| |
Plans in Motion
We’re growing by leaps and bounds. With our twenty-year master plan already in motion, changes are starting to take root as we prepare for a student population increase from 35,000 to 45,000 in the next ten years. Although the 550 acres that UH calls home will not change, the view will. Our building square footage is expected to double to more than 15 million, and there’ll be plenty of green space. The difference? A more pedestrian-focused campus.
What will it look like?
Take a look at the 12 x 18-foot master plan model (pictured) unveiled at the President’s State of the University Address. What you don’t see are parking lots—these will be virtually invisible as main transportation routes will surround the university with shuttle lines to provide cross-campus access. An improved transportation system will provide convenient parking integrated into academic and housing facilities.
Cougar-style living
To meet the needs of our students, the plan creates an undergraduate area that includes apartment-style housing off Wheeler Avenue and renovations to Moody Towers. Housing in the new Professional District will provide a 1,000-bed residence hall for professional and graduate students. A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for the first phase this spring. On-campus living will double to accommodate 11,000 more students.
The campus will have more housing in all areas, improved academic buildings, and new “lifestyle” features, such as stores, restaurants, and gathering places.
Students are benefiting already with the opening of the Welcome Center and parking garage. Convenient parking, easier access to student services, and a spirited place to welcome prospective students, their parents, and returning alumni are just the beginning of the university’s new planning framework.
Visit www.uh.edu/presidentsreport for the President’s Annual Report, and for the Master Plan, visit www.uh.edu/masterplan.
Back to School
It was a hit last year. The Houston Alumni Organization’s inaugural Alumni College
brought top-notch faculty together to enlighten and engage more than 100 alumni and
friends. Co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, classes ranged from Hamlet to Enron to Texas Hold’em. Stellar profs John Lienhard, Joe Pratt, Barton Smith, and others
made their subjects come alive for our alumni. And this spring, alumni college is back
again. Save the dates—April 27-28 at the The Honors College in the M.D. Anderson
Library. Join us for a weekend of exciting classes from UH’s most brilliant professors.
Visit HAO at www.mycougarconnection.com for details.
From our Press ...
Arte Público
The artistry of Delilah Montoya, UH professor of photography and digital media, is featured in Women Boxers: The New Warriors, a rare and fascinating look at the sport of women’s boxing.
The book explores the world of las malcriadas, women who challenge society’s views of femininity, violence, and physicality. In spite of the increased popularity of women’s boxing, it remains controversial. Montoya’s photographs profile twelve powerful, devoted athletes who are taking advantage of the Women’s Movement and the right to live, work, and box in a man’s world. The boxers featured are from all over the United States.
An introductory essay by María Teresa Márquez succinctly traces the phenomenon of women boxers—noting that as early as 1728, boxing matches between women were reported in London newspapers. Since 1997, women’s amateur boxing competitions have been held in Europe, Africa, and Asia; countries such as Egypt, India, and Kazakhstan are among twenty-eight countries represented in women’s boxing organizations.
Got a book? Want a book? Visit www.arte.uh.edu.
Get the Link
Communicating with you is our number one priority. That’s why you’re invited to subscribe to Cougar e*link. This monthly newsletter, sent to more than 40,000 alumni, includes alumni, campus and athletics news, events, and profiles, as well as an interactive feature. The newsletter will allow you to manage your personal e-mail contacts and other UH e-newsletters.
Subscribe to Cougar e*link today at www.uh.edu/elink, then go to “manage subscriptions.”
Jam for Peace
Hundreds of high schoolers are coming to UH to jam. This year’s PeaceJam Youth Conference features Betty Williams, recipient of the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in war-torn Northern Ireland. The two-day gathering is built around Nobel Peace Laureates who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody— inspiring a new generation of peacemakers who will transform themselves for their communities and the world. PeaceJam is April 20-21. For details, visit www.uh.edu/peacejam.
On the Menu
Four giants of the hospitality industry were inducted into UH’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management’s Hospitality Hall of Honor during its annual black-tie event. This year’s honorees were Eric Hilton of Hilton Hotels Corporation; Ernest and Julio Gallo of E.& J. Gallo Winery; and Chris T. Sullivan of Outback Steakhouse.
Graduation Rewards
A new incentive is offered for graduating on time. The Graduation Scholarship Pledge rewards first-time-in-college students, who complete thirty hours in good standing within one academic year, with $500 toward their next year’s tuition and fees. If they complete sixty hours after two years, they will receive a $1,000, and $1,500 for finishing ninety hours in three years. The program began last summer with the hope of also boosting the university’s student retention rates.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for students to stay on target and save money during the course of their education,” says Don Foss, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
Visit www.uh.edu/thejump for more information.
 |
A Man of Firsts
At the age of twelve, he wrote his first computer program. He is the principal developer of: the first omni-font optical character recognition system; the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind; the first text-to-speech synthesizer; the first electronic musical instrument (at the urging of Stevie Wonder) capable of recreating the sound of a grand piano and other orchestral instruments; and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition system. He’s author, scientist, inventor, and futurist Raymond Kurzweil, the guest lecturer for the Farfel Distinguished Lecture on April 4 at 7 p.m. in the Cullen Performance Hall. The Farfel Lecture, an annual endowed lectureship created by the family of Aaron and Esther Farfel, brings provocative, insightful, inspirational, and visionary leaders to our students and community. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For ticket information, visit www.uh.edu/farfel or call 713-743-2255.
Take a Walk
Once again, UH served as one of Houston’s four WalkAmerica sites. UH teams contributed to the more than $108 million raised in March of Dimes WalkAmerica 2006. Also, in 2006 the UH community took steps to increase awareness while raising funds to help alleviate global poverty. More than 8,000 people took part in the Aga Khan Foundation’s Houston Partnership Walk—Houston was one of five U.S. cities selected. Approximately $830,000 was generated for the foundation. The Aga Khan Foundation funds programs and projects in sixteen countries.
To sign up for WalkAmerica 2007, visit www.walkamerica.org; or for the Aga Kahn Foundation, visit www.akdn.org.
Your Review
The Houston Review of History and Culture tells the many stories of Houston’s rich 170-plus year history. The magazine offers essays, academic articles, photographic essays, and interviews about the Bayou City. The biannual magazine is published by UH’s Center for Public History. Future readers and subscribers are invited to e-mail the magazine at HoustonReview@uh.edu with story ideas, photographs, and questions. For more information or to subscribe, visit
www.class.uh.edu/TheHoustonReview.
 |
New Face of Research
Donald L. Birx is our new vice president for research. Before coming to UH, Birx served as interim vice provost/vice president of research and professor of physics at New Mexico State University. “Everyone I’ve met—faculty, students, staff, and administration—deeply believes in the potential of UH, understands its key role in the community and economic development, and is united in pursuing the vision that UH will be a leading research university,” Birx says. “The mix of capabilities, cutting across the arts—sciences, engineering, law, education, humanities, medicine, and the library—is truly impressive and lends itself to significant, cross-disciplinary endeavors.” He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton, an M.B.A. and M.S. in biophysics from Miami University in Ohio, and a bachelor’s in engineering physics from the University of California at Berkeley.
|
