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The University of Houston received the Credit Program of Excellence
Award from the University Continuing Education Association (Region
South) for its Discover U Program in the Texas Medical Center. The
Society of American Military Engineers Houston/Galveston Post selected
UH as its public agency of the month for July. UH received the honor
because of its outstanding recovery and mitigation effort after Tropical
Storm Allison and the high quality of the staff and strong management
in Plant Operations.
The University of Houston has established its first Office of Undergraduate
Research. Scott Perry, professor of chemistry and
chemical engineering, heads the new office, which is housed in The
Honors College but serves the entire campus. In his new role as
associate dean of undergraduate research in The Honors College,
Perry is responsible for broadening and promoting research opportunities
for undergraduate students. Perry is the recipient of numerous honors,
including a university Research and Scholarship Excellence Award
and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ Teaching
Excellence Award.
Alumni
Celso Cuellar Jr. (’65) received the Texas
Pharmacy Association’s (TPA) Local Association Leadership
Award for his outstanding contributions to the organization. TPA
also honored Carolyn Hilscher (’85) with
the Bowl of Hygeia Award, recognizing a pharmacist who has exhibited
significant involvement in community service activities.
Tilman Fertitta was inducted into the Texas
Business Hall of Fame.
Faculty/Staff
Staff Council’s newly elected members are Mary
Andress-Reed, office coordinator, College of Pharmacy;
Carol Barr, business manager, College of Education;
Karl Bernard, information technology security
analyst, Security and Disaster Recovery; Mary Douglas,
director of placement services, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel
and Restaurant Management; Sharon M. Gates, advising
assistant, Department of Chemical Engineering; Charles
Henry, business administrator, College of Pharmacy; Selesta
King, division administrator, Division of Research; Ann
M. McFarland, director of the Office of Community Projects,
Graduate School of Social Work; Mitra Rahimi-Kiani,
technology transfer associate, Office of Intellectual Property
Management; Walter Rodriguez, deputy fire marshal,
Department of Public Safety; Mary Schulz, academic
advising specialist, Cullen College of Engineering; Patti
Tolar, academic affairs coordinator, Department of Psychology;
Susan Williams, administrative assistant, College
of Optometry; and Rebecca Szwarc, administrative
assistant, Residential Life and Housing.
Monit Cheung, professor of social work, received
the 2004 Golden Harvest Award from the Asian American Family Counseling
Center. The award recognizes the contributions of corporate and
community leaders.
Fred J. Hilterman, professor of geophysics,received
the 2004 Cecil Green Enterprise Award from the Society of Exploration
Geophysicists for innovations in seismic sonograms and a dedication
to the geophysics industry.
Stanley Kleis, associate professor of mechanical
engineering, received NASA’s Public Service Medal for helping
to reduce space-related risks to astronauts during long-duration
missions.
Carlos Lopez, director of the Small Business
Development Center’s International Trade Center, received
the Henry B. Gonzalez Latino Leadership Award from the Baytown
Hispanic Forum.
Ruben Martínez’s “Crossing
Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail” was selected
by the Houston Public Library for the third annual citywide reading
program, Books on the Bayou: Houston Reads Together. Martinez
is associate professor of English and teaches in the Creative
Writing Program.
The University Continuing Education Association (Region South)
presented its Professional Continuing Educator Award to Steven
Mintz, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of History and
director of the American Cultures Program. Richard Murray, professor
of political science and director of the Center for Public Policy,
was named the Bob Lanier Endowed Chair in Urban Public Policy.
Barbara Stewart, professor of human development
and consumer sciences in the College of Technology, was recognized
by the Federation of Houston Professional Women as a “Woman
of Excellence.” Stewart also is the coordinator of the college’s
Consumer Sciences and Merchandising program.
Edward P. Sheridan, University Professor and
emeritus senior vice president and provost, was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Nova Southeastern University.
Jerald Strickland, interim senior vice chancellor
for academic affairs and senior vice president for academic affairs
and provost, was presented the Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in
Education Award for his work on the Partnership Foundation for
Optometric Education. The Association of Schools and Colleges
of Optometry presented the award to Strickland, who was the foundation’s
first president.
Students
College of Pharmacy students swept the Texas Pharmacy Association
(TPA) Innovative Pharmacy Project Competition at the 125th Annual
TPA meeting and expo in Dallas. Isaac Lopez Jr.
placed first, Brice Labruzzo and Denise
Martinez placed second, Molly Graham
placed third and Rosalyn Adigun fourth.
