PACS Proud Archive
Faculty, staff, and students in the College of Public Affairs & Community Service often receive recognition and honors for their accomplishments and insights. They are only a few of the reasons why we are PACS Proud!
Through a collaboration among the College of Public Affairs & Community Service, College of Education, and the College of Arts & Sciences, the Kristin Farmer Autism Center opened...
Congratulations to Second year MPA student, Cori Romashkina, is the 2012-13 recipient of the Lynn Anderson Scholarship ($4000) from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. Of...
The 2012 PACS Fall Forum featured a panel of experts on Human Trafficking. Read the Denton Record Chronicle story featuring the event: http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/local-news-...
Fourteen University of North Texas students in Principle Lecturer Beverly Davenport’s Anthropology 1100 (World Cultures) course won awards for their op-ed pieces submitted in a competition...
Phi Alpha, the Social Work Honor Society, was voted by the Campus Life Ambassadors as the Student Organization of the Month for October. Congrats to these students.
Paul has been invited by the APA Minority Fellowship Program to become a member of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Fellowship! This is quite an honor and, once again, we are...
Brian Loftus, an alumnus of the rehabilitation counseling graduate program and currently Business Services Coordinator at Job Fit, recently received The President’s Volunteer Service Award...
Thanks to the hard work of Lisa Dicke and Hee Soun Jang, UNT will have its largest presence ever at this year’s conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and...
Dr. Bob Bland has been notified of his appointment to the National Academy of Public Administration Fellows this November. UNT and PACS now have someone amidst a very distinguished group...
The College of Public Affairs and Community Service congratulates 2nd year PhD student Kyujin Jung on winning 1st place for his poster on “Community Resiliency and Emergency Management...
Devin Axtman, a PACS undergraduate student and Political Science major, has organized several presentations on Person-First Language as a way to complete his Spring Service Learning hours....
Dr. James Duban, Director of the Office for Nationally Competitive Scholarships, coordinated a “Best Undergraduate Experience” student panel as part of the Sage Hall Ribbon Ceremony on...
Public Administration PhD students Ashley Hyder and Kyugin Jung received a 2012 UNT Graduate Student Research Grant (GRSG) award. The goal of this program, which is cosponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development, Office for Nationally Competitive Scholarships, and the Toulouse Graduate School, is to stimulate successful proposals for graduate-level research and fellowships.
PACS Advisors, Renee LeClaire and Janelle Richardson recently received their Masters from UNT. Renee now has a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Janelle a Master of Science in Information. Congrats to them for their hardwork!
Congratulations to the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, & Addictions for receiving accreditation from the Commission on Rehabiltation Education for their undergraduate rehabilitation program. They will be in the first cohort of accredited programs.
Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences Alum, Robbie Hazelbaker , assistant director of parks and recreation for the City of Richardson, was recently honored as an Outstanding Community Leader by Special Olympics Texas – Area 10 and the local Richardson Roadrunners Delegation. Find out more...
Sage Garber, Rehablitation, Social Work, & Addictions Alum, was recently awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Texas Advocates. Texas Advocates is a self advocacy group. It has 20 local chapters across the state of Texas. She received the award at the annual conference held last weekend in July. Find out more...
Dr. Chandra Donnell, Assistant Professor in Rehabilitation, Social Work, & Addictions, was awarded the Joyce Keener Award at the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns conference.
Dr. Bob Bland, Public Administration, quoted by the Wall Street Journal on budget cuts by an Oregon town. Read more...
Scott Belshaw, in the Criminal Justice Department comments on the psychological affects relating to the Colorado movie theater shooting. Read the story online...
Students in Brenda Sweeten's Child Welfare Policy and Practices Class raise awareness on Child Abuse. Find out more...
Congrats to the Anthropology Department for receiving the undergraduate National Award three years running from the Center for Public Anthropology's Community Action Project for Public Work.
MPA student, Emily Hudson, was selected for the Academy of Crisis Management, Emergency Planning, and Civil Protection (AKNZ) in Germany. Emily is one of 93 participants from 26 countries and 46 universities. Emily completed a BS degree in Emergency Administration and Planning from UNT and is nearing completion of the MPA degree. Congrats to Emily!
Congrats Chad Trulson in Criminal Justice for the ranking of the Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Journal as 14th (out of 50 journals) in impact factor in the Criminology/Penology category in the prestigious national ISI Web of Knowledge ranking.
Congratulations to Sarah Kirkle (MPA '05) and Skylar Wilk (MPA '11) and their team at the Sunset Advisory Commision on winning the National Conference of State Legislatures 2012 Excellence in evaluation Award. The Sunset Commission ended up atop the ratings among seven other states competing for the award, which recognized work produced by the Commission that affects Texas government. During the period recognized by the award, Sunset Commission staff produced 41 reports that included close to 600 recommendations to help create more effective and more efficient government agencies, even if eliminating some agency operations was part of the solution.
