Ten years ago, many people planned vacations by visiting a travel agency and picking up brochures about possible destinations, then working with a travel agent to book airfare, hotels and car rentals.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, notes that the number of agencies has dropped by 6.2 percent in the past decade, and predicts that employment of travel agents is expected to be at an all-time low in 2014.

The culprit? The Internet.

“The tremendous growth of information technology, especially the Internet, has fundamentally reshaped the way tourism-related information is distributed, and the way that people search for information about travel destinations,” says Zheng (Phil) Xiang, right, assistant professor in the School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management. Xiang studies travel information search behavior and emergent technologies on the Internet. Xiang has conducted the research with faculty members at Temple University in Philadelphia, MODUL University in Vienna, Texas A&M University and the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Americans now use the Internet not only to book airline and hotel reservations on Internet-based travel agencies like Expedia.com, Hotels.com and Travelocity.com, but also conduct general searches for vacation destinations, reading stories posted by other travelers and sharing their own stories after they return from their trips, Xiang says.

Xiang says a recent survey by the Travel Industry Association of America indicated that about 65 percent of all American travelers use Internet search engines for vacation planning. More than 72 percent of those responding to a survey conducted by an online marketing services firm named the Internet as the primary source for travel research, according to eMarketer.com. Xiang calls the search engines, with Google being probably the best known, the “Hubble telescopes of the Internet universe.”

“My research focuses on how search engines can be made better for the tourism industry by understanding the problems and challenges,” he says. Xiang’s research has been published in Journal of Travel Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Information Technology & Tourism and Tourism Management. He is presenting his research next month at a conference hosted by the American Marketing Association in San Diego.

See Extended Entry below to learn more about how the Internet finds information about 30 cities.

Sixteen faculty and staff received grants for campus projects and programs from funds donated by Wells Fargo and allocated by President Gretchen M. Bataille.

Wells Fargo donated $150,000 to UNT. Half the donation, $75,000, was part of a multi-year commitment to Athletics. The $75,000 balance was designated for the Office of the President for use at the President’s discretion.

Requests for funding, submitted in May, were reviewed by the Office of Development, and then forwarded to Bataille for final selection. President Bataille solicited requests that:

• support the mission and goals of the Strategic Plan
• enhance UNT’s reputation as an interdisciplinary teaching and learning institution
• demonstrate the potential for developing external funding.

“The variety of grants reflects the wide variety of activities at UNT,” says Bataille. “Each project will add to the vibrancy of our campus. I’m pleased to provide this support and I appreciate Wells Fargo’s generous and valued donation.”

"We received 62 submissions, totaling over $500,000, for the available $75,000 in funds,” says Bataille. “Thus, the review and selection process was difficult. Many worthy projects will not receive funding at this time, and several will receive only partial support."

Grants are for activities during the 2009 fiscal year, Sept. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009. Recipients, project or program, and amount granted are:

• Miguel Garcia-Rubio, associate dean, College of Engineering, robotics competition, $5,000
• Mitty Plummer, associate professor, College of Engineering, construction of four honor society monuments, $8,000
• Mitch Land, associate professor, Department of Journalism, Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest, $5,000
• Jacqueline Lambiase, associate professor, Department of Journalism, seminar, $3,000
• Jim Meernik, chair, Department of Political Science, and Finley Graves, dean, College of Business Administration, One Book/One Community project, $5,000
• Ronald F. DiIulio, director of Planetary and Astronomy Programs, and Chris Littler, chair, Department of Physics, immersive theater production, $8,000
• Kimi King, associate professor , Department of Political Science, and Sandi Spencer, lecturer, Department of English, speaker for conference, “Latinas and Leadership-Taking it to the Next Level,” $5,000
• Mickey Abel, assistant professor, College of Visual Arts and Design, fourth annual North Texas Medieval Graduate Student Symposium, $3,000
• Cynthia Mohr, department chair, College of Visual Arts and Design, slide digitization, $5,000
• Tracee W. Robertson, director, UNT Art Gallery, student-designed seating area, $8,000
• Eileen M. Hayes, associate professor, College of Music, conference funds, “Black Women and Music in the Academy,” $5,000
• Pamela King, College of Music, UNT Opera Theatre, $10,000
• Ann Abbe, vice president, Office of  Development, Emerald Ball (fund raising event for Emerald Eagle Scholars program), $5,000

For the second year, high school students from across the state participated in the Texas Governor’s School, a summer residential program. Ninety-seven students, six from Denton high schools, focused on science and technology as well as the subjects’ impact on societies and their effect on ethics, history and arts for three weeks in June. Christina Dearman, a gifted-and-talented specialist at Strickland Middle School, served at the Texas Governor’s School as curriculum director. The education camp is “a way for students to have enrichment that doesn’t necessarily happen in the classroom,” Dearman said. (Photos by Jonathan Reynolds.)

About 80 percent of what is thrown into the trash can be recycled. What paper product cannot be recycled?

A. Cardboard

B. Copy paper

C. Tissue paper

D. Sticky notes 
 
The correct answer is C. Tissues and paper towels cannot be recycled due to the way they are made and the fibers within them.

“Basically, we can recycle anything that is made out of paper, as long as it has not been touched by food; has not been painted on and is not a tissue or paper towel,” says Doug Turnage, recycling services coordinator for Facilities.

To win a free UNT T-shirt gift pack, send an e-mail with the word “Recycle” in the subject line to InHouse@unt.edu by 5 p.m. Aug. 1. The winner will be selected at random from all e-mails received.

