When it comes to learning, who says it can’t be fun?
For the fifth grade magnet school at McMurry University, learning is fun. An Introduction to Scientific Research class at the university created games in order to teach science to the fifth graders.
You can read the rest of the story by KRBC Education Reporter Marlisa Goldsmith at:
By Ethan Fowler, Abilene Reporter-News
The three-week mission trip in 2007 to help with an aunt’s church in Ecuador was supposed to be uneventful.
But Danni McMahan’s expectation of a peaceful religious escape ended when a mountain trail she was hiking made vulnerable by heavy rainfall that summer gave way, and McMahan fell about 200 feet down the mountain near Cuenca.
McMahan broke her back, collarbone, ribs and punctured a lung — requiring an extensive rescue effort. McMahan, who made the trip by herself to the South American country, would spend the next four months in a hospital.
Although McMahan recovered, the accident left her wheelchair-bound. During her senior year at Carlsbad High School in New Mexico, McMahan “blocked out everything” due to the pain she was enduring.
On Saturday, McMahan will be one of 181 students graduating from McMurry University at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hunt Physical Education Center.
You can read the rest of this story at:
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/may/10/mcmurry-senior-presses-on-after-200-foot-fall/
Filed under Features
Dr. Paul Fabrizio commented about the effect of President Obama’s recent declaration for gay marriage might have in the upcoming presidential election in an Abilene Reporter-News article.
You can read the article at: http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/may/09/abilenians-reaction-mixed-to-obamas-support-of/.
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ABILENE, Texas – Photographer Ellie Hamby’s Antarctica: A Perspective will be on display at the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Art Gallery beginning May 15. A reception with the artist will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, in the Ryan lobby. The show and reception are open to the public free of charge.
Ellie Hamby is a professional documentary photographer with exhibitions of work in the USA and Africa. Born in Shattuck, Oklahoma, she attended Northwestern State College and the University of Texas in Austin. Hamby, who has traveled to Africa every year for the last 32 years, currently lives in Abilene and serves as co-director of Zambia Medical Mission. She also has an international business “Photos by Ellie” located mainly in Zambia featuring postcards, bookmarks, and note cards. She lived in Zambia from 1983 to 1989 and has traveled to over 95 different countries and 7 continents.
In describing her show, she said “Antarctica is a harsh land of extremes … and of incomparable beauty. It is the coldest and the windiest of all the continents. It is the highest of all continents, but it is also a desert. Antarctica is the driest of continents, but yet its great polar ice cap smothers nearly the entire landscape locking 70 percent of the world’s freshwater in ice and snow.”
‘There is a profound artistic beauty in the Antarctic that gave me a sense of privilege in capturing this beauty through the lens of my camera. It was fascinating to see the life which thrives along the edge of the ice and sea — the penguins, seals, whales, and other fauna and then to see icebergs floating and ice mountains appearing as if they were on fire.”
“I have traveled to over 95 countries and to all seven continents, always with my camera at my side. My interest in photography did not begin with a burning desire to see the world through a camera, but it was motivated more by my curiosity, sense of adventure and desire to explore the world. As a photographer, I like to capture a person’s emotions and to see how they interact with their environment. In the Antarctica, this was not possible, but the overwhelming beauty more than made up for this. I have covered a significant amount of territory in my travels, but being able to capture through the lens of my camera the purity and beauty of Antarctica, was a profound experience.”
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ABILENE, Texas – Texas businesswoman and philanthropist Dian Owens Stai will be the speaker for the McMurry University Spring 2012 Commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12, in the Hunt Physical Education Center. McMurry will award degrees to 181 students at the ceremony.
Also, legendary singer, songwriter, actor and producer Phil Collins will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of History degree acknowledging his longtime pursuit of collecting artifacts and documents related to the Alamo and the Texas Revolution.
Stai has been a strong supporter of McMurry University throughout the years and recently co-chaired McMurry University’s “Shaping the Future” capital campaign, exceeded its goal with a grand total of $39,137,373. In all, 1,703 individual gifts were received, and 36 new endowed scholarships have been established. The campaign funded four goals — endowed scholarships for students, faculty support and enrichment, construction, and additional enhancement of two of the university’s primary academic programs, science and mathematics. The crown jewel of the campaign will be the $8 million renovation of the iconic Old Main, the original building on campus.
A native Texan, Stai attended McMurry University and Texas Tech University. She received an Honorary Doctorate from McMurry in 1988.
