October 17, 2007
MARIO CAPECCHI WINS THE NOBEL PRIZE!
“Not worthy of pursuit” was the response of reviewers in 1980 when Mario Capecchi first submitted an application to fund experiments testing the feasibility of gene targeting in mammalian cells. But he had been drawn to molecular biology because of the aura of possibility. He persevered. When he resubmitted his proposal four years later, the NIH reviewers not only enthusiastically approved his grant, but extended an apology: “We are glad that you didn’t follow our advice.”
From an article in Health Sciences Report, by Susan Sample
It was 3:00 a.m. on Oct. 8 when Mario Capecchi and his wife were awakened by a phone call. Because of the unusual ring, they thought it might be a prank and almost didn’t answer. But once Mrs. Capecchi said hello, her voice suddenly became serious and Mario knew who was calling. It was the prize committee from Stockholm, Sweden informing him that he had been awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The $1.5 million prize, shared with Oliver Smithies and Martin Evans, recognizes Capecchi’s pioneering development of “knockout mice” technology, a gene-targeting technique that has revolutionized the study of mammalian biology and allowed the creation of animal models for hundreds of human diseases, including the modeling of cancers in the mouse.
The Nobel committee noted that “...gene targeting in mice has pervaded all fields of biomedicine. Its impact on the understanding of gene function and its benefits to mankind will continue to increase over many years to come.”
As the sky darkened that evening, the U on the mountain flashed white—not for an athletic win, but this time for the academic win of a lifetime. For more information on Mario Capecchi, see www.healthcare.utah.edu/capecchi. To hear his remarks from the U’s press conference, see www.utah.edu/podcast.
THE HONORABLE LEE HAMILTON TO VISIT CAMPUS
Our democracy is not a product but a continual process. It is preserved not by monuments but deeds.
Sometimes it needs refining; sometimes it needs amending; sometimes it needs defending.
Always, it needs improving.
Lee Hamilton, vice-chairman of the 9/11 Commission and member of the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council, will speak on “The Future of American Foreign Policy” on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 10:45 a.m. in the Hinckley Institute of Politics caucus room (OSH 255). Hamilton is president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C., the living national memorial to President Wilson. The non-partisan institution is engaged in the study of national and world affairs. He also serves as director for The Center on Congress at Indiana University which seeks to improve the public’s understanding of Congress and encourage civic engagement. He was a U.S. Representative from Indiana for 34 years (1965-1999) where he chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee and established himself as a leading congressional voice on foreign affairs. Most recently, he served with James Baker as co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group and is a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Author of several books, his two most recent are Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission and The Iraq Study Group Report. TIME magazine named him one of its “People who Mattered in 2004.” Lee Hamilton’s presentation is sponsored by the Sam Rich Program in International Politics.
12 QUESTIONS FOR... RICHARD BROWN, DEAN, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
1. What book should every person read and why?
There are hundreds of classic books that everyone should read because they teach us how to think, present the fundamental questions about which we should think, and capture the wisdom of the ages. The Book of Job, for example, addresses determinism vs. free will and asks how we fit into the scheme of the universe. It has given people a lot to think about for millennia.
2. What building on campus do you think is the most interesting architecturally?
The Warnock Engineering Building! If you have not visited, do stop by. It’s an inspiring place to study.
3. If you could meet any legendary person—dead or alive—who would it be and why?
Nicola Tesla. Tesla was an eccentric character who pioneered radio and electric power distribution. He was as inventive as Edison, but more dependent upon theory than trial and error. Our modern conveniences owe much to his 300 patents.
4. Name a favorite place to eat.
La Shish in Ann Arbor and The Red Iguana in Salt Lake.
5. How will the next generation of scholars—today’s students—change your field in the decades to come?
They will continue to solve the problems that confront humanity, improving the productivity, health, safety, and enjoyment of human life through inventions in every engineering discipline. In my own area, I expect to see great advances in monitoring and control of the environment, food and water, and the human body.
