August 22, 2007
WELCOME BACK!
President Young Addresses Faculty
As Mike Young begins his fourth year as president of the U, he took time on Tuesday morning, Aug. 21, to address the faculty at their annual fall breakfast. Calling the U an “extraordinary place” with “the most impressive leadership teams anywhere in the United States,” he reviewed the past year, presented the challenges for the future, and noted current endeavors. You can listen to his presentation here.
COMMUTER ALERT!
UTA Bus Routes Change August 26
Have you heard? On Aug. 26, the Salt Lake County-wide UTA bus system will change dramatically. Bus service to campus will increase and is projected to be more convenient for a majority of riders. This is a great time for faculty, staff, and students to use their UTA Ed Pass which allows them to ride buses and TRAX for free. Last year’s Ed Pass will expire Sept. 15, so bring your UCard for identification and stop by any UTA Ed Pass distribution center: Olpin Union UCard Office, main desk; Campus Store; Office of Commuter Services (Annex); and University Hospital UCard Office in the cafeteria. For more information on the new routes and schedules, visit www.commuterservices.utah.edu/UTA/index.html.
12 QUESTIONS FOR...
JAY GRAVES, DEAN, COLLEGE OF HEALTH
This new FYI feature will spotlight one of our U of U faculty or staff. Be sure to watch for it in each issue!
1. What book should every person read and why?
If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr. Seuss. Anapestic tetrameter at its best (apologies to Lord Byron) and a wonderful message: use your imagination, be creative, think outside the box.
2. What building on campus do you think is the most interesting architecturally?
The Huntsman Cancer Institute
3. If you could meet any scholar, author, composer, musician or entrepreneur—dead or alive—who would it be and why?
Frank Zappa. To thank him for being one of the most creative musicians of our time and ask him how he came up with the names for his kids Dweezil and Moon Unit.
4. Name a favorite place to eat.
San Francisco
5. How will the next generation of scholars—today’s students—change your field in the decades to come?
They will better quantify the quantity, quality, and type of physical activity required to prevent and treat chronic disease.
6. List two of your favorite Web sites.
The University of Utah (my homepage): http://www.utah.edu/home/index.uofu
The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com
7. Will a liberal arts education remain relevant to students in our increasingly technological society? Why or why not?
Absolutely. The lasers may get brighter but the students will still want to watch them listening to Pink Floyd.
8. What reading material is on your bedside table?
Rolling Stone and a couple of soduko puzzle books.
9. If politicians had to pass an exam before they were allowed to serve in public office, what question would you add to the test? How much sin can a politician get away with and still go to heaven? Be specific.
10. What is one thing you would like to ask people to do to change the world for the better?
Remember what you learned in kindergarten and teach it to those who never went.
11. Among the complex moral and political issues that affect humanity, which do you believe will never be resolved and why? Ideological differences leading to violent conflict. Extremism.
12. What’s the best advice you ever got?
Use sunscreen.
NOTE: The College of Health’s Center for Rehabilitation Research will present its annual J. George Jones Jr. and Velma Rife Jones Lecture, Sept. 8, at 9:30 a.m., in the Eccles Health Sciences Education Building. Linda Caldwell and Ed Smith, two researchers from Penn State will discuss their nationally-funded projects dealing with developing youth competencies, healthy lifestyles, and democratic behavior through leisure; and the design of school-based programs to improve the lives of adolescents. For more information, call 699-8909 or send e-mail to rft@hsc.utah.edu.
WHILE YOU WERE GONE
BLACKOUTS BLAMED ON OLD POWER SYSTEM
In early July, an underground high-voltage power switch exploded because of excessive electrical demands, causing a two-hour power failure in 18 buildings. The following day a power strip blew up because of stressed and worn-out wires causing another power outage for up to five hours. Electricity was manually rerouted to individual buildings and dysfunctional cables were replaced. Campus electricians plan to upgrade and eventually replace old parts in the power grid.
OFFICER KILLED IN RESEARCH PARK
On June 25, a Utah Department of Corrections officer was shot and killed by a Utah State Prison inmate while he was escorting the prisoner to an MRI exam in the U’s Orthopaedic Center in Research Park. The prisoner fled the scene, hijacked a car, and later was apprehended by Salt Lake City police officers. There were no other injuries on campus. As a result, new policies regarding medical treatment for prisoners are now in place and will reduce the potential for a similar incident to take place.
SEISMOGRAPH CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL
A ceremony celebrating 100 years of earthquake-recording at the U was held June 29 at the James E. Talmage building on Presidents Circle. Talmage was the U of U president who created the seismograph center in 1907—the fifth in the United States at that time. Today, a $600,000 donation from Kennecott Utah Copper will provide for a new 2,250-square-foot Kennecott Earthquake Information Center inside the Frederick Sutton Geology Building now under construction. Scheduled for completion in February 2009, the center will produce reports on local earthquake activity and will be used for research and technical training.
