From the transformation of college radio to Texas wildfires and the penalty of an early spring, TCU and its faculty and alumni are in the news.
Feb. 27, 2024
BNN Breaking鈥�
罢颁鲍鈥疧辫别谤补鈥檚 production of 鈥淚nto the Woods鈥� has become a rapid sell-out, demonstrating the burgeoning
interest and growth within the program. With tickets for the scheduled performances
from March 1-3 selling out quickly, additional shows were added to accommodate the
high demand, yet the expansion was not enough to satisfy all interested spectators.
This incident has highlighted the program鈥檚 increasing popularity under the leadership
of鈥�Corey Trahan, who has overseen a 30% rise in enrollment since last year.
Feb. 23, 2024
BNN Breaking鈥�
Once limited to a modest broadcast of just five hours a day,鈥疜罢颁鲍 has not only expanded its airtime to a relentless 24/7 cycle but has also dramatically
broadened its reach across the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth area. This remarkable journey
from a small, campus-bound entity to a digital powerhouse encapsulates a broader narrative
of resilience and adaptation within the college radio sector. At the helm of this
evolution stands co-manager Janice McCall, a figure who has witnessed firsthand the station's metamorphosis over her 21-year
tenure. As KTCU celebrates its 60-year legacy, its journey from a small college radio
station to a digital broadcasting leader mirrors the broader shifts in the radio industry
and media consumption.
Feb. 21, 2024
Fort Worth Report鈥�
The TCU School of Music鈥痺ill host the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters at the inspiring Van Cliburn Concert Hall
at TCU. The free and family-friendly concert will feature a variety of music for the
community to enjoy. The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters ensemble performs a variety of
music ranging from traditional choral music, including sea chanteys and patriotic
fare, to opera, Broadway and contemporary music. The Sea Chanters chorus is frequently
found at the center of high-profile national events. At home in Washington, D.C.,
the group performs for the president, vice president and numerous congressional, military
and foreign dignitaries.
Feb. 20, 2024
Fort Worth Report鈥�
Beginning March 4,鈥�Rev. Stephen Cady鈥�becomes the third permanent president in鈥疊rite Divinity School鈥�s鈥�109-year history. Until 20 years ago, Brite functioned as a part of鈥疶CU and had a
dean but no president, according to the school. 鈥淚 am doing my best to sit down with
every staff member, every faculty member, every trustee member and as many students
as possible to just hear how they got here, why they stay and what they鈥檙e hoping
for. So that together we can find a path forward,鈥� Cady said.
FACULTY
Feb. 29, 2024
KPRC-TV (Houston, TX)
The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned over a million acres in the Texas Panhandle,
the largest recorded fire in Texas history. Some of that land is home to cattle. The
cattle industry is the bread and butter for many in the Panhandle. 鈥淭he Texas Panhandle
right now houses greater than 80% of Texas鈥� beef cattle population鈥� said鈥�Matthew Garcia, director of Ranch Management at鈥疶CU. Although the Panhandle is great for the cattle
industry, wildfires of this magnitude pose a threat to the supply. Garcia says cattle
supply is already at a 70-year low across the country. 鈥淪o right now, we don鈥檛 know
the number of cattle we鈥檙e actually losing in these fires. It could be tens of thousands
which further impacts our inventory,鈥� he said.
Feb. 26, 2024
The Utah Statesman鈥�
The women鈥檚 liberation movement arose alongside the Vietnam War in the late 1960s,
taking inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war sentiment. Protests
and new ideas regarding feminism would characterize this era of change.鈥�Kara Dixon Vuic is the鈥疞Cpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt Professor of War, Conflict, and Society in 20th-Century
America at鈥疶CU.鈥�淭his is the era of women marching in the streets for equal rights,鈥�
Vuic said. 鈥淵ou have women doing all kinds of things and going to war in Vietnam,
doing important things there.鈥濃��
Feb. 26, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)鈥�
Record warmth in February comes with a trade-off. According to the Asthma and Allergy
Foundation of America, DFW is one of the most challenging places to live if you suffer
from seasonal allergies. Tree pollen is the biggest agitator this week, fueled by
warm winds. 鈥淚t plays a huge factor. The wind here transmits most of the pollen and
dust,鈥� said鈥�Dr. Nikhil Bhayani, associate professor with the鈥疊urnett School of Medicine at TCU. Doctors encourage
people to start taking their allergy medication and avoid being outside on the windiest
days, but Bhayani said you should still enjoy the outdoors when you can. 鈥淒on鈥檛 let
the pollen stop you,鈥� Bhayani said.
