Home > Brief > Archive > Brief (7-25-2007)

Vol. XXXVII No. 23; July 25, 2007
Editor: Gayla Marty, brief@umn.edu

Editor's note: Brief summer publication dates are Aug. 8 and 29. The deadline for submissions is noon on the Friday before publication.

Read Brief on the Web at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_7252007.html.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
--New regents professor profile: Frank Bates, chemical engineering and materials science.
--Transforming the U: U Libraries move to performance management and merit pay system.
--First UMR chancellor will be Stephen Lehmkuhle.
--People: New associate VP for research is Pamela Webb; and more.

Campus Announcements and Events
University-wide | Crookston | Duluth | Morris | Twin Cities

REGENTS PROFESSOR PROFILE: FRANK BATES, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, was a truck driver with a math degree when he literally walked into graduate school. Now he's a world leader in developing plastics and adhesives used in everything from balloon catheters (medicine) to steel-rod coating (construction), with 15 patents issued and pending. Read more about Bates in "A material success," the third profile in a series on five new regents professors named in June.

TRANSFORMING THE U: A merit pay plan was adopted this month by civil service staff in University Libraries at UMTC. Staff and managers are using their new performance management system to set goals for the 2007-08 fiscal year, and civil service staff will first be awarded merit pay at the end of the fiscal year, beginning in 2008. The change began a year ago and has been marked by research, employee involvement, and debate. Read more about the U Libraries' path to merit pay.

THE FIRST UMR CHANCELLOR will be Stephen Lehmkuhle, pending approval by the regents Sept. 7. Lehmkuhle is currently senior VP for academic affairs at the U of Missouri. Read the news release.

PEOPLE: Pamela Webb, formerly at Stanford U, joined the U of M July 9 as associate VP for research administration and director of Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA); the new director of the Animal Cancer Center is Jaime Modiano, formerly at the U of Colorado; a Congressional Gold Medal was presented to alumnus Norman Borlaug July 17. Read about these and more U awards and appointments in People.

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

PUBLIC FORUMS TO MEET ASSOCIATE VP AND DEAN FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS FINALISTS are in progress. Kenneth Holland, Kansas State U, and Meredith McQuaid, the interim who is also associate dean of administration and international programs at the Law School, presented July 17 and 24, respectively. Everett Egginton, New Mexico State U, will present July 26, 2-3 p.m., 2-260R Carlson School of Management, UMTC. See forum videos and candidate CVs.

INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING: In late June, Senior VP and Provost Sullivan received the advisory committee's blueprint for this new systemwide institute, which will bring U researchers together from across all five campuses, launching new discoveries in a variety of science and technology-related areas. See the blueprint and an executive summary.

HEALTHY FOODS, HEALTHY LIVES (HFHL) INSTITUTE has been established in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). The director is Mindy Kurzer, professor of food science and nutrition. The HFHL Institute grew from the HFHL presidential initiative and will maintain collaboration among the five participating colleges--School of Public Health, Medical School, College of Veterinary Medicine, U of M Extension, and CFANS.

NEW POLICIES are now posted for Creating and Evaluating Interdisciplinary Centers and Sharing Indirect Cost Recovery Among Collaborating Collegiate Units, both effective immediately.

ALL-U HONORS: NOMINATION DEADLINES for 2007-08 honorary degrees, Outstanding Achievement Award, Award of Distinction, Alumni Service Award, and naming of buildings or grounds are Aug. 24, Sept. 14, Nov. 16, Jan. 18, March 14, and April 18. Submit nominations to Vickie Courtney, program director, University Honors and Awards, Senate Office, 427 Morrill Hall, 100 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455. Read more about the nominating process.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL GRANTS FOR FACULTY: The next application deadline for grants administered through the Office of International Programs is Aug. 1 for activities beginning September through December. Apply online.

STATE FAIR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: The U will be well represented at the fair this year, with all campuses and more than 25 colleges, units, and departments sharing how their work has led to discoveries that impact and improve lives, and with daily give-aways and stage performances. Be part of the Great Minnesota Get-Together, Aug. 23-Sept. 3. Volunteers are needed to distribute backpacks daily in three shifts: 9 a.m.-noon, 1-4 p.m., and 5-8 p.m. Each volunteer receives one admission ticket and a Tejas food coupon good for a burrito or small drink. The U of M is in the Crossroads Building on Dan Patch Avenue. To volunteer, e-mail discover@umn.edu or call Laura at 612-626-3527.

A NEW INTERNET RESOURCE TO LOCATE HEALTH SERVICE STATEWIDE will be launched next week. My Health Minnesota--Go Local, created by the U's Health Sciences Libraries, Mayo Clinic Libraries, and MINITEX Library Information Network, builds on the free MedlinePlus consumer Web site of the National Library of Medicine. It empowers Minnesota citizens to find quality information about health issues, access statewide health services, and connect with local hospitals, care providers, nursing homes, support groups, and more. The launch will be July 31, 3-5 p.m., McNamara Alumni Center, UMTC.

PREPARE NOW TO NOMINATE A FACULTY MEMBER FOR A DISTINGUISHED TEACHING AWARD. Guidelines for 2007-08 nominations will be available in September, but 2006-07 guidelines and other nomination materials may be reviewed now at Horace T. Morse-U of M Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education and Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education. For more information, e-mail rmhelms@umn.edu or call 612-626-5598.

