From a $1 million research grant to thoughts on bitcoin, TCU and its faculty, students and alumni are in the news.

FACULTY

AANA President-elect Receives $1 Million Grant to Study Racial Health Equity 
Oct. 31, 2022
Newswise 
Dru Riddle, president-elect of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, is part of a group of researchers that recently received a $1 million grant to study racial health equity. The grant, awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, positions Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists at the forefront of driving national health care policy. Riddle is also an associate professor in the nurse anesthesia program at TCU and is the principal investigator for the members and partners of the Cochrane US Network. “The big outcome of this research is creating a national consensus on the way the U.S. deals with structural racism and racial health equity in research, including guidelines, practice recommendations and health outcomes,” Riddle said. 

Texas faces a shortage of Hispanic men teachers. A TCU program could boost representation.
Oct. 30, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Frank Hernandez can still recall the name of his first teacher who looked like him, had a similar background as him and had a Spanish last name. In him, the dean of TCU’s College of Education saw a fellow Hispanic man in a position he didn’t know one could hold. The TCU College of Education is working to get more Hispanic men on the path to teaching through its Maestro Program, an initiative in its inaugural year. “Latino males need more role models, and motivating mentors. We need to show them that getting a degree has long-term impacts on their families,” Hernandez said. 

'Constitutional sheriffs' movement urges law enforcement to intervene in election process 
Oct. 29, 2022
Yahoo News 
Panelists at the news conference in Las Vegas included Emily Farris, associate professor of political science and co-author of a recent survey of the country’s roughly 3,000 sheriffs, which found that a substantial minority (more than 200 of over 500 who responded to the survey) agree with the constitutional sheriffs' belief that their authority supersedes that of the state or federal government. Respondents said they are willing to “interpose” on behalf of their constituents to oppose a state or federal law that they believe is unjust or unconstitutional.

Can Democrats in Tarrant County replicate the success they had in 2018 and 2020? 
Oct. 28, 2022
WFAA-TV
As Democrats express optimism because of Beto O’Rourke’s and Joe Biden’s past victories, Republicans continue to dominate down-ballot races in Tarrant County — a sign of the GOP’s enduring dominance here. “They have now a little bit of history that suggests that Democrats might be able to win in Tarrant County,” James Riddlesperger, political science professor, said. “On the other hand, there has not been a countywide Democrat elected for county office in Tarrant County in this century.” 

Abortion is Not a Top Issue for Voters. Democrats Should Still Focus on It 
Oct. 27, 2022
Newsweek
With Democrats' majorities in Congress at risk in November, President Joe Biden promised this month that the first bill he sends to Capitol Hill next year would be one that codifies Roe v. Wade. “By focusing on an issue that is likely to motivate Democratic voters, Democrats are hoping for heightened turnout that should benefit their party in all elections,” Joanne Green, political science professor, said. “State elections are also important in this cycle. Hence, despite the negative economic winds, voter enthusiasm is especially important for Democrats if they have any hopes of going against historical—and economic—trends, which predict this to be a good year for Republican candidates.”

TCU, Fort Worth ISD Partner to Give District Families Counseling Services
Oct. 26, 2022
Fort Worth Report
TCU and Fort Worth ISD are partnering for a clinic at the Carter-Riverside Family Resource Center to serve district families in need of counseling services. Emily Michero, clinic director and TCU professor, said the Carter-Riverside center currently serves over 50 families. Goodwin said across the district there were about 4,000 behavioral health referrals last school year. “Any of the pre-existing struggles that are some of the more normal developmental challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic, the family stress of the pandemic, and the lack of socialization during those years,” she said. 

Let the Free Market Regulate the Value and Efficiency of Bitcoin 
Oct. 25, 2022 
Bitcoin Magazine
Kelly Slaughter, associate professor of professional practice at the TCU Neeley School of Business, said Bitcoin should be a political uniter. “With elections coming up next month, it’s almost impossible to find common ground between liberals and conservatives. But there’s one subject that should unite red and blue voters: keeping bitcoin free from government regulation,” Slaughter said. “Bitcoin opponents argue that bitcoin has no intrinsic value, unlike a fiat currency that is backed by the government. But what is our government but an agreement among citizens? Accordingly, citizens have the power of agreement in recognizing bitcoin as a means of transacting.”

Early voting underway for Nov. 8 election 
Oct. 24, 2022 
Fort Worth Business Press 
Early voting for the midterm elections kicked off across Texas to choose new officeholders for statewide and local seats. The ballot includes races for top statewide seats, including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. “I don’t have a good crystal ball, but turnout in Tarrant County and Texas tends to be lower in the midterms than in presidential elections, and we don’t have a (U.S.) senate race on the ballot like other states do to drive turnout,” James Riddlesperger, political science professor, said.

Democrat Peoples’ past centered around party leadership, corporate experience
Oct. 23, 2022 
Fort Worth Report 
During Deborah Peoples’ time as party chair, Tarrant County Democrats eked out slim majorities of votes in the 2018 Senate race and again in the 2020 presidential race. However, the party was not able to secure a single countywide office, despite the county trending purple. “Peoples’ business experience, coupled with a lack of record in public office, could be an asset in the race for county judge,” James Riddlesperger, political science professor, said. “Americans are, relatively speaking, dissatisfied with the government in general,” he said. “One of the things that candidates without experience constantly do is say 'Look, I don’t have any experience making the bad decisions that people who’ve been in public office make.'”

