From a new television show to gas prices and the fate of the bank check, TCU and its faculty and alumni are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
First look at Fort Worth-filmed ‘Landman’ revealed. Who’s Billy Bob Thornton playing?
July 9, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The release date and first images of the Fort Worth-filmed “Landman” have been revealed.
The show is co-created and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace.
Billy Bob Thornton stars in the series, alongside Ali Larter, Demi Moore, Jon Hamm,
Andy Garcia and Michael Peña. A recent piece in Vanity Fair included a photo of Moore and Hamm’s characters at a track meet for their daughter
in a TCU jersey, a scene likely the same as the one that recruited TCU alumni to appear as
background actors for filming back in February. Paramount+ announced that “Landman”
will premiere its first two episodes on the streamer Nov. 17. Subsequent episodes
of the show’s 10-episode first season will release weekly on Sundays.
Horned Frogs and Blue Peaks: Mentors at Cook Children’s Train TCU Medical Students
in Pediatrics
July 9, 2024
Cook Children’s Checkup Newsroom
Future doctors make their mark at sites across Cook Children’s Health Care System,
where they engage with patients, conduct research and practice their clinical skills.
There were almost 900 medical student rotations from four medical schools at Cook
Children’s in the 2023-2024 school year. Students at one of those schools, the Anne
Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, are placed at Cook Children’s at least once
during their four-year education. Dr. Hannah Fouts Smitherman, the medical school’s pediatric clerkship director, works in the emergency department
at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. Because she has roles in both organizations,
she has a unique vantage point for recruiting her hospital colleagues as preceptors,
another name for teachers. “The relationship with Cook Children’s is so pivotal, and
our preceptors are amazing educators,” Smitherman said. “We really couldn’t do it
without them.”
Will Geopolitical Tensions Escalate in the Caribbean?
July 2, 2024
Latin America Advisor
Several weighed in on current events, including Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, chief inclusion officer at TCU. “I am going to conjecture that Russia is signaling
for internal, as well as external audiences, its ability to project military force
and power globally,” he wrote. “The fact that Russia is making conscripts of prisoners
is a clear example of the desperate nature of its gambit, but it is still a stretch.”
FACULTY
Ease Knee Pain Naturally? Yes! This DIY Acupressure Massage Is Study-Proven To Work
July 14, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
If your knees ever feel stiff and achy (whose haven’t?), acupressure for knee pain
can soothe discomfort and help restore your range of motion. Not familiar with acupressure?
It’s a DIY type of massage that involves applying pressure to specific points on the
body to relieve various issues, promoting natural healing, explains Yan Zhang, professor of professional practice at the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences. “It can be done either by a professional
or learned for self-care, giving you control over your health management. Acupressure
appeals because of its non-pharmaceutical nature,” Zhang said. “You’re not putting
any additional chemicals into your body.”
‘Reprehensible attack on God’s word’: Oklahoma Republican thrashes Trump’s RNC platform
July 11, 2024
Raw Story
Some Oklahoma Republicans are furious over Donald Trump’s demand to remove what they
view as Christian values from the Republican Party platform, and they’re ready to
fight. In a press release, Sen. Dusty Deevers lashed out at the platform’s decisions
to make Republicans more “electable” to non-Republicans, The Oklahoman reported. Political scientist Keith Gaddie called the RNC “pageantry” and predicted that the three days will be spent making
a “stinging indictment of the last three years. The evangelical right is impossibly
dug in, and now that the Supreme Court isn’t in danger, I think it becomes difficult
to get them to the polls,” Gaddie said. He said he can’t imagine the conventions mattering
to everyday voters.