6. List a few of your favorite Web sites.
The three companies spun out of my university research.
i-sens: www.i-sens.com/ENG
Sensicore: www.sensicore.com/public
Mobius Microsystems: www.mobiusmicro.com
7. Will a liberal arts education remain relevant to students in our increasingly technological society?
Absolutely! Life would be poor indeed without an appreciation for the great music, art, dance, and literature. But I believe that in our technological society, every person should also strive for scientific literacy.
8. What reading material is on your bedside table?
Last night, A World Split Apart, by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. All of his commentary on the East and the West and on humanity is thought-provoking. Though this address was delivered almost 30 years ago, it is still relevant.
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?
I’d like to know about their ethics, but since that would be hard to test for (those without ethics would lie), I would give them a story problem, the solution of which required problem solving skills and some simple algebra. Politicians deal with complex issues; we need leaders who can think through them.
10. What is one thing you would like to ask people to do to change the world for the better?
Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. (James 1:19)
11. Among the complex moral and political issues that affect humanity, which do you believe will never be resolved and why?
Never is a long time. I am an optimist and an engineer. Eventually, the current issues will be resolved. (And there will be plenty of interesting new problems to work on!)
12. What’s the best advice you ever got?
“Computers are going to be important. You should go into computer engineering.” (My brother, Sherman, 1967)
FYI Mystery Photo Contest
Where is this on campus? Send your answer (be specific) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by noon on Monday, Oct. 22 for a chance to win two adult passes to Red Butte Garden.
The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer. The winner will be listed in the Oct. 31 FYI News.
Thanks to Red Butte Garden 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 Oct. 3 FYI Mystery Photo shows the north entrance to the University Campus Store (bookstore). Jeffrey received two tickets to see Paula Poundstone, courtesy of Kingsbury Hall. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! |
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE TO OPEN
The U of U, in partnership with Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, is one of 13 institutions in the country that will host a Confucius Institute to enhance the study and knowledge of Chinese language and culture. A public reception to celebrate the event will be held Oct. 23 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. at the Alumni House.
The People’s Republic of China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language intends to create 100 Confucius Institutes throughout the world by 2010.
At the U, the institute will be housed within the College of Humanities’ Asian Studies Program. Two new full-time Chinese language teachers from Sichuan University will join the faculty and China-related cultural activities—films, art exhibits, performances, and lectures—along with classes in Chinese language, will be made available to students both on and off campus, including K-12 students. Additional plans include offering workshops for teachers and seminars for the business community. For more information, contact Heidi Camp at 581-6214 or heidi.camp@utah.edu.
EXTRA CLASSROOMS NOW AVAILABLE AS EMCB AND WARNOCK ENGINEERING BUILDINGS MERGE
As a result of a generous gift from John and Marva Warnock, the Engineering and Mines Classroom Building (EMCB), built in 1987, is being renovated and will become an extension of the new John and Marva Warnock Engineering Building. As of this fall, both buildings are under one name—the Warnock Building. EMCB was built mostly underground and the new Warnock Building was constructed partially on top of it.
The renovation will include, among other things, audio/visual upgrades, new furniture, and updated classrooms ranging in capacity from 18 to 92. Professors throughout campus are invited to use the classrooms in the building by calling the Scheduling Office at 581-7854.
For a detailed description of the improvements, link here. To see floor plans and photos of the renovated space in the former EMCB click here.
RELISH THE SEASON AT RED BUTTE
Nighttime Halloween fun, orchid displays, and the enchantment of autumn in the garden await you!
Magic In The Garden After Dark
Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Oct. 18-29, 6-9 p.m.
Red Butte Garden
Needle of Pine
Sun’s Fading Light
Cast a Spell on Opening Night!
