Pipeline of Hope

SPRING 2013 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO Pipeline of Hope INSIDEA Tangle of Memories UTSA’s leading researcher on Alzheimer’s disease will get a $1 million boost to find out more about the mind- 12 robbing disease. Healing Water In a small village in Peru, clean water is a luxury most can’t afford. A group of UTSA students is installing a water distribution 16 system to sustain all 500 residents. Behind the Vault Sometimes the most impactful—and interesting—gifts 22 are those without dollar signs before them. ROADRUNNER 32 BUILDING A ThE PaSEo 1 0 SPORTS LEGACY Sports briefs, plus get Junior Alexis Amos 4 TEAM APPROACH to know McKenzie is a member of so Student teachers and Adams, a junior many extracurricular children with autism volleyball player and organizations that both benefit from a WAC Player of the Year. she needs her fingers new center. to count them all. The biology 6 GIRL POWER! CommuNITy major and UTSA The Institute of Texan Alumni Association Cultures celebrates 28 ROADRUNNER scholarship winner 100 years of Girl EXPERIENCE is already making an Scouts with an exhibit Leah and Roland impact on campus. that showcases arti- Pastrano ’99 enjoy facts and memorabilia. UTSA’s tailgate parties Where’s so much that they 33 ROWDY? INFECTIOUS purchased a home Did you know 7 FUTURE across the street from Roadrunner alumni What is genomics, the Alamodome to are all over the anyway? For high more easily access the country? Take a look at school students festivities. where we live. from San Antonio’s John Jay and Edison THREE 36 CLASS high schools, it’s an 30 DECADES NOTES opportunity to peer OF SERVICE Profile of Antonio into the world of They were among the Gonzalez III ’82, microbiology. first ROTC graduates UTSA’s first mascot; from UTSA. Three and trailblazer Marti Hathorn B.B.A. ’03, BEYOND decades later, these alumni talk about M.S. ’08; plus other 8 EXPECTATIONS ON THE COVER: In the small Peruvian town of Viña Vieja,the their adventures and campus and alumni air is dry, the land is arid and clean water is a One UTSA student luxury most who live there can’t afford. the rewards reaped news. defies the odds and PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA GEORGE pursues her college from that experience. education with the aid ON THIS PAGE: The villagers work hard to maintain their modest lifestyles. There is no municipal water source, of her service dog. so many get their water from a man-made canal system, sometimes trekking long and far to bring it home. SPRING 2013 SOMBRILLA 1 PHOTO BY ELEAZAR HERNÁNDEZ I couldn’t help but laugh tribute to the students when I heard students talk who have worked on the about how they couldn’t projects in the past and to wait to graduate. the professors who run the Spring 2013 projects and strive to make JESSICA AvALOS-ALVAREZ VOLUME 29, NUMBER 2 ’07 this experience rewarding to each of their students. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LETTERS Assistant director, Office at SAN ANTONIO EDIToR’S NoTE Sombrilla article on former Roadrun- of Orientation and Family The article illustrated all ners and on how much they Programs, UTSA facets of the learning expe- PRESIDENT Goosebumps THE SOMBRILLA Fall 2012 have accomplished since rience beautifully. I was so Ricardo Romo Thank you so much for the teaching at UTSA. impressed that I made sure PUBLISHER AND To be around truly selfless people is so inspiring, so middle of the night. latest issue of Sombrilla. The Community section Forever to post the online version VICE PRESIDENT FOR moving, that it gives me goosebumps. And it seems Like the group of students who stayed on their feet Every time I see this to the Legacy Program’s was motivational for me. Roadrunners EXTERNAL relations that here, even in South Texas where winter days can for 18 hours straight, through pain and exhaustion, magazine in my mailbox, Many folks have passed What a pleasure it was to Facebook page. Marjie French I rush inside to begin reach into the 90s, I’ve always got them. dancing to raise money for children with cancer and to through the doors of read the article on UTSA’s Thank you again for run- reading it—and I’m never Goosebumps. show them that they care about their struggle and will UTSA and have (and are) Retired Faculty Associa- ning this article and getting Associate VICE PRESIDENT disappointed. Not only is When I met with a group of students who had trav- not give up the battle making an impact in our tion. It’s exciting to see the word out about this FOR Communications AND it a beautiful publication, MARKETING eled to a struggling, earthquake-ravaged