From the impact of a Texas meteor to the state鈥檚 unprecedented growth, TCU and its faculty and alumni are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
May 26, 2023
Fort Worth Magazine
A series of sonic booms that shook a Texas ranch near El Sauz in the Rio Grande Valley
in mid-February is no longer a mystery. The cause of the ruckus, which was reported
all the way into Mexico, turned out to be a 1,000-pound meteor. Once the analysis
of the meteorite is complete, it will be donated to TCU鈥檚 Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Gallery by the owner of the ranch. Rhiannon Mayne, chair of meteoritics and planetary science and curator for the Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite
Gallery at TCU, said, 鈥淭he Monnig Meteorite collection is one of the largest university-based
meteorite collections in the world with 2,500 meteorites and 3,000 total pieces.鈥
May 17, 2023
KT Press Rwanda
TCU awarded Rwanda鈥檚 Godeli猫ve Mukasarasi the honorary doctorate for her contribution in rebuilding the Rwanda鈥檚 social fabric
that was torn apart by the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. She accepted the award on
the occasion of 150-year anniversary of the school. Mukasarasi said that her name
reached TCU following a video documentary in 2016. The film itself was sponsored by
TCU and premiered in Rwanda afterwards.
FACULTY
May 31, 2023
Fort Worth Report
With 345 gun-violence-related calls already counted in 2023, the city of Fort Worth
and Fort Worth鈥檚 police department are considering adding gunshot detection technology
in conjunction with smart streetlights and already existing Flock cameras to help
lower crime rates in areas scheduled for revitalization. Two options are part of a
larger suite of emerging technologies employed by police departments in large cities
across the country, said Johnny Nhan, associate dean of graduate studies and criminal justice professor. 鈥淭his is a response
to the rise of violent crime. With the shortage of police officers everywhere, they鈥檙e
looking for ways to increase the efficiency of the staffing,鈥 said Nhan, who is also
a reserve officer for the Fort Worth Police Department.
Shopping with AI (Artificial Intelligence) [ed: link removed]
May 30, 2023
Yahoo News
The future is now for AI, or artificial intelligence, and it's becoming part of our
everyday lives, including how we shop. Elijah Clark, instructor of professional practice in marketing, talks about how retailers are
using A.I. 鈥淎rtificial Intelligence is currently being used by businesses and consumers
through websites and whatnot. It鈥檚 just something that鈥檚 been in the system for quite
a while 鈥 but it's getting a little more traction because of what's happening with
CHATGPT and these other A.I. platforms,鈥 Clark said. 鈥淭he goal is to provide better
service and more efficient marketing towards these customers.鈥
May 29, 2023
Fort Worth Report
Although growth slowed slightly during the past three years because of the pandemic,
North Texas鈥 population remained red hot. The region is now home for over 8 million
people. Since 2020, North Texas has welcomed 453,000 new residents, according to new
data released by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Fort Worth remained
the top city in sheer numbers, adding nearly 20,000 new people. Kyle Walker, associate professor of geography and director of the Center for Urban Studies at
TCU, said it鈥檚 important for growing cities like Fort Worth to also take into account
the smaller cities and surrounding suburbs nearby. 鈥淭his is important for Fort Worth
to think about as it grows, wanting to make sure the city grows not just as a place
that鈥檚 a giant overgrown city with a bunch of suburban subdivisions,鈥 Walker said.
鈥淵ou want to make sure you鈥檙e also growing that economic base, the job space. Make
sure you鈥檙e growing a healthy core, you know, along with the growth in sort of the
new neighborhoods on the edges鈥︹
May 27, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas politics has reached peak reality show. Just the last few days, the current
season of the Legislature has included drag and burlesque performers, other legal
gyrations, heavy drinking and the outright expulsion of an East Texas lawmaker deemed
too disgusting. Yes, even for the Texas House. TCU political science veteran Jim Riddlesperger said the nation鈥檚 political divide has also split news and social media. Republicans
have since further divided with show host Tucker Carlson鈥檚 departure from Fox News.
鈥淲e use different sources, we read different papers, and we watch point-of-view news,鈥
he wrote by email. 鈥淵ounger folks focus on sports, technology and entertainment. It鈥檚
possible to be very well-read 鈥 but not on politics.鈥
May 26, 2023
Practical Ecommerce
Brandon Chicotsky is a professor of marketing at TCU. He states that his students have endured years
of standardized, grade-level tests and are focused on the right answer or the best
GPA. But Chicotsky realizes businesses often face decisions with no right answer.
