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.

• Visit the Raggio Lecture Series homepage

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:

• Frederick B. Hegi Jr. ('66), founding partner of the private investment firm Wingate Partners
• Joe T. White ('70), founder of Kanakuk Kamps and Kids Across America and president and board chair of Kanakuk Ministries
• Cecil Williams ('55), minister and leader of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco, one of the nation's most racially and culturally diverse congregations

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:

• Larry Weintraub, CEO of the digital word-of-mouth marketing company Fanscape
• Jimmy Dunne, president of the music and entertainment promotions firm Inspire
• Tyson Wheatley, producer and news manager of CNN.com

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.

• Find a complete schedule at the SMU News website

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."

Read more from SMU News.

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.

Hämäläinen is the second former Clements Center Fellow to win the Clements Book Prize. Juliana Barr received the honor in 2008 for Peace Came in the Form of a Woman: Indians and Spaniards in the Texas Borderlands (University of North Carolina Press, 2007).

"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

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:

• You want to make changes to your current coverage.
• You want to add or drop dependents from coverage.
• You are currently enrolled in the Aetna HMO, which will not be offered for 2010.
• You are currently enrolled for Employee + One medical coverage.
• You want to adjust your premium payments.
• You want to participate in one or both of the Flexible Spending Accounts in 2010.
• You want to make a contribution to the Health Savings Account (HSA) in 2010.

• Enter your Access.SMU user ID and password as you normally would to review your pay statement.
• Click Benefits in the Employee Self-Service navigation on the right, then choose Benefits Enrollment to access your personalized Open Enrollment record.
• Be sure to read all instructions carefully before making elections for 2010.

• More about key changes for 2010 Open Enrollment
• Find the 2010 Benefits Guide on the web (PDF format)

Faculty and students in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts have found a new way to blend their talents. "Meadows at the Bath House," a new series of performances that cross genres and disciplines, opens at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Dallas' Bath House Cultural Center.

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.

• Read more from SMU News

SMU's campus in Plano's Legacy Business Park, formerly known as SMU-in-Legacy, officially changes its name to SMU-in-Plano Oct. 29 with a 4 p.m. reception featuring SMU President R. Gerald Turner and Plano Mayor Phil Dyer.

A Community Open House is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 30-31, to which all University faculty and staff are invited. Saturday will include trick-or-treating and a costume contest for kids. All events take place at the SMU-in-Plano campus, 5232 Tennyson Parkway. For more information, visit smuplano.com.

• Read more about SMU-in-Plano

Nominations for the 2010 Piper Professor awards are due Oct. 28, 2009. SMU will nominate one individual to compete for the are, presented by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. The Piper Professor Program honors superior teaching in Texas colleges and universities. Nominations are requested annually from all accredited institutions of higher learning in the state, and 15 awards are given each year.

The selection committee "seek(s) out the well-rounded, outgoing teacher, devoted to the profession, who has made special impact on...students and the community." Piper Professors receive a $5,000 award and public recognition.

Recent SMU Piper Professors have included Rick Halperin (2009), director of SMU's Human Rights Education Program, and Ellen Pryor (2005), Homer R. Mitchell Professor of Law in Dedman School of Law and University associate provost.

Faculty members may nominate colleagues, tenure-track or non-tenure-track, who have shown outstanding teaching effectiveness and academic achievement. Nomination letters should include:

• The rationale for nomination
• The list of courses being taught by the nominee during the 2009-10 academic year
• A list of four additional references for the nominee
• An endorsement signature from the nominee's department chair (chairs may endorse more than one nominee)

It's almost Halloween - seek out some scary fun with these campus activities:

• Enjoy a frightfully good workout with Group X Spooky Spinning, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. All Dedman Center members and guests are invited; no Group X pass is required. Costumes are encouraged. Contact Brook Jimenez, 214-768-4824.

• Bring your own pumpkin and start cutting at SMU's annual Pumpkin Carving Contest, 6-8 p.m. Oct. 29 at The Falls, Dedman Center. Carving tools will be provided. Jack-o'-lanterns will be displayed through Nov. 6 in the Dedman Center main lobby. Visit and vote for your favorite - prizes will be awarded for the best designs. Contact Tony Bates, 214-768-9916.

• Outdoor Adventures offers late-night atmosphere and DJ'ed music in its Halloween Midnight Cosmic Climb, 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Oct. 29 in Dedman Center. Bring your own harness; appropriate shoes will be provided as needed. Costumes are encouraged (must be harness-compatible), and prizes will be awarded for the best men's and women's get-ups. Contact David Chambers or Albert Mitugo, 214-768-4822.

• SMU Child Care and Preschool holds its annual Halloween Parade beginning at 10 a.m. Oct. 30. The procession begins at Hawk Hall and crosses the street before making its way to Boaz Hall, the flagpole, the Owen Arts Center and beyond. Come out to Bishop Boulevard to see the costumes and treat the tricksters.

• Meadows Opera Theatre plays up the magic and make-believe in its annual Halloween Opera Free For All, which will include scenes from La Cenerentola (Cinderella), The Magic Flute, Rusalka, Hansel and Gretel, Once Upon a Mattress and Into the Woods. The free performance begins at 1 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Bob Hope Theatre Lobby, Owen Arts Center. For more information, call the Meadows School of the Arts Division of Music, 214-768-1951.

• SMU-in-Plano's Community Open House Oct. 30-31 will include trick-or-treating and a costume contest for kids from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Halloween Day. For more information, visit smuplano.com.

Sleep in after the Halloween holiday: You'll gain an hour on Sunday, Nov. 1, when Standard Time returns for fall 2009.

Don't forget to set your clocks one hour earlier, and check your home and office computers and other electronic devices to be sure they're displaying the correct time.

SMU's internationally famous collection of black independent films from the 1930s, '40s and '50s will be showcased from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 26-27 as part of the Fondren Library AV Bi-Annual Film Festival.

The G. William Jones Film and Video Collection in SMU's Hamon Arts Library is home to the Tyler, Texas Black Film Collection, from which the festival screenings were chosen. These "race movies," shown mostly in the segregated movie houses of the mid-20th century American South, were discovered in an East Texas warehouse on miraculously well-preserved nitrate stock in 1983. Transferred to safety film in 1985, several were digitally restored and released in a 3-DVD boxed set in 2004.

"These films stand as a testimony to the history of black independent film in the United States, to the skill and artistry that have existed in the genre for much longer than many people may know," says Tinsley Silcox, director of public services for SMU's Central University Libraries (CUL). "They're also an undistorted glimpse of African-American life in the early 20th century, devoid of the usual Hollywood stereotypes. They're very representative of African-American self-consciousness of the time."

Silcox and Rick Worland, professor of cinema-TV in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, will host the festival and provide commentary on the films. All screenings will be held in McCord Auditorium, 306 Dallas Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

The complete schedule:

Monday, Oct. 26

SMU students, faculty and staff will gather at the Flagpole at mid-day Oct. 21 for games, giveaways and green tips as the Hilltop celebrate the 7th annual national Campus Sustainability Day.

Members of the University's Campus Sustainability Committee will moderate a game of Environmental Jeopardy, encourage students to sign a green pledge, and introduce the residence halls' new team of E-representatives from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Winners of the SMU Green Minute video competition will be announced at noon.

"SMU has a long list of sustainable practices on an institutional level that people just don't know about," says Campus Sustainability Chair Michael Paul. "We'd love for people to check out our website at smu.edu/sustainability to find out what we're doing. And it's also a good place to find tips for easy things that our community can do to keep SMU green."

Campus Sustainability Day was founded in 2002 as part of the Society for College and University Planning's early efforts to support campus planning for sustainability. Several organizations now join with SCUP to support the event, including the Higher Education Associations' Sustainability Consortium.

Read about the history of Campus Sustainability Day and see a list of organizations that have participated since 2003 at the Campus Sustainability Day website.

• Visit the Sustainability @ SMU website

Grammy-winning new music ensemble eighth blackbird (right) and New York-based public arts organization Creative Time have been selected by SMU's Meadows School of the Arts as recipients of the inaugural 2009-2010 Meadows Prize, a new international arts residency.

The announcement was made Oct. 14 at the "Act 3, Scene I" gala at the AT&T Performing Arts Center by José Bowen, dean of the Meadows School.

"The opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center is making a huge impact on the world's perception of Dallas as a great city for the arts," said Bowen. "To help make Dallas a great cultural capital, we must also become known as a center for the creation of new works, building a community that nurtures its own and tolerates artistic risk the same way we embrace entrepreneurial risk. To further that goal, in partnership with the Dallas arts community, the new Meadows Prize will bring artists with an international reputation to Dallas each year to produce an artistic legacy for the city."

The prize includes housing for a one-to-three-month residency in Dallas, transportation expenses, studio/office space and project costs, in addition to a $25,000 stipend. In return, recipients are expected to interact in a substantive way with Meadows students and collaborating arts organizations, and to leave a lasting legacy in Dallas, such as a work of art that remains in the community, a composition or piece of dramatic writing that would be performed locally, or a new way of teaching in a particular discipline.

eighth blackbird formed in 1996 when its members were students at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Since then, they have appeared in concert halls and festivals worldwide; released four acclaimed CDs, including the Grammy-winning strange imaginary animals in 2008 (Best Chamber Music Performance); received numerous grants and awards; and commissioned and premiered new works by eminent composers, including Steven Reich's Double Sextet, which won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize.

During their time in Dallas, eighth blackbird will introduce new music and provide workshops for chamber ensembles with the Meadows School and other local schools as well as the wider community. Their legacy for the city will be a curated music series in partnership with the Dallas Arts District.

Founded in New York in 1974, Creative Time has a history of commissioning, producing and presenting adventurous public artworks. During the 1980s and 90s it broadened the definitions of both art and public space, presenting projects on sites from billboards to landmark buildings to deli cups, and encouraging artists to address timely issues such as domestic violence, AIDS and racial inequality. Creative Time also promotes collaboration within the creative community, partnering with such organizations as Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2007 Creative Time expanded to national and international projects, working with artists, sites and partners in cities such as New Orleans, Baltimore, Chicago and London. In 2008 Creative Time was hired by the city of Louisville to develop its first Public Art Master Plan.

Through the Meadows Prize, Creative Time's consultants will make several extended trips to Dallas over a year's period to develop recommendations for growing and nurturing the Dallas arts community. The group intends to lead discussions, identify stakeholders, and help participants agree on goals and a plan of action. The aim is to bring together artists, collectors, gallery owners, arts organizations, urban planners, schools and city officials to lay the preliminary groundwork for a process that will lead to a master plan for the arts in the city.

The new Meadows Prize replaces the Meadows Award, which was given annually from 1981 to 2003 to honor the accomplishments of an artist at the pinnacle of a distinguished career. The Meadows Prize will be presented each fall to up to four artists. Recipients must be pioneering artists and scholars with an emerging international profile, active in a discipline represented by one of the academic units within the Meadows School: advertising, art, art history, arts administration, cinema-television, corporate communications, dance, journalism, music and theatre.

Above, eighth blackbird members (back row, left to right): Nicholas Photinos, cello; Tim Munro, flutes; Matthew Duvall, percussion; Michael J. Maccaferri, clarinets; (front row) Matt Albert, violin and viola; Lisa Kaplan, piano. Photo by Luke Ratray.

• Read more about the selection committee and process from SMU News
• Learn more about eighth blackbird
• Visit the Creative Time website

The Caruth Institute for Engineering Education in SMU's Lyle School of Engineering welcomes Sherwin Greenblatt, former president of the BOSE® Corporation, as guest speaker for the SMU/Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® Lecture Series at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

An alumnus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Greenblatt currently heads the MIT Venture Mentoring Service. His interests are in innovation and how to encourage people to be entrepreneurs.

Greenblatt was the first employee at Bose Corporation, according to MIT. As a project engineer, he worked on the early development of Bose® high-fidelity loudspeakers and related electronic systems. Before retiring in 2000, he held the positions of Chief Engineer, Director of Engineering, Executive Vice President and, for 15 years, President. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees, both in Electrical Engineering, from MIT.

A reception will follow the lecture from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Embrey Engineering Building's Huitt-Zollars Pavilion.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and SMU's Office of Information Technology (OIT) is working overtime to raise the profile of computer threats and what users can do to block them. In this article, Rachel Mulry, assistant director of the OIT Service Desk, offers information you can use to protect your own desktop.

The responsibility of protecting University data is shared among all of us. All IT staff work diligently to ensure that our network and services are delivered and supported while adhering to security best practices. No matter how secure our network environment or service environment is, it can all be negated by one careless mistake.

Each of us, no matter what our role at SMU, possesses an account with a password that grants access to the network and various IT services. Each account, if it falls into the wrong hands, could threaten the security of our University network and data. Each of us needs to be vigilant in guarding our account ID and password and ensuring that it is adequately protected.

You can increase the security of your password by following these guidelines:

• Use a strong password or passphrase that does not include personal data such as the name of your spouse or child, birthdates, pet names, etc.
• Do not use the same password for your SMU account and other online accounts (Amazon, Yahoo!, etc).
• Change your password regularly
• Never write your password down
• Never share your password with anyone

Regardless of what type of computer or mobile device you possess, please do the following:

• Ensure that the software (including operating system as well as application) is updated with all available security patches
• Ensure that the system is protected with an active antivirus and antispyware application
• Ensure that the device is always protected with a login and screensaver password
• Ensure that any device sharing files is appropriately configured to ensure only authorized individuals are able to access the data

There is always a delicate balance between security and convenience. IT makes every effort to ensure that we are implementing security measures according to best practices as long as they are in the best interest of the customers and the University. Remember, the protection of University information is a shared responsibility. Please pay attention to password security, desktop and computer security, and the physical security of your office environment at all times.

OIT will present a number of workshops and events focused on increasing awareness of computer security issues, including identity theft, password security, phishing, spyware, worms and desktop security. For the complete schedule of events, visit the Office of Information Technology website.

SMU's 2010 Open Enrollment takes place Oct. 14-30, 2009. The Open Enrollment period is the only opportunity for SMU employees to make changes to benefits elections for the coming year, except for life event changes.

Some important information for 2010:

• The Aetna HMO plan will no longer be offered as of 2010. Those who are currently enrolled in the HMO and wish to continue medical coverage under an SMU plan must select another option for the coming year.
• The Employee + One category has been replaced with two new options: Employee + Spouse and Employee + Child(ren).
• Medical premium costs will rise this year. However, many can avoid premium increases by selecting a higher deductible level or offset out-of-pocket expenses by participating in the Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) or the Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution limits will increase for 2010.
• Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code enables SMU to deduct premiums for your health coverage on a pre-tax basis. As a result, SMU will undergo a dependent eligibility audit of University health plans during the first quarter of 2010. All individuals claiming a dependent for insurance purposes will be required to provide supporting documentation of the relationship to the covered dependent. Faculty and staff members will have the opportunity to drop non-eligible dependents from coverage during open enrollment, prior to the audit.
• Under the SMU Health and Wellness Plan, mental health and substance abuse services will be covered at the same benefit level as physical health and illness.

This year, Human Resources is offering an enhanced and updated version of the Access.SMU Benefits Open Enrollment application introduced during 2009 open enrollment. The application gives faculty and staff members easy access to useful information to help make decisions on benefit options and plans.

Training in the Access.SMU open enrollment application will be available during Health and Wellness Day Oct. 22. In addition, Director of Total Compensation and Associate Director of Human Resources Sheri Starkey will offer an information session on choosing the right plan for your needs. Read more on 2009 Health and Wellness Day.

Who needs to make changes?

This year's benefits changes will 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:

• You want to make changes to your current coverage.
• You want to add or drop dependents from coverage.
• You are currently enrolled in the Aetna HMO, which will not be offered for 2010.
• You are currently enrolled for Employee + One medical coverage.
• You want to adjust your premium payments.
• You want to participate in one or both of the Flexible Spending Accounts in 2010.
• You want to make a contribution to the Health Savings Account (HSA) in 2010.

To take advantage of Online Open Enrollment at Access.SMU:

• Enter your Access.SMU user ID and password as you normally would to review your pay statement.
• Click Benefits Open Enrollment under Benefits on the right to access your personalized Open Enrollment record.
• Be sure to read all instructions carefully before making elections for 2010.

Learn more under the link.

Programs, providers and preparedness - as well as a dose of prevention - will be features of SMU's 2009 Health and Wellness Day Oct. 22. Faculty and staff members can visit with vendors, learn more about Access.SMU Open Enrollment, get a seasonal flu shot and more during the benefits fair, scheduled for 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center's lower level.

