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Vol. XXXVIII No. 28; September 17, 2008
Editor: Adam Overland, brief@umn.edu
Inside This Issue
--Customized phishing attacks are on the rise.
--President Bruininks presented the U's biennial budget request to
Board of Regents.
--People: Chuck Miner named deputy chief of U Police; and more.
Campus Announcements and Events
University-wide | Crookston |
Duluth | Morris | Rochester | Twin Cities
CUSTOMIZED E-MAIL PHISHING ATTACKS, KNOWN AS "SPEAR PHISHING" ARE ON THE RISE. Some attacks against the U have been effective at tricking students, faculty, and staff into divulging personal information. A number of features are usually common to phishing attacks. To learn more, read "Avoiding Identity Theft at the U."
PRESIDENT BRUININKS PRESENTED THE U'S BIENNIAL BUDGET REQUEST to the Board of Regents on Sept. 12. The proposed budget for the 2010-11 biennium (two-year budget period) requests $141.2 million in new state money to maintain the University's competitive position and strengthen Minnesota's economy. For more information, see the Budget Request.
PEOPLE: Chuck Miner has been named deputy chief of University Police. Read about this and more awards and appointments in People.
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
"AUTUMN UNPLUGGED" AT THE MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM celebrates the essence of fall with its brisk air, crackling leaves, and dazzling hues. The centerpiece event will be Pumpkin Palooza, an extravaganza of fall's favorite plant in all its variety. A cornucopia of fall happenings at the arboretum can be found at Autumn Unplugged.
"DIGITAL CAMPUS," WAS LAUNCHED AFTER TWO YEARS OF PLANNING AND CONSULTATION on Sept. 15. Digital Campus will serve as a gateway to online course offerings, degree programs, and noncredit courses across the University system. For more information, visit Digital Campus.
"TEACHING WITH WRITING" provides support and creates community for instructors across the U who use writing in their teaching. These workshops and panels are free and open to all U instructors on any campus. For events over the noon hour, lunch is provided for the first 30 registrants. Space can be limited. For more information or to register, see Teaching with Writing. Phone reservations can be made by calling 612-626-7579.
THE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM enters its third year with a cohort on the Duluth campus that will focus on individual improvement projects with the support of mentors and the U's Office of Service and Continuous Improvement (OSCI). OSCI is developing a related program, Transformational Leadership-Lean, which will focus on identifying and eliminating wasteful practices in purchasing and areas of potential high-impact savings. OSCI is part of the University's System Academic Administration.
CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW APARTMENT-STYLE RESIDENCE HALL ON THE UMC CAMPUS was approved at a Sept. 11 Board of Regents meeting. The $10.6 million, 128-bed facility will house Crookston's growing student population. Community Contractors and Michael J. Burns Architects were recommended as the design/build firm for the new facility, which is expected to be completed in July 2009. For more information, see the news release.
UMC WILL HONOR PAST GRADUATES AT ITS HOMECOMING WEEKEND, SEPT. 26-27. This year's outstanding alumni will be honored at a banquet and during halftime of the Sept. 27 football game. Two individuals and one team will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 26. For more information, see outstanding alumni and Athletic Hall of Fame.
UMD WILL HOST THE SIEUR DU LUTH FALL LECTURE AND SYMPOSIUM, Sept. 18, 2:30-6:30 p.m., Weber Music Hall. The event will feature five noted architects who have designed UMD buildings. Architect Cesar Pelli (Weber Music Hall) will deliver the opening address. The symposium will conclude with a presentation on LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and sustainability. For more information, see Sieur du Luth.
"RUSSIA-GEORGIA CONFLICT: PUTIN'S VIEW" will be presented by Moscow State University's Zefirov Nikolay, professor of chemistry, as part of the Alworth Institute's International Lecture Series. Professor Nikolay will briefly examine Putin's perspective on the current conflict between Russia and Georgia and answer questions about the situation. Sept. 24, noon, UMD Library Rotunda. For more information, see Conflict.
PETER ANNIN WILL DISCUSS HIS BOOK THE GREAT LAKES WATER WARS at a public lecture on Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Weber Music Hall. Annin, the 2008 Distinguished Aquatic Speaker of the Center for Freshwater Research and Policy, is the director of the Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources and a former correspondent with Newsweek. For more information, see Great Lakes.
A NEW BOOK CLUB CALLED "ASKING THE BIG QUESTIONS" will be reading Plan B 3.0, by Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute. The club, hosted by the Rodney A. Briggs Library and the Office of Sustainability, will meet the second Thursday of the month for the next year. For more information, see the book club.
