The North Texan - UNT Alumni Magazine - Special Edition 2018

W ESOAR HI GHER

UNT is a campus where dreams take flight.

A j u m p i n g o f f p o i n t f o r t h o s e w h o y e a r n t o s o a r h i g h e r.

A supportive community where students spread their w i n g s t o b e c o m e t h e c r e a t i v e l e a d e r s o f t o m o r r o w.

A t U N T, w e a r e s t e a d f a s t i n o u r c o m m i t m e n t t o s u c c e s s and to building a better world.

T h i s y e a r, w e m a r k e d e x c e p t i o n a l a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s towa rd our future.

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FROM THE PRESIDENT The University of North Texas accomplished big goals in the last year as part of our steadfast commitment to success — conferring a record-breaking 9,465 degrees, securing more than $36 million in philanthropic contributions, growing federal research expenditures to $45.8 million and scoring the winningest Mean Green Athletics season in 40 years.

We continued to expand our footprint and beautify our campus. We enrolled our largest-ever student body — 38,154

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students — this fall, and announced a partnership with Frisco to expand higher education opportunities in Collin County. In this President’s Report, you’ll see we have much to be proud of and we are marching into a new year with even larger goals, supporting our students to achieve their greatest dreams and preparing them for careers in a rapidly changing world.

At UNT, we encourage collaboration between disciplines. We embrace — and celebrate — the intersection of creativity and technology. This year, we hired a vice president for digital strategy and innovation to guide UNT’s key initiatives in educational technology, online and blended learning. We’re continually developing new systems and programs to connect our students to 21st century learning experiences. And we continue to build more agile degree programs that speak to the needs of our students, their skill development and the demands of employers throughout the North Texas region. The success of our students is our mission, and we take seriously our role as a catalyst for their transformation into adept and confident professionals. We teach critical thinking, problem solving, empathy and the value of caring for others in tandem with subject area-specific knowledge and skills. Your UNT pride and support help to ensure that students will have meaningful college experiences to connect them with their dreams and soar higher after graduation.

UNT Proud,

Neal Smatresk President president@unt.edu @UNTPrez

E X C E L L E N C E D E L I V E R I N G

T H E

B E S T

R E A L I Z E D

E D U C A T I O N

I N

T E X A S

RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

DIVERSE CAMPUS, UNITED PURPOSE

UNT is the choice of 38,000 students. In 2017-18, the university awarded a record number of degrees — 9,465, up 3.3 percent from 2016-17 — indicative of UNT’s climbing four-year graduation rate and growing retention rates.

A growing public research university, UNT keeps its students at its heart and fuels the intellectual and economic vitality in North Texas, one of the most dynamic, fastest-growing regions in the nation.

This year, UNT’s proportion of minority students increased 1.5 percent, making minority students the majority — 51.3 percent of the undergraduate student body — and better reflecting the diverse population of the communities of North Texas.

72

7th

B E S T VA L U E , HIGH QUALITY

TOP 100 PROGRAMS

BEST PLACE TO WORK

UNT offers one of the most cost-effective, high-quality educations available. UNT was named one of America’s 100 Best College Buys® for the 22nd year, an America’s Top College by Forbes and a Best in the West by The Princeton Review.

UNT has 72 academic programs ranked among the nation’s Top 100, including 15 ranked in the Top 100 by U.S. News & World Report.

This year, Forbes ranked UNT 7th in the education category and 40th overall in the nation as one of America’s Best Employers. UNT also is 1st in Texas and 10th in the nation among higher education institutions as one of the Best Employers for Women.

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BIG SIZE, BIG IMPACT

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38,000

No r t h Texa n

BEST AND BRIGHTEST C R E AT I V I T Y, C A R I N G AT T H E C O R E UNT is the choice of 38,000 students from all walks of life — fro m those who are the f i rst i n the i r f a mi ly to e a r n a d eg ree to those who transfer to the university to complete their educational journey. UNT prides itself on being a creative and

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caring unive rsity where people from different backg rounds, experiences and inte rests can find their place and feel at home. The university is one of the most dive rs e in the nation, w ith 8,800 Hi spanic students and 5,400 Af rican American student s. UNT ’s population includes 2,500 international students who come from e very corner of the world . All UNT students rece ive a global-minded education driven by an appreciation of other c u ltures and opportunities to study abroad . De spite their different backg rounds, UNT students have th i s i n com mon — the y work hard and pursue excellence i n e ve r y th i ng the y d o. The u n ive rsi t y e mb race s a n d e mp owers students in a supportive env i ronment to help them de velop p e rs onal ly and academ ical ly. At U NT, we are com m itted to preparing students to soar higher and land succe ssful careers in a rapidly ch ang i ng world .

