December
4, 2003
1. Another year
of Great Conversations
2. Seeing inside
the breast
3. Alumni and
friends show support for the U
4.
Holiday gift ideas from the
U
5.
U receives its largest scholarship
gift
6.
Keeping Minnesota youths busy
7.
U-developed garment to regulate
body heat
8.
Do you have oniomania?
9.
U of M Happenings
10.
Links
U
NEWS
Another
year of Great Conversations
As with great books, great conversations allow us to explore the world
through the experiences of others and feel energized, inspired, and humbled.
That’s the purpose of the University of Minnesota’s Great
Conversations series, which in 2004 will include best-selling authors
Gail Sheehy, Richard Florida, and Jared Diamond.
The series, in its third year, pairs leading
University faculty with eminent world authorities
to explore topics in today’s headlines.
This year’s Great Conversations series
will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20, when U
President Bob Bruininks chats about a city’s
viability and creativity with Florida,
author of The Rise of the Creative
Class: How It’s Transforming Work,
Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, family social science professor Pauline Boss will
discuss the effects of 9/11 with Sheehy, whose landmark Passages was
named one of the 10 most influential books of our time by the Library
of Congress. Jeffrey Kahn, director of the U’s Center for Biomedical
Ethics, will talk about ethics, policy, and society on Tuesday, March
23, with Harold Shapiro, former chairman of President Clinton’s
National Bioethics Advisory Commission. On Tuesday, April 13, David Tilman,
Regents Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior will speak with
Jared Diamond, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns, Germs,
and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies.
The final conversation takes place on Tuesday, May 11, between Catherine
Liu, professor of cultural studies and comparative literature, and Thomas
Frank, editor-in-chief of The Baffler magazine.
All five events will be at 7:30 p.m. in Ted Mann Concert Hall on the
Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. Series tickets are $110 ($85 for U
employees and students). Individual event tickets, which go on sale Monday,
Jan. 5, are $28 ($23). To buy tickets or learn more about each event,
call 612-624-2345 or see http://www.cce.umn.edu/conversations.
Videos of past Great Conversations are also available at the Web site.
--University of Minnesota News Service
Seeing
inside the breast
University of Minnesota researchers
have developed a way that could lead to
accurate, non-invasive breast cancer diagnoses.
The magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
method combines magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) to detect breast lumps with spectroscopy
to measure molecules in cancer cells.
In
an ongoing study, MRS allowed the researchers
to measure levels of choline compounds
(tCho). “We found tCho concentrations
to be significantly higher in malignancies
than in benign lumps and normal breast
tissues,” says Michael Garwood,
lead investigator and radiology professor
with the U’s Cancer Center. Previous
studies limited a researcher’s
ability to distinguish between benign
and malignant lumps because they could
not quantify tCho levels in breast masses.
“Using high magnetic fields and this spectroscopic technique may produce
a powerful way to diagnose breast cancer and to monitor its response to treatment,” says
Garwood. “We hope this technique will eventually be used to avoid unnecessary
biopsies.”
The researchers measured tCho levels of 105 women, and more study participants
are needed. The study is open to women with a suspicious breast lump
(MRI and MRS scanning must occur before a biopsy or surgery have been
performed). To participate, call 612-273-1944.
Preliminary findings were published in the Nov. 21 online version of Magnetic
Resonance in Medicine.
To learn more about the U’s Cancer Center, see http://www.cancer.umn.edu.
For information about the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, see http://www.cmrr.umn.edu.
--Academic Health Center
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Alumni and
friends show support for the U
After witnessing the effects of the state’s $185 million
budget reduction on the University of Minnesota, the U’s Legislative
Network ramped up its efforts this fall. On Tuesday, a representative
from the group delivered a petition signed by nearly 6,500 alumni and
friends to Governor Pawlenty, asking him to invest in the U.
In addition to the online petition campaign, the Legislative Network
launched a five-day letter-writing campaign on Monday with the goal of
generating 5,000 letters from University advocates to legislators. The
letters ask legislators to support the U’s 2004 capital request.
(You can submit a letter at http://umn.e-actionmax.com/showalert.asp?aaid=465.)
“Funding
for the U is the best investment legislators
can make, even when dollars are scarce
and demands are acute,” says Margaret
Carlson, University of Minnesota Alumni
Association (UMAA) executive director.
The UMAA sponsors the Legislative Network,
which advocates to state policy makers
on behalf of the University.
According to Carlson, the U is a cornerstone of the state’s economy.
It trains a majority of the state’s healthcare professionals and
much of the state’s workforce. Last year, it received $600 million
in public funding, which yielded nearly $10 billion in state economic
activity. “That’s a 16-fold return on the state’s investment
in the U,” she says. “When the state supports the U, it is
supporting all Minnesotans--today and tomorrow.”
