January 14, 2009
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
INAUGURATION EVENTS AT THE U
Live broadcast of the presidential inauguration
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Pre-inauguration program: 9:00 a.m., MDT
Swearing-in ceremony: 10:00 a.m., MDT
Kingsbury Hall
Witness the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States when Kingsbury Hall and KUED-7 host a live broadcast of the event at Kingsbury Hall. It’s free, but tickets are required (because seating is reserved). Tickets are available at the Kingsbury Hall box office or by calling 581-7100. Tickets are not available online. A panel discussion titled A Peaceful Transition of Power: Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States, with Hinckley Institute of Politics Director Kirk Jowers and other political experts will follow the inauguration. For more information, call 581-7100.
U of U Marching Band goes to the inauguration!
The University of Utah Marching Band is well on its way to Washington D.C. with over $100,000 raised in less than one week. The band will represent the University of Utah and the state of Utah in the inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue! Donations came from the general public, showing tremendous support for our students who are thrilled with this honor. And where will they sleep? U alum Sherm Smith, who lives near Washington D.C., read about the invitation and offered to find places to stay for the band members. His effort resulted in enough homes to house 600—way more than the 128 needed. So the band will leave for Washington on Sunday, Jan. 18, stay overnight in homes in Ashburn, Virginia, then march in the inaugural parade on Tuesday, Jan. 20, returning to Salt Lake City that same night. Watch the band here (hotlink to http://www.mpistudios.net/UofU_pregame_intro_2.mov).
HONORING OUR UTES—SUGAR BOWL CHAMPS!
It’s already all been said, but we want to send a shout-out to our Utah football team—you guys are the greatest!
• Friday, Jan. 16: The team will be honored with a parade in downtown Salt Lake City beginning at 3:00 p.m. The parade starts at the intersection of South Temple and State Street and ends at the City/County Building at Washington Square.
• Saturday, Jan. 17: The football team will be honored during halftime at the men’s basketball game against Colorado State in the Huntsman Center. The football team will meet fans prior to the basketball game, which starts at 4:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan.17: At 7:00 p.m., Fox-13 TV will rebroadcast Utah’s stunning 31-17 Sugar Bowl win over No. 4-seated Alabama. The game originally aired live on Fox Sports on Jan. 2.
For the latest updates on these events, check online (hotlink to http://www.utahutes.com).
Go Utes!
AUTHOR DAVID MCCULLOUGH TO DELIVER 2009 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Acclaimed author David McCullough will deliver the commencement address on Friday, May 8 in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Dubbed a “master of the art of narrative history” and “a matchless writer,” McCullough is twice winner of both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In December 2006 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. His books have been praised for their scholarship, understanding of American life, vibrant prose, and insight into individual character. McCullough’s most recent book, 1776, the number one New York Times national bestseller, has been called “brilliant, powerful” and “a classic.” Other works by McCullough include John Adams, which was produced last year as a seven-part mini series on HBO, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions and Truman. His work has been published in ten languages and totals nearly 9,000,000 copies in print. His current project is a book about Americans in Paris from the 1830s to 1930s. Read more online (hotlink to http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=011309-1).
TEN THINGS I LEARNED FROM CRAIG FORSTER
By Brenda Scheer, Dean, College of Architecture + Planning
Since Office of Sustainability Director Craig Forster’s untimely death in November, Brenda Scheer has had a little refrain in her head as she goes about her usual business...‘What would Craig do?’ “I’ve actually had to change my behavior a bit,” says Scheer. She made a list and shared it with those who attended Craig’s memorial service on Dec. 11. Below is an edited version. Enjoy.
1. Do not sleep too much. It weakens your brain and wastes your time.
2. Walk through those open doors. Craig believed in the style of “managing by walking around;” he believed you can entice people by capturing them in their office.
3. Pretend others are smarter than you. It’s amazing how he made us feel that the advice or ideas we had were amazing contributions.
4. A cause is not a competition. It is not how we divide up the research pie or claim the credit, or determine who controls it. Saving the world requires cooperation.