Dr. Abraham Benavides interviewed by the Akron Beacon Journal, find out more...
Congratulations to Dr. Niki Dash as the recipient of the 2012 Exemplary Online Teacher and Course Designer Award presented by the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign. Well done, Dr. Dash!
Governor Rick Perry of Texas spoke with students in the Master of Public Administration program, more...
Congrats to second-year PhD student in Public Administration, Ashley Hyder, for receiving the Multicultural Scholastic Award from UNT.
The Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis has awarded the University of North Texas Department of Behavior Analysis its 2012 Enduring Programmatic Contributions Award for having established a tradition of leadership in teaching, service and scholarship. Find out more...
Graduate students in Dr. Linda Holloway's Employment and Career Development class worked with populations served by organizations such as HOPE, Inc., Austin Street Center, New Life and others. Find out more...
Dr. David McEntire featured on the UNT homepage for his expertise on preparing for the summer storm season. More...
Dr. James Veteto and the Southern Seed Legacy Lab were recently featured in the Texas Gardener Magazine. Read the article...
Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales was recently selected to receive the 'Fessor Graham Award at this year's honors reception. See all PACS winners...
Dr. Linda Holloway weighs in on autism in adults in the Houston Chronicle. Read the full article...
Congrats to PhD student in Public Administration & Management, Hannah Murdock winning the Buxton Fort Worth Company economic competition. They competed with other Economic students at UNT and at other universities across the nation. They analyzed the extent to which over 1500 variables had an effect on total sales during 2011 in 83 restaurants owned by Buster's Brewhause.
Congratulations to Corinne Ong, Sociology student, on being selected to participate in the Multicultural Scholastic Award Program (MSA). The MSA Program is a retention initiative sponsored by UNT’s Office of Outreach.
Dean Tom Evenson thanked more than 200 people at the PACS Appreciation Dinner. Congrats to Amber Haig, Daniel M. Johnson Award of Distinction for Community Service & Leadership, Denton Independent School District, Award of Distinction for Organizations Involved in Community Service & Leadership, Abraham Benavides, Hiram J. Friedsam Award for Distinguished Faculty Service, Tena Burley, PACS Exemplary Staff Award for Community Service, Lorena Swan & Ashley Hyder, William A. Luker Award for Student Involvement
Congratulations to Applied Gerontology PhD candidate, Eunkyung Kim, who received a Thesis/Dissertation Fellowship from UNT toulouse Graduate School for the next academic year. Her dissertation topic is "Korean American Protestant Churches as a Vehicle for Educating, Screening, and Enrolling Korean Seniors in Services Offered by Outsides Agencies: An Exploratory Study." This award is one of the most prestigious awards at UNT.
Congratulations to Brian Collins on being named the MPA Program's Outstanding Teacher of the year!
Dale Yeatts, Sociology Professor has been selected to serve as one of the keynote speakers at the International Conference on Aging and Social Security at the University of Zhejiang, in Hangzhuo, China. He will also be presenting a piece entitled Village Sustainability and Health of the Chinese Village Elderly.
Congatulations to Dr. David McEntire on his paper being selected for the "Outstanding Paper Award" by the Emerald Literati Network for his article "Addressing Vulnerability through an Integrated Approach".
MPA student, Mendie Schmidt is one of the recipients of the Clarence Ridley Scholarship for 2012. Mendie is completing here second year in the MPA program. In addition to the$4,000 award, Mendie will be the guest of TCMA at their annual conference.
Congrats to Susan Squires for her latest publication in the Journal of Assistive Technologies as well as being chosen as a Highly Commended Award Winner. Find out more about the Awards for Excellence...
Martha Garber recently received an award for her outstanding service to the ARC of Denton County. Congrats to Martha! Find out more...
MPA Alum, Don Whitman begins his new position as City Administrator. Read the full story...
US News & World Report released their quadrennial rankings of the nation’s 280 MPA programs, and UNT has moved up to #8 in the city management/urban policy specialty. Congrats to this great program! See all rankings online...
Congratulations to Social Work student, Kaitlin Hoag for being chosen as Runner-Up in UNT Internships' "Best Internship Ever" contest.
Sociology PhD candidate Joseph Comeau published an article, "Race/Ethnicity and Family Contact: Toward a Behavioral Measure of Familialism". Find out more...
Sociology Alum, Dr. Keith Curry Lance, is the lead researcher for a 2011-2012 National Leadership Grant Study funded by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. Assessing the Infrastructure Needs of 21st Century School Library Programs is a joint venture of the HS Library Consortium, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, and the Education Law Center of Pensylvania.
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Alum, Sean Hughes, was named Copperas Cove fire Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator. Find out more...
Congratulations to the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions on being nominated by a member of the UNT community to be recognized by the UNT Multicultural Center for their hard work, leadership, and contributions to women's issues.