And that has impacted his method of teaching. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 offer exams in my class,鈥 he
said. 鈥淓verything I offer has a subjective outcome, not a definitive answer.鈥
May 25, 2023
Fort Worth Report
A National Juneteenth Museum is coming to Fort Worth. Whitnee Boyd, former coordinator of special projects for the Office of the Chancellor at TCU,
said its leadership pushing forward a new vision for the city will ensure it becomes
a reality, she said. 鈥淭hat is what will set the museum apart from other developments
that have just happened in the past or other areas. This is truly a partnership with
the community,鈥 Boyd said.
May 23, 2023
canteyhanger.com
Julie Bergkamp is the fifth Executive-in-Residence at the TCU Neeley School of Business. As the
David and Marie Louis Kinder Executive-in-Residence, Bergkamp works with TCU student-athletes
to answer questions about general business legal issues surrounding athletics. She
also will be teaching an entrepreneurial law course at the undergraduate level. 鈥淚
really enjoy working with students and helping those who are embarking on their professional
journeys. I want to help make business law concepts understandable and practical,鈥
she said.
May 19, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Experts say they don鈥檛 see North Texas home prices going down as long as the area
continues to see more people moving here population and a strong job market. The median
home price in Fort Worth in April was $336,250, which was about 5.3% lower than a
year ago, though higher interest rates are likely to swallow up the savings. Leslie Purvis, associate director of the real estate center, predicts interest rates will go down,
but it鈥檚 going to be slow and not overnight. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 going to be different, depending
on how much money they make,鈥 Purvis said. 鈥淚 would be more inclined to want to buy,
because I don鈥檛 see our housing prices dropping, and I don鈥檛 see interest rates dropping
to a degree that I would hold off buying a house for two or three years.鈥
May 19, 2023
Fort Worth Report
Fort Worth鈥檚 population is inching closer to one million after adding more residents
than any other city in the country in 2022, according to new census data. While population
growth was notable in the major urban areas in Texas, some of the smaller cities on
the edge of big metros are also growing very quickly, said Kyle Walker, associate professor of geography and director of the Center for Urban Studies. 鈥淵ou
see DFW and Fort Worth being attractive places to move to in part because housing
costs are comparatively low, and economic opportunities are certainly available. We
have a lot of amenities,鈥 Walker said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 room to grow鈥 It is difficult to build
a major city that is connected to open space. It鈥檚 rare for a city to be able to do
both of those things at once.鈥
May 19, 2023
MDPI
The popularity of voice-activated artificial intelligence (voice AI) has grown rapidly
as people continue to use smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home to support
everyday tasks. However, little is known about how loneliness relates to voice AI
use, or the potential mediators in this association. This study investigates the mediating
roles of users鈥 perceptions (i.e., social attraction, privacy concerns, and satisfaction)
in the relationship between users鈥 social loneliness and intentions to continue using
voice AI. The co-author of the study is Tae Rang Choi, assistant professor of strategic communication.
May 16, 2023
BroadwayWorld.com | 2,075,884 unique visitors per month
Anchorage Chamber Music Festival has announced its 11th Season, to be held July 5
鈥15, 2023 in Anchorage, Alaska. The season will convene professional musicians from
all corners of the world to perform exceptional concerts across Anchorage and teach
a rigorous week-long chamber intensive course for aspiring young musicians. Among
the guest artists and faculty is Haerim Elizabeth Lee, assistant professor of violin at TCU.
May 16, 2023
WFAA-TV (Dallas, TX)
We've seen the headlines. Artifical Intelligence, or AI, is everywhere lately, it
seems. And so are the worries about how it can possibly impact our kids. Is it a powerful
learning aid? Or a quick pathway to cheating and bypassing schoolwork? 鈥淚 think it鈥檚
an amazing tool to help children learn,鈥 Beata Jones, professor of professional practice in business information systems, said. Her computer
science Ph.D. focused specifically on the technology, which, while in the news a lot
lately, has been in the works for decades.
Women Too Respond to Sexual Cues by Taking More Risks [ed: link removed]
May 14, 2023
Americantalk.live
In a recent study, female students to performed 鈥渃ustomer research鈥 for an apparel
company by examining men鈥檚 boxers or T-shirts, and then rating the items on factors
such as fabric quality. Researchers found that subjects who had handled the boxers鈥攁
鈥渟exual cue鈥濃攚ere more willing to take risks and more impatient for rewards than those
assigned to evaluate the T-shirts or to only look at the boxers. In one study cited,
experts including Sarah E. Hill, psychology professor, showed that visual sexual cues cause women to change their
beauty-related decisions. They are more likely to buy diet pills or coupons for the
tanning salon, for example. But it takes a stronger trigger to change their financial
decisions.
STUDENTS
May 31, 2023
Azle News
On May 2, 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report declaring loneliness a
public health emergency. In 2019, Texas Health applied for a grant to implement programs
focused on addressing social isolation. The program connected individuals to social
work students from 茄子视频. They conducted reminiscent interviews, where students talk to individuals about
where they were during specific major events in history and build a bridge between
generations.