Keynote speaker Marsha Upsom, founder of the Naturally Slim Healthy Weight Loss Program, will discuss "Simple Steps for Losing Weight, Gaining Health and Reducing the Sugar in Your Diet." Other information sessions will include:

• A comprehensive look at choosing a medical plan with Director of Total Compensation and Associate Director of Human Resources Sheri Starkey
• An introduction to SMU's new vision care provider, Vision Services Program (VSP)
• A panel discussion on flu preparedness

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar testing
• Body fat testing
• Body mass index
• Breast cancer information
• Diabetes information
• Skin cancer screenings

Known for a dozen years as SMU-in-Legacy, the University's campus located in Plano's Legacy Business Park is aptly changing its name to the more familiar SMU-in-Plano.

Festivities to celebrate the name change begin Oct. 29 with a 4 p.m. reception featuring SMU President R. Gerald Turner and Plano Mayor Phil Dyer at the SMU-in-Plano campus, 5232 Tennyson Parkway. A Community Open House is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 30-31, to which all SMU faculty and staff are invited. Saturday will include trick-or-treating and a costume contest for kids. For more information, visit smuplano.com.

Kate Livingston, SMU-in-Plano campus director, cites several factors for the switch. "This new moniker distinguishes the campus from the nearby commercial development called 'The Campus at Legacy,' which has proved confusing," she says. "The school is located on Tennyson Parkway, not Legacy Drive, and SMU has a sister campus in New Mexico called SMU-in-Taos, so it makes sense to have both reflect the city in which they reside."

The Plano campus opened in 1997 to offer SMU's resources to working professionals in the growing Collin County area who wished to strengthen their careers through higher education. Today some 800 graduate students are enrolled at the campus, pursuing master's degrees or professional certificates through programs including the Cox Professional M.B.A., counseling, dispute resolution, teacher education and engineering. The digital game design Master's program at The Guildhall at SMU attracts students from across the United States and internationally.

Beginning in January 2010, SMU-in-Plano will add two more programs: the Master of Liberal Studies degree, offered through the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, and the Graduate Marketing Certificate Program, offered by the Cox School of Business.

In addition to graduate degrees and certificate programs, SMU-in-Plano offers noncredit courses for adults through the Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE) program, such as photography, financial planning and test preparation. Summer programs include the Advanced Placement Institute for teachers, as well as the Academic Enhancement programs and Summer Youth Program for K-12.

Belo Corp., owner of WFAA-TV and former parent company of The Dallas Morning News, is donating the Belo Corporate Archives to SMU's DeGolyer Library. The thousands of documents in the archives include materials from A.H. Belo Corporation, which was formed to own The Dallas Morning News and other newspapers that were spun off from Belo Corp. in February 2008.

"Since 1985, Belo Corp. has invested in updating its archival collection that traces the history of the Company as well as the City of Dallas. We are proud of this collection and believe it is best situated in a permanent curatorial setting such as the DeGolyer Library," said Robert W. Decherd, chairman of Belo Corp. "The board of directors and management of Belo Corp. are very pleased that SMU will be home to the archives and thereby enhance the University's already significant collections."

Belo was established in 1842, making it the oldest continuously operated business institution in Texas. The archives include the private and business correspondence and private and business papers of company leaders such as G.B. Dealey, E.M. "Ted" Dealey, Joe M. Dealey, James M. Moroney, James M. Moroney Jr., H. Ben Decherd and Robert W. Decherd.

The archives also contain the operational papers of the company itself, including annual reports to management and shareholders, and recordings of important company-related events, beginning with audio recordings from the 1920s and 1930s and continuing to the present.

"The Belo gift is a magnificent trove of primary materials, covering the multi-faceted operations of the oldest continuously-operated business in Texas," says Gillian McCombs, dean and director of SMU's Central University Libraries. "We are truly grateful to Belo for making these materials accessible to the public by donating them to SMU, where they will be used for teaching and research in a wide range of fields, from journalism, business and history to literary and cultural studies."

(Above, an original Bullock perfecting press used by The Dallas News at its beginning in 1885. On the far right is G.B. Dealey, then the business manager of the newspaper. Photo courtesy of DeGolyer Library.)

• Read more from SMU News

Author and Dallas Observer columnist Jim Schutze will share his views on everything from City Hall to the Trinity River toll road with the Retired Faculty Association Oct. 13. "Inside Dallas: A Muckraker's Paradise" begins at 4 p.m. in Smith Auditorium, Meadows Museum.

A former Dallas bureau chief for the Houston Chronicle, Schutze is familiar to Dallasites for his Observer work focusing on city politics. His reporting has earned three Unity Awards, a national prize for journalism on racial issues.

Schutze is also the author of several nonfiction books on true murder cases; two have been finalists for the Edgar Allan Poe Award presented by the Mystery Writers of America. His 1998 work, Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge, in 2001 became a major motion picture directed by Larry Clark.

The afternoon begins with a wine and cheese reception from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Meadows Museum's Jones Great Hall. The event is sponsored by the SMU Retired Faculty Association, with the support of the Provost's Office.

For more information, contact Darwin Payne, Retired Faculty Association president.

The Meadows Museum reopens its redesigned plaza and sculpture garden - including its iconic Wave installation - with a dedication ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 7. The celebration will include the unveiling of a major new acquisition, Sho (left), a monumental sculpture by Catalán artist Jaume Plensa.

The dedication launches a celebration of the Elizabeth Meadows Sculpture Collection with the exhibition "Face and Form: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture in the Meadows Collection." The new plaza will feature a permanent installation of monumental sculpture from the Elizabeth Meadows Collection and the Meadows Museum by artists such as Jacques Lipchitz, Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, and Claes Oldenburg.

The plaza's centerpiece will be Sho, acquired in summer 2009 through gifts from The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Nancy and Jake Hamon, The Meadows Foundation, The Pollock Foundation, the family of Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Pollock and the family of Mr. Lawrence S. Pollock III.

Santiago Calatrava's Wave (right), already a fixture of the plaza's southwest corner, can now be viewed from above from a terrace donated by Richard and Gwen Irwin in honor of his parents, William and Florence Irwin. A staircase, which can be approached from each side, will help integrate the plaza with the rest of the campus, while a new fountain at its foot will greet museum visitors.

The museum will also feature two exhibitions, opening Oct. 8, that illustrate the processes used by Plensa and Calatrava in the creation of Sho and Wave. The displays in the downstairs galleries will include drawings, watercolors, photographs and other materials highlighting both the creative and construction processes involved.

• Read more about "Face and Form: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture in the Meadows Collection"
• Visit the Meadows Museum online

Three contemporary plays will open the 2009-10 season of the Division of Theatre in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts. The shows will open consecutively beginning Oct. 8 and will run through Oct. 18 in the Margo Jones Theatre, Owen Arts Center.

The first show, Betrayed by George Packer, opens Oct. 8. Packer, a writer for The New Yorker and author of The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq, based his play about Iraqi translators working for the Americans in Baghdad on his experiences as a reporter there. Betrayed portrays the real-life struggles of Iraqi citizens who offered their services to support the U.S. mission, only to be denied protection by the American government they served as the country splintered among insurgent groups. Stan Wojewodski Jr. directs.

Opening Oct. 9 is Chat Room, a one-act by contemporary Irish playwright Enda Walsh. The drama focuses on a bullied, depressed teenage boy looking for connections in Internet chatrooms, where he finds two anonymous "advisors" who make it their mission to drive him to suicide. Regina Bonifasi directs.

Pure Confidence by Carlyle Brown opens Oct. 10. This comedy-drama, based on historical characters, tells the story of Civil War-era jockey and slave Simon Cato, who uses his determination, wit and athletic skill to chart his own course to freedom. Erik Carter directs.

Tickets for each show are $7 each for SMU faculty, staff and students. Find a complete performance schedule, and buy tickets online, at the Meadows Division of Theatre homepage.

Above, sophomore theatre majors Katherine Bourne and Joel Heinrich (at right in photo) with junior theatre major McLean Krieger (center) in Chat Room by Enda Walsh, directed by Regina Bonifasi. Photo by Linda Blase.

SMU is committed to fostering a safe learning and working environment for its campus community. As part of that commitment, the SMU Police Department prepares and distributes an annual security report for the University's main campus, the SMU-in-Plano campus and the SMU-in-Taos campus in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

These reports, published by Oct. 1 each year and posted online at smu.edu/pd, contain three calendar years of crime statistics, including incidents occurring on campus, at public areas adjacent to campus and at certain non-campus facilities, including Greek houses and remote classrooms.

Information also is gathered from the University Park Police Department, Highland Park Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department, Taos County Sheriff's Department in New Mexico and other University officials who have significant responsibility for students and campus activities.

SMU encourages students, faculty and staff to be partners in enhancing security on campus and to share responsibility for their safety by heeding laws and regulations, taking safety precautions and avoiding behavior that puts them at risk. We must remain mindful, for example, that while SMU's campus engenders a comfort level one would expect of a collegiate setting, our location in a major metropolitan area brings with it challenges as well as opportunities.

To request a paper copy of the University's annual security report, call the SMU Police Department at 214-768-1348 or e-mail Officer Linda Perez.

Read more about SMU's campus security and safety programs under the link.

Businesswoman and philanthropist Madeleine Pickens, businessman and financier T. Boone Pickens, SMU Coach June Jones and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and Super Bowl VI MVP Roger Staubach have announced a "Salute to the Mustangs" event to be held during pre-game and halftime of the SMU-Navy football game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium Oct. 17.

At the game, Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens will present SMU President R. Gerald Turner, Coach Jones and SMU with a trained mustang as a gift to the school. The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive an SMU spirit towel.

The event is designed to raise awareness of efforts to protect and save America's wild horses. Madeleine Pickens has proposed a plan by which her National Wild Horse Foundation (NWHF), a private non-profit foundation, will establish a sanctuary as a permanent home to protect and care for wild horses presently in captivity. The sanctuary also would provide a location for the public to visit and appreciate the horses.

To help build support for the campaign, Coach Jones and Madeleine Pickens have sent out a letter to high schools that have horse-related mascots, including the Mustangs, the Broncos, the Cowboys, the Colts, the Stallions, the Caballeros and the Mavericks, asking them to join the effort. Members of the general public also can demonstrate their support through the MadeleinesMustangs.org website.

(Above, left to right: SMU Head Football Coach June Jones, philanthropists Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach and SMU President R. Gerald Turner.)

• Read the official NWHF announcement, courtesy of SMU News
• Learn more at MadeleinesMustangs.org

Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas will give the next lecture in SMU's 2009-10 Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series at 8 p.m. Sept. 30 in McFarlin Auditorium.

In 1990, Justice Thomas became a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He took his seat on the Supreme Court in 1991 after his nomination by President George H.W. Bush. He was admitted to law practice in Missouri in 1974, and served as an Assistant Attorney General of Missouri from 1974-77. Following that, he was an attorney with the Monsanto Company from 1977-1979 and Legislative Assistant to Senator John Danforth from 1979-81.

From 1981-82, Justice Thomas served as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education. From 1982-90, he was Chairman of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

He received an A.B. cum laude from Holy Cross College and his J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 1974. In addition, Justice Thomas is the bestselling author of My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir, published in 2007 by Harper.

The evening lecture is sold out. Justice Thomas will answer questions from SMU community members and local high school students in the Turner Construction Student Forum at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom.

• Visit the Tate Distinguished Lecture Series website

Author, political journalist and broadcaster Gwen Ifill will present SMU's 2009 Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics at 8 p.m. Oct. 1 in Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center.

Since 1999, Ifill has been moderator and managing editor of PBS' "Washington Week" - in its 40th year, the longest-running prime-time news and public affairs program on television. She also serves as senior correspondent and occasional anchor on "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." On "Washington Week," Ifill leads a rotating panel of journalists offering analysis into the week's top news stories.

Previously, Ifill worked at NBC News as chief congressional and political correspondent, appearing on the "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," "Today" and MSNBC, and was a frequent panelist on "Meet the Press." In addition, she was White House correspondent for The New York Times and covered politics and government for The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and the Boston Herald American.

Ifill moderated the vice presidential debates during the 2004 and 2008 elections. During the 2008 presidential campaign, she wrote The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Her analysis of the changing black political culture and power structure, as well as the roles of race and racism in the election itself, made the New York Times bestseller list.

In 2001, Ifill gave SMU's Louise B. Raggio Endowed Lecture in Women's Studies.

The Sammons Lecture Series is presented by the Division of Journalism in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts. Tickets are free; reservations are required. For more information, contact the Meadows Ticket Office, 214-768-2787 (214-SMU-ARTS).

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and SMU's Office of Information Technology (OIT) will celebrate with several events designed to inform and engage the University community.

Awareness Month begins with a kickoff event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Crossing.

Events will culminate with OIT's first annual Technology Fair 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 30 in the lower level of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Representatives from Apple, Dell, Verizon and other vendors will be on hand.

The fair will also include brief sessions on security, software and applications such as Locker and Office, as well as a Blackboard Help Desk and a Cell Phone First Aid table. The festivities include table giveaways and a drawing for a USB hub.

In addition, OIT will host weekly brown-bag sessions on issues such as malware, desktop security and identify theft. The complete schedule:

• Oct. 2: Identity Theft
  Noon-1 p.m., Hughes-Trigg Student Center Forum
• Oct. 8: Yours, Mine, and Ours - Protecting Personal Information
  Noon-1 p.m., HR Training Room, 208 Expressway Tower, East Campus
• Oct. 16: Passwords Are Like Underwear
  Noon-1 p.m., 112 Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building
• Oct. 23: Phishing, Spyware, and Worms, Oh My!
  Noon-1 p.m., Hughes-Trigg Student Center Forum
• Oct. 30: Desktop Security
  Noon-1 p.m., Hughes-Trigg Student Center Forum (during the Tech Fair)

• Visit the Office of Information Technology online
• Learn about National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
• More about malware from Wikipedia

The SMU Staff Association celebrates a decade of peace, love and music with its 2009 Talent Show Oct. 8.

An exhibition of staff-created art, photography and crafts begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom foyer. A live show with staff members sharing their talents as singers, musicians, dancers and comics begins at noon inside the Ballroom.

The event is free and open to the University community. The preceding luncheon is $12, and advance payment is required. Send your lunch RSVP to SMUSA by Sept. 30; send checks payable to "SMU Staff Association" to Gretchen Voight at SMU Box 181.

It's not too late to participate - contact SMUSA by Sept. 30 if you'd like to perform or exhibit at the event.

• Visit the SMU Staff Association website

Cellist and SMU faculty member Andrés Díaz has received a Latin Grammy nomination for his recording of Bach Cello Suites released on the Azica Records label. The recording was nominated in the "Best Classical Album" category.

Recorded during a blizzard at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, the two-CD recording includes Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Suite No. 2 in D minor, Suite No. 3 in C Major, Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, Suite No. 5 in C minor and Suite No. 6 in C Major. It was produced by former Dallas resident Alan Bise and engineered by Bruce Egre.

A native of Santiago, Chile, Díaz began studying cello at the age of five. Since winning First Prize in the 1986 Naumburg International Cello Competition, he has received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as a grant from the Susan W. Rose Fund for Music in 1998.

Díaz, who joined SMU in 2006, lives in Dallas with his wife, Julie, and sons Peter Manuel and Gabriel Andrés. He is an associate professor in the Music Division of SMU's Meadows School of the Arts. He plays a 1698 Matteo Goffriller cello with a bow made by his father, Manuel Díaz.

• Listen to samples from Díaz' album courtesy of SMU News
• Read more about Andrés Díaz in the 2007 SMU Research magazine

A landmark federal court decision banning the teaching of creationism, and the NOVA film documentary that recounts the case, will be the focus of a series of events at SMU Sept. 24-25.

In 2005, federal Judge John E. Jones III banned the Dover, Pennsylvania, school district from teaching "intelligent design" in the classroom, ruling that the course of study had been introduced by the local school board for religious reasons and did not constitute science.

But the case was far from the final word. Many Americans still question evolution and believe that an alternative should be taught in public schools. In Texas, controversy over the teaching of science continues to roil meetings of the State Board of Education.

Several of the major players in the Dover trial, as well as professionals who later helped analyze its impact through the media, will be featured at SMU through an assortment of lectures, film screenings and panel discussions.

The programs begin Sept. 24 with a 10 a.m. reception and 10:30 a.m. lecture at DeGolyer Library, featuring Paula Apsell (right), senior executive producer, and Melanie Wallace, senior series producer of NOVA's documentary, "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial." Those planning to attend should RSVP to 214-768-3225 or Cynthia Ruppi.