R E C O G N I Z E D E XC E L L E N C E Since 1890, the University of North Texas has pushed boundaries, put students first and served the North Texas region. With 230 high-quality degree programs in 14 colleges and schools, UNT fosters an environment of excellence by combining innovative programs and a strong pool of faculty and staff mentors dedicated to challenging and nurturing students. As the 29th largest public research university in the nation, UNT takes pride in its 1,600 outstanding faculty, which includes distinguished scholars, researchers and artists. They include National Academy members, 12 National Science Foundation CAREER award winners, and Grammy, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize winners and nominees.

Students earn top honors for their academic, research and civic achievements, earning nationally recognized scholarships and awards. Achievements include distinctions in the prestigious math and science-oriented Regeneron competition, Goldwater Scholar

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honors, Terry Scholar honors, National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates appointments and Graduate Research Fellowships, Rotary Ambassadorial scholarships and more. UNT continually introduces new programs, preparing graduates to be leaders in the ever-evolving workforce.

U N T H A S 1 , 7 0 0 H O N O R S C O L L E G E S T U D E N T S A N D 7 6 N A T I O N A L M E R I T F I N A L I S T S

STAR RESEARCHERS

ATTRACTING TALENT

In 2018, UNT biologist Richard Dixon, pic-

Under

tured at top right, was elected to the Royal

ship, UNT’s number of National Merit

Society, and UNT Texas Academy of Math-

Finalists has grown from four in 2014

ematics and Science student David Yue, pic-

to 76, including merchandising senior

tured at bottom right with UNT’s Astronomy

Sharilyn Amaya who is vice president

Laboratory director Ron DiIulio, compet-

of the Professional Leadership Program,

ed in the 2018 International Olympiad on

pictured at center right.

President

Smatresk’s

leader-

Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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“Getting involved on campus with MARTIAL Eagles has connected me with other students, faculty and staff — making me feel at home and supported.”

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— Justin Roberts, sophomore

One of the most important lessons Justin Roberts learned at UNT didn’t occur in the classroom. The sophomore computer engineering major has soaked in plenty of knowledge since stepping foot on campus last year, and as a member of the MARTIAL Eagles, he is thriving. The Living Learning Community in Rawlins Hall focuses on improving retention and graduation rates for African American males through networking opportunities with other African American students, staff, professors and industry leaders. Mentored by Candi Harris, senior program coordinator of the MARTIAL Eagles, Roberts says the extra support he’s received has made him more confident in and out of class, and he’s excited about the future.

H E L P I N G # U N T C A R E S :

S T U D E N T S

D E D I C A T E D

T O

S U P P O R T I N G

S O A R

S T U D E N T

S U C C E S S

UNT fac u lty and staff are committed to ser v ing a s nu rturing mentors to students f rom the moment the y ste p fo ot on campu s . D u ri ng Fi rst Fl ight Week , ne w students de velop a deeper connec tion to their college and engage in bonding experiences prior to the start of the fall semester. Frst-year S TE M majors have the ch ance to take part in E arly St art, a five -week summer bridge pro g ram. And the Succeed at UNT campaig n outl ines for all students how to le vera ge resources to excel at the university le vel — all helping to ensure th at students overcome hu rd les

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

C A R E E R A S S I S TA N C E

MONEY MANAGEMENT

UNT’s Academic Success Center opened this fall at Sage Hall and is home to 15 services and programs that help provide students with the resources they need to succeed in class and after graduation.

Programs and services include the Office of Disability Access, the MathLab, the Writing Center and Strategic Retention Initiatives.

Of the nearly 50 percent of students who sought help from UNT’s Career Center last year, 72 percent reported feeling prepared for a career in their academic program, and 32 percent of the internships they landed led to full-time employment offers.

UNT’s Student Money Management Center ranked 5th in LendEDU’s annual “ Top 50 Financial Aid Counseling Programs” report — and UNT was the only Texas-affiliated campus to make the list. The center helps students understand how to effectively manage their finances.

N E W FAC I L I T I E S

VETERAN SERVICES

CAMPUS SAFETY

The university has built new, expansive spaces to accommodate a growing student population, such as the Joe Greene residence hall and a Welcome Center, set to open in 2019. A new 530-car parking lot near Victory Hall opened this fall.

UNT was named the 17th best four-year college in the nation for military veterans this year by Military Times, up from 42nd last year. Institutions were evaluated in five categories: university culture, academic outcomes and quality, student support, academic policies, and cost and financial aid.

UNT was ranked this year among the top 50 safest large colleges and universities in the nation by CollegeChoice.net. UNT Police Chief Ed Reynolds was named campus safety director of the year by Campus Safety Magazine.

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so they can succeed and achie ve their dreams.

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E M B R A C I N G

E S P O R T S

Esports is a nearly $1 billion global i ndu str y — and U N T is encourag ing students to further tap into the phenomenon by becoming Texa s’ first publ ic research university w ith a

colleg iate

esports

pro g ram .

