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| We presented Tony Award-nominated singer and entertainer Carmen Cusack with an honorary degree during the Wingspan Gala, UNT's annual celebration of excellence. Read more below. |
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| Straight from Smatresk |
Dear Alum,
There's an incredible sense of dynamism occurring at the University of North Texas right now, and I'm proud of every success. From student awards to academic program growth, research discoveries and alumni achievements, there's something to be proud of in every area of our university.
We have 68 academic programs ranked among the nation's Top 100, including 15 recognized by U.S. News & World Report. Just last week, it was announced on their Best Graduate Schools list that UNT's Master of Public Administration program's specialty in local government management moved to 8th from 13th in the nation. And UNT's materials science program landed at 49th among public universities in the nation.
Last week we broke ground at Discovery Park on a $12.8 million biomedical engineering building to support one of UNT's fastest-growing departments. This week, the men's basketball team is playing in the College Basketball Invitational, and I know more good news is on the horizon. You'll read below about UNT's new Celebrity Chef Series, and I hope you'll consider attending to support students in the College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism. Other events of note include Jane Goodall on April 9 as part of UNT's student-run Distinguished Lecture Series, an April 16 kickoff for our new esports program and two lectures with Nobel Prize-winning biologist Randy Schekman on April 20.
UNT has changed dramatically and we are thriving. We are a university committed to preparing students for careers in a rapidly evolving marketplace. We are a university that helps students' dreams come true. We are a university with incredible faculty who mentor our students and receive worldwide recognition. We are a caring and creative university unlike any other. We are a university on the rise. We are a university I'm proud of, and I know that you are, too.
UNT Proud,
Neal Smatresk
President
 @UNTPrez |
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| Visionary filmmaker |
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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Nissan and filmmaker Ava DuVernay named UNT media arts junior Ciara Boniface the world's Next Visionary Filmmaker. Ciara entered a filmmaking contest held in conjunction with the premiere of Disney's A Wrinkle in Time and was chosen as the top filmmaker, besting more than 1,200 other applicants. Ciara won $100,000 to produce her feature film, a trip to Hollywood for the premiere of A Wrinkle in Time and a Nissan Leaf. Be sure to watch the video showcasing Ciara's trip to Hollywood where she met Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Ava, a filmmaker she's long admired.
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Learn more
about Ciara » |
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| Mainframe master |
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For the second year in a row, a UNT College of Business student won IBM's Master the Mainframe programming competition. This year's winner, 22-year-old Anna McKee, was the first woman from North America to earn the title. Anna, a senior working toward bachelor's degrees in business computer information systems and decision sciences, spent two weeks working non-stop on the challenge that required competitors to come up with the most creative solution to real-life computing problems and coding errors. She ultimately beat out 17,000 other participants!
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Read more in
Business Insider » |
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| Love food |
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Students in UNT's College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism will have the opportunity to learn from innovative five-star Chef Tim Love and his team with the launch of UNT's new Celebrity Chef Series. The event, a fundraiser for the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, will feature a special presentation and meal selected by Chef Love on April 23. Tickets to "Food. Love. Hospitality" are on sale now, and I hope you'll join us for what will be a fun evening — and a delicious meal.
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Buy your
tickets now » |
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| Wingspan Gala celebrates Bright Lights of UNT |
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Our University Union transformed into New York City on St. Patrick's Day for our annual Wingspan Gala, themed The Bright Lights of UNT. The celebration of UNT's excellence included performances by alumna Carmen Cusack, a Tony Award-nominated Broadway performer who studied opera at UNT in the early 1990s. It was a joy to meet Carmen and present her with an honorary degree. I also presented Presidential Excellence Awards to art history professor Nada Shabout and December graduate Krystin Rodriguez ('17). Nada, cited as one of the world's eight most influential female art historians, has led the world in documenting and preserving modern and contemporary Arab and Iraqi art. Krystin is preparing to enter Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and aspires to become a U.S. diplomat. She's a young woman with determination who credits UNT's financial and mentoring support with enabling her success. I also bestowed the Wings of Eagles Presidential Excellence Award on alumnus Jim McNatt ('66) (pictured at center), a great friend and ardent UNT supporter. Jim generously supports UNT Athletics, academic programs, National Merit Finalists and research initiatives. This year's event was the best yet, and I hope you'll make plans to join us in 2019!
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| Men's basketball finds sweet spot in postseason |
Our Mean Green men's basketball team is on fire in the postseason! First year head coach Grant McCasland changed up the lineup as the team headed into the College Basketball Invitational, and the Mean Green are battling it out for the CBI Championship in a best-of-three series against San Francisco. We lost Monday night's game in San Francisco but are hopeful for two wins at the Super Pit to close out the season. We play at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 (the game airs on ESPNU), and if we win we will play again Friday, March 30. Get ticket information. We hope all members of the Mean Green Nation come out to cheer on the team and celebrate UNT's March Madness. Our women's basketball team, led by head coach Jalie Mitchell ('02), secured its first winning season since 2005-06 and advanced to the Conference USA Championship semi-finals. I anticipate even more excitement for the future of Mean Green athletics and hope to see you supporting our teams! |
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