The documentary, "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial," will be screened at 4 p.m. Sept. 24 in O'Donnell Hall, Owen Arts Center. A panel discussion on legal, ethical and journalistic issues surrounding the making of the film will follow from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center. Panelists will include Judge Jones, documentary producers Apsell and Wallace, plaintiff's council Eric Rothschild and Lauri Lebo, author of The Devil in Dover.

On Sept. 25, from 10-11:30 a.m., First Amendment issues will get closer scrutiny in a panel discussion at SMU's Dedman School of Law. Jones, Rothschild (now in private practice), Liberty Legal Institute attorney Hiram Sasser and Dedman School of Law Professor Lackland Bloom will trade ideas and opinions in Karcher Auditorium, Storey Hall.

The series concludes Sept. 25 with reporter and author Lebo's lecture from 2-3 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Forum. Lebo will speak on "From Dover to Texas: Reporting on Extremist Views in a Fair and Balanced World" and sign copies of her book, The Devil in Dover.

NOVA Senior Executive Producer Apsell, who received an honorary degree from SMU in 2008, says the documentary underscores not only a historic court case, but also a critical science lesson.

"What happens when half of the population doesn't accept one of the most fundamental underpinnings of the sciences?" Apsell asks. "Evolution is the absolute bedrock of the biological sciences. It's essential to medical science, agriculture, and biotechnology. And it's critical to understanding the natural world around us."

The events are part of SMU's yearlong "Darwin's Evolving Legacy" series. All are free and open to the public.

• Read more from SMU News
• Visit the "Darwin's Evolving Legacy" website
• Learn more about the documentary at the NOVA homepage
• Review Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District at Wikipedia

Three leading journalists discussed the environment, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other global challenges during SMU's Tate Distinguished Lecture Series Turner Construction Student Forum Sept. 8.

Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and author of books including The Post-American World, also addressed the challenges of personal politics when asked whether he considers himself a centrist.

"I find that when people ask what team they're going to support, they end up with: 'That answer has to be right because my team is always right,'" he said. "I think that's fundamentally intellectually dishonest. What you should be asking is: 'What is the right answer?' The one thing I've learned through a not-so-long career is that you're always better off saying what you believe and standing exactly where you think you should be."

Zakaria participated in the discussion with Thomas Friedman, Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times and author of books including Hot, Flat, and Crowded; and David Gergen, senior political analyst for CNN, editor-at-large of U.S. News & World Report and former White House adviser.

Under the link below are highlights of their question-and-answer session with SMU and area high school students at Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

The three also gave the Linda and Mitch Hart Lecture at McFarlin Auditorium as part of the Tate Lecture Series. In addition, Zakaria presented the Hart Global Leaders Forum on Sept. 9.

The next Tate Distinguished Lecture features U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and will take place Sept. 30.

• Watch videos of the lectures
• Read more about Zakaria's Hart Global Leaders Forum presentation
• Visit the Tate Distinguished Lecture Series website

(Originally published Sept. 18, 2009 - updated Sept. 22, 2009.)

The fall 2009 vaccine for protection against seasonal flu is now available on campus, and the first flu shot clinic for faculty and staff members is scheduled for 2-7 p.m. Sept. 24 in Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports.

Flu shot clinics for students begin Sept. 21.

Cases of novel H1N1 flu continue to be seen on the SMU campus and throughout the country. A vaccine for novel H1N1 is currently in production, and the SMU Memorial Health Center plans to have it available later this fall.

The timing and duration of seasonal flu outbreaks can vary. Spread of seasonal flu can begin as early as October and occur as late as March. The best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination each flu season. The seasonal flu vaccine administered in January 2009 will not provide protection for the upcoming flu season.

The University pays the cost of flu shots for benefit-eligible employees, retirees and retiree spouses. Employee spouses may purchase shots for $25. The cost for students insured with Aetna student insurance program is $5.

In addition, faculty and staff members can get free flu shots from a primary-care doctor with no deductible and no office visit co-pay. Vaccines are covered under the $500 Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO preventive care benefit when submitted as a claim for "routine immunization." Vaccines are also covered under the Aetna HMO preventive care benefit.

To shorten your wait at the University flu clinics, take these steps in advance:

• Complete the Seasonal Flu Vaccine Form and bring it with you. (PDF format)
• Review the Health Center's Privacy Policy. (PDF format)
• Review the flu vaccine information. (PDF format)
• Bring your SMU ID or ID number to the clinic.

The University Commission on Substance Abuse Education and Prevention has released its 2008-09 report, which is posted on the Live Responsibly site.

The ongoing commission - composed of students, faculty, and staff - is continuing the work of the President's Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention. In their new report, the commission members assess the University's implementation of the more than 30 recommendations made by the task force.

The new initiatives include the Good Samaritan and Medical Amnesty Programs that encourage students to call for emergency help for themselves or friends due to substance abuse. In 2008-09, 34 students applied for and received amnesty.

• Read more about the report on the Live Responsibly site

September is National Preparedness Month, and SMU has joined in its observation by scheduling Emergency Preparedness Day for Sept. 16. The details were shared in the following e-mail sent to students, faculty and staff members on Sept. 14-15:

As a part of the Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Month, SMU has designated September 16, 2009 as Emergency Preparedness Day.

We encourage SMU students, faculty and staff to do the following:

• Orient yourself to Lockdown procedures by viewing the video, "Shots Fired on Campus."
• Update your personal contact information, especially your cell phone number, in Access.SMU so you can be notified in the event of an emergency.*
• Know What to Do in emergencies on campus by reviewing the safety actions: evacuation, shelter-in-place and lockdown. Look for posters in classrooms or review them online.

---

* Please Note: A test of the SMU Emergency Notification System will be conducted on September 16. The test will consist of cell phone messages, text messages and e-mails that read: "This is a test of the SMU Emergency Notification System." No action on your part will be necessary.

Recent research that suggests human culture may have had a profound effect on shaping our DNA will be the topic of the Collegium da Vinci's 2009 Darwin's Evolving Legacy Public Lecture. Robert Moyzis, professor of biological chemistry at the University of California-Irvine, will address the question, "Are Humans Still Evolving?" at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Crum Auditorium, Collins Executive Education Center.

Moyzis' work focuses on human DNA, particularly the tips of human chromosomes, known as telomeres. His mapping of these areas as part of the Human Genome Project revealed that these telomeres - previously thought to be "junk DNA" - contain active sequences that may play important roles in cancer and aging. His most recent research suggests that as much as 10 percent of the human genome is still evolving and that the process may actually have accelerated during the past several thousand years.

In 1993, Moyzis won the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science for "distinguished contributions to the field of molecular genetics," citing research that "point[s] to the existence of a new type of DNA code that is 'structural' in nature and is shared by the DNA of many other organisms."

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Collegium da Vinci office, 214-768-1177.

• Learn more at the Collegium da Vinci homepage

The Faculty Senate is seeking nominations for SMU's honorary degree class of 2010. Nominees should be individuals "whose uncommon personal accomplishments at home or abroad have served society and the public good, or who enlarge human understanding and enrich human life, in any field of endeavor." The deadline for nominations is Sept. 25.

Nominations should include a cover note identifying your membership in the University community, an unsigned letter of nomination, and supporting materials. Send via e-mail or regular mail to Faculty Senate Secretary Kenneth Springer, SMU Box 750241. Find a list of previous recipients at the Registrar's homepage.

(Above, Arthur Mitchell, 2009 recipient of an SMU Doctor of Arts honoris causa, with President R. Gerald Turner.)

SMU President R. Gerald Turner provided details of the University's response to cases of flu and flu-like illnesses on campus in an e-mail to the entire community dated Sept. 4, 2009. The e-mail listed procedures for faculty, staff and students and included links to more information.

• Read the entire text at the SMU News site
• Visit the SMU flu site

Author and historian Robert J. Norrell, professor of history and Bernadotte Schmitt Chair of Excellence at the University of Tennessee, will join SMU experts in a panel discussion of the University's 2009 Common Reading at 4 p.m. Sept. 15 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

Three SMU professors, all from Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, will participate in the discussion of Barack Obama's 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance:

• Angela Ards, assistant professor of English
• Kenneth Hamilton, associate professor of history
• Harold Stanley, Geurin-Pettus Professor of American Politics and Political Economy

The event is sponsored by the Gartner Honors Lecture Series, the University Honors Program and the Office of the Provost. For more information, visit SMU Central University Libraries' Common Reading homepage.

The installation of new University Chaplain Stephen Rankin takes place at 4 p.m. Sept. 14 in Perkins Chapel. A reception will follow the ceremony in Jones Hall, Meadows Museum.

Rankin joined SMU in July 2009 as chaplain, minister to the University and adjunct professor of church history and ministry in Perkins School of Theology. Previously, he was campus minister and Kirk Chair Professor of Religious Studies at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas.

• Read more about Chaplain Rankin
• Visit the SMU Chaplain's Office online

The SMU community is invited to celebrate the dedication of Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall and the expanded, renovated Perkins School of Theology quad at 12:15 p.m. Sept. 11 near Perkins Chapel at 5901 Bishop Boulevard.

The Perkins-Prothro family of Wichita Falls, whose financial support of the seminary spans three generations, gave $6 million to the school in January 2007 - about half of the funds required to renovate Kirby Hall and Selecman Hall, both of which were originally built in the early '50s, and to construct a commons building to be named in honor of the late Elizabeth Perkins Prothro.

A lunch and open house will follow the dedication. In addition, SMU will honor Mrs. Prothro's contributions to the University with a celebration of her life.

• Read more about the theology quad expansion
• See and RSVP President Turner's invitation online

SMU's Second Century Campaign has reached 50 percent giving participation among all faculty and staff members, according to a statement released by the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff.

The faculty-staff campaign also exceeded its 25 percent annual participation goal, according to its website.

The Offices of the President and Legal Affairs set the pace with 100 percent participation, with Development and External Affairs close behind at 95 percent. The Lyle School of Engineering leads among individual schools and colleges with 78 percent participation.

"We look forward to engaging each of you now and over the life of the campaign as we invest in students, faculty and the unique SMU experience," wrote Harold Stanley and Julie Wiksten ('78, '92), co-chairs of the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, in an e-mail sent Sept. 8.

• Visit the Faculty & Staff Giving homepage
• See photos from the campuswide kickoff celebrations
• Watch the campaign video
• View current participation rates for all schools and areas
• Find your Red Pony honoring your gift
• Make a gift to the faculty-staff campaign

The George W. Bush Foundation has announced that Ambassador James K. Glassman - a public policy scholar, diplomat and journalist - will be the founding executive director of the George W. Bush Institute. The Institute will be part of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

• Read the complete press release from the George W. Bush Foundation (PDF format)

SMU's Human Rights Education Program is cosponsoring a three-month series of lectures, symposiums, film screenings, photography exhibits and musical performances examining how the Holocaust continues to affect the world.

"Holocaust Legacies: Shoah as Turning Point" begins Sept. 9 with a 7 p.m. reception and a 7:30 p.m. introductory panel discussion in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Forum. The program will run through the end of November with events held both on and off the SMU campus, and all events are free and open to the public.

Panel members on Sept. 9 will include Christopher Anderson, associate professor of sacred music in Perkins School of Theology; Janis Bergman-Carton, art history chair in Meadows School of the Arts; Elliott Dlin, executive director of the Dallas Holocaust Museum; Rick Halperin, director of SMU's Human Rights Education Program and Tom Mayo, director of SMU's Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility.

Halperin, who each December escorts educational groups to former Nazi death camp locations in Poland, is committed to raising awareness of what he calls "the crime within the war," even as the number of people who lived through the war, and the Holocaust, dwindles with each passing year. September marks the 70th anniversary of the Nazi German invasion of Poland and beginning of World War II.

"It's safe to say most Americans don't think about World War II any more," Halperin said. "We fought the war, defeated the Nazis, and came home the good guys. We mushroomed into a world power. Most Americans since then have lived a relatively safe and comfortable life."

But the legacy of the Holocaust continues at many levels, Halperin said: The Nazis committed the greatest art theft in history, looting the collections of Jewish families whose descendents are still litigating to see their treasures returned. All major war crime tribunals bear the stamp of the post-World War II Nuremburg Trials, and the United States in May deported a nearly 90-year-old man, John Demjanjuk, for Nazi war crimes.

Halperin noted that in Europe, sensitivity to the Shoah's legacy is reflected even in restrictions to how people talk and write about the Nazi regime. "You can buy a copy of Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf in the SMU Book Store - that's free speech," Halperin explained. "You can deny the Holocaust in the U.S., and that's free speech, too. You can't do that in Europe." Halperin said he expects the series to be "a powerful, emotional, somber and sobering series of events."

Co-sponsors for the 2009 Fall Program Series are SMU's Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance, SMU Meadows School of the Arts, SMU Perkins School of Theology, TCU's Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Department of Social Work and the University of Dallas.

• Find a complete schedule at the SMU News site

Journalist and author Fareed Zakaria will speak to about 200 Dallas-area students in the 2009 Hart Global Leaders Forum Sept. 9.

Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International since 2000, is responsible for the magazine's overseas editions. He also writes a Newsweek column that appears in The Washington Post. In 2008 he began hosting a foreign affairs program, "Fareed Zakaria GPS," for CNN Worldwide. He is the author of The Post American World, The Future of Freedom and From Wealth to Power and co-editor of The American Encounter.

On Sept. 8, Zakaria will help kick off the 28th season of SMU's Tate Distinguished Lecture Series with Thomas Friedman and David Gergen. The three will answer questions from the audience at The Turner Construction Student Forum at 4:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom. They also will give The Linda and Mitch Hart Lecture at 8 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium, with Gergen serving as moderator.

• Visit the Tate Distinguished Lecture Series homepage

The entire SMU community is invited to the dedication of the new Mustang Plaza and Mall at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 4 in front of Moody Coliseum.

The mall opens the area in front of the coliseum to pedestrian traffic and is designed to be the main thoroughfare to and from proposed new sophomore housing as laid out in the University's Centennial Master Plan.

• See the Centennial Master Plan map
• See President Turner's invitation at SMU News

Cases of the flu have been recently reported in North Texas, including several at SMU.

The University has increased the frequency of sanitation procedures in University buildings and encourages vigilance regarding personal hygiene and health habits. There are things you can do to help prevent the spread of germs, including:

• Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching common surfaces (door handles, railings, etc.).
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with either a disposable tissue or your sleeve.
• If you have a fever or flu-like symptoms, do not go to work or class until 24 hours after you no longer have fever. Students who miss class should contact their professors about making up any missed assignments. Human Resources is developing guidelines for employees who miss work. The Provost is developing academic guidelines for faculty and staff.
• Regularly clean work surfaces and touch points (door handles, drawer pulls, chair arms, etc.) in your work area and home.

The University remains in close contact with the Dallas County Health Department, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization. The University also is monitoring the flu situation in other countries for those studying or teaching abroad. Learn more from SMU's Flu Homepage.

• What SMU is doing about the flu
• Academic plans for a possible flu pandemic
• Faculty and staff guidelines regarding a flu outbreak from SMU Human Resources
• Flu information for parents
• Cleaning and disinfecting guidelines

C. Michael Hawn, professor of church music and director of the Master of Sacred Music Program in Perkins School of Theology, was honored as the 2008-09 United Methodist Church University Scholar/Teacher of the Year at SMU's Fall 2009 General Faculty Meeting Aug. 26.

New University Chaplain Stephen Rankin gave the invocation, and President R. Gerald Turner updated the faculty on enrollment, the Second Century Campaign and other issues surrounding campus life. Provost Paul Ludden presented newly tenured faculty members with their regalia.

When Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was first published in 1859, only 1,250 copies of the book were printed. Subsequent printings were not much larger, 3,000 at the most, despite five additional editions published through 1872.

The collections of SMU's DeGolyer Library include a copy of each of the six editions published in Darwin's lifetime, as well as the numerous impressions made for each edition - including more than 60 volumes printed through 1890. Those editions form the nucleus of a major exhibit about the father of evolution.

"On the Origin of Species: Texts and Contexts for Charles Darwin's Great Work" will appear Sept. 8-Dec. 9, 2009, as part of "Darwin's Evolving Legacy," SMU's yearlong celebration honoring both the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's seminal text and the 200th anniversary of his birth. The exhibition will be accompanied by comments from the popular press of the time, as well as other books and publications by Darwin, including his famous The Voyage of the Beagle.

"The Charles Darwin collection is one of the hidden jewels in the library. While we are best known, perhaps, for our Western Americana and railroadiana, our books and journals in the history of science are extraordinary," says Russell Martin, DeGolyer Library director.

