From wedding trends and The Cliburn to mass shootings and gun laws, TCU faculty, alumni and students are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
Russian and Ukrainian pianists meet in Texas at Cliburn Competition
June 7, 2022
The New York Times
On a sultry recent morning, 30 young pianists from around the world gathered in an
auditorium at Texas Christian University here for the start of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the
most prestigious contests in classical music. The mood was celebratory. But politics
also loomed. The Cliburn, defying pressure to ban Russian competitors after the invasion
of Ukraine, had invited six Russians to take part, as well as two pianists from Belarus,
which has supported the Russian invasion.
After a year’s COVID delay, the Cliburn Competition again makes Fort Worth piano central
May 26, 2022
The Dallas Morning News
After a year’s COVID-19 delay, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition returns
to Fort Worth. It’s bringing 30 pianists ages 19 to 31 from 15 countries. There are
some changes this time – the preliminary and quarterfinal rounds, devoted to solo
recitals, will be held not at Bass Performance Hall, but at Texas Christian University’s new 717-seat Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU.
Skillful Liars Are Difficult to Detect
May 19, 2022
Monday Morning Preacher
Current research on skillful liars plainly shows that they are not giving credit to
man’s master ability to distort and deceive. Numerous studies have found people to
be overconfident in their perception and judgment. A study at Texas Christian University revealed that no student volunteers were only able to pick true from false statements
better than 54% of the time — just slightly above chance.
HIV/AIDS Care at Yale
May 18, 2022
InfoThen
A research program known as InSTRIDE investigates how best to help people get treatments
— for HIV and substance use disorders alike — and stick to them. The primary outcome
of the study is how long it takes patients to begin antiretroviral treatment, if they
have HIV, or PrEP, or if they do not have HIV. The study is taking place in several
areas, two being in Texas locations through collaborations with Texas Christian University and the University of Texas Southwestern.
FACULTY
'We need to do a better:' Lack of startup dollars force Fort Worth entrepreneurs to
seek funding from Dallas, other cities
June 12, 2022
Fort Worth Report
From 2015 to 2020, the average amount of early-stage capital raised in Fort Worth
is $17 million – much less than the city of Dallas. The lack of early-stage funding
has caught the attention of city officials. Andrew Hicks MBA ’21, principal at RTL Capital and a program manager for the Horned Frog Investment Network
at TCU, said the type of early-stage funding depends on the type of business. If it’s
a small local business like a restaurant, for example, there are more traditional
routes such as loans, family and friends. Rodney D’Souza, the managing director of TCU’s Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, explained the three common types of
outside funding for starting a business: debt equity, grants and equity.
Listen: Monkeypox has reached Dallas, but its overall risk is low
June 9, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Dr. Jo Anna Leuck, a physician and assistant dean of curriculum at the TCU School of Medicine, provides a primer on monkeypox after a Dallas resident contracted
the virus. “I think that it sounds scarier than it is. And I do think everyone’s on
alert, right? Because we have just been through a horrible pandemic with COVID, especially
pre-vaccine. It was so dangerous. But I will say, while monkeypox in a few people
can be dangerous, in general, it’s going to be not feeling well for a couple of weeks,” Leuck said.
CBS Health Alert
June 8, 2022
CBS DFW
Dr. Nikhil Bhayani, a medical expert on monkeypox and assistant professor in the department of internal
medicine, discussed what residents need to know about the virus. “This is why some
of the cases that have been reported in Europe and even in the Northeast have been
associated with men who have sex with men,” he said.
Fort Worth mayor wants gun reform, but some elected officials don’t see it happening
June 7, 2022
Fort Worth Report
State and federal lawmakers are unlikely to heed Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker’s
call for new gun laws, according to elected officials. Parker increasingly finds herself
in a unique position. She is a Republican leading an urban city where most of its
residents are people of color. These factors are likely pushing Parker, whose elected
office as mayor is supposed to be nonpartisan, to evolve, political science professor James Riddlesperger said. “That isn’t to say that she doesn’t have many of the values and views that she’s
always had. But that as the Republican Party has become more conservative, you’ve
seen her moderating a bit to reflect the needs and the realities of urban America.”
Appeals court finds Missouri Republican's use of self-destructing text message app
wasn’t illegal
June 7, 2022
RawStory
The use of self-destructing text-messaging apps by former Gov. Eric Greitens and his
staff was not illegal, a panel of appeals court judges ruled. Daxton Stewart, a journalism professor specializing in media law at TCU, tweeted Tuesday that the
ruling was “hugely problematic and creates perverse incentives for government officials
to destroy documents as they go to prevent oversight.”
