A publication for UH faculty and staff • Spring 2014 • Volume 19, Number 2

HOUSTON NEWS

By Mike Emery

In its efforts to bolster graduation rates and help students financially navigate future

semesters, the University of Houston System Board of Regents approved tuition rates for fiscal years 2015 (FY2015) and 2016 (FY2016).

In a historic move, the board approved sys-temwide four-year fixed rates to assist students in graduating early or on time. These optional rates will be available to first-time-in-college students and undergraduate transfer students entering UHS institutions in the fall semes-ters. These rates were developed in response to a policy decision from the Texas Legislature requiring universities to offer four-year fixed tuition plans this year.

Undergraduate students entering UH,

UH-Clear Lake (UHCL), UH-Downtown (UHD) or UH-Victoria (UHV) in fall 2014 will have the option of participating in a four-year fixed tuition plan. At UH, these rates are part of the new UH in 4 initiative, which requires students to complete 30 semester credit hours during an academic year. Students who elect not to participate in a four-year fixed rate plan will pay variable rate tuition.

Four-year fixed rates were developed with the assumption that variable rate tuition will increase at a rate of 2.2 percent over the next four years. Approved four-year fixed tuition rates (not including student fees) for 15 semes-ter credit hours at the UHS institutions are as follows:

By Jeannie Kever

Two of the region’s largest energy compa-nies have joined with the University of

Houston to form the Electric Power Analyt-ics Consortium, intended to enhance current models used to predict the number of electric outages due to the impact of storms and better serve customers.

CenterPoint Energy and Direct Energy are founding members of the consortium, described by UH Chief Energy Officer Ramanan Krishna-moorti as an example of what the UH energy initiative is intended to accomplish, bringing academic research to real-world issues.

In Historic Move, UHS Regents Approve Optional Fixed Tuition Rates for 2015, 2016

Energy Companies Join University’s Electricity Research Initiative

www.uh.edu/uhnews

Continued on p.10Continued on p.3

The UH Dance Ensemble performed works by the University’s faculty and other Houston-based professional choreographers at the annual Ensemble Dance Works March 28-30.

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Volume 19 • Number 2 • Spring 2014UH News is a quarterly publication of the Office of University Communication for UH staff and faculty.

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My family has a history of

generosity that dates back several gener-ations. My parents instilled in me the joy of giving, which was instilled in them by

their parents. When I was younger, my parents would allocate to my siblings and me a certain amount of money to buy presents around the holidays. They did not care who we bought for, as long as it was not for ourselves. It taught me at an early age that giving provides a far greater and longer-lasting happiness than receiving.

I attended the University of Houston on several scholarships, and save for a small amount of loans, they paid for my education. I remember sitting next to the donor of one of my larger scholarships at an awards ceremony and musing how wonderful he must feel at my honor and excitement.

After I graduated from UH and started working as a staff member here, I responded to a UH appeal: the faculty and staff campaign. Since then, I have given annually through pay-roll deduction. Until the day I can afford to be a donor sitting next to an honored student, I still have the opportunity to enjoy giving.

Fortunately, as Staff Council president, I now have the privilege of leading a charge to provide more opportunities to give back. This year, in addition to soliciting for our Rodger Peters Staff Scholarship, we have opened two new funds — the Students of Staff Scholarship and the Professional Development Award.

There are a precious few scholarships that support dependents of staff members for which the Students of Staff Scholarship was designed. The Professional Development Award will fill the need for some staff members to participate in special training and obtain certifications or licenses that are not offered by UH.

Pam Muscarello, president, Staff Council

Staff Council News

The Joy of Giving

UHNEWS Administrative • 2

Administrative News

UHS Launches Its First Three Massive Open Online CoursesThe University of Houston System launched its first three Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on Coursera, offering unlimited participation and open access free of charge. The first two classes – Preparing for the AP Calculus AB Exam and Preparing for the AP Statistics Exam – started March 17 and will last for six weeks. The third MOOC being offered was developed by UH-Victoria and began April 7. Titled Applying Principles of Behavior in the K-12 Classroom, this course spans four weeks and will be very helpful to high school teachers and administrators. As the only participating partner from Texas, the UH System has the most upcoming courses of the 10 U.S. state universities that joined Coursera last May.

Save the DateSpring commencement runs May 9-10. Visit www.uh.edu/commencement for details.

Pam Muscarello

HOUSTON NEWS

Regents Approve Plan for UH to Expand or Launch 22 Programs in Sugar LandBy Richard Bonnin

U niversity of Houston System (UHS) Regents approved a University of Hous-ton Sugar Land Task Force report that

sets in motion plans to implement a major change in the delivery of off-campus instruc-tion: to make the University of Houston the sole UHS institution delivering programs at the Sugar Land campus.

To that end, the University is planning to expand or launch 22 programs in Sugar Land and relocate a large segment of its College of Technology to the campus.

Welcome Wilson Sr., task force chair-man and former chairman of the UHS Board of Regents, said the eight-member task force established five recommendations to guide the planning and implementation of this initiative:

In fall 2014, the UH System should begin implementing a multi-year plan (two to five years) through which UH will become the exclusive provider of baccalaureate and grad-uate programs at the Sugar Land campus, con-sistent with the UHS Board of Regents’ decision to transfer campus administration to UH. UH will continue to rely on its community college partners to deliver lower-division course work.

In the implementation of this change, it is of great importance that no current student be left stranded, that no existing faculty contract

be violated and that the University of Hous-ton-Victoria be furnished with adequate funds to carry out its important mission to become a destination university in the city of Victoria, Wilson said.

The success of the UHV nursing program is highly dependent upon its facilities in Sugar Land. It is also important that these programs continue to be conducted in metropolitan Houston near the Texas Medical Center. For these reasons, and consistent with the Sugar Land Task Force Nursing Subcommittee’s rec-ommendation, this task force recommends that the existing nursing program at Sugar Land be transferred to UH and made part of its newly organized UH Health Science Center. This does not preclude UHV continuing with certain nursing programs in Victoria or elsewhere.

Over the course of the implementation period, as the University of Houston expands program delivery in Sugar Land, UH-Victoria and UH-Clear Lake will incrementally cease program delivery at the campus and will have the opportunity to shift some of their pro-grams to another UH System teaching center or deliver them fully online.

In addition to degree programs, UH should deliver select certificate programs at the Sugar Land campus to meet local workforce needs.

Wilson said the changes envisioned in the

Continued on p.12

www.uh.edu/uhnews

UHNEWS Campus • 3

Staff Reports

The University of Houston community is mourning the loss of four of its members:

former dean of the College of Optometry Dr. William R. Baldwin, Moores School of Music (MSM) Director Emeritus David Tomatz, MSM Professor Emeritus Robert Lynn and Professor Emeritus James R. Benbrook.

Baldwin, who died in February, served as optometry dean from 1979 to 1990. Among his many career accomplishments, Baldwin was a member of an elite group of optometrists inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2011.

Called “a consummate academic, a princi-pled individual and a man of high ideals” by his colleagues, Baldwin made great strides during his tenure as optometry dean at UH. The col-lege took critical steps toward becoming a rec-ognized vision research center under Baldwin’s leadership. Prior to his tenure at UH, Baldwin served as dean of the Pacific University Col-lege of Optometry and president of the New

England College of Optometry. Those wishing to make a contribution in his honor, may do so to the Dr. William R. Baldwin Scholarship at the UH College of Optometry.

