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SHSU Update For Week Of Sept. 25
- Dan Rather To Speak At SHSU On Sept. 28
- Seminar To Combine Personal, Literary Journeys
- ‘Whistleblowing’ Lecture To Kick Off Ethics Series
- Biology Seminar To Link Avian Disease With E. Coli
- Career Expo Attracts 70 Companies, Grad Schools
- Alumni Association Charters Bus For Museum Exhibit
- Music Faculty, Guest Performers To Present Concerts
- White Invited To German Unity Celebration
- Football ‘Coach Of The Year’ Voting Open
- Education Methods Registration Begins Oct. 3
- December Grad Application Deadline Extended
- Today@Sam Submission Guidelines Change
Dan Rather To Speak At SHSU On Sept. 28
Sam Houston State University alumnus Dan Rather will be the featured participant in a discussion program, “Mingling with the Media,” at his alma mater on Wednesday (Sept. 28), at 6:30 p.m.
During the program he will discuss his 60-year career and conclude by answering questions from the audience.
The program will be held at the university’s James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. Admission to the event is free and it is open to the public.
Rather is the host and managing editor of “Dan Rather Reports on HDNet,” which began its sixth season on Sept. 13. The program has been nominated for News and Doc Emmys this year in the categories of Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine, Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting in a News Magazine, and Outstanding Editing—Quick Turnaround.
Rather previously served as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” from 1981 to 2005, the longest such tenure in broadcast journalism history.
Rather will be joined on-stage for the discussion by Dana Gibson, SHSU president, and Peter Roussel, Warner Chair of Journalism at SHSU. Members of the student organization Priority One—SHSU students who attend classes in the Dan Rather Communications Building—are producing the program.
Seminar To Combine Personal, Literary Journeys
Kimberly Bell, associate professor of English and associate director of the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College, will use her own life “quest” to show how “we can use literature to figure ourselves out” on Monday (Sept. 26).
“(Literary) Journeys: Rota Fortunae and the Game of Life,” the Honors 3332 Journeys seminar, will be presented at 4 p.m. in Smith-Hutson Building Room 186.
“I plan to talk about how the quest motif in literature reflects life journeys, focusing in particular on how literary quests can teach us something about our own lives,” Bell said. “We will be discussing “Gilgamesh,” the earliest known epic about a king who learns the secret to immortal life (and yet fails to recognize it), and Boethius' sixth-century “Consolation of Philosophy,” in which Boethius tries to understand God's will while in prison on false charges.”
Bell, who came to SHSU in 2002, teaches classes in classical and medieval literature and history of the English language.
Her scholarly interests include Middle English romances and saints’ lives, Greek and Roman epic, ancient history, and medieval English manuscripts, and she has published books, book chapters, and articles on these topics.
Bell earned her bachelor’s degree from the American College of Greece in Athens; her master’s degree from Clark University in Worcester, Mass.; and her doctorate from Georgia State University.
The Journeys lecture, sponsored by the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College, is part of a new class designed to show students what characteristics lead to success.
It is open to the public.
For more information, contact course instructor Patrick Lewis at 936.294.3397.
‘Whistleblowing’ Lecture To Kick Off Ethics Series
Gordon Massie, the former head of the leveraged finance group American International Group, will kick off a new “Speaking of Ethics” series on Thursday (Sept. 29).
Massie’s presentation, “The Whistleblower's Dilemma," will be from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Smith-Hutson Building's Mafrige Auditorium.
Massie will present an intriguing look into the 2001 AIG acquisition of American General Corporation, detailing AIG’s accounting practices for its high-yield bonds, the discovery of accounting fraud, and how accounting fraud was confronted, according to John Newbold, assistant professor of management and marketing, who is helping coordinate the series.
Massie worked in the financial/investment business for 30 years with companies including Texas Commerce Bancshares, Prudential Insurance Company, American General Corporation and AIG.
At AIG he was head of the leveraged finance group with management responsibility for 60 investment professionals and nearly $20 billion of investments, including high-yield bonds, bank loans, emerging market debt, and distressed/bankrupt assets.
The “Speaking of Ethics—2011 Speaker Series on Ethics and Social Responsibility" lecture, sponsored by SHSU’s College of Business Administration and several other departments, is designed to show attendees “where the rubber meets the road” regarding ethics, facilitated by anecdotes that will reinforce current instruction within the college, according to Newbold.
“The primary objective is to raise the level of awareness for issues related to ethics and social responsibility,” he said. “We are proud to host it in the College of Business because the business disciplines are frequently criticized for ethical transgressions in the public press.
“Ethics are stressed in most classes, but the speaker series is designed to complement that instruction by providing interesting and engaging speakers to really drive home the point that this is important in the ‘real world,’ not just a concept covered quickly in class,” he said.
The series is also sponsored by the the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Career Services, Student Services, Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity and the Political Science Junior Fellows.
For more information, contact Newbold at jnewbold@shsu.edu.
Biology Seminar To Link Avian Disease With E. Coli
Lisa Nolan, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, will explore “APEC Virulence, Evolution, and Zoonotic Potential using Pathogenic Approaches" on Thursday (Sept. 29).
