SHSU Update For Week Of Sept. 20

 

 


Free Flu Shots To Be Dispensed For Students


The SHSU Student Health Center will administer the seasonal influenza vaccine free of charge to students on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 23-24), from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Atrium.


In order to receive a flu shot, students must present their Bearkat OneCard prior to receiving the vaccine. The vaccine will not be administered to students who are pregnant or nursing, and those younger than 17 years old must present a parental consent prior to receiving the vaccine.


Supplies are limited and will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis.


“In the past, the department has accommodated everyone that requested the vaccine,” said SHC director Keith Lott. “However, we anticipate an increased level of interest in the vaccine this year.


“Consequently, students are advised to obtain the vaccine through other means if they have the opportunity,” he said.


The availability of the H1N1 vaccine is unknown at this time, but the Health Center will inform the university community should it become available, according to Lott.


Separate days, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, have been designated for faculty and staff vaccinations.


For more information about the influenza vaccine or the administration process, visit www.shsu.edu/healthcenter or call 936.294.1805.

 

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Physics Colloquium To Focus On Superconductors


Emilia Morosan, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, will discuss her research, "Tailoring the Crystal Structure Towards Optimal Superconductors," on Tuesday (Sept. 22).


The Physics Colloquium lecture will be held at 3 p.m. in Farrington Building Room 209.


Morosan earned her bachelor’s degree from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Romania and her doctorate from Iowa State University.


For more information, call the physics department at 936.294.1601.

 

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Primm To Discuss ‘Personal’ Journey To SHSU


Biological sciences department chair Todd Primm will discuss his decision to become a professor and give advice to students regarding their own career options on Wednesday (Sept. 23).


The “Up Close and Personal” lecture, sponsored by the Student Advising and Mentoring Center, will be held at 11:45 a.m. at the Farrington Pit.


Primm received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and his doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine.


He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, working on the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
His research focuses on bacterial stress responses and antimicrobial drug discovery.


Before coming to SHSU, Primm served as a faculty member at the University of Texas at El Paso and at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.


He has received research and training grants funds of more than $4 million and was the first NIH-funded investigator at SHSU.


Primm will also leave time to answer questions from students.


The “Up Close and Personal” speaker series is a 30-minute lunchtime presentation designed to give students the opportunity to get to know faculty members outside the classroom.


Students are encouraged to bring a lunch.

In the event of rain, the lecture will be moved to Lowman Student Center Room 304.


For more information, call the SAM Center at 936.294.4444.

 

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Couple To Converse With Students For Lecture


Richard and Helen Watkins, graduates of SHSU’s educational leadership doctoral program, will share aspects of their lives and careers, as well as some of the challenges they have faced, on Wednesday (Sept. 23) as part of the Student Advising and Mentoring Center’s Grassroots speaker series.


The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Concourse Room C70.


A retired Texas prison warden, Richard served in Vietnam as an officer aviator.


“His helicopter was shot down during the Tet Offensive and was missing in action for a brief time,” said SAM Center director for academic support programs Bernice Strauss. “After three months of being hospitalized to rebuild his face and for him to learn to talk again, he was assigned to teach at the Army’s Primary Helicopter School in Fort Wolters, Texas, initially as an instructor and later as the chief of the faculty development division.”


Helen, Richard’s wife of 45 years, is a retired school nurse.


They are also active members of the SAM Center’s Community Leaders and Student Partners (CLASP) mentoring program.


Following the discussion, a meet-and-greet with refreshments will be held in the Student Advising and Mentoring Center, located in CHSSB Suite 170.


The “Grassroots: A Series of Conversations on Leadership in a Diverse Community” was created approximately four years ago with the aim of promoting the career aspirations and academic achievements of SHSU’s minority students.


“It has been our goal to bring to our campus notable leaders from all over our state to act as meaningful role models, advisers and mentors to our students,” Strauss said.


The lecture is sponsored by the academic support programs of the Student Advising and Mentoring Center; the Elliott T. Bowers Honors Program; the International Hispanic Association; Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.; the NAACP; the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program; Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc.; and Women United.