“Last year, 363 tons of paper and cardboard were recycled l and sold for $31,000. If it had gone in the trash, the trash bill would have gone up to $29,000. This year, we’re probably going to have about 370 tons of paper and save $29,000 to $30,000. It’s probably going to retail for about $50,000,” Turnage says, “We’re taking trash and turning it into money.”

“One thing that employees can do is realize that probably 80 percent of what they throw in the trash can actually be recycled,” Turnage says.

Every office on campus had a small blue bin, usually under a desk, and larger blue bins, about 3-feet-tall nearby. These receptacles are made for recycling paper.

“Sticky notes, calendars, books, magazines, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, newspapers, catalogs, the Encyclopedia Britannica, you name it — we can take it,” Turnage says jokingly.

Cardboard cannot go in recycle bins because it’s too big. Instead, Turnage suggests leave it by the trash cans in the office and recycling will pick it up.

Other various objects that can be recycled are plastic soda and water bottles.

“The large bottles that are about 5 feet-tall; there are only a limited number of those, so we try to put them in strategic places. We don’t have enough models to put one in everyone’s office and sometime there’s not enough space to put one in an office,” Turnage says.

There are only about 80-90 of the large bottle recycling bins across campus.

(Photo illustration by Nola Kemp and Angilee Wilkerson, University Relations, Communications and Marketing)

Shobhana Chelliah, an associate professor of linguistics and technical communication, received a National Science Foundation grant of $89,803 to create a searchable computer archive of texts in the endangered language of Lamkang. The language is spoken primarily in one region of Manipur, a state in northeastern India that borders the country of Myanmar, also known as Burma. It is also spoken in Bangladesh.

Many of the more than 1 billion people residing in India define themselves by the language they speak, with speakers of the more dominant of the nation’s 600 languages unflatteringly calling speakers of other languages “tribes,” says  Chelliah.

“The idea is that these speakers and languages are insignificant, and have previously been ignored in the national scene,” says Chelliah, a native of India. “But documenting each language and realizing that each language has something to contribute to the nation’s culture is very important for the general population.”

An estimated 10,000 people worldwide are native speakers of Lamkang. In Manipur, it is the language of an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people — far fewer than the nearly 1.5 million people who speak Manipur’s major language, Manipuri, also known as Meithei, Chelliah says.

“The purpose of creating a database of the language is to provide a tool for anthropologists and linguists studying Manipur, as well as native speakers. Lamkang schools could also take the folktales from the database and use them in textbooks,” she says. 

The Financial Reporting office would like the UNT community to be aware of the upcoming fiscal year-end deadlines.

• The deadline for submitting inter department orders (IDOs) and journals for fiscal year 2008 (FY08) will be Sept. 5. IDOs and journals submitted after that date will be posted as FY09 entries unless otherwise approved by the Budget Office or Financial Reporting.

• Submit Credit Card Reallocation journals for FY08 by Sept. 5 to Financial Reporting.

• Merchandise for Resale and Consumable Inventory reports for FY08 will be going out to all department holders mid August and will be due by Sept. 5 to Financial Reporting. Inventory counts will need to be completed on Aug. 31 for both UNT and UNT System for all department IDs (deptids) that have inventory to report. Questions should be directed to Shelley Hinojosa, accountant, or call 940-369-7686.

• Please remember that FY08 funds cannot be used to pay for goods or services that will be received in FY09. 

For questions or more information, contact  Liz Linder at 565-3214.

Ivy Naude, administrative services officer for the College of Business Administration, began her career at UNT as a student assistant. She has completed a bachelor’s degree and started work on a master's degree. One of her favorite places is Balmorhea State Park, a spring-fed oasis in West Texas.

What is your title and department?
I am in the administrative services office, in the College of Business Administration, in the Department of Accounting.

What does your job involve?
My job involves planning and aiding in the business management and staff service functions of the department. It also requires independent judgment and initiative based on knowledge gained through experience.

How long have you worked at UNT?
I have been working with UNT for nine years. I began working in the College of Business Dean’s Office as a student assistant. In March 2001, I moved to the Department of Accounting.

Where is your hometown?
I was born and raised in Pecos, Texas.

How do you define success?
In my book, success is defined as hard work. If you are giving 100 percent to any task, you are successful, whether you achieve the task or not.

Are you currently attending UNT?
I received a bachelor of applied arts and science in December 2005 at UNT. So far, I have completed two semesters of the higher education master degree program at UNT. I hope to enroll for classes in the spring of 2009.

How are you involved with scholarships at the College of Business?
I assist the scholarship committee in the Department of Accounting by processing applications and providing the information for the deciding committee. The department awards a number of scholarships to accounting students every academic year.

Are you involved with any organizations on campus?
Currently, I volunteer with the Student Rights and Responsibilities organization. I also enjoy participating in Beautification Day and Sunday Fun Day.

What is something no one else knows about you?
I play volleyball on a city recreational sports team. Go Mustangs!

What is your favorite travel destination?
Out of all the places I’ve been, I enjoyed New York City the most. Although, my favorite family travel tradition is to visit Balmorhea State Park.

Many departments will move to a new location by Aug. 25. The moves are expected to take place by the end of the summer. Helen Bailey, senior construction manager, says all campus moves are scheduled to be completed by the start of this fall semester if there are no unforeseen delays.

Campus moves to the University Services Building, located at 2310 N. I-35E:

• The Department of Printing Services
• The Department of Purchasing and Payment Services
• The Kendall Digital Print Center
• Financial Reporting
  

Campus moves to Discovery Park, located at 3940 N. Elm St.:

• Center for Advanced Research and Technology
• The Department of Learning Technologies
• School of Library and Information Sciences
• Technology Transfer

Campus moves to Chilton Hall, located at 410 S. Avenue C:

• The Department of Public Administration, Suite 204
• A portion of the Department of Sociology
• A portion of the School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management
  

Among other moves, the Air Force ROTC will move to the Athletic Office Building, located at 712 North Texas Boulevard.

