June 27, 2002
1. What's ailing your plant?
2. Soudan Mine--searching for universal answers
3. CALA goes solar
4. Gophers-Vikings stadium update
5. Break a leg on the new Showboat
6. Presidential transition moves forward
7. U of M Happenings
8. Links
U IN THE NEWS
What's ailing your plant?
If your once beautiful petunias are looking a little pallid or your cucumbers are becoming cankered then it's time to check out the University's new Plant Disease Diagnostics Web site at www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/diagnostics, which can guide you through the process of diagnosing vegetable and bedding-plant diseases.
Plant categories include bedding plants, fruits, roses, shrubs and vines, trees, turf grasses, and vegetables. After clicking on a category, identify the affected host plant, and then narrow down the possible problems affecting the plant. Links will take you to a page with photos of common disease problems and descriptions of symptoms.
"We will continue to add new host plants, so we encourage you the check back soon if you don't find what you're looking for on the first visit," says Janna Beckerman, U of M Extension plant pathologist.
The Web site also has information on other causes of plant problems, such as deer damage, herbicide injury, and other weather-related conditions.
"Early diagnosis of plant-disease problems is the most critical step in managing plant pathogens and minimizing their impact," says Beckerman.
The diagnostics Web site is a project of the plant pathology staff of the U of M Extension Services's Yard and Garden Clinic. You can get further help with the diagnostic process, as well as other plant care and gardening questions, by calling the U of M Yard and Garden Line at 612-624-4771 or 888-624-4771.
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Soudan Mine--searching for universal answers
It's one of the longest and deepest science experiments ever conceived, and next week (July 2) it will be dedicated in a cavern boasting the world's deepest mural and real, live bats. The Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) laboratory in the Soudan Mine is operated by the University of Minnesota and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
The MINOS laboratory is a half mile down in an iron mine at the Soudan Underground Mine State Park in northern Minnesota. This mine is also the site of the Soudan 2 proton-decay experiment. MINOS is part of a $146 million experiment funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the United Kingdom, and the state of Minnesota to prove that neutrinos have mass--which in turn would help physicists figure out what the universe is made of.
Although anyone who's studied high school science knows what protons, neutrons, and electrons are, their sister particles--electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos--aren't as familiar to most people. They're all part of the Standard Model of Elementary Particles and Forces--the building blocks of the universe. However, researchers now suspect that the model's accepted theory about neutrinos--that they don't have mass--is wrong. And University physicist Earl Peterson, deep in the Soudan mine, is exploring the possibility that neutrinos may account for some of the universe's undefined invisible matter.
"We're trying to figure out how the universe works," says Peterson. "This could be in all the textbooks [someday]."
Using a special particle accelerator called the Main Injector, researchers at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) near Chicago will shoot a controlled beam of muon neutrinos 450 miles through the ground to the Soudan laboratory. As the neutrinos pass through two Soudan detector units called supermodules, light generated by the interactions will travel through fiber-optic cable to computers. MINOS physicists at the Soudan lab will check to see if all the muon neutrinos arrived or if some of them turned into other types of neutrinos en route. Equipped with the MINOS data, scientists will be one step closer to determining the mass of neutrinos and their contribution to the total mass of the universe.
From the 1880s to the 1960s, the Soudan mine was considered the Cadillac of underground iron ore mines, boasting a stellar safety record of only nine fatalities during its eight decades of operation. Its elevator carried miners a half mile underground in less than three minutes.
When the iron mining industry plummeted into a severe depression during the 1960s, the mine shut down, sending the Tower-Soudan-Ely area into an economic tailspin. In 1963, U.S. Steel Corporation donated the mine to the state, which preserved the national historic site as an educational facility and a state park. The Soudan Mine State Park first offered tours in 1965 and now attracts about 35,000 visitors annually.
Since the early 1980s, the mine has also attracted physics researchers to the Soudan laboratory, one of only a few such laboratories in the world. An ideal site for underground physics experiments, the mine shields the highly sensitive energy detectors from cosmic rays. Its greenstone rock emits virtually no radioactive particles that might cause problems with the experiments and protects the lab from high-energy interference from the earth's surface. The mine's manual elevator system provides convenient transportation for researchers. Unlike other abandoned underground iron ore mines that fill with water after operations cease, the Soudan mine has remained dry because the state park system continuously operates the pumping system.
Researchers acknowledge that the MINOS project as yet has no practical application. But, Peterson says, most people realize that basic research eventually leads to more tangible outcomes, adding, "everybody understands you can't have applied science without basic science."
Led by principal investigator Stanley Wojcicki of Stanford University, MINOS involves about 200 scientists from 20 institutions in five countries. For more information about the MINOS project, see www.hep.umn.edu.
