Horned Frogs in the News, Nov. 15-Nov. 30

From the upcoming Big 12 Championship game to cryptocurrency and probiotics, TCU and its faculty, students and alumni are in the news.

INSTITUTIONAL

Love of plants helps TCU grounds bloom
Nov. 21, 2022
The Dallas Morning News
A national organization recognized TCU’s groundskeepers with an award for their exceptional maintenance of the campus’ more than 300 acres in late October. A few TCU Facilities employees spoke about what goes into the exceptional maintenance of the campus’ more than 300 acres, as well as the meaning the work holds.

Is TCU’s hand sign horns or a claw? 10 things you need to know about the Horned Frogs
Nov. 18, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
This article includes 10 facts every Texan should know about TCU. Students chose The Horned Frog as the school yearbook name in 1897 after professor Addison Clark Jr. told them to pick a Texas “plant, bird or animal.”

ITGA and Molson Coors Partner to Provide Universities with Alcohol Harm Reduction Toolkit
Nov. 16, 2022
Brewbound 
In an effort to assist the World Health Organization’s goal of at least 10% relative reduction in the harmful use of alcohol by 2025, the International Town & Gown Association (ITGA) and Molson Coors have partnered to provide universities with the 2025 Alcohol Harm Reduction Toolkit to address alcohol use at off-campus parties. The universities involved included TCU, which created a report based on their experience.

FACULTY

ERCOT says don’t worry, the grid has enough capacity this winter
Nov. 30, 2022
CBS 11
ERCOT estimates that the grid will have enough capacity to serve customers during peak demand periods this winter. “I think it’s always great to hear from ERCOT and to see their transparency and make sure that we as consumers and citizens of Texas have the information we need to be prepared,” said Ann Bluntzer, executive director of the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute.

Equitable park investment and open space conservation in Fort Worth: A nature-based solution to Climate Change
Nov. 29, 2022
Fort Worth Report
TCU Nursing faculty Gina Alexander, Vicki Brooks and Tammie Williams collaborated to write a commentary on addressing the effects of population growth and the shrinking of natural habitat throughout the area. “Together, we can turn around losses from the pandemic and transform the narrative by actively conserving and investing in the green spaces that make Fort Worth unique and sustain our planet,” they wrote.

Virtual learning left teachers scrambling. How are teacher prep programs catching up? 
Nov. 28, 2022 
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
When COVID-19 forced school districts across the country to close their buildings and move classes online in the spring of 2020, teachers were left scrambling to find new ways to do the job many had done the same way for decades. Robin Griffith, professor and chair of teaching and learning sciences, said the university already had courses on integrating technology into the classroom before the pandemic began. The professors in those classes don’t focus on specific programs, because there’s no way to keep up with the pace of technology. “You can learn an app and it could be gone and obsolete in three years,” Griffith said. “More recently, TCU added a course designed to help future educators understand what effective virtual instruction looks like,” she said.

A Stolen 1527 Record Signed by Cortés Will Be Returned to Mexico 
Nov. 23, 2022
The New York Times 
For some 30 years, a 16th century bill of sale signed by conqueror Hernán Cortés, who led the overthrow of the Aztec Empire for the Spanish crown, had disappeared from Mexico’s national archives, making its way to private auction houses across the U.S. Federal prosecutors announced they would recover the stolen document in hopes of bringing it back to Mexico, where its value may not be linked to how much the order would have fetched at auction. Susan Elizabeth Ramirez, professor emeritus of history and Latin American studies, said recovering documents like this “can change everything. We can’t write history without manuscripts,” she said.

In Colorado Springs, Local Officials Resisted the State's Red Flag Law 
Nov. 22, 2022
The Trace 
Unlike city or state police, county sheriffs are elected and, according to a national survey, many of them believe that gun laws go too far and, in several cases, have refused to implement them. “There is a pattern of sheriffs trying to step in and proclaim their authority to both set policy, as well as enforce policy,” said Emily Farris, associate professor of political science. “They themselves feel that they get to interpret whether or not something is constitutional, and what their office is or is not going to do.”

On comparing counties from 2018 to 2022 
Nov. 19, 2022  
Off the Kuff Knowledge is Good
Voters in counties across Texas chose GOP leaders over Democrats at a higher rate than they did four years ago, a Dallas Morning News analysis shows. “We shouldn’t delude ourselves in any way that the Democrats are about to take over,” said James Riddlesperger, professor of political science. “At the same time, election coalitions are dynamic and what we’re seeing is the competitiveness of the two political parties in this area is becoming more apparent.” 

Probiotics may offset gut damage caused by antibiotics 
Nov. 18, 2022
Medical News Today 
A recent systematic review published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology suggests that supplementing with probiotics could prevent or diminish the negative effects of antibiotics on the composition and diversity of gut microbiota. The study’s lead author Elisa Marroquín, a professor at TCU, said that the study could help assuage concerns among healthcare professionals about co-prescribing probiotics with antibiotic treatments. “Although there is a concern about shifting the initial gut microbial composition by taking probiotics while on antibiotic interventions, based on the available human evidence, we suggest health professionals continue recommending probiotics when antibiotics are prescribed,” she said.

Fort Worth Opera names opera singer, TCU educator as new leader
Nov. 17, 2022 
Fort Worth Report 
The Fort Worth Opera’s new general and artistic director will be a locally based artist and educator. Angela Turner Wilson, Fort Worth-based opera singer and associate professor of professional practice in vocal performance, will begin her new position Dec. 12. “I am honored that the Fort Worth Opera asked me to lead this important organization,” Wilson said. “Fort Worth Opera is a pillar of the fine arts in Fort Worth. I look forward to continuing the FWO’s high standard of artistic excellence and community outreach while expanding the national reach of the company into an exciting future.” 

