From cancer to brain worms and from campus to outer space, TCU faculty and alumni are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
May 14, 2024
Ex Bulletin鈥�
TCU鈥痟as announced that鈥�Thomas 鈥淭om鈥� Wavering鈥痺ill become the university鈥檚 first chief university strategy and innovation officer,
effective July 2024. Wavering will work collaboratively with TCU leadership to advance
the university鈥檚 mission and vision. He will provide strategic and operational guidance
as the university develops and executes its next strategic plan, with a focus on expanding
TCU鈥檚 culture of innovation and academic excellence. President鈥�Daniel W. Pullin鈥痵aid, 鈥淭om is a builder, innovator and team player, and we are excited to welcome
him to TCU.鈥�
May 1, 2024
U.S. News & World Report鈥�
Campus beauty and design matter. One way some universities are able to stand out and
attract students is with the beauty of their campus. The aesthetics of a campus can
sway students in their college choice. TCU鈥痜eatures a mix of historic and contemporary
buildings. One landmark is Frog Fountain, which consists of four flutes topped with
stylized lotus leaves 鈥� one for each class of students, with the shortest symbolizing
first-year students and the tallest representing seniors. The water flowing from flute
to flute represents the sharing of knowledge from class to class. TCU won a 2023 Professional
Grounds Management Society award and in 2024 was named a Tree Campus Higher Education
Institution by the Arbor Day Foundation for the eighth consecutive year, recognizing
commitment to caring for the university鈥檚 trees.
FACULTY
May 10, 2024
Verywell Health鈥�
A news report revealed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he had a worm in his brain
that caused memory loss. Doctors say his description of the symptoms resembles neurocysticercosis,
a condition caused by a pork tapeworm.鈥�Dr. Claudia Perez, associate professor and neurology clerkship director at the Burnett School of Medicine
at TCU, said that the tapeworm itself doesn鈥檛 cause damage, but rather the brain鈥檚
reaction to a cyst is what leads to symptoms. 鈥淲hat ends up happening is the silent
cysts that live in the brain are actually detected by your own body,鈥� Perez said.
鈥淥nce your body detects that something鈥檚 there, it mounts an immune response. And
so what ends up causing the symptoms is the immune system trying to attack that cyst.鈥�
May 10, 2024
D Magazine鈥�
Leaders in North Texas were asked what podcast everyone should tune in to. Ranging
from societal and cultural topics, to industry-centric shows, as well as some comedic
relief, it鈥檚 a sense for how area executives stay up to date on current events or
unwind for a good laugh. Hettie Richardson, associate director of undergraduate programs in TCU Neeley, recommends the podcast
Women at Work by Harvard Business Review. 鈥淓veryone can learn from it. The information they present
is evidence-based and practical for almost anyone navigating a career and life.鈥�
May 9, 2024
叠补谤谤辞苍鈥檚鈥�
New York state rules prohibit cameras in the courtroom for the trial of former President
Donald Trump.鈥疻ith the absence of real-time theatrics, the American public has largely
checked out. Chip Stewart, media professor, said reports of Trump falling asleep in court provide an illuminating
example of how the lack of cameras has deprived the public of the full story. 鈥淲ithout
photo or video evidence, he was able to turn to his usual claim that reporters were
lying about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚magine a front page or websites or the nightly news leading
with a photo of Trump sleeping during his own criminal trial.鈥�
May 8, 2024
Insight News鈥�
Did you know that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, also known as nurse anesthesiologists
or nurse anesthetists, safely administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients
each year in the U.S.? 鈥淲hen anesthesia is administered by a nurse anesthetist, the
care is recognized as the practice of nursing; when it is administered by a physician
anesthesiologist, it is recognized as the practice of medicine,鈥� said American Association
of Nurse Anesthesiology President鈥�Dru Riddle, associate professor of professional practice and director of clinical education at
TCU. 鈥淲hether your anesthesia provider鈥檚 educational background is in nursing or in
medicine, patients can rest assured knowing that all anesthesia professionals give
anesthesia in the same exact way.鈥�
May 8, 2024
驰补丑辞辞鈥�
After receiving accelerated approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 2021,
Tivdak received traditional approval. The drug is for those with recurrent or metastatic
cervical cancer who are on or who have received chemotherapy, a group of patients
that, according to experts, has had less-than-ideal treatment options previously.
Side effects are something that medical practitioners have to keep in mind when they
decide to prescribe this course of treatment, particularly eye damage,鈥�Dr. Noelle Cloven, associate professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, told Verywell. 鈥淧atients
who are on this treatment have to use eyedrops to protect from getting dry eyes, eye
irritation events and vision disturbances,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese side effects are reversible
with different things like holding the drug or reducing the dose.鈥�
May 7, 2024
KERA News (Dallas, TX)鈥�
Fort Worth ISD leaders presented an encouraging trend to the school board and city
council: Students in kindergarten through eighth grade showed academic growth on a
midyear test. The data, they said, also shows Fort Worth ISD students are behind national
averages 鈥� and likely won鈥檛 catch up.鈥疶CU Education professor鈥�Jo Beth Jimerson said that while Fort Worth ISD students do fall behind national average, there鈥檚
still hope and potential for improvement in the data. Teachers can, and should, use
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) scores to influence the rate of student achievement
and make changes to classroom instruction on a student-by-student or classwide basis.
