Vol. XXXVII No. 31; Oct. 10, 2007
Editor: Gayla Marty, brief@umn.edu

Read Brief on the Web at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_10102007.html.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
--U enrollment tops 66,000; UMTC's entering Class of 2011 is best prepared ever.
--Develop your career and your self with U education and training options.
--Community Fund Drive, UMTC: Profile of PTS staff fund-raising volunteer Art Kistler.
--People: New statewide U youth development coordinator is former Gopher and NBA star Trent Tucker; Global Engagement Award winners; and more.

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

U ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AND THE UMTC FRESHMAN CLASS PROFILE were released Oct. 4. U-wide enrollment is steady, with a notable increase in undergraduate enrollment at UMC; the total is 66,099 students. UMTC's entering Class of 2011 is academically better prepared than ever, according to key measures. UMTC also saw an 18.48 percent increase in transfer students. Read the news release.

DEVELOP YOUR CAREER AND YOUR SELF: Every year, more than 2,000 employees U-wide take advantage of the Regents Scholarship Program. Even more faculty and staff members take workshops and courses to improve their teaching, management, or other capabilities. Sessions on topics from managing meetings to wellness to work-life balance are available. Fall is a good time for faculty and staff to go back to school, too. Take advantage of what the U offers to help create and keep an outstanding staff and faculty. Read more in "Retool or refresh."

COMMUNITY FUND DRIVE, UMTC: By day, Art Kistler is the maintenance manager for Parking and Transportation Services. By night and on weekends, he looks and sounds like Elvis Presley. He also aspires to give like Elvis, which is one reason he's a longtime champion for the annual Community Fund Drive (CFD). The drive is in full swing and runs through Oct. 31. Read more about Kistler and the CFD in "All shook up."

PEOPLE: New statewide U youth development coordinator is former Gopher and NBA star Trent Tucker; professor of neuroscience, radiology, and medicine Kamil Ugurbil has been elected to the Institute of Medicine; the 2007 Global Engagement Award winners are John Cogan, Allen Isaacman, and Vernon Weckwerth; vice provost and dean Craig Swan has been inducted into the U's Academy of Distinguished Teachers; and UMC professor Dan Svedarsky was installed as president of the Wildlife Society. Read about these and more appointments and awards in People.

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

THE BOARD OF REGENTS WILL MEET IN MORRIS OCT. 11-12. Action items will include the revised Minnesota-Wisconsin reciprocity agreement, delayed from last month, and the 2008 state bonding request. Also on the agenda are reports from UMC and UMM. See the agenda and docket and the capital request. President Bruininks will also visit Willmar Oct. 10 with a focus on extension, research, business, and health care.

PATH-BREAKING RESEARCHER ON THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIORS Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and coauthor of The Neurobiology of Parental Behavior (2003), will present "From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Making the Link Between Science and Service," the 2007 Guy Stanton Ford Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the Graduate School. Insel began his research at NIMH in 1979, left to become a professor of psychiatry at Emory U in 1994, and was appointed NIMH director in 2002. Oct. 16, 12:15 p.m., Ted Mann Concert Hall, UMTC. Free and open to the public. See more information.

TEXTBOOK REQUESTS FOR ROCHESTER CAMPUS: The U of M Bookstores-Twin Cities is opening a new location in University Square in downtown Rochester to serve UMR students. Textbooks for classes offered at UMR will be stocked at the new location. Instructors teaching courses or sections at UMR should submit spring semester textbook orders to U of M Bookstores by Oct. 17. If you have questions, contact the U of M Bookstores Faculty Textbook Office textbook@umn.edu or 612-626-9484.

TRANSFORM, a publication that investigates the scholarship of teaching and learning at the U and in higher education, will arrive soon in campus mailboxes of all faculty members. The Academy of Distinguished Teachers and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) collaborated to establish the publication last fall. The third issue includes "Learning in the Pit: Experiments in Economics and Teaching," by a panel of four; an excerpt from "Hoops and Hurdles: The Unlikely Story of How I Learned How I Learn," by English professor Ed Griffin; an interview with microbiology professor Leslie Schiff; and "A Too-Short History of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning," by CTL staff member Paul Baepler. The current newsletter is also posted at Transform on the Web.

FACULTY SUMMER RESEARCH AND MCKNIGHT SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES: The summer 2008 application deadline is Nov. 5. See the guidelines and application.

TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LEARNING (TEL) SEMINARS this semester are "Media Literacy and New Media" (Oct. 10), "The U of M Learning Technology Platform: Integrating Online Tools to Support Hybrid Education" (Nov. 7), and "Learning Outcomes, Assessment, and Technology" (Dec. 5). The sessions are held at UMTC and also webcast and podcast. For an overview of each issue, annotated citations to related research literature, and information about related campus resources, see more information.

TECH TALK, the U TV show about digital technology in everyday life, returns this month for a sixth season. Topics include software alternatives, home movie editing, gaming, technology and renewable energy, and more. Begins in the Twin Cities Oct. 14, 9-9:30 p.m., on TPT Minnesota channel 17. Subscribe to the podcast, see episodes online, and learn more at Tech Talk.

Crookston:

UMC'S SCARECROW WON FIRST PLACE in the organizations category in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's "Scarecrows on Parade" competition. "For the Birds" was created by Natural Resources Department lab services coordinator Laura Bell and administrative specialist Judy Baatz, joined by several students. The scarecrows will be on display through Nov. 1. Read the news release.

