October 31, 2007
SOME LIKE IT HOT!
After an unbearably hot summer along the Wasatch Front, FYI News asked Jim Steenburgh, professor and chair of the Department of Meteorology, for his views on what it all means.
FYI: How would you describe summer 2007 along the Wasatch Front in terms of temperature and precipitation?
Jim Steenburgh: This summer was the hottest on record in Salt Lake City and July was the warmest month on record. Summer precipitation was also below average at the Salt Lake International Airport, although the hit-and-miss nature of summer thunderstorms is such that a few places along the Wasatch Front may have received more rain.
How extreme was it and what does it indicate? Of the five hottest summers on record for Salt Lake City, four have occurred in the past five years. Overall, the past decade in Utah was warmer than any comparable period in the past century. Although it is not possible to directly attribute the weather during any one season to global warming, these trends and the hot, dry summer we just experienced are consistent with climate change projections.
What are your views on climate change? Like nearly all scientists who work on climate change, I believe that most of the warming over the past 50 years can be attributed to human activity and associated increases in greenhouse gas emissions.
What are your greatest concerns for the Wasatch Front in the next 10, 50, and 100 years? My biggest concern is how climate change will impact our snowpack and water resources in the next century.
Do you have an opinion about Al Gore receiving the Nobel Peace Prize? Al Gore received all the press, but the peace prize was shared with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and I think it is great to see my friends and colleagues recognized. They have worked hard for many years on this highly politicized subject to improve and explain our knowledge of the earth’s climate. The latest IPCC report is an incredible scientific document and a valuable resource to anyone who is interested in climate change. It is available online at www.ipcc.ch.
Is the film An Inconvenient Truth a good way for the average person to learn more about climate change? In general, An Inconvenient Truth is a good overview of global climate change, although it does contain a few inaccuracies (the implied connection between global warming and Hurricane Katrina is one of my pet peeves). For a brief summary of current climate understanding that also discusses Utah, see the report we prepared for Governor Huntsman’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Council on Climate Change at www.deq.utah.gov. Under What’s New, select Final BRAC Report, then Appendix A-1.
What do you think people need to know about our weather patterns in the Salt Lake Valley?
There is really nothing magical about our snow, but the combination of both quality and quantity probably does make the powder skiing in the Wasatch the best snow on earth.
IWA OFFERS FRIENDSHIP TO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN
When Marta Klosin came from Poland to the U.S. with her husband, a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan, she found it difficult to establish a network of friends or even to practice English, which left her feeling isolated. Like many other international women living in the United States, her visa did not allow her to work, even though she has an advanced degree in literature and linguistics. Now at the U of U, Klosin is the new president of the International Women’s Association (IWA), a group established seven years ago to provide support to international women who are spouses and dependents of U faculty and staff. As the new president, Klosin makes it clear that IWA welcomes all international women—including Americans. “The involvement of local women is crucial in helping those from other parts of the world feel welcome and supported,” she says. IWA provides a place of friendship and support to these women as they make cultural transitions, and offers opportunities to make friends, practice the language, and find out about American culture and those of other countries. “It also gives a sense of belonging,” says Klosin, “so important when you’re in a strange new place.”
Past events have addressed women’s health and the benefits of pet therapy. Upcoming activities include an opportunity to experience the American tradition of pumpkin pie-making on Friday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Olpin Union, Room 161.
For more information, contact Marta Klosin at mklosin@hotmail.com or Anjali Pai Hammond at ahammond@sa.utah.edu, or visit http://web.utah.edu/iwa.
12 QUESTIONS FOR... MAUREEN KEEFE, DEAN, COLLEGE OF NURSING
1. What book should every person read and why?
The Wisdom of No Escape, by Pema Chodron (an American Buddhist nun). It is a guide to saying ‘yes’ to life and making friends with yourself.
2. What building on campus do you think is the most interesting architecturally?
The Health Sciences Education Building. I love the light and open space in this modern, interdisciplinary educational facility.
