From the cost of goods to the China balloon, advertising Jesus and a Los Angeles mural event, TCU and its faculty, students and alumni are in the news.
From the cost of goods to the China balloon, advertising Jesus and a Los Angeles mural
event, TCU and its faculty, students and alumni are in the news.
TCU Mural in L.A. Celebrates ‘NCIS’ Writer Alum’s Inspiring Life StoryFeb. 10, 2023Dallas InnovatesKatherine Beattie, a 2008 graduate of TCU, has lived a life story worth telling. Now TCU has helped celebrate
it with a huge mural in Los Angeles–one of a series of murals nationwide highlighting
alumni who are “leading on” in extraordinary ways.
Briefly… — Mobility Management Feb. 9, 2023Mobility Management In Los Angeles this month, you’ll find a larger-than-life mural of Katherine Beattie ’08, a producer/writer for the popular NCIS television franchise. The mural is part of
TCU’s 150th-anniversary celebration of alumni. The painting of Beattie, who graduated
with a degree in communications in 2008, was unveiled on Feb. 6. “I am so grateful
to everyone at TCU for broadening my worldview, helping me develop empathy and tapping
into the person I wanted to be. It is so meaningful to be celebrated like this and
to know that I am viewed as a leader in my community. As one of just a few disabled
people working behind the camera in Hollywood, I get to create authentic characters
and write storylines that celebrate disability as part of natural human diversity,
not something that is sad or tragic,” Beattie said.
TCU continues 150th anniversary celebration with new mural in Los AngelesFeb. 8, 2023Fort Worth Business PressTCU is on the road to continue its 150th anniversary celebration by unveiling a mural
honoring 2008 graduate Katherine Beattie, a producer/writer for the popular TV show NCIS.The unveiling featured the second in a nationwide series of hand-painted, large-scale
murals highlighting notable Horned Frogs who found personal and professional inspiration
while attending TCU.
Black History Month: MLK’s Fort Worth Visit Remembered Feb. 22, 2023 KXAS-TVThe one and only time that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Fort Worth was in October
of 1959, and Fort Worth was still in the midst of segregation. Historians say that
King was met with hatred and even a bomb threat when he visited, but it also sparked
change. Because they could not find a hotel willing to house the civil rights leader,
King stayed at a home on in the now-historic Southside neighborhood. He stayed upstairs
in Vada Felder’s home on Stewart Street, and attended a reception at the Bellaire
Drive West home of the Revs. Alberta and Harold Lunger, Professor of Social Ethics,
Brite College of the Bible (now Brite Divinity School) at Texas Christian University.
Fort Worth Symphony makes big sounds in TCU’s new Van Cliburn Concert HallFeb. 14, 2023The Dallas Morning News In an area blessed with quite a few acoustically outstanding concert halls, Texas Christian Universityhas added yet another. Van Cliburn Concert Hall, in the recently openedTCUMusic Center, has a rich spaciousness of sound almost unimaginable in a 717-seat hall.
It got a workout on Feb. 11 in a Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra concert led by principal
guest conductor Kevin John Edusei.
Supreme Court considers a case that could dramatically change the InternetFeb. 21, 2023CBS-11A current case in the high court is exploring if Google can be held responsible for
its subsidiary, YouTube, recommending terrorist videos in its algorithm. “Certainly,
YouTube did not create these videos, but their algorithm pushed these videos to certain
people,” Josh Bentley, associate professor and director of graduate studies in strategic communication,
said. “If the Supreme Court changes the rules of the road on the internet and says
‘algorithms that promote content can get you sued,’ that is going to be a huge transformation
in the way all of these function.”
Power struggles between state and local officials escalate in Texas Feb. 21, 2023KERA NewsThe newest battle centers on criminal district attorneys in Texas’ big cities, who
are mostly Democrats. Some of these chief prosecutors have told their communities
they will not zealously pursue criminal cases against women who seek abortions or
families who obtain gender-affirming health care for their children. “Bills targeting
sheriffs who defy state authority seem unlikely,” Emily Farris, associate professor of politicial science, said. “In Texas, where you have a conservative
Legislature and conservative sheriffs, they’re going to be less likely to oppose each
other.”
