2012 college of liberal arts report - The University of Texas at Arlington

2012 COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS REPORTC O L A R E P O R T . U T A . E D U

collaborate“I initially thought ‘this is not realistic,’”said Dr. Joseph Ignagni, theProfessor of Political Science whostepped in for Knerr. “I wasn’t sure theycould pull it off. They said ‘please giveus a chance.’ I had so much respect forthem… I decided to step in the breach, tofill the gap, to either succeed or fail.”Ignagni said he was first impressedwith the students’ drive and work effort.The foursome met three times a week forseveral hours to review case studies andprepare a 40-page memorandum. Evenwhen the group hit a low point – mourningthe death of Knerr in January – theysoldiered on, working on their presentations,preparing their case responses andmaking fundraising appeals.Llanes said their determination inspiredsupport from alumni, faculty andfellow students.“As time passed, people realized wewere more dedicated,” she said. “Thosenaysayers came back and offered help.”In late March, Llanes, and teammatesJesse Calderon, Neal Parekh and VericaTodorovic represented UT Arlingtonas the sole undergraduate team at theWillem C. Vis International CommercialArbitrational Moot contest in Vienna,Austria. The students went head-to-headwith law students from Switzerland,Brazil, Czech Republic and Romania.Llanes said the group received positivefeedback on their arguments andimpressed the arbiters. “Most peopledidn’t know we were undergrads, so thecritiques were valid,” she said.Llanes and her teammates said theyare thankful for the experience and theperspective they gained. Ignagni, who accompaniedthe group to Austria, said fewstudents have impressed him in 20 yearsof teaching as much as this team did.“No matter what they do from nowon… nothing will be as unnerving asthis potentially was,” Ignagni said.“They can overcome almost anything.Everything was stacked against them.And they handled it with such poise anddetermination.”timelineJuly 2011A new Arabic language courseis launched for ROTC cadets.The departments of ModernLanguages and Military Sciencecreated the summersession class for UT Arlingtonstudents serving in the U.S.armed forces in the MiddleEast.August 2011Four Department of Englishfaculty — Dr. Stacy Alaimo, Dr.Ken Roemer, Laura Kopchickand Dr. Peggy Kulesz — receivedthe University of TexasSystem’s 2011 Regent’s OutstandingTeaching Award.UT Arlington’s Moot Court team included (top photo, from left)Verica Todorovic, Jesse Calderon, Neal Parekh and Olivia Llanes.Dr. Joseph Ignagni (Professor, Political Science), second fromleft in the bottom photo, served as adviser and accompanied theteam to Vienna, Austria.Rising to the ChallengeMoot Courtteam rallies forinternationalcompetitionSenior Olivia Llanes could have quitand no one would have blamed her.After all, the political science andSpanish double-major was attemptingthe near-impossible: recruit and preparea four-person team for an internationalmoot court competition. On an internationalbusiness law case. Against lawstudents. In a foreign country. And at acost of $12,000.Still, Llanes and her teammates did notback down and had a successful trip toVienna, Austria, this past spring.“It was a complete challenge,” shesaid. “To know you are capable, with somany things going on, to do what you42012 College of Liberal Arts Report > COLAREPORT.UTA.EDUwant… it was rewarding to go, to compete,to have that experience. We spent ayear together as a family and proved wecan overcome anything.”The first challenge came in May 2011,when Llanes approached then-professorDr. Charles Knerr about competing at theVienna event. Most of the UT Arlingtonmoot court club members were eitherstudying abroad or had conflicts, so thesenior began asking around to recruitparticipants. A few months later, Knerrexcused himself from the project due tohealth reasons and Llanes and her teammatesscrambled to find another facultyadviser.Four English Faculty Named Outstanding TeachersFour Department of English faculty receivedthe University of Texas System’s2011 Regent’s Outstanding TeachingAward.Dr. Stacy Alaimo and Dr. Ken Roemerand Senior Lecturers Laura Kopchickand Dr. Peggy Kulesz were among eightUT Arlington faculty members recognized.Seventy-two educators in the UTSystem were honored.“We are tremendously proud that fourfaculty members from the College ofLiberal Arts have had their pedagogicalexcellence recognized,” said Dr. BethWright, Dean of Liberal Arts. “TheDepartment of English is known for itscommitment to transformative education.… UT Arlington’s students are fortunateto have the opportunity to study withthese dedicated, creative and excellentfaculty members.”In its third year, the awards are givento faculty members at UT System academicinstitutions who demonstrate extraordinaryclassroom performance andinnovation at the undergraduate level.After two years of rigorouscoursework, the Departmentof Criminology and CriminalJustice graduated 31 studentsfrom its cohort master’sprogram. The new graduatesrepresent several law enforcementand criminal justiceagencies throughout NorthTexas.Leadership changes overthe summer find new chairsin several College of LiberalArts programs: Dr. W. MarvinDulaney (History), Dr. AntoinetteSol (Modern Languages)and LTC Lora Rimmer (MilitaryScience).

