September 5, 2007
EXPANDED PAPER RECYCLING COMES TO THE U
“Is this mailer recyclable?”
It’s a question being asked in offices all around campus. The U’s expanded recycling program was launched July 1. By now, all employees should have received a small blue recycling basket. Larger blue bins have been placed in areas where higher volumes of paper are generated. The largest (blue street totes) are 65-gallon rolling bins used by the custodial staff to consolidate the paper and set it curbside for pickup and delivery to the recycler. All these blue bins are for recycling paper only—no cardboard, plastic, Styrofoam, food containers, aluminum, glass, etc.
The success of the new recycling program depends on each of us keeping the recycling stream clean—that is, it requires each of us to sort our recycling into two types of paper: Office Pack and Mixed Paper. This is important because the University is paid more for Office Pack ($145 per ton); and less for Mixed Paper ($45 per ton).
• Office Pack bins have WHITE labels listing acceptable papers, mostly white and light-colored copy paper, envelopes,and direct mail. To see the white label click here.
• Mixed Paper bins have RED labels listing acceptable papers and take everything
else including newspaper, magazines and catalogues, and brighter colored papers. To see the red label click here.
To help keep it simple, ASUU has come up with the phrase, “When in doubt, mix it out.”
We asked Associate Director of Custodial Services, Que Collard, who is overseeing the implementation of the project, a few questions.
FYI: How does the recycling program work?
Collard: The custodial staff collects the paper and puts it into street totes for curbside pick-up. It then goes to a recycler and is processed for the recycling market. Pre-program test sites recycled over 40 percent of the waste stream. It is the U’s goal to exceed that amount.
FYI: How much is this program costing the U?
Collard: The administration has committed more than $300,000 as one-time implementation funding—a bargain compared to the cost of other recycling programs. There are ongoing costs for the collection, consolidation, and hauling of recyclables, but Plant Operations will use the revenues collected from recycling to offset these costs.
FYI: What are the benefits to the U of recycling?
Collard: The recycling rate on campus is expected to increase by over 40 percent; it will reduce disposal volumes in landfills and conserve natural resources; and the University will be an example of leadership in sustainability efforts.
FYI: What are the downsides?
Collard: A big risk is that the recycling stream will be contaminated with inappropriate items causing the recycler to reject the recyclables. It is critically important that everyone place only approved materials in the various containers so the U can be paid by the recycler and receive revenues to cover the cost of the program. That’s why we have labels on all bins listing what’s acceptable to recycle. Also, although our employees are committed to making the program a success, it does create more work for the custodial and transportation staffs.
FYI: If you could give one message to everyone on campus regarding recycling, what would it be?
Collard: The success of the recycling program depends on each of us sorting recyclables at the source. Everyone needs to place recyclables in recycling containers and trash in trash containers. If people contaminate the recycling stream, the recycler has no other recourse but to reject the recyclables and we lose that funding. If we commit ourselves to this endeavor, we will have a successful recycling program. Sustainability will continue to be a focus at the U and recycling will play a big part. I encourage everyone to get involved because it’s the right thing to do.
For more information on the recycling program, visit www.facilities.utah.edu/recycling/index.html. FYI News will continue to include updates on the program. Watch for an article on cardboard recycling in the next few weeks.
12 QUESTIONS FOR...
HIRAM CHODOSH, DEAN, S.J. QUINNEY COLLEGE OF LAW
1. What book should every person read and why?
Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter for the fascinating connections between math, music, and art.
2. If you could meet any legendary person—dead or alive—who would it be and why?
Mahatma Gandhi to hear his views on the role of non-violence in contemporary violent conflicts.
3. Name a favorite place to eat.
Hyderabad, India for Hyderabadi Biryani
4. How will today’s students change your field in the decades to come?
By applying new empirical methods (beyond statistics) from cognitive science to understand the nature of human behavior in response to law.