Republican O’Hare’s record reflects consistently conservative record 
Oct. 23, 2022 
Fort Worth Report 
Tarrant County has 69 elected officials and 41 municipalities and areas. But only one county judge. Regardless of who wins — Republican Tim O’Hare or Democrat Deborah Peoples — the new county judge likely will be a more partisan leader than previous officeholders. Both candidates are former Tarrant County chairs of their respective parties. “O’Hare’s record as mayor of Farmers Branch and founder of Southlake Families PAC reflects an entanglement with national issues that breaks with political trends in Tarrant County,” James Riddlesperger, political science professor, said. “We used to say all politics are local, right? But that has given way. Most people don’t pay close attention to those issues anymore … and instead focus on national issues.”

Professors awarded $1.5M for urban forest technology research project 
Oct. 21, 2022
North Texas Daily 
A research team led by University of North Texas professors will use a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct a five-year study on urban forest technology, according to a press release. The researchers will start the project in January and will study i-Tree, a digital tool that can help cities evaluate and make decisions about their urban forests. The project will focus on the cities of Denton, Texas; Eugene, Oregon; and Cleveland, Ohio. The team will be joined by Ashley Coles, associate professor of geography.

ALUMNI

Executive of the Year: Arnold Gachman has built a proud legacy in business and community
Oct. 31, 2022
Fort Worth Business Press
Arnie Gachman ’64, chairman of Gamtex Industries, was awarded executive of the year by Fort Worth Business Press. Gachman is a founding donor of the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “Arnie Gachman and his wife, Harriette, have generously made an enduring impact on students and programs at TCU, often in honor of beloved friends and classmates,” Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. said. “Arnie very much deserves this award, not only for being one of the best business executives in his industry, but also for his passion and commitment to the citizens and the city of Fort Worth.” Gachman said, “My goal is to help transform and create a credible reputation and eliminate unscrupulous business practices from the industry. As a result, the scrap industry in recent years has committed to a much higher standard of business governance.” 

How dyslexia, car rides with dad, and a mugshot shaped Joy Hofmeister 
Oct. 31, 2022
Yahoo Finance 
Joy Hofmeister ’88 has dyslexia, and throughout school, assignments took longer to complete, standardized tests were a struggle, and Hofmeister would doubt her academic abilities. She persisted in her studies and years later graduated near the top of her class from TCU. She later became a teacher before owning a business that helped other children who needed additional academic support. Today, she is Oklahoma’s Democratic candidate for governor. “Repeatedly hitting that struggle and overcoming it, that is what I think made me the kind of person I am today, someone who is resilient,” Hofmeister said.

Get to know teacher and Plano volunteer, Candace Hickey 
Oct. 24, 2022
Plano Star-Courier 
After graduating from TCU, Candace Hickey ’91 (M.Ed. ’93) became an elementary school teacher for Fort Worth ISD and now volunteers at The Storehouse of Collin County with her family. "I always instilled the value of helping others in need. When we first began participating with these charity organizations, The Storehouse of Collin County was one nonprofit we enjoyed,” Hickey said.

ATHLETICS

TCU will host Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff for Texas Tech
Oct. 29, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
No. 7 TCU will host Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff Saturday against Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs and Red Raiders will kick off at 11 a.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium directly after the pregame show that features Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn. Longtime broadcaster Gus Johnson and college football analyst Joel Klatt will be on the call. Klatt compared Max Duggan to Tim Tebow last week and has Duggan as one of his Heisman favorites.

Steven Johnson: Despite historic run, TCU has yet to play its best and that’s scary for the Big 12
Oct. 23, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Officially past the halfway point of the season, we’ve learned a ton about coach Sonny Dykes and his TCU football program. The Horned Frogs are explosive and resilient, coming back from consecutive big deficits in back-to-back weeks against two Top 25 opponents. TCU has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Max Duggan. Kendre Miller and Quentin Johnston can make the same argument as running back and wide receiver. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” linebacker Johnny Hodges said. “I don’t think we’ve put four quarters of a really good football game together yet. It’s nice to get into the win column against a good team. I guess we’re alright for now.” Duggan said. “It starts in practice. The first couple of games we were doing a really good job of starting fast. We’ve just gotta make sure we’re executing at a higher level.” Dykes said there are teams he’s coached in the past that have gotten off to fast starts where players start to lose focus. “I don’t think this team is like that,” Dykes said. “I’ve kind of been waiting to start hearing some talk about this or that or conference standings or rankings, and I haven’t heard it ever.”

No. 14 TCU has stable roster and highest preseason ranking 
Oct. 21, 2022 
Galveston County Daily News
Coach Jamie Dixon might have the most stable roster in the nation, which is quite a transformation for a TCU basketball program that went through a couple of overhauls before landing its highest-ever preseason ranking this fall. The 14th-ranked Horned Frogs, with preseason Big 12 player of the year Mike Miles Jr., return all five starters and five other scholarship players. This is Dixon's seventh season at his alma mater, which before last March hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 1987 when he was a senior guard for the Frogs. “I know people thought I was crazy when I talked about expectations when I first got here. You saw a team getting better and better. ... We've made great strides,” said Dixon, who lauded the benefits of summer workouts coaches can now have with their teams. “Everybody got better because most of them were out there almost the entire time.”