collaborateJudy ShepardLGBT Rights AdvocateCulture & CommunityNew center, legacy archivesposition UTA as leader inAfrican American issuesA new center, its director, and a community leader’slegacy will continue UT Arlington’s impact in Dallas-FortWorth.Earlier this year, the College of Liberal Arts and theSchool of Social Work announced the creation of the Centerfor African American Studies, the first of its kind in NorthTexas and the third in the state. The center will offer an introductorycourse and an 18-hour minor as well as enhancestudents’, faculty and staff members’, and the community’sunderstanding of African Americans’ unique social circumstancesand heritage.The center’s new director, Dr. Schnavia Smith Hatcher,a social work professor who moved to UT Arlington fromSmith Hatcherthe University of Georgia, said sheis honored to have the opportunity tohelp shape the vision and mission ofthe center and provide guidance in thedevelopment to its degree program,research and advocacy agenda, andcommunity collaborations.“The center will facilitate thediscourse that focuses on race andthe significant context of historical,cultural, and community influences onthe diverse experiences of blacks in America. It will serveas a vital intellectual and social resource for the community,on and off campus,” she said. “It is my hope that ourstudents, faculty and staff, and community stakeholders willbe enlightened, inspired and prepared to be a part of socialchange.”In June, the UT Arlington Special Collections Library wasnamed the repository of an extensive collection of newspapers,photos and personal memorabilia from William “Bill”Blair Jr., a former Negro League baseball pitcher, a Dallascivic and business leader, and founder of the Elite News.Blair said he is making his personal holdings available tothe public with hope that others may learn from his experiences.“There are people who are not interested in anythinguntil it happens to them,” he said. “But if you read and seephotos, you learn.”Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, Associate Professor and Chair ofthe Department of History, has been busy behind the scenes,helping to organize the new center and working with theBlair family. He said the recent activity formalizes previous6William “Bill” Blair Jr.Publisher, Dallas community leaderfaculty research efforts and allows UT Arlington to establishongoing programs and serve local African American communities.“The CAAS and the acquisition of the William Blair collectionare part and parcel of the ongoing development ofthe field of African American studies,” Dulaney said. “AfricanAmerican studies has become a major field of study andit has helped academia to branch out, to be more inclusive,and to pursue truth beyond the traditional academic areasthat were steeped in Eurocentrism. … African Americanstudies broadens the opportunities for our students to learnall sides and facets of the American experience.”Dulaney said he hopes the center will grow into a “thinktank” in the tradition of the Hoover and Manhattan institutesor the Brookings Institution. That will happen, he said, asstudents use the center’s knowledge base to enhance theirdegrees and faculty collaborate to expand their research.