UH Alumni Quarterly- Fall 2009

Pathway to Tier OneUHAA Makes the CaseFor Proposition 4

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Fall 2009

Big Macknew UH AtHletiCs direCtor gets PersonAl

Life After IkerebUilding An islAnd,

restoring A CoMMUnity

1 Contents

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CONTENTSFall 2009 / Vol. 2 / Issue No. 3

6Proposition 4Giving Texas the Tier One institutions it deserves

All Rhoades Lead to VictoryUH's new athletics director gets personal

good living is good business

galveston: 3 tales of the reconstruction

Cougar-powered business offers corporate Houston a healthier future

One year after Ike, Cougars are rebuilding their island community

UHAQ Departments 3 alumline A note from our Interim President + CEO Connie Fox.

4 campus news All the university news that's fit to print.

5 by the numbers A numerical breakdown of UH fun-facts.

18 association update See what's new with your Alumni Association.

22 leaving their print UH grads make their mark on the literary world.

23 cougarcorner Profiling Life Member Billie Schneider.

24 class notes Catching up with your graduating class.

28 cougar business connection You've got the hook up.

31 calendar Upcoming arts, sports, and social events in the UH universe.

32 paws & remember It was like way, totally more radical in 1985.

On the cover: Assorted campaign buttons used by the University

of Houston Alumni Association to promote the passage of Proposition 4, UH's pathway to Tier

One status. Photograph by Andy Rich.

Jim Parsons is the Biggest Dork on TVA proud UH alum makes a Big Bang on hit CBS comedy

EXTRA! More Than Just Crosswords & ComicsThe Daily Cougar celebrates 75 years of meaningful student journalism

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18

w w w . m y c o u g a r c o n n e c t i o n . c o m 1Fall 2009 |

Please join us in welcoming

Marilyn Wade Newly appointed Assistant Director, University CareerServices and Coordinator of Alumni Career Services! Alumni Career Services offers professional career counseling and job search assistance to UH alumni. There are three Service Plans to accom-modate every budget! Services and online resources include: • Career Exploration/Decision Making• Career Transitions Counseling• Resume Critiques & Interview Preparation• Job Search Strategies• University Career Advisory Network---database

of professional advisors (FREE to all alumni)• CareerBeam---comprehensive career management

tool (FREE to all alumni)

To learn more about Alumni Career Services or to schedule an appointment, visit www.career.uh.edu/alumni

or contactMarilyn Wade [email protected] 713.743.5100

Campus Recreation Programs:- Aerobics- Swim Classes- Climbing- Personal Training- Summer Camp- Youth Martial Arts and much more...

Campus Recreation & Wellness Center:- 24,000 Sq. Ft. Fitness area- Indoor Track- Aquatic Facilities (Indoor & Outdoor)- Racquetball & Squash Courts- Dry Sauna & Hot Tub- Combat / Martial Arts Room- Drop-in Childcare- Locker Rooms and Towel Service

Experience it!

Get into the swing of things and join!www.uh.edu/recreation713.743.PLAY

campus recreation

I was recently browsing in a local bookstore when I noticed a group of kids rummaging through a table of classic books they needed to purchase for school—Moby Dick, The Scar-let Letter, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to name a few. One book in particular caught my attention. It was the perfect title to describe the upcoming school year for the University of Houston Alumni Association: Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

Already, UHAA’s calendar is full of fantastic events, including stops along President Kha-tor’s Whistle-Stop Tour, lots of Cougar football tailgating, away-game parties in El Paso and New Orleans, and an entire week of Home-coming events, culminating with our 27th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, October 26th. Oh, and hopefully a bowl game! The excitement continues into 2010 as we cele-brate and recognize ten incredible alumni at our 56th Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, April 23, 2010 (flip to the Association Update section to see who!). These events and many more are a fun way to stay con-nected with old friends, make new friends, and to support the University of Houston.

Speaking of connecting with friends, we want you to join us on our new UH alumni Facebook fan page! We have surpassed 7,000 fans and are growing quickly. Prefer to tweet? We’re there too. And for those of you LinkedIn networkers, link up with us there, as well. (see figure above)

In a year when most alumni associations around the country have shown a significant decrease in number of members, the Univer-sity of Houston Alumni Association is up 20%. Thank you for supporting our efforts with your tax-deductible gifts and helping show our

strength in numbers!One of the school year’s most important dates

is November 3, when registered voters in the State of Texas will have the opportunity to vote for Proposition 4. Essentially, it’s an amendment to the constitution that provides additional funding for higher education—a big step in helping the University of Houston achieve Tier One status. The association encourages all Cougars to vote for this important legisla-tion and to tell your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Finally, UHAA is very fortunate this year to be lead by our wonderful Board Chair, Judie Lilie (’95). Judie, along with our very diverse and dynamic Board of Directors, is anxious to for-mulate a strategic plan that will strengthen our association and grow alumni participation.

In chapter 40 of the novel, Dickens writes, “Take everything on evidence. There’s no bet-ter rule.” This advice is a bit too empirical to

follow all the time, but it’s a good way to look at your alumni asso-ciation. Add to our numbers, help us achieve

results, and make a visible effort to be a better Cougar. Together, we can make our great ex-pectations into a great reality!

With Cougar Spirit,

Connie FoxUHAA Interim President + CEOLife Member

Judie Lilie (’95), ChairMike Baker (’68, JD ’71), Immediate Past Chair Reece Rondon (’92, JD ’95), Chair Elect Rick Bowen (’88, MBA ’91), TreasurerRon Page (’80), SecretaryCharles Dorn (’80)Stephanie Foy (MSW ’94)Cathy Frank (’80)Jason Fuller (’94)

Carl Glaw (’77)Joe Heard (’80)James Holmes (’86)Janet HooverPresident Renu Khator, Ex-OfficioDurg Kumar (’82, MBA ’83)Shannon McClendon (JD ’92)Gerald McElvy (’75)Laura Murillo (’89, MEd ’98, EdD ’03)Ricky Raven (’83, JD ’86)Thaddeus “Bo” Smith (’67)Martha Wong (MEd ’76, EdD ’83)

Connie Fox ExECUTIvE PUBLISHEr

David Raffetto ('05)EdITOr

Matt Dulin ('07)CONTrIBUTING WrITEr

Joy Wagman Krohn MANAGING EdITOr

Andy RichArT dIrECTOr

Elliot Hopkins CONTrIBUTING WrITEr

Please recycle this magazine.

UH Alumni Quarterly is published for alumni, friends, donors, and members of the university of houston alumni association. views expressed within do not necessarily represent those of the university of houston. all editorial comments and class note submissions should be sent to [email protected] or attn: david raffetto, p.o. box 230345, houston, tX 77223-0345. For information on advertising, contact ty houston at [email protected] or 713.743.9555.

UH Alumni Quarterly, Volume 2, Issue 3 (USPS 018-676) (SSN 1089-9154) is published four times a year (April, July, October, December) by the University of Houston Alumni Association, located at 3100 Cullen Blvd., Suite 201, Houston, Texas 77204-6000. Annual memberships start at $50, $4.50 of which is allocated for a subscription to this publication. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas.

Postmaster: Send address changes to the University of Houston Alumni Association, P.O. Box 230345, Houston, Texas, 77223-0345.

CorrectionsIn last issue’s article on Make-A-Wish CEO david Williams, UHAQ goofed twice. The wish endowment program is called Wishes Forever, not Endow-A-Wish. Also, Williams never actually met Hope Stout, though he did find her story inspirational. We apologize for any con-fusion this may have caused.

Great Expectations

by Connie Fox UHAA Interim President + CEO

UHAQ t alumliNE

UHAA's OnLinE HOT SPOTS:

www.facebook.com/houstonalumniwww.twitter.com/houstonalumniwww.linkedin.com/groups?gid=27234

United StateS PoStal Service Statement of ownerShiP, management, and circUlation

1. Publication Title: UH Alumni Quarterly2. Publication Number: 018-6763. Filing Date: September 28, 20094. Frequency: April, July, October, December5. No. Issues Published Annually: 46. Subscription Price: $4.50 of $45 dues7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: P.O. Box 230345 Houston,TX 77223-0345, Harris County8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: Same as above9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor Publisher Publisher Connie Fox, P.O. Box 230345 Houston, TX 77223-0345 Editor David Raffetto, P.O. Box 230345 Houston, TX 77223-0345 Managing Editor Joy Krohn, P.O. Box 230345 Houston, TX 77223-034510. Owner: University of Houston Alumni Association P.O. Box 230345 Houston, TX 77223-034511. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities; None.12. Tax Status. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months13. Publication Name: UH Alumni Quarterly14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: October issue

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

a. Total No. Copies (New Press Run) 20,000 20,000b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (1) Mailed Outside County Mail Subscriptions 8,603 15,747(2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions 7,617 0(3) Sales through Dealers & Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales & Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution 0 0(4) Other Classes Mailed through USPS 0 0c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 16,220 15,747d. Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, Complimentary, and other free)(1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 0 0(2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541 0 0(3) Copies Mailed at Other classes through the USPS 0 0(4) Distribution outside the Mail 2,500 3,500e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution 2,500 3,500f. Total Distribution 18,720 19,247g. Copies not Distributed 1,280 753h. Total 20,000 20,000i. Percent Paid 86.64% 81.81%16. Publication Statement of Ownership Publication required. Will appear in the October issue of this publication.17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner David Raffetto, Editor

Avg. No. Copies EachIssue DuringPreceding 12

Months

No. Copies of Single IssuePublishedNearest toFilling Date

UHAA BOARD OF DiRECTORS


This August, Texas Gover-nor Rick Perry appointed three new members to the

University of Houston System Board of Regents: Nandita Venkateswarran Berry (’91, JD ’95), Tilman J. Fertitta (for-mer student), and Jarvis V. Hollingsworth (JD ’93). The appointments are effective Au-gust 31, 2009 through August 31, 2015 and subject to confir-mation by the Texas Senate.“With their diverse back-

grounds, considerable talents, and strong leadership abili-ties, I am confident that each of these appointees will make outstanding contributions to our board and to the Univer-sity of Houston System,” said UH System Chancellor and UH President Renu Khator. The 10-member Board of Re-

gents is the governing body of the UH System, which in-cludes UH, UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown, UH-Victoria, the UH-Sugar Land and UH-Cinco Ranch teaching centers, as well as KUHT television and KUHF radio stations.“The governor has selected

three outstanding individuals, and I am confident they have the vision to take the UH Sys-tem to the next level of excel-lence,” said Welcome W. Wil-son, Sr. (’49), Chair of the Board of Regents. “They are respected statewide and have the intellect and enthusiasm that the UH System needs and

deserves. I am delighted to welcome them to the board.”Wilson also praised the lead-

ership and contributions of departing board members Calvin Stephens (’72), Dennis Golden (’76, OD ’77) and Lyn-den Rose (’83, JD ’89), whose terms are expiring. “I'd like to express my personal thanks and gratitude to each of them for their exceptional service,” he said.Berry is senior counsel at

Locke, Lord, Bissell, and Lid-dell LLP. She is a member of the American, State, and Houston Bar associations and the Houston Zoo Inc. board of directors. Berry holds two bachelor's degrees—one from Mt. Carmel College in Banga-lore, India and one from the University of Houston—and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.Fertitta is chairman and CEO

of Landry's Restaurants Inc. He is a board member of the Greater Houston Partnership, Central Houston Inc., and Bet-ter Business Bureau of Metro-politan Houston Inc., in addi-tion to serving as a member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Executive Committee, chairman of the Houston Children's Charity and Houston Police Founda-tion, and member of the Texas Heart Institute and Museum of Fine Arts - Houston Boards of Trustees. Fertitta is a former

UH student and Life Member of the alumni association.Hollingsworth is a partner at

Bracewell & Giuliani LLP. He is a member of the American and Houston Bar associa-tions, member and former di-rector of the State Bar of Tex-as, and treasurer of the Houston Bar Foundation. He is also past chairman of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas Pension Fund Board of Trustees, past board member of the Texas Growth Fund, and past member of the Lehman Brothers Private Equity Advi-sory Board. Hollingsworth served in the U.S. Army and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He received a bachelor's degree from the United States Military Acade-my at West Point, where he was co-captain of the Army football team, and a law de-gree from the University of Houston Law Center. He is a Life Member of the alumni as-sociation and has served on UHAA’s Board of Directors.

