V. Lane Rawlins

Dear Alum,

We welcomed another record class of astute, eager and diverse students this academic year, which is off to a great start. Our enrollment is up and has set a new record. Our freshman class has an 1108 average SAT score, three points higher than last year. We once again saw our largest enrollment of doctoral students. And we continue to be a top choice for Hispanic and African American students.

This is all confirmation that we're succeeding at attracting and retaining high-quality students and transforming them into high-quality graduates.

Student success is our top priority and we have long been focused on putting students on a lifelong path to success. Our new Succeed at UNT initiative boils this down into six easy tips: Show up, find support, take control, be prepared, get involved and be persistent. And it's working. Senior Lauren Frock writes in a recent column in the Denton Record-Chronicle how these valuable tips are helping her to finish strong at UNT and be prepared for what's ahead.

We take pride in knowing that our students get a college education that's life changing and affordable. We've made it our priority to offer high-quality programs, have distinguished faculty who are experts in their fields, and create cutting-edge facilities to ensure our students are learning in the best environment. Our goal is to give students an educational experience that rivals the top institutions in the nation.

We also want to be there for our students long after they graduate and that's why we're focusing on providing more support and services to the 361,000 alumni we have around the world. You can read below about a new UNT Alumni Association partnership highlighting this very effort.

I'm proud of where we are and where we're going as a university, and I hope you are too as a member of the UNT family.

Sincerely,
V. Lane Rawlins
President

Features

Homecoming on the Big Screen

Selected by students, this year's Homecoming theme, "Mean Green on the Big Screen," was unveiled at a special event Sept. 14 at Apogee Stadium. Homecoming week festivities kick off Nov. 4 and lead up to the Nov. 9 Mean Green vs. UT-El Paso football game at Apogee Stadium. I'm giving away two Mean Green Experience packages, each with tickets for four to attend the game. The first 100 responders will win a UNT T-Shirt. To participate, email your mailing address and T-Shirt size to president@unt.edu with "Homecoming" in the subject line by 5 p.m. Oct. 4. To buy season tickets, visit the Athletic Ticket Office or call 800-868-2366.

UNT student volunteering as a mentor.

Moving Forward: Community engagement impacts region and beyond

UNT is reaching communities in new ways and strengthening our partnerships throughout the North Texas region to impact education and quality of life. UNT spearheaded Mentor Denton, a new community partnership to match 10,000 at-risk students in Denton public schools with mentors. And our alumni, students, faculty and staff are getting involved by becoming mentors. We're also transforming education through a community partnership that is helping public schools meet 21st century needs, creating a pipeline of scholars with the expertise to advance the K-12 Integrated Arts Learning field. These initiatives represent the strategic efforts we're making to build a culture of engagement throughout the North Texas region that supports communities, jobs and people.

Northern Bobwhite Quail

State conservation groups give wings to UNT Quail program

The UNT Quail program's innovative approach to preserving North Texas quail populations has garnered support. Texas conservation groups have committed $100,000 to support the program's research, which focuses on linking fragmented populations of Northern Bobwhite Quail to form large, sustainable populations across the North Texas Quail Corridor, 300,000 acres of quail habitat that also is sustainable for an array of wildlife. Linking smaller, more vulnerable quail populations into larger groups makes quail populations more resilient and able to better withstand stressors. Headed by Kelly Reyna, assistant professor of biological sciences, UNT Quail also works to influence policy decisions on quail management and teach younger generations to be stewards of the land, wildlife and environment.

Greek Life Center

UNT steps to its own beat with new Greek Life Center

Since the 1950s, Greek life has been a part of UNT's culture and has served as a way for students to get involved, be leaders, give back to the community and make lifelong friends. UNT's thriving Greek system soon will have a new home when the university completes construction on a new Greek Life Center on Welch Street to serve as a central location for campus Greek activities and the Greek administration. The new 6,000-square-foot center -- slated to open in spring 2014 -- also will provide a site for Greek alumni to meet and stay engaged with the university. The new center at UNT, which is home to 41 fraternities and sororities, will be the first stand-alone Greek Life Center in the U.S.

Randolph "Mike" Campbell

Ruthanne "Rudi" Thompson

Angela Wilson
 

Faculty Focus: Randolph 'Mike' Campbell, Ruthanne 'Rudi' Thompson, Angela Wilson

The foundation to any great university is dedicated, outstanding faculty. Three faculty members who embody excellence are this year's top winners in our Salute to Faculty Excellence recognition program: Eminent Faculty Award recipient Randolph "Mike" Campbell, Regents Professor of history; Faculty Community Engagement Award recipient Ruthanne "Rudi" Thompson, associate professor of biology; and Faculty Leadership Award recipient Angela Wilson, Regents Professor of chemistry. Dr. Campbell, chief historian of the Texas State Historical Association, is a leading historian on Southern and Texas history. Dr. Thompson brings innovative environmental research and education to her laboratory and classroom and to K-12 schools through outreach. Dr. Wilson, a fellow of the American Chemical Society and director of UNT's Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling, is recognized as a trailblazer in the computational chemistry field.

Norm Miller

Daymond John

Traditions: Murphy Center and entrepreneurship

UNT's Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship showcases the best of entrepreneurship and business, and every year its Leadership Luncheon brings together students and business and community leaders to network and celebrate rising stars. Daymond John, founder of the fashion brand FUBU and a cast member of ABC's Shark Tank, will speak about entrepreneurship at the Nov. 8 Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship's BDO USA LLP 2013 Leadership Luncheon in Dallas. Norm Miller ('62), chairman of Interstate Batteries, will be honored with the Murphy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship. Enter to win a pair of tickets in a random drawing by emailing president@unt.edu with "Leadership Luncheon" in the subject line by 5 p.m. Oct. 4 and include your name and phone number. Buy luncheon tickets or sponsor a table.

Featured Link: The North Texan

Former Secret Service Agent Mike Howard ('60) is among several UNT alumni who were involved in the events of the day when former President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in downtown Dallas. Travel back in time with Howard and other alumni who shared their memories from Nov. 22, 1963, for the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death in the latest issue of The North Texan, the university's quarterly magazine for alumni and friends.

UNT Alumni Association

Strong alumni support is at the heart of the university's success and growth. This fall, the UNT Alumni Association and the Division of Advancement started a new partnership to enhance alumni and student networking opportunities and create new membership services. The association merged with the advancement division to combine alumni engagement efforts and provide more services and support. The alumni association will remain a nonprofit with an independent board of directors while taking advantage of new ways to connect with the university's 361,000 alumni on a broader scale. Learn more about the UNT Alumni Association by visiting UNTalumni.com or contact the association at alumni@unt.edu or 940-565-2834.