From faculty speaking out on race relations to an alumna competing for her pilot wings and a pageant crown, our faculty, students and alumni are being featured in the news. Check out the latest roundup of newsworthy Horned Frogs.
INSTITUTIONAL
Texas Lyceum partners with TCU on executive leadership development program
April 8, 2021
Fort Worth Business Press
The Texas Lyceum and the TCU Neeley School of Business have developed a unique partnership to launch a customized executive leadership program for Lyceum Directors rising professionals looking to elevate their personal leadership skills. The program will be facilitated by experienced TCU faculty who have practical, real world experience and are leading research on the latest leadership theories and trends.
A roundup of DFW tech and startup funding rounds, M&As and investor activity in March
April 5, 2021
Dallas Business Journal
Animal Cloud Device Connectivity, a TCU-based startup developing and commercializing a vital monitoring platform to help keep law enforcement animals safe and healthy in the line of duty, is joining the seventh cohort of the Cincinnati-based faith-focused OCEANS accelerator program. With its participation in the program, Animal Cloud will also receive a $50,000 seed investment provided by an early-stage Chicago VC fund, which focuses on “purpose-driven” entrepreneurs. There's also the company's potential to gain an additional $25,000, based on its progress during the 16-week accelerator program.
Here & Now: 'Reconcile This!' podcast studies race relations at TCU
April 5, 2021
KDFW-TV
In August 2020, TCU started a racial reconciliation initiative. Out of that initiative, a professor (Frederick W. Gooding Jr., Ph.D.) and a graduate student (Marcellis Perkins) launched the Reconcile This! podcast. It has made international impressions and is the focus of this week's Here & Now conversation with Shaun Rabb.
How friendly are colleges' LGBTQ athletic policies?
April 5, 2021
University Business Magazine
In the state of Texas, where lawmakers are seeking to ban transgender representation in school sports, the University of Texas at Austin and TCU had two of the highest scores in the survey at 95.
FACULTY
The Arab Spring Protests
April 6, 2021
Contexts Magazine
“Ten years after shaking an entire world region, the protests of the Arab Spring of 2011 continue to preoccupy social scientists who rely mostly on documents and interviews to study them,” writes Amina Zarrugh, assistant professor in the sociology department, in an article she co-wrote with two peers. “Employing a different approach, we examined over 3,500 photos of the early phase of the protests in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, to capture the meanings that protestors brought to the fore.”
Fort Worth company receives certification for system to aid medical device development
April 6, 2021
Fort Worth Business Press
DesignPlex Biomedical, a TechFW client that specializes in the design and manufacture of medical devices, has received ISO certification for its Quality Management System. “Becoming certified is an exciting milestone for our company because it provides many great opportunities to create more sophisticated cardiovascular devices that will ultimately help to improve the quality of life for patients,” said Robert Benkowski, CEO of DesignPlex Biomedical and assistant professor of medical education at the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine.
The power and the perils of an Asian American political awakening
April 2, 2021
The Boston Globe
The surge in hate crimes is feeding a new spirit of solidarity. "This is probably the biggest watershed moment for Asian Americans as a pan-ethnic group since the creation of the concept in the Asian American movement of the late 60s," said Scott Kurashige, chair of Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies.
Practical highlights of recent tax research
April 1, 2021
The Tax Adviser
Elizabeth Plummer, professor of accounting, co-authored the article, which begins, “Perhaps more than ever, recent years demonstrate the increasing importance of taxation for both businesses and individuals. This article distills research published in tax and accounting journals of interest to tax practitioners.”
ALUMNI
A conversation with Stanford Children’s Health nurse leader Kim Williams
April 8, 2021
stanfordchildrens.org
Her commitment to nursing excellence, leading by example and having a mindset of humble inquiry, Kim Williams ‘01 has worked nearly 30 years in the health care industry—two decades of which she has devoted to the nursing profession. “It’s my calling, it truly is my gift,” she said.
10 things you didn't know about Anthony Alabi
April 7, 2021
TVOvermind
Most people are lucky if they find one career path they enjoy during their lifetime. Anthony Alabi ‘04 (MLA ‘07) has been lucky to find two. The former professional football player transitioned into acting after his athletic career ended and he’s found lots of success in the entertainment world. From the big screen to the small screen, Anthony knows how to bring it. As an actor, he has become well known for his roles in shows like Raven’s Home and Family Reunion.
TCU football mourns loss of former player Jamal Powell, 39
April 7, 2021
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
A former TCU football player who was working as an assistant coach on SMU’s staff passed away Tuesday. Jamal Powell ‘02 died at the age of 39. He was four days away from his 40th birthday on April 10. According to NBC 5, Powell had been diagnosed with incurable cancer and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Bestselling author and TCU alum to talk about new novel
April 6, 2021
KXAS-TV
Millions loved the movie The Secret Life of Bees and the novel that inspired it. Sue Monk Kidd ‘70 has now written her fourth novel, and she talked about it April 6 in a virtual event hosted by TCU Magazine and the TCU Alumni Association. The Book of Longings follows Kidd's familiar theme of women's quest for freedom and empowerment.
Pilot Training and Pageantry
April 6, 2021
dvidshub.net
Second Lt. Sarena Shilts ‘19 is competing for two accolades this year: her silver pilot wings, and the Miss Texas USA crown. "I'm attracted to pageantry for similar reasons I'm attracted to being an Air Force pilot," Shilts said. "The two worlds seem to contradict, but there are actually many parallels between the two.”
Inside a Fort Worth home filled with family heirlooms and modern charm
April 2, 2021
Southern Living
Designer Tori Rubinson ‘04 restores the spirit of this 1930s Colonial by layering modern touches with sentimental family heirlooms. Back in her days as a TCU student, she added a nearby Fort Worth neighborhood to her regular running route. Years later, when she and her husband, Adam, were looking for a place to raise their three children, Rubinson knew exactly where to focus the search.
Sisters behind BouNom bakery in Avon fighting racism and giving back to the community
April 4, 2021
Hartford Courant
In Avon, Connecticut, sisters Chen Graham and Khamla Vorasane ‘12 co-own BouNom Bakery, which has been open for more than a year serving authentic French pastries made from scratch. The community support has been strong. The Laos-born sisters emigrated as children in 1980. They devoted a Sunday to raising money for three groups fighting bias discrimination and raised $4,000.
Aces of Trades: Elizabeth Weiser brings passion for writing to OSU-Newark
April 5, 2021
The Newark Advocate
Elizabeth Weiser ‘04 may be the very definition of smart and talented. She’s now a professor at OSU-Newark, teaching writing, rhetoric and museology (the science of organizing, arranging and managing museums). But that hardly scratches the surface. “I travel the world studying a topic I find endlessly fascinating,” she said.
STUDENTS
Applause: Wenatchee graduate Vivian Noyd wins prestigious award
April 4, 2021
Wenatchee World
Senior Vivian Noyd recently earned first place in the Battle of Flowers Oratorical Contest in San Antonio. Noyd won with her speech “Women’s News Makes the News: The Story of Vivian Castleberry.” As a first-place winner, she will receive a $5,000 scholarship along with a $2,500 award for the university.