CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Aug. 3 -- AEP Texas, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, issued the following news release: AEP Texas asks residents throughout its Rio Grande Valley service territory to practice conservation measures from August 1 through 14 while a two-mile stretch of 138-kV transmission line is rebuilt. The section of transmission line was damaged during Hurricane Hanna. Hurricane Hanna severely damaged a two-mile stretch of a 138-kV transmission line situated on the west side o  more

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Aug. 6 -- AEP Texas, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, issued the following news release: AEP Texas reminds residents throughout its Rio Grande Valley service territory to practice conservation measures through August 14 while a two-mile stretch of 138-kV transmission line is rebuilt. The section of transmission line was damaged during Hurricane Hanna. Hurricane Hanna severely damaged a two-mile stretch of a 138-kV transmission line situated on the west side of Mc  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Texas A&M University's College of Engineering issued the following news: Dr. Bimal Nepal, professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, has been elected fellow of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM). The ASEM Fellow is the highest membership level with the society and the honor is maintained for life. Candidates must have eight years of continuous membership in ASEM with significan  more

VICTORIA, Texas, Aug. 6 -- The University of Houston Victoria campus issued the following news release: Caterpillar Inc. made a $10,000 gift to assist the University of Houston-Victoria with COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts. The donation is earmarked for general use during the pandemic - from emergency grants to other continuing education initiatives. "Through the years, we have seen UHV grow, and its vision for a strong future in the region aligns with Caterpillar's vision, as well," said  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 4 -- CenterPoint Energy issued the following news release: Consistent with CenterPoint Energy's focus on unlocking the power and potential within its premium regulated utilities, the company is combining Indiana Electric and Houston Electric into one Electric organization, effective immediately. The alignment of CenterPoint Energy's generation, transmission, distribution and engineering areas into one organization will allow for greater ability to share best practices for s  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 8 -- CenterPoint Energy issued the following news release on Aug. 7: CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today reported income available to common shareholders of $59 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2020, compared to income available to common shareholders of $165 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2019. On a guidance basis, second quarter 2020 earnings were $0.21 per diluted share, with $0.18 per diluted share fr  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- CenterPoint Energy issued the following news release on Aug. 4: CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced that former Anadarko Petroleum Chief Executive Officer Al Walker and President Robert G. Gwin have been named to the Board of Directors (Board) of the general partner of Enable Midstream Partners, LP, Enable GP, LLC, as representatives of CenterPoint Energy. CenterPoint Energy owns 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests i  more

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Aug. 4 -- Chevron Phillips Chemical, a petrochemical company, issued the following news on Aug. 3: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP today announced it has received 24 safety awards from the Texas Chemical Council (TCC) for excellence in operational performance. Overall, eight company locations in Texas received recognition from TCC. The Pasadena Plastics Complex and the Orange plant earned TCC's highest honor, the "Best in Texas" safety award. The Pasadena team has ea  more

NEWARK, Delaware, Aug. 6 -- Delmarva Power issued the following news release: Delmarva Power made major progress overnight, restoring electric service to customers and managing major tree damage, broken poles, downed wires and damaged electric equipment caused by Tropical Storm Isaias. More than 800 personnel, including company crews, local contractors, and resources from several other companies from as far away as Florida and Texas, are assisting in the restoration effort for the more than 115  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Democratic Governors Association issued the following statement by Executive Director Noam Lee: * * * On Monday, President Trump reauthorized funding for the extended deployment of National Guard service members to support COVID-19 relief efforts. However, unlike the previous funding authorizations, Monday's directive left already cash-strapped states to cover 25 percent of the costs. All states but Texas and Florida, that is. Without any explanation from the White H  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- The Democratic National Committee issued the following statement on Aug. 3 by Chair Tom Perez: * * * DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on the first anniversary of the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, which targeted Latinos and took the lives of 23 people, as well as the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, a few hours later, which took nine lives: "One year ago, our nation witnessed the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern American history. 23   more

