Houstonian 2017

A MAGAZINE FOR THE GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

HOUSTONIAN IN MOTION 2017

Mariela Guzman

Hometown: Houston, TX Master of Education, Counseling Career Counseling Intern at University Career Services

ONE WORD COMES TO MIND...SUCCESS

Paul Godenitz

Hometown: Avondale, AZ Major: Construction Engineering Minor: Business Administration Senior RA - Moody Towers South, Member of Sigma Lambda Chi, Chairman of Academic Support Achievement Initiative for Minority Males

Graduation is a time to reflect on your journey. Think about where you started, and where you are headed.

We are proud of who you have become, and we hope that we have prepared and inspired you to take what you have learned at UH out into the world.

Class of 2017, we take this time to celebrate you.

Congratulations...You are what success looks like.

Roxi Fam

Hometown: Northern Virgina Major: Integrated Communication Minor: Leadership Studies Honors College Ignite Leadership Program, Terry Foundation, Fashion and Business Organization (FAB), and Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM)

Torian Neal

Hometown: Pflugerville, TX Major: English Volunteer Chair Achievement Initiative for Minority Males

CLASS OF 2017

Today launches your next chapter and the opportunity to use your education as a catalyst for your career.

As new alumni, you are engaged in life and are empowered to be fulfilled, responsible citizens who make a profound, positive impact on this world.

Ultimately, success is realized when employers continue to hire talented Coogs. Whether you’re just starting your job search or building upon your experience, the Powerhouse will always be connected to you, and I hope that you will stay connected to us.

As a recent graduate, you are given the opportunity to use Alumni Career Services for a full semester after graduation for free. This gives you access to the full spectrum of online and inperson resources, to help you on your pathway to success.

I look forward to seeing what each of you will accomplish in the years to come.

Monica Thompson @coogcareers Executive Director University Career Services

S N O I A T U L C ON GR AT ATES! U D A R G R U TO O

Remember, your relationship with the Honors community does not end with graduation. We are proud to welcome you as our newest alumni! Log on; link in; drop by.

TheHonorsCollege.com/alumni

Best Wishes SPRING 2017 GRADUATES

We have enjoyed watching you learn and grow.

DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE Room 256, Student Center South (832) 842-6183 www.uh.edu/dos

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2017!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN STUDENT LIFE! A.D. Bruce Religion Center uh.edu/adbruce

Center for Diversity and Inclusion uh.edu/cdi

Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life uh.edu/cfsl

Center for Student Involvement uh.edu/csi

Center for Student Media uh.edu/csm

Children’s Learning Centers uh.edu/clc

LGBTQ Resource Center uh.edu/lgbtq

Student Centers uh.edu/studentcenters

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HOUSTONIAN 2017 August

9

NEW SCHOOL IN SESSION

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The University of Houston welcomed a new addition: the Hobby

School of Public Affairs. Coming from state and private funding, the new

BOTT LEAVES After 18 years, UH fixture

school houses the the Master’s in Public Policy program and continues

and student-favorite Simon

the research programs from the former Hobby Center for Public Policy.

Bott left Houston to rebuild the

The Hobby School bolstered UH's success in the public affairs arena,

chemistry department at Swansea

preparing students for careers in Texas and beyond.

University in Wales. Often seen bedecked in red and emitting Cougar pride, Bott won over the UH community with his love for the University from the classroom to the football field. Students and faculty said goodbye to the UH icon, who taught chemistry to thousands over his tenure.

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AUGUST

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19 COMMUNITY CARE

In a massive display of philanthropy, the Wells Fargo Foundation awarded a $100,000

check to the Northern Third Ward Consortium, a collection of community partners that includes the University along with local nonprofits like Project Row Houses and Change Happens. The grant will help community members develop a revitalization plan for the historic Third Ward neighborhood, which has come to face challenges like high poverty and crime rates and gentrification.

HOUSTONIAN 2017 August

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KHATOR WELCOMED INTO TEXAS WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME UH President Renu Khator was one of five selected to be inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for 2016. The annual award is given to women who have had

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Adelle Flores

powerful impacts on their communities and

Physics Sophomore

UH for 8 years with much acclaim, and her

“If there is one thing that students remember about Dr. Bott, it is his opening speech at NSOs. Even so, Dr. Bott was an integral part of the development of the Honors Biomedical Sciences program and helping UH become a competitive undergraduate institution for creating successful physicians.”

statewide. A woman of firsts, Khator has led induction recognizes these successes.

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25

GETTING INVOLVED In the 14th year of the biannual

Cat’s Back event, more than 170 student organizations — the largest group in UH history — filled the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center to tell incoming and returning students about their organizations and teach them to how to join. Free food, T-shirts and games abounded as students learned about organizations that ranged from the Student Program Board to the COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

Students for Justice in Palestine.

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HOUSTONIAN 2017 September

A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING When INSIGHT into Diversity Magazine awarded UH a trio of Higher Education Excellence in

Diversity (HEED) awards, the University became the first-ever institution to receive three accolades from the largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. Later this year, the University published its first diversity statement online to demonstrate its commitment to inclusion for each member of the campus community.