PREVIEW DAY for new and prospective students and their families will be Oct. 13.

Duluth:

THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN DULUTH WAS RENAMED the Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and United States Courthouse and Customhouse in honor of the retired Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals judge. Heaney, who served as a U regent in 1964-65 and on the bench 1966-2006, was a powerful voice in the establishment of the Natural Resources Research Institute and the medical school at UMD. In 2001, Heaney received an honorary doctor of laws degree for public service at UMD. Former Vice President Mondale, members of the Minnesota congressional delegation, and Chancellor Martin spoke at the ceremony. Read more in the news release.

Sacred Sea: A Journey to Lake Baikal author and award-winning reporter Peter Thomson will speak Oct. 15, 7 p.m., 120 Solon Campus Center. The presentation, followed by a book signing, is hosted by the Large Lakes Observatory. Free; the public is cordially invited.

Morris:

THE UMM HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN has received a 2007 Minnesota Preservation Award. The award ceremony was held Oct. 2 in conjunction with the National Preservation Conference in St. Paul. See the news release and the awards.

Twin Cities:

A RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW EDUCATION SCIENCES BUILDING, 56 East River Road, was held Oct. 5 to coincide with the College of Education and Human Development's state of the college address. It will house the Department of Educational Psychology, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), and Center for Early Educational Development (CEED), which are scheduled to move in later this month. The building, where the process for refining taconite was invented, has been renovated inside and its exterior restored to its 1924 appearance. See the news release.

RECEPTION for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) faculty and staff will be hosted by VP and Vice Provost Barceló and the GLBTA Programs Office. Oct. 11, 4:30-6 p.m. Register by contacting Linda Vang, vang0286@umn.edu or 612-625-8680.

NATIONAL DEPRESSION SCREENING DAY IS OCT. 11. Free anonymous screenings are available for students, faculty, and staff. Take the screening inventory online at the University Counseling and Consulting Services (UCCS) Web site. Health professionals will be available to talk about inventory results 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in 109 Eddy Hall and 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in 199 Coffey Hall.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGISTS FORUM MEETINGS this semester will feature discussions on "Capture the Classroom: Podcasting, Vodcasting, and Streaming Video" (Oct. 10) and "Best Practices in Video for Teaching and Learning" (Dec. 12). See the forum.

THE FIRST "EXPERIENCE MINNESOTA" OPEN HOUSE FOR MULTICULTURAL PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS will be presented by the Office of Admissions, Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence, and other campus colleagues. Prospective students and their families will get information about the U's outstanding academic opportunities, multicultural organizations, and financial aid; meet top faculty and current students; and tour campus. A welcome session will feature the Minnesota Marching Band, Goldy Gopher, the Spirit Squad, and a step show by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Faculty and staff are asked to spread the word and encourage multicultural high school students to attend. Nov. 10, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. See the registration page.

FACULTY AND STAFF APPRECIATION DAY FOR GOPHER VOLLEYBALL is Oct. 27, 7 p.m. Free for all faculty and staff with a U Card. Limit is two tickets per faculty or staff member; also buy $1 discounted tickets for family and friends at the gate on game day. Sponsored by the Advisory Committee on Athletics and its subcommittee on campus and community relations, in partnership with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

WORLD HURRICANE EXPERT Kerry Emanuel, MIT professor of meteorology, award-winning author, and one of Time magazine's 100 People Who Shaped the World, will speak on "Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes" in 15th annual Kuehnast Endowment Lecture. Oct. 18, 3:30 p.m., 335 Borlaug Hall. See lecture information.

A MEMORIAL CONCERT FOR MIRJANA "MINJA" LAUSEVIC, an associate professor of ethnomusicology who died July 15, will be held Oct. 13, 12:30 p.m., Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Minneapolis. See more information.

MORE EVENTS include Graduate and Professional School Day (Oct. 10); "Culture Matters: The Role of Race and Ethnicity in International Adoption" (Oct. 11); events to raise awareness of events in Darfur, Sudan, sponsored by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (Oct. 11-17); "Environmental Influences on Human Development and Disease Risk" in the School of Public Health Roundtable Series (Oct. 12); One Breasted Woman author Susan Deborah King in the Harvard Street Forum, commemorating Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Oct. 12); "Molecular Targets in Neuroblastoma: Clues to the Cure," the second annual Children's Cancer Research Fund lecture (Oct. 12); a public reception for retrospective exhibitions of works by art professors Guy Baldwin and Gary Hallman (Oct. 12); Minnesota Network of Latinos in Higher Education annual conference (Oct. 12-13); Argentine Tango Fair, including workshops for beginners with Ramu Pyreddy (Oct. 12-14); grand opening celebration of the Leatherdale Equine Center (Oct. 15); "Metabolic Imaging of Bone Metastases and Normal Bones in Breast Cancer Patients," by David Mankoff, U of Washington, the first Pfizer Visiting Scholar hosted by the Powell Center for Women's Health (Oct. 16); the Tucker Center's fall distinguished lecture, "Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies: Barriers and Solutions to Girls' Physical Activity Participation," by Maureen Weiss (Oct. 16); the 23rd Annual Conference on Policy Analysis (Oct. 17); All Aunt Hagar's Children Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Jones (Oct. 17); and "LGBT Business Issues: Future Success, Inclusiveness Now" (Oct. 17). 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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