For more information, call the SAM Center at 936.294.4444.

 

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Biology Speaker To Address Bone Infections For Series


Heidi Kaplan, associate professor in the department of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, will discuss her research “Bad to the Bone: Molecular Detection and In Vitro Biofilm Models of Osteomyelitis” on Thursday (Sept. 24).


Her discussion, part of the Biological Sciences Department Seminar Series, will be held from 4-5 p.m. in Lee Drain Building Room 214.


A molecular microbiologist, Kaplan’s current research interest addresses osteomyelitis, “an infection of bone or bone marrow with a propensity for progression, caused by pyogenic bacteria or mycobacteria,” according to Madhusudan Choudhary, assistant professor in SHSU’s biological sciences department.


“Osteomyelitis affects people of all ages, and about two out of every 10,000 people are affected by osteomyelitis,” Choudhary said. “If left untreated, the infection can become chronic and cause a loss of blood supply to the affected bone, and it can lead to the eventual death of the bone tissue.


“The diagnosis and treatment of metabolic bone diseases depends on the detection of causative agents,” he said. “Heidi Kaplan has recently developed a sequencing protocol to determine the rRNA gene sequences from microflora, which are involved in biofilm production at the infected sites in human bones. In addition, she has also developed an in-vitro biofilm model system of osteomyelitis.”


Held each Thursday, the seminar series is intended for the public and addresses current research being conducted by a guest professor in a way that the general public can understand.


For more information, contact Chad Hargrave, assistant professor of biological sciences, at 936.294.1543.

 

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Award-Winning Dance Prof To Address Campus


Cornelius Carter, an award-winning dance professor and artistic director of the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, will speak and show a video of his career and outreach projects on Friday (Sept. 25).


The Student Activities Leadership Initiative lecture will be held at 1 p.m. in the Academic Building I Dance Theater, in Room 101.


Carter, who is coordinator of the dance program at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, was named “Professor of the Year” in 2001 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.


“I've known Cornelius for about 20 years, and he is a very charismatic yet approachable man,” said Jennifer Pontius, SHSU dance program coordinator. “Cornelius has a talent for inspiring young people, and I believe he will be memorable to our students, whether they are dancers or students of other disciplines.”


In addition to a successful performing career, Carter has taught dance at many prestigious dance academies, including Alvin Ailey School, American Ballet Theater, Harvard Summer Dance Program, and in Russia, Korea, and Iceland.


He earned his master’s degree from the University of Hawaii.


Following his lecture, Carter will present a master class in contemporary dance technique in Academic Building III Studio 102.


The Student Activities Leadership Initiative plans a variety of events that include lecturers, membership for students to leadership organizations, conferences, and various other leadership opportunities, according to Brandon Cooper, Student Activities manager.


“The goal is to bring high quality engaging speakers for students who can deliver messages that are specific and inspiring for students,” he said. "We are so excited that someone of Cornelius Carter's stature in the dance world can come to SHSU. I know that he will deliver a valuable message to the students."


For more information, call Student Activities at 936.294.3861 or the dance program at 936.294.1875.

 

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Theatre To Give ‘Fantastick’ Performance


The SHSU department of theatre and dance will open the season with its production of the longest running musical in the world, “The Fantasticks,” Tuesday through Saturday (Sept. 22-26).


Show times are at 8 p.m. each day, with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee, in the University Theatre Center’s Showcase Theatre.


Based on the book and lyrics by Tom Jones, with music by Harvey Schmidt, “The Fantasticks” is the story of a boy, Matt, and a girl, Luisa, who are involved in various misadventures as they try to find true love.


Classic musical numbers from the show include “Try to Remember” and “Soon it’s Gonna Rain.”


The musical stars Joe Shepherd as Matt and Laura DeBose as Luisa.


The cast also includes SHSU musical theatre majors Kendrick Mitchell, Aaron Gaines, John Ryan Del Bosque and Randall Carpenter, as well as SHSU theatre majors Jordan Muller and Addison Roush.