UHAQ t CampuS NEwS

Hilton College Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Khator Forms Energy Advisory Board Continuing her commitment to make the Uni-versity of Houston one of the world’s top energy research universities, President Renu Khator has named eleven global industry leaders to the newly formed UH Energy Advisory Board.The members include Tim Cejka, president

of ExxonMobil Exploration Company; Carol E. Dinkins (JD ’71), partner in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins LLP; John W. Gibson, Jr. (MS ’90), president and CEO of Paradigm; John Hofmeis-ter, founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy; Ryan Lance, senior vice president of international exploration and production for ConocoPhillips; David M. McClanahan (MBA ’76), president and CEO of CenterPoint Energy Inc.; Lamar McKay, chairman and president of BP America Inc.; Marvin E. Odum (MBA ’95), presi-dent of Shell Oil Company and director of Royal Dutch Shell; H. David Ramm, partner of DKRW Energy LLC; Corbin J. Robertson Jr., chairman and CEO of Natural Resource Partners; and Bruce Williamson (MBA ’95), chairman, president, and CEO of Dynegy Inc.“Our board is made up of acknowledged

leaders in the fields of energy development, management, and implementation,” Khator said. “I am delighted that they support UH's efforts to address the diverse research and work-force needs of the energy industry. UH is poised to become 'The Energy University,' and the guid-ance of our board members in achieving that goal is invaluable.”Formation of the advisory board is part of the

UH Energy Initiative, which aims to capitalize on the region's and the university's strategic interests and strengths. Involvement in energy-related initiatives spans virtually every UH college and includes faculty in nearly one dozen disciplines. The advisory board, which will meet quarterly, will be tasked with strategic planning and external coordination.

Houston Mayor Bill White proclaimed September 3rd as Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Day, officially kicking off a year-long celebration to commemorate the College’s 40th anniversary. Pictured from left are Clare Sullivan Jackson (’85), chair of the College’s 40th Anniversary Committee, Dean John Bowen, Mayor Bill White, and President Renu Khator. Photo by Michael Scott.

Three new Regents Join UH System Board

Jarvis V. Hollingsworth Nandita V. Berry Tillman J. Fertitta

4 | Fall 2009 w w w. m y c o u g a r c o n n e c t i o n . c o m

The course number for a new Wii Performance class offered through the Department of Health and Human Performance. Students will use the gaming system to improve cardiovascular health, center of balance, and general coordination.

61

538

1.3bn

As in first place. That’s the prize UH’s chamber choir took home from the Llangollen In-ternational Musical Festival in Wales, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious choral competitions.

The number of yards gained by the UH football team in their home opener against North-western State.

The Board of Regents recently approved a $1.3 billion budget for the University of Houston System’s 2010 fiscal year.

The number of UH alumni who live in Guam. If you’re reading this on the island and speak Chamorro, one of Guam’s of-ficial languages, “Håfa Adai!”

The acreage of UH’s new Ener-gy Research Park, formerly the site known as the University Business Park and once belong-ing to Schlumberger. The park will house research centers such as the Structures Lab of the Diesel Vehicle Research and Testing Facility, the Lone Star Wind Alliance, and the Texas Bio Products Industry Council.

by thenumb3rs

Jonathan Dismuke Chosen to Coach UH Golf Program

UH-Led Collaboration Secures $3.2 Million Grant from EPA

After helping lead a team to the 2009 NCAA Golf National Championship, former Texas A&M assistant golf coach Jonathan Dismuke has been named head golf coach at the Uni-versity of Houston, director of athletics Mack Rhoades recently announced.Dismuke becomes the sixth golf coach in

UH history, joining a golf program that histor-ically has ranked among the best in NCAA history, winning 16 NCAA team national championships and eight NCAA individual national crowns. The program also has pro-duced 44 All-American honorees, while for-mer Cougars on the PGA Tour have won more than $73 million during their careers.

“Much of what at-tracted me to the University of Hous-ton is the past suc-cess of the golf pro-gram,” Dismuke said. “It is one of the most decorated programs in colle-giate golf history,

and I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this special program.”A native of Calhoun, MS, Dismuke was a

four-year letterman at Auburn, where he served as the Tigers' team captain during 2002-2004. His individual career was high-lighted by numerous top-five showings, in-cluding a third-place finish at the 2004 NCAA Regional. He played two years of profession-al golf on the NGA Hooters Tour and received the NGA Golf Achievement Award in 2005. He also attended the PGA Tour Qualifying School in 2004 and 2005."Jonathan is regarded as a rising star in the

business, a quality individual and will serve as a great role model for our student-athletes as he helps to prepare them to be champi-ons for life," Rhoades said. "He truly cares about the total well being of his student-ath-letes and demands excellence from them in all areas of their lives.”

Thanks to a three-year, $3.2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), University of Houston researchers, in collaboration with the Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine and Indiana University, are creating a more reliable chemical risk as-sessment that will reveal how certain chemi-cals affect human health.Initiated by UH’s Center for Nuclear Recep-

tors and Cell Signaling (CNRCS), a new center called the Texas-Indiana Virtual STAR (TIVS) will feature researchers Dr. Jan-Åke Gustafs-son, Robert A. Welch Professor in UH’s biol-ogy and biochemistry department, Dr. Maria Bondesson, assistant professor of biology and biochemistry, and Dr. Donald A. Fox, an expert in imaging and developmental neuro-toxicology with the UH College of Optometry.“There are so many industrial chemicals in

the environment – more than 80,000 – but only a few are tested for their danger levels and, moreover, the synergies between them aren’t being analyzed,” Bondesson said.A main goal of the multidisciplinary research

is to find ways to make the testing process more efficient. The UH team will use zebraf-ish to complement A&M’s more traditional use of mouse embryonic stem cells. Zebraf-ish breed in larger numbers—up to 200 em-bryos in one cycle—and have a faster embry-onic development than mice. Believe it or not, mammals and fish share about 75 per-cent of their genes. Zebrafish can be exposed to several toxins at once, more realistically representing real-world exposure. Once the fish and rodent embryonic stem

cells are exposed to toxins like arsenic, lead, mercury, benzene, and carbon monoxide, researchers will analyze chemical imprint on the development of the nervous and circula-tory systems. From that data, Indiana Univer-sity will build computer models that can sim-ulate the effects of chemical exposure. In other words, virtual toxins can be created to eliminate the use of actual toxins and the need for mammalian and fish testing, replac-ing them with computers.


1 2Texas has only three Tier One universities, and one of those, Rice University (no booing, come on now), only has an undergraduate population of around 3,000 students. Per capita, that’s far too few Tier One universi-ties for a state our size. Comparatively, Cali-fornia has nine Tier One universities, and New York has seven. But this isn’t about state pride. It’s not about Texas thumping its big-ger and better chest. It’s about money and preserving our workforce.

Tier One institutions have tremendous eco-nomic impact, with research expenditures resulting in a 226 percent return on invest-ment. Texas loses $3.7 billion a year in ven-ture capital and research grants—and thou-sands of our academically gifted high school students who leave for out-of-state colleg-es—because we do not have a comparable number of Tier One universities. Economists estimate that every $10 million in annual re-search spending creates 334 jobs, adds $8.6 million in wages to the regional economy, adds $500,000 in tax revenue, and generates $13.5 million in local sales. Texas ships off 10,000 high school students annually to at-tend college in other states, only recruiting 4,000 to come study in Texas from out of state. That’s a brain-drain of 6,000 students a year. The numbers scream that we need more Tier One institutions to meet the state’s high-er education needs. Proposition 4 will help fund them.

Prop. 4 does not call for any new taxes or bonds. “How is all this being funded, then?” the skeptic might ask. Here’s the exact lan-guage of the proposition: “The constitutional amendment establishing the national re-search university fund to enable emerging research universities in this state to achieve national prominence as major research uni-versities and transferring the balance of the Higher Education Fund (HEF) to the Nation-al Research University Fund (NRUF).”

The HEF currently has a balance close to $500 million. And it’s just sitting there. Dor-mant. Transfer that balance into this new NRUF, give it several years to grow—the like-ly time when universities will be eligible for the funds—and use the interest to grow and grow the fund to a point where it is self-suffi-cient. If additional higher education funding becomes available in the future, all the better.

The University of Houston Alumni Association fully supports the pas-sage of Proposition 4. We still want you to read the rest of this article, but for our skimmers and impatient page turners, we wanted to get straight to the point. So vote for Prop. 4 on November 3rd.

Now, here’s why.

Before we get into bill numbers, fund allocation benchmarks, any of that stuff, let’s be very clear.

reasonsto

vote for

Prop. 4. So we'll say it again:No new taxes.No new bonds.Period.

Giving Texas the Tier One Institutions

it Deserves

FOUR:

ReasonReason


3 4There aren’t many political issues that aren’t, well, political. But Prop. 4 may be as close as it gets. The enabling legislation behind Prop-osition 4, House Bill 51, sponsored by Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) and Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) and supported by Sen. Ju-

dith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), Rep. Garnet Cole-man (D-Houston), and the entire Harris Coun-ty Legislative Delegation, received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Texas Legislature. Allow us to isolate those two adjectives. Unanimous. Bipartisan. So if you, loyal read-er, are a Republican, then your representa-tives and senators supported the legislation for Prop. 4. If you, devoted reader, are a Dem-ocrat, then your representatives and senators supported the legislation for Prop. 4.

The effort has been applauded by The Hous-ton Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, other ma-jor newspapers, and civic leaders like former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and the Greater Houston Partnership. Even the administrations at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and Rice University support the amendment. Seriously.

This isn’t money that will be doled out for pet projects as legislatures kick back to their alma maters. To qualify for NRUF funding, seven schools—UH, Texas Tech, UT-Arlington, UT-Dallas, UT-San Antonio, UT-El Paso, and North Texas—will each have to meet bench-

marks determined by the Legislature and Higher Education Coordinating Board. Ex-amples of the criteria are: total $45 million in existing research for two consecutive years, have at least $400 million in endowments, award at least 200 doctoral degrees annually, host a Phi Beta Kappa chapter or be a mem-ber of the Association of Research Libraries, employ a certain number of faculty who are National Academy members, meet standards for SAT scores of entering freshmen, and meet standards for graduation rates.

Reason When and where can I go to

Reason

I’m sold.

Tier One institutions have tremendous economic impact. Texas loses $3.7 billion a year in venture capital and research grants—and thousands of our academically gifted high school students—because we do not have a comparable number of Tier One universities.

OK, so you're all registered to vote and are ready to show your support for Proposition 4. Early voting starts October 19, 2009, with the official Election Day on November 3, 2009.

Your voter registration card should list a precinct number. In some cases, precincts may be combined to accommodate joint local elections, so always consult your County Clerk or Elections Administrator in the days before an election for the address of the poll-ing place where you should vote.

For more information on Proposition 4, in-cluding voting maps and much more, visit myCougarConnection.com/prop4. You’ll hear more from the alumni association regarding the constitutional amendment over the com-ing weeks, but until then, talk it up. Family, friends, co-workers—let them know how you plan to vote.

Remember, November 3rd. Show up, vote for Prop. 4, and maybe even wear red as you do it. We’ll see you at the polls, Cougars.


Eventually, a purposeful Coach Sumlin dashed by and offered a quick wave, followed moments later by a gregarious and apologetic AD Rhoades. With another appointment on the heels of this interview, the two sat down and got straight to business. The hour’s discussion attempted to distill Mack Rhoades the husband, the father, and the everyday guy from Mack Rhoades the athletics director. Meet him for yourself:

UH Alumni Quarterly – Let’s start with basic census stuff. When and where were you born and to whom?Mack Rhoades – October 1969. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. I’m actually Mack B. Rhoades IV. My dad, the third, was a safety engi-neer, and my mom came to the states from Chile when she was a junior in high school. She followed her two brothers who came to the US to be engineers themselves.UHAQ – What does the “B” stand for?MR – [A long pause…] Bernard. And I don’t tell too many people that, so this part might need to be stricken from the record later.UHAQ – Fair enough. Tell me about Mack Rhoades the grade school kid. Did he collect comic books, did he play little league baseball, did he pull pigtails?MR – I played every sport that I possibly could. Baseball, football, bas-ketball, soccer; that led into high school where I played some football, but really focused on baseball and basketball.UHAQ – What positions?MR – Quarterback, shortstop, and shooting guard—my teammates will

tell you I didn’t pass the ball very much.UHAQ – If I crashed your high school reunion and asked your old bud-dies to fill in the blank: Mack Rhoades was voted most likely to _________. What would they say?MR – Wow, that’s a great question. I don’t know. I was senior class president, so I was vocal, I was a leader. We were a great group of friends, and I don’t think any of them would be surprised that I would go on to be athletics director for a major university. Most likely to lead—I’ll go with that.UHAQ – Growing up in Arizona as a sports fan, which professional teams did you pull for?MR – The Minnesota Vikings. That makes a lot of sense, huh? I’m not sure how and why, but I loved the Vikings. There was a time when I loved the Oilers too and watching Earl Campbell run. In basketball, the Philadelphia 76ers. Huge Dr. J fan.UHAQ – Tell me about your undergraduate days.MR – University of Arizona. Great time, though I was more of a non-traditional student. Started off in pre-med and decided I really didn’t like that. Dropped out and moved to California to own a business for a year-and-a-half. Later came back to finish my degree.UHAQ – Did you and your wife meet in college?MR– [His face lights up] We did. This is actually a great story. We were both in the same program at Arizona—exercise sports sciences—and became very good friends. Amy kept telling me about her sister who was up in Flagstaff, and she was convinced we would be a match. She even

With photographer in tow, I stopped by the Athletics Director suite this August to find a still-settling, but very busy Mack Rhoades. On the packed schedule for the day was our interview, which fol-lowed a meeting between Rhoades and UH football coach Kevin Sumlin—a meeting that ran fifteen minutes over. But with the season just three weeks away, that’s the way things ought to be.