May 31, 2023
checkupnewsroom.com
Antonio Igbokidi, a third-year medical student discussed his Barbershop Talk Therapy mental health
initiative. Igbokidi started Barbershop Talk Therapy in 2021 as a way to 鈥渂ring therapy
into communities of color 鈥 specifically men of color 鈥 to be able to destigmatize
mental health and to be able to provide a safe space fo talk about things that have
been on our mind.鈥 He never dreamed his program would take off, with more than 100
people now attending sessions across Fort Worth.
May 29, 2023
dallasisd.org
When Che鈥檒a W. walks across the stage to signify the culmination of high school, she鈥檒l be standing
next to her twin brother as she has done for many milestones in life. But this moment
will be different. After high school, Che鈥檒a and her twin will go their separate ways
as she leaves Dallas to attend TCU on a full-ride scholarship. The STEM Scholar program is
one of TCU鈥檚 most ambitious programs and provides academic support and leadership
development to students from underrepresented populations. 鈥淭he scholarship is for
underrepresented people in the STEM field, but I feel underrepresented in a different
sense,鈥 Che鈥檒a expressed. 鈥淚 participate in a lot of activities and I work really
hard, but colleges don鈥檛 acknowledge that. TCU did.鈥
May 26, 2023
Fort Worth Report
When David Duong moved to the U.S., he started sixth grade knowing a handful of English words. Now,
the Southwest High School valedictorian hopes to become a diplomat. On a gloomy, chilly
day in March 2016, Duong stepped off a plane from Vietnam into the DFW International
Airport. Just a few years later on June 1, Duong will graduate as the valedictorian
of Southwest High School and will attend TCU in the fall to study political science
with a full ride, thanks to TCU鈥檚 Community Scholars program.
May 20, 2023
Psychology Today
Key points Nostalgia can serve many functions, not only for your own well-being but
for your relationship. New research on a nostalgia induction for members of a couple
shows how it can promote a sense of commitment. Practicing nostalgia, such as thinking
back on 鈥測our song,鈥 can help offset the challenges of the present. According to Ph.D.
student Julie Swets 鈥20 MS and colleagues (2023), there are psychological benefits of engaging in this type
of 鈥渟entimental longing for the past."
May 17, 2023
EIN News
When she is not studying as an undergraduate at the TCU Neeley School of Business or
exercising her entrepreneurial skills as a co-founder of BF Hats and a creator of
Styles for Smiles, Bryn Carden is pursuing her love of modeling. In a Texas Rangers鈥 promotional video titled 鈥淗ome,鈥
Carden shows her commitment as a Texas fan wearing the latest jersey available from
the Texas Rangers Nike City Connect jersey line. 鈥淚t was an honor to represent a team
and place I hold close to my heart and call home. Being a part of this experience,
helping debut the Texas Rangers鈥 newest jersey was truly a dream,鈥 said Carden.
May 17, 2023
MDPI
With the increasing prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), screening is of the utmost
importance to prevent vision loss for patients and reduce financial costs for the
healthcare system. Unfortunately, it appears that the capacity of optometrists and
ophthalmologists to adequately perform in-person screenings of DR will be insufficient
within the coming years. Telemedicine offers the opportunity to expand access to screening
while reducing the economic and temporal burden associated with current in-person
protocols. The study was conducted and written by a team, including third-year medical
student Arsalan Ali from the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.
May 17, 2023
KERA News (Dallas, TX)
茄子视频 100 years ago, Black families started to build neighborhoods in a sparsely populated
portion of southeast Denton. These families were distraught descendants of former
slaves forced to leave a freedmen's community in central Denton known as Quakertown
by white city officials. The former residents of Quakertown formed a new community
known as Solomon Hill. Now these neighborhoods are under threat as well. Chelsea Stalling has conducted research into white supremacist efforts in North Texas. She says Quakertown
was a prime example of a community that was ravaged after it had built its own generational
wealth. 鈥淚t really was a very insular community that took care of itself and took
care of its own,鈥 said Stallings, who is working on a doctoral degree in American
history. 鈥淎 lot of families had animals and gardens. They had access to their own
food.鈥
May 17, 2023
North Dallas Gazette
Congratulations to Benjamin K. of Kimball High and Taylor M. of Carter High, who were both awarded full scholarships
to attend TCU in the fall as part of TCU鈥檚 Community Scholars program. These four-year
academic scholarships are valued at approximately $300,000.
