Berger Steps Down as Theatre Director;
Honored in Congressional Record

After 38 years, Sidney Berger has stepped down as director of the theatre program at the University of Houston, but will remain as active as ever teaching, directing main stage productions and producing the university’s annual festivals he helped create. Berger was honored in the Congressional Record by U.S. Representative Gene Green (‘71) on July 31. The UH professor was presented with a Congressional Record Plaque prior to a recent Houston Shakespeare Festival performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park.

“I rise today to congratulate the hard work and commitment that Mr. Sidney Berger has given to my alma mater, the University of Houston, for the past 38 years,” Green said in an address before Congress.

Berger has groomed many stage professionals for success and stardom, including Hollywood actors Randy and Dennis Quaid. Berger also lured theater legends such as Jose Quintero, Edward Albee and Sir Peter Hall to UH to impart their wisdom on students. He has the distinction of serving as the first executive director of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts at UH. Berger also helped oversee the renovation of the building housing the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre.

“I am grateful beyond words for this signal honor from Congressman Green,” Berger said. “To use Shakespeare’s words from ‘Twelfth Night,’ ‘I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and ever thanks.’”

Berger founded Houston Shakespeare Festival in 1975. Co-sponsored by UH and the City of Houston, it has entertained nearly half a million theatergoers with free performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre. He also recently named the recipient of the Ruth Denney Award from Houston’s Theater Under the Stars, which honors stage professionals who shape young artists’ lives.

Steven Wallace, formerly of Florida State University, will become the school’s director this fall.

Engineering Professor Honored for Work with Minority Students

Gerhard Paskusz, professor emeritus at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering and founder of its groundbreaking PROMES Program, was recently honored for his efforts in advancing the prospects of minorities in engineering. Paskusz was recognized with the DuPont Minorities in Engineering Award from the American Society for Engineering Education. The award was presented during the group’s annual conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

According to the ASEE website, the award is designed to honor an engineering educator who shows “leadership in the conception, organization and operation of pre-college and college activities designed to increase participation of underrepresented students in engineering and engineering technology.”

Specifically, Paskusz is being recognized for his work with the college’s PROMES program (Program for Mastery in Engineering Studies), which he founded in 1974. The program, which was initially reserved for minority students but is now open to all undergraduates, offers academic workshops where students can learn about study and time-management skills, and serves as a social networking platform where students can seek support from their peers and form study groups.

Paskusz’s nomination was submitted by Dr. Kathy Zerda, who took over the program upon Paskusz’s retirement in 2005, and supported by Dean Raymond Flumerfelt.

“Dr. Paskusz has devoted his entire career to promoting the participation of under-represented minorities in engineering studies,” said Zerda. “He has touched thousands of lives from middle school through college with his passion for engineering education and for helping students reach their potential in STEM fields.”

Bauer College Cougar Fund Sets Record For New Investors

The C. T. Bauer College of Business Cougar Investment Fund, L.L.C. has closed for new investment in 2007 with a record $1.7 million in new contributions, bringing the total fund assets to more than $9 million. The Cougar Fund is a private investment fund managed by Bauer College graduate students.

The fund’s purpose is to give students the opportunity to gain experience in the management of an investment portfolio, while providing a diversified investment vehicle for its investors. The Cougar Fund started in February 2002 as a tool for teaching master’s level finance students how to become professional investment fund managers. The initial investment offering of $1.9 million from 19 investors has regularly outperformed its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index.

Of the approximately 6,000 university-based, student-run investment funds in the United States, the Bauer College Cougar Fund is one of only three that have private investors rather than relying on university endowment funds. Students of all backgrounds compete for limited manager slots – between 16 and 24 are available each year – and commit to participating for 12 to 16 months.

Praveen Kumar, professor and Department of Finance chair, praised the educational value of this highly selective program.

“The diverse background of Cougar Fund managers makes this experience a tremendous training ground for the real world of business,” he said. “This program gives our graduate students the chance to take a top notch education in financial management and apply it to the global marketplace. Students benefit from the practical experience, and employers benefit from getting access to student leaders who know what it takes to succeed in today’s complex economy.”

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