It's been a bit of a whirlwind for Mack Rhoades.

ALL RHOADESLEAD TO VICTORYNew UH Athletics Director Gets PersonalINTERVIEWED BY DAVID RAFFETTO ('05)


went so far as to set up a date between the two of us, but three days before her sister came down, I asked, “What are we doing? How come we’re not dating?” So she had to call up her sister and say, “Change of plans. Mack and I are going out.”UHAQ – Three daughters: Nicolette (15), Natalie (13), and Noelle (11). Why the “N” names?MR – No rhyme or reason. We started with the N and just decided to stick with it. All three were born in December, and my mom, who really didn’t know much about basketball at the time, jokingly termed it March Madness. But all three are wonderful girls. I couldn’t be prouder.UHAQ – Any pets in the Rhoades household?MR – Two. A German shepherd, and I demanded that it be a male to balance out the household, but two weeks later we adopted a female cat, so things became unbalanced once again.UHAQ – You and your family aren’t new to Texas, as you were obviously living here when you worked as senior associate athletics director at UTEP, but how has it been re-adjusting to life in the Lone Star State?MR – We love Texas. We love the people, and it just feels comfortable. Not to mention it’s closer to where we grew up. We’re glad to call it home once again.UHAQ – What’s worse, winter in Akron or summer in Houston?MR – Oh, winter in Akron. Not even close. I don’t mind sweating a little bit.UHAQ – Let’s say you drop your iPod in Robertson Stadium, and a fan picks it up and puts it on shuffle. What’s playing?MR – All kinds of music. You’d hear Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney. You’d

My family and I love Tex-as. We love the people,

and it just feels comfort-able. We’re glad to call it

home once again.

hear the Eagles. You would hear Blessed Union of Souls, Matchbox 20. A little bit of everything.UHAQ – If you could have any job other than an athletics director, or being in athletics in general, what would you want to try your hand at?MR – Either working on a ranch, because I love the outdoors. It’s a hard living, but a great living. Or some type of home builder. I love to build.UHAQ – In your line of work, there’s not a lot of days off, but assuming you had one, how would you spend it?MR – Love Costco. I’d probably head there after a long run and then head home to spend some time with Amy and the girls.UHAQ – Rock, paper, scissors—what do you throw down?MR – You figure that everyone’s always throwing down scissors, so I’m going with rock. I just think it’s solid.UHAQ – Hypothetically, a UH team wins a national championship, and Paramount Films buys the movie rights. Who plays AD Mack Rhoades?MR – A younger Harrison Ford. Love him. My favorite actor.UHAQ – Let’s see how official you are as a Cougar. Have you eaten at Frenchy’s yet?MR – Ha. Not yet, but its reputation precedes your question. All the Athletics folks have been talking it up. I will definitely make it in soon.UHAQ – Let’s close on a serious note. Why Houston? What about this university and this city caught your interest, and what do you want to accomplish here?MR – It starts with President Khator and her vision for this university. She’s not going to settle for anything less than Tier One, and from an athletics perspective, I feel the same way. You have so much history and tradition that makes the University of Houston special, and a lot of institutions can’t say the same. Whether it’s the sixteen national cham-pionships in golf or the Final Four appearances in basketball, bowl games five of the last six years. All those things. Volleyball, women’s basketball, so many more sports—when you combine that tradition with a setting that is one of the world’s most vibrant cities, the potential here is tremendous.

Our greatest challenge is to try and get everybody, and it starts with your readers, to buy into one goal, one purpose, and carry that message throughout the city. And with our excellence on the field and in the classroom, carry that message throughout the nation. If we can do that, this place has the chance to be something special.

•••••

Mack Rhoades was previously athletics director at the University of Akron be-fore joining the University of Houston in the same capacity. At the time of this interview, he had been on the job just one month.


of the hit CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory, does just that as Sheldon Cooper, PhD, PhD (yes, two doctorate degrees), a string theory researcher at Cal Tech whose intellectual snobbery, gauche interjec-tions, obsessive adherence to routine, and passion for all things sci-fi has made him one of the most beloved characters on television. So beloved, in fact, that the role earned Parsons an Emmy nomination

for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.But before the award nominations, before the au-

tograph seekers, before the Letterman appearanc-es, Parsons spent his college years at the University of Houston, hanging with his Pi Kappa Alpha fra-ternity brothers and bumming cigarettes from his theatre buddies. It’s been a rise to stardom that still leaves him flabbergasted.

“When I wake up in the morning, it takes a second to remember that I’m waking up in Hollywood, California,” Parsons said. “That I have steady acting work and don’t need to grab my apron before head-ing to the Cheesecake Factory. I’m calling in to radio stations for interviews, not to request songs. It’s very surreal. All you can do is keep working hard and let Lady Luck take care of the rest.”

Proud UH alum Jim Parsons ('96) makes a Big Bang on his hit CBS comedyBY DAVID RAFFETTO ('05)

Humorizing a socially-inept theoretical physicist takes,

well, a "quarky" sense of humor. Get it? Oh, quit rolling

your eyes, science alumni! Jim Parsons ('96), co-star


UH was a great place for a young

actor. The best way to improve your acting is, well, to act.

Surprising, huh?

Parsons, 36, was born in Houston, and from an early age had an innate desire to perform.“From very early on I was taken with the whole Carson

coming out of a curtain thing,” he remembered. “I used the blinds in the living room again and again for that. I really enjoyed hanging a sweater in the closet like Mr. Rogers. Anything as long as people would watch. Even if just in-volved hanging up wool.”The living room was soon forgotten for the bright lights

and big crowds of elementary school theatre. “When I was in first grade I did my first play—The Elephant’s Child—a fine little staging of the classic Kipling story. I played the Kolakola bird. The audition standard probably wasn’t much more than being able to memorize a line, but my mother had already taught me to read, so I was well-equipped to begin rehearsals immediately.”Fast forward past graduation from Klein Oak High School,

and Parsons enrolled at the University of Houston as a radio and television major. For a year, he brooded and paced up and down Oberholtzer Hall as his roommate prepared for audi-tions and warmed up for performances. Parsons missed act-ing. Fearing their reaction, he told his parents that he was changing his major to theatre.“For all the kids at home, just know theatre is a risky, rather

stupid choice for a major,” Parsons mused. “At least as far as getting a job and making a living is concerned. Of course, it’s not as if a radio and television degree was that much more prac-tical. My dad managed to calm down my mother by saying, ‘Darling, we have to let him try.’ Which was all I could ask for.”“Racking up all these school loans, my mom made me prom-

ise to land a big movie upon graduation,” he continued. “‘I’ll get right on that,’ I told her. ‘Do you happen to have Spiel-berg’s number in the rolodex?’”In his first role on a UH stage, Parsons played Sir Andrew

Aguecheek in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, as cast by Dr. Sid-ney Berger, former director of the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance. From there he’d study under pro-fessors like Carolyn Boone (MFA ’82), Jose Cantero, and Stu-art Ostrow, logging an incredible amount of stage time and gaining experience student directing.“UH was a great place for a young actor,” Parsons said. “It pro-

vided the necessary training and academic eye for craft, but it was also about letting us on stage and learning our way through things. The best way to improve your acting is, well, to act. Surprising, huh? Stage time builds your confidence and matures your presence. How you deliver lines, how you move, how you interact with others in the scene. My experi-ence at UH let me refine all those skills.”Parsons was also one of the early actors at Infernal Bride-

groom Productions (IBP), a now-defunct theatre company that earned national acclaim for producing many world pre-mieres and eventually landing on the cover of American The-atre. His first audition with IBP was for a staging of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame. He got the part and would go on to be in approximately twenty plays with the company over the next three years.“Infernal Bridegroom was such a blast,” Parsons reminisced.

“We did so many shows, there were so many lines to memo-rize in such a short time. It was chaotic, it was passionate, and it was memorable—everything about it is why people love to act.”

Just a Kid from Texas

››


In 2002, it started with one episode on the televi-sion show Ed. Then a small role in the critically-acclaimed film Garden State as Tim, the cereal-eating, Klingon-speaking knight at Medieval Times. Then seven episodes on the television se-ries Judging Amy. After that came a scene in the film 10 Items or Less with some guy named Mor-gan Freeman. Things were building.“I remember well the day I was shooting with Mor-

gan Freeman. Talk about one hell of a presence. A very nice man, and obviously a wonderful actor, but he scared me to death. And he’s so tall, that doesn’t help. The shoot went fine, and afterward I thought, well it’s downhill from here for my career.”But there was life after Morgan Freeman. War-

ner Brothers was auditioning for a pilot called The Big Bang Theory, a show about two twenty-some-thing Cal Tech physicists who live across the hall from an attractive blonde waitress with Holly-wood aspirations.“The first audition was with the casting director

and two producers, Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, who had worked on shows like Roseanne, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men. I worked very hard to prepare because I loved the role of Sheldon so much. I remember even skipping the Oscar parties

the night before so I could focus. Well, it went well, and I was called back to read once more for the producers before the studio test. Warner Brothers said, "Cool." Next was the network test for CBS. I read, left satisfied with how it went, and four hours later got a phone call saying I got the part.”Cast alongside Johnny Galecki (remember David,

the soft-spoken teenage boyfriend on Roseanne?) as Leonard Hofstadter, PhD and Kaley Cuoco as the beautiful but less-than-bright Penny, Parsons and company caught the eyes of 9.57 million view-ers when the pilot aired on September 24, 2007. Since then, the rise has been meteoric. With two seasons already in the film canisters, the show was recently picked up for a third and fourth season.“After that first taping, the entire cast knew we

had something special,” Parsons said. “The chem-istry between the cast, the writing, the commit-ment from the network. Now sometimes, even when everything seems to be in place, circum-stance or bad luck can doom a show. But every-thing has just come together. We all did a panel at the 2009 Comic-Con, and in front of everyone, a fan approached the microphone with a handker-chief and asked for a sample of my DNA for a clon-ing experiment. That’s when I knew we had made

it. That’s when I knew we were a hit.”Parsons recently had the experience of announc-

ing his own Emmy nomination when he co-hosted the nomination show with Grey’s Anatomy star and fellow Houstonian Chandra Wilson.“You could have blown me over with a feather,”

Parsons said. “During rehearsals they didn’t actu-ally have the nominees in the teleprompter, so when I read my own name it was preceded with a bit of a non-sensical outburst. It was so embar-rassing to go home and watch it on the DVR. My proud moment of being nominated for an Emmy, and I come across as a bumbling buffoon.”His competition? Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock, Steve

Carell in The Office, Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men, Tony Shalhoub in Monk, and Jemaine Clement in Flight of the Conchords. Baldwin walked away with the trophy.“It was an honor just to be nominated,” Parsons

humbly said. “No one goes in expecting to win those things. But it brought some well-deserved at-tention to the show, so that’s good enough for me.”•••••

The Big Bang Theory airs Monday nights at 8:30 (CST) on CBS.

From Stage to Screen›

“I am polymerized tree sap,

and you’re an inorganic adhe-

sive. So whatever verbal pro-

jectile you launch in my direc-

tion is reflected off of me,

returns in its original trajec-

tory, and adheres to you.”

“I believe the appropriate meta-

phor here involves a river of

excrement and a Native Ameri-

can water vessel without any

means of propulsion.”

