Vol. XXXVIII No. 7; Feb. 20, 2008
Interim editor: Pauline Oo, brief@umn.edu

Read Brief on the Web at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_02202008.html.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
--U seeking capital funding from legislature
--People: Associate professor Marco Yzer has received an $82,000 grant; Kathleen Vohs named 2008 SAGE Young Scholar; Ryan Mathre joins University News Service; and more.

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

U'S 2008 CAPITAL REQUEST of $288.3 million is currently being considered by the Minnesota State Legislature, which opened its 2008 session last week. The request contains funding for buildings and basic infrastructure improvements across the U's campuses. To learn more, read "Capitol priorities." To show your support for the U, visit the State Capitol today--events include noon rally, free lunch, and meetings with legislators; see "Support the U Day."

PEOPLE: Marco Yzer, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, received an $82,000 grant from a National Cancer Institute initiative to lead a study with researchers from Case Western; Carlson School assistant professor Kathleen Vohs was named one of five 2008 SAGE Young Scholars by the Foundation for Social and Personality Psychology and SAGE Publications; Ryan Mathre is a new public relations specialist in News Service at U Relations; Dana Bacon is the new grassroots manager in Government and Community Relations. Read about these and more awards and appointments in People.

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

THREE FINALISTS FOR FOUNDING DIRECTOR of the U's new Institute on the Environment will give public presentations: Deborah Swackhamer, interim director of the institute, March 3-5, UMTC, and March 6, UMD; Malcolm Hughes, University of Arizona professor, March 10-12, UMTC, and March 13, UMD; and George Hornberger, University of Virginia professor, March 24-25, UMTC, and March 26, UMD. Each finalist will present their research on the first day of their visit, 2:30-4 p.m., 105 Cargill Building. A public forum will be held on the second day of their visit, 2-3:30 p.m., 402 Walter Library. The public forums at UMD will be 10-11 a.m., library rotunda. Additional details on each candidate are available at the Provost Office Web site.

MODEL OF FORMER I-35W BRIDGE, built by civil engineering junior Rachel Gaulke, is being sent to Washington, D.C. today. The 1/200th-scale model will be used by engineers at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), for various presentations to help visualize and explain information related to the bridge collapse and its causes. NTSB contracted the U to produce the model because of its familiarity with the bridge. The budget for the model was about $6,000, including labor and materials. Read the news release and watch the video on the construction and presentation of the bridge model.

U BUYS NORTHSIDE PLYMOUTH PENN SHOPPING CENTER property for its Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center. The property, acquired from the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council, Inc., Feb. 6, at $1.125 million, comprises 2.19 acres and features a 21,374 square foot structure. The new U center will coordinate and facilitate novel and existing University research, outreach, and engagement activities related to North Minneapolis, such as the University Northside Partnership, and provide residents easier access to U programs and services. Read the news release.

TWO U PROGRAMS RECEIVE GRANTS from Minnesota Campus Compact to increase the quality, impact, and sustainability of community service-learning efforts and campus-community collaboration initiatives: "UMD Connects" ($20,000; directed by Casey LaCore) and UMTC (with Gustavus College) "Taking a Stand Against Genocide" ($13,500; directed by Ellen Kennedy). Read the news release.

FACULTY FOR THE ENGAGED CAMPUS, a national initiative of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, is collaborating with the U and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop innovative new models of faculty development, to facilitate peer review and the dissemination of products from community-engaged scholarship, and to support community-engaged faculty through the promotion and tenure process. For more information, read the news release or call Children, Youth, & Family Consortium at 612-625-7849.

AWARD-WINNING NATIONAL MAGAZINE Contexts moves editorial offices to UMTC; inaugural issue hits newsstands this month. The U's Department of Sociology won the bid for editorial leadership of the American Sociological Association's seven-year-old journal last year. John Rash, pop culture expert and author of The Rash Report, will speak at the free launch party Feb. 22, 4 p.m., U Bookstores, Coffman Union, UMTC. To learn more, read the news release or see Contexts.

NEW REGENTS PROFESSOR LECTURE SERIES celebrates the U's most distinguished faculty and allows the U community, as well as the general public, to learn more about their work. Provost Sullivan initiated the series; the first lecture will be March 4, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Institute, UMTC. Frank Bates, Regents Professor and head of chemical engineering and materials science, will discuss, "Forty Years Later the Answer is Still Plastics." A reception follows.

CURA AND HUMPHREY INSTITUTE, along with 1,000 Friends of Minnesota, receive McKnight Foundation grants totaling $1.9 million to fund Community Growth Options, a joint project to help 10 Minnesota communities address the challenges of rapid growth. The project will bring together local planning firms with U faculty and students to develop communities that are more sustainable, environmentally responsive, and economically efficient. To learn more, read the news release.

Crookston:

UMC RECENTLY RECEIVED INITIAL APPROVAL from the Minnesota Board of Teaching to prepare students for state teacher licensure. The board also approved delivery of early childhood education degrees by the Crookston campus. The degree program, previously a cooperative endeavor between UMC and Bemidji State, is designed to qualify students to be effective teachers of young children--from birth through age eight--and to manage high-quality early childhood programs. Read the news release.

