August 18, 2000 UNT InHouse publication: Bulletin Board

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A participant in a high school robotics competition held on campus last year examines a prototype robot. Organizers are seeking volunteers to help with this year's event, which kicks off Sept. 16. Call 565-2048 to volunteer.

DENNIS ENGELS, Regents Professor of counseling, development and higher education, became president of the Texas Counseling Association July 1. Engels also testified in favor of new certification rules for Texas school counselors before the Texas Board of Education July 7 in Austin; presented a paper on school counseling ethics at the Texas Career and Technology Conference July 14 in Houston; and worked with officials of the American Counseling Association July 28 in San Antonio in planning for the 2001 ACA World Conference. He continues to serve as editor of Counseling and Values, the journal of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling, and is chair-elect of the ACA Council of Journal Editors based in Alexandria, Va.

PETE A.Y. GUNTER, Regents Professor of philosophy and religion studies, presented "Regressive Analytic Therapies vs. Progressive, Productive Therapies: Polarity?" at a meeting of the Society for Process Philosophy of Education, July 26 in Carlisle, Pa. He also was re-elected to the board of the society.

RON WILHELM, associate professor of teacher education and administration, presented "Resources for Teaching about Latin America" at Forum 2000, June 28-July 2 in Calgary, Canada.

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The increase in the jobless rate is discussed by TERRY CLOWER, assistant professor of applied economics and associate director of the University Center for Economic Development and Research, in the July 21 Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

STEVE CRAIG, professor and chair of the Department of Radio, Television and Film, discusses the prevalence of reality shows on television in the July 23 Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

A column written by CONSTANCE HILLIARD, associate professor of history, on proposed French legislation concerning restrictions on certain religious groups appears in the July 14 USA Today.

LEON KAPPELMAN, associate professor of business computer information systems, writes about quality assurance problems in the software industry in a July 14 Fort Worth Business Press column.

Challenges faced by nontraditional students are discussed by ONA TOLLIVER, student services coordinator, in the July 16 Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

BERNARD WEINSTEIN, professor of applied economics and director of the University Center for Economic Development and Research, suggests reasons Intel did not select Fort Worth as the location of its $1.3 billion computer chip plant in a July 14 Fort Worth Business Press article.

30 years

Robert K. Bane, Teacher Education and Administration
Kay Selby, Public Affairs and Information Services
Richard Lewis Simms, Teacher Education and Administration

25 years

Sigrid S. Glenn, Behavior Analysis
Sharon K. Leake, Business Services

20 years

Janet E. Brothers, College of Business Computing Center
Paul R. Madlock, Mechanical Services
Janice Surformia-Green Madlock, Computing Center
Rebecca R. Wright, Engineering Technology

15 years

William Sampson Hensley, Mechanical Services
Mirelda Trevino, Housing
Michael Clarence Woodby, Grounds Services

10 years

David Harold Brown Sr., Custodial Services
Ellen Jean Jackson, Custodial Services
Moni Lynette Kimble, Admissions
Candy L. King, Biological Sciences
Vannette H. Rae, Libraries
Jerry W. Ruth Jr., Chemistry
Steven H. Selby, Coliseum
Janet Lynn Souther, Intensive English Language Institute
Pamela L. Vincent, Computer Sciences

5 years

Reginald Lewis Bond, Hospital and Health Services
Maria A. Campos, Custodial Services
Cathy Nelson Hartman, Libraries
Cathy Ann Johnson, University Union-Administration

EDWARD BAIRD, professor of music, died Aug. 2 at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. Edward Baird He was 67.

Baird joined the voice faculty in 1962.

Highly regarded as both a performer and teacher, he was well known to area audiences. He sang in 43 Fort Worth Opera productions and as a soloist with the Dallas Symphony seven times. Baird performed with such high-profile artists as Placido Domingo and Beverly Sills. He had more than 60 opera roles to his credit, and he appeared with more than a dozen opera companies, as well as performing as a soloist with major orchestras.

In addition to opera, Baird performed in American musicals. Performing the role of Jud Fry in Oklahoma! while cast alongside Betty Lynn Buckley, Leonard Drum and Robert Windsor in 1971, he was named best supporting actor at Fort Worth's Casa Mañana Summer Musicals that season.

In recent years, he performed several of his favorite operetta roles in productions with the Dallas-based Texas Gilbert and Sullivan Co.

Past president of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Baird has coached some of the finest singers to graduate from UNT. Three of his students — John Carpenter, Timothy Jenkins and Mark McCrory — were winners of the New York Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. In 1998, he was elected president of the NATS Foundation.

Baird was appointed in May 1984 to serve as the College of Music's director of graduate studies. During his tenure, the college implemented a new artist certificate program and restructured its doctor of musical arts degree. Baird received the President's Council University Service Award for contributions to the graduate program in 1990 and was named a "Top Prof" in 1993.

A native of Missouri, Baird graduated from the University of Missouri at Kansas City with bachelor's (1955) and master's (1956) degrees in music. UMKC honored him with an alumni achievement award in 1987-88. He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1962. He was the institution's first vocalist to receive its new doctor of musical arts degree.

A UNT scholarship was established in Baird's name in 1999. Memorials may be made to that fund at the UNT College of Music, Attention Cindy Andrew, P.O. Box 311367, Denton, Texas, 76203-1367, or by calling 369-7771.

E. RAY GRIFFIN, 78, a retired faculty member in the government department and E. Ray Griffin director of the graduate program in public administration, died May 3 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

He was born Nov. 17, 1921, in the Plainview area of Grayson County. He graduated from Sadler High School in 1938 and entered North Texas, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1942. That same year he entered the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned as a naval aviator. He was released from active duty in December 1945 but remained in the reserves until 1964 when he retired with the rank of major.

In 1947, he earned his master's degree in government from North Texas and joined the faculty in the government department. He served as an associate professor and later directed the graduate program in public administration, which he helped establish in 1961. In 1966, while on leave from North Texas, he earned a doctorate in political science from Duke University. Following his retirement in 1982, he continued teaching as an adjunct professor at Texas Woman's University in the Department of Government and History until ill health forced him to retire in 1996.

In 1995, in recognition of his many contributions as a teacher and mentor, especially to students in city management, the M.P.A. alumni established the E. Ray Griffin Endowed Scholarship in the Department of Public Administration. Each year, faculty members select an M.P.A. student as the E. Ray Griffin Scholar.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis; one sister, Chloe Parker of Arlington; five daughters, Martha Escobar, Mary Warren and Becky Minton, all of Midlothian, Va., Beverly Riney of Krum, and Michele Randall of Jacksonville, Fla.; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial Mass was held May 6 at St. David's Episcopal Church in Denton, where he was a charter member.