RED ROSE RECORD-BREAKERA 20-year investment in human capital. That’s

the Red Rose Ball — UH-Downtown’spremier fund-raising gala, heldeach year to generate scholar-ships for high-performing UHDstudents.

The scholarship funds raised through the20th Annual RedRose Ball exceed-ed all previousevents — a totalof $270,000,all thanks tothe outstanding generosi-ty of corporations andindividuals.

Twenty-five students willreceive $3,000 awards for the coming academic year,and additional proceeds will provide scholarships totransfer students and the Scholars Academy.

The ball celebrated its twentieth anniversary by honor-ing Jonathan Day, managing partner, Mayor, Day,Caldwell & Keeton, and his wife, businesswoman andformer UHD professor Barbara Day. Ball co-chairswere Yolanda F. Londoño, senior vice president and

Top photo: Ball honoreesJonathan and Barbara Day (from left), UHD PresidentMax Castillo and wife, Dr. Rosario Martinez-Castillo, andball co-chairs Yolanda Londoño and David Mendez

There’s more good news inside!

• Springtime Caps and Gowns .......................... p. 2• UHD Brainiacs Compete................................. p. 3• Alumni News................................................. p. 5

New HorizonsNew HorizonsU n i v e r s i t y o f H o u s t o n - D o w n t o w n

SUMMER 2001

UHD MakesMasterful Teachers

fter graduating from UHD’s urban teacher education program, Mary Oldham has justcompleted her first year of teaching fifth

grade in a public school and can’t wait tobegin her second year. In the meantime, she’s

coming back to UHD this summer as one of the first students to enter the new Masterof Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program.

The M.A.T. is UHD’s second graduatedegree, following last year’s launch of theMaster of Science in Criminal Justice.

M.A.T. director Dr. Shirley Key is welcomingabout three dozen eager enrollees — most ofthem working teachers like Mary Oldham, andmany of them also UHD alumni, all seeking toincrease their knowledge and skills in the urbanclassroom.

“UHD’s M.A.T. degree is more relevant to teach-ers in the urban environment,” said Dr. Key.“The curriculum concentrates on things that applyto what they’re doing in the classroom on adaily basis.”

The M.A.T. is made possible through generousprivate gifts. The Mary and Gordon CainFoundation is contributing $3.9 million to

UHD’s student population continues to expand,and so will its campus. The Texas Legislatureis giving permission to UHD to issue $18.2million in tuition revenue bonds to finance construction of a new building.

As the saying goes, UHD is “bursting at theseams.” The student population doubled sincethe university came into being in 1974, butthe size of the campus has not kept pace. Bystate models, UHD has a severe space deficit.

Adding a new building will certainly help.The new facility will have 113,000 squarefeet of space that could accommodate class-rooms, faculty offices, science labs and otherpossible uses. Projected completion date:2005.

Anyone familiar with UHD’s campus would beright to ask “Where could they possibly put anew building?” The campus is “landlocked,”with boundaries created by bayous on twosides of the campus, and freeways and free-way ramps on the other two. UHD is workingwith the architectural firm PageSoutherlandPageon some creative solutions.

In the more immediate future, construction isscheduled to begin this year on the WillowStreet Pump Station — the venerable facilityerected in 1902 as part of the City ofHouston’s first water and sewage treatment system. The facility will be reclaimed and itshistoric integrity maintained as it is transformedinto public meeting space and an exhibit hall.That project should be completed in two years.

UHD to Expand with New Building

Continued on page 6 Continued on page 3

UHD: The Governor’s ChoiceSee story on page 2.

The 2001 Red Rose Scholars

A

SpringCommencement

Springboard

2

UHD: The Governor’s ChoiceTexas Governor Rick Perry chose UH-Downtown for a news conference outlining the results of the 77th Session of the Texas

Legislature. Similar news conferences wereheld in other cities.

Media outlets turned out in force, includingtelevision, radio and print journalists and cam-era crews. The event was held on the secondday of summer classes, so political scienceand other professors were able to take advan-tage of the opportunity to bring their students tosee the governor.

UHD President Max Castillo introducedGovernor Perry to the assembled group, which

included members of the UH System Board of Regents — GaryRosenthal, chairman, Eduardo Aguirre, Suzette Caldwell,Theresa Chang, Morgan Dunn O’Connor, and Thad “Bo” Smith,and UH System Chancellor Arthur K. Smith. Also in attendance:Beth Robertson, former regent and member of UHD’s President’sAdvisory Council.

Two years ago, then-Lieutenant Governor Perry visited UH-Downtown to tour the campus and meet with students.

Hundreds of UHD graduates tookthe plunge into the “real world” asthey celebrated the awarding oftheir degrees at the spring com-mencement ceremony.

Molecular Carcinogenesis. Notjust a daunting scientific concept,but also, it’s the name of a journalproduced through the Departmentof Scientific Publications at theUniversity of Texas M.D.Anderson Cancer Center.

Sorting through manuscriptsand making sense of the med-

ical terminology is a UH-Downtown alumnus, editorial

assistant Chris Yeager. Chrisgraduated with a B.A. inProfessional Writing, a well-respected UHD program that has

turned out asteady stream ofqualified editors,reporters and all-around word-smiths for eagerHouston areaemployers.