Th rough

UNT

Esports,

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the university c u rrently boa sts four teams th at comp ete i n Hear thstone, He ro es of th e St or m, Leag ue of Lege nds and O ve r watch . And the y ’re a l ready f i n d i ng s u cce s s — i n Novemb er, the He roes of th e St or m team made it i nto the top 8 at Tespa , the world ’s largest operator of colleg iate esports l e a g u e s . U N T E s p o r t s a l s o i s helping to make connec tions in the DFW area , a mecca for players looking to parlay their esports experience into a career. These careers can include e ve r y th i ng f rom g a me d e sig n a nd esports journalism to pl ayer and team management .

N E X T

G E N E R A T I O N D R I V I N G

I N N O V A T I O N

I N

A

E D U C A T I O N D I G I T A L

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With 6 0 p e rce nt of tech - s av v y p o s t - m i l l e n n i a l s e x p e c ti ng to h ave mu ltiple careers before age 30, a s well a s being prepared for rapidly emerg i ng career fields and professions, UNT is committed to offe ring cross- disciplinary experiences th rough a mixture of academic, tech nolo g ica l, re se a rch - fo c use d a nd col l ab orative partne rsh ip opp ortu n itie s . In add ition to h i ri ng Ad a m Fei n to f i l l a ne w role a s v ice pre side nt for d i g it a l strateg y and innovation and lead ke y efforts in educational tech nolo g y, online and blended learning, UNT w i ll host the 2019 U. S . -C hina Sm art Education Conference. And the unive rsity ha s rolled out 18 ne w deg ree pro g rams since fall 2017, many of them fo c u sed on preparing students for the creative economy, includi ng sport ente rtainment

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management , advanced data analytics, inte rac tion and user experience desig n , dig ital communication analytics, and consumer experience management .

C O N V E N I E N T L O C AT I O N S

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

DESIGNER DEGREES

UNT’s 230 degree programs are offered at several convenient locations, including the main campus in Denton, the UNT campus at Frisco, the Collin Higher Education Center in McKinney, Universities Center in Dallas and online.

Students receive experience in cutting-edge digital techniques through UNT resources like The Factory, a makerspace with locations in Willis Library and at Discovery Park, where they can learn about 3D printing, die and laser cutting, robotics, audiovisual technology and more.

UNT’s Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree, a program aimed at nontraditional students who have about 45 or more hours of previous college credits, allows students to focus on three areas of concentration that will build on their interests and make them more attractive to potential employers.

G L O B A L E D U C AT I O N

ONLINE DEGREES

N AT I O N A L R E C O G N I T I O N

Digital Train Limited, a technology conglomerate, is supporting research into novel technologies for education content development and delivery through UNT’s NetDragon Digital Research Centre, and is working with UNT to develop technologically advanced education-focused messaging platforms.

The goal of the centre is to support digital-first researchers from all disciplines.

As one of the largest providers of online credit courses among Texas public universities, UNT offers more than 20 graduate degrees, four bachelor’s degrees, 16 graduate certificates and two undergraduate certificates. UNT’s online programs have been designed to meet national quality standards and provide the rigor of a university experience without the inconvenience of travel.

UNT has established itself as a leader in programs designed to meet the needs of the next generation.

The master’s in design program with a focus on interaction design is ranked 38th in the nation

by ValueColleges.com, while the online master’s in learning technologies program is ranked 27th in the nation by TheBestSchools.org and 39th in the nation

by TopMastersinEducation.com.

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I N N O V A T I V E

C R E A T I V I T Y A N D U N I T E T O F U E L

R E S E A R C H

T E C H N O L O G Y D I S C O V E R Y

A g row ing re search university, UNT is at the forefront of ne w idea s and tech nolo g ies to address scientific, env i ronmental and s o c ie t al problem s .

UNT ’s research enterprise is gaining momentum, making investments in its people, collab orative pro g rams and spaces. In addition to 2 3 ce nte rs and institutes, including one National S c ience Foundation Indu stry/University Co operative Research Center and one I/UCRC site, the university created four In stitutes of Research Excellence — the Advanced Env i ronmental Research In stitute, Advanced Materials and Manufac tu r i ng Pro ce s s e s In stitute, BioDiscove ry In stitute and Ji m Mc Natt In stitute — in 2015. Th is year, UNT renovated the S c ience Research Bu ilding to prov ide st ate of-the -art biolo g y and chemistry facilities for fac u lty and students to conduc t research on the main Denton campus, installed ne w high-powered tech nolo g y for the Materials Research Facility located at Discover y Park to allow for c utting- edge charac teriz ation of nanoscale materials and

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and technolo g y. The y are bri ng i ng s olution s-ba s ed res earch to industry and the marketpl ace wh ile creating a pipeline for tech nolo g y transfer and

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recruited reco g n ized national leaders in re search to our fac u lty. To gether, fac u lty and student re searchers are push ing the boundaries of s cience

indu str y partnersh ips .

