE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS IS ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION?

2 T h e N o r t h T e x a n | northtexan.unt.edu | S u m m e r 2 0 1 2

F RO M O U R President

UNT has experienced another great academic year, one that started off with landmark gifts and was full of transformation and achievement. This spring alone, I took pride in reporting that UNT leads all Texas universities in the number of Goldwater Scholars for science, math and engineering. I congratulated a new group of alumni award honorees who embody the best of themselves and UNT. And I celebrated the May graduation of more than 4,000 bright, eager students who are ready to share their talent and passion with the world.

Taking another bold step forward, we announced that UNT is moving to a new athletic conference — Conference USA —

and has new men’s and women’s basketball head coaches. These advances will make for another exciting season of Mean Green sports.

UNT also has opened its new Zero Energy Research Lab, which will be a premier testing ground for technologies that use little to no energy and reinforces our standing as a hub of green research.

I took time to enjoy UNT’s creative culture when I watched our students awe crowds as dancing horses in Soundsuits, or wearable sculptures, in a performance piece created by nationally acclaimed artist Nick Cave, the 2011-12 artist-in-resi-dence for UNT’s Institute for the Advancement of the Arts.

These milestones reflect every aspect of the UNT experience, where academics, research, the arts and athletics are all important. We’re intent on being great across the board because providing a top-quality experience enriched by knowledge, culture, competition and community is what makes a university stand out.

The breadth of these milestones also reminds me that UNT is a place where the sky is the limit, no matter what your direction. We help our students tap into the greatness that lies within and, through them, we achieve greatness as a university.

You can read more about the wonderful year UNT had in the President’s Annual Report 2011 at annualreport.unt.edu.

Sincerely,

V. Lane RawlinsPresident

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. The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission.

URCM 6/12 (12-261)

President V. Lane Rawlins congratu-lated more than 4,000 students at UNT’s May commencement. The university graduates nearly 8,500 students each year.

A year of transformationACHIEVING THE GREATNESS THAT LIES WITHIN

Gar

y Pa

yne

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 HULST RAND (’88, ’07 M.J . )

J ILL KING (’93 M.S., ’00 M.A .)

ONLINE EDITOR

MICHELLE HALE

ART DIRECTOR

SEAN ZEIGLER (’00)

PHOTO EDITOR

ANGILEE WILKERSON

INTEGRATED BRANDING

JOY HOUSER

DESIGNERS

STEVEN ALTUNA

KIT YOUNG (’06)

PHOTOGRAPHERS

JANA BIRCHUM

MICHAEL CLEMENTS

BRAD HOLT ( ’09)

GARY PAYNE (’99)

JONATHAN REYNOLDS

WRITERS

CAROLYN BOBO

ERNESTINE BOUSQUET

JESSICA DELEÓN

NANCY KOLSTI

ADRIENNE NETTLES

BUDDY PRICE

ELLEN ROSSETTI ( ’00, ’08 M.J . )

LESLIE WIMMER (’07)

ALYSSA YANCEY (’11 M.J . )

ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS

ERIC VANDERGRIFF

PROJECT T RAFFIC

AMY KIOUS (’08)

LAURA ROBINSON

STUDENT CONT RIBUTORS

AMY HILLBERRY

CRYSTAL HOLLIS

MOLLIE JAMISON

JUN MA

BROOKE NOTTINGHAM (’11)

GRACIELA RAZO

NICOLE VELASCO

S u m m e r 2 0 1 2 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 3

Inside S U M M E R 2 0 1 2

24

FEATURES

16 John NorrisAlum’s dream for success comes true with Oscar-winning film The Help. By Jessica DeLeón

32 Mentoring for Excellence UNT faculty recognize students’ promise and guide them to greatness. By Jessica DeLeón

36 Soaring Eagles UNT honors the spirit of philanthropy, entrepreneurship and service. 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 • 2A transformative year

D E A R N O R T H T E X A N • 5 Bold goals ... Visitors remembered

U N T T O D A Y • 8Volunteering ... NSF job ... Asian study abroad ... Ask an Expert ... Mean Green

U N T M U S E • 1 9Chalk artist … Melamine success ... Tiger mother cabaret ... Endowed chair ... Nasher art

E A G L E S ’ N E S T • 3 8Olympic direction ... Connecting With Friends ... Maple Street Crew ... Bone marrow registry ... Friends We’ll Miss

L A S T W O R D • 4 8New graduate Blake Windham (’12), SGA president and fourth-generation alum, calls UNT home.

Cultural ImpactU N T TA L E N TS A N D R I C H L E GAC I E S I N T H E A RTS , M U S I C, DA N C E A N D T H E AT R E G ROW A ST RO N G C R E AT I V E C L A SS — D R AW I N G V I S I TO R S TO D E N TO N A N D T H RO U G H O U T T H E R E G I O N, S U P P O RT I N G T H E C U LT U R E A N D ST I M U L AT I N G T H E E CO NO M Y.By Ellen Rossetti

Cover: 35 Denton founder Chris Flemmons. Photography by Angilee Wilkerson

René

e Ve

rnon

Angilee Wilkerson


Online E X C L U S I V E S

northtexan.unt.edu/online

Connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ northtexas.

Follow us at twitter.com/northtexan.

Don’t forget to check in on Foursquare when you visit campus.

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

The Voice of North TexasL I ST E N TO ST U D E N TS A N D CO L L E AG U E S O F B I L L M E RC E R ( ’ 6 6 M . A .) — F OR M E R FACU LT Y M E M B E R A N D VO I C E O F T H E M E A N G R E E N, DA L L A S COW B O YS , T E X A S R A N G E R S A N D P RO W R E ST L I N G — H O NOR H I S CA R E E R A N D C E L E B R AT E A P O G E E STA D I U M’S P R E SS C LU B I N H I S NA M E .

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

ONLINE FEATURES

Watch the announcement of UNT’s new membership in Conference USA, beginning in the 2013 season.

WOMAN TO KNOW See why dance alum Katricia Eaglin (’03) is making headlines as a performer and teacher.

MORE ONLINE FEATURES

• VIDEO: NICK CAVE’S “HEARD”

• SLIDESHOW: VOLUNTEERISM

• VIDEO: NSF GRADUATE FELLOW

• VIDEO: FRANK ZAPPA CLASS

• CULTURAL IMPACT STUDY

• PODCAST: NASHER ART EXHIBIT

GET CONNECTED

Angi

lee

Wilk

erso

n


D E A R North Texan M.M.Ed.) established a career

in Grand Saline as the much respected band director. He sat in the same euphonium section as Lida Oliver (’56), who became Mrs. Rule Beasley. Rule was (much later) a North Texas faculty member, and his father owned Beasley Music Store in Texarkana, where I found (much earlier) an attractive bookkeeper, Nelda Routon (’53), to be my wife!

Harold Gore (’52) is, of course, a household name in Denton and music publish-ing. He gained well-earned respect for editing and repub-lishing several John Philip Sousa marches. Jervis Underwood (’55, ’70 Ph.D.) played flute in Mr. McAdow’s concert band, where I sat in the trombone section. His career and contributions to performance and education fill pages.

Perhaps it was Ivan Goodwin (’52, ’54 M.M.Ed.) with whom I maintained the longest continuous friend-ship until I left Texas. His career as band director in Ennis is legendary.

Yes, the trail of that little Pep Band made quite an impact on music in our country.

Eldon Janzen (’54 M.M.Ed.), Director of Bands Emeritus, University of Arkansas

Bold goals

I was pleasantly surprised — no, almost shocked — to read in the spring issue that a major university in Texas has actually come out publicly with a “bold goal” to “provide the best undergraduate educational experience in Texas.” This kind of state-ment virtually never shows up in strategic plans, cer-tainly not at the top. I have never seen a situation where a major university had that courage.

My opinion is that this could be the beginning of something great. To start at the beginning, the core of why a university exists, estab-lish excellence there and then build from that solid foundation — this will work

for the benefit of students and for the university.

However, it is a broad challenge. The physical infrastructure must be made to attract all students from all backgrounds. The university must provide services and facilities for student comfort, activities, educational support and housing that will make students crave campus life.

The university must also provide leaders in the education of undergraduates, outstanding professors who teach and comfortable classrooms that invite students to be a part of the educational aspects of the schools.

This needs to be done by someone, somewhere, and North Texas is a deserving place to begin.

Bill Dwyer (’68, ’73 M.S.)Houston

Pep Band trail

It’s not often I have firsthand knowledge of items on your editorial page, but the photo of the 1951 Pep Band (“Dear North Texan,” spring 2012) spoke to me!

As a former “director” (read: “referee”) of a similar group in 1953 — when I was asked to extend my postgrad-uate work an extra semester as assistant to Maurice McAdow — I recognize some of the names that preceded me.

Jack Rumbley (’51, ’52 M.M.Ed.) was the artist/teacher of choice in the Dallas area and the house drummer for Fort Worth’s Casa Mañana theatre, often hosting his lovely wife and actress. Manuel De La Rosa (’53, ’55

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.


DEAR North TexanEarly honors

The original University Honors Program (“Honors College,” spring 2012) accepted its first students in 1971. It was a program built on interdisciplinary seminars and the recruitment of top teachers as the instructors. The program began with 50 students but quickly grew to more than 400.

Dr. Clovis Morrisson in political science (pictured) served as the founding director through the first graduating class and was succeeded by Dr. Tony Damico in foreign languages and literatures for several years. That program began to change when it lost support for the system of “borrowing” faculty members in exchange for a one-course reduction in their departments. The program was reconstituted in 1994, but the early program deserves a nod.

Charldean Newell (’60, ’62 M.A.), Professor Emerita of public administrationDenton

Editor’s note: Thank you for pointing out the earlier program. Honors College

Dean Gloria Cox says the college is “built on the shoulders of giants” whom she counts as personal friends as well as friends of Honors and UNT. “I hope all will be delighted to know that Dr. Morrisson is a member of the Honors College Development Board and that he and I talk from time to time,” she says. “It is wonderful to reminisce about the past program and to talk about ideas for the future.“ Deployed

We are two UNT alumni deployed with the U.S. Army to Afghanistan.

On the right is Maj. Shane M. Little (’05), who studied anthropology and also has a master’s in management and leadership. I’m pictured on the left and studied history and political science.

We are both enjoying our third deployment.

1st Lt. Brandon D. Kreitz (’94)Columbia, Mo.

Arthur Joseph Gionet

Dr. Gionet’s name (“Dear North Texan,” spring 2012)

was Arthur Joseph Gionet. He was a professor of

French at UNT from 1962 to the mid 1990s and was knighted three times by France for his contributions to teaching French, for his dedication to the French language, and for preparing and mentoring French teachers. He brought great honor to UNT.

Donna Beth Shaw (’65) Houston

Campus visitors

I was the presiding officer of the student senate and a member of Phi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honorary society, when Sen. Lyndon Johnson visited campus in 1959 (“Visitors to Campus,” spring 2012).

President Matthews asked me to accompany the senator around the campus and to introduce him when he spoke to the members of Phi Sigma Alpha.

For the most part, Sen. Johnson ignored the aide who tried to remind him of his schedule, and he spent extra time with students.

About a week later I got a letter from the senator expressing his thanks for the tour and saying how much he enjoyed the visit.

I had no thought at the time that he might become president. He just impressed me as a very busy and important man who would

take the time to visit with students.

Ed Smith (’60),Smith & StephensDallas

In 1954, when I was a student at North Texas, Professor J. Frank Dobie came to campus to lecture and to read from one of his books on the legends of the old Southwest.

Nine years later when I began to research the life and career of the Texas novelist George Sessions Perry, I wrote Professor Dobie, who had been Perry’s friend and mentor. He sent me informa-tion and observations about Perry and his works.

If I had not heard him speak, I probably would never have dared request information from him.

Bob Cowser (’54)Martin, Tenn.

In the fall of ’66, Henry Kissinger spoke one after-noon. He was not yet the internationally famous figure he would become in the Nixon administration, but he was a well-known expert on


some reason were unable to — Willie Nelson, before he became a big star.

Cliff Griffith (’74)Fort Worth

One great memory of my time at North Texas was seeing Willie Nelson.

This was before the “redneck rock Austin scene” thing really got going. I would guess only 30 or 40 others were in attendance as Willie was not well known at that time.

foreign policy, still teaching at Harvard and serving as an unofficial advisor to Johnson.

I recall that he told us to stop criticizing the govern-ment of South Vietnam so much for not being demo-cratic — ”You can’t keep pull-ing up a tree to see if the roots are growing.”

Tom Strother (’68 M.A.)Fort Worth

My wife, Linda, and I went to some great concerts on campus when we were there in 1973 and early 1974.

Among the best were Brewer and Shipley and Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.

There also was a concert we wanted to go to, but for

He invited all of us to sit on stage with him and took requests. He seemed to enjoy it more than if he’d been playing to thousands!

Looking back, it was one of my fondest memories of North Texas.

John White (’73)Daingerfield

I remember a visit by Martin Luther King Sr. (Daddy King) in 1976.

He made a great impres-sion and I had the opportu-nity to meet him at a reception after his speech. I will always remember his speech on RESPECT.

Glenn D. Phillips (’78)Houston

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.

Email: [email protected]

Online: northtexan.unt.edu

(follow the “Contact Us” link)

Phone: 940-565-2108

Fax: 940-369-8763

Mail: The North Texan;

University of North Texas;

Division of University Relations,

Communications and Marketing;

1155 Union Circle #311070;

Denton, Texas 76203-5017

Tell us about ... places on campus

What can you tell us about the Duck Pond

(also known as the Fish Pond and the Lily

Pond) that once graced the campus

grounds? Do you have special memories of

Kendall Hall, the Main Building, Education

Building, Science Building or other

campus buildings and places of the past?

Signs commemorating some of the historic

and treasured spots on campus are being

erected this summer, with others in the

works, and we’d like to know more about

their features and what they meant to our

students. Send an email to northtexan@

unt.edu or send a letter to the mailing

address on the right.

I was at UNT in the mid 1990s and never heard any star guest speakers, nor did I ever get to hear the jazz players for which UNT is famous.

However, I was greatly educated by my professors, Martin Yaffe, Pete Gunter, Carmen Terry and Harold Tanner, to name a few, who were special guest speakers in my eyes.

I learned a lot at UNT, and treasure the one year that I was there!

Corine Sutherland, 1994-1995Los Angeles, Calif.