"We hope the exhibit will be a visual feast," Martin adds. "We"ll get to see how the book itself evolved over time - text, bindings - and how Darwin fit into the scientific and popular literature of his day. Many of the books are annotated by former readers, so we can see the notes his contemporaries made."

Read more about the exhibition in the Spring 2009 issue of Annotations, the newsletter of SMU's Central University Libraries.

• Find more Darwin Year events
• Visit DeGolyer Library online

Due to overwhelming interest, organizers of the 2009 Indie Game Challenge - including The Guildhall at SMU - have announced that the entry deadline has been extended from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, 2009.

Amateur and professional video game developers will compete for almost $300,000 in prizes and scholarships, including a $50,000 scholarship to the Guildhall. They will also get a chance to present their games to top publishers. Their pitch videos will be broadcast on GameStop.com and GameStop TV, where they will be seen by millions of gamers and be eligible for additional prize money and a special People's Choice Award.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and GameStop join the Guildhall as sponsors of the contest, which launched July 14. GameStop customers have seen the distinctive "Your Game Here" boxes and entry cards in stores throughout the summer.

New and previously developed games are eligible for entry so long as they have not been professionally published, in accordance with the complete rules found at www.indiegamechallenge.com. This includes the eligibility of games previously submitted to other awards competitions, whether or not those games received awards. Online or self-published games that have appeared in Apple's iTunes Game Store may also be eligible so long as they are not from a major publisher.

Judging will be conducted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences after Oct. 31. Up to 12 finalist teams will be announced on or about Jan. 15, 2010, and up to five members of each finalist team will be flown to an awards reception Feb. 19, 2010, at the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas.

The organizers expect a number of student entries from video game educational programs across the nation, says Peter Raad, Guildhall founder and executive director. "The Challenge provides a tangible opportunity for students across the country to bring their ideas to fruition while developing their aptitude for teamwork and collaboration," he says. "We're looking forward to seeing some of the fresh ideas these teams are capable of creating."

For additional information, visit www.indiegamechallenge.com or e-mail indiehelp@smu.edu.

Former President George W. Bush visited football practice Aug. 24 in Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Bush was joined by SMU President R. Gerald Turner, and the former president briefly addressed the players after the practice session.

Coach June Jones had given the 43rd president a practice schedule and asked him to stop by and speak to the team when he could. Bush watched about an hour of drills.

"He said he's an SMU rookie, it's his first year," Coach Jones said.

• Read more from SMU Athletics

The faculty and staff component of SMU Unbridled: Campaign for the Second Century will begin with campuswide events Sept. 3, culminating in an all-University celebration at 4 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Center Ballroom hosted by President R. Gerald Turner.

Faculty and staff gifts received by Sept. 3, 2009, will be counted in the participation competition that will jump-start the campaign. At the 4 p.m. kickoff, the school or administrative unit with the highest rate of participation this fiscal year to date will be announced.

Harold Stanley and Julie Wiksten, co-chairs of the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, mailed letters and pledge forms to each faculty and staff member.

SMU is seeking the same levels of participation for faculty and staff as for alumni: 25 percent annual participation and 50 percent cumulative participation over the life of the campaign.

The Campaign Steering Committee includes representatives from 13 areas of the University, which includes all seven schools plus Athletics; Business and Finance; Central University Libraries; Development and External Affairs; President's Office, Provost/Academic Affairs and Legal Affairs; and Student Affairs.

As a campaign co-chair, "I have heard strong statements of commitment and connection to SMU from faculty and staff members across the board," says Stanley, the Geurin-Pettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and Political Economy in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. "My own take is that this is a great place to work and a great community. It's important to help SMU become the great university it can be.

"Other donors can take as testimonial the enthusiasm with which our faculty and staff members give back. That spirit will have meaning above and beyond a dollar amount."

Wiksten ('78, '92), executive director of auxiliary services in the Division of Business and Finance, lived in the Park Cities as a child and has worked at SMU for 31 years. In addition, she earned two degrees from the University - a bachelor's in urban studies and sociology and a Master of Liberal Arts. "I'm motivated by my connections to the University," she says. "I've dedicated so much of my life to SMU that it seems a wise investment to put my money into making SMU the best it can be."

Faculty and staff members can expect creative fund-raising initiatives within each area, she adds. "We're going to see lots of ways to participate that will encourage friendly competition and enthusiasm for reaching our goals."

Giving is strictly voluntary, and gifts to any area on campus - including endowment, operating funds and the President's Partners program - are counted toward the campaign. Donors may also choose to support one of the campaign priorities: Student Scholarships, Faculty and Academic Excellence or Campus Experience.

The Second Century Campaign officially launched Sept. 12, 2008, with the goal of raising $750 million by 2013 to support student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience.

Visit smu.edu/fs for more information about the campaign, the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, and the kickoff events schedule.

Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria will offer their insights on current events and international politics Sept. 8 in the first event of the Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series' 2009-10 season.

Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist with The New York Times and the bestselling author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - And How It Can Renew America. Zakaria is editor of Newsweek International and host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS." The two will participate in a discussion moderated by news analyst, former White House adviser and longtime Tate Series favorite David Gergen.

The lecture is sold out. All SMU community members are invited to attend the Tate Lecture Series Student Forum with the speakers at 4:30 p.m. on lecture day in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. Doors open at 4 p.m. Seats may be reserved online, and reserved seats are guaranteed until 4:15 p.m.

Scientists, satirists, fashion leaders, and one of the first men to walk on the moon are among the leaders coming to campus as part of the 2009-10 Tate Series. The line-up, announced at political analyst Cokie Roberts' lecture May 5, includes Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, director and Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, fashion industry icon Kenneth Cole, political satirist Christopher Buckley, neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor and former Apollo astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.

Learn more about this season's Tate lecturers and the Tate Student Forum series for the community at smu.edu/tateseries.

SMU Abroad is taking students more places in 2009 with the launch of 100 new programs.

Offered in collaboration with the Council on International Education Exchange and other study abroad organizations, the new programs provide opportunities for study, internships and service in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Oceania.

SMU will continue to offer its 30 semester, academic year, winter and summer programs, including discipline-specific programs led by SMU faculty, in locations such as China, England, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Poland, Russia and South Africa.

"By working in partnership with the country's leading university study-abroad program providers, SMU is able to diversify its programs, the majors who can participate and the locations offered," says Susan Kress, director of SMU Abroad. "Students now can opt to spend a semester at SMU-in-Paris and follow up with an internship in Senegal."

The new programs were reviewed and approved by SMU's Education Abroad Council for academic content and suitability, and follow the recommendations of SMU's Task Force on International Education to increase opportunities abroad.

• Read more from SMU News
• Learn more about the Task Force on International Education (log in with SMU ID and e-mail password)
• Meet SMU students abroad at the Student Adventures blog

The next General Faculty Meeting takes place Aug. 26 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. A reception will begin at 3 p.m. in the the theater foyer, with the meeting scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

Newly tenured faculty will receive their regalia, and Provost Paul Ludden will announce the recipient of the 2008-09 University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award.

Faculty and staff participation in SMU's Second Century Campaign will receive a major boost Sept. 3, when the University's faculty and staff campaign kicks off with campuswide events culminating in an all-University celebration at 4 p.m. hosted by SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

Harold Stanley and Julie Wiksten, co-chairs for the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, will send letters and pledge forms to each faculty and staff member in the next few days. Gifts received or pledged by Sept. 3, 2009, will be counted in the faculty and staff participation competition. At the 4 p.m. kickoff, the school or administrative unit with the highest annual participation percentage to date for FY10 will be announced.

Campaign organizers are seeking the same levels of participation for faculty and staff as for alumni: 25 percent annual participation and 50 percent cumulative participation over the life of the campaign.

Giving is voluntary, and gifts to any area on campus - endowment, operating funds or the President's Partners program - are counted toward the campaign. Donors may also select any one of the campaign priorities: Student Scholarships, Faculty and Academic Excellence or Campus Experience.

The Second Century Campaign officially launched Sept. 12, 2008, with the goal of raising $750 million by 2013 to support student quality, faculty and academic excellence and the campus experience.

Watch your e-mail for the latest information, and visit smu.edu/fs for more information about the campaign, the Campaign Steering Committee for Faculty and Staff, and the kickoff events schedule.

SMU's Meadows Museum has acquired Sho, a monumental sculpture by contemporary Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.

Completed in 2007, the work represents a female head and is formed by white-painted stainless steel openwork mesh. It stands approximately 13 feet tall and 10 feet wide (157-1/2 x 157-1/2 x 118-1/8 inches) and weighs 660 pounds.

The acquisition from the Richard Gray Gallery was made possible with the support of The Pollock Foundation, the Family of Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Pollock, and the Family of Mr. Lawrence S. Pollock, III, in honor of Mrs. Shirley Pollock. The funds will be matched with a 1:1 challenge grant for museum acquisitions from The Meadows Foundation.

"Sho marks the most important acquisition of a work by a living artist into the Meadows collection since the commissioning of Calatrava's Wave in 2001," says Mark Roglán, museum director. "Plensa is among the most dynamic and talented artistic minds in Spain today, and we are honored to have him represented at the Meadows with such a unique and monumental sculpture. This one-of-a-kind masterpiece will welcome visitors to the museum from its prominent position in the center of our new entrance plaza, due to open this fall. The acquisition, made possible by the Pollocks and The Meadows Foundation, further represents a beautiful way to honor in perpetuity the memory of the late Shirley Pollock, who was such a great friend of this institution."

A native of Barcelona, Plensa (right) is known for his monumental figural sculptures that often incorporate film, light, letters and unusual materials in order to present familiar objects (such as the human body) in unfamiliar ways. One of his most notable works is Crown Fountain (2000-04) in Chicago's Millennium Park, arguably one of the most successful public art projects of the past decade. His works are also found in the collections of Dallas' Nasher Sculpture Center, the Art Institute of Chicago and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others.

Sho is a portrait of a young Chinese girl whom the artist met in Barcelona, where his studio is located. It was first exhibited at the Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) in Valencia, Spain, in winter 2007. The work then traveled to Chicago, where it was exhibited along the riverfront in the heart of downtown; and to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it was included in a major exhibition of the artist's latest work at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park through early January 2009.

The Museum will present a public lecture about Plensa by art historian and critic Barbara Rose on Nov. 12; additional public programming is planned throughout the year.

Sho will go on permanent display on the museum's newly renovated entry plaza as part of the exhibition "Face and Form: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture in the Meadows Collection," opening Oct. 7.

• Read more from SMU News
• Visit Meadows Museum online
• Learn more about Jaume Plensa at his website

Cases of influenza continue to be reported in North Texas this summer, and the Dallas County Health Department has confirmed one case of H1N1 flu in a middle school student who recently attended a summer camp at SMU. There are no known H1N1 cases among other SMU summer campers or among SMU students, faculty or staff.

As it did this spring when flu-like symptoms were reported on campus, SMU has increased the frequency of sanitation procedures and encourages vigilance regarding personal hygiene and health habits. Faculty, staff and students should:

• Wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching common surfaces (door handles, railings, etc.).
• Cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing with either a disposable tissue or a sleeve.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.

Ricardo Martinelli, a member of the SMU International Center Advisory Council, was inaugurated as president of the Republic of Panama on July 1 at the Atlapa Congress Center in Panama City. His term as president will run from 2009 to 2014.

Michael Clarke, executive director of the International Center, represented SMU at the inauguration ceremony and at the reception after the ceremony.

Martinelli's son, Luis Martinelli-Linares, earned a bachelor of business administration from SMU's Cox School of Business in 2004.

Mexican artist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) spent several critical years early in his career in Paris, during World War I, where he immersed himself in literary and art circles and enthusiastically embraced the Cubist movement. While his Cubist works experimented with a range of genres, including landscape and still life, Rivera showed a particular affinity for portraiture, and he created empathetic and moving portrayals of some of the era's most important figures.

Thirty-one of these works are brought together for the first time in an exclusive exhibition at SMU's Meadows Museum. Diego Rivera: The Cubist Portraits, 1913-1917 will run June 21-Sept. 20, 2009 and is funded by The Wachovia Foundation and The Meadows Foundation.

"We are thrilled to have organized this exhibition, which will introduce to Dallas a fascinating aspect of one of Mexico's greatest artists," says Mark Roglán, Meadows Museum director. "Through the quality of the paintings, complexity of the drawings, and his always evolving technique, this exhibition presents a unique opportunity for our visitors to learn about and appreciate both Rivera's portraits and Cubism at its best."

The exhibition was inspired by a key piece in the Meadows Museum's permanent collection, Rivera's Portrait of Ilya Ehrenburg (top right). It is one of only 4 Cubist portraits by Rivera in a public American collection. The additional 22 paintings and 8 preparatory sketches and book illustrations are from museums and private collections in the United States and other countries, and include several works that will be exhibited publicly for the first time.

A complementary exhibition in the museum's first-floor galleries, Mexican Art at the Meadows, will showcase lithographs by Rivera and other Mexican artists in the Meadows Museum's permanent collection. Included will be Rivera's portrait of his wife, Frida Kahlo, titled Seated Nude with Raised Arms, and scenes of rural and peasant life in Mexico.

In addition, the Museum will host several public programs in conjunction with the exhibition, including drop-in art classes, family events, and public lectures by Roglán, SMU Professor Emeritus of History Luís Martín, and Paloma Alarcó, curator of modern paintings at the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.

• Read more from SMU News
• Find a complete schedule of public events

Top right: Portrait of Ilya Ehrenburg, 1915, oil on canvas. Meadows Museum, Algur H. Meadows Collection. Photography by Michael Bodycomb.

Bottom right: Dos mujeres, 1914, oil on canvas. Arkansas Arts Center Foundation, Little Rock, Arkansas. © 2008 Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust.

Jeffrey Talley (at right in photo), just selected for his second star (Major General) in the U.S. Army Reserve and lauded for his recent work in the "engineering battle for Baghdad," is joining SMU's Lyle School of Engineering as chair of the Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering and Bobby B. Lyle Professor of Leadership and Global Entrepreneurship.

Talley recently completed a year of service as Baghdad Provincial Engineer under Gen. David Petraeus, where he commanded more than 4,000 engineers and soldiers in the 926th Engineer Brigade. Talley is credited with developing a military and policy strategy widely referred to as "engineering the peace" that aims to reduce violence in destabilized communities by rapidly rebuilding infrastructure, schools and hospitals. His work is credited with reducing violence and terrorism in the militia stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, and he was awarded two Bronze Stars - one for his efforts in rebuilding Baghdad, and the other for meritorious achievement in combat during the January planning and execution of security operations for the Baghdad provincial elections.

Solving the community's most basic problems delivered an important message that supporting the official government of Iraq would result in a better life for Sadr City families, Talley said in December, near the end of his tour of duty. "You are showing them there is another option besides the militia," Talley said.

Lyle School Dean Geoffrey Orsak said Talley will put flesh and bones on the philosophy Orsak drums into his SMU students - that engineers have both the power and responsibility to change lives.

"My work has really been about service to others," Talley said. "In the case of Iraq, specifically, it was in recognizing that engineers and scientists play a unique role in providing peace and hope. Within the Lyle School of Engineering we can link scholarship, leadership and service to others locally, nationally and globally. I think that fits really well, not only with the Dean's vision for the school, but also with the vision of other great leaders in Dallas and the nation."

"Jeff Talley is simply one of the best and most influential engineers in the country," Orsak said. "He is a true engineering leader, a great scholar and educator, and a real national hero. We are so pleased that he will be heading the Lyle School of Engineering's Environmental and Civil Engineering Department. I fully expect that he will accomplish absolutely remarkable things here in Texas and at SMU."

Talley joins the Lyle School from the University of Notre Dame, where he is associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and geological sciences. He is also visiting scholar and professor at Ireland's National Centre for Sensor Research at Dublin City University. Talley's research focuses on the environmental processes and treatment of contaminated surface water, groundwater, soil and sediment. Talley has graduate degrees in religious studies, history and philosophy in addition to engineering. He received his Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Talley attended Louisiana State University on an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned into the Army Corps of Engineers when he graduated in 1981. He has been a member of the U.S. Army Reserve since 1992 and was awarded his first Bronze Star in 2003 for engineering work in Kuwait and Iraq.

(Above, Jeffrey Talley (at right in photo) talks with Gen. David Petraeus as they walk through Baghdad's Sadr City in June 2008, when Petraeus was commanding general of the multi-national force in Iraq.)

Ready to dig up some divots with your fellow University community members? SMU Recreational Sports will hold its second Faculty/Staff Golf Tournament of 2009 at 12:45 p.m. June 12 at Firewheel Golf of Garland, 600 W. Campbell Road.