“When students in the area seek to find an institutionwhere they can study the African American experience,they will come to UTA,” he said. “When policymakers needresearch and studies about the African American communitiesin Dallas and Fort Worth, they will come to UTA. Inessence, UTA will be the leader in promoting academicengagement, research, and most importantly, solutions forthe issues that affect African Americans in this region.”n Bridget Lewis (UTA Media Relations) contributed to this report.2012 College of Liberal Arts Report > COLAREPORT.UTA.EDUDr. W. Marvin DulaneyAssociate Professor, HistoryInaugural Cohort Graduation,Summits Mark CRCJ’s YearThe Department of Criminology andCriminal Justice has seen plenty of milestonesin the past year.In late August 2011, 31 students fromthe Dallas-Fort Worth criminal justicecommunity graduated after completingthe department’s inaugural CohortMaster’s Program. The program beganin 2009 and requires students to attendclasses twice a week for two years at UTArlington’s Fort Worth campus to completethe 36 required credit hours.“We are proud of [our students’] hardwork and dedication, which is representativeof the impact our department hasmade in the criminal justice communityin the past few years,” said Dr. Alexdel Carmen, Professor and DepartmentChair.The coursework and degree enabledseveral North Texas law enforcementofficials to land lucrative jobs at federalagencies, and two graduates presented aresearch paper at the Academy of CriminalJustice Sciences’ annual meeting inMarch.Department faculty were also active incommunity issues, hosting regional conferenceson hate crimes. In November2011, CRCJ hosted a one-day workshopon investigating and prosecuting hatecrimes. The event was sponsored by theDallas division of the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Officefor the Northern District of Texas.In March, the department hosted the“LGBT Conference of Safe Schools andCommunities,” sponsored by the WhiteHouse, UT Arlington, and several federalagencies. Guest speakers included U.S.Attorney General Eric Holder, WhiteHouse adviser Valerie Jarrett, and JudyShepard, mother of hate crime victimMatthew Shepard. The conference sessionswere designed to provide advocates,community leaders and membersof the public an opportunity to engagewith the Obama Administration on effortsto ensure safety and security forlesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender(LGBT) people in schools and communitiesthroughout the country.“One of my visions is to have thepractitioners work with the academicshand-in-hand,” said del Carmen. “It willbenefit our students, it will benefit ourresearch, and it will benefit our community.”CRCJ undergraduates also had opportunitiesto showcase their knowledge.Earlier this year, seven students participatedin an American Mock Trial Association(AMTA) tournament in Houston.The group’s faculty advisor, Visiting AssistantProfessor Dr. Royce West Jr., saidthe group fared well in its first event.September 2011The 10-year anniversary of theSept. 11 terrorism attacks inNew York City, Washington,D.C., and Pennsylvania wasremembered with “Threnodyfor 9/11,” a student-composedconcert by music educationmajor Jesus J. Martinez. Theevent featured UT Arlingtonstudents and faculty, as wellas members of communitygroups.The Gallery at UTA celebrated25 years with a five-week retrospectiveexhibition. Featuredartists included Celia AlvarezMuñoz, Hung Liu, Mel Chinand Vincent Valdez. Specialevents honored artists andformer curators.A fall series, “The War NextDoor,” is in full swing withphotography exhibits, facultylectures and guest filmmakertalks that focus on dailyviolent turmoil on the U.S.-Mexico border. The series issponsored by the Center forGreater Southwestern Studies,the Center for MexicanAmerican Studies, the Departmentof History, the Departmentof Art & Art History, andmany others.