Today

THIS SPRING, STUDENTS ROLLED UP THEIR sleeves to help others in record numbers, from campus blood drives to work in communities in need across the nation during their spring break. Also, more than 100 student organizations and 2,000 volunteers worked on area service projects, such as preparing marrow donor registry kits (pictured above), for The Big Event — the largest student-run project ever at UNT. Applying that same spirit of service, a student’s Internet-based nonprofit tutoring business was this year’s first-place prize in the New Venture Creation Contest. And students in a Community and Public Service course learned firsthand how to be change makers by raising more than $31,000 to end hunger.

GREATER GOOD

Students find creative ways to engage in communities and make a lasting impact.

See a slideshow and read more about how

UNT is making a difference with volunteer efforts at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

I N T H I S S E C T I O N Brilliantly Green p / 10

Global Connection p / 11

Ask an Expert p / 12

Mean Green p / 14

UNT Alumni Association p / 15

Mic

hael

Cle

men

ts


N S F P R O G R A M D I R E C T O RShobhana Chelliah, professor of linguistics and technical communica-tions, has been selected as a rotator program director in the National Sci-ence Foundation’s Documenting Endangered Languages Program for one year, beginning in July. She will oversee the foundation’s merit review pro-cess, make funding recommendations and mentor junior researchers. She has received more than $385,000 in Documenting Endangered Languages funding to help preserve Lamkang, an endangered Indian language. She is creating an online dictionary for the language that will be available

worldwide through UNT’s Digital Library.

Students at the Zero Energy Research Laboratory will get firsthand experience with whole-building integration of sustainable energy technologies such as structure integrated insulation, building integrated solar panels, wind turbines, energy efficient windows and energy monitoring systems for smart grids.

UNT’s logistics program in the College of Business is ranked the world’s fifth best program for supply chain and logistics

research productivity by the International Journal of Physical Distribution and

Logistics Management.

Gary Payne

Jonathan Reynolds

Green initiatives

With the recent opening of the Zero Energy Research Laboratory at Discovery Park, UNT researchers and students have a state-of-the-art facility to study and develop green energy tech-nologies. The lab allows students to get real-world experience for today’s growing sustainable and renewable energy industry.

Students and faculty also are staying cooler with less environmental impact thanks to recent energy saving upgrades to UNT’s North Chiller Plant, one of two facilities responsible for cooling more than 3 million square feet of office, research

and classroom space on the main campus. The energy savings from the project are part of more than $60 million the university plans to save over the next 20 years through the UNT SMART initiative, a 30-month campus-wide energy savings commitment.

These and other green projects cemented UNT’s place for the second consecu-tive year in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 322 Green Colleges.” The guide recog-nizes higher education institutions in the U.S. and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in academics, infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

Lecture series

Robert Huizenga, who has appeared on episodes of NBC’s The Biggest Loser to help participants tailor their diet and exercise regimens to their specific medical needs, spoke at UNT in April as part of the university’s Distin-guished Lecture Series.

The lecture series, with previous speakers including George W. Bush, Robert M. Gates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., John Legend, Bill Nye and Suze Orman, is intended to introduce the university community to world-class speakers whose messages will enhance student learning outside the classroom.


Today

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

Pass it on: Great things are happening at UNT. Learn about them here and share our successes with your family and friends. • Sun belt champs! The Mean Green tennis team clinched its second Sun Belt Conference championship in the last three seasons, and head coach Sujay Lama was named the conference’s 2012 Coach of the Year. The men’s golf team captured the 2012 Sun Belt title for the team’s 28th conference title and first since 2003. And the women’s track and field team won its first Sun Belt outdoor championship since 2005, with head coach Carl Sheffield named both the indoor and outdoor 2012 Women’s Coach of the Year.

• French horn record. French horn players from around the world filled the University Union in May to earn a place in the Guinness World Records. An estimated 100 performers led by French horn superstar Barry Tuckwell closed the International Horn Symposium, hosted by UNT’s renowned College of Music. The previous record of 85 hornists was set in 2007.

• Notable fish fossil. Visitors to UNT’s Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building can see Xiphactinus audex, a prehistoric predator fish that sported a bulldog-like face and fang-like teeth. The fossil — 90 to 100 million years old — was discovered in 2010 by Denton County residents Paul Jones and his daughter, Maggie, and identified by George Maxey (below), lecturer in geography and director of UNT’s Meteorite, Rock, Mineral and Fossil Identifi cation Lab.

Jonathan Reynolds

Gar

y Pa

yne

Graduate fellow

Jennifer Williams (’11), a first-year engineering graduate student, has earned a presti-gious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to

conduct research in engineer-ing. Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, magna cum laude, with a minor in mathematics at UNT. She is the first College of Engineering student and the seventh UNT student overall to be named an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Fellows receive up to $42,000 annually for three years along with international research and professional opportunities.

She plans to continue her research with a focus on

environmental monitoring systems and sustainable design. She also is interested in pursuing studies in sustainable ranching and sustainable agriculture. Learn more about her research at northtexan.unt.edu/jennifer-williams.

Ethnobiologist award

Analyzing the past earned Jonathan Dombrosky, a senior anthropology major and Honors College student, the Society of Ethnobiology’s 2012 Undergraduate Ethnobiologist

Award. The international nonprofit is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of the relationships of plants and animals with human cultures worldwide. His research focuses on subsistence patterns in the Northern Rio Grande region of New Mexico from about 1300 to 1600 A.D.

Dombrosky, whose mentor is geography professor Steve Wolverton, plans to earn a doctorate in environmental science and apply paleozoology to conservation biology.


G L O B A L C O N N E C T I O N

>>

Asian study abroad

More than 300 UNT merchandising and marketing students have learned firsthand the ins and outs of major U.S. retail operations in Asia, thanks to the Hong Kong/Beijing Study Abroad Program offered through UNT’s College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism.

Created in 2003 by Dee Knight, associate professor of merchandising and associate dean in the college, and Lou Pelton, associate professor of marketing and logistics in the College of Business, the program is available each summer to students.

UNT faculty work with U.S. retail industry partners with operations in Asia, including Target, Fossil, J.C. Penney Co. and The Apparel Group, to help the students learn about overseas product sourcing, which helps set them apart from their competition in the job market, Knight says. Since the program began, students have interacted with

business executives, industry leaders and Asian government officials while visiting Hong Kong, Beijing and Malaysia.

“This opportunity gives students access to industry leaders and perspectives they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Knight says.

In May, Knight and Marissa Zorola, a faculty advisor and lecturer in merchandising, sponsored 26 students on the three-week excursion to Hong Kong. Students met with Asia officials from Fossil and toured

Target Sourcing Services, part of the U.S. retailer Target Corp., to learn about logistics operations. Faculty from Hong Kong Polytechnic University led students on a retail tour.

“The program’s richness comes from our company partnerships,” Knight says. “This experience is important for our students because the retail merchandising industry has become one of the largest employers worldwide and a leading global industry.”

E N E R G Y S T O R A G E R E S E A R C H Marco Buongiorno-Nardelli, professor of physics, and researchers at North Carolina State Universi-ty have solved the mystery of how a specially designed polymer is able to store and release large amounts of energy. Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Naval Research, the work could result in more powerful and more efficient electric cars. Current technologies struggle to give electric vehicles the get-up-and-go necessary to accelerate quickly from a standstill, and the re-searchers are looking at capacitors using engineering polymers to solve this problem. The future, they hope, is for an electric vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph at the same rate as a gasoline-

powered sports car. The study was published this spring in Physical Review Letters.

UNT students visit ZS Parlee Printing Co. in China as part of the Hong Kong/Beijing Study Abroad Program.


TodayAn

gile

e W

ilker

son

Goldwater Scholars

Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science seniors Favyen Bastani and Amanda Quay (above) were named 2012 Barry M.

Goldwater Scholars this spring, and TAMS senior Mitchell Powell was among seven Texas students to receive honorable mentions in the prestigious scholarship compe-tition for students planning careers in mathematics, science and engineering. UNT leads Texas universities in the number of Goldwater Scholars with 50 scholars.

Bastani studied algorithms to solve complex optimization problems with Yan Huang,

associate professor of computer science and engineering. Quay studied pharmaceutical waste and compounds in aquatic environments and worked with William Acree, professor of chemistry. Powell worked with Angela Wilson, Regents Professor of chemistry.

Behavior analysis award

UNT’s Department of Behavior Analysis — the nation’s fi rst department and graduate program — received

the 2012 Enduring Program-matic Contributions Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis in May for leadership in teaching, service and scholarship. It has a longstand-ing reputation for work in autism, behavior and cultural analysis, and applied behavior analysis with animals. It also developed the fi rst applied behavior analysis undergradu-ate degree and the fi rst professional online certifi cation.

Summer travels are some of the best times to capture memories you cherish. Even if you’re a novice, Angilee Wilkerson, photo editor for Th e

North Texan, says you can make gorgeous photos without a lot of technical “know-how” or expense. She emphasizes the importance of keeping your subject close.

“A common mistake is to position your subject way off in the distance,” she says. “Instead, bring the subject close to the camera. Remember, with a wide angle lens, you are still capturing the Grand Canyon whether your subject is a tiny spot in the distance or closer to the camera.”

Keep it simple• Don’t get burdened with too much gear or it’s hard to

be spontaneous and relaxed as you traverse and explore.• For environmental portraits, use a wide to normal

zoom lens so that you can capture the surroundings. If you’re using an SLR (single lens refl ex) with a detach-able lens and you know a little about shutter speed, take a light-weight tripod and remember anything slower than 1/60th of a second picks up camera blur.

• For point and shoot cameras, don’t worry about a tripod; your camera will know what to do in low light.

• Cultivate the habit of seeing everything your viewfi nder is seeing. Spend a few moments looking, then adjust your position to capture what you want.

Framing and lighting• Establish your focal point. Look for ways to

direct the eye to it through pattern, leading lines and color.

• Make your image sing. Shoot landscapes at “magic hour” — about an hour before the sun arrives or sets. Th e light will be warm in hue and less harsh.

• When shooting people in high noon sun, set your camera to “forced fl ash” to fi ll in shadows on their faces.

Technical points• For best reproduction, set resolution to

large and jpg fi ne.• Learn how to use your auto focus

— your focal point doesn’t have to be bullseye center every time. You can select auto spot focus in your settings.

• “White balance” means color temperature. Use the auto white balance setting for accuracy.

• Avoid removing your memory card or lens while the camera is on.

• Keep the ISO, a measure of the camera’s light sensitivity, under 800. Th e higher the ISO, the more digital noise, or grainy speckles on the image.

How can you take your best vacation photos?

Gary Payne

................................................................................Ask an Expert


P H OTO Essay

1

2

3

1 Student groups celebrated with a flag parade on the 51st annual University Day in April, commemorating UNT’s transition from a college to a university in 1961.

2 Frank Zappa band members, bassist Arthur Barrow (’75),

middle, and keyboardist Tommy Mars, right, talked to students enrolled this spring in the Music of Frank Zappa class. Joseph Klein, chair of the composition studies division, began teach-ing the class in 2001. Watch a video about this year’s class at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

3 UNT’s Mariachi Aguilas players performed at the UNT Showcase Stage during the 2012 Denton Arts & Jazz Festival in April.

Gar

y Pa

yne

Gary Payne

Jonathan Reynolds


Today

UNT celebrated a landmark moment this spring when the Mean Green athletics

program announced a new conference affi liation with Conference USA. As a result of

UNT’s athletic and academic reputation, the university will become a member of

C-USA eff ective July 1, 2013. UNT joins four other new members — the University of

Texas-San Antonio, Louisiana Tech University, Florida International University and

the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Members in the region include Rice, UT-El

Paso, Tulane and Tulsa.

“Moving our competitions to C-USA will be great for our fans because of the many

natural, regional rivalries it will create,” President V. Lane Rawlins says. “Having

conference members in Texas and in nearby states makes this a logical move so that

Mean Green fans can more readily attend games.”

Competing in the Sun Belt Conference for the past 11 years, the Mean Green won

a record 20 conference championships in 10 diff erent sports and played in four bowl

games and two NCAA men’s basketball tournaments. UNT will play its fi nal games in

the conference in 2012-13.

Membership in C-USA puts UNT in the position to play more teams at a higher

level of competition with increased national visibility, and it will cut down on travel

time for student-athletes, Athletic Director Rick Villarreal says.

“This is validation of the progress we have made in our athletics programs in

conjunction with our university’s academic reputation,” Villarreal says. “Conference

USA provides a great partnership with several schools in our geographic proximity.

It is a tremendous opportunity for us.”

New C-USA rivals and their fans will enjoy state-of-the-art Mean Green facilities

when they travel to Denton. Since 2003, UNT has added more than 12 new facilities

to the athletics program. UNT’s Platinum LEED-certifi ed Apogee Stadium — chosen

as a World Stadium Awards 2012 nominee for innovative design that includes

sustainable and engineering excellence — hosted an all-time single-season

attendance record of more than 113,000 Mean Green fans in its inaugural season last fall.

This spring brought more great news for Mean Green supporters when Villarreal announced two new basketball

coaches. Tony Benford (above, top), former men’s basketball associate head coach at Marquette University, was

named the new head coach of men’s basketball. He replaces Johnny Jones, who is the new head coach at Louisiana

State University.

Villarreal named Mike Petersen (above, bottom), former head coach of women’s basketball at Wake Forest

University, as the new head coach of women’s basketball. He replaces Karen Aston, who is the new head coach at the

University of Texas at Austin.

Move to C-USA, new basketball coaches

Learn more about UNT’s membership in Conference USA and see the press conference at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

To buy season tickets, visit meangreensports.com.


UNT Alumni Association

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

Todd Samuels (’90) was looking over the TV listings in 2001 when he saw that his alma mater was playing in the New Orleans Bowl. He started keeping up with the Mean Green football and basketball teams — and, in 2011, he began hosting game watching mixers for alumni in Collin County and the surrounding area.

“It makes me feel closer to the university,” says Samuels, who attends games on such a regular basis that he’s met other alumni, the players’ parents and former players.

Alumni in Denton sponsor mixers (pictured above), tailgating and charity events and created a challenge coin for games that funds scholarship activities. And in Bangkok, Thailand, UNT recently organized its first international alumni network.

“It’s exciting to see alumni come together to build networks,” says Derrick P. Morgan, executive director of the UNT Alumni Association. “When alumni join forces, great things happen.”

Mark Miller (’70, ’80 M.B.A.), head of the Denton alumni network, was a student during the “Mean” Joe Greene era. When he moved back to Denton after a decade-long absence, he joined the alumni association and the Mean Green Club. Although he spends some time every day organizing alumni activities, he enjoys the work.