New additions to the campus include: a Math Emporium computer lab on the fifth floor of the General Academic Building and an Optical Clinic on the first floor of Chestnut Hall. In addition, three newly remodeled classrooms will open in Hickory Hall and the Art Building for the College of Visual Arts and Design.

 President Gretchen M. Bataille was honored as one of the 25 most influential women in business by the Dallas Business Journal. Honorees included U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former Southwest Airlines president Colleen Barrett, legendary Realtor Ebby Halliday, Dallas city manager (and UNT alumna) Mary Suhm and Chiapas Project founder Lucy Billingsley. Bataille received her award at a July 24 luncheon. Presenter is Jane Taber, founder of the law firm, Taber, Estes, Thorne & Carr. (Photos by Angilee Wilkerson)

Human Resources will offer HR Live, a series of sessions open to all staff members, beginning Aug. 7. The first HR Live will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the University Union, Room 411.

Human Resources representatives will provide updates about current initiatives, such as:

• staff appreciation week
• merit increase guidelines,
• staff compensation and classification study,
• summer benefits enrollment
• training
• optional retirement program/tax deferred accounts project

There will also be time reserved for questions and answers. No registration is necessary. Light refreshments will be served.

Volunteers are needed for the annual Sunday Fun Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 17. More than 60 percent of the on-campus student population moves into 13 residence halls on the first day residence halls open for the fall semester. Classes begin Aug. 25. (Left, Sunday Fun Day 2007.)

Volunteers are needed to help students and parents move clothing, electronics, books and the occasional favorite teddy bear or pillow into campus housing, says Eugene Frier, residence life coordinator for academic initiatives.

To volunteer, contact Frier at eugenef@unt.edu; include:
• name
• names and number of participating family members
• department and location for T-shirt delivery
• T-shirt size(s); adult or child sizes
• shift preference; 10 a.m. to noon or noon to 2 p.m.
• first and second task preference; moving students into rooms, checking students into rooms, serving drinks, serving food
• special needs

Volunteers can sign up any time, but Frier encourages volunteers to do so now to ensure that a T-shirt is available, and that their first volunteer choice is available. Assignments will be announced the week of Aug. 11.

During Sunday Fun Day, hundreds of volunteers are on hand to help more than 3,000 students move into their home away from home. The event began in 1997.

“Sunday Fun Day is an important opportunity for students, especially freshmen, since the residential experience of university life and moving into your dorm when you get to college is practically a rite of passage,” says Frier. "There are so many people all over campus, some of them experiencing their first time away from home, and it’s good to know that all of the UNT community members are pulling together to welcome and support them.”

This year, volunteers will use the Department of Housing and Residence Life’s new eco-friendly, paperless system to check in students. The new system will speed up the process by allowing students to complete check in through their eHousing account, and will eliminate the four copies of each inventory sheet.

Contact Frier at 940-565-2772.

Dan Burns,left, of Dallas, was awarded a book publishing contract with the UNT Press and a $3,000 cash prize for his manuscript, Wonderful Son, detailing his experiences raising an autistic son. 

The 2005 contract winner, See Sam Run, by Peggy Heinkel-Wolf, also about autism, was published this year. The 2006 winner, William and Rosalie: A Holocaust Testimony, described the experiences of survivors William and Rosalie Schiff with writer Craig Hanley.

Cash prizes totaling $15,000 were announced at the 4th annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest, presented by the UNT Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism July 18-20 in Grapevine.

Burns, a faculty member at the University of Phoenix, says his son, Benjamin, was diagnosed with autism at age 3.

“The pediatric neurologist told us there is no medical treatment,” he says. “She said take your son home and love him and save your money for his institutionalization when he turns 21.”

Now 20, Benjamin is in a pre-vocational program at W.T. White High School, he says. “He’s not fully recovered by any means, but he is a long way from institutionalization. Under medical treatment, autism loosens its grip every week,” he says.

“I feel I was called to write the book,” says Burns. “I hope the book provides some hope and inspiration and maybe some specific therapeutic guidance to parents of autistic children, but beyond that, I think it’s written for the families, the caregivers and the educators whose lives have been affected by this disease.”

A complete list of Mayborn Conference winners follows.
Manuscript contest winners are:
First place, $3,000 — Dan Burns, “Wonderful Son”
Second place — Si Dunn, “Dark Signals”
Third place — Noor Elashi, “Displaced”

About 30 middle school and high school students in grades six through 12 are taking part in the first-ever summer mariachi camp Aug. 7 -9. In addition to learning to pluck the guitarrón or play the staccato sounds of the trumpet, the students will get a taste of university life by touring campus and meeting with UNT students. Enrollment is now closed, but media are welcome.

“The long-term goal is to build a relationship with Latino middle school and high school students so they begin to feel comfortable on a university campus and we can increase their interest in attending college,” says Donna Emmanuel, associate professor of music and coordinator of the camp.

For more information, contact Donna Emmanuel at (940) 369-7973 or donna.emmanuel@unt.edu.

Students from Arlington, Garland and Grand Prairie school districts are expected to attend the camp to learn from UNT students leading the workshops. Students will learn how to enhance their singing and to improve their playing of traditional mariachi instruments —trumpet, violin, guitarrón and vihuela (a guitar-like instrument).

Workshops will be held throughout the day Aug. 7-9, with “jam sessions” in the evenings. All workshops will be in the Music Building.

The camp ends with a free, public concert at noon Aug. 9 in the Concert Hall of the Music Building. Campers and the UNT Mariachi will perform.