5. Make friends, not colleagues. Accept lots of invitations. Never say no. Be amusing.
6. For maximum exposure, plant yourself in a different garden. Craig was the resident scientist in a school of architecture. How about a resident architect in the College of Social Work? Or a resident poet in the College of Science?
7. Don’t stop until you find your passion.
8. Look for answers in unlikely places. In design and science, in policy and engineering—research not just by faculty but also by fundraisers, students leading the president, and, most unlikely of all, creative approaches from deans!
9. Doing the little things every day reminds you to do the big ones. (You’ll see that we are using no paper or plastic at this memorial service, that we are borrowing living plants, that we have not printed 300 copies of the program.) If you are turning out the lights, you are reminded every day to fight for clean energy.
10. Finally, turn on the lights. Inspire others, seek and mark the path and leave the fire burning—so, when you have to leave unexpectedly, the path will be lit and we will know the way to go.
THREE FROM THE U WIN GOVERNOR’S SCIENCE MEDALS
Three U of U employees are winners of the 2008 Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. David Chapman, dean of the graduate school and professor of geology and geophysics won in the category of academia; Lee Siegel, science news specialist for University public relations, was recognized in a special category for his work promoting scientific research at the University; and Mario Capecchi, Nobel Laureate and distinguished professor of human genetics and biology, received a special recognition award. To read more about the accomplishments of your colleagues, visit Recognizing U (hotlink to http://www.unews.utah.edu/?action=recognizingU).
THOMAS FRIEDMAN TO BE NAMED A HINCKLEY FELLOW
In collaboration with the Utah Museum of Natural History, the Hinckley Institute of Politics is proud to announce that internationally-noted writer Thomas Friedman, author of the #1 bestseller The World Is Hot, Flat, and Crowded, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, foreign affairs expert, and New York Times journalist will be named a Hinckley Fellow in 2009. Among his activities as a Fellow, Friedman will speak on March 10 at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. Tickets range from $10 to $36. Additional information is available online (hotlink to http://www.umnh.utah.edu/exclusive).
BEBR RELEASES STUDY ON UTAH’S POPULATION GROWTH
Utah wins the dubious distinction as the fastest-growing state in the country. The U.S. Census Bureau report for the year ending July 2008 was released Dec. 22, and shows that Utah’s population grew by 2.5 percent to more than 2.7 million. The increase is not from more people moving to the state (there are fewer moving here) but is due to Utah’s high birthrate. According to Juliette Tennert, state demographer, “Utah is unique in that over 60 percent of the growth is natural increase.” The report, titled Utah’s Demographic Transformation: A View into the Future, by Pamela S. Perlich, senior research economist for the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the David Eccles School of Business, may be accessed online (hotlink to http://www.bebr.utah.edu).
CIVICALLY-ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS OFFERED
The Bennion Center provides financial and technical support to faculty, departments, and colleges interested in pursuing various forms of civically engaged scholarship. This includes developing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating service-learning courses as well as conducting community-based research. Civically Engaged Scholarship Initiative grants for up to $5,000 are offered to enable academic units to integrate civic engagement into academic programs. In addition, the recipient of the 2008-09 Lowell Bennion Public Service Professorship will receive an award of $10,000. The grant, open to all U of U faculty, is designed to help a faculty member strengthen learning experiences and opportunities tied to civic engagement and to foster stronger partnerships with the local community.
A letter of intent to apply for the Lowell Bennion Public Service Professorship is due January 23, 2009; applications for the Civically Engaged Scholarship Initiatives are due Friday, Feb. 27. Contact Katie Olson at 585-9100 or kolson@sa.utah.edu for applications.
CREDIT CARD USE ON CAMPUS
CHANGES ARE HERE
A new policy (Policy 3-070) addresses both internal and external standards as they relate to the acceptance of credit cards to pay for a variety of University services such as tuition and tickets. Departments that accept credit cards for payment of goods or services must familiarize themselves with this new policy. In addition, new compliance procedures will be required and will be sent to those who accept credit cards for payment. If your department is affected by these changes, please review current Policy 3-070: Payment Card Acceptance (hotlink to http://www.regulations.utah.edu/administration/3-070.html) (effective Dec. 8, 2008). The following two rules are binding and relate to the new policy. (Rules provide interpretive information to help departments understand how policy statements are interpreted.)