“Frankly, it’s selfish,” Miller says. “I have a lot of fun doing it.”

S M A R T P H O N E R E S E A R C H

Researchers in UNT’s Network Security Labo-ratory have pioneered a way to measure an indi-vidual’s blood pressure with just a smartphone and a small attachment. The research will ben-efit individuals in non-responsive situations, and first responders pro-viding information to 911 or medical profession-als. The new technology will make taking blood pressure less uncom-fortable than blood pressure cuffs and pro-vide quicker, more accu-rate results. Ram Dantu, professor of computer science and engineer-ing, and a team of UNT researchers found where current technologies can take several minutes to return results, the new technology returns results in about 30

seconds.

Debate competitions

Four UNT students qualified for the 2012 National Debate Tournament, the most prestigious policy debate tournament for U.S. college and university students. The UNT Debate Team placed in the top 30 teams at the tournament, represented by Amy Schade, a sophomore biology major; Colin Quinn and Brian Kersch, junior communication studies majors; and Shelby Prior, a junior political science major. Teams from UNT have represented the university at the tourna-ment 27 of the last 30 years.

Peter Martinez, a freshman philosophy major, and Daniel Martinek, a sophomore communication studies major, made it to the final round of the National Junior Division Debate Tournament. Private investigators

UNT’s Professional Development Institute’s Private Investigator Certificate program has been ranked in the top five best private investigation training programs in the country by PInow.com, a national web resource provid-ing information on private security and the private investigator industry. The program, which began in 2010 and works in cooperation with UNT’s Department of Criminal Justice, trains participants in theory and prac-tice and includes a business education component.


John Norris says UNT

allowed him to explore as

a student, and that’s just

what he did. He tried out

philosophy, music, art,

hacky sack, and liked it

all. But when he dreamed

of success, he saw film

in his future. The Help

proved him right.

played at the Fry Street Fair, hung out at Bruce Hall and took part in the installa-tions of the Good/Bad Art Collective.

“All of a sudden I was playing music,” says Norris, who left UNT when Tomorrowpeople signed with Geffen Records. “And then I realized how much I hated the music industry.”

The band broke up and Norris moved to Los Angeles in 2000, working as a music editor and composer for the TV show Bette and the movie Fast Sofa. A friend of a friend got him a job as a sound production assistant with Quentin Tarantino’s production company.

“Say what you want about being a P.A. — this is where you learn the rules of production,” Norris says.

He moved into development with special effects guru Stan Winston and began working on financing projects with young writers. Norris worked on the 2003 short feature Chicken Party, written and directed by Tate Taylor, and independent movies such as 2009’s Triggerman.

Taylor had secured the rights to the novel The Help by his friend Kathryn Stockett and drafted a screenplay. Then, Norris and Taylor had to convince Hollywood executives that this unknown could adapt and direct the beloved novel. A presentation they made — along with Taylor’s script — got them funding from Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Studio.

With the movie’s strong critical reception, they fantasized about getting Oscar nods, but didn’t dare to hope.

“Just to be nominated was phenom-enal,” Norris says.

His next projects are another book adaptation, Peace Like a River, and an action/sci fi movie, Archetype, based on a short film he produced. He says his success reminds him of those days of writing about his dreams.

“That journey just made me see how far I’ve come.”

s a UNT student, John Norris wrote in his journal while eating at Jim’s Diner on Fry Street. He documented his successes — such as practicing the piano three hours a day — and his dreams about composing music for movies.

Now, Norris has made his mark in film in a different way. He was an executive producer for The Help, the movie about maids in the 1960s South that was nominated for four Oscars this year, including Best Picture. Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for her role.

Norris came to UNT in the early 1990s and he studied philosophy, religion studies and then music. Growing up, he thought he would be a composer, but made Super 8 movies in high school.

He describes himself as “just a kid searching.”

“I was on the typical Denton track, playing hacky sack in front of the Kharma Café and The Flying Tomato,” he says.

He remembers professors Joe Barnhart, Pete Gunter, George James and Martin Yaffe in philosophy and religion studies.

“The inspiration I took from these guys helped set the bar for my own goals, even if I wasn’t sure how and where I would work it out,” Norris says.

Focusing on a “broader” form of expres-sion, he auditioned in the College of Music and switched his major to jazz. He played keyboards for the band Chomsky and later formed Tomorrowpeople. He

by Jessica DeLeónJohnNorris

A


JohnNorrisLos Angeles

College jobs: I worked at the university art

center, where we made posters

and whatever jobs came our way.

I worked at The Cupboard health

food store and as a bartender on

Fry Street. My favorite job was

at Recycled Books, now on the

square. I used to work barefoot,

and all the students, professors

and local crazies came there.

Where else but Denton, Texas!

Lessons learned from studying music:Your strengths, whatever they

are, make you stand out in a

crowd of amazing players. If you

don’t have amazing chops or a

giant vocabulary but you can write

a great simple song or sing truth-

fully about what you know, you

stand apart from everyone else.

If you are comfortable standing

out, you are in the minority, and

people want to see that.

Traits of a good filmmaker: Making films is about being an

entrepreneur, adventuresome

and willing to take risks. It’s also

about being naïve and single-

minded. Never give up, never

surrender.

Toughest part of being a producer:Getting the money. Always the

hardest task!

Visit northtexan.unt.edu/online for more Q&A.

Renée Vernon

R U A CStargaze and discover deep sky objects at the observatory’s free Star Parties, held on the fi rst Saturday of the month.astronomy.unt.edu/starparties

UNT A GExperience one-of-a-kind exhibitions from nationally renowned artists including alumni, award-winning faculty and talented students at UNT’s art galleries.gallery.unt.edu

M P A CBe entertained with world-class performances by guest artists, faculty and students in our state-of-the-art concert hall.music.unt.edu/mpac

UNT SEnjoy a collaborative approach to artistic excellence with visual arts, humanities, performing arts and literature exhibitions and events. Located in downtown Denton.untonthesquare.unt.edu

E. E. E. A whole world of enlightenment awaits you at UNT. Faraway galaxies are illuminated and masterpieces in art, literature and music shine. Experience UNT’s green light to greatness today.


MuseI 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 / 23

Visual Arts p / 23

Spen

cer H

eyfr

on

CHALK IT UP TO TALENT

Artist Dana Tanamachi (’07) sketches out a career with typography lessons learned as a

communication design student at UNT.

Read more about Tanamachi’s creations at northtexan.unt.edu/chalk-artist.

DANA TANAMACHI’S (’07) USE OF A SIMPLE, cheap instrument has thrust her into the national spotlight. Her hand-drawn chalk lettering has appeared on the cover of O, Th e Oprah Magazine and the West Elm catalog and was featured in Th e Wall Street Journal.

Tanamachi stumbled on her career as “sort of a happy accident” when she started doodling on a chalkboard wall at a friend’s party. Her work soon appeared online — and took off from there.

“I love people’s reaction to it,” she says. “Chalk is such a humble medium. You don’t expect something big to come out of it.”


MuseBooks

Dress codesTh e politics

of clothing in

medieval times

is the subject of

Sartorial Strate-gies: Outfi tting

Aristocrats and Fashioning Con-duct in Late Medieval Literature (University of Notre Dame

Press), by Nicole D. Smith,

assistant professor of English.

Smith says churchmen com-

plained that fashion invited sins

such as pride and lust — pride

because it could be excessive or

make people appear better than

their neighbors, and lust because

new styles, such as lace, knots,

belts and form-fi tting tailoring,

revealed too much of the body’s

contours. But medieval writers

such as Chaucer, Smith writes,

put a virtuous twist on the

clothing.

Food for thoughtDavid M.

Kaplan,

associate

professor of

philosophy,

serves as editor

of Th e Philosophy of Food (University of California Press)

— also the name of the project

he heads at UNT. Th e book

features 16 essays tackling all

aspects of food, from sustain-

ability to table manners.

Kaplan started working on

food issues in the late 1990s

when genetically modifi ed foods

were in the news. He wanted to

dig deeper about why he

opposed such foods.

“Th e more I tried to come up

with good, non-scientifi c reasons

to oppose them, the deeper I got

into the philosophy of food,” he

says. “More than 10 years later,

I’m still trying to fi gure it out.”

Profi le of LatinosValerie Martinez-

Ebers (’80, ’83

M.P.A.),

professor of

political science,

co-wrote the book Latinos in the New Millennium: An Almanac of Opinion, Behavior and Policy Preferences (Cambridge Univer-

sity Press), a comprehensive

profi le of Latinos that compares

conventional wisdom regarding

their attitudes and eff orts to

assimilate with the most recent

empirical evidence.

Martinez-Ebers and her four

co-writers raised $1.3 million

through grants from various

foundations to ask Latinos more

than 160 questions regarding

their social characteristics, group

relations, policy positions and

political orientations.

Chapters she wrote or co-

wrote for the book cover topics

such as demographics, gender

role attitudes, and media and

technology usage.

Th e book is a follow-up to

2010’s Latino Lives in America: Making it Home. Th e third book

in the series is expected to come

out next year.

Nature-inspired artistMegan Adams’ (’10 M.F.A.) latest artwork can be seen at a unique showplace — the

homewares section of Neiman Marcus stores.

Adams has designed a series of dinnerware that is being distributed by the luxury

retailer. The pattern — which she calls “coral floral” — is unusual compared to most

traditional dinnerware because Adams draws her inspiration from patterns, textures

and light eff ects from nature.

She earned the spot at Neiman Marcus when a buyer from the store saw her work

at a licensing show in New York City.

“I feel honored and am excited they want to use my designs,” she says.

The dinnerware reflects her other designs for fabrics, tech accessories and home

decorations that also are inspired by patterns and textures in nature. She draws or

paints the patterns and transfers them to fabrics through her computer.

Adams, who studied fi bers at UNT, has run her own Dallas-based fi rm for two years.

She eventually wants to license her designs for various products and have her fabrics

featured in design showrooms.

She says at UNT she had the time and resources to pursue her passion for art and

design. She learned the business end of art through several internships.

“Studying fi bers taught me all the diff erent ways to make fabric,” she says. “Then I

was able to create work and get feedback, which is really important.”

Jaso

n Vo

inov

Th e designs of fi bers gradu-ate Megan Adams grace fabric, tech accessories and home decor. Her melamine dinnerware is available through Neiman Marcus and Horchow online.


Upcoming Events

Dance and Theatre

Accomplished playwright

Gary Garrison’s (’78 M.F.A.)

latest play, Caught, Without Candy, was produced as part of

the Boston Theatre Marathon

in May — just the latest in the

long line of accomplishments for

the author of more than a dozen

plays and several playwriting

books.

Also this year, he saw his play

Verticals and Horizontals read at

a New York City theatre and was

invited to conduct a playwriting

workshop at the Kennedy Center

UNT on the Square, 109 N. Elm St. in Denton, presents H2OHUE/UNT, an exhibition showcasing the watercolor program of the College of Visual Arts and Design, through July 21. The pieces from undergraduate and grad-uate students include landscapes, photorealism and three-dimensional

objects (pictured is a detail of Mandy Cave’s watercolor on paper, A Mark By Every Chapter, 2012). Visit untonthesquare.unt.edu.

The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, July 20-22 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, will explore how writers crisscross the murky terrain between fiction, nonfiction and other genres. Speakers at the eighth annual conference, hosted by the Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journal-ism, include Luis Alberto Urrea, a Pulitzer Prize finalist who has published in all genres, including poetry; Richard Rhodes, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and editor of 26 works, including Hedy’s Folly, about actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr; and Isabel Wilkerson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative The Warmth of Other Suns, about black America’s great Diaspora. Registration is open to anyone. Visit journalism.unt.edu/ maybornconference.

The College of Music will play host to a variety of summer work-shops. Performances in the Murchison Performing Arts Center include the Texas High School All-State Choir Camp Concert at 3:30 p.m. July 14; the Mariachi Aguilitas Summer Camp Concert at noon July 28; and The Threepenny Opera by the UNT Summer Opera Workshop at 8 p.m. Aug. 3-4 and at 3 p.m. Aug. 5. Visit music.unt.edu/calendar for information about these and other College of Music events.

The UNT Art Gallery will present Contemplating Limits, an exhibi-tion featuring artworks that convey ideas about structure, Aug. 21-Sept. 22. Four artists from Missouri, North Carolina, California and Texas will present their works, including sculptures from everyday materials that are used as metaphors for larger scenes. Visit gallery.unt.edu for more information.

Visit calendar.unt.edu for more upcoming events.

for the Performing Arts in Wash-

ington, D.C.

Garrison, who has taught at

New York University for more

than two decades, also serves

as executive director for The

Dramatists Guild of America, a

national service organization for

theatre professionals.

He was drawn into writing as

a doctoral student after studying

acting and directing at North

Texas, where he credits his

professors for encouraging him

to pursue a theatre career.

“We were taught — mostly

by Ellyn Gersh and Brenda

DeVore (’77 M.S.) — to believe

in ourselves and our talent, to

have a vision for our future and

to engage our passion,” he says.

“That’s never, ever left me.”

O’Neill honorNick Mann’s (’07) play, Baby of

Mine, made the semifinals in the

Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s

2012 National Playwrights

Conference in Waterford, Conn.

The play explores the struggle faced

by a married couple whose first

child will be born with a terrible

disease.

Mann’s play The Invisible Men of Tennessee Williams was

presented in the 7 Plays in 7 Days festival in Addison, and he is

working on a sketch comedy show for the Frisco Comedy Festival

Sept. 20-22.

Mann, who works as a teaching assistant for the Plano ISD,

eventually hopes to write for both the stage and screen.

“And I dream big. I want those Oscar, Tony and Emmy

Awards!” Mann says.

“But ultimately, I just want to share what I’ve written and see

my work produced.”


Muse

Music

Opera newsOpera students hit a high

note in recent performances.

Doctoral student Heather

Hawk took first place in the

Dallas Opera Guild’s 24th

annual Vocal Competition in

March. She has performed in

Handel’s Alcina in the title role

and was selected to sing in a

concert at UNT featuring the

music of composer Jake Heggie,

artist-in-residence for UNT’s

Institute for the Advancement

of the Arts for the 2010-11

academic year.

the National Accordion

Association earlier this year.

Bezdek, who taught mathemat-

ics curriculum development

from 1967 to 1996, received the

Advancement of the Accordion

in Higher Education Award.