community to find a cure. community. how these remarkable unique opportunity avail- but also the articles are Joe Izbrand in Peru, I had them. Here were four college guys, with Or like the world- But my favorite article individuals continue to able to UTSA students! always informative and a bond like that of brothers, who shouldn’t be worried renowned researcher was “The Lipstick Effect.” benefit UTSA and the WHITNEY LYTLE well written, relevant and about much more than passing their next final. In- who has dedicated We make a living by Researcher Kristina outside world. I’d like to Legacy Program Coordina- EDITOR inspiring. stead, they spent almost two years trying to find a way his entire career, and Durante makes some add my thanks to all our tor, Center for Archaeo- Lety Laurel I’m always proud to be to deliver clean water to villagers who drink the same most of his life, to try- interesting connections retired faculty who have logical Research what we get. We make a Roadrunner, but I feel Associate EDITOR water their livestock use to bathe. ing to understand the between a woman’s so generously given gifts Doctoral student especially proud when Guillermo Garcia ovulation time and her to UTSA, but I’d also like to It wasn’t an assignment. It wasn’t for class credit. It disease that ravages a life by what we give. I read stories about my was simply to do the right thing for a community that the brain and steals non-consciously motivating point out that since your DESIGN DIRECTOR university and the amazing Great cover story in —MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. picks for a mate! Perhaps publishing date we have so badly needed a little help. people’s memories, so Sombrilla’s latest edition! Tom Palmer —WINSTON CHURCHILL work my peers and that’s how it came to me. I got goosebumps again when I spoke with a gradu- that someday, maybe received additional gifts or It made me want to go on professors are doing. Thank you for a very PHOTOGRAPHERS ate student working at one of UTSA’s newest centers, he can help stop it. pledges of several hundred one of their next trips. Keep up the good work. interesting read and update Patrick Ray Dunn, the Teacher Education Autism Model. With a small I hope that while thousand dollars from this I have been to most of the Forever a Roadrunner, on my alma mater. Cheers. Mark McClendon smile, she recalled sitting still while a preschooler you read these stories, you also get goosebumps, even group. What an impact that pyramids in Mexico but VERONICA FERNANDEZ punched her and spit in her face. Repeatedly, she’d try M. SYBIL HOWELL will make on UTSA! CONTRIBUTORS in the midst of summer. And I hope it’s not from the air never to Belize. ’05 M.B.A. ’88 to redirect him. And repeatedly, she’d get hit. conditioning. CAROLYN LOWERY GINA MENDEZ Tim Brownlee, Christi Fish, Director of Gift Planning, Why do you do it? I asked her. The answer was im- ‘‘ I just received the hard Director of Community Eleazar Hernández, Kate mediate: “I want to make a difference,” she said. Saludos, copy of Sombrilla and I Miss College UTSA Relations, UTSA Hunger, Judith Lipsett, Kris That is altruism to the core, and it’s inspiring. read it from front to back. I just read your piece on Rodriguez, KC Scharnberg, “the good ol’ college days” Cindy Tumiel There are so many more goosebump-worthy It has so many fascinating Unraveling a Well done, Sombrilla team! and diverse articles in it. I and it really hit close to moments, not just within the pages of this issue of I can’t tell you how happy WEB DESIGNER home. I taught a class Mystery Sombrilla, but throughout the hallways and classrooms reminisced with editor Lety I was to read your story on Kristina Leh (Freshman Seminar) for the As a Ph.D. student of Kat of UTSA. And they happen all the time, even in the Lety Laurel on “Oh, How I Miss the research conducted first time this semester and Brown and Jason Yaeger, WEB SPECIALIST College” and enjoyed the by Dr. Kat Brown and Dr. ’’ I have been working in Maria Corral Belize for the past few years Jason Yaeger in Belize. As part of their research team, and I wanted to thank you Sombrilla Magazine I find it incredibly reward- for the amazing article is published two times Write Back! ing to see that our research GO ONLINE! you ran in the last issue of a year by the Office We’d love to hear from you! Sombrilla about the Belize at the sites of Xunantunich of University Communications, Need more information? Check out these UTSA websites: UTSA, One UTSA Circle, How do you think we’re doing? field school.

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