Like many UHDstudents, Chriscame to the uni-versity looking

for a career change. He had adegree in philosophy from TexasTech and a long-held interest in

December 2000 graduate Chris Yeager (left) receives the award for Outstanding Professional Writing Student duringthe annual Academic Awards ceremony from Dr. Rob Jarrett, coordinator of UHD’s professional writing program.

Dr. Madeline Johnson, associateprofessor of marketing, hasreceived a prestigious honor,chosen as a Piper Professor of2001 by the Minnie StevensPiper Foundation.

Only 11 university professors in Texas were selected, whichrecognizes outstanding achieve-ment in the teaching professionin higher education. The honorincludes a $5,000 award.

Ask Dr. Johnson what motivatesher in the classroom, and she’lltell you that it’s seeing studentsmaster the material. “I like tosee people learn and build upthat sense of ‘I can do it’,” shenotes.

science. UHD’s professional writ-ing program was a perfect fit, asa program that excels in trainingproficient technical writers.

Chris was surprised at how muchhe was challenged by UH-Downtown classes. “They wereevery bit as hard as the classesat Texas Tech,” he noted. “Inmany ways, the professors atUHD were better. I got moreindividual attention here.”

The position at M.D. Andersoncame about while Chris wasdoing a summer internship else-where in the Texas MedicalCenter at Baylor College ofMedicine. There, Chris workedwith another of UHD’s profes-sional writing alumni, MarlaneKayfes. She’s director of internalcommunications and publicationsin Baylor’s Department ofPediatrics neonatology section.

The internship and the profession-al writing program were invalu-able to Chris: “Going throughthe program allowed me to seethe forest, despite the trees.”

Dr. Don Brown, commissioner ofhigher education for the TexasHigher Education CoordinatingBoard, shared his wishes for theSpring 2001 graduates. First,he wished that they would leaveUHD with a sense of obligationto “give back,” or contributetheir talents and personalresources for the benefit of thecommunity or for the world atlarge. And second, he hopedthat they would have fun alongthe way.

Speaking for the students wasMiriam Morales, who graduatedwith a bachelor of science inapplied mathematics through theCollege of Sciences andTechnology. Miriam is the first inher immediate family to graduatefrom college. She’s a formerRed Rose Scholar, a ShellScholar and a member of theScholars Academy, with plans topursue a graduate degree.

BRAGGING RIGHTS

The changing face of marketingholds special fascination for Dr.Johnson. A new course on e-marketing explores the impactof information technology on thestrategies and techniques usedby marketers to understand theircustomers. Dr. Johnson is eagerto give her students the latestinformation so they will have anedge when searching for a job.

Dr. Don Brown

Writing theProfessional Way

Excellence in teaching. Creativity and scholarly activity. Serviceto students and to the mission of UH-Downtown. These threequalities describe outstanding UHD faculty members who were

recognized this spring by their peers through the annual facultyawards program.

Dr. Tyra Montgomery, associate professor of chemistry, was recog-nized this year for Excellence in Teaching, which qualified her for a$5,000 award through the Enron Teaching Excellence program.Enron similarly awards professors from other UH System campuseseach year.

“The fact that the selection of the recipient of this award is made bycolleagues makes receiving the award more meaningful,” said Dr.Montgomery. “Every faculty member knows how much time, effortand dedication go into teaching.”

Lorenzo Thomas, professor of English, is no stranger to the facultyaward circle. In 1993 and this year he received the Excellence inScholarly and Creative Activity. Thomas’s expertise is in literature and

poetry. He teaches a variety ofclasses including multicultural literature, African American studiesand Composition.

Thomas is active in the arts community locally and nationally,and directs activities at the UHDCultural Enrichment Center. (seearticle on Thomas, page 7)

Elias Deeba, professor of mathe-matical sciences, was recognizedby his peers for the fourth time —this time for Excellence in Service.In 1989 and 1995 he was cho-sen for Excellence in Scholarly andProfessional (now Creative) Activity.In 1998, he received theExcellence in Teaching award. Hecredits his success to his parents.“They inspired me to give of myselfand to give unselfishly,” he said.

Deeba is an assistant chair andprofessor in computer and mathe-matical sciences and chairs thescholarship committee for UHD’sScholars Academy, a gifted groupof students studying math and science.

Congratulations to the winners andto those nominated for honors.

3

Think “Team Jeopardy.” That’s oneway to describe College Bowl, acompetitive battle of wits betweenteams of mental athletes.

UHD joins universities across thecountry in fielding teams of studentswho represent a variety of aca-demic disciplines. During competi-tion, they essentially try to answermore questions than the other team,racking up both higher team andindividual scores in the process.

UHD’s College Bowl effort is rela-tively new — only four years incompetition at this point, and it’sshaping up to be a formidable contender. During this past year,the UHD team improved its stand-ing by double. One team member

At the regional championship in San Antonio are team members and sponsors, including (back row from left) Dr. MichelleMoosally, Kerry Madole, Juan Gonzalez, Dr. Dahlberg, (front row from left) Minh Lam and Dr. Yvonne Kendall.