Benbrook, who served two successful terms as chair of the physics department, died in February following a long illness. During his 40-year career, he taught courses at all levels with equal enthusiasm and attention. In recognition of his outstanding teaching, Ben-brook won the UH Provost’s Core Teaching Excellence Award in 2008, shortly before his retirement. He taught Modern Electronics for Physicists, a course he created and described as a place where “students learn which end of the soldering iron to hold.” Those wishing to make a contribution in his honor may do so to the Alzheimer’s Association, Parkinson’s Society, the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cru-elty to Animals or the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Lynn, who taught musicology at UH from 1971–1997, passed away in February follow-ing a long illness. Many MSM faculty members

learned from Lynn, who regularly taught Intro-duction to Musicology. For several years, Lynn also contributed his talents to the role of direc-tor of graduate studies. In 1982, he became the first music director of Bach Society Houston and worked with that organization until 2004.

Tomatz, who served as director of the Moores School of Music from 1984-1999, passed away in January. Tomatz helped guide the creation of the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival, the Moores Jazz Festival, the expansion of the school’s opera program, and the construction of the state-of-the-art MSM building and Moores Opera House. He also was instrumental in starting MSM’s doc-toral program.

In addition to his career as an educator and administrator, Tomatz was an acclaimed cellist and performed with the Western Arts Trio. As a member of the trio, Tomatz performed on stages across the U.S. and internationally. He also performed and recorded extensively as a solo artist. Tomatz was a former president of the National Association of Schools of Music. 0

UH Remembers Former Optometry Dean, Three Faculty Members

Texas Gov. Rick Perry Appoints Alumna Beth Madison to UHS Board of RegentsBy Mike Emery

The University of Houston System Board of Regents soon will welcome its newest

member, Beth Madison, who was recently appointed to the position by Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Madison replaces outgoing regent Nandita Berry, who resigned from the board after being appointed Texas Secretary of State. Her term expires Aug. 31, 2015.

Madison is a UH alumna and contributes her time and energies as a board member for the University’s C. T. Bauer College of Business Foundation. She also is a life member of the UH Alumni Association and Phi Kappa Phi Honor

Society. Madison previously served on the board for the University’s Moores School of Music Society. In 2010, she was awarded the UH Pres-ident’s Medallion for distinguished alumni. She also contributes to the University as an under-writer for the UH Madison Merit Scholarship.

Madison is a shareholder and managing director of Higginbotham and Associates, and co-founder of Madison Benefits Group. She is a member of the Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society. Additionally, she is a board member for the Foundation for Teen Health, board secretary of the Rice Uni-versity Shepherd School of Music Society, a trustee of the Madison Charitable Foundation and an underwriter of the University of Science

and Arts of O k l a h o m a Loella Eliza-beth Madison Scholarship.

S h e i s senior board c h a i r w o m a n of the Hous-ton Grand Opera, board secretary of the Alley Theatre, and a board member and past president of the World Affairs Council of Houston. She is an inductee of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce 2013 Women’s Hall of Fame. 0

Beth Madison

Continued from p.1: Tuition Rates

h  UH: FY2015 – $4,750 / FY2016 – $4,855h  UHCL: FY2015 – $3,472 / FY2016 – $3,622h  UHD: FY2015 – $3,275 / FY2016 – $3,415h  UHV: FY2015 – $3,283 / FY2016 – $3,402

The approved undergraduate variable rates for 15 semester credit hours (not including stu-dent fees) at each UHS institution are as follows:h  UH: FY2015 – $4,782 average / FY2016 –

$4,878 average. (In 2012, UH adopted con-solidated tuition rates that are determined by major. The rates represented reflect the

average cost of tuition for undergraduate students.)

h  UHCL: FY2015 – $3,326 / FY2016 – $3,491h  UHD: FY2015 – $3,155 / FY2016 – $3,317h  UHV: FY2015 – $3,164 / FY2016 – $3,311

Graduate variable tuition rates for nine semester credit hours (not including student fees) at each UHS institution are as follows:h  UH: UH will not implement tuition

increases for doctoral programs. Master’s programs will vary by discipline.

h  UHCL: FY2015 – $3,682 / FY2016 – $3,898h  UHD: FY2015 – $3,090 / FY2016 – $3,288

h  UHV: FY2015 – $2,916 / FY2016 – $3,129Tuition revenues at each UHS institution

will be dedicated to enhancing programs and resources aimed at promoting student success. At UH, revenue generated from tuition will support strategies including increasing faculty and finan-cial aid, as well as enhancing libraries, instruc-tional technology and graduate student support.

In 2013, UH and UHD were recognized as two of the most affordable universities in Texas by the Online College Database. In its list of 23 most affordable universities, UH and UHD, respectively, ranked 9th and 10th. 0

www.uh.edu/uhnews

By Marisa Ramirez

T he experience of studying abroad lays the groundwork for a globally competi-tive professional life and enhances a stu-

dent’s personal perspective. But despite these impressive results, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students will study abroad, meaning most will not receive the interna-tional experience they’ll need to advance their careers, participate in the global economy or work together across borders to address global issues. To that end, UH is joining a national effort to increase the number of students who participate in study abroad programs.

UH has committed to the Institute of Inter-national Education’s (IIE) Generation Study Abroad initiative, which aims to double the number of stu-dents who study abroad over the next five years. More than 150 higher edu-cation institutions also have joined the effort.

“UH will actively promote efforts to expand study abroad participation through the comprehensive 2020 Strategic Plan to offer students a unique, life-changing, edu-cational experience overseas,” said Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president for aca-demic affairs and provost. “Increasing the number of scholarships and award amounts

for studying abroad is an institutional imper-ative that will allow more UH students to become globally focused, multidisciplinary and multicultural professionals.”

Last year, 476 UH students studied abroad in 38 countries. More than 143 students received scholarships to study overseas.

The IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initia-tive will engage educators and stakeholders in the public and private sectors to drive mean-ingful, innovative action to increase the number of U.S. students who gain international experi-ence through academic study abroad programs, internships, service learning and noncredit educational experiences

The UH plan aims to increase study abroad par-ticipation from one percent to four percent (or 1,200 student participants) by 2020. UH Global Strategies and Studies will raise study abroad awareness on cam-pus, create a unique brand for the Office of Study Abroad, maximize the use

of social networking and expand scholarship offerings, among other efforts. The University is among the lead partners to commit to spe-cific, measurable actions that will help reach this ambitious goal, the result of which will be thousands more American students graduating with the international experience necessary for success in a globalized world. 0

UH Joins National Coalition to Increase Number of Students to Study Abroad

UHNEWS Campus • 4

By Mike Emery

The University of Houston has selected a “who’s who” of esteemed business and civic leaders to serve on its newly created Board

of Visitors. As the University continues to enhance and broaden its partnerships through-out Houston and beyond, this distinguished group will provide valuable support, leadership and advocacy for the University.

The 46-member board is dedicated to enhancing the University’s presence in the city of Houston and beyond. Likewise, it serves in an advisory capacity, providing strategic counsel to UH President Renu Khator and her cabinet. Board members also are tasked with connect-ing the University with key constituents and community members. Led by chairman John T. McNabb II, its members are appointed to serve three-year terms as ambassadors and advisers for the University.

“The members of this group were selected for their expertise and excellence in a variety of fields,” said McNabb, vice chairman of invest-ment banking for Duff and Phelps and chair-

man of the board for Will-bros Group. “This board is comprised of people who care about Houston and are confident that UH can play a vital role in advancing the city.”

