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These articles were written for UHCN News, a publication for University of Houston
Program to draw top students to UH
Presidential Endowed Scholarship introduced as new recruitment tool
By Sheshe Giddens
Thursday, September 16, 1999
The University of Houston is currently developing a new premier scholarship program, the Presidential Endowed Scholarship, to increase the university’s competitive edge in the recruitment and retention of the region’s top scholastic achievers.
The establishment of the donor-funded endowed scholarship will provide another incentive for top-ranking incoming freshmen and first-year professional school students, who may otherwise attend out-of-state colleges and universities, to attend UH. Some other Texas universities, such as the University of Texas-Austin, already offer this type of scholarship and this is the type of model on which the UH program is based.
“Most of our sister institutions already have presidential endowed scholarships and they are considered the most prestigious scholarship you can receive. It is like receiving a Fulbright Fellowship. It is one of the most prestigious scholarships you can offer in order to recruit students,” said Spencer Yantis, associate vice president for development. University officials expect to award the first of these scholarships to incoming students in fall 2001.
The award criterion will be based on academic merit, leadership and community service. Each recipient will receive $1,500 per year, based on a 5-percent payout of the $30,000 donor commitment, an amount determined by the UH System Board of Regents. As the endowment increases so will the amount of the scholarship. According to Yantis, UH can further its attractiveness by making scholarship commitments early to high-scoring students taking the SAT during their junior year of high school. Financial need is not a consideration in the selection process.
“We are really trying to increase the number of endowed scholarships so that we can increase the amount of money we can offer students. They have become very popular scholarships at our sister institutions among alumni, in that they receive recognition as a donor,” said Yantis.
UH is currently soliciting donors for the scholarship. Each scholarship will bear the name of the donor and a donor recognition event will be held annually in order to bring donors and recipients together.
New field, old bucket to bring UH community together at season opener
By Sheshe Giddens
Thursday, August 26, 1999
The battle for the bucket isn’t the only thing that the University of Houston Athletics Department is expecting to revive when the Cougars play the Rice Owls on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. UH officials are hoping that the resurrection of an old rivalry and the newly renovated Robertson Stadium will rejuvenate UH spirit among students, faculty, staff and alumni.
The first Southwestern Bell Bayou Bucket, which will take place on the stadium’s new O’Quinn Field, will kick off the season for the Cougars and will serve as the stadium’s grand re-opening. Renovations, which began in March, included replacing the track with field level seating, lowering the playing field by nine feet, and seating in each end zone. Additional concession stands and restrooms will soon be completed. Also, the overall seating capacity has increased from 20,500 to 33,000.
“It is not the same stadium; it is a very different look,” says UH Athletics Director Chet Gladchuk.
Stadium visitors will also discover the addition of 12 luxury suites, two elevators and a newly installed scoreboard and sound system. The reason for these renovations is to bring UH alumni home.
“The stadium’s intimate surroundings make the fans feel like a part of the game. It’s going to create a tremendous home field advantage and have a bigger impact on spirit in that it is more accommodating,” he adds.
The renovations were made possible thanks to a $6 million gift from the John and Julie O’Quinn Foundation. The athletics department will honor Houston attorney John O’Quinn, an alumnus of both UH and Rice, during a special halftime presentation for his foundation’s gift.
Named one of the nation’s top 10 litigators by the National Law Journal, O’Quinn is founder of O’Quinn, Kerensky, McAninch & Laminack (now known as O’Quinn & Laminack). He is one of the law center’s leading benefactors, having given $4 million in gifts. In order to promote the event, the athletics department is aggressively campaigning with brochures and flyers, newspaper, TV and radio coverage, and a special feature in the Houston Alumni Organization’s publication, Houston Alumline.
Although the football rivalry between UH and Rice dates back to 1971, the universities first began playing for the bucket in 1974 when then-Houston Touchdown Club president Fred Curry suggested the idea of vying for a trophy in order to increase interest in the game. This is the first time that Southwestern Bell will sponsor the game.
“Games like this are what make college football the special event that it is,” said UH Head Football Coach Kim Helton. “I know it will be another good game, and I look forward to participating in this great rivalry once again.”