College Bowl: The Varsity Sport of the Mind

was in the top ten regional individual scorers.

“We’re now a well-respectedteam, and our students feel thatand are proud of it,” says teamsponsor Dr. Sandra Dahlberg, anassistant professor of English.

Dr. Dahlberg puts her team ofbrainiacs through the equivalentof mental sprints to prepare foreach competition, drilling themon current events and specificacademic topics. It gives Dr.Dahlberg special pleasure to notethat UHD’s team, like the universi-ty’s population, is ethnicallydiverse — which makes the teamunique in comparison to teamsfrom most rival universities.

provide scholarships for urbanteacher education students. A$390,000 gift this spring fromHouston Endowment (see relatedstory this page) will help provideoperating costs.

“The Cain Scholarships are agreat help to students,” explainedDr. Key. “Qualified studentsreceive $1,300 per semester inaddition to help with purchasingtextbooks.”

Four different degree programsare offered under the M.A.T.:curriculum instruction, open onlyto teachers who are already certi-fied, and three programs that canalso be combined with an under-graduate certification program —for secondary, elementary andbilingual teachers.

Teachers can earn an M.A.T.degree in three years, with class-es scheduled to accommodatethe public school schedule.

UHD Makes Masterful TeachersMost of the course work is doneduring the summer, with a fewclasses offered each fall andspring in the evenings or on week-ends.

Mary Oldham went back toschool when her youngest childwas in middle school, enrolling inNorth Harris Community College,and then transferring to UH-Downtown. She relished everymoment. “I enjoyed my experi-ences at UHD. Everyone worksso hard to help you and there are so many resources to help if you get stuck in math

or another subject.”

The urban teacher education pro-gram was a draw for Mary. “Iwanted as many opportunities aspossible to get in the classroombefore graduating, and UHDoffered that.”

The M.A.T. also focuses on practi-cal experience. Throughout theprogram, students like MaryOldham will be expected todesign and conduct classroom-based action research targetingimproved academic achievementof children in their classrooms.

UHD Faculty Awards 2001

Continued from page 1

Funds to Grow OnHouston Endowment, Inc., is providing the start-up costs for UHD’s new Master of Arts in Teaching program. A$390,000 gift from Houston Endowment will cover first year faculty salary and preparation of curriculum for thenew graduate-level courses.

UHD is uniquely positioned to address the severe shortage of teachers in urban areas. Masters degree programs inEducation are offered at several other universities in Texas, but they differ significantly from UHD’s program.

The Houston Endowment funds will complement scholarship funds from the Mary and Gordon Cain Foundation.

From left: Lorenzo Thomas, Tyra Montgomery and Elias Deeba

Contributions to UH-Downtown arevital to fulfilling our mission ofproviding quality educational

opportunities to all students and openingdoors to many who might not otherwise beable to pursue a college degree. We greatlyappreciate the generosity shown to UHD bythe following corporations, foundations andindividuals between February 1, 2001and May 31, 2001. Please note thatnumbers following a name signify the yearof graduation from UHD.

$1,000,000 and AboveHouston Endowment Inc.

$250,000 to $500,000Gordon and Mary Cain Foundation

$100,000 to $250,000Marian and Speros Martel Foundation Shell Oil Company Foundation

$10,000 to $50,000Welch Foundation

$2,500 to $5,000Houston Assembly of Delphian

Chapters Northrop Grumman Open Door Education Foundation Rockwell Fund Ann Bradshaw Stokes Foundation

$1,000 to $2,500 Anil Kumar Aggarwal Gerald and Peggy Pinto Jack W. PlunkettSmith International

$500 to $1,000Sharon Matthews, ‘96Petroleum Accountants Society Rob Scharar

$100 to $400Gerald Bass, ‘89 & ‘92 Robert D. Buescher Karen J. Hill, ‘95 Mitchell Energy &

Development Corporation M. Anne Murphy Steve Sucher

Under $100Irene M. Potter, ‘99 Melissa Rath, ‘98

PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE

The Partners in Excellence campaign providessupport to UHD’s computer information systemsdegree program, faculty and staff development,and the Scholars Academy.

$25,000AT&T Foundation

$1,000 to $5,000 James Del Monte JDA Professional Services, Inc.Standard Automatic Fire

Enterprises, Inc. Texaco, Inc. Windsor Village

United Methodist Church

$500 to $999Anita Ahmed and Keiko Ahmed Stanford and Joan Alexander Cole Chemical & Distributing, Inc.Morales & Associates, Inc. Kimberly A. Paisley The Whitaker Companies

$50 to $250Charles Schwab Corp. Foundation Art and Sandra Flanagan

ALUMNI ANNUAL FUND

$500 and AboveCarolynne Abrams McDonnell, ‘85 Bill, ‘79, and Debbie, ‘94, TaffNadine L. Watson, ‘85 Jerry C. Wilmot, ‘90

$250 to $499David B. Hoffman, ‘86 Karen K. James, ‘86 Barbara Quattro, ‘91Anne M. Rodgers, ‘87

