From research to football and from school vouchers to school recess, TCU and its faculty, students and alumni are in the news.

INSTITUTIONAL

Congratulations to the 104 2022 INSIGHT Into Diversity HEED Award Recipients
Oct. 18, 2022
INSIGHT Into Diversity
This year, a new record of 104 institutions are honored that met challenges with innovation, resistance with creativity, and inequity with solutions. Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Responsible for Inclusion and Sustaining Excellence (R.I.S.E.) program provides participants with tools and opportunities to advance personal and professional development in DEI. To promote inclusion and equitable outcomes in all things TCU, the Inclusive Excellence Research Grant program supports practitioner research in existing programs and new initiatives to apply evidence-based research strategies and promote institutional and community change in inclusive excellence.

Former TCU Chancellor dies at 90
Oct. 17, 2022
WFAA-TV
Former TCU Chancellor Bill Tucker has died. He served the university from 1979 to 1998. Current Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. issued a statement calling Tucker “a visionary and beloved leader during a pivotal time of growth for Texas Christian University.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Awards $1M to Texas Christian University towards the Cochrane US Network
Oct. 14, 2022
Cochrane Library Podcasts
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the largest American philanthropic organization focused solely on health and health care. The recent grant of $1 million awarded to members and partners of the Cochrane US Network, including Texas Christian University, will support critical research to center racial health equity in systematic reviews through national consensus building.

FACULTY

Beto O’Rourke wants to cancel STAAR exam. Experts say Texas at ‘inflection point’ on issue
Oct. 20, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas teachers, parents and lawmakers have increasing concerns about high-stakes standardized testing, which will take on a new form this year after evolving significantly since first being introduced in 1979. The new test will include more writing embedded throughout the exam and will be administered online. The discontent from parents and chatter about the future of the test in school districts by a candidate for Texas governor signal possible changes in the future, experts say. “I would really hope that we’re at an inflection point where we recognize the teachers and especially … school counselors could much better spend their time focusing on instruction and mental health needs,” Jo Beth Jimerson, educational leadership professor, said.

Abortion rights supporters struggle to keep issue top of mind for Texas voters
Oct. 19, 2022
Texas Tribune
In purple Tarrant County, where Democrats have recently won top-of-the-ticket races and Republicans dominate down-ballot candidates, organizers and advocates are watching to see how the abortion issue shifts tight races — and what that means for the political salience of the issue going forward. “This election is now a test of how important [abortion] truly is as a political issue, and Democrats’ ability to parlay what is pretty massive public support into electoral victories,” Joanne Connor Green, political science professor, said.

What to Know About the Lipstick Effect Amid Rising Inflation
Oct. 19, 2022
Glam
In a study published by Psychology Professor Sarah Hill and Christopher Rodeheffer (M.S. ’11 Ph.D. ’14), the “lipstick effect” was found to involve other beauty products for the simple purpose that they are small, accessible and more affordable. The professors theorized that women desire to increase their attractiveness to men during financially hard times. “Whereas exposure to recession cues decreased men's and women's desire to purchase products unrelated to appearance,” they wrote in the study, “recession cues persistently increased women's desire to purchase beauty products, including lipstick.”

Balance Transfer Credit Cards: Expert Opinions
Oct. 19, 2022
WalletHub
Professor of Professional Practice Julie Dahlquist at the TCU Neeley School of Business shared her insights on 0% balance transfer credit cards and the best way to find the right balance transfer credit card. “When choosing a balance transfer card, understanding the terms and conditions of the card is important. Three crucial pieces of information are the length of the introductory rate period, the interest rate on new charges and the transfer fee. A card with a six-month, 0% introductory rate period allows you to pay off the balance of your existing credit card over the next six months,” she said.

Abortion rights supporters struggle to keep issue top of mind for Texas voters
Oct. 19, 2022
News from the States
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, hundreds of people flooded the streets of downtown Fort Worth, marching, rallying, venting and promising that they’d never stop fighting to restore abortion access in Texas. “But that was actually a referendum on abortion, and what we have in Texas is an election between three-dimensional, living, breathing human beings that have opinions on a wide variety of issues,” James Riddlesperger, political science professor, said.

Impact on oil prices and inflation of OPEC's oil decision
Oct. 18, 2022
Yahoo News
Saudi Arabia, Russia and other top oil producers are cutting the amount of oil they deliver to the global economy. Ann Bluntzer, executive director of the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute and national expert on energy with Texas Christian University, has more on what this means and how it affects us. “We've seen prices drop since the peak in early summer at the gas stations at home. We're probably going to see an increase immediately based off of this announcement alone. What we're hearing right now at the institute and from the experts here at TCU and the Neeley School of Business is that we should expect a 10% increase from where we're at right now in regard to the prices at the pumps,” she said.

‘It’s a city problem’: Fort Worth City Council urged to cultivate improvements in 12 school districts, 15 charter systems
Oct. 18, 2022
Fort Worth Report
The Fort Worth City Council seems like an unconventional elected body to tackle improving education, but some local leaders say the task falls squarely on them. Civic and philanthropic leaders believe that council members have the power to forge a path toward building a level playing field for all students in Fort Worth, where only one out of three students in Fort Worth are on grade level. “Tackling ancillary issues, such as access to healthy food and health care, could have an impact on schools,” Jo Beth Jimerson, associate professor in the College of Education, said. “Council members also could act as brokers between school systems in Fort Worth. They can learn best practices from each other, learn what is and isn’t working, and hear about their respective challenges. All of this builds up trust and creates a network that could improve schools across the city.”