The cost per player is $36. To RSVP, e-mail Jack Harper or Chris Coleman in SMU Recreational Sports by Thursday, June 11. Please include your average 18-hole score in your message.

For more information, contact Chris Coleman, assistant manager of intramurals and sports clubs, 214-768-3362. (Right, a view of The Bridges, Firewheel's newest course.)

• Find directions to the greens at the Firewheel website
• Visit SMU Recreational Sports online

SMU's Office of Information Technology (OIT) discovered a new e-mail phishing attempt that was sent to several University community memmbers over the weekend of June 5-7, 2009.

Phishing is a common form of e-mail fraud in which perpetrators attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity such as a popular social website, auction site, online payment processor or IT administrator. Phishing e-mails often direct users to enter details at a fake website designed to look and feel almost exactly like the legitimate one.

OIT sent out the following information on June 8:

Several individuals received an e-mail this weekend indicating their webmail quota had been reached. The message asked individuals to send their email address, password, country and name to a non SMU email address. Please do not respond with your credentials. This was a phishing attempt and did not come from SMU. Remember, we will never ask you to provide your credentials. Please do not respond to any e-mail asking for your login information no matter how valid the email appears to be.

If you responded to the email, please go to the Online Password Reset tool and reset your password immediately (smu.edu/password).

Additional Details:

The e-mail contained the following characteristics indicating it was a phishing attempt:

• In some cases, the From address is not an SMU address. Some messages were sent (in which) the From address was spoofed. However, most of these were trapped by the spam filter.
• The To field was actually blank, indicating it was blind-copied (BCC) rather than addressed directly to an individual.
• The e-mail requests that you send your credentials - and requests that you send them to a non-SMU e-mail address.

OIT is taking action to block any new responses to those addresses and to reduce the risk of this type of message making it through to your mailbox in the future.

If you have any additional questions or need assistance, please contact the OIT Help Desk at 8-4357.

A Dallas federal jury has convicted James McDaniel of causing the May 2007 overdose death of SMU student Meaghan Bosch.

The University released the following statement on June 5, 2009, the day the verdict was announced:

Our thoughts have been with the family of Meaghan Bosch during this trial, and we hope that its completion gives a measure of closure to the family.

SMU representatives have attended the trial so that we can continue to learn as much as possible about the issue of substance abuse among young people, about how best to extend our efforts to educate students and prevent such future tragedies, and to help students who already have substance abuse issues. Our many education and prevention programs will continue, we will remain vigilant to needed changes, and we will persist in raising awareness among students and parents of the dangers and consequences of substance abuse.

What we have heard at the trial will allow us to examine whether we need to make additional changes to our programs aimed at preventing substance abuse.

• Dallas Morning News: Accused drug dealer guilty in SMU student's overdose death
• Learn more about the University's permanent Commission on Substance Abuse Prevention

The SMU staff gathered on the Clements Hall south lawn May 21 for the University's 2009 Staff Appreciation Day and President's Picnic. Hundreds of community members ate burgers and hotdogs, played games, and watched the always lively competition for rights to the Tug-O-War trophy.

• See the 2009 President's Picnic slide show

SMU-in-Plano's Summer Youth Program is bringing selected workshops to the University's main campus for summer 2009.

Offerings include the popular LEGO workshops for students ranging from kindergarten to grade 4, including Early Structures, Crazy Contraptions, Car Rally and Mindstorms: Apprentice Droids.

Entering kindergarteners may also sign up for Toy Builders classes, where they will learn to make playthings ranging from robot hands to musical instruments out of ordinary household items.

The Plano campus will continue to offer a full slate of programs, including workshops in math, writing, computer gaming, 3D animation, college prep and planning, reading enhancement, study and social skills, forensic science, cooking, fashion sketching, and web page design, among others.

Parents may register children online for both the Dallas and Plano workshops. Students registered for a full morning and afternoon of workshops may bring food for a supervised lunch at no additional cost.

For more information, contact SMU Summer Youth Programs, 214-768-5433.

• Read more about main campus youth programs
• More summer youth programs at SMU-in-Plano

SMU's coaches and staff will make their expertise available to local children this summer with day and residential camps and clinics throughout summer 2009.

Faculty and staff discounts are offered for many camps and clinics. Visit the links below for more information, or visit the SMU Coaches' Camp and Clinics homepage:

• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Football
• Rowing
• Men's Soccer
• Women's Soccer
• Swimming and Diving Camp
• Swimming and Diving - Summer Lessons (Beginning through Competitive)
• Tennis
• Track and Field Throwing Clinics
• Volleyball

SMU faculty and staff members have received 2009 President's Partners grants to implement innovative projects that range from making it easier for wheelchair students to take exams to sharpening researchers' budgeting and proposal-writing skills.

University faculty and staff members support their colleagues' work through their contributions to the program, which can be made by credit card, check and payroll deduction. Make a contribution or apply for a grant at the President's Partners website.

Learn more about this year's projects under the link.

Twenty-one outstanding faculty members received tenure as associate professors or were named to full professorships in May 2009. Read the full list under the link.

Nine distinguished faculty members with nearly 320 years of combined service to SMU retired with emeritus status in 2008-09:

• Regis Campfield, Professor Emeritus, Marilyn Jeanne Johnson Distinguished Law Faculty Fellow, Dedman School of Law

• Vincenzo DeNardo - Associate Professor Emeritus, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

• Elbert B. Greynolds Jr., Associate Professor Emeritus of Accounting, Cox School of Business

• John Lewis, Associate Professor Emeritus of English, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

• Montie Monzingo, Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

• George Reddien, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

• Lawrence Shampine, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

• Mandyam Srinath, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering

• Jutta Van Selm, Associate Professor Emerita of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Cordelia Candelaria, dean of SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, has decided for personal reasons to resign from her position effective May 31, as announced by SMU Provost Paul Ludden. Peter Moore, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Dedman College's associate dean for academic affairs, will serve as dean ad interim effective June 1.

Ludden sent the following e-mail to the University community May 29:

SMU Dedman College Dean Cordelia Candelaria has decided for personal reasons to resign from her position, effective May 31. Dr. Candelaria expressed "considerable regret that serious personal circumstances require this interruption of a productive and collegial collaboration in an exceptional institution that I have been privileged to serve."

Since her appointment as dean, Dr. Candelaria has brought new perspectives and a focus on interdisciplinary innovation to Dedman College. Under her leadership, Dedman College has made additional outstanding faculty appointments, has initiated new research efforts, and has contributed to the launch of SMU's Second Century Campaign.

The campus is fortunate to have Professor Peter Moore, chair of the Dedman College Department of Mathematics, prepared to serve as dean ad interim, effective June 1. Appointed by Dr. Candelaria in April to serve as Dedman's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Moore has immersed himself in the workings of the College. He is well prepared to step into this important role.

A committee is being formed to begin the search process.

We thank Dr. Candelaria for her service as dean and wish her the best in future endeavors.

SMU has announced that it will work in partnership with community organizations in helping to rebuild the urban area of West Dallas. Under plans currently being developed, SMU will partner with Dallas Faith Communities Coalition and the West Dallas Education Task Force to explore the area's needs and goals for access to high-quality K-12 schools.

"This effort is part of SMU's commitment to apply the University's resources of intellect and involvement to make a positive impact on our city, in cooperation with community groups," said Paul Ludden, SMU provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Discussions with community leaders have involved several SMU deans and other top officials, as well as faculty with expertise in issues related to urban redevelopment.

University-wide involvement will be possible through SMU's seven schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences; Cox School of Business; Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering; Meadows School of the Arts; Perkins School of Theology, Dedman School of Law; and the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

The Simmons School is particularly well suited to draw upon its expertise, research and training programs in areas ranging from reading to mathematics. "Our multidisciplinary approach at the University will allow us to study and deliberate on how to make the best contribution to the community," said David Chard, the school's Leon Simmons Dean. "We have great tools at hand, such as assessment and research, strong academic programs and a dedication to student placements and internships."

SMU, at the recommendation of its Community Engagement Council, will undertake further deliberations, studies and dialogue to determine how best to make an impact. Possibilities include involvement of faculty, staff and students in community and school activities; collecting and offering best practices for urban redevelopment; providing learning opportunities in a number of disciplines, both for students and for teacher training; mentoring and tutoring.

"These activities will also provide outstanding learning experiences for our students," said Vice President for Student Affairs Lori White, who chairs SMU's Community Engagement Council with Provost Ludden.

SMU officials took part in a breakfast and discussion May 18 at Dallas City Hall sponsored by Mayor Tom Leppert, the West Dallas Education Task Force and the Dallas Faith Communities Coalition.

"We don't yet know exactly what form our involvement will take in West Dallas," said Associate Provost Ellen Pryor, a member of SMU's Community Engagement Council. "But we are very excited about the possibilities that will strengthen both the campus and the West Dallas community in meaningful ways."

SMU's involvement in West Dallas will be in addition to its existing community engagement projects with other areas of Dallas, such as Dedman College's Academic-Community Experience program and house in East Dallas, activities in Vickery Meadows, college readiness programs available to many DISD schools, and pro bono legal services in South Dallas and East Dallas, among other programs.

Above, participants in Dedman College's Academic-Community Experience (ACE) Program outside its house in East Dallas.

• The Dallas Morning News: Investing brainpower and energy in W. Dallas
• SMU in the Community website

Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush met with eight Iraqi women at SMU on May 14 as part of the delegation's visit to the United States under the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.

The exchange, which included several U.S. cities, was coordinated by World Learning Visitor Exchange Program in cooperation with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. The women are officials in Iraq representing professions ranging from public works administration to nursing education.

Several SMU faculty members attended the event - Crista DeLuzio of the Clements Department of History and Carolyn Smith-Morris of the Department of Anthropology, both in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences; Maria Minniti, Cox School of Business; Jenia Turner, Dedman School of Law; and Susanne Scholz, Perkins School of Theology. SMU student Natalie Kashefi also attended. Gail Turner, wife of SMU President R. Gerald Turner, hosted a reception for the group; and Brad Cheves, SMU vice president for development and external affairs, was among those welcoming the delegation to campus.

The World Affairs Council was represented by its president, Jim Falk, and executive vice president Beth Huddleston, who also serves as a member of the board of the National Council for International Visitors. The Council serves as the Department of State's coordinator of the International Visitor Leadership Program in Dallas and Fort Worth.

"Both President and Mrs. Bush spoke about the vital role women play in building and maintaining civil society and about how essential the guarantee of women's rights is to a healthy democracy," said DeLuzio. "The Iraqi women spoke eloquently about their courageous attempts to empower women and to further women's rights in their country.

"I teach about the long and ongoing struggle for gender equality in the United States. This exchange inspired me to try to do more to educate my students about women's movements around the world and to encourage them to think comparatively about women's work on behalf of social justice and gender equality across time and place."

• Read more and see additional photos from SMU News

Elizabeth Perkins Prothro, a longtime SMU benefactor, died May 23 in Wichita Falls. Mrs. Prothro was the daughter of the late Joe J. and Lois Perkins, who were founding contributors to SMU in 1913, and later, in the early 1940s, endowed the SMU Theology School, which in 1945 was named in their honor.

"Elizabeth Prothro has left an indelible mark on SMU and on all who knew her," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "Her contributions to this University and to its students, faculty and staff are truly historic. We join the Perkins-Prothro family in mourning her passing, but also in celebrating her extraordinary life."

Services took place May 26 at the First United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls.

In January 2007, Mrs. Prothro, with the Perkins-Prothro Foundation, provided the lead gift of $6 million to help launch a building program for the Perkins School of Theology at SMU. The plans included the construction of a new 20,000-square-foot facility to be named Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall, in her honor. A ribbon cutting and dedication of the new building is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2009. SMU will honor Mrs. Prothro's contributions with a celebration of her life following the September dedication.

Including the $6 million gift, the Perkins and Prothro families and their foundations have given more than $36.3 million to SMU since the first gift from her parents two years before the University opened in 1915. Most of the family's support has been for Perkins School of Theology, including its Bridwell Library, but other gifts have been designated for the Perkins Administration Building and Perkins Natatorium.

Mrs. Prothro earned a Bachelor of Arts in government and political science from SMU in 1939. She and her husband, Charles, who preceded her in death in 2001, provided some $7 million in gifts to the Perkins School of Theology in 1997, including funds for endowed scholarships, renovation of Perkins Chapel and a permanent collection of rare Bibles and related works spanning eight centuries.

Mrs. Prothro was a SMU Board of Trustees member from 1972-87 and was named a trustee emeritus in 1991. She was a founding member of the boards of Perkins School of Theology and Friends of the SMU Libraries/Colophon and later served on the Texas Committee of The Campaign for SMU.

• Read more from SMU News

Joaquín Achúcarro, Joel Estes Tate Professor of Piano in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, took part in the Spanish Embassy's celebration of 2009 Europe Week with a performance May 17 at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Among the attendees was His Excellency Jorge Dezcallar, Spain's ambassador to the United States. Achúcarro is a native of Bilbao.

Europe Week, sponsored by the Delegation of the European Commission to the USA and the Embassies of the Member States of the European Union, features events "designed to create a better understanding of the European Union" and "celebrating ... the EU's transatlantic relationship with the U.S.," according to the EU's Europe Week website.

The performance was one of the inaugural events announcing the Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation. Dallasite Janet Kafka, an honorary consul of Spain, conceived the idea to observe the 50th anniversary of Achúcarro's debut by establishing a foundation in his honor. She developed it with two international artists who are also Achúcarro protégés: SMU faculty member Alessio Bax ('96, '98) and his wife, Lucille Chung. The two are now the foundation's artistic co-directors.

The Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation will help provide young pianists with performance opportunities and grants for continuing study and travel, as well as help underwrite master classes for up-and-coming students. To date, the foundation has sponsored three master class series at Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

In addition, Achúcarro is the subject of a forthcoming DVD on the Opus Arte label that will include a new performance of Brahms' Second Piano Concerto with conductor Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra. Achúcarro made his professional debut with the orchestra as the winner of the 1959 Liverpool Competition.

Top right: Joaquín Achúcarro and Ambassador of Spain to the United States Jorge Dezcallar. Lower right: Alessio Bax, Emma and Joaquín Achúcarro and Lucille Chung. Photos © Greg Schaler.

In a publishing industry hit hard by the economic downturn, Shilpi Somaya Gowda has beaten the odds. Gowda (at right in photo), a 2007 alumna of the Creative Writing Program in SMU Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE), has signed a contract with HarperCollins for her upcoming debut novel, The Secret Daughter. The publisher has given Gowda's book a release date of winter 2010.

Gowda will share her experiences selling her first novel in an SMU Writer's Salon at 7 p.m. May 28 at Legacy Books, 7300 Dallas Parkway in Plano.

Even in a slumping and increasingly cautious publishing market, Gowda's achievement "is proof that excellence sells," says Amy Heitzman, CAPE executive director in SMU's Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

The novel tells the stories of three women - an Indian who places a daughter for adoption; an American who adopts the girl; and Aisha, the daughter, who travels to India to discover her roots.

Gowda wrote the book while studying in the SMU CAPE Creative Writing Program novel track. She also attended the program's New York Seminar, where eligible writers meet with editors and agents who have read the beginnings of their books.

"Shilpi is talented. Most of our students are," says Suzanne Frank, director of the Creative Writing Program and New York Seminar. "But she also had the determination, the drive to write and rewrite until she made her work the best she could. The willingness to work and to learn is probably her - or any writer's - greatest strength."

Gowda's talk will be free and open to the public. RSVP online to the SMU CAPE Creative Writing Program.

• Visit SMU Continuing and Professional Education online
• Learn more about the SMU CAPE Creative Writing Program

Above, Shilpi Gowda (at right in photo) with fellow participants in the 2007 New York Seminar of the SMU CAPE Creative Writing Program.

Four exceptional SMU staff members received 2008-09 Presidential Staff Recognition Awards at a May 21 ceremony in the Dallas Hall Rotunda. The honors recognize individuals who have shown outstanding performance, commitment, and ability.

This year's recipients:

• Gretchen Voight, assistant registrar for academic ceremonies, received the Presidential Award for New Employee Excellence, given to an individual who has been with SMU for one to three consecutive years.

• Brook Benton Jimenez, assistant director of fitness in the Department of Recreational Sports, Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, received the Presidential Award for Continuing Excellence, given to an individual who has been with the University for four or more consecutive years.

• Joe Gargiulo, chief information officer for Information Technology, received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Leadership, given to a staff member who supervises one or more benefit-eligible employees and who "demonstrates exceptional leadership ability within his or her unit or across the University."

