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SHSU Update For Week Of Feb. 6
- Author To Discuss Dating For Love Week
- Seminar To Address Animal Size Variation
- Colloquium Speaker To Give Magnetic Lecture
- Lecture To Focus On ‘Body Talk’
- Center To Introduce Grant Writing With Workshop
- Prof, Professional Group To Perform
- SHSU’s ‘Excellent’ Teachers Sought
- ADAI To Host Alternative Super Bowl Party
- Fair To Set Students Up With Summer Jobs
- Dance Alumni To Reunite For Concert
- Student-Run Newspaper Launches iPhone App
- Send Update Items Here
Author To Discuss Dating For Love Week
Harlan Cohen, best-selling author, speaker, singer/songwriter and nationally syndicated advice columnist, will present “Dating in the Nude” on Thursday (Feb. 10).
The “Love Week” event, sponsored by the SHSU Counseling Center, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.
Cohen’s presentation will discuss romantic relationships in college, delivered through the lens of alcohol abuse and the impact it can have on them, touching on themes like domestic violence, sexual assault and STDs.
Cohen is the author of five books, including “The Naked Roommate: And 107 Issues You Might Run Into In College”, “The Naked Roommate’s First Year Survival Workbook”, “Dad’s Pregnant Too!” and most recently, “The Happiest Kid on Campus: A Parent’s Guide to the Very Best College Experience (for you and your child).”
He has been featured as an expert offering advice in many publications such as The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today and Psychology Today. He often appears on TV and radio shows and recently was a guest on the Today Show.
He has visited over 400 college campuses across the United States and Canada, “exposing the naked truth” about dating, relationships and sex in college with humor, music and interactive presentations.
For more information, contact the Counseling Center at 936.294.1720.
Seminar To Address Animal Size Variation
Nathan Sutter, assistant professor of medical genetics at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss “The Genetics of Body Size Variation in Domesticated Mammals" as part of the Biological Science Department Seminar Series on Thursday (Feb. 10).
The lecture will be from 4-5 p.m. in Lee Drain Building Room 214.
Sutter will discuss the genetic mechanisms that contribute to body size in domestic animals and how this trait is affected by a series of genes and, more importantly, how the same genes affect growth and body size in different domestic mammals, with a special focus on dogs, horses, and rabbits, according to Monte Thies, SHSU biology professor.
“Due to selective breeding over many generations, Great Danes and other giant breed dogs are 50 times more massive than Yorkshire terriers and Chihuahuas,” Sutter said. “No other mammal species exhibits such size diversity.”
Sutter earned his bachelor’s degree from La Sierra University and his doctorate from the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where he completed a postdoctoral fellowship.
The lecture is open to the public.
For more information, contact Madhu Choudhary, assistant professor of biological sciences, at 936.294.4850.
Colloquium Speaker To Give Magnetic Lecture
Daniel Phelan, from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, Md., will present the SHSU Physics Colloquium lecture on Monday (Feb. 7).
The discussion, on “Neutrons as a Tool for Understanding Structural and Magnetic Properties of Materials,” will begin at 2 p.m. in Farrington Building Room 209.
“Neutrons are a powerful probe of the structures of materials as well as their magnetic properties,” Phelan said.
“In this talk, neutron scattering will be discussed as an experimental technique, and then some examples of the application of neutron scattering to specific problems will be addressed, including the magnetic and transport properties of cobalt oxide materials as well as the piezoelectricity of lead zirconate titanate,” he said.
Phelan received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.
For more information, contact the physics department at 936.294.1601.
Lecture To Focus On ‘Body Talk’
Career Services will show students what their body language says about them on Thursday (Feb. 10).
“Body Talk: Using Effective Body Language to Network and Get Hired” will be from 6-9 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom.
The event will include a hands-on practice networking activity, followed by a lecture by body language expert Jan Hargrave, who will discuss body language at an interview and in the work place.
“She will cover topics like general body language cues in everyday life and then hone in on how students can use those skills in networking and interview situations, said Paige Loft, career fair and special events coordinator. “Knowing how you come across to potential employers is a vital tool in job searching.”
Hargrave is the author of “Let Me See Your Body Talk,” “Freeway of Love,” “Judge the Jury” and “Strictly Business Body Language.”
She’s been a popular guest of the Montel Williams Show, Fox News, Great Day Houston and E-Entertainment Television, as well as a contributor to The New York Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Redbook, In Touch Weekly, Us Weekly and The Forensic Examiner.
Hargrave received her bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees in business/psychology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and served for eight years as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston.
She is the CEO of Jan Hargrave and Associates, a Houston-based consulting firm, and continues to provide seminars and specialized training to many of today's leading corporations, including Merrill Lynch, Rockwell, Exxon, Chase Manhattan Bank and NASA.
Tickets are $5, and refreshments will be provided.
Tickets can be purchased all next week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Career Services office, in Academic Building IV Suite 210. While tickets can also be purchased at the door, students are encouraged to get them early because participants will receive a gift at the event.
