Musician Noel Paul Stookey

Proceeds from the benefit concert will help support Hugworks, which was founded in 1981 by SMU alumni Paul Hill ’72, who holds a bachelor’s degree in music – theory and composition from Meadows School of the Arts, and Jim Newton ’75, who earned a master’s degree in theology from Perkins School of Theology. The organization offers therapeutic entertainment and music therapy, comfort and encouragement to children in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, early childhood centers and music therapy clinics.

As a member of the legendary folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, Stookey became a household name in the 1960s. The group performed to a full house at SMU in 1964. Stookey’s interest in the therapeutic values of music led him to Hugworks in the 1980s.

Tickets for the benefit concert may be purchased on the Hugworks website. General admission tickets are $40 each. VIP tickets, which include admission to a post-benefit reception for Stookey and an autographed copy of his CD, “One & Many,” are $100 for one or $150 for two. The Greer Garson Theatre is located in the Owens Arts Center at 6101 Bishop on the SMU campus.

The music therapy department at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts has partnered with Hugworks for the past five years. Meadows’ music therapy students have worked under the mentorship of Hugworks music therapists to provide services in a variety of settings, including SMU’s music therapy clinic, the Hugworks Music Therapy Clinic in Hurst, Texas, and at area hospitals, rehabilitation and other facilities.

Noel Paul Stookey (left) with Mary Travers and Peter Yarrow from SMU’s 1964 Rotunda yearbook.

“SMU students must complete 1,200 hours of supervised fieldwork before graduation and board exams, so the opportunity for them to work with the therapists at Hugworks has been critical to their successful completion of our program,” says Robert Krout, professor and director of music therapy at SMU.

More than 18,000 children, family members and health care professionals are assisted by Hugworks each year.

With Stookey, Hugworks has produced three award-winning CD collections of music for children with special medical and emotional needs: “We Can Do,” “Best I Can Be” and “World Around Song.” Work on a fourth CD will begin shortly after the concert.

“I love the music we make at Hugworks. Jim, Paulie and I recognize that we are building trust at the same time we’re sharing this music, and for that reason, we don’t speak down to the listener. We respect the intelligence of children and the grownups, both musically and thematically,” says Stookey. “The upcoming Hugworks IV release will be possibly the most important musical project we’ve ever done.”

For more information about the event, call Hugworks at 817-268-0020 or visit the Hugworks website.

Hunter Parkhill (left) and Colin Beaton on the set of Albert Herring. Meadows Opera Theatre will present the comic opera February 7-10 in the Bob Hope Theatre at SMU.

Colin, 13, the son of Julia ’84 and Ross Beaton, and Hunter, 13, the son of Karen ’87 and Jeff Parkhill, will take turns playing the role of the mischievous Harry, described as the “village brat,” in the opera Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten. SMU’s Meadows Opera Theatre will present the comedic masterpiece February 7-10 as an official participant in the “Britten 100” international celebration of the centenary of the renowned composer.

> BUY TICKETS TO ALBERT HERRING

“Albert Herring is an absolute joy and definitely a crowd-pleaser, a perfect opera for a first-timer because it’s full of crazy characters from a small town with which we can all easily identify,” says SMU Director of Opera Hank Hammett. “It’s full of laughs and it’s in English!”

The opera holds special significance for Hammett: “As a young singer, I had the privilege to work with, and subsequently become dear friends with, Eric Crozier, the librettist for Albert Herring, and his wife Nancy Evans, who created the role of Nancy. They fell in love during the writing of the opera, and you can hear that in the music Britten wrote for her character.

“Although they are now passed, for years I got to hear stories and stories about the creation of Albert and how important it is to find just the right kind of young man to play Harry, as he can make or break the show,” adds Hammett. “I know they would adore Colin and Hunter. They are both fantastic in the role.”

Hannah Rigg, a graduate student in voice who plays the village school teacher in the Meadows production, also sings the teens’ praises. “It’s so encouraging to see their enjoyment and enthusiasm for opera at such a young age. They’re the future of opera.”

The young vocalists were acquainted before joining the cast through participation in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert for the past two years.

Albert Herring is the second opera in which Colin has performed. Last year, he appeared in Boris Gudonov with the Dallas Opera. “That was an amazing experience and has kept Colin interested in musical theatre and opera,” Julia Beaton says.

Julia, who majored in psychology and communications at SMU and covered sports for The Daily Campus, shares Colin’s love of theatre but prefers working behind the scenes. “That’s probably where I shine. Over the years, I’ve created costumes for musical productions ranging from Aida to Beauty and the Beast,” she says. “I also love painting and helped create sets for the shows.”

Her son started acting at five. “I like performing because you can be anyone you want to be, and it’s really fun to play different characters, such as Harry,” Colin says.

Hunter is also an experienced vocalist whose credits include guest soloist with the Las Colinas Symphony and singer in the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas. Before the Parkhills moved to Dallas in 2011, he sang with the Chicago Children’s Choir.