The three-day camp is a limited-enrollment pilot program, funded by the UNT Office of Equity and Diversity. Next year, the camp will be expanded to a weeklong program with open enrollment.

In 2004, UNT started its first-ever student mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Aguilas, left, and offered its first mariachi class in 2005. Under the leadership of  Danny Cantu and Emmanuel, the Mariachi Aguilas perform at campus events and community organizations. In 2007, Cantu formed a professional group, Mariachi Inolvidables, for graduates to perform at private functions. In addition, music students serve as mentors in mariachi programs at public schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 

Before the fall semester begins, the U.S. Postal Service office in the University Union will transition to a new provider. Access to all USPS services will remain available and additional services also will be provided.

The exact time of transition is unknown. However, the transition will cause the post office in the Union to close as the USPS removes its boxes and counter. During that closure, which should last about five days and is scheduled to begin July 25 at 1 p.m., all mail service for current personal box holders will be available in Crumley Hall. Mail pick-up for departmental box holders will be available through UNT Intercampus Mail Services located in the Union.

Please note that UNT Inter Campus Mail Services is not part of this transition and will continue to serve the campus’ departmental mail needs as per university policy. Additional information about the transition will be shared with the campus community as it becomes available.

What will the hours be for the new service provider?

Anticipated service hours are:
Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday – 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The following Frequently Asked Questions provide more detail.  

What is the proposed timeline for the transition to take place?
The proposed schedule below is subject to change as we move forward. The campus will be alerted as new information becomes available.

•Friday, August 1: After 1 p.m. window Service will no longer be available.
•Monday, August 4: Mail will continue to be placed in the mailboxes.
•Tuesday, August 5: Around noon, USPS will pull all boxed mail and begin box removal.
•Wednesday, August 6-Friday, August 8: Mail for personal boxes will be available through a window type service at Crumley Hall. Mail for UNT departments will be available through window type service from UNT Intercampus Mail Services in the Union.
•Monday, August 11: Window service will begin and boxed mail will be returned to assigned boxes.

Ten students from the principal certification program will depart for Cuernavaca, Mexico, on July 25 to participate in a language immersion and cultural acquisition program at the Universidad Internacional.

The university’s rigorous certification program, which puts a strong emphasis on bilingualism and multiculturalism, is funded by a $400,000 grant from the Educational Leadership Initiative of the Texas High School Project. The Educational Leadership Initiative is jointly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wallace Foundation, and is conducted in partnership with the Texas Education Agency.

For information on the principal certification program e-mail John Brooks, left, or call 940-565-2951.

“Our grant-funded program is intended to prepare students to become principals of highly impacted high schools,” says Brooks, executive lecturer and grant director. “We rolled the trip to Mexico into our grant because of the influx of Spanish speaking students in the state. We are well aware that many of the parents that our principals will be interacting with do not speak English, and therefore we want to make sure that the principals that we produce here at UNT are conversational in Spanish.”

The program is condensed into 18 months and spans from summer to summer. The program includes 36 hours of coursework including classes from the College of Education and the College of Business Administration. Students also work as assistant principals in a Dallas or Fort Worth ISD school during their fall and spring semester.

Mean Green Head Coach Todd Dodge, right, one of Texas' most successful high school coaches, will speak at the first annual scholarship breakfast sponsored by the College of Business Administration.  Dodge was named Mean Green coach in 2007.

The breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 1 at Bent Tree Country Club, 5210 Westgrove Drive, Dallas. Tickets are $50 per person; tables of up to 10 people are $400. Go to http://www.coba.unt.edu/students/scholarships/breakfast/ or call 940-369-3043.

Learn about the 2008 football season at the annual Mean Green Kick-Off Cook-Out at 7 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Mean Green Athletics Center,1301 Bonnie Brae. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youth. The Mean Green placed three players on the All-Sun Belt team in 2007, including All-American wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald. The 2008 recruiting class was named best in the conference.

The fourth annual women-only Football 101 session will be 6 p.m. July 31 at the athletic center. Football 101 features discussions of football skills and strategy. Tickets are $20 at the door.

Go to http://www.meangreensports.com to learn more about players, the team and the 2008 schedule. The first game is Aug. 30 at Kansas State University; the first home game will be at 6 pm. Sept. 6 at Fouts Field.

N. Scott Momaday, left, the first Native American to win a Pulitzer Prize, headlined the 4th annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest July 18-20. President Gretchen M. Bataille, who is a scholar of Native American literature, introduced Momaday at the conference luncheon. (Photos by Jonathan Reynolds)

Fifty-eight middle and high school students are participating in intensive mathematics training at the Summer Math Institute July 6-26. The students, ranging in age from 11 to 16, can complete a semester's worth of math in three weeks. Admission is based on transcripts, recommendations from math teachers and test scores, says director Wendy Boyd-Brown. Five sets of siblings, including two sets of twins, are attending. Of the 58 attendees, 16 are returning from previous years. The institute is sponsored by the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. (Photos by Jonathan Reynolds.)

Twenty-six students from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México,or UAEM, were at UNT the week of July 14 polishing their language skills in classes sponsored by UNT's newly-formed Department of Linguistics and Technical Communication and the UAEM Academic Liaison Office. The program was directed by Katie Crowder, lecturer, and taught by linguistics and technical communication graduate students. The students also are learning about the steps they must take to be admitted to a university in the United States, life on a U.S. college campus, resumé writing and how to prepare for the professional world. Most of these students are undergraduates at UAEM or are in the university’s program for teens ages 15 to 18, so some may eventually enroll at UNT. Contact the UEAM-UNT Academic Liaison Office at 940-565-2773, or visit http://www.uaemex-unt.org . (Photo by Mike Woodruff)

The annual Summer Enrollment for benefits administered by the Employees Retirement System of Texas, or ERS, is July 28 through Aug. 22. Changes are effective beginning Sept. 1 for Plan Year 2009 which begins Sept. 1 and continues through Aug. 31, 2009. Employees may make changes to benefits, such as adding dependents to health and optional coverage or signing up for a TexFlex pre-tax account during summer enrollment.