He founded the Jim and Rose

Bezdek Endowment Celebrat-

ing Czech Music and Culture at

UNT. He played the accordion

to pay for college and performed

the instrument at Czech festivals

throughout his life.

Finch took the prize for

Establishing New Musical

Horizons Featuring the Ac-

cordion for his experiments

with “different tempos, sounds

and instruments” and reflecting

a wide range of genres beyond

polka.

New endowed chair

Paula Homer, director of

opera, has been named the first

person to hold the endowed

Margot and Bill Winspear Chair

in Opera Studies. The Winspear

estate donated $1.5 million,

which will provide funding for

opera productions, financial

support for opera students and a

supplementary salary and other

costs for the chair.

Homer (pictured with Col-

lege of Music Dean James Scott,

center, and Don Winspear)

worked at UNT since 1992,

directing more than 50 produc-

Opera students and faculty

members also appeared in the

annual gala concert for the

Center for Contemporary Opera

in New York City, one of the

leading organizations for new

opera in the United States. They

performed selections from Heg-

gie’s Again, Dead Man Walking, Moby-Dick and Three Decembers.

Accordion awardsRetired professor Jim Bez-

dek (’50, ’54 M.S.) and Brave

Combo member Carl Finch (’75,

’70 M.F.A.) were honored by

tions. The late Bill Winspear

and his wife, Margot, have been

longtime supporters of UNT

and the opera world. Their

name graces the Winspear Per-

formance Hall in the Murchison

Performing Arts Center at

UNT and the Winspear Opera

House in Dallas.

Piano story

Gustavo Romero, associate

professor of music, is the subject

of a documentary, Gustavo Romero: Portrait in Piano, that is

showing at film festivals across

the country this year and is

available on DVD.

This documentary, made by

Snapshots Music & Arts Foun-

dation, was shot from 2010 to

2011 in San Diego and New

York City.

The film covers Romero’s life

story, from his days as a child

prodigy and Juilliard student

to his current performances of

the works of great composers all

over the world.

“I couldn’t believe they

wanted to make a documentary

on my story, but then of course

I was thankful and honored that

someone finds it so interesting

to put it in a permanent state,”

Romero says.

For more information, visit

www.snapshotsfoundation.com.

Musical funAngela Chan has

turned her strict

childhood upbringing

into a musical comedy.

The Legacy of the Tiger Mother is a cabaret-style

piece that has been

presented in Las Vegas,

New York City and Australia and will show in San Francisco this fall.

Chan co-wrote and produced the show after years of playing piano

for professional theaters and national tours. The story depicts how

Lily, an immigrant from China, pressures her daughter, Mei, if she

isn’t disciplined in her piano practice. The show features South Park-style songs.

The “tiger mother”-style of parenting has been a hot topic recently

— and something Chan and some of her Chinese American friends

have experienced from their parents. But Chan notes, “They’re also

very dedicated. We wanted to show that side of the tiger mother.”

Her mother practiced the piano with Chan since she was 4 years

old — helping Chan to attend UNT from 1996 to 1999 on a piano

performance scholarship. She says, just like her mother, the music

programs at UNT set up expectations that proved valuable in her

career.

“What was great about UNT is it sets the bar so high,” she says.

“It puts you ahead of the game.”

Steve Smith


Erick Swenson’s (’99) representational sculptures of animals — made out of

polyurethane plastics — have drawn international acclaim as part of exhibitions at

the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City, the Saatchi Collection in London and,

most recently, his own show at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas that runs

through July 8.

Not bad for someone who was unsure of what he wanted to do when he came to

college. Swenson majored in painting and drawing with a minor in philosophy, and

was a member of the Good/Bad Art Collective, the 1990s group that created quirky

one-day art installations.

His inspirations for his sculptures — which can take years to complete and at

the Nasher include a re-created deer carcass and snails climbing a beer stein — are

organic as well.

“Sculpting just came naturally,” Swenson says. “I didn’t run out of things to say

with it, I suppose. Do what works.”

Acclaimed artist

Sebastian has made movies

since he attended college and

worked as a fi lm editor and ac-

tor. He was a student at TAMS

from 1994 to 1996.

“I think the portion of me

that excelled at math and science

translated really well to the

problems that present a fi lm-

maker,” he says.

Visit www.qwertythemovie.com for more information.

Tribeca prize

Scott Th urman’s (’10

M.F.A.) documentary, Th e Revisionaries, about the Texas

Board of Education’s review of

science and social studies stan-

Television and Film

QWERTY: The Movie

Former Texas Academy

of Mathematics and Science

student Bill Sebastian has

directed, co-edited and pro-

duced QWERTY: Th e Movie, about an “introverted word-

nerd” who fi nds love while

competing to become the world’s

second female National Scrabble

Champion.

Th e movie — featuring

Sebastian’s wife, Dana Pupkin,

in the leading role — is playing

in fi lm festivals across the coun-

try and may be distributed on

DVD and digital outlets later.

dards in public schools, received

the Special Jury Prize at the

prestigious Tribeca Film Festival

in New York City this spring.

Th e Revisionaries is screening at

several fi lm festivals.

Th urman had worked for

news stations in Amarillo before

he studied photography and

printmaking and then came to

UNT’s documentary fi lmmak-

ing program.

His fi lms at UNT included

Smokey, a short documentary

about an Elvis impersonator,

which was screened at fi lm fes-

tivals around the U.S. His idea

for a documentary fi lm about

the Texas Board of Education

originated with his thesis proj-

ect, Standing Up to the Experts.He next plans to make a

feature-length documentary that

addresses science education in

the U.S.

Visual Arts

Winning photographer

Dornith Doherty, professor

of photography, was one of 181

recipients of a prestigious John

Simon Guggenheim Memorial

Foundation fellowship.

She is completing her

Archiving Eden project in which

she takes X-ray images of seeds

and cloned plants at interna-

tional seed banks and incorpo-

rates them into digital collages.

She began the project in 2008,

inspired by the construction of

the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

to secure the world’s seed

collections.

In process detail shot of Erick Swenson’s (’99) Schwärmerei, 2012, acrylic on resin, at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.

Cour

tesy

of M

anTi

ger S

tudi

os a

nd E

rick

Swen

son

Read more about Erick Swenson and his creations at northtexan.unt.edu/online.


UNT alumni are powering the region with creative expertise, drawing visitors and urban development

COHNDRENNAN Drennan and his wife, Catherine, owners of Cohn Drennan Contemporary gallery, feature UNT students alongside national and international artists.

Angi

lee

Wilk

erso

n


hen he looks for art to fi ll his gallery in Dallas, Cohn Drennan (’86 M.F.A.) starts with UNT.

But he’s not the only one. Th ere’s competition.“I always have an open door for UNT students. But there are a lot of

people here in town who also want to show and work with UNT students,” says Drennan, owner of Cohn Drennan Contemporary, and he attributes that

to UNT’s powerful reputation in the arts. “UNT has been doing it better and longer than anybody else. Everybody else is playing catch-up.”

UNT alumni are powering the region with creative expertise, drawing visitors and urban development

by Ellen ROsseTTi

Design by AmY HillBeRRY (Class of 2014)

From Dallas to Fort Worth as well as far beyond, people with UNT ties are fueling the region with their creative energy. Th ey’re running galleries and museums, leading dance troupes, spearheading high-profi le musical performances and festivals, and managing theatre companies. Th ey are among the more than 216,000 alumni who live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, contributing to one of the nation’s largest economies. And because Denton is home to the university and has an advantageous location near Dallas and Fort Worth, it is a leader in shaping the cultural face of the region.

UNT has long been known as an incubator of creativity. After all, the university is home to an internationally acclaimed College of Music that off ered the nation’s fi rst jazz degree, and the College of Visual Arts and Design is one of the nation’s most comprehensive visual arts schools at a public university. It’s considered one of the best arts schools in the South and Southwest.

Close to the Denton campus on the city’s historic square, UNT on the Square is the home of UNT’s Institute for the Advancement of the Arts, opening its doors for exhibitions, concerts and receptions. Denton also fi lls its city parks, clubs

and streets with numerous music and art festivals each year, drawing on the talents of UNT faculty, students and alumni. Take 35 Denton, which highlights the city’s internationally recognized indie rock music scene, bringing in hundreds of bands, and the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors from across the state and nation. And, in the heart of downtown Dallas, the university opened a Design Research Center, which is a classroom and labora-tory space supporting faculty and student research eff orts, but also a partner with the community. UNT talent — from music to the arts and theatre — permeates public places in Denton and beyond, and helps attract businesses.

“Urban researchers have recently uncovered that thriving economies are based on the presence of a strong creative class, and a strong creative class only thrives in a region of strong, local culture,” says Robert Milnes, dean of the College of Visual Arts and Design. “You can’t import that culture. It has to be grown locally and evident in the streets, schools and businesses. It’s about the myriad small design fi rms, galleries, shops, coff ee houses, bars, clubs and other venues where creativity is grown, shown, heard, debated and developed.”


Drennan and his wife, Catherine, dreamed of opening a gallery in Dallas’ Deep Ellum when Drennan was earning his master’s degree in photography in 1986 and Catherine was taking design classes.

“By the time the semester ended, the real estate market had just collapsed, and the last thing people spend money on during a recession

like that is art,” Drennan says.He and his wife moved to Wash-

ington, D.C., where he worked as deputy director of the U.S. Depart-ment of State Art in the Embassies Program from 1989 to 2005. Th ere, he supervised the management of art works on loan to U.S. embassies from around the world. He then served as the director of the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University from 2005 to 2010.

After that, he and his wife opened

Cohn Drennan Contemporary in Dallas. Graduate students Michael Blair and Blayre Stiller recently exhibited their work in a Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition at the gallery. Th e Drennans also bring artists from the East Coast and overseas to the DFW area, partnering them with mid-career or younger artists to show their work side by side.

Drennan credits his studies at UNT — including three years as a teaching fellow — with helping him gain the experience to run a business.

“Th e faculty set us up so that we could help them with the department and its operation,” Drennan says. “Th ey were able to provide us with professionalism, tools and responsi-bilities you would need in any business, but in this case, it was focused on the art department —teaching classes, managing labs and overseeing inventories.

“I have always told everybody I would never trade the time I was at UNT,” Drennan says. “Just having those years to focus and study without distraction changed my life.”

ORGANIZING TALENT

Debbie Brooks (’77, ’81 M.M.), director of DFW Musicians Services, has contracted orchestras for big-name stars Luciano Pavarotti, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart and more. She schedules hundreds of events a year, booking musical groups for everyone from celebrities to brides and charities and sending musicians across the region, state and nation.

Her own freelancing career as a cellist began in her fi rst year at UNT, when she drove with a friend to Dallas for church gigs. On campus, she performed under the baton of then-new Symphony Orchestra conductor Anshel Brusilow, a former concertmaster of the Philadelphia

Orchestra and former conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

“My freshman year was his fi rst year on campus. We were like rock stars,” says Brooks, whose musical training began in the piano studio of her father, James Petty (’55). “Every-one came to hear the orchestra.”

Under the guidance of well-known cello professor Adolfo Odnoposoff , she mastered volumes of cello repertoire.

Just after graduating, Brooks won a position with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. She stepped down from her seat as the orchestra’s associate principal cellist in 1999, looking for a new challenge. She helped organize a 77-piece orchestra for Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and the experience, along with her UNT roots, inspired her to begin DFW Musicians Services.

Brooks still performs as a freelance cellist with the Fort Worth Sympho-ny, Dallas Symphony and Dallas Summer Musicals and off ers private lessons to a select group of students.

Th rough her business, she is constantly in touch with professors, looking for UNT student talent to fi ll her groups. She treats them just as she treats any seasoned performer and encourages them to join the profes-sional musician’s union, she says.

“If they are good enough to be on my job, they are good enough to get paid like a professional,” she says.

NURTURING ENVIRONMENT

By age 11, Katricia Eaglin (’03) already had danced for royalty.

She started learning folklorico Mexican dance in elementary school and later added West African dance to her repertoire, performing for the king of Ghana. She began her formal modern dance and ballet training at Booker T. Washington High School

Robert Milnes, dean of the College of Visual Arts and Design

“Thriving economies are based on the presence of a strong creative class, and a strong creative class only thrives in a region of strong, local culture.”

THE BUSINESS OF ART


DEBBIEBROOKS Freelance cellist for the Fort Worth and Dallas symphonies, Brooks also organizes orchestras for big-name performers across the state and nation.

Angilee Wilkerson


As assistant rehearsal director for Dallas Black Dance Th eatre, Eaglin teaches choreography and tours the world with the company.

KATRICIAEAGLIN

CHRISFLEMMONSCited as one of the “elder statesmen of sorts of Denton’s music scene” by Th e New York Times, songwriter and Baptist Generals frontman Flemmons is the founder of the 35 Denton indie music festival.

Angilee Wilkerson

Thor

pe G

riner


for the Performing Arts in Dallas. But it was at UNT that Eaglin

polished her entrepreneurial skills, studying dance with a minor in business. She created the Freedom Dance Ensemble, a student group that performed at weddings and museum receptions, among other events.

“UNT was a nurturing environ-ment for me as a dancer and as a person,” Eaglin says, recalling the help of dance faculty members Mary Lynn Babcock and Arleen Sugano. “Th ey guided me as a dancer and said if you can change it, then work on it, and accept the things you can’t change. I had never experienced that type of acceptance.”

Eaglin had set her sights on becoming a member of the Dallas Black Dance Th eatre while watching a performance at age 14. She auditioned four times — including during her studies at UNT — before earning her coveted spot in the company in 2005.

“It wasn’t a seat or a throne,” she says. “I didn’t get in the company and get to sit down. I would come in and dance six hours straight. I was drained, learning all of these tech-niques and choreography, but it was an overwhelmingly great experience.”

In addition to dancing in the company, Eaglin serves as assistant rehearsal director, teaching choreogra-phy and reconstructing dances. She also tours with the company — includ-ing recent performances in Belize and Canada. Th ese days, people around DFW are taking note of her triumphs, evidenced when D Magazine named her in its special report on black achievers in 2011.

“UNT had a great impact on me — and not just my teachers in the dance department,” she says, remem-bering the start of the Freedom Dance Ensemble. “UNT fostered that entrepreneurial mentality in me.”

CREATIVE ENERGY

Singer and songwriter Chris Flemmons couldn’t stand to be away from Denton for too long. He grew up in Fort Worth but studied fi lm at UNT in the late 1980s and early 1990s until he found steady work in fi lm production. Flemmons moved to Dallas for a couple of years but missed the culture of his university town.