Crookston:

A NEW BIOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAM and a biology minor, both with a choice of emphasis in plant or animal systems, will debut at UMC this fall.

ONLINE CREDIT HOURS THIS SEMESTER ARE UP 41 PERCENT over summer 2006. UMC has added two more bachelor's degrees available entirely online.

A RURAL HEALTH SUMMIT, with a keynote by Senior VP Cerra, will be held at UMC and sponsored by the Minnesota Rural Health Association and its counterparts in Montana and North Dakota. Registration is open to anyone interested in health and well-being of rural people and communities in the Upper Midwest. Aug. 17, Bede Ballroom.

PROMOTION AND TENURE of faculty members Pamela Elf and Martin Lundell was announced last week.

Duluth:

A NEW BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING will be offered beginning in fall 2008. Areas of emphasis will be water resource engineering, transportation, structural engineering, and geotechnical engineering. The program will grow to 200 students. Plans to hire eight faculty members are under way, and a $16 million building is part of the U's capital bonding request.

JOURNALISM STUDENTS WILL GET HANDS-ON STUDIO AND INDUSTRY COURSES through a new collaboration of KUMD radio and the College of Liberal Arts, which will expand journalism from a minor to a comprehensive program by fall 2008.

A NEW SMOKING POLICY, which prohibits smoking on all UMD property, will go into effect Sept. 1; housing facilities will be smoke free as of May 19, 2008.

THE OPERA CARMEN, by Georges Biset, will be directed by Earl Logan and conducted by Pierre Calmelet of the Paris Conservatoire National de Région Boulogne-Billancourt, as part of the Sieur Du Luth Summer Arts Festival. July 26-28, 7:30 p.m.; July 29, 2 p.m.; Marshall Performing Arts Center. See more information.

Morris:

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO THE BIOMASS FACILITY GROUND BREAKING, July 27, 11 a.m., construction site next to the campus heating plant.

THE 2007 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD recipient will be Lorie Skjerven Gildea, '83, Minnesota Supreme Court associate justice. She will receive the award, presented by the UMM Alumni Association Board, Sept. 28 as part of homecoming events.

"THE RED EDGE GARDEN TOUR," funded by a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant, will be presented by researcher Steven Poppe at Horticulture Night. July 26, 5 and 7:15 p.m., West Central Research and Outreach Center.

UMM GOES TO THE SAINTS: More than 700 current students, staff, faculty, and alumni have registered for the fourth annual UMM event at the St. Paul Saints game Aug. 7, Midway Stadium, St. Paul. Former Saints announcer Rusty Kath, UMM '03, now the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in-stadium emcee, will be honored.

Twin Cities:

VICE PROVOST AND DEAN OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION Craig Swan will retire at the end of fall semester after 38 years as professor of economics, department head, associate dean, vice provost, and leader for signature initiatives in the strategic positioning effort. Provost Sullivan announced plans to form an advisory committee to search for a new vice provost.

MOST CCE OFFICES IN WESBROOK HALL ARE MOVING TO ST. PAUL, 20 Classroom Office Building, by early August, bringing the large majority of College of Continuing Education staff together on one campus. Remaining in Minneapolis will be offices for English as a second language and the Program in Translation and Interpreting (Wesbrook) and pre-college programs (Armory). See maps and more information.

COPYRIGHT PERMISSION REQUESTS FOR FALL SEMESTER 2007 course materials should be submitted to the Copyright Permissions Center as soon as possible. Full citations may be dropped off at any Printing Services location, faxed to 612-626-9810, mailed to 102 Printing Services Building, or submitted online. For more information, contact Dale Mossestad at mosse006@umn.edu or 612-626-9416.

DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR THE STATE FAIR AND THE MINNESOTA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL go on sale July 30 at the information desks in Coffman Union, St. Paul Student Center, and Gopher Express West. State fair tickets are limited--last year they were sold out the week before the fair started. See seasonal discount tickets.

MORE EVENTS include a Spanish film series (July 25); reception for works by Michael Vegell and Tricia Schweitzer on inner-city culture and urban landscapes (July 26); "Microtubule Catastrophe: Social Interaction at the Nonoscale," a discussion with David Odde (July 27); Summer Choir concert, Faure's Requiem (July 28); information session about the U's new interdisciplinary Medical Devices Center and how to get involved (July 30); "Talk About Time" lunch discussion (July 31); World Future Society conference keynote by School of Public Health alumnus Tor Dahl (July 31); films from Iran and China in the Asian Film Series (Aug. 1, 8); "Among Women, Between Nations--Entre mujeres, entre naciones," a national conference of the Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social/Women Active in Letters and Social Change (Aug. 2-4); "Catastrophe in Film: Werner Herzog's Lessons of Darkness and James Gladman's Tantra (Aug. 3); "Network Leadership: Connecting Individuals, Organizations, and Communities" conference presented by the Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center (Aug. 6); and Land O'Lakes president and CEO Chris Policinski at the Carlson School's First Tuesday luncheon (Aug. 7). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS.

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Published by University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Please send comments, questions, or submissions to the editor at brief@umn.edu. All Twin Cities event submissions are handled through the events calendar at http://events.tc.umn.edu.

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