March 5, 2008
PERSONAL IS POLITICAL: ACTIVISM EMBODIED
Women’s Week Celebration Runs Through March 14
Now is the time for women to take charge and own our power! ...Unless women get into positions of power, we will never end wars, we will never have peace, and we will never end violence. Run for political office, join a community group, raise money for social transformation, and support women’s organizations. “Solos no ganamos nada.” (Alone we achieve nothing.)
—Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta, considered the most prominent Chicana labor leader in the United States, will give the keynote address for Women’s Week 2008. Her talk titled “Now is the Time! Activism for Social Change” will be presented Wednesday, March 12, at 4 p.m. in the Olpin Union Ballroom. Huerta is co-founder and first vice president of the United Farm Workers. For more than 30 years she has dedicated her life to the struggle for justice, dignity, and a decent standard of living for one of the United States’ most exploited groups—the men, women, and children who toil in the fields and orchards picking the vegetables and fruits that stock our grocery stores.
The recipient of countless awards from community service, labor, Hispanic, and women’s organizations, as well as the subject of corridos (ballads) and murals, Dolores Huerta is a much-admired role model for Mexican-American women.
Additional Women’s Week events (hotlink: www.womensweek.utah.edu/2008/index.html) include a workshop on activism titled “Si, Se Pueda” (Yes, We Can); an art exhibit by cat palmer; and a screening of the film Running in High Heels. In addition, a community panel will discuss women in politics, a community service project will register high school students to vote, and a theater production, “Top Girls,” will take a hard look at the challenges women face as they struggle to move ahead. A one-woman show performed by Tania Katan explores the artist’s personal triumph of surviving breast cancer twice. Her performance is based on her award-winning memoir, My One Night Stand with Cancer, which includes the story of her 10K run after two mastectomies—bare-chested.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: SEEKING CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS
Stegner Symposium 2008
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!
I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”—Thomas Edison
“How might alternative energy provide solutions to the climate change problem?”
This is the question at the heart of this year’s Stegner Symposium (hotlink: www.law.utah.edu/stegner) March 7-8 at the Marriott Park Hotel in Research Park. After reviewing the different facets of the energy issue—scientific, political, social, and economic—current energy consumption and its implications for climate change and national security will be assessed. Next will be a look at how energy is currently regulated and how that regulation has been disconnected from a transition to alternative forms of power. The limits of specific alternative energy sources will be discussed—as well as those that are most promising to help solve the climate change problem. Finally, the energy and climate change connection will be looked at from policy and economic angles. The symposium will conclude with a presentation by noted writer Bill McKibben (hotlink: www.billmckibben.com), author of The End of Nature. He will comment on what progress has been made in the movement to address climate change, and how and where—locally, nationally, and globally—things might go from here.
View the symposium brochure and schedule here, (hotlink: www.law.utah.edu/stegner) or for more information call 585-3440 or send email to stegner@law.utah.edu.
This buzzing, blooming, mysterious, cruel, lovely globe of mountain, sea, city, forest; of fish and wolf and bug and man; of carbon and hydrogen and nitrogen—it has come unbalanced in our short moment on it. It’s mostly us now.
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EDPASS GETS U ON THE FRONTRUNNER FOR FREE
Utah Transit Authority will kick off its new FrontRunner commuter rail service from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View (the Ogden area) in late April. The good news is you’ll be able to ride free by showing your UCard and Ed Pass, just as you now do when riding TRAX and the bus. This agreement, which also includes Premium Express Bus, is valid until September 15. Then in August, the U will upgrade to the new Premium Ed Pass program, which will enable students, faculty, and staff to continue to ride free on UTA’s premium services: FrontRunner Commuter Rail (saving between $2.50 and $5.50 each way), Express Bus (saving $4 each way), TRAX, and regular bus. FrontRunner will provide half-hour service during the day and hourly service in the evening.
Where do I board FrontRunner, you ask? FrontRunner stations are located in Woods Cross, Farmington, Layton, Clearfield, Roy, Ogden, Pleasant View, and Salt Lake City at the Intermodal Hub located at 200 South and 500 West. By the April opening, a new TRAX spur extending service from the Arena Station to the Intermodal Hub will be completed. This means commuters can step off the FrontRunner and catch the #220 bus for direct service to the U, or hop on TRAX for the ride up the hill to campus.
