From a happy campus and Taylor Swift to disconnected youth and gun violence, TCU and its faculty are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
7 Dallas-Fort Worth universities earn top spots for graduate programs
April 30, 2024
CultureMap Fort Worth
North Texas universities have done it again. U.S. News and World Report has deemed seven Dallas-Fort Worth universities among the best grad schools in the
state, with some departments landing among the top 100 in the country. U.S. News publishes its annual national “Best Graduate Schools” rankings, which look at several
programs, including business, education, engineering, fine arts, health and many others.
At No. 44 nationally and No. 5 in the state for its graduate business school is Texas Christian University. The graduate education school ranked No. 7 in Texas and No. 117 overall. It also
has the No. 7 best nursing anesthesia program in the country.
The Happiest College Campuses 2024
April 25, 2024
University Magazine
The Happiest College Campuses 2024, according to The Princeton Review, explores what
makes students across various universities feel fulfilled and content. We look closer
at the campuses that stand out for their vibrant community life, supportive academic
environments and excellent student resources, collectively contributing to a positive
and enjoyable college experience. No. 1 on the list, Texas Christian University, is known for its lively campus atmosphere and strong sense of community. With top-notch
academic programs and vibrant student life, it fosters a supportive environment where
students thrive. From spirited sporting events to engaging in extracurricular activities,
TCU cultivates a culture of happiness and success.
TCU names Heath Einstein vice provost for enrollment
April 23, 2024
Fort Worth Business Press
Dean of Admission Heath Einstein has been named the Fort Worth university’s vice provost for enrollment management.
Einstein is a nationally recognized leader in the field of college admission and his
promotion followed a nationwide search, TCU said in a news release. As vice provost
for enrollment management, Einstein will lead Texas Christian University’s undergraduate
enrollment and retention strategies and provide guidance and oversight for the offices
of registrar, financial aid and enrollment systems and analytics, the release said.
He will report directly to the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs and
work closely with the chancellor, president and other academic leaders. “As TCU embarks
on its next 150 years, I am excited to help lead the effort to ensure the university’s
strategic priorities are supported by a robust, talented and diverse student body,”
Einstein said. “I look forward to collaborating with campus partners in this endeavor
and am grateful for the privilege to oversee a premier enrollment management division.”
FACULTY
AANA President Appointed to VA's National Research Advisory Council
PR Newswire
April 30, 2024
Dru Riddle was appointed to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Research Advisory Council.
“I'm honored to be chosen to serve on the council and assist the VA with a national
research program that is focused on providing quality healthcare to our veterans,”
said Riddle. A veteran of the United States Army Reserves, Riddle is a professor of
professional practice in nurse anesthesia. He also serves as co-chair of the Cochrane U.S. Network and the
director of the Center for Translational Research: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center
of Excellence.
Meet the Gen Zers struggling to stay in work or school — and the parents who are at
a loss for how to help
April 27, 2024
Business Insider
A rising number of young Americans are disconnected from work, school and a sense
of purpose. Disconnection rates have been increasing since the 1990s, affecting young
people’s futures. Poor mental health and a lack of a financial safety net contribute
to rising disconnection. Ashley Palmer, assistant professor of social work, said disconnected youth fall along a spectrum
of connectedness to work and school. “I don’t think that simply being in school or
working means that you’re doing OK or that you’re going to have improved well-being,”
Palmer said. She said that while there’s a lack of research in predicting the long-term
social and psychological effects of disconnectedness, she suspects a lack of purpose
can erode mental and physical health and relationships with friends and community.
The impact of school shootings on teens’ mental health
April 25, 2024
KTVT-TV
The recent shooting death of a student at Bowie High School in Arlington stirred up
a very real fear that exists in the minds of teenage students everywhere, according
to Dr. Cheryl Hurd, professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “The vast majority of teenagers
now in America … well over 50 percent when surveyed by a variety, including the National
Institute of Mental Health, fear a school shooting at this point,” Hurd said. “Teenagers
know what is going on, but they also feel less empowered. They are minors and there
are restrictions on them and they don’t have in their opinion access to safe things
or safe places to go.”
Why Taylor Swift’s ‘all the racists’ lyric on ‘I Hate It Here’ is dividing fans, listeners
April 24, 2024
USA Today
Taylor Swift’s controversial song “I Hate It Here” has fans divided about the pop
star’s racial lens and lyricism. Psychology professor Naomi Ekas teaches a course about the connection between psychology and Swift’s place in pop
culture. She believes there are universal themes listeners have experienced in Swift’s
lyrics but notes that the pop star’s particular worldview may not translate to everyone.
“Everyone’s dated the bad boy and they’ve had the friendship breakups and they’ve,
you know, crashed and burned in relationships, revenge – these are pretty common themes
across humankind, but then her particular life and how she’s living them out might
not connect to everybody,” Ekas said.