For more information, call Career Services at 936.294.1713.
Center To Introduce Grant Writing With Workshop
SHSU’s Center for Rural Studies will show local entities how to bring funding to their organization during an Introductory Grant Writing Workshop on Feb. 26.
The event, held in cooperation with the City of Huntsville Community Development Department, will be from 9 a.m. to noon in College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Room C-90.
The course will provide participants with instruction on researching and identifying potential sources of support; reviewing eligibility requirements; gathering program statistics; writing program narratives, problem statements and goals and outcomes; and budgets and budget justifications, as well as other related subjects.
“The workshop intends to offer a practical grant-writing seminar to assist in various sectors with program development and capital improvement,” said Cheryl Hudec, associate director for the Center for Rural Studies. “The initial three-hour workshop will introduce participants to practical grant writing strategies on how to apply for and submit public and private grants.”
The cost of the workshop is $30, which includes a small breakfast.
Registration and registration forms are available online at http://www.shsu.edu/~org_crs/register.html. The sign up deadline is Feb. 18.
For more information, contact Hudec at 936.294.4380 or clh003@shsu.edu.
Prof, Professional Group To Perform
The SHSU School of Music will host a faculty member and a professional chamber orchestra as they perform two concerts beginning Sunday (Feb. 6).
The “Super Sunday” concert, at 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, will feature adjunct professor of cello Daniel Saenz and graduate student and pianist Andreea Mut.
The program will include works by Robert Schumann, César Franck, Sulkhan Tsintzandze and Sergei Prokofiev and “will be finished in plenty time for the audience to catch the (Super Bowl) pregame show,” Saenz said.
The concert is free.
On Tuesday (Feb. 8), the Houston-based Mercury Baroque Ensemble will perform “8 Seasons” of music, one of the professional chamber orchestra’s most well known programs, at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Concert Hall.
The concert will feature two soloists with the orchestra, which specializes in Baroque music, music from the 18th century, according to Jordan Witherspoon, Mercury Baroque marketing director.
“The violin soloist will be Jonathan Godfrey, and Denis Plante will play the Bandoneon, a folk instrument typical of Argentinean tango music,” Witherspoon said.
“We’ll play the famous ‘Four Seasons’ by Vivaldi and pair them with the ‘Four Seasons’ by Argentinean tango composer Astor Piazzolla,” he said. “So the concert is a special combination of Baroque music and Tango music tied together through that season theme.”
The program, which was released on CD in 2003, has become one of the ensemble’s most well-known, and was even “taken into space by astronaut Julie Payette aboard Shuttle Mission STS-127,” Witherspoon said.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for students and senior citizens. They can be purchased through the PAC Box Office at 936.294.2339 or tickets@shsu.edu.
For more information, call the School of Music at 936.294.1360.
SHSU’s ‘Excellent’ Teachers Sought
Nominations for SHSU’s annual Excellence in Teaching Award will be accepted online through Feb. 28.
Nominations may be made by faculty, staff, students and alumni, and the recipient will be awarded a cash stipend of $5,000.
The Excellence in Teaching Award is a very prestigious award, representing the highest level of teaching achievement at Sam Houston State University, according to committee chair Debra Price.
Nominees must be full-time faculty members, including program coordinators; however, previous award winners may not be nominated.
Past winners include: William Abbott, Elizabeth Andrews, Gary Bell, Kimberly Bell, Harry Bohan, David Burris, Charles Capps, Adrian Cooley, Richard Cording, Caroline Crimm, Earline Dolive, Jerry Dowling, Frances Elmer, Coralie Emmons, Frank Fair, William Fleming, Gaddis Geeslin, David Gerling, Kenneth Hendrickson, John Holcombe, Rita Huff, Virginia Irvin, William Jasper, James Johnson and Stanley Kelley.
Also, Doug Krienke, Maniam Balasundram, Valerie Muehsam, Thom Murray, Mary Ann Nolteriek, James Olson, Mary Frances Park, Phillip Parotti, Ralph Pease, Wayland Pilcher, Mozelle Powell, Debra Price, Daniel Reeves, Marcus Rigby, Carol Sangster, John Snelgrove, Sam Souryal, Victor Sower, Donald L. Stalling, Susannah Ural, Bill Waldron, Laverne Warner and Maynard Yoes.
Nominations may be made online at https://ww2.shsu.edu/vote02wp, by e-mail to dprice@shu.edu or through Price’s physical address, at Box 2119, Huntsville, Texas, 77341.
For more information, contact Price at 936.294.1135 or dprice@shu.edu.
ADAI To Host Alternative Super Bowl Party
The SHSU Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative and the Kat Klub will provide students with an alcohol-free Super Bowl experience on Feb. 6.
“Staying Alive at Super Bowl 45” will begin at 5 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Kat Klub.
The event will offer free food, pool, table tennis, foosball, Xbox and Playstation gaming, and the “big game” on two of the biggest high definition screens at SHSU.
