President’s Investiture Showcases University

SPRING 2010

U N I V E R S I T Y O F H O U S T O N - D O W N T O W N

FEATURES

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New Horizons is published quarterly by the Universityof Houston-Downtown. UHD’s Division of Public Affairs, headedby Executive Director Sue Davis, would like to hear from readerswith comments, suggestions and story ideas. Send addresschanges to New Horizons, Public Affairs, One Main Street,Suite 990S, Houston, TX 77002. Call 713-221-8010 for moreinformation or e-mail Randy Cypret at cypretr@uhd.edu. © 2009 University of Houston-Downtown

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy CypretCreative Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe WynneGraphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meghan SellersContributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Becky Van Meter, Patti Muck, Duong TranInvestiture Photography . . . . . . . . . . John Everett

6 Jazz man Robert Wilson namedArtist in Residence at UHD

7 Faculty members make a namefor UHD with diverse publications

10 UHD Powerlifting Club Team winsthird consecutive nationalchampionship

12Walmart Minority StudentSuccess Award provides$100,000 to UHD

13 Graduate becomes first directorof Security Management forExecutives master’s degreeprogram

18 UHD-Northwest starts withsummer sessions

19 Outstanding faculty recognizedfor teaching, creativity andservice

UHD’s first Investiture ceremony, held March 11 at theWortham Center, officially welcomed the University’sfifth president, William V. Flores, center, shown on thecover as he accepts the mace and is formally investedby UH System Board of Regents Chairman Welcome W.Wilson Sr., left, and UH System Chancellor Renu Khator.In the photo at the top of Page 3, President Flores giveshis Investiture address. The theme of the traditional ceremony was “Changing Lives, Building Futures.”

ABOUT THE COVER

The University of Houston-Downtown has thepotential to become a model for institutionsnationwide through student success efforts in a

changing world, President William V. Flores said dur-ing his formal Investiture speech at the WorthamCenter.

“What we do at UHD for student success can becomea model for the rest of the country, and that excitesme,” he told faculty, staff, students, legislators, com-munity leaders and UH System officials in the tradi-tion-filled ceremony March 11. “The world ischanging in ways that are unsettling, and we have to change with it.”

The official Investiture ceremony of UHD’s fifth pres-ident capped a week of activities that showcased fac-ulty, student and staff achievements while raisingmore than $500,000 in donations to fund studentscholarships and cover Investiture costs. Floresthanked donors and sponsors as he officiallyaccepted the presidency and pledged to uphold theInvestiture Week theme of “Changing Lives,Building Futures.”

“The faculty and the staff drew mehere,” Flores said. “We are work-ing on plans to ensure that everystudent receives a deep andmemorable experience at UHD,be it internships, undergradu-ate research, civic engagementor capstone projects. We willimprove student success at UHD; wewill increase the number of studentswho graduate each year.”

Seven months into his first year in office, Flores facesstate-mandated budget cuts and major issues oncampus including a name change. He candidlydetails these challenges in his online blog, “Viewfrom the Bayou” (http://uhdprez.blogspot.com/). Hisfluency in the social media and his communicationskills drew kudos from UHD Student Body PresidentLaura Sanchez, who spoke during the Investiture cer-emony and thanked him “for talking to us throughFacebook.”

“Dr. Flores, you believe in who you are,” Sanchezsaid. “There is nothing more powerful in this worldthan a positive attitude.”

Similarly, UH System Chancellor Renu Khator intro-duced Flores as a man with qualities of “maturityand leadership” who embraces technology and theopportunities offered through social media. “He’struly a university president of the 21st Century,” Kha-tor said. “We stand by him and this University.”

UHD Faculty Senate President Michelle Moosallyremarked on Flores’ willingness to engage in seriousdialogue and his ability to “find pathways to turnthoughts into actions.”

“The faculty are ready for change, and we know you are ready for us,” she said.

Staff Council President John Lane urged Flores to tap into the wealth of resources represented by UHDstaffers, many of whom are actively engaged in thecommunity. Staff Council started a scholarship fundin honor of Investiture Week for children of UHDemployees. “We come from many different back-grounds, we are accomplished in areas that mightsurprise some people and many of us are alumni ofUHD,” Lane said, as he welcomed Flores.

In his post-Investiture blog, Flores reminded readersthat the Investiture was not about him but about theUniversity and its role in the Houston region. “Weused the opportunity to strengthen relations with ouralumni, our donors, our regents, with the system,with elected officials and with the community-at-large,” he wrote. Several family members, friends and colleagues from other states and universitiesjoined him during the weeklong celebration. His

wife, Celina, sat beside him on the Investiturestage.

Flores’ friend and former boss, JayGogue, president of Auburn Uni-

versity and former UH Systemchancellor, was keynote speakerat the Investiture and said Flo-res demonstrates the difference

between management and lead-ership and has the integrity, the

ethics and the capacity to lead UHD.Gogue hired Flores as a provost when

Gogue was president of New Mexico State Uni-versity. Quoting a speech he once heard from a Cana-dian health minister, Gogue said Flores is a leaderwith “the capacity to make public an unreasonabledeclaration” and is not afraid to make tough deci-sions.

UHD alumna Mary Flood, an award winning inves-tigative and legal reporter with the Houston Chroni-cle, called her alma mater a godsend for thousandsand a place “of stunning diversity” where “opendoors break barriers for people.” She recalled stand-ing by a 55-year-old banker and his son as they graduated together with her in 1989. When she wentaway to Harvard Law School and an environment of privilege, “I frankly missed the variety of folks Iknew here.”

Chancellor Khator and Welcome Wilson Sr., chair-man of the UH System Board of Regents, presentedFlores with UHD’s Presidential Medallion and mace.Faculty wore academic regalia for the formal openingand closing procession to music performed by TheHouston Brass. Professor of Computer and Mathemat-ical Sciences Andre de Korvin read his poem “A NewBeginning,” and three of UHD’s four past presidentsshared the stage with faculty, speakers and guests.

Investiture of University’s Fifth President MarksTime of Change and Growth

for an Institution of the 21st Century

UHD Named to National Honor Roll

See page 8

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Students, alumni and donors gath-ered at UHD on March 10, thenight before the Investiture, for

the first President’s Scholarship Dinneron campus that honored UHD alumnusRichard A. “Rick” Hartley, CEO and Executive Director of The 100 Club.

UHD President Bill Flores announced thatUHD has raised cash, gifts-in-kind andpledges totaling more than $500,000 incelebration of the Investiture, adding thegifts would help offset costs and providescholarship support for UHD’s students.

“This is truly a very special day and occa-sion that brings new history to the Uni-versity. I am deeply moved by all of thecontributions we have received to fullyfund this Investiture and to create orexpand several endowed scholarships forour students,” Flores said. “I especiallythank our sponsors and our donors.”

Flores also thanked The 100 Club forgenerously pledging $65,000 to TheClarence Kendall 100 Club EndowedScholarship at UHD, a full-ride scholar-ship awarded to a high school junior or

senior who plans to pursue a degreein criminal justice at UHD. The100 Club, one of Houston’s mostrespected non-profits, helps familiesof law enforcement officers andfirefighters who are killed in theline of duty.

Hartley was recognized for his serv-ice to UHD, including serving onthe President’s Advisory Board andthe Criminal Justice Advisory Board.

Hartley’s dedication to UHD and themission of The 100 Club camethrough clearly in his remarks ashe recognized Renee Garcia, one ofthe newest 100-Club Scholars. The100 Club Scholarships for criminaljustice majors have opened doorsfor many officers and administratorsacross Greater Houston. The 100 Club’scumulative giving to UHD now reachesinto the six-figure realm and is greatlyappreciated by UHD and the College ofPublic Service, home to the Department ofCriminal Justice.

UHD tapped Vicki King, UHD alum and

assistant chief with the Houston PoliceDepartment, to emcee the evening. Kingpresented Flores with a commemorativecoin the department presents to digni-taries. “This is a tradition in the HoustonPolice Department,” she said as she presented the coin .

During the course of the evening a new

endowed scholarship honoring Provostand Vice Chancellor for Academic AffairsMolly Woods was announced.

Flores also announced a new campaign toendow 10 Presidential Scholarship Awardsat the $100,000 level. Once established, thePresidential Scholarships will provide aperpetual award for talented students.

UHD alumnus Richard A. “Rick” Hartley, right,CEO and Executive Director of The 100 Club,speaks at the Scholarship Dinner, where hewas honored for his service to his alma mater.Above, alumna Vicki King, assistant chief withthe Houston Police Department, was the emcee for the ceremonies, and here she recognizes UHD student Renee Garcia, one of the newest 100 Club Scholars.

Scholarship Dinner Features Alums, Students and New Presidential Awards

President Bill Flores’ family, including,from left, brother Glenn, father Billand wife Celina, attended manyInvestiture events.

Flores with former UHD presidents, from left, Max Castillo (1992-2009) Flores,Manuel T. Pacheco (1988-1991) and Alexander F. Schilt (1980-1987).

Longtime Flores’ colleague andpresident of Auburn University JayGogue gave the keynote address.

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The colorful collage is as diverse as the people who wrote thebooks. From Renaissance music

and Texas politics, to bigotry, crime and foreign capital, UHD’s faculty publications tell the story of the people

who make UHD tick and spark students’ imaginations.

Nearly 100 faculty members con-tributed to a special Faculty Publica-tions Showcase during InvestitureWeek, and their biographies and infor-

mation on theirpublications arepreserved in anexhibit catalog.The covers ofthe dozens ofbooks submit-ted form a richtapestry ofimaginationand research.Their titlesweave a time-less UHD quiltin which everyblock shares acommon theme– the quest forknowledge.

The Faculty Publications Showcase will remain on display in the W.I. DykesLibrary Reading Room on the fourthfloor through the end of the semester,said Pat Ensor, library executive direc-tor. Faculty creative work was on

exhibit,andframed posterscelebrating faculty and staff achieve-ments were on display around the cam-pus. The Investiture Visual Arts displayincluded pieces by UHD’s Floyd Newsum,Mark Cervenka, Beth Secor, Mike John-son and Lili Smith.

“Given that an investiture is an aca-demic ceremony grounded in universityritual, it makes a lot of sense to all of usthat we should celebrate the faculty’swork,” said Robin Davidson, assistantprofessor of English and co-chair of the

PresidentialInvestiture

Committee. The Showcase has gener-ated a renewed sense of pride in theuniversity and its faculty, she said.

Davidson and a seven-memberlibrary committee started work inJanuary to collect and present thepublications and biographies. Eachcontributor either teaches or hastaught at UHD, and many of thempresented their research during paneldiscussions during Investiture Week.Included in the display is a specialmemorial dedicated to the work of

Committee members who worked on the Faculty PublicationsShowcase are, from left, library staff members Steve Bonario,Dauna Campbell, Elena Geilikman, Chris Stempinski, MelissaSavage, Christine Ramsey and Pat Ensor, library executivedirector, and Robin Davidson, Investiture Committee co-chair.

