WE ARE NORTH TEXAS

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and Dallas County Health & Human Services Director Philip Huang have led Dallas County’s emergency response to coronavirus and join Paul Corliss to provide a newsworthy update on how Dallas and greater DFW are doing in their efforts against COVID-19. Jenkins, the top elected official for Dallas County, also discusses police reform and how to safely protest in the wake of George Floyd’s tragic death. Huang, the county’s top medical expert, shared what COVID-19’s impact on North Texas might be this Summer or Fall and reviews the UNT System’s basic steps for reopening its campuses.

In this episode, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price joins Paul Corliss to discuss how the nation’s 13th-largest city has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and shares how businesses can strategically re-open to the public. The Mayor also touts Fort Worth’s partnership with the UNT Health Science Center's and praises HSC’s public health leadership during the pandemic.

In this episode, UNT Vice President for Research & Innovation Mark McLellan provides an insightful look at research efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and shines the light on an exciting new collaboration between the College of Visual Arts & Design (CVAD) and the College of Engineering. CVAD Fabrication Labs Manager Jenna Richards and Cesar Chavez, a doctorate student in Mechanical Engineering, join the podcast to share how they came together to help produce hundreds of clear plastic face shields and visors to help protect the UNT community against COVID-19.

Armed with a jumbo-sized coffee mug labeled "Dr. Microbe" and decades of experience as a microbiologist and epidemiologist, UNT Health Science Center's Diana Cervantes is becoming a media sensation for all the right reasons. She's providing accurate, science-based information on the coronavirus to the general public through dozens of media appearances -- conducted in both English and Spanish. Dr. Diana Cervantes, Assistant Professor and Director of the Epidemiology Program at UNTHSC, discusses her role in helping the university better educate Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and she also re-visits her past work in mitigating bio-terrorism threats.

Chancellor Lesa Roe, who acts as CEO for the University of North Texas System, shares how the UNT System and its member institutions are navigating the challenges of COVID-19. Chancellor Roe provides her perspective on Gov. Abbott’s plan to gradually reopen Texas as it relates to UNT World and discusses what summer and fall semesters may look like.

On his 40th birthday, 2007 NBA All-Star Josh Howard is excited to return to the city that made him famous and eager for his next challenge – building a UNT Dallas men’s basketball program from scratch. A Dallas Mavericks standout as a player from 2003-2010, Howard was recently named head coach of the UNTD Trailblazers after four seasons coaching Piedmont International University, and he discussed getting started on his quest to mentor young men against the backdrop of COVID-19.

In this episode, Dallas native Robert Wilonsky, Director of Communications for Heritage Auctions and Op-ed Columnist for the Dallas Morning News, joins the podcast to provide perspective on the city he loves during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilonsky shares the same Northwest Dallas neighborhood as host Paul Corliss, and they discuss what makes their little corner of the city a special community that helps them maintain a sense of normalcy during social distancing and stay-at-home ordinances.

UNT System Vice Chancellor for Facilities Steve Maruszewski has tirelessly led the UNT System’s emergency management planning and response during the COVID-19 pandemic – ensuring that all UNT System offices and member institutions are working together to best serve students, faculty and staff. He’s also on the front line for meetings with State of Texas officials as it relates to guidelines for state-funded entities like the UNT System and its universities.

The COVID-19 pandemic inspired Dallas attorney Jim Mullen to return to his nursing roots and seek work in a New York City emergency room. With a wife working as an emergency room doctor in Dallas and a 2-year old daughter, the decision wasn't easy -- but Mullen felt a calling and is now working in a Queens hospital that has become a coronavirus hot spot. The death and human isolation he's seen can be troubling, but the desire to give back and care for patients drives him to work daily 12-hour shifts. Hear his story from the front line in New York City.

In this episode, Wren Baker, Vice President and Director of Athletics for the University of North Texas, shares the impact of COVID-19 on Mean Green Sports. Baker discusses how difficult it was to tell UNT's conference-winning men's basketball team that there would be no NCAA Tournament. Baker also discussed various scenarios for the 2020 college football season, while also considering what financial challenges might lay ahead. Above all, Baker said UNT will be there for the community during this challenging time, and put his money where his mouth is by offering emergency officials to use Mean Green Sports facilities if hospital beds become overloaded in Denton County.