engageLance LiguezLecturer, CommunicationUnique Approach BreathesNew Life into Classical WorkMakingof a HitLiguez, UTARadio.comgarner national awards,industry recognitionSince Lance Liguez arrived in the summer of 2009, he’sbeen busy retooling UT Arlington’s student radio stationinto an award-winning, nationally recognized organization.With nearly a dozen years of news talk radio experience,Liguez, a lecturer in the Department of Communications,dived into his role as advisor for UTARadio.com,the university’s student-run Internet radio station. First, heremodeled the campus station after a typical commercialradio station, pushing students to organize remotes, get keypersonalities to fill high-traffic broadcast times and createadvertising for university events and student issues. Next,he jumped into social media, creating Facebook and Twitteraccounts for the station to connect with students and facultyand promote UTARadio.com’s new identity.Liguez then moved to grab the attention of those beyondthe campus. He found several regional and national contestsand encouraged his students to submit their work. InOctober 2011, two UT Arlington students, Jillian Dennisand Trey Caron, were recognized with a prestigious RadioMercury Award for a public service announcement theycreated about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases.“[The Mercury Award was] huge for the station,” Liguezsaid. “It gives you national recognition … but it also givesyou some bragging rights. UT Austin was the only otherTexas station to win that category in the last 10 years. Itshows potential employers that the students who are graduating,[they] do good work, too.”The win caught the eye of a North Texas advertisingcompany that donated a professional production libraryworth thousands of dollars. Liguez said the library immediatelyimproved the quality of UTARadio.com. Anotherstudent, Dontae Robinson, won a College Broadcasters, Inc.award last year, as well.Additionally, Liguez has reached out to local and nationalorganizations to find opportunities for his students.During Super Bowl XLV, ESPN and other media entitiesutilized UTARadio.com personnel as runners at CowboysStadium in Arlington, Texas. Advanced students have alsoearned internships or part-time jobs at local radio stations.In March, the station joined iHeart Radio, a digital platformwith more than 850 stations. And in May, the stationannounced it would serve as the state headquarters for thenational College Radio Day event this fall.The next milestone for Liguez and UTARadio.com isa big one: will the student-run station make the leap into“terrestrial radio,” get a tower and claim an FCC license justto be heard on traditional automobile and home radio sets?The biggest obstacle, Liguez said, is cost and repositioningthe radio station further to generate enough income to meetadditional expenses. And as other stations are discoveringvalue in the digital arena, UTARadio.com is already leadingthe pack.“We’re in a pretty good position where we are,” he said.“We’ve been doing Internet radio for 10 years. We’re aheadof the curve in some respects.”By shifting perspectives, Dr. MiriamByrd is mining new life from 2,000-yearoldtexts.The Associate Professor of Philosophyhas continued her development of a newway to approach the work of Plato, aClassical Greek philosopher and mathematicianconsidered to be the father ofWestern philosophy. For the past decade,Byrd has argued several of the contradictionsoften found in Plato’s workare meant to initiate a process of activelearning among students.“My thesis is that Plato put summonersin the dialogues for the readers,”Byrd said. “The problematic aspects ofthe dialogues are intentional. They makeus not just agree and be passive with theideas presented, but instead grapple withthose ideas and learn through our ownefforts.”Byrd’s approach has been growing inpopularity among philosophy scholars.She has published articles on the topicin several academic journals, includingthe Journal of History of Philosophy,and earlier this year she was an invitedlecturer at the Boston Area Colloquiumin Ancient Philosophy at Boston College.An article based on her lecture, “Whenthe Middle Comes Early,” will appear inDr. Miriam ByrdAssociate Professor, Philosophythe event’s published proceedings nextyear.In Plato’s dialogues, his mentorSocrates is a central character, and theearly works detail Socrates’ viewpointsand philosophy. In later works, Platoinserts his own opinions and developssome very puzzling, open-ended questions,Byrd said.