TCU appoints Dr. Demitris Kouris dean of the College of Science and Engineering
TCU announced that Dr. Demitris Kouris has been named dean of the College of Science and Engineering at TCU. Kouris began his role as dean in late July.
“Dr. Kouris is an excellent choice,” said Nowell Donovan, TCU provost and vice chancellor. “With his wide range of experience, I am confident TCU’s College of Science and Engineering program will continue to grow and reach new heights of excellence.”
Kouris received his diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in 1982, and his master's and Ph.D. degrees from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Northwestern University in 1984 and 1987, respectively. In the fall of 2001, after 14 years with Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University, he joined the faculty of the University of Wyoming where he served as professor and head of Mechanical Engineering until he resigned to join TCU. Since February of 2008, he has been serving as the director of the Nano and Bio Mechanics Program at the National Science Foundation, on a temporary appointment under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Program.
Kouris has served for six years as an associate editor of the Journal of Applied Mechanics, Applied Mechanics Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He has also served for five years as the chair of the Technical Committee on Elasticity, Applied Mechanics Division of ASME. In 2008, he was elected Fellow of ASME.
TCU announces new dean of the College of Education
Dr. Nowell Donovan, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Texas Christian University, announced that Dr. Mary Martin Patton, former interim dean of the College of Education, is the new dean. Previously the associate dean, Dr. Patton assumed the role of interim dean at the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year, following the retirement of former dean Dr. Sam Deitz.
“After much thought and consultative input from the university community, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Patton has accepted the position of Dean of the College,” said Dr. Donovan. “I am certain that Dr Patton has the ability, enthusiasm and insight to lead the College into a brave and bright future.”
“This is an exciting time to be dean in the College of Education,” said Dr. Patton. “Our faculty, students and facilities are outstanding, and our programs prepare teachers, counselors and administrators for the high need areas. Our graduates are in great demand. I am honored to have this opportunity and appreciate all the support I’ve received.”
Dr. Patton’s 38-year career includes public school teaching in special education and early childhood education, as well as many leadership roles including serving as the principal of a K-12 school on the North Slope of Alaska. Her research and teaching focus on play and learning, as well as multicultural and urban education. She has held numerous professional and service positions including Tarrant County College Advisory Committee for Child Development and board member and past president for the Texas Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. Most recently, she was accepted to the Harvard Institute for Management and Leadership in Education. Dr. Patton is a respected teacher and scholar in her field.
At TCU, Dr. Patton was a recipient of the Dean’s Teaching Award, Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Friends of Education, College of Education, and three-time finalist for the Wassenich Award for Mentoring. She has also served on dozens of committees and task forces for the College of Education and at the University.
Prior to joining TCU in 1994 as an associate professor, Dr. Patton was an education professor at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Patton, who grew up in Austin, worked for 17 years in the public school system as a teacher in special and regular education and also taught at the University of Texas at Austin and was a project director at Central Texas College. Dr. Patton earned her B.S. and M.Ed. in special education from the University of Texas at Austin, her certificate in educational administration from Portland State University and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Austin.
TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies launches Green Pavilion at 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies launched the Green Pavilion at the 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club on May 25 – 31, 2009. The ‘green’ pavilion, which was located on the first fairway, is a modular structure completely powered by wind and solar energy and includes a living roof adapted to the North Texas climate. This portable structure can handle the weight of the roof, with flexible options for installing wind and solar power generators, while providing comfortable shelter, and framing views of golfers nearby – all integrated into an eye-catching structure.
Dr. Mike Slattery, director of the Institute of Environmental Studies, along with TCU professors Tony Burgess, Cam Schoepp and Chris Powell, spent three months working with architects, designers, welders, botanists, and TCU students to build the pavilion.
“This is a remarkable achievement”, said Slattery, “not simply because the structure is primarily green, but because it shows that elegant solutions can be found to some of our most pressing problems. Every day we occupy more of the land, pollute more of the air and water, and disrupt more of the planet’s wilderness and once pristine ecosystems. While basic science and economics are important, I believe adequate solutions to environmental problems also require well-informed ethical, aesthetic, and cultural perspectives. Our pavilion speaks to that, and raises the question: how do we achieve a balance among human values and interests and our obligations and responsibilities to nature?”
For funding, TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies is partnering with NextEra Energy Resources through their EarthEra Climate-Friendly Solutions initiative.
Schieffer School of Journalism establishes center to support community journalism
The TCU Schieffer School of Journalism has established a new center to support community journalism in Texas by offering educational opportunities and other services to daily and weekly newspapers throughout the state.
The Texas Center for Community Journalism will be headed by Tommy Thomason, former director of the Schieffer School. The new project will be one of only five centers in the United States dedicated to supporting community journalism. The center will focus on workshops, seminars, and consulting services for community newspapers in Texas. A special emphasis of the Center will be to help Texas community papers develop effective Web editions.
The Center will take over the community journalism workshop program begun by Thomason through the Schieffer School 10 years ago. The workshops have been funded by the Texas Newspaper Foundation, which has given more than a quarter of a million dollars to the workshop series.
“We have been offering workshops for community papers for a decade now, thanks to a generous grant from the Texas Newspaper Foundation,” Thomason said. “We have trained hundreds of reporters and editors in our small-group seminars, and many report that what they learned at TCU is making a significant difference with their papers.”
The Center will work closely with the Texas Press Association, an Austin-based trade organization that represents more than 500 member newspapers throughout the state.
