Campus Kudos
Faculty member inducted into the American Academy of Nursing
Dr. Diane Tyler, professor of clinical nursing and director of the Nurse Practitioner Programs, has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, an organization that promotes health policy and practice. New fellows were inducted at the academy’s meeting Nov. 11-13 in Washington, D.C. Dr. Billye Brown, former dean of the School of Nursing, was honored as a “Living Legend.” Three alumni of the school also were inducted as Fellows. The school has 16 Fellows, seven of whom are emeritus.
LBJ School names new director of development
Carolyn Miles Garber, former director of development and senior associate director at the McCombs School of Business, has been appointed director of development at the university’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Garber was a director for Public Strategies Inc., before coming to the university.
Professor awarded Fulbright scholarship
Plant geneticist Z. Jeff Chen has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to work at the University of Cambridge beginning January 2011. As a Fulbright scholar and fellow, Chen, the D. J. Sibley Centennial Professor in Plant Molecular Genetics, will work with Cambridge’s David Baulcombe to study the roles of small ribonucleic acids (RNAs) in hybrid vigor and hybrid incompatibility in plant hybrids and allopolyploids that contain two or more sets of chromosomes.
Ethernet inventor joins Cockrell School
Dr. Robert M. Metcalfe, an icon of entrepreneurial engineering and inventor of today’s local-area networking standard, Ethernet, has been selected to lead innovation initiatives at the Cockrell School of Engineering. He begins his appointment in January 2011.
Three inducted into McCombs School Hall of Fame
The McCombs School of Business inducted three prominent business leaders into its Hall of Fame: John W. Carpenter III, CEO of Lachlan Alliance; Corbin J. Robertson Jr., chairman and CEO of Natural Resource Partners; and Gary M. Kusin, senior advisor to TPG Capital. Dean Tom Gilligan also recognized Daniel P. Nelson and Matt Polze as the 2010 alumni Rising Stars for their early accomplishments.
Researchers receive $2.3 million grant to help bilingual first graders
Speech-language researchers at the university have received a $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to help Central Texas first graders from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds overcome language impairments. Communication Sciences and Disorders Associate Professor Lisa Bedore and Professor Elizabeth Peña will use the grant to develop a unique language intervention program addressing language and literacy — together — for bilingual first graders with language impairments as they begin to access school language and literacy.
Press Mentions
The New York Times: Taking aim at the mortgage tax break
Nov. 12
The School of Law‘s Calvin Johnson discussed the proposed changes to the mortgage interest tax deduction. Johnson argued, “No one can make a serious intellectual argument in favor of the mortgage interest deduction. Why should the government subsidize homeowners rather than renters? The only thing it’s good for is middle-class votes.”
The Wall Street Journal: Both parties get help from Hispanics
Nov. 3
College of Liberal Arts‘ Government faculty member Jason Casellas was quoted about Republican Latinos winning elected positions in the Southwest.
NPR: Cataloging digital documents
Oct. 29
Richard Oram, associate director of the Harry Ransom Center, talked about how archivists are dealing with digital documents as opposed to handwritten notes, drafts and letters.
The New York Times: For long term, men favor face over figure
Nov. 5
A book written by graduate students Jaime C. Confer, Carin Perilloux and Professor David Buss from the Psychology Department in the College of Liberal Arts examined the importance of attractiveness of face versus body in short- and long-term relationships.
The Wall Street Journal: Acts like he’s running; says he isn’t
Nov. 15
Bruce Buchanan, professor in the Department of Government in the College of Liberal Arts commented on how Gov. Rick Perry is positioning himself in regards to the 2012 presidential elections.
The New York Times: Tea Party rooted in religious fervor for Constitution
Nov. 5
Sandford Levinson in the School of Law talked about how members of the Tea Party use overtly religious language when talking about the U.S. Constitution.
The New York Times: Cede political turf? Never! Well, maybe
Nov. 1
James Pennebaker from the Department of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts, discussed his research on how speaking patterns reflect how close, or cool, a relationship is between people.
USA Today: Study: Placebo improves sex life for women
Nov. 15
Researchers, including Cindy Meston from the Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory in the Psychology Department, College of Liberal Arts, found that women experienced improvement in symptoms such as low sex drive even when receiving a placebo in clinical trials.
Discovery News: Wind power fading with climate change
Nov. 10
According to researcher Diandong Ren from the Jackson School of Geosciences, now is the time to use wind power as an energy source because as the polar regions warm there may be less fuel for wind turbines in the future.
Businessweek: China economic clout gives Obama “foil” to push domestic issues
Nov. 11
H.W. Brands of the Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts commented on President Barack Obama’s use of comparing the United States to China in forwarding domestic policies.
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