“What exactly does that ex-

pression mean, 'friends with

benefits?' Does he provide her

with health insurance?”

SHELDONisms:

“Anecdotal evidence suggests

that in a game of Rock, Paper,

Scissors, players familiar with

each other will tie 75 to 80% of

the time due to the limited num-

ber of outcomes. I suggest Rock,

Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock.

It’s very simple. Scissors cuts

paper, paper covers rock, rock

crushes lizard, lizard poisons

Spock, Spock smashes scissors,

scissors decapitates lizard, liz-

ard eats paper, paper dis-

proves Spock, Spock vaporizes

rock, and as it always has, rock

crushes scissors.”

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On its journey from a small inner-city school to a sprawling metropolitan

campus, the University of Houston has known one unflappable com-panion: a scrappy, student-run newspaper called The Cougar.

While it was originally billed as a product of the Journalism De-partment, it predated any journal-ism classes, not to mention extra-curricular activities. The paper published sporadically from 1928 to 1933, but when UH became an official university, The Cougar was born again, and Volume 1, Issue 1 was published October 5, 1934. The newspaper, which marks its 75th year of publication this fall, has endured explosive growth, admin-istrative censorship, economic

declines, floods, technological advancements, and the myriad trials that accompany any student-run venture.

The Early Years In the beginning, The Cougar was little more than a mouthpiece for the young university, but it didn’t take long before the student staff found its own roar. With a circula-tion of about 400, the newspaper spoke for a student body of only 855 in 1934. But circulation grew with enrollment, reaching more than 2,000 copies (one for each student) by the end of the decade

—and as circulation grew, so did the confidence, and even bravado of the student journalists. Within

six years of its first edition, the paper drew the ire of the univer-sity administration.

In 1940, tension arose between the staff and N.K. Dupre, then Dean of Students, after several editorials criticized Houston City Hall for neglecting the streets around campus. The last straw was a satirical editorial about a local campaign to shut down rowdy honky-tonks. Dean Dupre threat-ened disciplinary action, Editor Wellington Abbey and several other staff members resigned in protest.“There’s nothing to all this,” Dupre

told reporters after the flare-up and resignations. “If the staff quits, we’ll get another; and if we can’t, we’ll just discontinue the paper.”

Luckily, it never came to that.

Another editor was appointed, and publication resumed. Jour-nalism professor N.S. Patterson was recruited to lead the journal-ism school and advise the news-paper and yearbook full-time shortly after the tussle. Inter-viewed by The Cougar in 2005, Patterson said the staff generally avoided drawing negative atten-tion toward the university. Of course, he said, “students always wanted to make a splash.”

The Cougar of the 1940s gave rise to several promient alumni, including current Chairman of the UH System Board of Regents Welcome Wilson, Sr. (’49) and the late Jack Valenti (’46). Amid the bustle of wartime, Valenti used the nickname Cactus Jack to write “Off the Beam,” a light-heart-ed, tongue-in-cheek column that provided distraction from the decade’s grave headlines.“A hundred years hence,” Valenti

wrote in a November 1941 column, “historians will no doubt solemnly intone that of all the events worthy of mention in the 20th century, these four stand in bold relief: Roosevelt’s third term, the ’29 crash, Rita Hayworth, and Varsity Varieties,” referring to the new vari-ety show staged by The Cougar to raise money for scholarships.

Valenti may have been the in-house comedian, but Wilson was The Cougar’s preeminent busi-nessman. Entering UH in 1946, Wilson said his plan was to get

extra! More Than JusT Crosswords & CoMiCsThe Daily Cougar Celebrates 75 Years of Meaningful Student Journalismby Matt Dulin ('07)

1934 1940 1950 1960

For a complete history of The Daily Cougar, including an interactive version of the first volume, staff photos, and historical front pages, visit www.uh.edu/sp/75.

The crew of The Cougar, circa 1941. You can almost hear the Mickey Mouse Club theme playing in the background.

The Daily Cougar Masthead: An Evolution


experience as a salesman, so he “volunteered” for the paper’s ad department. Then-business man-ager Johnny Goyen (’47)—who was also student body president, and later, Houston’s mayor pro-tem for 22 years—hired Wilson and offered him the standard 20% commission. “I thought it was a volunteer job,” Wilson said. “Hell, this is great!”

When the newly-elected editor Elmer Bertelsen (’49) approached Wilson in 1947 with the proposi-tion to make The Cougar a twice-weekly paper, Wilson obliged, tracking down ad dollars to sup-port an extra bulldog edition on Tuesdays. “Elmer was the most enthusiastic journalist I ever knew,” Wilson said of Bertelsen, who later became education editor for The Houston Chronicle. By the time Wilson graduated in 1949, he was the highest paid student on campus, bringing home $150 a month. In addition to being ad manager for The Cougar, he was business manager for the Houston-ian yearbook and Frontier Fiesta.

The Early Years A fire gutted The Cougar’s press in 1960, but The Houston Chroni-cle volunteered its own press to help in the pinch. Nevertheless, the paper cut back to again print-ing once a week, only to resume the twice-a-week schedule two years later. With its eyes on be-coming a daily, the paper expand-ed as the university did, amid dramatic social and political change, including campus integration.

Edith Bell, who was editor in

chief in 1965 when The Cougar became The Daily Cougar, remem-bers being with a group of staff members who were denied ser-vice at a restaurant along Cullen Boulevard just because one of them was black.“So we all left. I felt bad about

what happened, but I felt good about how we responded,” Bell said. Integration was not a prob-lem for The Cougar staff. Once the paper became a daily, it needed all the help it could get. “It forced us to open up the staff and in-clude people who were not in-cluded before,” Bell said.

The University Center opened two years later and quickly became the hub of campus activity, draw-ing visiting speakers, demonstra-tors, and protesters for all sorts of causes—all of which helped fill The Daily Cougar’s pages.

The Daily Cougar exhibited a decidedly liberal slant in its edi-torials of the 1960s and 1970s,

advocating for the right to abor-tions, free contraceptives on campus, and the Equal Rights Amendment. The administrative interference of the early ’40s was a distant memory. Students could now print just about anything they wanted, and often did.

Ross Strader, then-adviser of Student Publications, never told students what to publish, recalled Oscar Gutiérrez (’67), a newspaper staffer from 1963-1967 and now assistant to the UH Chancellor and President for Communica-tions. But working for the paper

“gave you a sense of, ‘Should I do

this? Should I write this or say that in print?’ It was hard to believe, but thousands of people were going to be reading what you wrote. It made you think twice.”

By the mid-70s, The Daily Cougar was a robust journalistic enter-prise, earning All-American hon-ors from the Associated Colle-giate Press nearly every year.

The Early Years The Daily Cougar settled into its new offices in the School of Com-munication just before the 1980s, and the 1990s brought swift tech-nological change to the news oper-ation. Headline machines and column typesetting machines gave way to word processors and desktop publishing software. Even the cut-and-paste routine of liter-ally cutting out stories and ads and pasting them together to lay out each page would be replaced by all-digital production in 2006. But one thing didn’t change: The Daily Cougar continued to provide a training ground for talented student journalists.

Adrees Latif (’00), a 2007 recip-ient of the Pulitzer Prize for Break-ing News Photography, said The Daily Cougar was his “second home” during the late 1990s.“My time between classes and

most of the rest of the day and night was spent at The Cougar and its darkrooms,” he said. His work experience there—daily deadlines, collaborating with journalists—“laid the founda-tion of a lifestyle I practice with passion today.”

Today, the paper continues to publish daily, as it has since 1965. In recent years, it has adapted into a prolific online publisher, breaking news and producing multimedia content at thedaily-cougar.com (more than 100,000 visitors annually) and distributing headlines via Twitter and Facebook.

Whatever the future of journal-ism holds, there will always be a group of scrappy, story-hungry UH students ready to see it through.

1973 19901982 2000

For a complete history of The Daily Cougar, including an interactive version of the first volume, staff photos, and historical front pages, visit www.uh.edu/sp/75.

Working for the paper gave you a sense of

‘Should I do this? Should I write this

or say that in print?’ It was hard to believe,

but thousands of people were going to be reading

what you wrote. It made you think twice.

Welcome Wilson, Sr., 1949


for making Houston a healthier city. Their spirit is infectious, energizing, and motivating. Their ap-proach is so comprehensive, so thorough, that only a highly-motivated and highly-educated individual could pull it off. Of course, that’s why they choose to employ University of Houston graduates.

Many universities have established alumni net-works that help generations of graduates get a job. Maybe it’s an unspoken rule; maybe it’s in the fine print on your diploma. Either way, United Wellness Group got the message and is walking the walk. Or considering their business, maybe “jogging the jog” is more appropriate.

“Aggies, Longhorns, they keep it in the family and offer opportunities to their own. Cougars don’t do that near enough,” said Sachin Shah (’04, MBA ’07), one of the companies co-founders. “Randy Webb, one of my professors in the Bauer College’s Sales Program, always said, ‘People buy from people.’ He’s right. We are Cougars, we’re confident of the educa-tion Cougars are getting, and we know the kind of people Cougars are—they’re the kind of people I

want working for my company. Our employees, our student interns, they all went to UH.”

United Wellness Group launched this June and holds the basic philosophy that physically and emo-tionally healthy employees come together to create a more fiscally healthy company. Productivity goes up, fewer employees take sick days—multiply those

results by X number of employees, and your bottom line looks a lot more attractive. Perhaps most inter-esting, they do all this in ways that gyms or insur-ance company preventative programs can’t.

An advisory board provides a broad spectrum of expertise and oversight to the company. On it serve two MDs, a bariatric specialist and an oncologist who consults on disease management, a pharmacologist/toxicologist, a dietician, a psychologist who works in organizational behavior and change management, a psychologist who knows stress management practic-es, and a relationship counselor. Beneath them is a

huge umbrella of trainers and dieticians who carry out some of the specialized ground-level work

of the wellness plan, once in place.Everything starts with an audit (no, not that kind) where Life Line, a health

screening partner, takes blood and measurable to determine choles-

terol, blood pressure, and body fat. The audit can even extend to the workplace environment by look-ing at nutritional content of cafeteria food, vending machines, and even how many hand sanitizers are available. To encourage participation, United Well-ness Group meets with company leaders to deter-mine incentives—whether that’s time off, cash in pocket, or other desirables. “People usually don’t change because you ask them to,” Nima Bousheri said, the company’s other co-founder. “You have to incentivize things. We can offer the proverbial car-rot on stick in front as well as a nudge behind. It can’t just be something people will tolerate—they have to appreciate it for complete buy-in.”

Then comes the cool stuff: on-site yoga and pilates classes, consultations with psychologists for smok-ers interested in quitting, running and biking clubs, and classes with chefs who teach participants how to cook healthy meals in 10 minutes or less. United Wellness Group employees will even stand at the building exits during lunch time, survey where peo-ple are choosing to eat, and research healthy meals at those places. The program adapts to the needs of the people while being visible, but not obtrusive.

“This is not about work,” Shah said. “It’s about making the small lifestyle changes that have big wellness implications. When contextualized in a culture of having fun, it doesn’t seem like work or sacrifice at all.”

For more information on how United Wellness Group can help you and your company live healthier, visit their website at www.unitedwellnessgroup.com. You can also find them as sponsor of the 2010 Hous-ton Welness Symposium this coming January.

and we know the kind of people Cougars are—they’re the kind of people we want working for our company.

We are Cougars,

To meet the team at United Wellness Group is to discover their passion

gOOD LIVIng is gOOD BUSInESSCougar-Powered Business OffersCorporate Houston a Healthier FutureBY ELLIOT HOPKINS


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Glen Campbell famously sang, “Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin’.” On September 13, 2008, her sea winds howled loud enough for the entire nation to hear. At 2:00 a.m. that Saturday, Hurricane Ike roared ashore. Left in its wake was $24 bil-lion in damage—and most costly of all, 112 lives.Not since the tragically-famous storm of 1900 had Galveston been

so battered. The morning after, the island’s sea winds were calling for help, and help was on the way. FEMA, Red Cross, public service divi-sions, and countless good samaritans answered the call. One year later, the University of Houston Alumni Association is proud to share stories of three Cougars who contributed to the rebuilding effort, giv-ing a whole new meaning to the phrase “Cougar spirit.”

One year after Hurricane Ike, Cougars are rebuilding their island communityBY DAVID RAFFETTO ('05)

GALVESTON: 3 Tales of the Re-construction


Just two weeks on the job, Vira Pogribna, Sales Manager for Moody Gardens Resort, had to pre-pare for a hurricane. That first meant communi-cating and rescheduling with hundreds of cli-ents, an inconvenience, sure, but nothing compared to what followed.