“Previous interest has been on thedoctrinal aspect of the work; people willpull out passages and put them togetherpiecemeal,” she said. “With my approach,you can see that Plato has roadsigns there to guide us. You have todo the work yourself and stay engagedphilosophically. But the approach canlead us in new directions to solve philosophicalproblems … and allows us tostudy philosophy, instead of the historyof philosophy.”Byrd hopes her approach will continueto be explored by other philosophersand researchers, as well as educatorswho understand the importance of activelearning in the classroom.“You can’t convey your true opinionsto someone and give them knowledge,”she said. “People have to figure thingsout for themselves. … Plato emphasizesthe same thing and it’s very effective.”October 2011Five College of Liberal Artsfaculty members are honoredwith an Alicia WilkersonSmotherman Faculty Award:Dr. Andrew Clark (Communication),Dr. Sasha Grant(Communication), Dr. CharlaMarkham Shaw (Communication),Dr. David Silva (Lingustics& TESOL) and Dr. MichaelVarner (Music).A public service announcementproduced by studentsfor UTARadio.com wins thestudent category of the prestigiousRadio Mercury Awards.Several College of Liberal Artsalumni were feted in the 2011Distinguished Alumni awardsceremony: Al Ellis (’65), theHonorable Lon Burnam (’79),Mustaque Ahmed (‘81) and Dr.Karin McCallum.Anthropology graduate studentWilliam Nutt discovers anancient image of a woman givingbirth on a small ceramicfragment in Etruscan, Italy.The rare find could be the firstrepresentation of childbirth inWestern art, researchers say.The Department of Linguistics& TESOL hosts EndangeredLanguages Week, a week-longseries of events designed tolook at speech diversity andhighlight those languages thatare in danger of becomingextinct.82012 College of Liberal Arts Report > COLAREPORT.UTA.EDU

engage102012 College of Liberal Arts Report > COLAREPORT.UTA.EDUSTRIKING UP THE BANDBRINGS RECOGNITION FORJAZZ STUDIES PROGRAMThe success and recognition of the jazzprogram in the Department of Music atUT Arlington is sweet, sweet music toProfessor Tim Ishii’s ears.The director of jazz studies (pictured, atleft) conducted the UTA Jazz Orchestrain an October 2011 concert at the LevittPavilion in Arlington, Texas. Special guestthat night was saxophonist Jeff Coffin(Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck and theFlecktones), and just one of several jazzheavyweights – Terell Stafford, Bob Mintzer,and Byron Stripling, to Dr. name Tom a Christie fewAssociate Professor, Communication– to share the stage with Ishii’s students.The jazz show has quickly become a marqueeevent for the North Texas venue.The program’s students and faculty havebeen busy building the department’s internationalreputation. This past summer,Ishii and his colleagues taught and performedat a weeklong youth workshop inRheine, Germany. Earlier this year, juniorjazz studies major Sam Garner placedthird in a prestigious national piano competition.Ishii said quality faculty recruitingtalented students has strengthenedthe department.“We’ve been able to assemble a reallygreat staff,” he said. “We have phenomenalperformers, and equally great teachers.You have to have people who canteach and also model for students. … Weget a lot of great talent to audition for usevery year. The word is getting out.”DEVELOPMENTAlumni Support Enriches StudentLearning, Opportunities at UTAThe College of Liberal Arts celebratedthis year with outstanding students, outstandingfaculty, outstanding departmentsand outstanding alumni. Our alumnigenerously gave nearly $400,000 in giftsand pledges. Many of our alumni alsogave their time to speak with students inthe classroom, in a student focus groupand at graduation ceremonies.With the economy continuing to fluctuate,we are grateful for the extra help wereceived this past year from our alumniand friends. You generously supportedour students with scholarships, enrichmentopportunities, programs, facultyresearch and student travel. The followingis a sample of the impact your giftshave made on the lives of UT Arlingtonstudents:FESTIVAL OF IDEAS: The Festivalof Ideas Global Research program issupporting ground-breaking researchon immigration. Ph.D. student IsabelleRispler is in Namibia, studying Germanimmigration to that country in the early20th century; Linguistics Ph.D. studentVitaly Voinov is documenting the effectsof immigration on the Tuvan languagein Siberia, gleaning insight about howmigrations affect languages; and BryanGarrett, Ph.D. candidate in History, isworking on Arab-American transatlanticmigration networks. Their work focuseson understanding the historical and currenteffects of immigration.MODEL NATO: Funds from the CharlesMcDowell