SEPTEMBER COURTESY OF OFFICE OF THE PROVOST

TOUCHDOWN 3

HOUSTONIAN 2017 September

9

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

12 ENROLLMENT RECORD HIGHS

The UH population jumped up to 43,797 — a record high. This marks the third year in a row that UH has broken its own enrollment record.

COUGARS GO THE WHOLE 109 YARDS TO DEFEAT OU SOONERS

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

It was the first and most anticipated game of the season.

While fans carried great expectations for a football team headed by hotshot head coach Tom Herman and renowned quarterback Greg Ward Jr., few truly expected the massive upset of the No. 3-ranked University of Oklahoma Sooners with a score of 33-23. In the third quarter’s incredible turning point, senior cornerback Brandon Wilson recovered a failed field goal from the Sooners and raced 109 yards for the touchdown that brought the Cougars on the higher end of the scoreboard. The Sooners would not recover. For students — some of whom waited for hours on a Saturday to receive a ticket at Cage Rage, the official pre-game rally — the upheaval confirmed the football craze that would last for most of the season and solidified UH’s status as an up-and-coming powerhouse in athletics.

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COURTESY OF M.D. ANDERSON LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

PLAYWRIGHT ALBERT ALBEE PASSES A master of theater and member of the UH

community died at 88 years old. Edward Albee was an award-winning playwright best known for the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” as well as a UH professor for more than 20 years. From 1989 to 2003, Albee taught advanced playwriting and held workshops, fostering a new generation of dramatists.

October

OUT ON CAMPUS UH adaptation puts spotlight on LGBTQ students

Years of painful memories gave creative writing junior Devin Jacquet a story to tell, but “The Coming Out Monologues” gave him the voice he needed to share it with others.

“The monologue I performed was written by myself,” Jacquet said. “It was about my experience of being outed and rejected by my family in Malaysia a few years ago. I decided to do it even though it hurt me because I wanted to own my torment.”

The University of Houston LGBTQ Resource Center teamed up with GLOBAL, UH’s LGBTQ social organization, for their second annual series of monologues Oct. 20, 2016. During the performance, students retold true stories of coming out, gender identity, queer love and anything imaginable within the LGBTQ spectrum.

“While many of the monologues are related to coming out in some way, other monologues are about other LGBT issues like youth homelessness and suicide,” said Gwyneth Sacaris, president

of GLOBAL and director of the event. “We had a performer recite the names of all of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, which targeted LGBTQ people — most of whom were men of color.”

“The Coming Out Monologues,” based on Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” began in 2007 at the University of California, Riverside, but campuses across the country now host their own replications of the event.

The October performance showcased monologues written by performers like Jacquet and submissions from other UH students.

“Performing felt good,” Jacquet said. “I was never able to express my emotions so loudly and be accepted for it.”

The purpose of the monologues is validation within the LGBTQ community, but non-LGBTQ people have much to gain from these performances as well.

“For people who are not LGBTQ, ‘The Coming Out Monologues’ can put a human

face to the experiences of LGBTQ people,” Sacaris said. “We're no longer statistics or stories without a face. We're real human beings who struggle and feel and love.”

Lorraine Schroeder, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, recognizes the need for these events and the impacts they can have on all people.

“For the general population, to hear the stories of their peers kind of breeds understanding,” Schroeder said. “When people understand, then they’re more empathetic, and they can act in a more sensitive and inclusive way.”

Schroeder reached out to GLOBAL to collaborate on the UH adaptation of the monologues back in 2015, but the students played a larger role in spearheading the production this time.

The LGBTQ Resource Center’s mission is to empower LGBTQ students to become engaged members of the UH community and develop their identities through effective programs and workshops. The Center offers Cougar Ally Training, monthly

discussion groups, movie showings and an Ally 2.0 training that dives deeper into commonly misunderstood LGBTQ issues.

They offer workshops on reconciling religion and LGBTQ issues as well as trainings on the effects of ‘bathroom bills’ on transgender and gender non-conforming people.

At UH, Organizations such as the LGBTQ Resource Center and GLOBAL shine a light on populations that need visibility on campus while providing them with the tools they need to confidently step out into the world.

In October, that light happened to be a spotlight — shining on students like Jacquet, who tell stories about their struggles.

“These events are important because not everyone is accepted in their homes and work environments,” Jacquet said. “We take so much for granted, but for people who are like me, this might actually be the only thing to look forward to.”

HOUSTONIAN 2017 October

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WOMEN’S GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

Notable Houston women such as former Mayor Annise Parker and Deborah Duncan of “Great Day Houston” came together to help the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies program at UH celebrate its 25th year. Students, faculty and the UH community have long supported the program, which expands their knowledge and allows them to directly address the experience of gender in diverse communities.

OCTOBER

5

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‘EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED’

When President and Chancellor Renu Khator started in her role eight years ago, she started the annual President’s Fall Address. This tradition gives her a chance to sum up the previous year at UH and highlight successes. This year’s address’ theme was “Expecting the Unexpected.”

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$1.5 MILLION GRANT FOR TEACHER PREP PROGRAM

As the call for more high school math and science teachers grows, UH received a $1.45 million grant that will fund its teachHOUSTON teacher preparation program. UH has already been addressing this issue through the program, which is a collaboration between the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) and the College of Education. The grant funds 72 scholarships for junior and seniors.