The Ukraine-native had never been through a hurricane. She didn’t even really know what a hurricane was! But after riding out the storm and returning to work, “work” was about to take on a whole new set of responsibilities. Through Octo-ber, the resort housed hundreds of Red Cross, CenterPoint Energy, and media workers. That meant ballrooms and conference rooms sudden-ly needed to be converted to command centers and shelter space.

“Talk about a learning experience,” Pogribna said. “The staff at Moody Gardens proved we’re a resilient bunch. We helped the people who were busy helping everyone else. It was reward-ing, and it brought us together. Especially from the perspective of a new employee, I discovered that this was the place for me.”

Pogribna and her co-workers also volunteered their time by passing out bottled water, food ra-tions, and other supplies to those in need. The pyramids that so many visitors to Galveston see as they drive onto the island—suddenly that ar-chitectural icon became a beacon of hope, a defi-ant peak whose summit stood in contrast to the destruction below.

“It’s been a slow process to rebuild, but noth-ing worth doing is easy. And Galveston is defi-nitely worth doing,” Pogribna said. “At first, we noticed every little thing that got fixed. Look, the boat has been moved from this street. Look, they cleared this debris. It was just a visible ac-tion of hope restored.”

Make Moody Gardens part of your next trip to Galveston. Find out what they have to offer by visiting their website at www.moodygardens.com.

Meet Vira Pogribna (’07)

It’s been a slow process to rebuild, but nothing worth doing is easy. And Galveston is defi-nitely worth doing.


The plan was to go to Mexico. Tom Deliga-nis and fellow mem-bers of the Vineyard Church Katy and

Vineyard Church Sugar Land had gone on mis-sion trips to an orphanage in Matamoros, Mexi-co for many years, but safety issues along the border convinced the group to take a detour this past March. Instead, they took their goodwill to Galveston Island.

“We knew the need was there,” Deliganis said. “At first, the kids were bummed that they couldn’t go to Mexico, but when we got there, started working, started meeting the wonderful people of Galveston, that attitude quickly turned around.”

Deliganis, regional vice president for Capstone Publishing, studied political science at UH, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta fra-ternity and served as the Student Regent ap-pointee. He, along with ten other adults, led a group of 50 students on the trip, two of whom now attend UH.

Much of the week-long mission trip was spent working with the Vineyard Church Galveston (who shares the facility with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church) and Central Christian Church of Galves-ton. Landscaping, painting, debris removal,

mold removal, and light carpentry occupied their busy hands. The efforts soon spilled into the neighborhoods, helping local homeowners with their rebuilding efforts.

“For a last minute change, this was such a pro-ductive and spiritually fulfilling trip for us,” Deli-ganis reflected. “On our last day down there, we threw a big party for the community with food, music, and games. Maybe more than all the phys-ical work, it was that which did the most good. That community needed something to celebrate, and it felt good to play a small part in giving that back to them, to restoring pride in their home.”

Members of the churches still stay in touch with many of the friends they made in Galveston that week, regularly exchanging letters, phone calls, and even attending each other’s services.

“We visibly saw the re-growth of hope on the is-land,” Deliganis said. “Anyone who ever ques-tioned if Galveston will ever be the same—all they need to do is go see for themselves. The people of Galveston are of a special stock. It was an honor to help them in the small way that we did.”

Meet Tom Deliganis (’78)


The Balinese Room is gone. But that hasn’t stopped owner Scott Arnold from diving head-first into Galveston’s investment waters.

For those who never had the pleasure of visit-ing the Balinese Room, these few words can’t even begin to breathe life into the ghosts and glamorous clientele who walked its long, narrow planks. Built in 1920, Sicilian immigrants and barbers-turned-bootleggers Sam and Rosario Maceo ran the Balinese for many years, includ-ing during the 1940-50s, when Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, and The Marx Broth-ers were regular entertainment acts. Patrons of the private club included Howard Hughes, So-phie Tucker, and wealthy oil barons from all over Texas. For years, the dance hall front end was a cover for illegal gambling on the back end. As for hauntings, employees and patrons both have re-ported flickering lights, mysterious footsteps, and even phantasms of women dressed in attire from many decades ago.

In the early hours of September 13, the hurri-cane’s storm surge completely wiped out the Ba-linese Room. All 600 feet. All 89 years of memo-ries. Those interested can drive to the corner of 21st and Seawall Boulevard to see the historical marker and few remaining pilings that stand sol-emnly in memory of their former tenant.

“She survived Hurricane Carla; she survived Hurricane Alicia—but Ike proved too much for her old bones,” Arnold said. “The outpour of condolences from the community, from people across the world who had once visited the Bali-nese, it was all very moving. The Balinese meant a lot to a lot of people.”

Arnold had insurance in place to help absorb some of the financial loss. He plans to rebuild the Balinese Room and is considering several new locations over land. Oh, but that’s not all he’s doing. By day he’s a lawyer with an office off Main in downtown Houston. But on the week-end, his investment portfolio takes him straight to the island.

Voodoo Lounge, one of his most recent proj-ects, is one of Galveston’s hippest new night-spots. Its vibe is darker than the Balinese, but many of the same Indonesian aesthetics are pres-ent. In fact, Arnold regularly makes trips to Bali to bring back art, artifacts, and even giant stone altars. The Voodoo Lounge is on 26th, just south of the Railroad Museum on the Strand. Visit voo-dooloungegalveston.com for more information.

America’s Icehouse, another of his cool con-cepts, is still in development. America’s Ice House is based on an innovative, modular, “steel and sail” structure that takes two or more freight

shipping containers (like the ones that come into Galveston aboard barges) and adds a system of steel masts, sails, and canopies to create a light, airy, and open pavilion. You’ve got to check it out to believe it: americasicehouse.com.

“People ask me why I’d invest in Galveston af-ter the storm,” Arnold said. “They obviously don’t know the heart of this island and its resi-dents. A year later, remarkable progress has been made. Whether you’re a BOI [born on the island] or just like to visit, much like the sand that finds its way in your shoes, Galveston just gets in you. Its spirit is infectious. We’re not here to survive; we’re here to thrive. We’re here be-cause we love Galveston.”

We started this article with a song, so we’ll fin-ish with one. In 1975, a little Texas band named ZZ Top sang a song about Mr. Arnold’s Balinese Room. The final lines go like this: “And every-body knows / It was hard to leave. / And every-body knows / It was down at the Balinese.” It is hard to leave the Balinese. It’s hard to leave any of Galveston’s landmarks. It’s hard to leave the island’s siren call. That’s why we rebuild. Because the survivors of the 1900 storm had the perse-verance and vision to rebuild. Because the peo-ple of Galveston deserve to keep their home. Because, simply put, it’s Galveston.

Meet Scott Arnold (’77, JD ’80)

Arnold, left, stands at the entrance where his Balinese Room once stood. Top right, the Balinese battles back waves just hours before it was washed away. Middle right, what little of the historic structure that is left on the beach. Bottom right, one of Arnold’s many new Galveston projects, the Voodoo Lounge.


The Interrogative Mood: A Novel?The Interrogative Mood is a wildly inventive, jazzy meditation on life and language that’s com-posed entirely of questions. Critics are calling it the most audacious literary high-wire act in some time. Powell's unnamed narrator forces us to consider our core beliefs, our most cher-ished memories, and our views on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In fiction as in life, there may be no easy answers—but The Inter-rogative Mood is an exuberant book that leaves the reader feeling a little more alive.

Two Roads to God: The Moses Road & the Jesus Road | In his fourth book, Rabbi Segal compares the Jewish bible with the New Testa-ment on a number of different subjects: original sin, attitudes toward sex, embryonic stem cell re-search, etc. The book also contains comments from 13 Catholic and Protestant clergyman as these Judeo-Christian values are fleshed out. Rabbi Segal is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth Yeshurun in Houston.

Not a Gentleman's War: An Inside View of Junior Officers in the Vietnam War Drawing on oral histories, after-action reports, diaries, and letters, Milam debunks the view that junior officers in Vietnam were a no-talent, poorly trained, unmotivated soldier, demonstrating that most performed their duties effectively. Milam is assistant professor of military history at Texas Tech University. He is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as an infantry advisor to Montagnard forces.

Shavetail | Set in 1871 in the unforgiving desert of the Arizona territories, Shavetail is the story of Private Ned Thorne, a seventeen-year-old from Connecticut who lies about his age to join the Army. On the run from a shame-ful past, Ned is desperate to prove his worth to his superiors, to his family, and most of all, to himself. After a band of Apaches attacks a nearby ranch, Ned’s superiors lead the company on a suicidal mission through a particularly menacing stretch of desert in hopes of saving a kidnapped woman’s life.

Thomas Cobb MA ’84, PhD ’86 Rabbi Jack Segal EdD ’73

Padgett Powell MA ’85 Ron Milam PhD ’04

Pattiann Rogers MA ’81

2009 Internet Directory: Web 2.0 Edition A whole new web comes to life in the 2.0 edition of the 2009 internet directory: new tools, com-munities, video, podcasts, and more! It would take forever to find all of this information through search engines. Carefully selected by humans, not algorithms, here are the net’s 3,000 best destinations. Belicove is a California-based free-lance writer, ghost blogger, and corporate com-munications and business management consul-tant who regularly pens feature articles for Business Connect Magazine, Community Maga-zine, and Launch.

Wayfare | Rogers has published twelve books, and this most recent effort contains all of her previously published poetry, plus forty new poems. It was a finalist for the LA Times Book Award and was named an Editor’s Choice by Booklist, the latter of which called her “a poet of exaltation, sweeping readers up in a heady mix of rapturous science and natural theology.” Rogers is currently on the faculty of the low residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Pacific University in Oregon.

UHAQ t lEaviNg ThEir priNT

Mikal E. Belicove Former Student


Billie SchneiderRetired, University of Houston Alumni Association Staff

UHAQ t COugar COrNEr Life Member Profile Member FDIC

presented by

UHAQ: Billie, first, run through your work history at the university.Billie Schneider: I started work-ing at UH in 1967 as a staff mem-ber in the Office of Admissions. Then in 1980, I became the office manager for the alumni associa-tion. I did that for ten years until my retirement.AQ: And you’ve been involved in a number of university committees, boards, and causes; list those for us.BS: Well, I enjoy serving on the Cougar Pride Advisory Board be-cause I think athletics is such a public and positive place for UH to get recognition, and they have such a need for scholarships. I’m part of the Houston Athletics Foundation, which also raises scholarship dol-lars for athletics. I’m a member of the President’s Club, which is basi-cally our planned giving program. I was on the Heritage Committee, which helped fill the alumni library with all the memorabilia you see today. Since 1992, John and I have served on the Board of Directors

for Cougar Cookers, which is a team that partici-pates in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Cook-Off and sponsors scholarships for students who volunteer at Frontier Fiesta. Hang around UH long enough, and you’re bound to get involved with a bunch of organizations.AQ: In 1997, you were honored with the alumni association’s Distinguished Service Award. What did that mean to you?BS: It was quite an honor. John and I had worked many alumni galas back when they were called Red and White. Everything from paint can cen-terpieces back when the theme was “Paint the town red,” and even making kites one year as part of the decorations. So after volunteering at them for so many years, it was special to be rec-ognized at one as an award winner.AQ: You personally became a Life Member in 1989, a gift from your husband John, and since then you’ve become notorious in the alumni family for recruiting other Life Members. What started you on this mission?BS: When I worked at the alumni association, I managed the Life Member accounts; that is to

say, I kept the records up to date. I enjoyed it when it was a formal job responsibility, and when I retired, I just didn’t want to give it up. We had Life Member campaigns, and I was involved in those early efforts. Then I started approaching people individually. People who I knew already loved the University of Houston, but just needed a little extra encouragement to join at the Life Member level. It was just a matter of making them believe it was a prestigious category, and it really is.AQ: People like...?BS: Oh goodness. Jim Nantz. Larry Gatlin, who just performed at the first football game. Several past presidents: Dr. Hoffman, Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Goerke, Dr. Lawless, Dr. Pickering. I don’t know if I can take full credit for our new chancel-lor and president, Dr. Khator, but I did speak to her about Life Membership at the Circle of Excel-lence reception. I like to think I planted the seed that got her to join. Coaches like Coach Penders, Coach Curl, Coach Burrell. So many more.AQ: How many total Life Members are you re-sponsible for recruiting?BS: Let’s put it this way—I stopped counting at around 150. Of course, my husband jokes with me, “You’ve got to stop approaching people like that! Alumni are starting to dodge us as soon as they see you coming!” My reputation is such that fellow Life Members have begun suggesting peo-ple to approach—“Billie, you should ask this per-son or ask that person.” Then they back me up.AQ: You obviously value Life Membership, so to any of our readers who are members but not Life Members, give your pitch to them.BS: They only need to take a look at who already is a Life Member. Why not be a part of our elite group? And there are special privileges and events, and those are nice. But it really comes down to supporting your alma mater or community’s uni-versity. And have confidence that your financial support is going to causes like student scholar-ships. There are all sorts of payment plans, even an easy monthly deduction plan. So that can’t be an excuse. If you feel Life Membership might be right for you, contact someone at the alumni as-sociation, or find me at a university event. I’ll be happy to walk you through the process.AQ: Billie, thank you for sharing your many years of alumni service with us.BS: It’s been my pleasure.