In HBO’s ‘The Last of Us,’ a fungus destroys the world. Could that really happen?Feb. 20, 2023The Dallas Morning News In HBO’s The Last of Us, a “zombie ant” fungus starts to infect humans, causing the
end of the world as we know it. The fungus from the show, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis,
exists in real life. Are we in danger of a zombie ant apocalypse anytime soon? Probably
not. But there are fungi that can infect humans in Texas and around the world. “When
we think of a pandemic today, the coronavirus immediately comes to mind. Viral pandemics
aren’t the same as fungal ones,” according toFloyd Wormley, a researcher of fungal infections and associate provost for research. “Viruses need
to enter the human body and hijack cells to cause disease. Fungi, in contrast, can
grow on their own and can cause disease either on or inside the body. But very few
fungi can actually survive inside of our bodies and cause disease,he said. “Our warm-blooded, bodies are too hot for the fungus to thrive. It’s too
hot in the kitchen, so they cannot handle it.”
‘He Gets Us’ Super Bowl Ads’ Dallas Ties; Seek to Rebrand Jesus, Christianity Amid
Low Church MembershipFeb. 17, 2023Dallas Observer As North Texans tuned into the Super Bowl, many were struck by a pair of slickly produced
ads promoting a completely different type of product: Jesus. The “He Gets Us” commercials
made a lasting impression on viewers and attracted both praise and condemnation from
far-flung editorial departments. “The size of the ‘He Gets Us’ campaign is certainly
significant,” J. Sage Elwell, associate professor of religion and art and chair of TCU’s religion department, said.
“Whether folks like it or not, agree with it or disagree, it’s well done.”
Focus at Four: The future of cryptocurrency Feb. 17, 2023KBTX-TV (Bryan, TX) The price of Bitcoin has soared, it’s up almost 40% since the beginning of the year.
It briefly hit $24,000 in January, the best month since October 2021. What’s next
for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? “Bitcoin’s price appreciation is actually
consistent with other coins’ appreciation,” Kelly Slaughter, associate professor of professional practice in the information systems and supply
chain management department, said.”Since the beginning of the year, Bitcoin is up 43%, Ethereum is up 40%, Dogecoin
is up 33% and Cardano is up 63%.”
Analysts Flag Increase in USA Commercial Inventories Feb. 17, 2023Rigzone Market watchers are looking at U.S. commercial inventories, Russia’s production cut,
Chinese demand and more. Tom Seng,assistant professor in energy atTCU’sRalph Lowe Energy Institute, said, “Oil prices are lower week-on-week, largely due
to an unexpectedly high increase in U.S. commercial inventories, a potential new release
of SPR oil reserves and stock market jitters. And, despite an announced cut in supply
by Russia and an upwardly-revised forecast for 2023 global oil demand. Further bearish
signals included reduced refinery usage, lower-than-normal heating oil consumption
and an eighth straight week of inventory gains.”
AI-Ready or Not? Feb. 16, 2023Dallas Innovates Innovations in artificial intelligence are transforming the workplace, and it’s predicted
that millions of today’s jobs won’t even exist by 2030. So, how are area universities
preparing students for this latest industrial revolution? Liran Ma, computer science professor, is planning to develop a series of real-world, story-based,
hands-on learning activities hosted on a unified lab platform to promote Al/ML skills
acquisition across STEM majors at the undergraduate level. Ma and other TCU researchers
have submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation, aiming to make
a broad impact in preparing tomorrow’s workforce in AI/ML.
Stay Effing Positive: Trauma at WorkFeb. 16, 2023Social Geek RadioIngrid Schneider and Brett Larimer dive deep into the topic of trauma in the workplace
withAmanda Purvis,a trauma expert fromTCU’s Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. They explore how trauma affects
our brains and bodies, how to support employees who have experienced trauma and, most importantly,
how to do our own work as leaders to create a safe and supportive workplace. “Trauma
at work is a big topic. It’s one that people may be afraid of,” shesaid.
‘Constitutional sheriff’ group elevates members with extremist ties Feb. 16, 2023 Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting The Arizona-based Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a group
described as anti-democratic by domestic extremism researchers, is elevating some
of its most controversial members–including those with direct ties to other anti-government
and white nationalism movements–into formal leadership positions. A recent nationwide
survey conducted by The Marshall Project and political scientists atTCU(Emily Farris, associate professor)and Tulane University found nearly half of the 500 sheriffs who completed their survey
agreed with CSPOA’s core claim that a sheriff’s authority within their county supersedes
that of the state or federal government.
