UHCL launched a new creative marketing campaign in April, as part of a collaborative effort of both the university's senior leaders and UHCL's new advertising agency Richards/Carlberg. The campaign focuses on presenting a brand promise that provides a strategic foundation for all future decisions related to the UHCL brand. Elements of the campaign will appear on billboards, social media, online and in university publications, and will expand to include marketing for UHCL's first freshman class slated to join UHCL in fall 2014.
UHCL's Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, along with The University of Texas Health Sciences Center, University of Houston and Texas Women's University, was awarded a shared five-year federal grant for Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities. Only one LEND grant is awarded per state. Dorothea Lerman, UHCL professor of psychology and director for CADD, will serve as a core faculty member and associate director of training for the grant.
The Meadows Foundation awarded UHCL Counseling Services a $32,500 grant to support the salary and benefits of a pre-doctoral intern during the 2012-13 academic year.
UHCL President William A. Staples presented 2012 Community Partnership Awards to JSC Federal Credit Union and Space Center Rotary Club at the annual Report to the Community breakfast in March. Rotary member Jerry Smith and JSC FCU Marketing Manager Jennifer Robinett accepted the awards on behalf of their organizations.
The UHCL Mascot Search entered Phase IV in April, calling for open voting on professional mascot concepts and conducting market research on the four finalist concepts with prospective students.
Faculty
President William A. Staples recognized several faculty members for their dedication to UHCL and its community. Mary B. Short, associate professor of clinical psychology, was awarded the President's Distinguished Faculty Research Award. Kim Case, associate professor of women's studies and psychology, was presented with the President's Distinguished Teaching Award. Lawrence Kajs, professor of educational leadership and program chair for educational leadership was presented with the President's Distinguished Faculty Service Award. Other faculty members who were recognized include Deborah Griffin, lecturer in writing and division chair for humanities and fine arts, who received the UHCL Outstanding Lecturer Award and Ed Altemus, adjunct in accounting, who received the UHCL Outstanding Adjunct Award.
Associate Professor of Decision Sciences Lee Revere, who joined UHCL faculty in 2000, has been named as the university's Healthcare Administration program director and faculty chair.
Margaret "Peggy" Hill, associate professor emerita of reading and language arts, serves on the national board for the League of Women Voters and is chairing "Role of the Federal Government in Public Education," a national study. This is the first time that the League of Women Voters has worked to develop a national position on public education.
Associate Professor of Biology and Biotechnology and Program Chair Larry Rohde received a $146,717 grant from NASA for his proposal, "Dependence of radiation quality on charged particle-induced early and late damages in chromosomes and investigation of intrachromosome rearrangement as a biodosimeter for radiation exposure."
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Carl A. Stockton was selected as a 2012 University of Florida's College of Health and Human Performance Alumni Hall of Fame recipient.
Jaehoon Lee, assistant professor of marketing, in partnership with University of Texas at San Antonio Professor of Marketing L.J. Shrum, published "Conspicuous Consumption versus Charitable Behavior in Response to Social Exclusion: A Differential Needs Explanation" in the leading marketing publication, Journal of Consumer Research.
Eleven UHCL faculty members participated in UHCL's Be the Change "Celebrity Piggy Bank Contest" by decorating their Be the Change piggy banks and competing to raise the most change during the two-day Midterm Madness event. Senior Lecturer in Bilingual and Multicultural Education Norma Minter and Senior Lecturer in Reading and Language Arts Nancy Wright won with their decorated "Professor Piggy," raising $97.79. Overall, the contest raised $239.28 toward the student giving initiative.
Staff
Associate Vice President for Finance John Cordary was awarded the 2012 Hugh P. Avery Prize – The President's Distinguished Staff Service Award during the annual Faculty and Staff Awards Luncheon. The award is the highest honor bestowed on university staff.
Altagracia Aguilera, lead custodian for facilities management and construction; Candy Allison, lead secretary for the Environmental Institute of Houston; David Benz, school of education director of student relations and Kathy Kirchner, university computing and telecommunications support center supervisor received 2012 Staff Merit awards.
In December and January, the UHCL Professional and Administrative Staff Association held a "Get Flocked" fundraiser to raise scholarship money. Members of the association visited more than 150 offices on campus, filling the offices with neon pink, inflatable flamingos. Insurance was available for purchase, protecting policy holders from being "flocked." PASA raised $2,316.50 for the Jean Nettles PASA Scholarship fund, which helps fund university undergraduate and graduate staff scholarships.
Students
Graduate student Henry "Hank" Hodde has been selected as a finalist by the Texas Sea Grant Agency for the National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. If selected as a national finalist, he will be matched with a government host in the legislative and executive branch, located in Washington, D.C., for a one-year paid fellowship. Hodde is currently completing his master's in environmental management.
UHCL's Day of Service sent more than 185 student and alumni volunteers into the community to work on three off-campus service projects, which included Baytown Habitat for Humanity, Houston Food Bank and Armand Bayou Nature Center.
The UHCL Student Government Association held an election for its 2012-13 Executive Council in April. The newly elected Executive Council officers are Sarah Hopson, student body president; Doreen Bridges, vice president committee coordinator; and Carla Bradley, vice president outreach and communication. The vice president administration seat is still open.
UHCL School of Science and Computer Engineering graduate student Celina Gauthier received the 2011- 2012 SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The annual award is granted to one graduate-level student based on the student's thesis research proposal regarding environmental toxicology or chemistry.
Doctoral candidate and UHCL alumna Marsha Jones, MS '90, BS '87, was named Principal of the Year for Pasadena Independent School District.
Five UHCL students participated at the Model Arab League Conference in Houston, and two received award recognition for their work. Udeshika Amara, Nick Burns, Imelda Estrada, Juan Garcia and Jane Terekhova served as a mock delegation for Morocco. Terekhova earned an honorable mention for her work on the mock Council of Palestinian
Alumni
Donna Lord Black, '92 MA, '88 BS, has been reappointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
Cris C. Daskevich, '97 MHA/MBA, was selected as one of "Houston's 50 Most Influential Women," by Houston Woman Magazine.
Dorothy Hagan, '89 BA, finished her second novel, "The Offshore Triumphs of Karla Jean."
Kirk Lewis, '83 MS, was honored by Texas Tech University as a Red Raiders Distinguished Alumnus.
Suzanne Mau, '07 MS, won the Pearland ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year award.
Lisa Nixon, '04 MS, is the new director of testing and program evaluation for Pearland ISD.
Keith Parrott, '95 MHA, has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Ala.
Kathryn Brown Sanford, '00 BA, has started a corporate events management company, Kat Sanford Productions, specializing in event management, event marketing and public relations.
Michael Skillern, '03 MA, was promoted to captain and is in command of the patrol officers assigned to the Houston Police Department's Westside Police Station.
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