Plan members who do not wish to make changes need to do -- nothing. Current benefit choices, known as elections, will continue into Plan Year 2009.

Benefits overview
• There will be no health insurance premium increases for plan year 2008-2009. The Employees Retirement System of Texas began sending personal enrollment statements to active members July 8. Employees should review statements to determine if Summer Enrollment changes are needed.

• If you are enrolled in the State of Texas Dental Choice Plan (GEHA) there will be a 5 percent increase in monthly premiums.

• Beginning Sept. 1, Medco Health will no longer be pharmacy benefits administrator. The ERS Board of Trustees has selected Caremark to serve as the state’s pharmacy benefits manager. Drug co-payments, deductible and covered drugs will not change. Caremark information will be mailed to enrollees.

• Starting Sept. 1, all new and continuing employees enrolled in a TexFlex account will have a $24 per year administrative fee. The cost of the TexFlex debit card will be reduced to $15 per year. It is not necessary to re-enroll in TexFlex for the new plan year. If you no longer wish to participate in TexFlex, you’ll need to waive it via the ERS website during Summer Enrollment

• ERS Online is available to make Summer Enrollment changes via the internet.

• Representatives from the UNT Benefits Department will be in Marquis Hall, Room 116, each Monday and Thursday during Summer Enrollment to assist UNT employees in making their changes online.

Summer Enrollment Fairs
View the Summer Enrollment Fairs page to find fairs in your area. ERS staff and benefits vendors will be traveling around the state to provide information and answer your questions to help you make decisions about your benefits. At some fairs, staff will be available to help you use ERS OnLine, so learn or bring your password. Enrollees who want to add dependents to benefits, will need to provide their full names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The fair schedule and locations are subject to change.

Summer Enrollment Flyers
Evidence of Insurability Flyer (691 KB pdf)
Kids can SKIP on the path to good health (619 KB pdf)
Time to choose your dental plan (614 KB pdf)
When HealthSelect becomes your health plan (672 KB pdf)

Summer Enrollment Forms
Evidence of Insurability form and instructions (200 KB pdf)
SKIP application (210 KB pdf) – postmark by Aug. 1 to be considered for Sept. 1 coverage

Researchers in psychoimmunology — a branch of medicine that studies the effects of psychological and social factors on the functioning of the immune system — have long determined that stress and feelings of being stigmatized may negatively impact a person’s health. For those whose immune systems are already compromised because of HIV infection, stress from stigma may lead to depression and forgetting to take medication that prevents them from developing AIDS.

The Center for Psychosocial Health is conducting a pilot study, Project Forgive, to teach forgiveness skills to men and women infected with HIV, helping them let go of grudges against others and society. “We hypothesized that, in living with HIV, you’re exposed to HIV-related stigma. Your family members, friends and co-workers may reject you,” says Mark Vosvick, associate professor of psychology and director of the center. “But if you had sufficient resources to cope with the stigma, you wouldn’t stress out as much.”

The 56 men and women who volunteer for the study completed an initial survey about perceived stress, possible depression, risky sexual behavior, quality of life, adherence to taking HIV medications and the behaviors they engage in to cope with stigma and stress. The men and women are then divided by gender into groups of seven. Half of the groups receive forgiveness intervention training in six sessions based on Stanford University’s Forgiveness Project. A control group of Project Forgive participants will not receive the formal forgiveness intervention, but will meet during six sessions to discuss the stigma against them.

Contact Vosvick at 940-565-4715 or cph@unt.edu or go to www.unt.edu/cph. 

The Forgiveness Project has focused on a range of issues such as letting go of minor hurts and dealing with life’s catastrophes. While forgiveness intervention has been used for individuals managing high blood pressure and pre-menopausal women, Vosvick says it has not been used on the HIV population.

See the Extended Entry to learn more.

The UNT Board of Regents approved issuance of commercial paper for short-term financing as part of the funding for the proposed new Business Leadership complex at their July 14 meeting. The 79th Texas Legislature approved $50 million in tuition revenue bonds for the Business Leadership building. In May, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved construction of the new building.

The Regents also approved the issuance of commercial paper related to the termination of the lease of the real property located at 2211 Interstate 35E North (the former Radisson Hotel).

The board added additional emphasis on commercialization of research and technology, consistent with the stated goals of Gov. Rick Perry, by adding language to the Regents Rules allowing consideration, where applicable, to be given to patents and other commercialization of research in the award of tenure.

 In other action, the board approved the tenure recommendation for Vijay Vaidyanathan, who also was promoted to associate professor of engineering technology.

The Division of Finance and Administration will host a Town Hall meeting for staff to ask questions and discuss activities involving Police, Parking and Transportation and Facilities.

Representatives from each department will present information and answer questions. Meetings are scheduled quarterly; the summer meeting is: 

• 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
• July 17
• University Union, Silver Eagle Suite A & B

Continental breakfast will be available. No RSVP is required.

The goals of the this session are to:

• provide an overview of Police/Parking/Transportation activities - 30 minutes
• provide a general overview of the functions of the Facilities department, including current and future projects - 30 minutes
• open question and answer dialogue and feedback about how Finance and Administration can improve services.

