UTA’S E‑NEWSLETTER FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023

Warda Ashraf, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering

3D-printed artificial coral reefs to provide coastal resilience

UTA civil engineering researcher Warda Ashraf is striving to duplicate the durability of Roman concrete in a project that will develop 3D-printed materials, with a goal of restoring damaged or dying coral reefs.

Megan Sarno On The Soundtrack of Halloween, Daniel Kasper On Spooky Books For Spooky Season

Faculty thoughts on Halloween books, music

Daniel Kasper, a lecturer in UTA’s Department of English, recently answered questions about his passion for gothic literature. Megan Sarno, assistant professor of musicology, explained how she thinks Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” became Halloween’s theme song. Sarno also wrote a column for The Conversation about the topic and appeared this morning on FOX 4 News.

UTA chemists recognized by top publication

Three chemists from UTA, Daniel Armstrong, Purnendu “Sandy” Dasgupta, and Kevin Schug, are among the most influential analytical scientists in the world, as selected by The Analytical Scientist.

Great Pumpkin Carnival

The UTA Fraternity & Sorority Community invites all faculty, staff, their families, and community members to celebrate the fall season at Great Pumpkin Carnival, set for today, Monday, Oct. 30, 6-8 p.m. in Maverick Circle. Great Pumpkin Carnival will be a free, safe, and fun trick-or-treating event with games, activities, popcorn, and candy.

Vaccine clinic

UTA is holding flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinics for employees, retirees, and their covered dependents tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 1, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Room 113 of Trinity Hall. About 100 slots are available for each day. Register. The latest COVID-19 booster will be available while supplies last.

Export controls discussion

Join UTA's Office of Regulatory Services for a virtual discussion on export controls in research tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 10-11 a.m. Discussion topics include the essentials of export controls, why compliance is imperative to UTA research, methods for mitigating personal risk, and more. RSVP to attend.

Shimadzu Innovation Expo

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments and the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies, part of the Office of Research and Innovation at UTA, will host a Shimadzu Innovation Exposition Thursday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Attendees will learn about the latest innovations happening on campus and commercially with Shimadzu. The event will be located in the Red River and Concho rooms in the University Center.

Homecoming events

UTA’s Homecoming is Nov. 6-Nov. 12, and there are events planned to celebrate Maverick pride throughout the week.

Call for heritage, history month programs

The Intercultural Student Engagement Center is now accepting events centered on educational and social issues, community building, and identity affirmation for the nationally recognized heritage and history months. Submissions will be included on a University graphic calendar marketed to the UTA community. Sign up now. The deadline to register an event for Black History Month is Wednesday, Dec. 20.

E-waste recycling drive

There will be an opportunity to recycle electronics Thursday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m- 2 p.m. at the University Center Mall. E-waste includes printer cartridges, batteries, and cellphones. See a full list of eligible items.

Cybersecurity awareness month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Don’t get spooked by scams this Halloween. Read more in this special bulletin from the Information Security Office. See all cybersecurity tips here.

UTA wins spirit award

UTA was awarded the 2023 Campus Spirit Award at last week’s UT System Supply Chain Alliance Power of Collaboration Conference. The award recognizes the University's commitment to and support of UT System Supply Chain Alliance contracts. Many of the suppliers that UTA supports are available through MAV eShop.

SecureConnector auto-install to UTA Windows devices

Beginning Friday, Nov. 17, the Office of Information Technology will auto-install SecureConnector on all UTA-owned and -managed Windows devices. SecureConnector is security software that authenticates machines trying to join the UTA network. This work is part of the Endpoint Security project and will improve security across the UTA network. There is no action needed from faculty and staff at this time.