More and more retailers are no longer accepting personal checks
July 11, 2024
NPR
Checks are becoming increasingly rare. And the big retailer Target announced it will
stop accepting personal checks this month. That adds to a list of major businesses,
such as Whole Foods, Aldi, Old Navy and Lululemon. Stephen Quinn, associate professor of economics, said, “I’m old enough that I remember… you’d go
to the grocery store, and everybody in line would mostly pay with check. There was
some cash, but checks were far more convenient for everybody involved.” Quinn said
checks will probably stick around for a while because they’re especially handy for
large payments, things like the down payment for a car or a house. “It’s going to
be a long time before Venmo is going to be covering tens of thousands of dollars.”
Beryl’s path through Texas could impact gas prices
July 8, 2024
KVUE
Any storm in the Gulf of Mexico could impact gas prices nationwide. With thousands
of offshore rigs, many were in the path of Tropical Storm Beryl. “It’s a question
of, will there actually be an interruption in crude shipments in the Houston Ship
Channel, and therefore into the United States?” said Tom Seng, assistant professor of energy finance. “Or will there be any kind of outages at
the refineries along the Gulf Coast? Both of those situations could certainly raise
the price of gasoline almost overnight because the market sees the supply interruptions
pretty quickly.” Seng said consumers need to watch two things during Beryl: if winds
cause any damage to offshore oil platforms and if flooding forces any refineries to
shut down.
Nurse practitioners wanting to practice independently spark Texas debate about patient
outcomes
July 7, 2024
Fort Worth Report
Kimberly Posey, director of graduate nursing at the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences,
is a nurse practitioner at Preferred Primary Care in Bedford, bringing 24 years of
experience to the role. As a nurse practitioner, she has received advanced education
and training, enabling her to diagnose and treat illnesses, prescribe medications
and offer more advanced interventions. But, she does not practice independently. Texas
requires nurse practitioners to have a physician oversee their patients’ primary care
through a monthly check-in. “A nurse practitioner is more likely to spend time with
a patient and explain what is going on,” she said. “Many of my patients have never
seen the physician, and I’ve been taking care of them. … They value what we offer.”
There Is a Possibility That Politicians Are Utilizing Cryptocurrency to Influence
Elections in the United States
July 7, 2024
TokenHell.com
The upcoming election year in the United States is poised to be exceptionally unpredictable,
and the world of cryptocurrency is only adding to the thrill. Politicians with a knack
for strategic thinking have come to recognize that a significant portion of the American
population includes cryptocurrency owners. They are now making efforts to secure their
support by addressing their economic concerns. Grant Ferguson, political science instructor, said, “If presidential and congressional candidates
secure their election victories with the support of cryptocurrency owners, they might
be inclined to solidify their political gains by implementing policies that benefit
cryptocurrency investors and technology entrepreneurs.”
Medical institutions, physicians push for Fort Worth to become top clinical research
hub
July 7, 2024
Fort Worth Report
There are thousands of local residents taking part in active Tarrant County clinical
research. As of July 5, there are 339 active clinical trials in Fort Worth, with 336
recruiting participants, according to the National Library of Medicine. Dr. James D. Marshall, academic chair of pediatrics at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, said local
pediatric and adult clinical trials are not only important for advancing medicine,
but monumental in cementing Fort Worth as “one of the best clinical research centers
in the world.” Dr. Noelle Cloven, associate professor, has also seen Fort Worth grow its adult clinical research over
the past 15 years. “When I got to Fort Worth in 2009, (the city) already had a pretty
good clinical trial network established, but its just been built since then,” she
said. “Initially, we were doing a lot of our clinical trials through other groups
and institutes. Now, we’re doing a lot of our (own) trials.”
ALUMNI
Purple and Black: Three generations of TCU grads recount university’s complex history
with race
July 9, 2024
Fort Worth Report
To be young, gifted and Black at TCU in the mid-1960s meant opportunity — and a lot
of responsibility. At least that’s how the late Mildred Ann Martin Sims ’69 (MA ’75) felt, according to recollections by her daughter, LeAnn Sims-Person ’94. Mildred died in 2012. “We had a lot of pressure on us. Because if we didn’t do well,
then we would have ruined it for future generations,” said LeAnn, recounting her mother’s
thoughts on being among one of the first groups of incoming Black freshmen to desegregate
the main campus at the private university. “She hoped that she could pave the way
for other children of color.” Pave the way she did. A lifelong educator who spent
40 years with Fort Worth ISD, Mildred forged a path that was both personal and political.