Other Honors
Compass Bank has contributed $1 million to an endowment to establish
the Charles E. McMahen Chair in Accountancy and Taxation
at the C.T. Bauer College of Business. McMahen, a UH
alumnus, served on the UH System Board of Regents from 1995-2001
and was chair from 1998-2000.
Thad “Bo” Smith, UH System Board
of Regents member and former chair, and UHS Chancellor and UH
President Jay Gogue received the Distinguished
riends of China Award from the Chinese Civic Center. Smith graduated
from UH in 1967.
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The
University of Houston-Downtown launched its 30th anniversary with
grand opening celebrations for the new Commerce Street building,
which officially opened for classes this fall.
UHD will hold a grand opening ceremony for the Willow Street Pump
Station in November. The 1902 facility is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Floyd
Newsum, professor of art, was appointed to serve on the
Houston Municipal Art Commission. Newsum created four colorful 15-foot
murals that hang in each of the elevator lobbies of the university’s
new Commerce Street building. His work is in permanent museum collections
in Houston, Memphis, Philadelphia and Dallas.
Alumni
A program coordinated by graduate Lawrence Spence
received one of the annual Mayor’s Keep Houston Beautiful
Awards. The project, “Birds and Bats on the Bayou,”
seeks to improve the habitat along Buffalo Bayou, which runs by
UH-Downtown. Spence graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary
studies and is a teacher.
Faculty/Staff
Merrilee Cunningham, associate professor of
English, was invited to give a seminar on Shakespeare at the Houston
Teachers Institute, a partnership between the Houston Independent
School District and the University of Houston.
Alberto Gomez-Rivas, chair of the Department
of Engineering Technology, was appointed to the board of directors
of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Houston Chapter.
Peter Li, associate professor of social sciences,
conducted a field study in northeast China and presented a paper
on animal welfare at the 19th International Conference of Zoology
in Beijing.
Nuggenhalil Nandagopal, associate professor
of engineering technology, presented his paper, “Tools for
Teaching Engineering Ethics,” at an international engineering
technology conference.
Michele Sabino, executive director of university
advancement, is serving a term as president of the international
organization Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL). She convened the organization’s symposium on social
responsibility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and represented TESOL
at the United Nations Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental
Organization Conference in New York.
Bob Walsh, assistant professor and interim chair
of the Department of Criminal Justice, was appointed by the U.S.
Department of Justice Community Service Division to serve on a
multi-agency panel that will make recommendations on use-of-force
policies for local law enforcement agencies.
Students
Sophomore and undefeated professional boxer Juan Diaz
won his first world title — the World Boxing Association
Lightweight championship—in a match shown on HBO. Diaz frequently
speaks to at-risk students about staying in school. He plans to
enter law school after graduation.
Computer information systems student Brian Saldana
received special recognition at Harris County Commissioner’s
Court for outstanding performance in an internship for Commissioner
Steve Radack.
Sixty-four students were selected to participate
in undergraduate research programs during the summer. Fifteen
of them worked in off-campus internships at laboratories, including
Baylor College of Medicine, Louisiana State University and Kraft’s
corporate headquarters in New York.
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University
of Houston-Clear Lake’s School of Human Sciences and Humanities
is expanding its roster of degree programs with the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board’s recent approval of a bachelor
of arts degree in women’s studies.
Faculty, administrators, staff and students officially opened the
doors to the Student Services and Classroom Building
at a Sept. 30 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The celebration also marked
the beginning of the university’s 30th anniversary.
The alumni association named the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award
honorees. Recipients of the award include Chief Executive Officer
and Chairman of Hernandez Engineering Inc. Teresita Hernandez
(’80); UHCL Associate Professor of Family Therapy Leslye
Mize (’80); and Pasadena Independent School District’s
Bondy Intermediate School Special Education Coordinator Janet
Pepperday (’85). The Honorable Marilyn K.
Lunney (’93), volunteer chair of the university’s
Clear Lake Association of Senior Programs, also was named the first
recipient of the alumni association’s Leadership Service Award.