Karen Lynch Parkhill introduced her son to “the great works and accomplishments of Meadows graduates” several years ago at a Chicago alumni program featuring Dean José Bowen. The vice chairman and CFO of Comerica Incorporated, Karen is among the 2012 Distinguished Alumni honored by the Cox School of Business.

According to Jeff Parkhill, his son became interested in vocal performance around age seven. Hunter says he enjoys playing the boisterous Harry “because he’s so different from my personality, so it’s a challenge, but a fun challenge.”

Although college is still years away for both young men, they are already considering a future at SMU.

“Colin has expressed quite a bit of interest in becoming a Mustang, since he was about eight years old,” says Julia. “And, as we see his interests develop, we’re keeping a close eye on opportunities, like the SMU swim team, the Mustang Band and the performing arts at Meadows.”

Attending SMU as a student “would complete the circle,” says Hunter. “I’m already involved in SMU culture through tailgating with my family during football season – we have season tickets – and now the opera. This experience proves to me that Meadows offers the kind of challenge I want.”

Meadows Opera Theatre presents Albert Herring Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 7-9, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. in the Bob Hope Theatre in Owen Arts Center on the SMU campus. Tickets are $13 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students, faculty and staff. For more information call 214.768.ARTS (2787).

SMU alumni Nicole and Nick Caluori in a photo from the Life in the West Point Band blog.

SMU alumni Nick (M.M. Horn Performance ’06) and Nicole (B.M. Horn Performance ’07, M.M. studies ’07-’08) Caluori completed graduate studies at Meadows School of the Arts, married in 2008 and now perform together in the prestigious West Point Band.

Read more about their experiences in this posting from Life in the West Point Band  blog and in this story from the Meadows School of the Arts news site.

Juan José de Leon ’10

Tenor Juan José de Leon ’10 bested nine singers in the Great Lakes Region finals January 12 in Buffalo, New York, to advance in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He will sing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera during the national semi-finals in March.

De Leon, who earned a Master of Music in Performance-Voice from Meadows School of the Arts, is a second-year resident artist with the Pittsburgh Opera.

Among the judges of the regional finals was Jonathan Pell, artistic director of The Dallas Opera. Writing about the competition for his blog, Pell applauded the rising star: “Juan has continued to develop and grow as an artist, and we all can be very proud of the vocal progress he has made. I think he has an excellent chance to go on to be one of the winners in New York, and I know that all of his friends in Dallas wish him the best in the next round of this prestigious competition.”

This is not the first time de Leon’s talent has captured the attention of judges in the national opera talent search. While a student of SMU Professor of Voice Virginia Dupuy, de Leon won the Gulf Coast Region district competition in 2009. According to The Metropolitan Opera, the annual competition is designed “to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers.”

In addition, De Leon was a winner of the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition in 2010 and made his Dallas Opera debut in 2011 in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

As a Meadows graduate student, de Leon participated in the Dallas Opera/SMU Emerging Artists Program, presenting the “Opera in a Box: Follow Your Dreams” touring arts program to schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Ron Judkins ’75

Judkins previously won Academy Awards for Best Sound for Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan, movies also directed by Steven Spielberg, who has been nominated this year for his direction of Lincoln. Judkins also was nominated for his sound-design skills on Schindler’s List and War of the Worlds, also directed by Spielberg.

> View Lincoln movie trailer

Judkins is currently working on his own film, Neighbors, which he wrote and directed. He and his producers used Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform for creative projects, to raise money to complete post-production on the movie. They surpassed their $18,000 goal in November.

>View Ron Judkins’ Kickstarter video

“In May 2011, we started principle photography on my film Neighbors. We cut the film until September 2011, at which point I went to work on Lincoln, and then I went back to working on Neighbors in January 2012,” he says. “We are very close to finishing the film.”

Judkins calls Neighbors, “a comedy-drama about a graphic novelist facing down a midlife crisis.” The film stars Michael O’Keefe, Catherine Dent, Blake Bashoff, Julie Mond and Sean Patrick Thomas, and it includes many of Judkins’ own neighborhood friends.

After graduating from SMU, Judkins worked as a sound recordist in Dallas before moving to Los Angeles in 1979. In addition to working as a sound engineer on major motion pictures, Judkins is also an independent filmmaker. His first film, The Hi-Line, debuted at Sundance in 1999. He also has produced several independent films.

SMU’s Boulevard receiving at Top 20 recognition for tailgating.

SMU rose in the ranks of the nation’s top universities in the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, published online September 12. Among 280 institutions classified as national universities, SMU ranks 58, an increase of four points from last year’s ranking of 62. The ranking again places SMU in the first tier of institutions in the guide’s “best national universities” category. In Texas, only Rice University and the University of Texas-Austin ranked ahead of SMU. Among private national universities, SMU ranks 40.

The factors weighed in determining the rankings include measures of academic quality, such as peer assessment scores and ratings by high school counselors; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; and alumni giving.