Public Administration Grad and Tyler City Manger, Mark McDaniel was elected to the International City/County Management Association. Find out more...
Dr. David McEntire provides his expertise on how to prepare for an emergency. Read the article in the North Texan...
Dr. Sudha Arlikatti's co-authored book featured on UNT's Research website. Find out more...
Criminal Justice major named among top UNT programs. Find out more...
Congratulations to PACS staff, Hillary Talatzko and Carla Smith on being chosen for Staff Contribution Awards!
Private Investigations program, started and run by Dr. Scott Belshaw is ranked 5th in the nation by PINOW.COM. Find out more...
PACS student, Skylar Conover, Competes in Ms. Wheelchair Texas Competition. Find out more...
Tom Brymer, Westlake's town manager and academy superintendent, recently was awarded Public Administrator of the Year by the North Texas Chapter of the American Society of Public Administrators. Read more...
Applied Gerontology PhD student, Dr. Nnamdi Orakpo received the Member's Choice Award at the AMSA National Convention for his disertation on prostate cancer. Congrats!
Dr. Paul Leung selected to participate as a member of the 38th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues Primary Study Group.
Dr. Paul Ruggiere featured on the faculty/staff website, INHouse. View the interview online.
Congratulations to Dr. Marisa Abbe on her dissertation being selected as one of the 40 best in the U.S. in Cultural Anthropology. Marisa works part-time for Anthropology & part-time for the Children's Hospital in Dallas. She is helping make medicine more sensitive and responsive to the needs of diverse patient populations. Find out more...
PACS alumnus, Ryan Crocker, in the news for his company, Earthwise Gardens first local food festival. Read the article now...
Congratulations to Anthropology undergraduate student, Jon Dombrosky on being selected for this year's Society of Ethnobiology Award. Find out more...
Two PACS grad students receive awards. Congrats to Yawo Bessa, Sociology Graduate student for receiving 2nd Runner Up Graduate Student International Award, and to Anthropology Grad student, Arvind Singh for receiving First Runner Up Graduate Student Interdisciplinary Award.
Congratulations 2010-2011 Dean's List Recipients! See your name online here
Recent Sociology Alum, Deborah Cosimo, publishes book: "Domestic Violence: Legal Sanction and Recidivism among Male Perpetrators."
Family pulls off UNT Hat Trick: read the story on how this family graduated 3 people at a time, husband, wife, and son finish their degrees.
Congrats to Dr. Jim Veteto on his recent book, The Slaw and the Slow Cooked: Culture and Barbecue in the Mid-South. Find out more...
Congratulations to Charldean Newell and her co-authors on the publication of the 12th edition of Texas Politics. The 1st edition of her book was published in 1979. It is now surpassed all competitors both in the number of editions and its longevity.
1993 Public Administration graduate, T.C. Broadnax was recently named Tacoma, Washington's next city manager. Broadnax has been an assistant city manager in San Antonio since 2006.
Students in Dr. Brenda McCoy's & Dr. April Fehler's Community Engagement classes raised over $18,000 for local chairities who fight hunger. Find out more...
team of students in Hee Soun Jang’s course on Leading and Managing Public Organizations (PADM 5020) conducted a survey of employees in the City of Kennedale. Last Thursday, Dec 8, they presented their research findings to Bob Hart, CM, and Ms. Cooper, HR Director. Attached are a couple of photos of the students in action. Students on the team were Carrie Hart, Emily Hudson, Jim Cook, Andrea Fowler, and Garin Giacomarro. An excellent example of public service to the community.
Congratulations to Simon Andrew, Sudha Arlikatti, Hee Soun Jang, and Praveen Maghelal on the funding of their proposal, “Assessing Blight in the City of Dallas,” by the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity for $25,520.
Congratulations to 1st year PhD student Kyujin Jung whose paper, "A Study on the Effect of Governance Structure on Local Public Enterprises' Performance,” has received the Best Paper Award from the Korean Association for Local Public Enterprises. The award is sponsored by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. The paper will also be published in the Journal of Local Public Enterprises.
The City of Seguin announced MPA graduate, William Couch as planning director. Find out more...
Bridgette Smith, won a $4,500 Next Generation Nonprofit Leader (NextGen) award. This award is available exclusively to students who are pursuing a certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Bridgette has majored in Emergency Administration and Planning, and minored in Leadership of Community and Nonprofit Organization and Psychology. The NextGen award recognizes select students completeing their internship at a nonprofit organization. The function of the internship, an of the Next Generation Nonprofit Leaders Program, is to prepare a new generation of nonprofit leaders and administration.
Congratulations to applied anthropology graduate student Joel Alexander for winning the 2011 Murphy Center's New Venture Creation Contest. His business plan, forged from his practicum project and previous research in Belize, will support a new start-up company, Chocolate House LLC. The Chocolate House LLC will become the recognized and sole North American distributor of fine grade organic cacao beans from Maya rainforest orchards in West Toledo Belize. We're very proud of you Joel! http://www.murphycenter.unt.edu/students/nvcc.php.