YPSILANTI, Michigan, Aug. 7 -- Eastern Michigan University issued the following news: Dr. Kasim Korkmaz, a professor in the School of Visual and Built environments at Eastern Michigan University, has joined a research team formed by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to work on a two-year project to improve the resilience of historic, sacred buildings along the Texas Gulf Coast Region. The project, entitled, "Resilience Analysis of Historically Designated Sacred Places in the Texas   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Rice University issued the following news release: An enhanced version of the ApolloBVM designed by Rice University engineers has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an emergency resuscitator for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The device, as further developed by the Houston manufacturer Stewart & Stevenson Healthcare Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of Kirby Corporation, is designed to deliver air to the lungs of adu  more

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, Aug. 8 -- The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus issued the following news release: A national survey of flood risk awareness conducted by the University of South Florida Institute for Data Analytics and Visualization and Neptune Flood finds that consumers significantly underestimate their risk level of flooding, leading many to forego flood insurance. The inaugural Neptune Consumer Survey of Flood Awareness surveyed more than 1,000 residents in 36 state  more

DENTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- The University of North Texas issued the following news release: The pandemic has brought a dramatic shift to the way Americans work, with more people than ever telecommuting. Those adjustments have been further complicated for working parents whose caregiving responsibilities have grown tremendously following the closures of schools and daycares. A new study co-authored by University of North Texas sociology assistant professor Buddy Scarborough has found that the pan  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Houston Baptist University issued the following news release: Houston Baptist University is prioritizing the health and safety of students, faculty and staff as we commence campus instruction and activities for Fall 2020. The University is pleased to provide cutting-edge air and surface disinfecting technology in facilities that are central to student services, dining, and education. CIMR (Continuous Infectious Microbial Reduction) creates a non-aqueous hydrogen peroxi  more

DENTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- The University of North Texas issued the following news release: Regents Professor Kent Chapman has spent 27 years at the University of North Texas Department of Biological Sciences as an educator and researcher who spends his time teaching and exploring the intricacies of plant biochemistry, specifically lipids. Jantana Keereetaweep is an assistant biochemist in the biology department at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. She s  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, Aug. 6 -- Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-Louisiana, issued the following news on Aug. 5 Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Highway Transport President and Chief Financial Officer Marshall Franklin highlighted the opening of the company's $12.5 million flagship service center in Geismar, Louisiana. The new facility will serve as the training center for all Highway Transport employees in Louisiana and Texas. Additionally, the site includes a service center, 4.5 bays for tank washi  more

BEAUMONT, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Lamar University issued the following news: The Texas General Land Office has awarded a $30,000 grant to Dr. Qin Qian, associate professor, in Lamar University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to conduct a comprehensive study to mitigate flooding and nonpoint source pollution. The project is a collaborative effort with Dr. Yu Zhang, professor of Water PicCivil Engineering, at the University of Texas Arlington. The research team applies sophisticate  more

RUSTON, Louisiana, Aug. 7 -- Louisiana Tech University issued the following news: Origin Bank has donated $40,000 to Louisiana Tech's Department of Inclusion Initiatives and Student Success, part of $700,000 the bank distributed to a variety of charitable organizations and other educational institutions in its markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. "This donation continues our long-term partnership with Louisiana Tech and reinforces how much we value our relationship with the University  more

IRVING, Texas, Aug. 8 -- Nexstar Media Group, a television broadcasting company, issued the following news release on July 7: The Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation announced today it will donate $15,000 to "Project Lifesaver," on behalf of WHNT-TV/WHDF-TV, the Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., television stations serving the Huntsville, AL, area (DMA #78). The donation is being made to celebrate the life and work of WHNT-TV reporter, Ivy Anderson, who passed away suddenly in August 2019, shortly af  more

IRVING, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Nexstar Media Group, a television broadcasting company, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: The Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation announced today it will donate $15,000 to the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, on behalf of the KELOLAND Media Group, the Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., television station and digital properties serving the Sioux Falls area (DMA #113). The donation will support the organization's "Bridging the Gap Fund," established in 2020 to i  more

IRVING, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Nexstar Media Group, a television broadcasting company, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) ("Nexstar" or "the Company") today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020 as summarized below. The actual results presented herein for the three months ended June 30, 2020 reflect the Company's legacy Nexstar Broadcasting and digital operations and quarterly results from the Tribune Media stations wh  more