Fort Worth ISD wants more kids in its pre-K program. Experts say the benefits are
manyFeb. 15, 2023Fort Worth Report Experts say there are benefits to kids attending pre-K programs. “Many pre-K classrooms
include what’s called a dramatic play center,”Michelle Bauml,associate professor of early childhood learning, said. “At about 3 years old, children start to really develop their imagination. Going
from hearing a book about restaurants to playing as they work in a restaurant is a
connection to reading, which makes it more meaningful. They engage in these conversations
that are really imaginative, with rich dialogue,”Baumlsaid.
5 products that are actually cheaper now than they were a year ago Feb. 15, 2023 MarketWatch Prices for many staple consumer products have grown significantly over the past year.
Why have used cars, specifically, experienced such a decrease? “The year was hit hard
after COVID as the supply of chips dried up, and this actually led to spectacular
increases in used-car prices,” John T. Harvey, professor of economics, said, adding that “because things are, while still short
of normal, nevertheless getting there, used car prices fell.”
In Texas it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain public records. Collin County
is no exceptionFeb. 15, 2023Local Today Texas citizens and journalists often face lengthy litigation over requests for disclosure
of records. Proponents of transparency in government say this is happening across
Texas. Government officials often require that disclosure requests be submitted for
information that is clearly public–even if the same information was previously requested
and released. Daxton “Chip” Stewart, professor of media law,said, “Government agencies in Texas have become increasingly hostile to requests for
public records and are using tactics designed to keep public information paid for
with taxpayers’ money private. And some governments are hiring private lawyers, also
paid with taxpayers’ money, to fight requests for disclosure of records filed by private
individuals and journalists.”
Fourth Object Shot in Eight Day SpanFeb. 13, 2023Fox 4Another object was shot down in Canada and President Biden ordered a third taken down
in northern Alaska. Adjunct professorTracy Walderis a former CIA officer and FBI special agent who specialized in Chinese counterintelligence.
She says we may be hearing about these objects more because military officials are
more attuned to them. “On the other hand, it’s frustrating because why haven’t we
been catching these, right? Why is it just now?”
How founders of an investment platform broke down barriers to invest in agricultureFeb. 12, 2023Fort Worth Report Two entrepreneurs want to use their platform to lower the barriers to invest in agriculture.
There’s a big demand for funding in the sector because in general, agriculture is
an expensive business. Ranches, for example, take a lot of money to start and operate,
according toJeff Geider, director of the Institute of Ranch Management at TCU. “Buying land, buying livestock,
buying whatever necessary equipment … all the things to operate on a day-to-day basis,
it requires a huge amount of capital,” Geider said.
Will DFW’s thirst flood the ‘Texas rainforest’? Inside the fight over Marvin Nichols
ReservoirFeb. 10, 2023Fort Worth Star-TelegramJim Marshall,chair of pediatrics at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, is a part
of the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir project that would provide the DFW area with
water in the coming decades. Since the turn of the century, DFW water planners have
been clear: North Texans are going to need a lot of water in the coming decades, and
one way to get it is by building a reservoir about 150 miles away. “Being a critical
care specialist who’s resuscitated a lot of children, I can tell you, there’s always
hope,” Marshall said.
Tarrant County launches Election Integrity Task Force Feb. 8, 2023WFAA The new Election Integrity Task Force has been launched in Tarrant County. “This has
been an issue that several people countywide and Tarrant County ran on in the election
of 2022,” Jim Riddlesperger, political science professor, said. “There has been precious little — if any — evidence
that there has been voter fraud of any kind, but that really doesn’t mitigate the
fact that many voters believe that there has been voter fraud.”
Obesity on the big screen: Society ‘hides’ fat people – Body size intersects with
oppression – News Bulletin 247Feb. 9, 2023News Bulletin 247 Modern television fiction does not shy away from polarizing topics. Today, for a series
or a film to be successful, it must actively participate in the social process. “Laziness,
stupidity, gluttony or non-existent sex life are some of the concepts associated with
fat people,” Jeanine Gailey, sociology professor, said. “When women are not desirable, according to beauty standards,
they are not shown on the screen,” she notes.