In addition to McNabb, board members include its vice chairman, alumnus Marvin E. Odum III, president and Upstream America director of Shell Oil; Jack Moore, chairman of the board of Cameron; Eric Hilton, former vice chairman of Hilton Hotels; former Texas Lt. Gov. William Hobby; the Rev. William Lawson, pastor emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church; alumna and KPRC-TV anchor Dominique Sachse; alumnus and Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, president and CEO of Carl Lewis Entertainment Group; James R. Crane, chairman of the Houston Astros; alumnus and professional golfer Fred S. Couples; alumnus Floyd C. Wilson, chairman and CEO of Hal-cón Resources Corporation; alumnus Richard Rawson, management director and president of Insperity; and alumna Nelda Luce Blair, for-mer chairwoman of the UH System Board of Regents and president of the Blair Law Firm.

A list of members can be found at www.uh.edu/about/leadership/board-of-visitors/. 0

Esteemed Houston Leaders Comprise Board of Visitors

The University of Houston commemorated the message of slain civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of service on Feb. 1. Nearly 200 Cougars sorted and packed food at the Houston Food Bank.

“The members of this group were selected for their expertise and excellence in a variety of fields.”

—John T. McNabb II,

Chairman, Board of Visitors

“Increasing the number of scholarships and award amounts for studying abroad is an institutional imperative.”

—Paula Short, provost

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www.uh.edu/uhnews

By Richard Bonnin

R enu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston, has received the

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honor conferred on overseas Indians. She is one of 13 recipients of the award, which was given out in New Delhi by Pranab Mukherjee, the president of India.

“I take great pride in being an Indian-Amer-ican and feel that I have been blessed by the rich-ness of both cultures,” Khator said. “I am particu-larly proud of my Indian heritage and grateful for the values that I was able to inherit from my moth-erland. I am truly humbled to receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award from the president of India, for it is reflective of my love and affection for both India and the United States of America.”

Khator also is the recipient of the 2014 President’s Award from NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. According to NASPA, the award gives special recognition to a college or university president who has, over a

sustained period of time, advanced the quality of student life on campus by supporting student affairs staff and programs.

“Since student success is our top priority at the University of Houston, I am especially gratified to be recognized by an illustrious organization made up of student affairs pro-fessionals,” said Khator. “This award is really a tribute to the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff, who help our students shape their future and achieve their goals. The NASPA honor is another wonderful reminder of that.”

In choosing Khator for this annual award, NASPA pointed to Khator’s many initiatives to enhance student and residential life on campus including championing the $80 million reno-vation to the University Center and increasing the number of students who live on campus by 4,000 students since she assumed the duel post of UH president and chancellor of the UH System in 2008. Khator has also led efforts to improve customer service on campus and is actively engaged with student government leaders, whom she meets with each month.

Khator’s other honors include the U.S. Cit-izenship and Immigration Outstanding Amer-icans by Choice award, which recognizes her achievements as a naturalized citizen.

She was also recently named deputy chair of the Dallas Federal Reserve Board. 0

UHS Chancellor, UH President Renu Khator Receives International, National Accolades

UHNEWS Success • 5

By Jeannie Kever

E ric Talley knew it was possible. After all, class-

mate Nicole Rawlins did it last spring.

But when friends started suggesting his score on the American Institute of Construc-tors’ (AIC) national certification exam – 278 out of a possible 300 – could be the highest in the nation, he shrugged it off.

“I thought surely somebody did better,” he said.

They didn’t. For the sec-ond time in a row, a student in the University of Houston Department of Construction Management had earned the highest score in the nation on the rigorous exam.

“I’m challenging our students,” said Neil Eldin, the department chair. “I want one of our students to be at the top. Keep it up.”

Eldin incorporates a review into the cap-stone course he teaches during the final year of the program. Several years ago, noticing that stu-dents seemed unaware of some elements covered on the test, he asked faculty to make sure those elements were covered in their classes.

It is beginning to pay off, he said, as is a conscious effort to “raise the bar” by requiring

students to have a 2.5 grade point average before entering the program, as well as to graduate, up from the previous 2.0 requirement.

Nicole Rawlins, who graduated with a construction management degree in Decem-ber, began the streak last spring, when she became the first UH student to earn the nation’s top score.

Many accredited construction manage-ment programs require students to take the eight-hour AIC certification exam, but Eldin said the UH program, part of the College of Technology, is the only one to require it for graduation. Nationally, the passing rate is about 50 percent.

That was true of UH students, too, Eldin said, although most passed on the second attempt. Last fall, he said 47 percent of students nationally passed; 67 percent of UH students passed. His goal is 80 percent.

Talley, who will graduate in May 2014, attended Mississippi State University for two years and then worked for a few years before moving back to the Houston area. He took community college classes to become certified as an electrician and, while working for a local firm, learned about the construction manage-ment degree.

The UH program offers classes in the eve-ning, which made it work for Talley.

“There’s no way I could have done it if it had been a more traditional program, with classes in the day,” he said, because he contin-ued to work full time, first as an electrician and now as a project coordinator for Pfeiffer & Son, a commercial and industrial electrical contractor in La Porte.

He took the certification test seriously, studying for six weeks before the test in the hope that he wouldn’t have to retake it in the spring. When it was over, he knew he had done well. “But I never thought I had the highest score,” Neil said.

Although he’s not yet sure what he will do once he graduates, he knows his degree and his top score on the certification test will create opportunities. 0

A UH Student Again Earns Nation’s Highest Score on Construction Exam

Chancellor and President Renu Khator

Senior Eric Talley scored 278 out of a possible 300 on the American Institute of Constructors national certification exam.

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www.uh.edu/uhnews

UHNEWS Success • 6

Applause

INSTITUTIONFor the third consecutive year, UH has been named one of the nation’s “Best Value” colleges and universities, according to The Princeton Review, one of only five Texas universities to make the list. The Princeton Review each year names 150 colleges – 75 public and 75 private – it has identified as offering top value, both academically and financially. UH was cited for generous scholarship programs and financial aid packages, a balance of residential and commuter students, and its ethnically diverse student body, as well as the city’s international flavor and its status as “the energy capital of the world.”

A new ranking of online classes from U.S. News & World Report lists the College of Education third among the 2014 Best Online Educa-tion Programs in the nation. The rankings considered student engage-ment, student services and technology, faculty credentials, admissions selectivity and peer reputation in measuring programs.

ALUMNINandita Berry, former University of Houston System regent and senior counsel at the law firm of Locke Lord, was recently appointed as the 109th Texas Secretary of State by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Perry also appointed former regent Nelda Luce Blair, president and owner of the Blair Law Firm PC, to the Texas Economic Development Corp. Former regent Jacob M. Monty was also appointed by Perry to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Monty is managing partner and founder of Monty and Ramirez LLP.

FACULTY/STAFFMargaret Cheung, associate professor of physics, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). APS Fellows are selected for their exceptional contributions to physics, and election is limited to no more than one half of one percent of the membership.

Wynne W. Chin, professor of decision and information sciences, was inducted as a Fellow of the Association of Information Systems. He was one of five to be recognized globally for his contributions to research, teaching and service in the field of information systems.

Jack Christiansen, director of the Petroleum Technology Initiative in College of Technology, has been named winner of the Ross Kastor Educators Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The award is given in recognition of dedication to improving engi-neering and science awareness for students and the enhancement of education for future industry leaders.

Andrea Malone, foreign languages and ethnic studies librarian, has been named a Fulbright Specialist.

Michael A. Olivas is a recipient of the American Educational Research Association’s Social Justice in Education Award. Olivas is the William B. Bates Dis-tinguished Chair of Law and director of the Institute of Higher Education Law & Governance at the Law Center.