Feb. 26, 2024
KPRC-TV (Houston, TX)鈥�
The National Education Association says nine in 10 public schools struggled to hire
teachers at the start of the school year. Teachers have high burnout levels, with
more than half of educators thinking about leaving the profession altogether. A.I.
expert and instructor of marketing Elijah Clark, has this to say: 鈥淭he main issue is that teachers are just overburdened with the
amount of work they have to produce. Not only that, you also have their parents now
wanting to be more involved with their child鈥榮 curriculum.鈥� Regarding A.I. and how
A.I. can be helpful in creating what's known as personalized learning, Clark said,
鈥淪tudents could get instant feedback (from A.I.) where the student can get the lesson
and review done right there with the computer system, versus having to wait for the
test to be submitted and graded, then returned, then set up a private meeting with
that teacher.鈥�
Feb. 23, 2024
Weirton Daily Times鈥�
罢丑别鈥�Rev. Lance Pape, professor of preaching at Brite Divinity School,鈥痺ill serve as the keynote speaker
for Bethany College鈥檚 2024 Oreon E. Scott Lectures, scheduled for April 8-9 at the
First Christian Church in Washington, Pennsylvania. Ordained and having served congregations
in Texas, Alabama and New York, Pape embodies a dedication to theological scholarship
and pastoral ministry.
Feb. 22, 2024
Fort Worth Report鈥�
Dr. Jamie Erwin鈥痜eels all of her patients are special. But even she admits the baby she helped deliver
Jan. 5 of this year will stand out. Erwin, who is an assistant professor at鈥痶he Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, was called by the Fort Worth Zoo to help with the
birth of a baby gorilla via emergency cesarean section after life-threatening complications
endangered the health of the mother, Sekani. 鈥淚t was an unforgettable highlight of
my life and my career, just one of the coolest days ever,鈥� said the 42-year-old Erwin,
a Fort Worth native. 鈥淚t was really just this beautiful team effort of veterinarians
coming together with medical doctors for this very special delivery,鈥� Erwin said.鈥�
Feb. 21, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram鈥�
While the Arlington Police Department is conducting internal affairs and criminal
investigations of a shooting in which an officer killed an armed driver, two law enforcement
experts who reviewed video of the incident say the shooting appeared to be justified.
Johnny Nhan, a professor in TCU鈥檚 Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, analyzed the bodycam footage. The Arlington
officer had a few reasons that justified him to act aggressively and fire his gun,
according to Nhan, who is also a reserve officer with the Fort Worth Police Department.
鈥淗is initial non-disclosure of the gun when asked meant he was not to be trusted,鈥�
Nhan said, 鈥溾�ore generally, the officer had probable cause to pull him over, has
the authority to have him get out of his car, and had reason to believe he was not
going to comply and instead was going to act aggressively, possibly shooting.鈥�
Feb. 21, 2024
狈别飞蝉飞别别办鈥�
Vladimir Putin has faced setbacks during his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now,
two years into the war, circumstances appear to be turning in his favor, and his grip
on power shows no sign of waning. 鈥淒omestically, Vladimir Putin is stronger than before,鈥濃��Ralph Carter, political science professor, told Newsweek. 鈥淗e鈥檚 rallied public opinion behind his leadership, calling Western sanctions an
attack that he's neutralized. He鈥檚 also neutralized domestic opposition, with the
deaths of Alexei Navalny, his most prominent critic, and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader
of The Wagner Group. The message to Russians鈥攊f it can happen to them, it can happen
to you.鈥�
Feb. 21, 2024
KERA News (Dallas, TX)鈥�
The Texas Republican Party has a strong grip on power at every level of elected office
in Texas. But it鈥檚 still dealing with internal turmoil. Many current Texas House members
who鈥檝e long identified as conservatives have been called RINOs 鈥� Republicans in Name
Only. That includes Jeff Leach, who co-authored the bill that became the state鈥檚 constitutional
carry law. Leach has faced backlash for voting to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton.鈥�Jim Riddlesperger, political science professor, said Republicans who don鈥檛 feel loyal to those figures
but still have conservative values feel the tension. 鈥淚t makes for people feeling
uncomfortable in their political party home,鈥� Riddlesperger said.