Center for Critical Languageswere used to help students attendthis event. Six students were one of 28delegations participating in the 2012 InternationalModel NATO Conference inWashington, D.C. This team made an impressionand won an Honorable Mentionin the category of Outstanding OverallDelegation. Kevin Whitright, a politicalscience major, won an Outstanding LeadershipAward for his contributions to thePolitical Affairs Committee, and GregHershkowitz, a modern languages major,won an Outstanding Leadership Awardfor his contributions to the Defense PlanningCommittee.MOOT COURT: Students utilized fundsfrom the Pre-Law Center to attend TheWillem C. Vis International CommercialArbitration Moot competition in Vienna,Myke HoltDirector ofDevelopmentAustria. Four students competed againstlaw students from more than 250 lawschools from 60 different countries. UTArlington is the only undergraduate teamallowed to compete, thanks to the workof the late Dr. Charles Knerr.The College of Liberal Arts gave away$31,000 in scholarships from 12 departmentsthis past year, but more are alwaysneeded. With the fiscal year coming to aclose, it’s not too late to make a gift. TheCollege of Liberal Arts has many, manyneeds, and your gifts are vital to the taskof educating thousands of students whowalk through our doors every semester.A new endowment unveiled this fallhonors one of our most beloved faculty,Dr. Allan Saxe. A political scienceprofessor here since 1965, Saxe is aphilanthropist, community activist, andone of the most well-known faces inArlington. He has mentored thousandsof students who would gladly “stand inline” to get into his classes. The Collegeof Liberal Arts has established the AllanSaxe Faculty Teaching Chair. While weare asking a thousand former students togive $1,000 each to recognize Saxe as a“Man in a Million,” contributions of anyamount are welcomed.I hope you will consider making a giftthis year. You can give to an existingfund or establish an endowment in yourname or someone you care about: yourparent, your spouse, your child, or even afavorite professor.My deepest thanks for investing yourtime, talent and treasure with us this pastyear. You can find us online at http://www.uta.edu/libarts/donors.html.You can also call us at (817) 272-1055or email me at mholt@uta.edu. I lookforward to hearing from you in 2013!November 2011The Department of Criminologyand Criminal Justicehosts a regional conference oninvestigating and prosecutinghate crimes for local law enforcement,attorneys generaland members of the FBI.Associate Professor Dr. DavidNarrett is featured in C-SPAN’s “American History TV”series. His class lecture onprecolonial America is tapedand aired in late January.December 2011A new Center for AfricanAmerican Studies is announced,a joint venture by theCollege of Liberal Arts and theSchool of Social Work. It is thefirst center of its kind in NorthTexas.Alumna Dr. Nada Shaboutcontinues to recover lost treasuresof Iraq with her websiteand ongoing catalog researchproject. The University ofNorth Texas professor createdan online database, ModernArt Iraq Archive, at artiraq.org/maia with a grant fromthe National Endowment forHumanities.Two California scientistspublish research based onplant samples identified byretired Anthropology professorDr. Joe Bastien. The workreviewed a Bolivian plant thatone day might provide a curefor HIV and AIDS.

createWord of Mouth$100,000 Startalk Grant BoostsChinese Language Program14In an ever-changing global economy, an increasing numberof U.S. businesses are looking to China for market advantages.And one UT Arlington professor is offering NorthTexas schoolchildren the tools they will need to succeed asthey begin their careers.With the aid of a $100,000 grant, Senior Lecturer Dr.Szu-yen (Neal) Liang mentored local teachers and nearly200 students in UT Arlington’s Student Chinese Programthis past summer. The Startalk grant, a prestigious gift fromthe National Foreign Language Center at the University ofMaryland, enabled Liang and his team to meet the growingdemand for Mandarin Chinese language classes.“[The program] is a chance to introduce youngsters tolanguage learning at an early age in a relaxed and fun environmentand, in particular, introduce them to a language andculture that is most likely very different from their own,”said, Dr. Antoinette Sol, chair of the Department of ModernLanguages. “Children are naturally curious and if you canpique their interest in other languages and cultures early on,it very well may be a determining factor in their choice ofstudies down the road.”For four hours a day during June, 179 students (ages8-16) from Fort Worth, Arlington, Southlake and Dallas metat their local campuses to learn Mandarin Chinese and gainexposure to cultural elements of China. Liang said studentslearned how to identify various foods, colors, and familymembers. They also learned about various Chinese festivalsand holidays.Liang said learning a language like Chinese can betterprepare students as they consider possible career paths.