How to deal with work stress and burnout
June 6, 2022
Fox 4 GoodDay
Dr. Ken Hopper, associate professor and physician development coach at the TCU School of Medicine,
spoke on handling stress and achieving work-life balance. “Burnout really has to do
with a demoralization – kind of a moral injury – so it’s more than just being tired
or depressed, it’s around our concept of how we’re having impact, whether we’re in
a safe place to be working, etc., so it’s a different concept.”
Nanoscope’s clinical development of optogenetics for retinal diseases to be featured
at Macula Society meeting
June 6, 2022
KDVR-TV, Denver
Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc. announced that Dr. Sai Chavala, professor of surgery at TCU School of Medicine, will present on the company’s clinical
development of optogenetic gene therapy for vision restoration in retinitis pigmentosa patients in June at the 45th Annual Meeting
of The Macula Society in Berlin, Germany. The press release was published by 35 news
outlets across the U.S.
Are police required to protect people during mass shootings? The legal answer is no
June 5, 2022
The Guam Daily Post
During a school shooting, there’s an expectation that police will “protect and to
serve,” as the motto suggests, and departments train and prepare to do so. In addition
to his academic perspective on law enforcement, Johnny Nhan, professor of criminology at Texas Christian University, has been a reserve officer with the Fort Worth Police Department since graduating from
the academy less than a year ago. “Stop the killing. That’s the No. 1 priority,” Nhan said.
Preparation for mass shootings in schools and elsewhere was a core component of his
tactical training with the Fort Worth Police Department.
Energy solutions for Texas – and the world
June 2, 2022
OANEWS
Twenty MBA students from the TCU Neeley School of Business spent six days in France
to study energy supply and demand issues affecting Europe in the wake of Russia’s
attack on Ukraine. The students were led by Associate Dean of Graduate Studies David Allen and Ann Bluntzer, executive director of the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute at TCU. “We discussed issues
such as what can the United States, and especially Texas, do to help Europe produce
more secure and affordable energy?” Bluntzer said. Allen said, “Our graduate curriculum
ensures interaction with innovative industry leaders around the world.”
2022 Fort Worth Inc. Person of the Year: Opal Lee
June 1, 2022
Fort Worth Inc.
Perhaps no one ever in Fort Worth — maybe all of America — has bookends on the journey
of life quite like the immeasurable Opal Lee, a titan of 21st century civil rights, better known as the grandmother of Juneteenth. “She’s been
fighting for what’s right all of her life,” said Frederick Gooding Jr., Dr. Ronald E. Moore Professor of Humanities in the John V. Roach Honors College
at TCU.
With recession threatening, the lipstick effect kicks In and lipstick sales rise
June 1, 2022
Forbes
In beauty circles, the Lipstick Effect, also called the Lipstick Index, is claimed
to be the category’s leading economic indicator. An academic study led by Texas Christian
University professors Sarah Hill and Christopher Rodenheffer lent further credence to the lipstick effect theory. They theorized that women purchase
beauty products to enhance their attractiveness to men since men place a premium on
a woman’s physical appearance in their choice of a romantic partner. “Recession cues
persistently increased women’s desire to purchase beauty products,” they wrote.
Uvalde changing narrative common despite frustration
June 1, 2022
CNHI News
Missteps, miscommunication and misinformation continues to further frustrate the public
as it grapples with the news of another tragic mass shooting and seeks answers to
what happened in Uvalde, Texas. While it has proved to be frustrating for those demanding
answers, Johnny Nhan, associate dean of graduate studies in the Department of Criminal Justice, said this
is not uncommon, especially in smaller communities with even smaller police forces. “(Misinformation)
is pretty common with smaller police departments and smaller agencies because they
don't have a public information office,” Nhan said.
Texas Christian University digs into its past with initiative studying slavery and
racism
June 1, 2022
Texas Standard
Sylviane Greensword, a postdoctoral fellow at TCU and the lead researcher for the school’s Race and Reconciliation
Initiative, was on a mission to document Black life during TCU’s early years. She has uncovered the crucial roles a Black married couple, Charley and Kate Thorp, filled during the university's founding years. “Charley was like one-third
of that chapter, so it wasn’t like a whole chapter on ‘Black Charley.’ But hey, that’s
better than what I’ve seen in most books, because in most books, you would believe
that there was like no Black people [on campus] until the 1960s,” said Greensword.