‘The mission hasn’t changed.’ Dance Theatre of Harlem makes return visit to TCU Feb. 8, 2023KERANearly 50 years after its first residency at TCU, Dance Theatre of Harlem returned
to campus this week. “Dance Theatre of Harlem really started the conversation and
opened up the field of classical ballet, which had been pretty exclusionary to dancers
of color. And that’s a significant achievement,” Keith Saunders, assistant professor of professional practice, said. “That conversation is still
being had today, and that work is still being done.” Saunders and his wife, Kellye
Saunders, an adjunct professor, both work at TCU’s School for Classical & Contemporary
Dance and are alumni of Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Former CIA Agent Discusses Significance of Chinese Balloon Feb. 4, 2023KERAAs all eyes were trained on the sky when a suspected Chinese spy balloon worked its
way across the United States. TCU adjunct professor and former CIA officer and FBI
special agent Tracy Walder couldn’t help but reflect on her past career. “My job was to catch Chinese here in
the United States,” said Walder. “I think what the public doesn’t realize is that
so many countries, China, us, Russia, have satellites up in space that spy. We just
don’t see it every day with our naked eye. So, to see it kind of like this invading
our air space in such an obvious way was very surprising to me,” she said.
Guest column: Listening helps us generate goodwill, possible solutions, but then what?Feb. 4, 2023Fort Worth ReportLast month, the Fort Worth Report invited two TCU researchers, Jacqueline Lambiase and Ashley English, who teach at TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication, to envision a session
on listening as part of this publication’s Candid Conversations where they emphasize
listening as an important tool for relationship-building, problem-solving and even
reconciliation. For three years, they have worked on a small research team to study
listening, especially related to cities, and how they focus on better engagement with
all residents. The main focus of this work centers on the voices of Black stakeholders.
This Fort Worth barbershop will offer more than free haircuts on Sunday Feb. 2, 2023 Fort Worth Report The first Barbershop Talk Therapy in 2023 took place at the Lake Como House of Fades
Barbershop in Fort Worth. Attendees receive free haircuts and health screenings, including
blood pressure, glucose readings, some light blood work, all led by David Capper, academic chair of clinical sciences at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. Meanwhile,
Brian Dixon, a psychiatrist and assistant professor of clinical sciences at the medical school,
facilitated a discussion among the barbers and patrons.
Everything We Know About the Controversy Over Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar Nomination
Feb. 1, 2023Yahoo News The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences received public backlash following
its Oscar nomination announcement, with critics raising questions about whether the
grassroots campaign violated any rules and if the nomination should have instead gone
to a Black woman. The ongoing controversy marks the latest instance of the Academy
being called out for its lack of diversity when considering who gets an Oscar. “Davis
and Deadwyler not making the nominations list did not come as a surprise,” Frederick W. Gooding Jr., Dr. Ronald E. Moore Honors Professor of Humanities,said. “Overall, the Academy’s patterns are always consistent.”
Finding a new path in the corporate world Feb. 16, 2023Fort Worth ReportAfter a decade and a half in corporate America, David Aspinall MBA ’18 was looking for something different and more entrepreneurial. And, maybe, something
a little more meaningful to the community at large. The Manchester, England, native
had found his way to North Texas and Fort Worth in 2015 as a regional president for
Sprint. Part of what began changing his thought process was getting his master’s in
business administration from TCU’s Neeley School of Business. “Going to Neeley was
one of the really amplifying factors of my journey from being a company executive
into a more entrepreneurial way of thinking,” Aspinall said.
January photo contest winner scores with TCU football victory pictureFeb. 13, 2023Fort Worth Report Fort Worth residentHenry Adiletta ’22and his friends witnessed something they never thought they would see: their alma
mater,TCU,beating the University of Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal, 51-45.
To remember that historic moment,Adilettagathered his friends, hugged shoulders and turned their backs to the camera to show
off their matching jerseys. “That was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience,”Adilettasaid. “We all got matching Kell jerseys just for fun because we lived on Kell Street
for two years.”
