From Tarrant County to Russia and from entrepreneurship to reality television, Horned Frogs are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
Texas Christian University Names Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado Chief Inclusion Officer
March 7, 2022
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado has been named senior advisor to the chancellor and chief inclusion officer at Texas Christian University. Benjamin-Alvarado will start the role on June 1, 2022. "I am delighted that Dr.
Benjamin-Alvarado has accepted this position and am eager to introduce him to TCU
and the Fort Worth community," said Victor J. Boschini, Jr., chancellor.
Leaders talk about flaring problem that’s coming
March 4, 2022
Midland Reporter-Telegram
The Neeley School of Business and Ralph Lowe Energy Institute at Texas Christian University gathered a panel of Permian oil and gas operators at the Petroleum Club this week
to discuss their thoughts on the energy transition and other issues facing their companies.
Get to know one of America’s youngest mayors, Fort Worth’s Mattie Parker
March 2, 2022
Texas Tribune
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, one of America’s youngest mayors, has been on the
job for less than a year. In that time, she’s led the most politically conservative
big city in Texas through a host of urban challenges. Join The Texas Tribune for a live, in-person conversation between the Tribune CEO and Parker at 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23, at the Brown-Lupton University Union Ballroom at Texas Christian University.
TCU School of Medicine Is building a new campus in Fort Worth's Medical District
March 1, 2022
Dallas Innovates
The project will kick off with a four-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot medical
education building, which TCU says will serve as an “academic hub” for around 240
students and hundreds of faculty and staff members, after its planned completion in
2024. At the new campus, TCU School of Medicine's innovative curriculum will continue—with students focused on major drivers of medicine's
future, including AI, genomics and advanced monitoring technology.
TCU announces new medical campus in Near Southside neighborhood
March 1, 2022
WFAA-TV
Texas Christian University is expanding and adding a campus to the medical district of Fort Worth, university
officials announced Tuesday. TCU is adding a new medical campus for the university's School of Medicine, which the university is calling “one of the newest and most innovative medical schools
in the country.” In the announcement about this addition, TCU said it is working to
invest in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood. The TCU School of Medicine, now
recruiting its fourth class, will drive economic development and biomedical advances
through partnerships with hospitals, health care organizations and biotech industries.
FACULTY
US Black population: The biggest growth is in smaller cities
March 14, 2022
Associated Press
*Also picked up by U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, ABC News, etc.
Brandon Manning and his wife were both born in the U.S. South and had been itching to return, but
Manning didn’t want to go back to his native Atlanta because of the traffic, housing
costs and sprawl. So, when he was offered a job teaching at Texas Christian University in
Fort Worth, Texas, the couple decided to give the smaller city a chance. They weren’t
alone. The largest African-American population growth in pure numbers over the past
decade took place in less congested cities with lower profiles. “The sprawl of a Houston
or an Atlanta, it’s just massive and traffic makes it hard to get around,” said Manning,
an assistant professor of Black literature and culture, who moved to Fort Worth from
Las Vegas. “We wanted something that was manageable.”
What's behind the scenes in terms of Vladimir Putin?
March 14, 2022
KRLD
TCU Piper Professor Ralph Carter, an expert on Russia, said, "I think he's trying to recreate a Russian sphere of
influence in Eastern Europe. If he had his druthers, I think he'd love to have the
Russian Empire back."
County judge race reveals gap among Tarrant County Republicans
March 14, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
A political expert and the county’s Republican Party said they believe that the county
GOP may be able to land on the same page when the time comes, despite a schism and
hurt feelings about the campaign. Party primaries tend to favor the candidates on
the far right or left, TCU political science professor James Riddlesperger said, leading to candidates who do not appeal to the voters in the center and, as
a result, more dissatisfaction in government. “I think most Betsy (Price) supporters
will vote for Tim O’Hare,” Riddlesperger said. “I think that that’s almost certainly
the case. But that doesn’t mean that they like the choice very much, right?”
LMU to feature Woodworth at Kincaid Lecture Series
March 13, 2022
Claiborne Progress
Renowned Civil War author and scholar Steven Woodworth will be the featured speaker at the 2022 Kincaid Lecture Series at the Abraham Lincoln
Library and Museum on the Lincoln Memorial University main campus. Woodworth will
speak on “The Religious World of the Civil War Soldier” followed by a question-and-answer
session. Woodworth is the author, coauthor, or editor of 28 books on the Civil War
era and teaches history at TCU.
Sundance Square reaches out to small businesses as it remakes downtown Fort Worth
March 11, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Business incubators increase the likelihood of business success, according to Rodney D’Souza, managing director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, at TCU’s Neeley
School of Business. “Companies that go through an incubator program have about a 45%
success rate over those that don’t,” D’Souza said. Most new companies have about a
40% chance of success, so an incubator downtown will improve those odds dramatically,
he said. It also has benefits for the community, because it creates jobs and brings
a new and diverse audience downtown, D’Souza said.
