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News from CLASS

One year after launching in Houston’s East End, the É«»¨ÌÃ’s Project TOUCH (Treating Obesity in Underserved Communities) has new and meaningful numbers to report. The effort to prevent and treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other ailments, opened in the East End after success in Houston’s Third Ward. The program is funded by a $2 million grant from the United Health Foundation and is free to participants.

Professor Named Fellow in American Academy of Health Behavior

The É«»¨Ìà College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance Daphne Hernandez has been accepted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB). Hernandez received a unanimous endorsement from the AAHB Board of Directors on the strength of her publications, grants, and presentations, which demonstrate a sustained commitment to excellence in research and improving public health.

Exhibition of Civil Rights-Era Photographs Comes to É«»¨Ìà ‘I AM A MAN’ Will be on View Oct. 20-Nov. 3

The works of renowned photojournalist Ernest C. Withers (1922-2007), who captured the progression of anti-racism protests, marches and activism throughout the United States, will be on view at the É«»¨Ìà M.D. Anderson Library. “I AM A MAN” opens to the public Sunday, Oct. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 3.

É«»¨Ìà Launches New Doctoral Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The É«»¨Ìà is addressing a local and national need for more experts in speech-language pathology and audiology with the launch of a doctoral program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD). The credential places É«»¨Ìà among a select group of Texas universities that offer a Ph.D. in the field. The COMD department’s first class of doctoral students will begin in fall 2020.

Texas nonprofit organization with a mission to promote Tamil language, culture and literature has made a $2 million commitment to the É«»¨Ìà to establish an endowment supporting the study of Tamil heritage. The Tamil language is considered the oldest in the world — spoken by more than 70 million people worldwide — primarily in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.

É«»¨Ìà associate professor of clinical psychology, Matthew Gallagher, has added his voice to a debate that spans the ages — the importance of hope. Gallagher reports in that hope is a trait that predicts resilience and recovery from anxiety disorders.

University Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic Opens Parkinson’s Voice Service

The É«»¨Ìà is now helping people who live with the debilitating impact of Parkinson’s disease on their voice and ability to swallow. The University Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic (USLHC) has established a Parkinson’s voice service with a grant from the Richardson, Texas Parkinson Voice Project’s 2019 SPEAK OUT!® & LOUD Crowd® Grant Program.

Department of English Creative Writing Program Professor Honored Among Houston’s Finest Authors

The É«»¨Ìà College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that Professor Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni of the Department of English will be honored at the inaugural Houston Literary Awards. The Houston Public Library Foundation selected Divakaruni as one of five local writers to be recognized for their engaging, entertaining literary works that deepen readers’ understanding of themselves and the world around them.

É«»¨ÌàStudy Finds Texas Latino Republicans Will be Key in 2020

A new report from the Center for Mexican American Studies at the É«»¨Ìà found that Latino Republicans in Texas will be key in efforts to shift the state away from reliably Republican voting patterns.

CLASS Mourns the Loss of One of its Own—É«»¨Ìà Professor of Political Science Gregory R. Weiher, scholar and author, passes away

Professor Weiher joined the É«»¨Ìà Department of Political Science in September of 1984 after receiving a Ph.D. from Washington University. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1991 and promoted to professor in 2003. He served the department and the university in a number of administrative positions. Weiher was director of the Center for Public Policy from 1991 to 1995, director of the Master’s Program in Public Administration from 2007 to 2008, and chair of the Department of Political Science from 2008 to 2011

CLASS Media Mentions

• Forbes / É«»¨Ìà Energy
  Emran El-Badawi, MCL
• The Times of India
  MCL
• Foreign Affairs
  Robert Zaretsky, MCL