The Biological Science Department Seminar Series presentation will begin at 4 p.m. in Lee Drain Building Room 214.
“Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), is a costly disease affecting all facets of the poultry industry worldwide. Recent completion of the APEC and chicken genomes has made it possible to use ‘systems’ and ‘genome-wide’ approaches to explore the APEC/host interaction as never before,” Nolan said. “Some of what we thought we knew about APEC pathogenesis has not been verified in these studies, while previously unknown disease mechanisms have been identified.”
Nolan’s lecture will also address how APEC causes diseases in birds and its possible involvement in human urinary tract infections and neonatal meningitis.
Also, Nolan and her colleagues have studied plasmids, which are very common among APEC.
“Some of the plasmids that contribute to the pathogenesis of E. coli-caused disease in humans and animals may also contain resistance islands or co-transfer with multidrug-resistance-encoding plasmids,” Nolan said. “Thus, use of even a single antibiotic, disinfectant or heavy metal compound in poultry production may select for E. coli with enhanced capacity to cause disease and resist therapy.”
She said comparative analysis of APEC and human pathogenic E. coli has shown that there is overlap in their content of virulence traits and abiliites to cause disease, stimulating interest in the possibility that APEC is a food-borne source of the E. coli causing some of the world's more common infectious diseases.
Nolan earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in medical biology from the University of Georgia in Athens, where she also earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree.
The lecture is open to the public.
For more information, contact Madhu Choudhary, assistant professor of biological sciences, at 936.294.4850.
Career Expo Attracts 70 Companies, Grad Schools
With the unemployment rate still sitting at 9.1 percent in the United States, Sam Houston State University’s Career Services is taking steps to help students and alumni find those coveted positions by bringing more than 70 companies and organizations to campus for the 2011 Career Expo and Graduate School Fair.
Companies and various graduate school programs will be set up in the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on Wednesday (Sept. 28) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to speak with potential employees, interns and graduate students from all academic backgrounds.
Among the companies scheduled to attend are Aerotek, Anadarko Petroleum, Brazos County Sheriffs Office, Dallas Police Department, Central Intelligence Agency, Fastenal Company, Houston Community Newspapers, J.P. Morgan Chase, Schneider National Inc., Southwestern Energy Company, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, and Texas departments of banking and public safety.
In addition, graduate programs from the Univeristy of North Texas, the University of Houston and the Lone Star College System will also be on hand.
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.
Students are required to dress professionally and are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes; professional business cards, if available; and a folder or padfolio.
Career Services will also accept resumes for critiquing at least two days before the expo.
For more information, contact Career Services at 936.294.1713.
Alumni Association Charters Bus For Museum Exhibit
The Sam Houston State University Alumni Association and Sam Houston Memorial Museum are co-sponsoring a charter bus to the “King Tut Exhibit” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston on Nov. 4.
The bus will depart Bowers Stadium parking lot at 8:30 a.m. and leave Houston for the return trip at 2:30 p.m.
The “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” exhibit is in Houston for the first time, with more than 100 treasures displayed that tell the story of Ancient Egypt, King Tut, and the excavation of his tomb in 1922.
The cost is $50 per person and will include round trip bus transportation and admission to the museum with audio.
Seating on the charter bus is limited, and reservations are requested by Oct. 15.
After touring the King Tut Exhibit participants can have lunch and experience the other exhibits the MFAH has to offer. Dining is available within the museum at Café Express, http://www.mfah.org/visit/dining-mfah/, as well as several other eateries within walking distance of the MFAH, centrally located in Houston’s Museum District.
For more information or to reserve a spot, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 936.294.1841 or visit http://alumni.shsu.edu.
Music Faculty, Guest Performers To Present Concerts
The SHSU School of Music will host a trio of concerts in the upcoming week that will include guest and faculty performers.
Guest artist James Welch will kick off the series of performances with an organ concert on Tuesday (Sept. 27), at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.
The concert will feature a variety of classical organ music from composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Charles M. Widor, as well as Latin composers João de Sousa Carvalho and Ramón Noble.
Welch, who earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from Stanford University, is a member of the Santa Clara music department faculty.
With a particular interest in Latin American organ music, he has performed internationally in such prestigious venues as Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris; the Leipzig Gewandhaus; National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.; and the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. He has also performed and taught in Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Jerusalem.
The concert is $17 for general admission and $14 for SHSU students and senior citizens.
On Thursday (Sept. 29), the annual Faculty Gala will showcase School of Music professors performing a wide variety of music beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall.
The program will include Kyle Kindred performing one of his own compositions on piano; a clarinet duet by Patricia Card and Dmitry Perevertailenko, with Ilonka Rus on piano; percussionist John Lane presenting a newly commissioned piece by Peter Garland, which was funded by the 2010 SHSU Enhancement Research Grant; and vocalist Mary Kay Lake, flutist Kathy Daniel and Rus playing two movements from a work by Catherine McMichael.
