From insights about the endangered middle manager to wandering shopping carts, Horned
Frogs are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
Floyd L. Wormley Jr. Appointed Provost of Texas Christian University
Dec. 30, 2024
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
After one year of service as interim provost, Floyd L. Wormley Jr., has been named the permanent provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs at TCU in Fort Worth. His official appointment is effective Jan. 1. “TCU has been my home
for nearly six years, and I am thrilled to be able to build upon the academic excellence,
important scholarship and creative activity already in progress,” said Wormley. “It
is an honor to work closely with our esteemed faculty, our dedicated staff, our students,
our Board of Trustees and my colleagues as we embark on this next chapter for our
incredible university.”
Kinaxis Announces $40,000 Academic Award to Empower the Next Generation of Supply
Chain Innovators
Dec. 19, 2024
Calgary Herald
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Kinaxis®, a global leader in end-to-end supply
chain orchestration, announced a $40,000 academic award to help students looking to
pursue careers in supply chain. Kinaxis is strengthening its partnerships with TCU, the University of Toronto and Carleton University to provide each institution with
a portion of the award to go toward helping students currently enrolled in supply
chain, AI or computer science programs to shape the future of supply chains.
TCU appoints scientist, former dean to serve as new provost, chart university’s academic
course
Dec. 18, 2024
Fort Worth Report
Floyd Wormley Jr., a microbiologist who came to TCU in 2019 as associate provost for research and dean of graduate studies, will become
the university’s next provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. He is the
first Black provost to be appointed at TCU. “It’s excellence in teaching, excellence
in scholarship and creative activity, and excellence toward the service we provide
to our students,” Wormley, who will begin as provost Jan. 1, told the Report in an interview. “We’re going to invest more in our infrastructure and the supports
for our faculty and staff to perform research.”
FACULTY
North Texas lawmakers lead push to require display of Ten Commandments in public schools
Dec. 31, 2024
Fort Worth Report
The Commandments may have a permanent place in Texas public school classrooms as lawmakers
for the 89th legislative session prepare to revisit a debate on whether displaying
the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms should be required. David Brockman, a nonresident scholar for the Baker Institute’s Religion and Public Policy Program
and an adjunct professor at TCU, wrote about a previous Ten Commandments bill in an April Baker Institute report.
The concerns Brockman voiced in that report reflect the concerns he has for this session,
he said. The effort is “linked to the strong influence of Christian nationalism in
Texas politics,” Brockman wrote. He says the Ten Commandments bill favors a particular
sect of Christianity. Even within a Christian context, the particular text used in
S.B. 1515, relating to “Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images,” is not
universally accepted among some Roman Catholics and Lutherans, Brockman wrote. “These
bills are basically leaving out or marginalizing a whole bunch of students and parents
and teachers.”
The story behind Delaware’s wandering shopping carts and who’s to blame
Dec. 26, 2024
Delaware Online
Among the discarded refuse decorating the yellowing grass along Frenchtown Road near
New Castle was a shopping cart that had seen better days. It lay on its side, exposing
to anyone caring to notice a fading message boasting “ALWAYS LOW PRICES Always” at
Walmart – the nearest store about a mile and a half away. Some experts say the increase
in people taking them off the lots shows people’s economic constraints. Some of these
carts are later sold; sometimes, they’re repurposed for such things as movable storage;
other times, people without reliable transportation use them to move their belongings
or groceries. “This behavior could also be an indicator of one’s attitudes toward
corporate property,” said Jennifer D’Angelo, an assistant professor in the marketing department at TCU. “Some people may feel that taking a cart from a large retailer has little impact
on the company’s bottom line. Further, from a social norm perspective, when people
see others taking shopping carts, they may infer that this behavior is acceptable,
magnifying the problem.”
8 Things You Should Do for Your Bones Every Day, According to Orthopedic Doctors
Dec. 25, 2024
Cancer Support India
Orthopedic doctors have a bone to pick with all the people who forget they’re carrying
a very important skeleton around every day. We might not be able to see our ribs or
tailbone or humerus, but it’s still important to make bone health a priority — because
it’s tied to every other aspect of well-being. “Your bone health and joint health
is really tied to your overall wellness and health,” says Dr. David Shau, an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor at the Burnett School of Medicine
at TCU. Consider, for example, that about 54 million Americans have osteoporosis, low bone
mass or both, and 2 million osteoporotic fractures occur annually. That number will
exceed 3 million per year by 2040, researchers predict. “When that happens, you have
a period of time where you have to heal and recover,” Shau says. “You can’t be active
with your family. You can’t travel. You can’t exercise, so your cardiovascular health
goes down, and you start seeing metabolic issues and other health issues.” It’s a
potentially devastating chain of events, he says, that can spell trouble far into
the future.
Tips to stay healthy while traveling this holiday season
Dec. 21, 2024
Dallas Morning News
Whether you’re traveling within Texas, elsewhere in the United States or abroad, staying
healthy is key to enjoying the comfort of friends and family this holiday season.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there tends to be
an uptick in several different respiratory illnesses in the fall and winter. Texas
is also seeing a rise in these viruses, which is why it’s important to do what you
can to protect not only yourself but also vulnerable loved ones, said Dr. Grant Fowler, chair of the department of family medicine at TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine. “Being around the family is great; however, we frequently
see grandparents in the hospital because they caught something,” Fowler said. Aside
from respiratory illnesses, the stress of travel, from sitting too long on a car ride
or a flight, can be hard on our bodies.