Faculty Creativity and Scholarship Highlights of Investiture Week

Investiture Week was a time for fun andscholarship. Above, Fulbright Scholars andCrockett Elementary students perform, UHDstudents dance and mingle, and faculty andstaff enjoy the entertainment and activities.

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eight deceased faculty members.

Fourteen faculty members agreed tofilm short videos about their researchand teaching interests. The 50-pageExhibit Catalog can be downloaded and the videos viewed on the library’sexhibit page at http://www.uhd.edu/library/exhibits/

Committee members who worked onthe collaborative project said facultymembers and students continue to visitthe display, some of them snap a photoor two of the showcase and others sendgrateful e-mails. One faculty memberwas so delighted to be included that shehugged Davidson. “A lot of our facultymembers are very humble,” she said.

In a letter to thank contributors, David-son wrote: “I know my colleagues to bededicated, generous, talented teachers.Over the course of the past threemonths I have also discovered the depthand range of the scholarly and creativework which inform their skillful men-torship of students.”

Ensor said this is the first such univer-sity-wide collection of faculty scholarlywork and research. “We have worldclass scholars and creative artists here,and not everyone knows that,” she said.

Top photos show posters andbanners that marked themilestone as UHD celebratedits talent and achievementsduring Investiture. The cast ofUHD’s first musical Ain’tMisbehavin’ returned for anencore performance.President Flores and hisfamily, including wife Celina,left, and mother-in-law Emma,right, attended many of thefestivities. UHD’s spirit camealive, with dance, music, foodand networking. Last photoshows student Elena Espinaand her research poster onpancreatic cancer cells.

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Robert Wilson has reminisced withLouis “Satchmo” Armstrong andDizzy Gillespie, played with Ray

Charles’ band and organized jazz con-certs around the world. He’s also lookedunder rocks for money to fund concerts,festivals and other music projects, hesaid, like “a 70-year-old beggar.”

A man of many talents, Wilson hastaught English, and later music and jazz, at UHD for 20-plus years. For hiscommitment to the university, to his stu-dents and to music, UHD designated himArtist in Residence, clearing the way forhim to continue making musical connec-tions in the classroom, practice hall andon concert stages.

“The title really does open doors,” Wilsonsaid. “Artist in Residence has a prettypowerful sound. I hope it’s going to helpme to do more music projects and presentmore concerts and work with more kidsin Houston. For me, it’s kind of a godsendof a position.”

Ever since he was a kid, jazz has madethe world go round for Wilson. He startedplaying trumpet professionally at age 12.

This semester he continues to teach his

The Name of thatTune for RobertWilson is ‘Artistin Residence at UHD’

University Calendar of Events

Through – May 6O’Kane Gallery Annual Student Exhibition

Friday, April 30Student Research Conference8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 5Scholar’s Academy Spring Convocation1:30 to 3:30 p.m.Robertson Auditorium

Thursday, May 6 – Saturday May 15Final Exams

Friday, May 7Staff Awards2 to 4 p.m.

May 15 – May 22O’Kane Gallery High Art Exhibition

Monday, May 17Spring CommencementMinute Maid Park6 p.m.

Thursday, May 27Last day for regular registrationSummer Session

Monday, May 31Memorial Day – University Closed

Tuesday, June 1Deadline for New Freshman Applications For Fall Semester

First Day of Summer Session I & IIUHD Northwest & UHD

Friday, June 25UHD Dance Marathon

Monday, July 5Independence Day – University Closed

Tuesday, July 6First Day Summer Session III

Monday, August 23First Day of Fall Semester

calendar.uhd.edu

ever popular – and always full - JazzStyles I and II classes, but he also organ-ized this month’s trip to New Orleans withthe Young Sounds of Houston Youth JazzOrchestra, a citywide jazz program forHouston’s top middle and high schoolmusicians. UHD and the Houston Profes-sional Musicians’ Association sponsor thegroup, founded by Wilson more than 15years ago. The Department of the InteriorNational Park Service invited YoungSounds to perform at this year’s FrenchQuarter Festival.

To spice up the New Orleans connectioneven more, Wilson and UHD PresidentBill Flores on March 18 signed a memo-randum with the New Orleans JazzNational Historical Park – part of theNational Park Service – for summer jazzinternships and student exchangesbetween Houston and New Orleans. Thethree-year agreement includes provisionsfor young Houston musicians to be sum-mer interns with New Orleans’ jazz parkmusical rangers and for young New

Orleans musicians toparticipate in Wilson’straditional summer jazzcamp program.

Over the years, Wilson’ssummer jazz camp forYoung Sounds of Houston and the UHDCivic Jazz Orchestra sent students on toThe Juilliard School and careers as pro-fessional musicians. He has served a termon the Texas Commission on the ArtsMusic and Dance Panel and counts manyjazz greats among his friends and col-leagues. Wilson also presents a Women inJazz concert each spring and the popularKemah Boardwalk Jazz Festival, a 12-yearsummer tradition.

The musical synergy produced when jazzlovers from all walks of life connectmakes Wilson tick. Even when he has toscrape for ever dwindling funds, the out-come – making great music – is worth it.He and his wife Julie, a jazz singer andpublic school chorus director, oftendonate their own money and time to keep

projects alive. Wilson hopes the Artist inResidence designation will attract interestand funding, freeing him to focus on afuture of possibilities.

“Robert has done a great deal with very little for years,” Julie Wilson said. “Nowhe can develop his programs and makethem grow.”

Wilson credits UHD’s Dr. Molly Woodswith keeping his fledgling program aliveall these years; he credits UHD PresidentFlores for a renewed commitment to thejazz program. During his two decadesteaching at UHD, Wilson has maintaineda simple philosophy for working with students: “I try to make the classes fun,because they learn more when they havefun. I love my students – they get into the music.”

Many students and former students vol-unteer at Wilson’s concerts and love thechance to rub shoulders with Grammyaward-winning musicians from aroundthe country. Wilson’s office on the 10thFloor South, One Main Building, is astudy in jazz history, with photos of jazzgreats like Satchmo, Dizzy and saxo-phone legend David “Fathead” Newmanadorning every wall. Wilson returned tohis office in January after an illness side-lined him for several weeks.

As his strength returns and health prob-lems are resolved, he hopes to resume hispassion for playing the trumpet. He andinternationally famous trumpet playerWynton Marsalis share the same trumpetmodel, both instruments crafted by top-of-the-line trumpet maker David Monettelast year. “I do a whole set in my jazzclass on Wynton. He’s crazy – one of thegreatest trumpet players in the world. Hehad some of my students at Juilliard.”

Left, UHD President Bill Flores and RobertWilson visit at the2009 KemahBoardwalk JazzFestival. Below, Wilsonteaches one of hispopular Jazz Stylesclasses.

A book about slavery in the West Indies andBritish abolition by David Ryden, associate professor of history at UHD, made it to a pres-tigious list that guides librarians across thecountry as they add to undergraduate librarycollections.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Librariesmagazine, a source for librarians overseeing

Ryden’s Book about Slavery WinsSpot on Prestigious List for Libraries

Magazine Profiles

DeLaVina as Role Model

for Girls

UHD’s Ermelinda DeLaVina is doing her part to put the “cool” back into mathematics.

The longtime associate professor of mathemat-ical sciences is profiled in a national publica-tion that encourages young students to pursuecareers in science and technology.

The Sally Ride Science “Cool Careers” seriesselected DeLaVina as a role model to helpshow middle schoolers – especially girls –how fun, creative and cool science and tech-nology professions can be. The magazine isnamed after Sally Ride, the first Americanwoman to fly in space in 1983.

DeLaVina, who has taught at UHD for 13years, said she was encouraged to excel in

Case’s Book Details ‘The Great Southwest Railroad Strike and Free Labor’UHD Associate Professor of History TheresaCase became interested in unions and strikesas a child because her grandfather was astrong member of the Postal Workers Union.

Her lingering questions about organized labor,strikes and the reasons behind them left ahunger to know more. Her newest publication,“The Great Southwest Railroad Strike and FreeLabor,” lends fresh perspective to a violentstrike that forever changed the relationshipbetween industrial unions and the powerfulrailroads of 19th century America.

Anderson’s “Benign Bigotry” Tackles Myths of Prejudice

UHD’s Kristin J. Anderson, associate pro-fessor of psychology, recently published“Benign Bigotry: The Psychology ofSubtle Prejudice.”

The book relates myths like “feministsare man haters” and “gays flaunt theirsexuality” to real events, showing howerrors in individual thinking affect soci-ety at large. Her book suggests strate-gies for reducing prejudice in daily life.

“The nature of prejudice has changedquite a bit in the last several decades,from relatively overt kinds of bigotry toattitudes that seem harmless but reallyreveal more insidious aspects of preju-dice,” Anderson said.

She uses the tools of the scientificmethod and empiricism to address ques-tions of social justice, prejudice, stereo-typing and discrimination, with a goal ofreaching a wider audience than mosttypes of scholarly research.

“I try to take my research out of the laband into the public sphere – that’s whatI’m trying to do with this book.”

undergraduate collections, included Ryden’sbook, “West Indian Slavery and British Aboli-tion, 1783-1807,” on its end-of-the-year listof Outstanding Academic Titles for 2009. It is among 652 books – out of 25,000 titlesnominated – to make the list.

Ryden’s paid research leave in 2006 helpedhim get grants to research archives in Great

Case examined more than 1,000 pages of Con-gressional hearing testimony from the period aswell as memoirs written by itinerant railroadworkers and 17 local newspapers. The GreatSouthwest Railroad Strike of 1886 spanned fivestates – Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas andIllinois – and left a significant impact on theentire country.

“Usually the story of the conflict was cast as afight between good and evil,” Case said. “Iwanted to go from a ground-up perspective andwrite a history as opposed to a morality tale.”

school by her mother and by her ninthgrade algebra teacher. “Math seems chal-lenging to most students but mostly theylack confidence,” she said. “I would like todo my small part to encourage someonethe way someone encouraged me at ayoung age.”

The math career book, one of 12 in the series, also features architects, choreogra-phers, engineers, statisticians and scien-tists. Sally Ride Science profiled peoplewhose research could be made “kid-friendly.” The series sought to put a face on scientists, mathematicians and others.

Many of Anderson’s UHD students helpedread drafts of sections of “Benign Bigotry,”and she used students’ comments andfeedback. “In a lot of ways, this book iswritten for them,” Anderson said.

Published by Cambridge University Press,the book drew kudos from colleagues. A University of California Santa Cruz psychology professor calls it “a brilliantpiece of scholarship” that diagnoses andoffers cures.

Britain and the West Indies. His book reasons that an unprofitable sugar cane indus-try primarily pushed the British government toend the slave trade, not political concernsabout slavery itself.

A Choice reviewer rated the book “essential”for libraries that serve upper-division under-graduates and above. Hard copies of Ryden’sbook are sold out, and Cambridge UniversityPress plans a second printing. UHD’s W.I.Dykes Library has two copies available for use inside the library.

The congressional testimony, documented byhearing examiners who traveled to the manysites of unrest, provided Case a “fine-grain pic-ture of the relationships between railroadersand their neighbors and the local communi-ties.” The strikers’ interracial alliance and theirconflicting ideas about a violent strategyreceive particular attention in her book.