'We Are Going Big This Year': The Return Of Extravagant Nuptials And Other Wedding
Trends For 2022
May 26, 2022
Essence
Angela Thompson knows quite a bit about weddings. In addition to her research focusing on the industry
and its traditions, the sociology instructor at Texas Christian University once went through the extensive wedding planning process many brides undertake to
say I do — only to choose to say “I don’t” six weeks before her big day. “We live
in a society that’s really focused on consumerism. We spend and we buy, add to that
a desire for individuality and wanting to create an event that really is personalized.
Then on some level there’s a belief that having the perfect wedding is an inoculation
against divorce,” Thompson said.
How a former KKK headquarters in Texas is being transformed into a center for arts
and healing
May 26, 2022
ARTnews
In 1921, white union workers at the meatpacker Swift & Company in Fort Worth, Texas,
went on strike. Fred Rouse was hired as a butcher by the company to replace those
striking. In June 2019, Adam W. McKinney, a trained ballet dancer and a professor at TCU College of Fine Arts, and his partner, Daniel Banks, learned that the building’s then
owners had filed an application with the city to have it demolished. McKinney and
Banks had already imagined its second life as a hub for art and healing that would
serve the city where Rouse’s descendants still live.
North Texas could be key in increasing mental health providers
May 25, 2022
KXAS-TV
In the search to find a motive for the massacre in Uvalde, Governor Greg Abbott said
city leaders in the town of 16,000 pointed to mental health as an underlying issue
that is widespread in their community. Dr. Debra Atkisson, associate professor and physician development coach at the TCU School of Medicine said, “America, our whole country, is in a mental health crisis,
and there are numerous reasons for it, that's number one.” TCU medical students could
help. “The medical students I work with are wonderful. It has given me hope for the
future of medicine just by interacting with them. And we have people that will step
up if they can get a training spot to train them.”
What do Texas’ candidates for governor plan to do about guns, mass shootings?
May 25, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
After the tragedy that occurred at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school Tuesday, many
are questioning how will the gun debate play out on the campaign trail between Beto O’Rourke and Greg Abbott. TCU political science professor Jim Riddlesperger said, “We know that the attention span of average voters on these kinds of issues are short-lived,
and, therefore, it’s going to be a subtext, but it’s not going to be, I think, the
primary issue that decides how people are going to vote this year. But the issue of guns is a complex one in Texas.”
Listen: How do you talk to elementary school kids about school shootings?
May 25, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Dr. Debra Atkisson, a child psychiatrist and associate professor at the TCU School of Medicine, explains how to help kids navigate in the aftermath of a massive
school shooting in Uvalde that claimed the lives of 21 people. “This is not just a
horrific situation – it’s abnormal. And the way that we as people react to that, it’s
going to cause all sorts of reactions in us. So just be aware of that yourself, whatever
age you are,” Atkisson said.
Happy Election Day Tarrant County! Here’s what you need to know.
May 24, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Two key races are here: the Republican runoff for district attorney and the GOP runoff
for Texas House District 93. The district attorney race has Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth,
against Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 10 Judge Phil Sorrells. Sorrells had a 10%
lead against Krause in the first race, but TCU political science professor James Riddlesperger said, “It’s still anyone’s race.”
Oil and gas is both loved and hated in Texas. How will high prices impact its politics?
May 19, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Gas prices are likely to be one of many talking points in the Texas midterm elections
this year. As oil and gas supply tries to catch up with global demand, prices in Texas
reach record highs daily. Texas is different from most states when it comes to the
effect of the oil and gas industry. Oil-producing states react differently than oil-consuming
states — Texas is both, so high gas prices act as a double-edged sword for the Lone
Star state, said James Riddlesperger, TCU political science professor.
Memories remade with charcoal and ash
May 19, 2022
Hyperallergic
Dan Jian, assistant professor of art, makes the point that landscapes and memory are one and the same – making her artwork
with charcoal and ash. During an artist’s talk at TCU’s Moudy Gallery, she said, “The landscape of the subject is only true if we acknowledge
that there is no such thing as landscape” because “landscape acquires meaning through
memory.”
Burnout and America's great resignation: how employers can help
May 17, 2022
FOX 7 Austin
A record-breaking 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in March, showing the Great
Resignation is still roaring. Daniel Pullin, John V. Roach Dean of the TCU Neeley School of Business, shared his insights on how employers can adapt and innovate in the ever-changing business
landscape to manage employee burnout. “If you go beyond the service industry, you've
got a dramatically changing business landscape with all sorts of new skill requirements
and needs,” he said. “A lot of employers are having trouble keeping up with not only
the volume of personnel, but the skill sets necessary to drive their enterprise.”