• Rule: Credit Card Guidelines (1/22/07)
• Rule: Credit Card Security (PCI DSS) Standards, (7/18/08)
UPCOMING ON CAMPUS
• CELEBRATING MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
RIGHTS, RESISTANCE, AND RESILIENCE: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE
January 12-19
Various locations around campus
This year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration—marking 25 years at the U—expands its traditional emphasis on African American culture to include a focus on how indigenous peoples throughout the world continue the struggle for human rights. The keynote address will be delivered by Rigoberta Menchú Tum, recipient of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. She wrote about her life in the book, I, Rogoberta Menchú and narrated the film When the Mountains Tremble, both of which deal with the struggles and suffering of the Mayan people. Tum is known throughout the world as a leading advocate of Indian rights and ethno-cultural reconciliation. She was born into a peasant family and raised in the Quiche branch of the Mayan culture. After her family was murdered during the struggle for Indian peasant rights, she became active in the resistance to oppression in Guatemala and later took the fight abroad. She will give her keynote presentation on Thursday, Jan. 15 at noon at Kingsbury Hall. The film (free) will be shown Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Olpin Union Saltair Room.
Additional events include a candlelight walk on Monday, Jan. 19 at 4:30 p.m., from the College of Social Work to Kingsbury Hall, where the 2009 Youth Leadership Awards will be presented at 6:30 p.m. A performance by the drum and percussion troupe, Concepto Tambor, will follow at 7:00 p.m. Martin Luther King Week events (hotlink to http://www.diversity.utah.edu), continue through Jan. 19. All are free and open to the public.
• DRAFTING THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION
Noah Feldman to speak
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 12:15 p.m.
Law School, Sutherland Moot Courtroom
The S.J. Quinney College of Law hosts Noah Feldman as a Distinguished Quinney Lecturer discussing the rule of law. Feldman assisted in the drafting of the Iraqi constitution. For additional information, contact Matt Hemsley (hotlink to hemsleym@law.utah.edu) or call 581-6571.
• HEALTH MATTERS
P.O.V.: In the Family
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Huntsman Cancer Institute Auditorium
KUED-7 hosts a free screening of a film addressing predictive genetic testing for the BRCA cancer gene. A panel discussion with doctors follows. Additional information is available online (hotlink to http://www.kued.org).
• U OF U ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday, Jan. 22, 4:30 p.m.
Rice-Eccles Stadium Tower, Room 645
The annual meeting to update the public on building and transportation projects at the U is open to all. Parking in the stadium lot is free after 4 p.m. The agenda includes a review of campus projects, a parking and transportation update, an overview of projects in Research Park, and a report from Salt Lake City. For more information, contact Kate Ferebee (hotlink to kate@ucomm.utah.edu) or call 585-9244.
• THE GREAT TENNESSEE MONKEY TRIAL
Wednesday, Jan 28, 7:30 p.m.
Kingsbury Hall (no kids under 6)
Ed Asner (William Jennings Bryan) and John Heard (Clarence Darrow) lead the cast in this drama about the famous 1925 Tennessee vs. John Scopes “Monkey Trial,” which challenged the newly-passed act banning the teaching of evolution in Tennessee’s public schools. The radio theater performance is based on original transcripts of the trial—just in time for Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his book, The Origin of Species. For ticket information, contact Kingsbury Hall (hotlink to http://www.kingsbury.utah.edu) or call 581-7100.
Bulletin Board
• Discounts offered for PTC productions
Pioneer Theatre Company offers a special discount to full-time faculty and staff for $15 tickets (over 50 percent off) to its productions of the world premiere of The Yellow Leaf, by Charles Morey, and for Romeo & Juliet. The offer is for the first full week of performances (The Yellow Leaf, Jan. 9-15; Romeo and Juliet, Feb. 13-19). There is a limit of four tickets per person and tickets must be purchased in person at the PTC box office with your UCard (limited to four tickets per person, based on availability). For more information, call 581-6961.