5. List two of your favorite Web sites.
www.delta.com
www.law.utah.edu (after we release our new Web site next week)
6. Will a liberal arts education remain relevant to students in our increasingly technological society?
Yes, because the growth of technology (and the increasingly dominant role of intangible assets) depends on the type of creative thinking that a liberal arts education helps to generate.
7. What reading material is on your bedside table?
The New Yorker, a biography of Izzy Wagner—From Bags to Riches, and Collapse (which is what I do after reading a few pages).
8. What building on campus do you think is the most interesting architecturally?
The College of Law, for two reasons: one, as a counterexample of how buildings should be designed, and two, for the views from the inside that eliminate any view of the building from the outside.
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?
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made and how did you deal with it?
10. What is one thing you would like to ask people to do to change the world for the better?
Ask more questions before forming a fixed opinion.
11. Among the complex moral and political issues that affect humanity, which do you believe will never be resolved and why?
The persistent role of (increasingly smaller and more particular forms of) human identity as a factor in violent conflict.
12. What’s the best advice you ever got?
Approach life like a white water rapid: you need a plan (otherwise you’ll be lost from the outset); yet, you can’t stick to your plan too tightly, as you can’t see the rocks and opportunities that emerge along the way.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Honors Program Becomes Honors College
With final approval granted, it’s official—the Honors Program is now the Honors College. It may seem like a small thing, but the name change means a lot to the Honors College. Its rigorous curriculum and comprehensive features have long exceeded many of the standards set by the National Collegiate Honors Council, the governing body for honors programs and colleges nationwide.
Unlike other colleges within the U, the Honors College will not offer its own degree, but will continue to graduate honors students with honors degrees within their majors. Honors students must maintain a 3.5 GPA, take seven specific honors courses, and complete an honors thesis and presentation at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.
“These culminating experiences position students for graduate school and propel them toward the accomplishment of their academic goals,” says honors director Martha Bradley. The Honors College includes honors tracks in 15 different departments and, in some colleges such as the College of Engineering and Science, in every department.
As one of the oldest honors programs in the country (45 years), the program’s name change reflects a national trend and makes the college more competitive with other selective national honors colleges at peer institutions.
It’s interesting to note that, of the incoming undergraduate students who are actively courted by Honors, 78 percent join the program. Two years ago, there were 350 new students in the program; this past year there were 675. At the same time, the program increased its entrance criteria form a 3.4 GPA to a 3.5 GPA. Rather than seeing enrollment dip, as expected, the numbers went up and there are now 2,200 students in the Honors College.
For more information on the Honors College, visit www.honors.utah.edu.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
PIERRE V. SOKOLSKY, professor and chair of the Department of Physics, is the new dean of the College of Science as of July 1. Sokolsky, an international expert in ultrahigh-energy particle physics, joined the physics faculty in 1981. He is a member of the American Physical Society and the International Society of Optical Engineering and has received the U’s Distinguished Research Award (1999). He was named a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow (2002), and received the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology (2006). Research projects initiated by Sokolsky have generated more than $14 million in funding support to the state of Utah and have created jobs in the fields of optics, and in the construction of buildings and roads. Sokolsky spearheaded the Telescope Array observatory project now under construction near Delta and helped to develop a comprehensive astronomy research program at the U in 2006.
Sokolsky replaces PETER J. STANG, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, who served as dean for 10 years, during which time he oversaw the establishment of the John E. and Marva M. Warnock Endowed Chair in Mathematics, the renovation of the Cowles Building, and the construction of the T. Benny Rushing Mathematics Student Center. He initiated a College of Science Honors Program and departmental Honors Programs; directed the renovation of the Gary L. and Ann S. Crocker Science House in Fort Douglas. Most recently, Stang oversaw the construction of the David M. Grant Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center. Stang will resume full-time research and teaching duties and will continue his involvement with the National Academy of Sciences and the American Chemical Society, continuing to serve as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
On June 1, STEPHEN H. HESS assumed the role of chief information officer (CIO) for the U, a newly created position which reports directly to the president. Formerly, Hess was associate academic vice president for the Office of Information Technology. This change will streamline the data processing needs of faculty, staff, and students in areas such as research, financial management, and planning. Administrative Computing Services (ACS), the Center for High Performance Computing, the Office of Information Technology, Media Solutions, Instructional Media Services, Administrative Computing Services, and the Utah Education Network will now report to the new CIO department. The University CIO is responsible for setting campus-wide information technology (IT) policy, technical standards, and strategic planning. In addition to his new role, Hess is the assistant commissioner of Higher Education and CIO for the Utah System of Higher Education where he leads the other college CIOs in statewide IT initiatives.