You’ll find more information about the FrontRunner (hotlink: http://www.rideuta.com/projects/commuterRail/default.aspx) online.
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, Mar. 10 for a chance to win two tickets for admission to Red Butte Garden, courtesy of Red Butte Garden.
The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer and then listed in the Mar. 19 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 Feb. 20 FYI Mystery Photo shows the east end of the Annex Building, located on the northwest corner of South Campus Drive and Wasatch Drive. From the 60 correct responses we randomly chose Nathan Coombs as the winner of the Feb. 20 FYI Mystery Photo Contest! “I’ve been trying to win this contest for a long time,” he says. Nathan is familiar with campus—he’s been at the U as either a student or employee since the fall of 1987. He received a B.S. in Communication in ’94, and is currently the media librarian for KUED, Channel 7 and KUEN, Channel 9. “If it airs on either channel, I have to make sure we have it here ready to broadcast,” he says. Nathan received two tickets to the Ten Tenors, courtesy of Kingsbury Hall. This brought him back to one of his old campus haunts since he worked at KUER when it was located in the Kingsbury Hall basement before moving up to the Eccles Broadcast Center! Thanks to all who entered and thanks to Kingsbury Hall for donating the tickets. |
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORS NAMED
Congratulations to this year’s Distinguished Professors. They include Mladen Bestvina, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics; Robert Keiter, Distinguished Professor of Law; Jan Miller, Distinguished Professor of Metallurgical Engineering; Richard Normann, Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, and Ophthalmology; and Yong-Shi Wu, Distinguished Professor of Physics. In addition, Arthur (Chris) Nelson has been appointed a Presidential Professor Urban Affairs. The list will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its next meeting for final approval.
CALL FOR ART—YOURS!
Print and Copy Services is calling for U of U-related art submissions of photographs or original art by faculty and staff for its 2009 University calendar. Thirteen pieces will be selected and all winning entries will receive a large format, foam core-mounted glossy print of their winning art, plus four calendars. The artists selected will be asked to submit a short biography to be included in the calendar. Submissions are due April 4 to shelly.christensen@printing.utah.edu.
• All entries must be submitted in a high resolution (300 dpi) digital format. No hard copies will be accepted.
• Entries need to fit on a 10 x 8.25 inch sheet with a horizontal orientation.
• Submissions are limited to two entries per person.
University Print and Copy Services reserves the right to make minor changes such as cropping or color adjustments to all winning entries. Contact Shelly Christensen at 587-7930 for further instructions or for assistance in converting your original art into a print-ready digital file.
UTEMPS—HR OFFERS NEW TEMPORARY LABOR POOL
HR now offers a temporary labor pool—full- or part-time—to departments seeking administrative and clerical support. UTemps staff members contribute their skills and talents to meet the short-term business needs of departments on campus (including health sciences). UTemps staff members can help with special projects, catch-up on department work, cover for employee absence, or staff the office until a permanent employee is hired.
Assignments can last from one day to three months, with the possibility of permanent hire. Positions include administrative assistant, associate accountant, executive secretary, office assistant, receptionist, department assistant, executive assistant, data-entry clerk, clerk, or file-room clerk.
To submit a request for a UTemps temporary employee or to join the UTemps staff send an email to HR-Temps@utah.edu.
PREVENTIVE CARE SERVICES SAVE MONEY
From now until June 30, all co-pays and co-insurance in the U’s Employee Health Care Plan (University Health Care, ValueCare, BlueCross BlueShield) will be waived on any qualifying preventive care service for employees and their enrolled dependents. The WellU Employee Wellness Program (hotlink: www.hr.utah.edu/wellu), in coordination with the U’s Employee Health Care Plan (hotlink: www.hr.utah.edu/ben/health.php) are pleased to announce this enhanced benefit to all U of U health plan members. See a detailed description of qualifying services and restrictions at Employee Benefits (hotlink: www.hr.utah.edu/ben).
Note: Basic preventive care and health screenings are essential to your well being. Regular screenings can provide important information about your current health status and can motivate you to modify your current activities and behaviors to improve your overall health. Seeking follow-up care based on basic preventive screenings can save lives.