Congrats to the Success for Life through Reading program for their recent grant from Denton Benefit League to give more summer books to local children.
Dr. Bob Bland, Public Administration, quoted in the North Texas e-News on the Public Administration Symposium.
Dr. Traci Cihon's Teaching Behavior Analysis lab was awarded a $12,000 course redesign grant and Dr. Cihon was named a CLEAR NextGen Faculty Fellow.
With a grant provided by the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, Success for Life through Reading took home the Departmental Spirit Award for their "Scrappy Loves Reading" Homecoming float.
Criminal Justice Department hosts 2nd Annual Basketball Fundraiser, raising over $700 for the Jacob Fritsch Scholarship Fund.
Christina Wasson, Anthropology, recently published Applying Anthropology in the Global Village.
At-risk Students Gain Support from Dr. Traci Cihon's SPRINT Academic Enrichment Program. Graduate students in Behavior Analysis work as indvidiualized tutors to children who are at-risk for school failure.
MPA Program kicks off 50th Anniversary Celebration at UNT Homecoming and is recognized for their tremendous program during the football game...
Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, Associate Professor of Behavior Analysis, was elected as an Eastern Psychological Association fellow. Find out more...
Dr. Abraham Benavides, Associate Professor of Public Administration weighs in on City Plans for a Wellness Program to Curb Healthcare Costs in the Chicago News Cooperative.
Social Work students in Brenda Sweeten's class participate in 6th Annual Kinship Fair for children in Child Protective Service custody. The class provided coats for the children, fed lunch, and provided other neccessities. Service learning at its finest!
MPA student, Ann Pape, has been selected as one of four participants from the North Texas region for the Rotary Group Study Exchange program to Melbourne Australia this coming spring (2012). The Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. During the exchange, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.
Congratulations to the 15 Public Anthropology Award Winners at the University of North Texas in Prof. Davenport's ANTH 1100 (World Cultures) class. To see the names of the award winners and their award winning opinion pieces click here: http://www.publicanthropology.org/CAW/11-Fall/CAP-1BDNT.htm. Dr. Davenport has also been won the Public Anthropology Ruth Benedict Global Citizenship Award. Congrats!
Coalition for Leadership in Aging Services, faculty member, John zumBrunnen presents two educational sessions and exhibiting booth at 2011 Leading Age Annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Find out more...
Abraham Benavides, associate professor and assistant chair of the Department of Public Administration, has been elected District IV representative for the National Council of the American Society for Public Administration. Learn more...
Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns challenges students to "Be Bold. Get Involved." at the PACS Fall Forum. View an online article.
George Yancey releases new book- Comprimising Scholarship: Religious and Political Bias in American Higher Education
UNT’s Success for Life through Reading RECEIVES BOOST TO AID preschool literacy program State Farm® Youth Advisory Board grants $91,000. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board announced that The Success for Life through Reading program will receive a $91,000 service-learning grant. Together Denton ISD high school students and UNT volunteers will work together to improve literacy rates and school readiness in area pre-school children. For 10 years UNT students have read and distributed books to low income preschool children in Denton. But with the State Farm Youth Advisory Board grant this year’s program will reach 1,200 area children.
About the Youth Advisory Board: The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is a diverse group of 30 youth, ages 17-20, who were chosen through a competitive process to lead and oversee this $5 million/year signature service-learning initiative. The Youth Advisory Board identified the issues, issued competitive grants and will now provide technical assistance, communication and oversight to grantees.
Applications for the YAB are available for interested, passionate youth aged 17-20 to become a Youth Advisory Board member. More information can be found at www.statefarmyab.com. Applications must be submitted online by October 3.
For more information or to contribute to Success for life, contact Jamie.Settemeyer@unt.edu
Congratulations to Mark McDaniel (MPA '87) on his endorsement by the ICMA Nominating Committee to serve as Vice President for the Mountain-Plains Region. The formal election will commence in January, with results published in February. Mark is city manager of Tyler and the first UNT alumnus nominated to serve on the ICMA Board.
Congratulations to Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales on beeing selected to receive a Research Fellowship through the Onassis Foundation. Find out more...
The Public Administration department will host a new international scholar on campus as part of the US Department of State's Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program. Learn more about this highly competitive program...
Master's student, Steve Carlson recently received a $9,954 grant for his thesis, "Managing Climate Change on Apple Orchards". He was in competition with other master's and PhD students from around the country. Congrats Steve... you make us PACS Proud...
Congratulations to UNT student, Consuela Miller, who is pursuing a certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance lead by Rachel Yedlowski in the College of Public Affairs & Community Service for winning the Next Generation Nonprofit Leader award The NextGen award recognizes extraordinary students completing their internship in a nonprofit organization.