Case’s 2009 faculty development leave awardprovided her the time last semester to com-plete the book, which is published by TexasA&M University Press.

Kristin J. Anderson

David Ryden

Ermelinda DeLaVina

Theresa Case

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Five UHD freshmen who participatedin a high school outreach initiativemay not be rock stars, but they made

a big impression on Eisenhower HighSchool students last semester.

“One kid asked me to sign his book,”freshman Ray Cortez said. “I didn’t eventhink I would ever go to college.”

Cortez and his four freshmen colleagueseach received $200 toward this semester’stextbooks as part of a CommunityEngagement Grant through the office ofState Rep. Sylvester Turner. This is thefirst time UHD students have participatedin the program. Cortez, Aracely Zuniga,Manual Lara, Krystal Thomas and JessicaSilva, all University College students,received Barnes & Noble gift cards forfielding questions from about 90 Eisen-hower High students curious about col-lege life.

The two-hour college readiness sessionwas part of David Morales’ CSP (CollegeSuccess Program) 1101 class. The highschool students had a lot of differentquestions, like that age-old problem ofhow to pass classes but have fun, too.

“Balancing everything – that’s the bigtrick,” said Morales, director of academicservices with University College. Moraleshas taught CSP classes for 20 years, cover-ing everything from note taking and timemanagement to career services and work-outs in UHD’s gym. “It’s basic survivalskills,” Morales said. Mentoring highschool students boosted the confidence ofhis freshmen, and was fun for them, hesaid.

Second semester freshman Lara, 18,agreed. He fielded questions about partylife versus studying and told the highschool students the two aren’t mutuallyexclusive. “You can pretty much do every-thing, but you have to time it right. If youhave a test the next morning, stay homeand study.”

UHD Freshmen Discover Mentoring High School Students Builds Confidence

The Corporation for National and Commu-nity Service named the University of Hous-ton-Downtown to its 2009 President'sHigher Education Community Service HonorRoll, recognizing its outreach programs forarea elementary and high school studentsand a growing, family-oriented DestinationDowntown open house program.

UHD is among 30 colleges and universitiesin Texas and more than 700 across thenation to receive Honor Roll recognition forits commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Adminis-tered by The Corporation for National andCommunity Service, the award is the highest federal recognition a university orcollege can receive for such initiatives.

"Community engagement is an integralcomponent of UHD's mission, and beingrecognized nationally for the initiatives isthe proverbial icing on the cake," said JeanDeWitt, UHD's Director of CommunityEngagement.

UHD and other Honor Roll recipients were chosen based on the scope and innovation

Community Service Earns UHD Spot onPresident’s Higher Education Honor Roll

Cortez, a 19-year-old Aldine High Schoolgraduate, said the mentoring was a goodexperience, but the autograph request didsurprise him. “I signed it,” he said. WhenCortez was in high school, he didn’t seecollege in his future until he enrolled inthe non-profit program called GenesysWorks, an intense eight-week trainingprogram designed to help inner-city students prepare for college and futurecareers in the corporate world.

“It gave me a sense I could do something

of their service projects, participation, service incentives and academic service-learning courses.

"UHD lives in the heart of the Houston com-munity, and outreach is an important partof our mission," said UHD President Bill Flo-res. "We're pleased we made the Honor Rolland will continue our community engage-ment projects."

Included in UHD's highlights is an ongoingpartnership with Crockett Elementary Schoolin which UHD students and professors workwith Crockett teachers, students and admin-istrators to increase student achievement.UHD students from freshman to senior yearhelp tutor elementary children and partici-pate in dozens of school and communityprojects year-round, interacting frequentlywith children and their families throughevents like science fairs, music concerts andother projects. The program is credited withCrockett Elementary's designation in 2009as an "Exemplary School," the highest statestandard in accountability.

Another successful community outreacheffort is UHD's Summer Enrichment

Program in which high school students participate in a three-week academic cur-riculum designed to introduce them tocollege and to enhance their high schoolstudies. UHD students serve as programassistants, role models and mentors. Lastsummer's theme of sustainability and itsimportance to the future of a society tiedin the elements of economic growth andsocial justice, all designed to give college-bound students strategies to successfullycomplete their degrees.

And in another initiative, UHD's semian-nual Destination Downtown Open Househas grown from 352 attendees in 2008to nearly 1,300 just one semester laterthrough innovative community partner-ships, sponsorships and volunteer efforts.UHD's Open Houses have become community events, embracing potentialstudents and their families and othermembers of the Houston community witha day full of activities. Students, facultyand staff volunteer during these cam-puswide celebrations that are fastbecoming a UHD tradition.

with my life,” Cortez said. He passed allhis courses last semester – while working30 hours a week at a retail clothing store– and was eager to share advice with thehigh school students.

“They were typical high school students –worried,” 18-year-old Silva said. “We toldthem to balance it out, and don’t put toomuch on your plate at once or you’llfreak out.” The future nurse heeds herown advice by balancing a part-time jobat a downtown law firm, playing volley-

ball and taking a full course load. Shemakes time for things that are importantto her, she said.

Zuniga, 19, said the CSP class helped herput college life at UHD in perspective. “Welearned where to look for help, how tomanage our time and how to take notes,”she said. Sharing the newfound freshmanwisdom with Eisenhower students was afun way to give back.

“I wish they would have done that for uswhen I was at Klein Forest High School.”

From left: Krystal Thomas, Jessica Silva, Manual Lara, Ray Cortez, Aracely Zuniga and David Morales, University College director of academic services

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Tending sick children in a hot, tinymedical clinic with no air condition-ing doesn’t sound like much of a

vacation, but for six members of UHD’sstudent Health Professions Organization(HPO), it was the Spring Break of a lifetime.

“It was far more than what I imagined itwould be,” said senior Audrey Gonzalez,HPO president. She and five fellow UHDscience majors volunteered with TheFoundation for International MedicalRelief of Children in Alajuelita, CostaRica, home to an estimated 12,000 poorCosta Ricans and Nicaraguan refugees.

The students and their faculty advisers –assistant professors Jerry Johnson andBarry Sullender with the Department ofNatural Sciences – helped clinic workersregister and treat children with worms andother parasites and mothers with variousinfections. They shadowed the overworkedclinic doctor, psychologist and pharmacist.They created and performed a skit on theimportance of education, adding bits ofcomedy to make the kids laugh.

“We knew these would be less fortunatepeople, but once you’re there and see theliving conditions – and the area we werein had a lot of crime – you can see thiscertain sadness in the kids’ eyes,” Gonza-lez said. “You can tell they’ve experiencedthings that children should not experi-ence.”

Johnson said he saw his UHD studentsmature during the trip as they witnessedabject poverty from which there is noescape. “I cannot express how proud I amof the students,” Johnson said. “I could seethe changes in them. One of themassumed the role of a leader; anotherassumed the role of a sage. I saw one openup and move from an introverted person-ality to become very outgoing. Anotherstepped beyond normal cultural bound-aries. What more could you ask for in aneducational experience?”

Despite the hardships of life in a refugeecamp, the UHD team found their hostfamilies welcoming and kind. Studentslodged in villagers’ homes on the sameblock, eating meals with the families, usually traditional Costa Rican disheswith black beans, white rice and chicken,meat or fish. They reported to the freeclinic each day by 8:30 a.m. and alwaysfound a line of children and mothers

No AC + Long Work Hours = Best Spring Break Ever

waiting for medical care.

“The clinic can only see 15 people a daybecause of lack of resources,” Gonzalezsaid. “Mainly we saw children with para-sites and dehydration and mothers withinfections. It was nothing too compli-cated, more like family medicine. Wehelped ask questions, like ‘When was thelast time they were de-parasitized.’” Somestudents speak fluent Spanish, while oth-ers communicated the best they couldusing English, limited Spanish and handgestures.

Many Alajuelita youngsters acted as surrogate parents and brought their infantand toddler siblings in for treatmentbecause parents were either working orlooking for work.

Gonzalez changed her future career plansafter shadowing the clinic doctor for a day.

“Just the doctor’s way of approaching hispatients…He called kids ‘carino,’ whichmeans sweetheart. You could see howmuch he cared about everyone. He wouldlet the children play with the stethoscope,”Gonzalez said. Before Costa Rica, Gonza-lez planned to pursue her master’s degreeimmediately after graduating from UHD.Now she plans to join the Peace Corps fortwo years and continue the work shestarted on Spring Break.

“No words can describe the impact thistrip had on my life,” she said. “It com-pletely exceeded my expectations.”

While only six HPO students were able tomake the trip, about 25 active members ofthe organization worked two semesters toraise money for the project. Eventsincluded a date auction last semester thatbrought in $1,300 and a throw-a-pie-at-a-professor fundraiser this semester thatearned the club about $700.

Johnson hopes the HPO continues similarmission trip projects, but participating isan economic burden for students. Institu-tionalizing funding resources could helppave the way for future educational expe-riences he considers priceless.

“The patients treated at the clinic werepoor beyond our normal standards ofpoverty,” Johnson said. “The health careprovided was a gift for these people, nomatter how meager the services the cliniccould provide. Seeing true poverty willchange your perspective on the life youlead – that was my hope for the students.”

UHD’s Health Professions Organization spent Spring Break working in a tinycrowded medical clinic in a refugee village. In the middle photo, HPO PresidentAudrey Gonzalez talks to village children. In the bottom photo, UHD studentsand faculty include, back row from left, Gloria Abarca, Christopher Simmons,Jerry Johnson, Barry Sullender, Dayan Alvarado, Dr. Reinhart Stedem andPhillip Ayazi. Front row from left, Tahlia Aickareth, Audrey Gonzalez, i-ChuangKaren Ning and Anisa Saleh.Photos courtesy of Audrey Gonzalez

10

The UHD Powerlifting Club Team mem-bers successfully defended their WorldAssociation of Benchers and Deadlifters

(WABDL) National Collegiate Team Title onFeb. 6 at the University of Texas – San Anto-nio, earning their third consecutive WABDLNational Collegiate Championship with a rare perfect score.

UTSA placed second to UHD as it has each ofthe last three championships. The UTSA Road-runners were the favorites this year since theywere hosting the national meet and had anumber of defending champions returning totheir lineup. UHD Powerlifting Coach JohnHudson projected the point rosters to result ina tie, in which case the victory would go toUTSA on a tie breaker.

The only chance for a UHD victory would be a perfect or near-perfect score and a couple ofbreaks along the way in favor of the Gators,Hudson said. UHD’s lifters came throughunder pressure, with the lifters selected to earnpoints all placing first, earning UHD a rareperfect score of 260 points.

Several other UHD lifters upset UTSA lifters,taking points away from the Roadrunners. In particular, the performances of AntonioMoreno and Rocio Ruiz, lifting at 132 Menand 132 Women weight classes, were key togetting UHD the breaks they needed to avoid atie. Moreno upset two-time defending nationalchampion Jaime Gonzales in the deadlift, set-ting a new National Collegiate Record in theprocess. Ruiz upset a much more experiencedUTSA lifter in the bench press and the deadlift.Moreno and Ruiz took 12 points away fromUTSA with their victories. UHD caught anadditional break when the highly favoredUTSA bencher at 308 was upset by a lifter fromanother school. UTSA placed second with 244points. This was UHD’s largest margin of vic-tory in their rivalry with the Roadrunners.

