Vol. XXXVIII No. 8; Feb. 27, 2008
Interim editor: Pauline Oo, brief@umn.edu

Read Brief on the Web at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_02272008.html.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
--U launches new emergency preparedness Web site
--Summer camp offerings at the U
--The search is on for community service award recipients
--People: Lindsey Henson is the Medical School's first vice dean for education; and more.

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

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: On Monday, the University of Minnesota launched its revamped Emergency Preparedness Web site--complete with information about what to do during health, weather, and safety emergencies. Read "Preparing for an emergency."

SUMMER CAMP: Summer is still months away, but now's the time to sign up your child for a summer camp on one of the U's campuses. Read "Summer fun for youth" for a list of camp possibilities.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: For more than 10 years, the U has recognized faculty, staff, and students who have devoted their time and talent to making enduring contributions to the community. This year, nominations for the Outstanding Community Service Awards are due March 14. Read "Recognizing those who change the world, one award at a time."

PEOPLE: Lindsey Henson will be the Medical School's first vice dean for education April 1; Humphrey dean J. Brian Atwood has received the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global Leadership; Jody Lulich is the Osborne/Hill's Chair in Nephrology/Urology, and Jaime Modiano is the Al and June Perlman Endowed Oncology Chair, in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Read about these and more awards and appointments in People.

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS by President Bruininks will take place March 6, 3 p.m., Mayo Auditorium, UMTC. The address will be broadcast via ITV to all campuses and by video streaming on the Web.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT eligible 2007 expenses for Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account/Health Care Flexible Spending Account is March 31. (Submissions must be postmarked or in campus mail by that date.) Claim forms are available online. You have until March 15 to incur expenses in these accounts. If you do not submit a reimbursement for the full balance in your account, you forfeit the unused portion; view your account balance. Questions, call Employee Benefits at 612-624-9090 (press option 3).

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AWARENESS AND PREVENTION. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action has scheduled additional sessions of "Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention" (formerly titled "Preventing and Responding to Workplace Harassment"). The program has been expanded and is being offered in two two-hour sessions, March 6 and March 13, and will be available to all campuses via ITV. For more information, see EOAA calendar.

CENTER FOR SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING: 2008-10 A. Marilyn Sime Faculty Research Fellowship Program to identify faculty with high potential for research in areas such as complementary therapies and healing practices, spirituality, and cross-culture healing practices. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply; application deadline is March 31. For more details, contact Linda Chmielewski at 612-626-5307 or chmie001@umn.edu.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY Institutional Research Grant applications will be accepted through April 1. The grant is for assistant professors who have no independent national funding and are engaged in cancer-related research. Funding is available up to $30,000. For application forms and more details, call 612-626-1926 or e-mail micek003@umn.edu.

Crookston:

JACK GELLER is the new head of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department. He comes to Crookston after serving as president of the Center for Rural Policy and Development in St. Peter for the past 10 years. Read the news release.

TANTALIZE YOUR TASTEBUDS and learn about different cultures during the International Dinner Series. Dinners start at 6 p.m., Bede Ballroom, Student Center. Featured countries: Nigeria, March 3; Czech Republic, March 10; China, March 24. The International Finale Dinner wrapping up the series is April 2. Read the news release.

A SERIES OF EVENTS will highlight National Women's History Month at UMC. The theme this year is "Women's Art: Women's Vision." Event sponsors include the Northwest Minnesota Women's Fund, the UMC Women's Project Fund, and the Office for University Women. Read the news release.

UMC STUDENTS AND AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR of natural resources earned top honors at a recent Minnesota Chapter of the Wildlife Society meeting. Mary Jo Geldert, a 2007 graduate in natural resources management, received the Student Conservationist Award; Jessica Holmes, a double major in wildlife management and natural resources aviation, earned the Fedeler Scholarship Award for Professionalism; and Professor John Loegering received a Service to Chapter Award. He was also named 2008 president-elect of the Minnesota chapter. Read the news release.

Duluth:

CLA RESEARCH THURSDAYS Series presents "Water Privatization, Globalization, and Gendered Development: The Case of Ndaka-ini Dam in Central Kenya" by Njoki Kamau, Department of Women's Studies, Feb. 28, 3:15 p.m., Library Rotunda. Discussion will follow; snacks served. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see CLA events.

UMD WELCOMES THE BEST of women's college hockey to Duluth this March, when it hosts both the WCHA Final Face-off (March 8 and 9) and the NCAA Women's Frozen Four (March 20 and 22) at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. An NCAA alumni game, followed by the "Skate With the Champions" community skating event, will be free and open to the public, March 21, 3:30 p.m., convention center. The Patty Kazmaier Award Dinner will be March 21, 6 p.m., Radisson hotel. For more information and tickets, see UMD Athletics.