$100 to $249Katherine Augustine, ‘98Robert J. Baker, ‘95 Bernice Bludau, ‘95Katrina Willis Borders, ‘85Allison T. Brown, ‘95 Paul R. Brown, C.P.M., ‘80 Jim & Linda Calvert, ‘87 Richard Cazares, ‘90 Bryan Climo-Taylor, ‘97 Melissa Szabo Collette, ‘97 Tangie Cooper, ‘86Sandra Farrar, ‘93 Delmaude A. Farrell, ‘87 Aaron L. Foreman, ‘95 Diane M. Fredericks, ‘94 Lisa Ann Gillespie, ‘93 Thomas G. Hale, ‘91Alison J. Hall, ‘87Maria Elena Padilla Hanson, ‘98 Rick Healy, ‘89 Terry L. Hobbs, ‘88Hui, Sheung-Yi, ‘00 Mary H. Irving, ‘87Evelyn Jacobs-Olowu, ‘00 Pat Keen, ‘90 Thomas R. F. Lee, ‘85Marian Leong, ‘94James S. Luberger, ‘88 Jeanne E. Lupinacci, ‘88 Lisa Mathena, ‘97 L. Rennee Mauro-Fussell, ‘95 Jerry N. McEachern, ‘00James E. McMurrer III, ‘90 Lorine Rae Mock ‘94 Phillip Montgomery, ‘88Louise R. Morewitz, ‘83Juanita Morgan, ‘86 Gloria Kay Morse, ‘87 Stacey Neuweiler, ‘96 Mary T. Oldham, ‘00Robert Pearce, III, ‘95Carmella, 91, and

David, ‘90, PichonVirgil Gil Price, ‘99 Karen Quiroz-Gebhardt, ‘99Roger A. Raymond, ‘93 Sirrod Robinson, ‘95Cher A. Rudolphi, ‘94 Faith L. Sanders, ‘88James L. Saunders, ‘80Kevin B. Sellers, ‘00 John D. Shoemaker, ‘89 Derek Smith, ‘99 James E. Stafford, ‘90 John S. Stockton, ‘90Mark D. Taylor, ‘95 Andrew Giang Thai, ‘87 Linda Vaden-GoadHarold Vance, ‘90 Roger Allen VanSickle, ‘90 Alan Kirk Wilson, MD, ‘85James C. Womack, Jr., ‘88 George S. Wong, ‘86 Tami Barnes Worrell, ‘94

Under $100Diana Anayla, ‘00 Grace Bombasi Barcelo, ‘92 Kimber Leigh Barkley-Davies, ‘92 Brian D. Barnes, ‘94 Richard L. Bateman, ‘81 Ruth Teresa Bello, ‘88 Rebecca Boutte, ‘99 Lydia Belle Boyer, ‘87 Glynn S. Brewer, ‘93 Tracey Lynn Brown, ‘97 Angela D. Bryant, ‘81Roxana R. Bryant, ‘91

4

Generous Friends

of Joanne T. Burns, ‘84 Wallace M. Byers, ‘84 Sharon G. Caldwell, ‘94 Kathleen Ann Cavanna, ‘93 Wiltessa M. Cebrun, ‘91Brian Chrestoff, ‘92 Donald R. Coffey, ‘87Winifred O. Collins, ‘90 Ronald B. Contreras, ‘78 Karen E. Cordato ‘92 Cynthia S. Cossey-Collins, ‘94 Roshell Dean, ‘00 Kyle B. DeHart, ‘00 Michael J. Devereux, ‘97 Loretta Dieudonne’, ‘99 Patricia Dominguez, ‘82Tammy Denise Dorsey, ‘00 Jean A. Eiley, ‘95 Joe A. Escamilla, ‘82 Taneeco A. Evans, ‘94Mary A. Flood, ‘89 Bonita S. Flores, ‘84Phillip S. Flowers, ‘97 Diane Fuller, ‘94Oscar D. Garcia, ‘00 Tiqueta J. Garrett, ‘96 Jeffrey L. Gaspar, ‘94Christy D. Golden, ‘93 John M. Golden, ‘85 Paulette Golden, ‘90 Alfonso Gonzalez, ‘00 Mark L. Goodman, ‘93Margaret A. Gorman, ‘90Kathleen Lee Grabowski, ‘91 Tommie Jo Grant, ‘98Darnell Grantham, ‘97Hollie Vesla Greene, ‘97 Linda F. Gutierrez, ‘89Rhonda J. Hale, ‘00Deborah S. Hallene, ‘85Elizabeth M. Harrington, ‘88Amira Hemme, ‘83 Sharilyn B. Hennessey, ‘80 Warren B. Hermes, ‘80David Herrin, ‘93 Magdalena C. Hightower, ‘95 Karen Sue Hill, ‘96 Ava M. Holland, ‘83Louise Horton, ‘99Alissa A. James, ‘94Joe D. Jasso, ‘83Leo V. Kahlich, ‘81 Michelle L. Katz, ‘00John D. LaBorde, ‘83 Guy C. LaRose, ‘85 Ronald G. Landers, ‘82John David Lee, ‘95 LaMargaret S. Lewis, ‘84Jung-Hsiu Lin, ‘00 Sarah L. Lynch, ‘86 James S. Luberger, ‘88 Lily Maria Martinez, ‘00 Maricruz Martinez, ‘99Gail S. McKnight, ‘92 Ely M. Medina, ‘00 Maria Ofelia Mestas, ‘00 Cathy J. Metcalf, ‘94 Irma Morales, ‘98 Bill and Kathy Murff, ‘96 Laura M. Oliver, ‘94 Afolabi Okewole, ‘00Linda L. Otto, ‘96 Antonio Pacheco, ‘92 Elizabeth M. Pail, ‘80 Gloria Landicho Panganiban, ‘96 William H. Peters, ‘89Susan M. Porter, ‘86 Albert C. Pucio, ‘00 Agnes Pantig Puno, ‘86 Angela Raia, ‘00Monika Ramos, ‘98 Ashwin C. Rego, ‘00 Kim H. Richardson, ‘00 Beverly Risher-Smith, ‘99Michael A. Rivera, ‘90Mark D. Rowell, ‘00 Lita Gardner Russo, ‘92 Hans Peter E. Ryholt, ‘98James R. Sage, ‘90Michael Ashley Thomas Serges, ‘95 Spyridon L. Soukis, ‘00