Restoring resilience through joy: The pursuit of happiness in the midst of unprecedented
timesFebruary 2023Sage JournalsLeslie Ekpe, president of the Graduate Student Senate was published on the topic of equity and
education in society. “Despite a pandemic that ravaged Black communities with brutal,
life-threatening circumstances and months of protesting institutional injustices and
extrajudicial police brutality, Black people still found joy in moments of unrest,”
she wrote.
There’s only one theater like Cry Havoc in North TexasFeb. 10, 2023KERA News Cry Havoc Theatre has been unique in North Texas. The high school students in the
company research topics most teen theaters would never touch: gun violence, sex education,
border crossings. Then they write a play and perform it. “It’s incredibly special,”
Lillie Davidson, first-year journalism student at TCU, said. She’s appeared in seven of Cry Havoc’s
productions, including “Babel,” the one about gun violence. “I’ve done theater in
a lot of places,” Davidson said, “and I don’t think that I’ve found somewhere else
that allowed me to have a really deep connection with the work that I was doing.”
Magic Max Duggan Out Now To Prove More People Wrong Feb. 21, 2023Fort Worth Magazine Fortunes can quickly change, like the story of Max Duggan, the TCU quarterback and this year’s winner of the Davey O’Brien Award, as prestigious
an honor a college football player can earn, save for the most respected of its kind,
the Heisman. “About a year ago, I came here for dinner with family friends and I never
would have thought I’d be here a year later winning the Davey O’Brien Award,” said Duggan,
decked out for the occasion in his finest black tie, his perpetually bloody elbow,
on the face of it, patched and anointed with Neosporin. “It’s pretty special to be
sitting up here. I’ve been surrounded by so many great people — family, friends, players,
coaching staff, people back home — helping me get to this point. To be able to share
this with them means the most to me.”
Men’s Tennis: TCU Wins Indoor National Championship Feb. 21, 2023Fort Worth Star-Telegram For the second straight year, the No. 3 TCU Men’s Tennis team hoisted the trophy as winners of the ITA Indoor National Championships. The
team played their instate conference for No. 8 Texas. The Frogs swept the Longhorns
4-0 to win the Natty.
How TCU forward JaKobe Coles found his role despite early adversity Feb. 20, 202sFort Worth Star-Telegram TCU Basketball forward JaKobe Coles experienced plenty of adversity at the start of his collegiate career. After a decorated
prep career at Denton Guyer, Coles signed with Butler, but the summer before his freshman
season was impacted by COVID-19 and limited his options to prepare for the college
game. Coles still carved out a nice role with the Bulldogs but tore his meniscus in
2021. After the season, he transferred closer to home to TCU but still couldn’t put
in the proper time due to recovering from the injury. Now Coles is in the best stretch
of his career with five double-digit scoring games in the last seven outings. “I think
it just came from the work and consistency that I was providing the team this summer,” Coles said.
“I just worked hard all summer and just knew that if I was able to get a couple of
opportunities to play a little bit more this season, I would be able to show I had
gotten better.”
Nine TCU players invited to NFL Draft combine Feb. 8, 2023Fort Worth Star-Telegram The 2023 NFL Draft combine will have plenty of TCU representation. Nine players from
the national runners-up received an invite to Indianapolis for the combine, which
will be held from Feb. 28 to March 6. It’s another major milestone for Sonny Dykes and the TCU program after five players were invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the
top postseason collegiate all-star game. Here’s the complete list of the Horned Frogs
that will be in Indy: Alan Ali, Steve Avila, Derius Davis, Max Duggan, Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Dylan Horton, Quentin Johnston, Kendre Miller and Dee Winters.
Texas Christian University sent five players to the Reece’s Senior Bowl Feb. 4, 2023Fort Worth Star-Telegram The 2023 Reece’s Senior Bowl is in the books. A record five TCUplayers competed in the exhibition, second most to only the University of Alabama.
The Senior Bowl is an all-star game that allows top college draft prospects to showcase
their skills to NFL coaches, scouts and media. The Senior Bowl is preceded by a week
of practice that pits the participants against each other in various drills and game
situations for evaluation. QB Max Duggan was selected as the American team’s QB practice player of the week heading into the
Senior Bowl. LB Dee Winters was selected as the American team’s LB practice player of the week.