The cross country team earned its second consecutive Conference USA Championship Nov. 1 and has moved up to the No. 1 ranking in the South Central Region, voted on by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Mustangs are also the No. 25 team in the country. The Mustangs return to action Nov. 14 at the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional in Waco. Read more.
SMU's two new mustangs, given to the University earlier this fall by the National Wild Horse Foundation with the support of Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens, will participate in their first official University duties at this weekend's SMU football game against Rice.
In a decision reached this week by members of the Student Senate, staff representatives and members of the Mustangs football team, the new horses will lead the team from the Mustangs statue at the north end of Mustang Plaza, passing through Doak Walker Plaza, and proceeding to Gerald J. Ford Stadium before each of SMU's three remaining home games.
Peruna, the Mustangs' official mascot, will then fulfill his generations-long tradition of leading the team from the locker room and onto the field. He also will continue to run across the field after SMU scores and will always be positioned at the end of the field to which the SMU offense is headed.
While Peruna handles his normal responsibilities, the mustangs will remain at Ford Stadium near the field's southwest corner.
The University wishes to thank Student Senator Matthew Neman, Student Body Vice President Allison Reyes, Student Senator and Peruna Handler Jake Torres, football Captain Chase Kennemer and teammate Pete Fleps for their leadership and unifying efforts to incorporate gracefully our new horses into the color and pageantry of SMU Mustangs football.
(Above, Madeleine Pickens and SMU Athletic Director Steve Orsini stand between SMU's two new mustangs at the "Salute to the Mustangs" halftime event during the SMU-Navy game Oct. 17.)
Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders, who served as the United States' 15th surgeon general during the Clinton Administration, will discuss the state of women's healthcare in America during SMU's 2009 Louise B. Raggio Endowed Lecture in Women's Studies. The event takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.
Dr. Elders became the first African American and the second woman to hold the post of surgeon general when she was sworn in on Sept. 8, 1993. As surgeon general, she initiated programs to combat youth smoking and teen pregnancy and to increase childhood immunizations. She remains an influential advocate for prenatal care, healthcare reform, women's health and treatments for HIV/AIDS.
The lecture series is presented by SMU's Women's and Gender Studies Program. Tickets are $10 each. For more information, contact Erin Sutton, 214-768-4575.
A minister, a businessman and a nonprofit founder will receive SMU's 2009 Distinguished Alumni Awards, the highest honor the university bestows upon its graduates.
This year's 2009 recipients include:
The DAA Award banquet and ceremony takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Freeway. For more information, visit smu.edu/homecoming.
Social media and their impact on career growth will be the hot topics of the 3rd annual Digital Threads networking symposium, to be held Nov. 5-6 in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts.
SMU faculty and students will have the opportunity to meet with leaders in social media while discussing innovative uses of social networking tools.
This year's keynote session is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. Nov. 5 in O'Donnell Recital Hall, 2130 Owen Arts Center. "Advertising, Music, Television - Social Media Changes Everything" will be moderated by Terry Mackin, president of the global media consulting practice Foresight Lab. Participants include:
Concurrent sessions on the uses of social media will take place throughout the day Nov. 6, with topics ranging from building a brand, to breaking into the music industry, to news gathering and dissemination.
The SMU community celebrates Homecoming 2009 through Nov. 8. This year's theme is "Let the Games Begin," and the event is coordinated by the Student Foundation.
Activities kicked off Oct. 31 with campus-wide community service projects and will conclude with the Homecoming worship service at 11 a.m. Nov. 8 in Perkins Chapel. Highlights include:
• The Distinguished Alumni Awards Nov. 5 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
• Reunion gatherings, planned for the classes of '64, '69, '74, '79, '84, '89, '94, '99 and '04. For more information, call SMU Reunion Programs at 800-766-4371 or visit smu.edu/homecoming.
• The Homecoming parade, beginning at 11 a.m. Nov. 7 and featuring Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison as 2009 Parade Marshal. After the parade, head to Bishop Boulevard for tailgating.
• The Homecoming game, where the Mustangs take on the Rice Owls at 2 p.m. Nov. 7 in Ford Stadium. Call 214-SMU-GAME or visit smumustangs.com for tickets.
Find a full schedule at the Student Foundation website.
SMU received the Hispanic College Fund's 2009 Legacy Award for leadership and investment in a diverse student population during the 16th Annual Portraits of Success gala Oct. 30 in Washington, D.C. This year marks the first time that an educational institution has received the honor, which is typically given to federal agencies.
SMU was chosen for its exceptional commitment to the recruitment of Hispanic students, the level of support provided to the Hispanic Youth Symposium, its community leadership and the ability to create a genuine community-led event.
This summer, SMU hosted Texas' first Hispanic Youth Symposium, a program to promote higher education to at-risk Hispanic youth in partnership with the Dallas Independent School District, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District and the Social Security Administration. In addition to the Legacy Award, the gala honors 477 scholarship recipients and corporate supporters of the organization.
SMU representatives accepting the award on behalf of the University included Associate Provost Tom Tunks, Meadows School of the Arts Dean José Bowen and Associate Director of Diversity and Community Outreach Raul Magdaleno.
