Students
News of UT Dallas students’ achievements, experiences and contributions to the university and community.
Students Run Multi-Million Dollar Simulated Business in Contest
Business students Sarah Monique Ching, Iris Mostrom and Ca Nguyen are not CEOs of a $100 million business, but they recently proved they can run a simulated company better than many college students throughout the world. The Naveen Jindal School of Management undergraduate students placed fourth in the Capsim Challenge, an online international competition designed to see which business school students have the business acumen to run a multi-million dollar enterprise.
read moreDoctoral Candidate is Awarded Fellowship for Cultural Research
The American Association of University Women has awarded Lilian Calles Barger, a doctoral candidate in the School of Arts and Humanities, the American Dissertation Fellowship for 2013-2014. Barger’s dissertation, “Human Liberation from Below: Transnational Origins of Liberation Theology, 1775-1975,” provides a cultural history of ideas at the intersection of religion and politics in the American hemisphere.
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Families, Friends Rejoice in New Graduates' Accomplishments
Thousands of families attended a record seven graduation ceremonies at The University of Texas at Dallas from May 16 to 18. Dr. David E. Daniel, president of UT Dallas, presided over the ceremonies for more than 3,000 graduates, the largest spring graduation cohort in University history and a nearly 15-percent increase over last year.
read moreGreen Fellows Learn Lessons from Research Experience
UT Dallas electrical engineering major Michelle Corn describes her junior year as “an amazing experience.” Through the Green Fellows Program, Corn was one of a dozen UT Dallas students who recently completed a semester of full-time research with faculty mentors at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “I had the opportunity to be in an operating room during brain surgery and to work in a neuro-oncology laboratory, which is completely outside my area of study,” Corn said.
read moreStudent Leadership Awards Recognize Contributions
Five students, an advisor and a student organization at UT Dallas were recently recognized for their outstanding contributions to campus life at the annual Student Leadership Awards presentation. The event recognized individuals who make an impact on the UT Dallas community and beyond.
read moreJindal School Team Has the Edge in Social Media Competition
UT Dallas marketing students recently won a case study competition so rooted in business reality that they had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to participate. What the first-place team of four graduate students could say was that they analyzed data on social media sentiment for a Coca-Cola brand and then developed a marketing campaign based on their findings. The top team won $8,000 in the competition that was sponsored by Coca-Cola, NetBase and UT Dallas.
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UT Dallas to Celebrate More Than 3,000 New Grads
With a record seven graduation ceremonies this week, UT Dallas is preparing for its largest spring graduation cohort ever, with 3,024 students projected to complete their degrees, nearly a 15 percent increase over last year. The University has extended the commencement ceremonies over three days to accommodate the continued increase in the number of graduates.
read moreSenior Week to Celebrate Class of Spring 2013
UT Dallas will send off its graduating seniors in style, with a full-scale carnival, a ring ceremony and special photo opportunities with the University’s mascot Temoc during Senior Week festivities May 13-18. The carnival is open to the entire campus community.
read moreStudent Employee Award Honors 'Multi-Tasking' Video Coordinator
Five student workers at UT Dallas were honored by their supervisors as “exceptional employees,” “committed to professionalism” and “bright, cheerful and reliable” as part of National Student Employment Week. The week, held each year in April, recognizes exceptional student workers on campus.
read moreVarsity Tennis Teams Win First Conference Championships
The UT Dallas varsity tennis program made history Sunday afternoon as the Comets won both the 2013 American Southwest Conference Men’s and Women’s tennis championships. It was the first conference championship in school history for both teams. The Comets won the titles in dramatic fashion, both knocking off longtime ASC tennis power UT Tyler in the championship matches. UTD’s women snapped a five-year ASC Championship run by the Patriots with a convincing 5-2 win. The Comet men also ended a five-year streak by UT Tyler, which entered the conference tournament as the No. 11-ranked team in the nation. UT Dallas swept through the doubles 3-0, before finishing off the 5-2 win.
read moreEngineering Students Building Their Own Research Network
The research showcase being held Monday night is different from most – it’s organized by and for students – specifically those in the University branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Monday’s showcase will highlight work conducted by researchers affiliated with the Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE), and follows a similar showcase held in December that presented work from bioengineering, materials science, electrical engineering and computer science.
read moreJindal Students Excel in State Business Leader Competition
Students in the Phi Beta Lambda business leadership organization triumphed many times over in contests held at the group’s annual state conference. The April 12-13 contests at Stephen F. Austin University tested subject knowledge in 26 business and management categories. UT Dallas students earned 29 awards, 19 of which were for first place. “The students simply performed great,” said Dr. Vance Johnson Lewis, chapter adviser and director of the undergraduate program in business administration at the Naveen Jindal School of Management.
