News Briefs

Shapleigh to talk on education

The Center for the Study of Texas Politics will present guest speaker Sen. Eliot Shapleigh from 12:30-1:45 p.m., Feb. 5 in the Conference Center, room 1.112.

Shapleigh, a Democratic Texas senator from El Paso, sits on the Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance among many other prominent committees.

His presentation will focus predominately on educational financing and reform.

For more information or to make reservations, contact the Center at 972-883-4929.

Jonsson school to plan future status

Leaders from academia and industry will attend the Education and Research Forum and Advisory Council Review to plan the future of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Feb. 12-14.

Presentations by students and faculty, tours of the Jonsson School’s facilities and discussions of new directions and initiatives for the School will take place during the three-day event.

Bob Helms, dean of ECS, set a goal for UTD to be ranked among the top 50 engineering schools in the nation within five years when he came to UTD 10 months ago.

ChessFest to host grandmaster

UTD will host the third annual ChessFest featuring one of the world’s top female chess players, Grandmaster Susan Polgar as guest speaker.

The lecture will take place at 2:30 p.m., Feb. 11 in the McDermott Library Auditorium.

ChessFest III will also include a “Challenge the Champions” session from 1-4 p.m., Feb. 11 in the library.

Everyone is welcome to match moves with members of either the UTD team or the chess club.

Polgar was the first woman in the world to achieve grandmaster status.

At age 15, she was ranked the No. 1 woman chess player in the world.

She is also the only World Champion to win the Triple Crown in Chess and is a three-time Olympic champion with three gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

Guitarist Vianna to strum at UTD

Brazilian guitarist Aliéksey Vianna will perform at 8 p.m., Feb. 20 in the Jonsson Performance Hall.

Vianna is the winner of the 2003 International Guitar Festival and has been awarded first prizes in more than 10 worldwide music competitions.

Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, he began playing the guitar at age 8.

He has formally studied classical guitar, composition, arranging and orchestration and graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Vianna recorded a CD of his solo guitar works in 2002 produced by composer Sérgio Assad.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for students and free at the door for UTD

students with their Comet Card.

Quest gathering clothes for needy

The Quest Christian Organization will sponsor a clothing drive for the Union Gospel Mission.

Drop boxes for donations will be located on the downstairs level of the Student Union next to the elevator Feb. 9-14 and also in the Waterview Apartments Phase VIII clubhouse Feb. 12-13.

The Mission specifically needs winter clothes for citizens of North Dallas, but will accept any clothing donations.

For more information contact Timo Gray at timo@utdallas.edu or 214-649-6710.