SMU President R. Gerald Turner said the Legacy Award coincides with SMU's goal to attract more Hispanic students.
"We are committed to broadening our outreach efforts to Hispanic students," Turner said. "At SMU, they bring important perspectives and enrich the campus experience for all students. These are the men and women who will be leading our region and nation in all areas of achievement."
The Geothermal Laboratory at SMU has been awarded $5.25 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to help provide data for the planned National Geothermal Database.
The grant allocation is part of $338 million in Recovery Act funding that was announced Oct. 29 by DOE Secretary Steven Chu. The funding is intended to help dramatically expand geothermal production in the United States.
Principal investigators are SMU's David Blackwell, Hamilton Professor of Geothermal Studies, and Fabian Moerchen of Siemens Corporate Research. The project team also includes Jefferson Tester, the Kroll Professor of Chemical Engineering at Cornell University; William Gosnold, chair of Geology and Geological Engineering at the University of North Dakota; Seiichi Nagihara, associate professor of geosciences at Texas Tech University; John Veil, manager of the Water Policy Program at the Argonne National Laboratory and Martin Kay, president of MLKay Technology LLC.
"The primary benefit of this project is that it will support developers of geothermal power plants by decreasing the costs of the resource identification and the risks inherent in the exploration phase," Blackwell said. "The project will rescue important data from deterioration or complete loss and provide a set of tools to be used by other parties to submit data to the NGDS."
The SMU Geothermal Lab is hosting its annual conference, "Geothermal Energy Utilization Associated with Oil & Gas Development," Nov. 3-4 on the Dallas campus. Registration is available at the door. Find more information at the conference web site.
George Martinez, Dedman School of Law, discussed the legal ramifications for the Dallas Police Department of issuing tickets to drivers for not speaking English in an article that appeared in The Dallas Morning News Oct. 26, 2009
R. Gerald Turner, SMU President and co-chair of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, talked about the recent Commission report that says the current economic climate is causing universities to reassess their operating budgets and how they maintain athletics programs. His comments appeared in the Oct. 26, 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report.
All that jazz: SMU's Meadows Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Akira Sato (right) presents an evening of small-group jazz featuring classic works such as Stella by Starlight by Victor Young, Take Five by Dave Brubeck, Windows by Chick Corea and Groovin' High by Dizzy Gillespie. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Nov. 3 in the Greer Garson Theatre, Owen Arts Center. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the Division of Music at 214-768-1951.
Maguire Public Scholar Lecture: Law Professor Jenia Turner will examine the limits of advocacy in representing clients accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in "Ethical Dilemmas of International Criminal Defense Attorneys," part of the "Holocaust Legacies: Shoah as Turning Point" series. The lecture takes place noon-1 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center West and Central Ballrooms; heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served at 11:30 a.m. Presented by SMU's Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility and Human Rights Education Program. Free and open to the public; no RSVP necessary.
Gilbert Lecture Series: Poet Jeff Dolven, professor of Renaissance literature at Princeton University and author of Scenes of Instruction in Renaissance Romance, speaks on "Styles of Disjunction" Nov. 5 in DeGolyer Library. Reception at 6 p.m. in the Texana Room; lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the Stanley Marcus Reading Room. Free and open to the public. Presented by the Department of English, Dedman College.
Meadows Chamber Music Showcase: Performers will present chamber works ranging from the early Classical period to the 20th century at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 and 2 p.m. Nov. 8 in Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the Division of Music, 214-768-1951.
Former Clements Center Fellow Pekka Hämäläinen will receive SMU's William P. Clements Prize for Best Non-Fiction Book on Southwestern America during ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 in SMU's DeGolyer Library.
His award-winning book, The Comanche Empire (Yale University Press, 2008), is about the nation-changing power of the Comanche Indians. He honed the work during his 2001-02 fellowship in Dedman College's William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies.
The $2,500 Clements Book Prize honors fine writing and original research on the American Southwest. The competition is open to any nonfiction book, including biography, on any aspect of Southwestern life, past or present.
"The Comanche Empire is a landmark study that will make readers see the history of southwestern America in an entirely new way," said David Weber, Robert and Nancy Dedman Professor of History and director of the Clements Center. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry has called The Comanche Empire "cutting-edge revisionist western history in every way." The book has received numerous other awards, including a 2009 Bancroft Prize awarded by Columbia University.
McMurtry wrote in the New York Review of Books that Hämäläinen's work spelled out a convincing argument that Comanche power is the missing link in the historical sequence that led to Spain's failure to colonize the interior of North America and, ultimately, the decay of Mexican power in what is now the American Southwest. Citing Hämäläinen's description of the political, economic and social organization of the Comanches, McMurtry wrote, "Blink a time or two and the reader might forget that the book at hand is about Comanches, rather than Microsoft."
Hämäläinen, a native of Finland, received his Ph.D. in general history at the University of Helsinki and has been associate professor of history at the University of California-Santa Barbara since 2004. He notes in the acknowledgment section of The Comanche Empire that the book would not exist without the counsel and encouragement of Weber and the Clements Center manuscript workshop that brought together prominent scholars to discuss his project.