A kick-off luncheon is planned for Friday, Sept. 3 at the Hilton University of Houston Hotel. Both UH and Rice coaches will attend the lunch, which is sponsored by the Houston Touchdown Club. A portion of the ticket proceeds from the game will benefit Kid-Care, a meals on wheels program dedicated to helping Houston’s needy children. For tickets, call the Cougars Ticket Office at 713-GO COOGS or 713-4626647.
UH prepares to raise funds for SECC local, state charities
By Sheshe Giddens
Thursday, October 21, 1999
When the University of Houston State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) kicks off in November, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to surpass last year’s 28 percent participation rate. With the theme “State Employees Committed to Caring,” the sixth annual SECC will run Nov. 1-15.
However, the leadership phase begins Oct. 25. During this phase, UH executives will be asked to make their pledges early. Pledge cards and campaign information will be sent to all benefitseligible faculty and staff by Oct. 29. SECC is an annual workplace charity drive in which all state employees can make tax-deductible contributions to up to six charities of their choice through either a 12-month payroll deduction or a one-time gift. In 1998, UH raised more than $103,000 and the statewide SECC drive raised $4,727,563 for the 300 participating Texas charities.
“The purpose of having an ‘at work’ drive that allows employees to donate to dozens of charities — in this case, 300 agencies across Texas — is to make it easier for employees to give,” said Cindy Suggs, director of the Office of External Communications and coordinator of UH’s 1999 SECC. “We realize giving is a personal choice. Respecting that, we insist that all transactions remain confidential, unless the employee gives permission otherwise.”
On Oct. 26, an agency fair will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the World Affairs Lounge at the University Center. Faculty and staff will be able to meet with representatives from several SECC organizations. In order to participate in the SECC program, a charitable organization must be tax-exempt, nonprofit and allocate no more than 25 percent of its annual revenue to fund-raising and administrative costs.
Each UH department will have a campaign coordinator responsible for collecting pledge monies, as well as, responding to employees’ questions regarding SECC. Employees that turn in pledges during the first week of the campaign will be eligible for three drawings for prizes donated by merchants and UH colleges and departments. Those that pledge at least $20 a month, or a minimum of $240 annually, will receive SECC mugs. Those that give $50 a month, or $600 annually, will receive ceramic, framed artwork. Faculty and staff that contribute $1,000 or more will receive artwork and be invited to attend a reception hosted by UH President Arthur K. Smith.
The SECC program not only involves charities and organizations within the city of Houston, but it also has a member from the UH community. The UH Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic, for example, participates in SECC in order to help fund its various programs. The clinic offers a variety of services to children and adults.
In addition, it serves as a training facility for UH graduate students in the Communications Disorders program. An audiologist, a speech language pathologist and other certified professionals monitor the students’ work.
“The University of Houston Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic is actively serving the Houston community through our services and our outreach programs,” said Lynn Bliss, communications disorders professor. “We have service contracts with over 20 facilities and provide hearing testing, speech and language testing and hearing aid fittings.”
The clinic has been in service for approximately 50 years and receives 1,500 visits a year. To serve all people, the clinic accepts payments on a sliding scale, based on patients’ income.
UH recognized for diversity, top programs in new report
By Sheshe Giddens
Wednesday, October 13, 1999
The University of Houston has ranked in the top 10 in the U.S News & World Report year 2000 editions of America’s Best Colleges and America’s Best Graduate Schools in the areas of diversity, law and creative writing. UH was recognized for its diverse student population, coming in second after Rutgers University in Newark, N.J.
The largest minority population in this year’s freshman class at UH is Asian/Pacific Islanders at 22.6 percent, followed by Hispanics at 21.3 percent, African Americans at 20.8 percent and Native Americans and unknown at 1.1 percent. Caucasian/other students constitute 34.2 percent of the freshman class yet Caucasian 48.1 percent of the total student population, making the freshman class far more diverse than the student body at large. Primarily recruiting its student population from Harris County, UH reflects the overall diversity of Houston.
“We don’t have a specific program to recruit minorities. We have a very diverse community. We work closely with all of our area high schools and the student population reflects that. Students recruit other students, and the community knows that UH is diverse and students feel comfortable here. A lot of potential college-going students are looking for that,” said Ed Apodaca, associate vice president for enrollment management.
Apodaca noted that the diversity among ethnic and racial groups distinguishes UH from other higher education institutions.