3. If you could meet any legendary person—dead or alive—who would it be and why?
Margaret Thatcher (former British Prime Minister). I would like her insights on women in leadership—what it takes and why we don’t have more role models.
4. Name a favorite place to eat.
We just returned from Italy and had many wonderful meals—a favorite was Ristoranti il Desco in Verona.
5. How will the next generation of scholars—today’s students—change your field in the decades to come?
With the launch of our new Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Nursing, the nurse scholars and gerontologists of the future will help to redefine the aging process and transform the health care delivery system for older adults.
6. List a few of your favorite Web sites.
www.travel.discovery.com
www.NYTimes.com
7. Will a liberal arts education remain relevant to students in our increasingly technological society?
Yes. As health care delivery becomes more high-tech it will be increasingly important to infuse art and literature into the curriculum of health care professional students. Only in this way will we be able to balance the high tech with the high touch. Nursing is, after all, the art and science of human caring.
8. What reading material is on your bedside table?
I am just starting A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
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 is your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)?
10. What is one thing you would like to ask people to do to change the world for the better?
Begin to work for peace at the level of your own behavior, thoughts, and actions—creating a culture of care and compassion.
11. Among the complex moral and political issues that affect humanity, which do you believe will never be resolved and why?
I don’t believe we will ever resolve the question of the afterlife or know with certainty what follows our time here on earth—which should lead us to cherish every moment and every individual we encounter.
12. What’s the best advice you ever got?
It is best captured in this quote from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get—we make a life by what we give.”
About the New Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Nursing
In late September, the College of Nursing was awarded $1 million by the John A. Hartford Foundation to better prepare nurses to care for geriatric patients by establishing the University of Utah Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence. The new center—one of nine in the country—is designed to increase the number of faculty qualified to teach geriatric nursing. A specialized program using distance Ph.D. education will prepare nurse scientists for teaching careers at research-intensive universities. Students will attend classes through an internet-based videoconferencing system that establishes a virtual classroom. Students can enroll from anywhere in the United States or Canada without re-locating to Utah. For more information on the Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence, click here.
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 Monday, Nov. 5 for a chance to win two tickets to the Utah vs. Wyoming football game at 1:30 p.m. on November 10.
The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer. The winner will be listed in the Nov. 14 FYI News.
Thanks to Utah Athletics 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. 17 FYI Mystery Photo shows the west side of the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics building on the Health Sciences campus. Ethan received a pass for two to Red Butte Garden, courtesy of Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! |
FINDING: LIVING FOSSILS HAVE HOT SEX
U of U scientists have discovered a strange method of reproduction in primitive plants named cycads: The plants heat up and emit a toxic odor to drive pollen-covered insects out of male cycad cones, and then use a milder odor to draw the bugs into female cones so the plants are pollinated. The unusual form of sexual reproduction used by some species of cycads—primeval plants known as “living fossils”—may represent an intermediate step in the evolution of plant pollination.
“People think of plants as just sitting there and looking pretty and sending out some odors to attract pollinators,” says Irene Terry, research associate professor of biology and principal author of the study. “But these cycads have a specific sexual behavior tuned to repel, attract, and deceive the thrips (small flying insects) that pollinate them.”
The thrips enter male cycad cones to eat the pollen and get covered by it in the process. The “push-pull pollination” method used by some cycads makes the adult thrips fly away and then lures them back so that some pollen-laden thrips enter female cycad cones and pollinate them.
“They (cycads) are trading food for sex,” says study co-author Robert Roemer, who is Terry’s husband and a professor of mechanical engineering at the U. “Pollen is the only thing these thrips eat, so they totally rely on the plants. And the thrips are the only animals that pollinate the plants,” he adds.
The research is reported in the Oct. 5, 2007 issue of the journal Science. To read the full release, click here.
