Dr. DANIEL NAPPO
Dr. Daniel Nappo, professor of Spanish, gave presentations at Westview High School about world languages and the history of Spanish. He also told about the experiences that he, his wife, Dr. Chara Van Horn, professor of communications, and his daughter Daphne had while spending 11 days in Spain and the professional opportunities available for people who study Spanish.
Nappo is shown with one of his presentations, depicting a map of Italy and the languages spoken there until about 250 BC, which include Faliscan, Etruscan, Umbrian, Venetic, Sabine, Latin and Greek.
FÁTIMA HAYDEN | Dr. ANTON GARCIA-FERNANDEZ
Dr. Anton Garcia-Fernandez, professor of Spanish, spoke to two groups of students at Westview High School on Aug. 27 about Spain and the Spanish language. He is shown in one of his presentations with WHS Spanish I teacher Fátima Hayden, who a former Spanish student at UT Martin and invited him and Nappo to give these talks at Westview High School.
Dr. MARK McCLOUD | WILL GIBSON
After a highly competitive application and selection process, with submissions from across the UT System, the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC), within the Division of Access and Engagement, has been selected to receive a $5,000 2026–27 UT Wellness Mini-Grant for its proposal, “Support on the Spectrum.”
Support on the Spectrum is a campus-based wellness initiative designed to improve the mental health, emotional regulation and overall well-being of neurodivergent students at UT Martin. The program will provide specialized coaching, sensory-friendly resources, structured wellness workshops and peer support through existing campus personnel, including the ARC, the executive function coach, graduate assistants and collaborative partnerships with the Office of Counseling Services.
Over the past three years, UT Martin has experienced a significant increase in the number of students registered with ARC, including a tenfold increase in students identifying as autistic or otherwise neurodivergent. These students may experience anxiety, executive functioning challenges, emotional dysregulation, sensory overload and social isolation, which can negatively affect academic performance, well-being and retention.
Will Gibson, director of the Accessibility Resource Center, will serve as principal investigatorfor the grant, and Dr. Mark McCloud, vice chancellor for the Division of Access and Engagement, will serve as co-principal investigator. Gibson will attend and present the results at the Well-Pitched Competition at the UT Wellness Summit in June 2027.