“What makes us unique is that we are not like other universities, where the student population is just white and black, or white and Hispanic. As a campus, we no longer have a majority group,” said Apodaca.
Diversity is not the only area in which UH was spotlighted in the report. Three graduate programs — health law, intellectual property law and creative writing — are among the nation’s finest in their respective fields, ranking in the top 10.
The UH Law Center’s Health Law and Policy Institute ranked first in the area of health law. The program prepares students to shape and confront the legal and ethical issues faced by the health care industry, such as euthanasia, reproductive health, medical malpractice and human experimentation.
“For over 20 years, the Heath Law and Policy Institute has been a national leader in health law curriculum development, research, public service and publications,” said Mark Rothstein, director of the institute. “We are pleased to be recognized by our peers as a quality program.”
The Intellectual Property and Information Law Institute (IPIL) ranked seventh in the area of intellectual property law. UH law students studying intellectual property and information law are exposed to a range of issues, including patent writing, trademarks and copyright, as well as legal protection for computer hardware and software.
“The UH Institute for Intellectual Property and Information Law is a top ranked national program because it deserves to be,” said Craig Joyce, Law Foundation professor and co-director of the IPIL. “Through the institute, the University of Houston offers more courses in intellectual property and information law than any other institution of higher education west of the Mississippi. UH was also the first public university in the country to offer an LL.M. (master of laws) in IPIL,” he added.
The university also ranked second, tying with The Johns Hopkins University, for its creative writing program in the College of Humanities, Fine Arts and Communication.
“The program is ranked very highly because of our faculty of poets and fiction writers, which is what attracts the top students from around the country,” said Faith Venverloh, administrative director of the Creative Writing Program.
Adding to this program’s reputation is the national awards and published works produced by degree candidates. Offering a master’s and doctorate in literature and creative writing and a Master’s of Fine Arts in English: Creative Writing, the program admits only 10 poetry and 10 fiction students each year, making for stiff competition.
For the complete “U.S. News & World Reports’” year 2000 edition, visit the Web at http://www.usnews.com/ usnews/edu/college/corank.htm for the college rankings and http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/bcrank.htm for the graduate school rankings.
These articles were written for Egret, the magazine of University of Houston-Clear Lake
by Sheshe Giddens
Egret, fall 2003
What is the relationship between a woman’s body size and her self-esteem? How does this relationship vary among women from different ethnicities? A study conducted by Associate Professor of Psychology Sharon Hall and Lecturer in Fitness and Human Performance Margaret Snooks examined the issue of body size and self-esteem in middle-aged African-American, European-American and Mexican-American women.
Unlike traditional studies, Hall and Snooks controlled the socioeconomic values by looking at middle-income women with some college education. Across the board, they found that the participants had a relatively good self-image despite variations in body size. On average, the African-American women studied had a significantly larger body size than the European-American women and the Mexican-American woman’s body size fell in between the other groups.
In 2002, Hall and Snooks published their findings in Health Care for Women International in an article titled “Relationship of Body Size, Body Image, and Self-Esteem in African American, European American, and Mexican American Middle-Class Women.”
Recently, Snooks and Hall sat down with three UHCL students, Joyce D. Taylor, an African-American; Beth Hammett, a European-American; and Rosa Nelly Ayala, a Mexican-American, for an intimate and insightful roundtable discussion. The students shared their views on body size, self-esteem and health, as well as the family and cultural influences that shaped them.
JOYCE: My mother taught me not to judge a person by what I see on the outside, but see them for their confidence and qualities on the inside. She also taught me how to carry myself when I meet people and that I should be pleased with my own outlook. I’ve taught this to my daughters. When you walk into a room or shake somebody’s hand, people should know that you are confident. As far as body size, African-American women tend to be more full-figured.
BETH: People in my family are all overweight. When we get together for holidays, you’ve got this spread of food and it’s like “Oh, eat more!” It is like they are showing love through food. I see a lot of women in my family wearing larger dresses so that the body size is less emphasized. Before school started, I found out that I have Type-II diabetes. I have had to totally readjust and rethink the way I live, the way
I eat and the way I think about food.
MARGARET: I am really interested in what you said about showing love through food. One thing that happens sometimes is that people try not to eat the second or third helping of the pie, but the mother or the grandmother will urge it on. You feel like if you decline it that you’ve rejected them.
