Read Brief on the Web at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief/Brief_11292006.html .
Vol. XXXVI No. 39; Nov. 29, 2006

Editor: brief@umn.edu

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ENHANCEMENTS IN ROCHESTER: The University of Minnesota has announced significant enhancements to its presence in Rochester, including new and expanded academic programs and research partnerships, plans for new Rochester faculty, and the designation of the University of Minnesota Rochester as an official campus. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/U_announces_enhancements_in_Rochester.html .

ASCENDING U: Two years into its strategic positioning efforts, the U is already taking steps toward becoming one of the top three public research universities in the world, says U President Robert Bruininks. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Ascending_U.html .

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT: UMM's Center for Small Towns partners with rural communities in Minnesota on revitalization projects. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Faculty_Staff_Comm/Office_for_Public_Engagement/Partnering_with_small_towns.html .

PEOPLE: Biology professor Randy Moore received the 2006 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Minnesota Professor of the Year Award; U professor Mike Molasky is the first English-speaking scholar to receive the Suntory Prize for Arts and Letters. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Faculty_Staff_Comm/people.html .

CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

University-wide:

U OF M FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTS NEW OFFICERS: Fred Friswold, CEO of Tonka Equipment Company, is the new chair; Elliot Kaplan, a partner with Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi, is vice chair; Stanley Hubbard, chairman and CEO of Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., secretary; and Lynn Nagorske, president and CEO of TCF Financial Corporation, treasurer. Additionally, four new members were elected to three-year terms on the board: Ruth Bachman, Debra Sit, James Swenson, and Kathryn Tunheim. For more information about UMF or its leadership, see http://www.giving.umn.edu/foundation/leadership/board_trustees.html .

NAME CHANGE AND RESTRUCTURING: from Office for System Administration to Office for System Academic Administration. Senior VP Jones is administrator, overseeing coordinate campuses and other statewide and systemwide academic programs and initiatives such as extension and outreach, public engagement, international programs, institutional research, and management of information technology. Associate VP and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Steve Cawley is now VP and CIO. For more information, see http://www.academic.umn.edu/system .

INNOVATIONS TO REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS: Challenge to develop an idea for a new start-up business based on University of Minnesota research. Open to anyone with an idea for a business based on University innovations. Prizes include $50,000 in start-up funding. To enter, submit the one-page idea sheet by Dec. 1; see http://www.obd.umn.edu/challenge.html or call the Venture Center, 612-626-5438.

NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING FACULTY MEMBER. The Office of the Provost will host information sessions for those involved in compiling nomination dossiers for the Morse-Alumni Undergraduate, Graduate/Professional, and Tate Advising awards. Topics include dossier format, including the use of new templates the provost's office will provide beginning this year, and tips for compiling a strong dossier. Dec. 5, 10–11 a.m., 101 Walter Library (UMTC); Dec. 7, 10–11 a.m., 106 SCC (UMC), 173 Kirby (UMD), and 7 HFA (UMM). RSVP to Robin Matross Helms at 612-626-5598, rmhelms@umn.edu, by Dec. 1. 

BECOMING A FULL PROFESSOR: A WORKSHOP FOR ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS. The Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost is offering a workshop about working toward promotion to full professor. Dec. 18, 10 a.m.–noon., 165 Peik Hall (UMTC; space is limited to 25). ITV locations on other campuses yet to be determined, but participants will be notified as soon as the locations are confirmed. For more information and to register, e-mail Cheryl Johnson at caj@umn.edu .

APPLICATIONS ARE INVITED FOR 2007 JURAN FELLOWSHIP and Juran Doctoral Awards for Ph.D. students interested in conducting research guided by quality principles. Proposals due Jan. 18; information session on Dec. 7, 11 a.m.–noon, 4-118, Carlson School of Management. RSVP to Jill Pearson-Wood at 612-626-4555 or jpwood@csom.umn.edu. For more information, visit http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/juran .

NEW CENTER FOR NANOSTRUCTURED APPLICATIONS, in the Institute of Technology, is seeking research proposals in the area of active nanostructures. Proposals are due by noon on Dec. 31. For more information, see http://www.nano.umn.edu .

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 2007 Distinguished Women Scholars Awards, sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School and the Office for University Women. Awards are given to two women faculty members--one in sciences and engineering; another in humanities, social sciences, and the arts. Each person receives $2,000 for research or scholarly or artistic activities, a personal plaque, and a plaque for her college. Nomination deadline to college deans Jan. 19; final nominations to Graduate School by Jan. 29. For more information, see http://www.grad.umn.edu/faculty-staff/funding/OUW .

PRESENTATION PROPOSALS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING CONFERENCE are due Jan. 29. On April 23, 2007, the U’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Digital Media Center, with support from the Bush Foundation, are sponsoring the conference “Enhancing Student Learning: Conversations About Research and Practice” on the Twin Cities campus. For more information, see http://www.adt.umn.edu/conference07 or call 612-624-5082.

Crookston:

EIGHTEEN-MEMBER COMMITTEE REVIEWING ATHLETIC PROGRAM released its findings Nov. 27, after five months of data collection and analysis. The committee’s report indicates that Golden Eagle athletic programs have grown over the years, providing a variety of opportunities for many students--both women and men--and attracting additional students of color to campus. The report also details challenges faced by the program. Read more at http://www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story406.html .