Designers include senior theatre major Carrie Barton, lights; junior theatre major Kayce Walters, set; sophomore theatre major Seth Bales, sound designer; and senior theatre major Aaron Kays, costume designer.


“The Fantasticks” is directed by theatre faculty member Laura Avery, and the stage manager is senior theatre major Faith Looten.


Tickets are $8 for general admission. Group rates are available.


Children under the age of three will not be admitted.


For more information, call the University Theatre Center Box Office at 936.294.1339.

 

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Career Fair To Bring 87 Companies To Campus


More than 87 companies and organizations will be scouting out potential employees during the 2009 Career Expo on Wednesday (Sept. 23).


The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Houston Community Newspapers, Mid-South Synergy, Target Corporation, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Department of Public Safety, The Disney Company, U.S. Secret Service, and numerous banks and police departments from many of Texas’ metroplex areas will be among those available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day in the Johnson Coliseum.


Students who are registered on Jobs 4 Kats can get a jumpstart to finding a job or internship by logging on, at https://www.myinterfase.com/shsu/student/, to find a complete list of participating agencies, as well as position descriptions of positions they are hiring for, according to Paige Andrews, job fair and special events coordinator.


On Monday (Sept. 21), Career Services will help students learn how to “work” the job fair, as well as make some last-minute changes to their resumes with two workshops.


The “How To Work The Career Fair” workshop will be held from noon to 1 p.m., and the “Effective Resume Writing” workshop will be held from 3-4 p.m. Both sessions will be in the Career Services Seminar Room, located in Academic Building IV Suite 210.


In addition, the Walt Disney World College Program will be on campus on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 23-24) recruiting students interested in interning at Disney World in Orlando.


Presentations will be held at 6 p.m. in the Smith-Hutson Business Building Room 134 on Wednesday and at 3 p.m. in Smith-Hutson Building Room 139 on Thursday.


For more information on the Career Services events, call 936.294.1713 or e-mail careerservices@shsu.edu, and for more information on the Walt Disney World College Program, contact Alexis Guajardo at alg003@shsu.edu.

 

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Planetarium To Kick Off Fall Series With Double Feature

The physics department will journey into outer space with a double feature of its planetarium series program to kick off the fall season and the fall semester on Friday (Sept. 25).

The series, designed to show attendees which constellations, stars and planets they can expect to see in the upcoming weeks, will be held from 7-8:15 p.m. in the planetarium, located in Farrington Building Room 102.


The featured presentations include “Two Small Pieces of Glass” and “Bad Astronomy.”


“Two Small Pieces of Glass” is “a journey through the history of modern astronomy from the perspective of two youths who learn about the different types of telescopes and who invented them,” including Galileo, Isaac Newton and Edwin Hubble, according to Michael Prokosch, physics department staff laboratory assistant.


Based on the popular book and Web site of the same name, “Bad Astronomy” features "Bad Astronomer" Phil Plait, who “takes a critical look at popular myths and misconceptions to show audiences how science can be used to evaluate questionable claims,” Prokosch said.


The Planetarium seats up to 29 visitors and includes a dome that is approximately 18 feet in diameter and more than 20 feet high in the center, according to Prokosch.


Other showings of “Two Small Pieces of Glass” will be held Oct. 16 and Nov. 13, and other showings of “Bad Astronomy” will be on Oct. 30, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.


For more information on current show times for the planetarium or the observatory, call 936.294.3664 or e-mail Prokosch at mwp007@shsu.edu or visit the Planetarium WikiPage at http://shsu-planetarium.wikispaces.com/.

 

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Golden Key To Collect Paint For Spirit Group


Golden Key and Student Activities will help keep the Kat Krazies stocked up in paint with a supplies drive through Oct. 3, the "Orange Out" football game versus St. Joseph's University.