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

5

GRAPHIC NOVEL CLASS DEBUTS ‘KOLACHE’ The Spring 2016 Graphic Novel Workshop class

celebrated the end of their work at Moody Towers by showing off “Kolache,” a collective graphic novel bringing together 15 student-made comic books. For the past eight years, Mat Johnson and Michael Ray Charles have taught the Graphic Novel Workshop as a joint effort between the creative writing program and the School of Art. COURTESY OF UH MEDIA RELATIONS

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HOUSTONIAN 2017 November

8

ELECTION NIGHT UNFOLDS Student groups held election night watch parties at numerous

locations across campus and around Houston. The UH political science department held their event at the M.D. Anderson Library's Rockwell Pavilion,

2

COURTESY OF THE LGBTQ RESOURCE CENTER

MEET THE NEW SQUAD

replete with a map of the states, a photo booth and refreshments. Students

The LGBTQ Resource Center formed its first group of student leaders, the Sexuality and

from the School of Communication

Gender Acceptance — or SAGA — Squad to promote inclusion of various sexual orientations

developed and produced live coverage

and gender identities on campus. They serve to spread awareness of UH resources for LGBTQ

of the election as it unfolded.

students, including counseling and discussion groups.

NOVEMBER

11

HOMECOMING CONCERT

Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz pumped up a small crowd at Cullen Performance Hall as part of the Homecoming concert. The duo even managed to stage a dance off between the left and right sides of the crowd. In Houston for their third time, with Vinz even wearing a Nolan Ryan Astros jersey, the duo ended a fun and energetic concert with their most famous song, "Am I Wrong."

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HOUSTONIAN 2017 November

13

Jorden Smith

Former College Republicans President “Election night displayed the student fervor for change in the country. Even though many college students were not COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

a fan of either major candidate running, they were heavily invested in who was going to win and how that winner was going to shape the future of the country.�

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SMALL IMPROVEMENTS During the annual Student Fee Advisory Committee

presentations, departments and organizations like Counseling and Psychological Services and the A.D. Bruce Religion Center vie for limited funds. SFAC granted money for CAPS to widen their impact on campus and for the religion center to build a new, much-needed roof.

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BRANCHING OUT The biotechnology program within the College of Technology

will migrate to UH's satellite campus in Sugar Land, following in the COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

footsteps of the digital media program and the industrial branch of the construction management program.

November

COURTESY OF MARIA SANCHEZ

November

GIVING A HAND

Organization builds free prosthetic limbs In November, mechanical engineering sophomore Jalal Yazji and mechanical engineering technology sophomore Daniel Bahrt witnessed a mother weeping in joy as her 8-year-old son Rafael held a phone in his hands for the first time.

Rafael’s fingers on his left hand never formed while in utero, leaving his parents to search for a prosthesis, or a prosthetic limb. In their search, they were introduced to the UH Chapter of the e-NABLE Community.

“You see the kid light up after they receive their hand, and it’s a good feeling,” Yazji said.

“You’ve helped change their lives and given them the option to do things we take for granted.”

The e-NABLE Community uses 3D printing technology to create prosthetic hands and limbs for children in need at no cost to the family. In October, Yazji and Bahrt teamed up with friends and Cullen College of Engineering administrator Kenneth Garcia to found a chapter at UH, making the first in the state.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 1,500 kids are born with an upper limb reduction in the United States each year. While a senior at Klein High School, Yazji created his first 3D-printed prosthetic hand for his engineering and design class.

In his freshman year, Yazji met Bahrt, and an immediate partnership formed. Not only did they have similar backgrounds in engineering, they shared a passion for helping those in need.

Within the first two months of operations, e-NABLE at UH had already received and com-

pleted three orders, including Rafael’s. Now in their seventh month of operation, they currently have five active projects, with orders continuously coming through.

At first, the most challenging aspect of creating the hands was finding a place to print them, as the chapter did not have their own 3D printer to use. They had been using the printer at CougarByte, but recently the College of Engineering has come through with an offer; if they bring their own designs and filament, the college will print the hands for free. While some complicated cases can take up to two to three months, most limbs are completed within a month.

After meeting with recipients and taking measurements, the students find the design of the model hand on the e-NABLE website. While the designs are compatible with most cases, they only allow for modifications to scaling a fixed shape and in rare cases, that’s where the delay comes from. The students must then design it for themselves.

After finding the right design and size, each component of the hand is printed and assembled.

Assembly can be an hours-long process, even if everything fits together perfectly. Each finger is composed of three pieces, totaling to about 30 components that must be assembled per hand.

Each recipient can select the colors for parts of the design for their hand, allowing for a personalization aspect to each one. For Rafael, the colors he chose represented things that were important to him.

“I picked white, gray and baby blue because they’re actually my favorite color,” he said. “Baby blue, the sky. White, God. And gray, sharks.”

While the UH chapter of e-NABLE is limited to helping those nearby currently, the goal is to be able to help kids from all over in finding the perfect prosthetic for no cost to the family. While he only has a few years left at UH, Yazji wants to expand their work as far as he can.