The Lasting Impact of Exposure to Gun Violence
April 24, 2024
UNDARK
A recent finding reported that childhood gun violence exposure was associated with
gun carrying in adolescence but not as an adult. This “decay effect” mimics human
life experiences, Benjamin Comer, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice, noted to Undark in an email.
“Immediately after we have an experience, it is quite strong in our memory and seems
to exert quite an effect on our behavior (in this case, gun carrying)” Comer wrote.
“But as time passes, that experience fades, and its effect on the immediate behavioral
context diminishes. Indeed, other factors better explained changes in gun carrying
over time, including delinquent behavior, criminal peer groups, environmental factors
and personal characteristics.”
Police say West 7th is Fort Worth’s safest hot spot. The data shows something else
April 23, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Police Department shared a plan to increase public safety in West 7th
in the wake of three shootings in the area in the last eight months, two of which
were fatal. But while police say crime is down in West 7th, analysis by criminal justice
experts and the Star-Telegram’s reporting on the issue — as well as the presentation’s own data for the most violent
crime of all — suggest that the area is not as relatively safe as conveyed. According
to criminal justice professor Johnny Nhan, who also serves as a reserve Fort Worth police officer and patrols about once a
week, “There is an argument to be made that the police are sending contradictory messages:
1) Crime is high there and justifies the extra resources and 2) Crime is low there
so the police are doing a good job.”
Fort Worth eyes transition from MedStar to fire-based EMS
April 16, 2024
Fort Worth Report
After more than 38 years, MedStar’s time as the designated EMS provider for Fort Worth
is drawing to a close. Fort Worth’s EMS committee, which has been researching alternative
models for six months, recommended that the city switch to a fire-based EMS model.
Under that model, the fire department would house employees — including those currently
working at MedStar — whose sole role is to respond to medical emergencies. The projected
cost for the switch is approximately $10 million. Not everyone agreed with the committee’s
recommendation. Dr. Terence McCarthy, John M. Geesbreght MD, MS, FACEP, Chair of Emergency Medicine at the Burnett School
of Medicine at TCU, said the existing MedStar system is functioning fairly well. “If
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and it’s really not broke,” McCarthy said.
ATHLETICS
How an injury brought TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges closer to Christ
April 30, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The football field has always been a sanctuary for TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges. Hodges’ return in 2023 was one reason the program was optimistic the defense could
improve, but instead Hodges suffered an injury in the third game of the season against
Houston and would play in just one more the rest of the year. “It was tough. I think
the hardest thing was just watching the team kind of reel and not be able to do anything
about it,” Hodges said. “I tried to come back a little and obviously that probably
wasn’t the smartest decision, but if I were to go back in time, I wouldn’t change
anything. But it was tough. It was also a blessing in disguise. I got to work on a
lot of things that I needed to work on that I didn’t know about. I got much closer
to my lord and savior Jesus Christ first and foremost. He helped me through a lot
of dark times.”
TCU’s Sonny Dykes addresses a perception, ‘I don’t know if I’m the nice guy.’
April 27, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By 2030, we may all look back at TCU’s run to the 2022 national title game as one
of college sports’ greatest achievements of this century. Because the system continually
tilts, almost daily, against schools like TCU to make it that far. Sitting in his
office overlooking Amon G. Carter Stadium, head coach Sonny Dykes is well aware of the ever-changing obstacle course that is this job, and a standard
he set. He knows he has something to prove. “For sure, definitely,” Dykes said. “We
all do in our profession, but especially the highs and the lows that we’ve had here
in two years. I definitely feel like I have something to prove.”
An NRA Shooting Sports Journal | TCU Wins Fourth NCAA Title
April 16, 2024
Shooting Sports USA
The Horned Frogs women’s rifle team displayed its marksmanship prowess on the firing
line to win the 2024 NCAA rifle championship in March, capturing the title for the
first time in five years. TCU posted an aggregate score of 4732-347X to claim the
2024 NCAA rifle championship. Led by head coach Karen Monez, the victory marks TCU’s fourth NCAA rifle title, after previously winning the team
aggregate in 2010, 2012 and 2019.
United Way of Tarrant County Appoints Brian Estridge as Director of Development
April 16, 2024
Fort Worth Magazine
Brian Estridge has been named director of development for community investment for United Way of
Tarrant County, a newly created role that will focus on the nonprofit’s $100 million
GET UNITED campaign. Estridge will continue to serve as the play-by-play broadcaster
for TCU basketball and football games, a role he has held for more than 25 years.
“I have watched Fort Worth change dramatically over three decades while also having
a front-row seat to the critical needs that are still holding back our growing, and
often most vulnerable, communities,” said Estridge. “Joining United Way of Tarrant
County and their fundraising efforts in Tarrant County for GET UNITED is both an honor
and something I take with deep responsibility.”