Three generations of her family graduated from Texas Christian University: Mildred
in the late 1960s, daughter LeAnn in the mid-1990s, and grandson Austin Person ’24. Granddaughter Lauren Person will be a first-year Horned Frog this fall.
Former TCU Kicker Finds the Clothing Business Suits Him
July 9, 2024
Fort Worth Inc.
Where did the handsome Horned Frogs get those suits they wore to meet the undoubtedly
unkempt sports writer types at Big 12’s annual media days? The answer is that they
know a guy. His store is on East Berry Street in Fort Worth, and he happens to be
one of the football program’s most accurate kickers in its history. Jonathan Song ’19, as clever and funny a gentleman as you’ll find, is the “vice president” of Men’s
Collection. “So, my dad and my mother joke that I’m vice president,” Song said. “I
will laugh and joke that I’m the bottom of the totem pole who has to do everything
my father doesn’t want to do.” Song studied at the Neeley School of Business, earning a bachelor’s in entrepreneurial management and a master’s in supply chain
management.
Fearnley happy to fly under radar after Djokovic date at Wimbledon
July 5, 2024
The Leader
Jacob Fearnley ’24 insists he’s happy to continue flying under the radar after giving Novak Djokovic
a second-round scare on Centre Court at Wimbledon. The Scot, 22, secured a fairytale
draw after making the hop across the pond from TCU and unexpectedly booking his place
at the All England Club. The Edinburgh-born ace admits his Instagram followers have
sky-rocketed but says nothing will change as he bids to use his big moment as a platform
for progression and greater things. “I’m going to stay down to earth,” said Fearnley,
the current world No. 277. “At the end of the day, I lost the match. I’m going to
give myself a tap on the back and say it was a great summer.”
ATHLETICS
TCU Players In NBA’s Summer League
July 11, 2024
Sports Illustrated
The NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League includes seven Horned Frogs. Damion Baugh will join the New York Knicks, Kendric Davis will join the Portland Trail Blazers, Jaedon LeDee will join the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mike Miles Jr. will join the Houston Rockets, Jameer Nelson Jr. will join the San Antonio Spurs, and Shahada Wells will join the Houston Rockets.
Why Sonny Dykes believes TCU football can bounce back in 2024
July 9, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Conference media days are always used as an opportunity to sell hope and to set the
narrative for the upcoming season. For football coach Sonny Dykes, he’s hopeful that 2024 will be a much different season than last year’s. Why will
this season be any different? For Dykes it all starts with better chemistry in the
locker room. “I think we’ve come a long way,” Dykes said at the Big 12 Conference’s
media day at Allegiant Stadium. “I just think our attitude, the standard that these
players set for each other and hold themselves to is different than last year’s team.
There’s not a whole lot of talk about individual accolades or getting to the league
or any of that kind of thing.”
TCU to participate at highest level in ‘unprecedented’ revenue-sharing model for student-athletes
July 1, 2024
Fort Worth Report
TCU will continue competing at the highest level across college athletics. In a response
to the recent $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, which paves the way for colleges to directly
pay their student-athletes, TCU provided insight into how it plans to navigate the
new collegiate athletics landscape. “At TCU, athletics serves as the front porch of
our university,” wrote Jeremiah Donati, director of intercollegiate athletics. “We are committed to maintaining TCU’s position
as a member of the top echelon of athletics — competitive at the highest level. Our
athletics programs add value to TCU’s reputation as a leading university, enhance
student recruitment efforts and help define TCU’s unrivaled student experience.”