“I want it to reach as many needy people as possible,” Yazji said. “To extend to the whole U.S., maybe to the whole globe.”

> J.D. SMITH

COURTESY OF E-NABLE

HOUSTONIAN 2017

5

December

15

FINALS AND FLAPJACKS

Students took a break from studying to eat pancakes served in the M.D. Anderson Library as part of the annual Finals Mania. The Spirit of

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Houston marching band arrived just

WINTER WONDERLAND

in time to pep everyone up by playing

Fistfuls of snow launched through the air as

games, and campus mascot Shasta

tunes from the semester’s football

students sledded down the hills in the annual

showed up to keep spirits high during COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

Winter Wonderland celebration hosted by the Student

the stressful end of the semester.

Program Board. Lodged between Moody Towers and Cougar Village 1, the event boasted free funnel cakes and 120,000 pounds of real snow imported to campus.

DECEMBER

7

NEW VP OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

Following a national search, UH System Chancellor and President Renu Khator named Amr Elnashai the next vice-chancellor and vice

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COURTESY OF TYLER KAY

ROSEY OUTLOOK Tyler Kay’s life came to a turning point during the winter of her

president for research and technology transfer.

freshman year when her boyfriend passed away

Elnashai previously served as the Harold and

in a car accident. Her life changed by the event,

Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Elnashai oversees five nationally

she decided to switch from studying economics to being an artist. Kay was was recently chosen from hundreds of different artists — locally and

funded research centers and multiple university-

internationally — to showcase her work as part

funded research facilities.

of HUE Mural Festival. Her main goal as an artist is to bring art into the community.

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17

FALLING STAR Despite rumors circulating for months, some students

were still surprised to find locked doors at long-time campus favorite and family-owned restaurant Chinese Star at the end of the fall semester. When UH did not renew the restaurant’s contract, students mourned the loss, but surveys quickly sprang up to gauge student opinion for how the space should be used COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

in the future.

December

HEAD COACH APPLEWHITE HERE TO STAY Shake-up commenced in the Houston Cougar football program last November when former head coach Tom Herman was hired by the University of Texas to the same position amid months of rumors. The move left a bad taste in the mouths for some Cougar students and alumni.

His sudden departure called for swift action to be taken by UH administration yet again to fill the gaping void left in the program with a bowl game looming. After conducting multiple interviews with candidates both

internal and external, UH found their man: Major Applewhite.

The University’s decision to promote from within was made with the intention of landing a candidate in it for the long haul.

“When we set out on our search for the new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach with great integrity who believed in our mission and truly believed in our student-athlete experience,” said Hunter Yurachek, the Vice President of Athletics. “As this process was completed, it was clearly evident the only individual to offer our position to was

Major Applewhite, and he was indeed the right man to lead our program.”

Applewhite joined the Cougar staff in 2014 when Herman was named the head coach.

After spending two seasons as coordinator of the team’s prolific offensive attack, Applewhite is a favorite of the players, who gave him support during the interview phase of the search.

“I am extremely excited; my face doesn’t always say it. Those (players) out there know what the real face looks like,” Applewhite said at his introductory press

“I have always been a winner, will always be a winner and will always set those expectations for our football team.”

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conference. “This is one of the premier jobs in the country, and to be able to start here is special to me.”

With a bowl game slated just five days later, Applewhite had little time to waste in getting the team refocused and ready to take on the San Diego State University Aztecs. The team dropped their final game of the season to SDSU 34-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Despite the loss, Applewhite inherits a program full of talent that is ready to compete at the highest level.

“This job is extremely attractive to my wife, our family and me,” Applewhite said. “This is somewhere we would want to stay, build continuity, continue to win at a championship level and go beyond. 9-3 is not good enough for us; we know that as players and coaches.”

The Cougars return All-American defensive lineman Ed Oliver, whose freshman campaign has him on the nation’s radar as one of the top players in college football.

In addition to Oliver, Texas A&M transfer quarterback Kyle Allen regains eligibility in 2017 and will try to earn the starting quarterback position.

The future is bright for the Cougars, who are now accustomed to a winning culture.

Applewhite will continue the football tradition Sep. 2 when the team opens the 2017 season against the University of Texas at San Antonio Road Runners.

Poised to lead for years to come, that day cannot come soon enough for the confident Applewhite.

“I have always been a winner, will always be a winner and will always set those expectations for our football team,” Applewhite said.

> REAGAN EARNST

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HOUSTONIAN 2017 January

20

A NEW REGIME The Center for Student Involvement

and

the Student Centers hosted a presidential

inauguration

watch

party in Student Center South, projecting the event on the LED screen above the Starbucks for all to see. There were mixed reactions, from

indifference

to

several

students handing out fliers for a protest. For the most part, students COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

watched the inauguration in silence.