Megan Robertson, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s CAREER

award program. CAREER awards are designed to help faculty in the early stages of their research launch long-term, successful labs. They are widely considered one of the most prestigious grants given to young investigators. The grant will support Robertson’s research to develop plant-based plastics and rubbers.

E. Powell Robinson Jr., professor of decision and information sciences, is the recipient of the Decision Sciences Institute’s (DSI) prestigious Dennis E. Grawoig Distinguished Service Award. Named for the institute’s founder, the award recognizes Robinson’s contribu-tions to DSI over a period of more than two decades.

Winning Design by UH Alum Helps Peoples with Disabilities ‘Connect’By Mike Emery

S imple tasks are easy to take for granted. People rarely give a second thought to routine activities such as plugging in a lap-

top or other electronic devices. For those with physical disabilities, however, those everyday tasks present persistent challenges.

While attending the University of Houston, industrial design student Matthew Burton met business student Justin Farley. Farley has cerebral palsy and knows firsthand about the difficulties in per-forming tasks such as handling electric plugs. Although he faces physical limitations, his determi-nation is boundless. He approached UH industrial design professor Eunsook Kwon and invited her students into his daily world. Students worked with him on developing prod-ucts that can benefit people with disabilities.

Burton was among those students and

discovered that one of the issues Farley faced was inserting a plug into an electrical outlet. This sparked an idea for Connect, an adapter system that makes inserting and removing a plug much easier. Burton’s Connect recently earned first place at the International House-

wares Association’s (IHA) 2014 stu-dent design competition. This is the third year in a row that a UH industrial design student has

placed first in this competition.

C o n n e c t includes a base station that plugs

into a standard outlet and an adapter that connects to an appliance’s plug. A magnetic connection allows the user to

easily attach the plug/adapter into the charged base station. A handle is affixed to the base station for easy removal from the outlet.

Burton graduated in May but developed the project during his junior year at UH. As part of his IHA prize, Burton had the opportunity to

showcase Connect at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.

“It applies across different markets,” Bur-ton said. “It can be used by anyone and removes excess clutter. It has more functionality and more ease.”

While conducting research for Connect, Burton paid close attention to Farley’s chal-lenges of plugging in his electric wheelchair. Also, his numerous electronic items required connections to electrical outlets.

“In my research, I noted that he used plugs more than kitchen utensils,” Burton said. “That was surprising. As I tried to understand the areas in his life that needed assistance, I imme-diately noticed that.”

Following his research, Burton developed a functional mock-up that was successfully used and a nonoperational prototype, which he sub-mitted to the IHA student competition.

Since graduating from UH, Burton has found a home at Point Innovation, a design consultancy firm in Dallas. He also contributes his energies to Matter, a nonprofit organization he founded. 0

Margaret Cheung

Michael Olivas

www.uh.edu/uhnews

UHNEWS Feature • 7

Food Stamp Challenge Helps Honors Students Understand Poverty

By Jeannie Kever

T hey bartered – sometimes babysitting for olive oil – and took advantage of free salsa and soy sauce.Mostly, students in an honors class in nutri-

tion policy at the University of Houston who took the Food Stamp Challenge concentrated on stretching a limited amount of food through seven days, using fruit as late-night snacks and gazing longingly at the fancy coffee drinks they once bought without a second thought.

“No coffee, no tea?” said Denny Dao. “It’s really hard.” He skipped dinners out with friends. Other classmates went out, but didn’t order, drinking only water as their friends ate. “I’ve been really hungry,” Laurianne Dib said.

Politicians and activists have taken the chal-lenge to draw attention to the pressures faced by the poorest Americans in feeding their families, but Daphne Hernandez, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Perfor-mance, said the exercise was more than a public-ity stunt or charitable outreach for the students in her class. Hernandez participated, too.

The University provided $25 gift cards to a local grocery store; $25 is about the average weekly amount available for a single adult eligi-ble for benefits under the Supplemental Nutri-tion Assistance Program (SNAP), which served 47 million low-income people in 2013.

Money for the program, including the cost of the gift cards, came from a University-funded

curriculum development grant to Hernandez, intended to support research in undergraduate courses.

Most of the students will go on to careers in health or public policy, and the experience can shape their decisions, Hernandez said.

“Think about what you would recommend to Congress,” she told them. “If you’re working in a community center, think about what you would recommend to clients.”

The exercise didn’t end when Hernandez and the students resumed their regular diets on Feb. 23. Students recorded everything they ate for the week, determining the number of calories, fat, vitamins and minerals, generating a class nutrition data set for analysis. Students will be able to present their findings at the Uni-versity’s Undergraduate Research Day next fall.

Generally, people must have household incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty line, or about $25,400 per year for a family of three, to qualify for SNAP benefits. Funding for the program dropped in November as federal stimulus spending ended, cutting the average family’s benefits by about $36 per month.

The Farm Bill just approved by Congress includes an $8.6 billion cut to SNAP benefits over 10 years. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, 850,000 SNAP households will see benefits lowered, although Texas isn’t expected to be affected.

Ultimately, Hernandez and the students determined that it is possible to eat a healthy diet

on a food stamp budget, although it was difficult and inconvenient. One conclusion? Nutrition education should start early and involve both children and parents, especially mothers.

“I ate less fruits and vegetables, and a lot more beans and rice,” Hernandez said.

Dao, a vegetarian, said he made a critical mistake in planning his meals for the week.

“I didn’t think about all-nighters,” he said. Staying up to study past midnight with only an orange for sustenance was not good.

And cottage cheese for protein? Disgust-ing. “I hadn’t eaten cottage cheese in a long time,” he said. “I was nauseous.”

Dao is one of several students who felt a personal connection to the academic exercise. His parents received food stamps when they first arrived in the United States. He remembers his mother’s stories of the hardships they faced when the food stamps ran out before the end of the month.

“She just said there was no money to eat,” he said. “And that’s really typical of anyone on food stamps. They think about their children first.”

Hernandez wanted the students to better understand why their future patients and clients might resort to fast food and prepackaged foods as they stretch their tight food budgets.

Kristen Haney said she definitely gets it now. “I understand what people are going through,” she said. “We often think of poverty as someone who lives on the street, but they live all around you.” 0

Honors students Denny Dao (left), Laurianne Dib and Taylor Moses shopped at a local grocery store as part of the Food Stamp Challenge.

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UHNEWS Research • 8

HRM Researchers to Grow, Study Produce from Aquaponics SystemBy Marisa Ramirez

The University of Houston is home to an innovative farming system that will serve as

a laboratory to study food safety. The aquapon-ics system also will grow as much as 75 pounds

of produce to be donated to area food pantries.“Though the practice of using fish as a

source of nitrogen to feed plants has been around for more than 30 years, primarily in Japan where farmland is a premium, aquaponics is moving more and more into the U.S.,” said Jay Neal,

assistant professor of food safety in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

The UH aquaponics system is built entirely in a 15-by-25 lab-oratory. A 600-gallon water tank is home to more than 200 tilapia. Water from the fish tank will flow through a PVC pipe over clay media into a floating garden support-ing squash plants. From there the nutrient-rich water is drained into a second floating garden of lettuce and assorted herbs. The root sys-tems clean the water, which is then filtered back into the tilapia tank.

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

The project is in collaboration with the agricultural department at the Houston Com-munity College-Katy campus. Neal, whose research on food safety and contaminates has yielded best practices for small farms and farm-ers’ markets, will use the system to examine the prevalence of contaminates on produce from aquaponics gardens compared with farmers’ markets and supermarkets produce.