Future quarterly Town Hall sessions will include the following departments:
• Controller (Purchasing and Payment Services, Payroll, Student Accounting and Financial Reporting) and Budget Office
• Risk Management, Internal Audit and Treasury

Congratulations to Anna Cavnar, financial aid counselor assistant in Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. Cavnar is the InHouse randomly-selected winner in the July 2 Fun Fact giveaway. She will receive a UNT T-shirt gift pack.

You can win free stuff, too. But not if you don’t read InHouse, the electronic newsletter that is always online and is regularly updated with news about events and strategic activities at UNT. The formatted version is e-mailed to faculty and staff each week, usually on Wednesdays. The summer e-mail schedule is July 16 and July 30. Weekly e-mails return Aug. 6.

InHouse photos and graphics should be clearly visible in your Outlook e-mail. If you are still using GroupWise, be sure to set the View command (top bar>View>HTML) to HTML to see the newsletter’s color and photos, then click on headlines, which link to continuous postings.

You’ll find opportunities to win a UNT T-shirt gift pack, free tickets to concerts, sports and other campus activities. Tickets and prizes are generously provided by event sponsors and departments. Winners are randomly selected from all e-mail respondents.

Deb Thomas, program coordinator for the National Digital Newspaper Program at the Library of Congress,  discussed the Chronicling America project at June 12 in the Willis Library. UNT is one of eight universities in the nation to receive a grant to digitize Texas newspapers for the program Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.

In 1921, UNT entered into its  first affiliation with an athletic conference, the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association or TIAA, which was primarily state teachers colleges. What was the name of the conference that UNT joined after TIAA?

A. Texas Conference
B. Southwest Conference
C. Lone Star Conference
D. Big West Conference

The correct answer is C. In 1931, UNT became a member of the Lone Star Conference. UNT has been a member of seven athletic conferences including the first affiliation in 1921 with TIAA.

To win a free UNT T-shirt gift pack, send an e-mail with “Athletics” in the subject line to inhouse@unt.edu by 5 p.m. July 18. The winner will be selected at random from all e-mails received.

To learn more about the 2008 Mean Green season, go to Coach Todd Dodge’s season preview July 18 at Gateway Center. Learn more about tickets and schedules. (Above, action during the 2007 UNT-Navy game. Navy won 72-63, the highest combined score in NCAA history. Photo by UNT alumnus Gary Payne.)

In December 1921, UNT joined the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, or TIAA, the university’s first affiliation with an athletic conference. The TIAA included: Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, Grubbs Vocational School, Trinity University, Austin College, Sam Houston State, West Texas State, and Southwest Texas State. By 1930, the TIAA expanded to include teachers’ colleges at Nacogdoches, Commerce Alpine, Texas A&I College, Daniel Baker College, Abilene Christian College, and McMurry College.

UNT students and world class authors are featured in the first edition of Mayborn magazine.

Mayborn magazine, left, features works of respected literary figures alongside articles written by students in Cathy Booth Thomas’ magazine production class in the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism.

“There’s really no publication out there like it,” said Booth Thomas, a retired Time magazine bureau chief and writer. “There are Pulitzer Prize winners and nominees and a National Book Award winner in the magazine. There are not a lot of other places in the Southwest that nurture and engage in the storytelling craft like the Mayborn does.”

The magazine, which will be released annually, is a companion piece to Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest, where conference attendees gain valuable insight into the writing process from top writers.

Mayborn magazine is available for $3.95 at the UNT Bookstore or at www.TheMayborn.com. The magazine will also be available for purchase at the July 18-20 Mayborn Conference.

Essays written by several 2008 Mayborn Conference speakers examine the complexities and perils of literary nonfiction writing. Content includes:

• Bob Shacochis, a National Book Award-winning literary nonfiction writer, wrote about the tortuous labor of writing at his secluded cabin.
• Nick Heil of Outside magazine recounts how he dug for information that ultimately led him to discover that the mainstream press misreported a story of an injured hiker being apparently abandoned on the slopes of Mount Everest.
• A question-and-answer with Pulitzer Prize winner N. Scott Momaday, right, reveals where the Native American writer derives the inspiration for his poetry and nonfiction.

Student selections include the story behind the reclusive Texas man who authored the Conan the Barbarian books and the efforts of an aging western bootmaker to teach his craft to the younger generation.

About the Mayborn Conference
The 4th Annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference of the Southwest, presented by the UNT Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism, is July 18-20 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine. The conference is offering a total of $15,000 in cash prizes and publishing opportunities to the writers of manuscripts, articles and essays, plus the opportunity to earn a publishing contract with UNT Press.

Contact Mitch Land, director of the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism, 940-565-4564 or mitchland@unt.edu or George Getschow, conference writer-in-residence, 94- 369-8631 or getschow@unt.edu.

The One O’Clock Lab Band headed for major European jazz festivals July 3. Longtime band director Neil Slater, sixth from right, is conducting his final concerts before retirement.

Slater will retire from UNT in August after 27 years leading the One O’Clock Lab Band and the jazz studies program.

Follow the band across the continent at http://www.unt.edu/jazzeurope/. The band returns to Denton on July 23. (Photo by Jonathan Reynolds) 

Head football coach Todd Dodge, left at the 2007 University of Oklahoma game, will discuss the 2008 Mean Green season at three free upcoming gatherings, including one on campus:

• July 18 – noon, Gateway Center; free lunch. Reply to Mark Naylor at mark.naylor@unt.edu or 940-369-8627.
• July 16 – noon, Trophy Club Country Club, 500 Country Club Drive, Roanoak; free lunch. Reply to Mandy McKinley at mandy.mckinley@unt.edu or 940-369-7034 by July 14.
• July 11 – 6 p.m.,Trophy Club Country Club; free refreshments. Reply to Naylor by July 9.