JANUARY

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

HOUSTON WITH HER 21

A multitude of signs were held aloft in cities

like Houston and Washington, D.C. to support the Women's March. "Come and take it," one said, accompanying a drawing of a uterus. "UnTrump America," "No Country for Small Hands" and "Our Bodies, Our Business, Our Rights" were just a few

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29

EXECUTIVE ACTION After President Donald Trump issued

a travel ban from Muslim countries through executive order, at least one UH student was among the people prevented from entering

others seen in Houston. An estimated 22,000 people took to

through the customs office at George Bush

the streets in Houston to protest Donald Trump’s agenda to

Intercontinental Airport.

defund Planned Parenthood.

January

$1 BILLION CAMPAIGN

UH advances with donors

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

With its first fundraising campaign in nearly 25 years, the University of Houston is planning to raise $1 billion by 2020 as part of its January-launched “Here, We Go” campaign.

Donations will provide support for colleges, student life, athletics and scholarships and range in value from $15 to more than $20 million. Members of the Houston community, as well as past and present UH students, are encouraged to participate in the campaign.

“We are raising these funds to fuel, to build and to transform,” said UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator at the campaign’s Jan. 18 launch. “We are going to transform the lives of thousands of students. We are going to transform the University of Houston.”

Vice President for University Advancement Eloise Dunn Brice said campaigns are instrumental to universities in raising the level of giving. Regular donations to the University increase after each subsequent campaign.

Before May, the University had raised more than $731 million of its $1 billion goal.

“We have already met our goals for the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, athletics and the libraries,” Dunn Brice said.

“We are more than halfway to our goals with the Bauer College of Business, education, Cullen College of Engineering, Houston Public Media, NSM, optometry, pharmacy, Hobby School — but that doesn’t mean we stop fundraising for any of these important colleges.”

Interested donors can direct their funds to more than 40 University-designated priorities, Dunn Brice said, or nearly any college or department on campus. By May, 139,944 people had donated to Here, We Go. “The University spends the money that has come in for the campaign the way the donors direct it, and the donors direct it in the

ways that we ask for it,” Dunn Brice said. “Student donors, just like alumni and other donors who have generously given to the University, can direct their gifts.”

Current students had already been given an opportunity to donate by the time the campaign was officially launched. Seniors graduating in the fall had the option to make a $15 donation to the campaign. In exchange, Dunn Brice said, the University gave those students spirit cords to wear during commencement.

John Nau, the co-chair of the campaign, took time at the launch to address alumni directly, reminding them to give back to the University they came from.

“The key to our success as a major urban city in the twenty-first century is a skilled workforce,” Nau said. “As alumni, you have the duty to support this institution of higher learning that helped shape you and helped shape your role in the business community here.”

Effects of the campaign can already be seen throughout campus.

A $20-million naming donation from the John P. McGovern Foundation, announced at launch, will support art students and faculty.

The College of the Arts is now the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts.

The multi-million dollar donation to the College of the Arts followed UH System Board of Regents Chairman Tilman Feritta’s July gift of $20 million to redevelop the Hofheinz Pavilion, the University’s basketball arena. The newly named Fertitta Center is projected to open in time for the 2018-2019 season.

“The priorities for Athletics projects in particular were ones that resonated with alumni and friends, and were among the first to be rolled out during the quiet phase of the campaign,” Dunn Brice said.

> JASMINE DAVIS

HOUSTONIAN 2017 February

19

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

1

MOVING WEST

2

HIGH-PRESSURE RESEARCH With $1.7 million in grant money, UH professor Tahir

Hussain will continue his research of kidney disease and hypertension, a highly common illness in the U.S. Because

With 46 acres, the UH System just got bigger. The new

land is located in Katy and will be known as UHS University Park. According to Katy commuters, this campus couldn't

the kidney’s hormone system isn’t as well studied as other organs like the brain or heart, he and his colleagues hope to find alternative drugs to improve the health of patients.

come soon enough. Initially, UH plans to build an 80,000

24

square foot facility, expected to open in Fall 2018.

FEBRUARY

OUR STORIES

UH students got to take part in “Dear World,” an interactive storytelling event in which program guides help them write words on their arms for a photographer to capture. These meaningful messages help expand the community’s by

self-awareness

showcasing

individuals

and the obstacles they face.

The event gave students the chance to come forward with their experiences, and many students who participated also took the time to listen to other COURTESY OF DEAR WORLD

students tell their stories.

February

A TASTE FOR SERVICE

UH hosts Super Bowl party When University of Houston marketing sophomore Andrew Teoh filled out an application for a coveted position as a student volunteer for the Taste of the NFL’s Party with a Purpose, he had no idea he would end up stirring gourmet ramen noodles next to the Cleveland Browns and their representing chef, Rocco Whalen.

Talk about the college experience.

On Feb. 4, the University of Houston became the first college campus to host the star-studded fundraiser, Taste of the NFL’s Party with a Purpose. This year was the event’s 26th annual appearance, and its purpose is to provide a chance for volunteers, NFL teams, nationally renowned chefs and celebrity supporters to give back to the community and work to end hunger in the United States.

“For Houston to host the Super bowl is rare enough, and the chance to be involved with a hallmark event (like Taste of the NFL) was too exciting to pass,” Teoh said. “The experience was thrilling.”

The event featured hallmark chefs from 32 Super Bowl cities who paired up with current and past NFL players and teams to provide gourmet food and tastings for 2,500

guests. It also featured high-selling auctions and a performance from The Band Perry. The best part? All proceeds and funds raised were donated directly to food shelters and pantries, including the Houston Food Bank.