Criminal Justice professor, Dr. Scott Belshaw featured in InHouse for his work in private investigation.
Hannah Murdock, Public Administration graduate student, quoted in the Denton Record Chronicle.
Elliot Jennings, alumni and current faculty of PACS participated as an interview subject in a documentary entitled "The Third Pillar of Science" about the importance of computation for scientific research. Read More...
Students in the Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions department work with high school students with visual disabilities to help them determine their career goals. Sixteen high school students spend 5 weeks living on the UNT campus and working for local businesses. Students practice their living skills enabling them to embrace their dreams and achieve their goals.
Congrats to Rehabilitation Counseling student, Charity Finch on being chosen to receive the Geni Bodenhamer Davis Scholarship.
Congratulations to Rehabilitation Counseling graduate student, Amy Trail on her recently published editorial in the Star Telegram.
Dr. Paul Leung, in the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, & Addictions, was invited to the State of Science Conference on Race, Ethnicity, & Disabilities.
Dr. Linda Holloway, Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, & Addictions, was elected Vice Chair to the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification and member of the Ethics Committee for CRCC. Well done, Linda!
Dr. Jim Veteto, in the Anthropology Department, was elected as the President of the Culture and Agriculture section of the AAA. Congrats Jim!
Congrats to Ryan Mabbitt, graduate of the Criminalistics Program at UNT, for being appointed by a major federal contractor to provide forensic analytical services to the U.S. Millitary.
Dr. Bob Bland, Chair of the Department of Public Administration, was a guest columnist for the Denton Record Chronicle...
Dr. James Veteto profiled on his research in Appalachia. View the article from Southern Agriculture Research & Education.
Dr. George Yancey, Sociology Professor, quoted in the New York Times.
Congratulations to the Department of Behavior Analysis for receiving the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis' (SABA) award for Enduring Programmatic Contributions in Behavior Analysis for 2012. Find out more about this award.
Congratulations to Anthropology Graduate Student, Shaun Chapa for receiving the Organizational Leadership Excellence Award from Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity. The award recognizes Shaun's extensive engagement in the community as an educational advocate and mentor. Congrats Shaun!
Congratulations to Sociology PhD student, Yuying Shen on receiving the ISA Scholarship to participate int he 10th ISA International Laboratory for PhD students in South Africa.
BAAS student, Burlyce Logan, one of the 11 black students to integrate UNT in 1956 will don her cap and gown this year. See a video of her story online.
Dr. George Yancey weighs in on the "Case for Dating Outside Your Race". View the entire story online.
Congratulations to Criminal Justice student, Rocio Rodriguez on being awarded the J.Edgar Hoover Scholarship!
Dr. Paul Leung, appointed by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE), completed the standards revision which CORE adopted to take effect Jan. 1, 2011. Additionally, Dr. Leung was selected to serve on the Prime Study group for the 37th Institute in Rehabilitation Issues. This is quite an honor and we are very proud of his selection!
Rehabilitation faculty member, Dr. Zach Sneed was appointed to the UNT Drug & Alcohol Education Task Force for this Spring. Congrats to Zach, we know you'll represent PACS well!
Rehabilitation Counseling Alumni, Sarah Mills, appointed by Gov. Rick Perrry to Early Childhood Intervention Advisory Committee.
Ramu Muthiah, congratulated in the H.R. newsletter for being among the first to complete the Supervisory and/or Manager Skill Certification Program.
Dr. David McEntire weighs in on recent disaster declaration by the Federal Government. Read the article online.
Three PhD students were recently awarded the University's Fellowship Awards. Congrats to Joseph Comeau, Scociology, Jacueline Harvey, Public Administration, Vaida Maleckaite, Public Administration. You make us PACS Proud!
Dr. Stan Ingman weighs in on the journeys with aging parents and the joys and challenges facing us all. Read the article online.
Ken Lyons, Sociology major, attributes his academic success to PACS Advisor, Richard Mabry. He began his degree in 1990 and was a Basketball star for UNT, and is in the Hall of Fame still to this day. He will graduate this year. Congrats to Ken and a special thanks to Richard Mabry. This is a special tribute to the PACS advisors who are dedicated to their students success!
Students in Dr. Brenda McCoy's Civic Engagement class raised over $6,000 for various charities this semester.
Success For Life Through Reading, an organization dedicated to increasing early childhood literacy in North Texas, hosted a Scrabble Tournament to raise money for their cause. The organization raised over $1,000 in one night.
MPA Alum, Jess Cline, who is the Manager of the HandsOn Program with the Volunteer Center of North Texas, received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Jess was an active member of the TRIO program at Kilgore College and served as their summer programs coordinator for many years. He also continues to volunteer his time with them during the summers and in speaking engagements throughout the year. Congratulations to Jess!
Shen Yuying, Sociology student, received the 1st Runner Up of the 2011 Graduate Students International Award. This is especially great since originally there was to only be one award, but the research was so great, they added two more places!
Criminal Justice department boasts the largest Career Day on campus. See the full article in the North Texas Daily.
Dr. Linda Holloway discusses the new Rehabilitation counseling certification offered, which is the first of its kind in Texas.
Hillary Talatzko was presented the UNT Community Award by President V. Lane Rawlins. Congrats to Hillary and thanks for all you do for UNT and the community.
Congratulations to Dr. David McEntire on receiving the Emerald Literati Network 2011 Awards for Excellence. His article, "Addressing vulnerability thorugh an integrated approach" was chosen as an Outstanding Paper Award Winner.
Dr. Traci Cihon's presentation, Integrating Teaching an dINterdisciplinary Scholarship to Enhance Student Learning Outcomes, was selected through peer review as the State of Missouri Showcase presentation and subsequently was selected as the best presentation of all state level presentations reviewed for the Central States Communication Association's 2011 convention.
Congratulations to Dr. Brandi Darensbourg on recieving the President's Award from the ARC of Denton County. Also, Sage Garber, Rehabilitation student, was awarded the Advocate of the Year Award from the ARC.
Dr. James Swan, in Gerontology, was elected 2nd Vice President of the Texas Public Health Association(TPHA). Additionally, he was elected as a fellow of the TPHA
Jessica Schuett, Sociology student, was announced as winner of this year's Rudy Seward Award for Outstanding MA Student. Additionally, she has accepted an offer for a position as Coordinator of University Membership and Development for the National Council for Science and the Environment. Congrats to Jessica!
Randy Batiste, in the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, & Addictions received the Learning Technologies Outstanding PhD Student Award at the Honors Day Convocation on April 08.
Congratulations to Charldean Newell on her membership in UNT's Founder's Circle and recognition as a member of The Kendall Society for her support of UNT. Thank you Charldean for all that you do for UNT and for the Public Service profession!
U.S. News and World Report ranked PACS' Rehabilitation Counseling program #13 in the U.S. See more rankings.
Deputy Director of FEMA visits UNT to meet with students about careers in Emergency Administration. View a video relating to his visit on the FEMA website.
Two Ph.D. students from the Department of Public Administration featured on the International Student Office website. Congratulations to David and Somporn and thanks for representing PACS so well!
Criminal Justice students win big at Lambda Alpha Epsilon Conference:
Stephen Starkey, Cord Nethers, James Freeman: 2nd Place Team Firearms, Upper Division
Cord Nethers: 3rd Place Corrections, Lower Division
Jonathan Sapp: 3rd Place Scholarship
Congratulations to these students! Find out more about these competitions and how to join the LAE Organization at UNT.
Dr. Cynthia Cready in Sociology was elected President of the Southwestern Sociological Association. Additionally, Anthony Guerro-Soto, Sociology student, was chosen to serve as Student Representative.
Dr. Jennifer Severance, Applied Gerontology Doctoral student and Miguel Juanez, Business and Social Work student have been chosen as Outstanding Young Professionals by Rotary International. This will allow them to participate in a Group Study Exchange Program to New Zealand.
Dr. Scott Belshaw is "rewriting state rules for private investigators" through his newly designed curriculum. The Private Investigator program is the first of it's kind and graduating the top students, according to the Star Telegram article.
Dr. David McEntire recently called upon by the media to discuss what's next for Japan after the disaster. Read the original article by the New York Post.
Dr. Mariela Nunez-Janes has been invited to present the IamWe program to the Denton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This invitation shows not only the success of the project in our local community but also the quality and the social outcomes of the excellent participatory methods and our models...
Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Congratulations Shahla!
Clay Phillips, Coppell City Manager was awarded the Outstanding MPA UNT Alumnus Award. “This past year the honoree experienced an unimaginable tragedy that thrust the community into the international spotlight . . . bringing the community to its knees,” said Dr. Robert Bland, chair of the University of North Texas’ Department of Public Administration. His exemplary leadership through this tragedy and over the years as a mentor to young managers is why we are honoring him today as the 2011 Outstanding MPA Alumnus,” concluded Dr. Bland at UNT’s MPA Alumni-Student Conference.
Dr. Paul Ruggiere, Director of Survey Research called upon by local news agencies to weigh in on population expansion of African Americans in DFW area.
Congratulations to second year MPA student, Isaa Linton, on the receipt of the Lynn Anderson Scholarship from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. The award is for $2,000. This is the 10th year in a row this state-wide award has been won by an MPA student at UNT
Dr. Pankaj Jain has been invited to be on the board of a national NGO working with President Obama's faith initiative. Read more about this initiative and Dr. Jain's involvement.