NEW FROM PODCASTING FROM THE U
Four exceptional new podcasts are now available to download from Podcasting from the U (hotlink: www.utah.edu/podcast).
Changing Climate: It’s All About the Oceans
Hear the latest Frontiers of Science Lecture by Marcia McNutt, president of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute as she discusses the impacts of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere on our oceans—changing their currents and increasing their acidity. Listen here.
Martin Luther King Week Keynote Address
Cornel West, Princeton University professor of religion, gives a rousing keynote for the University’s 24th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. Listen here.
One River: The Life and Times of Richard Evan Schultes
Hear Wade Davis, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, talk about the incredible discoveries and knowledge gained from the tribes of Middle and South America by his mentor, Richard Evan Schultes. Listen here.
The Changing Face of Homelessness
A group of four community leaders in Salt Lake City discuss the changing face of homelessness. Panelists include Pamela Atkinson, community advocate; Matt Minkevitch, executive director of The Road Home; Anne Burkholder, executive director of the YWCA; and moderated by Palmer DePaulis, executive director, Department of Community and Culture. Listen here.
U TOONS
UPCOMING ON CAMPUS
• Sir Arnold Wolfendale, FRS, 14th Astronomer Royal of Great Britain
Wednesday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Aline W. Skaggs Biology auditorium
Time: From Harrison’s Clocks to New Physics
With the change to Daylight Savings Time upon us, the timing is perfect for the College of Science to host foreign dignitary and astronomer Sir Arnold Wolfendale from March 3-7. He will speak about the problem in 18th century Europe of longitude and accurate navigation of ships at sea. The British Parliament in 1714 offered what was a huge fortune at the time (£20,000) for a solution of longitude to an accuracy of 30 nautical miles or better. Sir Arnold will discuss the physics of Harrison’s clocks and explore modern improvements in time-keeping, including evidence for the lengthening day and atomic clocks, and recent work that suggests that a whole new physics is on the horizon. For more information, visit the College of Science (hotlink: http://www.science.utah.edu/).
• School of Music’s Annual Gala Concert Celebrates Camerata Recipients
Friday, March 7, 8 p.m.
Libby Gardner Concert Hall
This concert features classical favorites and celebrates the 2008 Camerata Award recipients—individuals who have shared their time, talent, or resources to enhance academic excellence, build and provide community support, or advance music at the School of Music. The 2008 recipients are Leon and Karen Peterson and Lennox Larson Deem. Concert presenters include the University Wind Ensemble; Robert Breault and Ning Lu, pianist Heather Conner, the U of U Singers, the Utah Philharmonia, Lyric Opera Ensemble, and University choirs. The dramatic finale features the entire group performing together. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at www.kingtix.com or by calling 581-7100.
• Border Cafe
The Middle East Through its Films
Wednesday, March 12, 6-9 p.m.
UMFA Dumke Auditorium
Free and open to the public
(Kambozia Partovi, 105 min., Persian, Greek, Turkish & Russian with English subtitles.) A young widow takes over her late husband’s truck stop café, keeping hidden in the kitchen so as not to cause a scandal in Iran’s conservative society. But her brother-in-law, out of familial obligation, wants to take her as a wife and take over the café. Meanwhile, a Greek trucker who is a frequent café customer is slowly entranced—first by her sublime cooking ability, then by her. Join Laurence Loeb, an associate professor in the anthropology department, for discussion following the film. For more information, contact Deborah Dilley at deborah.dilley@utah.edu or 581-5003.
• Michael Pollan and The Omnivore’s Dilemma—Looking for a Perfect Meal in a Fast Food World
Thursday, March 13, 7 p.m.
Abravanel Hall, 123 S. West Temple
What should we have for dinner? Should we eat a fast-food hamburger? Something organic? Something we hunt, gather, or grow ourselves? This is the conundrum that underlies Michael Pollan’s award-winning book that suggests we would all be better off if we ate more foods our great grandmothers would recognize—foods that are found along the perimeter walls of grocery stores. In the book’s introduction titled “Our National Eating Disorder,” Pollan says, “For me the absurdity of the situation became inescapable in the fall of 2002 when one of the most ancient and venerable staples of human life abruptly disappeared from the American dinner table. I’m talking of course about bread.”