Since its creation in 1992, the Taste of the NFL has raised more than $25 million. Teoh, along with around 250 UH students, volunteered at the event in various capacities.

“I set up and tore down the venue and worked at a booth during the event itself. At the beginning of the day, we distributed food to all the team's booths, ensuring that they had the materials to serve hundreds of guests that night,” Teoh said.

Volunteers interacted and served with the NFL teams and their respective chefs during the threehour event. For Teoh, that meant compiling the prepared ingredients for the quail egg ramen that Head Chef Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit restaurant and his Cleveland team served from their tasting tent.

The 250 student volunteers were selected to spend more than 12 hours of servicing the needs of the chefs, players or event.

“The time passed quickly in a fast-paced environment,” Teoh said.

“Although it was a grueling process, I was giddy.”

While working with the chefs and teams in the tents was one way to volunteer, others helped by making sure there was ample, organized transportation for everyone involved.

When Adrian Castillo, a UH alumnus and the current program manager of co-curricular programs at the Honors College, was asked to serve on the volunteer planning committee, he immediately seized the leadership role.

During the event, Castillo served as the volunteer supervisor for ground transportation, meaning that he coordinated and supervised all volunteer duties for transportation, including shuttling the chefs and NFL players between their hotels and the event site as well as ensuring the drop-off and pick-up locations were running smoothly.

“Not only did this opportunity to allow us to showcase how great the University of Houston is, it also showed how committed we are to service and to the community,” Castillo said.

Castillo said his favorite part of serving with the event was seeing students enjoy the experience.

“Being able to provide students with an opportunity such as this is

something really special.

These are memories that the students will carry with them forever,” Castillo said.

“College is supposed to be a memorable time, and having opportunities like this just adds to that.”

The event was memorable in other ways as well, with UH’s Executive Chef Brent Gorman representing the University through his cuisine. Gorman has served such celebrities as George Clooney and George Foreman in the past, and he is no stranger to highprofile events like Taste of the NFL. Gorman boasts a culinary career spanning the last 30 years, and he said he took great pride in representing the University of Houston at the fundraising event.

Gorman’s menu selection included his personal creation, the lambchop “lollipop,” which he debuted at the press conference for the event in October 2016.

The dish was such a hit at the press conference it was requested to be served at the event in February as well.

The University’s involvement with Taste of the NFL did not stop at the dinner table, however.

UH ensured that no food went to waste at the end of the event by asking the volunteer student organization, Campus Kitchen, to recover all the

COURTESY OF ANDREW TEOH

leftover, reusable food at the end of the event and donate it to the Houston Food Bank.

Shannon Keen, the director of the Bonner Leaders Program at UH, was contacted by the Taste of the NFL planning committee and asked to communicate with the students in Campus Kitchen about recovering food from the event. Keen then contacted the Bonner student leaders in the organization, who in turn put together a food recovery plan.

Deborah Okoro, a prenursing and psychology sophomore who also serves as the coordination executive officer for Campus Kitchen, worked with other volunteers to recover over 400 pounds of food at the end of the event.

“The experience was incredible. It was unlike

anything we've ever done before for Campus Kitchen,” Okoro said. “Typically, we have five students assigned to recover food, but this time we had about fifteen students all under the same tent, transferring, weighing and temp-ing food in a quick and efficient manner so that we could get everything packaged and sent off.”

Okoro said that the students weren’t the only ones who helped in recovering the food, and that the chefs and players helped them clear the food and bring it into the volunteer tents for packaging. The Campus Kitchen volunteers work with several shelters in the Houston area, and the food from Taste of the NFL was collected by Star of Hope shelter and donated to the Houston Food Bank.

“The event certainly impacted my time at UH in a very positive way.

Experiencing the Taste of the NFL through service just reinforced the gravity of how impactful the Campus Kitchen is, because we were working this massive national event for the purpose of giving back to our own community,” Okoro said. “If that's not what service is about, I don't know what is.”

Besides getting students, alumni, faculty and all manner of celebrities and players excited about serving the community, Taste of the NFL also received UH Chancellor Renu Khator’s praise as being an event passionate about public service. She said partnering with the NFL was an honor for UH. “This partnership reflects UH’s steadfast commitment

to be a community-serving institution,” Khator said in a University press release.

The Taste of the NFL’s Party with a Purpose brought together a plethora of people with a purpose to help end hunger, and the impact of the event on the University and its students is seen through their involvement and participation in the fundraiser.

“The moments like these are what I love most about my time at UH,” Teoh said. “Beyond the class work and extracurricular involvement, memories like the ones that I made at Taste of the NFL will define my college career.”

> KARIS JOHNSON

22

HOUSTONIAN 2017 March

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

1

POLITICAL FORCE Nearly 200 students, administrators and alumni from UH and UH Victoria went to the Texas State Capitol to advocate for legislation expanding

funding to the University of Houston System. Armed with fact sheets and thank-you gift bags, groups met with legislators, advocating for issues the UH System hopes will be addressed by the 85th Texas Legislature.