STEM to STEAM

$45.8M RECORD RESEARCH EXPENDITURES

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING

TEXAS ACADEMY OF M AT H E M AT I C S A N D S C I E N C E

UNT received $45.8 million in federal research expenditures last year, a record level, helping grow the university’s research enterprise and support faculty and students in their efforts to solve real-world problems.

A 26,250-square-foot biomedical engineering building is under construction at Discovery Park, UNT’s 300-acre research park, to house UNT’s fastest-growing undergraduate degree program.

The facility will contain two large research labs, three teaching labs and three classrooms.

UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science — the nation’s first early college entrance residential program for gifted high school students to take researchoriented college classes while earning a diploma — is a pipeline for STEM education. In 2019, TAMS will offer new tracks with supplemental curricula in music, media arts, and visual arts and design.

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“Fortunately, for the win I was able to draw on my experience from my summer internship at Fidelity Investments, where I modified mainframe programs.”

— Anna McKee, senior As a double major in business computer information systems and decision sciences, Anna McKee has faced plenty of tough assignments. But going into Part Three of IBM’s Master the Mainframe Challenge this year was by far the toughest. “ The final task was to create a coding solution based on very loose requirements. This required creativity and innovation with lots of research,” she says. Her academic studies and internship experience paid off, and the UNT senior emerged victorious, becoming the first female winner of the Master the Mainframe Challenge in the North American region.

S T A R T U P

M I N D S E T

E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P B R I N G S I N N O V A T I O N S T O L I G H T With its recently revamped Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, UNT is growing a sustainable business accelerator platform throughout the North Texas region. Jon McCarry (’01), an alumnus with a wide breadth of experience in private equity, was tapped as the senior director for the center, which is housed in the College of Business. McCarry is working to make the Murphy Center a go-to resource for businesses, as well as UNT students, faculty, staff and alumni, through initiatives such as partnering with the Denton community to launch the Denton Angel Investment Group. The group seeks to provide investment and support to early-stage ventures within Texas. “Between our university and the Denton 1 3

community at large,” McCarry says, “we have a rich environment for startups to access creativity, technology, educational

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support, economic growth and capital.”

CO M M E R C I A L I Z AT I O N

A N D

L I C E N S I N G

UNT faculty received $32.8 million in research and development grants last year. The real-world impact of their discoveries is supported by the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, which helps to protect and commercialize intellectual property developed at UNT.

CUTTING-EDGE CLASSES

STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

This fall, the College of Business began

This year, UNT’s Professional Leader-

The College of Music launched a music

offering a course about the financial, tech-

ship Program is celebrating 25 years of

entrepreneurship program last year and

nological, legal and governance aspects of

investing in the next generation of global

the College of Business’ Westheimer

blockchain for organizations, helping stu-

leaders. Through the PLP, students ex-

New Venture Competition gives stu-

dents understand how it can be used to

pand their professional network and grow

dents the opportunity to pitch business

improve processes, lower costs, increase

marketable skills through one-on-one

ideas. UNT also sponsored this sum-

security and speed transactions.

mentorship.

mer’s CodeLaunch, a Frisco-based seed accelerator competition.

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A R T I S T I C U N T

E X C E L L E N C E

E N R I C H E S

A N D

I N S P I R E S

Celebrated artists, mu sicians, fac u lty and students perform and exhibit their work in UNT ’s nu merous state - of-the -art facilitie s , i nclu d i ng the ne w College of Vi sual Arts and De sig n building, pic tu red at rig ht , wh i ch o p e n e d th i s f a l l . The fou r- s tor y b u i l d i ng i s o n e of the most tech nolo g ically advanced art building s in the U. S . and includes 181 cl a ssrooms and teaching area s. The College of Vi sual Arts and Desig n is considered one of the best art school s in the S outh and S outhwest, and is ranked 59th nationally among top g raduate school s for f i ne arts by U.S. Ne ws & World Re por t . The College of Mu sic stands a s one of the best, largest and most comprehensive mu sic school s, presents more concerts annu ally th an any organiz ation in Texa s and is home to the nation’s first jazz studies pro g ram. And UNT ’s In stitute for the Advancement of the Arts hosts re spec ted artists-in-residence such a s Grammy Award-w inning band Roomful of Teeth, and Medal of Arts

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w i nner Moisés K aufman, pl ay w right of Th e L aramie Projec t . Th rough mu sic, art, dance, theatre and other creative pursuits, UNT sh ares its talents w ith community memb ers from across the North Texa s re g ion.

N AT I O N A L F I L M CHAMPION

N OTA B L E SPEAKER

TOP FLUTIST

Media arts senior Ciara Boniface won the Next Visionary Filmmaker contest, sponsored by Disney, which earned her a new car, a visit to the premiere of A Wrinkle in Time and $100,000 to make her next film.

This spring, UNT welcomed to campus Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace and acclaimed environmental conservationist, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series.

UNT presents 1,500 performances, exhibitions and lectures on campus each year.

