THE AMERICAN DREAM: NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
SENIOR’S
ENTERPRISING SPIRIT EARNS NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
At 22, Arman Jahangiri already has lived an American dream. Eleven years after fleeing Iran with his family in search of freedom and opportunity, Jahangiri will graduate from the University of Houston and head to medical school.
Jahangiri’s big dreams for the future have earned him national recognition. He is among 12 winners of the 2008 Merage Foundation American Dream Fellowship, a nationwide scholarship competition that recognizes the most exceptional immigrant students with the greatest potential to contribute to their new homeland.
Jahangiri, a senior biology major in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, will attend the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas this fall. His interest in medicine was sparked while growing up in Iran, where his mother practiced dentistry at a clinic for the poor. He spent time at the clinic every day after school, befriending the physicians and accompanying them as they attended to their patients.
“I saw how priceless the doctor-patient relationship is,” Jahangiri said. “You’re interacting with someone who really needs you.”
For the full story, see: http://breakthrough.nsm.uh.edu/2008_04/jahangiri.htm.
Contact:
Susan Hammons, 713-743-2624 or 713-816-6779.
IT ALL ADDS UP: STUDENT INVOLVEMENT EQUALS SUCCESS FOR ACCOUNTING, MANAGEMENT MAJOR
An impressive academic record, a full slate of extracurricular activities and a winning attitude resulted in accounting and management senior Jessica Fung’s selection as the Bauer College Outstanding Undergraduate for spring 2008.
In 2007, Fung was a member of a Bauer College team that participated in the Deloitte National Student Case Study Seminar, which invited only six teams nationwide to participate in the competition. She has also been an officer in Bauer Ambassadors and the Accounting Society, as well as a member of Beta Alpha Psi and the University’s Model Arab League.
She is a member of the Bauer Business Honors Program and received the Ted Bauer Student Service Award for 2006. In 2007, she was recognized with the Department of Accountancy and Taxation Leadership Excellence Award. Fung has also balanced her schoolwork with internships with PricewaterhouseCoopers, ConocoPhillips and Protiviti.
Although she completes her undergraduate studies this spring, Fung won’t be leaving Bauer College for very long. She will return in the fall to continue her work in the college’s Professional Program in Accounting, where she will pursue a master’s degree. For the full story, see: http://www.bauer.uh.edu/Media/outstanding-undergrad-spring08.htm. Contact: Jessica Robertson, 713-743-4348
ALL IN THE FAMILY: THIRD-GENERATION OPTOMETRY STUDENT FOLLOWS IN FOOTSTEPS OF FATHER, GRANDFATHER
Joseph (Jodi) Moss, 29, might be a few years older than most of the optometry graduates at the University of Houston College of Optometry, but he has a long family history with the profession. His father is an optometrist in Minden, La., where he grew up, and his 85-year-old grandfather is a retired optometrist. After graduating with an undergraduate degree in biology, Moss explored the world of professional golf for a few years before deciding that providing vision care was such a strong family calling and such an appealing career, he had to pursue it. In addition to celebrating graduation this weekend, he and his wife, a speech therapist, have even more reason to celebrate -- they just had their first child, a baby girl, on May 2.
Although Grandpa Moss won’t be able to attend the graduation, Joseph’s wife and father will be in attendance at the Saturday ceremonies. He and his wife plan to settle down in Monroe, La., where he will be joining a private general optometry practice. Contact: Linda Hinkle, 713-743-4358
PICTURE PERFECT: SIXTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD ARTIST DEMONSTRATES IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO COMPLETE A GOAL
At 66, Jane Eifler is the oldest graduate in the University of Houston’s class of 2008. Her passion for art helped fuel her recent academic adventures and was instrumental in earning a master of fine arts in painting. While Eifler certainly learned much from her time at UH’s School of Art, her fellow students no doubt learned quite a bit from her.
A former assistant editor for Vogue magazine and veteran art teacher, Eifler has plenty of stories to tell. Still, her most recent experience as a UH student has been one of the most rewarding. “This is one of the most wonderful experiences of my life,” she said. “I had access to so many interesting people and events, and the sense of community among faculty and students was very satisfying.”
As a painter, Eifler’s work has been shown in galleries around the state including the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, Fort Worth’s William Campbell Contemporary Art and Houston’s Contemporary Art Museum. Her most recent paintings were shown at UH’s renowned Blaffer Gallery during the annual Master’s Thesis Exhibition. Although she completed her degree, Eifler will remain a part of the university. When she’s not painting, she will spread the word about the university and serve as an unofficial ambassador for its art program. “I think it’s an incredible program, and I am very proud to be a part of it,” she said.
Contact: Mike Emery, 713-743-8186
Below is a list of UH commencement ceremonies:
MAY 9
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
9 a.m. Hofheinz
Pavilion
Speakers: Students
Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
10 a.m. Cullen
Performance Hall
Speakers: JimMcIngvale, Gallery Furniture co-owner
UH Law Center
2 p.m. Hofheinz Pavilion
Speaker: William H. Neukom,
American Bar Association president
Cullen College of Engineering
3 p.m. Cullen Performance Hall
Speaker:
J. Odis Cobb, Cobb, Fendley & Associates Inc. co-founder
College of Technology
6 p.m. Hofheinz Pavilion
Speaker: Herbert I.
Goodman, Sarmar Corp.
Bauer College of Business (graduate)
7 p.m. Cullen Performance
Hall
Speaker: Fran Keeth, retired Shell Chemicals Inc. CEO
May 10
College of Education
9 a.m. Hofheinz Pavilion
Speaker: Lorenzo Garcia,
El Paso Independent School District superintendent
College of Pharmacy
9 a.m. Cullen Performance Hall
Speaker: W. Benjamin
Fry, Texas State Board of Pharmacy president
Bauer College of Business (undergraduate)
1 p.m. Hofheinz
Pavilion
Speaker: Jack Moore, Cameron president and chief operating officer
Graduate College of Social Work
1 p.m. Cullen Performance
Hall
Speaker: Vicki Hanson, National Association of Social Works, Houston
executive director
Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
2 p.m. Architecture
Atrium
Speaker: Will Bruder, principal, Will Bruder Partners Ltd.
College of Optometry
5 p.m.Cullen Performance Hall
Speaker: Brien
Holden, University of New South Wales Cienctia Professor
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Commission
5 p.m. M.D. Anderson
Library, Rockwell Pavilion
RSVP required.
May 11
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
2 p.m. Hofheinz
Pavilion
Speaker: John Gibson, Paradigm CEO
About the University of Houston
The University of
Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home
to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300
partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most
diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of
education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.