Angela M. Smith Stancil, ‘96 Terry Lee Sutton, ‘90 Greg S. Sweeney, ‘94 Vernetta L. Taylor, ‘95 Lucille A. Terraso, ‘89 Margarita Thompson, ‘85 Connie R. Thurmond, ‘93Susan D. Trevino, ‘90 & ‘98 Jaime Uribe, ‘84 Gilberto Vela, Jr., ‘92Theresa A. Viscuso, ‘92 Henry A. Vogel, ‘81Kevin S. Walker, ‘82Zhi Wang, ‘96 Rachel Watkins, ‘83 David N. Weldon, ‘84 Eric Wewer, ‘95 Dottie Lou Williams, ‘90 Regina Renee Woody-Crain, ‘93Dwayne E. Yount, ‘95Edward J. Zaldivar, ‘95Marta Elia Zayas-Santiago, ‘94 Deborah L. Zell, ‘93

CJ ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FUND

$100 to $250Felix Lizcano, III, ‘00 Darrell L. Stripling, ‘78

Under $100Edward Aldridge, ‘76 Robert A. Armbruster, ‘88 Lydia A. Villamil, ‘96

20TH ANNUAL RED ROSE BALL(Gifts received after February 1, 2001)

Gold Underwriter Tables ($5,000)Baker Hughes, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Roy H. Cullen

Silver Underwriter Tables ($3,500)Foley’sMFR Group, Inc./Tejas Office

Products, Inc.

Special Gifts

$1,000 and AboveADT Security Services, Inc.Ermy and Gordon B. Bonfield Bowen, Miclette & Britt, Inc. Tom and Gracie Christensen Commercial Furniture Services, Inc. David L. and Kathleen J. Cook The Honorable James L.

and Kathryn L. Ketelsen Todd A. and Jane R. Mason Merrill Lynch Metzger Construction Co.Dr. James Moye Robert R. and Kay Onstead SouthTrust Bank Richard W. Weekley

$250 to $500Rachel and Bud Frazier Global DocuGraphix Mary and Jim Henderson Mitchell Energy & Development

Corporation Nancy Powell Moore Parkway Investments Inc.Paul PeacockMark A. Thompson

Under $250Phil Carker Sylvia and Paul Egner Thomas M. Farrell Patrick and Sheila Jeffus Missy and Randy LarsonLance J. MosbyErnest Pekmezaris Leon and Dot Ullrich

Silent Auction Donors America West AirlinesAmerica’s RestaurantAztec Party and Tent RentalsBrennan’sMax and Rosario CastilloCoca-Cola EnterprisesContinental AirlinesDoubleTree Hotel-Allen CenterEvent EssentialsHeights Floral ShopHouston SymphonyW.M. Martin Advertising, Inc.Michelangelo’s Ristorante ItalianoM. Anne MurphyPappas RestaurantsParty ClothsR. Rose ClothierJim SeiglerJ. Aubrey SellersSouthwest AirlinesAnn TraskUS AirwaysWestern Business SystemsThe Westin Galleria and Galleria Oaks

MEMORIAL AND HONORARY GIFTS

In Memory of Lee McDanielDiane OlsonKim Paisley

In Memory of Jay AndersonJeff Anderson

In Memory of Dr. & Mrs. Albert Abrams

Carolynne Abrams McDonell, ‘85

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS

Listed beneath the company names are the donors whose contributions made these matchinggifts possible.

IBM International FoundationJohn Jay Eicher ‘92

McKesson HBOC FoundationW. Robert Vaden

Charles Schwab Corporation Foundation

Oralia C. Ramirez ‘99

Texaco, Inc.Fritz Attermeier.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

UHD Class Schedule: Summer II Session classes begin July 9, Fall 2001 beginsAugust 22, Fall 2001 Minimester begins October 1

Alumni Association General Election: August 15, at UHD, time to beannounced. Ballots will be mailed to members of the UHD Alumni Association in mid-July. For information, call 713-221-8993.