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania, Aug. 5 -- Pennsylvania State University issued the following news: The detailed characterization of a young planet slightly smaller than Neptune provides insight into how such planets form and evolve. Astronomers characterized the planet's mass, radius, and the tilt of its orbit using the Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF), an astronomical spectrograph built by a Penn State team and installed on the 10m Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in Texas. The   more

PRINCETON, New Jersey, Aug. 8 -- Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs issued the following news release: With the Covid-19 pandemic, the conventions will look vastly different from previous years. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the run-up to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. They look at how a virtual convention might affect election coverage, voter enthusiasm, and rising political talent. Later in the episode, they dig into   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Rice University issued the following news release: Using data from NASA's InSight Lander on Mars, Rice University seismologists have made the first direct measurements of three subsurface boundaries from the crust to the core of the red planet. "Ultimately it may help us understand planetary formation," said Alan Levander, co-author of a study available online (https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL089630) this week in Geophysical Research Letters.  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 4 -- Rice University issued the following news release on Aug. 3: An ambitious plan to shield Houston from a devastating hurricane by creating Galveston Bay Park, a 10,000-acre public park on a chain of man-made islands, earned top honors in the international design competition Houston 2020 Visions. The park plan, which was conceived by Rice Architecture alumni Rob Rogers '81 and Tyler Swanson '04, expanded on an idea proposed in 2015 by Rice University's Severe Storm Pred  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Rice University issued the following news release: Rice University's Yasaman Ghasempour has been named a 2020 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar for her innovative research in ultra high-speed wireless networking. Ghasempour, a postdoctoral research associate in electrical and computer engineering, received her doctorate from Rice in May. The prestigious Marconi Society award recognizes her groundbreaking achievements as a Ph.D. student, including the first publ  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Rice University issued the following news release: A first-of-its-kind virtual forum from the Department of Justice will discuss hate crimes committed against places of worship, hosted by the American Jewish Committee, the Community of Conscience, the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council and Rice University's Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance. "As of 2019, 80% of hate crimes in the U.S. are committed against racial and religious minorities, including their religious   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Rice University issued the following news release: Having role models in STEM fields may encourage more Black, Latinx and other underrepresented Christians to pursue education and careers in such professions, according to a new study from researchers at Rice University. "Seeing is Achieving: Religion, Embodiment, and Explanations of Racial Inequality in STEM" will appear in an upcoming edition of the journal Ethnic and Racial Studies. Rice Ph.D. candidate Daniel Bolge  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Aug. 4 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news release: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is asking the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to protect the religious freedom of public employees. He joined a 21-state amicus brief filed with the court in a Texas case. Joe Kennedy coached football at Bremerton High School until he was suspended midway through the season for praying silently on the field after each game. The school  more

NACOGDOCHES, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Stephen F. Austin State University issued the following news release: Stephen F. Austin State University has named Dr. Michara DeLaney-Fields, currently the university's assistant dean for student affairs in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, as its first chief diversity officer. Established as an executive position housed within the Office of the President, the CDO role was created to provide collaborative, strategic and results-oriented leadership fo  more

