From being the nation’s “happiest university” to Taylor Swift and Tax Day, TCU and its faculty and students are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
‘No one achieves their dream alone’: TCU honors Grizzlies star Desmond Bane
April 4, 2023
The Daily Memphian
When TCU leaders started to map out how they would honor some of its most notable alumni for the school’s
150th anniversary, they narrowed a long list of names down to only a few. But one
of those names, Desmond Bane ’20 — a former student-athlete and now a star for the Memphis Grizzlies — felt like a
no-brainer. “Why Desmond?” repeated Kris Copeland, the creative director for the project. “Desmond really represents the tenacity that
TCU students and alumni show,” Copeland said. “We are not a big university, but we hope to make a really big impact. Desmond
was a great example of that, always being counted out. He wasn’t highly recruited.
He didn’t have a lot of Division I offers. At every step he was overlooked, and he
had to prove it.” Bane said, “TCU is really what put me in the position I am today.
Without TCU, I would be nowhere near where I am. I owe everything to them. It’s great
to see that they care about me so much and reciprocate that love.”
TCU is all smiles after earning national title for ‘happiest university’
March 27, 2023
Fort Worth Report
TCU earns a new title: happiest university in the nation, according to an analysis of
Instagram photos. The analysis was conducted by Resume.io, a company that creates
résumé and cover letter templates. The analysis is not scientific by any means, but
some people on campus sure notice the happiness the survey notes. Martin Vershel, senior theater major, always sees smiling faces on campus. “There’s always something happening on TCU’s
campus that’ll make you just smile,” Vershel said.
Opinion: DEI is ruining Texas colleges for Black professors like me
March 25, 2023
The Dallas Morning News
The movement from equal opportunity, as measured by “how many,” to diversity, equity
and inclusion, with an emphasis on who is offended, is one of the most consequential
movements in American organizations. The Burnett School of Medicine at TCU provides
a resource for chairs and deans to help them identify microaggressions and navigate
DEI waters. It discusses the “myth of meritocracy.”
FACULTY
What a production subtraction by OPEC+ means
April 3, 2023
Marketplace Podcast
Tom Seng, professor in TCU's Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, spoke on a podcast about rising
interest rates in the U.S. and Europe, which could affect oil and demand too. “That
is the other side of this coin. Fears of a potential recession,” he said.
What could expanding school choice mean for Fort Worth? Lots of questions, fewer answers
March 30, 2023
Fort Worth Report
The Texas Legislature is discussing a plan to expand school choice through a voucher-like
program. The likelihood of some sort of voucher-like program becoming law is high,
Gabriel Huddleston, associate professor of education, said. The effects on Fort Worth and Texas are still up in the air — and the devil will be
in the details, he said. “This is going to have ramifications for a long period of
time, especially in a place like Fort Worth that is so diverse, has so many different
schools and has so many different charters.”
Tell them how the crowds went wild: Taylor Swift fans in Texas are ready for the Eras
Tour
March 30, 2023
Texas Standard
Taylor Swift is touring again, and it’s hard to overemphasize how big a deal this
is for her fan base. Andrew Ledbetter, professor of communication studies, is excited to attend a Taylor Swift concert with his loved ones: his wife and two
daughters. “To get to go to the tour and get to see that and to celebrate that live
with the people I enjoy most in the world, that also appreciate Taylor Swift, too,
oh yeah, I’m really excited about it,” he said, discussing his pick of the Eras tour.
“If it’s a happy, upbeat mood, maybe I go to something from ‘Lover.’ It’s more reflective,
I can go to something from ‘Folklore.’ If I just want to kind of remember nostalgia,
when I first began to enjoy Taylor Swift, I can go to ‘Fearless’ or I can go to ‘Speak
Now’ or something like that.”
Fellowship Recipient Explores History of Women’s Conscription
March 29, 2023
archives.gov
Kara Dixon Vuic, LCpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt Professor of War, Conflict, and Society in 20th-Century
America, has spent the last year traveling to the National Archives at College Park and presidential
libraries around the country, researching her book project, Drafting Women, on the history of women and selective service. Vuic’s research intersects with women’s
history and military history, as she seeks out the discussions surrounding the possibility
of wartime conscription for U.S. women from World War I through the 1970s. She is
conducting her research as an inaugural recipient of the Cokie Roberts Women’s History
Fellowship.
Swipe your badge or get fired? Employers and workers face a reckoning over returning
to the office.
March 29, 2023
Business Insider
Employers are hardening demands for workers to return to the office and quashing resistance.
But many employees are rejecting the mandates and don't appear ready to back down.
“It's already an ugly war, and it's unfortunate,” Abbie Shipp, professor of management at the TCU Neeley School of Business, told Insider. “This
was a great opportunity to experiment with new methods and customize based on individual
needs and companies' needs.”
The Illusive Pursuit of Energy Security in the Age of Energy Wars
March 28, 2023
Real Clean Energy
Manochehr Dorraj, professor of international affairs and a faculty fellow of the Ralph Lowe Energy
Institute, addressed the topic of energy security in the age of energy wars. “Energy
security is now contingent on uncertain winds of change that can be abrupt, tumultuous
and profoundly disrupting,” he wrote.