2004 is a bonding year when funds are designated by the state legislature
for buildings and capital projects. The University is 152 years old,
and many of its classroom and research facilities are more than 70 years
old. Projects in the U’s $155 million capital request will improve
the health and safety of its buildings and, therefore, strengthen the
student experience.
To learn more about the Legislative Network or the U’s capital
request, see http://www.supporttheU.umn.edu.
For information about the UMAA, which is celebrating 100 years, www.alumni.umn.edu.
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Holiday
gift ideas from the U
If you’re still looking
for that unique gift for someone special,
try shopping at the Unversity of Minnesota.
The following are our suggestions for
holiday gifts.
For the
overseas-bound
Know a student who’s planning to study abroad? Give him or her
a copy of Maximizing Study Abroad, written by the U’s
Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, for fun and informative
tips on learning language and culture. The book is $12 at the U Bookstore
or http://www.bookstore.umn.edu.
For ice
cream or cheese lover
The
U’s Dairy Store is offering holiday
ice cream flavors including peppermint
stick, eggnog, pumpkin, and cinnamon.
Pints are $1.50; half
gallons are $4. Cheese is also a specialty here and runs from $2.50
to $4 a pound. The products are made
by students and faculty from the food
science and nutrition department. Gift
certificates are available in $5 and
$10 increments. The store is open on
Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and is located
on the Twin Cities campus in St. Paul
(166 Andrew Boss Meat Science Building).
For more information, call 612-624-7776.
For the
knowledge-starved
Have friends who
want to learn how
to end world hunger,
grow a better garden,
and eat healthier
with herbs? Then
register them for
the College
of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences’s “Classes
Without Quizzes” on Saturday, April 3, on the Twin Cities campus
in St. Paul. The cost is $20 ($15 for UMAA members). To reserve a spot,
call Mary Buschette at 612-624-1745.
For those
with a green thumb
The 2004
Minnesota Gardening calendar
explodes with color
and serves up numerous
gardening and landscaping
tips. It’s
published by the
U of M Extension
Service and Agricultural
Experiment Station
and is available
for $7 at the U Bookstore
or online here.
And to make this
gift extra special,
get it autographed
by gardening expert
Deb Brown. She’ll
sign copies and talk
shop on Saturday,
Dec. 6, from 10 a.m.
to noon at the bookstore
in Coffman Memorial
Union on the Twin
Cities campus in
Minneapolis.
For
the Gopher who has it all
What do you get the Gopher who has too many maroon and gold T-shirts,
mugs, and golf socks? A University of Minnesota leather executive desk
chair, his or her name on a tree, or the chance to release a bird of
prey.
The
chair is made with top-grain cowhide
and features an embroidered Goldy Gopher
on the headrest, along with leather padded
arms, a pneumatic lift, and 360-degree
turning capability. To learn more about
this chair and services like custom engraving
or embroidery at the U Bookstore, call
612-625-6000.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Tree Tribute allows you to hang a personalized
message on one of its many trees. For about $1,000, you get the option
of selecting the tree or giving someone a private golf-cart tour to choose
his or her own tree to hang that message. To learn more, call 952-443-1440
or e-mail Lcooney@arboretum.umn.edu.
Through
the U’s Raptor Center, you can
buy the opportunity to release a rehabilitated
eagle, hawk, owl, or falcon to the wild.
The cost ranges from $500 for a small
falcon or hawk to $1,500 for an eagle.
In addition to releasing the bird, your
gift includes Patron member benefits for
one year, a photo of the bird, and a
certificate of recognition. To learn
more about this and the center’s
Adopt-a-Raptor program, call 612-624-6146
or e-mail pommi001@umn.edu.
For
all
Buy holiday CDs and ornaments or all-season waterproof jackets in a variety
of colors at the Bulldog Shop on the Duluth campus. Also available is
a collection of new hats, mittens, and scarves. For more information,
see http://www.umdstores.com/public.
Postcards featuring four University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, campus
scenes by U photographer Tom Foley are available from University Relations. To
see the photos and to order a set, go to http://www.umn.edu/urelate/postcards/.
Each set of 16 is $5. For copies of the 2003-04 Even Mother Nature Loves
Maroon and Gold poster and notecards, see http://www.umn.edu/urelate/mothernature.
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U
receives its largest scholarship gift
In 2002, Nancy and Larry Bentson made a $10 million bequest to Campaign
Minnesota to fund undergraduate scholarships at the U. But the Bentsons
were able to give their money much sooner than expected--allowing them
to meet the students they’re helping. Their gift is the U’s
largest ever for scholarships.