Princeton Review released its annual rankings in August. Among the rankings, SMU placed number two for “most accessible professors,” number seven for best career services, number 10 for best athletic facilities and number 15 for “happiest students.”

In addition, Southern Living magazine released its first-ever list of the top 20 tailgates in the South, and the Boulevard experience at SMU made the cut. Winners included first-place Clemson, second Ole Miss, and third Alabama. The Boulevard has been an SMU tradition since Gerald J. Ford Stadium opened in 2000. SMU was one of only three schools in Texas (along with the University of Texas and Texas A&M) and the only Conference USA school to make the list.

SMU Physics Professor Ryszard Stroynowski (right) explains the workings of ATLAS to Jim Quick, associate vice president for research and dean of graduate studies at SMU.

Besides celebrating U.S. independence, July 4, 2012, now marks another historic milestone: discovery of the Higgs boson fundamental particle in physics. And SMU’s Department of Physics in Dedman College was at the center of the action.

The biggest physics discovery of the past 50 years was announced July 4 by CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics in Switzerland. CERN confirmed that the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest physics experiment, had observed the Higgs boson, informally dubbed the “God particle.” Hypothesized in the 1960s to explain why matter has mass, the Higgs had never been observed until now.

SMU’s physicists were key players in the discovery, which is credited to a team of several thousand physicists worldwide but only a handful from institutions in the United States.

Physics Professor Ryszard Stroynowski led the SMU team, which includes faculty, graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. “The experimental physics group at SMU has been involved since 1994 and is a major contributor,” he says. “This discovery was many years in the making, but it was worth the wait.”

Observation “opens up clear directions for physicists at SMU and throughout the world to study the properties of the Higgs,” Stroynowski adds.

The $10 billion Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which began operation in 2010, is a high-tech, 17-mile tunnel about 100 meters below ground on the border between France and Switzerland. The LHC generated evidence of the Higgs by smashing together protons at high energies so their breakup replicates the Big Bang at the origin of the universe. Billions of protons are hurled through the LHC’s tunnel, some crashing head-on and breaking apart. Physicists around the world and at SMU analyzed the resulting particle shower for hints of the Higgs.

SMU contributed to the LHC’s design, hardware, software, operations and data analysis. Stroynowski was U.S. supervisor for the $50-million design and construction of the Liquid Argon Calorimeter of ATLAS, one of the LHC’s principal experiments.

Physics Professor Jingbo Ye’s research group developed a high-speed integrated circuit to transmit ATLAS data.

Physics faculty Robert Kehoe and Stephen Sekula led researchers in developing software for the ATLAS trigger system to identify potential Higgs evidence. And Assistant Professor Pavel Nadolsky’s research group contributed calculations used for discovery and ongoing analyses of the Higgs.

Faculty and students also spent hours in shifts staffing the LHC control room. And much of the success of SMU’s small group in the highly competitive environment of a large international collaboration was due to the massive and cutting-edge processing capacity of the SMU High Performance Computing System, Stroynowski says.

Observation of the new particle is only the beginning, he adds. “Our work continues to evolve.”

Read more …

– Margaret Allen

Trustee Scott J. McClean ’78 (left), Houston co-chair of he Second Century Campaign Steering Committee, was among those honoring W. Yandell “Tog” Rogers, Jr. ’61 and his wife, Suzie, at a reception and presentation at the Houstonian November 1.

“The Rogers Scholarships will provide resources to educate leaders like Tog,” says SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

Through a scholarship arranged by Law Professor Roy Ray, Rogers was able to complete law school and graduate in 1961. “I’m paying back a debt,” says Rogers. “Without a scholarship, I wouldn’t have made it through the SMU School
of Law. This gift is to help other people in need do what I was able to do.”

Rogers is a retired lawyer and businessman. He clerked for Texas Supreme Court Justices Clyde Smith and Joe Greenhill. He was an associate in the Dallas law firm of Wynne, McKenzie, Jaffe and Tinsley from 1961 to 1967. As part of the firm’s litigation practice, he represented celebrities such as baseball legend Mickey Mantle.

> Houston Commitments, Gifts Top $100 Million

Rogers moved to Houston in 1967. He served as general counsel at Ridgway Blueprinting, a small, publicly traded company, before becoming president of the company. He took Ridgway private and purchased the company, selling it to American Reprographic Company in 2000. At that time, Ridgway was the largest privately held reprographics company in the U.S.

Rogers is a member of the Executive Board of Dedman School of Law and the Houston Steering Committee of SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign. Three of his five children are SMU graduates. Wiley Yandell Rogers III earned a B.B.A. in finance in 1986. Laura Rogers Braun earned an M.B.A. in 1987, and Matthew Alford Rogers graduated in 2003 with B.A. degrees in public policy and economics.

“Continued investment in scholarships and faculty is essential to SMU Dedman Law remaining competitive and advancing the momentum of recent years,” says Dedman Law Dean John B. Attanasio.

With Rogers’ gift of $12.1 million, SMU Dedman School of Law has raised more than $55 million in gifts to The Second Century Campaign.