Feb. 21, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)鈥�
The relationship between Assistant Professor Dr. Jamie Erwin and student鈥�Carter Clatterbuck鈥痑t the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU is more like a marathon...figuratively and
literally. The women first met when Clatterbuck was an undergrad at TCU. Now she鈥檚
a third-year med student. That鈥檚 where the figurative marathon comes in. 鈥淲e actually
ran into each other again at the Cowtown Trailblazer running group,鈥� Erwin said. The
women ran in February鈥檚 Cowtown Marathon together. 鈥淲e were both athletes growing
up. We鈥檝e talked about that and how we transitioned to be distance runners as adults,鈥�
Clatterbuck said.
Feb. 20, 2024
National Institutes of Health鈥�
This study, authored in part by鈥�Zo毛 Thijs,鈥�Yan Zhang 补苍诲鈥疍别补苍 Christopher Watts鈥痜rom the鈥疕arris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, aimed to compare the affective, behavioral and cognitive reactions related to vocal
function in people with Parkinson's (PWPD) disease (and healthy controls using the
Behavior Assessment Battery - Voice (BAB-Voice).鈥疶he BAB-Voice proved a tool with
a good internal consistency that measured different psychosocial reactions in PWPD
versus controls. PWPD exhibited significantly more negative emotions and voice problems
in specific speech situations, more coping behaviors and a more negative speech-related
attitude. The specificity of information obtained from the BAB-Voice may aid in improving
the treatment planning of voice disorders in PWPD.
Feb. 15, 2024
笔蝉测笔辞蝉迟鈥�
In a new study that sheds light on the often-misunderstood world of cryptocurrency
ownership in the United States, researchers have unveiled a complex portrait that
challenges the stereotypes surrounding the typical 鈥渃rypto bro.鈥� The research provides
evidence that cryptocurrency owners are not just a homogenous group of young, tech-savvy
males, but a diverse cohort that spans various demographics and political orientations.
鈥淚 started paying attention to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in 2018, after a friend
recommended that I read Saifedean Ammous鈥� book 鈥楾he Bitcoin Standard鈥�,鈥� explained
lead author鈥�Grant Ferguson, a senior instructor and director of鈥痮utreach and public service internships. 鈥淎t
the time, I didn鈥檛 realize that there was a strong worldview behind the creation and
initial adoption of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin in particular, and it has psychological,
economic and political aspects.鈥�
Feb. 14, 2024
贵辞谤产别蝉鈥�
An increasing number of states and municipalities have implemented some form of rent
control in an attempt to rein in the steadily increasing cost of rental housing across
their communities. These rarely have the intended effect of increasing the supply
of housing for low-income residents, however. In 2019 Oregon enacted statewide versions
of rent control that capped the annual allowable rent increase. A study Ike Brannon
recently wrote with鈥�Zack Hawley鈥�(TCU associate professor of economics) and Andrew Hanson of the University of Illinois
found that the rent control legislation currently being considered would reduce housing
supply and housing quality in Washington State, which would in turn reduce tax revenue.
STUDENTS
Feb. 26, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram鈥�
A gathering between TCU students and unhoused residents provides a meal and an uplifting
sense of community and human connection. 鈥淭hey have access to local housing communities
and job resources, but one of the things they feel like they do not have access to
is relationships with people in stable situations,鈥� said鈥�Kate Marshall, the student group leader. 鈥淎s a senior, I have been involved with 鈥楤ingo in the
Park鈥� for three years, and I can truly say the butterfly effect is real,鈥� Marshall
said. 鈥淣ot only has it impacted my life, and those that come, but it has introduced
the topic of homelessness further into TCU鈥檚 community, creating opportunity for discussion,
initiative and change.鈥�
Feb. 21, 2024
BNN Breaking鈥�
Imagine a place where the pulsating rhythms of electronic dance music (EDM) serve
as the heartbeat of a newfound community. This semester witnesses the birth of such
a gathering spot, dubbed the TCU Electrotoads. Founded by鈥�Emma Dickey, this club isn鈥檛 just about dropping beats; it鈥檚 a mission to weave the threads of
peace, love, unity and respect into the fabric of campus life. With plans to collaborate
with campus organizations like the Black Student Association and the Gender Resources
Office, the Electrotoads aim to spotlight contributions from marginalized groups within
the EDM community.
