From bird flu to the port strike and from housing developments to the life of a wardrobe,
TCU and its faculty and alumni are in the news.
INSTITUTIONAL
Oct. 2, 2024
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TCU is moving forward with plans to build new student housing. TCU filed four zoning
change applications with the city on Sept. 3 to have land on the east and south sides
of the campus rezoned for 鈥渉igh-intensity mixed-use development.鈥� The zoning change
applications are the next step in 罢颁鲍鈥檚 campus master plan, a blueprint for the university鈥檚
future footprint. The document proposes adding as many as 25 new buildings to 罢颁鲍鈥檚
campus, including housing, parking garages, green space, athletics facilities and
academic buildings.
Oct. 2, 2024
Amazing Architecture
Arnold Hall marks 罢颁鲍鈥檚 first major off-campus development. With a shared vision of innovation and renowned
education, architect partners CO Architects and Hoefer Welker celebrate the official
project completion of Arnold Hall, home to the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine
at TCU. Dr. Stuart D. Flynn, founding dean of the school, said, 鈥淎rnold Hall is more than the new home for the
Burnett School of Medicine. It also communicates 罢颁鲍鈥檚 commitment to creating dynamic
state-of-the-art facilities for next-generation medical education, where students
now have access to cutting-edge technology and facilities that will pair with a curriculum
that balances wellness, knowledge and the growth of students.鈥�
FACULTY
Oct. 12, 2024
Fort Worth Report
TPG announced a $7.6 billion deal to acquire full control of DirecTV from AT&T. TPG
plans to merge DirecTV with Dish Network to fund a TV option for cost-conscious viewers
looking for streaming bundles of sports, news, scripted and unscripted entertainment
without the confusion or the price tag, according to Mark Houston, Eunice and James L. West Chair in Marketing at the TCU Neeley School of Business.
鈥淭he consolidation that鈥檚 happening now is a result of the consumer desire for broad
access but fewer individual transactions,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he consumer is asking if there
is some way that I can just pay one fee and be able to watch 鈥楽tranger Things鈥� from
Netflix, be able to watch 鈥楾he Last of Us鈥� on HBO Max and whatever, without all these
separate transactions.鈥�
Oct. 11, 2024
Hollywood Reporter
Universities like Cornell, Duke, Tulane and USC now include classes (and clubs) on
personal branding, acquiring followers and other skills for aspiring influencers,
giving new meaning to social studies. At TCU, students are presented with key concepts, from audience analysis to social media listening.
One assignment requires creating influencers using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools
and pitching them to hypothetical clients, resulting in virtual influencers for Whole
Foods, Walmart, Home Depot, Tito鈥檚 Vodka and the university itself. 鈥淰irtual influencers
are popping up everywhere. They are easy to create, free to partner with, do not get
in trouble and, most importantly, people follow them,鈥� explains Professor Guy Golan, associate professor in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, of the assignment.
Oct. 10, 2024
Health.com
The bird flu has consistently been in the news since April, when the H5N1 strain was
found to have jumped from wild birds, its typical host, to dairy cows in Texas. But
one case of bird flu in particular has been making more headlines than usual鈥攁 Missouri
resident tested positive for H5N1 in August, but unlike the 17 other known cases,
didn鈥檛 have any contact with an infected animal. Since the patient was hospitalized
in August, reports have swirled about how the person might have contracted the virus
and whether they spread it to people around them. If so, it would be the first known
human-to-human transmission reported worldwide since 2007. 鈥淗aving one case like this
is not as concerning because [the virus] is not built to spread in communities,鈥� added
Don Galbadage, assistant professor in 罢颁鲍鈥檚 Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, who specializes
in epidemiology, microbiology and public health.
Oct. 10, 2024
Time.com
For the 16 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), travel
can be as anxiety-provoking as it is life-affirming. The fatigue, chest tightness,
congestion and difficulty breathing that come with the chronic bronchitis or emphysema
behind COPD can make the thought of travel seem overwhelming. Start your trip planning
by working with a local oxygen supplier to ensure you not only have enough supplies
to bring with you but will have what you need at your destination. If you鈥� re staying
in a hotel, make sure they know about any equipment that is to be delivered, and let
them know to allow an employee to sign for it, and not to forget to have it brought
to your room by the time you check-in. 鈥淭hat is not a surprise you want when you roll
into your hotel room at 10 p.m.,鈥� said Dr. Steven Davis, associate professor at the Burnett School of Medicine.