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL COMPLETES FIRST PHASE OF EXPANSION
The completion in July of the fifth floor of the Eccles Critical Care Pavilion marks the end of the first phase of University Hospital’s $130 million expansion. The 20,000-square-foot project features 26 private patient rooms (designed by nurses) to focus on patient care. The next phase includes a four-story parking garage below a new helipad terrace, scheduled to be completed in early September, and a five-story Patient Care Pavilion that will add more rooms, a new lobby, and new facade. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2009.
WEDNESDAYS ON THE GREEN
Throughout the summer, crowds gathered with their lunches at several locations around campus for brown bag “Wednesdays on the Green” noontime concerts performed by U faculty and staff. Penelope Caywood’s theater kids performed scenes from HONK, Jr!; acoustic folk rocker Eddy Zenn entertained outside the new Warnock Building; Gary Gerber played classical guitar near the biology building; Lost By Reason, an all-woman alternative folk-rock band, played at Milton Bennion Hall; and musicians Ron Maestas and Tomas Richey entertained near HPER. The Office of Marketing & Communications hosted the concerts and plans to continue them next summer.
LES MIS BREAKS PTC RECORDS
Pioneer Theatre Company’s spring production of Les Misérables broke its box office record with 82 performances and 75,000 people attending. The $2.7 million in ticket sales exceeded the prior record of $2 million in sales for an entire seven-show season set in 2004-2005. A few other statistics include the number of costume pieces: 1,220; the amount of electricity used by stage lights per show: 309,255 watts; and the number of times the word “barricade” was said or sung on stage in 82 performances: 7,714.
PICKETING HOMES RESTRICTED
As a result of actions by animal rights activists who staged protests outside the homes of researchers who work with animals at the U, the Salt Lake City Council recently passed an ordinance that prohibits protesters from picketing within 100 feet of the property line of a personal residence they are targeting. The U of U supports this measure as a reasonable compromise between two important but competing interests—the right of residents to be free from harassment at their residences and the free speech rights of those protesting. For more on this, read the editorial in The Salt Lake Tribune (Aug. 8, 2007) by Jeffrey Botkin, U of U associate vice president for research.
GOOD NEWS FOR THE HEART
University Hospital’s newest CT scanner may be the fastest scanner in the Intermountain Region. The Definition Dual Source Computed Tomography scanner takes digital images of a patient’s body from head to toe in 15 seconds and reduces preparation time for doctors. With other scanners, patients had to take drugs to slow the heart rate so it could be properly scanned. The new $3 million scanner rotates three times a second and provides an accurate heart image without extensive preparation. Because of its speed, the scanner will also expose patients to 50 percent less radiation. Doctors hope the machine will help them better diagnose other cardiovascular diseases. Older scanners detect problems when arteries are 70 percent blocked; the new scanner finds blockages at 30 percent.
NURSING LANDS NEW FACULTY
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected the U’s College of Nursing to receive five new faculty members to educate nurses. The U was one of four schools to receive the grant. Nurse educators will come from VA clinics to help reduce the nursing shortage, which is caused by a lack of nursing faculty to educate new nurses. The pilot program’s goal is to expand the number of nursing faculty, enhance the professional and scholarly development of nurses, and promote innovations in nursing education. It is expected to increase student enrollment by about 1,000 students nationwide.
RESEARCH FUNDS SOAR
Research funding at the U soared in the fiscal year that ended June 30. After a $22 million drop last year, $322.6 million in funds were received in the 2007 fiscal year, with about three-quarters of the money coming from the federal government. Ray Gesteland, vice president for research calls it “astonishing.” Of the $203.8 million provided directly by federal agencies, sources included $159.4 million from the Department of Health and Human Services (including the National Institutes of Health); $21.4 million from the National Science Foundation; $8.4 million from the Department of Energy; $5.3 million from the Department of Defense; $2.2 million from the Department of Education; $1.3 million from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; $1.2 million from the Department of Interior; $1 million from the Department of Transportation; and the rest from other U.S. agencies.
UTAH PRESIDENTS' PAY GOES UP
It was reported in the Deseret Morning News in June that presidents at Utah’s 10 colleges and universities are getting raises which will put them a bit closer to earning the national average. The raises include a cost-of-living increase coupled with additional merit raises. Apparently it’s getting harder to keep presidents in their positions when other institutions around the nation can afford to pay them more. Here’s a rundown on the new salaries.
Thanks to the Deseret Morning News for the graphic.
LAW SCHOOL LANDS ESTEEMED INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS
The S.J. Quinney College of Law welcomes four new faculty members, all global leaders in their fields.
A native of Lebanon, Chibli Mallat (University of London and Université Saint-Joseph Beirut) has been a visiting professor and senior research scholar at Princeton University, the University of Virginia, Yale Law School, and the University of Lyon. He is a celebrated professor of European law, an attorney with domestic and international recognition, and a prominent politician.