Feb. 21, 2024
BNN Breaking
When Dawson and鈥�Graham Smith鈥痩ined up at the start of the 46th annual Cowtown Marathon, they ran for something
far greater than the finish line. It鈥檚 about honoring their brother,鈥疻es Smith, whose absence is felt deeply within the鈥疶CU鈥痑nd Fort Worth communities after he
was killed in 2023. The brothers, alongside supporters, rally to keep Wes鈥檚 memory
alive through the Wes Smith Endowment Fund. This initiative seeks to transform grief
into an opportunity, providing future TCU students with scholarships, much like Wes
and Graham had experienced.
Feb. 15, 2024
fisheries.noaa.gov
A new genetic study鈥痵hows hatchery salmon鈥檚 adaptation to their environment can lead
to potentially adaptive genetic differences between hatchery and wild salmon populations
in only a few generations. The collaborative research was conducted by scientists
from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Department of Fish and Game and鈥疶CU.鈥�淲e
don't know if domestication selection acts consistently across hatcheries, or if responses
of salmon are unique to each facility. The purpose of our study was to determine if
levels of domestication selection varied among hatcheries and if there were any commonalities
across the populations,鈥� said lead author and TCU student鈥�Natasha Howe.鈥�
ALUMNI鈥�
Feb. 29, 2024
NBC-5
A decision decades ago put a teenager in Fort Worth on a journey he never could have
imagined: three degrees, a building named in his honor 鈥� and a permanent remembrance
of the impact he made when he broke barriers at TCU. James Cash 鈥�69 and his signature hook shot are immortalized in the statue in front of the TCU basketball
arena. 鈥淲e are walking up to a statue of a very young, and much slimmer than today,
James Cash. That was my number,鈥� said Cash. Cash grew up in the middle of the Civil Rights movement. And in 1965, he was making
history. He was the first Black student-athlete at TCU and the first Black basketball
player in the Southwest Conference.
Feb. 29, 2024
Fort Worth Report
Some say there are two types of social workers: those who want to help the people
in the system and those who want to change the system people are in.鈥�Lauren King 鈥�03, executive director of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, considers herself the
latter. 鈥淚 think looking back even to high school, looking at all the different volunteer
opportunities that I (had) after my freshman year in college 鈥� I went and worked in
Appalachia and helped rebuild houses there 鈥� it鈥檚 like I keep coming back to housing
regardless of how I got into it.鈥� Housing has played an important role in King鈥檚 career.
She started out working for SafeHaven of Tarrant County and Catholic Charities in
programs and fundraising and also helped develop鈥疶CU鈥檚 Master of Social Work鈥痯rogram.鈥�
Feb. 27, 2024
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette鈥�
A new president is slated to take the helm of Washington & Jefferson College.鈥�Elizabeth MacLeod Walls鈥��01 Ph.D.,鈥痺ill take over as president of the private liberal arts college this June following
the retirement of the current president. She was selected by the board of trustees
to be the college鈥檚 14th president for her experience in higher education leadership
and advocacy, according to a news release. 鈥淲ashington & Jefferson's stellar academic
reputation and commitment to innovating within a liberal arts context positions the
college to become a leader among independent colleges seeking to adapt to an ever-changing
landscape,鈥� MacLeod Walls said in a statement.
Feb. 21, 2024
叠谤辞补诲飞补测奥辞谤濒诲.肠辞尘鈥�
Cincinnati Opera has鈥痑nnounced the launch of 罢丑别鈥疊lack Opera Project, a groundbreaking,
three-opera commissioning initiative that engages Black creators to develop new works
celebrating Black stories. The first new work to be featured as part of The Black
Opera Project is鈥�尝补濒辞惫补惫颈鈥� from a first-time opera creator, award-winning composer鈥�Kevin Day鈥��19.
Feb. 21, 2024
Fort Worth Report鈥�
础蝉鈥�Ronald Hurdle鈥��71,鈥痳ecalls it, he made a casual remark one day about joining the cheerleading team at鈥疶CU.
That remark set Hurdle, now a semi-retired attorney from Dallas, on a journey that
would see him becoming, in 1969, the first Black cheerleader not only at TCU but in
the Southwest Conference. 鈥淚t was that casual when I said it,鈥� Hurdle, 75, recalled.