You can dress as your favorite character or come as you are and join the witches and wizards, wood elves and fairies for magic in the garden after dark! Magic shows, bubbling cauldrons, fortune tellers, henna, face painting, and crafts, along with great food and hot drinks will entice you to attend. Family Mondays, Oct. 22 & 29 offer a discount rate of $36 for two adults and up to four children. For ticket information, visit www.redbuttegarden.org or call 581-4747.
Orchids at Red Butte Garden
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3-4, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Utah Orchid Society’s fall orchid exhibit and sale features a wide variety of ornamental and unusual species. Classic orchids from out-of-state vendors as well as hard-to-find species from around the world are offered for sale. Orchid growers who are not members of the society may bring their healthy plants to contribute to the display, and experienced growers will be on hand to give advice on orchid growing. For more information, contact Barry Cole at barry.cole@hsc.utah.edu.
UPCOMING ON CAMPUS
• Understanding Immigration Through Film and Discussion
Oct. 18 - 30
Post Theatre at Fort Douglas
The legacy of immigration challenges us to reflect on the connections between democracy and human rights. The Honors College co-sponsors a film series to examine the issues. Panel discussions with filmmakers and the local community provide a venue for public discourse on immigration policy. All screenings and discussions take place at the Fort Douglas Post Theatre and are free and open to the public. The series begins Thursday, Oct. 18 at 11 a.m. with the four-part series, Destination America, which tells the stories of four immigrants to the U.S., why they chose to emigrate, and what they left behind. For a complete symposia schedule, contact the Honors College at 581-7383 or link here.
• College of Engineering Day 2007
Oct. 20, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Warnock Engineering Building
Have you ever wondered how drinking water is actually purified? How strategies to cope with traffic congestion are designed? How stress in the legs resulting from different walking surfaces is determined? Or how the movement of cranes and their loads is analyzed for safe and efficient operation? (Newton’s laws of motion are still used!) These are just a few of the topics covered in the annual College of Engineering Day 2007 on Oct. 20. Open to all high school students, transfer students, and undecided majors, this annual, half-day event provides an outstanding opportunity to learn more about all aspects of engineering. For more information, contact Deidre Schoenfeld at dschoenfeld@coe.utah.edu or 581-8954 or link here.
• 2007 Sterling McMurrin Lecture on Religion and Culture
Monday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.
City Library Auditorium
Eboo Patel, director of the Interfaith Youth Core, presents a talk titled The Faith Line—The Role of Young People in the 21st Century. The line he speaks of does not divide Muslims and Christians or Hindus and Jews, but divides religious pluralists and religious totalitarians. Author of a new book, Acts of Faith, Patel discusses how religious totalitarianism became a movement of young people taking action and how he is building an interfaith youth movement to turn that around. For more information, link here.
• Frontiers of Science Lecture:
Nano-Engineering—A Technology Revolution
Wednesday Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology Building
Larry R. Dalton, professor of chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle, talks about a technology revolution significantly greater than the advances of the past three decades. For more information, call 581-6958 or link here.
• Raise the Roof! An Evening of Conscience 2007
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7:00 p.m.
Capitol Theatre
Described by Rolling Stone Magazine as “one of this generation’s most prolific, staunchest, and outspoken poets of lyrical conscience,” Michael Franti, musician, filmmaker, and human rights advocate brings his funky dance music and inspirational lyrics to the Capitol Theatre. Also on the program is the 40-member Calvary Baptist Church Gospel Choir singing songs of praise and worship, and a keynote address by distinguished community leader, Pastor France S. Davis. For tickets, contact ArtTix or 355-2787. For more information on the event, call 581-6214. Sponsored by the College of Humanities, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit community diversity scholarships.
For a complete listing of campus events, link here.
BULLETIN BOARD
• Sharpen Your Knife!
Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest Coming Up
On Wednesday, Oct. 31—Halloween Day—the Campus Store will host its annual pumpkin-carving contest for campus community teams of one or two people with a maximum of 20 teams. First place prize is a $200 Campus Store gift card, 2nd place will receive a $100 gift card; and 3rd place, a $50 gift card. A People’s Choice award will receive $25 and everyone who enters will receive a $10 gift card and bag of goodies.