UHD’s Linda Okoro continued to impress, win-ning overall Best Lifter honors for Women’sDeadlift and Women’s Total.

UHD’s team continues to improve, and withthe addition of experienced high schoolrecruits in the fall of 2010, should becomeeven stronger in the coming year, Hudson said.

This year’s WABDL National Collegiate Cham-pionships brought new names to the growinglist of schools that UHD has defeated in teamcompetition, including Northwest Vista Col-lege, San Antonio College and Louisiana StateUniversity. UHD will host the 2011 WABDLNational Collegiate Championships.

Powerlifting ClubTeam Wins ThirdNational CollegiateChampionship

Women132:Rocio Ruiz – · 1st Place Bench Press, 99 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record and Mexican NationalRecord.· 1st Place Deadlift, 248 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record and Mexican NationalRecord.· 1st Place Total, 347 lbs., National Colle-giate Record.148:Linda Okoro – · 1st Place Bench Press, 170.7 lbs.,National Collegiate Record.· 1st Place Deadlift, 380.2 lbs.· 1st Place Total, 551 lbs., National Colle-giate Record.181:Courtney Meeker –· 1st Place Bench Press, 275.5 lbs.,National Collegiate Record.· 1st Place Deadlift, 358 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record.· 1st Place Total, 633.7 lbs., National Col-legiate Record.

198:Olga Hernandez –· 1st Place Bench Press, 165.2 lbs.,National Collegiate Record.· 1st Place Deadlift, 270 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record.· 1st Place Total, 407.7 lbs., National Col-legiate Record.

Men114:Jesus Sanchez –· 1st Place Bench Press, 225.7 lbs.,National Collegiate Record.· 1st Place Deadlift, 347 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record.· 1st Place Total, 563.1 lbs., National Col-legiate Record.Joshua Friedman –· 2nd Place Deadlift, 253.5 lbs.123:Jose Martinez –· 1st Place Bench Press, 159.7 lbs.,National Collegiate Record, MexicanNational Record.· 1st Place Deadlift, 336 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record, Mexican NationalRecord.· 1st Place Total, 496 lbs., National Colle-giate Record.

132:Arrowdyne Chhit –· 1st Place Bench Press, 281 lbs., TexasState Collegiate Record.· 3rd Place Deadlift, 341.5 lbs.· 2nd Place Total, 622.7 lbs.Antonio Moreno –· 1st Place Deadlift, 440.7 lbs., NationalCollegiate Record.148:Robert Nguyen –· 1st Place Bench Press, 286.5 lbs.· 2nd Place Deadlift, 402.2 lbs.· 1st Place Total, 688.7 lbs.Waldo Cardenas –· 1st Place Deadlift, 501.5 lbs.165:Ilian Rojas –· 1st Place Bench Press, 308.5 lbs.· 1st Place Deadlift, 462.7 lbs.· 1st Place Total, 771.5 lbs.Raul Hernandez –· 3rd Place Deadlift, 424.2 lbs.Morgan Dees –· 4th Place Deadlift, 402.2 lbs.181:Wilzon Marinero –· 6th Place Deadlift, 330.5 lbs.

198:Carlos Mata –· 1st Place Bench Press, 380.2 lbs.· 1st Place Deadlift, 551 lbs., Texas StateCollegiate Record.· 1st Place Total, 909.2 lbs., National Col-legiate Record.220:Waldo Villarreal –· 1st Place Bench Press, 424.2 lbs.· 2nd Place Deadlift, 418.7 lbs.· 2nd Place Total, 843.2 lbs.259:Halit Dilber –· 2nd Place Bench Press, 424.2 lbs.,Texas State Collegiate Record.· 4th Place Deadlift, 435.2 lbs.· 2nd Place Total, 859.7 lbs., Texas StateCollegiate Record.Jose Trejo –· 3rd Place Bench Press, 402.2 lbs.· 3rd Place Deadlift, 451.7 lbs.· 3rd Place Total, 854.2 lbs.Charles Varghese –· 2nd Place Deadlift, 562 lbs., Texas StateCollegiate Record.275:Raymundo Sanchez –· 1st Place Deadlift, 534.5 lbs., TexasState Collegiate Record, Mexican NationalRecord.

UHD Powerlifting Club team memberLinda Okoro has received the CapelloMemorial Award for her outstanding per-formance in the deadlift at the WorldAssociation of Benchers and Deadlifters(WABDL) World Championships in Reno,Nev., last November.

Okoro won the 148-pound weight classof the Junior Women's Division with anincredible 402.2-pound deadlift, CoachJohn Hudson said. The Capello Award isnamed for the late Jerry Capello of Ore-gon who held numerous world records inthe deadlift and was still pulling nearly

800 pounds in his 50s. Capello wasknown for his determination, courage andnever-quit attitude on the lifting platform,and the Capello Memorial Award is givento the lifter who best exemplifies hisapproach to lifting.

Okoro's 402.2 was described as "thehardest-fought" lift of the entire competi-tion, Hudson said. "Her lift generatedsuch excitement that Linda received astanding ovation and the competitionmomentarily halted as judges and otherofficials left their chairs to congratulateher," Hudson said.

UHD Student Lifts Her Way to National Award

Powerlifting Coach John Hudson and his championship Club Sports Powerlifting team most recently defended theirWorld Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL) National Collegiate Team Title in a February meet in SanAntonio, earning their third consecutive title with a rare perfect score.

Okoro has her sights set on breakingthe Women's World Record in thedeadlift in 2010.

Linda Okoro

TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

11

Olympic medalist and UHD stu-dent, Diana Lopez, has writtena book with her brothers, Jean,

Steven, and Mark called, “Family Power.” The book, released in late 2009 by Pen-guin Press, chronicles their hard work asthey became “America’s First Family ofTae Kwon Do.”

“We do everythingtogether,” saidLopez, a juniormajoring in inter-disciplinary studies.“It made sense towrite a booktogether.”

She won the bronzemedal in theKorean martial artof tae kwon do atthe 2008 BeijingOlympics. Lopezand her brothersmade history thatyear for being thefirst set of four siblings to represent theU.S. on the same Olympic Team, and forhaving three siblings win medals in thesame sport.

Mark won the silver and Steven the bronzein the men’s competition. Jean coachedthe U.S. team. In the book, Lopez writesabout her parents, Julio and Ondina

Student Tells How Family Powered Their Way to Olympics

Two University of Houston-Downtownpolitical science students overcamelife-changing challenges to get their

college educations, but their hard workhas paid off with important U.S. Congres-sional internships this spring.

Tonya Chissell-Williams, a New Orleansnative who lost family and friends in theaftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and JoséEduardo Sanchez, who helped raise his lit-tle brother and sister after his mother died,are Mickey Leland Congressional internsin Washington, D.C., this semester.

U.S. Rep. George Thomas “Mickey”Leland, who died in a 1989 plane crash,started the program. He wanted service-minded students from Houston to experi-ence American government at its highestlevel in the nation’s capital. A selectioncommittee from the Center for Public Pol-icy (CPP) at the University of Houston,where the program is based, choseSanchez, Chissell-Williams and six othersfor the internship.

“It’s an exciting time to be in (Washing-ton) D.C. right now,” said Chissell-Williams, who works in U.S. Rep. SheilaJackson-Lee’s office. “We are at the core ofU.S. politics.”

Sanchez works in U.S. Rep. Gene Green’soffice. He has counseled youth at the Har-ris County Juvenile Probation Department,volunteered at the Houston InterfaithWorkers Justice Center and worked as ateacher’s aide at the Montessori CountryDay School. He applied for the internshipto experience government from the policy-maker’s side.

“Politics is part of our everyday lives,” saidSanchez, 21. “If we choose not to partici-pate, then we have no voice, and the dem-ocratic process is not upheld. We lose theopportunity to help our families and ourcommunities.”

A junior at UHD, Sanchez graduated fromMacArthur High School in the AldineIndependent School District. His mothermotivated him to be a good student. Afterher death in 2003, he became his youngersiblings’ caretaker but refused to give uphis dream. “I’ve overcome a lot of thingsbut I didn’t want to put my dreams aside,”said Sanchez.

“José is probably one of the smartest stu-dents I’ve ever taught,” said David Bran-ham, UHD assistant professor of politicalscience and coordinator of the UHDinterns. “His grasp of policy analysis andeconomics is impressive. He has a humil-ity about him that makes his communityservice and intelligence more remarkable.When he interviewed for the internship,advisory board member Keith Wade,

UHD Interns are Making a Name for Themselves in WashingtonLeland’s close friend, said José was a manafter Mickey’s own heart. That is why thisinternship is so special, because studentshave to be special and committed to beconsidered. They arefulfilling MickeyLeland’s dream.”

Before moving toHouston, Chissell-Williams was a stu-dent governmentofficer at DelgadoCommunity Collegein New Orleans.Governor KathleenBlanco appointedher while she was astudent there to theLouisiana Commu-nity and TechnicalCollege System Advi-sory Board. In May 2005, Chissell-Williams completed an associate degreein computer information systems andenrolled in the University of New Orleans.In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hitthe Gulf Coast. Many of Chissell-Williams’ friends and family died whentheir Ninth Ward neighborhood flooded.Chissell-Williams left New Orleans andresettled with relatives in Houston.

Family members pushed Chissell-Williams, 29, to return to college in 2007.From the beginning, she said she felt wel-comed at UHD. “I am so grateful forUHD. I’ve really connected with all of myprofessors and they connected with me,”she said.

Branham said it took an incredibleamount of energy for Chissell-Williamsto make it to where she is today. “She hastalents that make her special and herstory is compelling. I expect her to be asuccess, whatever her pursuits.”

“I have this little group of people thatkeeps encouraging me,” said Chissell-Williams, a former intern with HoustonCity Councilman Jarvis Johnson’s officeand winner of the 2009 Women Profes-sionals in Government Beverly Kauf-mann scholarship award. “I know that Ican’t fail; I have to succeed. Too manypeople have passed for me not to fulfillmy destiny. That’s what keeps megrounded and focused on my goal.”

Renée Cross, associate director of the CPPand director of the congressional intern-ship program, said Sanchez and Chissell-Williams will get real-world experienceon Capitol Hill that will provide long-term rewards. “Students such as Tonyaand José, who are already committed topublic service, are able to develop their

skills and establish professional networks.This experience benefits them personally,and because of their commitment, it bene-fits the Houston community," said Cross,

who also teachespolitical science atUHD.

The students startedwork in Januaryand will live inWashington, D.C.until May. Whenthey complete theprogram, Sanchezwill earn 12 credithours and Chissell-Williams will earnnine post-baccalau-reate credit hours.She graduated witha bachelor’s degree

in political science in December 2009.