“Certainly, there is bacteria everywhere, but we have found that with an aquaponics sys-tem, the microbial load is very limited,” he said.

One growing cycle will yield approxi-mately 75 pounds of produce — squash, lettuce and herbs. Neal says the harvest will be donated to area organizations to help their clients.

“We’d like to use this as a model to sup-plement food deserts in urban environments, places that are without steady sources of nutri-tion,” Neal said. 0

Fast-Evolving Market for 3D Printers Reshape Teaching, ResearchBy Jeannie Kever

T hey don’t look much different from any other piece of office equipment, but 3D printers are transforming university

teaching and research.“If you can think of it, you can print it,” said

Tony Frankino, assistant professor of biology in the University of Houston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM).

The concept of 3D printing has been around since the 1980s, but advances in the technology – along with reduced costs – have made the printers more practical for everyday use in academia. Industry experts predict this fast-evolving market will grow from $2.5 bil-lion in 2013 to $3.8 billion this year, and top $16 billion by 2018.

A number of UH researchers have added 3D printers to their labs over the past few years. The College of Optometry installed one more than a decade ago, and the number has grown steadily since.

The printers are most often used to illus-trate complex concepts in the classroom, but a handful of academics have begun to use them to facilitate their research. While plastic is the most common medium, Frankino said some printers can produce designs in metals, ceram-ics and even biological tissues.

He used one of the printers installed in the Information Technology Center at NSM to build a series of small wind tunnels that one of his Ph.D. students used to study fruit flies and their ability to adapt to new environments. He also used the printer to make smaller scale models

of the wind tunnels to take to conferences and lectures, a visual aid to explain the research.

Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Cul-len College of Engineering, has used a printer to make accessories for the robotic exoskeletons he uses to help adults with paralysis, stroke or other movement disorders.

But his dreams are far bigger.Contreras-Vidal’s research focuses on

developing algorithms that read electrical activ-ity in the brain and translate it into movement. He envisions using 3D printers to produce

custom-designed exoskeletons – external fit-tings worn over the user’s hips and legs, pro-pelled by a small motor – for children with cerebral palsy.

The exoskeleton, guided by the brain-ma-chine interface, could provide a form of therapy to treat the movement disorder, he said.

For now, many researchers say the printers’ greatest value is in creating models of complex concepts, both to help explain their research and as a teaching tool in their classrooms.

In his research, doctoral student Drew Russey used a wind tunnel built by a 3D printer that took two weeks and cost $2,000. The tunnel may have taken a year and cost $60,000 if it had been manufactured traditionally.

The aquaponics system is part of a grant-funded project with Houston Community College and Dayton Independent School District.

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UHNEWS Research • 9

Scientists Target Metabolism to Create Prostate Cancer TreatmentsBy Lisa Merkl

A University of Houston scientist and his team are working to develop the next generation of prostate cancer therapies,

which are targeted at metabolism.With approximately one out of six Ameri-

can men being diagnosed and nearly a quarter of a million new cases expected this year, pros-tate cancer is the most common malignancy among men in the U.S. Since prostate cancer relies on androgens for growth and survival, androgen ablation therapies are the standard of care for late-stage disease. While patients initially respond favorably to this course of treatment, most experience a relapse within two years, at which time limited treatment options exist.

At this stage, known as castration-resistant prostate cancer, androgen-deprivation thera-pies are no longer effective, but interestingly, androgen receptor signaling is still active and plays a large role in the progression of the can-cer. Because of this, both androgen receptors and the processes downstream of the receptor remain viable targets for therapeutic interven-tion. Unfortunately, it is unclear which specific downstream processes actually drive the dis-ease and, therefore, what should be targeted.

Daniel Frigo, assistant professor with the UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Sig-naling (CNRCS), has set his sights on a particu-lar cascade of biochemical reactions inside the cell. Focusing specifically on an enzyme known as AMPK, which is considered a master regu-lator of metabolism, Frigo and his team have

demonstrated that androgens have the capac-ity to take control of this enzyme’s molecular signals.

“The androgen signaling cascade is import-ant for understanding early and late-stage pros-tate cancer progression,” Frigo said. “We found that when androgens activated this signaling pathway, it hijacked normal conditions, allowing the tumor to use diverse nutrients to the detri-ment of the patient. These results emphasize the potential utility of developing metabolic-tar-geted therapies directed toward this signaling cascade for the treatment of prostate cancer,

and we look forward to exploring this and other metabolic pathways further in order to develop the next generation of cancer therapies.”

In their studies, Frigo’s team showed that prostate cancer cells respond to androgens not only by increasing the breakdown of sugars, a process known as glycolysis that is commonly seen in many cancers, but also escalating the metabolism of fats. While much of the research on cancer metabolism has historically focused on glycolysis, the researchers say it’s now becoming apparent that not all cancers depend solely on sugars.

Their findings further indicate that the metabolic changes brought about by the AMPK enzyme result in distinct growth advantages to prostate cancer cells. They say, however, that our understanding of how androgen receptor signal-ing impacts cellular metabolism and what role this has in disease progression remains incomplete.

The Frigo lab is one of several within the CNRCS concentrated on the role of nuclear receptors in cancer prevention and treatment, and his team has long studied the androgen receptor, which turns on or off various signal-ing pathways. Frigo believes these pathways hold the potential for better cancer treatments. Targeting these under explored metabolic path-ways for the development of novel therapeutics, Frigo’s ultimate goal is to unlock more effective and less harmful cancer treatment alternatives.

With funding from the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Texas Emerging Technology Fund and Golfers Against Cancer, Frigo’s latest research appears in the journal Oncogene. 0

Research on Type 2 Diabetes Examines Damage to Hand FunctionBy Marisa Ramirez

D amage to hands is not commonly asso-ciated with type 2 diabetes. We tend to

think of the harm the disease does to feet and legs. But new research from the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance found impairments in dexterity and sensory function in the hands of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. The study marks the first time such results have been documented in T2D population.

“It’s a very basic concept that no one’s looked at before. No one has examined what it is like if a patient living with type 2 dia-betes touches an object compared to some-one who’s healthy. Is it different? It really is,” said assistant professor and researcher Stacey Gorniak. “We’re not just seeing the traditional diabetic issues with the feet and the legs, but we’re actually seeing affects to

the hands. We found changes to the central nervous system that are not correlated with disease duration or disease severity, but sim-ply due to the presence of the disease.”

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that impacts 9 percent of the Texas population. Much of the research on diabetic neuropathy—the nerve disorders, such as numbness, pain or tingling, caused by diabetes—has focused on the lower extremities. Gorniak, who studies how hand function is impacted by chronic health issues, conducted an evaluation of the fingertip and hand function in men and women. The battery of tests conducted include traditional clinical evaluations and also a video game-like com-puter program to measure how participants interacted with hand-held items.

Evaluations were conducted at the UH Center for Neuromotor and Biomechanics Research at the National Center for Human Performance in the Texas Medical Center.

Among her findings were declines in the dexterity of hands and fingertips of T2D patients when performing fine motor tasks and a decline in strength when gripping. Sensory evaluations also discovered small nerve fiber dysfunction in both hands. She says further studies may address the systemic changes asso-ciated with T2D, specifically an altered blood flow to the limbs and its impact on muscle tis-sue and motor skills.