“Th is place is just oozing with creative energy,” he says.

He returned and established a band, Th e Baptist Generals, which got its start on Denton’s Fry Street and eventually signed with Sub Pop — “the label that brought Nirvana into the world,” he says.

In the meantime, Flemmons crafted a plan for 35 Denton — originally called NX35 Music Conferette — a walkable music festival to highlight the indie music scene and boost the Denton economy.

“Denton is unique. Plano, Frisco or Coppell couldn’t build what’s here culturally with music,” Flemmons says. “It was seeded by the university, but it exists on its own now. We have something that I felt needed to be built upon, and I wanted the conferette to be something that would draw national and international attention to Denton.”

Th e New York Times took note of the “indie scene that comes with a Texas twang” in a 2008 story, calling Flemmons one of the “elder statesmen of sorts of Denton’s music scene.” Th e city’s festivals span blues, Latin and jazz music, and the indie scene grew with the Fry Street Fair, a block from campus, in the 1970s.

“It used to be we’d get so excited when we’d pick up some marginal music publication that was printed nationally and read a review of a band from Denton, and now it’s just a regular occurrence,” Flemmons says.

Some have asked if the festival is trying to compete with the popular SXSW in Austin, but Flemmons calls SXSW “a diff erent animal.”

“Th e contrast that we were trying to strike between the behemoth that is SXSW and this is we wanted it to be a walkable festival,” Flemmons says. “SXSW was the grandfather.”

Since the festival started, Flemmons has seen more businesses pop up. Oak Street Drafthouse, Mad World Records and the Denton version of the Love Shack, which has two locations in Fort Worth, are a few, he says.

“Cultural events are part of the fabric of life in Denton,” says Michael Seman (’07 M.S.), researcher in UNT’s Center for Economic Develop-ment and Research. “And their economic and fi scal impacts are signifi cant. In the festival’s second year alone, it generated more than $2 million in total economic activity for the city. It promotes not only Denton’s already internationally recognized music scene but the city itself by branding it as an exciting urban area. Th at, in turn, functions as a catalyst for development.”

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Mike Barrow knows the fl avor of Denton is unlike any other.

“Th ere is something special about Denton that is diff erent than your typical Texas atmosphere,” Barrow says from his offi ce as managing director of Denton Community Th eatre, over-looking Denton’s Hickory Street.

“It’s always broken out of the norms. We support art and make it a huge part of what we do, and that starts with a university. Students who go to UNT naturally come away with an apprecia-tion of the artistic part of the university because it’s everywhere.”

Barrow began his theatrical career

KATRICIAEAGLIN


at age 10 — as a baseball player in Denton Community Th eatre’s production of Th e Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker. His parents, former North Texas students Frank and Betty Ann Barrow, are credited with being among the founders of the community theatre, more than 40 years ago. Today, Denton Community Th eatre is the managing group of Denton’s historic Campus Th eatre owned by the Greater Denton Arts Council. Barrow practi-cally grew up on campus, helping his parents at Th e Varsity Shop, a clothing

store they owned on Avenue A, and studied theatre at UNT.

He also focused his creative energy on playing in a band he started with Lambda Chi fraternity brothers Mike and Joe Clay (’83) (also real-life brothers) and Keith Reynolds.

When he was invited to interview for the Denton Community Th eatre managing director’s job, Barrow says his experience from helping to run family businesses and his theatrical training meshed. Now, he manages the budgets for the nonprofi t educational organization, which mounts up to 10 productions a year, participates in

traveling and competition shows and off ers theatre classes.

He’s also renewed the organization’s spirit of volunteering. Fundraisers and monthly outreach programs pull community members together to share their theatre skills, such as vocal training and set production.

“We have a lot of talented artists, and that’s what brings people to Denton,” he says. “People come from all over the North Texas region to see the shows.”

Many of the actors also perform regularly at community theatres across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including the Greater Lewisville Community Th eatre, Runway Th eatre in Grape-vine, Irving Community Th eatre and more.

CULTURAL BREEDING GROUND

Fresh out of college, Andrea Karnes (’88) landed a job at the Modern Museum of Art in Fort Worth as a receptionist, where she learned about curating from the ground up.

“Being a receptionist was kind of like being an intern for everyone at the museum because support staff was limited then,” she says.

Karnes worked her way through the ranks and attended graduate school at the same time, serving as research assistant, registrar, assistant curator, associate curator and, currently, curator at the Modern. Th e museum has featured alumni such as Jeff Elrod (’90), a painter, and Erick Swenson (’99), a sculptor, whose work is being exhibited by the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas (see page 23).

“I like working in the fi eld of contemporary art, where volumes of scholarship aren’t already written,” Karnes says. “If you are looking at very young artists still emerging in their

careers, which is part of what I do, it’s like jumping off a high dive — being at the beginning of an exciting and new contribution to the art world.”

As curator, Karnes conceives the idea for the exhibitions she organizes, and she works with artists, galleries and collectors to obtain the artwork on loan in order to put the shows together — a process that can take from one to several years.

“When I was at UNT, it was an experimental time for all kinds of events — exhibitions, music, art happenings,” she says. “It was an extremely infl uential time for me. It really was a cultural breeding ground.”

Professors armed students with tools and language to be critical of themselves and their classmates in a learning environment, says Karnes, who studied art history.

“You had to be honest about what you were evaluating, and that’s part of my job now,” she says. “A lot of that came from those fundamentals I learned as an undergrad in critiques.”

She and her UNT friends took in new musical acts at Th e Library and ventured across the state to see gallery exhibitions of fellow students. Every year, they’d visit the annual Voertman Student Art Competition — still an important part of today’s student experience — to read the professional juror’s statement and try to determine why certain pieces were selected.

“It provided me with a level of comfort in being around a host of things that weren’t necessarily cultur-ally mainstream and gave me the chance to go to galleries, museums and unconventional music venues,” Karnes says. “Th at happened in Denton, Texas, but it somehow prepared me for the rest of the world.”

More at yourfi ngertips.Learn about Michael Seman (’07 M.S.) and how his research on Denton’s culture as a catalyst for urban devel-opment is making headlines. And for information about area cultural opportunities and to share your own stories about UNT alumni talent, go to northtexan.unt.edu/michael-seman.


ANDREAKARNES

Karnes, curator at the Modern Museum of Art in Fort Worth, organizes art from galleries and

collectors from around the world for exhibitions.

MIKEBARROWAs managing director for the Denton Community Th eatre, Barrow continues his family’s 40-year legacy in fostering theatre for the Denton community.

Angi

lee

Wilk

erso

nJo

nath

an R

eyno

lds


for Excellence

Aby Jessica DeLeón

As an undergraduate at UNT, Jody Huddleston (’10) found something strange in the HIV research she was conducting for Joseph Oppong’s medical geography class.

When she took her questions to Oppong, professor of geography, he says he thought to himself, “This is someone who will do fine work.”

His instincts were right. Huddleston, who was in the Honors College and was a McNair Scholar, found that she was seeing “late testers” — individuals who had little time between their HIV diagnosis and the onset of AIDS. With Oppong’s help and encouragement, she set up a project to map this specific group across the state, determining characteristics and areas with high rates of late testers.

The work earned her a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, worth $42,000 a year for three years. She is using the fellowship as a doctoral student in environmental science at UNT, studying diseases with an environmental component.

Other faculty members also are investing their care, experience and knowledge in students to help them achieve their goals. UNT leads Texas universities in the number of Barry M. Goldwater Scholars, and many talented students place as semifinalists and finalists in the prestigious Siemens Competition and Intel Science Talent Search. Faculty members also guide students to win prestigious awards such as the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship and the German Academic Exchange Service scholarship.

Mentors host regular meetings and ongoing discussions so that the students are best prepared. The students also are aided by UNT’s Office for Nationally Competi-tive Scholarships, which guides them through the application process.

James Duban, the office’s director and a professor of English, says he encourages students to have “something above and beyond to write about in their application essays” by fashioning “ideal college educations,” which include research experience. He also provides comprehensive feedback on writing style and tone.

“I urge them to articulate their contributions and goals with clarity, conciseness and authority,” he says. “The application process can take several months and often becomes a capstone educational experience.”

The prestigious scholarships can mean thousands of dollars in stipends and tuition and, in some cases, travel to another country. By the time the results are announced, the students have done more than win an important award, says Sandra Spencer, principal lecturer and director of women’s studies.

Gar

y Pa

yne

Mentoring UNT’s faculty and advisors guide students in meaningful research and help ensure their success

S u m m e r 2 0 1 2 | northtexan.unt.edu | T h e N o r t h T e x a n 33Jannon Fuchs, professor of biological sciences, encourages Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science student Faith Yu in her lab. Fuchs has mentored numerous TAMS students, helping them to win prestigious scholarships and competitions.


“You see them become much more professional,” says Spencer, whose students have won Rotary scholarships, among other awards

“You see them become more aware of a wider world.”

Looking for that sparkJust like Oppong saw the promise in

Huddleston, Spencer can spot potential scholarship recipients.

“Sometimes it’s a little spark you see in them,” she says, “They’re well-rounded in an intellectual, emotional and cultural way.”

A UNT faculty member since 1996, Spencer has accompanied students on Study Abroad programs and to various events. She says potential scholarship students are more likely to be engaged at a different level. She notices if they can thrive abroad or if they have the mind to be challenged for a globally focused project.

She saw that in Christine Schneider and Maryanne Owiti, master’s students in interdisciplinary studies, who attended the Commission on the Status of Women practicum this spring at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. They were among 20 women who observed non-governmental organization

sessions on gender equality and other women’s issues and then created an advocacy project when they returned home.

“UNT was the only school that had more than one student at this event, and that is a direct result of Dr. Spencer’s engagement and encouragement in developing our passions and interests,” Schneider says.

Similarly, Graham Phipps, professor of music, was impressed when Ben Dobbs (’10 M.M.) came to him for advice on his master’s thesis topic.

Dobbs wanted to find a composer from the early 1600s to study, one who was not well known. After some digging, he chose Heinrich Grimm, who had only a few works published in his lifetime after being exiled from his German town during the 30 Years War. But to research his subject, Dobbs needed to go to the library in Germany that houses Grimm’s works.

“This student had a passion for what he wanted to study,” Phipps says.

Together, they developed a plan and Dobbs received a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service, a prestigious program that allows American students to study in Germany for one year.

Dobbs is now working on his doctorate in music theory.

Hard workFinding that spark and helping

students apply for scholarships is just one part of the mentoring process. Faculty also support students in the research itself.

One of the ways Jannon Fuchs, professor of biological sciences, helps is by playing “email ping pong.”

As her students are writing research papers, she responds with comments — sometimes dozens of rounds. But Fuchs notes that she’s critiquing the science, not the person.

“I guess I try to toughen them up,” she says. “It’s valuable training.”

In her 24 years at UNT, Fuchs has worked with students at all levels, including those tackling college courses in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. The two-year residential program allows talented students to complete their first two years of college while earning their high school diplomas.

Fuchs helps her students prepare to compete for prestigious scholarships. Under her leadership, eight have earned Goldwater Scholarships, given to students

Gary Payne


pursuing careers in math, science and engineering; 14 have advanced in the Siemens Competition, the nation’s leading original research competition for high school students in math, science and technology; and three have won the Intel Science Talent Search, the oldest science competition in the nation.

One of those TAMS students who plans to enter the Siemens and Intel competitions is Faith Yu. Her neurosci-ence research involves twice-weekly lab work and computational work. While Yu already had some basics of neuroscience, she says Fuchs gave her a first look at how real research labs work.

“When Dr. Fuchs interviewed me for the lab, she refreshed my neuroscience knowledge and added to it within the span of 30 minutes,” Yu says.

Phipps also motivates students to do their best. He meets with them weekly.

“You have to ask them a lot of ques-tions,” he says. “Why did you do this? Does this follow where you were before?”

While Dobbs was in Germany, Phipps emailed him every week.

“What did you find interesting this

week?” he asked him. On Dobbs’ drafts, Phipps wrote, “You might think about this.”

Dobbs — who found some unpub-lished work of Grimm’s and a funeral motet, or choral composition, that became the topic of his thesis — hopes one day to publish modern editions of Grimm’s compositions.

“Dr. Phipps directed me,” Dobbs says, “and pushed me to analyze and look for new ideas.”

RewardsAll the hard work results in rewards for

the students — and their mentors. Phipps notes that with such intense

study, students don’t just develop as researchers, but also as people.

“It’s always great to see a student mature and see their ideas come to fruition,” he says.

Oppong watched one senior geography major, Jonathan Rodriguez, defend his research at the Association of American

Geographers in February in New York City. Rodriguez was questioned by an author whose book on geographic information systems and public health he had cited.

“It was fun to watch a student be challenged and defend himself,” Oppong says. “He was ready.”

Huddleston appreciates the help she received from Oppong because he pushed her to succeed.

“You want someone who is involved with what you are doing and is helping you set goals and meet them,” she says.

And Oppong makes sure the students he mentors have some fun as well. He hosts a graduate appreciation lunch at Bruce Hall and potluck dinners at his house. They become a family — and it’s even more satisfying when that family member wins an award.

“It’s like being a parent,” Oppong says. “And your child has accomplished something great.”

Gary Payne

UNT mentors, across different disciplines, guide their students to success. From left, Sandra Spencer, senior lecturer in women’s studies, with master’s students Christine Schneider (left) and Maryanne Owiti (right); Joseph Oppong, professor of geography, with doctoral student Jody Huddleston; and Graham Phipps, professor of music, with doctoral student Ben Dobbs (’10 M.M.).

Gary Payne

Do you have a favorite faculty or staff mentor who helped you as a student at UNT? Tell us at northtexan.unt.edu/mentoring-excellence.


S OA R I N G Eagles

UNT’s annual Alumni Awards Dinner — a long-standing university tradition — recognized the outstanding achievements, service and support of UNT alumni and friends. The April 20 event honored recipients who have made their mark in the financial services industry, played in the Super Bowl, earned Grammy nominations and helped create one of the world’s most popular video games. The most prestigious honor, the Distin-guished Alumni Award, has been presented since 1965, and is awarded to individuals who have achieved prominence in their professions. The Distinguished Young Alumni Award honors alumni under 40 for distinguished achievement.