JPS Health Network and Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group name Chair of Surgery and Chair
of Women’s and Infants
Dec. 19, 2024
Fort Worth Report
JPS Health Network has named Dr. Forrest “Dell” Moore as the chair of surgery with Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group. “We are pleased to announce
the appointment of Moore to this prestigious position. He exemplifies exceptional
leadership and a deep commitment to enhancing health care delivery within our community.
We are confident that his contributions will make a significant and lasting impact
on JPS Health Network,” Dr. Nadia Alawi-Kakomanolis, vice president of clinical operations
at Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group, said. Moore currently holds the position of site
director for the general surgery residency program at William Beaumont Army Medical
Center and serves as an associate professor of surgery at TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine. His dedication to the health care profession spans
over 20 years, during which he has made notable contributions to both the medical
and educational fields in surgery.
Nontoxic dry-cleaning: Avoid cancer-causing chemicals while the EPA ban goes into
effect
Dec. 16, 2024
Yahoo!Life
Despite its name, dry-cleaning isn’t actually dry. Instead of water, your garments
are bathed in a liquid solvent, traditionally perchloroethylene — commonly known as
PERC — that adeptly dissolves oil and grease without harming the fabric. While effective,
PERC and another closely related industrial solvent — trichloroethylene — have been
identified as potential health hazards. In response to these findings, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has taken significant steps to ban these chemicals. Furthermore,
their widespread presence in the environment contaminates water, soil, air and even
food, underscoring the urgent need for decisive action. Don Thushara Galbadage, associate professor at TCU, explains, “Epidemiological studies have linked long-term exposure to increased cancer
risks among dry-cleaning workers and nearby communities. Communities near dry-cleaning
facilities using PERC have reported higher rates of cancer, prompting EPA action under
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).”
Amazon and the endangered future of the middle manager
Dec. 16, 2024
Mettapress
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s note sent this fall to employees about corporate culture drew
headlines for his five-day-in-the-office mandate. But Jassy’s messaging on an increased
ratio of individual contributors to managers raises a much bigger question about organizational
structure: What is the right balance between individual workers and managers in overall
headcount? Jassy pointed to “artifacts” of headcount growth, such as the “pre-meetings
for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings,” and has created a “Bureaucracy Mailbox”
for employees to share processes that slow down decision-making and that he said “crept
in and we can root out.” This is not a process that is unique to Amazon, said Joe Roh, professor of Supply Chain Management at the Neeley School of Business at TCU. Rapid growth can lead to the rapid addition of “management layers without reassessing
whether these roles are necessary,” he said. In general, there is now greater emphasis
on individual contributors across corporations. There is no exact formula, no “golden
ratio” for contributor-to-manager. “My understanding is that the ideal ratio of individual
contributors to managers depends largely on the nature of the work,” Roh said, but
he added that it is generally in the neighborhood of seven to 10 individual contributors
per manager.
STUDENTS
‘Speedy Spud’ races to highlight potatoes in BMW Dallas Half Marathon
Dec. 17, 2024
Spudman
TCU medical student and potato enthusiast Izzy Aguiar stood out from the crowd of 9,000-plus during the BMW Dallas Half Marathon. Aguiar
ran the 13.1 miles wearing a custom-made potato costume to highlight the nutritional
benefits and energy-boosting power of potatoes. She was sponsored in the Dec. 15 race
by Potatoes USA, which conducted a nationwide search to select a “Speedy Spud.” “I
thought it would be a unique experience to try out a race in a potato suit,” Aguiar
said. “I love a good story and trying new experiences, and I think running a half
marathon in a potato suit will definitely be a joyful memory years from now.”
ALUMNI
Medal of Honor Monday: Howard
Dec. 30, 2024
Military Spot
Army Col. Robert Lewis Howard ’73, was a legend for his service in the Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Howard’s
five tours in Vietnam totaled 55 months in combat, which led to him being wounded
14 times. Between 1968 and 1969, during a 13-month period, Howard was recommended
for the Medal of Honor two other times. Those recommendations, however, were downgraded.
Instead, he received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star — the second-
and third-highest military awards, respectively. Howard earned eight Purple Hearts
during his career, along with numerous other honors. According to Army Special Operations
Command, he is the most decorated soldier to have served in Vietnam.
How two TCU alumni made Forbes’ 30 under 30 list
Dec. 17, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Austin Patry ’17, has dreamed of being on the Forbes Food and Drink list since high school. He grew up in Dallas at French restaurants
where his father and grandpa worked as chefs, so he always knew he wanted to work
with food. The same goes for his business partner, Sophia Karbowski ’17. Her brother grew up with Type 1 diabetes and has celiac. From a young age, Karbowski
would read nutrition labels and pay attention to what ingredients were in the food
she ate. Patry and Karbowski’s wishes were granted when they made the 2024 Forbes 30 under 30 list together with their “farm to fresh” snack company, Realsy. “Our
goal with Realsy is to always use super-simple ingredients so that you can break each
ingredient apart on the label and imagine holding it in your hand,” Karbowski said.
Karbowski and Patry both travel to various farms in person to see and taste their
ingredients. In fact, their website outlines where they source all their produce.
Horned Frogs in the News, Dec. 16-31, 2024
Tag IconAlumni/In The News