“Interacting with an object changes with diabetes. This change impacts quality of life,” she said. “Brushing your teeth, feeding yourself, holding a phone and having a conversation, writing with a pen or pencil. These are all activities we take for granted.” 0

Assistant professor Daniel Frigo and his team are looking at how enzyme functions correlate with the progression of prostate cancer.

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UHNEWS Research • 10

Chemist Ognjen Miljanic began using a 3D printer several years ago to illustrate some of the concepts his graduate classes were discuss-ing. He also has printed out models of his own work – the crystal molecules he works with are far too tiny for visitors to the lab to see, and the 3D models are great for presentations.

“For us, the impact on research, it’s not quite there yet,” he said. “The impact on teach-ing, it’s dramatic.”

Miljanic included a proposal involving 3D printing when he applied to the Cottrell Schol-ars program, an honor awarded by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement – cre-ating a database of plans for 3D models geared to widely taught advanced chemistry classes, allowing faculty members anywhere to print the models at their own institutions.

“The cost has dropped over the last 10 years,” he said. “The barrier now is that many people are uncomfortable trying to prepare a 3D model design.”

The value to students is obvious, Miljanic said. “I realized that models could convey some concepts much better than I could in two dimensions on the board.” 0

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“In this case, we will be helping energy companies ensure that they are responding as quickly as possible to their customers and con-sumer demand,” Krishnamoorti said.

The initial focus of the work will involve analyzing the massive amounts of data stream-ing in from smart meters CenterPoint Energy installed across the region, known as big data. With more than two million smart meters in the Houston area, each reporting 15-minute-inter-val data, there is a deluge of information avail-able to energy companies and grid operators.

The consortium, led by principal investiga-tor Zhu Han, will focus on data-driven solutions that help customers. Innovations from the effort will drive service for Direct Energy’s residential and business customers in Texas and nationwide.

“Working with industry-leading research-ers at UH provides Direct Energy a unique opportunity to create new solutions for cus-tomers and to better respond to their needs,” said CEO Badar Khan. “As founding members of the consortium, we want to help Texas energy consumers be at the forefront of new ideas as new technology emerges.” But not all of the work involves smart meters.

CenterPoint Energy was the consortium’s first member, joining in 2013. Direct Energy joined the consortium this year. CenterPoint Energy is working with Han to develop a pre-dictive damage assessment model to prepare for hurricanes or other major storms.

“We understand that everyone wants power back on quickly following a natural disaster,” said Kenny Mercado, senior vice pres-ident of CenterPoint Energy’s electric business. “But the reality is there will be outages.”

More than two million of CenterPoint Ener-gy’s 2.2 million consumers experienced outages after Hurricane Ike in 2008. Power was restored to 75 percent of those customers within 10 days.

Han, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said his predictive model can provide CenterPoint Energy with information pertaining to the damage that

may be caused by a hurricane based on the inten-sity and path of the storm. This information would supplement CenterPoint Energy’s storm planning and restoration strategies.

“We believe the investments we’ve made in intelligent grid and analytics technologies will improve how we identify where service prob-lems are and how quickly we restore power after a major event,” Mercado said. “Combine this with the technology UH students are being exposed to today, and we’re confident we’ll have progressive modeling that we can use to better prepare for future weather events.” 0

Associate professor Zhu Han will lead the Electric Power Analytics Consortium.

Foldable Flat-Screen TVs Could be Possible Thanks to Researchers at UH, HarvardBy Jeannie Kever

University of Houston researchers have developed a new stretchable and transpar-

ent electrical conductor, bringing the potential for a fully foldable cell phone or a flat-screen television that can be folded and carried under your arm closer to reality.

Zhifeng Ren, a physicist at the University of Houston and principal investigator at the Texas Center for Superconductivity, said there long has been research on portable electron-ics that could be rolled up or otherwise easily transported. But a material that is transparent and has both the necessary flexibility and con-ductivity has proved elusive – some materials have two of the components, but until now, finding one with all three has remained diffi-cult.

The gold nanomesh electrodes produced by Ren and his research associates Chuanfei Guo and Tianyi Sun at UH, along with two colleagues at Harvard University, provide good electrical conductivity as well as transparency

and flexibility, the researchers report in a paper published online recently in Nature Communi-cations. The material also has potential appli-cations for biomedical devices, said Ren, lead author on the paper.

The researchers reported that gold nano-mesh electrodes, produced by the novel grain boundary lithography, increase resistance only slightly, even at a strain of 160 percent, or after 1,000 cycles at a strain of 50 percent. The nano-mesh, a network of fully interconnected gold nanowires, has good electrical conductivity and transparency, and has “ultrahigh stretchability,” according to the paper.

And unlike silver or copper, gold nano-mesh does not easily oxidize, which Ren said causes a sharp drop in electrical conductivity in silver and copper nanowires. Guo said the group is the first to create a material that is more stretchable and conductive at similar transparency, as well as the first to use grain boundary lithography in the quest to do so. More importantly, he said, it is the first to offer a clear mechanism to produce ultrahigh stretchability. 0

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UHNEWS Profiles • 11

Faculty Focus

Gamble’s Career in Accounting Pays OffBy Francine Parker

In the early 1960s, George Gamble was a youngster in West Palm Beach, Fla., with dreams of serving his country as an FBI agent in the aftermath of the U.S. failed invasion of Cuba and the Cuban missile crisis.

Years later, Gamble’s dreams took a decidedly different turn after he took a civil service exam.

“The test revealed that I had strong problem-solving skills and an aptitude for accounting,” Gamble says.

Those results led Gamble to pursue an accounting career, which even-tually brought him to the University of Houston 36 years ago. Today, Gamble is the Robert Grinaker Professor in Accounting and Taxation in the C. T. Bauer College of Business and the director of the college’s Institute for Diversity and Cross Cultural Management.

In 1978, Gamble began his career at the University as an accounting instructor. He was drawn to the Bauer college because it was a fairly young institution with little bureaucracy, Gamble says. The college also offered numerous opportunities to faculty members in the early stages of their careers, he adds.

For Gamble, the college gave him a chance to make a difference, which he took despite skepticism from one professor who has since retired.

“I’ll never forget what the man said,” Gamble recalls when the two first met in the late 1970s. “He said, ‘There goes the neighborhood.’ ’’

Gamble knew all too well the meaning of the phrase. It is an

expression of disapproval of African-Ameri-cans and other people of color moving into all-white neigh-borhoods.

Gamble chose not to respond. He remained stoic, determined to succeed more than ever.

“You change people by your actions not your words,” he said.

Gamble immersed himself into the life of the college. He focused his attention on teaching, research and, of course, students. Over the years, he has served as the faculty adviser for several student organi-zations including the UH chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor organization for financial information students and profession-als. He also has chaired numerous dissertation committees and has published research in more than 20 articles in top-tier accounting journals.

Gamble’s research and superb teaching skills have earned him numer-ous honors. He is the recipient of more than two dozen awards includ-ing the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Teaching Excellence Award, the UH Alumni Association Outstanding Faculty Award and the Houston

Cougars at Work

By Kristina Michel

Laniki “Nikki” Stephenson has been with the University of Houston Children’s Learning Centers (CLC) since 2006, and she takes great pride in her job. She works in the Cameron Building location as a site supervisor and an infant teacher. She and her staff care for and teach the infants (typically 3 to 18 months old) to communicate and develop their fine motor skills, by focusing on activities such as finger-painting, playing with puzzles and building blocks, and having circle times.

“It’s so exciting to see the development in the babies,” Stephenson said. “One of my favorite things to see is when they’re able to do something we taught them on their own.”

