V. Lane Rawlins

Dear Alum,

Since our founding in 1890, UNT has had many great leaders who have each left their mark on our institution. Few have matched the impact and tenure of Dr. Alfred F. Hurley, who led UNT for 18 years and was our longest-serving president to date. He passed away June 8 at age 84.

Dr. Hurley was UNT's 12th president and also was the UNT System's first full-time chancellor. His work at UNT spanned 22 years, from 1980 until his retirement in 2002.

The UNT family has experienced a profound loss. I know from others and from my own interactions with him that he believed passionately in UNT and cared deeply for our students and our people. A former regent once said of him, "Al lives and breathes the university."

Dr. Hurley personified all that is good about UNT -- always putting in a hard day's work, always demanding excellence, and always pushing onward and upward. His impact can be felt in every part of our university and it will far outlive the time that we had with him.

I hope you will take a few minutes to read about Dr. Hurley's legacy. So much of what he set in motion during his 22 years is still driving our progress and our future today. Under Hurley's leadership, UNT substantially grew in size, prominence and impact. During his tenure, UNT:

• Became the state's fourth largest university
• Experienced significant growth in campus construction, research funding and fundraising
• Began its transformation as a major public research university firmly focused on becoming a top-tier public research university

UNT reached a new state of excellence under Dr. Hurley, and as president I'm proud and honored to keep that momentum going.

Sincerely,
V. Lane Rawlins
President

Features

Thomas McCoy

Moving Forward: New VP for research to bring experience in guiding top national research institution

UNT's efforts to become a public research institution on par with the best in the nation will be overseen by Thomas McCoy, who helped Montana State University become a top research institution as its chief research officer for 15 years. As UNT's new vice president for research and economic development, Dr. McCoy, who joins us July 8, will build on our efforts to achieve Tier One research university status and ensure that we continue attracting research funding and top faculty and student researchers. Under his leadership, MSU grew its research funding and today is recognized as one of the nation's premier research universities. His proven leadership and his background as a preeminent plant scientist make him an excellent fit to oversee UNT's bold vision for research, scholarship and artistic creativity.

Harry Williams (center), professor of geography, and Chulalongkorn University professors are studying Thailand's tropical cyclone history.

Unearthing Thailand's tropical cyclone history for better disaster preparation

The most intense tropical cyclone strikes occur on the Gulf of Thailand's coast where researchers from UNT and Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University are spending this summer digging through layers of sediments in tidal marshes to analyze tropical cyclone deposits. Led by Harry Williams, professor of geography, the research team will identify and date storm surge sediment beds in the marshes to establish long-term historical records of Thailand's tropical cyclones. The researchers hope to determine the interval at which the cyclones occur on average, which can help with better disaster planning. Records of Thailand's typhoons only exist for the past 50 to 60 years. Dr. Williams received a grant from the National Science Foundation for the research.

Researchers discover muscle behind steel's strength

Materials scientists at UNT and the University of Wisconsin have discovered a new behavior in steel that could help industries develop stronger materials in the future. Srinivasan Srivilliputhur, associate professor of materials science and engineering, and his collaborator Chao Jiang of the University of Wisconsin, have found that cementite -- an important strengthening component of steel -- stiffens and strengthens as it's squeezed. By better understanding its behavior, scientists can use cementite to develop stronger metals and ceramics for building and other materials. The findings were published in the journal Nature.

Robert Citino

Faculty Focus: Robert Citino

Professor of history and distinguished military historian Robert Citino will serve as a visiting professor at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn., for the 2013-14 academic year. As a visiting professor, Dr. Citino will assist in teaching core and elective courses within the college's Department of National Security and Strategy. He also will conduct college-wide lectures and presentations, and lead faculty efforts to publish case studies supporting U.S. Army War College educational goals. Dr. Citino is vice president of the Society for Military History and the author of nine books. In 2007, he was ranked the No. 1 professor in the country for his excellence in teaching on the Rate My Professors website.

Defensive lineman Walter Chapman No. 65 was among those named to the latest UNT Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Traditions: Hall of Fame honors best of Mean Green athletics

When student-athletes excel in their sport, they garner national attention for the Mean Green athletic program and the university as a whole. Established in 1981, the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame pays tribute to past great Mean Green student-athletes, coaches and administrators. The latest inductees are two of the best defensive linemen in Mean Green history, Walter Chapman ('77) and Brandon Kennedy; running back great Jamario Thomas ('08); standout football letterman and former UNT System Regent C. Dan Smith ('62); and track and field star Ron Linscomb ('66). Their achievements continue to make the Mean Green nation proud.

Featured Link: The North Texan online

Although they attended UNT at different times, alumni John Poch ('00 Ph.D.), Amos Magliocco ('02, '03 M.A.) and George Jones Jr. ('67) have something in common -- they found their niche while studying at UNT. UNT inspired Dr. Poch to pursue a career in creative writing and academia, Mr. Magliocco to take his love of writing seriously and Mr. Jones to take advantage of a fresh academic start to become CEO and founding executive of one of the largest Texas-based banks. Read more about Dr. Poch and Mr. Magliocco's literary success and how UNT helped other creative writing alumni and Mr. Jones transform into leaders in their fields in the summer issue of The North Texan.

UNT Alumni Association

The UNT Alumni Association is contributing to student success. For the 2013-14 academic year, the alumni association gifted $1,000 from graduation tassel sales to the newly formed Student Alumni Association's scholarship program. The alumni association plans to donate a portion of graduation tassel sales each academic year to the program. Deserving students will receive the scholarship based on need, UNT community involvement and Mean Green pride. The student association was established as an arm of NT40 in fall 2012 to encourage current students to get involved in philanthropy, Mean Green spirit and tradition, and campus activities. Our alumni and graduates can learn more about the UNT Alumni Association and how to support students through scholarships by visiting www.UNTalumni.com or contacting the association at alumni@unt.edu or 940-565-2834.