BETH: My mother has a diner and so when we go back home, we spend a lot of time there. People that you know come in and you will have one piece of pie with them, then the next set of people comes in. Before you know it, you have eaten 20 pieces of pie and you are not even hungry! It’s just the atmosphere.
MARGARET: It is also social.
BETH: Now, I have an excuse to say that I can’t have this because I’m a diabetic. Also, I walk two miles everyday with a group in my neighborhood.
SHARON: Nelly, what has your experience been like?
NELLY: I’ve never focused much on body image. I think that probably comes from my upbringing. My mother passed on four years ago at age 70. Because of her passing, I am more aware of how I prepare food and I try to make better nutritional choices for my family. My mother had limited information on nutrition to pass to me. I came from an extremely poor family. There was just enough to eat, so we never worried about overeating. With my four daughters, my husband and I try to emphasize good eating habits without overdoing it. Teenagers feel a lot of pressure at school to fit in. High school students focus too much on dieting and physical appearance and they feel pressured to wear the right clothes or to have a certain look.
SHARON: During your adolescent period, did you feel a lot of pressure to look good? And did that figure into whether you had friends?
MARGARET: Or popularity?
NELLY: During my childhood and adolescent years, I think when I felt poorly about myself, it had more to do with my racial characteristics. Everyone wants to be liked and I wanted to be liked for being myself. Unfortunately, the popular crowd only liked the “pretty people” and at times I was called an “ugly Mexican,” which in turn made me feel terrible. I didn’t feel good about myself and when you live through that experience growing up, you are concerned about being accepted and fitting in. I believe my resiliency helped build my self-esteem and image throughout my life. My confidence and self-acceptance comes from understanding myself and remaining true to my beliefs.
SHARON: Joyce and Beth, did either of you have any kind of negative messages from peers as you were going through your adolescent period?
JOYCE: I don’t remember there being a lot of pressure when I was in school. I have always been on the healthy side. My friends and I never sat back and said “Oh, look at her.” Size just wasn’t an issue back then.
BETH: I remember some pressure. I have always been about this same size. I was well developed in the sixth grade much more than the other girls. I was always a little chunky, but no one made fun of me. I remember trying out for cheerleader, and the other girls were much slimmer. I took dance lessons, but by the sixth grade, I was embarrassed to wear the leotards.
MARGARET: What about with your own children?
NELLY: My children are very confident because of that, they have a positive self-image. My husband and I have spent a lot of time talking to them about the importance of self worth. We taught them to value educational accomplishments and goals and not physical traits.
BETH: My oldest stepdaughter is 25 years old, and she is a model’s size. She thinks that she may want to pursue that, but she does a lot of binging. She will eat one day and then eat nothing the next day.
JOYCE: At my youngest daughter’s school, they are really focused on size. She is on the drill team, and as an African-American, her body structure is different. She carries most of her weight in her hips, and she gets a lot of comments about it. She is fit, tall and small and so self-conscious about putting on the drill team body suits. I have had to sit down with her and tell her, “Jesika, don’t let your peers influence how you feel about yourself. You are a beautiful young lady.” She continues to try to stay on diets. I tell her that she doesn’t need to do that but her response is that everybody on the drill team is so thin.
Crime and punishment
From white-collar crime to serial murder, new program provides insights into the criminal mind
by Sheshe Giddens
Egret, spring 2003
As Texas works to come to grips with the ongoing issues that plague its criminal justice system, UHCL’s new undergraduate and graduate criminology degree programs will prepare a future generation of problem solvers to help deal with the issues relating to crime.
Recent news reports have brought national attention to a wide array of crimes and law enforcement concerns such as corporate corruption, racial profiling, serial murder and capital punishment. Some of these stories have raised public concerns about crime and punishmentbeyond the scope of policing and corrections to examination ofthe nature of specific crimes and its prevalence in society.
Criminology or criminal justice?
Although the study of criminology and criminal justice overlap, criminology focuses on the sociological aspects of crime such as its origin and prevention through the use of scientific methods to study criminals and criminal activity and behavior. Criminal justice degree programs may include the study of criminology but will primarily concentrate on methods to control crime through policing, corrections and legislation.