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Student Media Take Top Honors at Convention
UT Dallas student media staff members were honored with several first place awards at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention April 4-6 in Fort Worth. The student newspaper, The Mercury, won first place for overall excellence in its division, opinion page design, editorial cartoon and sports feature story. Staff also won first place in on-site competitions in editorial writing, magazine design and PR crisis management.
read moreDigital Marketing Students Dissect Data in Search of Sales
One of the hottest trends in marketing requires talent for turning big data into big sales. Digital marketing analysts study shoppers’ cyberfootprints to help businesses zero in on their most likely customers. “You can target people in a very refined way that you can’t do with mass media advertising,” said Alex Edsel, director of the MS in Marketing Program and senior lecturer in marketing.
read moreRadio UTD Marks 10 Years of Tunes Rarely Heard Anywhere Else
Tune in to Radio UTD, and you’ll hear an eclectic range of music you’re not likely to get anywhere else. That’s because disc jockeys at the student-run station avoid Top 40 songs and generate playlists that emphasize local talent. “We give a platform to new artists,” said Laura Carroll, station manager. “Why do Top 40 when you can turn to 106.1 for that? We want to do the things we do best, and that’s promote local music. We can bring music to campus that otherwise would not be heard.”
read moreBeta Gamma Sigma Inducts About 150 Business Students
Business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma is observing its 100th anniversary as a recent induction ceremony invited 150 high-performing JSOM students to the society this year. The new group brings the chapter’s total membership to 1,234.
read moreNewly Elected Student Government Leaders Urge Involvement
Liza Liberman, a political science junior, was elected March 29 as new Student Government president, succeeding Raj Dwivedi. Also elected was Russell “Charlie” Hannigan, a freshman math major who takes over from Nate Fairbank as vice president.
read moreGreeks Find Friendships, Leadership and Service Opportunities
UT Dallas is home to 19 fraternity and sorority organizations, with about 550 students participating in Greek life — an increase of 21 percent from fall 2011. Students say they are are drawn to the leadership opportunities, networking and camaraderie these organizations offer.
read moreInternational Week Provides Opportunity to Celebrate Cultures
SLIDESHOW: International Week is a UT Dallas tradition that celebrates culture on campus. During the week, held April 1-5, students shared information about clothing, cuisine, design and music at the signature Passport to the World event and the International Talent Show. Other popular activities included Zumba dancing, henna and a dance party. International Week is sponsored by the Student Services Office and other student organizations and campus departments.
read moreComets Earn 2nd Place in Final Four of Chess in Washington, D.C.
For the third straight year, the UT Dallas chess team has finished in second place at the Final Four of chess tournament, also known as the “President’s Cup.” The competition was held in in Washington, D.C. April 6-7. The other teams in the tournament were The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and The University of Illinois.
Jindal School Student Takes 1st in Commodity Trading Challenge
Ten finance students from the Jindal School’s Financial Leadership Association competed in the second phase of the CME Group Commodity Trading Challenge at the University of Houston on March 22-23. The competition involved an age-old trading language that uses fast-paced shouting and elaborate hand signals as students try to cut shrewd deals.
read moreStudent Volunteers Help Needy Tax Filers Get Refunds
Two years ago, Monica used a tax preparation service that urged her to apply for a refund anticipation loan so she could get her much-needed refund quickly. But the mother of three, who earns around $19,000 annually, paid $200 for preparation and loan fees on a tax-time advance that she learned didn’t come any faster than her friend’s refund. Her friend had used the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA), a free tax prep service for people in need that draws upon the skills of trained volunteers, including roughly 100 UT Dallas students.
read moreStudying Abroad Gives Students Global Edge, Cultural Exposure
More than 430 UT Dallas students studied abroad last year, a 10-fold increase in student participation since 2005, says Dr. Rodolfo Hernandez, director of the Office of International Education. His staff sets up the processes and provides guidance for students who opt to study overseas in places like China, France, Australia and Costa Rica. UT Dallas provides several ways for students to study overseas: traditional study abroad programs, internships in other countries, exchange programs or a faculty-led international experiences.