STEPHENVILLE, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Tarleton State University issued the following news release: A pair of Tarleton State University professors heading an interdisciplinary team of researchers from across The Texas A&M University System were highlighted in a recent Agrilife Today online presentation. Dr. Darrel Murray and Dr. Adam Mitchell are lead investigators in a research, education and outreach program relating to grassland revitalization in Texas, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Texas A&M University's College of Engineering issued the following news: Texas A&M University College of Engineering researchers will play a key role in a consortium sponsored by Natura Resources, LLC to build an advanced research reactor in the state of Texas. The $30.5 million effort to design and license a research reactor is a collaboration with three other universities: Abilene Christian University, Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Tex  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences issued the following news release: The transmission of COVID-19 to pets has been the source of much discussion within the scientific community. While reports have confirmed a small, but growing, list of positive cases among companion animals and exotic cats in the United States, new Texas A&M University research efforts are beginning to shed additional light on the topic. In further  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Texas A&M University's College of Engineering issued the following news: The built environment, where someone lives (private) or works (public), influences a person's daily life and can help, or hinder, their mental health. This is especially true for those with mental health conditions, such as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Researchers in the Wm Michael Barnes '64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University are working   more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Texas A&M University's College of Engineering issued the following news: Petroleum engineering graduate student Eliza Ganguly recently received a Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts Foundation grant for her research in petrophysics - the study of the physical and chemical properties of rocks and rock-fluid interaction. This area of study focuses on how pores in the subsurface are interconnected and how these connections control the storage, transp  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Texas A&M University's College of Engineering issued the following news: Pressures, liquids and temperature changes create cracks in rock and concrete over time. These cracks can grow and combine into networks, eventually reducing solid materials into rubble. While this is a natural process of erosion, it is not well documented because it is not always visible when it's happening. Yet cracks are important in allowing fluid to flow in oil and gas production and   more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 4 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following opinion (No. KP-0323) on Aug. 3: To: The Honorable Jim Murphy, Chair, House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services, Texas House of Representatives, Post Office Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78768-2910 Re: Authority of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County to prohibit service and access to its transit authority system to a person who refuses to comply with a rule requiring facial coverings (  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 4 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following opinion (No. KP-0322) on Aug. 3: To: The Honorable Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney, 1019 Congress, 15th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002 Re: County authority to require facial coverings in courtrooms, courthouses, and county buildings (RQ-0356-KP) Dear Mr. Ryan: You request an opinion regarding facial covering mandates in courtrooms, courthouses, and other county buildings during the COVID-19 disaster./1 As backgro  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Attorney General Ken Paxton today applauded President Trump for extending federal funding for the Texas National Guard's mission to help combat COVID-19 across the state. This extension of the Texas National Guard will be fully funded by the federal government through the end of 2020. "The Texas National Guard is vital to bolster our response and recovery as we work together to stop the sp  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release on Aug. 8: Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed a lawsuit against Clinica Hispana in La Porte, Texas, which has both misrepresented the character of its COVID-19 testing as well as its failure to secure patients' sensitive personal information. Clinica Hispana claims its tests can diagnose an active infection, but the type of tests used by the clinic are not approved for such a use. "I will not all  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release: Attorney General Ken Paxton joined 21 other states in a letter to the United States Congress urging the adoption of federal pandemic liability protections contained in the Safe to Work Act. These protections will help mitigate the threat of frivolous COVID-19-related litigation against first responders, healthcare workers, law enforcement, and healthcare facilities, among other entities, while ensuring  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release: Attorney General Ken Paxton joined ten other states in a friend-of-the-court brief requesting that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit stay a nationwide injunction suspending important health and safety requirements imposed by federal law for prescription of the abortifacient mifepristone. Federal and state laws require physical examinations and in-person dispensing of mifepristone to ensu  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 8 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established four temporary COVID-19 surge testing sites in Harris County. Two testing sites in Houston and Pasadena began operations yesterday, and two testing sites in Houston and Kingwood will begin operations on Monday, August 10th. Each location will be able to process 1,250 tests per day, or a  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Governor Greg Abbott today announced that President Trump has extended federal funding for the Texas National Guard's mission to help combat COVID-19 in communities across the state. This extension of the Texas National Guard will be fully funded by the federal government through the end of 2020. Governor Abbott issued the following statement: "The Texas National Guard plays a vital role in our r  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Dr. Brandon Brock to the Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome Advisory Council for a term set to expire on August 31, 2021. The council advises the commission and the legislature on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education related to pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. Brandon Brock, DNP, DC, APRN of Sunnyvale is a doctorate level certified fa  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Governor Greg Abbott appointed Edwin "Scooter" Lofton and John "Johnny" Scholl, and reappointed Suzanne Arnold, Janet Hoffman, Marcela Rhoads, and W.F. "Dubb" Smith to the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council for terms set to expire on February 1, 2022. Additionally, he appointed Otis Jones and Binoy Kurien for terms set to expire on February 1, 2021. The council oversees the state program regulating in  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Governor Greg Abbott today held a roundtable at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center on Texas' approach to flu season as the state and the country continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor was joined by medical experts, state legislators, and state agency leaders for the roundtable. During the roundtable, the leaders focused on the importance of flu vaccines and   more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 7 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Governor Greg Abbott appointed Elisabeth "Ellee" Carlson and Sheri Davidson to the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners for terms set to expire on January 31, 2025. He also appointed Maria Garcia for and Dawn Lin terms set to expire on January 31, 2021. Additionally, Governor Abbott named Donna Guthery as the chair. The board has licensing, examination, and rulemaking responsibilities in the field of ac  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Governor Greg Abbott today visited the Texas Division of Emergency Management's (TDEM) Warehouse in San Antonio where he provided an update on the state's distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Texas school districts for the 2020-2021 academic year. The Governor noted that the state will continue to purchase and distribute PPE to schools at no cost to the school districts. The Gover  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 5 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Governor Greg Abbott today visited the McAllen Convention Center for the opening of the temporary health care facility which will help increase the Rio Grande Valley's hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Governor previously announced, the health care facility will have the capacity to treat a maximum of 250 patients, and will be equipped with hospital beds, medical equipment and  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) today announced that the federal government has further extended the deadline to apply for the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund. The deadline has now been extended to Aug. 28, 2020 for Medicaid and CHIP providers as the state responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, starting August 10, 2020, Medicare providers can a  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 4 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 3: Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received federal approval to automatically provide replacement benefits for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients for food lost or destroyed due to Hurricane Hanna in six of the impacted counties: Brooks, Hidalgo, Kenedy, McMullen, Starr and Willacy. Those six counties met federa  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 8 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) today announced that $1.1 billion in Quality Incentive Payment Program (QIPP) funds have been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support Texas nursing facilities that provide care for individuals receiving Medicaid. QIPP provides performance incentive Medicaid payments to nursing facilities that  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Houston Astros and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) have teamed up to open a free COVID-19 testing site at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The testing site will be able to process 2,000 tests per day and will begin operations on Saturday, August 8th. "The State of Texas continues to work diligently to increase access to testing in communi  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Aug. 8 -- Trinity University issued the following news: "As a University, we must be open to the realities of our own campus climate," says Jamie Thompson, assistant dean of students and member of Trinity's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. "It is a complex and long road ahead, but it is a road we must all travel together." Over the past several years, Trinity has emphasized the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In early spring 2018, Trinity expanded   more