Oct. 9. 2024
Austin American-Statesman
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Travis County Commissioners Court,
alleging that the five-member board violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when it secretly
approved $115,000 in funding to help District Attorney Jose Garza secure his home.
Daxton 鈥淐hip鈥� Stewart, attorney and professor in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, says, 鈥淚 feel
strongly about the alleged defects in the Travis County Commissioners Court鈥檚 decision-making
process highlighted in the lawsuit Attorney General Paxton and several Travis County
taxpayers filed. Plaintiffs allege common shortcomings in some governmental bodies鈥�
fast-and-loose approach to the Open Meetings Act. Some governmental bodies frequently
skirt the Act鈥檚 requirements: their meeting notices inadequately describe their agenda
items about major decisions, and they go into closed, executive session for impermissible
reasons.鈥�
Oct. 9. 2024
Kveller.com
鈥淵鈥檃ll, this is Texas,鈥� writes Sharrona Pearl, Andrews Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies in the John V. Roach Honors College in
a recent column. 鈥淎nd, much to my surprise and the surprise of everyone who knows
me, my family and I live here now. We joke that it makes perfect sense: Where else
would a progressive Jewish vegetarian Canadian-British East Coast family move right
before a historic election where democracy itself is on the line? The move has been
hard, but thanks to the warmth and welcome of the amazing Jewish community here, it鈥檚
also been easier than we ever could have hoped. The truth is that my experience is
not unique. People move all the time, and it鈥檚 fine. People make friends, get connected
and manage their lives. But without a Jewish community, all those things are just
a little (or a lot!) harder. I don鈥檛 know what that鈥檚 like, and honestly? I鈥檓 extremely
grateful that I won鈥檛 have to find out.鈥�
Oct. 8, 2024
Techreport.com
Betting on the U.S. elections is the new drug of choice for international traders.
And it might be a better reflection than actual election polls, according to a statistics
professor. However, according to a crypto fund partner, many pro-Trump bettors appear
to be driven by personal belief rather than strategic market belief. Two peer-reviewed
studies (2018 and 2020) found that 鈥渟entiment is what polls measure, accuracy and
truth are what markets seek to measure.鈥� Grant Ferguson, political science instructor and director of Public Outreach at TCU, agrees and says that prediction markets ask people to 鈥渢hink logically about
what is true, not what they want to be true.鈥�
Oct. 7, 2024
24 Hours World
The new parliamentary distribution will be key to determining whether the president-elect
will be able to carry out its program or will suffer bureaucratic stagnation. In any
case, as in the presidential elections, the dispute for legislative positions will
be very close. For its part, Keith Gaddie, professor of political science at 香港六合彩图库, said the Lower House
is within the reach of Democrats, although this expert would not put his hands in
the fire for it. 鈥淭he reality is that, in terms of control, literally anything can
happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 really know until the voting is over.鈥�
Oct. 7, 2024
Yahoo!life
Pulmonary nodules typically form when a bacterial or viral infection irritates the
lung tissue. This causes a small clump of cells called a granuloma to form. The nodules
can also be caused by air pollution, fungal infections and autoimmune diseases like
rheumatoid arthritis. Considering the location of the nodules, you might assume they
present an array of side effects. However, most lung nodules present no symptoms,
said Dr. Steven Davis, associate professor of Internal Medicine at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.
鈥淚f [a nodule] is large and close enough to an airway to block it off, a patient might
experience shortness of breath or a cough,鈥� he notes. 鈥淎nd, if it鈥檚 related to active
pneumonia, symptoms could include fever, chills and a cough or shortness of breath.鈥�
Oct. 5, 2024
The Wall Street Journal
California is at the forefront of legislative efforts to protect political candidates
and voters from AI trickery. The state鈥檚 new deepfake statute鈥攚hich Gov. Gavin Newsom
signed into law last month鈥攁llows anyone who views 鈥渕aterially deceptive鈥� AI-generated
election-related content to bring potentially costly lawsuits against those posting
it online. The rapid advance of generative artificial intelligence has made it easy
to fabricate the face and voice of real people in videos or audio clips. A host of
simple-to-use apps and websites lets users generate digital clones of politicians
and celebrities in seconds. Courts are generally wary of limits on political speech.
