Winds of Change - College 2017 - 61

University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, Texas * uta.edu

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, ARLINGTON (3)

W

ith more than 40,000 students, the
University of Texas at Arlington is the
largest university in the northern part of that
expansive state and the fourth largest in
Texas. The 420-acre campus of this urban
research university is located midway
between Dallas and Fort Worth, convenient
to both thriving cities. Many students
commute, but the resident population is
growing, and more than 10,000
students live on or within five
miles of campus.
The school values its diversity
and was ranked number five in
the nation for undergraduate
diversity by U.S. News & World
Report. The same publication
recently pointed out that UT
Arlington students graduate with
the second-lowest student debt among the
U.S. universities they surveyed. Undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students can
choose from more than 180 degree programs. Among the most popular majors are
nursing and other studies related to health
professions, biological and biomedical
sciences, and engineering.
According to the Chronicle of Higher
Education, UT Arlington is one of the
fastest-growing public research universities
in the country. The Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching classifies UT
Arlington as a Research University/High

aises.org

Research Activity. The school has
research facilities in every
discipline. The state-of-the-art
Shimadzu Institute for Research
Technologies, for one, offers access
to instrumentation and expertise
to support research in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, cognition,
engineering, geoscience, material
science, nanotechnology,
and neuroscience. Others are the
Center for Renewable Energy and
Science Technology, focusing on
developing efficient alternative
energy sources, and the Center of
Excellence for the Study of Health
and Chronic Illnesses.
The best research and other
creative activities are recognized as
part of the school's ACES (Annual
Celebration of Excellence by Students)
tradition, a university-wide symposium. To
be featured at ACES, undergraduate and
graduate students work with faculty
mentors in their disciplines and submit
abstracts to qualify for the competition.
Approved projects are presented orally or as
posters at the symposium. An interdisciplinary effort, ACES brings the sciences
together with fine arts in an all-university
recognition of achievement.
Other popular traditions celebrate
"Maverick Country" school spirit, including

the Oozeball Tournament, voted the
university's favorite, which pits teams of
students, faculty, staff, and alumni against
each other in ankle-deep mud for a rousing
volleyball tournament. Then there's
Homecoming, the MavsMeet Convocation
that kicks off the academic year, and the Bed
Races competition that sees costumed
student teams pushing beds on wheels
around the football stadium.
In their downtime, UT Arlington
students can participate in athletics - the
school is a member of NCAA Division I
(without football) and the Sun Belt
Conference. A focal point for active
recreation is the Maverick Activities Center,
a $34.5 million facility that offers training
and fitness spaces as well as a climbing wall,
game room, and dedicated areas for
basketball, volleyball, soccer, track, and
racquet sports. In addition, there are
hundreds of student organizations, ranging
from community service and affinity clubs to
academic- and professional-interest groups. ■

2017-2018 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE * WINDS OF CHANGE 61
http://www.uta.edu http://www.aises.org
Winds of Change - College 2017

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