Stai co-founded Owen Healthcare, Inc. with her husband Jean Owen in 1969. Upon his death, she served as chairman from 1976 to 1997. Owen Healthcare, Inc. made an initial public offering in August, 1995 and merged with Cardinal Health, Inc. in March 1997. In 1997, she started Mansefeldt Investment Corporation and established a private philanthropic foundation, the Dian Graves Owen Foundation, and is active in both entities. She served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors of First Financial Bank of Abilene and First Financial Bankshares, Inc., a publicly traded bank holding company. She also served on the board of McMurry University, Community Foundation of Abilene, United Way of Abilene, Texas Department of Commerce and numerous local and regional boards.
In 1992, she was named “Outstanding Citizen of the Year” by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, “Woman of the Year” by the Women’s Business Support Network of Houston and Business Houston’s Regional Entrepreneur of the Year. In 1997, she was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and named one of the “Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World. In 2001, she was given “The Spirit of Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award” in Houston. In 2005, Stai received the United Way Volunteer Service Award. Stai is a graduate of Leadership Texas ’89 and a member of the Committee of 200, an international organization of business women.
Phil Collins may be best known for his career with the rock band Genesis and as a solo artist. However, as an avid student of the Battle of the Alamo since his boyhood, he has collected hundreds of artifacts related to the famous 1836 battle in San Antonio, narrated a light and sound show about the Alamo, and spoken at a number of related events.
Recently, Collins has turned to writing history. Several years ago, he contacted Dr. Donald Frazier, a McMurry history professor and expert on the Texas Revolution, about his collection. which then led to Collins writing his first history book, The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector’s Journey, The book, published by State House Press, takes his passion for the Alamo and tells the story of the Texas Revolution through the artifacts and documents from his private collection.
During his career as a musician, Collins sang the lead vocals on several chart hits between 1975 and 2010, either as a solo artist or with Genesis. His top singles include In the Air Tonight, Against All Odds, and Another Day in Paradise. He has sold over 200 million records and won awards ranging from multiple Grammys to Oscars for his creative work in a number of artistic fields.
In March 2010, the rock group Genesis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. In June 2010 Phil was awarded the prestigious Johnny Mercer award and joined an elite company of writers including Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Paul Simon.
Collins released his most recent album, ‘Going Back’, in September 2010, and it immediately became a global hit.
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ABILENE, Texas –The McMurry University staff council is sponsoring the McMurry Pit Stop free to students from noon-4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday between Wilford Moore Stadium and the Jay-Rollins Library.
Volunteers will check tire pressure, oil and wiper fluid levels and provide cookies or brownies and bottled water for the trip home for summer break.
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A mega-music icon, with an intense passion for history, will be recognized at an Abilene university this weekend with an honorary doctorate. Phil Collins is a drummer, producer, singer and now the Grammy award winner Phil Collins can add author to his list of accomplishments. His book, “The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector’s Journey,” brought him to Abilene.
Read the rest of the story at:
Dr. Paul Fabrizio comments on the Republican race for the 19th Congressional District now held by Rep. Randy Neugebauer.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/may/05/election-2012-neugebauer-just-one-washington-19/
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Dr. Paul Fabrizio and Nathan Worley visit with the Abilene Reporter-News about college graduation and the whether a traditional four-year plan is still the norm at universities.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/may/06/four-year-plan-not-always-the-norm-for-local/.
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Tara Alyse Williams presented “Aspects of Polyamines and a Potential Inhibitor for Spermidine Synthase“. This presentation described how excess levels of polyamines correlate to cancerous cells, provided a look into the meta-bolic pathway of polyamines and proposed the synthesis of a new inhibitor in hopes to suppress the creation of cancerous cells.
Danni McMahan presented on “Pathology of a Spinal Cord Injury and Possible Treatment Strategies“. This presentation introduced the audience to an over view of the central nervous system, what occurs during a spinal cord injury and the biochemical processes of a spinal cord injury. She concluded by describing three major types of therapies used to treat spinal cord injuries: stem cells, pharmacology, and activity-based recovery.
Nathan Worley concluded the symposium with his presentation on “Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Complexes for their use in Photodynamic Therapy as a Form of Cancer Treatment“. Nathan worked on developing and determining the effectiveness of ruthenium and chromium compounds for use in Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). PDT is a cancer treatment that destroys oxygen-deficient tumors by breaking apart the DNA ladder.
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