LMAS distinguished lecturer discusses growing the Latino electorate
Oct. 17, 2022
North Texas Daily
The Union welcomed Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado for this year’s installment of the Latino/a Mexican-American Studies Distinguished Lecture Series. Before moving to Texas in May, Benjamin-Alvarado worked with the Latino community in Omaha, Nebraska, and is now a special assistant to the chancellor and chief diversity officer at Texas Christian University. “It’s a big change coming from a public institution like UNO,” he said.

School vouchers may finally be coming to Texas. How do Fort Worth leaders feel about that?
Oct. 17, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas could be the latest state to adopt a school choice policy that allows parents to use public funds to decide where to send their children, including to private schools, depending on who is elected as the next governor. Gabriel Huddleston, director of TCU’s Center for Public Education & Community Engagement, said. “Rarely, if ever, is a voucher going to equal what it costs to go to a private school,” he said. “It’s going to cover part of it, but it’s not going to cover the full thing.” Students moving back and forth could further complicate that math, Huddleston said, because state funding would not necessarily revert to the campus if a student were to leave for part of a year and then return to an ISD.

How Much Recess Should Kids Get?
Oct. 13, 2022
U.S. News & World Report
Schools may be held accountable for how well kids do at reading and math, but experts say that recess plays an essential but often overlooked role in children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development. “Ideally, children should get four 15-minute recesses every day,” said Debbie Rhea, professor of kinesiology and director of the LiiNK Project, which advocates for outdoor play in schools.

Black Leaders rebuke Tuberville stance on reparations, crime
Oct. 13, 2022
Associated Press
Republican Tommy Tuberville said at an election rally in Nevada that Democrats support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people because “they think the people that do the crime are owed that.” Frederick Gooding Jr., Dr. Ronald E. Moore Honors Professor of Humanities, said, “I think this is quite strategic. Let's see where it goes. He's in a small town in Nevada. We're a couple years away from the next major national election. He’s leveraging time, pulling some of the rhetoric out piecemeal and in small dosages. Being a successful football coach for so long, strategy literally is his game."

ALUMNI

Biz Buzz: Midland's SHK Advertising is about being 'seen, heard, known'
Oct. 14, 2022
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Founder and owner of Midland’s SHK Advertising, Jessica Rule ’11, enjoys the variety and the challenge of constant change that comes with running an advertising firm. She was a TCU graduate and was working at an advertising agency prior to founding SHK, and wanted her business to be able to grow extensively and stay true to the creative aspect of advertising. “I felt like I had kind of a ‘ceiling’ previously, so I just wanted to break that open and see where it would lead me,” she said.

STUDENTS

WATCH: 89th Annual Texas Rose Festival Parade
Oct. 16, 2022
KWKT-TV (Waco, TX)
Every year, the streets of Tyler, Texas, are lined with people with one common purpose: to celebrate the Texas Rose Festival Parade. At the center of the festivities is Rose Queen Molly Berry, a Tyler native who is currently a junior at TCU. “Empires from around the world present their first gifts – beautiful views, breathtaking experiences and glorious jewels – to honor the queen of the 2022 Texas Rose Festival,” Berry said.

ATHLETICS

Why TCU quarterback Max Duggan deserves to be in the Heisman race
Oct. 21, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Days before he helped lead the dramatic comeback over Top 10 Oklahoma State, TCU quarterback Max Duggan was asked about the brewing Heisman Trophy chatter surrounding him. His response? “I just want to win. I’m not worried about any personal accolades or anything like that. I just want to see TCU win, I want to see the guys have a good time and make sure we finish the season on top,” Duggan said.

Duggan excelling for No. 13 TCU after he lost starting QB job
Oct. 13, 2022
Galveston County Daily News
Max Duggan has certainly surprised new head football coach Sonny Dykes, who has even gotten emotional talking about the fourth-year quarterback who went from losing his job to being one of the nation's most efficient passers. “Yes, he has surprised me, and not as a player, but I just think the entirety of kind of his experience,” Dykes said. “There’s all this stuff that typically happens when a guy loses a job, and especially someone who’s played as much football as Max. Well, none of that happened.” Duggan was, of course, disappointed he didn't win the starting job. “Everybody wants to play, everybody wants to be the guy. But, you know, I got over it,” Duggan said. “I didn't feel sorry for myself, I didn't pout. I knew that wasn't going to help the team, so I didn't really worry too much about it.”

Why TCU running back Kendre Miller deserves to be in the conversation with the nation’s best
Oct. 13, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Max Duggan has been praised for how he’s helped the TCU offense improve to one of the best in the nation, but he is not alone in the TCU turnaround. In the backfield with him is one of the most productive running backs in the country, Kendre Miller. Miller leads all Power Five running backs in career yards per carry and is tied at the top of the Big 12 for yards per carry this season with 6.9 yards. “Kendre can’t control what somebody writes about him or says about him. But he can control the way he prepares, the attitude and the toughness he plays with on Saturday. I think he’s really in a good place and an outstanding running back,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. With 474 yards, Miller is on pace to shatter his previous career-high of 623 yards and needs two touchdowns to surpass his career-high on seven rushing touchdowns. “We talk about it during practice every day, we’re just trying to do better than what we did last week and try to outdo our previous performance. Now we’re doing it against better opponents,” Miller said.