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Denton Record-Chronicle presents UNT: 125 YEARS | 1890-2015
GRAMMY WINNER NORAH JONES STUDIED JAZZ PIANO AT UNT AND SANG WITH THE UNT JAZZ SINGERS BUT LEFT BEFORE FINISHING HER DEGREE. “I TOOK ALL OF MY MUSIC CLASSES MY FIRST TWO YEARS, SO I WAS FACED
Linda Truitt Creagh
Dennis Kalk
Gianna Driver
Degrees: B.S. in chemistry, 1962; M.S. in chemistry, 1963; Ph.D. in chemistry, 1967 City: Denton Occupation: Technical marketing professional for Dimatix; retired technical director, Spectra. What is your fondest memory about your days at UNT? I remember graduation January 1967 as the very best day. I’d been in school and working for almost eight years. When I walked across the stage to receive the first Ph.D. in chemistry conferred by UNT, I believed those long hours were now enabling me to be a scientist as I had dreamed. How did UNT help prepare you for the career you chose? As a chemistry major, math/physics minor, my schedule included not only technical courses but also English, foreign languages, even library science and history. This breadth of subjects improved my ability to communicate and work successfully with fellow scientists from other countries and other technical backgrounds.
Degree: B.A. in biology/chemistry, 1973 City: San Antonio Occupation: Pharmaceutical sales manager, WyethAyerst, federal sales, Southwest manager What is your fondest memory about your days at UNT? The long days in biology and chemistry classes/ labs are my fondest memory of NTSU. I worked long hours in classes and partied after my work was finished. I remember the fun taking adult drinks into the football games in my date’s purses and yelling our heads off with a great bunch of fans. After one football game, my date and I went through the window of the biology lab to count fruit flies for a genetics class. How did UNT help prepare you for the career you chose? My career was much like my college time because of all the time I spent studying and working to keep my grades up. It was an easy transition to do the same in the medical field. The determination and drive my professors and mentors gave me enabled me to balance my studies and outside activities to help me get through my biology and chemistry studies.
Degree: Texas Academy of Mathematics and Sciences, 2001 City: Redwood City, California Occupation: Vice president of human resources for a Silicon Valley global technology company What is your fondest memory about your days at UNT? I spent many days studying in the Union (or sometimes reading historical fiction) while sipping hot green tea watching students go by. I also recall many fond memories sitting in Mac Cafe watching fellow TAMSters do various performances as part of our Student Activities Council. How did UNT help prepare you for the career you chose? Relating to other people in an authentic way and being unafraid to empathetically listen and share ideas has been invaluable in my career leading global human resources departments and teams. Thankfully, my time at UNT was not only rich with the academic rigor of the TAMS program, but it also taught me how to openly share my heart and mind with others, build incredible relationships with diverse people, and listen to the inner voice we all have that tells us where to find “true north.”
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