DOING THE RIGHT THING
A Message From University Print and Copy Services
We are pleased to announce that we have added Ecotech bio-printing ink to our full-color offset printing capabilities. Bio-ink has a base of oils and resins derived from natural vegetable sources such as trees, seeds, and nuts as opposed to ink made from petrochemical feed stocks. The new inks are almost completely free of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which tend to combine with nitrogen oxides in the air to create ground level ozone—a health hazard to plants, animals, and humans. The new ink also reduces the amount of hazardous metals used in certain pigments to traces of less then 10 parts per million.
Changes are afoot with paper too. In addition to using many recycled papers, we now use a number of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified papers. This designation means the materials in the paper and the process used to make it—from forest to consumer—follow comprehensive principles and measures developed by foresters, conservationists, and scientists. The certification encourages renewable and sustainable resources and is recognized by leading environmental groups, industry, government, First Nations, and the public.
We also offer alternative-fiber papers. Made from sources such as bamboo, sugarcane, kenaf, hemp, and industrial cotton waste, these renewable fiber sources generally grow faster than trees and help reduce the strain on forest products.
Print and Copy Services believes that using these new inks and papers is environmentally responsible. As a member of the U of U community, Print and Copy Services encourages sustainable and renewable resources that help reduce our carbon footprint.
KUED WINS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
During the summer, the Utah Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded first-place honors to KUED. In the Excellence in Journalism in a Television Series category, Utah NOW, KUED’s weekly public affairs program produced by Elizabeth Southwell and hosted by Doug Fabrizio, received top honors. Utah NOW also took second place in Minority Issues Reporting.
KUED swept the Television Documentary category with first place going to John Howe’s Desert Wars: Water and the West; and second and third place awards going to Liz Searles’ Utah WWII Stories: The Pacific and Utah WWII Stories: The Home Front.
On a national level, KUED’s John Howe, and Nancy Green and associates received top awards at the Houston WorldFest Film Festival, one of the largest and most competitive of the international film festivals. KUED’s productions, Maynard Dixon and Desert Wars received a Special Jury Award of Excellence. Both productions were distributed nationally this past summer.
To read more about your colleagues’ accomplishments, visit Recognizing U.
FYI Mystery Photo Contest
Photo by Ann Floor
Where is this on campus? Send your answer (be specific) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by noon on Thursday, Sept. 6 for a chance to win a weekend tandem recreational lake kayak package, courtesy of Campus Recreation Services.
The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer. The winner will be listed in the Sept. 19 FYI News.
Thanks to Campus Rec for providing the prize!
This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.
Last Issue’s FYI Mystery Photo Contest Answer
The Aug. 22 FYI Mystery Photo featured the northwest entrance to the J. Willard Marriott Library. |
CALL FOR STUDY PARTICIPANTS
- Wanted: Smokers and ex-smokers
U researchers are looking for smokers and ex-smokers to take part in an IRB-approved study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study is meant to predict the development of COPD emphysema. Study participants must be older than 45 who smoke or formerly smoked one pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years, two packs a day for 10 years, or the equivalent. Participants will be compensated for their time. For more information, contact Missy Dixon at 581-5864 or visit www.utahcopd.org.