UHCL’s programs, unlike any in the Houston area, will equip students with the tools to examine crime from this distinct perspective according to Associate Professor of Sociology/Criminology Stephen Rosoff.
“Although there are many fine criminal justice degree programs in Texas, criminology is a separate, more academically focused discipline,” says Rosoff. “There are currently only two undergraduate criminology degree programs in Texas, neither is in the Houston area, and, there are no master’s degree programs in criminology in the entire state. So the new UHCL criminology programs are largely unique.”
The university’s criminology programs began as a subplan of the sociol-ogy degree program. Pending approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the program is poised to begin admitting students beginning fall 2003.
The degree will appeal to UHCL’s nontraditional student population, many of whom are working adults seeking to change or enhance their current careers.
“Many of the students in our current criminology track work in the criminal justice system, law enforcement or corrections. Other students are preparing for careers in law enforcement,” says Rosoff, who once worked as an instructor for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice at the Ramsey Prison in Rosharon, Texas.
“A number of our graduate students have done internships with state and federal agencies, such as probation/parole offices, U.S. Customs and U.S. Marshals. Several interns subsequently received job offers.”
Field experience
Students will benefit from faculty experts like Rosoff whose research largely centers on white-collar crime, which serves as the subject for his recently published book, “Looting America: Greed, Corruption, Villains, and Victims.” Other criminology faculty members include Assistant Professor of Criminology Becky Tatum whose areas of expertise include race and crime, juvenile crime and violence, women and crime, and issues relating to criminal justice education; and Associate Professor of Criminology Steven Egger, an expert on serial murder.
Egger’s work in serial murder began when he was assigned as a homicide investigator from the Ann Arbor Police Department to investigate a string of murders known as the “Michigan Murders” in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area.
This experience would later fuel his interests in serial murder and how it is investigated and would become his dissertation topic in the criminal justice doctoral program at Sam Houston State University. Egger’s dissertation on “Serial Murder and the Law Enforcement Response” was the first dissertation to focus on serial murder.
The search for answers
When a sniper began a reign of terror in the Washington D.C. area in 2002, the story captured the nation’s attention. Law enforcement and the general public demanded answers and the reports led the evening news while cable news channels provided around-the-clock coverage. In the midst of the frenzy, the media sought different angles to the story to maintain public interest. National media outlets such as CNBC News and USA Today sought insight from criminologists like Egger.
Egger’s book, “The Killers Among Us: An Examination of Serial Murder and Its Investigation,” explores the issues such as serial murder investigation, the mythology surrounding serial murder and the dehumanization of victims.
Egger is quick to point out to his students that murder falls under local jurisdiction and not routinely investigated by the FBI, which is a common misperception because of television programs such as “The X Files” or movies like “Silence of the Lambs.”
“The biggest myth that I try to dispel about serial murder is that the FBI has jurisdiction over all serial murder investigations. They don’t. Homicide is a local problem. The only time that they get involved is when someone is fleeing from a federal warrant and that means that the person has already been identified,” says Egger. “The FBI may get involved when they are called in to assist with a psychological profile, but that is it.”
Egger sees “linkage blindness,” a phrase he coined, as one of the biggest stumbling blocks in investigations because serial murderers tend to commit crimes across several jurisdictions and police fail to recognize the links between the crimes.
Egger has had access to convicted serial killers such as Henry Lee Lucas who he interviewed in 1985 and 2000. Currently, he and his wife, Kim Egger, are working on an encyclopedia of serial killers.
Corporate greed
As the saying goes in the news business - “If it bleeds, it leads.” Until the recent Enron and other corporate corruption scandals, stories about violent crime usually receive more news coverage because people feel more threatened by violent crime and they believe that this type of crime, more than any other, has a greater impact on their lives. But this is not true according to Rosoff, who the media has tapped as well for his expertise on white-collar crime.
“Enron did for white-collar crime research what the microwave did for popcorn. For the first time, white-collar crime dominated the news over a sustained period of time. Even the savings and loans collapse and insider trading scandals of the 1980s never had that kind of hold on the public,” says Rosoff.
Students studying criminology will have the opportunity to tackle real-world issues. They, like so many people, will attempt to crack the secret code to find the answers to age-old questions about the nature of crime and how it can be prevented.
As Egger says, “The media and students want one single reason why people do what they do, and it is not that simple.”