Interns receive a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare and stay at Boston University’sWashington Center. They work an averageof 40 hours a week with congressionalstaffers. Their responsibilities may include

legislative research, project planning andattending events and meetings, as well asroutine office duties. In addition, theyattend a weekly seminar led by an on-siteinstructor and keep a journal of theirexperiences that Branham will grade atthe end of the term.

When he returns, Sanchez wants to con-tinue his work with nonprofits and furtherhis education in international politics.Chissell-Williams is applying to the TexasSouthern University master’s degree pro-gram in public administration.

Lopez, who left Nicaragua in 1972 insearch of a better life in the United States.In writing the book, the siblings tookturns writing chapters, telling their storyfrom various viewpoints.

Lopez says “Family Power,” honors thereasons for their success – hard work and

family. She wantedto share her fam-ily’s story with theworld to helpinspire others.They dedicated thebook to their par-ents for “their loveand guidance.”

“We support eachother,” she said.“When one of uswins, we all win.”

She plans to grad-uate from UHD in2012, and sheplans on teachingkindergarten.

“Learning about childhood education isfun to me,” said Lopez. “It doesn’t seemlike work. I love children. I enjoy takingthe lessons from class and trying themout on my nieces and nephews. It reallytakes my mind off of my other life of taekwon do.”

José Eduardo Sanchez

Tonya Chissell-Williams

Diana Lopez

12

Abdul Jangda, a UHD juniormajoring in industrial chemistry,hopes his chemistry research

centered on detecting metal particles inliquid by using special plastics capable ofconducting electricity may someday cutthe cost of many common medical tests.

Jangda thinks a polymer with the rightqualities could lower the cost of testingblood for sodium, potassium, glucoseand other elements that doctors use todiagnose and treat patients.

In November, he competed at Sigma Xi –The Scientific Research Society’s nationalannual meeting held in The Woodlands.Judges gave Jangda’s presentation in theundergraduate chemistry category asuperior rating. The judges commentedthat his work has many potential medicaluses and appears to be relatively afford-able. He tied with Derek Rhoades fromOhio Northern University for top honorsin the undergraduate chemistry category.

Jangda developed the special plastic poly-mer while working with UHD AssistantProfessor of Chemistry Mian Jiang.

“Presenting research at conferences hasmade a big difference,” Jangda said.

Chemistry Student Hopes to RevolutionizeMedical Testing with his Research

“You have the opportunity to learn fromothers, to learn about graduate schools,and to become more familiar with differ-ent careers in industrial chemistry. Therecognition encourages me to do more.”Undergraduates from across the countryparticipated in the conference includingstudents from Texas A&M, Rice, Stanfordand Northwestern universities.

Jangda is enrolled in UHD’s ScholarsAcademy, a scholarship program forexceptional students who are focused oncareers in the sciences, technology, engi-neering and math. The 25-year-old trans-ferred to UHD in 2008 with an associatedegree from Houston Community Collegeand started research last year in UHD’sCenter for Applied Polymer ScienceResearch, directed by Associate Professorof Chemistry Byron Christmas.

Other UHD students who participated inthe conference are Nameera Baig, MelissaChan, Preeti Choudhary, Jarrett Kitchen,Julio LaTorre, Mustafa Mehmood, Chris-tine Varghese and Desiree Wilson.

More than 200 students presented theirresearch at this year's conference, repre-senting nearly 100 academic institutions.

The Institute for Higher EducationPolicy (IHEP) has selected the University of Houston-Downtown

to receive a $100,000 Walmart Minority Student Success Award to help build onUHD's proven success in recruiting,retaining and graduating first-generationcollege students.

The award is funded by a $4.2 milliongrant to IHEP from the Walmart Founda-tion.

"UHD is honored to be selected in thisnationally competitive process," said UHDPresident Bill Flores. "We have a success-ful record of identifying barriers andchallenges faced by students who are thefirst in their family to go to college. Thisaward will help us to continue to lead aswe implement this program, High-ImpactLearning to Promote Progress for First-Generation Students (HILLTOPP)."

UHD's HILTOPP Program is designed toimprove academic progress and successfor first-generation, first-time-in-collegestudents during their freshman years byproviding a comprehensive set of "highimpact" educational experiences focusedon the foundational skills of mathemat-ics, reading and writing.

UHD was one of only 30 Minority-ServingInstitutions chosen for the award througha highly competitive application processthat focused on strengthening efforts tosupport first-generation students. Compe-tition extended to Hispanic-Serving Insti-

UHD wins $100,000 WalmartMinority Student Success Award

tutions, Historically Black Colleges andUniversities, Predominantly Black Institu-tions and Tribal Colleges and Universities.

"The institutions in our 2010 MinorityStudent Success cohort broaden anddeepen the pool of MSIs committed toensuring the success of the first-generationstudent both at their campuses andbeyond," said IHEP President MichelleAsha Cooper. "We are pleased to be work-ing with them on programs that are sure to serve as models to all of highereducation."

UHD's Tammis Thomas, associate profes-sor of English; Bill Waller, associate profes-sor of mathematical sciences; Sara Farris,associate professor of English; GenePreuss, assistant professor of history; andChris Birchak, dean of University College;collaborated on the grant project and sub-mitted it with the help of UHD's Office ofUniversity Advancement.

In July, UHD's grant team will join repre-sentatives from 14 other Minority-ServingInstitutions at the annual IHEP SummerAcademy in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.

The Walmart Foundation grants supportexisting work to strengthen first-genera-tion student success programs, with a spe-cial focus on classroom practices and therole faculty play in their students' aca-demic success. Approximately 41 percentof students enrolled at MSIs are first-gener-ation, compared to 30 percent of studentsat predominantly white institutions.

Abdul Jangda

First Generation Faculty Steering Committee Focuses on Three Areas

First-Generation-Student Faculty Steering Committee members are frontrow, from left, Gail Evans (COB), Linda Bressler (COB), Tammy Davis(COB), Stacie DeFreitas (CHSS), and back row, from left, Adam Ellwanger(CHSS), Chynette Nealy (COB), Wayne Schmadeka (CHSS), Viola Garcia(CPS), Jon Aoki (CST) and Vassilios Tzouanas (CST). The committee is partof a 30-member faculty group committed to first-generation student success by way of on-campus programs and activities, technology-basedinitiatives and faculty and staff development.

13

Deven Kight’s dream sits neatlystacked in two storage sheds nearher Tomball home.

Kight, a UHD alumna, dreamed up a newproduct and now hundreds of her Heav-enly Strollers – packed in rectangularboxes carrying her DK Innovations label– await shipment to the next tall parentwho finds her product online.

In true “necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention” style, Kight got the idea for thenew product while wheeling her niece,Heaven Leigh, in an umbrella stroller sev-eral years ago. Kight noticed her backstarted to ache.

That backache spurred an idea and shedesigned a stroller with verticallyadjustable handles to fit anyone from 5feet to nearly 7 feet tall. She named theproduct after her niece, designing it inblack and red with a ladybug in the logo.

“There are so many fathers out there whoare too tall for their strollers,” Kightrecalled. “I did some research, and theydid not have anything.”

“I really don’t know what gave me theconfidence,” Kight said of her bold moveto act on an idea. “I always knew Iwanted to be in business for myself –that’s how I see myself in the future. Ifound a company in Tomball that coulddo the blueprints, and my patent attorneywas kind enough to take payments.” Herparents loaned their savings to covermanufacturing costs and the shipment ofher first 1,700 strollers.

Now Kight is gradually paying back herparents and has sold more than 350Heavenly Strollers to customers aroundthe country. A major retailer hasexpressed interest in the product she sellsfor $34.99 apiece plus $13.50 for shippingand handling. Her Web site – www.dkin-novationsinc.com – carries a long list oftestimonials from excited parents:

“We are tall parents – my husband is6’7” and I am 5’8” and all the umbrellastrollers I tried were horrible. I had toslouch to push them and my husbandcouldn’t push them at all. This onesolved the issue.”

From idea to marketplace, the projecttook several years. “Starting out, you tellsomeone the idea and get such positivefeedback you think, ‘as soon as I get theproduct it will be an instant success.’ Thishas definitely taught me that things donot happen overnight,” she said.

Kight graduated from UHD in May 2006with a bachelor’s degree in interdiscipli-nary studies. She took her courses at Uni-

versity Center in the Woodlands, a 40-minute drive from her Tomball home.She especially enjoyed the literary theoryand linguistics courses because theymade her analyze and study issues indepth.

“I’m the kind of person who likes tolearn everything I can,” Kight said. Aprivate school student until 8thgrade, she feared she would bebored in public high school, so shepassed college tests for English andmath and enrolled in TomballCollege at age 14. Three yearslater, she had an associate’sdegree and stayed on at Tomballto take more science andhumanities courses.

While she is marketing herinvention, she is working as areceptionist and has thoughtabout earning a graduatedegree in marketing or statis-tics.

“You have to take some timeto think about what youwant. You have to forgetany other influences andfocus on what would beyour passion in life,”Kight said. “Inside, there’s got to

Alum’s ‘Heavenly’ Idea Becomes her First Invention

The University of Houston-Down-town has tapped John W. Presley Jr.to serve as executive director of its

Security Management for Executivesmaster’s degree program, UHD’s firstexecutive degree offering.

Presley, who was one of the first studentsto complete the degree in August, ischarged with building enrollment andsupport for the program that preparesstudents to integrate business and secu-rity functions in the corporate world atan executive level.

“UHD’s program is unique because manystudents who are in this graduate pro-gram already have experience andknowledge that add to classroom discus-sions and presentations,” Presley said.“I’ve served in the military, in localenforcement, as a FBI special agent andas a corporate security director. Each stepof the way, I gained new perspectives onthis ever-changing profession.”

Beth Pelz, dean of UHD’s College of Pub-lic Service, said she looks forward to see-ing Presley expand the degree program

MSME Program’s First Grad Becomes its First Director

be a little spark that speaks to you, andyou’ve got to take some time to find that.”

Kight’s parents help her cart the strollersto UPS for shipping, and her father, a frequent traveler, gives her business cards

to parents strug-

that holds classes on alternate Saturdays.“We want to reach more security execu-tives in Houston and across Texas. Ourprogram is just three years old, but italready has a strong reputation in theindustry,” she said. “John knows Houstonand he will help us build relationshipswith Fortune 500 companies and othersin the security industry. We are verypleased to have him working at UHD.”

UHD is taking applications now for open-ings in the program beginning fallsemester in late August. Presley can bereached at presleyj@uhd.edu or at 713-221-5292.

Presley said more corporations areaddressing security issues at an executivelevel. “I came into this degree with con-siderable private and public experience;this program expanded my contacts andleft me well prepared to address corporatesecurity functions as a member of theexecutive team in the boardroom.”

He lives in Katy and has a bachelor’sdegree from Stephen F. Austin State Uni-versity in addition to his MSME degree.

A backacheinspired UHDalumna Deven Kightto invent the Heavenly Stroller.

John W. Presley

gling with umbrella strollers in airportsaround the country. She has received somany questions about patents and invent-ing that she is creating two new Web sites:www.inventoresource.net andwww.theyshouldmakea.com.