Doctoral musical arts student Martin Godoy won first prize in the Texas Flute Society’s 32nd annual Myrna Brown Artist Competition this spring — one of the highest-level international flute competitions.

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“I landed my ideal job because of UNT’s partnership with the Dallas Cowboys. My internship at Cowboys Fit led directly into the fitness industry without any speedbumps.”

— Alex Shaw (’18 M.S.)

P A R T N E R I N G C O M M U N I T Y

E N G A G E M E N T

A N D

F O R

S U C C E S S

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

F O R

S T U D E N T S

Prov iding students w ith opportunities for succe ss, such a s intern sh ips and re search projec ts, is UNT ’s No. 1 mission. The unive rsity i s always e valuating opp ortunities to bui ld mutual ly beneficial partnersh ips th at w ill create value for students and the communities of the North Texa s re g ion. From a ne w partnership w ith Ne tDra gon — an innovator in internet gaming and education delivery software — helping make students leaders in education tech nolo g y, to a ne w sport ente rtainment management deg re e in Frisco, a lso know n a s Sp o rt s Cit y USA , UN T

H I G H E R E D PA R T N E R IN FRISCO

O L L I AT U N T R E C E I V E S $1M ENDOWMENT

P R O U D PA R T N E R O F T H E DA L L AS COW B OYS

UNT cemented its presence in Collin County this year when the City of Frisco and its Economic and Community Development Corporations partnered with UNT to establish a 100-acre UNT campus.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNT, an organization that offers noncredit courses, events and trips for adults 50 and over, received a $1 million endowment from The Bernard Osher Foundation after increasing membership to 600.

UNT students gain unique insight into the world of sport entertainment management through UNT’s partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, the world’s pre-eminent sports franchise.

F R E E WAY TO SUCCESS

BUILDING CAREERS WITH FORTUNE 500

SHOWCASING ART I N P U B L I C S PAC E S

Internships, class projects and in-class lectures with Texas Motor Speedway staff provide real-world insight to students studying sport entertainment management, marketing, hospitality and event management, and business.

The DFW area has the third-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. and UNT business students have received paid internship offers from more than 700 companies including Toyota, Lockheed Martin and Southwest Airlines.

As part of UNT’s partnership with the Frisco Arts Walk, the renowned One O’Clock Lab Band and other performance groups have supported Frisco’s citywide celebration of art in public spaces.

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is the university for North Texa s and beyond .

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G L O B A L I M P A C T F O S T E R I N G W O R L D W I D E C O N N E C T I O N S UNT is making a name for itself internationally by prov iding students w ith opportunities to study abroad — and make a difference — in locations around the world th rough affiliate, exch ange and fac u lty-led pro g rams. From Asia to Au stralia to Eu rope to S outh America , students are able to immers e

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themselves in inte rnational c u lture and fully explore their academic

pro g rams.

i nternational opportunities.

The

university ’s

org aniz ation s Students

al s o

pursuing

partne rships

prov ide a

uniq ue

ma ster ’s

w ith

learni ng

deg ree

in

inte rnational sustainable tourism — named a Top 20 pro g ram in the nation by Th eBestSch ools.org — spend the la st two semesters of their pro g ram at the Tropical Ag ric u ltural Research and Higher Education Ce nter in Tu rrialba , Costa Rica , to conduc t analysis and examine operational and polic y perspec tives of sustainable tourism. And to gether w ith Beijing Norm al Un iversity, UNT prov ides collab orative and re search ac tiv ities to benefit students, w ith a joint re search and de velopment lab being created to fo c u s on smart learning tech nolo g ies and intelligent learning env i ronments.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E S E A R C H The Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program, a consortium led by UNT in the U.S., was awarded $20 million from the Chilean government this year for the construction of a new Sub-Antarctic Cape Horn Center. Scheduled to open in 2020, the center aims to become a global model for the study of social-ecological sciences,

of Ecology and Biodiversity and other Chilean universities and institutions. Since

the Chilean Antarctic Province. In addition to dedicated space for scientific research and

2006, students from UNT and various other U.S. and worldwide universities have

attracting specialists from around the world, the center also will include an interpretive

participated in Tracing Darwin’s Path, a study abroad program in the UNESCO Cape

visitor center where tourists can learn about the biocultural diversity of Cape Horn.

Horn Biosphere Reserve that blends environmental philosophy and biology with the

UNT partners with the University of Magallanes, P. Catholic University, the Institute

study of art and culture.