• Amber Kosik, director of SMU's Hilltop Scholars Community in Perkins and Smith Halls, Residence Life and Student Housing, received the Presidential Award for Innovation, given to a staff member whose "creative, innovative ideas ... significantly improve a work process or system or greatly increase the efficiency of an operation or unit."

Read more about the winners at the Staff Association homepage.

Right, 2008-09 Presidential Award for Staff Excellence winners (left to right): Amber Kosik, Brook Benton Jimenez, Joe Gargiulo and Gretchen Voight.

Throughout the 2008-09 academic year, students and faculty have shared news of their research and travels around the world and at SMU on the Student Adventures blog. Highlights this spring included:

• SMU's Model United Nations team, which was invited to represent the Vatican in the World Model U.N. 2009 Conference in The Hague, Netherlands.

• Alternative Spring Break bloggers, including the students, staff and faculty who volunteered in Appalachia, Tennessee, and New York City.

• Shelby and Kelsey in the new Education Abroad program SMU-in-Cairo. They have climbed Mount Sinai and explored pyramids, in addition to studying at the American University in Cairo.

If you know students or faculty whom you consider Adventurers - whether they're researching, traveling volunteering, leading or interning this summer - contact Sarah Hanan in SMU News and Communications, 214-768-7622.

• Meet the bloggers at SMU Student Adventures

SMU's 2009 Staff Appreciation Day and President's Picnic takes place 11 a.m.-2 p.m. May 21 on the south lawn of Clements Hall.

In addition, SMU President R. Gerald Turner will present the 2008-09 Presidential Recognition Awards for Staff during a brief ceremony 11:30 a.m.-noon in the Dallas Hall Rotunda. Four awards will be given: the New Employee Excellence Award, the Continuing Excellence Award, the Outstanding Leadership Award and the Innovation Award.

Staff members can earn up to 2 Wellpower Spirit credits for attending the picnic - one for attending and another for participating in any game. RSVP online to sign up for a competition and find a list of this year's games.

Former First Lady Laura Bush, who gave the commencement address at Southern Methodist University on Saturday, May 16, told the more than 1,900 degree recipients that "you won't waste your talent and education if you use them in service to others."

Interrupted numerous times by applause from the crowd that packed SMU's Moody Coliseum, she said, "As much as any generation of Americans, the Class of 2009 is tasked with resolving challenges that lie far beyond your doorstep, even far beyond America's borders.

"Between cellphones and the Internet, you have a world of information literally at your fingertips. And because our world is so small, you can't ignore the genocide in Darfur or the recent brutal treatment of democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. You know the plight of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.

"Today begins a period of incredible liberty and adventure, a time to find your calling and to demand the most of life before life makes specific demands on you," she said during a speech that lasted about 14 minutes.

• Read more from SMU News
• Watch a video of Mrs. Bush's speech
• Read the text of Mrs. Bush's speech

See slideshows of the weekend's ceremonies and celebrations:

• Baccalaureate
• Lining up for Commencement
• Scenes from Commencement
• Mrs. Bush at Commencement
• Celebrating after Commencement

Three faculty members were honored with SMU's annual Distinguished University Citizen Award at the Faculty Breakfast held May 16 before Commencement. The 2009 recipients:

• Barbara Hill Moore, Music, Meadows School of the Arts
• David Meltzer, Anthropology, Dedman College
• Brian Stump, Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Dedman College

The award, given by the Provost's Office, honors three faculty members each year for service and activities that benefit students and the University's academic mission. "It's a chance to say 'thank you' to people who have given so much of themselves to SMU," said Ellen Jackofsky, associate provost for faculty and administrative affairs. "The recipients truly have distinguished themselves as good University citizens."

• More from SMU's 94th Commencement

Four exemplary SMU researchers have received the University's 2009 Ford Research Fellowships. This year's recipients are Ben Johnson, History; Fred Olness, Physics; Larry Ruben, Biological Sciences; and Carolyn Smith-Morris, Anthropology. All of the new Ford Research Fellows teach in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

Established in 2002 through a $1 million pledge from Gerald J. Ford, chair of SMU's Board of Trustees, the fellowships help the University retain and reward outstanding scholars. Each recipient receives a cash prize for research support during the year.

Read more about this year's recipients under the link. Right, the new Ford Fellows were honored by the SMU Board of Trustees during its May meeting (left to right): Gerald J. Ford, Ben Johnson, Carolyn Smith-Morris, Fred Olness, Larry Ruben, and SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

Four outstanding educators have been named 2009-11 Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professors by SMU's Center for Teaching Excellence. This year's honorees are Crista DeLuzio, History; Robert Howell, Philosophy; Thomas Knock, History; and Thomas Osang, Economics. All four honorees teach in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

The four new members of SMU's Academy of Distinguished Teachers will join returning members Olga Colbert, Foreign Languages and Literatures (Spanish); Ian Harris, Statistical Science; Larry Ruben, Biological Sciences; and David Willis, Mechanical Engineering.

Each year since 2001, the Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor Awards recognize four SMU faculty members for their commitment to and achievements in fostering student learning. "These are faculty whose concerns for higher education go beyond classroom boundaries and often the boundaries of their own discipline," according to the CTE website. "They represent the highest achievement in reaching the goals of higher education." The professorships are named for SMU Trustee Ruth Altshuler.

Each recipient receives a $10,000 award and membership in SMU's Academy of Distinguished Teachers for the two years of their appointment as Altshuler Professors. Members participate actively with other members of the Academy to address issues in classroom teaching.

Read more about the new Altshuler Professors under the link. Left, the new Altshuler Professors were honored by the SMU Board of Trustees during its May meeting (left to right): SMU President R. Gerald Turner, Thomas Knock, Thomas Osang, Crista DeLuzio, Robert Howell and Ruth Altshuler.

Rev. Dr. Stephen Rankin will become SMU's new chaplain and minister to the University effective July 1, 2009. He also has been appointed adjunct professor of church history and ministry in SMU's Perkins School of Theology.

His predecessor, Rev. Will Finnin, retired from SMU December 31, 2008, after 28 years as chaplain.

Rankin comes to SMU from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, where he is the campus minister and Kirk Chair Professor of Religious Studies. He received his bachelor's degree from Kansas State University, a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology, a Master of Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Northwestern University and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

He holds Elders Orders and full membership in the Kansas West Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Rankin's prior experience includes faculty and instructor appointments at Saint Paul School of Theology and Bethany College. He has held pastoral appointments in Rome and Florence, Italy; Chicago; and Winfield, Kansas. In 1997, the United Methodist Church's General Board of Higher Education and Ministry honored Dr. Rankin with an Exemplary Teacher Award. Earlier in his career, he earned a John Wesley Fellowship.

In addition, Rankin spent 6 years of his boyhood in Texas, including summer visits to SMU while his minister father studied at the Perkins School. He is married to Joni Leeper; they have four children and one grandson.

As Chaplain and Minster to the University, Rankin has responsibilities for:

• pastoral care and counseling;
• university worship;
• religious life advising and programming;
• close interaction with the dean of Perkins School of Theology and other religious leaders in the community; and
• working with faculty, students, administrators and staff "to create a campus environment that supports the University's commitment to spiritual growth, ethical behavior, intellectual and academic exploration of religion and spirituality, and the rich diversity of religious faiths and traditions," as stated by the Office of Student Affairs.

• Visit the Chaplain's Office online

When Rachel Jessee learned she was accepted to Teach for America, the first person she contacted was her high school math teacher.

"She was a terrific algebra teacher. She made me love math enough to become a finance major," says the Cox School of Business graduate.

Jessee is one of 18 SMU graduating seniors who will spend the next two years with Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains outstanding college graduates to teach in low-income rural and urban public schools. They join more than 6,200 "corps members" who are teaching in 1,600 schools across the country. This year more than 35,000 students applied for 4,000 Teach for America positions.

In photo: Seven of the SMU 18 graduates who are joining Teach for America.

• Read more from SMU News

The Guildhall at SMU will showcase new video games developed by graduate students in art creation, level design and software development during its Spring 2009 Exhibition May 15.

The exhibition schedule includes these events:

• Graduating students from Cohort 10 presenting their directed focus studies and master's thesis projects in individual poster sessions, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

• Honors presentations featuring nominated works by the graduating class' top talent, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

• Poster sessions from the graduating class' top 5 team winners, plus play-testing of their 2D games, 3:30-5 p.m.

• "Interactive classrooms" of Capstone team presentations and play-testing of 3D games developed by graduating students, 6-9 p.m.

The Spring 2009 Exhibition will take place in Building 2, SMU-in-Plano, 5232 Tennyson Parkway. The Capstone team presentations and 3D play-testing will take place in the Great Room, Building 3, SMU-in-Plano. For more information, visit the Guildhall website.

Pictured, screencaps from Guildhall at SMU Cohort 10 games The Chronos Project (top) and Leviathan (right).

Five exemplary librarians and library staff members have received the 2009 SMU Libraries Staff Service Awards. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to the Libraries and to the information professions, as well as service to library users.

Jim Quevedo, Central University Libraries, was named Employee of the Year, awarded to a library staff member who has demonstrated exemplary service and successful management of one or more major projects or innovations that enhance service or improve operations and reflect positively on the University.

John Milazzo, Central University Libraries, received the Continuing Excellence Award. The honor recognizes a staff member who has "set an example of knowledge, expertise, dedication and enthusiasm" and "the highest level of commitment to service to library users and SMU faculty and staff" for a minimum of three years.

Yan (Patricia) Silong, Cox Business Information Center, was named Outstanding Student Assistant. The prize goes to a student employee who has demonstrated exemplary continuing performance during a minimum of two full semesters of employment. The selection committee considers work habits, knowledge of work, quality and quantity of work, judgment, initiative, adaptability and reliability.

Christine Asberry Milazzo, Central University Libraries, received the award for Effective Use of Technology. The honor is given to a library staff member who has developed and/or implemented an effective use of information technology that enhances library services and operations.

Jon Speck, Bridwell Library, received the Outstanding Achievement Award, given to a librarian or professional library staff member who has contributed significantly to the SMU community or to the information professions through personal service, leadership, scholarship or involvement in professional associations. The winner must maintain a record of exemplary work for a period of 3-5 years.

In addition, the following personnel received Central University Libraries (CUL) awards:

Cindy Gautreaux and Tyeson Seale received the CUL Dean's Eureka! Award, presented to CUL staff members who showed the most creativity, ingenuity and imagination.

The CUL Cookout Committee - Carol Baker, Cindy Gautreaux, Michelle Hahn, Terre Heydari, Christine Milazzo and John Milazzo - received the CUL Team Award for organizing and serving an outdoor cookout for SMU students, faculty and staff during National Library Week.

SMU observes its 94th Commencement May 15-16 with events for students, faculty, alumni and the entire community.

Former First Lady and current SMU Trustee Laura Bush ('68) will speak at the all-University ceremony at 9:30 a.m. May 16 in Moody Coliseum. The University expects to award nearly 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees.

Some major events at a glance:

• May 15-16 - Class of 1959 golden reunion
• May 15 - Honorary Degree Symposia honoring Harold W. Attridge, Arthur Mitchell and Alexander McCall Smith
• May 15 - Baccalaureate and Rotunda Recessional
• May 16 - Faculty Breakfast and Distinguished University Citizen Awards presentation
• May 16 - All-University Commencement
• May 16 - School diploma presentations

Find more information at the Registrar's Commencement 2009 website.

• Read more about Laura Bush
• Find times and locations for the 2009 Honorary Degree Symposia
• Get a preview of the University's new academic regalia

Nineteen SMU Honors students have been awarded 2009-10 Richter Research Fellowships through the University Honors Program to conduct independent research around the globe this summer. The undergraduates' research topics range from child obesity in Australia to nonprofits in the Republic of Zambia.

For the second year, grants also have been awarded to Honors students for independent study at SMU-in-Taos.

"The Richter fellowships represent an important opportunity for Honors students to pursue topics that interest them - inside or outside their primary majors," says David Doyle, director of the University Honors Program and assistant dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. "Upon returning from one to three months of focused research, our Richter University Honors Scholars write and submit scholarly articles to academic journals and magazines."

SMU is one of only 12 universities that offer the competitive fellowships, which are supported by the Paul K. and Evalyn E. Cook Richter Memorial Funds.

This year's winners:

Ashley Bruckbauer, a senior majoring in art history and advertising, will study the influence of foreign teachers in Nanjing, China.

Andrew Coit, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in Spanish and music, and Erica Ritz of Minneapolis, a sophomore majoring in international studies and art history with a minor in Italian, will travel to London and Greece to examine the controversy surrounding the ownership of cultural artifacts such as the Elgin Marbles.

Vivian Costandy, a junior majoring in international studies and English with a minor in Spanish, will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to investigate the fallout of the "dirty war" resulting from the 1976 military coup.

William Elder, a junior majoring in history and German with minors in classical studies and Latin, will investigate early military history in Osnabruck, Germany, and Cambridge, England.

P.J. Gardner, a junior majoring in political science, will remain in Dallas to continue researching and writing his senior thesis on expansionism and American politics.

Steve Hader, a senior majoring in finance, Spanish and Latin American studies, will investigate the e-commerce environment in Madrid, Spain.

Victoria Kean, a junior majoring in marketing with minors in German and Chinese, will study the effects of the Holocaust on the Jewish people in the German state of Thuringia.

Kate Kirk, a junior majoring in finance and economics with a minor in international studies, will analyze nonprofit organizations in the Republic of Zambia in Africa to determine their effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

Drake Konow, a sophomore majoring in foreign languages and religious studies with a minor in human rights, will explore religion and the impact of monastic life on life and culture in the south of France.

Patrick Littlefield, a junior majoring in religious studies and psychology, will study the Emerging Church movement in London. The worldwide movement seeks to adapt Christianity to a postmodern world.

Preston Kyle Osborn, a sophomore majoring in political science and accounting, will explore the nature and volume of crime in early modern England through the SMU-in-Oxford program.

Rebecca Quinn, a junior majoring in Spanish, French and art history, will travel to Barcelona, Spain, to examine the relationship between nationalized Catholicism and church architecture from the 1940s to 1960s during Francisco Franco's regime.

Astrud Villareal, a junior majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and international studies, will study the child obesity epidemic and its human rights implications in Australia.

In addition, five Honors students received Taos Richter fellowships to pursue research in June at SMU's New Mexico campus. They are:

• Alexandra Davis, a sophomore majoring in art history
• Kyle Hobratschk, a junior majoring in art and creative advertising
• Jacqueline Wilcher, a sophomore majoring in business
• Caroline French, a senior majoring in dance and business
• Thomas (Drew) Washington, a senior majoring in economics

Warren Seay, a junior political science major in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, won election to the DeSoto (TX) school board in a landslide May 9. At age 20, the 2009 Truman Scholar has become the youngest school board member in DeSoto history and one of the youngest in Texas history.

"What we saw [on Saturday] was an affirmation from the community that we're ready for a new voice," Seay told The Dallas Morning News. "We're ready for new ideas and new energy."

Seay received about 73 percent of the votes cast in a race to replace retiring trustee Don McKinley.

• Learn more about Warren Seay
• Read election coverage from The Dallas Morning News

In keeping with University tradition, SMU will welcome its 2009 class of honorary degree recipients with a series of symposia in their honor. The symposia are scheduled for May 15, and all are free and open to the entire campus community.

"The honorary degree symposia are an opportunity for the campus and Dallas communities to see why these folks are being honored with an SMU degree," says Fred Moss, associate professor in Dedman School of Law and symposium moderator. "Otherwise, they might simply be a name and a list of impressive credentials. They can be more fully appreciated as being outstanding in their fields though such events."

The events and participants are as follows:

• Panelists Mark Chancey of Dedman College's Religious Studies Department and Jaime Clark-Soles, Roy Heller and Susanne Scholz of Perkins School of Theology discuss "The Bible in American Public Life" in a symposium honoring Doctor of Divinity recipient honoris causa Harold W. Attridge, dean of Yale Divinity School. The symposium takes place 10 a.m.-noon in Perkins Chapel, preceded by a 9:15 a.m. reception in Bridwell Library.


• Co-founder and artistic director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and honorary Doctor of Arts recipient Arthur Mitchell will discuss his life and work with Meadows School of the Arts professors Shelley Berg, Dance, and Maria Dixon, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, in "A Conversation with Arthur Mitchell," followed by a Q & A with the audience. The event begins at 1 p.m. in O'Donnell Hall, 2130 Owen Arts Center.