A t the beginning of the fall semes-ter, former UHAA staff member Billie Schneider sat down with David Raffetto (’05), UH Alumni Quarterly editor, for a quick Q&A.

They talked about Billie’s recruitment of Life Members over the years, including some big names in UH history that readers are sure to recognize, as Billie’s own Life Member pin glint-ed in the light of the Sam P. Douglass Alumni Library—a library that she helped curate as part of the Heritage Society. Billie and her hus-band, John, have three daughters, Vicki, Su-zanne, and Judy (’76), four grandchildren—in-cluding a granddaughter who is a current UH student, and a grandson who attended his first football game at the age of four months old and went on to graduate from UH—and three great grandchildren. They will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary later this year. –


UHAQ t alumNi aSSOCiaTiON updaTE

Judie Lilie (’95) Begins Term as UHAA Board Chair

Effective this past summer, Judie Lilie (’95) began her term as Chair of the University of Houston Alumni Association's Board of Directors. Mirroring the University of Houston's diversity and the post-graduate suc-

cess of its alumni, the UHAA Board of Directors is a 20-member governing body that ensures UHAA is serving and supporting the university and its alumni. “It’s a pleasure to serve the alumni asso-ciation in this capacity,” Lilie remarked. “Working with such a distinguished group of fellow board members, our base of expertise and experience will undoubtedly lend itself to increasing the suc-cess of our association.”

Lilie and her husband, Glenn, a former alumni board chair himself, are long-time supporters of the University of Houston. Both are former students of the business school, with Judie later earning a degree from the College of Education. Together, they own CPI Group, a company of 85 employees that produces products for the oil, housing and hurricane screen industries.

They have two children, daughters Michelle Thomas and Kathryn Jenkins (’95, MEd ’97, EdD ’01), and five grandchildren.

Lilie is a Life Member of the alumni association.

She has served on the College of Education’s Dean’s Advisory Board, participated in the Bauer College of Business’ Leadership Lecture Series, and was an original stake holder for UH’s entrepreneur-ship program. She and Glenn were instrumen-tal in reviving Frontier Fiesta in the early ’90s. Within the community, Lilie has volunteered her talents and resources to the Pearland Chamber of Commerce, Hermann Hospital, and the House of Tiny Treasures, an early-childhood center for homeless children.

“My message as chair is very simple,” Lilie said. “First, we have to support Proposition 4 and move further down the road to Tier One status. After that, it’s all about membership. Alumni par-ticipation is a critical part of the Tier One formu-la. So upgrade to Life Membership if you haven’t already. Tell your friends and co-workers to join. Tell any Cougars out there—we need to be one unified force of alumni. The alumni association must be the organizing force behind that.”

Operation School Supplies Does it Again

Now in its 19th year, Operation School Supplies (OSS) raised approximately $150,000 worth of school supplies that benefited 32,000 students in 330 schools and 31 districts. To all the sponsors and volunteers who helped at Sort & Box Day, thank you!

Whistle-Stop Tour Makes its Last StopOn September 24, more than 200 Uni-versity of Houston alumni and commu-nity supporters joined UH President Renu Khator at Golfcrest Country Club in

Pearland, TX for the final leg of her Whis-tle-Stop Tour. Glenn and Judie Lilie (’95) graciously underwrote the event.

President Khator has used the events to meet and greet alumni and community leaders in different parts of the state. Other stops have included Fort Bend, The Wood-lands, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Tom Reid, mayor of Pearland, capped the event by officially declaring it University of Houston Day in Pearland, received with enthusiastic applause.

HOMECOMinG TAiLGATE SPiRiT CHALLEnGE Saturday, October 24, 9:00am - 6:00pm

Now in its third year, the Tailgate Spirit Challenge pits the UH Alumni Association's many alumni constituent groups in a battle of BBQ and Cougar pride.

UH VS. SMU FOOTBALL GAME Saturday, October 24, 6:30pm kick-off

Cheer on the Cougars as they face-off with in-state and C-USA rival SMU. At Robertson Stadium. Homecoming king and queen will be announced at halftime.

27th AnnUAL HOMECOMinG GOLF TOURnAMEnTMonday, October 26, 11:00am

Held at the beautiful 27-hole Pecan Grove Country Club course, participants can win prizes like Continental Airlines tickets in skill contests, raffles, and a silent auction. All participants receive a free Cougar-red golf shirt. The tournament format is a Florida scramble with

four-player teams. A box lunch and on-course refreshments will be provided.

last-minute reminders


2010 Awards Dinner Honorees Announcedthe quality of a university, more than anything else, is measured by the quality of its graduates. now in its 56th year, the university of houston alumni association's annual awards dinner, slated for Friday, april 23, 2010 at the omni hous-ton hotel, honors the men and women whose professional success, volunteerism, and generous spirit have positively reflected on the university of houston in such a way that it merits public recognition.we are very proud to announce ten exceptional cougars as our 2010 honorees. meet them for yourself:

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10

1 Richard Coselli (’55, JD ’58) is recently retired as chairman and CEO of Keystone Title Company and has practiced real estate law since 1986. As a UH student, he was chairman of Frontier Fiesta and president of the student body. He has served as a con-sultant to the UH System Board of Regents for the Cambridge Oaks project, a model that has been adopt-ed by public and private universities across the country.

2 Elizabeth Ghrist (MEd ’67) is president of Elizabeth L. Ghrist & Associates, Inc., and is a former Har-ris County commissioner and UH-System regent. She has received the Bronze Medal for Meritorious Service from the International Red Cross, the Governor’s Humanitarian Award for Volunteerism, and honored as Volun-teer of the Year by the National Soci-ety of Fund Raising Executives.

3 Jim Perdue (’61, JD ’62), once described as the “King of Texas medi-cal malpractice lawyers” by Forbes Magazine, is a counsel with Perdue & Kidd, LLP and has been practicing for over 40 years. The former captain on the 1960 UH debate team, he has written eight books, most famously, Who Will Speak for the Victim?

4 Tommy (’80), & Elaine Ebner's (’82) names are synonymous with service. Tommy is president and CEO of McGriff Siebels & Williams of Tex-as, an insurance and brokerage firm. The couple has been instrumental in both the Houston Athletic Foundation and H-Association, not to mention UHAA events.

5 George Leroy Hall (’56, ’77) spent forty years working as a safety and reliability engineer supporting NASA’s Apollo and space shuttle pro-grams. He’s volunteered his time and talents to such organizations as the American Heart Association, Parents Television Council, Bay Area YMCA, and of course, the UH Alumni Asso-ciation. At the age of 84, he is cur-rently enrolled in the doctoral indus-trial engineering program at UH.

6 Robert Planck (’71) is president of Independent Marketing Alliance LP. He is a Life Loyal Teke Charter Member and Past Grand Prytanis of Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity. He is a long-time leader of the TKE Alumni Network, and also serves on the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurants Management’s Dean Advisory Board.

7 Bruce Williams senior vice presi-dent of Northville Product Services and co-owner of Irma’s Southwest Grill in downtown Houston, has do-nated much of his time and money to the University of Houston and Hous-ton Baptist University. He is a mem-ber of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes national board of trustees and Star of Hope Mission board.

8 Patty Godfrey (’89) is a familiar face to anyone who’s ever been to an alumni association event. The former executive director of academic service for UH’s Hilton College is now a stay-at-home mom with two children, Catherine (14) and Jack (10), both who “learned the Cougar hand sign before they could walk.” Currently president of UHAA's Fort Bend Area Club, she has chaired auctions for the Athletics Department’s Hall of Honor Gala, UHAA’s Red and White Ball, and the Homecoming Golf Tournament.

9 Katie Kalenda Daggett (’99, MA ’03), director of development at Texas Children’s Hospital, credits her expe-rience as a UH resident assistant for preparing her for the real world. She is past president of the Young Alumni League, a former Alumni Council member, repeat Operation School Supplies volunteer, and organizer of a dance marathon that benefits pediat-ric healthcare.

10 Jim Parsons (’96) is an Emmy-nominated actor who stars on the hit CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory, now in its third season. He hosted the 2009 Emmy Awards Nomination Show and announced himself as nominee for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He had a recurring role on the CBS show Judging Amy and has appeared in moves like Gar-den State (along side Natalie Port-man) and 10 Items or Less (alongside Morgan Freeman).

Distinguished Alumni Award Distinguished Service Award

Chair’s Award Outstanding Volunteer Award Rising Star Award for Service Rising Star Award for Achievement

Award Categories

Special note – With the exception of Rising Star for Achieve-ment Jim Parsons, each of this year's honorees are Life Members of the University of Houston Alumni Association. This note isn't meant to shame Mr. Parsons into taking the plunge and becoming a life member or anything...we're just sayin'.


John Baker (’55) has published a book entitled, Chicken Noodle News. He has spent his adult life in high level television positions ranging from a role in the country’s first educational TV station to Dan Rather’s first TV director to one of the original vice presidents at CNN.

Dave Keith (’56) was recently elected to the American Advertising Federation’s Southwest Ad-vertising Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors those who have distinguished themselves in their careers and have contributed to the advertising in-dustry and the betterment of their communities.

Frances Knight (’58) competed in the National Senior Games, the largest sporting event in the world for senior citizens.

1960sDurga Agrawal (MS ’69, PhD ’74) was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Higher Edu-cation Coordinating Board. He is president and CEO of Piping Technology and Products Inc.

Bruce Biundo (’61) received the Education Excel-lence Award from the Texas Pharmacy Association and was elected to a three-year term on the TPA Board of Directors, representing the Academy of Com-pounding Pharmacists. He serves as a consultant at Professional Compounding Centers of America.

Charles O. Buckner (MBA ’68) has been appointed to the board of directors of Energy Partners, Ltd. He retired from Ernst & Young LLP in 2002 after 35 years of service in a variety of client service and ad-ministrative roles, including chairmanship of Ernst & Young's United States energy practice.

Fred King (’67) took third place in the Annual Report division in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. He is communications coordinator in the Harris County District Clerk’s Office.

Lance “Hopper” Livingston (’66) was recently elected a Lifetime Director of both the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.

1970sMary Helen Berlanga (’70) is the senior member of the Texas State Board of Education, first elected in 1982. She is a member of the Committee on School Initiatives, the State Bar of Texas, and the Corpus Christi Bar Association.

Mel E. Finkenberg (EdD ’75) has been named in-terim dean of the James I. Perkins College of Edu-cation at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Dennis D. Golden (’76, OD ’77) was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He is a former regent of the University of Houston System and an optometrist in Carthage.

Charles J. Jacobus (’70, JD ’73) was appointed to the board of directors of Savoy Energy Corporation. He has been an accomplished real estate attorney and publisher since 1973.

Michael Kearney (MS ’76) has been named pres-ident & chief executive of DeepFlex Inc. He is also a supervisory director of Core Laboratories.

Barbara Parrott McGinity, LMSW (’74, MSW ’00) is the project director for the Texas SMP, a program to educate beneficiaries about Medicare fraud and abuse across the state, which is funded through a grant from the Administration on Aging held by the Better Business Bureau Education Foundation.

Shelia Partin (’76), owner of Shelia Partin’s Sweet Sourdough Inc., had her hamburger bun featured on NBC’s Today as part of their “Best Burger in America” feature. The winner was the Ranch Burger from Perini’s Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap, Texas, who uses Partin’s buns on all their hamburgers.

R. Louis Rumsey (’79), was named Pharmacist of the Year by the Texas Pharmacy Association. He is owner-operator of Elam Road Pharmacy in Dallas and past chair of TPA's PharmPAC political action committee.

Margaret Spellings (’79) has joined the Boston Consulting Group, a Washington, D.C.-based man-agement consulting firm, as senior adviser. She pre-viously served as U.S. Secretary of Education.

Bruce Tough (’76, JD ’80) has been re-elected as vice chairman of The Woodlands Township.

Ronda Wendler (’78, MA ’83) received the Com-municator of the Year, Best in Show, and two Writing Awards of Excellence in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards; second and third places for Spot News Reporting and third place for Public Service in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards; and Gold, Silver, and Bronze Excalibur Awards from the Public Relations Society of America Houston chapter.

1980sNelda Luce Blair (JD ’82) has been elected to a third consecutive term as chairman of The Wood-lands Township.

Wendy Braniff (JD ’84) was appointed director of the University of Houston-Downtown College of Business’ Insurance and Risk Management Center. She is an attorney with insurance, education and government expertise.

Michael P. Darden (JD ’86) has been named firm-wide chair of the Oil and Gas Section at Baker Botts LLP. He is a partner at Baker Botts and has ex-tensive experience in international and domestic oil and gas ventures, LNG projects and oil and gas asset acquisitions and divestitures.

Robert B. Evans (’80) was elected to the board of directors of New Jersey Resources.

Susan Fairweather (’83) is serving as director of com-munications & marketing for the Town of Dillon, Colorado.

Laurie Glaze (MSW ’82) received the Houston Woman Magazine Savvy Sister Award, which “recog-nizes an outstanding woman who has made a signif-icant career change, interesting business maneuver, or an innovative change to her workplace.”

Sam Haynes (PhD ’88) serves as associate pro-fessor of history at the University of Texas at Ar-lington and was named the university’s new director of the Center of Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography.

Ron Kabele (’84) was awarded second place for Feature Photography in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. He is a writer/producer/photog-rapher with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Angela Kyle (’89) has joined New York Life In-surance Company as senior vice president and head of the company’s Individual Annuity Department. In this role, she will oversee and leverage the com-pany’s Investment Annuities and Guaranteed Lifetime Income products.

Michael Milstead (’81) has joined Fort Bend County’s Lamar Consolidated High School as its new principal.

Norma E. Olvera (MS ’88, PhD ’92), a professor in UH’s Department of Health & Human Performance, was featured on Houston’s KHOU channel 11 news for her efforts in directing the BOUNCE program. The program’s goal is to reduce obesity in minority girls and teach them about nutrition, exercise, body image and self esteem.

Donna Pate (’87) received an Award of Excellence in Employee/Member Communication in Hous-ton’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards. She is manager of corporate communication for Service Corporation International.

William S. Quinn (’89) was named chief fiscal of-ficer of the Texas Chiropractic College. He previ-ously served as TCC’s budget and accounting officer for more than ten years and is an active member of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Houston Partnership.

UHAQ t ClaSS NOTES

1950s


Edmund P. Segner, III (MA ’80) was appointed to the board of directors of Bill Barrett Corporation. He is currently a professor in the practice of engi-neering management in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University.

Venkatakri Selvamanickam (MS ’88, PhD ’92) is overseeing SuperPower Inc.’s research and devel-opment activities as an adviser. SuperPower makes high-temperature superconducting wire expected to revolutionize technology used by electric utilities and has signed a research agreement with the Uni-versity of Houston.

Warren W. Harris (’85, JD ’88) has been elected president of the University of Houston Law Alumni Association. He heads the appellate practice at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP and has handled hundreds of appeals and original proceedings in the Texas Su-preme Court, United States Supreme Court, and state and federal courts of appeals.

1990sMichael C. Baker (’91) recently joined Chevy Chase Funding as managing partner.

Michael Berry (’93) recently won first place for Talk Show in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. He is a former Houston City Council member, A.M. Operations Manager for KRPC-Radio in Houston, and KTRH-Radio talk show host.

Nandita V. Berry (’91, JD ’95) was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the University of Houston System Board of Regents. She is senior counsel at Locke, Lord, Bissell, and Liddell LLP.

Patricia Hamilton Bivins (JD ’93) recently was married to Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst.

Patrick Buzzard (’92) is the new chief of NASA’s Moscow Liaison Office.

Monica Cavazos-Rosas (’93, JD ’96) and her husband Carlos Rosas welcomed their first child, Carlos Andres Rosas, on February 2, 2009. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches tall.

Jacqueline Baly Chaumette (’90) has been named one of the 2009 Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Junior Chamber. She serves on the Sugar Land City Council and is the founder of BalyProjects, a public policy, planning and public af-fairs consulting firm.

Gina Covell (’92) was recently named Public Relations Director for Artisan Group, an elite North American network of independent countertop professionals.

Karen Covington (’92) received an Award of Excel-lence in Employee/Member Communication in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards. She's director of corporate communications for Service Corpo-ration International.

Amy Davis (’98) received a first place award for Consumer News and second place award for Pol-itics/Government in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. She is with of KPRC-TV in Houston.

Craig Enochs (’94) of Jackson Walker L.L.P. was se-lected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2010, one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession.

Doug Hebert (’91) received an Award of Merit for Publication Design in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards. He serves as design director and principal of Savage Design Group.

Daniel C. Hughes (MEd ’99, PhD ’04) won a presti-gious Mentored Career Development Award from the National Cancer Institute.

Jarvis V. Hollingsworth (JD ’93) was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the University of Houston System Board of Regents. He is a partner at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP.

Lisa Merkl (’92, MA ’97) received the Media Rela-tions Award of Excellence in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards; Special Award for Medical/Scientific Writing Collections from the Council for Ad-vancement and Support of Education, District IV; the Silver Excalibur Award for External Communications Campaign, and the Bronze Excalibur Award for Media Relations – News Release from the Public Relations Society of America Houston chapter; and first place in Public Relations Release in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. She serves as media relations rep-resentative for the University of Houston.

David McKinney (’95) received an Award of Merit in Employee/Member Communication in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards and a Gold Excalibur Award for Profit PR Program/Campaign from the Public Rela-tions Society of America Houston chapter. He is an ad-junct professor in the UH’s Jack J. Valenti School of Communication and manager of communications for the Shell chemical plant and refinery in Deer Park.

Tim Murphy (MEd ’93, EdD ’99) has joined Phoenix College as dean of information technology.

Danny Olivas (MS ’93) recently conducted three spacewalks as an astronaut on space shuttle Discov-ery’s mission to the International Space Station. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and has served in various roles throughout NASA, including ro-botics and extravehicular activity.

Kathy Ploch (’94) was elected president of the Houston CPA Society, the largest chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs and the third largest CPA chapter in the country. She is a tax manager for Zi-entek & Co., P.C.

Renee Prescott (’96, PharmD ’02) was honored by the Texas Pharmacy Association as the Young Phar-macist of the Year. She is director of online edu-cation for the Professional Compounding Centers of American and the outgoing president of UH’s Pharmacy Alumni Asssociation.

Alice Purcell (MA ’91) was selected as a Greater Houston Red Cross Youth Sponsor of the Year. Last year, she started a Red Cross Youth Club for high school students in the Clear Lake area, and its members have logged over 600 hours of community service.

Nina Rach (JD ’98) has joined Hart Energy Pub-lishing’s E&P magazine as senior drilling editor. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in the upstream oil and gas industry.

David Ronn (JD ’90), a Houston shareholder in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, has been designated as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional by the United States Green Building Council. He is the first lawyer in Texas to become LEED certified.

Jodi Shelton (MA ’92) is on the new advisory board for Silicon Border, the science and technology park in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. In ad-dition to serving as president and CEO of Shelton Group, she is the co-founder and president of Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA).

Venkat Subramaniam (MS ’92) has written and published Practices of an Agile Developer: Working in the Real World. He serves as founder of Agile De-veloper, Inc. and has trained and mentored more than 3,000 software developers in the United States and Europe.

R. Gregory Turner (MBA ’97) recently celebrated 25 years of business as founder and president of Turner Partners Architecture. A memoir entitled Projects with Significance, was recently published to commemorate the occasion.

Red denotes UHAA Life Members. E-mail your own class notes to [email protected].

UH's Got Talentbarbara padilla (mm ’04) recently finished runner-up on the nbc show America’s Got Talent. over 30 million viewers watched her sing puccini’s “O Mio Babino Caro” during the show’s season finale. she is currently perform-ing at planet hollywood in las vegas for the america’s got talent live show.


Jerico M. Vasquez (MM ’97, DMA ’02) has joined Shorter College as an assistant professor of music. He has teaching experience as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston, a lecturer at UH’s Moores School of Music, and a vocal coach at the University of California Young Artist Vocal Institute.

Josh Willis (’96) has been honored by President Obama with the 2009 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Willis is an oceanographer in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labo-ratory in Pasadena, California.

Harriet Yim (’99) received an Award of Merit for Publication Design in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards. She is senior graphic designer for UH’s Cullen College of Engineering.

2000sKhuong K. Banh (’00) recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois.

William A. Banks, Jr. (’03) and Janine Chmiola Banks (’04) welcomed Alexa Chiara to their family on August 12, 2009.

Ana Calvo (MSW ’07) recently competed in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant as Ms. Wheelchair Texas. She is employed at Shriners Hospital for Children as a transition coordinator.

Natalie Wong Camarata (’06) received a Silver Ex-calibur Award for Media Relations – News Release from the Public Relations Society of America Houston chapter, second place in Public Relations Release and third place in Public Relations Commu-nicator of the Year in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. She is senior marketing and communi-cation specialist for the UT Health Sciences Center.

Janaile Castillo (’07) has been promoted to account coordinator at Sugar Land’s Freed Advertising.

Neeta Dhall Darnule (’02) and Amit Darnule (’99) recently moved back to Texas and into their first house in Southlake. Neeta works as a process con-sultant for DenuoSource, and Amit works as a pain specialist at Spine Team Texas.

Melissa Claybrook DeLaGarza (’06) was married in November 2008 to Valdo DeLaGarza. She also re-cently started an event coordinating business called Perfectly Planned.

Jane Eifler’s (MFA ’08) art was recently featured in a two-person show at McMurtrey Gallery in Houston.

Alexandra Emsley (’00) was recently promoted to senior financial services representative at Members Choice Credit Union in Houston.

Congratulations and thank you to our newest Life Members! (June–August '09)

UHAQ t ClaSS NOTES

New Life Members

Larry H. AguirreMartina G. AguirreSaim A. Akif ('08)Susan G. Alonso ('78)Nicole M. Andrews (MEd '04, EdD '06)Abbas Arian ('76, MME '78, MBA '80)Janet Baker ('83, OD '85)Brooks Earl Bassler ('02)Anne M. Bengtson ('98)Ryan J. Bengtson ('97)John M. Bevil ('87, OD '91)James Carl Bollig (MBA '01)Amanda K. Brady ('06)Cynthia Dawn BryantAngela T. Carranza (MBA '00)Ben J. Carranza (MS '00, MBA '02)Joseph B. Carvelli (MS '07)Jason Chapman ('91)Chang-Jian Chen (PhD '92)Jeanette Chevalier White (JD '94)Victor Michael Clark ('97)Linda D. Coleman (MSW '97)Rick Coneway, Jr. ('73, MS '76)Marcia L. Dettloff (OD '85)Wayne D. Dettloff (MS '85)Larry Dewitt ('68)Katherine W. Doggett ('93)Victoria F. Dunn (EdD '00)Julie Engbrock ('04)Ken EngbrockHarry E. Farley ('65)James Randal Fisher ('08)Eloy Flores, Sr.Barbara Kay Foots (MEd '76)Mark H. Frank ('85)Patricia Frank ('86)Charles E. French ('97)Maria L. Garcia ('01)George Sadik Haddad ('82)James M. Hansel ('79)Judy L. Harris ('91, PhD '97)Ernest L. HaynesSara M. HaynesAngela M. Hazlett ('86)Bruce Edward Henrici (MBA '90)Jose Angel Hernandez (MA '00)Marian HoffmanJoyce L. Holder ('61)Kenneth James Horne ('90)William J. Hughes (MEd '07)A. M. JarolimekMark Benjamin Johnson ('83)Katheryn A. JonesCharles Edward Jones ('59)Walter R. Jones ('49, MEd '50)Nikhil B. Joshi ('99, MS '04)Craig Kaplan

Margo Kaplan ('03)Timothy Michael Kirkpatrick ('97)Mark Linwood Kouwe ('88, MEd '02)Scott Eric Leitko ('87)Mark J. LewinMatthew A. Mallay ('99)Melinda M. Mallay ('98)Jeane P. Massey ('75)Sandra Louvier Mastren ('81, MBA '84)Sonia Mathur ('87)Donna B. Matthews ('99)Jackie Z. McKnight ('70)John J. McKnightDenise Miller ('74)David Clay Moates ('93)Christopher Sean Morris ('99)Dawn E. Morris ('84)Dennis P. Morris ('83)Angela Neal ('04)Robert Neal ('05)Brian Keith Nichols (OD '97)Karen J. Noecker ('81)Lisa L. O'Connor ('88)Abimbola O. Oyediran ('05)Elizabeth F. Pardee ('90)Ted Pardee ('91)Battist D. Pearson ('09)Jim M. Perdue ('61, JD '62)Donald A. Person ('89)Kristi L. Person ('89)Dennis W. Petersen ('78, MBA '80)David Ray PhelpsMarianne C. Phillips (EdD '06)Mark A. Polimeno ('88)Jerry Portele ('96)Justin Thomas Priester ('07)Lanette RameyTodd K. Ramey ('94, JD '98)Sharon D. Robinson ('90)Jose L. Saenz ('07)Valentina Sarabia ('80)Deborah S. Schauman-Bixby ('73)Roger L. SchrenkRichard John Schuhmann (MS '93)Marilyn M. Secrest ('77)J. Jeffers Spencer ('70, JD '73)Norman S. StalarowCarrie StephensonDouglas Russell Stevens (MBA '90)Maebeth Tappin ('08)Rebecca A. Thornton (MA '96, PhD '00)David A. Timmermeyer ('90)Alanna K. Travis ('04, PharmD '09)Joshua D. Udoetuk ('04)Kristina Von Woglom ('99, MBA '01)Marsha K. Williams (MEd '76)


1940s Walter Glenn Holliday (’49) Emmett T. Roberts, Jr. (’43)

1950s Lorene F. Barnard (’55) Marguerite Wells Baxter (’56) L. Z. Bryan, Jr. (MEd ’50) William A. Gabig (MS ’52) Andrew Galayda (’54) Quincy A. James (’57) Roberta McCleester Warner (’57)

1960s J. F. Cirillo (’68) Noel D. Enete (PhD ’67) Arthur W. Hernandez-Matheson (’67) Aloysius Kitowski (MBA ’64) James C. Morton, Jr. (’62) Lane Murray (EdD ’62) Simon Philp, III (JD ’69) Joe Dorsett Reeme (MEd ’64) Kenneth W. Root (MEd ’64)

1970s Beverly Jean Barrows (’74) William H. Foote (’77) Hedda Ward Fransen (’73) James Edward Hero (’79) Suzanne Smith Kramer (’70) David Marc Letwin (’76) Emyré Barrios Robinson (’70) Malcolm A. Voelkel (’70)

1980s Barbara Ann Harris (MEd ’81) Elbert Felecien Lozes, Jr. (’83)

1990s Celia Figueroa Almendarez (JD ’94) Robert W. Ohnesorge (JD ’96)

2000s Tyler D. Goolsby (’04) William Chris Jensen (’00)

Friends Frank M. Allen, Emeritus Professor Theodore Gordon Gish, Emeritus Professor Hilary Jo Karp Tanya Erica Lunstroth, Retired Staff Alfred Oglesby William (Bill) H. Rose, Retired Staff Dr. Steve Werpy

Janelle Ewing (’00, ’01, MA’05) received the Presi-dent’s Award in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards. She serves as BP America Manager, U.S. Benefits Communication.

Oluwadamilola Folorunsho (’08) was selected as a Fort Bend ISD's Rookie Teacher of the Year.

David Gonzalez (’09) received the Award of Merit for Writing in the Student Division in Houston’s IABC Bronze Quill Awards. He is with the Salvation Army of Greater Houston.

Ricky Gonzalez (’08) was a featured guest on KHOU channel 11’s “Great Day Houston,” pro-moting health and fitness as a personal trainer.

Vincent Harding (’09) received the 2009 Civic Houston Internship Program Award. He interned at the Center for Houston’s Future while completing his undergraduate degree at UH.

Laurie Johnson (’02) of KUHF took first place in Radio Journalist of the Year, and first and second places for Radio Soft News Feature in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards.

Mayra Leal (’09) has joined Sugar Land’s Freed Ad-vertising as part of the account service team.

Cody Ledvina (MFA ’09)’s art was recently featured in the group exhibition, One must be absolutely modern, at Rudolph Projects/Artscan Gallery in Houston.

Darius Clark Monroe (’04) is in post-production for his feature-length documentary, Evolution of a Criminal, with executive producer Spike Lee. The film received a 2007 Texas Filmmakers Production Fund Grant, a 2008 Spike Lee Production Fel-lowship, a 2008 Warner Bros. Film Award, and a 2008 Tribeca All Access Participant.

Victoria Morales (’06) received an Award of Merit in Audiovisual in the IABC Bronze Quill Awards and a Bronze Excalibur Award for Special Video Project from the Public Relations Society of America Houston chapter. She is an assistant account exec-utive with Pierpont Communications.

Eduardo V. Ortiz (’09) received a five-year Benjamin Franklin/Fontaine Fellowship to the University of Pennsylvania's PhD program in Classical Studies.

Yulia Pakhalina (’05) won her third world champi-onship with a victory on the one-meter springboard at the World Diving Championships in Rome.

Leann Leone Payne (’06) was married on August 5, 2009 on the beach in Hawaii.

Anastasia Pozdniakova (’09) recently won the gold medal in the women’s 1-meter springboard at the World Diving Championships in Rome.

Shannon Raffetto (’05) was elected to serve on UH Staff Council for the 2009-10 year. She serves as program coordinator for UH’s College Success Program.

Marisa Ramirez (’00) took third place in Radio Public Affairs in the Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards. She is a media relations representative for the University of Houston.

Cheyanne Ramos’ (MFA ’09) art was recently fea-tured in a solo show at Joan Wich and Company in Houston.

Sarah Sides (’03) has joined STANANDLOU // Mar-keting Advertising as a media planner and buyer.

Kelli Vance’s (MFA ’08) art was recently featured in a solo show at McClain Gallery in Houston.

FriendsTilman J. Fertitta was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the University of Houston System Board of Regents. He is chairman and CEO of Landry’s Res-taurants Inc.

to MAKE a GIFT

in memory of an alumnus, faculty member

or staff member, contact Connie Fox

at [email protected] or 713.743.9557.

In Memoriam

Red denotes UHAA Life Members. E-mail your own class notes to [email protected].

It is with great sadness that we report that Emyré Barrios Robinson (’70) passed away July 21, 2009, at the age of 83.In 1980, Robinson founded Barrios Technology,

an aerospace engineering and technology service firm that works primarily with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Despite her absence, it remains a woman-owned small business. In 1998, she received the UH Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award.Though her business success landed her much

success, it was her community volunteerism for which most knew Robinson. In 1997 she was named a Girl Scout's Woman of Distinction and later honored at the Men and Women of Heart Gala (1998) and at the American Heart Associ-ation Celebration of Heart Salute to America Gala (2002, all for her many contributions to the Bay Area community.The Cougar community will miss her dearly.

Emyré Barrios Robinson

1916–2009


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UHAQ t COugar buSiNESS CONNECTiON Cougar Business Connection allows UHAA members the chance to highlight their company or personal business venture to more than 20,000 UH Alumni Quarterly readers. Contact Ty Houston at [email protected] or 713.743.9555 to reserve your spot or to discuss corporate sponsorship opportunities.


UHAQ t CalENdar

UHAA/University Events 10.21 Cougar Power Hour, House of Blues-Houston, 5:30 pm 10.21 Pam Ann Live – USA Tour 2009, Cullen Performance Hall, 7:30 pm 10.23 Back to School Again @ the GCSW – Homecoming 2009, rockwell Pavilion, Md Anderson Library, 5:30 pm 10.23 Bats & Bikes, UH Campus recreation & Wellness Center - Outdoor Adventure, 3:00 pm 10.24 Cougar Band Alumni reunion and Homecoming, robertson Stadium-Tailgate village, 3:00 pm 10.26 UHAA 27TH Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament, Pecan Grove Plantation, 9:00 am 11.08 Surf Sunday, UH Campus recreation & Wellness Center - Outdoor Adventure, 8:30 am 11.13 Hill Country: Brenham to Bastrop Bike Tour UH Campus recreation & Wellness Center - Outdoor Adventure, 12:00 pm 11.18 Cougar Power Hour, House of Blues-Houston, 5:30 pm 11.19 Bauer Breakfast and Linked-In Seminar, Houston City Club, 7:00 am 11.19 Fort Bend Thirsty Thursday, Pappasito’s Cantina – Sugar Land, 5:30 pm 11.20 Annual Cougar Marching Band dinner/Concert, Moores Opera House, 7:30 pm 11.21 Black Alumni Association @ the American diabetes Association Step Out: Walk to Fight diabetes, Minute Maid Park, 7:30 am 12.2 Technology Alumni Association Holiday Party, Location TBA, 6:30 pm 12.10 UHAA ring Ceremony, Athletics/Alumni Center, 6:00 pm 12.11 UHAA ring Ceremony, Athletics/Alumni Center, 6:00 pm For a full, updated listing of alumni association events, please view our web calendar at www.myCougarConnection.com

Athletic Events 10.24 Homecoming! UH football vs. SMU, robertson Stadium, 6:30 pm 10.31 UH football vs. Southern Miss, robertson Stadium, 12:00 pm 11.17 UH Men’s Basketball vs. Nicholls State, Hofheinz Pavilion, 7:00 pm 11.19 UH Women’s Basketball vs. Houston Jaguars, Hofheinz Pavilion, 7:00 pm 11.21 UH football vs. Memphis, robertson Stadium, 12:00 pm 11.28 Bayou Bucket! UH football vs. rice, robertson Stadium, 7:00 pm. Game times are subject to change. For up-to-date information and a complete listing of athletic events, visit UHcougars.com.

Arts CalendarBlaffer Gallery: 713.743.9530 – www.class.uh.edu/blaffer

Through–11.14 Jon Pylypchuk’s work lays bare the frailty of human existence and social relationships. A contemporary fabulist, Pylypchuk creates heart-wrenching stories of attraction and repulsion, love and loss, pleasure and pain, triumph and failure with pet-like, hybrid creatures that inspire empathy in us all.

School of Theatre and Dance: 713.743.2929 – www.theatredance.uh.edu

10.23 – 11.01 The Rocky Horror Show, UH Wortham Theatre. Someplace between fantasy and reality lies this punk-rock musical filled with vamps and tramps. Accompany Brad and Janet on a fantastical journey to dr. Frank N’ Furter’s twisted castle where his ghoulish minions dance the Time Warp and awaken repressed sensuality. Tickets are $75 ($50 for UHAA members) and included performance, hors d'oeuvres, dessert buffet, two drink tickets, and a participation kit for the show!

Moores School of Music: 713.743.3313 – www.music.uh.edu

10.23 – 10.26 Il viaggio a Reims (The Journey to rheims), by Gioacchino rossini, Moores Opera House. An international group of vIPs converges for a coronation only to find they are trapped in their hotel and won’t be able to make the ceremony in time. Undaunted, they create their own party instead. The triumphant return of one of our most successful comedies includes a rollicking climax for 14 soloists! Sung in the original Italian with English subtitles.

PICTURED:Jon Pylypchuk

explain to me again how this is an end of the world scenario, 2007

mixed media on paper30 x 18 1/4 inches


1. MoodyTowersNorth,thirteenthfloor:wheremasculinity’ssirencalltemptseventhemostdiscerningcoeds.2. "Iboughtminefirst!”3. After1985,theUHdivingteamneveragainheldopentry-outs.

4. Togas,stripedsunglasses,babydollear-rings—wecouldn’tdecideonajoke.

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somefunny,somenostalgic—fromasingleyear

inCougarhistory,relivingthedreamsofstudents

eagertomaketheirmarkontheworld.

Pleaseenjoytheseselectionsfrom1985.

32 | Fall 2009

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F o r mo r e i n f o rm a t i o n c o n t a c t : i n f o @ t i m e s . u h . e d u

Research Design Randomized Experiments ‐ Lab/Field • Quasi‐Experimental

Design • Multi‐Level/Nested Designs

Statistical Analysis Multi‐level and Nested Models • Categorical and Continuous

Latent Variable Models • Longitudinal

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UH Alumni Quarterly- Fall 2009

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