Amos Guiora (Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) School of Military Law and Case Western Reserve University) served for 20 years as a counterterrorism expert in the IDF. Before coming to the United States three years ago to develop a global security institute at Case Western Reserve University, he served as dean of the IDF School of Military Law. Guiora is one of the leading voices on security, conflict, and related international issues.
Ralph Mabey is one of the leading bankruptcy jurists in the country, having served as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Utah (1979-1983). He also is an elected member of the American Law Institute’s International Insolvency Law Project. Mabey has given nearly 100 presentations, taught extensively, and has over 25 years of professional experience in the field.
Arnold Reitze joins the law school faculty beginning January 1, 2008. He is currently the J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law and director of the Environmental Law Program at George Washington Law School. Reitze is one of the leading global experts on air pollution, including global warming.
To read the complete media release, link here.
FYI Mystery Photo Contest
Photo by Ann Floor
Send your answer (be specific) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by noon on Thursday, Aug. 23 for a chance to win two tickets to the Utah vs. Air Force football game on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. courtesy of Utah Athletics.
The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer. The winner will be listed on the FYI site on Friday, Aug. 24 and in the Sept. 5 FYI News.
Thanks to Utah Athletics for providing the tickets!
This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.
Last Issue’s FYI Mystery Photo Contest Answer
The May 2 FYI Mystery Photo featured the lovely O.C. Tanner fountain on the east side of the Marriott Library plaza. In the words of one of our readers: “Quaintly sandwiched between the J. Willard Marriott Library sun drenched east commons area and Orson Spencer Hall, more commonly known as OSH, this fountain is an oasis nestled in the cement landscape. Adorned by two majestic fir trees, designed with cool shaded seating, and just a spry jaunt from the A. Ray Olpin union building this fountain resides at the heart of the University campus.” |
NEW FROM PODCASTING FROM THE U
Speech by Ralph Nader
Listen to a recent Hinckley Institute of Politics presentation by Ralph Nader, consumer advocate, author, and candidate for president of the United States in 2000. He describes himself as, “full time citizen, the most important office in America for anyone to achieve.” Educated at Princeton and Harvard Law School, he has been responsible for at least eight major federal consumer protection laws including motor vehicle safety laws, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency. Listen here.
KNOW YOUR U: HISTORY 101
On March 8, 1869, a model school at the University of Deseret (later the U of U) was established to educate children and to train teachers. In the first year, 37 pupils were enrolled. In 1891, after being housed in various locations in Salt Lake City, the school moved to the basement of the old Union Building (now Gardner Hall), and then to a building originally built as a World War I army barracks (located south of the Utah Museum of Natural History.) The war ended before the building was used, so after some modifications, it became the permanent home for the William M. Stewart School. Stewart was an educator in the 19th century—the superintendent of Salt Lake City schools and a teacher in the normal program at the University of Deseret. He was a student, friend, and disciple of John Dewey. The Stewart School educated children K-12 until its closing in 1965. The Stewart Building remains as a legacy of this fine U program.
~Paul Mogren, Librarian, J. Willard Marriott Library
UPCOMING ON CAMPUS
AUG. 25 FANFEST
The U’s annual Fanfest, sponsored by the Deseret Morning News, will run Saturday, Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rice Eccles Stadium. In addition to free ice-cream, games, prizes, and posters, Utah Athletics teams, including football, men’s basketball and women’s gymnastics, will sign autographs and be available for photos with fans. This is a free event and promises fun for all.
SEPT. 5 YOUR GENES AND YOU: WE ARE ALL MUTANTS
In the past 50 years, we have gone from the discovery of the elegant structure of DNA to a complete sequence of the 3,100,000 letters of the genetic information found in each one of our cells, bringing not only incomparable information but also the potential of truly disruptive technologies. “This is both a curse and a blessing,” says Raymond R, Gesteland, who will give this year’s annual William R. and Erlyn J. Gould Distinguished Lecture on Technology and the Quality of Life. “Our quality of life will certainly be altered by this revolution. How and under what circumstances is up to society to figure out. But there is no going back—the revolution has enveloped us.” You can hear the lecture Wednesday, Sept. 5 at noon in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ Dumke Auditorium in the John and Marcia Price Museum Building. Gesteland is the Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics and vice president for research at the U. The lecture is sponsored by Special Collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library.
SEPT. 8 UTAH FOOTBALL: FACULTY/STAFF DAY
Tickets are $5 with your UCard (with a limit of six tickets per person) when Utah goes against the Air Force Saturday, Sept. 8, at 4 p.m. in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Athletics schedules and ticket purchases are available online at www.utahutes.com or by calling 581-UTIX.