U N T W E L C O M E S S T U D E N T S W H O

A B O U T 2 , 5 0 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O M E F R O M 1 4 1 C O U N T R I E S

FULBRIGHT HONORS

AUTISM OUTREACH

CRITICAL LANGUAGE SCHOLAR

Two UNT professors were named Fulbright

Staff members of the Kristin Farmer Autism

UNT senior Rachel Shafer, majoring in interna-

Scholar grant recipients this year; four UNT stu-

Center spent a week in the capital city of Kam-

tional studies with a concentration in security and

dents received Fulbright U.S. Student Program

pala, Uganda, this summer training 149 parents,

diplomacy in the Middle East and Africa and mi-

awards for English Teaching Assistantships; and

teachers, health care professionals and social

noring in Arabic, was named a U.S. Department

ethnomusicology student Jose R. Torres-Ramos

workers in how to best approach the nuances of

of State Critical Language Scholar this year. The

received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation

working with autistic children. The team used

award allowed her to study at the Arab-American

Research Abroad Fellowship. They join the ranks

evidence-based practices to help with the diag-

Language Institute in Morocco this summer. She

of hundreds of UNT faculty and students who

nosis, assessment and treatment of autism.

hopes to contribute to positive Middle Eastern

have previously earned Fulbright honors.

relations with the U.S.

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2,500-square-meter facility will be focused on promoting sustainable development for

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policy and the humanities in the context of global climate change. The world-class

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“I’m surrounded by great leaders every day, on the field and in the classroom, and I learn how to treat people with respect and how to carry myself.”

— Mason Fine, junior

G O B U I L D I N G

M E A N

C H A M P I O N S

A N D

G R E E N P R E P A R I N G

L E A D E R S

Mean Green quarte rback Ma son Fi ne, pic tu red at left, ha s w itnessed a transformation — from the pl aybook , on the field and in the stands.

By embracing the sea s on mantra of being selfless, tough and disciplined , the team is exempl if ying the Mean Green St andard . Th is fal l ’s recordsetting Ap o gee St ad ium crowds of more than 30,000, including 6,792 sea s on ticket holders, and national ne ws cove ra ge of Keegan Bre wer ’s fake fai r catch punt re turn have i nfu s ed UNT ’s 16 NCAA Div i sion I sports team s w ith ne w l ife. Fan s are supp orti ng UNT Athle tics at greate r le vel s w ith $1.78 million in annual unrestric ted g ifts and increa sed memb ersh ip in the Mean Green S cholarship Fu nd . They also are embracing the Light The Tower 20-year facilities ma ster pl an, wh ich calls for a ba seball stad ium, ne w softball stad ium, natatorium, ne w arena , te nni s i n d o o r f ac i l i t y a n d a t a i l g ate p a rk . Wi n n i ng i s i mp o r t a nt , but it isn’t the only goal for UNT ’s student -ath letes. Like Ma son Fi ne, the Mean Green are fo c u sed on

RECORD CHAMPIONSHIPS

FACILITIES MASTER PLAN

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

The Mean Green men’s basketball team came alive in the post-season, securing its first-ever win in the College Basketball Invitational. Following strong seasons, both the women’s soccer and men’s cross country teams earned the title of Conference USA champions.

The new Soccer and Track & Field Stadium, below, has prompted UNT to say goodbye to historic Fouts Field and look forward to the opening of an Indoor Practice Facility, which will benefit multiple teams. The Indoor Practice Facility is projected to open in Summer 2019.

This year, 186 UNT student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 or better were named to Conference USA’s annual academic honor roll. Forty-three of the honorees also received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better.

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leadersh ip, show ing respec t to all and ser v ing UNT a s first-rate amba ssadors.

A L U M N I S T R O N G G R A D U A T E S T A K E F L I G H T A N D S O A R T O S U C C E S S Carmen Cu sack , who attended UNT in the early 1990s a s an opera major, ha s since become a lead ing voice in the theatre world , earning a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut a s Alice Mu rphy in

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Ste ve Martin and Edie Brickell ’s Br ig h t Star, a s wel l a s accl ai m i n mu sical s rang i ng f rom L es Mi se rab les to Wick ed to South Pacific.

She a l s o i s a n accompl i she d vo cal i st who s e s old- out s olo conce r t at Ne w York City ’s Fe instein’s/54 Below wa s recorded on the album If You Kne w My St or y. Cu sack made her triumphant re tu rn to campus th i s year for the annual Wi ng span Gala , themed “ The Bright Lights of UNT,” where she wa s awarded an honorary bachelor ’s deg ree from President Neal Smatresk and reminisced ab out her one - of a -kind mu sic education at UNT. She rece ntly had a rec u rring role on mu ltiple epi s o des of Faceb o ok’s ne w series , S o r r y For Your L oss , and she’s featured opposite Tom Hanks in the upcoming film ab out Mr. Ro gers , You Are My Fr ie nd.

“You could hear jazz from every corner of the campus. I wanted to be one of the cool jazz students.”