- Wanted: Women seeking pregnancy after miscarriage
Participants are needed for an IRB-approved study to find out whether low-dose aspirin can improve pregnancy outcomes. Qualified applicants must be between 18-40 years old, have had one miscarriage, and want to become pregnant again. Participants will be provided with a home fertility monitor throughout the study and will be reimbursed for time and travel to appointments. The study is being conducted in partnership with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the University of Haifa, and the State University of New York at Buffalo. The study will include 1,600 women who have suffered a miscarriage. For more information, visit www.eagertrial.org or call 581-4128.
- Wanted: Healthy 50-70 year-olds
The Department of Psychology is currently enrolling men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 in an IRB-approved study on relationships and the aging process. Participants must be relatively healthy (e.g., no cancer or cardiovascular disease) and willing to have their blood drawn. Compensation will be provided. For more information, contact Heather Gunn at 585-6854 or heather.gunn@psych.utah.edu.
UPCOMING ON CAMPUS
• Football vs. Air Force
Saturday, Sept. 8, 4:00 p.m.
Rice Eccles Stadium
Don't miss the first home game of the 2007 season! Tickets are $5 with your UCard (with a limit of six tickets per person) when Utah goes against the Air Force this Saturday, Sept. 8. Athletics schedules and ticket purchases are available online at www.utahutes.com or by calling 581-UTIX .
• Aging: Art and Soul
Monday, Sept. 10, 1:15 - 3:00 p.m.
Eccles Health Sciences Education Building, Alumni Hall
This participatory session, free and open to all U students, faculty, and staff, uses discussion and partner activities to address how the arts can deepen our understanding of dementia. Participants will experience the sufferer’s and caregiver’s points of view. The session is presented by Repertory Dance Theatre’s LINK Series and SternWorks. For more information, visit www.sternworks.org.
• Women’s Club
Monday, Sept. 10, 3-5:30 p.m.
Rosenblatt House
The U of U Women’s Club will hold its annual membership tea at the home of President and Mrs. Young (1480 Military Way). President Young will address the group at 4:30 p.m. The Women’s Club sponsors a monthly meeting and members can become active in art study, book club, bridge, food and friends, literature, lunch bunch, or music. Parking is provided at the north side of the Merrill Engineering Building parking lot, and access to the President’s home is directly across North Campus Drive. All interested women are invited to attend including faculty, staff, and/or wives of faculty and staff. For more information, call 581-9719.
• The September Project
Connecting the world—one library at a time
With more than 700 libraries participating worldwide, the September Project, sponsored by the Marriott Library, the Tanner Humanities Center, and other campus groups, presents thought-provoking events to foster communication about current events. For more information, call 585-9521 or visit www.lib.utah.edu/theseptemberproject.
The September Speak Out
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Marriott Library east plaza
Orange cards and fabric ties promote dialogue on issues affecting our world.why i blog and why you should blog
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 11:50 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
Hinckley Institute of Politics (255 OSH)
David Silver, a co-founder of The September Project from the University of San Francisco, discusses how blogging has helped him establish a more public voice.Threats and Challenges to Democratic Governance in the U.S.
Thursday, Sept. 13, 11:50 a.m.- 12:55 p.m.
Hinckley Institute of Politics (255 OSH)
Harvard’s Alexander Keyssar discusses election reform and poverty.
• Unraveling the Message Within: The Physicians Guide to Genetics in the 21st Century
Saturday, Sept. 15, 7:30 a.m. – noon
Eccles Health Sciences Education Building, Alumni Hall
Attend this gathering of the best of the U’s researchers, professors and investigators in the field of Human Genetics. Presenters include Raymond F. Gesteland, Distinguished Professor and vice president for research on The DNA Revolution; Mario R. Capecchi, Distinguished Professor and co-chair, on Genetics and Medicine in the 21st Century; L. Charles Murtaugh, assistant professor, on The Who, What, When, Where, and How of Stem Cells; Erik Jorgenson, professor, on What is the Molecular Nature of Memory? and Lynn B. Jorde, professor, on DNA and Crime: Forensic Applications of Genetics. This presentation is part of the School of Medicine’s 2007 Alumni Weekend. The cost for the conference is $25 non-credit, $50 for Continuing Medical Education credit, and includes a breakfast. For more information, call 581-8591.