“We’re extremely proud of these individuals and their work,” President V. Lane Rawlins says. “These are people who have distinguished themselves in their careers and in their communities, embodying the best of themselves and of UNT. ”

Honoring professional experience

and service to UNT

Honored at the Alumni Awards Dinner were, from left, R.L. Crawford Jr. (’63), Brenda Crawford (’63), Petronel Malan (’96 M.M., ’01 Ph.D.), Julie Anderson (’91, ’91 M.S.), BrianWaters, David Anderson (’99), Donald C. Potts (’63), Robert J. “Bob” Rogers and Jason West (’96).

Alumni Awards 2012

Jona

than

Rey

nold

s


Distinguished Alumni Award Donald C. Potts (’63)

Donald C. Potts began his career in the financial services industry with the brokerage firm Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, and in 1977, he founded Capital Institutional Services (CAPIS). He has served on the institutional committee of the New York Stock Exchange. Potts remains a board chair of CAPIS and is a board member for Hope Cottage Pregnancy and Adoption Center in Dallas. For 11 years, Potts served on the board of the UNT Foundation, and he chaired the foundation’s investment committee for four years. In 2011, he was appointed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry as a UNT System regent.

“Looking back on the defining events of my life,” Potts says, “my decision to seek a degree from North Texas was certainly one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made.”

Jason West (’96)

Jason West worked at Paradigm Entertainment and then at a start-up game studio, 2015, to work on the video game “Medal of Honor: Allied Assault,” which became a huge success. In 2002, he co-founded the Infinity Ward studio, which created “Call of Duty.” West last directed “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” which sold about 20 million units and generated an estimated $1.3 billion in sales to date. In 2010, West began a new independent studio called Respawn Entertainment where he specializes in realistic, first-person perspective military action games with real-world settings.

As a founding member of Ian Parber-ry’s Laboratory for the Advancement of Recreational Computing group, West says, “The impact of a small group of like- minded students working in skunk works projects cannot be overstated.”

Distinguished Young Alumni Award Petronel Malan (’96 M.M., ’01 Ph.D.)

Pianist Petronel Malan has been lauded by reviewers as an unmistakably creative force in the classical music industry. Her debut disc, Transfigured Bach, received three Grammy nominations, including Best Instrumental Solo Album. She followed with Transfigured Mozart (2006), Transfigured Beethoven (2008) and Transfigured Tchaikovsky (2011), all recorded for the independent label Hanssler CLASSIC. Malan resides in the U.S. but maintains strong ties to her native South Africa. She received the Rapport/City Press Prestige Award as one of the 10 most inspirational women in South Africa.

“My experiences at UNT provided me with a solid education and the experience to perform and reach audiences around the world,” Malan says.

Brian Waters

During Brian Waters’ Mean Green football career (1995-98), he focused on community service courses and volun-teered with the Boys and Girls Clubs and other projects. Now a six-time Pro Bowl guard who played in the Super Bowl this year with the NFL’s New England Patriots, Waters received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2009 for his charitable work, then as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Brian Waters 54 Foundation, which he began in 2005, works with more than 20 agencies to help children in need through programs offering such support as sports camps, school clothes and college scholarships.

“Many memories from community service classes to the football program all helped shaped me into the man I am today,” Waters says, “and helped to give me a strong foundation dedicated to giving back to the community.”

• O U T S T A N D I N G S E R V I C E A W A R D

Presented to honor individuals who have provided exceptional volunteer service to UNT.

Brenda (’63) and R.L. (’63) Crawford Jr. met as students at North Texas. R.L. began his career with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, and in 1989 Texas Gov. Bill Clements appointed him to the UNT Board of Regents. He was appointed to the UNT Founda-tion board where he continues to serve. Brenda was a charter member of the advisory board that formed the present UNT Alumni Association and has served on the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Visual Arts and Design advisory boards.

Robert J. “Bob” Rogers, Professor Emeritus of music and former piano student at North Texas, taught piano pedagogy at the university from 1948 to 1984. His volunteer activities in-clude genetic screening and counsel-ing for the state of Texas; teaching typing for computer proficiency to fifth graders at Sam Houston Elementary School; and serving as a volunteer in the UNT Music Library since 1985.

• U L Y S K N I G H T S P I R I T A W A R D

Presented to an individual or group that has made noteworthy efforts to sustain spirit among the UNT family. Ulys Knight (’28), a basketball player named most popular man on campus, was later known as “Mr. North Texas” for his participation in alumni activities.

Julie (’91, ’91 M.S.) and David (’99) Anderson are active members of the Mean Green Club and serve as Mean Green Club representatives. Julie is controller and chief accounting officer for Texas Capital Bank and David is the owner and founder of Anderson’s Pro Flooring in Lake Dallas.

Learn more about this year’s winners and nominate alumni for the

2013 awards by Aug. 1, 2012, at www.unt.edu/development/alumniawards.

U N T A L U M N I A W A R D S


DOUG WREN’S (’73) SUMMER PLANS INCLUDE

directing the live world feed of beach volleyball at the Olympic Games in London. He has produced or directed live feeds at seven other Olympics since 1992, including diving in Barce-lona and speed skating in Salt Lake City. Wren wanted to be an announcer but says a production class taught by Ed Glick made directing more interesting. “Directing a live feed is like an extension of being an athlete,” says the former competitive swimmer, pictured in Beijing the day Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal. “It gives you that same adrenalin rush.”

OLYMPIC DIRECTION

Sports director Doug Wren (’73) will give beach volleyball viewers the best seat in the house

at the London Olympics.

Learn more about Wren and his 36-year directing career at northtexan.unt.edu/olympic-direction.

NestEAGLES’

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

| Connecting With Friends p / 39

| Upcoming Alumni Gatherings p / 39

| Legacy Families p / 43

| In the News p / 44

| Friends We’ll Miss p / 45


EAGLES’ Nest

Upcoming Alumni GatheringsUNT alumni reunite, network and support student scholarships. Here’s a sampling of events to come: Golden Eagles Save the Date: Members of the Class

of 1962 are encouraged to save the date for the Golden Eagles’ 50-year class reunion luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. Join your classmates to renew friendships, share memories

and enjoy Homecoming festivities. To learn more, contact Abbie Lows at 940-565-4851 or [email protected].

Oktoberfest: The Denton Alumni network celebrates Oktober-fest at the UNT Alumni Association Pavilion at Apogee Stadium Sept. 15 to raise money for scholarships.

Delta Sigma Phi anniversary: Members of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity will celebrate the UNT chapter’s 60th anniversary Oct. 20 with an open house and dinner dance. Contact Mike Cox (’74), president of the chapter’s alumni association, at [email protected] or 940-597-7490 for information.

For more information or to join the UNT Alumni Association, call 940-565-2834 or go online to www.untalumni.com.

Cliff

Layfield, Grapevine :: is the 2012

president of

the Dallas/Fort Worth Financial

Planning Association.

1980

Myron Martin, Las Vegas, Nev. :: is the

president and

CEO of The Smith Center for the

Performing Arts, a new world-

class performing arts center in Las

Vegas. He raised more than $470

million in funding, endowments

and donations for the project.

C O N N E C T I N G W I T H Friends

1945

Janice Baird Whitlock (’72 M.M.Ed.), Savage, Minn. :: took

up oil painting classes at Savage

Art Studios after a lifetime as a

musician, primarily playing

keyboard. She has been taking the

classes for three years and says

that art “makes you think about

things differently.”

1962

Ray Rhamey, Pullman, Wash. :: published a novel called The Summer Boy: A Novel of Texas, a

coming-of-age story about love

and danger that offers a snapshot

of young life in 1958 Texas.

1970

Karleen Barlow Koen, Houston :: received recognition

when her book Before Versailles (The Crown Group/Random

House), the story of four months

in the life of a young Louis XIV,

was included in RT Book Reviews and the Library Journal’s selections

of best historical fiction for 2011.

RT Book Reviews is a source for

publishing and bookstores, and

Library Journal is the trade

publication for libraries.

1972

Aaron Bonds, Corpus Christi :: retired this

year after 27 years of teaching and

coaching. The former Mean

Green football player coached and

taught in Alice, Calallen and

Robstown before heading for the

Agua Dulce ISD, where he also

coordinated an after-school

tutoring and life skills program.

1973

Terry Austin, Ranger :: wrote

An Angler’s Blessings: Adventures in the Pursuit of Trout With a Fly Rod, covering more than 50 years

of his fly-fishing stories, along with

some “how-to and where-to.”

Bob Eoff, Princeton :: was elected

state chair for

the Constitu-

tion Party of Texas.

1974

Robert B. Gregg (M.M., ’78 Ph.D.), Nashville, Tenn. :: celebrated 25 years as founding

director of the Symphony

Orchestra for Belmont Univer-

sity’s School of Music. He also

conducted the All State Orchestra

in Missouri. Sharon Fowler Gregg (’74 M.Ed., ’84 Ph.D.) retired as director of admissions

at Belmont’s College of Visual and

Performing Arts.

Keep up with the latest developments in the UNT family and tell your peers what you’ve been up to since leaving the nest. Send your news to The North Texan (see contact information on page 7). Members of the UNT Alumni Association are designated with a .

Read more, share comments and connect with friends

at northtexan.unt.edu.


EAGLES’ Nest

They called themselves the Maple Street Crew.The women lived together as dorm-mates in Maple Hall in the

late 1960s. Now, they meet once a year for lunch to reconnect with each other — and to relive old memories.

“You never saw one of us without at least some of the others,” Diane Moore Grandey (ʼ68) says. “People said, ‘Here comes the Maple Street Crew.’”

During their first year, the girls were not allowed to wear pants or shorts on campus. They had to wear a skirt or a coat over clothes even to go to the gym. The dorm had just one phone per wing on each floor, and there was a strict curfew — 10:50 p.m. during the week and midnight on Saturday. Many girls squeezed through the door just as the dorm mother was locking it.

“You just made your own fun,” Patty Johnson Sayers (’68) says. “We got real resourceful on the weekends.”

They hung out at the UB — the Union Building. They had parties at Lake Dallas. On Sundays, when the dining hall was closed, they headed to Zeke’s Drive-in, a restaurant across from the dorm on Highland Street and Avenue C.

The girls often stayed up late, trying on each other’s clothes, putting together funny outfits, playing cards or just chatting. And they started a tradition. They sat around in a circle and passed around a maple leaf, which stopped with the woman who had an important announcement. Grandey remembers sharing the news of her engagement, and many pinnings were announced this way.

After graduating, many Maple Street Crew members participated in each other’s weddings and then became busy raising their

tenure from Hardin-Simmons

University, where he teaches low

brass, music theory and composi-

tion. He says his family encour-

aged him “through all the years it

took to reach this goal.”

Mark McDaniel (’87 M.P.A.), Tyler :: city manager of Tyler, was

elected vice president of the

Mountain-Plains region of the

International City/County

Management Association. He was

the first UNT alum nominated to

serve on the ICMA board.

1986

Daniel Hornstein (Ph.D.), Huntsville, Ala. :: recently retired

from the Huntsville public

schools as the founding conductor

of the Arts Magnet High School

orchestra program. He is the

conductor of the Jackson, Tenn.,

Youth Symphony Orchestra and

teaches German online through

the Alabama ACCESS Distance

Education program. He also is the

adjunct cello professor at Alabama

A&M University and teaches

private music lessons through the

Valley Conservatory of Music.

Ann Schiola, Tarpon Springs, Fla. :: was named the

new marketing director at

FINLEY Engineering Group, a

specialty engineering firm that has

been internationally recognized

Maple Street Crew

1981

Stephen Owens (Ph.D.), Cullowhee, N.C. :: Professor

Emeritus of management at

Western Carolina University, was

accepted as a member of the

National Academy of Arbitrators.

1984

Billy L. Smith, Fort Worth :: was

named

executive

director of the American Paint

Horse Association in Fort Worth.

He was executive director for

information technology for

the American Quarter Horse

Association for 13 years and was

a professor at West Texas A&M

University. He earned a master’s

and doctorate from Texas Tech.

1985

Jeffrey Cottrell (’96 M.M., ’04 D.M.A.), Abilene :: was awarded

From left, front, Ann Hodges Chilton (’69), Diane Moore Grandey (’68), Nina Boothe (’69) and Julie Skrodzki Skinner (’69); back, Karla Kautsch Hutcherson (’68), Patty Johnson Sayers (’68) and Gay Foster Ingram (’68).

Gary Payne

families and working. Some stayed connected through Christmas cards. But as email made communication easier, they reconnected and began meeting annually in 2004. They were scheduled to tour UNT in June to see how the campus has changed.

“We still feel like we never parted ways,” Karla Kautsch Hutcherson (’68) says. “The memories we have keep us attached.”

— Jessica DeLeón

Editor’s note: We’d like to feature more alumni who are staying in touch or re-connecting. If you’re part of such a group, let us know at [email protected].


for its expertise in complex bridge

projects.

1987

Keith Marceau, West Liberty, Ohio :: was promoted to manager

of information systems at

Transportation Research Center

Inc. in East Liberty, Ohio.

1988

Bob Lawrence (M.M.Ed., ’01 Ph.D.), Dallas :: is president of

the Dallas School of Music, which

celebrated its 20th anniversary

with a faculty concert and open

house in February. Other alumni

at DSM include Mike Finkel (’84), Gary Feltner (’93 M.M.), Tamalyn Stone Lawrence (’93 M.M.), Professor

Emeritus Dan Haerle (’66), Jenn Escue (’07, ’10 M.M.), Chiaki Hanafusa (’03 M.M., ’10 D.M.A.) and Jeff Ensign

(’00, ’10 M.M.).

1992

John Douthitt, Midland :: was

appointed assistant vice president

for guest relations services of

Healthplex Associates. He

remains the general manager of

the Healthplex facility, Mission

Fitness, in Odessa and is now also

overseeing the guest services

training for all nine Healthplex

facilities nationwide.

Kerin Groves (’99 M.S.), Albu querque, N.M. :: was

selected by the

American Counseling Associa-

tion to present a 6-hour Learning

Institute, “Clinical Interventions

with Perpetrators of Family

Violence,” at the ACA 2012

national conference in San

Francisco. She is the executive

director of Conflict Management

Inc., a counseling agency in

Albuquerque.

Stephen J. Inrig, Dallas :: is an

assistant

professor of

clinical science at the University

of Texas Southwestern Medical

Center in Dallas. He recently

published a book titled North Carolina and the Problem of AIDS: Advocacy, Politics and Race in the South (University of North

Carolina Press), using the history

of HIV in North Carolina as a

case study to examine the rise of

AIDS in the South. He earned

his Ph.D. from Duke University.