read moreUT Dallas Contributes Expertise to Regional Science Fair
A group of UT Dallas students and faculty members shared their love of science with the next generation of investigators during the annual Dallas Regional Science Fair. The team of volunteer judges, led by UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences’ Dr. Jackie Clark and Dr. Peter Assmann, spent a day at the Fair Park event, offering their opinions and encouragement. They were joined by seven BBS students, who also helped judge entries and offered ideas for moving the young people’s research forward.
read moreInternational Week to Celebrate Campus Diversity
With more than 4,000 international students from 100 countries on campus, UT Dallas makes a point to set aside a week each spring to celebrate the cultural diversity on campus. This year’s International Week, sponsored by the International Student Services Office and other student organizations and campus departments, will be held April 1-5.
read moreBasketball Coaches Name UT Dallas Junior to All-America Team
UT Dallas junior forward Kyle Schleigh has become the third Comet men's basketball player to claim All-America honors after being named NCAA Division III Third Team All-America by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Schleigh, a native of Houston, joins former Comets Scott Rodgers (2010) and Chris Barnes (2011) who were both Second Team All-American selections by the NABC.
read moreSales Team Makes Great Impression in First Year
The UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management Professional Sales Team had a strong finish in its first year as an organization, with members placing in the top 10 in a recent worldwide competition. Seniors Sarah Kienle and Monica Raofpur finished fifth and ninth respectively at the World Collegiate Sales Open Feb. 21-23 at Northern Illinois University.
read moreSlideshow: Springapalooza Brings After-Break Fun to UT Dallas
Springapalooza 2013 got the University humming with several activities as students returned to campus after spring break. The weeklong celebration was put on by the Student Union Activities Advisory Board. From Splatterdancing to music at the Plinth to sharing good food, the week was the perfect way for students to get back to work and finish the Spring 2013 semester.
Chess Team Prepares to Compete in Final Four of Chess
Springapalooza Brings Spring Break Fun to Campus
A casino, comedy night and a big, messy splatter dance are some of the campus activities planned to welcome UT Dallas students back from spring break. Springapalooza, set for March 18-22, is an annual post-spring break celebration put on by the Student Union Activities Advisory Board (SUAAB).
read moreChess Team Schedules Spring Events to Prep for Championships
To prepare for the Final Four of Chess Tournament, UT Dallas will host two tournaments this weekend: the UT Dallas Spring Blitz Tournament and the UT Dallas Spring FIDE Open Underwritten by Turner Construction. On Friday, March 8, from 3 to 5 p.m., UT Dallas will hold the Spring Blitz Tournament at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The tournament will feature speed-chess games among more than 40 competitors, including UT Dallas chess team members.
read moreService-Minded Students Make Alternative Spring Break Plans
When Alternative Spring Break service projects were posted this year, UT Dallas students snapped up all available slots in less than 30 minutes. The 88 UT Dallas students will head out March 10-16 to participate in one of 10 projects, from building homes for Habitat for Humanity in Jackson, Miss., to helping international refugee children transition into the U.S. education system in Atlanta, Ga.
read moreSuccess Stories Start With Challenges for Transfer Students
Thousands of transfer students with diverse life experiences and their own set of challenges make successful transitions to UT Dallas. Some are older, non-traditional students, who typically feel the extra pressure of holding a job and raising a family while completing a degree. The University enrolls about 1,500 transfer students each semester and 500 or so more in the summers.
read moreMVP’s Hustle Helped Lady Comets Make School History
Morgan Kilgore, named MVP after UT Dallas' first-ever victory in the American Southwest Conference Tournament, describes her love of basketball and her team's plight as they prepare to travel to Memphis, Tenn. for the national tournament.
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New Degree Seeks to Fill Demand for Supply Chain Experts
UT Dallas has launched a new bachelor’s degree in one of the country’s hottest new fields of business. The Naveen Jindal School of Management introduced this semester a BS degree in supply chain management, described by U.S. News & World Report recently as the business world’s “next great frontier.”
read moreUTD Women Upset Louisiana College To Win First ASC Crown
The UT Dallas women's basketball team will be making its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament after a stunning 67-63 win over No. 23-ranked Louisiana College in the American Southwest Conference title game Sunday afternoon. The Comets will travel to Memphis, Tenn., for a match-up against Washington University-St. Louis in the national tournament's first round.
read moreBrand New Archery Club Takes Aim at State Competition
The Hunger Games book and movie popularized the sport of archery for a growing number of young enthusiasts, including UT Dallas students who formed an archery club in fall 2012. The club now has about 40 members who are beginning to compete.