The fourth annual Football 101 session will be 6 p.m. July 31 at the Mean Green Athletic Center, 1301 S. Bonnie Brae. Football 101, for women only, features the coaching staff, players and discussions of football skills and strategy.

Make reservations at 940-369-7034 or www.meangreensports.com. Fee is $20, which includes refreshments.

Dodge, one of Texas’ most successful high school coaches, completed his first season as head coach in 2007. Dodge transformed the Mean Green offense into a record-breaking machine. The offense completed the largest offensive turnaround in the nation and broke nearly every school record for single game and season passing. The Mean Green placed three players on the All-Sun Belt team in 2007, including All-American wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald. The 2008 recruiting class was named best in the conference. 

The season begins with a game at Kansas State University  Aug. 30, followed by the first home game at Fouts Field Sept. 6 versus the University of Tulsa.

Learn more about the season, schedules, tickets and rosters. 

UNT is proud to recognize these individuals for their years of service to UNT. For more information about the service recognition program, contact Kristina Randolph, administrative services officer in Human Resources at 940-565-4363.

Here are employees who reached an employment milestone in July:

30 years of service
Benjamin Whitlock Jr., groundskeeper III, Facilities and Construction
Sue Ann Delmark, right, assistant dean, Student Recreation Center

25 years of service
Debra J. Khoury, accountant III, Purchasing and Payment Services
Pamala June Bell, food service supervisor II, Victory Hall Dining Services - Champs

20 years of service
Lewis Edward Lucas, custodian I, Facilities and Construction
Brenda Sue Kirk, computer systems manager III, Computing and Information Technology Center
Linda Finlay Wallace, administrative computing team manager II, Computing and Information Technology Center
Donald Grose, dean, University Libraries

15 years of service
Susan R. Edwards, director, Internal Audit
Steven C. Humphreys, facility worker, Coliseum/Gateway Center
James R. Morrow Jr., professor, Kinesiology, Health and Recreation
Rita E. Gomez, mail addressing supervisor, Printing Services
Rebecca L. Padia, computer support specialist III, Computing and Information Technology Center
Charlotte Russell, director, administration and compliance, Computing and Information Technology Center
Shannon L Miller, cook ll, Victory Hall Dining Services - Champs
Laura Eileen Klein, senior associate director, Student Recreation Center

10 years of service
Jennifer L. Herman, computer support specialist IV, Financial Aid
Carolyn Yevonne Hansen, manager, business services, Business Services
John P. McDermott, internal auditor III, Internal Audit
Bonita C. Jacobs, vice president, Student Development
Warren W. Burggren, dean, College Arts and Science
Susan Gehrlein, computer support specialist III, Foreign Language and Literature
Anat Barnir, associate professor, Management
James C. Byford Jr., computer systems manager III, College of Engineering
Wendy G. Boyd-Brown, senior academic counselor, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
Jerry John Aul, administrative assistant III, College of Visual Arts and Design
Heather E. Close, administrative assistant II, College of Visual Arts and Design
Caesar Wood, associate director, Student Recreation Center

Five years of service
Purnima Basu Neogi, postdoctoral research associate, Biology
Lisa N. Goodwin, assistant director, Financial Aid
Charles Brien, computer systems manager II, Facilities and Construction
John L. Foutch, facilities technician, Facilities and Construction
Laura S. Lerma, human resources assistant, Human Resources
Adam Ray Betz, clerical assistant III, Housing Administration
Jasiel Perez, assistant director, Admissions
Kurt E. Nordstrom, programmer III, Libraries
Laurie Jean Mc Elroy, assistant coach, Athletics
Brady J. Hollar, sous chef, Catering
Ying Ying Jennifer Maik, food service manager II, Clark Hall Dining Services
Susan Rucker Miller, program/project coordinator I, Behavior Analysis
Jason R. Dibley, art photography lab technician, College of Visual Arts and Design
William L. Mathew, assistant director, Student Recreation Center
Britton Lee Sherry, assistant director, Student Recreation Center
Brenda Sue Dean, facility worker, Union Administration

(Editor’s note: Phyllis Irene Eccleston, administrative assistant, Applied Gerontology, was incorrectly identified in the April recognition list. She celebrated 30 years of service to UNT.)

The annual 4th of July fireworks show is presented by the Denton Kiwanis Club at Fouts Field. What year did this town and gown tradition begin?

A. 1973
B. 1987
C. 1964
D. 1958

The correct answer is A. The Denton Kiwanis Club began the fireworks show in 1973. The Denton Kiwanis Club began the fireworks show in 1973. The event is free, but donations are accepted. This is the club's largest fundraiser. The proceeds are used to fund the Denton Kiwanis Club Children's Clinic. This clinic provides free medical, dental and prescription drug assistance to children from low-income families residing in northern Denton County.

Schedule of events:

5:30 p.m. Gates Open (west side of stadium only)

6:30-7:40 p.m. Music by Thad Bonduris and the Fun-Addix

7:45 p.m. Welcome and Announcements

8:00 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 140 presents the colors; National Anthem sung by Felicia Simpson

8:15-9:30 p.m. Music by Thad Bonduris and the Fun-Addix

9:35 p.m. (approx.) Fireworks display by Pepperhead Pyrotechnics

To win a free UNT T-shirt gift pack, send an e-mail with the word “Fireworks” in the subject line to InHouse@unt.edu by 5:00 July 3. The winner will be selected at random from all e-mails received.