~Lee Siegel
NEW FROM PODCASTING FROM THE U
Frontiers of New Media Symposium
On September 27-29, 2007, 12 noted historians and media scholars came together for the Frontiers of New Media Symposium. The symposium, hosted by the College of Humanities and sponsored by David Simmons, explored the ways in which media technologies have been shaped by—and have helped to shape—the development of the American West.
Download or listen to the five podcasts at www.utah.edu/podcast/.
STUDY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
• Wanted: Healthy 18-35 year-olds
Participants are needed for an IRB-approved study on social interaction and cardiovascular functioning. Participants must be relatively healthy (i.e., no cancer, heart disease, nor cardiovascular medication). The study consists of bringing a friend into the lab (researcher-selected) and having a discussion with that friend while blood pressure and heart rate are measured. Compensation will be provided. For more information, contact Maija Reblin at 587-9022 or mreblin@gmail.com.
• Wanted: Healthy Adults
Participants are needed for an IRB-approved study on the physiological responses to a stressful situation. Participants must be relatively healthy (i.e., no cancer, heart disease, nor cardiovascular medication). Compensation will be provided. For more information or to schedule a session to participate, contact Wendy Birmingham at 585-0336 or wendy.birmingham@psych.utah.edu.
The Heritage Preserve Erosion Control and Restoration Project
On April 18, 2002, the U of U and Utah Open Lands signed a conservation easement to “preserve and maintain as natural and open space” the property now known as the Heritage Preserve located on the slopes of the foothills east of campus. The document acknowledges the significant value of the property and ensures its protection by prohibiting certain uses on the property. A recent field inventory of the site, funded in part by the Lee Ray McAllister Fund, identified 55 erosion problem areas, most likely from heavy-user activity on the trails and from past excavation and extraction activities. Erosion control measures such as brush barriers, stone check dams, erosion control blankets, vegetated drainage swales, sediment traps, temporary and permanent earth berms, top soil management, mulching, grading, seeding, and planting are currently taking place on the south parcel of the preserve. The project is scheduled for completion this December. For more information, contact the Office of Public Relations at 585-9244 or Coralie@ucomm.utah.edu.
UPCOMING ON CAMPUS
• Free Wellness Fair Slated for Oct. 31
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Olpin Union Ballroom
More than 100 groups will provide information on all aspects of health, from emotional to physical to spiritual. Participants include the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, Planned Parenthood, and the Intermountain Harm Reduction Project; religious groups (First Unitarians and LDSSA); and campus organizations (Campus Recreation Services, Alternative Spring Break, the LGBT Resource Center, and the Student Health Center). Free screenings and educational materials are offered. For more information, contact Rachel Crane at 581-8638 or Rachel.Crane@shs.utah.edu or visitwww.sa.utah.edu/ohp.
• Former President Bill Clinton to Speak
Sunday, Nov. 4, 3 p.m.
Olpin Union Ballroom
The Union Building will be closed all day Sunday, Nov. 4—no bowling, billiards, etc.—opening at 2 p.m. for a ticketed-only event with former President Bill Clinton speaking on behalf of the Hillary Clinton for President campaign. Tickets are $50 from the Utah Democratic Party. (www.utdemocrats.org) The Olpin Union will re-open Monday morning at 7:00 a.m.
• Commemorate Veterans Day on Campus
Friday, Nov. 9, Olpin Union
The U will honor 11 Utah veterans in a full-dress ceremony and 21-gun salute (11 a.m., Ballroom) at its annual tribute. Additional activities include a panel discussion titled, “They Also Serve Who Stay Behind” (8:45 a.m., Panorama East) and a big band show with Joe Muscolino featuring a performance reminiscent of the classic USO tours of World War II (1 p.m., Ballroom). Throughout the day, vintage military vehicles from the Karl Smith Collection will be on display on the sidewalk south of the Union Building. For more information, see www.veteransday.utah.edu or call 585-9244 .
• It's GIS Day—And You're Invited!
