UNT Insider: President's newsletter

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UNT President Neal Smatresk greets students

Welcome back: Greeting students in the University Union on Monday, Aug. 28

Straight from Smatresk

Dear Alum,

This week marks the start of our 2017-18 academic year, and while this is an exciting time for our community, we cannot help but think of those affected by Hurricane Harvey. My heart goes out to all of our students impacted, and I know that many of you may live or have family and friends in the affected areas and we are thinking of you, too.

We will support the impacted individuals in every way we can because our university is a community of great compassion. The close bond our community members share remains one of the things that always impresses me about UNT.

Already, I am proud to see our faculty and staff going out of their way to be flexible and compassionate to help students from areas in the storm's path who recently moved into our residence halls or were unable to get to classes this week because they were flooded in their homes. We also are responding to the higher education needs of students from other universities who may be displaced.

UNT is equipped and prepared to open an emergency shelter for evacuees, if and when we are asked. Many of our caring faculty and staff are looking for additional ways to help and we've posted this list of charities accepting donations to help survivors rebuild.

We will help our students and any students who join us from the impacted areas get through this fall as successfully as possible.

UNT Proud,
Neal Smatresk
President
@UNTPrez

The Inside Scoop

Chancellor finalist

Lesa B. Roe, acting deputy administrator for NASA, is the sole finalist for the position of UNT System chancellor. We're excited that she now plans to bring her 30 years of experience, expertise in the STEM fields and talent for pushing boundaries to the area of higher education. State law requires that 21 days pass before final action can be taken on her employment.

Read an editorial
about our choice »

Pioneering judge

Distinguished Alumna Hilda G. Tagle, senior U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Texas, has received the Sarah T. Hughes Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the State Bar of Texas Women in the Law Section. Judge Tagle (pictured right, with council chair Deborah Race) was the first Mexican American woman to become a county court-at-law judge and U.S. district judge in Texas. (Photo courtesy of the State Bar of Texas)

Learn about her journey
to the judgeship »

Tech Titan honor

Ram Dantu, professor of computer engineering and director of the UNT Center for Information and Computer Security, has another prestigious honor to add to his growing list. He was a finalist for this year's Tech Titans Award in the Technology Inventor category. Tech Titans is Texas' largest technology trade association. Dr. Dantu has 25 patents with nine more pending, and the innovative technologies he's developing include a cellphone and smartwatch software to help bystanders properly perform chest compressions on heart attack victims.

Read more about
his work »

Innovator Awards

high speed photography of a lightbulb shattering

Our Office of Research and Innovation has announced UNT's 2017 Innovator Award winners: Narendra Dahotre, interim associate vice president for research and innovation and a University Distinguished Research Professor of engineering; Roberto Aguilar, Ph.D. candidate in chemistry and biochemistry; and Ryan Girardot, a senior marketing major. Dr. Dahotre's work includes new laser technology for orthopedic surgery. Roberto is taking a creative approach to his work on nanoparticle deposition technologies, and Ryan developed an EPLAY Basketball app through a company he co-founded and serves as CEO.

Find out more about
the winners »

Spotlight on Excellence

(pictured with Danielle DiFerdinando from left, holding the new bags) Katelyn Patrick Boutin, Nichole Fallis and McKenzie Hibler

Student project on HSN

Three of our merchandising and digital retailing alumni appeared on the Home Shopping Network this month, thanks to a project they worked on as students. At last year's NRF Foundation Student Challenge, their winning design — a custom women's handbag with compartments for digital devices and other essentials — caught the eye of judge Danielle DiFerdinando, founder and creative director of Danielle Nicole. She partnered with team members (pictured with Danielle from left, holding the new bags) Katelyn Patrick Boutin, Nichole Fallis and McKenzie Hibler to bring it to market. Talk about real-world experience! (Photo by Erica Aquilina/NRF)

Fans with UNT mascot Scrappy at Apogee Stadium

Kickoff is coming

Football season finally has arrived. In addition to athletics' new five-year strategic plan focused on its primary mission of "Building Champions and Preparing Leaders," head coach Seth Littrell and his team promise entertaining gamedays. Join us for the football season opener at 6 p.m. Sept. 2 against Lamar at Apogee Stadium and for all our home games. And don't miss our game the next week at SMU. The UNT Alumni Association has planned a pep rally Sept. 8 at the Four Corners Brewery and a tailgate Sept. 9 before the 6 p.m. kickoff. We'll celebrate Family Weekend Sept. 22-24 and Homecoming Week Nov. 6-11. We would love to have you back on campus and showing your Mean Green Pride for all of these events. Read the new strategic plan, find out how athletics is supporting Harvey relief efforts, buy your tickets, raise your claw and we will see you in the stands!

Archiving Eden

Archiving Eden, a book and an exhibition by Dornith Doherty, University Distinguished Professor of photography, celebrates the end of her decade-long work to document international seed banks. She spoke with KERA's State of the Arts about the project. The exhibition runs through Jan. 14 at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth. (Pictured from left, Red Yucca, 2010, and Pycnantha, 2014, courtesy of Dornith Doherty, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, and Moody Gallery, Houston)

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Office of the President

University of North Texas
Hurley Administration Building, Room 201
Mailing Address:
1155 Union Circle #311425
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
940-565-2108

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