The Bentson Family Scholarships will provide students with at least $5,000
a year for four years and will eventually support about 100 students
annually. The scholarships will be awarded to promising incoming students
with a financial need, and a preference will be given to students of
the Jewish faith.
Larry
and Nancy Bentson gave the U
a $10 million gift--its largest
ever
for scholarship. |
“We
are delighted to be able to make this
gift now so that we can help the University
and its students sooner than expected,” says
Larry Bentson. “Our interest in
helping students dates back generations
in our family, when my maternal grandmother
established an endowed scholarship in
1949. Also, our many successes, personally
and professionally, are rooted in our
University of Minnesota education.”
Larry Bentson graduated from the U in 1943 with an engineering degree
and his wife from the medical technology program in 1945.
The Bentsons began giving to the University in 1977 and have supported
the pediatrics department, the KDWB University Pediatrics Family Center,
a fellowship in pediatric cardiology, and student scholarships. In 1989,
they established the Ruben-Bentson Chair in Pediatrics. They have also
volunteered their time in many fund-raising activities at the University.
“This extraordinary gift from the Bentsons couldn’t come at a better
time, given increased competition among colleges and universities for top students,
and increases in the cost of higher education,” says U President Bob Bruininks. “[It]
will make it possible for us to attract many more talented students every year
and keep the doors of opportunity open for future generations.”
To learn more about how gifts are used and who gives to the U and why,
see http://www.giving.umn.edu/.
--University of Minnesota Foundation
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Keeping
Minnesota youths busy
Most young people in America have nearly 2,000 hours of discretionary
time without structure or supervision each year, according to the Carnegie
Council on Adolescent Development. University of Minnesota President
Bob Bruininks is creating a commission to study the role that time away
from school plays in a young person’s learning and development.
The
commission will craft the vision and
strategies needed to ensure that Minnesota’s
youth--ages 8 to 18--have engaging
opportunities to learn and develop
while away from school. |
Bruininks
will announce the formation of the Minnesota
Commission on Out-of-School Time on Friday,
Dec. 5. The commission will craft the
vision and strategies needed to ensure
that Minnesota’s youth--ages 8
to 18--have engaging opportunities to
learn and develop while away from school. “How
and where young people are spending their
out-of-school time is a major concern
for working families, businesses, communities,
schools, and neighborhoods throughout
Minnesota,” says Bruininks.
Research indicates that students who participate in after-school programs
have better school attendance, better grades and test scores, and a more
positive attitude toward schoolwork. Time spent in dance lessons, sports
programs, summer programs, and similar constructive activities also make
a difference.
The commission, which will include parents, researchers, and community
members who plan youth activities, will convene in January 2004 and meet
five times during the year. The U’s Center for 4-H Youth Development
will guide and support the commission’s work and funding will come
from the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Education,
and the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
This commission serves as a major action step in Bruininks’s Initiative
on Children, Youth, and Families, a three-year effort to focus the University's
expertise and public attention on the needs of children, youth, and families. To
learn more about the initiative, see http://www.umn.edu/pres/cyf.html.
--University of Minnesota News Service
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U-developed
garment to regulate body heat
For the bone-chilling months
of winter and the dog days of summer,
try the Shortened Liquid Cooling and
Warming Garment. This name describes
a new suit invented at the U that circulates
heated or cooled water to maintain
the body temperature of the wearer.
Applications
for the garment go beyond space travel,
say the researchers. |
The
garment, which consists of a water pump
and strategically placed plastic tubing,
is the result of NASA-sponsored research.
Since 1994, NASA has wanted more energy-efficient
cooling and heating apparel for its astronauts
to prevent thermal imbalance and discomfort
during their space missions.
Kinesiology senior fellow Victor Koscheyev, who was part of the Russian
space program, collaborated with psychology professor Gloria Leon and
others at the U to create the final product.
Applications for the garment go beyond space travel, say the researchers.
It’s appropriate for those who handle hazardous nuclear, chemical,
or biological materials. Military personnel can don it under their uniforms
for added protection and safety in extremely hot or cold conditions.
Even people with certain health problems could find relief with the suit.
The garment demonstrated an ability to increase blood circulation to
the upper and lower limbs during lab tests--valuable for treating people
with diabetes and other circulatory problems, preventing bedsores, and
regulating body temperature during emergency situations such as hypothermia.
The University has licensed this technology to Trans-Ocean Technology
and Business for further development.
To learn more about the development of the garment, see http://education.umn.edu/KLS/research/extreme/research.html.
Edited from an
original story by
Bruce Erickson in Research
and Inventions,
fall 2003--a publication
by the Office of
the Vice President
for Research.
