ON THE ICE
UH Researchers Dodged Icebergs
and Sailed Antarctica's Frigid Seas
to Help Study Climate Change.
Taking Steps
Higher education can be crowded and noisy. Excited students, heads filled with new ideas and age-old wisdom, jostle through hallways and swarm eagerly into classrooms, dining halls and dorms. The energy is collective, the intensity pervasive. But ... there are moments, rare moments, of unexpected solitude. A lone student strolls down the stairs of the capacious Fine Arts Building at her own pace, luxuriating in every step and, in that instant, the campus belongs to her.
Taking Steps
Higher education can be crowded and noisy. Excited students, heads filled with new ideas and age-old wisdom, jostle through hallways and swarm eagerly into classrooms, dining halls and dorms. The energy is collective, the intensity pervasive. But ... there are moments, rare moments, of unexpected solitude. A lone student strolls down the stairs of the capacious Fine Arts Building at her own pace, luxuriating in every step and, in that instant, the campus belongs to her.
Let’s Talk About Momentum
Dear Cougars and Friends,
Momentum is the force gained by a series of events. Momentum requires energy, initiative and drive. It requires strategy and focus. It is what defines where the University of Houston is today.
We witnessed the force of momentum recently at the signing ceremony of the bill that created the UH College of Medicine attended by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and 20 other prominent city and state elected officials. This was the first time a Texas governor signed a bill at UH since 1963 when John Connally was here to officially make the University of Houston a state university. Along with the medical school bill signing, we also unveiled architectural renderings of the striking new $80 million building to be built on the 43-acre tract of land next to nearby MacGregor Park.
The very next day, during the UHS Board of Regents meeting, we announced that a donor had pledged $50 million – the largest single gift in our history – to recruit the highest caliber faculty in interdisciplinary STEM fields focused on solving real-world problems. Called “The Aspire Fund: The $50 Million Challenge,” this enlightened gift provides matching funds intended to attract another $50 million from other inspired donors, making the total impact as much as $100 million. It is particularly encouraging that this phenomenal gift was given to us after the successful conclusion of our recent ‘Here, We Go’ campaign to raise $1 billion dollars, signaling that our supporters are championing our efforts well beyond the boundaries of that fundraising initiative. We did not just “Go” ... we continue to Go.
You can read more about these two remarkable moments in this issue of the magazine, along with several other articles chronicling the UH community’s various activities and achievements.
They range from research in such far-flung places as Antarctica and the International Space Station to students colorfully painting the freeway underpasses in our own backyard, from calculating that UH has a $6.4 billion impact on the city’s annual economy to taking an insightful look back at Lynn Eusan, who became UH’s first black homecoming queen in 1968.
We can see how far we’ve come, how much we’ve already accomplished and how far we have the ability to go.
With warm regards,
Renu Khator - President, University of Houston
LYNN EUSAN
Legacy of a Slain
Advocate Who Broke
a Color Line - and
Changed UH Forever
HEADS & TALES
Ancient coins have fascinating stories
to tell if you know how to read them.
UH professor Frank Holt decodes
ancient coins to reconstruct history.
‘Crafty’ Alumnus
Finds Success
Co-founded by a Cougar, this
EaDo brewery's success has
been nothing short of
wonderful.
A RING TO REMEMBER,
HOW SWEET (16) IT WAS
In honor of a dazzling 2018-2019 season, members of the UH Men’s Basketball team were given this equally dazzling commemorative ring. Racking up a school record of 33 wins while earning the first outright regular season conference championship since 1983, the Coogs – under the guidance of Conference Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson – advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in more than three decades.
A RING TO REMEMBER,
HOW SWEET (16) IT WAS
In honor of a dazzling 2018-2019 season, members of the UH Men’s Basketball team were given this equally dazzling commemorative ring. Racking up a school record of 33 wins while earning the first outright regular season conference championship since 1983, the Coogs – under the guidance of Conference Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson – advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in more than three decades.
DNA TEST PROVES LIZZO IS
100% THAT COOG
Musician Lizzo Takes Break from Recording No. 1 Hits, Visits UH
In a riot of energy and a hair toss or two, the flute-playing, rapping songstress Lizzo returned to her alma mater. She shared with the Spirit of Houston band her truth: that through self-acceptance, unrelenting determination and glamorous razzle-dazzle, we all have the power to manifest even the wildest of our dreams – a message that permeates her boisterous and heartfelt lyrics. A self-proclaimed “band nerd,” Lizzo has worked for years to boldly stake her claim at the top of the R&B and Hip-Hop charts.
DNA TEST PROVES LIZZO IS
100% THAT COOG
Musician Lizzo Takes Break from Recording No. 1 Hits, Visits UH
In a riot of energy and a hair toss or two, the flute-playing, rapping songstress Lizzo returned to her alma mater. She shared with the Spirit of Houston band her truth: that through self-acceptance, unrelenting determination and glamorous razzle-dazzle, we all have the power to manifest even the wildest of our dreams – a message that permeates her boisterous and heartfelt lyrics. A self-proclaimed “band nerd,” Lizzo has worked for years to boldly stake her claim at the top of the R&B and Hip-Hop charts.
WHOSE HOUSE? WHOSE VOICE?
Dennis Quaid Recruited to Rep Alumni in Annual UH Commercial
As you watch the parade of video images celebrating the glories of wearing Cougar Red, the unseen narrator’s voice is tantalizingly familiar – folksy, with just a bit of Texas twang, yet polished and professional. But you just can’t quite place it … and then, at the end of the 30-second spot titled “Game Day, Any Day,” the camera reveals our speaker. Why, of course! That’s … Dennis Quaid! The popular actor – and, need we add, dedicated UH alumnus – agreed to appear in the 30-second video that’s aired during televised football games and other UH athletic events to help promote his alma mater. Haven’t seen it yet? Or just love seeing it over and over? You can find it at https://tinyurl.com/y5vfyfek.
Last Look
Behind that leafy bower and vintage couple, circa 1950's, you see the sturdy limestone walls of the student residences that made up the Quadrangle – or "the Quad." After six-plus decades of honorable service and inevitable decline, the Quad has been demolished. But rising on the same spot, like a phoenix, is a new complex of ultra-modern student residences that will be officially named.... The Quad, a dutiful salute to a UH legacy. More information about the $124 million, 1,200-bed facility is available at uh.edu/housing/quad.
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