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Vol. XXXVIII No. 25; August 13, 2008
Editor: Adam Overland, brief@umn.edu
Inside This Issue
--Deadline for electing Retirement Incentive Option extended to
Sept. 26.
--People: Cheryl Contant new vice chancellor for academic affairs
and dean at UMM; and more.
Campus Announcements and Events
University-wide | Crookston |
Duluth | Morris | Rochester | Twin Cities
THE DEADLINE FOR ELECTING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RETIREMENT INCENTIVE OPTION (RIO) has been extended to Sept. 26. RIO is a one-time opportunity for voluntary retirement for eligible employees. RIO will provide 36 months of medical and dental subsidy following an employee's last day of employment. For more information, visit employee benefits or read RIO.
PEOPLE: Cheryl Contant began her appointment as vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean at UMM; Alison Davis-Blake was appointed to a three-year term on the board of directors for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Read about these and more awards and appointments in People.
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
STUDENT-STAFF DIRECTORY: DEADLINE FOR UPDATES TO INDIVIDUAL LISTINGS is Sept. 12. To update your entry, go to "Update Personal Information" at Employee Self-Service.
THE U's GREAT DISCOVERIES WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR with engaging exhibits and experts from all five campuses. The stage will feature performances, demonstrations, and appearances by U personalities. Maroon and Gold Day will be Aug. 24. U of M Bookstores at Coffman Union, the St. Paul Student Center, the UMC Bookstore, and M Gear in Rochester offer savings on fair admission. The fair runs from Aug. 21-Sept. 1, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., U building, Dan Patch Avenue. For more information, see State Fair.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATIONS will be accepted until Oct. 6. The grant is available to assistant professors who have no independent national funding and are engaged in cancer-related research. Funding is available up to $30,000. Applications may be obtained by calling 612-626-1926 or e-mailing micek003@tc.umn.edu.
UMC WAS NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE MIDWEST according to The Princeton Review, a New York-based company known for its test preparation courses, books, and college admission and other education services. UMC was selected as one of 159 institutions recommended by the company in its "Best in the Midwest" section "2009 Best Colleges: Region by Region." For more information, see the news release.
THE NORTHWEST MINNESOTA WOMEN'S FUND established a new scholarship to benefit students attending UMC. Senior Ashley Walton was awarded the first scholarship. Funds will be available annually to support UMC-degree-seeking women who reside within the 12 counties of the Women's Fund service area. For more information, see the news release.
UMC WILL HOST ITS ANNUAL "OLD FASHIONED ICE CREAM SOCIAL" during the city's Ox Cart Days celebration. The social will be held Aug. 15, 3-5 p.m., near the Peterson Gazebo on the campus mall. For more information, see the news release.
A RECENT GIFT BY BILL AND MARY TYRRELL OF $34,000 will support UMC's Golden Eagle athletic program and several endowed athletic funds on campus. Matching funds of $21,500 will be provided by UMC. The four-year pledge of $8,500 annually will establish the Bill & Mary Tyrrell Endowed Athletic Scholarship. For more information, see Golden Eagle Athletics.
A NEW SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE purchased through a $400,000 grant by the National Science Foundation has been installed on the UMD campus. The microscope is capable of high-resolution imaging of features 25,000 times smaller than a human hair and direct chemical analysis. It is currently being used in research on airborne particulate produced from taconite mining, and will be used in teaching and research and made available to outside nonprofit and industry groups. For more information, see the news release.
THE FESTIVAL OF FINE ART AND CRAFT, featuring work by the region's finest artists, will be held at Glensheen Historic Congdon Estate, Aug. 16, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The event has been named a "best bet" by the Duluth News Tribune and is attended by thousands every year. For more information, visit the Festival.
UMD AND THE DULUTH FIRE DEPARTMENT are conducting two weeks of joint fire rescue training exercises at a UMD owned property. For more information see the news release.
UMM WILL MOVE A STEP CLOSER TO ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY BY 2010 with a scheduled early morning "first burn" boiler commissioning at the biomass facility, Aug. 18. When fully implemented, the facility will provide heating and cooling for the campus. For more information, take the biomass facility virtual tour or read Biomass Development.