THE ANNUAL BARBER LECTURE will be given by Russ Castronovo, the Jean Wall Bennet professor of English and American studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Dana Nelson, the Gertrude Conaway professor of English at Vanderbilt. Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., HFA Recital Hall. For more information, see Barber Lecture.
LECTURES BY TWO LEADERS IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS will be given during the 33rd annual Midwest Philosophy Colloquium. This year's colloquium will address the topic, "Frontiers of Environmental Ethics." Sept. 25-26, 8 p.m., 109 Imholte Hall. For more information, see Environmental Ethics.
GOLDEN GOPHERS FOOTBALL WILL BE SHOWN ON THE SILVER SCREEN in Rochester. Fans can enjoy the games at Wehrenberg Theatres' Galaxy 14 Cine. Admission is free, but limited. Tickets will be available 24 hours prior to kickoff. For more information, see silver screen.
A COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT FAIR coordinated by the U of M's Career and Community Learning Center, takes place Sept. 17, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Coffman Union. Visitors can learn about volunteer and internship opportunities in the Twin Cities. For more information, see community involvement.
A U OF M FAMILY MATH AND SCIENCE FUN FAIR will feature robot demonstrations, astronaut training, microscopes, miniature race cars, a real human brain, and more. Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Coffman Union. For more information, see Fun Fair.
THE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE AT THE U OF M WILL OFFICIALLY OPEN WITH A CEREMONY on Sept. 19. A celebration concert will take place Sept. 21, 7-8:30 p.m., Ted Mann Concert Hall. Cost is $28. For more information, see the Confucius Institute.
DISCOVER EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN, HOSTED BY THE WOMEN'S CENTER, is a 10-day showcase of the wide range of resources, programming, and services available to women students, staff, and faculty at the U. Sept. 22-Oct. 3. For more information, see the Women's Center.
THE FINE THEORETICAL PHYSICS INSTITUTE AT THE U OF M will present a free public lecture entitled "Finding the Big Bang." Princeton University professor and Albert Einstein professor of science emeritus Jim Peebles will speak at the event. Sept. 23, 7 p.m., 150 Tate Laboratory of Physics. Peebles's presentation is the third in the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute's annual Misel Family Lecture Series. For more information, see Misel Family Lecture.
THE THIRD OF THREE FINALISTS FOR DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS WILL VISIT CAMPUS Sept. 22 for a public forum in the Coffman theater. The archived presentations of each candidate can be found online. For more information, see Dean Search.
MORE THAN 100 GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY will be represented at Graduate and Professional School Day. Learn about programs in law, business, education, health sciences, and other fields. Oct. 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Coffman Union. Free and open to all. For more information, see Graduate and Professional School Day.
COURSES OFFERED BY ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS can help U employees build new skills and advance professional and personal development. Courses are ongoing throughout the fall. Many are free of charge. For more information, see Career Development Courses and Personal and Professional Development.
A CONFERENCE ON CHALLENGES AND TENSIONS IN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS will focus on problems that arise because of differences in the organization and funding of science, cultural expectations, legal and regulatory environments, and graduate training. Oct. 2-3, Radisson University Hotel, 615 Washington Avenue S.E. For more information, see the conference website.
OIT STAFF WILL HOLD A CRAFT AND BAKE SALE TO SUPPORT LOCAL RESOURCES through the Community Fund Drive. The kickoff event will take place Oct. 2, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m, 202 Johnston Hall. For information on how to donate an item, volunteer, or shop, visit Community Fund Drive.
MINI MEDICAL SCHOOL CONTINUES ITS OUTREACH with its latest theme, "Hot Topics in Health." The five-week series will include pandemic flu, food and water safety, battlefield medicine, stem cell science, forensic pathology, ethical situations in natural disasters, and clinical trials. Mondays, Oct. 13-Nov. 10, 6-8:30 p.m., theater, Coffman Union. For more information, see Mini Medical.
THE RESEARCHCHANNEL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REQUESTS VIDEOS about U research and discovery. The ResearchChannel provides worldwide cable and Web distribution of compelling video from top research universities and institutions. Colleges, departments, or centers may submit programs to be considered for the U's 10 hours of programming during the 2008-09 academic year. The first deadline is Oct. 15. For more information, visit OIT Video Solutions or the ResearchChannel.
MORE EVENTS include Minnesota's Hidden History in Computing: Why Not Silicon Valley? (Sept. 17); From the Fall of the Wall to the War on Terror: How the 1990s Shaped Our World (Sept. 18); New Media Research@UMN: An Interdisciplinary Conference on New Media and Internet Studies (Sept. 19); Women's Soccer vs Boston University (Sept. 21); Coalition for a Respectful U - First Meeting of the Semester (Sept. 22); Building Intellectual Community (Sept. 23). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS.
Published 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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