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See how gifts impact students page 32 A UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS VOL.64, NO.4 | Winter 2014 LEADING THE WORLD ALUMNI WORKING ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE [page 24] Brian D. Sweany [page 14] Faculty Focus [page 22] A Season of Gratitude [page 30] Winter 2014 | northtexan.unt.edu | The North Texan 1 northtexan.unt.edu Folk Music Club [page 34] IS BEING OVERLY VIGILANT BAD FOR YOUR HEART? We’re studying the role that stress and hypervigilance play in the development of heart disease — the nation’s No. 1 killer. Smoking, obesity and diet are well established influences on cardiovascular health. At UNT, we’re leading the way in measuring the effect that other equally significant variables contribute to this major public health concern. We hope our research helps create more effective coronary therapies. — John Ruiz Assistant professor, psychology 1 The North Texan | northtexan.unt.edu | Winter 2014 AA/EOE/ADA © 2014 UNT Inside WINTER 2014 FEATURES 14 Brian D. Sweany Alum’s drive for excellence steers him to position as Texa s Monthly editor-in-chief. By Jessica DeLeón 22 Faculty Focus UNT honors faculty as notable teachers, researchers and mentors. 30 A Season of Gratitude The university celebrates the close of The Campaign for UNT. 34 Folk Music Club A 1960s student club set the scene for collaborations that spurred songwriters, musicians and entrepreneurs. By Jessica DeLeón DEPARTMENTS FROM OUR PRESIDENT • 3 Driven by creativity DEAR NORTH TEXAN • 4 24 Logistics ... Food for thought ... Sounds of music UNT TODAY • 6 Factory for imagination ... Global Connection ... Leading the World Ask an Expert ... Mean Green FROM HELPING FIGHT THE SPREAD OF EBOLA AND EDUCATING YOUTH THROUGH MUSIC TO ADVANCING UNT MUSE • 17 In her own voice ... Real life in words ... ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD MARKET, ALUMS ARE USING A lasting gift ... Upcoming Events ... ArtPrize 2014 CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS LEARNED AS STUDENTS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE ACROSS THE GLOBE. EAGLES’ NEST • 3 8 By Adrienne Nettles Partners in success ... Connecting with Friends ... My Brother’s Keeper ... Friends We’ll Miss LAST WORD • 48 Cover: Photo illustration by Kit Young. From left, Dominic Murer (’14), The Golden Eagles share memories as students April Scarrow (’95), Petronel Malan (’96 M.M., ’01 D.M.A.), from the Class of 1964. Pradit Wanarat (’94 Ph.D.) and Tolkunbek Abdygulov (’07 M.P.A.) Winter 2014 | northtexan.unt.edu | The North Texan 1 Online EXCLUSIVES northtexan.unt.edu/online ONLINE FEATURES CHILD LAB Read about UNT’s Child Development Lab, which educates young children and also prepares UNT College of Education students. GLOBAL TEAM Meet the international runners who made up the 2014 cross country team. Hear their perspectives on being in the U.S. and part of the Mean Green family. GIVING BACK Watch a video to learn how gifts to UNT have impacted students’ educations and how you can help. GET CONNECTED Connect with us at facebook.com/northtexas. Brad Holt Brad Follow us at twitter.com/northtexan. Watch us on youtube.com/ universitynorthtexas. Happy Holidays, UNT! THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, WE’RE GIVING THANKS FOR Follow us at instagram.com/unt. THE BRIGHT, TALENTED UNT COMMUNITY AND WE’RE ALSO CELEBRATING OUR CREATIVE SPIRIT. SEE AND HEAR FOR YOURSELF WHAT LIFE AT UNT SOUNDS LIKE AND Visit The North Texan online to: • Keep up with what’s happening between HOW WE WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY. issues of The North Texan • Tell us what you think about our stories • Learn more about your fellow alumni When you see this arrow, join our North Texan community online • Write memorials about friends we’ll miss at northtexan.unt.edu. • Enjoy an array of additional stories, photos, videos and recordings 2 The North Texan | northtexan.unt.edu | Winter 2014 FROM OUR President Driven by creativity UNIVERSITY RELATIONS, DESIGNERS UNT BLAZES PATH, PROPELLED BY COMMUNICATIONS AND LAUREN LEBRON MARKETING LEADERSHIP KIT YOUNG (’06) IMAGINATION AND KNOWLEDGE VICE PRESIDENT DEBORAH LELIAERT (’96 M.ED.) PHOTOGRAPHERS MICHAEL CLEMENTS ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT AHNA HUBNIK (’03) KELLEY REESE (’95) GARY PAYNE (’99) FROM OUR HUMBLE origins in Denton to our rising DIRECTORS VIDEOGRAPHERS KENN MOFFITT CHRISTOPHER BRYAN (’08) national prominence, UNT is DENA MOORE BRAD HOLT (’09) growing as a first-choice institution MAGAZINE STAFF WRITERS and partner known for creativity EXECUTIVE EDITOR MONIQUE BIRD (’10 M.J.) JULIE ELLIOTT PAYNE (’97) ERNESTINE BOUSQUET and excellence. NANCY KOLSTI MANAGING EDITOR LESLIE MINTON (’07) Gary Payne Creativity is alive in everything we RANDENA HULSTRAND (’88, ’07 M.J.) ADRIENNE NETTLES do, whether it’s musical and artistic BUDDY PRICE EDITORS ELLEN ROSSETTI (’00, ’08 M.J.) excellence (see page 34) or thought- JESSICA DELEÓN MARGARITA VENEGAS (’96) JILL KING (’93 M.S., ’00 M.A.) provoking education, research and President Neal Smatresk and his wife, Debbie, ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS wave to the crowd during the Homecoming ONLINE EDITOR JESSE GARRISON scholarship. We see problems and MICHELLE HALE NANCY KENT (’94) parade this fall. find innovative solutions. We use our ERIC VANDERGRIFF ART DIRECTOR knowledge, talent and skills to make the world better, as you’ll see in our cover story SEAN ZEIGLER (’00) STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS NATALIE CABALLERO on alumni who are making global impacts (see page 24). And as a place where art PHOTO EDITOR CRYSTAL HOLLIS (’13) ANGILEE WILKERSON ERICA MARTINEZ and science converge, we educate, inspire and innovate. MEGAN MIDDLETON (’03) I’m especially proud of how we change our students’ lives in a style all our own at ADVERTISING GERMAN TORRES JILLIAN JORDAN (’05) JOSHUA WILLIAMS UNT. We captured the harmony of how our campus community works together in WES MARTIN (’01) JEFFREY WOLVERTON this year’s holiday video. Check it out at northtexan.unt.edu/online. And be sure to look PROJECT MANAGEMENT ERICA BLOUNT for our creativity-inspired billboards throughout the North Texas region. CLAUDIA COOPER (’06) We also celebrated the close of our first comprehensive campaign,The Campaign DONALD WILSON (’01) for UNT, this fall with more than $210 million, exceeding our goal. These gifts provide The North Texan scholarships to our students, support faculty research and scholarship, and bolster our The North Texan (ISSN 0468-6659) is published four times a year (in March, June, September and December) by the academic programs. Together, they ensure that our students get the best educational University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, for distribution to alumni and friends of experience at UNT. Most importantly, gifts help our students achieve their dreams. the university. Periodicals postage paid at Denton, Texas, and You can show your support at at additional mailing offices. The diverse views on matters giving.unt.edu. of public interest that are presented in The North Texan do Debbie and I have been part of the UNT community for just 10 months, but we not necessarily reflect the official policies of the university. Publications staff can be reached at [email protected] or were embraced immediately as family and everyone has been so welcoming. Our love 940-565-2108. Postmaster: Please send requests for changes of address, and pride for this great university grows stronger each day. We’re excited about what accompanied if possible by old address labels, to the University the future holds for UNT. of North Texas, University Relations, Communications and Marketing, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017. The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the UNT proud, owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission. The University of North Texas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, disability, marital status, ancestry, genetic Neal Smatresk information, citizenship, or veteran status in its application and admission process, educational programs and activities, President employment policies and use of university facilities. Direct [email protected] questions or concerns to the equal opportunity office, 940-565-2759, or the dean of students, 940-565-2648. TTY @UNTPrez access is available at 940-369-8652. AA/EOE/ADA Created by the Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing ©2014 UNT URCM 12/14 (15-225) Winter 2014 | northtexan.unt.edu | The North Texan 3 DEAR North Texan never had deep-dish before. I ordered the pie to go, took Let us know what you think about news it back to the dorm, and my and topics covered in The North Texan. friends and I pigged out. I Letters may be edited for length and thought it was the best pizza I publication style. had ever had. Not long ago I was in the Online: northtexan.unt.edu Mail: The North Texan Windy City and ordered a (follow the “Contact Us” link) University of North Texas deep-dish. The memory from Phone: 940-565-2108 Division of University Relations, the one at Flying Tomato still Communications and Marketing Fax: 940-369-8763 stands as the best I ever had. 1155 Union Circle #311070 Email: [email protected] Denton, Texas 76203-5017 Derrall Ahart (’92) Houston Logistics Swenson’s! Big bowls of Fruit watch tarantulas cross the Loops cereal at a Bruce Hall farm-to-market road. No When I read your invitation As a UNT graduate and dorm party. Pizza at Bullwin- kidding! We even caught one in to share memories of food on business accounts sales kle’s. A Denton County a Mason jar. NTSU ~ NUTS! campus, I immediately thought executive with FedEx, I was so hamburger and french fries on of the cinnamon coffeecake in pleased to see the piece touting the square downtown.