• At Nature’s Edge: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Artist Studio
Speaker: Henry Whiting II
Sunday, Sept. 16, 3 p.m.
Olpin Union Theatre
At Nature’s Edge chronicles the design and history of an artist studio on Teater’s Knoll in Bliss, Idaho, designed in 1952 by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the restoration that was necessary to preserve it after years of neglect. The book includes contemporary color photographs, historic black and white images, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s original drawings. The speaker, Henry Whiting II, is an architectural writer who, with his wife, sculptor Lynn Fawcett Whiting, now owns and lives on the property and oversaw its restoration. The event is part of the Sunday Afternoon Books and Authors Series hosted by The Friends of the Marriott Library. For more information, call 581-3421.
For a complete listing of campus events, visit www.events.utah.edu. To submit your event, follow the instructions under “Submit an Event” on the calendar’s Web page. If you have problems, contact Lisa Turner at calendar@ucomm.utah.edu or 581-5819.
BULLETIN BOARD
- Attention department heads — Driver Safety Program offered
The U’s insurer requires students, employees, and volunteers who drive any vehicle on U business to participate in a driver safety program. For your convenience, the Office of Risk and Insurance Management has arranged for a 45-minute safety presentation at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, Thursday, Sept. 13 at 8:30 a.m. This presentation will fulfill the insurance requirement. No RSVP is required. For more information contact Melissa at 581-5590 or visit www.utah.edu/risk_management.
- Reminders
- Remember to vote—Primary Election is Tuesday, Sept. 11.
- Save the Date: True to U—Homecoming is Sept. 22-29.
- Look for the light bulb at the bottom of the left FYI sidebar to see how you have helped save energy on campus.
- Get a clue and get a car!
U of U faculty, staff, and students have a chance to win a one-year lease on a car—a Saab 9.3—courtesy of Ken Garff Automotive. Interested? Here’s how it works. Each week for 10 weeks, clues to a question will be hidden in the text of the Daily Utah Chronicle. Once you figure out the answer, send it as a text message to Spring Communications—short code 83043—to qualify for the drawing. Each of the 10 finalists will be given a key. On Oct. 18, they will gather on the plaza outside the David Eccles School of Business to see if their key unlocks the car. Of the remaining nine finalists, one will win a $2,500 scholarship courtesy of the U’s Business Alumni Association. For more information contact Lindsay Allen at 587-9456 or Lindsay.allen@business.utah.edu.
- Save for higher ed
The Utah Educational Savings Plan offers payroll deduction to U employees who are interested in saving for a family member’s higher education. It requires no minimum deposit or balance, so families can save as little or as much as they choose. If the funds are used for qualified higher educations expenses, contributions to Utah Educational Savings Plan accounts grow tax-free under both Utah and federal law. Utah residents also receive a Utah Income tax deduction or credit for contributions to accounts established for beneficiaries before the age of 19. The funds can be used at any higher education institution where federal financial aid can be used. For more information call 1-800-418-2551, send e-mail to info@uesp.org, or visit www.uesp.org.
- Crimson View to open Sept. 10
Due to unforseen circumstances the opening of the Crimson View Restaurant will be delayed and will not open on September 10.
Now that the sprinkler system retrofit in the Olpin Union is complete, the Crimson View restaurant (4th floor) will open for lunch Monday, Sept. 10 with Chef Jim offering his tasty lunch menu. Crimson View is open Mon. - Fri., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 581-8191.
- UMFA calls for volunteers
If you would you like to be part of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ educational efforts to help our community understand and appreciate the art and culture around us, then consider becoming a volunteer docent. The UMFA is currently recruiting for its fall docent training program. Weekend and weekday shifts are available. Applications are due Sept. 14 and training begins the first week of October. For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact Amy Edwards at 585-9875 or aedwards@umfa.utah.edu.