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CALA goes solar
Photovoltaic panels that were once part of the Science Museum in St. Paul have a new home on top of the University's College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (CALA).
Xcel Energy donated the panels, which generate electricity from the sun. The regional electrical company also tossed in a computer where one can see the amount of energy generated by these panels during the past hour, day, week, or month.
"We are going through a major transformation in the way buildings are designed and energy is generated and distributed," says John Carmody, director of the University's Center for Sustainable Building Research. "This project is an example of this trend by using the sun to generate electrical energy with no pollution. It is particularly notable that we are recycling 10-year-old panels that have worked perfectly."
The photovoltaic panels are just one of the many opportunities in and around the college's new facilities and grounds that will allow students and faculty to explore sustainable design. Others include the recycling of materials used by students in a green room, the construction of new furniture for the college as part of a furniture workshop, and the planting of a roof to study the effect of green roofs on water runoff.
"As a college of architecture and landscape architecture our buildings and grounds should be a place in which we can learn as well as teach, investigate new knowledge as well as convey what is already known," says Dean Tom Fisher. "We now have some of the best facilities of any college like ours in the country, and we are without equal in using them as a laboratory. The photovoltaic panels are a perfect example of our leadership in the area of sustainability, thanks to the generosity of Xcel Energy."
The CALA building will be named Ralph Rapson Hall following a dedication October 5, in which the college will celebrate the opening of its newly expanded facility. The 50,000-square-foot addition will house an auditorium, gallery, library, studio and classroom spaces, and administrative offices. Minneapolis architect Rapson headed the School of Architecture for 30 years beginning in 1954.
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Gophers-Vikings stadium update
On June 24, the University of Minnesota issued four requests for proposals to complete a predesign for a Gophers-Vikings stadium.
The predesign is one part of an agreement the Minnesota Legislature directed the University to complete with the Vikings for a University-owned, on campus, jointly operated stadium. The legislation included a $500,000 appropriation to the University to complete the agreement.
"We're enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring Gopher football back to campus, and we're committed to ensuring any new stadium is integrated into its campus and neighborhood environment, both programmatically and aesthetically," says Greg Fox, interim vice president for University Services.
The requests for proposals, estimated to cost up to $325,000, cover construction cost and schedule estimates, facility planning, transportation and public works, and geotechnical and environmental services. The work must be completed by early November 2002 for submission to the legislature by December 1, 2002.
In addition to completing a predesign, the legislation directs the University to come to an agreement with the Minnesota Vikings regarding the operation of a joint facility. Those operational arrangements and the predesign will be submitted to the legislature in December.
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Break a leg on the new Showboat
The all-new Minnesota Centennial Showboat will kick off its inaugural season on Harriet Island in St. Paul on July 4, marking the return of a 44-year-old Mississippi River tradition. The boat will be officially christened in honor of Captain Frank M. Whiting, founder of the original showboat tradition at the University, in a ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
"This project has had more dramatic moments than any melodrama we've ever staged," says Professor Lance Brockman, chair of the theatre department and Showboat project director. "But this story now has a very happy ending. We can't wait to open the first new show."
The first performance on the new boat, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, will open to the public on July 5, and performances will run through August 25 (only a few tickets remain).
"The students who perform on the Showboat each summer have a unique learning experience," says Brockman, "it is very rare for college students to have a chance to perform continually for nine weeks. But it's very important--it's much more like the professional experiences they can expect in their careers."
The original Showboat was destroyed by a fire in January 2000 while it was under renovation. The new boat, built under the direction of Brockman and Captain William D. Bowell, Sr., of Padelford Packet Boat Company, is the result of a unique public and private partnership between the University's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, Padelford Boat Company, St. Paul Parks and Recreation, and the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation.
According to Captain Bowell, the new showboat is more authentic than the original. The new showboat comes complete with modern conveniences, including air conditioning, but retains the nostalgic charm and character of the Victorian era. Marine architect Timothy Graul has created a replica of the decorated barges that served as showboats in the 19th century with flags, smokestacks, gingerbread railings, and no engine. At 175-feet-long and 50-feet-wide, the showboat has a main lobby with a grand staircase, a reception area on the upper deck, an elevator, a lounge area, and a 211-seat theater space. The two grand reception rooms may be rented separately, or in combination with the theater for private receptions, weddings, and other special events through the Padelford Packet Boat Company.
"Grand, spectacular, elegant--words cannot describe the beautiful Showboat," says Marlene Hagen, one of many who welcomed the boat to St. Paul this spring. It surely is just as grand outside as the Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen. It makes you want to come back to see it again and again."
For tickets to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, call 651-227-1100.