read moreCareer Expos Help Seniors Explore Post-Undergrad Options
Spring semester brings a renewed focus on career options for seniors set to be graduates in a few months. To answer the call, the UT Dallas Career Center will host a series of career expos in upcoming weeks to help students connect with employers from school districts, nonprofit organizations, corporations, small businesses and government agencies. The expos are open only to currently enrolled students and alumni who have earned degrees from UT Dallas.
read moreFormer Centerfielder Earns Metroplex Player of the Year Award
Former UT Dallas centerfielder Chase Brown has been honored as the winner of the 2012 Carroll Beringer Metroplex Divisional Player of the Year award. The business administration student received the award from the DFW Hall-Ruggles Chapter for the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) during a halftime ceremony Monday in the Comets men’s basketball game against the University of the Ozarks. Brown was accompanied by UT Dallas head baseball Coach Shane Shewmake at the ceremony. read more
Student-Run Investment Funds to Yield High Educational Returns
Dozens of finance students soon will spend time analyzing securities performance, checking returns and keeping up with investment trends as participants in the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s new student-run investment fund. The Jindal School joins hundreds of business schools nationwide that have set up student-managed investment funds, most funded through endowments or donor funds, as teaching tools that offer future investment professionals a chance to manage real money while receiving course credit and earning their degrees.
read moreLunar New Year Celebrates 2013, The Year of the Snake
UT Dallas students representing a rich variety of Eastern cultures celebrated the Lunar New Year last week. The event was hosted by the University's Multicultural Center, as well as the Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese student associations.
read moreUT Dallas Asked to Vote on Best Landmark For ‘3D Dallas’ Project
Dr. Georgia Fotopoulos and her graduate students are asking for the UT Dallas community’s input on a new project called “3D Dallas,” which aims to raise awareness of the interactions between natural and urban environments. They are asking you to vote on which of five landmarks should be the subject of their 3D computer model.
read moreDebate Team Performance Steadily Climbing as Season Cranks Up
Now in the heart of competition season, the UT Dallas debate team has steadily improved with each tournament. Most recently, the team competed at Wichita State University. Next, UT Dallas will compete at Northwestern University.
read moreClub Sports Offer Exercise, Fun and Leadership Opportunities
UT Dallas' Club Sports Program formally started in 2005 with only a handful of groups. Today, 24 clubs, all housed under the Department of Recreational Sports, receive guidance and general supervision, but the emphasis is on students to initiate, organize, operate and participate.
read more809 Named to Largest Dean's List in UT Dallas History
For the fall 2012 semester, 809 undergraduate students made the dean’s list at UT Dallas, the single largest group named to the list in the University’s history. “We congratulate the students on the dean’s list and commend them on this accomplishment, especially given the rigor of UT Dallas courses and the quality of their cohort,” said Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, dean of Undergraduate Education.
read moreUT Dallas Team Wins National Accounting Contest
A student team from UT Dallas has won first place and $10,000 in a national competition held by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants — the second time in three years that the University has been named champion of the annual contest. A plan for simplifying the U.S. tax code put the team of four undergraduate accounting majors over the top in the contest, which was held in Washington, D.C., Dec. 16-18.
read moreUT Dallas Ties for First Place at ‘World Series of Chess’
The UT Dallas chess team tied for first place at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, known as the “World Series of Chess.” From Dec. 27 to 30 at Princeton University, the team competed against one of the most competitive fields since the tournament’s inception in 1946.
read moreSales Program Students Finish 6th in International Competition
Students in the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s new sales program achieved a sixth-place finish in the recent International Collegiate Sales Competition. Seniors Brittany Nieh, Monica Raofpur and Prashi Singh traveled to Florida State University for the event, where they showed their direct-to-consumer sales prowess using a luxury men’s clothing brand. Competition rounds mimicked a typical sales process where a sales professional works with a consumer to establish needs, present a solution and close the deal.
read moreUT Dallas Grads Celebrate Milestone With Families, Colleagues, Friends
When Dustin Tsai celebrated his new master’s degree on Friday, he shared his accomplishment with two UT Dallas alumni in his life – his brother and his boss. Both came to support him during one of six graduation ceremonies held at The University of Texas at Dallas last week. More than 1,900 freshly minted graduates participated in the largest fall graduation in the University’s 43-year history.
read moreEvent Honoring Veteran Grads is a UT Dallas First
UT Dallas marked a new event during its fall 2012 graduation festivities, specifically recognizing the academic achievements of its veteran students. The first Veteran Cord Ceremony honored 22 veterans. Each graduate was given a braided red, white and blue cord to wear during graduation ceremonies.
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