With limited exceptions, people have a right to make up stuff about political candidates,
said Daxton Stewart, media law professor at 香港六合彩图库. 鈥淐alifornia鈥檚 law and others
like it are going to face an uphill battle when it comes to satisfying First Amendment
concerns,鈥� Stewart said.
Oct. 5, 2024
MSN.com
During the Great Resignation, the U.S. experienced a significant uptick in voluntary
employee resignations about one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. To better understand
this phenomenon, researchers 鈥� including David G. Allen, senior associate dean from the Neeley School of Business 鈥� performed two studies
to better characterize the effects of job embeddedness, or factors that influence
an employee鈥檚 commitment to their job, on voluntary turnover in the face of job insecurity.
Oct. 4, 2024
Take the Lead Women
How journalists approach coverage and discussions is applicable to leadership across
industries as it concerns offering time and space to a range of points of view and
frames. 鈥淛ournalists should be covering policy, not politics, and going deeper to
understand what issues people are facing,鈥� Jean Marie Brown, associate professor of professional practice and director of Student Media at Texas
Christian University, said. 鈥淛ournalists have become the story. We were meant to be
the storytellers.鈥�
Oct. 4, 2024
WDCTV.com
Recovering from a mastectomy is no easy feat. During recovery, it鈥檚 not uncommon to
experience a host of different sensations in the arm(s), breast(s) and chest, including
tenderness and numbness. Thankfully, there are some exercises that can help minimize
injury and support muscle recovery. Exercising after a mastectomy can help your body
recover, but it鈥檚 important to start slow. That said, 鈥淧atients should work with a
cancer rehabilitation specialist in their area to determine the most appropriate exercise
plan to address their specific side effects [and] impairments,鈥� said Elise K. Cantu, adjunct professor, oncology physical therapist and director of Fort Worth Cancer
Care.
Oct. 3, 2024
Newsweek
Conservatives are far more likely to report experiences of discrimination based on
their political views, a new report from USA Today discovered. And the discrimination they experience is pushing many to move from liberal-leaning
areas to more conservative regions, according to the 2,000-person study. Generally,
right-leaning Americans were more likely to prioritize the political views of a prospective
community when deciding where to live. Among the conservative group, 25% of men prioritized
it, while 14% of women said the same. 鈥淲hite males, and especially conservatives,
view themselves as the object of criticism from the left and in political and media
discourse,鈥� Keith Gaddie, political science professor, told Newsweek. 鈥淚t is not surprising that they respond
by going someplace where they feel comfortable.鈥�
Oct. 3, 2024
CNHINews.com
For the wider world, the U.S. election is all about who gets to move into the White
House, but for many Americans, the battle for control of Congress is just as important
鈥� and looks set to go down to the wire. Control of the House looks like a toss-up,
while the Senate is likely to flip by a razor-thin margin to the Republicans, because
of the challenging election map for Democrats. Keith Gaddie, political science professor, said control of the House was within Democrats鈥� grasp
鈥� but he isn鈥檛 betting the farm on the party fulfilling its potential. 鈥淭he reality
is, literally anything can happen in terms of control,鈥� he told AFP. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 really
know until the voting 鈥� and the litigation 鈥� are over. Because litigation is the final
act of any election these days.鈥�
Oct. 3, 2024
Parents
AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in society. From ChatGPT and facial recognition
to virtual assistants, chatbots and autonomous vehicles, AI tools are frequently used
in everyday life. Because of this, many parents recognize that their kids need to
know more about these popular tools, including how they are made and how they might
leverage them in their future careers. 鈥淧eople need to know some fundamental truths
about all forms of AI,鈥� said Curby Alexander, professor of Professional Practice at the TCU College of Education. This statistical
model is built by humans and trained using millions of data records. Consequently,
the data going in and out of the AI application can be flawed, corrupted, biased,
inaccurate, and incomplete, Alexander says. 鈥淲e must use our judgment to determine
the integrity and usefulness of AI-generated information.鈥�
Oct. 2, 2024
Parents
After having a baby, many people experience feelings of sadness called the baby blues,
says Dr. Melanie Lagomichos, Obstetric and Gynecology Clerkship Director at the Burnett School of Medicine at
TCU. If symptoms are severe or last longer than a few weeks, you may have postpartum
depression. 鈥淭ry not to ignore these early symptoms of postpartum depression,鈥� Lagomichos
said. 鈥淚nternalizing your feelings and not asking for help early on can isolate you
in the postpartum period.鈥�
Oct. 1, 2024
Business Insider
A strike involving port workers from Maine to Texas could inflict major damage on
the U.S. economy. Travis Tokar, professor of Supply Chain Management at the Neeley School of Business, said that
if the strike lasts more than a couple of days, there could be notable shortages at
grocery stores. 鈥淚t all comes down to how quickly this ends up getting resolved,鈥�
Tokar said. If the industrial action persists, he said, shoppers could soon have a
harder time finding a variety of vegetables and fruits, including bananas and kiwis.