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Presidential transition moves forward
Search firm hired
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents has hired Korn/Ferry International to assist in the presidential search.
The firm assisted in hiring President Mark Yudof in 1997 and has been involved in the University's recent searches for an executive vice president and provost and a dean for the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
Founded in 1969, Korn/Ferry International is one of the largest executive search firms in the world, with 72 offices in more than 40 countries. It has offices dedicated to education-based clients in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. and it has assisted in presidential searches at several institutions, including Purdue University, Texas A&M University System, Tulane University, University of Massachusetts at Boston, University of Nebraska, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Board of Regents will appoint a Presidential Search Advisory Committee at its July 12 meeting. This committee, composed of approximately 10 to 12 individuals from a broad cross-section of constituencies and who represent the diversity of the University and the state, will be charged with assisting in the presidential search process, searching for candidates, reviewing qualifications of applicants, and advising the Board on those qualifications.
The Board is looking for nominees to the search advisory committee with a commitment to the University's best interests, and who are skilled in group process, respectful of the Advisory Committee's role, highly trustworthy and confidential, and willing to commit concentrated time and energy.
If you wish to nominate an individual to the committee, send a cover letter and resume or other biographical information by July 1 to the Office of the Board of Regents, 600 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 or e-mail regents@umn.edu.
The regents hope to conclude the search by the end of the year.
Second-in-command post filled
The University has named Christine Maziar executive vice president and provost effective July 15, pending approval by the Board of Regents at its July 12 meeting. The position is second only to the president and is responsible for implementing the academic
programs and priorities of the university.
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Christine Maziar
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Maziar, 43, has been the dean of the Graduate School and vice president for research at the University since 1998. Before coming to the University she was vice provost at the University of Texas and a professor of electrical and computer engineering. She was educated at PurdueUniversity, where she received bachelor's, master's, and doctoral
degrees.
"I am excited about the opportunity to continue to advance the strong academic agenda that has been put into motion," says Maziar. "This is an outstanding institution with a great deal of momentum, a stellar group of deans, world-class faculty, and bright, engaged students. We have many great things to build on to ensure we provide a quality education and meet the needs of the state."
Yudof jointly made the appointment with Robert Bruininks, the outgoing executive vice president and provost and interim University president. "I am delighted that Christine has accepted this critically important leadership position," says Bruininks. "I look forward to working with Christine, who is already a valued colleague and brings outstanding preparation, dedication and experience to the office."
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U OF M HAPPENINGS
It's summer! Take long lunches, go exploring, and treat yourself to some fresh air, exercise, and good food. The Twin Cities campus is a perfect place to revel in the warmth of these languid days. For places to eat and things to do on and around the campus, see www.umn.edu/urelate/kiosk/0602kiosk/longlunch.html.
Doug Thomas, director of the Henderson, Minnesota-based Gates-EdVisions Project and president of EdVisions, Inc., will speak at the Western Minnesota U of M Alumni Picnic on July 28, 4:30-8 p.m., at Warren Heen School Museum on the Heen Family Farm near Maynard, MN. For more information or tickets, call Chad Kono at 612-625-9183.
The Minnesota Repertory Theatre at the University of Minnesota, Duluth will present Arsenic and Old Lace through July 18 in the Marshall Performing Arts Center. Show times are 8 p.m. on July 5, 10, 11, 20, and 25 and 2 p.m. on July 7 and 21. For tickets and more information, call 218-726-8561.
The Weisman Art Museum presents "Art for Life" from July 9 through Oct. 27. The show features paintings that chronicle the journey of Dr. Harold Adams through a disease. For reservations, call 612-626-4747.
Know of a 14- to 17-year old who would get a kick out of attending a design camp? The University's first Design Camp July 22-26 will feature international designers and U faculty teaching about design for moving, wearing, telling, resting, playing, and dwelling. Registration for the camp, which is organized by the U's Design Institute, is $250; full scholarships are available. For more information or to register, visit design.umn.edu:8080/designInstitute/servlet/at/re.TargetDesignCamp.
Mark your calendars for the "Hats Off to You" farewell salute to Mark and Judy Yudof July 16, 11.30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Northrop Plaza. There will be a short program at 11:45 a.m. followed by live music and a Texas-style barbecue, and you can get your picture taken with your favorite cutout of the president in one of his many roles.
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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
Campaign Minnesota: 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.
University of Minnesota Systemwide Home Page
U of M E-News is a biweekly e-mail newsletter for alumni and friends of the University of Minnesota. The newsletter, a free information source prepared by University Relations, is designed to help alumni and friends stay connected to the University of Minnesota campuses in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Crookston, Morris and Duluth.
PRIVACY POLICY
© 2002 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
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