14

This year’s keynote speaker at the annual Student Research Conferenceis the first Scholars Academy alum to

return to UHD as the headliner, a switchfrom student presenter to main attractionand a precedent that conference organizerswould like to turn into tradition.

Vedangi Sample, a 2003 UHD graduate, is a pre-doctoral fellow and graduate stu-dent in the Department of Pharmacologyand Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins

UHD will Show SpringCommencement Live

on the WebThe University of Houston-Downtownwill welcome families to its spring2010 Commencement Ceremony at 6p.m. Monday, May 17, in Minute MaidPark, home of the Houston Astros.

UHD President Bill Flores will conferdegrees on students who will receivebachelor’s and master’s degrees. Manygraduates will be the first in their fami-lies to earn college degrees. The Uni-versity expects more than 15,000 toattend. The ceremony will include a stu-dent speaker as well as a special guestspeaker.

Students should enter Minute Maid Parkusing the Atrium Entrance, and familyand friends use the Right Fieldentrance.

As a service to students with friendsand family members who may not beable to attend in person, UHD will air alive Webcast of the event athttp://www.uhd.edu/computing/ttlc/itv/uhdtv/commencement.html.

People planning to view the ceremonyonline should visit the Web site beforethe event to ensure their Internet con-nection speed is fast enough to viewthe event and that their computer isequipped to receive the feed.

UHD has more than 25,000 alumniand now enrolls nearly 13,000 students.

University. Changing her role from that ofposter presenter to featured speaker is achallenge she embraced.

“It is such an honor,” said Sample. “Iwould never think I would be a keynotespeaker at a Scholars Academy function.It’s always nice to go back to your almamater.”

When conference planners were settingup this year’s agenda, they discoveredthey had a growing pool of ScholarsAcademy graduates who were establishedin respected research programs or prom-ising careers. Sample was among the firstcohort of 12 Scholars Academy students.

Five years ago, UHD alumnus Christo-pher Matranga, (Ph.D. Chemistry, Univer-sity of Chicago), a research scientist withthe U.S. Department of Energy’s NationalEnergy Technology Laboratory, was thefirst doctorate-earning UHD graduate toaddress UHD students in the StudentResearch Conference as a professional.UHD criminal justice alumna Vicki King,now an assistant chief with the HoustonPolice Department, was keynote speakerfor last year’s conference.

“This year we had three or four formerstudents we were talking about whenLarry Spears said, ‘How about Vedangi?’

and we all said yes,” said Akif Uzman,Department of Natural Sciences chair,who tracked her down on Facebook. “Shewas easily in the top 5 percent in my gen-eral biochemistry class. She’s a very intel-ligent and poised young lady.”

Sample did research with Uzman andchemistry research with Byron Christmas,who also worked with Matranga when hewas an undergraduate. Both alumni wereindustrial chemistry majors at UHD. “Shewas always very articulate and an excel-lent student,” said Christmas, UHD chem-istry professor.

This year’s April 30 Student Research Conference featured research results fromacross the disciplines at UHD and show-cased 100 posters and about eight oralpresentations in a daylong event thatunited students, faculty, industry, staff and guests.

UHD biology major Preeti Choudhary, 18,a sophomore international student fromIndia, presented her research poster onusing dyes as sensors to track differentcompounds. Already she is a seasonedpresenter and has taken her research toscientific conferences in Dallas, TheWoodlands, Rice University and Montana.

For a shy student who answered only yesor no and barely spoke when she firstarrived, Choudhary now looks forward totalking about her research and sharinginformation with students from aroundthe country. She especially looked forwardto discussing her research on home turf.

“I won’t be scared as much,” she saidbefore the conference. “We are home, andyou are always at ease at home. We knowthe facilities and the students in theScholars Academy. It’s going to be easier.”

Sample also looked forward to coming full circle and completing the journey shestarted at UHD a decade ago when shetraveled from her native India to studyindustrial chemistry, graduating summacum laude.

She has about a year left in her pre-doc-toral fellowship, in which she is studyingfluorescent proteins and their potential inpinpointing disease processes and newdrugs. She would like to work in the drugdiscovery field upon completion of herdoctorate. She encouraged young scien-tists in the UHD audience to embrace thebig picture in their research efforts.

“The thing I want people to take out ofmy talk is not to put blinders on, but tryto see how your science or your subjectcan be applied to different disciplines,”

Sample said. “When people study chem-istry, biology or physics, it’s always so dis-jointed. The biggest thing I took out ofgraduate school is how interconnected allthe sciences are. Learn something becauseyou want to understand something – andgood grades are going to happen.”

Presenting research as an undergraduateoffered priceless experience in publicspeaking, clear thinking and fluency onher feet, Sample said.

“It’s training. It definitely gives you theconfidence to speak in front of a lot ofprofessionals. It gives you a platform topresent yourself and how you want otherpeople to perceive you in your field.”

Sample is the niece of UHD’s SangeetaGad, lecturer in the department of com-puter and mathematical sciences anddirector for recruitment and retention inthe Computer Science/Saturday Academy.

UHD and Houston Honor HACU fo its Support of Hispanic Higher Education

UHD President Bill Flores, right, presents a proclamation to HACU (HispanicAssociation of Colleges & Universities) President Antonio Flores from HoustonMayor Annise Parker declaring Feb. 11 as "Hispanic Association of Collegesand Universities Day" in recognition of HACU's commitment to championingHispanic higher education in the United States and abroad. UHD hosted asession of HACU's 'On the Road Forum.' Invitees included chancellors, presi-dents of colleges and universities, superintendents of Hispanic-serving schooldistricts, corporate leaders and supporters of Hispanic Higher Education.

Vedangi Sample

Student Research Conference Brings UHD Alum Vedangi Sample Full Circle

15

UHDis a traditionin many fami-lies, and Del-

tra Hayes and her niece, TeniquaDavenport, are keeping that traditionalive, pursuing their passions forfinance a decade apart.

“We’ve got to think long term,” Hayessaid. “We have to change for the better.”

Hayes was a young wife and mother oftwo small children when she enrolled inUHD’s College of Business with highhopes for the future. She dropped hertoddlers off at school each morning andzipped over to UHD for business classes,graduating with a Bachelor’s in Busi-ness Administration in finance. Tenyears later, she is established in a fulfill-ing career managing retirement plansfor universities, hospitals and corpora-tions across Texas.

Davenport moved to Houston 2 ½ yearsago to follow in her aunt’s footsteps,working 40-hour weeks at a financialfirm while taking as many as 18 hoursof night classes in the College of Busi-ness. She’ll graduate with the samedegree this May and hopes to parlay herexperience, finance degree and currentjob into a career in financial compli-ance and operations.

“My aunt has really been an inspirationand taught me how important it is toearn a degree,” said Davenport, 29, whomoved here from Dallas. “Without her,I would not have gotten this far. Youneed the support and push, someonebehind you to say, ‘Keep going.’ She’sbeen there pushing me along the way.”

A Decade Later, UHD Finance Degree Again Opens Doors to OpportunityDavenport has seen her aunt’s rapidcareer advancement. “One day I can bethere,” she said.

Hayes is vice president of relationshipmanagement for VALIC’s SouthwestRegion. She manages 48 groups acrossTexas, handling retirement plans of $20million and higher. Like the mavendescribed in Malcolm Gladwell’s mile-stone book “The Tipping Point,” shethrives on information sharing, tryingto spread best practices from client toclient so their retirement plans growand attract more employee participa-tion.

She follows legislative changes andtrends in the industry, assimilating theinformation that will keep the Retire-ment Plans of her group sponsors ontrack. Her job is her practice, she said,and her favorite tagline accompaniesher e-mails: “Do a good job becauseyou want to, not because you have to.This puts you in charge instead of yourboss.”

Hayes daily puts into practice two thingsshe said were discussed frequently inher UHD finance classes – implementa-tion and execution. “You have to beorganized and pick up the little piecesand turn that into best practices,” Hayessaid. “Execution is everything.”

Her work on how to create forums fordiscussions to secure and invest retire-ment savings affects employees at everylevel of an organization, and Hayes hascontact with employees from the bot-tom up. “Nobody is too big or too little,because everyone has to save some-

thing,” she said.

Since she got her first job with AT&T atage 16, Hayes has practiced what shepreaches and maxes out her retirementsavings every year. She taught Daven-port the importance of saving for thefuture, too. She and her husband of 25years, Gabriel, pass along the same les-son to their son and daughter, ages 14and 12.

She’ll return to UHD this May when theniece she mentored walks across the

Three members of UHD's College of Humanities and Social Sciencesreceived recognition recently in

separate appointments, grants andawards.

Jose Alvarez, associate professor of his-tory, has been admitted into the Aca-demic Fellows Program of theFoundation for the Defense of Democra-cies. He and a handful of winners fromacross North America will travel to Israelfor two weeks as part of their admissionto the program.

Three Members of College of Humanities and Social Sciences GainRecognition and Appointments

College of Business Receives $5,000 College of Business Dean Don Bates, third from left, accepts $5,000 towardthe COB Excellence Fund from Vinmar International, Ltd. President HemantGoradia. At far left is Swatantra Jain, Vinmar senior vice president, and atright is Brij Kathuria, community ambassador for the Indo American Cham-ber of Commerce of Greater Houston. The chamber has supported UHD andCollege of Business activities for many years. Vinmar is an internationalpetrochemicals and polymers company headquartered in Houston.

stage at Minute Maid Park to receiveher diploma.

“One of the reasons I came to UHD isbecause I was more mature, and I knewI needed a serious environment,” Hayessaid. “I found that and some of my bestfriends at UHD. The professors wereserious about getting us in and out – itwas almost like a family. We encour-aged our niece to come back to school,because it’s never too late.”

Aaron Gillette, assistant professor ofhistory, received a grant from the GoetheInstitute to study German in Germany.He has also been awarded a prestigiousfellowship to conduct research at theUniversity of Siegen.

Edmund P. Cueva, professor and chairof the Department of Arts and Humani-ties, has been named to the Marketplaceof Ideas advisory board of the Councilon Law in Higher Education. The Mar-ketplace of Ideas is a journal for analysisand opinion on the American Educationsystem.

2000 UHD graduate Deltra Hayes, VP of relationship management for VALIC’sSouthwest Region, visits the College of Business fourth floor conference room, afacility not yet built when she graduated.

16

UHDstudents whosign on for one of the 10 Club

Sports teams here have no promise ofscholarships, personal gain or glory –only the chance to work hard, sweat andstruggle to balance workouts, classes andbusy lives that sometimes include jobsand children.

“They’re playing for the love of thegame,” said Richard Sebastiani, directorof UHD Sports & Fitness. “We want themto win – we want the best for them. Butas long as they give maximum effortand never quit, I don’t care what thescoreboard says, they are all winners inmy book.”

When Sebastiani first joined UHD 25years ago, the university had no athletic

traditions or NCAA competition likesome other schools. Team sports withinUHD developed into an Intramural pro-gram, which remains a popular activityfor many students. Other students, how-ever, yearned for the competitive field ofinter-school matches.