• Campus Recreation Services
• FITNESS PROGRAM Spring 2009
Online registration is now underway and in-person registration at the Field House begins Jan. 14. Classes begin Jan. 26 and include various types of cardio and fitness classes, belly dance, jazz, modern, and Latin dance, pilates, yoga, yogalates, and tennis. Additional services include personal training and a free-weight center. Free classes are offered the week of Jan. 20-24.
• INTRAMURAL PROGRAM Spring 2009
A wide variety of team and individual sports are offered during spring semester. Registration deadlines are Jan. 21 for programs starting Jan. 26, and March 11 for programs beginning March 23.
Visit Campus Rec (hotlink to http://www.utah.edu/campusrec) for more information or to register.
• Get your personalized weather updates
Need to know if it’s raining in Broward County, Texas? How about Marin County, California? Sign up for a free email notification service that sends advanced weather updates to your individual email address based on your personal preferences (what counties do you want to track across the country?) When weather is a headline event in your chosen area, you receive an email with the details. This is a good tool for everyone on campus to know about and using it supports the U’s current efforts to gain weather-ready recognition by the National Weather Service. Sign up at http://www.emergencyemail.org. For additional information related to preparedness, weather-ready programs, or health and safety in general, contact Environmental Health and Safety (hotlink to http://www.ehs.utah.edu) or call 581-6590.
• Marriott Library’s west entrance now closed
The closure is expected to last for five months while the final phase of the library’s reconstruction is completed so plan to use the east entrance until that time. The Marriott Library renovation began in March 2005. Updates on the project are available online (hotlink to http://www.lib.utah.edu/portal/site/marriottlibrary/menuitem.ef20a2517b2174c01a3b9cdbc1e916b9/?vgnextoid=75cf855fcfb62110VgnVCM1000001c9e619bRCRD).
• Claims to fame
Taking its cue from the Sugar Bowl win, which places the U of U in the spotlight, University Public Relations has compiled a Top 10 list of additional “claims to fame” by the U. Check it out online (hotlink to http://unews.utah.edu/p/?r=123108-3).
• Mental Health Tip of the Day
When asked a yes/no question, respond with a yes/no answer. You don’t need to elaborate on or justify any response you give. A simple “no” is enough, without excuses. When asked for information, give as much as you feel comfortable giving. Again, no need to justify your answer.
The Counseling Center (hotlink to www.sa.utah.edu/counsel)
• Puns for educated minds
The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
FYI Mystery Photo Contest
FYI Mystery Photo
Where is this on campus? Send your answer (be specific) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16 for a chance to win two tickets to the radio theater performance of The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial with Ed Asner and John Heard at Kingsbury Hall on Jan. 28, courtesy of Kingsbury Hall. The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer and will be listed in the Jan. 28 FYI News.
Thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the prize!
Note: This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.
Last issue’s FYI Mystery Photo Contest answer
The Dec. 3 FYI Mystery Photo shows the Social and Behavioral Sciences Building. Congratulations to Amy Boynton, winner of the Dec. 3, 2008 FYI Mystery Photo Contest! Amy works for the Division of General Pediatrics and serves as administrative assistant to the developmental pediatricians and for the Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment Disabilities (URLEND) program. Amy received two tickets to the Jon Schmidt concert courtesy of Kingsbury Hall. A big thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the prize! And thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. We invite you to try your luck again when the next FYI is published on Jan. 28. |
U SAVING ENERGY
Some dedicated students are working to create a new sustainable campus initiative which would be funded by a fee increase of $5 per student/per semester. The money would be distributed into two different funds: a Revolving Student Loan Fund for projects with a quantifiable monetary savings or return; and the Student Initiative Fund for project grants having no monetary return. The funds will help students play a role in the University’s move toward becoming a sustainable campus and will empower students to create solutions to America’s energy challenge. More information is online (hotlink to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=0106e334f71bc8cdbf46b65af66ef110&gid=35685173547).