Glenn
Freedman, associate professor of reading and language arts,
received the NASA Public Service Medal for exceptional contributions
to its mission. It is one of the highest honors NASA confers on
non-government personnel. Freedman has served as an adviser and
volunteer for educational activities at Johnson Space Center. Freedman
also assisted NASA’s efforts to partner with the state to
create and expand the Texas Aerospace Scholars program, which provides
funds for programming to encourage students to explore career opportunities
in science, technology and mathematics. He serves as a committee
member for the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and as secretary
of the Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees.
Alumni
C. David Huffstutler (’97) was named CEO
of Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.
Sheryl Jamail (’99) received a Teacher
of the Year award from the Crosby Independent School District.
She is a pre-kindergarten teacher at Crosby Elementary.
Yolanda H. Jones (’02) was appointed principal
of C.D. Landolt Elementary School in the Clear Creek Independent
School District.
Shannon K. McClendon (’89) was named to
the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. She is a private practice
attorney.
Garrold Parratt (’85) was named one of
the Houston Business Journal’s 2004 Heavy Hitters in commercial
real estate.
Scott Stuckey (’02) was named director
of alumni relations at Sam Houston State University.
Faculty/Staff
Phillip Decker, professor of healthcare administration
and director of the healthcare administration program, received
an additional $54,079 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services’ Health Resources and Service Administration
Division as part of a three-year grant he received in July 2003.
These funds will continue to assist healthcare administration
students to defray their tuition expenses during the 2004-05 academic
year.
George Guillen, executive director of the Environmental
Institute of Houston (EIH), received a $43,022 monitoring and
assessment contract from the Houston-Galveston Area Council. As
part of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Clean Rivers
Program, the funds and equipment will be used by EIH to monitor
and assess the water quality of 53 test sites throughout Galveston
and Brazoria counties.
Christine Kovic, associate professor of anthropology,
was awarded a Rockefeller Residential Fellowship in the Humanities
and will travel to the Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias
at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico to develop research
on “The Cultural Dimension of the Mexican Transition: Migration,
Identity, Gender and Violence.”
Randy Seevers, associate professor of special
education, was elected vice president of the Texas Council for
Exceptional Children.
Mary Ann Shallberg, executive associate to the
president, was honored as a Distinguished Alumna by Louisiana
College in Pineville, La.
Daniel Zerong Wang, assistant professor of chemistry,
was awarded a three-year $150,000 grant from the Welch Foundation
for his proposal, “Synthesis of Novel Heterocycles from
Carbonimidic Dichlorides.”
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The
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the renaming
of University of Houston-Victoria’s School of Education to
the School of Education and Human Development.
The new name better reflects the type of curriculum offered to education
students, and it allows the school to open its programs to a variety
of school-based professionals.
An
article co-authored and submitted to BOSS Magazine by
Cam Caldwell, associate professor of management,
has been named as one of the top 10 leadership articles of the past
10 years by the magazine.
Alumni
Diana Blumrick (’93) was hired as principal
of Louise High School. She previously served as a counselor for
the Louise Independent School District.
Catherine Castillo (’03) and Crystal
Dawn Hamilton (’04) were hired as third grade teachers
at Austin Elementary School in Edna.
Dianna D. Hanzelka (’98) was hired as
a counselor at Carver and Austin Elementary schools in Edna.
Richard Jones (’85) was appointed interim
police chief for the city of Victoria.
David Charles McDowell (’04) was hired
as a second grade teacher for the Edna Independent School District.
Tanya Spiker Michna (’98), an award-winning
romance novelist, held a book signing at Waldenbooks in Victoria
to autograph copies of her new book, “Sheer Decadence.”
She has written three other books. Her fifth book, “Not
Quite as Advertised,” is scheduled for release this November.
Jody Moreno (’01) was hired as a world
history teacher and coach at Edna High School.
Dawn K. Nordeen (’03) was hired as a junior
high math teacher and keyboarding instructor for the Ganado Independent
School District.
Michelle Overstreet (’00) was hired as
a first grade teacher for the Edna Independent School District.
Kayla Peters (’04) was hired as an English
IV teacher at Edna High School.
Kathy Seale (’79) was hired as an English
as a second language teacher at Moulton Elementary School.
Domingo Villarreal (’90) was hired as
the new education specialist for the Victoria College’s
Educational Opportunity Center.
Meredith Leanne Workman (’03) was hired
as a districtwide counselor for the Ganado Independent School
District.
Faculty/Staff
Lydia Huber, buyer, earned a Certified Texas
Purchasing Manager’s certification.
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