University of Texas at Dallas staff and student leaders recently joined together to thank Texas Rep. Angie Chen Button MS’80 and Texas Sen. Royce West for helping to pass legislation that will enable construction of the new Student Union on campus.
The new Student Success Center/Student Union will transform the heart of campus and greatly enhance the student experience at UT Dallas.
UTD leaders as well as representatives from Student Government and the Graduate Student Assembly met with both legislators and shared their enthusiasm for the project and the value the new facility will bring to campus.
Button sponsored the legislation in the Texas House. When she visited campus, she talked about the legislative process and the dedication it takes to pass legislation. She said she was honored to help promote progress at her alma mater. In 2016, Button received the Green and Orange Award for Alumni Service from UT Dallas.
UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership, also expressed his gratitude for the support of the new facility.
“Angie has been a great champion for UT Dallas since she was first elected to the Texas House,” Benson said. “She has advocated for UT Dallas interests, hired UT Dallas students as staff and interns, and hosted our McDermott Scholars in Austin every legislative session. We were pleased to honor her for her service.”
West sponsored the legislation in the Texas Senate. A delegation of staff and students traveled to his district office to officially thank him.
“We can’t thank Senator West enough for his steadfast support for UT Dallas over his many years in office. He has pushed for funding for programs like the Academic Bridge Program and for important research initiatives,” said Amanda Rockow MA’12, vice president for government and community relations at UT Dallas. “He has hosted UT Dallas interns in his office and has been out to campus several times to teach classes. He’s always a hit with our students.”
Students Compete in Three Minute Thesis Event
University of Texas at Dallas molecular and cell biology doctoral student Chahat Upreti won first place, and biomedical engineering doctoral student Bhuvana Chandrashekar was a finalist recently at the first Texas regional Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
The event, which was held last November at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, drew more than 80 student competitors from universities across Texas. Students had to provide a compelling description of their complex research to a nonscientific audience in less than three minutes.
“My presentation was about the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance and new ways of combating it,” Upreti said. “The competition was incredibly intense since every presentation — whether focusing on forensic science or physics or language — hit it out of the park.”
His research focuses on utilizing a bacterial system called CRISPR-Cas to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance.
The purpose of 3MT is to encourage doctoral students to highlight the importance of their research to lay audiences. It helps hone their communication skills and broaden public interest in their work.
“I’ve practiced so many times to anyone who would listen and give me feedback to help me prepare,” Upreti said.
Chandrashekar’s research focuses on the impact of tooth loss, the complications of various cements used in dental implants, and how new techniques and treatment methods may improve outcomes.
“The three-minute time limit makes it feel like a very short TED talk,” she said. “Participating has definitely improved my confidence and my ability to describe my research.”
Chandrashekar said she had attended smaller 3MT events at UT Dallas because she found the presentations interesting and impactful.
“I wasn’t accustomed to public speaking and wanted to take on the challenge of conveying technical information to the public,” she said. “I decided to give it a try.”
Beth Keithly, faculty grant and distinguished fellowships advisor in the Office of Graduate Education, helps manage the 3MT program at UT Dallas and works with students interested in participating.
She said the competition process teaches students how to talk successfully to any audience, including donors and policymakers, who may be able to help further their research with funding or other resources.
“No matter what field a student is in, there will only ever be a small group of colleagues who understand that research, and students know how to talk to them,” Keithly said. “It’s critical that they are able to convey the importance of their research to all audiences.”
Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of The University of Texas at Dallas faculty, students and staff. To submit items for consideration, contact your school’s communications manager.