— Carmen Cusack, Tony-nominated performer

S TAY I N G C O N N E C T E D Elliotte Dunlap (’97) knows how to motivate people. In his first semester at UNT in 1992, he noticed the campus didn’t have a dedicated space with staff to promote the success and inclusion of students from cultural and ethnic minority groups. Passionate to effect change, Dunlap, together with some of his Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers and a few other students, wrote a proposal to create a Multicultural Center — now part of UNT’s larger Office of Diversity and Inclusion. And Dunlap’s commitment to UNT hasn’t stopped, even as his career has taken off. The mass communications studies grad 2 3

has raked in top leadership and sales awards during his 12 years at IBM and seven with

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Microsoft, but one of his greatest accomplishments is helping to start A Few Good Men, a professional mentorship program for diverse students at UNT. It’s one of the many reasons he received the Outstanding Alumni Service Award last fall.

U N T ’ S

A L U M N I

M A K E

A

D I F F E R E N C E

ALUMNI NETWORK

UNT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

FAMILY PATIO

With 9,465 degrees awarded last year, UNT’s

The UNT Alumni Association set a record

In the inaugural year, the Diamond Ea-

living alumni network grew to 420,000 mem-

this year with 14,287 memberships, while cre-

gles Giving Society funded and unveiled the

bers, 284,000 of whom live in the DFW area.

ating additional regional programming in Aus-

Alumni Pavilion’s new Diamond Eagles Family

A large number of accomplished professionals

tin, Houston and San Antonio to connect with

Patio at Apogee Stadium this fall, which nearly

from arts, entertainment, sports and business

alumni across the state.

doubled the square footage of the pavilion for

call UNT home, including Norah Jones, “Mean”

attendees and includes additional seating and a

Joe Greene and Phil McGraw (’76 M.A.,

permanent stage.

’79 Ph.D.).

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2 4 P A G E

This year, the University of North Texas had a prominent presence in local, national and international news media, with more than 24,000 stories about or involving UNT leadership, faculty, students and alumni. Above, history professor Andrew Torget set the Guinness world record for the longest history lesson as part of a fundraiser for The Portal to Texas History, an online resource created by UNT that provides free access to rare, historical and primary source materials from or about Texas.

U N T

I N M A K I N G

T H E

N E W S

H E A D L I N E S

MAJOR PLANT OIL DISCOVERY

S U P E R - ST R O N G M E TA L A L LOY

“ They will be the only people on earth that I’m aware of that have taken a class on all of Texas history, straight through.”

— History professor Andrew Torget, on students who attended his Guinness-world-record-setting lecture.

“ The oil from the Chinese violet cress doesn’t just have the potential to supplement or replace petroleum-based oil; it can also replace synthetics. It is a renewable solution to a limited-resource problem.” — Materials science and engineering professor Diana Berman, on her revolutionary research

“We are still trying to look for a good substitute that is not costly but can have the same result.” — Postdoctoral researcher Saurabh Nene, who through friction stir processing created an alloy that is five times stronger than conventional steel, but is currently too expensive for commercial use

D R U G D E T E C T I O N I N N OVAT I O N

F I V E G R A D U AT I O N S , O N E DAY

M U S L I M C E M E T E RY A P P R OVA L

“ This is really important. This epidemic we have in the U.S. is just off the hook.” — Chemistry professor Guido Verbeck, who has developed a portable breathalyzer that can detect illegal drug use as a way to help in the fight against opioids

“It has been my dream to see them through college. Watching them graduate was the best feeling any parent can have but multiply that by five. We did it.” — Jorge Diaz, father of quintuplets Enna, Maria, Emilio, George and John, who all walked the UNT graduation stage in spring 2018

“It’s not just about burial. It’s about acknowledgement of the community.” — Art history professor Nada Shabout, who voiced support for the establishment of a new Muslim cemetery in the North Texas town of Farmersville, which the city council approved in September

CONCERNS ABOUT CALCIUM

A L L E Y E S O N FA K E FA I R C ATC H

EARNING SPOT ON ‘THE VOICE’

“Past research has determined a powerful correlation between cancer and high dairy consumption, but African Americans are getting prostate cancer with lower levels of dairy consumption.” — History professor Constance Hilliard, on the effects of calcium in African Americans

“It was a real team effort. As soon as the two Arkansas players passed me, I knew it was go time. Before the game, I was thinking, ‘ This could be bad.’ But it turned out to be good.”

— Punt returner Keegan Brewer, who pulled off the now infamous fake fair catch play during the game against Arkansas

“ The blind audition was intense. I was singing and playing, and at first it didn’t look like anyone was going to turn around. But when I saw Blake’s chair turn around, I was like,

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RECORD-SETTING LECTURE

‘ Thank goodness!’” — Alum Katrina Cain (’12), who earned a spot in NBC’s popular singing competition

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F I N A N C I A L S F I S C A L

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

A N D

G I V I N G

I M P A C T

As one of the state’s top universities for g raduating student s, the Un iversity of North Texa s uses its dollars w i sely to g ive students opportunities and support to achie ve their dreams. In addition to generating an economic impac t of $1.65 billion in the Dalla s-Fort Worth area annually, UNT fuels the social and c u ltural v itality of the North Texa s re g ion and world .