"The Texas Press Association has enjoyed a long history of cooperation with the Schieffer School, and we look forward to the way this new center will enhance community journalism in Texas," said Michael Hodges, TPA executive director. "The educational services the center will offer will help Texas newspapers face the new challenges of the digital age."
More information can be found on The Texas Center for Community Journalism Web site, www.tccj.tcu.edu.
Charles Tandy sculpture moves to TCU campus
The Charles Tandy sculpture, which was removed from downtown’s Paddock Park in July, was reinstalled at its new permanent home on the TCU campus.
The relocation was endorsed by the Fort Worth Art Commission and approved by the Fort Worth City Council after Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. recommended moving the city-owned sculpture to a smaller-scale, pedestrian-friendly site that offers historic context.
As part of a long-term agreement with TCU, the city will maintain ownership of the artwork and supervise ongoing maintenance through its public art program. The relocation of the sculpture is being funded with a grant from the Burnett Foundation.
The sculpture will be located at the entrance to Charles Tandy Hall, dedicated March 1989 as part of the Neeley School of Business at TCU. The late Charles D. Tandy (TCU ’40) was known as an entrepreneur with immense energy who laid the foundation for one of the country’s best-known electronics and computer manufacturers.
Chancellor announces executive leadership changes
TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. recently announced two title changes among the University’s executive leadership. Larry D. Lauer, former Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communication, will assume the title Vice Chancellor for Government Affairs. Tracy Syler-Jones, former Associate Vice Chancellor, will begin serving as Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communication.
In recent months, Lauer has been focusing his time on building TCU’s presence in Washington among leaders in both higher education and government. Successful collaborations include the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also actively involved in Texas legislative relations.
During this time, Syler-Jones has assumed overall responsibility for marketing and communication operations. In her new position, she will assume full oversight for the University’s marketing and communication functions which include media relations, publications, special projects, community and church relations, and Web site management.
TCU to collaborate with international research organization to help improve health care
TCU’s Center for Evidence-Based Practice and Research (CEBPR) has been accepted as a collaboration center with the Joanna Briggs Institute, an international non-profit research organization for health care professionals. TCU is only the fourth university in the U.S. to be accepted as a collaboration center.
“The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), with more than 54 centers servicing more than 90 countries, bridges the gap between academia and practice,” said Dr. Susan Mace Weeks, associate dean of Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences and director of the Center for Evidence-Based Practice & Research. “As a JBI collaborating center, the CEBPR will promote the mission of the JBI, which is a global leader in evidence-based health care.”
“The proposed collaborating center will engage both academic and practice associates in evidence generation, synthesis, transfer, and utilization,” Weeks said. “JBI specializes in evidence-based resources for health care professionals in nursing, midwifery, medicine, and allied health.”
This collaboration will help both the CEBPR and JBI further extend their reach. The practice of nurses and other health care professionals will be enhanced and the quality of care delivered by agencies affiliated with the CEBPR JBI Collaborating Center will be enhanced.
U.S. News ranks Neeley Entrepreneurship Program #18 in the country
U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best Colleges for 2010 rankings of undergraduate colleges and specialties for 2009, and the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program ranked No. 18 for undergraduate business schools offering entrepreneurship majors. The Neeley School of Business at TCU also ranked higher for the 2009 overall undergraduate business school rankings, moving to 83 from 95 in 2008 out of the 567 business schools ranked. The rankings are based on peer evaluation.
The Neeley Entrepreneurship Program is renowned for having the largest student organization in the country. The TCU Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization, or TCUCEO, has received numerous accolades at the national level. The entrepreneurship staff and faculty are equally lauded. Brad Hancock, director of the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center, was honored with the National Entrepreneurship Master Teacher from the Acton Foundation in 2008. Garry Bruton, management professor and academic coordinator for the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program, is editor of the Academy of Management Perspectives and the first non-Asian president of the Asia Academy of Management.
U.S. News surveyed deans and two senior faculty at each undergraduate business program accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Participants were asked to rate the quality of all programs they were familiar with on a scale of one (marginal) to five (distinguished). U.S. News asked for nominations of the best programs in business specialty areas such as entrepreneurship.
The Neeley School of Business at TCU rose in the overall rankings for 2009.
TCU launches iPhone application
TCU recently launched “iTCU,” a new iPhone application.
“Research has shown the iPhone is the third most popular platform to access www.tcu.edu, and TCU students appear to be eager to access other TCU resources from their mobile devices. We wanted to better gauge this demand from students and the TCU community by releasing iTCU,” said Bryan Lucas, executive director of technology resources. “We are one of only around a dozen schools with any such application.”
The free application, which is available in the iTunes App Store, features a GPS-enabled interactive map of the University’s campus, a directory feature, course information, official events, official news, images of campus, athletics schedules and scores, and University content on YouTube and iTunesU. TCU will seek student feedback to enhance the application in the future. The application also offers a low bandwidth web page for other smart phones that offer some of the functionality of the iPhone application.
TCU continues to seek new ways to market to and reach its constituents. “This project was a joint effort,” said Victor Neil, director of web site management. “It is important to integrate all of our communication tools at TCU, so our marketing & communication department worked with our technology resources department to establish a mobile portal that represents the TCU brand in look and feel.”
TCU worked with developers from TerriblyClever Design, now part of Blackboard Inc., to develop the application. The TCU application is a version of Blackboard’s MobilEdu™, the category-defining suite of iPhone and mobile Web applications for education. Intended to support students’ mobile lifestyle, MobileEdu allows institutions to deliver a rich set of campus life services and content to mobile devices, uniquely branded for each institution, to better connect current students, parents, faculty, prospective students and alumni to the campus experience in a way that wasn't possible before.