“(This event) is a way for Sam Houston students to come together for an alcohol-free way to enjoy the Super Bowl,” said Reuben Pena, LSC operations manager and Kat Klub director. “This is the clear alternative to going to the local bars or backyard parties for students interesting in gathering with each other and enjoying the game on campus.”
In recent years the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that 50 percent of all traffic fatalities that occur on Super Bowl Sunday are alcohol related. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the average Super Bowl Sunday creates a 55.4 percent increase in alcohol related traffic fatalities over other days of the year.
“Super Bowl Sunday is a time for friends, food, and fun as long as the fun involves responsible use of alcohol,” said Rosanne Keathley, ADAI coordinator.
In order to have a safe party, for the Super Bowl or other events, the ADAI suggests the following practices: serve alternative alcohol-free beverages, administer a key check, provide transportation through a designated non-drinker or taxi, plan alcohol-free post game activities, and never allow impaired friends to drive, according to Keathley.
Super Bowl partygoers will receive giveaways and be eligible for door prizes given throughout the evening.
The event is part of the Six Weeks of Alcohol Awareness Training program, through which participants can earn prizes by attending events over the course of six weeks.
For more information, contact Keathley at 936.294.1171 or hpe_rsk@shsu.edu, or visit the ADAI website at www.shsu.edu/adai.
Fair To Set Students Up With Summer Jobs
Students looking ahead to the summer for jobs or internships will have approximately 13 entities to choose from during Career Services’ Summer Camp and Job Fair on Wednesday (Feb. 9).
The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom.
Positions will be available at such organizations as the Camp Fire USA First Texas Council, Camp La Jita Girls Scouts in the San Antonio area, Cross Trails Ministries, Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center, Riverbend Retreat Center, and WhizResources.
Students who are registered on Jobs 4 Kats can get a jumpstart on 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 descriptions of positions they are hiring for, according to Paige Loft, job fair and special events coordinator.
Both career fairs are open to all SHSU students and alumni.
For more information, contact Career Services at 936.294.1713 or careerservices@shsu.edu.
Dance Alumni To Reunite For Concert
SHSU dance students who have earned their degrees over the past 30 years will return to campus on Saturday (Feb. 12) for the Dance Alumni Reunion and Concert.
Seven works will be presented beginning at 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Dance Theater.
Alumni scheduled to perform include Alicia Carlin and Julie Holcombe, current company members of the Austin-based Blue Lapis Light; Sharon Roberts, who teaches at West Side High School in Houston and directs two groups, the hip-hop/break dancing HIStory and a high school performing arts company called Inertia; Sarah Newton, member of the Dallas-based Out on a Limb Dance Company; Maggie Lasher, the artistic director and choreographer for ChinaCat's Dance Theater; and Amy Wright, a current SHSU master’s student.
“This is a unique community of movers that share the memories of Sam Houston State University dance and represent the past, present, and future of the SHSU dance program,” said Amy Llanes, president of the SHSU Dance Alumni Association and artistic director of the Rednerrus Feil Dance Company.
The weekend will also consist of two days of master classes taught by current faculty and alumni ranging in genre. In the past, the classes have included hula, salsa, contemporary, aerial silks, “How to Run a Dance Studio,” “How to Audition for Companies after Graduation,” the Horton Technique, ballet, tap and Broadway Jazz.
“The goal is to offer classes the SHSU students may not receive often,” Llanes said. “This also gives them a greater range as movers and expands their personal knowledge of the dance world, not to mention the professional advice and ideas granted to them by the professionals of their field.
“If desired the students could build a one-on-one relationship with an alum to assist them more directly in the future,” she said. “The first reunion I oversaw was truly remarkable. One of students attended the aerial silk demonstration and is now dancing for that company. The same student talked with an alum after a seminar on how to run a dance studio and is now working as a full time teacher for the alum.”
Tickets are $10 for general admission and can be reserved by calling the PAC Box Office at 936.294.2339.
For more information, contact Laura Harrell, member of the SHSU Dance Alumni Association, at leh001@shsu.edu.
Student-Run Newspaper Launches iPhone App
SHSU students can follow all of the Houstonian’s breaking news with the recent launch of their iPhone application.
Developed by Houstonian senior reporter and SHSU freshman Kolby Flowers, the Official Houstonian iPhone app can be downloaded free on any iPhone or iPod touch from the Apple App store.
“With the Houstonian iPhone app, you can receive breaking news alerts and access the latest Sam Houston news on your phone, no matter where you are,” Flowers said. “Then (you can) share the news with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.”
Through the app, users can follow the Houstonian’s live sports coverage and listen to the weekly update on their Houstonian Sports Podcast; use their phone's built-in GPS to locate any SHSU building and “we'll take you there with our Campus Guide;” and get weather updates with a Weather.com forecast.
For more information on the Official Houstonian iPhone app, contact Flowers at 936.294.1505.
Send Update Items Here
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
Feb. 4, 2011
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.