In an effort to increase school spirit and have students more involved in the game day atmosphere, Golden Key International Honour Society and the Department of Student Activities are hosting a paint supply drive to benefit the Kat Krazies, the official SHSU athletics fan group.


Donations of orange, blue and white Apple Barrell Paint, found at Wal Mart, will be collected in boxes across campus, as well as in Smith-Hutson Building Room 107 and the Honors Program office in Academic Building IV, until Oct. 2.


“The official game chosen as the ‘Orange Out’ game will be against St. Joseph's University on Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.,” said Jadrian Wooten, Golden Key president. “Students are encouraged to come to tailgating early to get painted, and then go to the game and have a good time.”


Paint will also be accepted on game day at the Kat Krazies’ tailgate location, near the Student Activities tent.


“It's easy to recognize a Kat Krazy because of their orange wigs and typical body paint,” Wooten said. “They represent a great model of pride and support for the university.”


During the tailgate party, the group will share the “krazy” by “orange-ing out” other Bearkat fans.


“We'll paint faces, arms, legs, even chests if they want,” Wooten said. “We'll be all ready to go around at noon and start painting on a first-come, first-served basis.”


For more on the paint drive, visit the Golden Key Blog at http://shsugk.blogspot.com or contact Wooten at jjw001@shsu.edu.

 

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Workshop To Aid High School Musicians


As many as 250 high school students from the Houston and surrounding areas are anticipated to be on campus on Saturday (Sept. 26) for the 44th annual string invitational.


The workshop-type event will open with a faculty performance at 9 a.m. in the Recital Hall.


The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature Javier Pinell and Naomi Gjevre, playing violin; Alicia Valoti, playing the viola; Daniel Saenz, playing the violoncello; and Deborah Dunham, playing the double bass.


The program will include Gioachino Rossini’s “Duo for Cello and Double Bass in D major,” Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet in C minor, Opus 51, No. 1” and Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Piano Quintet in G Minor, Opus 57.”


Following the performance, five faculty members will lead sessions that will help students prepare for the Texas All-State Orchestra Auditions, which are “competitive and prestigious events,” according to Pinell.


Any string student can register to participate in the event.


Interested students may register online through the School of Music Web site, at http://www.shsu.edu/music/events or at 8 a.m. on the day of the event. The registration fee is $25.


For more information, call the School of Music at 936.294.1360.

 

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Information for the SHSU Update can be sent to the Office of Communications electronically at Today@Sam.edu or to any of the media contacts listed below.

Please include the date, location and time of the event, as well as a brief description and a contact person.

All information for news stories should be sent to the office at least a week in advance to give the staff ample time to make necessary contacts and write the story.

For electronic access to SHSU news see the Communications Web page Today@Sam.

 

 

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SHSU Media Contacts: Bruce Erickson, Julia May, Jennifer Gauntt
Sept. 18, 2009
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu

 

 

 

This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office
Director: Bruce Erickson
Assistant Director: Julia May
Writer: Jennifer Gauntt
Located in the 115 Administration Building
Telephone: 936.294.1836; Fax: 936.294.1834

Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.

 

 

SHSU 'In the News'

 

Brian Domitrovic, assistant professor of history, appeared on Book TV (C-SPAN) May 1-2, speaking about his recent book "Econoclasts: The Rebels Sparked the Supply Side Revolution and Restored American Prosperity" (www.econoclasts.net).

 

Houston Chronicle education writer Jeannie Kever recently turned to Regents Professor of English Paul Ruffin for his views on university presses moving toward "digital books" as opposed to traditional ink-on-paper."We're fulfilling the ancient role of the university press, and that is to produce books," said Paul Ruffin, the Texas poet laureate for 2009 and director of the Texas Review Press at Sam Houston State University. "I don't want to give up the book because it is an art."

 

Faculty/Staff Birthdays

 

Monday, May 3

Debbie Birdwell

 

Tuesday, May 4

Rhonda Callaway

David Gaines

James Walker

 

Staff Council Spotlights

 

Jennifer Davis

Sonya Ramirez

Molly Doughtie

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