ALWORTH INTERNATIONAL LECTURE SERIES presents "China: Problems and Prospects," by Gordon G. Chang, March 5, 7 p.m., Library Rotunda. In his presentation, Chang takes a critical stand on the Chinese Communist Party and discusses further issues about China. Chang, author of Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World and The Coming Collapse of China, has appeared on CNN, Fox News Channel, CNBC, MSNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg Television, and "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart." His presentation is sponsored by the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation Global Awareness Fund. Free and open to the public. For more information, see Alworth lecture.

Morris:

ENJOY HOMEGROWN FOOD and entertainment, Feb. 26, during the Fifth Annual Pride of the Prairie Local Foods Farmers Market and Meal. The Farmers Market will be 1-4:30 p.m., Oyate Hall, followed by a local foods feast 4:45-7 p.m., Food Services. Read the news release.

UMM HAS BEEN SELECTED to participate in the pilot phase of a rating system for sustainability in higher education called STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System). UMM joins 90 other college and university campuses in testing the self-assessment tool developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Participants will provide the association with feedback throughout 2008. Read the news release.

Twin Cities:

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR UMTC-ST. PAUL. Faculty, staff, students, external constituents, and residents of the local community are invited to participate in public forums to discuss a strategic plan for the St. Paul campus. March 4, 3-4:30 p.m., and March 5, 9:30-11 a.m. More information, including the draft of the strategic plan, is at the Provost Office Web site.

IF YOU'RE NIH FUNDED AND READY TO PUBLISH: After April 7, the new NIH Public Access Policy will require you to submit any articles that arise from NIH funding to NIH's PubMed Central, where the articles will be permanently accessible to all, free of charge. Before that, however, you'll need to make sure you don't sign away necessary rights in the journal's author agreement. U Libraries and Sponsored Projects Administration can guide you through the submission process; e-mail questions. For more information, see U Libraires.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: Mullen-Spector-Truax Women's Leadership Award ($1,000 to a faculty or staff member), Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Women's Award (up to three $1,000 awards given annually), and Doherty Woman Student Volunteer Award ($400 U Bookstores gift certificate to a graduate or undergraduate student). Deadline: Feb. 29, 4:30 p.m. For nomination materials, see Office for University Women.

TONY DIGGS EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Celebrating U student group contributions. Deadline: March 5, 4:30 p.m. Nomination forms and more information available online.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: The Center for Writing offers research grants to support effective ways of integrating writing into the curricula. Funded projects include, but are not limited to, instructor development, curriculum development, and classroom-based research. Deadline: March 14. More information at writing grants or call 612-624-7720.

INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH INFORMATICS SEMINAR on "The Role of Human-Computer Interaction in Health Informatics: Why the User Experience Matters," presented by Julie Jacko, institute director and professor in the schools of nursing and public health. Feb. 28, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 555 Diehl Hall.

CULTURING NATURE: culturing technology, an exhibit by seven women artists challenging the boundaries of nature and technology, is now at Katherine E. Nash Gallery through March 27. A public reception will be Feb. 29, 6-8:30 pm. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free admission.

"FRAMING SUZAN-LORI PARKS," a monthlong series of free public performances and discussions by the departments of English and theater, in conjunction with a visit by playwright Suzan-Loru Parks, author of Topdog/Underdog: "Frank Theatre Presents Short Scenes" (Feb. 26), "Directing Challenges and Discoveries" (March 4), "The Playwrights' Center Presents: Inspired by!" (March 11), "Suzan-Lori Parks: Presented by the Esther Freier Endowment" (March 26), and "In the History of African American Theater" (April 1). 7:30 p.m.; various locations. For full details, see the English department.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDENT Andrew Staupe will perform as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra in four concerts featuring Russian and American music from the 19th and 20th centuries. Feb. 28, 11 a.m.; Feb. 29, 8 p.m.; and March 1, 8 p.m., Orchestra Hall. Tickets are $21-$83; call 612-371-5656. Also, March 2, 2 p.m. College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph; tickets, call 320-363-5777. The Feb. 29 show will be aired live on classical MPR and online.

"MASCULINE IDENTITY Construction in Social and Literacy Practices" is part of the Literacy and Rhetorical Studies Minor Research Series. Presenters are Timothy Lensmire, culture and teaching and literacy education; Sara Berrey, English; and Tom Friedrich, literacy education. March 4, 2:30-4 p.m., 31 Peik Hall. For more details, see Center for Writing.

NORTHROP JAZZ SEASON presents the Ravi Coltrane Quartet and the Roy Haynes Quartet, March 6, 7:30 p.m., Ted Mann Concert Hall. Tickets are $23.50-$45 online or call 612-624-2345. Ask about discounts.

MORE EVENTS include "Bell Dioramas Walkabout: Three Viewpoints" (Feb. 28), "Swinging Away the Leap Day Blues" (Feb. 29), "Last Gopher Standing" (March 1), "10,000 Years and 50 Miles: Time Travel in Minnesota" (March 2). 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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