ANNUAL AG ACTIVITIES DAY has have brought some 1,300 students from 50 area high schools to UMC for more than 25 years to compete for $32,000 in scholarship money. This year’s event will be held Dec. 1. The top three individuals in each contest will receive $750, $600, and $450 respectively. More details at http://www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story403.html .

TIES TO THE AREA influenced Cyril and Frances (Stauning) Carpenter of Bloomington, Minn., to establish a $40,000 scholarship endowment at UMC. The Stauning Carpenter Scholarship Fund is the latest in the U of M Presidential Scholarship Match program at UMC. For more information, see http://www.umcrookston.edu/umcnews/stories/story400.html .

Duluth:

VENUS STUDY BY UMD PROFESSOR FEATURED IN NEW SCIENTIST SPACE: new discoveries about the surface of planet Venus revealed in a study conducted by Vicki Hansen, UMD professor of Geological Sciences, and her research group were featured in the online edition of the New Scientist magazine. The group’s study presents evidence that the planet is much older than previously thought. Read more at http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn10427-venuss-surface-may-be-much-older-than-thought.html .

“THE SINGULAR LIFE OF ALBERT NOBBS,” the tale of a woman pretending to be a man for economic reasons in 1860s Ireland, will be performed by Dudley Experimental Theatre, Nov. 30–Dec. 3 and Dec. 5–9, 7:30 p.m, Marshall Theatre. The script, written by Simone Benmussa, is based on George Moore’s story “Albert Nobbs.” Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 seniors, and $6 students. For more details, see http://www.d.umn.edu/theatre .

DAVID WYRICK, head of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Society for Engineering Management as the director of the North-Central Region. For more information, see http://www.d.umn.edu/mie .

Morris:

SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR TROY GOODNOUGH will be the Scientist on the Spot on Science Buzz, a new Science Museum of Minnesota exhibit and Web site. He will field questions about the UMM gasification project through Dec. 21. For more information, see http://www.morris.umn.edu/ummnews/View.php?itemID=1557 or http://dev.smm.org/buzz/ .

CAREER CENTER DIRECTOR GARY DONOVAN is serving on the Assessment/Benchmarking and Public Relations Committees of the Minnesota College and University Career Services Association, a professional association of career services staff at four-year colleges and universities.

GREG THORSON, political science, has been named to the Minnesota Rural Health Association's Board of Directors.  One of his current research projects involves bringing together employers in the 12-county West Central Region to collectively pool their health care insurance risk.

Twin Cities:

The Community Fund Drive improves lives and helps build connections between the U and its broader community. More than $1 million has been raised this year. Read more at http://www.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Making_connections_with_Minnesota_charities.html

COMO AVENUE IS NOW OPEN. The city of Minneapolis reopened Como Avenue from 22nd Ave. S.E. to 24th Ave. S.E. The road will be closed again next spring to complete a reconstruction, including water-main replacement. For more information, visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/public-works/cip/comoavese.

COPYRIGHT PERMISSION REQUESTS FOR SPRING 2007 course materials should be submitted to the Copyright Permissions Center as soon as possible. Full citations may be dropped off at any Printing Services location, faxed to 612-626-9810, mailed to 102 Printing Services Building, or submitted online at http://www.copyright.umn.edu . For more information, contact Dale Mossestad at mosse006@umn.edu or 612-626-9416.

FOR THE HOLIDAYS: the Food Science and Nutrition Department is selling cheese gift boxes. You can choose from six types of University of Minnesota-made cheese; gift certificates are also available--in $5 and $10 increments. For more information, see http://fscn.cfans.umn.edu/services/dairy_salesroom.html .

DISCOUNT TICKETS FOR THE SCIENCE MUSEUM: Save $3 (students save $7) on tickets for the Body Worlds exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Tickets are available at the Coffman Union or St. Paul Student Center information desks or Gopher Express West. The exhibit runs through Dec. 3, and the number of discount tickets is limited. For more information, visit http://www.coffman.umn.edu/info/discounttickets.php .

“ANIMALS IN THE COLLECTIONS,” a three-part session by U Libraries. Librarian Linda Eells presents "The Birds and the Bees," with highlights from the U’s ornithological and apicultural resources; Curator Karen Nelson Hoyle examines "Animals in Children's Literature” using images from the Kerlan and Paul Bunyan Collections; Marguerite Ragnow explores European explorers' encounters with animals in "A New World of Animals." Dec. 1, noon–1 p.m. 120 Elmer L. Andersen Library. Free and open to the public.

BUILDING U.S.-CHINA BRIDGES lecture on “India’s Growth from the Perspective of China’s Experience” by economist and scholar Pieter Bottelier. Dec. 6, 4 p.m., Coffman Union Theater. Free and open to the public. For more information, call the China Center at 612-624-1002.

MORE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS EVENTS ONLINE at http://events.tc.umn.edu .

NEWS RELEASES are posted daily at http://www.umn.edu/urelate/newsservice/home.php .

Published by University Relations at the University of Minnesota. Gayla Marty, editor (on leave through Dec. 15); Pauline Oo, interim editor.

Please send comments, questions, or submissions to the editor at brief@umn.edu . All Twin Cities event submissions are handled through the events calendar at http://events.tc.umn.edu .

Brief is published by e-mail and on the Web at www.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/Brief.html. See also UMNnews, a U-wide Web publication, at www.umn.edu/umnnews .

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