UT System Challenges Staffers to Get Fit – 50,000 Steps at a Time

Registration has opened for the 2015 UT System Physical Activity Challenge. The six-week fitness program kicks off April 6. The goal is to complete 50,000 steps or the equivalent during each week of the challenge.

Participants can sign up through April 10. Here are the steps:
  • Register early to receive a free starter kit and pedometer. Take your registration email to the Office of Human Resources (AD 2.208) to claim both.
  • Start logging your activity using the tracking tool in the Living Well Challenge Platform.
  • Earn rewards as you go. You earn a T-shirt if you meet your two-week goal and a picnic blanket if you complete the entire program.
UT Dallas will be competing against UT Arlington, UT San Antonio, the UT Health Sciences Center Houston and the UT Health Sciences Center San Antonio. Visit the UT Dallas Wellness site or email Nora Pena for more information.

Galerstein Center Events to Celebrate Women’s History Month

The Galerstein Women’s Center will celebrate Women’s History Month with a luncheon, films and more. Call 972-883-6555 for more information.

Inspiring a Generation of History Makers
Thursday, March 26, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., McDermott Suite (MC 4.4) – The guest speaker is retired Col. Kim Olson, who was among the first generation of women pilots in the U.S. Air Force. Her military career includes 25 years of service, deployments to the combat zones of Bosnia and Iraq, surviving the 9/11 attack in the Pentagon, and becoming a command pilot with 3,700 flying hours in six different aircraft.

Olson is the president and executive director of Grace After Fire, which has helped more than 2,000 women make the transition from military life back to the workplace, their families and their communities. Register online by March 12.

Tea Tuesdays, All Day, Galerstein Women’s Center (SSB 4.300)
  • March 24 – Stop by for tea and cookies and watch the documentary film Miss Representation, which explores how women and girls are portrayed in the media.
  • March 31 – The featured film is Mulan.

Nobel Laureate to Confront Topic of Gendercide in UT Dallas Talk

Nobel laureate and Harvard University professor Amartya Sen will address “Global Gendercide and Women’s Empowerment for Sustainable Growth” in a visit to UT Dallas on Friday, April 24.

His talk, which is set for 7 p.m. in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building lecture hall, will be the inaugural event in the Jaya Lecture Series, hosted by the UT Dallas Asia Center.

Sen was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize for his work in welfare economics. He helped create the U.N. Human Development Index and is best known for his work on famine, poverty and the role of freedom as a means for development. Read more

Comet Cupboard in Need of Rice Donations

Rice is one of the Comet Cupboard’s most popular items, and the Office of Administration is working this month to collect single-portion rice items to restock the cupboard’s shelves to help students in need. Collection bins will be on the second floor of the Administration Building near the elevator and in the Office of Administration (AD 2.410).  The weight of any donated rice items should not exceed 4 pounds.

Self-Defense Class Open to Staff and Faculty Members

Faculty, staff and students are invited to a free self-defense class at noon on Tuesday, March 24 in Student Union Galaxy Room C (2.602C). The class is part of the Live Healthy North Texas 10-Week Wellness Challenge. RSVP to [email protected] by March 23. Participants will need to wear workout clothing and shoes.

Police Department Names New Sergeant

Officer Jesus Gonzales was promoted to the rank of sergeant at a recent UT Dallas Police Department ceremony. Gonzales joined the UT Dallas Police Department in 2012 after transferring from UT Permian Basin. He had previously served 23 years in the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Luncheon to Introduce New Applied Research Center

Join the Office of Research as it introduces the Applied Research Center (ARC) at a luncheon at noon Wednesday, April 22, in the Faculty/Staff Dining Room. Advance registration is required. The ARC will support research work that is restricted under regulatory or proprietary requirements. The organization is designed to deliver prototypes, software, systems and engineering know-how to meet sponsor needs. Register at the Office of Research website.

Research Seminars

  • Things the National Science Foundation Wishes You Did, March 11, noon (Faculty/Staff Dining Room)
    The speaker is Dr. Rosanna Guadagno. She was a program director at the National Science Foundation before arriving at UT Dallas, where she is an associate professor of emerging media and communication as well as psychology. Read more
  • Finding Funding, March 17, 3 p.m. (AD 3.104)
    Searching for funding can be overwhelming. The goal of this seminar is to make the task manageable. Read more
  • Writing Good Proposals, March 24, 2 p.m. (AD 3.104)
    Proposal writing is different from the types of writing that an article or dissertation requires. The Office of Research Development will discuss those differences and how to tweak your writing to accommodate them. Read more
  • Budget Justifications, March 24, 3 p.m. (CN 1.112)
    This seminar will explore how a few tweaks can help justify your grant proposal’s budget with reviewers. Read more

Reminder

  • Student Union Dining Hall Spirit Fridays
    Faculty or staff members who wear orange, green or UT Dallas-branded clothes on Fridays can eat at the Student Union Dining Hall for $5. The Dining Hall is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.