ALUMNI
May 30, 2023
Riverside-Brookfield Landmark
Dance ensemble The Seldoms will close out their 20th season with a world premiere
performance of 鈥淪uperbloom鈥 at the Harris Theater in Chicago. Founded in 2002, The
Seldoms were conceived by North Riverside resident Carrie Hanson 鈥90 and two partners. 鈥淲e started doing work that was multidisciplinary in nature, but
when my partners moved on, it quickly became a platform for my artistic and choreographic
voice,鈥 Hanson said.
May 30, 2023
OAK Ridge National Laboratory
As lead for the molecular biophysics group at the Department of Energy鈥檚 Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Jerry Parks 鈥99 uses his expertise in computational chemistry and bioinformatics to unlock the inner
workings of proteins, molecules that govern cellular structure and function and are
essential to life. Applying his expertise across science domains was one of the reasons
he chose the versatile research environment at ORNL. 鈥淟arge multidisciplinary projects
are a nice way to get a lot of diverse scientists into a room on the same project,
all working toward a common goal,鈥 Parks said. As a senior at TCU, Parks began hearing
more about the burgeoning field of computational chemistry and decided to pursue the
subject in graduate school.
May 26, 2023
CBS-Dallas
Dr. Ivette 鈥淚ve鈥 Avila 鈥23 MD was a fourth-year medical student at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU when she
died of an amniotic fluid embolism shortly after her son was stillborn. She was revived
after six minutes, but, afterward, Avila wondered if she could still be an OB/GYN.
鈥淲ill I be able to deliver fetal demises, will I be able to attend to my dying mothers?
I don鈥檛 know,鈥 Avila said. But now Avila is ready to help other mothers, made stronger
by her trauma. 鈥淲hen she survives it, because she will, when she鈥檚 trying to breathe
through broken ribs, when she doesn鈥檛 know if she can get up again, I鈥檓 going to hold
her hand, and tell her, 鈥榊es, you can, because, you know why, because I did.鈥欌
May 25, 2023
Fort Worth Report | 112,613 unique visitors per month
Like the products it manufactures and sells, Acme Brick has been a company with plenty
of stability in the management ranks over its 132 years. Outgoing CEO Dennis Knautz 鈥75 (鈥76 MBA) graduated from TCU, where the buildings use Acme Bricks. Most TCU buildings require
200,000 bricks. Knautz joined Acme as controller 1982 sales were $77 million. In 2022,
his final full year as president and CEO, they were $612 million.
May 22, 2023
Fort Worth Magazine
As a result of her mother's mental illness, Abriana Terrell 鈥18, says her father ended up getting full custody of both her and her older sister when
they were still in elementary school. Flash forward several years, and Terrell began
her mission to help the less fortunate by going into the field of social work. 鈥淣o
one has an answer to the question of homelessness, that鈥檚 why I am doing as much research
as I can, to try and find different avenues,鈥 Terrell said. One way Terrell is looking
into contributing to this scenario is in the form of a multi-million-dollar campus
that, when built, will offer programs and shelter for people struggling with these
very issues.
May 18, 2023
Fort Worth Weekly
Far removed from the rolling hills of San Miguel de Allende 鈥 frequently named the
鈥渂est city in the world鈥 by publications such as Travel + Leisure and Cond茅 Nast Traveler
鈥 renowned restaurant Quince migrated north of the border to open a second location
in flat Fort Worth, where owner Brian Sneed 鈥90 has lived since graduating from TCU. Quince was named the best rooftop restaurant
destination in the world in 2018 and 2022.
May 18, 2023
KIDY-TV (San Angelo, TX)
Karen Cody 鈥76, a professor in Angelo State University's Natalie Zan Ryan Department of English
and Modern Languages, is one of only 16 college faculty nationwide selected for a
2023 Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program to conduct research in Mexico this summer.
May 13, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Author-historian Richard Selcer 鈥80 has written a new history of Fort Worth for young people: 鈥淔ort Worth, Texas: That鈥檚
My Town!鈥 It is not an official textbook like the state-approved texts that their
older brothers and sisters are assigned in Texas and U.S. history classes. This book
will have to rely on parents and grandparents, school librarians and Fort-Worth-loving
teachers to get the word out. But all the city鈥檚 kids 鈥 white, Black and brown 鈥 will
be able to read about people who looked like them and helped build Cowtown.
May 12, 2023
Military Veterans in Journalism, Inc.
Military Veterans in Journalism announced today the addition of two new members to
its Counter-Disinformation Program team. Allison Erickson 鈥11, joined the program as part of MVJ鈥檚 partnership with Military Times. Erickson, a former Medical Service Corps officer in the U.S. Army, brings a unique
perspective to her role as the project鈥檚 investigative reporter. She completed a combat
deployment to Afghanistan and earned several medals, including the Purple Heart and
Meritorious Service Medal. Her journalism career began before her military service
when she studied editorial journalism at TCU.