“The gorgeous ‘Aprés un rêve’ by Gabriel Faure will be performed by cellist Hayoung Lim with pianist Mieun Lee,” Card said. “Robert Daniel will play a great arrangement of Beatles tune ‘Blackbird’ for solo tuba, and the recital will conclude with the spirited ‘Sonatensatz’ by Brahms performed by Javier Pinell, violin, and Sergio Ruiz, piano.
In addition, the winner of the Fisher Tull competition will be announced. The Fisher Tull scholarship is awarded to a freshman music major based on a performance audition and interview with Charlotte and Tim Tull, along with SHSU music faculty, according to Card.
“In 1957, Fisher Tull (known as Mickey to his friends), came to Sam Houston State University where he became a beloved professor, mentor, and colleague to many,” Card said. “From 1965-1982 he served as chairman of our music department and was instrumental in creating an award-winning school of music.”
A small reception will follow the gala.
Admission is free.
Finally, on Saturday (Oct. 1), faculty members Sergio Ruiz and Dmytro Perevertailenko will give another recital at 3 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall.
Ruiz, a pianist, and Perevertailenko, a clarinetist, will perform Johannes Brahms’ “Sonata in F minor Op. 120, No. 1 for Clarinet and Piano,” two pieces by Béla Kovács and other several other works for the concert.
Admission is free.
For more information on any of these events, call the School of Music at 936.294.1360.
White Invited To German Unity Celebration
Chemistry professor Rick White has been invited to a celebration commemorating the Day of German Unity at the home of German Ambassador Peter Ammon and his wife, Marliese, in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3.
German Unity Day is observed each year on that date to mark the anniversary of the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Democratic Republic of Germany into one country in 1990.
White, who serves as a board member of the German Academic Exchange Service, regularly conducts study abroad programs in Germany along with his wife Janis, the chair of the family and consumer sciences department at SHSU. She, too, will attend the celebration in Washington, D. C.
Football ‘Coach Of The Year’ Voting Open
Bearkat football fans can show their support for head coach Willie Fritz, who is in contention for the Liberty Mutual the Division-1 Football Championship Subdivision “Coach of the Year.”
Voting is currently underway online at http://www.coachoftheyear.com/Coaches/Leaderboard.aspx#fbid=Yn23DdXOU5h.
The Alumni Association that garners the most support in their division will earn a $10,000 Alumni Rally Award grant.
Education Methods Registration Begins Oct. 3
Methods registration for academic studies and secondary education students will be open from Oct. 3-14.
During this time, students can go to Tk20, click on the “applications” tab, and click “create.” Interdisciplary studies majors choose application “3a,” while secondary education majors choose “3b.”
Students should then choose “certification” from the drop down menu, respond to the appropriate items, and then click “submit.”
After submitting an application, the department will check for placement eligibility, said curriculum and instruction department secretary Susan Hayes.
For more information, call Hayes at 936.294.3896.
December Grad Application Deadline Extended
Students who anticipate graduating this December should file degree applications by Monday (Sept. 26) with the Registrar's Office.
Those who fail to apply by the deadline will be assessed a $30 late application fee in addition to the graduation fee.
Students may fill out and submit an “Application for Degree” at the Registrar's Office, located on the third floor of the Estill Building.
The application for degree may be submitted to the Registrar's Office by email to ask.regforms@shsu.edu, by fax to 936.294.1737, or in person to the Registrar’s Office.
Upon receipt of the form, the application fee will be applied to student accounts, which can be paid through My Sam or in the Bursar's Office, on the first floor of the Estill Building.
The official SHSU Regalia is sold through the Barnes & Noble University Bookstore and is a separate charge. Orders must be placed by Nov. 4, and robes and regalia will be ready for pick up beginning Dec. 5.
December graduation is scheduled for Dec. 16-17.
For more information, visit the Destination Graduation website at www.shsu.edu/reg_www/destination or call 936.294.1040.
Today@Sam Submission Guidelines Change
In order to assist members of the Sam Houston State University community in publicizing events, the SHSU Communications Office (Today@Sam) is now requesting that students, faculty and staff submit information about events, accomplishments or ideas for feature stories online.
Submission criteria and guidelines, including deadlines, have now been placed online, at /guidelines.html. This information is also accessible through the “Submissions” link in the right-hand navigation on Today@Sam.
From there, those submitting ideas can access forms that will allow them to provide detailed information about their idea, as well as attach event calendars, vitas/resumes or photos, depending on the type of submission.
Ideas submitted to the SHSU Communications Office are directly utilized in several ways: as news stories, “slider” or SHSU home page stories, hometown releases, and on the Today@Sam calendar.
If your submission qualifies for distribution, we will either contact you for more detailed information, or we will edit the information using SHSU/journalistic style and forward the final release to the appropriate media.
All information is verified before release, so please provide complete, accurate and timely information. Please type all responses in appropriate upper and lower cases.
For more information, contact the Communications Office at 936.294.1836 or today@sam.edu.
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SHSU Media Contacts: Julia May, Jennifer Gauntt
Sept. 23, 2011
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu
This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office
Director: TBD
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.