Rada Mihalcea, below, associate professor of computer science and engineering, recently received the prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation for her work in language-processing applications. Some of the languages she and her team of students are working on include: English, Spanish, Romanian, Quechua and Nahuatl. Mihalcea, a native of Transylvania, Romania, finds joy in learning about new things, ideas,places. She is also a natural at mirror-writing, but jokingly admits that she can also write left-to-right, so others can read her handwriting.

What is your title and department?
I am an associate professor in the computer science and engineering department.

 How long have you worked at UNT?
I am entering my seventh year.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I like anything that has to do with newness and happiness. I like spending time with family and friends, reading, learning, dancing, traveling.

You recently received an award from the NSF, what does that mean to you professionally?
The CAREER award is considered to be the most prestigious award given by the NSF, so it means a lot to me. I see it as recognition of the potential impact of my research. The award will help me carry out a long-term research program, with broad implications in both research and education.

You are researching language-processing applications. Can you tell us a little about what that means and how it impacts our society?
It involves anything that deals with processing a natural language, either spoken or written, with a computer. Some examples include: automatic machine translation, online search engines, or spam filters. People may not realize it, but these days we interact with language-processing applications on a daily basis.

How long have you been working with language-processing applications?
I have been researching them for about 10 years.

What are you currently working on?
My students and I are working on several research projects, most of them involve designing computer algorithms for understanding the meaning of text. Several of our projects target multiple languages.

Does your research involve working with a team or any UNT students?
Yes, I am fortunate to work with the most amazing group of students. I learn a lot from them, both personally and professionally.

How will these applications help future students?
A number of our current projects are targeting educational applications, such as computer-assisted language learning, automatic identification and annotation of learning materials, or automatic essay scoring. Hopefully these applications will assist future students, both in the United States and worldwide.

What are the goals of your research?
I hope that my research will one day make a difference in peoples' lives.

The Jazz Repertory Ensemble and the College of Music faculty and students will perform at the Crested Butte Music Festival held July 4-31. The ensemble will perform two concerts and open the 11th annual festival, which showcases the talents of several well-known musicians from around the nation and world.
The ensemble, directed by John Murphy, left, professor of music, will march in the July 4th parade and kick off the season with a free patriotic concert. On July 5, the ensemble will perform an evening of big-band swing tunes.

Terri Sundberg, right, associate professor of music, will perform with the Festival Symphony Orchestra.

The following music students were selected by audition tape and recommendations to perform with the Festival Symphony Orchestra: violinists Corina Alvarez, Emily Aquin, Yennifer Correia and Michael Galvin; horn players Michael Gale and Jason Hofmeister; and harpist Juliette Buchanan.

For more information, contact Emily Bond at 970-349-0619.

Jazz Repertory Ensemble concert schedule:
•July 4th Parade – 11 a.m.
•Patriotic Concert – 4 p.m. July 4 (Friday)
•Program to include: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “National Emblem,” “Americans We,” “Lassus Trombone,” “Beautiful Colorado,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Armed Forces Salute.”
•An Evening of Big-Band Swing Favorites – 7:30 p.m. July 5 (Saturday)
•The program will feature the music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman. Instrumental and vocal selections will include: “Apple Honey,” “Don’t Be That Way,” “A String of Pearls,” “Beautiful Friendship,” “Moonlight Serenade,” “Song of India,” “Tuxedo Junction,” “One O’Clock Jump” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

Harris Martin, who just finished his first year, has never been out of the country. But UNT is giving him a chance to explore the world.

Harris will be one of 15 Emerald Eagle Scholars traveling to Thailand this summer to be immersed in the Thai culture and environment July 9 through Aug. 2 in the first-ever Emerald Eagle Study Abroad Scholarship Program.

The selected students will learn about sustainable development, environmental ethics, disaster recovery and prevention and media representation in a program that covers the full cost of the trip.

“We are going to pull them out of the realm of being a college American tourist,” says Melinda Levin, associate professor and chair of radio, television and film. Levin will teach the class along with Irene Klaver, associate professor of philosophy and religion studies, and Sudha Arlikatti, assistant professor of emergency administration and planning. “We’re going to be in small villages doing community service projects, and they are going to be able to see Thailand in the ways tourists do not,” Levin says.

Students will be based in Chiang Mai, where they will stay at the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, with a visit to Phuket, while participating in field research and hands-on activities. The students will receive core course credit for participating in the interdisciplinary program.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has selected UNT’s Portal to Texas History as one of the best online resources for education in the humanities and is linking to the portal from its EDSITEment web site, which is designed to help teachers, students and parents find high-quality material in the humanities online. The portal is one of about 60 sites chosen for inclusion from more than 200 sites nominated last year.

“The portal staff is thrilled about receiving this honor,” says Dreanna Belden, the libraries’ coordinator for grants and development who works primarily with digital projects. “This recognition speaks directly to the high quality of lesson plans being created by the portal team.”

The portal, created by the UNT libraries’ Digital Projects Unit, provides digital access to materials brought together from archives, historical societies, libraries, museums and private collections throughout Texas. Its more than 250,000 pages of content emphasize primary source materials such as diaries, newspapers, photos, original documents and maps (including the 1855 Texas map pictured, from the UNT Rare Book and Texana Collections). The portal also includes areas for young scholars and educators that provide history lessons and teacher resources and services.

The site was nominated for inclusion in the EDSITEment project in response to an open call for nominations. It was then reviewed by a panel of teachers and leaders in education and nonprofit organizations who determined it met criteria for intellectual quality, content, design and classroom impact.

According to the NEH, the EDSITEment web site typically gets more than 400,000 visitors per month.

“We hope this acknowledgment from NEH will lead to more people using the free educational resources the portal offers for teaching history,” Belden says.