News
Write Site hosts annual North Texas Writing Center Association Conference
10/19/20
The TWU Write Site hosted the annual North Texas Writing Center Association Conference, which was held fully online this year due to COVID. The event was organized by Write Site Tutor Coordinator Jennifer Phillips-Denny, PhD, and all presenters were TWU faculty, staff or students. The North Texas Writing Centers Association is a subset of the South Central Writing Centers Association, which includes member schools from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Jackie Hoermann-Elliott, PhD, gave the key-note presentation, "Under (Good) Pressure: The Diastolic Effects of Writing Center Work on Tutors' Career Trajectories." Her presentation wove professional anecdotes into relevant research findings to argue that the writing center serves as an important site for fostering workplace readiness in tutors, particularly for those interested in careers in editing and publishing.
Two ESFL graduate students were honored with awards during the event. Daniel Stefanelli and Desiree Thorpe won the Mary Nell Kivikko Excellence in Scholarship Award for their paper, "(Re)imagining Writing Centers: Strategies for Multimodal Tutoring." The Mary Nell Kivikko Excellence in Scholarship Award is designed to recognize outstanding scholarship in writing center theory and practice. They received an honorarium and presented their findings at the conference.
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TWU biology lab granted patent for anti-cancer compounds
10/15/20
A Texas Woman’s University biology team, led by associate professor Michael Bergel, Ph.D., has been issued a patent for three compounds that prevent the growth of human breast, lung and colon cancer cells.
TWU Theatre presents live, drive-in drama with ‘CarPark Sonnets’
10/1/20
The Texas Woman’s University Theatre Program will open its fall season with an innovative and experimental take on the classics. “CarPark Sonnets: A Live, Drive-in Performance of Shakespearean Sonnets and Monologues,” invites patrons to experience live theatre from the safety and comfort of their own vehicle.
Mission to create change drives Fiama Villagrana-Ocasio's passion
9/28/20
If student activism had a name, it would be Fiama Villagrana-Ocasio. Fiama came to Texas Woman’s University last year with an initial goal to become a bilingual audiologist. That quickly changed.
“I found that by being able to create change systematically, I could make an impact on a broader scale instead of on an individual level,” she said, explaining why she is now majoring in political science with Spanish/philosophy minors and plans to go to law school. “Being a voice for many people in my community pushed me to learn more about different challenges others may face that are different than mine.”
Alumna and U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ('83) attributes early career success to Jim Alexander's mentorship
9/28/20
Since she was appointed as the first female federal judge in the Western District of Texas nearly 18 years ago, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses has presided over roughly 1,000 criminal and civil cases a year. Moses recalls a mentor of her own at TWU, whose guidance and advice helped her chart her legal career.
That mentor was one of her government professors, Jim Alexander, PhD, who not only advised her on career decisions but actually helped secure a spot for her to take the law school entrance exam. He also created a barrister’s club at TWU, which brought in law school recruiters to visit with prospective students. She remains in contact with Alexander to this day.
“It’s amazing how God puts these mentors in your life. I wonder if they realize what kind of impact they are having on you when they are your mentors,” Moses said.