MARCH

3

HIGH SPIRITS

Winni Zhang will be the 2017-2018 president of the Student Government Association. Her Spirit RED party also won most of the Senate seats.

Spirit RED candidates campaigned on a platform of improving parking, health services and textbook prices.

COURTESY OF WINNI ZHANG

HOUSTONIAN 2017 March

20

23

LOSING A FRIEND

Students mourned the loss of the legendary White-Tailed Squirrel, who was found on a sidewalk in Butler Plaza. Her life was commemorated by a student memorial that turned into a campus COURTESY OF BRINDA PENMETSA

tradition. The squirrel, now stuffed, will be displayed at the library several times

21

each year.

HASTA LA VISTA, COUGARS Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen to

speak at UH’s Spring 2017 Commencement, which was held at TDECU Stadium. Schwarzenegger was offered a $40,000 speaking fee, but he later announced that he had not known about the fee and that he would not be accepting it.

28

COURTESY OF THE MAHOGANY PROJECT

NEW COMMUNITY The LGBTQ Resource Center and African American Studies Department hosted the Mahogany Project, a collective of

black gay men telling the stories of people like them over a range of societal issues, focusing on building a community in Texas. Using all forms of media but mainly via prose and poetry, the theatrical group told stories of suicide,

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

coming out, depression, dating, sex, race and more.

COURTESY OF UH MEDIA RELATIONS

March

MOVING FORWARD

UH Track & Field program on the rise When thinking about the UH Track & Field program, you think about the Olympics.

Twenty-four Olympians and 15 gold medals have emerged from the program, most notably head coach Leroy Burrell and assistant coach Carl Lewis. The Olympics were once again on their minds last summer as the two were in attendance for the Rio Games.

When they came back to Houston, they had one goal for their athletes: to win a national championship.

Despite Olympic medals and world records, an NCAA national championship has always eluded the Track & Field team. Still, the coaching staff took a look at the returning athletes and the new faces and saw they had the talent and the depth to make a run.

“If everyone stays healthy this will be the greatest sprint program in the history of the NCAA,” Lewis said. “If they don’t do anything crazy they’ve got the ability to do it. They’re going to set all the records; they’re going to set all the championships.”

Their aspirations were not unwarranted. Numerous athletes competed at either their countries’ Olympic Trials or the U20 World Championships. After sweeping the American Conference titles a year before, the

Cougars seemed to have reloaded over the summer.

This fact was not unnoticed by the track & field world. Burrell and his coaching staff were selected to represent Team USA at the 29th World University Games in Taipei in August 2017. This meant that the vast majority of the track team would get to represent the United States or their respective countries. The honor became added recognition that the Cougars are quickly becoming one of the top track & field programs in the country.

"If they believe in it it's because we led them to believe in it,” sophomore hurdler Amere Lattin said. “We trained hard enough to show them we can do it. So if they can see it we can achieve it."

Fastest man, again Following the graduation of sprinter LeShon Collins, senior Cameron Burrell was left as the clear leader among the sprinters.

After missing most of 2015 due to injury, Burrell came into 2016 strong and was one one-hundredths of a second short of winning a national title in the indoor 60m. TCU’s Ronnie Barker ran 6.47s to Burrell’s 6.48s, the thirdand fourth-fastest times in NCAA history.

But after spending his summer

competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Burrell came into the season fit and motivated. He had his sights on finally bringing home a title in the 60m. The result was Burrell opening the season with a 6.66s victory at the Leonard Hilton Memorial, the fastest time in the country at the time.

“I want to finish what I started,” Burrell said “(To) end my senior year with that national championship I’ve been working so hard for. That’d definitely be the No. 1 goal in mind.”

And while Burrell’s 2017 mark may not have lasted as long as his 6.55s from the year before, the fastest time in the world at the time, it did send a message that he was still one of the top sprinters in the country and ready for a championship run.

Sprinters shine The Cougars faced their first teams of national pedigree at the Mark Colligan Memorial.

Against the likes of Oklahoma and the hosting Nebraska, the Cougars showed they were one of the top teams in the country as they won or placed high in multiple events.

The meet also acted as foray for junior sprinter Eli HallThompson. While the Cougars did everything they did in 2016,

Hall-Thompson, a transfer from Butler Community College, was one of the top sprinters on the junior college circuit. In total, Hall-Thompson won two NJCAA national championships and competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials. When he joined the squad, he did not disappoint.

In his first meet as a Cougar, Hall-Thompson won the 200m with a school record run 20.71s.

At the time this was the fastest time in the country and the second-fastest in the world. This came after Hall-Thompson came in second to sophomore Mario Burke in the 60m.

Burke had made history that summer by earning Barbados’ first medal at the U20 World Championships, a bronze medal in the 100m. But in his first collegiate 60m victory, he outran his teammate by seven onethousandths of a second. HallThompson, Burke and Burrell all ended the meet with Top 10 national 60m times.

“Coming from back home I used to be running the fastest on the team, winning all the time,” Burke said. “So, my transition on the team has been from being the hunted to hunting Cam and Eli. Hopefully us three make it to nationals and do great things this year.”