Give bacterial diversity a chance: The antibiotic dichotomy 
Nov. 17, 2022
Internal Medicine News 
Assistant Professor Elisa Marroquin and her colleagues reviewed 29 studies published over the last seven years and found a way to preserve the diversity of a human gut microbiome that’s dealing with an antibiotic. Their solution? Prescribe a probiotic. “It comes down to diversity,” she explained, “In a human community, we need people that have different professions because we don’t all know how to do every single job. And so, the same happens with bacteria. We need lots of different gut bacteria that know how to do different things.” 

Donald Trump announces presidential bid. How did Fort Worth area Republicans react?
Nov. 16, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 
Former President Donald Trump is running for president again, but where will support from Tarrant County Republicans fall after the party saw lackluster performance nationwide on Election Day? “What you’re seeing is people who just simply don’t want to jump into that yet,” Jim Riddlesperger, political science professor, said. “They don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to think about it. They want to see how things play out over the next six to nine months and then they’ll start figuring out who it is that they want to support.”

Health News | Experts Advise Taking Probiotic Along with Antibiotic to Reduce Damage to Gut Microbiome
Nov. 16, 2022
Latestly 
Antibiotics typically do not exclusively target the bacteria causing infection, and they eliminate the beneficial bacteria that live in our gut and keep us healthy. Elisa Marroquin, assistant professor who researched the benefit of taking a probiotic, explained, “Like in a human community, we need people that have different professions because we don’t all know how to do every single job. And so, the same happens with bacteria. We need lots of different gut bacteria that know how to do different things.”

What does the FTX bankruptcy mean for the future of crypto?
Nov. 15, 2022
GoodDay Austin
Kelly Slaughter, associate professor of professional practice in TCU Neeley, explained the recent activity with cryptocurrency and defined the currency in simple terms. “Think of it as an Excel sheet that you have that is keeping a record of your money and my money,” he said. “You’ve got $100 and you transfer $50 to me. Now we both have an entry for $50. What makes it interesting is that that Excel sheet is public.”

STUDENTS 

The Most Disruptive Business School Startups of 2022 
Nov. 22, 2022
Yahoo Finance 
You’ll find this year’s top student entrepreneurs exploring every imaginable niche. At the TCU Neeley School of Business, Payton Cranfordco-founded March, a haircare line for the special needs of Black travelers. 

ASHE Conference Tackles Joy and Community Building for Marginalized Students
Nov. 18, 2022 
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 
In spring 2020, Leslie Uchenna Ekpe, a doctoral student in the higher education leadership program at TCU, worked with a partner to explore how Black students were experiencing and pursuing happiness during the tumultuous time of the pandemic and social unrest. “We need joy to survive, joy to breathe, and more specifically, Black joy,” Ekpe said.

ALUMNI 

Dallas Music Industry Members Tells Us How the Grammys Changed Their Careers 
Nov. 22, 2022
Dallas Observer 
Nominees were announced for the 65th Grammys, and several Dallas-Fort Worth artists are up for awards at next year’s ceremony. Guitarist Mark Lettieri ’05, who attended TCU and got his start in Dallas’ music scene, won his first Grammy in 2013 as a member of jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy. The band won for Best R&B Performance for its song, “Something.” In following years, the band won Grammys for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for its album Sylva in 2015, and in 2016, it won the same award for the album, Culcha Vulcha.

ATHLETICS

TCU QB Duggan goes from losing job to winning every game 
Nov. 29, 2022  
Associated Press
Without Max Duggan, the fourth-year quarterback who had lost his starting job going into this season, third-ranked TCU might not be undefeated, getting ready for the Big 12 championship game, and on the verge of making the College Football Playoff. Duggan has been one of the nation’s most efficient passers and has completed two-thirds of his passes, leads the Big 12 with 3,070 yards and 29 touchdowns, and has thrown only three interceptions. “It’s just our guys’ undying belief in him, and our guys trying to play their tails off for him because they have so much respect and admiration for what he brings to our football program every day,” first-year TCU coach Sonny Dykessaid. “I’d do anything for that guy,” sixth-year senior offensive lineman Wes Harris said. “He’s got the heart of a warrior and he’s just a leader.”

TCU Volleyball: Horned Frogs Close Out Regular Season with Sweep over Oklahoma 
Nov. 28, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU Volleyball ended the regular season winners of five straight and are rolling into the NCAA tournament. The team has been on a tear and that five-game win streak continued Saturday sweeping Oklahoma in three sets. The win capped off a historic season under first-year head coach Jason Williams. The Frogs have exceeded all expectations and have been fun to watch. They currently sit at 16-10 with a 11-5 conference record and sole possession of third place in the Big 12.

Tired No. 4 TCU has done its job for playoff so far at 11-0 
Nov. 20, 2022
Associated Press 
There will be some people who look at how fourth-ranked TCU is still undefeated going into the final week of the regular season, and they will question if the Horned Frogs really deserve to be part of the playoff discussion. “They can say whatever they want to say. Our job’s to win football games. We’ve done our job up to this point,” first-year TCU coach Sonny Dykes said after 29-28 win against Baylor.

How Max Duggan’s Heisman moment set up TCU’s bazooka field goal to escape Baylor
Nov. 20, 2022 
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 
With the clock ticking down and no timeouts, head coach Sonny Dykes left people scratching their heads as the Horned Frogs ran the ball on third down to pick up a modest gain with Emari Demercado. “We wanted to get the ball in the middle of the field. We felt like if we could get the ball in the middle of the field, [kicker] Griffin [Kell] was going to be more comfortable,” Dykes said. “It was something we practiced so much that our guys feel pretty good about doing it that way.”