Pumpkins will be provided by the Campus Store and carving will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with judging immediately following. Contestants must provide their own carving materials and pumpkins will be judged for carving only. While candles and electrical illumination are allowed, no painting or additional materials like costumes or props are permitted. Carved pumpkins will be on display in the Campus Store until 4 p.m. on Halloween Day.
You can sign up by sending your name, phone number, and e-mail address to mcherry@bookstore.utah.edu by the entry deadline, Oct. 26. Entry forms and contest rules are now available at the Campus Store customer service desk.
*As an extra bonus, the Campus Store will offer 20 percent off most items on Halloween Day.
• FYI Offers Link to Online Newsletters
Does your college, department, or center produce an online newsletter? And does its design comply with the U’s logo standards? If so, it could be eligible to be included on a list of campus newsletter links from the online FYI News for Faculty & Staff. To view the design standards, link here and click on “Logos & Guidelines” under the “Reference” tab. For more information, contact Ann Floor at 585-3595 or fyi@ucomm.utah.edu.
• Call for Proposals
Wallace Stegner Research and and Creative Fellowship 2008-2009
The Tanner Humanities Center and the Wallace Stegner Center invite fellowship proposals for the 2008-2009 academic year. Following guidelines set by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the proposal may deal with Stegner as an author (biography), his work (criticism), or his legacy with regard to literature, environmental ethics and philosophy, environmental history, environmental law, or the environmental humanities generally. Applicants may be faculty or independent scholars. The fellow will be expected to participate in the Stegner Centennial celebration events. Applications must be postmarked by Dec. 1, 2007. For more information, contact the Tanner Humanities Center at 581-7989 or beth.tracy@thc.utah.edu, or link here.
• Job Hunting? Career Services Offers a New Way to Search
A new ApplicantSearch™ employment tool is now available to all U alumni, faculty, and staff, thanks to Alumni Career Services and Performance Resources, LLC. Whether you are an active or a passive job seeker, you can benefit from a free Profile XT assessment from Profiles International. Employers search the system at no cost and pay only a nominal fee when they find suitable matches. They then receive job seeker résumés, assessment reports, and contact information. A good match on the Profile XT assessment has been shown to correlate highly with both retention and high productivity. This tool is free to all applicants who access the site through this portal. For more information, contact Julie Swaner at jswaner@sa.utah.edu or 585-5036.
• Call for Study Participants
Are you a female between ages 21 and 40, right-handed, not pregnant, and suffering from panic disorder? If so, you may qualify for an IRB-approved research study to identify areas of the brain that are abnormal in people who suffer from panic disorder. The study will use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scanning, which is painless and involves no radiation or intrusive procedures. Participants should not have claustrophobia or any condition that would prohibit lying still in an MRI scanner for about 75 minutes. Participants will receive compensation for their participation. For more information, contact Lindsey Healy at 581-3898 or lindsey@sci.utah.edu.
• Faculty Club Socials
Open to all U faculty, the socials are usually held the first Friday of the month at the Fort Douglas Officer’s Club from 5-8 p.m. For more information, contact Justin Diggle at 581-8096 or facultyclub@utah.edu or link here.
U SAVING ENERGY
Since the university’s energy-saving program began in July 2003 the U has saved the CO2 equivalent of 11,023 passenger cars and light trucks not driven for one year.
TIP: Did you know that the rule of thumb for thermostat savings is: For each degree you lower your thermostat in winter, you can save about 3 percent on your heating bill? You can help by keeping blinds or curtains drawn during a hot summer day; open them during the sunny part of a winter day.
Source: U of U Energy Management. For more information contact Bianca Shama at 585-1171 or Bianca.Shama@fm.utah.edu.