UHD Club Sports - a middle groundbetween intramurals and NCAA compe-tition - evolved slowly with a handful of students, two teams and volunteercoaches. They competed statewide,which was expensive and time-consum-ing. Sebastiani said students often usedtheir own money to cover travel costs.

He and another local recreational sportsdirector launched the idea to unite themany local club sports programs underone umbrella so teams could compete

locally, saving time and money but pre-serving the flavor of rival team competi-tion. They created the Houston ClubSports Conference, with Sebastiani act-ing as commissioner, a post he still holdseight years later.

“This has really grown exponentially,”Sebastiani said. Competition todayincludes 10 women’s volleyball teams,21 men’s and women’s soccer teams, 24men’s and women’s basketball teamsand more. Competitors include schoolslike Lone Star College, Houston Com-munity College, the University of Houston, Rice University, Houston Baptist University, and Texas SouthernUniversity.

“We planted that seed, and look how it’sgrown,” Sebastiani said.

Today nearly 100 UHD athletes competein Club Sports, including about 30 students on the national championshipUHD Club Sports Powerlifting team. This newest group’s impressive perform-ances have made it a recruitment tool for UHD, and members’ outstanding per-formances in national meets led to arecent feature spread in the HoustonChronicle.

Club Sports athletes must be in good academic standing and be enrolled in at least six credit hours; 12 hours forbaseball.

Instead of volunteer coaches, Sebastianinow has a coaching staff, many of themalready connected to UHD through theirjobs, teaching or education. Women’sbasketball coach Stefany Mitchell worksin UHD’s Office of Student Services &Enrollment Management, and cyclingcoach Mercedes Gonzales is a UHDadmissions counselor. Powerlifting coachand athlete John Hudson is an assistantprofessor of English. Others are UHDalumni, like Roderick Garner, whocoaches the baseball team.

“We try to hire coaches who are quali-fied, and if there’s a UHD connection,that’s great,” Sebastiani said.

“We’re not the most traditional campus,but here we’ve made it our business tomake sure students don’t feel like they’remissing out on something,” Sebastianisaid. “These athletes love sports, and theyare proud to represent UHD. They arewilling to put it on the line.”

For more information on Club Sports,Intramurals and other programs offeredby UHD Sports & Fitness, visit its Web siteat www.uhd.edu/sportsandfitness/

Mentoring ProgramHelps Freshmen Adaptto University Life

Five freshmen with outstandingacademic achievement duringtheir first semester at UHDreceived $250 Barnes andNoble gift cards to help defraythe cost of their textbooks forSpring 2010. Each student waspaired with a faculty mentor tohelp them set and reach highgoals as they made the transi-tion from high school to univer-sity. Students and facultymentors are, from left, MariaAguilar; Sara Farris, associateprofessor of English; Carolina Cervantes; Amanda White; Merrilee Cunningham, associate professor of English;Sara West; Diana Lorenzana, academic adviser; Angelica Vegas; and Bonnie Blumberg, lecturer in computerand math sciences. This year’s program includes 20 faculty mentors (including UHD professors, administratorsand professional staff) and 48 students.

UHD’s Club Sports Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams played against theircounterparts at Lone Star College – North Harris in a special Toyota Centershoot-out before a February Houston Rockets game.

Club Sports – UHD Student Athletes Play for the Love of the Game

Amid the noise of powerlifters’gladiator grunts, the clang of ironweights and the beat of bouncing

basketballs, sisters Joy and Linda Okoro satside by side on a weight bench and jokedabout how they ended up in UHD’s gym.

“Tell them about that HCC meet,” Joyurged her younger sister. Linda was one oftwo Houston Community College (HCC)weightlifters competing against UHD’sPowerlifting Club Sports team, a growingprogram that Coach John Hudson hadstarted from scratch. Midway through thatmeet three years ago, the outmatched HCCbench press competitor left, but Lindastayed.

“UHD actually had a team, and it recog-nized a sport that existed only as a benchpress competition at other schools,” sherecalled. “I wanted in. I asked Coacheverything I could about how I could bepart of the team. Powerlifting brought me here.”

Some of Joy’s classmates had persuadedher to join the Club Sports basketball teamwhen she started at UHD in 2006. As a sea-soned guard, Joy loved the workouts andcamaraderie. UHD’s Sports & Fitnessarena offered her a welcoming world. Joytalked up the program to her sister.

“I’m very competitive,” Joy said. “ClubSports is fun – you really get a chance tomeet people, and it’s fun to competeagainst the bigger schools. We really loveto play basketball.”

During high school, the sisters had noready outlet for athletics at the MichaelDeBakey High School for Health Profes-sions, which focused on academics, butthey loved sports. Linda is a self-describedgym rat with a passion for the fitness cul-ture. Joy simply loved to play and was

Dynamic Sister Duo Pumps Up Powerliftingand Basketball Club Sports Teams

thrilled to find a like-minded group offriends at UHD.

However, even she was stunned at the inten-sity with which her sister embraced UHDPowerlifting. Nine years ago, Linda under-went spinal reconstruction surgery for scol-iosis, a procedure that included insertingmetal rods and pins. Deadlifting has givenher strength inside and outside the gym,Linda said.

Her powerlifting prowess – she deadlifted402.2 pounds in the World Association ofBenchers and Deadlifters last fall – hasmade her one of the top young femaledeadlifters in the nation, with potential toget even better, said Hudson, who is also anassistant professor of English at UHD.

Linda’s ultimate goal? “To shatter everyrecord that’s ever been set. That way someother girls coming behind me have some-thing to look forward to,” she said.

Joy will complete post-baccalaureate psy-chology classes at UHD, then use her under-graduate degree in science to pursue anadvanced degree in dentistry. She looks for-ward to keeping fit through the many bas-ketball leagues around Houston. Herbasketball coach, UHD’s Stefany Mitchell,will lose a valuable team asset.

“Joy is probably one of the most energeticand positive people I’ve ever met,” Mitchellsaid. “She’s always smiling, and she wantseveryone else around her to smile. Shenever gets mad.”

Linda plans to combine a fashion merchan-dising major from HCC with a businessdegree from UHD to launch her owndesigning enterprise. In the meantime, shewould like to recruit more women to a sportthat tends to intimidate. “I’d love to seemore females on this team,” she said with agrin. “I wish girls weren’t so scared.”

Students from UHD participated in the 2010 “Know Your Heritage: His-panic College Quiz,” a television game show supported by the HispanicAssociation of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and produced by CentralCity Productions in Chicago.

“It was a great opportunity,” said UHD Vice President of Student Serv-ices Ed Apodaca. “UHD students are always up for a competition andthey represented us well.”

Contestants answered questions tied to the material in “Hispanic Firsts:500 Years of Extraordinary Achievement,” by Nicolas Kanellos. The 372-page reference book chronicles individual and group accomplishments,notable events and places in Hispanic art and design, business and com-merce, education, film, government, labor, literature, media, the military,the performing arts, religion, science and technology, sports and theater.

Taping began April 10 in Chicago. Teams from eight colleges and univer-sities competed for a chance to win scholarship funds for their institution.Each team had four members. A $10,000 scholarship award goes to the winning school. The second place winner receives $5,000 in scholar-ship funds.

UHD’s coach, Michelle Falcon, assistant director of Student Activities &Events, said the team can’t reveal its ranking until the show, hosted byNBC news anchor Zoraida Sambolin, airs between Sept. 13 and Oct. 19,around Hispanic Heritage Month.

“We are fortunate to get support from faculty, staff and administrationwho have experience with academic competitions,” she said. “Our students are hard working and focused. I have no doubt they will makeus proud.”

Schools were randomly selected from 32 HACU member institutions thatentered the contest, said Norma Jean Revilla-García, HACU executivedirector of communications and marketing, who awarded the winningtrophies in 2009. She says the contest is more than a competition. “Isaw the students on different teams bond right away even though theywere competing,” she said. “It’s good national exposure for the schoolsand the teams.”

Other participating institutions are: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College(Tifton, Ga.), Arizona Western College, California State University-LosAngeles, Colorado State University, Eugenio Maria de Hostos CommunityCollege-CUNY, Los Angeles Southwest College and Trinity University (SanAntonio).

Alternate Institutions are: Austin Community College and Columbia BasinCollege (Pasco, Wash.).

National Show Taps UHD Talentfor Hispanic College Quiz

Sisters Joy and Linda Okoro share a UHD Club Sports connection.

From left, UHD students Manuel Fernandez, Marlyn Davila, CarlosCruz, Wilzon Marinero and Jose Uribe practice before the competitionin April. At far right is the team’s coach, Michelle Falcon, assistantdirector of Student Activities & Events. The “Know Your Heritage:Hispanic College Quiz” show will air between Sept. 13 and Oct. 19,during Hispanic Heritage Month.

17

18

Deloitte Foundation Larry G. Jones Scholarship Endowment Fund

Deloitte partners and dignitaries presented a check for $150,000to UHD College of Business faculty, students and Dean Don Bates,standing, far right, to endow a scholarship to honor and in mem-ory of Larry G. Jones, who was a longtime supporter of UHD.Jones, who was a managing partner of the Houston office ofDeloitte & Touche LLP, supported a number of Houston organiza-tions benefiting young people. He chaired UHD's Red Rose Balltwo years, headed the President’s Advisory Council and was anactive supporter of College of Business activities.

The University of Houston-Downtownwill open a new off-campus site atState Highway 249 and Louetta this

June bringing a wide variety of degreeprograms to northwest Houston.

UHD President William V. Flores said thenew program, UHD Northwest, is expectedto expand quickly and will fill a growing

University OpensUHD Northwest

This Summer

need for college graduates in greaterHouston. “UHD Northwest is designed tomeet the needs of one of the state’s fastestgrowing regions. Students who enrollwith associate degrees will be able to fin-ish bachelor’s degrees close to home,” hesaid. UHD will also offer master’s degreesin teaching and criminal justice.

UHD’s facility will include new class-rooms, computer labs, a science lab, fac-ulty and academic advising offices andan instructional television classroom.UHD’s new location will build on theschool’s traditions, including smallclasses, excellent instruction, accessible

Alumnus Robert Quarles (’08, B.S. in Political Science) started a new position inAugust 2009 as field director for U.S. Congressman Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land. Quar-les works out of Olson’s Sugar Land office.

Alumna Salma Akbar Rivzi (’04) received theregional top teacher award at the 2010 NationalEngineers’ Week Future City Competition. Rivzi,a science teacher at Al-Hadi School of Acceler-ated Learning in Houston, coordinated herschool’s participation. The team had the high-est overall combined score of Houston-areaschools at the contest.

Alumna Hazel Camilla Hill (’03) is a second-year graduate student with Liberty OnlineLearning and is working toward her master’sdegree in the professional counseling program.

Alumnus William “Blake” Cook (’02, B.S. inCriminal Justice) is a special agent with the U.S.State Department’s Diplomatic Security Serviceand recently returned to the United States aftera one-year assignment at the U.S. Embassy inKuwait. He is now assigned to the Philadelphiaoffice of the Service.

