Dear Alum,

This month, I will begin a national tour that will take me from New York City to Los Angeles to meet with alumni and friends and spread the word about our innovative research and creative activities.

My goal for this tour, which is the first of its kind by a UNT president, is to reconnect individuals outside of the North Texas area with our university and personally update them on the exciting work happening on campus as we emerge as a national and international presence.

My first stop is set for Nov. 20 in Chicago, where more than 1,200 alums living in the area are invited to a reception. I hope they all plan to attend and will bring with them other former students we may have lost touch with through the years. I also would enjoy seeing many of our music alumni, who surely will be in Chicago at that time for the National Association of Schools of Music conference. It's important that we re-establish our connection to all of our alumni and develop new partnerships that will help carry us into the future.

The tour leads up to my inauguration as president April 12-14 in Denton, which I intend to use as an opportunity to raise money for student scholarships while bringing our alumni and supporters back to campus.

As an alum, you are part of our university's past. But you also are an integral part of strengthening our future as a student-centered public research university. And we need each of you to continue to be involved with UNT and advocate for your alma mater.

You can learn more about upcoming tour dates and locations on the UNT Insider homepage. Also, if you plan to attend, please RSVP to UNT's Division of Advancement at (940) 565-3480.

With green pride,
Gretchen M. Bataille
President

Win tickets to a UNT basketball game
Basketball season kicked off this month, and I'm eager to see more of you at the Super Pit. To get you in the spirit, I am giving away three great prizes - a Domino's Family Fun Pack (four tickets, a large pizza and four drinks) for any men's or women's game this season, two tickets to a men's game and two tickets to a women's game. And of course, I will throw in UNT T-shirts so the winners can sport green at the game. Just e-mail me at president@unt.edu with "Basketball" in the subject line by 5 p.m. Nov. 20, and you'll be entered in our drawing. Game tickets also are available for purchase online.

Moving Forward: Innovative history course to serve as model for Texas
A Texas pilot program charged with creating new methods to better educate today's college students recently selected a UNT U.S. history course to serve as a model for the state. The recognition from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which chose only three courses statewide, comes with a $193,000 grant to support a team of history faculty as they create case studies, teacher guides and online activities. The course is one of several undergoing redesign by faculty members working to transform the way classes are taught at UNT as part of our Quality Enhancement Plan. Professors are implementing innovative teaching strategies that take advantage of today's technology and multimedia materials in order to improve student learning and help students graduate with excellent critical thinking skills.

Polished: Three Decades of Metal
I invite you to visit the School of Visual Arts' newest exhibition featuring works by UNT metalsmithing and jewelry alumni, students and faculty. The exhibition, Polished: Three Decades of Metal, coincides with the 30th anniversary of the metalsmithing and jewelry program under the direction of Regents Professor Harlan W. Butt. This exhibition runs through Dec. 23 at UNT artspace FW at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

New degrees in mechanical and energy engineering
UNT will once again be the first in the United States to offer a groundbreaking program beginning in Fall 2007, when our College of Engineering begins offering bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical and energy engineering. The program, which will join only a handful worldwide, is designed to focus specifically on the production of energy and attracted about 30 prospective students before it was officially approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Faculty Focus: Eugenia Bodenhamer-Davis
Eugenia Bodenhamer-Davis, associate professor and graduate internship coordinator in the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions, recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research. I applaud the efforts of Dr. Bodenhamer-Davis, who established our Neurotherapy Laboratory in 1992 with grant money from the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

UNT Traditions: Holiday tree lighting
I hope you can join me for this year's annual holiday tree lighting, which is set for 4:30 p.m. Nov. 29 in the University Union Courtyard. This will be the first year I have the honor of flipping the switch that brings to life more than 15,000 lights adorning our 30-foot tree. Many of you will be glad to know this tradition, which began in 1976 when the current University Union opened, still features music, the traditional Union Coffee Cake and the chance to catch up with your UNT friends.

UNT Expert Database
Ever wonder what your former professors - one of UNT's greatest assets - are researching and discussing? It is easy to find out with our Expert Database, where you can learn about their latest research and commentary. Many of our faculty members appear in the local and national news discussing everything from politics and exciting new research to "water-cooler" stories.

North Texas Exes 2007 calendar coming soon
North Texas Exes members should keep an eye on their mailboxes for the Exes' third annual calendar, which promises to be the best one yet. This year's full-color calendar, one of the perks of membership, features a different campus location - both new and more familiar scenes - each month. To learn about fun alumni activities and chapters to join, visit www.ntexes.org.