IRVING, Texas, Aug. 5 -- TXU Energy, a subsidiary of Vistra Energy, issued the following news release: TXU Energy and Comp-U-Dopt partnered with Fort Worth ISD to give families computers before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. On Aug. 4, 250 pre-selected families without computers in their homes from J. Martin Jacquet, William James, and Leonard middle schools received devices, free of charge, at a contactless drive-through event. "TXU Energy is passionate about giving back to the peo  more

DALLAS, Texas, Aug. 4 -- TXU Energy, a subsidiary of Vistra Energy, issued the following news release: As the pandemic continues to expose a deep digital divide in our education system, TXU Energy and Comp-U-Dopt are partnering with the City of Dallas to give away 400 computers. Dallas families with at least one middle school student, who previously registered through a lottery system, received their devices contactless drive-thru events. "The digital divide existed prior to the pandemic, but   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 8 -- The University of Houston issued the following news release on Aug. 7: A survey of Hispanic entrepreneurs released Friday by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs offers the most detailed picture yet of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a crucial segment of the Houston region's business sector. More than half of Hispanic business owners and leaders said sales had dropped since the pandemic took hold last spring, and more than one-third said the  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 4 -- The University of Houston issued the following news release: In this age of racial reckoning, new research findings indicate that racial discrimination is so painful that it is linked to the ability to die by suicide, a presumed prerequisite for being able to take one's own life. However, the ability to emotionally and psychologically reframe a transgression can mitigate its harmful effects. Over the last decade, suicide rates in the United States have increased dram  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 7 -- The University of Houston issued the following news release: The 2020 presidential election will mark the first time that Hispanics will be largest ethnic minority group in the electorate, but that doesn't mean they'll all cast ballots on Election Day. Latinx participation in the electoral process has lagged considerably, despite a record 40% of Latinx eligible voters exercising their right in the 2018 midterm elections - almost 18 percentage points fewer than their wh  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- The University of Houston issued the following news release: A University of Houston College of Medicine researcher has found how a protein inside the body reduces the adverse effects of hypertonicity, an imbalance of water and solutes inside cells. Hypertonicity causes cell shrinkage and eventual cell death. The findings could have implications for a wide range of illnesses including edema from brain tumors, autoimmune diseases and kidney damage. "We have found a me  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 5 -- The University of St. Thomas issued the following news release: In his new book, Theology Professor Randy Smith chronicles two of the most prominent 'scholastic' thinkers of the 13th Century - Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure. The book titled, Aquinas, Bonaventure and the Scholastic Culture of Medieval Paris published this fall by Cambridge University Press is Smith's fourth book. He has also written Reading the Sermons of Thomas Aquinas: A Beginners Guide (Emmaus Pres  more