GROWING INTEREST IN BIOFUELS and renewable energy have resulted in a new option for students majoring in agriculture at UMC. The Board of Regents approved an emphasis in biofuels and renewable energy technology at its February meeting. Read the news release.

TIM NORTON IS NEW FACILITIES MANAGER. Norton has a solid background in facilities management and has served many years in the U system. He brings hands-on experience and leadership skills, honed both in university and county government settings, to UMC. Read the news release.

Duluth:

ROYAL D. ALWORTH, JR. Institute for International Studies presents "The Role of Cooperative Finance in Developing Countries," Feb. 21, noon, fourth floor library rotunda. President and CEO of U.S. Federal Credit Union Bill Raker, who recently traveled to Cambodia to assess and visit prospective credit unions in a rural rice farming area, will discuss his trip, which he calls an "eye-opening and life-changing experience," in this International Brown Bag Lecture Series presentation. For more information, see the Alworth Institute.

UMD INTERNATIONAL CLUB will present the 40th annual Feast of Nations, featuring a selection of foods and performers from around the globe, Feb. 23, 5:30 p.m., Kirby Student Center Ballroom. Tickets are $15 ($10 students, free for children five and under). For more information, see International Club.

TWEED MUSEUM OF ART will host a presentation by David Stark, an art historian and educator with a specialty in Belgian painting, Feb. 26, 6 p.m., Tweed Lecture Gallery. Stark is principal author of European Painting in the Tweed Museum of Art (2000) and is currently conducting research on other aspects of European art at the museum and Glensheen Historic Congdon Estate. The presentation is part of the 2007-08 Art + Design Lecture Series, a joint venture of the museum and the Department of Art and Design to bring artists and designers to UMD to speak about their work and experience. For more information, see Tweed Museum.

Morris:

A NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJOR in environmental studies will be available next fall for students at UMM. The major will complement the renewable energy and sustainability initiatives that are already in place or in progress on campus. Read the news release.

UMM IS RANKED among the top 100 colleges nationally as a best value for out-of-state students in the 2008 Kiplinger 100 Best Values in Public Colleges exclusive survey. UMM and UMTC are the only schools in Minnesota to make the list. Read the news release.

TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL O. TRUMAN DRIGGS Distinguished Lecture, "Keep on Saving: How Other Nations Forged Cultures of Thrift When America Didn't," will be given by Sheldon Garon, Dodge Professor of History and East Asian Studies, Princeton University, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., Humanities Fine Arts Recital Hall. Read the news release.

COUGAR WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM has earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the ninth time. To be eligible, a team must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Read the news release.

Twin Cities:

JOIN U POLICE MEMBERS FOR COFFEE and doughnuts on the east end of the Washington Avenue Bridge, Feb. 25, 9-11 a.m. Officers will give away whistles, cards with emergency numbers, and more. President Bruininks and Goldy will make appearances. The event kicks off Prepared-U, an awareness and education campaign about campus emergency preparedness, safety, and security.

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH is now available for UMTC students. The new online resource allows current undergraduate students to obtain an individualized list of scholarships for which they may be eligible to apply; see scholarships page on One Stop.

PILLSBURY COURT, a transitional residence for new U faculty and staff, has immediate vacancies. The facility comprises 48 two-bedroom townhouses that currently rent for $995 per month plus utilities. For more information or to apply, go online, e-mail Fred Frogner, or call 612-624-1969.

INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY lectures coming up: "The Films of Ulrike Ottinger," introduced by the director, Feb. 22-24, Walker Art Center; Chinese film Hibiscus Town, Feb. 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 275 Nicholson Hall; and "The Gay Land Rush: Race, Gender, and GLBT identity in the Life of Minneapolis Neighborhoods," Feb. 27, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 235 Nolte Center. For more information on each event, see IAS.

SIXTH ANNUAL SPARK FESTIVAL of Electronic Music and Arts is Feb. 26-March 2. Founded in 1992 by School of Music professor Doug Geers, SPARK brings renowned scholars and performers of electronic music and arts to the West Bank Arts Quarter for lectures, performances, master classes, and multimedia installations. This year, the festival features pop-influenced live electronica performances, with video every night at the Nomad World Pub, among other things. For the complete schedule, see SPARK fest.

KATHERINE E. NASH GALLERY presents "Culturing Nature: Culturing Technology," seven women artists challenging the boundaries of nature and technology, Feb. 26-March 27. A public reception is scheduled for Feb. 29, 6-8:30 p.m. All events at the Nash, located in Regis Center for Art, are free and open to the general public.

"BUILD A PORTFOLIO FOR ANY WEATHER," the final session in the annual Brown Bag Financial Series, will be Feb. 27, noon-1 p.m., 210 Donhowe. The session is open to all U employees and will be presented by representatives from Fidelity. Registration is not required. For more information, see the Employee Benefits Web site.

MORE EVENTS include "Ethics in Cyberspace: Internet Research Issues and Guidelines" (Feb. 21), "Social Entrepreneurship in Asia" (Feb. 22), Peace crimes play (Feb. 23), "Guitarathon" (Feb. 24), "TRAVERSE: Shifted Waterways and Urban Life" (Feb. 25), Great Conversations 2008: "American Democracy in Dissent" (Feb. 26). SEE THESE AND MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS.

Published by 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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