“People in the United States, especially in Texas, need tobe more aware of the world,” he said. “They need to open2012 College of Liberal Arts Report > COLAREPORT.UTA.EDUDr. Neal LiangSenior Lecturer, Modern Languagesup their minds, their understanding,their curiosity to other cultures [and]other languages. And language is thebest way to help them open up thatdoor.”The program has steadily grown inpopularity among students and localteachers in the past five years. The StarTalk grant is available to those programsthat highlight critical languagessuch as Chinese or Arabic. It alsoserves as recognition of how well theprogram is developing, Liang said.With the additional funds, he hopes toexpand next year by including a weeklongimmersion program for top learnerson the UT Arlington campus.“We are considering taking the topstudents from each class and invitingthem to campus to study, learn, andlive — all in Chinese,” he said. “Theresult will be much more enduring orlonglasting.”Get more information on the programat http://www.uta.edu/modl/chinese/startalk/index.html.The Gallery at UTACelebrates 25 Yearsof Art, TeachingTo celebrate The Gallery at UTA’ssilver anniversary, officials organized afive-week exhibition in the fall of 2011,showcasing the work of 25 artists andhighlighting the legacy of former instructorsand gallery directors.The show, “Silver: 25th AnniversaryExhibition,” ran from September to mid-October. Artists in the exhibition includedmany leading national and internationalfigures such as Tre Arenz, ConnieArismendi, Frances Bagley, Julie Bozzi,Mel Chin, James Drake, Vernon Fisher,Linnea Glatt, John Hernandez, AnnetteLawrence, Hung Liu, César AugustoMartínez, David McGee, Vicki Meek,Celia Alvarez Muñoz, Robyn O’Neil,Tom Orr, Philipp Scholz Rittermann,Ann Stautberg and Vincent Valdez.“We examined the list of artists whohad exhibited here and selected ones whowere included in multiple exhibitionsunder different directors,” said BenitoHuerta, exhibit curator and gallery directorsince 1997. “Others were selectedbecause they were fairly new on the artscene when they were originally shownhere, but are now making an impact on anational level.”For multimedia installation artist CeliaAlvarez Muñoz (a part-time adjunctinstructor in the Department of Art & ArtHistory from 1985-1989), the milestonewas a reminder of how her own careerblossomed when the gallery, then calledthe Center for Research of ContemporaryArt, first opened.“It was a very experimental spaceand it was just right for me,” she said.“They were bringing in some top artiststo show and introduce what a gallery ora research center could do. I responded alot to the nature of the exhibitions, whichwere more installations than an ordinaryhung show.”During the closing celebration of the25th anniversary show, former directorAl Harris-Fernandez looked around theroom and reminisced on his contributionto creating a unique home for thework of prominent artists from across thenation.“[The Gallery at UTA] went beyondbeing a teaching gallery,” he said. “It’san exhibition space that has national andregional impact. It’s not only providing aservice to students, but it is engaging thecontemporary art community.”April 2012Four Political Science studentswrapped up a week-long tripto Vienna, Austria, where theyrepresented UT Arlington inan international moot courtcompetition. They were the onlyundergraduates to compete inthe event.Two College of Liberal Arts facultymembers were announcedas 2012-2013 Fulbright Scholars.Dr. Ritu Khanduri (Anthropology)and Dr. Alusine Jalloh(History) won the prestigiousawards.The College of Liberal Arts introduces“acCOLAdes,” a newawards ceremony for studentsand faculty. More than 100people were honored for theiracademic achievements.May 2012Nearly 800 students graduatein the first combined College ofLiberal Arts commencementceremony at the university’snew College Park Center.July 2012Two College of Liberal Artsalumni participated in the 2012Olympic Games in London.Jared Connaughton (’08) representedCanada in several trackand field events and DerrickObasohan played for the Nigerianmen’s basketball team.August 2012Linguistics and TESOL gradstudent Carolyn Jones wasselected as the 2012 LiteracyTexas Volunteer of the Year.