Stephenson feels as though she has been in education and child care practically all her life. Stephenson was born in Victoria, Texas, and raised in San Francisco. At 15, she joined a special work-study program in San Francisco as a teacher’s assistant and peer tutor for elementary school students.

Stephenson returned to Victoria a year later. After graduating high school, she worked as a lead teacher at a local child care center with toddlers for about three years. Then, she got a job as an assistant with a Head Start program and worked her way up to become a teacher. Stephenson also worked summers at a local day care center with preschoolers.

Six years later, the busy schedule had taken its toll on her. In need of a change, she accepted a position at CLC and moved to Houston in summer 2006. Stephenson says she is happiest when she is working

with the infants at CLC and her wonderful staff.

“We take pride in what we do for our children here,” Stephenson said. “Our staff is excellent.”

When she’s not working at CLC, Stephenson is taking online classes toward her bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. She recently completed her associate’s degree in child devel-opment at Houston Community College. Her ultimate goal is to obtain a master’s degree in education.

George Gamble, Robert Grinaker Professor in Accounting and Taxation and director of the Institute for Diversity and Cross Cultural Management

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New Men’s Basketball Head Coach NamedBy Jeff Conrad

A veteran of 13 NCAA Tour-naments, former Houston Rockets assistant and col-

lege coach Kelvin Sampson was named as the University of Hous-ton men’s basketball head coach by Vice President for Intercolle-giate Athletics Mack Rhoades.

Sampson becomes the ninth head coach in the history of the UH program, replacing James Dickey, who stepped down in late March due to private family matters.

As a 25-year veteran at Indiana, Oklahoma, Washington State and Montana Tech universities, Sampson compiled a 500-270 record. He led his teams to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances including 11 in 12 years with the Sooners from 1994 to 2006. During his Oklahoma tenure, he guided the Sooners to 10 consecutive 20-win seasons, the 1999 Sweet 16, the 2002 Final Four and an Elite Eight appearance in 2003.

“As we conducted a national search, we spoke with many people who employed, worked with and worked for Kelvin Sampson

at his previous institutions as well as current and former NCAA officials. Those reviews were extremely encouraging. Coach Sampson is committed to leading a first-class program in all ways,” Rhoades said.

Sampson joins the Cougars after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and the Mil-waukee Bucks. During the 2012-2013 season, he served as the Rockets’ acting head coach during coach Kevin McHale’s leave of absence. 0

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UHNEWS Campus • 12

chapter of the Black MBA Association Educa-tor of the Year Award. Also, in 2010, the UH student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants established an endowed scholarship in Gamble’s name.

Gamble’s commitment to UH and its students have not only earned him accolades but also the respect of his peers, including the same professor who spoke that offensive phrase to him. Gamble recalls his last conversation with the professor, just days before he retired.

“The man told me, ‘When I die, I want to come back just like you, George,’’’ Gamble says.

Gamble credits his integrity, work ethic and success to his parents. They instilled in him and his five older siblings a sense of pride, he notes.

“They taught us that our word means something,” Gamble says. “My father was a strong, but com-passionate man. He never disciplined in anger. I learned a lot from him. My mother was quiet, reserved, but a firm disciplinarian, too. Both of them were religious. They led by example.”

Gamble’s oldest sibling, Robert, also led by example. He was the first in their family to graduate from college, inspiring Gamble and his other brothers and sister to attend and graduate from Florida A&M University. Gamble went on to receive an M.B.A. and believes he is the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in business administration from Penn State University.

Does he ever regret taking a gamble on a career in accounting and academia?

“No,” Gamble says. He laughs then adds, “I made the right decision.” 0

recommendations will require careful planning to ensure that student access, degree comple-tion, enrollment and revenue are maintained and that the end result of this initiative consti-tutes an improvement in services for the stu-dents, universities and communities involved.

“These recommendations are pretty bold,” said Regent Roger Welder, a native of Victoria, Texas. “I agree that these guiding principles are imperative. I know there is some trepidation, nat-urally, among people currently operating there. It’s my expectation, and (the board’s) expectation that implementation of this plan be done in a very thoughtful and careful way. It’s clear to me that the city of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County really want this. They’ve been waiting a long time for it. So, the timing is appropriate.”

The expansion of UH programs in Sugar Land and a corresponding transfer of some UH-Victoria and UH-Clear Lake programs to other locations or delivery modes must be timed and orchestrated in a way that provides continuity in course and program availability, faculty and staff resources, enrollment and rev-enue, the task force recommended.

The report also noted that the planned transition will require some level of renova-tion at the Sugar Land campus to accommodate incoming UH programs and faculty, as will the shift of some UHV programs to another mode of delivery, such as fully online.

UHS Chancellor Renu Khator said the transition plan would be implemented “very methodically, very thoughtfully and very care-fully,” with a continuing focus on the best inter-ests of students and faculty, as well as individual System campuses.

UHS Board of Regents Chairman Jarvis Hollingsworth said regents transferred the administrative functions of UH Sugar Land to the University of Houston a year ago “in antic-ipation of a process by which these types of recommendations would be considered.”

“We are the regents for the UH System. Therefore, it is always, first and foremost, our responsibility to do what’s in the best interests of all four campuses in the System. We’ll work closely with the communities involved to make sure we live up to that standard,” he said. 0

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Continued from p.11: Faculty Focus

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades, President Renu Khator and UH System Board of Regents Chair Jarvis Holling-sworth congratulated Kelvin Sampson (center left) on his appointment as men’s basketball head coach.

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Interim President of UHV AppointedBy Richard Bonnin

University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator has named Raymond Victor Morgan Jr., interim president of the Univer-

sity of Houston-Victoria, effective April 21. Mor-gan currently is president emeritus and professor of mathematics at Sul Ross State University.

“Dr. Morgan has the right blend of experi-ence, accomplishments and understanding of vital transitional issues such as the SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) accredita-tion process,” Khator said. “He is a proven leader with a strong background in academics and a demonstrated record of achievement in student recruitment and retention and student success."

Morgan was the 10th president of Sul Ross State University. He served 19 years as presi-dent, before stepping down in 2009.

He then served as special assistant to the vice chancellor and president designate of the University of North Texas at Dallas from December 2009 until August 2010. His career at Sul Ross began in 1975 when he joined the uni-versity as an associate professor of mathemat-ics. The following year he was named the math-ematics department chair and was appointed science dean in 1979. In 1986, he moved to the President's Office to serve as executive assistant to the president. He served as acting president from Nov. 17, 1989, until his appointment as president in September 1990. 0

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UHNEWS Arts • 13

Staff Reports

The University of Houston Blaffer Arts Museum kicked off 2014 with distinctively

different offerings from internationally acclaimed artists. The museum will end the spring semester with exhibitions displaying the works of some of UH’s most talented student artists.

Earlier this semester, the museum welcomed Antena, a creative collaborative

comprised of Jen Hofer and John Pluecker, to campus for a spring residency that runs through May 10.

Both Hofer and Pluecker of Antena are writ-ers, artists, literary translators and activist inter-preters. At UH, they are exploring how views on language can help re-imagine and re-articulate our world. Among the duo’s initiatives at UH is teaching the course In The Between: At the Intersections of Writing, Art, Politics – part of

the UH Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Arts curriculum.

Antena will transmit their talents off campus as well, delivering performances, public readings and panel discussions in the community. Antena’s residency at Blaffer is supported through an Inno-vation Grant from the Mitchell Center.

Blaffer also presented the first solo exhibition in the U.S. for St. Petersburg born, New York-based Anton Ginzburg titled “Terra Corpus” and the telenovela-inspired “Tears and Politics: Works by Phil Collins and Christian Jankowski.”

