November 2019 - On The Move

Nov. 4, 2019
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
I want to thank everyone for attending the Recognition Town Hall on Oct. 11
inside our beautiful new event space, Campus Hall in the Student Center. I
often say it can feel like we pack three years worth of work into a single year,
and so these town halls provide a terrific moment to step back, take a deep
breath and say, thank you.
We truly have a dedicated faculty, staff and student body that continue to
propel our university to new heights. We also have a burgeoning, stellar
alumni. One of my favorite moments from the town hall was recognizing three UNT Dallas
graduates, all local students who, like many of our alums, have remained in the area to take on
difficult positions in critical fields. Once again, many thanks to Martha Fernandez, Star Williams
and Kenya Silver for attending, and for paving the way for our current and future Trailblazers.
OK, now onto some big news everyone wants to know: Parking! Yes, relief is coming.
Construction has started on a new north entrance off E. Camp Wisdom Rd., that will lead to a
parking lot on the east side of the Student Center. The lot will have 100 new parking stalls that
will be used by Wisdom Hall residents and employees who work in the Student Center.
There remain construction issues to work out with the city, so a timeline for completion isn't
certain, but we are looking at the spring semester. Once construction is complete, parking
permits will be switched for those who will be parking in the new lot.
But wait, there's even more good news. For those who will continue to park in Lots 1 and 2,
plans are underway to reduce congestion with a new southwest entrance that will flow traffic
out of Lot 2 and onto University Hills Blvd.
With that, I'll offer a final thank you -- for your patience.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAREER EXPO PROVES A MAJOR DRAW AGAIN

A cold, damp day didn't stop more than 1,100 high school and college students from the
surrounding area, and even as far away as Brownsville, from attending the Fourth Annual
Criminal Justice Career Expo on Friday, October 25. The expo is the largest of its kind in North
Texas, and allows for criminal-justice-minded students to engage directly with the men and
women who work in the professions they hope to pursue. Students from Dallas ISD, Forney,
Ennis, Waxahachie, Red Oak, Cedar Hill and more, plus from Dallas County Community College
District and Tarrant County College engaged with representatives from more than 50 local,
state and federal criminal justice agencies. For the first time, we able to hold this growing event
in Campus Hall at the Student Center. Check out coverage from Fox 4 news.
More: Read more about the expo and view photos from the day.
COMMUNITY GARDEN PARTNERSHIP TAKES ROOT IN LANCASTER
UNT Dallas' commitment to community connectedness took root in Lancaster with the launch of
the Community Garden, an initiative that partners with St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas.
Urban Agriculture Community Garden students planted vegetables in raised garden beds and
will be tasked with maintaining the bed and harvesting the produce. The vegetables and herbs
will be donated to the Jan Pruitt Community Pantry located next to the St. Vincent Center in
Lancaster. On Oct. 24, Provost Betty Stewart helped to officially launch the initiative, which

included the students touring the food pantry to see exactly how their efforts will help the local
community.
More: Additional details and photos from the initial planting on Oct. 10.
MOBILE MARKET INITIATIVE WITH TOYOTA TAKES NEXT BIG STEP
The UNT Dallas mobile market bus made its debut in the community at the nearby at the
Moorland Family YMCA with the first of three "soft launches." The Mobile Market program is a
joint venture made possible by a grant from Toyota. DART donated a bus that has been
retrofitted by automotive students at Cedar Valley Community College. The bus will serve as the
mobile market when it officially gets rolling next spring, transporting locally grown fruits and
vegetables into southern Dallas communities that lack easy access to whole foods. Within the
first 90 minutes of setting up shop in the Moorland Family YMCA parking lot, some 30 people
came by to take a look and pick up a free sack of produce that included yams, cabbage,
bananas and oranges, plus brochures with nutritional items and recipe suggestions for each
item.

More: Photos from the initial soft launch at Moorland YMCA.
WELL-BEING INITIATIVE -- THIRDSPACE -- GETS SOOTHING START
The anticipated launch of thirdspace, a first-of-its-kind concept that allows students and
educators who step inside to decompress, de-stress and just chill out, took place with a
soothing ceremony on Oct. 17. At UNT Dallas, we believe well-being and mindfulness training
should be a part of daily life and integrated into higher education. This 1,000-square-foot studio
inside our new Student Center will be used by educators and students to seek inner peace by
participating in yoga classes, support groups, creative arts, or simply read, mediate or take a
nap. Members of the The Educator Collective and Principal Impact Collaborative DFW were first
to get a taste of what thirdspace is all about.
More: Check out more photos to see how this space will help your mind space.