President’s Report to the Community: 7:30-9:00 a.m., October 23, 2001,Special Events Center at UH-Downtown. UHD President Max Castillo welcomes friendsof the university for the annual briefing and celebration of UHD successes.

: TheStudent MagnetMore students are choosingUH-Downtown. Spring enroll-ment figures took another jumpthis past academic year. Theofficial count was 8,733 students, a 5.6% increase froma year ago. Compare that toa 2.6% increase from springto spring the year before.

Summer school is more popu-lar, too. The first session hadan enrollment increase of 6%over the summer of 2000.

5

Let other alumni know where you are and what’s happening in your business and personal life by submitting anitem for the next Alumni Notes column. Just e-mail your information to Alumni@dt.uh.edu or complete the specialform on this page and mail it to Alumni Relations, University of Houston-Downtown, One Main Street, Suite 621-S,Houston, Texas 77002, or fax it to 713-221-8509.

“Alumni Notes” Update Form

Name: __________________________ Student Name: __________________________(if different)

Graduation Year: ________________________________________________________

Home Address: __________________________________________________________

City: __________________ State: ____ Zip: ____ Home Phone: ______________________

Employer: ____________________________________________________________

Business Address: ________________________________________________________

City: __________________ State: ____ Zip: ____ Bus. Phone: ______________________

E-mail address(es):________________________________________________________

News for the “Alumni Notes” page in the next publication:

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ALUMNI TAKE NOTE:

—Support from Shell—Betty Lynn McHam (standing, left) with the Shell Oil Company Foundation and Dr. Larry Spears, chair of the Department of NaturalSciences, join student Belinda Aguilera (seated) as she works on an assignment for a biology class. She’s making good use of theScience Learning Center, funded in part by a $485,000 gift from the Shell Oil Company Foundation. Shell Oil Company Foundationalso supports the Shell Mentor Scholars program and faculty development grants at UHD.

C J Masters Scholarshipsfrom The 100 ClubThe 100 Club is extending its longstanding support of UHD’s criminal justice program to include students enrolled in the master’sdegree program. Ten graduatestudents will receive scholarshipstotaling $45,000 each year.

“We’re very excited to expandour philanthropy with UH-Downtown,” said Rick Hartley, executive director of The 100 Cluband a member of UHD’s President’s Advisory Council. “We feel that the master’s program is a great investment in law enforcementfor officers serving throughout the nine-county area that The 100Club supports.”

The scholarships will be awarded beginning in the fall.

Personalized information on demand. That’sthe basis of a bold web-based initiative at UH-Downtown intended to expand the university’scommitment to a student-friendly environment.Accessed through UHD’s website,www.UHD.edu, student e-services gives stu-dents the ability to request and update informa-tion, obtain status reports, access online coursesand support services, and take care of businesstransactions with the university on a 24-hour,365-day basis.

Today’s college students have grown up withtechnology, and they expect to make practicaluse of it. UHD’s student e-services meets that

expectation head-on by providing portable information. Students havereal-time access to their most vital UHD data from any internet-connect-ed computer at any time.

ALUMNI NOTESGallegos Elementay. She is also VicePresident of the “Ballet Fiesta Mexicana” thenewest all adult folkloric dance group.

David Worsham (‘95) recently led tech-nology efforts for real estate software startupin Indianapolis and will be returning toHouston.

Monica Lima (‘00) is engaged to MarlonSanchez, current computer science student atUH-Downtown. They are to be married in theFall of 2001 and just bought their firsthouse.

You are welcome to submit a recent photograph.

Students Get Online, Not In Line

Jim Pierce (‘82) works as security opera-tions director for I.G. Gold, Inc., the largestgold manufacturing company in the south-west United States.

Linda Flores-Olson (‘91) joined theGreater Houston Partnership as director ofmembership services in April. Before that,she had worked in alumni and constituentrelations at UH-Clear Lake for nearly sevenyears.

James McCabe (‘94) is currently courtliaison officer for the 179th District Court inHarris County and recently became a fatherfor the first time.

Eric S. Lane (‘95) plans to receive hismaster’s degree in hospitality managementthis spring. He lives in Vicksburg, MS and iscurrently employed as corporate manager offood and beverage operations for Isle ofCapri Casinos, a casino company with 13properties.

Boma Onumodu (‘99) is now a full-timestudent in the MBA program at UH-ClearLake. She was very pleased to receive ascholarship to help her pay for graduateschool.

Paramy Philavanh-Graff (‘98) is purs-ing her master’s degree at UH-Clear Lake.She is now married and has one daughter,Elizabeth Lindsay. She still continues to trav-el throughout Europe and Asia.

Martha De La Paz (‘99) is now in hersecond year as a bilingual teacher at

Combined Cogitation in Computer CompetitionTeams of UHD students participated in a computer programming contest in the Association for ComputingMachinery. Winners will participate in a regional competition this fall. The contest was organized byUHD’s Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and the Center for Computational Sciences andAdvanced Distributed Simulation.