In April, the museum turned its focus to rising UH student artists. The museum is host-ing the “36th School of Art Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition,” which closes April 19.

This year’s Master of Fine Arts candidates are Jose Baez Franceschi, Aaron Bielish, Car-los Corona, Jessica Crute, Brenda Cruz, Jamie Davis, Lauren Moya Ford, John Forse, Betsy Huete, Bradley Kerl, Kyle Earl McAvoy, Linh O’Briant, Tom So, Jeremy Underwood, Joshua Ward, Arnea Williams, Rhonda Wolverton and Amy Beth Wright. These 18 artists represent five School of Art departments: graphic com-munications, interdisciplinary practice and emerging forms, painting, photography/digital media and sculpture.

The museum wraps up its spring semester with the “UH School of Art Student Exhibition.” The exhibition opens with a free public recep-tion at 6 p.m., April 25 and closes May 10.

For details, www.blafferartmuseum.org. 0

Mitchell Center for the Arts Presents Citywide CounterCurrent FestivalBy Mike Emery

T he University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts recently pre-sented CounterCurrent, a citywide arts

festival. This bold new interdisciplinary initia-tive featured local, national and international artists. The festival was comprised of approx-imately a dozen innovative contemporary and collaborative performances, installations and experiences that occured at various venues throughout Houston including galleries, out-door sites and nontraditional spaces.

This inaugural collaborative multi-arts fes-tival encompassed works that blended theatre, dance, music, visual arts, film and literature.

“It was our goal to offer Houston a cut-ting-edge festival – one that truly puts Hous-ton on the international map,” said Karen Far-ber, executive director of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

Highlights of the lineup included Jonah Bokaer’s “ECLIPSE” and composer Byron Au

Yong’s “Piano Concerto Houston.” Bokaer, an accomplished New York choreographer and exquisite modern dancer, partnered with Anthony McCall, the British-born avant-garde artist specializing in cinema/projected film, to create a dance/installation that appears as a square of pure light and movement with an audio-visual time score.

Commissioned by the Mitchell Center, the “Piano Concerto Houston” installation drew together a diverse group of 11 local pianists, Au Yong and visual artist collaborator Susie Lee to create a virtual piano ensemble which was viewed in an exhibition space.

“It was my hope to create a groundbreak-ing event in the same genre of the first-class arts festivals around the world, from Europe to Mexico City and from New York to Portland,” Farber said.

Festival themes included language exper-imentation, transit and transportation, and the collisions between natural and unnatural environments. CounterCurrent foregrounded Houston’s many communities by offering

Spanish-speaking works, as well as projects by Chinese-American artists. New works by UH faculty and students were also included in the festival. 0

Jonah Bokaer and Anthony McCall created the dance/ installation “ECLIPSE” for CounterCurrent.

Jeremy Underwood’s “Wood Debris Spiral” is one of the works on display at the Blaffer Art Museum as part of the “School of Art Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition.”

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UHNEWS Arts • 14

‘The Art of Observation’ Explored During Arts, Medicine LectureBy Mike Emery

On the surface, the disciplines of dermatology and art might not have much in common.

For noted dermatologist John Wolf, the study of art has had a significant impact on how he diagnoses skin maladies. According to Wolf, chair of dermatology at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine, interpreting works of art has much in common with his clinical observations.

Wolf shared his insights on this topic during the 2014 Arts and Medicine Lecture at the University of Houston. His lecture “The Art of Observation” was held recently.

The overarching theme of Wolf’s talk was observation’s cru-cial role in medicine and how the powers of observation can be strengthened through the study of art and literature. Sher-lock Holmes stories are among the works that

inspired Wolf’s talk, particularly the fictional detective’s statement from “A Scandal in Bohe-mia” – “You see, but you do not observe.”

At Baylor College of Medicine, Wolf specializes in general and medical dermatology. His clinical interests include acne, hair and nail diseases. Wolf is an honors graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch. He holds a certification from the American Board of Dermatology.

He was the second guest to participate in the Houston Arts and Medicine Lecture Series, a collabo-rative effort by Blaffer Art Museum, the UH Honors College and Hous-ton Methodist Hospital’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine.

Additional partners included co-sponsor Baylor College of Medicine and colleges within UH – College of Liberal Art and Social Sciences, The Honors College, College of Natural Sciences and

Mathematics, Cullen College of Engineering and the College of Technology. Houston Pub-lic Media also was a partner for this event. 0

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Alley Theatre Will Perform Its 2014-2015 Season at UH

By Richard Bonnin

A n exciting partnership between the University of Houston and the Tony

Award-winning Alley Theatre was announced recently, resulting in the Alley performing its 2014-2015 season at the University’s Wortham Theatre while its facili-ties undergo major renovations.

“This is an outstanding oppor-tunity for our theater students to directly engage with the Alley’s working professionals,” said UH President Renu Khator. “In addition to specific intern-ships, simply sharing the hallways is a wonder-ful chance for our students to make connections and gain insight from the Alley’s experienced and talented actors and staff. I know they’ll experience the energy of our students as well.”

Khator said the partnership with the Alley fits well with the UH Arts Initiative, which features public programs that include premiere theater and musical productions, art and architectural exhibitions, literary readings and performances.

Jim Johnson, director of the School of The-atre & Dance at UH, said, “I’m excited to share our facilities with some Alley patrons who may not have visited the UH campus before. We’ve been going through some renovations

to prepare the theater for the Alley, in addition to some improvements to parking and a major transformation of the park space in the midst of UH’s Arts campus.”

Johnson said UH and the Alley have had a number of interactions over the years. “UH alums have been a part of the Alley team for decades, and we’ve been lucky enough to have a number of Alley professionals work here with us,” he said.

In selecting a venue for the 2014-2015 season, a comprehensive analysis of all possi-ble options was undertaken by the Alley. The Wortham Theatre was chosen because of its modern amenities, similar size to the Alley’s Hubbard Stage, up-to-date stage technology and its proximity to the Alley Theatre’s downtown home. The theater has excellent audience ame-nities including ADA-compliant seating.

Arts Briefs

The Seventh Annual University of Houston Libraries Student Art Exhibition, which features 30 selected works from rising UH artists, runs through April 25. The exhibition is located on the third floor of the M.D. Anderson Library.

Author and alum of UH’s Arte Público Press Rolando Hinojosa received the National Book Critics Circle’s Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor is bestowed annually to a person or institution who has, over time, made significant contributions to book culture.

UH’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center is among only six institutions in the U.S. to receive a Building Bridges: Campus Community Engagement grant awarded by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The $200,000 grant will support the center’s INTERSECTIONS project. INTERSECTIONS will assemble four artists in residence, who will use their talents to create awareness of Muslim culture. 0

L to R: Jim Johnson, director of the UH School of Theatre & Dance; Roger Plank, Alley Theatre capital campaign co-chair; Dean R. Gladden, managing director of the Alley Theatre; Renu Khator, UH president; and Gregory Boyd, artistic director of the Alley Theatre

With financial support from its Extended Engagement Capital Campaign, the Alley will begin extensive renovations to its facilities on July 14. These will continue through the summer of 2015, with the grand opening of the renovated Alley Theatre scheduled for fall 2015. 0

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In “The Art of Observation” lecture, dermatologist Dr. John Wolf examined how art historians and physicians apply similar methods of observation.

René Magritte’s “Le Perreux-sur-Marne” (“The False Mirror”). Image courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY.