From celebrating its newest national mural to the medical school’s successful match day and from weighing in on ChatGPT to Tax Day, TCU and its faculty and students are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
March 23, 2023
Fort Worth Magazine
The latest Horned Frog to be honored with a mural to celebrate TCU’s 150th anniversary will be NBA player Desmond Bane ’20. Besides being a guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, Bane is also known as an enthusiastic youth advocate, an endeavor he credits to TCU. “My support system had everything to do with my success, and it still does,” Bane said. “It keeps me anchored along this journey. TCU is a close-knit family, like the
one I came from. Without TCU, I wouldn’t be the man that I am today. To be recognized
by my alma mater and to leave my mark mean the world to me.” Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. said, “Desmond represents the character and tenacity of all Horned Frogs who are empowered
to lead on—in his case both on and off the basketball court, and in his personal and
professional life.”
March 20, 2023
fortworthinc.com
The entire graduating class of medical students at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU matched into medical residency programs across the United States. “I am so proud of
this inaugural class and our team of leaders, who made this Match Day a success for
all,” said Dr. Stuart D. Flynn, founding dean. “This moment is the culmination of four years of hard work, passion
and dedication. As Empathetic Scholars, they will carry their passion for excellent
patient care into hospitals and communities across the country. These students are
the future of health care in our country.”
FACULTY & STAFF
March 24, 2023
ConservativeHome
A new Oxford study has concluded that all forms of hormonal contraception used by
women increase breast cancer risk by one-quarter. While Cancer Research, the charity
that funded it, said the findings ought not to dissuade women from using such medication
– and millions of British women already have – the backlash has already begun. Sarah Hill, psychology professor, authored a popular science book This Is Your Brain on Birth Control, and described her epiphany upon coming off the pill after a decade of use. “I realized
like, oh yeah, that’s right, hormones influence the brain, and if you change hormones
you’re going to change what women’s brains do … It was a pretty embarrassing epiphany
to have as a psychologist,” Hill said.
March 23, 2023
MSN
Artificial intelligence is taking the world by storm, and one local college professor
is embracing the technology. This semester, Beata Jones, professor of business information systems practice, is using ChatGPT in her classes.
“The future is going to be collaborative with artificial intelligence, and the sooner
we realize it, the more beneficial it's going to be for everyone,” she said. “What's
important is instructing the students and educating them on what is acceptable use
of the technology and what is not an acceptable use of technology.”
March 22, 2023
Fort Worth Report
State Rep. Salman Bhojani is snapping selfies with House members across party lines
and in the Senate in hopes of forming connections in the Texas Legislature. “With
the Legislature only meeting for 140 days every two years, a lot of the lawmakers’
work gets done before the session even starts, putting first-time representatives
at a disadvantage. Bhojani also faces the challenge of trying to get things done as
a Democrat in a Republican-controlled Legislature,” James Riddlesperger, political science professor, said. “But the Texas Legislature also is not entirely
partisan. There is an opportunity for working across parties in Texas.”
March 21, 2023
Fort Worth Report
The National Society of Black Sports Professionals North Texas is honoring Opal Lee,
the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” with its inaugural Legacy Award at the chapter’s
Women’s History Month event March 22 at the African American Museum of Dallas. Lee’s recognition is set to be the crescendo of its Women’s History Month event –
Play Like A Girl: Phenomenal Women in Sports that will feature Kim Johnson, senior associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator at TCU, and
others.
March 20, 2023
WalletHub
Tax Day can be a painful reminder of how much we have to invest in federal, state
and local governments, though many of us are unaware of exactly what they give us
in return. For more insight into how taxpayer funds are turned into government services
as well as how taxpayers can measure the efficiency with which their money is used,
a panel of economics and public-policy experts explain how it works. Stephen J. Lusch, associate professor of accounting, said, “It is difficult to ascertain whether high
tax burdens lead to ‘better’ government services because ‘better’ is a very subjective
term. We can say that higher tax burdens likely lead to more government services.
Whether more government services equate to ‘better’ government services is a value
judgment for each individual taxpayer.”
March 19, 2023
Chicago Tribune
When a group of Democratic lawmakers in Illinois a decade ago proposed banning assault
weapons with legislation that mirrors the state’s new gun law, the Illinois Sheriffs’
Association opposed the bill. As opponents have filed lawsuits in state and federal
court to stop the law from being enacted, the roughly 90 Illinois sheriffs have declared
their opposition to the law, proclaimed it unconstitutional and said they won’t enforce
it. “As political science professors and law professors will both tell you, there’s
no basis in fact to this idea that the county sheriff has ultimate authority,” said Emily Farris, associate professor of political science, who has conducted extensive research on
sheriffs and the “constitutional sheriff” movement with the Marshall Project.
March 16, 2023
Fort Worth Report
Texas legislators are engaging in a bipartisan push to increase teacher salaries,
but the details are still being determined. Curby Alexander, associate professor of professional practice in the College of Education, said that
salary stagnancy, the strains on the teaching profession post-COVID-19 and the current
political climate have contributed to acute teacher shortages and burnout throughout
Texas’ public education system. “An increase in pay may act as a motivator, but many
teachers are leaving the profession because the working conditions are not ideal,”
he said. “They feel underappreciated and undervalued by parents, their administration
and especially the state.”
March 13, 2023
The Dallas Morning News
Plano Senior High School started a Black Student Union in 2018. Other Collin County
high schools, such as Prosper, Prosper Rock Hill and McKinney, also host Black Student
unions. “With the added effect of our social-cultural climate being much more polarizing,
especially during and after summer 2020, I think that students at high schools have
decided to create that kind of space so that they don’t feel like they have to endure
these things alone,” Associate Professor Brandon Manning said. “A lot of what the lack of belonging kind of creates is this sense of racial burnout.”
March 11, 2023
Chattanooga Times Free Press
In March, most Americans move their clocks one hour ahead for daylight-saving time.
Losing one hour of sleep can make the morning alarm sting just a little more, but
the effects of daylight saving can stay with us for weeks. “Pushing clocks ahead in
the spring cuts both ways. It's darker in the morning, which makes it harder to wake
up; and it's brighter in the evening, which makes it harder to fall asleep,” Dr. Debra Atkisson, a psychiatrist and associate professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, said. Atkisson added that losing one hour of sleep due to daylight saving can cause a “sleep debt”
that takes a while to adjust to. “A lot of people are a little more ... foggy in the
morning after daylight-saving time,” she said. “And I don't mean the immediate morning
after. I mean for weeks after.”
March 11, 2023
JAPAN Forward
Michael Strausz, associate professor of political science, has written a book called Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan (SUNY Press, 2019). The book provides insightful analysis regarding Japan's approach
to immigration, refugees and foreign workers, which he describes as “restrictive.”
Strausz spent close to two years doing fieldwork researching Japan's immigration policies.
March 10, 2023
Newsmax TV
Tracy Walder, adjunct professor of criminal justice, said there is likely enough evidence for
the FBI to convict Bryan Kohberger in the high-profile case of the University of Idaho
student murders. “They probably have an overabundance of evidence. That's what I've
always thought about this case and really, as an FBI agent, you have to have that
overabundance of evidence, especially one this high profile that's been covered by
so many people.”
March 10, 2023
Telecom Review (UAE)
While quite a few fairly immersive augmented reality/virtual reality spaces already
exist, particularly in Dubai, those spaces have not yet attracted a large percentage
of the public’s time and attention. Johnny Nhan,associate dean of graduate studies and professor of criminal justice, said. “Maybe 15 to 30 years from now, people’s attitudes will be more welcoming of
the metaverse, exemplifying a case where the social is driving the technology and
not vice versa.”
March 1, 2023
Inside Higher Ed
Nichole Mancone Fisher, TCU registrar, and Justin Wenig, CEO of Coursedog, will share their experiences
on a webinar and will work with teams in the registrar’s office to drive efficiency.
Fisher plans to share her broad experience from working at almost a dozen colleges
and universities, including how she thinks about ensuring her team can focus on strategic
tasks.
STUDENTS
March 19, 2023
Fort Worth Report
A 10-second countdown ticked as medical school students awaited their “envelopes.” What
followed was an explosion of emotion at Amon G. Carter Stadium as TCU’s medical school students learned to which residency program they had been matched.
Among the students matched from the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU was Ivette Mota Avila, 32. “I feel like I can do whatever I want right now. I’ve always wanted to work
with women and use what life has given me,” Ivette said. “It does feel like a dream came true."
March 15, 2023
aamc.org
For most medical students, Match Day is the most anticipated day of their medical
careers — the day when they find out where they will spend the next five to seven
years training in the specialty of their choice. For older students, many of whom
have families and have spent years in another career, the day also marks a milestone
that many have been dreaming of for decades. Stephanie Schaumberg, a student at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, said, “If I had gone to medical school when I thought I was going to in my early 20s,
I wouldn’t have been the same doctor that I’ll be now. Everything comes in its own
time.”
ATHLETICS
March 23, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
New TCU women’s head basketball coach Mark Campbell wouldn’t put a timetable on how long it will take to turn around the program. But
he says has a distinct vision for how to do so. Campbell is suited and excited to take over a program that only won a single Big 12 regular-season
game this past season. “This opportunity is a dream come true,” he said. “The ability
to win at an elite level at a place that aligns with my faith, I couldn’t have a better
job in the country.”
March 21, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU has hired Mark Campell as its new women’s head basketball coach. Campbell, who has coached the last two seasons at Sacramento State, replaces Raegan Pebley who resigned after nine seasons guiding the Horned Frogs. “I’m very
excited to be a TCU Horned Frog,” Campbell said. “It’s an honor to serve as its women’s basketball head coach. TCU is
a special place with unbelievable people.”
t
March 20, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
With a chance to make history, TCU came up short in a thriller against Gonzaga in
the Round of 32 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Bulldogs defeated the
Horned Frogs 84-81 at Ball Arena. TCU is still seeking its first appearance in the
Sweet 16. “I’m just so proud of their effort tonight, all season long,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “It’s a great group, with unbelievable closeness. They worked hard, they played
hard. They loved being around each other and I loved being around them.”
March 20, 2023
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU held its first open spring practice of the year. Following last season’s historic
College Football Playoff championship run, the Horned Frogs are turning the page to
the next season. With the departure of quarterback Max Duggan ’22 to the NFL, the Horned Frogs have several options for a replacement. The first is Chandler Morris who started last year until he was injured in the opener at Colorado. Duggan took
over for him. TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said, “I thought Chandler looked good, thought (Josh) Hoover looked good. Both of them can really throw the football, that’s what stood out.”