Tax Burden by State
March 27, 2023
WalletHub
Many taxpayers are undoubtedly wondering how this year’s Tax Day will affect their
finances, as a lot of people are still struggling financially as a result of the pandemic.
One simple ratio known as the “tax burden” helps cut through the confusion. Patrick Hopkins, assistant professor of accounting at the TCU Neeley School of Business, said inflation will likely result in decreased government spending or an increased
tax burden, neither of which are ideal for citizens. “As we all know, inflation has
a direct effect on prices,” he said. “Therefore, if we make no changes to our spending,
we can expect expenditures to increase during times of inflation. So, governments
will face a choice of scaling back expenditures or increasing revenues.”
Texas universities, colleges respond to rise of ChatGPT use on campuses
March 27, 2023
KXAN
With increasing use and familiarity with the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT,
some Texas colleges are looking at the technology’s impact on their campuses. Beata Jones, business information systems professor, said she uses ChatGPT daily for professional and course-related activities such as
writing emails, troubleshooting code, creating exam questions and formatting citations.
Jones said she encourages students to use ChatGPT for anything except for entire assignments,
as that would be cheating. Her classes have talked about the chatbot’s capabilities
and limitations. She said her assignments require references, which ChatGPT cannot
create well.
Red flag reckoning reflects the sweeping power of Colorado sheriffs
March 27, 2023
KUNC-FM (Greeley, CO)
A former Douglas County Sheriff received death threats when he lobbied for the passage
of a Colorado gun law. Sheriffs “alone can determine if they're going to set policy
as well as enforce policy,” Emily Farris, associate professor of political science and an expert on sheriffs, said. She points
out sheriffs are typically elected, not appointed like police chiefs. “So, they don't
feel the same kind of accountability that a police chief would to a mayor, to a county,
to a city manager,” she said. Farris’ forthcoming co-authored book unravels the history
of sheriffs and examines their roles today.
Eye drops recalled after reports of fatal infections and vision loss. Are they safe
to use?
March 25, 2023
Local Today
With spring allergies on the rise in North Texas, you may have started reaching for
your trusty eye drop container to relieve the itch and discomfort you’re feeling.
However, it might be wise to check the recall notices issued by some manufacturers
to make sure your brand of eye drops hasn’t recently been taken off the shelf. “These
products are primarily used to lubricate the eye for dry eyes,” Dr. Sai Chavala, professor of surgery at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, said. “It’s likely
that the drug company encountered some missteps during the manufacturing process because
it failed to provide adequate microbial or bacterial testing for its products.”
STUDENTS
U.S. legal permanent residents could become police officers under Texas bill
March 31, 2023
The Dallas Morning News
When Noe Bernabe-Barrera searched for local career opportunities, the answer seemed simple. The TCU student hoped to serve his community as a police officer his entire life. When he
researched the role, however, one requirement shocked him: Permanent legal residents
can’t become peace officers in Texas. “My life came to a stop,” said Bernabe-Barrera,
who was born in Guerrero, Mexico, but raised in Fort Worth. Bernabe-Barrera spoke
next to State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado during a news conference at Dallas Police
Department headquarters about proposed legislation meant to address officer staffing
shortages.
Values and Ventures Competition Finals at TCU
March 25, 2023
KXAS-TV
Eight finalist teams appeared at the Values and Ventures Competition at TCU. “Values
and Ventures is the perfect opportunity for those social entrepreneurs who are looking
to get that exposure but also make those connections,” student Payton Cranford said. Cranford’s team won third place based on their pitch for developing a natural, organic hair care
product that can be provided as complementary shampoo and conditioner products in
hotels.
ATHLETICS
Max Duggan shines in front of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick at TCU pro
day
March 30, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
There was a heavy pro presence in Fort Worth as all 32 NFL teams and a few Canadian
Football League franchises dropped in to check out TCU’s pro day. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and New York Giants coach
Brian Daboll were the most prominent NFL figures in attendance along with numerous
scouts and front-office executives. Belichick seemed to have his attention focused
squarely on Max Duggan. The other marquee name was Quentin Johnston, a candidate to be the first wide receiver taken in the draft. “Coming from a military
family, my baseline of just learning, and my character and how I am as a man on and
off the field is based on discipline and respect. I feel like I've taken that with
me and it's guided me in the right direction,” Johnston said.
Mike Miles Jr. declares for the 2023 NBA Draft
March 29, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU’s Mike Miles Jr. declared for the 2023 NBA draft. Miles was emotional as he thanked his friends, family,
coaches and teammates for helping him arrive at this moment. “In the middle of the
season, I was playing really good,” he said. “This was before my injury, so like a
couple of games before my injury I felt like I was ready. I felt like I did everything
I could, I got better.” Coach Jamie Dixon said, “He just kept getting better … he went harder in practice consistently.”
The Horned Frogs move to 20-0 after sweeping the Fight in the Fort [ed: link removed]
March 26, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU Beach Volleyball remains undefeated taking down three more ranked opponents in the Fight in the Fort
on March 24-25. The Horned Frogs are the best college beach volleyball team in the
nation. The beach volleyball team in Fort Worth is by far and away the best college
team in the nation.