President Bill Flores invites faculty and staff to attend the President's Fall Convocation at 2:30 p.m. today in the Academic Building, Cullen Robertson Auditorium.

The convocation will be streamed live via the Internet to members of the UHD internal community who cannot attend the event and who log in at UHD Fall Convocation.

Cake and coffee will be served following the Convocation in the

Special Events Center.

Jesus Sanchez, left, Coach John Hudson and Linda Okoro

Two UHD Powerlifters set world records at WABDL tournament in Kingwood

Two members of UHD Powerlifting, Jesus Sanchez and Linda Okoro, competed Aug. 28 at the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL) Southwest Bench Press and Deadlift Championships in Kingwood and set new World Records.

Sanchez, who usually lifts in the 114 weight class, went up to 123 to take a shot at the Teen 18-19 World Bench Press Record of 253.5 set by Anthony Ramos of Georgia in 2005.  After getting his opening attempt of 225.7, Sanchez easily broke the record and won first place with a perfect 254.6 on his second attempt. Sanchez, who was recovering from a cold, missed two subsequent attempts of 264.5.

Okoro was aiming to break her own World Record of 458.3 in the Junior and Open Divisions in the 165 weight class which she set on July 31 in Dallas. Weighing in at only 151, Okoro made successful attempts of 363.7 and 424.2 before easily breaking her own record with 459.4. She pushed the record up further with an incredible 468.2 on her fourth attempt. Okoro won first place for the Junior and Open Divisions at 165, and also won Best Lifter for Women's Deadlift.

UHD Powerlifting will compete next at the WABDL World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. in November.

UHD Garden volunteers will hold information meetings at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, and at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, in Room N-420, One Main Building, for people interesting in helping with the garden.

The UHD Garden uses sustainable practices to grow fruits and vegetables to donate to Target Hunger, a nonprofit organization that helps feed the hungry in the inner city. This year the garden produced 100 pounds of produce, and volunteers have a goal to produce 150 pounds or more next year. No gardening experience is necessary to participate. A flyer is available here.

Auditions for this fall's production of The Laramie Project, based on the real-life kidnapping and murder of university student Matthew Shepherd, plus 15 student-directed One-Act plays will be from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. and from 6 - 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept 7 and 8, in the O'Kane Theatre, Room N-364, One Main Building.

All UHD students, faculty and staff are welcome to audition. The auditions are cold readings; no preparation is necessary. For information, please call Thomas Lyttle, professor of Arts and Humanities, at 713-221-8118.

A Purse, left, and a Compact from 'The Eula Project' Exhibit

Opening reception for O'Kane's exhibit by artist Melanie Crader is Thursday

The O'Kane Gallery begins the fall season with Houston artist Melanie Crader's solo exhibition, The Eula Project, and an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2.

The exhibit will be on display Sept. 2 through Oct. 7. Crader's installation physically transforms the gallery into a facsimile of a domestic residence that begins the intersection of the present and a life lived decades ago. Upon the discovery of a box containing mundane objects found over 20 years after her grandmother's death, Crader began exploring the similarities between their two lives. Utilizing the contents of the box as source material, The Eula Project explores the formation of an identity as it relates to space, aesthetics, gender, social class and memory.

A native of southern Louisiana, Crader's exhibit history includes Gallery Sonja Roesch in Houston, Women and their Work in Austin, and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY.  Her work has addressed the complex issues of identity and the feminine as it is packaged through predominantly consumer channels. Her clean, crisp, at times minimalist stylistic leanings bring focus to specific detail divorcing it from its original context. The Eula Project provides an examination of one identity revealed through such details.

Since 1970, the O'Kane Gallery has provided cultural arts for the diverse university and downtown communities. The gallery is located on the third floor of the One Main Building. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Guests may park in Visitor Parking, Travis and Girard, or take Metro's Light Rail to its final north-bound stop at the UHD front door. Normal summer gallery hours are Monday - Saturday, 10 - 5 pm, closed university holidays.

Melanie Crader is a recipient of an Individual Artist Grant Award. This grant is funded by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

UHD Sports and Fitness announces the American Red Cross CPR/AED/First Aid Fall 2010 Certification Class schedule.

Individuals who take the training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use are more likely to use the training on someone they know versus a complete stranger. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn what to do in case of an emergency situation.

CPR/AED Certification        

Sept. 10, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Oct. 14-15, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Nov. 11-12, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

First Aid Certification

Oct. 29, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Dec. 3, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.                                           

The class fee is $5 for UHD students, faculty and staff members and $10 for others. The sessions are limited to the first 15 people who prepay for the class. The certification is valid for one year.

To reserve a spot for this training, stop by the Student Life Center. For more information call 713-221-8225. A flyer is available here.

UHD will submit a grant for the Segal AmericCorps Education Award for one to 10 openings in the Americorps' Students in Service (SIS) program through the Texas Campus Compact.

Each award is for $1,132 and each student selected will complete 300 hours of service. Students must be juniors or seniors. The Texas Campus Compact is looking for SIS Campus Partners who can have the greatest impact in their community on "Closing the Gaps"/College Access. The compact has received a sub-grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service. As a selected program provider, the compact will receive 80 300-hour part-time AmeriCorps slots.

For more information or to collaborate on this funding opportunity, contact Jean DeWitt, UHD director of Community Engagement.

