There's No Place Like Home(coming) |
Colleagues,
As we reflect on the accomplishments and progress made over the past year, I want to express my gratitude for your dedication and hard work. Your commitment to fostering an engaging, inclusive, and rigorous academic environment has been instrumental in advancing our mission. It is through your efforts that our students are able to thrive academically, personally, and professionally.
As we look to the future, I encourage each of you to remain steadfast in your focus on supporting student success. At the midpoint of the semester, it is common for faculty and staff to feel stretched thin or overwhelmed, so if you are feeling that way you are not alone. It is important to realize that our students face evolving challenges too. In the midst of our own challenges and uncertainties facing us let us not lose sight of our students and our collective responsibility to provide them with the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to reach their full potential. Together, we will continue to create a transformative educational experience that not only prepares students for their careers but also inspires them to become engaged and compassionate members of society.
Remember to take care of yourself and lean on each other. Let’s keep pushing forward together and finish the semester with an immense amount of Maverick purpose and pride.
On a lighter note, UTA Homecoming is right around the corner. The Division of Student Affairs and other campus teams—including our basketball teams—have been hard at work coordinating events to highlight our Maverick Pride. I hope to see you out and about the week of November 9–15 to celebrate why there’s no place like home(coming).
With Maverick Pride,
Tamara L. Brown, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
|
|
|
UTA Faculty Win Prestigious UT System Award |
|
| Two UTA faculty members have been named recipients of the 2025 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award.
- Karen Magruder, Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work
- Mohsen Shahandashti, Professor and Associate Dean in the Department of Civil Engineering
Only twelve faculty members across the UT System’s nine institutions received this honor, which celebrates exceptional commitment to teaching excellence and student success.
Congratulations to Dr. Magruder and Dr. Shahandashti on this well-deserved achievement!
|
|
|
The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Committee appreciates your participation in identifying potential QEP topics.
As the process continues, the committee invites faculty, staff, students, and community members to contribute more fully developed ideas for our next QEP—a university-wide initiative aimed at enhancing student learning and success.
Your input is vital in shaping a meaningful and impactful plan that reflects our shared values and priorities. For updates on the process to date, or to submit your idea, please visit the QEP website.
|
|
|
There's No Place Like Home(coming) |
|
|
Join us November 9-15 for a full line up of events celebrating our Maverick traditions! Find the complete list of Homecoming week events and activities here.
|
|
|
Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, spotlighting a disease that will affect hundreds of thousands of Americans this year. In the U.S., a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed about every two minutes, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
MME's Drew Davis spoke with UTA nursing professor Zhaoli Liu, who has published extensively on breast cancer, including a recent study in Geriatric Nursing on detection among older women.
Dr. Liu discusses common misconceptions, advancements in research, and the impact of lifestyle choices on breast cancer.
"Prevention starts with awareness and healthy habits," says Liu. "Maintaining a balanced diet, staying physically active, limiting alcohol, and avoiding tobacco can help reduce risk.
Most importantly, remember that routine screenings should begin at the age of 40, or earlier if you have higher risk factors."
Read the full interview here.
|
|
RISE Researcher Explores Brain Health |
UTA researcher Xi Zhu has received more than $4.5 million in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health to study PTSD, depression, OCD, and brain development.
Dr. Zhu was among the first hires in a RISE 100 cluster focused on brain health. Current UTA faculty from computer science, mathematics, nursing, health innovation, and engineering are also part of this growing team, which aims to expand opportunities for large-scale, collaborative research.
Zhu's work uses neuroimaging and artificial intelligence to study brain disorders and brain development. These disorders often involve multiple co-occurring conditions, and having quantitative biomarkers could improve diagnosis, treatment and understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms.
“My research will allow clinicians to see how each patient deviates from normal based on objective biomarker data gleaned from large international datasets," says Zhu.
Learn more here.
|
|
|
| OIT Knowledge Services is hosting a workshop later this month to support faculty in making courses accessible in Canvas to comply with the DOJ’s April 2026 deadline.
This hands-on session will guide you through cleaning up unused content, interpreting Ally scores, and fixing common issues like scanned documents, broken links, and missing headings.
The session is scheduled for October 21, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Trinity 104.
Please register on the OIT Training Site.
|
|
|
CAPPA Studio Honors Alum Following Generous Gift |
|
|
A $300,000 philanthropic investment from UTA alumnus Dallas St. Clair will support a dynamic studio environment where College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) students engage in design exploration and collaborative learning.
On October 3, a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the naming of the 2,733-square-foot demonstration space, now officially known as the Dallas St. Clair Studio.
“Empowering the next generation of architects is my way of giving back to the university that shaped my journey,” said St. Clair (’06 BS, Architecture). “I hope this studio inspires students to create innovative designs that uplift communities and improve lives.”
Learn more here.
|
|
|
| Employee Compliance Training Reminder
|
|
|
Annual compliance training for all UTA employees began earlier this week. You received an email Monday October 6 to inform you that your annual compliance training will be due within 30 days from the date of the email. The link to your Canvas account to complete the online modules is included in the email.
There are between 10 -13 compliance training modules for completion, depending on your employment status with the University.
For questions regarding compliance training, contact University Compliance Services (UCS) at 817-272-2080 or compliance@uta.edu.
|
|
|
Call for Award Submission
|
The Division of Faculty Success announces the call for nominations for the .
All full-time faculty are eligible to apply. There is no limit on the number of nominees per college/school, and there is no need for a college/school review for this award. However, colleges and schools may nominate candidates in addition to the self-nomination process.
All nominees should send their nomination materials directly to by January 12, 2026.
|
| SAR Center Virtual Office Hours |
The SAR Center has launched dedicated virtual office hours to assist faculty with questions about implementing accommodations, understanding accommodation letters, and referring students for support.
Join the SAR Center Virtual Drop-In Session the 1st Friday: 2-4 p.m. or 3rd Wednesday: 10 a.m.–12 p.m. for 15-min consultations with the director or associate director.
Upcoming sessions: October 3, October 15, November 7, November 19, December 5 and December 17.
|
|
|
You may submit your Maverick Promise and how you are upholding that promise here.
|
|
|
The Provost continues to host monthly office hours! The next office hours will be Thursday, October 16, from 3-5 p.m. Faculty, staff, and students can drop by UAB 321 or sign up via email at provost@uta.edu.
|
|
Do you have an upcoming event that Provost Brown should attend or speak? If so, send us the details! Submit a request to the Office of the Provost via the form on our website and we'll let you know if she's available.
|
|
|
Have a story idea?
Have something that you want us to highlight in one of our future newsletters? If so, submit your idea to provost@uta.edu.
Missed an edition of the newsletter?
Prior editions of the monthly newsletter can be found online here.
|
|
|
Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
321 University Administration Building | Box 19118 | Arlington, TX 76019
817-272-2103 | provost@uta.edu
|
|
|
The University of Texas at Arlington
701 S Nedderman Dr | Arlington, TX 76019 US
|
|
|
|