1993

Lynn Lane, Houston :: was

named one of the Top 100

Creatives in Houston for 2011 by

the Houston Press. He is the main

photographer for Karen Stokes

Dance and NobleMotion Dance,

and his photos are regularly

featured in Dance Source Houston and the Houston Chronicle. His

“Portrait Project”— shots of

well-known Houston arts figures

— was exhibited in celebration of

Houston’s 175th anniversary. He

also founded the Voices of

Survivors Foundation, giving

voice to cancer survivors.

Bone marrow registry

Graham Douglas (’05) wants to save people’s lives — and he’s come up with a product and put on hot pants for the cause.

Douglas created the “help I’ve cut myself & I want to save a life”

package that includes a bone marrow registry kit inside a box of ban-

dages. When people cut themselves and reach for the bandages, they

can put a couple of drops of blood on a cotton swab and then mail it in a

postage-paid envelope addressed to the DKMS bone marrow registry.

The product is sold online and at retailers through Help Remedies.

The cause is personal for Douglas. His identical twin brother, Britton

(’06), was diagnosed with leukemia 10 years ago and was saved by a

stranger who had registered as a bone marrow donor.

“But I’m afraid my brother was one of the lucky ones,” Douglas

says. “I remember them talking about the odds of finding a match. It’s a

50/50 shot. All these years later that’s always stuck with me.

“For every guy like my brother out there, there’s another one who

isn’t so lucky — another guy like me who doesn’t have a brother

anymore.”

Douglas — who studied advertising at UNT and works at the Droga5

advertising agency in New York City — appears in the video for the

product, portraying a knife.

“We had almost no money for making this thing, so hiring a proper

actor wasn’t exactly in the budget,” he says. “I was the only one of

us willing to take off my shirt on film, shave my chest and put on tiny,

silver hot pants in the name of good.”

Watch the video at www.helpinneedhelp.com or register as a bone

marrow donor at www.getswabbed.org.

— Jessica DeLeón

Paul

McG

eive

r


EAGLES’ Nest1994

Bryan D. Dietrich (Ph.D.), Wichita, Kan. :: is a professor of

English at Newman University

and an award-winning poet. His

new book of poems, The Assumption (WordFarm), draws

parallels between modern science

fiction and ancient theological

narratives.

1997

Evelyn A. Borrayo (M.A., ’99 Ph.D.), Denver, Colo.

:: associate professor of psychol-

ogy at the University of Colorado

at Denver, was appointed to direct

the Latino Research and Policy

Center at the Colorado School of

Public Health. Her research in

health and clinical psychology

focuses on the prevention, control

and treatment of cancer among

medically underserved Latinos.

Jennifer Yorio Faunce, Rockwall :: hosted her first Skills

USA district contest for broadcast

news production and TV

production, with four northeast

Texas schools competing. She is

an audio video production teacher

at Rockwall High School and

Rockwall-Heath High School.

1998

Jessica McCambly (’07 M.F.A.), San Diego, Calif. :: was

curator of the art exhibit Big and Bright: New Work From Texas at

the Southwestern College Art

Gallery. The exhibit included

works by UNT artists, and artist

talks were given by studio arts

faculty Matthew Bourbon and

Vincent Falsetta.

1999

Scott Williams, Wylie :: is

director of a new Dallas location

of Oklahoma-based Scott

Sabolich Prosthetics and

Research. He attended prosthetic

school at UT-Southwestern and

was a practitioner at the company

for more than six years before

leading the Dallas expansion.

2000

Holly Lakatos (M.S.), Sacramento, Calif. :: wrote the

chapter “Moving a Library” in

How to Thrive as a Solo Librarian (Scarecrow Press).

Stacie Stoutmeyer (’04 M.S.), Highland Village :: is a full-time

faculty member at North Central

Texas College and accepted a

position as chair of the Depart-

ment of Behavioral and Cultural

Sciences, which covers all five

NCTC campuses. She also serves

as the Honors Program liaison for

the NCTC Corinth campus.

2001

Tiffaney Dale Hunter, Dallas :: is

celebrating the

sixth

anniversary of the founding of her

public relations firm with a new

Houston office. She began the

Dallas-Fort Worth agency

following a corporate layoff and

grew it from a consulting agency

to a full-service public relations

and marketing firm with clients

that have included the National

Urban League, Grammy-nomi-

nated artist Lisa Loeb, Russell

Simmons’ Diamond Empower-

ment Fund and others.

Allison Morrow Venuto (M.A.), Richardson ::

says she fulfilled a dream when

she started Ducks in a Row

Personal Organizing in 2011. She

works with people to help them

find more time to spend on their

interests.

2002

Jeff Arrington, Denton :: former UNT police corporal who

serves as a reserve UNT police

officer, has started a martial arts

training school and business

program called W.A.R. – Wom-

en’s Active Response. He has been

training in martial arts since the

age of 7 and says he has always

dreamed of opening his own

school. The W.A.R. program

teaches women how to be

proactive in self defense. Jeff

earned his degree at UNT in

emergency administration and

planning and has a master’s from

Amberton University.

2003

Julie Chelagat Bore (M.Ed., ’05 Ph.D.), Dallas ::

published a book titled Voices, inspired by conversations she had

with her students as a high school

teacher at an urban school. The

book offers insight and statistics

on the challenges students can

face, including drugs and alcohol,

bullying, homelessness, poverty

and pregnancy.

2005

The Rev. Amy K. Forsythe, Georgetown :: was ordained as a

full elder in the Central Texas

Conference of the United

Methodist Church last summer.

She is the associate pastor of adult

discipleship at the First United

Methodist Church in George-

town. She earned her bachelor’s

degree in journalism from UNT

and a Master of Divinity from

Brite Divinity School of Fort

Worth in 2009.

Lexie House Lucas, Washing-ton, D.C. :: wrote a children’s

book titled Little Boy Brown, inspired by a dachshund she

rescued in Denton. Lexie works


L E G AC Y FamiliesJonathan Reynolds

In 1912, Elmer Williamson began studying education at North Texas State Normal College. One hundred years later, Elmer’s great-grandson Sam Williamson (’12 M.A.) graduated from UNT on May 11, 2012, with a master’s degree in innovation design. Sam’s graduation marks a full century of his family attending the university.

“This university is and has always been deeply rooted in the community, and our family is part of that community,” says Celia Williamson, Sam’s mother and UNT’s vice provost for educational innovation. “I have worked at UNT for 24 years, and my family is proud to hit the century mark.”

Members of the Williamson family have earned degrees in different areas of study. Sam’s sister Emily McGill (’06, ’08 M.P.A.) earned degrees in sociology and public administration. Celia’s husband, Tim (’85 M.S.), earned a degree in industrial technology. Tim’s parents, Ruth (’43) and Merrill Delwin (’47, ’52 M.S.), or “M.D.,” earned degrees in education and industrial arts.

M.D. , whose father Elmer began the UNT family tradition, taught industrial arts at the university from 1962 to 1984, and his son David, associate professor of sociology, joined UNT in 1992. David and Tim both attended the lab school.

In her time at UNT, Celia says she has seen the university grow into an institu-

tion focused on sustainability, not just with an eye toward preserving the environment, but also in finding balance among many fields of study.

“Society is sustained by the arts as well as by the push of new scientific discoveries,” she says, “and I believe that a great university’s role is to contribute to society through teaching and research that engages the breadth of life. “

Emily says that what sets UNT apart from other institutions is the small-town, community feeling that finds a way to thrive on such a large campus.

“It’s neat to be part of a family who has been in the UNT community and in Denton for so long,” she says. “I love hearing from people who studied with my grandfather or were taught by him or my mom or uncle. We have so many connections to the community, and we’re

very happy about this milestone.” Sam, who was among the first to earn

UNT’s new innovation design degree, plans to continue his family’s legacy. Using the skills and experiences he gained through his studies and in the Peace Corps, he hopes to design curricula that will more fully engage public school students, finding solutions to the preparedness gap many students experience when they leave high school for a job or to begin college.

“I take pride in being here and seeing the kind of fingerprint my family has left in this area,” Sam says.

“It’s important to me that our family tradition of educating in this region doesn’t stop with me.”

— Leslie Wimmer

Read about other UNT legacy families who have spanned generations with tradition and pride at northtexan.unt.edu/legacy-families. And don’t forget to share the history of your own UNT legacy.

From left, Kristin Williamson, David Williamson, Celia Williamson, Kevin McGill (’07), Sam Williamson (’12 M.A.), Tim Williamson (’85 M.S.), Emily Williamson McGill (’06, ’08 M.P.A.)

CENTURY MARK


EAGLES’ Nestfor the U.S. Senate and attends

graduate school at Johns Hopkins

University.

2006

Nathan Hall (M.S.), Blacksburg, Va. :: joined

the Virginia

Tech University Libraries as the

VTechWorks librarian. VTech-

Works is the library’s service for

disseminating faculty and student

works as core collections, and for

digitizing and curating existing

collections. Nathan was digital

curation librarian at UNT and is

earning his Ph.D. here.

John Ting, Plano :: is the

principal attorney at The Law

Office of John Ting, handling

immigration, family law and

other general legal matters. He

graduated from the City Univer-

sity of New York School of Law.

At UNT, he was a member of

Delta Sigma Phi.

2007

Jason Dovel (D.M.A.), Tahlequah, Okla. :: was a

guest artist at

the University of Memphis, the

University of Louisiana at

Monroe and Arkansas Tech last

fall, presenting the solo recital

“Music for Trumpet and

Computer.” He was featured in a

radio interview with KEDM, the

NPR affiliate in Monroe. He

teaches trumpet at Northeastern

State University and the Blue

Lake Fine Arts Camp.

2008

Sophia Gomez, Dallas ::self-published Winged, the first

book in a series she plans to write.

It became available for e-reader

purchase on Amazon in January.

Clayton Lane, Wichita Falls

:: was named one of the Top 20

Under 40 leaders in Wichita Falls.

He is a manager at James Lane

Air Conditioning, installing and

testing fire suppression systems in

commercial buildings, and is a

board member for Downtown

Wichita Falls Development. He

helped bring a Zombie Crawl and

5K run to the town last fall.

2011

Saihara Ali, Marietta, Ga. :: joined

Youth Villages

as a teacher

and counselor at the Inner

Harbour Campus in Douglasville,

Ga., which provides residential

treatment to children with

emotional, behavioral and mental

health issues.

➺ Tom La Point, professor of biological

sciences, was interviewed

on National Public Radio’s

All Things Considered

May 16 about the impact

of natural gas drilling.

The story focused on resi-

dents of the Denton County town of Dish who are attributing

illness and poor health to fracking, the hydraulic fracturing

process used to mine natural gas. La Point says even if toxic

chemicals were present in large enough quantities to cause

symptoms, it would be difficult to pinpoint the source due to

large amounts of air pollution in the area. He is serving on a

task force to study the effects of gas drilling.

➺ A study by Wendy Middlemiss, associate professor of

educational psychology, published in the April issue of Early

Human Development is making news around the world. The

researchers, including doctoral student Laura Nathans, measured the stress hormone cortisol in babies left to cry

themselves to sleep and discovered stress levels remained

high even on the third night, when the babies cried very little.

They plan a longer study to see if cortisol levels drop over

time. Newspapers in Australia, England, Belgium and India

have reported the findings.

➺ James Mueller, associate professor of journalism, was

one of the experts on the NBC television show Who Do You

Think You Are? featuring celebrities who are tracing their fam-

ily roots. In the April 6 episode, Mueller shed light on the life

of an early newspaperman related to actress Edie Falco. He

most recently has been researching the 19th century press for

a book on Custer, the press and the Little Bighorn.

➺ Harry Benshoff, associate professor of radio, television

and film, was quoted in a story on CNN.com March 28 about

the portrayal of race in Hollywood in conjunction with the

casting of the movie The Hunger Games. The story appeared

in more than 50 media outlets. Benshoff, who is the co-

author of America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender

and Sexuality at the Movies, says “Hollywood has never been

on the forefront of the civil rights movement.”

. . . . . . I N T H E / / News


University Community John L. ‘Jack’ Baier, Denton,

professor of

higher

education from

1992 to 2011, died May 7. He

previously was a professor,

program chair and vice president

for student affairs at the University

of Alabama. He also was assistant

vice president for student affairs at

Texas Tech University, associate

dean of student development at

the University of Nebraska and

assistant dean of student life at

Southern Illinois University

Carbondale. Baier received service

awards from the National

Association of Student Personnel

Administrators and the American

College Personnel Association. He

earned a bachelor’s degree from

General Motors Institute (Kettering

University), a master’s from the

State University of New York at

Buffalo and a doctorate from

Southern Illinois University at

Carbondale. He completed

postdoctoral study at Harvard

University’s Institute for Educa-

tional Management.

Ralph Borden Culp, Denton,

Professor

Emeritus of

dance and theatre who worked at

UNT from 1971 to 1999, died March

3. As a professor and former chair

in the Department of Dance and

Drama (now the Department of

Dance and Theatre), he directed

more than 200 plays, musicals and

operas and published two

textbooks. In 1999, he was

awarded the Texas Educational

Theatre Association Founder’s

Award in recognition of outstand-

ing contributions to educational

theatre in Texas. Culp also taught

at Rutgers University and the

University of Texas at El Paso. He

attended Catholic University in

Washington, D.C., before joining

the U.S. Air Force and serving as a

pilot of mid-air refueling planes in

the Korean War. He earned

bachelor’s and master’s degrees

F R I E N D S W E ’ L L M I S S

UNT’s alumni, faculty, staff and students are the university’s greatest legacy. When members of the Eagle family pass, they are remembered and their spirit lives on. Send information about deaths to The North Texan (see contact information on page 7).

Read more, write memorials and connect with

friends at northtexan.unt.edu.

1930s

Tommie Jean Dobie Bothwell (’36, ’50 M.Ed.), Prosper :: She taught first and second grades

for 37 years, including 35 years in

Celina. She served as an elder and

treasurer for her church for many

years, and was a charter member

of the Fidelis Inter Se Club. At

North Texas, she was a member of

the Elementary Council.

John Ed Balentine (’39), Gainesville :: He was born on a

farm in what is now Trophy Club

and remembered riding his pony

to first grade at the Demonstra-

tion School on campus. In 1940,

he went to work for Magnolia

Petroleum Co., later Exxon Mobil

Corp., and worked there for 40

years. He served in the U.S. Army

during World War II with an anti-

aircraft division. He and his wife

moved to a farm in Gainesville in

1959, where he rode horses into

his mid 80s. He moved to Waco

in 2008.