Soldier-Poet Brian Turner will read his poetry from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, in the Cullen Robertson Auditorium, third floor, Academic Building.

Tuner is regularly referenced in the New York Times as a veteran/poet spokesperson for his generation. His debut book of poems, Here, Bullet, won the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award, the New York Times "Editor's Choice" selection, the 2006 Pen Center USA "Best in the West" award, and the 2007 Poets Prize, among others.

His second poetry book, Phantom Noise, was released by Alice James in the spring of 2010. Turner has recently been selected as one of 50 United States Artists Fellows for 2009. 

For information contact Jane Creighton, associate professor of English and Cultural Enrichment Center director, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, at 713-221-8295 or creightonj@uhd.edu.

The Sports and Fitness Center is sponsoring a workshop called "MyPyramid Tracker" to help people analyze their nutritional and physical activity from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 8 in Room 998-South in the One Main Building.

Studies show that people who write down or log what they eat and their physical activity are more successful at losing weight and maintaining their weight than people who don't keep such records. "MyPyramid Tracker" is an online activity log and at the workshop participants will learn how to create their own MyPyramid account and more about the benefits the service offers.

Snacks and appreciation gifts will be provided. For more information and a link to reserve a spot is available on the attached flyer.

The Fall 2010 Hispanic Film Series begins Thursday, Sept. 9, with a screening of "Cronicas:Ecuador" at 6:30 p.m. in Room 405-A in the Academic Building.

The 2004 film is directed by Sebastian Cordero and follows a television journalist as he investigates crimes against children in rural Ecuador. The series is sponsored by the Department of Arts and Humanities in UHD's College of Humanities and Social Sciences. For information contact Ana-Maria Medina, visiting assistant professor, at medina@uhd.edu. A flyer is available here.

Other films are:

Rosario Tijeras: Columdia - Sept. 23

Virgen de los Sicarios: Columbia - Oct. 7

Bombon: El Perro: Argentina - Oct. 14

Intacto: Spain - Nov. 4

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Universal flu shots will be available at the UHD Student Health Services, Room 320N, for $20 starting in September.

The vaccination will be given for the 2010-2011 Flu Season and will be the H1N1 and the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in one shot. Separate vaccine will not be needed nor given.

NO APPOINTMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED. Shots will be given on a walk-in basis. Specific times and dates will be provided at a later date.

Flu vaccines are currently NOT available at this time. We will update everyone when they become available.

Renewal of Faculty/Staff parking permits for FY10-11 will begin Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

All current permit holders, full or part-time, are eligible to renew their permit online. Those choosing to use the on-line option will be asked to verify mailing address information via PeopleSoft Advantage Self Service (PASS). Permits will be mailed, via US postal services within 3-5-business days, to the address specified. 

To avoid deactivation of proximity cards, employees must purchase their permit by Tuesday, Sept. 7.

To register for parking using the on-line option, go to www.uhd.edu

  Select   (Register & Pay here)

  Select Faculty/staff eServices

  Go to My Online Transactions

  Select My Payment

  Select Parking

The payment options offered are payroll deduction (three monthly deductions), credit card (AMEX, Visa, MasterCard, Discover), and eCheck.  Customers are encouraged to purchase permits online, as only cash and check transactions can be accepted in the Parking and Transportation Service office.

An added benefit of the monthly payroll deduction plan is that when full-time faculty or staff members purchase their permit in this manner, the deductions are made on a pre-tax basis. For monthly employees, deductions will be taken equally for three months starting on October 1^st, which is actually the September paycheck.  Employees paid on a bi-weekly basis will see the deduction on the first paycheck of each month. Permits ordered online between Aug. 4^th and Sept. 10^th will have deductions of three installments beginning with the first paycheck in October. After Sept. 10^th, payroll deductions will be taken out in two equal installments only.

The breakdown by permit type is shown below.

 Adjunct professors and part-time employees will be able to request parking online and pay in full with credit card or eCheck.  Employee classification is obtained through PeopleSoft HR, which is maintained by Employment Services and Operations (ESO).  If an employee has questions about their employee classification, please contact your unit business administrator or ESO.

Disabled parking privileges are for the benefit of the registered permit holder only.  UHD requires that a UHD disabled parking permit be displayed along with a valid state issued disabled parking placard or state license plate whenever a vehicle is parked in a disabled parking space in any faculty/staff or student lot.

Motorcycle permits must be purchased in the Parking and Transportation Services Office. Motorcycle permits allow parking only in designated motorcycle areas and the permit holder is subject to the same parking regulations as motor vehicles.

As always, employees are asked to report lost, stolen, or damaged hang-tags/permits or proximity cards immediately to Parking and Transportation Services. The owner may obtain a replacement permit or proximity card for a fee of $10.00. 

The mission of Parking and Transportation Services is to provide the highest possible level of service and convenience to the campus community - students, faculty and staff.  Please feel free to contact Parking and Transportation Services with any questions or comments by e-mailing us at parking@uhd.edu or by calling ext. 8127.

Click here to register now!    https://global.dt.uh.edu:8585/eservices/es/login.asp?MySelection=F

For more information, contact Vanessa Turner, Manager, Parking and transportation Services, at 713-221-8947 or turnerv@uhd.edu