A special edition of the European Journal of Behavior Analysis was published during the month of Janurary, and Behavior Analysis Professor, Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales was the guest editor of the issue along with Dr. Traci Cihon who was also one of the contibutors. The Special Edition was concentrated on the training of behavior analysts in autism intervention in higher education.
The students of Public Administration class, Professional Practice for Public Managers, were featured on Denton TV. The class, lead by Dr. Brian Collins, conducted live, on-camera mock interviews, taking service learning to a whole new level!
Dr. ErmaLawson in the Sociology Department has accepted the invitation to serve on an Adivisory Board and attend an Advisory Seminar for Sesame Street. Her combined expertise as a sociologist and registered nurse, will undoubtedly enable her to serve as a valued member of the Sesame Street Advisory team.
The Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals (ORCA) were presented with the "Birds of a Feather Award for Outstanding Group Project for 2010" by the Heard Natural Science Museum. This student organization is designed to enhance the lives of animals and their guardians through behavior analytic research and to inform the public about discoveries.
Rudy Ray Seward was recently published in the Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Special Issue: Parenting: INternational Research and Education
Applied Gerontology Alum, Shawn Sullivan was chosen for Secretary of Aging. Sullivan has been the Executive Director of the Kansas Mosonic HOme in Wichita for the past three years.
Dan Stewart and Adam Trahan in the Criminal Justice Department recently received the Junior Faculty Summer Research Fellowships. Congratulations to them both and to the whole Criminal Justice Department.
Pankaj Jain of the Anthropology Department has also been approved for a Junior Summer Research Fellowship.
MPA Alumni, Robert Hanna was announced as the new Denison City Manager. Mayor Robert Brady said "Hanna is a bright, innovative guy, with a lot of experience." Hanna was up against 3 UTA MPA grads for this job.
Criminal Justice faculty, Dr. Chad Trulson and Dr. Scott Belshaw recent article "Delinquent Careers Behind Bars", which was published in the Criminal Justice Review, was voted the winnter of the journal's 2010 James L. Maddex, Jr. Paper of the Year Award. Dr. Scott Belshaw has also been asked to be a keynote speaker for the 2011 Annual UHD Student Research Conference. It's an honor for Scott to be chosen by another university and we wish him the best of luck.
Mariela Nunez-Janes, Anthropology professor at UNT, participates in the annual Texas Youth Summit. A great example of the "public" face of academia and research. Read about the summit and more of Mariela's work.
PACS Alumni, and now Miami Dolphins RB, Patrick Cobbs won the 2010 Ed Block Courage Award. This award was voted on by his teamates and is given to those who are "role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage." Read more about Cobbs and this award. Photo from original article by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Recently Published: Dr. George Yancey, two new books on Race and Ethnic Minorities, entitled Transcending Racial Barriers and compromising Scholarship: Religious and Political Bias in American Higher Education.
The Survey Research Center, under the direction of Dr. Paul Ruggiere assisted the Osteopathic Research Center in telephone interviews for OSTEOSURV 2010. These interviews studied the awareness of osteopathic medicine, the use of osteopathic physicians, and the extent of patient-centered care and opinions on health care reform. Find ou more about this study and other Osteopathic Research by visiting the ORC website.
MPA Alumni, Mr. Tolkunbek Abdygulov was recently promoted to the position of State Secretary (First Deputy Minister) at the Ministry of Economic Regulations in Kyrgyzstan. Abdygulov was at UNT on a Muskie Scholarship and graduated in 2007. He was known for "representing his country very well." Read more about his new job placement and other accomplishments during his time after PACS.
MPA student, Cynthia White was chosen from a competitive national pool to participate in a leadership program for the professional group, "Women in Transportation". She will be attending the conference in New Jersey, early February.
One of PACS' student organizations, Alpha Phi Sigma, recently collected Christmas presents for the Children's Advocacy Center for Denton County (CACDC). Through their hard work, CACDC was about to provide over 200 children with presents and clothes. We are very PACS Proud of Alpha Phi Sigma!
Recent Publications: Dr. Pankaj Jain: In the Washington Post, as well as Gandhi, Nonviolence, and Ecology, The Great Yoga Debate, and Ten Key Teachings of Hinduism for the Environment. His first book is due May 2011
The Top External Funding Recipients for Fiscal Year 2010 were released and PACS had top 13 showings! A special congrats and Thank You to Dr. Paul Ruggiere, Martha Garber, and Dr. Denise Catalano for their excellent work.
Dr. Sudha Arlikatti (Emergency Mangement), Dr. Alicia Re Cruz, (Anthropology), Dr. Ashley Blackburn (Criminal Justice), and Dr. Pankaj Jain (Anthropology) were selected by UNT’s Center for the Study of Interdisciplinary to serve as “Roving Professors.” During the next semester, they will broaden student's learning experience by teaching ethics "through the eyes" of their disciplines.