Diversity in PhilanthropyThe national Council on Foundations’ Committee on Inclusivenesschose UHD as the site for a gathering chaired by Rosie Zamorawith Telesurveys Research Associates (pictured below, center), amember of UHD’s President’s Advisory Council. Flanking Zamoraare (left) UHD President Max Castillo and Milton Carroll, chairmanof Houston Endowment, Inc. The Council on Foundations is a

nonprofit membership association of grantmakingfoundations and corporations.

An overflow crowd of educators,social scientists, students and otherspecialists poured into UHD’sWilhelmina Cullen RobertsonAuditorium in April to hear socialpsychologist and author Dr. Elliot

Aronson at the annual SocialScience Alumni Lecture.

An internationally recognizedexpert on the prevention ofadolescent violence, Dr.Aronson wrote Nobody Leftto Hate: TeachingCompassion AfterColumbine.

“Dr. Aronson’s lecture is agood example of how rele-vant research is to socialprogress,” said Dr. LindaVaden-Goad, chair of UHD’sDepartment of SocialSciences. “In describing hiscareer path and howresearch works for positivechange, he addressed how

Women’s MonthA group of women from Denmark added an international perspective toUHD’s annual Women’s Month celebration. They are part of a collabora-tive group called “Women in the Visual and Literary Arts” who have pub-lished two books: A Given Life and Periods. The women range in age from27 to 54 and even included a mother and daughter. Their vocations arealso varied: lawyer, minister/teacher, health care provider, photographerand graphic artist.

The visiting experts led three panels for UHD audiences and helped wrapthe month’s activities. Above, from left to right: Ida Hoeck, Lisbet Müller,Anne Moller, Gine Jarner, Sisse Jarner and Pia Deleuran.

Dr. JoAnn Pavletich and Dr. Jane Creighton, both assistant professors ofEnglish, chaired the Women’s Month Committee.

social scientistssometimesdon’t seeimmediateresultsfrom theresearch

they conduct. His work, how-ever, proves that diligence canresult in social good.”

Dr. Aronson’s research high-lighted the need for disenfran-chised high school students tofeel human respect in order toprosper and learn, an issuehighlighted by the schoolshooting tragedy inColumbine, Colorado.

The UHD Department of SocialSciences includes seven acad-emic areas: anthropology,geography, history, philosophy,political science, psychologyand sociology.

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manager of PublicAffairs and David L.Mendez, vice chair-man, both with J.P.Morgan Chase in

Houston.

Enthusiastic members of theball committee included Stanford

Alexander, Weingarten RealtyInvestors; Jenard Gross, GrossInvestments; Joe Hafner, Riviana

Students who use a UHD science laboratory haveaccess to additional state-of-

the-art equipment. The U.S. ArmyResearch Laboratory donated$144,000 in laser lab equipmentthat will become the core of a

Red Rose Record-BreakerFoods, Inc.; Larry Jones, Deloitte &Touche, L.L.P.; Hamilton Lewis,Hamilton Lewis CapitalManagement, Inc.; Terrylin Neale,University of Houston Foundation;Jim Niederle, Banc of AmericaSecurities; Elijio Serrano, EagleGlobal Logistics; Bill Swanstrom,Locke, Liddell & Sapp; and CesarVasquez, Petro Amigos Supply, Inc.

The centerpiece of the ball is a pre-sentation of the deserving studentswho are recipients of the Red RoseScholarship. In addition to high-lighting their accomplishments, thisyear the ball featured a celebrationof history.

The event was founded in 1981by members of the Latin AmericanStudent Service Organization(LASSO). Three brothers who wereattending the university at the time,Armando, Albert and Ricky (Jr.)Diaz, recruited their parents to helporganize the event. Their father,

Ricky, Sr., directs the Ricky DiazOrchestra, which provided enter-tainment for the ball for a numberof years.

Those who attend the ball leaveon a high note. EugeneVaughan, with Vaughan, Nelson,Scarborough & McCullough, L.P.,wrote, “It was pure joy to partici-pate in the 20th Red RoseBall!...the presentation of the Red Rose Scholars was simplysoaring.”

The scholars represented the spec-trum of UHD students, and all will

make good use of thefinancial support. For example,Claudia Castillo, who maintains aperfect 4.0 grade point averageas a computer information systemsmajor, says, “I will be able toremain in school as a full-time student...worrying myself onlyabout my studies and not aboutnext semester’s expenses.”

Scholars were chosen on the basisof academic performance andother factors that include their service to the community.

Continued from page 1

laser spectroscopy laboratory beingdeveloped by Dr. Larry Merkle,assistant professor of physics.

The lab will provide one of themany opportunities for undergradu-ate research offered by UHD.

Well-equipped, Thanks to the Army

David L. Mendez and Yolanda F. Londoño

Can We PreventAnother Columbine?

Professor of English LorenzoThomas is helping METROmove hearts and minds

while they’re moving people.He’s one of the poets featuredin METRO’s new Poetry inMotion program, which placesverse inside buses for riders to see.

Thomas’ poem, “Sugar Hill,”was displayed in May andJune. Eighteen poems in allwill be seen through April2002.