• Read more from SMU News
• Visit the Clements Center for Southwest Studies online
Sophomore equestrian Lucy Needham finished 9th out of 88 riders in the Open Adult 18-22 class at the 33rd annual New England Equitation Championships Oct. 18, 2009. Needham and her horse Venlo received a score of 79.00. Read more.
The SMU Athletic Department and The 33 have announced an agreement to produce and broadcast the Mustang football game at Tulsa on Halloween 2009, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with broadcasting legends Brad Sham and Allen Stone calling the action. Read more.
First-year defender Ryan Rosenbaum has been named NSCAA National Player of the Week for his game-winning goal for the men's soccer team at No. 16 Tulsa Oct. 21, 2009. The 95-yard goal was the No. 2 play on ESPN's "SportsCenter" Oct. 22 and became an instant YouTube hit, as well as receiving coverage from national outlets including ABC Morning News, The Dallas Morning News, Yahoo!, Deadspin and The Big Lead. Rosenbaum has also been named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for his achievement. Read more, and click on the YouTube screen below to see the replay.
In an uncertain economy, many people have less money for charitable contributions even as the need for those contributions increases. SMU's 2009 United Way campaign has stepped up to both these challenges by increasing this year's fund-raising goal to $75,000 - 10 percent more than last year - and by making it easier for more individuals to give what they can.
"We felt the need this year to address the specific concerns of the economy and world, and how those factors are affecting the population of Dallas," says Andrell Gautier (right), lead coordinator, Budgets and Operations, in SMU's Department of Human Resources and a committee coordinator for the 2009 campaign. "The United Way offers many programs funded through donated dollars to assist everyone from individuals affected by the credit card crisis, to those living without medical insurance, to our veterans returning from combat, to those who are living month to month with the help of financial assistance."
This year's campaign hits closer to home than in the past, with its focus on personal stories from SMU faculty and staff members who have received help from the United Way.
Gautier is one such story. A former employee (and United Way campaign volunteer) at Loyola University of New Orleans, she found herself and her two-year-old son stranded in Dallas in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Unable to return to her home, job and support network, she received advice and assistance from United Way-affiliated agencies that helped her establish a new home in Texas and transition from surviving to thriving.
"Never in a million years did I ever imagine that I would need assistance, but I got to experience first-hand how my (United Way) contributions were put into action to those in need," Gautier wrote in a campaign testimonial. "Now, I am able to pay it forward, and I hope that others see the importance of donating to the United Way in times of crisis and need."
The 2009 campaign features several options for giving. Faculty and staff members may contribute through a pledge form or online through eWay. The campaign will also team up with the SMU Staff Association to make the Association's annual holiday luncheon a benefit for the United Service Organizations (USO), a United Way member agency.
Students receive the added convenience of making contributions with their Pony Express card at dining locations throughout the campus. The campaign has also met with the Student Foundation and the Panhellenic Council.
"There is a sense of pride and accomplishment when a community comes together to help improve the lives of others," Gautier says. "We want to unite the efforts of students, faculty, staff and retirees by recognizing the importance of all these groups in the SMU community."
• Visit SMU's United Way campaign website at smu.edu/unitedway
• Learn more about the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
• Make a pledge online
• Read Andrell's story
There's no time like the present to change your health care options for the coming year: SMU's 2010 Open Enrollment period ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 30, 2009.
This year's benefits changes require many faculty and staff members to make an active election during open enrollment. For 2010 open enrollment, you must take action for the following conditions:
• More about key changes for 2010 Open Enrollment
• Find the 2010 Benefits Guide on the web (PDF format)
The series reflects the Meadows School's interest in expanding its interdisciplinary offerings in the community, fostered by Dean José Bowen.
"In any given show you're likely to see musicians working with dancers, poets and/or actors," says Kim Corbet, series producer and Meadows music history faculty member. "Behind the scenes, there may be collaborations with the advertising department or film students documenting or using their talents as a component within the show itself."
The inaugural show features the music and dance explorations of BL Lacerta. The interdisciplinary ensemble includes three musicians and two dancers: Corbet on trombone and synthesizer, Kevin Hanlon (Associate Professor of Music Composition) on guitar, and pianist David Anderson of SMU's Huffington Department of Earth Sciences. The Meadows-trained dancers are Tawanda Chabikwa (M.F.A. '10) and Jennifer Mabus (B.F.A. '93).
"The group rigorously rehearses improvisationally, with dancers routinely making music and musicians moving on stage with the dancers," Corbet says.
The second show, set for 8 p.m. Nov. 13, features the Meadows faculty jazz quintet Jampact along with videographers and movement artists. The group includes Meadows Dean José Bowen (piano) and Meadows faculty members Akira Sato (trumpet), Jamal Mohamed (drums), Buddy Mohamed (bass) and Corbet.
Tickets to each performance are $5. The Bath House Cultural Center is located at 521 E. Lawther Drive on the east side of White Rock Lake. For more information, contact Kim Corbet at 214-542-5663 or visit the Bath House Cultural Center website.