Margie Schluter, Office Manager for the Center for Public Management received, UNT Staff Contribution Award during Staff Appreciation week. Only 12 individuals are chosen out of all UNT staff each year.
To celebrate National Distance Learning Weak, CLEAR (Center for Learning Enhancement Assessment, and Redesign) spotlighted UNT programs which exemplify excellence in the field of distance learning. Applied Anthropology Online Master's Program was recognized by CLEAR for providing quality education to distance learners. The Coalition for Leadership in Aging Services was also recognized by CLEAR for their impacts on Aging Services.
The Department of Defense seeks to help Vets and they accomplish this through the help of PACS professors. The UNT Office of Research and Economic Development hosted a Department of Defense Symposium. Three research groups from PACS were selected to present proposals for research and collaboration that will lead to better service for veterans.
Dr. Susan Squires, Technology Perception and Implications for Tele-health Technology Adoption
Dr. Denise Catalano, Dr. Zach Sneed, Dr. Eugenia Bodenhamer-Davis, and Christopher Fisher, Using CES to target psychological distress and insomnia associated with PTSD among Veterans
Kenneth Scott, Dr. Zach Sneed, and Scott Waren, Employing Simulated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Develop Individualized Coping Strategies for Alcohol Addiction/Abuse
Sociology students in Dr. April Fehler's class participated in flash mobs to fufill assignment requirements relating to Group Dynamics. Students created a "human tunnel" as well as a "mock sleeping arrangement" in order to study the effects of Group Dynamics. View the videos of the student participation.
Note: A "flash mob" involves a group of people who assemble suddenly in public, perform an unique act, and then quickly disperse.
The Denton Benefit League has provided the Success for Life through Reading program funds to purchase 2,790 books for low-income school children. Success for Life through Reading, lead by grad student, Amma Cottrell, utilizes UNT student volunteers to read and distribute books to low-income pre-schoolers in Denton. Read about this grant in the Denton Record Chronicle.
Congratulations to PACS students Ann Dyson, Tony Morris, and Kim Wendt. These three students have been invited to present their “innovative ideas” at the Murphy Enterprise Center’s Fall 2010 IDEA competition and are eligible to win a $250 cash award. Our thanks to Dr. Norm Dolch for challenging students to submit their ideas as a part of his Nonprofit Financial Management course.
Abraham Benevides, Professor of Public Administration was featured as a guest speaker for the Eldon Fields Colloquium at the International City & County Management Association annual conference. This is the first time that a UNT faculty member has participated in this colloquium, sponsored by the University of Kansas. Congrats to Abraham for representing UNT!
Sociology student, Whitney Kreps goes above and beyond with her organization. The UNT chapter of AKD (Sociology Honor Society), led by Whitney Kreps, Shelly Adams, and Sarah Jones, recently held a fundraiser for the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association. UNT AKD raised $250 toward research on this incurable disease.
Associate Professor in the Public Administration Department, Lisa Dicke, spoke at the Leadership Denton Conference on September 24 on the topic of Nonprofits. For more information about this conference visit Denton Chamber. Additionally, she recently published a chapter, "A Nonprofit Organization" which appeared in Leadership in Non Profit Organizations, A Reference Handbook.
Hillary Talatzko, Academic Coordinator for Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions was selected as Vice Chair of the Staff Council at UNT. Congratulations Hillary!
Simon Andrew's article, co-authored with Chris Hawkins, on "Linking Cooperative Arrangements and Economic Development Strategies: An Institutional Collection Action Framework," has just been published as the lead article in the International Review of Public Administration.
Dr. Lisa Henry was recently awarded a $12,500 Research Grant for "Physician Assistant Roles in the Provision of Care to the Medically Underserved" by the Physical Assistant Education Association.
Eric Fritsch was just selected as a Research Fellow on the Consortium for Police Leadership and Equity, a national group of scholars. He has been invited to a meeting of the Research Fellows and around 20 police chiefs from large departments in New York at the end of summer. Congratulations Eric!
Chad Trulson, who recently published a book on racial desegregation in Texas prisons, has also been invited to participate in a symposium on correctional reforms at the Standford Law School.
Congratulations to Dr. David McEntire, for receiving the Wayne Blanchard Award for Academic Excellence. Find out more about this prestigious award here.
Dale Yeatts, professor of sociology recently received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in China related to social services for the elderly. In Spring 2011, Yeatts will be located at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where he will work with faculty and graduate students in the university's gerontology center to analyze existing survey data. Read more about Yeatts' travels here.
Professor Lynn Jackson recently recognized by Our Bodies Ourselves as Women's Health Hero. Read her story here.
Dr. Paul Leung received the NCRE Distinguished Career Educator Award.
Professor Scott Belshaw of the the Criminal Justice Department recently launched The Professional Private Investigation Academy for UNT Certification Program. This new program will allow students to gain certification in place of the three years normally needed in Investigative experience. It consists of 5 months worth of courses.