Media use and children's self-regulation: a narrative review
March 9, 2022
Taylor & Francis
This narrative literature review examines the relationship between media use and young
children's self-regulation. Through a literature search of PsycINFO, and a subsequent
manual search, authors identified 16 peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 that
explored how child and parent television viewing and cell phone use are linked to
children's self-regulatory skills. Contributors include Aesha John, a licensed master’s level social worker and associate professor of social work at
TCU. Her research and teaching interests focus on children and families, parenting
in difficult contexts, and wellbeing among individuals with intellectual disabilities.
How to talk to your kids about Ukraine, Russia and the scary prospect of World War
III
March 9, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Mention that information they see online isn’t always accurate or trustworthy, and
that they shouldn’t believe everything they read. Tell them that you only get your
news from reputable sources. “Use your judgment about what kind of information is
going to be appropriate for your child,” said David Cross, TCU professor of child development and psychology.
The Sh’ma Project: Move Against Hate
March 9, 2022
Texas Jewish Post
The exhibit marks the official launch of “The Sh’ma Project,” a Holocaust and human
rights arts and education initiative directed by Suki John, TCU professor of classical and contemporary dance. Her choreodrama, “Sh’ma,” originally
performed in New York and the former Yugoslavia, will premiere as a dance film next
year and serve as a teaching tool in schools nationwide. “What is happening to those
suffering from hate and war is unfortunately becoming all too familiar,” John explains.
“The Holocaust is a topic young people need to fully comprehend in order to understand
the past, present and future of hate — and how to avert it in their own lives moving
forward.”
Effects of Russian oil ban felt locally
March 9, 2022
KMID-TV
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has driven up oil prices globally. “It’s a global commodity
and a global price that is set, so if oil is at $130 a barrel, that is what it’s at
for the entire world,” said Ann Bluntzer, acting director of the TCU Neeley Ralph Lowe Energy Institute. The Biden Administration
announced a ban on Russian gas, oil and energy. “Our president is a global, symbolic
figure – whoever it is and whoever is in office, that is consistent. So, I think,
symbolically, that just is what has to happen.”
For hire: Local businesses struggle to find, retain staff
March 9, 2022
Fort Worth Report
An unprecedented bounce-back of consumer demand is emerging from the pandemic that
might have caught many businesses by surprise, said David Allen, chair of management and leadership at the TCU Neeley School of Business. One method
businesses have used is increasing wages, Allen said. But that’s not always an option
for a small business. “We’re seeing growth in remote work and hybrid work where instead
of requiring everyone to come back to the office as soon as we’re able to, like, give
people more flexibility in terms of when and where they work,” Allen said.
Flashpoint Ukraine
March 9, 2022
Voice of America
(Editor's note: This interview is found at the 18:50 minute mark)
How does one frame discussions about the Ukrainian conflict? Ralph Carter, political science professor at TCU, said, there is no harm in diplomatic efforts,
but he is uncertain of the success with Russia’s president. “President Putin has put
himself in a corner, and he’s made maximalist kind of demands, and I don’t know that
his leadership can survive in Russia if he backs down,” Carter said.
Fort Worth leaders discuss systemic racism in first ‘Candid Conversations’ event
March 9, 2022
Fort Worth Report
In the first of a new series, four community leaders explore the impact of racism
on Fort Worth and how it will shape city’s future. Panelist Whitnee Boyd, coordinator of special projects for the Office of the Chancellor at TCU, said that
too often, leaders are appointed to positions with the purpose of making progress
on issues related to race and diversity, she added, but they are not empowered with
the tools or authority to be successful. “People want to live in a city that really
is inclusive, that is willing to isolate race and say… this is the role that race
is playing in all these different fields,” Boyd said.
Traffic accidents significantly dropped during COVID-19
March 8, 2022
Health News Digest.com
Research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that traffic accidents decreased
by nearly half during the two-month period at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when
residents of most states were under a stay-at-home order. Dongwoo Kim, assistant professor of economics at Texas Christian University, also joined in the
research paper, “COVID-19 Lockdown and Traffic Accidents: Lessons from the Pandemic.”
First-ever Reality Fest brings stars and secrets of reality TV to North Texas
March 5, 2022
CultureMap Dallas
Fort Worth will be the center of the unscripted TV universe during the inaugural Reality
Fest this fall. Reality Fest is the creation of Tricia Jenkins — Texas Christian University film and TV professor, Fort Worth Film Commission executive
board chair, and Lone Star Film Society board member — and reality TV star Clint Robertson '92. "Reality Fest is a new event that we are launching this year, and if it’s successful,
we hope to run it every year in Fort Worth," Jenkins said.
Conservative ideology, not experience, carried the day in Tarrant County GOP primaries
March 2, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU political science professor James Riddlesperger said Tarrant County primary election results showed primary voters were more interested
in candidate ideologies than experience, which he said was ironic because many candidates’
positions that are popular with voters in the Republican races don’t have anything
to do with county government functions.
