November 19 2014

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2014 VOLUME 104 ISSUE 42 www.UniversityStar.com

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TECHNOLOGY

Engineering seniors developing ‘Smart Watch’ technology for NASA astronauts By Anna Herod NEWS REPORTER JOHNEL ACOSTA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Seven of the 136 emergency call phones on campus must be repaired.

Officials ‘aggressive’ in repairing damaged emergency call phones By Nicholas Laughlin NEWS REPORTER

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even emergency call phones located in various places around campus are broken, leaving students, faculty and staff without this extra layer of protection. Seven of the 136 emergency call phones on campus still need repairs after the last test run was performed at the end of the summer of 2014, said Jeb Thomas, Access Services supervisor. Access Services spent approximately $22,419 during the summer of 2014 to

repair emergency telephones at the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, he said. “There were quite a few (emergency call phones) broken over the summer,” Thomas said. “Out of the 136 call phones that are on campus, only seven are not working since the last test was done.” Emergency call phones are designed as yellow boxes mounted on walls or black towers with blue lights on top. The call phones are used if students, faculty or staff do not have another way of calling 911, said Officer Susan Taylor, of the University Police Department

(UPD). “Once I have that report, we are “(The broken phones are) due going to go out and fix all of the to infrastructure because some of ones that we can,” Thomas said. these telephone lines are 20 years The emergency call system old or older and that infrastructure originated before cell phones were is broken,” Thomas said. a staple for college students. Now, The university is trying to find cell phones are more prevalent and funds to pay for the “extensive” re- used more often when students pairs, such as re-digging and putting have emergencies. new phone lines in, Thomas said. “If you don’t have a phone avail“We are getting much more able, you have emergency access to aggressive about fixing (the emer- the 911 emergency calling,” Taylor gency call phones),” Thomas said. said. Security Services will test all of Thomas said before Access Serthe call phones. The phones that do vices took over, no one really knew not work will be reported, Thomas said. See EMERGENCY PHONES, Page 2

Six electrical engineering students are working hard to leave their mark on the NASA space station. The students are creating wearable technology in the senior engineering design program after the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.) disciplines at Texas State received $15 million from NASA. The technology will help keep astronauts on task and monitor their health. It will provide a communication structure and a warning system in case of emergency. Tyler Lyssy, Mathew Mullen and Kyle Paul, electrical engineering seniors, are developing an interface called PixelSense that will intertwine with the operation of the wearable device. Both projects are scheduled to be completed in May and will be presented at senior design day. The wearable technology is a “computer you wear on your arm,” said Chad Hoffman, electrical engineering senior and member of the “Smart Watch” wearable technology project with Garet Curry and Derek Fancher, electrical engineering seniors.

See NASA, Page 2

UNIVERSITY

Technology firm to increase rented space at S.T.A.R. Park By Jake Goodman NEWS REPORTER Representatives of Quantum Materials, a technology firm, have expressed interest in renting additional laboratory space at the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (S.T.A.R.) Park, a move that would create additional job opportunities for students, faculty and residents. Officials at the firm plan to rent more lab space at the S.T.A.R. Park facility, said David Doderer, vice president of Research and Development at Quantum Materials. Officials intend to staff the labs with researchers who are currently at other facilities. Stephen Frayser, executive director of S.T.A.R. Park, said the Quantum Materials expansion is not official yet

but is part of a two-phase plan. The facility now has 14,000 square feet of usable space. The space will cover 32,000 square feet after the university completes the second phase of construction in 2015. Frayser said a total of 40 people are employed at S.T.A.R. Park, including researchers, interns and office staff. The additional space Quantum Materials is interested in will help add to that total. “Our research requires us to reach across disciplines,” Doderer said. “When we have the need, we’ll reach out to Texas State students and faculty.” Quantum Materials is currently studying photolytic cells that are placed in electronics such as LCD TV’s or smartphone displays, Doder-

er explained. The photolytic cells study would also be researched in the new space at S.T.A.R. Park. Doderer said the new researchers will be moved from other research laboratories where Quantum Materials works, including facilities in the Netherlands and at the University of Nevada. Research staff from Quantum Materials will increase from four to seven after the expansion. “In addition to being able to use space, we require companies to do things above and beyond,” Frayser said. “That includes internships and research that expands as the company grows.” The success of companies at S.T.A.R. Park makes it easier for

See S.T.A.R. PARK, Page 2

UNIVERSITY

Debate team victorious over 15 universities in state tournament By Carlie Porterfield SENIOR NEWS REPORTER The debate team is enjoying a high after a win at this semester’s Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) tournament. The team won the debate portion of the tournament and took first place in the sweepstakes as well, said debate coach Wayne Kraemer. The team defeated 15 opponents, including the University of Texas and Texas A&M University. “Of the last 15 TIFA tournaments, we’ve won 14 of them,” Kraemer said. Kraemer attributes the team’s success to the coaching staff and the students’ commitment. “One thing that we do here is encourage our students to participate in a variety of events, “ Kraemer said. “Our debaters will also do individual events. We encourage them to do different things. That makes them stronger in the event that their specialty is, and it broadens their horizons as well.” Shanna Schultz, a graduate assistant for the debate team, said the coaching staff emphasizes producing quality work over bringing home a victory.

“Our program isn’t always about winning and getting a trophy,” Schultz said. “It’s about developing students and using argumentation and debate to help people become advocates and leaders.” Judges in competitions appreciate the students’ fair work, she said. “Students go into competitions not thinking of how to outmaneuver and make their opponents look terrible, but how to create a conver-

sation that will bring us to some sort of understanding,” Schultz said. “I think judges and people who critique these kinds of debates find that really valuable.” Debate students, upon graduating, find the skills they learned during their time on the team are an asset no matter what career they go into, Kraemer said.

See DEBATE, Page 2

DENISE CATHEY ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

The debate team poses Nov. 10 in front of its awards.

ALEXANDRA WHITE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

S.T.A.R. Park will undergo expansion, creating space that will be leased by Quantam Materials.

UNIVERSITY

University partners with electric company to perform water research By Houston M. York NEWS REPORTER Nippon Electric Company (NEC) Corporation of America and Texas State announced a partnership Nov. 4 to conduct joint research and development efforts to improve water conservation and resource management. President Denise Trauth and Nobuhiro Endo, president and CEO of NEC Corporation of America, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Nov. 4 detailing the partnership. The university and NEC will exchange ideas for developing solutions to further responsible use of natural resources, according to the MOU. NEC, headquartered in Irving, is a provider of network, communications, information technology and biometric solutions for customers across multiple industries. The partnership is a unique opportunity for the university, said William

See WATER, Page 2

ALEXANDRA WHITE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

As part of the cabinet’s collaboration with Nippon Electric Comapany, the Japanese firm will conduct research on water conservation within the university.


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November 19 2014 by The University Star - Issuu