STUDENTS
Local law firm helps Dunbar graduates with 'Making a Difference' scholarship program
June 7, 2022
Fort Worth Business Press
Ten graduating seniors from Dunbar High School are awarded the “Making a Difference”
Scholarship from Witherite Law Group. Each recipient was awarded a $2,500 scholarship,
which can be renewed annually if the student maintains a 2.0 GPA and takes at least
12 credit hours. “The scholarship helped me tremendously to stay in school and pay
for things like books that my mother and aunts couldn’t pay for,” said TCU student Sierra Powe, a first-generation college student.
Northside Eats Food Pantry opens at local middle school
June 4, 2022
Dallas Express
Now that summer is here, some school-aged children will not have school meals to depend
on, but Fort Worth’s Kirkpatrick Middle School is helping to feed students and their
families with Northside Eats food pantry. At the pantry’s front door, shoppers are
greeted by a bright mural painted by Kirkpatrick and Texas Christian University art students. Students assisted in installing shelving systems, unpacking items and
stocking pantry shelves.
Students want connections with professors but may not initiate them
May 20, 2022
Inside Higher Ed
Professors could be better about building relationships with students, many of whom
hope for assistance with career planning and networking – but students may not realize
their role in connecting. Lucia Reynolds, a sophomore at Texas Christian University majoring in communications, had one professor
make a video near the end of a semester, explaining to students about a close elderly
relative being hospitalized and very ill. “My heart opened up to her. When we have
that kind of reality check and that honesty with each other, I think it’s better for
both parties,” Reynolds said.
Black people in Texas report discrimination over their hair. Would this law help?
May 16, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Passage of the proposed CROWN Act in Texas could prevent conflicts over hairstyles
across the state. “So many young Black women go through this kind of dislike of their
hair,” Breann Borlay said. “Nobody should feel that way about something that’s naturally growing out of
their head. Nothing’s wrong with your hair.” Borlay is president of TCU’s natural
hair organization, NaturallyMi and has found a sense of community talking about natural
hair. She’s heard from other curly-hair-textured students who’ve had a hard time accepting
the natural texture of their hair and from students who’ve been the brunt of ignorance
from other TCU students regarding Black hair.
ALUMNI
Sending Off John Roach, Texan Pioneer of Personal Computing
June 8, 2022
Texas CEO Magazine
Texas lost an iconic CEO in Fort Worth’s John Roach ’61 (MBA ’65). He attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, an institution he would support
for the rest of his life. In his passing, Roach was remembered not only as a technology
pioneer but as a pillar of Fort Worth.
In the past, Americans confronted gun violence by taking action
June 3, 2022
The Washington Post
TCU alumna Brennan Gardner Rivas ’13 MA (Ph.D. ’19) believes that surrendering to the circumstances or blaming something other than gun
policy for mass shootings or broader violence is a guaranteed way not to solve the
problem. “We’re not the first generation of Americans to confront a troubling and
heartbreaking epidemic of gun violence,” she said. “What is new today, though, is
the rise of hopelessness and inaction that disempowers 21st century Americans in ways that previous generations would neither recognize nor tolerate.”
Rob Baird’s new album ‘Anthems’ is an absolute must-listen
May 22, 2022
OnlyLoudest
Rob Baird ’09 is a Memphis, Tennessee, native and attended college at Texas Christian University and ever since has been entrenched in the Texas music scene. One of the most underrated
acts out of Texas right now, Baird just keeps cranking out the music, releasing five studio albums, a live album, an
EP and a few singles since 2010. Baird’s intricate songwriting and captivatingly unique vocals are a dynamic duo, making his
music all that much more special.
Daniel Gandarilla Aids Atrium Health’s Expansion and Evolution
May 16, 2022
Hispanic Executive Quarterly
Charlotte Memorial Hospital received its first patients in 1940 as World War II raged
in Europe. More than 80 years later, the stand-alone facility has grown into an integrated
nonprofit health system known as Atrium Health. Daniel Gandarilla MBA ’12 (Ed.D. ’21), Atrium Health’s senior vice president and chief talent officer, came to Atrium Health
to help its leaders fulfill that mission by strengthening corporate culture and building
an effective workforce. Although he already held a master’s degree from Stanford,
the realization motivated him to pursue an MBA from Texas Christian University. “We want to be national leaders in care, and we’re committed to improving health outcomes
for all,” Gandarilla said.