TRAILBLAZER ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT…
SOPHIA MAI
UNT Dallas College of Law Class of 2017
Hometown: Arlington
Did you have a favorite class or professor?
Employer: Department of Homeland Security
Position: Assistant Chief Counsel
What does your position entail: I represent the
government in immigration cases and advise immigration
officers.
Alumni Q&A
How did the UNT Dallas College of Law prepare you
for your professional career?
I have always wanted to work for the federal government
and, through my immigration professor, Professor Dan
Gividen, I was able to obtain my current position.

We have a lot of great professors at UNT Dallas College of Law, and I really admired the
adjunct professors who had full-time jobs practicing law, but still took time out to teach at the
law school. These adjuncts brought real practice tips from their jobs into the classroom.
What advice would you give an incoming College of Law student?
Dabble in as many areas of law as possible while you're still in school. This is one way to figure
out what kind of law you enjoy. One way to do this is to take as many electives as possible.
Most of these classes are only 1-2 hours and are well worth the time.
#UNTD NEWS & CAMPUS UPDATES
Save The Date: We're already rolling toward Thanksgiving and that means we're closing in on
Fall 2019 Commencement. While we are seeking out larger venues for graduation, we will
remain at Inspiring Body of Christ Church at least one more time. Make plans to join us on
Friday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m.
Congratulations, Dr. Williams: Our own Dr. Monica Williams, Vice President for
Advancement, last month was honored by Elite News at its Women of Wisdom Sixth Annual
Gala. "An accomplished fundraiser and passionate advocate for the underrepresented, Dr.
Williams has devoted the majority of her career to social services and the advancement of
underserved communities by raising money to support an array of worthy causes," Elite News
wrote.
Homecoming Was a Hit: A big hand goes out to Student Affairs for putting on a wonderful
week of events to celebrate Homecoming. We had outstanding student, staff and
faculty participation throughout the week. As we continue to grow in enrollment and increase
our graduation numbers each year, Homecoming is only going to become a bigger and more
cherished event. Well done.
Big Trip to the Windy City: Congratulations to students Carlos Martinez-Flores, Daisy Lopez-
Martinez, Patricia Masek and Yarik Molina for presenting their grant-winning initiative at the
Hispanic Association of Hispanic Colleges and Universities annual convention in Chicago last
month. The foursome won $4,000 in the HACU Ford Community Challenge for their Hispanic
Educational Empowerment Project that will assist community members in their journey toward
obtaining a GED diploma. Provost Betty Stewart, Dr. Mara Vaughn and Dr. Sheryl Santos-
Hatchett accompanied the group.
Significant Events on Campus: It's always wonderful to show off our campus and the new
Student Center to visitors, whether it's potential future Trailblazers, community members,
business leaders or fellow educators. Just last month, we welcomed the Opportunity Zones
Forum presented by the Urban SERCH Institute and School of Business, the Dallas County
Promise kickoff and basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, who regaled us all with some
amazing life stories and the importance intercollegiate athletics played in her life. Thanks to all
who made these evens possible. In late October, the School of Education and Emerging

Teacher Institute welcomed some 200 participants during the first session of the 2019 Elevate
Institute. The event engaged several different groups – current clinical students (seniors in their
last two semesters), alumni preparing to pass either their TExES content or pedagogy test, and
our newest students entering the School of Education took part in an induction ceremony.
We Are a Vote Center: Starting with the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, UNT Dallas is a
Countywide Vote Center, meaning Dallas County residents can vote right here on campus
regardless of where you live in Dallas County. Polling booths will be set up in the old library
space in Founders Hall.
Mavs Ad: The next time you attend a Dallas Mavericks game, be sure to check out the
GAMETIME Magazine sold at each home game. We've placed a half-page ad that appears on
Page 63 next to the Mavs' team of broadcasters.
The University of North Texas at Dallas is our city's emerging urban university. UNT Dallas
empowers students, transforms lives and strengthens communities. Perched on a hilltop,
overlooking the Downtown Dallas skyline, UNT Dallas is the only public, accredited 4-year
university in the City of Dallas. UNT Dallas includes the UNT Dallas College of Law in Downtown
Dallas and is part of the UNT System.
Office of the President
7300 University Hills Blvd, Dallas, TX 75241
972.780.3601
President@UNTDallas.edu