鈥淢AP can be likened to a coach on the sideline during a game, providing real-time
insights that need adjustments, while the STAAR is more like the box score after the
game, showing the results,鈥� Jimerson said. Teachers use the data to know what they
need to adjust from one semester to the next, she said.
May 3, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram鈥�
America in 1968 was more turbulent than in 2024. Assassinations roiled the world,
including those of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Students
marched against a Vietnam War that was killing 50 Americans every day, and for long-overdue
civil rights, equality and justice. Jim Riddlesperger, TCU political science professor, pointed to one obvious difference with 2024: Campus
protests have spread fast, but, if the protests slow down, they鈥檒l be forgotten. Also,
both President Joe Biden and challenger Donald Trump take Israel鈥檚 side. Another TCU
political scientist,鈥�Manochehr Dorraj,鈥痵aid the parallel to 1968 is 鈥渙n target with two major caveats.鈥� First, a quick
ceasefire would mean the war fades as an issue. If there isn鈥檛 a quick ceasefire,
Dorraj wrote, young people and American Muslims might stay home 鈥渢hinking that this
year they have no candidate worth voting for.鈥�
ALUMNI
May 11, 2024
CBS News
At鈥疶CU鈥痝raduation, history was made.鈥�Carson Huey-You鈥痓ecame the university鈥檚 youngest Ph.D. He is just 21 years old. Breaking records
is nothing new, because he was also TCU鈥檚 youngest ever undergrad, enrolling in their
physics program at only 10 years old. He went on to get his master鈥檚 degree in 2019
and now has his doctorate. Huey-You is planning to work in the theoretical quantum
physics industry.
May 10, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)鈥�
A TCU student is making graduation history for the third time.鈥�Carson Huey-You鈥痳eceived his doctorate diploma in physics May 11, and at 21 will become the youngest
Ph.D. in TCU history.鈥疘t was 2013 when physics professor Magnus Rittby met the 10-year-old
aspiring physics student.鈥�淗e was 10, and he came into my office with his younger
brother and mother,鈥� said Rittby, who quickly realized Carson could handle a college
workload and鈥痟ad a maturity about him. Rittby had to convince TCU leadership. 鈥淭he
condition became, after some negotiation, that his mother had to be with him all the
time.鈥� With Claretta Kemp as her son鈥檚 constant companion, Carson started his freshman
year in 2013 at 11. And three years later, got a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics, the
university鈥檚 youngest undergrad ever. In 2019, there was another historic graduation
when he got his master鈥檚 degree.鈥�淚t鈥檒l be the end of a chapter and the beginning
of a chapter all at the same time. It鈥檚 been a very long process,鈥� Huey-You said.
鈥淏ut I鈥檓 glad it鈥檚 done.鈥�
May 10, 2024
KDFW-TV (Dallas, TX)鈥�
A鈥痵tudent is about to make history as the youngest recipient of a doctoral degree
in school history. Carson Huey-You, 21, started going to school at TCU when he was just 11. At 14, he became the youngest
TCU student to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics. Two years later, he walked the
stage after earning his master鈥檚 degree. He accepted his doctorate in physics at a
ceremony May 11. Huey-You works in theoretical quantum physics and says he鈥檚 taking
a quick rest before jumping back into his research.
May 9, 2024
KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)鈥�
When Rebecca Sobolewski鈥痺as growing up in a Chicago suburb, her mom gave her two career choices. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛
grow up in the best neighborhood, didn鈥檛 have a lot,鈥� Sobolewski said. 鈥淢y Mommy looked
at me and my sister and said I need a nice car and a nice house one day, so one of
you is going to be a doctor and one of you is going to be a lawyer.鈥� Sobolewski鈥檚
older sister became a lawyer, now she is a doctor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting and a little
bit nerve-wracking being the first physician in my family,鈥� Sobolewski said. She earned
her medical degree from the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU May 11. There are few
professions where someone鈥檚 life is in your hands, so medical school comes with a
certain amount of pressure. 鈥淓specially when you鈥檙e one of the only ones, right,鈥�
Sobolewski pointed out. 鈥淪o being the only Black woman in my class, there was a lot
of pressure to pass all the exams and do well.鈥�
May 6, 2024
罢翱顿础驰鈥�
Polaris Dawn crew members鈥痡oined the TODAY show to share details about their upcoming
historic mission as they get ready to attempt the first spacewalk by commercial astronauts.
The five-day private mission is set to launch in early summer on SpaceX鈥檚 Dragon Capsule
where they鈥檒l also be testing out brand-new spacesuits. In addition to her work, Anna Menon鈥��08 will be reading a children鈥檚 book she co-wrote to benefit St. Jude Children鈥檚 Research
Hospital. Kisses from Space is the story of a mama dragon coming home from an out-of-this-world adventure and,
snuggling her baby dragons close, she tells them of her journey and how she thought
of them the entire time.鈥�淚t is the story of how love can overcome any distance. And
I will be reading this book, live from space, to my kids back here on earth, as well
as 鈥� the brave patients of St. Jude Children鈥檚 Research Hospital,鈥� Menon said.