MORE UMM CAMPUS BUILDINGS ARE POWERED BY THE WIND. By summer's end, the wind turbine at the West Central Research and Outreach Center is expected to bring the percentage of buildings powered by wind-generated electricity to nearly 100 percent. For more information, see UMM's renewable initiatives.
SIGNATURE SERIES 2008: THE BEST IN TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT is a series of eight one-day courses cosponsored by the U's Center for the Development of Technological Leadership and UMR. The courses apply the best in technology management to improve on-the-job performance. Sept. 22-25, Oct. 20-23, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information, see Technology Management.
THE ANNUAL U OF M SCHOOL OF MUSIC PIANO SALE will take place Aug. 15, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Aug. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Aug. 17, noon-5 p.m., 225 Ferguson Hall. The documentary film Note by Note, which follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand, will be screened Aug. 16 and 17 at 2 p.m. For more information, see School of Music or the brochure.
JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL FACULTY MEMBERS can attend a retreat sponsored by the Center for Teaching and Learning, Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Office of International Programs, and Office for Equity and Diversity. Junior faculty (pre-tenure) who identify themselves as international are invited. Aug. 26, 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Location TBA, space limited. RSVP to Jeremy Hernandez, 612-625-5652, by Aug. 20.
THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGER'S LEADERSHIP PROGRAM provides leadership development within the context of the U culture and community. Through lectures, exercises, case studies, and feedback, the program is an intensive, five-day experience that assists managers in developing strategies and plans for accomplishing goals. An information session will be held Aug. 26, 10-11 a.m., 210 Donhowe. Registration is open for the fall season. For more information, see Leadership.
THE WEISMAN WILL TEST THE METAPHORICAL EYESIGHT OF AMERICA with its "Hindsight is Always 20/20" exhibition Aug. 23-Jan. 4. Always 20/20 looks at the politically-charged atmosphere of the 2008 presidential election and the history of American political discourse through the metaphor of vision--by using a Snellen chart (an optometrist's guide to testing eyesight). For more information, see the event.
LOCAL AUTHOR AND FORMER U OF M REGENT DAVID LEBEDOFF will discuss his book The Same Man: George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh in Love and War. Lebedoff's book shows how both writers dedicated their lives to warning against a world of material wealth but few values. Aug. 14, 7-9 p.m., U Bookstore, Coffman Union. For more information or to order a signed copy, visit the bookstore.
FACULTY MEMBERS IN THEIR FIRST FIVE YEARS AT THE U can develop and enhance their teaching skills through the Early Career Faculty Learning Community. The community is designed to assist faculty members establish a foundation for creative and engaging teaching. Participants work one-on-one and in interdisciplinary small groups with resource teachers, chosen for their commitment to mentoring and recognition as superior classroom teachers. Limited space is available. For more information and to register, visit the Center for Teaching and Learning or call 612-625-3041.
UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES (UDS) IS IMPLEMENTING TRAYLESS DINING in Bailey, Centennial, Comstock, Middlebrook, Pioneer, and Sanford residential restaurants in August. The effort is part of UDS's sustainability commitment at the U. For more information, see UDS sustainability.
MORE EVENTS include "The American President" (Aug. 13); UMore Park Open House (Aug. 14); "From Sportswear to Streetwear: American Innovation" (Aug. 15); "Short Rotation Crops International Conference" (Aug. 18-22); "Getting Published: How to Publish Your Science Research Article" (Aug. 19); Google for Researchers (Aug. 20); Grant Funding for Graduate Students (Aug. 21); College of Design at the State Fair! (Aug. 23); "Public Art as Conversation Starter": A conversation with Jack Becker and Peter Eleey (Aug. 26). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS.
PPublished by Internal Communications in the Office of University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Please send comments, questions, or submissions to the editor at brief@umn.edu. The deadline for submissions is noon on the Friday before publication. All Twin Cities event submissions are handled through the events calendar at http://events.tc.umn.edu.
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