GALVESTON, Texas, Aug. 7 -- The University of Texas Medical Branch issued the following news release: A specialized research center at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston that helps older adults has received a $6.3 million renewal of its grant from the National Institute on Aging. The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center at UTMB has been continually funded since 2000. The center focuses on understanding how aging leads to loss of strength and function, and trans  more

GALVESTON, Texas, Aug. 4 -- The University of Texas Medical Branch issued the following news release: A multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has uncovered a Zika virus mutation that may be responsible for the explosive viral transmission in 2015/2016 and for the cause of microcephaly (babies with small heads) born to infected pregnant women. The study is currently available in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. The Zika virus caused a global  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- The University of Texas issued the following news release: The University of Texas at Austin has named Dr. Samuel Poloyac the next dean of the College of Pharmacy. He will begin serving Oct. 15. Poloyac is a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and the associate dean for graduate and postdoctoral programs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He is also the director of the Center for Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Small Molecule Biomarker Core L  more

ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 7 -- The University of Texas Arlington campus issued the following news release: A construction management organization has selected Sharareh (Sherri) Kermanshachi, assistant professor of civil engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington, as the Mark Hasso Educator of the Year. The Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Educator of the Year Award emphasizes excellence in teaching and celebrates a full-time educator for outstanding professional acco  more

ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 6 -- The University of Texas Arlington campus issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Karabi Bezboruah has won the 2020 United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) International Excellence in Teaching/Training Award. Bezboruah, an associate professor in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA), said the award is an honor for The University of Texas at Arlington because it is recognized globally. "I try to humanize my online courses a  more

FORT DAVIS, Texas, Aug. 5 -- The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory issued the following news release: A team of astronomers including McDonald Observatory's Bill Cochran have made a detailed study of a young planet slightly smaller than Neptune with the Habitable-zone Planet Finder at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. They characterized the planet's mass, radius, and the tilt of its orbit. This work provides insight into how such planets form and evolv  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 8 -- The University of Texas issued the following news release: The "invisible" words that shaped Dickens classics also lead audiences through Spielberg dramas. And according to new research, these small words can be found in a similar pattern across most storylines, no matter the length or format. When telling a story, common but invisible words -- a, the, it -- are used in certain ways and at certain moments. In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from The   more

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 6 -- The University of Texas issued the following news release on Aug. 5: The experimental vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 that was the first to enter human trials in the United States has been shown to elicit neutralizing antibodies and a helpful T-cell response with the aid of a carefully engineered spike protein that mimics the infection-spreading part of the virus. The latest paper about a Moderna-NIH vaccine that recently entered phase 3 human trials was published today in   more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Aug. 8 -- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio issued the following news release: UT Health San Antonio, with its clinical partner University Hospital, are among the first study sites in the nation to begin the third phase of the COVID-19 clinical trial involving remdesivir. The Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial, or ACTT 3, is testing remdesivir in combination with a drug already FDA-approved for multiple sclerosis. The trial opened here Aug. 6. Pati  more