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Do
you have oniomania?
Compulsive buying is the recurrent
failure to resist the impulse to buy needless
objects. According to the U’s Impulse
Control Disorders Clinic, it was called
oniomania or “urge to buy” in
past medical literature, and today it’s
a disorder that affects about 1.8 percent
ofthe U.S. population. Do you have it?
Oniomania
or a compulsive “urge to
buy” is a disorder that
affects about 1.8 percent of
the U.S. population |
Buying
is considered compulsive if you have
a frequent preoccupation with buying
or
your impulses to buy are irresistible,
intrusive, and senseless; if you continually
buy more than you can afford; and if
you habitually shop for items you do
not need. Additionally, if those preoccupations,
impulses, or behaviors cause you marked
distress, are time-consuming, significantly
interfere with social or occupational
functioning, or result in financial problems,
you may have oniomania.
Only a few studies have been conducted using medication to treat compulsive
buying. According to the clinic, citalopram (Celexa) and fluvoxamine
(Luvox) have shown the most promise in relieving the symptoms of compulsive
buying because they give increased control over thoughts, urges, and
behaviors.
Uncontrollable
buying may be a symptom of several problems,
including other psychiatric illnesses.
The clinic, which is part of the Department
of Psychiatry, recommends that you see
a psychiatrist or speak to your primary
physician if you feel you are suffering
from the disorder.
For more information about the treatment of compulsive buying, call the
U’s Impulse Control Disorders Clinic at 612-627-4879.
Editor’s
note: If you’re
looking for tips on
holiday budgeting,
the University of Minnesota
Extension Service has
some to offer; click
here.
U
OF M HAPPENINGS
Sale
at the Arboretum
You can find a limited-edition holiday ornament, dried floral arrangements
and wreaths, potpourri pillows, fresh Oregon greens, and more at the
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Auxiliary Holiday Sale on Saturday, Dec.
6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The
Arboretum gate admission of $5 for adults will apply. For general information,
see http://www.arboretum.umn.edu.
Sounds
of the
season
University of Minnesota, Morris, “Noel Nouveau” Carol Concerts
will be held Dec. 5-7, at 7:30 p.m. (Friday and Saturday) and 2 p.m.
(Sunday). Tickets are $5 ($3 for senior citizens, students, and children).
A traditional French meal normally served on Christmas Eve will be available
for an additional $15 per person prior to all concerts. For tickets,
see http://www.mrs.umn.edu/%7Echoir/concerts/carol.htm.
The Twin Cities campus men’s and women’s choruses and Trumpet
Choir will present a free “Sounds of the Season!” concert
on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. in the Ted Mann Concert Hall. For more information,
see http://www.music.umn.edu.
Dance
and laugh
in the
same breath
The University Dance Theatre presents “Serious Fun” from
Friday to Sunday, Dec. 5-7, at 8 p.m. (with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday). “Lost,
Found, and Lost” is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to 1950s elevator
music, “Brimful of Ashe” references the exoticism of Bollywood
musicals, a story of newlyweds is fashioned in retro style, and “Corporeal
Mortification” offers a glimpse into the garish fantasies of Catholic
schoolgirls. The performances are held in the Rarig Center on the Twin
Cities campus in Minneapolis. To buy tickets, call 612-624.2345. For
more information, e-mail utheatre@umn.edu.
Bright
lights
in Crookston
The second Annual Light Up the Mall at University of Minnesota, Crookston,
kicks off on Friday, Dec. 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. Canned goods will be collected
for the local food shelf, and cookies and hot cocoa will be served at
the Peterson Gazebo through Sunday, Dec. 7. The light sculptures, courtesy
of student clubs, will be on display through Sunday, Dec. 14, from 7
to 10 p.m.
Mondale
lecture
series
Former Vice President Walter Mondale will speak about “U.S. Security
in an age of American preeminence: the responsibilities of power” and
join foreign policy experts for a panel discussion on U.S. foreign policy
post 9/11 on Friday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon at Macalester College
in St. Paul. The U’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs is cosponsoring
the event. Admission is $10 (free for students and educators), or $35
($25 for students and educators) with a breakfast at 8 a.m. To make your
reservation, call 612-625-5309 or e-mail cgage@hhh.umn.edu.
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LINKS
Hey, Sports Fans! Check out sports
news and schedules of the U's teams:
Gophers
Duluth
Bulldogs
Morris
Cougars
Crookston
Golden
Eagles
Give
to the U: Learn
more about
this fund-raising
effort to build
excellence
in every corner
of the U.
University
of Minnesota
Alumni Association: Your
membership
makes a difference.
U
of M Legislative
Network: Read
about the University's
legislative
request and
how you can
help.
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