11 06 2012

Page 1

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 32

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NOVEMBER 6, 2012

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A brewed awakening

Nate Rowell sells freshly brewed coffee to students in The Quad at an affordable price. For more, visit UniversityStar.com.

Japandroids

FUN FUN FUN

Rule restricts early tenure application By Natalie Berko News Reporter

FEST

Photos by Austin Humphreys, Photo Editor

Riverboat Gamblers

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

I felt kind of like I was going to puke, but I looked at him and said ‘yes.’ We kissed, and he picked me up, and everyone was clapping.” — Chrissy Abbott, fianceé of Jake Masters Run DMC

Chrissy Abbott and Jake Masters

Texas State faculty will soon face new requirements in order to achieve higher positions at the university. A new policy and procedure statement will go into effect next fall. The policy states faculty members who have “truly outstanding” records, and only in exceptional cases, may apply for early tenure before the end of a six-year probationary period. Associate Provost Cynthia Opheim said the change was made after almost one-third of faculty members were going up for early tenure this year. Faculty seeking tenure will have to face external review beginning next fall. A tenured faculty member has achieved a secure position with the university, which is only granted after a six-year probationary period. This type of promotion automatically comes with a significant salary increase. Once assistant professors complete a six-year probationary period, they become tenured and promoted to associate professors. A faculty member may be eligible for promotion to professor after being ranked as an associate professor for at least five years, Opheim said. Opheim said tenured professors achieve a more secure status in their careers. However, tenure does not fully protect them from losing their jobs. “(Faculty) can always be fired, but it has to be for really gross malfeasance,” Opheim said. Michael Hennessy, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said he thinks younger faculty who feel ready to receive early tenure will find this change most troublesome. “I think that the administration would like to see people waiting the full time for them to get to know us and for us to get to know them before they stand for tenure,” Hennessy said. Opheim said she thinks the biggest change to the policy is the addition of external review. Associate professors will have to send their work to experts

READ TENURE, PAGE 3

Suspects face charges READ THE FULL STORY, PAGE 5

Professor develops eye tracking technology By Andrew Osegi News Reporter A Texas State faculty member is researching ways to apply the unique nature of human eye movement to computer technology. Oleg Komogortsev, assistant professor in the College of Science and Engineering, said eyemovement behavior is unique to every individual and difficult to replicate. Komogortsev’s research is based on ocular biometrics, the practice of observing human behavior through the eyes. The results could eventually be used by governmental agencies for identification purposes and by doctors during the diagnostic process. “My goal, with help of student researchers here at Texas State, is to develop eye tracking technology that communicates with computer systems using the human eye,” Komogortsev said. Komogortsev said the field of ocular biometrics is in its infancy, but the potential is limitless. The research Komogortsev

is developing can be used in the medical field to identify eye movements associated with concussion and traumatic brain injury patients. The research will help doctors reach a diagnosis more quickly. Human-computer interaction is another realm in which Komogortsev’s research can be applied. Komogortsev’s software is able to calibrate where a person’s eyes are looking on a computer screen during his video game called Balura. During a game of Balura, users must first allow the software to record and calculate the eye movement as they watch a computer screen. The software recognizes where the user’s line of sight is directed and signals an input command so the game can be played using only the eyes. Players are asked to pop red balloons in a field of blue balloons using their focused eyesight. Corey Holland, computer science masters student, said the research being conducted by Komogortsev will expand a “largely unexplored” branch of the ocular biometric field. The

Sonja Burton, Staff Photographer

Oleg Komogortsev, assistant professor with the College of Science and Engineering, works with an eye tracking system that allows users a handsfree computer interface. research will advance understanding of the traits of the human visual system. Holland won the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in June for his work in developing ocular

biometrics, which Komogortsev supervised. Komogortsev teaches computer sciences courses in addition to conducting and super-

READ EYE, PAGE 3

By Megan Carthel News Reporter The woman who is facing charges for the Oct. 18 bomb threat against Texas State has been transported from Brazos County to Hays County jail. Brittany Nicole Henderson, 19, had been held in the Brazos County Jail since Oct. 23, according to a Bryan-College Station Eagle article. She was then moved to the Hays County Law Enforcement Center. According to the article, Henderson is no longer a person of interest in the Oct. 19 Texas A&M bomb threat. Dereon Kelley, a 22-year-old man believed to be Henderson’s exboyfriend, was arrested in conjunction with the case, according to Lt. Allan Baron with Texas A&M University Police Department. Kelley was arrested and charged Nov. 1 with making a terroristic threat. Kelley’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Mark McIntyre. Kelley allegedly used Henderson’s email account to send the Texas A&M bomb threat, according to the article. If Kelley is convicted, he faces a possible fine of $250,000 and up to 10 years in federal prison. Henderson is facing three counts of a terroristic threat and three counts of false alarm for the Texas State bomb threat.


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