Alumnus Scott Belshaw (94’, Social Science)received his Ph.D. in juvenile criminal justicefrom Prairie View A&M University and is cur-rently an assistant professor of criminal justiceat the University of North Texas. Belshawteaches undergraduate and graduate students inthe criminal justice program. He has publishednumerous articles in criminal justice and education related journals.

— ALUMNI NOTES —

faculty, diversity and affordability.

UHD is the 13th largest public universityin Texas and enrolls nearly 13,000 stu-dents who often earn degrees while work-ing full or part time.

UHD offers classes during the day and onnights and weekends. Students will haveaccess to an on-site library, cafeteria, stu-dent presentation practice rooms andbookstore. Parking at the facility is free.

Plans for the new location and spacearrangements with Lone Star College wereapproved by the University of Houston Sys-tem Board of Regents in March.

UHD will offer bachelor’s degrees in crimi-nal justice, interdisciplinary studies withteacher certification, general business,management, accounting, computerinformation systems, finance, mathemat-ics with secondary-level teacher certifica-tion, safety management, biological andphysical sciences with secondary-levelteacher certification, humanities andsocial sciences.

Master’s degrees will be offered in teach-ing, and, starting in Summer 2012, crimi-nal justice. For more information, call713-237-5400 or email Louis Evans atevansl@uhd.edu.

Salma Akbar Rivzi

U.S. Congressman Pete Olson,left, and UHD alum RobertQuarles, a 2008 UHD politicalscience graduate serving asOlson’s Sugar Land fielddirector.

19

What’s new? Send us a note!

Send us your email address!Update your former UHD classmates about what’s going on in your life. Let us know about your professional news (jobchanges and promotions, business launches, awards andaccomplishments), personal milestones (marriages, births,relocations) or academic achievements (advanced degrees,enrollment in graduate school). Email your information tonewhorizons@uhd.edu or alumni@uhd.edu.Email provides a direct way for us to keep you up to date onhappenings at UHD and to alert you about activities just foralumni. Help us build our email list and alumni association. Theassociation is a great benefit and membership is free. Visit theUHD Web site at www.uhd.edu and check out the alumni pages.Please send your email address to alumni@uhd.edu along withbasic information about yourself. Sarah Crawford is UHD’sDirector of Alumni Relations.

Memorial Service Held for Faculty Member Joe Kortz

William (Joe) Kortz, assistant professor of Bilingual, ESL, and Educational Technology in theDepartment of Urban Education, died this spring and a Celebration of Life service was held in hismemory March 4 in Commerce Street Building for the UHD community.

Kortz wrote 13 books and many publications, was a consultant of Kits Instructional Technology,recipient of the Manchester Who's Who of Professionals and Business Executives (2005) andwas recognized by the American Biographical Institute as Man of The Year in Education for hisoutstanding contributions to education (2009).

College of Business Professor Emeritus Jim Tinkler Dies

Professor Emeritus James Cecil Tinkler, who built the UHD Petroleum Land Management programand won the Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1987, died this spring at the age of 81.

Tinkler was a UHD professor for 12 years and an independent landman and negotiator up until arecent illness. Tinkler served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He is a graduate of theUniversity of Texas in Austin as well as the UT Law School there. Before joining the UHD team,Tinkler was a petroleum landman and international negotiator for Conoco for nearly 30 years.

When Lisa Morano’s juniorhigh English teacher suggested she become a

teacher years ago, Morano thought it was a terrible idea.

“I didn’t want to do something as unim-portant as teaching – I wanted to be anoceanographer and ride whales and sealsin the summer,” said Morano, longtimeassociate professor of biology and micro-biology. “I briefly thought about being adentist, but I hate spit.”

Graduate school changed her mind andunearthed a passion for teaching. OnApril 6, she received this year’s FacultyTeaching Award, an announcement thatinspired several students to craft a petridish mobile as a congratulatory gift.

“I wanted to end up at a school just likethis where I can spend my days teachingand doing scholarship with students.This award means a great deal to me.”Today she considers teaching among the worthiest and most important ofoccupations.

Morano shared the spotlight this yearwith Service Award recipient MarvinWilliams, professor of finance, account-ing and computer information systems,and Scholarship/Creative Activity Awardhonoree David Ryden, who called it “oneof the highlights of my career.”

Ryden’s most recent book, “West IndianSlavery and British Abolition, 1783-1807,” made the end-of-the-year list in a respected academic journal, assuringits place in undergraduate librariesnationwide. He said active and ongoingresearch and writing are critical to his

UHD Faculty Awards Recognize OutstandingTeaching, Creativity and Service

role as teacher.

“There’s so much ambiguity to his-tory,” he said. “Issues and topics areconstantly contested, and the peoplewho have the greatest facility under-standing these debates are those activelyengaged in thinking about historicalproblems and social change.” Rydensaid he strives to teach students theprocess of analyzing and writing as hemaintains his role as active economichistorian.

UHD’s Service Award recognized 23-yearveteran Williams, who has taught thou-sands of students and mentored manyyoung faculty members during his longtenure. He teaches online and face-to-face tax courses, but he also dedicatesconsiderable hours working on andoften leading committees at the univer-sity, college and department levels.

Whether the topic is tenure, a presiden-tial search or the all-important Collegeof Business re-accreditation process,Williams provides a trusted presence oncommittees that help shape the univer-sity’s future.

“If I’m helping the university, helpingthe college, helping my department,then I’m willing to do it,” Williamssaid. “I have a desire to do service tohelp move the university forward in anyway I can.”

This year’s three honorees are among aselect group of outstanding facultymembers. Teaching award finalists thisyear were Maria Bhattacharjee, associ-ate professor of teaching, and Tim Redl,assistant professor of mathematics.

P A S S I N G S

Williams, Morano and Ryden recognized with UHD Faculty Awards.

Scholarship/creative activity awardfinalists were Floyd Newsum, professorof art and UHD artist in residence, andYvonne Kendall, associate professor of

music. Service award finalists wereSusan Henney, assistant professor ofpsychology, and Larry Spears, professorof chemistry.

When you make a gift to the university'sAnnual Fund you join thousands ofalumni, parents, friends, students, facultyand staff who have chosen to partner withthe UHD to preserve the university's com-mitment to excellence and opportunityfor all.

All those gifts - the majority of which areunder $100 - add up in a big way. Yourgifts are used every year to fund scholar-ships, operating expenses, outreach pro-grams, recruitment and retention of keyfaculty, classroom technology and somuch more.

Many donors choose to make unrestrictedannual gifts, allowing the university toapply the funds where the need is great-est. Others designate their gifts to a pro-gram or purpose that holds specialmeaning to them. Many donors can

Your Gift Really Matters

Help form a VeteransAlumni GroupAttention Veterans! UHD alumnus andVeteran Michael Records, UHD coordina-tor of Veterans Services, is forming a Vet-erans Alumni group to network and tohelp mentor current Veteran students.He would like to hear from veterans inter-ested in participating. Contact him at Recordsm@uhd.edu orphone: 713-226-5581.

double or even triple their gifts throughcorporate matching programs.

Even if you can only give a few dollars,you can make a difference at UHD. Everygift matters. For more information, visitthe Web site www.uhd.edu/advancement.

New HorizonsDivision of Public AffairsOne Main StreetSuite 990-SouthHouston, Texas 77002-1001

Change Service Requested

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDHouston, TexasPermit No. 9078

www.UHD.edu

UHD’s new name – City University or Houston City University?

Faculty, staff and students are consid-ering whether the future lies inembracing “City University” or

“Houston City University” as UHD’s newname after hearing research results froma national communication and brandconsulting firm in mid April.

UHD hired Stamats to conduct researchand recommend names for UHD that werebased on what alumni, faculty, staff, stu-dents and prospective students know andunderstand about UHD. They began workwith focus groups and email surveys of allalumni who have their email addresses onfile with the University and email surveysof all faculty, staff and students.

Alumni with email addresses on file willbe surveyed again before the Regents meetin the fall to make a final selection.

Stamats representatives Chuck Reed andErick Sickler said either “City University”or “Houston City University” would endthe confusion between UHD and UH. Inaddition, both names reflect UHD’sunique connection with and reflection ofthe nation’s fourth largest city. The namesalso offer UHD room to develop academicprograms that could set national stan-dards for urban institutions. “We believeyou could create destination degrees and

offer something here that may not beavailable anywhere else,” Sickler said.

“The beauty of ‘City University’ is its sim-plicity. But either name reflects yourunique connection to the city and wouldserve the institution well,” Reed said.

UH System Board of Regents Chair Wel-come Wilson attended four informationalsessions on campus and assured audiencesthat either name would be acceptable tothe Board and UH System ChancellorRenu Khator.

University administrators have consideredchanging UHD’s name to end confusionbetween UHD and the University of Hous-ton for more than eight years.

Alumni may learn more about theresearch process and next steps on theWeb. Videos of sessions with the consult-ants, UHD President Bill Flores and UHSystem Board of Regents Chairman Wilsonare available on the UHD Public AffairsWeb site, http://www.uhd.edu/publicaffairs/namechange/.

The name recommendations took intoconsideration several factors. All groupssurveyed identified UHD with the vibrancyof the city and city culture, and UHD’sservice projects and community engage-

ment projects serve the city. UHDembraces the energy of the city in manyways and has partnerships with city-basedorganizations like the Buffalo BayouPartnership and the Greater HoustonPartnership. Classrooms extend into thecity and programs provide expertise formodern cities.

An alumnus put it this way in the open-ended comment section in the survey:"The University is in the City, but moreimportantly the City is in the University."

PR IMARY

INFORMAL

HOR IZONTAL

DEPARTMENTAL

These graphic treatments are not actual logos but provide visual suggestions of how a new logo might appear. Mockupsshow primary logos for official letterhead and formal communications; informal logos for promotional items like hats andT-shirts; horizontal logo styles to provide a more casual look; and departmental logos that would incorporate the newname with colleges and departments.

Meet President FloresUHD alumni can discuss the twonames with President Flores as wellas the current state of the University at one of these upcoming alumnimeetings.

SOUTHWESTTuesday, June 295:30 – 7:30 p.m.UH System at Sugar LandBH ROOM 103B14000 University Blvd.Sugar Land, Texas 77479

NORTHWESTWednesday, June 305:30 – 7:30 p.m.UHD Northwest (Lone Star College-University Park)Conference Center, Ontario Room20515 State Highway 249Houston TX 77070

NORTHEASTTuesday, July 65:30 – 7:30 p.m.Italiano’s Restaurant217 FM 1960 Bypass Rd E Humble, TX 77338

BAY AREAWednesday, July 7 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.Bailey’s American Grille2320 NASA ParkwaySeabrook, Texas 77586

Alumni may RSVP for their choice ofevents at 713-221-8595 oralumni@uhd.edu

Please include the names of those attend-ing and preference for date and location.

Participate in Straw Poll on NewNames for UHDUHD wants to know whatyou think about the newnames recommended forthe University. Please takea moment to participatein an online straw pollavailable on the UHDWeb site at http://namechangestrawpoll.uhd.edu

Click on Name ChangeStraw Poll. Give youropinion on City Universityand Houston City Univer-sity. The poll will remainopen for UHD alumni until 11:30 p.m. Friday,May 21.