O P E R A T I N G

A N D

C A P I T A L

S O U R C E S

( $ i n the m i l l i o n s )

P A G E

2 6

2 0 1 3

2 0 1 7

S t a t e o f Te x a s $ 1 4 6 . 7 8

S t a t e o f Te x a s $ 1 7 0 . 7 8

Tu i t i o n & Fe e s $ 2 3 2 . 5 6

Tu i t i o n & Fe e s $ 3 1 0. 37

Federal, State, & Private Grants & Contracts $81.61

Federal, State, & Private Grants & Contracts $120.85

Endowment & Interest $15.16

Endowment & Interest $5.30

Sales, Services & Other $33.17

Sales, Services & Other $28.92

Auxiliary $50.06

A u x i l i a r y $ 6 7. 6 1

O P E R A T I N G

A N D

C A P I T A L

U S E S

( $ i n the m i l l i o n s )

2 0 1 3

2 0 1 7

I n s t r u c t i o n $ 2 0 7. 3 9

Instruction $200.87

Research $24.34

Research $22.68

P u b l i c S e r v i c e $ 7. 3 1

Public Service $10.02

Academic Support $54.82

Academic Support $59.32

Student Services $56.81

Student Services $75.68

Institutional Support $32.73

Institutional Support $36.65

Operation & Maintenance o f P l a n t $ 2 7. 9 1

Operation & Maintenance of Plant $39.62

Scholarships & Fellowships $64.85

Scholarships & Fellowships $78.39

Auxiliary Enterprises $41.54

Auxiliary Enterprises $56.15

Capital Outlay $16.80

Capital Outlay $22.68

Other $4.68

Other $2.02

O P E R A T I N G A N D C A P I T A L E X P E N D I T U R E S

T O T A L

( $ i n the m i l l i o n s )

( $ i n the m i l l i o n s )

2 7

Operating

K E Y R E V E N U E S A S A P E R C E N T A G E O F T O T A L R E V E N U E

A S S E T S

Net Assets

U N T ’ S

R E C O R D

Y E A R

P A G E

Capital

N E T

O F

F U N D R A I S I N G

UNT raised more than $36.6 million this year to benefit students, research and programming, the second consecutive year the Division of Advancement has achieved record-setting results. Cash contributions increased 48 percent to more than $29 million, new gifts to endowments rose 181 percent to $15.8 million and overall number of donors rose 68 percent to 15,490.

• More than $9 million from the Paul Vo ertman Estate benef iting the College of Liberal Arts and S ciences , College of Mu sic, and College of Vi sual Arts and Design with a considerable amo unt sup p orting student scholarship s at the colleges .

• $1.6 million from the Greater Texas Fo undation to support the High S chool Career Connec t p eer mentoring pro g ram.

• $700,000 from College of Mu sic alumni John (’72) and Lindy (’72) Rydman, fo unders of the Sp ec’s C haritable Fo undation, for renovations to the Mu sic Building .

• Siz able research gifts such as the Hobl itzelle Fo undation benefiting the College of Engineering for biomedical eng i neering lab oratories , John C armichael for a professorship for the College of Business , and the Lup e Murchison Fo undation for autism research .

Tu i t i o n a n d Fe e s

All Other

State Support

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UNT is a place where change and challenge are opportunities to persevere and forge a better course.

Students succeed beyond their wildest expectations and faculty push the limits of what’s possible.

Our national reputation in academics and athletics surges, our industry partnerships flourish and our contributions to the creative economy expand.

Our alumni make impacts as they shape the world.

U N T i s a fa m i l y b o u n d to g e t h e r by c r e at i v i t y a n d i n n ovat i o n .

T h e No r t h Texa n

The North Texan (ISSN 0468-6659) is published four times a year (in March, June, September and December) by the University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, for distribution to alumni and friends of the university. Periodicals postage paid at Denton, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. The diverse views on matters of public interest presented in The North Texan do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the university. Publications staff can be reached at northtexan@unt.edu or 940-565-2108.

Postmaster: Please send requests for changes of address, accompanied if possible by old address labels, to the University of North Texas, University Relations, Communications and Marketing, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 762035017. The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission.

The University of North Texas does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, disability, marital status, genetic information, citizenship, or veteran status in its application and admission processes, educational programs and activities, university facilities, or employment policies, procedures, and processes. The university takes active measures to prevent such conduct and immediately investigates and takes remedial action when appropriate. The university also prohibits and takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who report or file a charge of discrimination or harassment; participate in an investigation, or oppose any form of discrimination or harassment. Direct questions or concerns to the equal opportunity office, 940-565-2759, or the dean of students, 940-565-2648. TTY access is available at 940-369-8652.

Created by the Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing Š2018 UNT URCM 12/18 (19-034)

The North Texan UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing 1155 Union Circle #311070 Denton, Texas 76203-5017