For a complete listing of campus events, visit www.events.utah.edu. To submit your event, follow the instructions under “Submit an Event.” If you have problems, contact Lisa Turner at calendar@ucomm.utah.edu or 581-5819.
BULLETIN BOARD
• READING THE NEWS
The Collegiate Readership Program, now in its fourth year, serves to increase students’ knowledge of local, national, and international events, and to encourage a lifelong habit of reading the newspaper. Monday through Friday, registered students can access the Deseret Morning News, The Financial Times, The New York Times and USA TODAY by using their UCard at any one of 31 displays located across campus. ASUU sponsors the program using fees collected at registration. The cost is $2.50 per student, per semester. Many campuses employ newspapers as texts to aid in graduating informed, educated citizens who understand issues from multiple perspectives. Help promote critical thinking, active learning, and civic responsibility by encouraging students to pick up newspapers. A variety of free, academic resources that support newspaper integration in the classroom can be found at www.nytimes.com and www.usatodaycollege.com. USA TODAY’s Web site offers current article discussion questions, curriculum resources, case studies, and interactive polls. For more information, contact program coordinator Shay Curtis at 973-0777, ext. 221, or scurtis@usatoday.com.
• 225 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY
The fourth annual Employee Appreciation Day will be Thursday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Olympic Cauldron Park at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Don’t wait in line for your chance to win athletics tickets—volunteer for Employee Appreciation Day (with supervisor permission). Each volunteer will receive a T-shirt and a pair of U of U basketball tickets. Please respond by Tuesday, Sept. 4, to Carolyn Hebert at 581-7793 or chebert@sa.utah.edu.
• SEE THE SUN—SAFELY
The Department of Physics has received a new personal solar telescope (PST) for viewing the sun. The 40 mm refracting telescope with special solar filters blocks more than 99 percent of the sun’s light. An additional filter inside the telescope blocks all wavelengths of light except for a small, one-Angstrom-wide wavelength at 656.3 nanometers. This allows a viewer to see surface detail on the sun that couldn’t otherwise be seen. To schedule a viewing time, contact the Department of Physics at 581-6901.
• AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION…
In mid-July, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) responded to a lead acid battery spill on campus which originated from a golf cart and was most likely due to the battery being overcharged. This incident serves to warn all of us who use carts that improperly maintained electric golf cart batteries can pose serious, even dangerous threats to people and our environment. Each department using golf carts is strongly encouraged to develop and use a preventive maintenance program to check for potential problems. For additional information, contact EHS at 581-6590 or questions@ehs.utah.edu. Review the guidance on golf cart care online at www.yourgolfcartbatteries.com/Electric-golf-cart-battery-maintenance.html.
• 2007 STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Staff Excellence Awards (formerly Presidential Staff Awards) recognize superior service and ongoing contributions by the U’s full-time staff. Twenty-three staff employees have been selected for their district’s Staff Awards and will be the pool from which the final six recipients will be selected. The six awardees will be announced at a lunch in their honor on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at noon, in the Olpin Union Ballroom. Each will receive an honorarium of $3,000, a special plaque, and her/his name added to the perpetual plaque that resides in the Human Resources Building at 420 Wakara Way in Research Park. For a list of previous District Staff Award recipients, visit www.hr.utah.edu/etc/psa/sea07.php. If you would like to attend the lunch ($15), contact Terri Crow at 585-0928 or terri.crow@utah.edu. Reservations and payment must be made by Wednesday, Sept. 5.
• FALL FITNESS PROGRAM BEGINS
Campus Recreation Services’ fall semester fitness program registration is now open online at www.utah.edu/campusrec, or in person at the Field House. Classes begin the week of Aug. 27. The schedule, open to the campus community, includes aerobics, body works, cardio pump, combo challenge, hip hop, kickboxing, and step-it-up. Also offered are personal enrichment classes in belly dance, jazz dance, Latin dance, mat pilates, self defense, tennis, yoga, and yogalates. A personal training program is available for one-on-one assistance. Faculty/staff membership fees are approximately $8 per month and can be set-up as a payroll deduction. For more information and/or a schedule, stop by the Field House, call 581-8898, or check online.
• TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS OFFERED
More than 30 different professional development workshops are available at no cost to U staff and faculty, including management and leadership development, interpersonal and professional communication, customer service, personal development, and other skills training. Retreats and on-site workshops also are offered. For more information and/or a schedule, call 585-2300 or visit www.hr.utah.edu/training.
U SAVING ENERGY
Since 2003 the U has been working on a behavioral program to ensure that its resources are being efficiently used. The energy savings from this program have been substantial thanks to those who occupy and help control the buildings on campus. The CO2 impact for these savings is roughly equivalent to 8,866 passenger cars not driven for one year.
Source: U of U Energy Management. For more information, contact Bianca Shama at 585-1171 or Bianca.Shama@fm.utah.edu.