COURTESY OF UH MEDIA RELATIONS

Three peat Going into the conference meet, head coach Burrell had pressed the need for his athletes to perform at their best when it mattered most.

Last season, the Cougars only beat Tulsa by five points. This season, they won by 62.5. Coach Burrell’s squad set an event record with 174 points as they dominated the competition with seven event wins and numerous top three finishes on their way to their third straight indoor conference title.

“When you look at our Track & Field program, you quickly see the model of championship consistency that Leroy Burrell and his staff has built,” said Vice President of Athletics Hunter Yurachek. “When you put together a combined 32 conference championships in 19 seasons, you are competing on a high level year in and year out. Even with the championship standard it has set, the program has refused to become complacent and no one pushes it harder than Coach Burrell and his staff.”

While several veterans won or placed high in their respective events, freshman Nathaniel Mechler was one of the many new faces that reached the podium. Mechler, the Canadian junior record holder in the decathlon, was in the top of the standings throughout the hep-

COURTESY OF UH MEDIA RELATIONS

tathlon but stole victory with a PR time in the 1000m. The freshman won the title by 35 points.

Overall, the Cougars simply dominated the competition.

Burrell, Burke, Lattin and senior distance runner Brian Barraza all qualified for the NCAA National Championships in College Station.

triple jump respectively. They scored 99 points in their third place finish, 23 points behind UCF’s championship 122. But with so much young talent on the roster the women will only grow and develop until they too have claimed a championship for themselves.

Women on the rise When the coaches came back from Rio, their championship preaching was not aimed solely at the men but the women as well.

After not winning a conference title since 2006, the women had their first podium finish since 2014.

Going into the season, the women were excited by the arrival of a freshman class full of talent.

Sprinters like Sierra Smith, Samiyah Samuels and Birexus Hawkins all came onto the squad and contributed immediately. Along with senior sprinter Tori Williams, junior jumper Tonye’cia Burks and sophomore thrower Taylor Scaife, the women put the track world on notice as they continued to set personal bests and break school records.

At the conference meet, the Cougars had numerous top five finishes, in addition to Williams and Burks winning the 200m and

Sprint university At the national championships, the Cougar men’s team had a chance to make a statement. With only four athletes representing the Cougars, Burrell presented the team’s best chance at bringing home a national title. Burrell qualified along with Burke and Hall-Thompson, the only squad with three sprinters in the top 16.

The trio had been pushing each other to their best all season long and there was a strong possibility all three could reach the 60m finals.

However Hall-Thompson had to be scrapped the week of the meet after not recovering from an injury he suffered at the Tyson Invitational. Despite this, Burrell and Burke easily qualified for the finals, the first Cougars duo to do so since 1996. But for the second straight year, Burrell was beaten by the meet record setter. Tennessee’s Christian Coleman’s 6.45s

is the all-time NCAA 60m time, easily outrunning Burrell’s 6.53s.

But despite the way the season ended, the track team still has a big year ahead of them. The team still looks to defend their outdoor conference title, if they succeed it will be their second straight and third in four years.

The 4x100m relay team also has unfinished business as LSU beat them in the outdoor national championships by two one-hundredths of a second. Expect both the men and women to do big things considering both still have championship expectations that have yet to be filled.

"I still can’t help but feel left with a sense of we could have done more,” Coach Burrell said.

“We had the talent to really be competitive with some of the best teams in the country. But we have an injury here, lose a kid there for one reason or another, and that put us in a less than ideal situation at the NCAA meet.

“We were able to come back and qualify four individuals and finish in the top 15, but I felt we were a top 10 team, we’re a top 10 talent and we’re supposed to make that happen.”

> PETER SCAMARDO

26

HOUSTONIAN 2017 April

6

RAISING AWARENESS As part of “Be Healthy at UH” week,

the university community gathered with survivors of attempted suicide to raise awareness for Project Semicolon. The non-profit organization began as a suicide prevention and awareness program.

Students got temporary semicolon tattoos, answered a suicidal-risk questionnaire, spoke with a CAPS therapist, wrote letters to people they have lost and shared stories on a memorial wall.

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

APRIL

11

DIVING IN Phaneedra

Kondapi,

the

founding director of engineering for the new Katy campus, developed the nation’s first subsea engineering program at UH. He has served as the director of subsea engineering at Texas A&M University for the last year and has spent more than 20 years managing engineering projects at Houston-based energy companies.

COURTESY OF UH MEDIA RELATIONS

HOUSTONIAN 2017 April/May

27

ART AGAINST THE GRAIN Twelve projects from local, national and international artists were showcased this year at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts’ fourth

annual

CounterCurrent

festival. The free event drew students to see theater and dance performances, video and audio installations, art galleries and more. This year featured a “Stories of Refuge” gallery, which documented the lives of three COURTESY OF UH MEDIA RELATIONS

Syrian refugees.

MAY GRADUATION You’re done! You’ve made it to graduation and you’re ready to take on the world.

Good luck in your career or your graduate school or whatever else you choose. As a member of the University of Houston aluumni community, you have a lot of exciting opportunities ahead of you. Take them, and have fun!

COURTESY OF THE COUGAR

28

HOUSTONIAN 2017

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