• SMU faculty, staff and students are invited to meet acclaimed author and honorary Doctor of Humane Letters recipient Alexander McCall Smith and to take part in "A Conversation with Alexander McCall Smith," moderated by Dedman School of Law Professor Fred Moss, from 2:30-4 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom. The SMU Bookstore will sell McCall Smith's books on site, and the author will autograph them after the program.

Maria Richards, coordinator of SMU's Geothermal Lab, was among the industry leaders and experts presenting a Geothermal Showcase at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on May 6.

Participants virtually visited some of the leading geothermal energy development projects in the United States and heard from companies at the forefront of geothermal power growth. A panel of leading geothermal scientists discussed how geothermal resources can contribute to the world's energy needs.

When most people think of geothermal energy, they usually think of extremely high heat, such as geysers. But the Geothermal Map of North America produced by Richards and Professor David Blackwell for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists in 2004 revealed locations all over the United States where subsurface temperatures are high enough to drive small, binary power plants and generate electricity. Blackwell and Richards are members of the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences in SMU's Dedman College.

This kind of power plant is similar to an air conditioning unit run backwards, using heat to generate electricity. The hot water that runs through one chamber in the pump heats fluid with a lower boiling point in an adjacent chamber, which expands into high-pressure vapor and drives a turbine.

Deep drilling through hard rock is expensive, which is one reason traditional geothermal energy development has lagged behind green technologies like wind and solar power. But Blackwell's mapping has proven that many existing oil and gas wells in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and some mid-continent states reach shallower depths where temperatures still range from 200-300 degrees Fahrenheit - hot enough for a binary power plant to do its job.

The Geothermal Showcase was sponsored by the Geothermal Energy Association along with Ormat, Enel North America, and Pratt and Whitney Power Systems.

(Above, Maria Richards and David Blackwell of SMU's Huffington Department of Earth Sciences.)

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The Department of Athletics, in conjunction with the SMU Lettermen's Association, inducted 4 new former Mustangs into its Athletics Hall of Fame during formal ceremonies May 1 - football player Eric Dickerson, basketball player Jim Krebs, swimmer Steve Lundquist and golfer Kyle O'Brien Stevens.

"As a department, we want to continue to recognize the contributions and successes of our former student-athletes," said SMU's Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "Last year we reconstituted our Athletic Hall of Fame, and this year we honor another outstanding group for their accomplishments."

The inductees and their achievements:

• Eric Dickerson ('83) - former All-American Mustang football player, member of the famed Pony Express; led SMU to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles; member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Jim Krebs ('57) - former All-American SMU basketball player; led the Mustangs to three SWC titles and the 1956 Final Four; former NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers; member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He died in an accident in 1965.

• Steve Lundquist ('83) - former All-American SMU swimmer; two-time Olympic gold medalist; member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame; 1982 United States Swimmer of the Year.

• Kyle O'Brien Stevens ('80) - former All-American SMU women's golf player, claimed medalist honors and led SMU to the team title at the 1979 AIAW National Championships; 2003 inductee into the National Golf Coaches Association Player Hall of Fame.

(Above, left to right: Jane Krebs, widow of Jim Krebs, Eric Dickerson, Kyle O'Brien Stevens and Steve Lundquist.)

The Faculty Senate chose 4 exemplary SMU staff members to receive 2009 Faculty Senate Outstanding Staff Awards. The honors were presented by outgoing President Dennis Foster at the Senate's last meeting of the academic year on May 6.

This year's recipients:

• Roberta Cox, Perkins School of Theology
• Terri Lewers, Southwest Review
• Jeanne Milazzo, Cox School of Business
• Billie Stovall, Central University Libraries

Nominations are being accepted for 2009 Presidential Staff Recognition Awards through 5 p.m. Friday, May 8. The awards "recognize the contribution and excellence of staff employees to SMU," and the nomination and selection process is managed by the Department of Human Resources.

Four of the $1,000 awards will be presented, each with unique criteria:

• New Employee Excellence Award
• Continuing Excellence Award
• Outstanding Leadership Award
• Innovation Award

Award winners will be announced at the 2009 Staff Appreciation Day and President's Picnic on May 21. For more information, contact Rebecca Sampson, 214-768-3311.

Three outstanding members of the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences community were honored April 28 at the 2009 Dedman College award celebration.

Cal Jillson, professor of political science and Dedman College associate dean of academic affairs, was named Dedman Family Distinguished Professor. A scholar of American government, political theory and history and contemporary political analysis, Jillson joined the SMU faculty in 1995 and served as chair of the Department of Political Science from 1995 to 2001. He served as director of the SMU John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies from 1996 to 2001.

Biology and chemistry major Rachel Gambulos received the Robert and Nancy Dedman Outstanding Senior Student Award. She minored in religious studies and mathematics. The President's Scholar from Dallas studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and served as a resident assistant in the Virginia-Snider Honors Residence Hall. Upon graduation, she plans to attend Johns Hopkins Medical School.

Jane Allman Wetzel ('52), national and community volunteer, received the Dedman College Distinguished Graduate Award. She has served as state chair for the Community Resource Coordination Groups of Texas, group chair for the Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention State Advisory Group and, in 1996, was appointed a member of the Governor's Committee to Promote Adoption. Wetzel earned a Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Dedman College. She remains active at SMU as a member of the Tower Center board of directors and the Perkins School of Theology executive board.

(Above, left to right: Cal Jillson, Rachel Gambulos, Jane Allman Wetzel ('52), SMU President R. Gerald Turner and Dedman College Dean Cordelia Candelaria at the 2009 Dedman College Celebration.)

This May, for the first time in SMU's near-century of existence, the University's graduating class will wear red and blue during Commencement ceremonies. The new custom regalia will make its debut during the 94th all-University ceremony at 9:30 a.m. May 16.

The new robes are the result of a 3-year team effort led by the Office of the Registrar. That group included Political Science Professor Brad Carter, SMU's chief marshal from May 1990 to December 2008. Professor of Economics Tom Fomby succeeds Carter as chief marshal beginning with the May 2009 ceremony.

With the red and blue robes, the University has become part of a national trend toward custom regalia, "but to my mind, it's more than that," Carter says. "SMU has always had some of the best ceremonies and Commencement weekends of any school. And this seemed to be a sort of culminating act. It would highlight the particular brand of SMU, it would be beautiful, and it would be very localized and non-generic, yet elegant."

The ad hoc selection team included Carter, Assistant Registrar for Academic Ceremonies Gretchen Voight, Director of Transfer and Articulation Services Nancy Skochdopole, University Registrar John Hall, Associate Provost Tom Tunks, Provost Paul Ludden, Vice President for Development and External Affairs Brad Cheves and President R. Gerald Turner.

"We had prepared our speech about why custom regalia was a good idea," Hall says, recalling the first meeting with President Turner. "Then Gerald came into the room, went to one of the samples, and said, 'Well, I don't know if that's the right color red.' He had accepted the premise already, and now we just had to work out the details. I spent three nights writing that speech and never gave it."

Choosing the perfect shade of blue was a bigger challenge, Voight says. "The first fabric sample we got was electric blue," the color of a water-bottle cap, she says. Manufacturer Herff Jones helped to refine colors, fabrics, piping and other details, in close consultation with the regalia committee.

The team also worked with Herff Jones to develop unique regalia for each degree level. The bachelor's robe includes a red "Stole of Gratitude," to be kept by the new graduate after the robe is returned, and traditionally presented to an individual who had a profound influence on his or her education. The master's robe features tabbed sleeves and a single SMU logo on the left lapel.

New doctoral regalia includes gold piping around velvet chevrons and SMU logos embroidered in gold. It has been approved by Deans John Attanasio and William Lawrence for use by Dedman School of Law and Perkins School of Theology graduates, as well as Ph.D. and other doctoral recipients. SMU trustees will wear the doctoral robes without hoods for the 2009 ceremonies; their new regalia is still in the design stage.

The University has a 7-year agreement with Herff Jones to provide the custom regalia. Seven years is the average life span of a rental robe, but SMU's attire may remain in good condition for much longer, Hall says. "The typical black rental robe may be used as many as 12 times a year, but ours will only be used twice a year," he adds.

The results will do SMU graduates proud for years to come. "I'm a Commencement traditionalist, and I couldn't imagine not having black robes - but these are just beautiful," Skochdopole says.

Top: SMU's new custom regalia for doctoral, master's and bachelor's degree recipients (left to right). Lower left: A front view of the new doctoral robe and tam. Photos courtesy of Herff Jones.

• How to rent, buy and wear regalia, courtesy of the Registrar's Office

SMU continues to monitor the H1N1 flu (swine flu) situation. There are no known cases at SMU. The University's Department of Human Resources has created a document to provide guidelines for employees and managers who may need to stay home due to personal or family illness, or if a child's school or daycare facility closes due to H1N1 flu.

The guidelines include information on when and how long to stay home, working from home, and use of sick leave. The document also compiles several helpful links.

University employees who exhibit symptoms of H1N1 flu should contact the SMU Police Department at 214-768-3333, as well as their personal health care providers for appointments and related information.

University resources:

• SMU Health Center updates at smu.edu/flu
• Human Resources guidelines for managing absences during an outbreak (PDF format)

Resources from Magellan, SMU's Employee Assistance Program:

• H1N1 Flu: Anxiety and Prevention
• H1N1 Flu: Get Informed, Be Prepared

Local and federal resources:

• Dallas County Health and Human Services: Influenza
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: H1N1 Flu

Cokie Roberts, political analyst for ABC News and author of the New York Times best-seller Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation, will give the final lecture in SMU's 2008-09 Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series at 8 p.m. May 5 in McFarlin Auditorium.

In her more than 40 years in broadcasting, Roberts has won many awards, including 3 Emmys. She has covered Congress, politics and public policy for nearly 20 years at ABC News. She also serves as senior news analyst for National Public Radio, where she was the Congressional correspondent for more than 10 years.

From 1996 to 2002, Roberts and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program "This Week." She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting by American Women in Radio and Television.

With her husband, Steven V. Roberts, she writes a weekly newspaper column syndicated by United Media. The Robertses are also contributing editors to USA Magazine. Her books include the best-sellers Founding Mothers, From This Day Forward (with Steven V. Roberts) and We Are Our Mothers' Daughters.

Roberts will answer questions from SMU community members and local high school students in the Turner Construction Student Forum at 4:30 p.m. May 5 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom. The Tate Series' 2009-10 season will be announced at her evening lecture. Watch SMU Forum for more information after the announcement, and learn more at smu.edu/tate.

Rick Halperin, director of SMU's Human Rights Education Program in Dedman College, has received a 2009 Piper Professor award from the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.

The Piper Professor Program honors superior teaching in Texas colleges and universities. Nominations are requested annually from all accredited institutions of higher learning in the state, and 15 awards are given each year.

The award selection committee "seek(s) out the well-rounded, outgoing teacher, devoted to the profession, who has made special impact on his students and the community." An adjunct lecturer in the Clements Department of History, Halperin also teaches in the Human Rights Education Program as well as in SMU's Master of Liberal Studies program.

"The Piper Professor Award is especially important because it is for outstanding teaching, and only 15 are awarded," says Kathleen Hugley-Cook, director of SMU's Office of National Fellowships and Awards. "At SMU, our nominee is selected through colleague nomination. So this Piper Award is deeply meaningful not only because there was exceptional support from former students for Dr. Halperin's nomination, but also because it represents immense respect from his faculty colleagues across the University. He makes a great difference to our entire community, and his great teaching has a lasting impact on students and faculty alike."

A longtime human rights advocate and member of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA, Halperin regularly leads SMU groups on human rights educational journeys to places such as Cambodia, Rwanda, South Africa, El Salvador, Bosnia and numerous Holocaust sites across Europe. Every December he takes a group to death camps and other Holocaust sites in Poland for two weeks.

Halperin was chair of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA from 1992-93 and again from 2005-07. He is a member of the National Death Penalty Advisory Committee and the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and served as President from 2000-06 and again in 2007-08.

Megan Knapp, health educator in SMU's Memorial Health Center, sent the following e-mail update to all University faculty, staff and students on Friday, May 1:

SMU is continuing to monitor the swine flu situation. As of Friday, May 1st, we have no known cases at SMU.

If you have a confirmed, probable or suspected case as determined by a health care professional, please notify SMU by calling 214-768-3333. We appreciate your cooperation on this matter.

For regularly updated information about swine flu, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For SMU-specific information, visit SMU's flu homepage or call SMU-Info (214-768-4636).

SMU Anthropology Chair David Meltzer has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for his achievements in original scientific research. Membership in the NAS is one of the highest honors given to a scientist or engineer in the United States.

Meltzer, the Henderson-Morrison Professor of Prehistory in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and director of QUEST Archaeological Research Program, will be the 3rd SMU professor to be inducted into the NAS. All of them have come from the University's anthropology department: emeritus faculty members Lewis Binford and Fred Wendorf were elected in 2001 and 1987 respectively.

Only an Academy member may submit formal nominations to the NAS, and supporting nomination materials and candidate lists remain confidential.

Meltzer was elected April 28 along with 71 other scientists, joining more than 2,000 active NAS members. More than 180 living Academy members have won Nobel Prizes. NAS members have included Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright and Alexander Graham Bell.

"It's really an honor to be in that wonderful company," Meltzer said shortly after being notified of his selection by phone. "I am thrilled, excited, shocked, humbled - it's a great day." He said he was particularly touched that the NAS members who voted him in then passed a cell phone around to offer their individual congratulations.

"David Meltzer serves as the model of a professor whose research contributes to his discipline and our understanding of civilization, and who uses that knowledge to enliven his classroom," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "His election to the NAS brings much-deserved recognition to Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and honor to SMU."

"One of the hallmarks of top universities is the election of their faculty to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences," said Paul Ludden, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "SMU is so proud of its top-tier anthropology faculty member, David Meltzer, for his election today."

Meltzer's work centers on the origins, antiquity, and adaptations of the first Americans - Paleoindians - who colonized the North American continent at the end of the Ice Age. He focuses on how these hunter-gatherers met the challenges of moving across and adapting to the vast, ecologically diverse landscape of Late Glacial North America during a time of significant climate change.

Meltzer's archaeology and history research has been supported by grants from the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation, The Potts and Sibley Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution. In 1996, he received a research endowment from Joseph and Ruth Cramer to establish the QUEST Archaeological Research Program at SMU, which will support in perpetuity research on the earliest occupants of North America.

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SMU's DeGolyer Library is honoring Willard Spiegelman on April 30 to mark the release of his latest book - a celebration of the pursuit of everyday pleasures. The event begins with a 6 p.m. reception in the library's Texana Room, followed by a 6:30 lecture and book signing in its Stanley Marcus Reading Room

Spiegelman, the Duwain E. Hughes Jr. Distinguished Professor of English in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, has written Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness, published in April 2009 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. In Seven Pleasures, Spiegelman seeks to define "real happiness" and examines the possibilities for achieving it without recourse to the "happiness industries" - religion and pharmacology.

In his essays, Spiegelman - who is also editor of SMU's Southwest Review literary quarterly - explores 7 activities that lead naturally and easily to a sense of well-being: dancing, reading, walking, looking, listening, swimming and writing.

"Some books are easy companions, and this essay collection, in which Spiegelman speaks affectionately of them, can join their ranks," reads the Publishers Weekly review. "Spiegelman ... is no self-help guru, but he is an intelligent, well-read and kindly soul."

Copies of Spiegelman's book will be available for purchase at the signing. The event is free; to reserve a place, contact Betty Friedrich in DeGolyer Library.

The SMU community got its first detailed overview of proposed changes to the General Education Curriculum at a town hall meeting April 22.

New emphases on "demonstrated competencies" and broader double-counting of courses mark the proposed changes, as well as a new second-language requirement for all students. The proposals also will make the curriculum friendlier to long and multiple majors and minors and to transfer students from outside and inside the University, said committee co-chairs Dennis Cordell, Dedman College, and Tom Tunks, Associate Provost.

The University Curriculum - so called as the only course of study to be completed by all SMU undergraduates - is the result of work conducted by the General Education Review Committee. The committee was charged with completing the curriculum review, formulating recommendations for needed changes, and presenting a proposal for a new general education curriculum to Provost Paul Ludden by April 25, 2009.

Presentation of the proposal leads into the review's next stage, in which a broad cross-section of faculty and staff members will address details such as identifying courses to keep or modify and developing metrics and other details, Tunks said. The new curriculum is expected to be in place for the 2011-12 academic year.

The length of the review process allows the University to "get it right," as well as ensure that funds are in place for implementation, Tunks said. It also accomplishes the important objective of getting the SMU community involved and invested, he added.