He said meat, seafood, eggs, coffee, chocolate and alcoholic beverages could also
be affected. Beyond food, Tokar said, there could be delays involving automobiles,
car parts, clothing and furniture.
ALUMNI
Oct. 7, 2024
BBC
If some sporting rises are rapid, the progression of Jacob Fearnley 鈥�24 has been played out in warp speed. Little over a year ago, the 23-year-old Briton
was unranked in the professional tennis world. Six months ago, he was still a university
student in the U.S. 鈥淥bviously, it is not what I expected,鈥� said the Scot, who recently
moved to a career-high 98th. 鈥淚t鈥檚 come a little bit quicker than I, the rest of the
people around me 鈥� and probably everyone 鈥� thought. I鈥檓 aware this isn鈥檛 the norm.鈥�
Fearnley moved into the world鈥檚 top 100 on the ATP Tour 鈥� a significant landmark
dangling the carrot of direct entry into the Grand Slam events.
Oct. 6, 2024
Fort Worth Report
Since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, Tarrant County residents have navigated friendships,
interfaith work and responses from government officials. Some have gathered for vigils
or protests on college campuses. Ruba Akkad 鈥�24 Ph.D., is Palestinian and grew up in Fort Worth. Being Palestinian has always felt like it鈥檚
had a political identity, she said, but since Oct. 7, it鈥檚 been amplified. Conversations
with her non-Arab, non-Muslim friends 鈥� as well as random acquaintances 鈥� have been
a wake-up call, she said. 鈥淭he main sort of conversations or points that I hear people
making, 鈥榃e鈥檙e all complicit. All of our tax money goes to this,鈥欌�� Akkad said, recalling
the conversations she鈥檚 had with both Arab and non-Arab people. At this point, 鈥渢here鈥檚
no longer an excuse of not knowing,鈥� Akkad said. She鈥檚 not trying to spend time talking
with people who come into the conversation to just disagree.
Oct. 4, 2024
The North Texan
Humans generate 92 million tons of textile waste a year, but keeping garments for
years is not only helping the environment. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to wear your own vintage,鈥� says
Michele Alford 鈥�95, a fashion design alumna who has designed clothes for the Russell-Newman Manufacturing
Company in Denton, managed the costume studio at TCU and worked for the national tour
of Hamilton when it came to Dallas and Fort Worth this summer. Her tips to extend the life of
garments: Start with what you buy: Fast fashion makes clothing affordable, but it
only lasts for a few wears. Take time with washing: Follow the instructions on the
code care label. If you get a stain, treat it as soon as possible. And, lastly, mend
clothes and shoes as soon as you find a problem.
Oct. 3, 2024
Forbes
Tiger Woods is building a second golf course in Texas, with the Bluejack brand expanding
to include a private, family-focused residential community near Fort Worth called
Bluejack Ranch. In a letter to Bluejack members, Woods said he is excited to again
team with Bluejack founders Andy Mitchell 鈥�98, and Kristin Mitchell 鈥�02, for an 鈥渆ncore opportunity鈥� at a new club that will include a diverse assortment
of home lots. The Mitchells attended TCU and have teamed with former PGA Tour golfer J.J. Henry 鈥�98 as developers of the new project.