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Orson Spencer Hall, main floor, south wing
From terrorism, wildfires, and Amber alerts to contagious disease outbreaks, real estate markets, and traffic—all are hot topics in geography. The Department of Geography’s annual awareness week promotes the importance of geography education and Geographic Information Science (GIS). Everyone is invited to GIS Day on Nov. 14. With a focus on education and outreach, employers will be on hand, and activities include panel discussions with working professionals, information booths, and a photo contest. For more information, call 585-9167 or send e-mail to krysia.skorko@geog.utah.edu.
For a complete listing of campus events, link here.
BULLETIN BOARD
• Gift Ideas From Campus
FYI’s annual holiday listing will be included in the Nov. 28 FYI News. If your college, department, or center will be inviting food or clothing donations or offering holiday gifts or other items for sale, send information to fyi@ucomm.utah.edu by Nov. 19.
• FYI Offers Link to Online Newsletters
Does your college, department, or center produce an online newsletter? Does its design comply with the U’s logo standards? If so, it could be eligible to be on a list of links from the online FYI News for Faculty & Staff. To view the design standards, see www.ucomm.utah.edu and click on “Logos & Guidelines” under the “Reference” tab. For more information, contact Ann Floor at 585-3595 or fyi@ucomm.utah.edu.
• Take a Break at University Guest House
Grandkids staying over for Thanksgiving? Mother-in-law coming for the holidays? Family dropping by for New Years? Need a weekend holiday shopping get-away? Make the holidays less stressful by booking hotel rooms for your family at the University Guest House. As a U employee, you receive this special holiday rate for you and your family members. And with free breakfast, parking, local calls, and Internet, what could be easier? Rates are $65 (single or double occupancy) from Nov. 19, 2007 to Jan. 4, 2008 based on availability. Call early for best dates—587-1000—and bring your UCard! You’ll need it to check in.
• And The Winners Are...
Last May, U Print and Copy Services invited faculty and staff to submit artwork for consideration for the 2008 university calendar. The response from more than 250 entries made it difficult to choose the 13 finalists. Congratulations to the following whose artwork will be included in the 2008 calendar: Mark Palfreyman, Dave Meikle, Shayla Degooyer, Michael Madsen, Linda Marion, Julia Cook, Dave Larsen, Amber Swanson, Adam Beehler, Brian Buroker, M. Nazeem Nanjee, Nelson LeDuc, and Tom Kline.
• Food Handling Guidelines Available
As the holiday season approaches, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) offers a food-handling guide to assist you in working with food. Safe food-handling strategies can protect everyone. Many cases of food-borne illness can be avoided if you follow simple guidelines and properly handle food. For a paper copy of the guide, call 581-6590. For online access, see www.ehs.utah.edu, select the “Site Index and Search” button, then scroll down to “Food Handling Guide.”
• Ready, Aim, Fire!
The U’s Precision Marksmanship Society invites new participants to join a winter recreational pistol league at the U’s shooting range. The format is similar to a bowling league, with handicapped scoring to aid less experienced teams. You can make your own team (3-4 members) with co-workers, family, or friends, or be part of a team formed by the organizers. Clinics on Wednesday and Thursday evenings offer instruction on safety, marksmanship, and the format to be used. For more information, contact Matt DeLong at 581-7462 or delong@physics.utah.edu.
U SAVING ENERGY
Since the university’s energy-saving program began in July 2003 the U has saved the CO2 equivalent of 20,747 tons of recycled (rather than land-filled) waste.
TIP: Did you know that the average American consumes six times more energy than the world average? You can do your part to cut back by using partial lighting in hallways—if you see lights on in a particular hallway feel free to flip the switch. There is a lot of opportunity on campus to cut back on lighting during the daylight hours. Take responsibility when you see the opportunity.
Source: U of U Energy Management. For more information contact Bianca Shama at 585-1171 or Bianca.Shama@fm.utah.edu.