"Through broad participation in developing the curriculum, what we develop is ownership of the curriculum," Tunks said. "We tend to be more enthusiastic about the things we own than about things that were pushed at us by someone else. We look at this as a chance to build community at the University."

Find an outline of the proposed changes and more information at The General Education Review homepage.

• Complete listing of SMU's current General Education Curriculum
• Initial curriculum review planning guidelines
• Essential learning outcomes
• GEC opinion survey
• GEC Review blog, open to the SMU community

A major new collaboration between SMU's Divisions of Theatre and Music will allow students in the Meadows School of the Arts to work with and learn from professionals on the development of a musical production.

The workshop for theatre and music students - co-directed by Kevin Hofeditz, professor of theatre and associate dean of student affairs, and Hank Hammett, director of opera - showcases Theresa Rebeck's new musical theatre piece, The Two Orphans.

Based on the popular 19th-century melodrama about the harrowing experiences of siblings lost and separated in Paris, Rebeck's libretto tells the story of two African-American sisters adjusting to life in 1865 New Orleans after the end of the Civil War.

Composer Kim D. Sherman and lyricists Rebeck and John Sheehy will be guest artists in residence during rehearsals. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday April 29-May 3 in the Bob Hope Theatre, Owen Arts Center. Tickets are $7 each for SMU faculty, staff and students. Purchase online or call 214-768-2787 (214-SMU-ARTS).

(Right, senior music major Madelyn Fortner, standing, and senior theatre major Bianca Denis in The Two Orphans. Photo by Linda Blase.)

A new partnership between the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society represents a winning opportunity for SMU students and school children throughout North Texas.

The Arboretum plans to begin construction in early 2010 on the new $43 million. seven acre Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. The area will be the largest science education garden in the country, filled with concepts that correspond to state and national standards in earth science and life science for kindergarten through sixth grade, says Arboretum President and CEO Mary Brinegar ('69), who holds an elementary education degree from SMU.

"One of the best days we ever had was when we had an opportunity to talk with Dean David Chard about having a working relationship with SMU. We are very interested in making sure that we have the latest in evaluation techniques and are up to date with the latest ways of teaching," she said.

The school and its students will rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of the garden's teaching activities to make sure the lessons are retained. she explained.

Chard put Brinegar in touch with Peter Raad, executive director of the Guildhall at SMU, the premier graduate video game education program in the United States. Guildhall students, education students and Arboretum educators will work together to design technology-based activities that will reinforce the outdoor lessons and be located in a new teaching building within the garden, she said.

The Arboretum's staff of degreed teachers currently presents formal lessons to more than 70,000 students a year. Brinegar hopes the partnership with SMU will help the garden become a national tourist destination like the famous Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco.

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Pianist Alessio Bax ('96, '98), a faculty member in SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, has been awarded a 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant, as announced last week by the Avery Fisher Artist Program in New York City.

The program, administered by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, is one of the most prestigious in the music world. The $25,000 Career Grants give professional assistance and recognition to talented instrumentalists who are considered to have great potential for solo careers. Artists do not apply, and the nomination process is secret. Past winners include such artists as Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, Pamela Frank, and SMU faculty members Chee-Yun and Andrés Díaz.

Additionally, Bax recently was selected for a 3-year residency at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, to begin in fall 2009. As a member of the CMS Two program for outstanding musicians, he will be featured in various performances at Lincoln Center and on various CMS tours and projects. In March 2009, he made his Lincoln Center debut with a sold-out concert in which he worked with and performed music by Grawemeyer Award-winning composer Sebastian Currier.

In 1997, at age 19, Bax took first prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan. In 2000, he won the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, considered the Olympics of international piano competition. His performances have been described as "real music-making that makes its own world on stage and invites the audience in as guests" (The Independent), and "successfully combining authority and poetry" (Daily Telegraph). He has appeared with major orchestras from Dallas and London to Rome and Tokyo and has worked with conductors including Marin Alsop, Vernon Handley and Owain Arwel Hughes.

Bax's 2004 debut CD, Baroque Reflections (Warner Classic), was selected as "Editor's Choice" by Gramophone magazine and "Best Buy" by Classical FM magazine. His second CD, Bach Transcribed (Signum Records), will be released in summer 2009.

A student of Joel Estes Tate Professor of Piano Joaquín Achúcarro, Bax received his Artist Certificate and his Master's degree in music from SMU.

(Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco, courtesy of Herbert Barrett Management.)

As the 2008-09 flu season begins to wind down, confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, have sprung up in Texas. Megan Knapp, health educator in SMU's Memorial Health Center, sent the following e-mail update to all University faculty, staff and students on Monday, April 27:

As many of you have heard, there are now confirmed cases of swine flu in Texas as well as in Mexico, California, Kansas and New York. Officials at SMU, along with those at Dallas County Health and Human Services, are monitoring the situation to detect any cases locally.

Due to population density and foreign travel, university communities are susceptible to the spread of communicable diseases. Please be vigilant regarding your personal hygiene and health habits.

To help prevent the flu:

• Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after touching common surfaces (door handles, railings, etc.).

• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with either a disposable tissue or your sleeve.

• Avoid contact with people who are sick.

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms (sudden fever/chills, cough, body aches, fatigue), it is important to see a medical provider as soon as possible. To be effective, antiviral medications should be started within 48 hours after symptoms begin. Persons who may have the flu should stay at home as much as possible to avoid spreading the illness.

Flu vaccines administered in fall 2008 and winter 2009 do not protect against H1N1 flu, and currently, there is not a human vaccine for this illness.

For 24-hour medical advice, students can call SMU's Health Center at 214-768-2141. Faculty and staff should contact their personal healthcare providers.

SMU will continue working with Dallas County Health and Human Services on this matter. For more information about swine flu, please visit the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention's H1N1 flu site.

Three outstanding SMU faculty authors will be honored for books published in 2008 at the 29th annual Godbey Lecture Series Authors' Award Luncheon. The 2009 ceremony takes place 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 29 in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.

The price for the luncheon is $17 per person, and the reservation deadline is Friday, April 24. For more information or to reserve a place, contact Deborah Martin in the Godbey Lecture Series office, 214-768-2532.

The Godbey Authors' Awards are presented by the Godbey Lecture Series in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. Honorees are chosen for their outstanding scholarly research, publications and teaching ability. Each receives a prize of $1,000.

The 2009 honorees are:

• Eric Barnes, professor of philosophy in Dedman College, for The Paradox of Predictivism (Cambridge University Press)

• Seyom Brown, John Goodwin Tower Distinguished Chair in International Politics and National Security in the Department of Political Science, Dedman College, for Higher Realism: A New Foreign Policy for the United States (Paradigm Publishers)

• Benjamin Heber Johnson, associate professor in the William P. Clements Department of History, Dedman College, for Bordertown: The Odyssey of an American Place (Yale University Press)

Two SMU faculty members have been named University Distinguished Professors, as announced by the Office of the Provost. Caroline Brettell of the Department of Anthropology, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, and Ndiva Kofele-Kale of the Dedman School of Law were recommended by an Advisory Committee to the Provost comprised of 4 current holders of SMU endowed chairs and 2 current holders of University Distinguished Professorships.

The University Distinguished Professorships were created in 1982 by SMU's Board of Trustees to honor outstanding faculty members who meet the highest standards of academic achievement. University Distinguished Professors are appointed in perpetuity and receive cash awards of $10,000 per year for a 5-year rolling term.

Caroline Brettell, Dedman Family Distinguished Professor in Dedman College, served as chair of the Department of Anthropology from 1994 to 2004. She also served as president of the Faculty Senate in 2001-02 and director of the Women's Studies Program from 1989 to 1994. She was honored with the SMU Distinguished University Citizen Award in 2004. Her research interests include migration and immigration, the cross-cultural study of gender, the intersections of anthropology and history, and European ethnography. Brettell has been a member of the SMU faculty since 1988. From July 2006 to June 2008, she served as acting dean of Dedman College.


Ndiva Kofele-Kale first came to SMU in 1988 as a visiting professor from the University of Tennessee School of Law. He became a full-time faculty member in the Dedman School of Law in fall 1989 and a full professor in 1998. An expert in international dispute resolution, human rights and public international law, Kofele-Kale served from 1990-96 as associate editor of The International Lawyer, a joint publication of the American Bar Association and the Dedman School of Law. He teaches courses in public and private international law and business associations.

SMU faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in a town hall meeting on the University's General Education Curriculum, to take place at 4 p.m. April 22 in McCord Auditorium, 3rd floor, Dallas Hall.

The General Education Review Committee will present draft recommendations for a new University curriculum for discussion. The committee is co-chaired by Dedman College Associate Dean for General Education Dennis Cordell and Associate Provost Tom Tunks.

Best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith, Yale Divinity School Dean Harold W. Attridge and Dance Theater of Harlem co-founder Arthur Mitchell will receive honorary degrees at SMU's 94th Commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. May 16 in Moody Coliseum. Former First Lady Laura Bush ('68) will deliver the Commencement address.

Theologian and academic leader Harold W. Attridge will receive the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Law professor and best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith will receive the honorary Doctor or Humane Letters. Dancer, choreographer and educator Arthur Mitchell will receive the honorary Doctor of Arts degree.

"The conferring of honorary degrees is an important part of the Commencement tradition, and we are pleased to recognize three distinguished individuals who have made unique contributions to varied fields of endeavor," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "Their achievements help our young graduates to appreciate the breadth of opportunity possible for their own futures as a result of their education."

Harold W. Attridge, an internationally respected scholar of early Christianity, currently serves at Yale Divinity School as dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament. After receiving his A.B. degree from Boston College, he earned two degrees at Cambridge University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He served on the faculty of SMU's Perkins School of Theology from 1977 to 1985. He then joined the University of Notre Dame, where he was professor of New Testament and later dean of the College of Arts and Letters. He joined the Yale faculty in 1997 and became dean of the Divinity School in 2002.

Attridge's research has contributed significantly to understanding of the intellectual and religious environment in which Christianity arose. His books include a landmark commentary on the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews.

Alexander McCall Smith has excelled in two diverse careers, as legal scholar and fiction writer. He earned a law degree and Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, where he has led a distinguished career as professor of medical law. He has been a visiting professor at law schools in Europe and the United States, including twice at SMU's Dedman School of Law, in the late 1980s and in fall 1998. An international authority on biomedical ethics, he has served on the International Bioethics Commission of UNESCO.

Professor McCall Smith is most widely known, however, as a best-selling author. His mystery series on The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 40 languages. The series has been adapted for radio, television and feature film.

Professor McCall Smith has strong connections with faculty in SMU's Dedman School of Law. He co-authored a professional book with Professor Daniel W. Shuman and dedicated a book in the Isabel Dalhousie Sunday Philosophy Club series to Professor Shuman. Professor McCall Smith dedicated the first book in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series to Professor Joseph W. McKnight and his wife, Mimi, and featured the McKnights as characters in one of the Dalhousie books.

Arthur Mitchell is a pivotal figure in the world of dance, as well as an agent for social change. He is co-founder and artistic director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a multicultural ballet company of international renown that has broken barriers around the world. After studying at the School of American Ballet, Mitchell became the first African-American male to be a permanent member and principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, he resolved to provide opportunities for the children of Harlem and co-founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Over the years, Mitchell and his dancers have served as cultural ambassadors and received worldwide acclaim. He also helped develop Dancing Through Barriers®, a national and international education and community outreach program that introduces young people to dance.

SMU expects to award nearly 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees to students at the University-wide Commencement ceremony. The University's schools and departments will hold individual diploma ceremonies throughout the day.

SMU faculty, staff, administrators and students were recognized with teaching awards, service honors and the University's highest commendation, the "M" Award, at the 2009 Awards Extravaganza April 20.

On the same day, the University honored its best students at the 12th annual Honors Day Convocation. The address was delivered by Geoffrey Orsak, dean of SMU's Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering.

• See the Awards Extravaganza 2009 winners list
• Find a list of University, school and departmental awards from Honors Convocation 2009

Sister Helen Prejean, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, will speak at SMU April 23 as part of a panel discussion, "Arts, Social Change, and Human Rights," from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

Hosted by SMU, Fort Worth Opera and the Dallas Opera, the panel will be moderated by Rick Halperin, director of the Human Rights Education Program in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

The other panelists include Jonathan Pell, artistic director for the Dallas Opera; Darren K. Woods, general director of Fort Worth Opera; and Jake Heggie, composer of the modern opera derived from Dead Man Walking.

Sister Helen Prejean, a former teacher from Louisiana, joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille at a young age and dedicated her life to the poor of New Orleans. She began a prison ministry in 1981 and became a pen pal and spiritual adviser to convicted felons, which led her to share her experiences through Dead Man Walking. The book was made into a major motion picture in 1996.

Sister Prejean received the Robert O. Cooper Peace and Justice Fellowship from SMU in 1998. The fellowship is sponsored by the SMU Office of the Chaplain, in collaboration with the Human Rights Program, the Ethnic Studies Program and the Dallas Peace Center.

The panel discussion will highlight examples of how the arts have impacted communities and will emphasize efforts to integrate the arts into social change. The event also will spotlight Heggie's operas Dead Man Walking, which will be presented by Fort Worth Opera in May, and Moby Dick, which the Dallas Opera will premiere in 2010.

The panel is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow the discussion.

The smiling image of SMU's only Heisman Trophy winner has become the face of a student-run campaign to bring out Mustang fans for a first look at the University's 2009 football team.

SMU students have begun to see advertising posters featuring SMU football alumnus Doak Walker, encouraging students to attend the annual Red and Blue Scrimmage at 1 p.m. April 25 at Gerald J. Ford stadium.

Beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Doak Walker Plaza, there will be free food, giveaways, contests and a live performance by The Big Red Rooster sponsored by the W Hotel of Dallas. Food will be provided by Pluckers, Pokey O's, Olivella's and Celebrity Bakery. Fantastic prizes and giveaways include a Dallas Mavericks signed basketball, a signed Dirk Nowitzki jersey, an Impeccable Pig necklace and a $100 gift certificate to Kenichi.

The scrimmage is free to students, alumni, and the surrounding community and showcases the SMU football team's talent and plays for the upcoming season.

The SMU Cox School of Business Honors Marketing Practicum class has been working with the SMU Athletic Department to plan the pre-scrimmage festivities.

"We want to pack the stadium full of fans to show how much spirit and encouragement SMU has," says Practicum Class member Lauren Wright. "This is a chance to start something big here on campus that lasts for years after we have graduated. We can come back to attend the scrimmage and see how much it has grown."

The Honors Marketing Practicum class functions much like a marketing agency with different departments. It is their semester project to plan and execute a campaign and event for the Annual Red and Blue Scrimmage in hopes of creating awareness and increasing attendance.

A unique set of political, economic and social forces have helped make the Sunbelt a national power center - from the "marketplace missionaries" of Chick-Fil-A to the region's burgeoning Latino population. These political and social dynamics will be the focus of the 2008-09 Annual Public Symposium, presented by SMU's William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies.

"Sunbelt Rising: The Politics of Space, Place, and Region in the American South and Southwest" is cosponsored by the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West and takes place 8:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m. April 25 in McCord Auditorium, Dallas Hall.

The Sunbelt has been steadily drawing Americans from older cities to Southwestern metropolitan centers since World War II. The symposium will explore this phenomenon in topics ranging from urban renewal as a civil rights issue in Miami to the intersections of politics and religion that occur throughout the region.

The symposium is open to the public. Register online or contact the Clements Center for Southwest Studies, 214-768-3684.

As the 2008-09 academic year draws to a close, SMU celebrates by honoring some of its most distinguished faculty, staff and students. The 2009 Honors Day Convocation and Awards Extravaganza take place on the afternoon and evening of April 20.

Geoffrey Orsak, dean of SMU's Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering, will deliver the address at the 12th annual Honors Day Convocation at 5:30 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium. The ceremony celebrates academic achievement at the University and department levels. Retired and current faculty will assemble in academic dress no later than 5:10 p.m. in the Perkins Administration Building lobby and will process together to McFarlin Auditorium. A reception follows the Convocation in the Dallas Hall Quadrangle.

Later, the University presents several awards for excellence - including its highest honor, the "M" Award - during the Awards Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater. Winners will be listed in SMU Forum the day after the ceremony.

(Photo from Honors Convocation 2008 by Kim Ritzenthaler.)

SMU students, faculty and staff who lead and serve their community were recognized April 15 during the 2009 Excellence in Service and Leadership Awards.

The awards were sponsored by the University's Office of Leadership and Community Involvement, which supports leadership and service activities on campus and in North Texas.

Wright L. Lassiter Jr., chancellor of the