鈥淚 knew I鈥檇 gone to the games and I鈥檇 seen the cheerleaders while out there, and I
thought they were having a good time.鈥�
Feb. 20, 2024
Oregon Arts Watch鈥�
The 13th annual McMinnville Short Film Festival kicks off three days of screenings,
workshops and socials. Of course, many filmmakers will be in attendance, including鈥�Liz Cardenas鈥��13. Her Oscar-qualifying short Burros was screened at last year鈥檚 festival, but she wasn鈥檛 able to attend that year. With
a B.S. in broadcast journalism, her first career was journalism, and she worked as
a reporter for the Dallas Morning News, until she gravitated to filmmaking. 鈥淚 love movies, always have. So, an appreciation
and respect for the art form and a desire to tell stories that connect people, spread
empathy, are uplifting or make people not feel so alone, are informative or even simply
entertain, is why I鈥檓 a filmmaker,鈥� Cardenas said.
Feb. 19, 2024
Fort Worth Report鈥�
Longtime local reporter and television host Bobbie Wygant died at the age of 97. Longtime
newsman鈥�Bob Schieffer鈥��59, former anchor of 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� and the namesake of鈥疶CU鈥檚鈥疊ob Schieffer College
of Communication, said Wygant had a big impact on his career.鈥�淚 went out there and
had the interview and they hired me, and I became the anchor,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛
start at the bottom, I started at the top, which was kind of unbelievable. Bobbie
was absolutely the reason that that happened.鈥濃�� Schieffer also praised Wygant鈥檚 journalistic
skills.鈥�淪he was a very good interviewer,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he had all the right instincts.
She asked all the right questions, and she was very fair.鈥�
Feb. 14, 2024
WFAA-TV (Dallas, TX)鈥�
Cowtown is ready for its close-up. Thanks to a mix of factors that include efforts
from the Fort Worth Film Commission, state tax incentives and a favorable business
climate, the city has seen a slew of recent high-profile film and television productions
call Fort Worth home. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to see Fort Worth kind of tapping into the
rich history here in new and engaging ways through media,鈥� said鈥�Red Sanders鈥��04, owner of Backlot Studios and Fort Worth-based Red Productions. Sanders is a TCU
graduate and his business has called Fort Worth home for more than 20 years.
ATHLETICS
Feb. 28, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram鈥�
Every week there seems to be a new development that threatens to alter the fabric
of college athletics. It can be a lot for fans to follow and for administrators like鈥疶CU
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jeremiah Donati, it can bring a lot of sleepless nights as he thinks about the future of college
sports. One particular case, House v. NCAA, is viewed by Donati as the next potential
landmine. 鈥淩ight now there鈥檚 a tremendous amount of uncertainty around it,鈥� Donati
said of the lawsuit. 鈥淭he numbers in damages, there are a lot of implications with
it. It鈥檚 a little daunting thinking about adding that type of massive expense to your
budget. It seems like that鈥檚 going to be the cost of doing business going forward
and the cost of staying in the game.鈥�
Feb. 27, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram鈥�
Each coaching cycle offers a chance to see how much the industry continues to progress
in its diversity, especially with Black assistants. Every step of progress is followed
by a reminder that there is still so much work to be done. Black assistants鈥�Anthony Jones鈥痑苍诲鈥�JaMarkus McFarland鈥痶ook different paths to Fort Worth. Before Jones was a running backs coach, he played
football at Chattanooga, graduating in 2007. 鈥淚 started thinking about coaching when
the NFL didn鈥檛 call,鈥� Jones said with a laugh. McFarland said, 鈥淚 always told myself
I wouldn鈥檛 be a coach.鈥�
Feb. 20, 2024
Fort Worth Magazine鈥�
The Horned Frogs may have not gone as far as they wanted to last season, however,
this has only added to the team鈥檚 desire to get back to the heights they achieved
over a season ago. 鈥淓very year you've got to prove yourself and go out and get better
and I'm thankful for the last half of the season, the opportunity I had to play because
I feel like it really helped me and I feel like I have some experience now going into
the offseason,鈥� said quarterback Josh Hoover.
Feb. 16, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram鈥�
Cancer took鈥�Jamie Dixon鈥檚鈥痙ad, but watching his mother try to live any life with Parkinson鈥檚 disease may
actually be worse. Both his mother in-law and father-in-law are struggling, too, and
Dixon has traveling games throughout the week. Easily lost, forgotten and minimized
in following a team is that the people who play and coach the games have lives that
don鈥檛 stop and don鈥檛 look that much different than anyone else. In Dixon鈥檚 case, he
is navigating a fact of life that too often is a little-discussed reality that can
be a shadow stressor on families that can last for years: Caring for aging parents.
鈥淭here are no good answers,鈥� the men鈥檚 basketball coach said in an interview this
week in his office. 鈥淭his is hard ... The guilt is just ... there is huge guilt.鈥