“It’s very important that poetrynot just sit on a shelf,” saidThomas. “Poetry is a living artintended to travel with people.”

Poetry in Motion is a nationalprogram first developed in1992 by the Poetry Society ofAmerica (PSA) and theMetropolitan Transit Authority of New York for its subwaycommuters.

Thomas is a widely publishedpoet and critic whose scholarlyarticles and works haveappeared in a number of jour-nals and books. His booksinclude Chances Are Few, TheBathers, and Es Gibt Zeugen,collections of poetry, as well as“Sing the Sun Up: CreativeWriting Ideas from AfricanAmerican Literature.”

The O’Kane Gallery at UH-Downtown, located onthe third floor of the One Main building, is preparingfor the summer and fall art season. Participants ofthe Jesse H. Jones Academic Institute exhibited works they produced as part of the college prepara-tory program.

Jones Institute participants are Jefferson Davis HighSchool students who take either science, general

academics or English as aSecond Language programson the UHD campus. Atthe end of the term, generalacademic and ESL studentsproduce a piece of art.

August 23 throughSeptember 20, The O’KaneGallery features a women’sshow, “Signs of Life.”

O’KANE THEATRETake a look through the window of Monk’s Place (left), the settingfor Small Craft Warnings by Tennessee Williams, presented byUHD’s University Theatre under the direction of Dr. Thomas J. Lyttle.The cast and crew included UHD students, alumni and friends.The play recounts one night in the lives of a group of derelict char-acters searching for comfort and support from each other. It wasfirst performed off-Broadway in 1972.

Too many students drop out of universitiesand colleges because they didn’t get the

preparation they needed during the highschool years. UH-Downtown is proactive inaddressing that issue through a number ofpre-collegiate programs, as well as supportservices that help students afterthey’ve enrolled.

In addition to reaching out to students, UH-Downtown is bring-ing together high school teachersand university professors who cantalk directly to one another abouthow to help their students make

Houston Rockets legendHakeem Olajuwon visitswith students at UH-Downtown afterspeaking at IslamicAwareness Day, an eventorganized and hosted byUHD’s Muslim StudentAssociation. Olajuwontalked about Islam andhis own spiritual beliefs.

Poems On the Bus, for Better or Verse

The opening reception is set for 6 p.m.,August 23. The exhibit features two con-firmed artists: Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrakand Kate Breakey. Bodnar-Balahutrakmakes art that often references her Ukranian roots attimes depicting some of the hardships that theUkranian people have faced.

Breakey is originally from Australia, and now lives inthe Southwest United States. The work is large,approximately 3 feet by 3 feet, and incorporateshand coloring of black and white images celebrat-ing the lives of small living things that are often over-looked.

“High Art,” an exhibit featuring high school artistsfrom the greater Houston area, is scheduled forSeptember 27 through October 18. Openingreception is September 29.

For additional information, call 713-221-8043.

The High School-University Connectionthe transition to higher education.

At a recent symposium, directed by UHD EnglishLecturer Dagmar Corrigan, teachers and profes-sors gathered for a day of learning and interac-tion. Keynote speaker was Dr. George Otte, onthe faculty at Baruch College in New York and

an expert on highschool outreachprograms. Dozensof representativesfrom a number ofarea universitiesand schools attended.

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Pam Johnson, “Jujube,” 1998

Jones Institute student art

Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak, “Step Lightly When Called,” 2000

Dr. George Otte

Walking Tall at UHD

UHD Becomes an ArkWhen Tropical Storm Allison dumped record amounts of

rain over downtown Houston, UHD’s campus becamean island, as White Oak and Buffalo Bayous spilled out oftheir banks to completely surrounded the campus.

About 12” of floodwater poured into the university’s firstlevel, which houses the UHD Police Department and

Facilities Managementdepartments, as well asbuilding utilities systems.The Jesse H. Jones Student Life Centerwas not damaged. After the rain stopped, UHD waswithout power, phone systems and running water.

Thanks to quick work bypolice, facilities and informa-tion technology staff, UHDwas closed for only one day,

open again for classesand routine business onJune 12.

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New Horizons is published by the Office of Communications and Marketing, University of Houston-Downtown, and distributed to friends of the university with updates on campus activities. Call 713-221-8010 for more information or e-mail: ballardb@dt.uh.edu.

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An Outpouring of Generosity from StudentsA number of UHD students, faculty and staff were affected by Tropical Storm Allison, and the university community responded. Here’s just one example, from UHD’s English Language Institute, a continuing educationprogram offering English proficiency instruction for international students.

An ELI student escaped from his home, which was filled waist-deep with floodwaters, to seek safety in the second story of a friend’s home, where he was then trapped for a day before being rescued by the HoustonFire Department. After the floodwaters receded, he discovered that all of his books and clothes were ruined.Fellow ELI students sprang into action, collecting enough money to purchase new books, while others donatedclothing. The international students enrolled in ELI are here from other countries, most without a great deal of discretionary funds. Their generosity reflects the sense of community that is fostered by caring, dedicated people throughout UHD.

Photos by UHD Police Chief Mark Moulton