Clarence W. Powell (’39), Wichita Falls :: He earned

his bachelor’s degree in business

education from North Texas and

returned for doctoral work after

earning a master’s from Midwest-

ern State University. He served in

the U.S. Navy during World War

II and taught high school for a

decade. He retired as a civil service

technical writer from Sheppard

Air Force Base. His wife was the

late Garlena Belle Henderson Powell (’39).

1940s

Charles O. Onstead (’47), Houston :: He met his wife,

the late Jo Ann Park Onstead (’44), namesake of Jody’s Foun-

tain, at North Texas and finished

his degree after serving in the U.S.

Army Air Corps during World

War II. While completing a medi-

cal degree, he returned to active

duty and later served in Vietnam.

He was chief of radiology at

Brooke Army Hospital when

he retired as a full colonel at 48,

then practiced as a radiologist in

South Carolina. His decorations

included the Bronze Star. Jody’s

Fountain and Onstead Plaza and

Promenade were funded by the

Onstead family. The late Rob-ert ‘Bob’ Onstead (’54) was

Charles’ brother. Memorials may

be made to the Onstead Institute

for Education in the Visual Arts

and Design Fund at UNT.

Mary Elizabeth Durett Stephens (’49), Lawrence, Kan. :: She was a keyboard artist,

teacher and church musician who

studied with Helen Hewitt and


EAGLES’ NestSilvio Scionti and earned a mas-

ter’s in music from the University

of Kansas. She taught there and at

Victoria College. She was planning

to retire after 40 years as organist

at Lawrence’s Trinity Episco-

pal Church. She was a charter

member of the Phi Tau chapter of

Mu Phi Epsilon at North Texas

and was married for 62 years to

pipe organ technician and organist

William J. Stephens (’49), whom she met in a practice room

on campus.

James C. Stewart Jr. (’49), McKinney :: He earned his

degree in business and was a mem-

ber of the Trojan fraternity. He

started his banking career working

for his father’s Central National

Bank and became the executive

vice president of business develop-

ment for Independent Bank of

McKinney. He was involved in

church and community organiza-

tions and was a former president

of the Chamber of Commerce.

1950s

Bettye Dutton Webb (’50), New Braunfels :: She received

a journalism degree from North

Texas, where she met Cloys Webb (’51, ’ 58 M.M.Ed.), a

respected choral director whom

she married in 1949. She worked

as a paralegal and secretary in

Perryton, McAllen and Fort

Worth in addition to working as

a homemaker. The Webbs retired

to Wimberley in 1993, and Bettye

moved to New Braunfels in 2008

after Cloys’ death.

Arlette Crawford Hill (’52), Albuquerque, N.M. :: She was

a mechanical and architectural

draftsperson and a medical and

technical illustrator. After earning

her Ph.D. from the University of

New Mexico, she taught technical

writing at Texas A&M Univer-

sity. At North Texas, she was a

member of Phi Sigma Alpha, the

Gammadions, the Mary Ardens

and the Green Jackets.

George Wilson (’53), Ches-terfield, Mo. :: After graduating,

he served in the U.S. Navy and

then worked for the L.G. Balfour

Co. for 30 years. He was a mem-

ber of Sigma Nu at North Texas.

Survivors include his wife, Gloria Spangler Wilson (’53).

Jack Lewis Akins (’54), Durham, N.C. :: After serving

in the U.S. Air Force, he earned

his bachelor’s degree from North

Texas and his medical degree from

the University of Texas Medical

Branch in Galveston. He was in

private practice and retired from

the Veterans Administration

Regional Office in Waco in 1993.

He and his wife moved to Dur-

ham in 2009.

Jerry H. Damon (’55), Til-lar, Ark. :: He was a member

of Sigma Phi Epsilon at North

Texas. He earned his medical

degree from UTMB in Galveston

in 1960 and moved to Lewisville

in 1964, going into practice as a

general surgeon and family prac-

titioner. He was a member of the

Lewisville ISD school board for

12 years, serving as president for

three years.

William McKee (’58 Ph.D.), Tulsa, Okla. :: He was a Profes-

sor Emeritus of French horn and

music history at the University of

Tulsa. He conducted the orchestra

and performed as a member of

the faculty brass quintet there for

more than 50 years and served

as principal French horn for the

Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra.

He was director of the TU School

of Music for eight years while

teaching graduate courses.

1960s

Mack Christian (’65), DeSoto :: He was a State Farm

Insurance agent for more than

40 years and was instrumental in

the development of State Farm’s

matching scholarships for UNT.

He was a member of The Kendall

Society and a lifetime member of

the President’s Council. He also

from Southern Methodist

University and a doctorate from

Cornell. Memorials may be made to

the Ralph B. Culp Endowment and

Scholarship in Directing at UNT.

Clyde E. Miller, Denton,

Professor

Emeritus of

music, died March 30. He was a

College of Music faculty member

from 1955 to 1983, becoming the

university’s first full-time horn

instructor in 1964. He served as

principal horn in the Dallas

Symphony Orchestra from 1948 to

1964, and played with the

Indianapolis Symphony, Vermont

Symphony, Metropolitan Opera and

New York Philharmonic Orchestra

among others, and for performanc-

es on Broadway, Dallas Summer

Musicals and Fort Worth’s Casa

Mañana. He also taught at Butler

Conservatory. Miller earned a

bachelor’s degree from Northwest-

ern University and a master’s from

Columbia University. He served in

the U.S. Army during World War II

and, as a member of the U.S. Army

Band, played for ceremonies for

Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt

and Harry S. Truman. Memorials

may be made to the Endowed Clyde

Miller Horn Scholarship at UNT.

Peyton Foster ‘Doc’ Roden (’67 M.A., ’70

Ph.D.), Denton,

professor of finance since 1975,

died March 14. He was a teaching

fellow in economics and in finance

at North Texas before joining the

faculty full time. His recent research

and publications examined

financial markets in Mexico,

including the impact of the North

American Free Trade Agreement.

Roden received a UNT Citation for

Distinguished Service to Interna-

tional Business in 2002 and was

named director of the UNT Center

for NAFTA Studies in 2003. He also

was a certified managerial

accountant and a certified financial

manager. Roden previously taught


was involved in his church and in

charitable organizations such as

the Methodist Children’s Home

and Habitat for Humanity.

John Michael Vance (’67), Dallas :: He had a 33-year career

at Binks Manufacturing, working

in sales and marketing, and retired

from Sysco Food Services in 2010.

He was inducted into the Jesuit

Sports Hall of Fame last year for

his baseball talent. He coached

baseball from T-Ball through

AAA for the North Dallas Cham-

ber of Commerce.

1970s

Norma Joyce Webb Hart-mann (’73), Houston :: She

began studying foods and nutri-

tion at North Texas in the 1940s

and re-enrolled during the sum-

mer sessions years later to earn

a bachelor’s degree in secondary

education at 43. She taught junior

high English and math for the

Columbia-Brazoria ISD for two

years and then taught high school

math for the Angleton ISD for 18

years, retiring in 1993.

Gary Via (’78), Blue Springs, Mo. :: He was a percussion

instructor, a high school drumline

and percussion director and an

in-house composer and drummer

for several recording studios. He

had been a member of The Dal-

las Cowboys Band, worked as a

session player in Los Angeles and

performed for five years with the

EZ Street Band in the northeast.

1980s

Rebecca E. Mabra (’83), Double Oak :: She was a mem-

ber of the Delta Zeta sorority and

a lifelong fan of UNT athletics,

attending all four of the Mean

Green’s New Orleans Bowl games

as well as NCAA appearances.

She taught in the Carrollton-

Farmers Branch ISD for 28 years,

including teaching third grade

and instructional technology.

Survivors include her husband,

Russell Mabra (’91). He says

her final wishes included a record-

ing of North Texas, Fight at her

memorial.

1990s

Michael Lon Ferguson (’97 M.F.A.), Mount Pleasant, Mich. :: He earned his master’s

in photography at UNT and had

been an assistant art professor at

Central Michigan University since

2001. CMU presented an exhibit

of his artwork to acknowledge

his legacy, with 2,000 colleagues

and past and present students

attending.

2000s

Courtney Dianne Deuson (’03), Euless :: She worked her

way through school, earning her

degree in literature with a minor

in sociology and graduating with

honors. She taught in St. Louis,

before returning to Texas and

worked at Farina’s Restaurant/

Winery in Grapevine. Her family

says her giving spirit lives on in

those who benefited from organ

donations.

Shaun Chapa (’08, ’12 M.S.), Denton :: He served in the

Marine Corps from 1997 to 2001.

He received his bachelor’s degree

in anthropology, and his master’s

degree in applied anthropology

was awarded posthumously this

spring. He was the Sector 2 vice

president of the Lambda Theta

Phi Latin fraternity, working with

ethnic minority youth groups

across the U.S. and Canada. He

also performed as DJ Chapa for

fundraisers around the state.

2010s

Angela Starrett (’12), Gar-land :: She worked as a senior

service specialist at the Senior

Citizens Center for the city of

Garland and was known for

working behind the scenes to help

others. Her bachelor’s degree in

emergency administration and

planning was awarded posthu-

mously this spring.

at Baylor University and the

University of New Orleans. He

received a bachelor’s degree from

Baylor, which he attended on a

tennis scholarship, and master’s

and doctoral degrees from UNT.

Donations may be made to the

Peyton Foster “Doc” Roden

Memorial Scholarship Fund at UNT.

Zachary C. Tucker (’92

M.Ed.), Denton,

who served as

student activities coordinator from

1984 to 1996, died May 1. Known as

a devoted mentor, university

supporter and Mean Green fan,

Tucker received the UNT Alumni

Association’s 2004 Ulys Knight

Spirit Award, given to alumni for

their efforts to sustain spirit among

the UNT family. He earned a

bachelor’s degree from Texas

Wesleyan University and a master’s

in adult and continuing education

from UNT. He had served on the

University Union board of directors,

the Honors Day committee, and

parking and housing appeals

boards. He also was named an

outstanding alumnus of Lambda Chi

Alpha fraternity multiple times and

served as an officer of the

fraternity’s alumni association. He

continued mentoring students and

employees as the manager of the

Wells Fargo branch in the University

Union before moving to PointBank,

where he was a vice president and

branch manager.

Memorials Send memorials to honor UNT

alumni and friends, made payable

to the UNT Foundation, to the

University of North Texas, Divi-

sion 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, email giving@

unt.edu or call 940-565-2900.


T H E L A ST Word

A LIFETIME HOME

ON MAY 12, I WALKED across the stage in the UNT Coliseum to receive a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in chemistry and political science. Almost all of my family are UNT graduates — including my parents, step-parents and grandparents — and UNT has been home to me all of my life.

As a kid, I came to campus with my dad (Scott Windham) almost every weekend. He was a police officer when I was born and has worked on campus for 25 years. I stood along the Homecom-ing parade route catching candy while he directed traffic, and I threw beanbags and played horseshoes at tailgating events. I’ve been to every football game with my family since I was 12.

When I came to UNT as a freshman in 2008, I took the advice of my parents and high school teachers and immedi-ately got involved. I joined the Fresh-man Intern Program in the Student Government Association, interacting with other freshmen, meeting adminis-trators and working on causes that were important to me, including campaigning for a new stadium.

That led to my first on-campus jobs, in the orientation and Honors College offices. At the Honors College, I was introduced to my college mentor, Dr. Gloria Cox, who taught me to stay on top of my school work and do every-thing with the utmost integrity.

Eventually, I launched a campaign to become student body president so I

could work for students and advocate for their causes. That was the most rewarding part, discussing and resolving issues with students — like work on a campus smoking ban, the construction of a new Union and the affordability of college.

I also was chair of the Distinguished Lecture Series and had the honor to meet and interact one-on-one with financial expert Suze Orman, civil rights activist Cornel West, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former President George W. Bush.

I entered UNT with ambitions of becoming a medical doctor, but working in student government and in the U.S. Senate as an intern for John Cornyn took me in a new direction — to follow my other passion, government. Sen. Cornyn knew I was a student body president and every morning he would say, “Good morning, Mr. President.” Part of my job was to give tours of the U.S. Capitol, where I learned the stories behind all of the paintings and statues of people who are important in history.

One of my last nights in Washing-ton, I was watching the legislative session on C-SPAN and decided to go

to the Capitol with my ID card to sit in the chamber and watch the debate in person. I was the only one there. It lasted until 3 a.m., and I was fascinated by it. Afterward, I stood in the middle of the rotunda and looked up, soaking it all in. It was a turning point for me.

I’m now going to pursue my Ph.D. in political science at Texas A&M with a doctoral assistantship worth $150,000. Maybe I’ll teach, or maybe I’ll go back to Washington to help create healthcare policies. I may run for office one day.

But I’ll remember how my family guided me throughout my journey. And I’ll remember being in the Honors College and living in Honors Hall, working in the SGA offices, hanging out in Clark Park with my friends and tailgating at Fouts Field and Apogee Stadium.

UNT will always be my home.

Blake Windham’s degree symbolizes four generations of UNT alumni, dating back to the 1930s. Read more about his legacy family at northtexan.unt.edu/legacy-families.

by Blake Windham (’12)

Jonathan Reynolds

— Zach Orr, Mean Green linebacker and kinesiOlOGy MajOr

With a father who played nine years for the Washington Redskins, Zach Orr has football in his DNA. As one of UNT’s outstanding student-athletes, Orr excels at making good plays and good grades. He made the Dean’s List, the Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. Last year, he was a top defender in the Sun Belt Conference and voted a team captain as a sophomore. Orr believes greatness is defined by the respect you earn from others. Support Orr and the Mean Green by buying season tickets.

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

This spring, UNT students brought “Heard” to life. The performance piece was created by Nick Cave, alumnus and 2011-12 artist-in-residence for UNT’s Institute for the Advance-ment of the Arts. Watch a video featuring 60 dance students in 30 Soundsuits — wearable sculptures made with the help of UNT art students and community members — corralled by percussion students at northtexan.unt.edu/online.

The North Texan U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O R T H T E X A S Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing1155 Union Circle #311070 Denton, Texas 76203-5017

P A R T I N G S H O T

Mic

hael

Cle

men

ts

the north texan - unt alumni magazine - summer 2012

Documents

t i o n f o r

t h e n o r t h t e

n d f r i e n d sv o

o u r president unt

west nile virus

environmental preservation

best medicine

belt champsa u n