Pollan gives the keynote presentation for the Utah Museum of Natural History’s Nature of Things Lecture Series (hotlink: http://umnh.utah.edu/nature) which explores different aspects of our changing world. Check here (hotlink: http://www.arttix.org/tickets/production.aspx?performancenumber=2402) for tickets ($10). For general information, contact Janet Frasier at 585-1572.
• Drugs—Addiction, Therapy, and Crime
Thursday and Friday, March 13-14
Quinney Law School, Moot Courtroom
Free and open to the public
Experts will discuss the spectrum of drugs—prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, common-use substances, sports enhancement drugs, dietary supplements, religious use agents, and illegal recreational substances. The conference will examine society’s response, from laissez-faire capitalism and social norms to governmental regulation and criminal prohibition. Presenters are experts in criminal justice, law, medicine, philosophy, pharmacology, psychology, public policy, and toxicology. The conference seeks a broader perspective and deeper understanding of drug theory, policy, and practice in the U.S. For more information, contact Miriam Lovin at 581-7356.
• Social Marketing Workshop
March 31 and April 1
Officer’s Club in Fort Douglas
A two-day workshop on community-based social marketing will be presented by environmental psychologist Doug McKenzie-Mohr. This is an opportunity to learn how to foster more sustainable behavior and improve program delivery across a wide range of issues from energy, water, and resource conservation to health promotion and enhancement. The workshop brochure and registration forms are online (hotlink: www.sustainability.utah.edu/dmmworkshop.htm). For more information call 585-9352.
BULLETIN BOARD
• Findings: We are what we drink
U scientists have developed a new crime-fighting tool showing that human hair reveals the general location where a person drank water—significantly aiding police in tracking past movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims. “You are what you eat and drink, and that is recorded in your hair,” says geochemist Thure Cerling, who led the research effort with ecologist Jim Ehleringer.
Their findings were published online Feb. 25 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (hotlink: www.pnas.org/content/vol105/issue8/#THISWEEKINPNAS) (scroll down to the physical sciences heading). The new hair analysis method also may prove useful to anthropologists, archaeologists, and medical doctors in addition to police. Read the full news release (hotlink: www.unews.utah.edu) (scroll down to Feb. 19, 2008).
• Free training workshops offered
HR’s Training and Development Department provides professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff. The 2008 Training & Development Catalog is now available online (hotlink: www.hr.utah.edu/training). Most workshops are available at no cost to U employees and cover areas such as management and leadership development, interpersonal and professional communication, customer service, and professional and personal development. For more information call 585-2300.
• Youth Education offers faculty & staff discount for summer camps & classes
Warmer weather is right around the corner, and it’s time to plan your kids’ summer activities. Registration is open now for Youth Education at the U’s summer day camps and classes. Use your 15 percent faculty/staff discount (and your dependent care dollars) anytime. To register or for more information, call 581-6984 or visit www.youth.utah.edu.
• Wanted: Healthy 50-75 year-olds
The Department of Psychology is currently enrolling men and women between the ages of 50 and 75 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.
• Clocks spring forward one hour on March 9
As you adjust your clocks for Daylight Savings Time, Environmental Health and Safety (hotlink: www.ehs.utah.edu) (EHS) urges you to take a moment to replace the batteries in your home smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and update your family emergency preparedness kit. EHS has information on what to include in the kit here (hotlink: www.ehs.utah.edu/EmergencyKits.html).
• Legislative Update coming soon
Watch for the annual legislative update coming to you via e-mail around the middle of March.
U SAVING ENERGY
Since the U’s behavioral energy-saving program began in July 2003 the U has saved the CO2 emissions from 9,231,611 gallons of gasoline consumed.
TIP: You can help do your part by dressing comfortably for the weather outside and inside. Adjust your layers before adjusting the thermostat. Keep windows and doors closed to avoid loss of heated air. Open your drapes and shades during the daylight hours, allowing the sun to warm your office.
Source: U of U Energy Management. For questions, suggestions, or more information contact Bianca Shama at 585-1171 or Bianca.Shama@fm.utah.edu.