Tim O'Hare wins Republican County Judge primary, will face Democrat Deborah Peoples
in November
March 2, 2022
Fort Worth Business Press
Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price lost her bid to become the next Tarrant County
judge Tuesday in a stunning defeat by a far-right conservative after a bitter and
contentious campaign in the Republican primary. “Primaries bring out the most passionate
voters,” said James Riddlesperger, political science professor. Riddlesperger also pointed out that historically the
party in power at the national level tends to suffer political backlash during midterm
elections.
Texas primary election results: Trump-endorsed candidates win big
March 2, 2022
WFAA-TV
James Riddlesperger, professor of political science at TCU, told WFAA it’s difficult to determine if
Trump’s endorsements led candidates to success. “We don’t know whether he chose to
endorse people because he thought they would be successful, or if they were successful
because he endorsed them,” Riddlesperger said. "Of course, he endorsed people who
he assessed had a good chance of winning. So, it's hardly surprising that his endorsements
were successful."
ALUMNI
Hofmeister criticizes voucher bill, focuses on teacher shortage in Enid visits
March 7, 2022
Enid News & Eagle
Joy Hofmeister ’88 toured several Garfield County schools in her official capacity as state superintendent
of public instruction. “You should be able to go into a classroom and have the resources
that you need and the people on the team that support the students in the classrooms,”
she said. “And so I say, let’s fund classrooms, not corporations.” Hofmeister herself
received a bachelor’s in education from Texas Christian University.
North Texas Orchestra Asks Community to Support Violinist From Ukraine
March 4, 2022
KXAS-TV
The McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra is asking the community to support their concertmaster
from Ukraine. Violinist Marina Dichenko ’14 studied at TCU and lives in North Texas teaching violin, playing for weddings and
other events and performing with the orchestra. She is performing a solo piece by
composer John Williams from the movie Schindler's List at a performance on Saturday. Dichenko told NBC 5 she selected the music before the
war started, but it's eerily fitting. "I'm thinking how human life is very important
and fragile," Dichenko said.
Big on statistics, thin on specifics: How the Fort Worth City Council sees the crime
plan
March 14, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
As the number of shootings and assaults continue to rise in Fort Worth, the City Council
wants more specifics from its police chief about how to solve the problem. Police
Chief Neil Noakes (MS ’19) recently gave the council a detailed presentation on the crime spike with heat maps
showing concentrations. Jared Williams (MS ’14), who represents southwest Fort Worth, said these trends weigh heavily on him, particularly
when it comes to the rise in gun violence among teens and young adults. “I think it’s
important that we address both conflict resolution, and the mental wellbeing of our
students,” Williams said. Noakes said his department is working with researchers from
TCU to study what’s working and what’s not. He said he was more than willing to update
the council once the TCU study is complete.
Fort Worth updates plans to rebuild historic public pool - but larger size comes with
larger price
March 10, 2022
WFAA-TV
Residents complained about a plan to significantly shrink the size of Forest Park
Pool. A new proposal keeps the Olympic-size pool - but costs $3.5 million more. Nathan Losch ’13, a former TCU swimmer, said he did feel heard and he said local kids will reap the
benefits. Forest Park is Fort Worth’s only 50-meter public pool. “It really develops
a love for swimming if you have a good facility to do it at," Losch said.
ATHLETICS
Women’s Rifle: National Champions Once Again
March 13, 2022
Sports Illustrated
The women on the TCU rifle team did it again. Competing in the National Championships in Colorado Springs this weekend,
they won the Air Rifle portion of the championship, defending the title they won last
year. The women fired an aggregate score of 2,386 in the discipline to secure the
championship. It is the fourth time the TCU women’s team has won the Air Rifle National
Championship.
TCU's Frogs got a date for the Big Dance
March 13, 2022
Fort Worth Magazine
It took quite the effort, but TCU’s Frogs finally have a date for the NCAA’s Big Dance.
The team erupted in joy upon hearing its name called on the CBS telecast. They were
joined in the Stuart Family Courtside Club with fans and TCU athletic administrators.
The emotion was equal parts happiness and relief. “They gave us a chance. Now it’s
upon us to capitalize on it,” said player Emanuel Miller. “We know what we’re capable of. Now, it’s time.”
TCU Swimming & Diving: Men’s Team Places Second at Big 12 Championships
March 4, 2022
Sports Illustrated
Both TCU men’s and women's swimming and diving teams competed last week at the Big 12 Championships in Morgantown, West Virginia. The
men’s team captured second place. Several team members earned individual medals and
set new school records along the way. David Ekdahl became the first diver in program history to win an individual championship since
TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012.
Kent Waldrep, TCU rusher paralyzed during a game against Alabama, dies at 67
March 1, 2022
USA Today
Kent Waldrep, a TCU running back who became an advocate for disabled people after a spinal injury
during a game left him paralyzed, has died. He was 67. TCU confirmed his death in
a Tuesday statement to The Associated Press. “We were saddened to learn of the passing
of Kent Waldrep,” TCU athletic directorJeremiah Donati said in the statement. “He was and will always be an important part of TCU and our
football program.”