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January 11, 2006 |
| Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. In the end, we will
remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
The University of Utah joins the nation in remembering the life of Martin Luther King Jr. whose leadership and power of speech encouraged people to work peacefully for social change. A week of special programming on campus now through Jan. 16 will celebrate his life. Keynote Address
by Michael Eric Dyson Panel—Legacies
of Oppression Cultural Performance
by Oleta Adams Other MLK campus events include a presentation of the 2006 MLK Youth Leadership Awards, a Forum Theatre, a screening and discussion of the film Crash, a community service project to benefit the West High Family Literacy Project, a KUED-7 presentation of Citizen King, and an exhibit of artwork by U students E. J. Curry and Carlos Perez. For a complete event schedule or for more information, contact Leo Leckie at 581-7569 or leo.leckie@utah.edu, or check online at www.diversity.utah.edu/mlk2006.html. All events are free
and open to the public. For more information on King, visit
Two years ago I took
a sabbatical and returned to the classroom to study filmmaking.
I wanted to use the medium with my social work students so they
could experience how it could be used to promote social and economic
justice, a critical component of our profession’s mission. Please note: Nominations for Service-Learning Class of the Year, Community Partner of the Year, and Service-Learning Student of the Year are due to the Bennion Center on Feb. 28. For more information, visit www.sa.utah.edu/bennion.
Photo by Roger Tuttle Hint: It’s some
place on campus. Thanks to Utah Athletics for providing the tickets! Note: This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only. Mystery Photo
The mystery photo was taken at the northwest corner of the Annex Building, just outside the doors to Commuter Services. Congratulations to Valerie Horton from the Geriatrics Department, University Health Care, the winner of the Jan. 11 FYI Mystery Photo Contest!! Thank you to everyone who participated -- we had over 35 correct responses and we encourage everyone to try again next issue. The winner was selected by a random drawing.
• Utah won the Fiesta Bowl with both Alex Smith and Andrew Bogut chosen first in the NFL and NBA drafts, marking the first time that one school has produced both number one picks the same year. • Michael K. Young was inaugurated in April as the 14th president of the University of Utah. • The oldest Homo sapiens just got older—When the bones of two early humans were found in 1967 near Kibish, Ethiopia, they were thought to be 130,000 years old. The later discovery of other fossils indicated homo sapiens originated 154,000 to 160,000 years ago. Now, a new study of the 1967 site, co-authored by Frank Brown, dean of the U’s College of Mines and Earth Sciences, indicates the earliest known members of our species, Homo sapiens, roamed Africa about 195,000 years ago. • The School of Medicine celebrated its 100th anniversary and University Hospital celebrated its 40th anniversary. • The first cohort of Utah Opportunity Scholars graduated in May. The students, who were awarded scholarships four years ago, are first-generation college students selected from applicants whose ethnic background is under-represented in higher education in Utah. • The new Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences Education Building and the new Emma Eccles Jones Medical Research Building opened, representing significant new space for both the education and research mission of the U. • The discovery of a new, previously unknown dinosaur species, Falcarius utahensis, by scientists from the Utah Museum of Natural History and the Utah Geological Survey was announced. The find is significant because it provides clues about how vicious meat-eaters who were related to Velociraptor ultimately evolved into plant-munching vegetarians. (Included in Discover magazine’s 100 top science stories of 2005) • The University of Utah and Salt Lake County were selected as one of six Vanguard sites across the country to participate in the groundbreaking National Children’s Study—the largest ever undertaken—to look at the effects of the environment on child and adult health. • The U of U was named Best Workplace for Commuters by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), acknowledging that the U meets the “national standard of excellence” to help reduce traffic and air pollution. The honor places the U in the top one percent of employers in the United States for providing outstanding commuter benefits to its employees and for helping to reduce traffic and air pollution. • The NCAA ruled on the U’s use of the Ute name and removed the University from its list of schools that use Native American names or imagery inappropriately. • A study on the use of cell phones by David Strayer, psychology professor and Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology found that when 18- to 25-year-olds were placed in a driving simulator and talked on a cellular phone, they reacted to brake lights from a car in front of them as slowly as 65- to 74-year-olds who were not using a cell phone. (Included in Discover magazine’s 100 top science stories of 2005) • A groundbreaking accommodations policy, which has implications for faculty and students at other institutions of higher learning nationwide, was approved.
Nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20 for the 2006 Rosenblatt Prize, which honors excellence in teaching, research, and administrative efforts, collectively or individually, on behalf of the University of Utah. The donors’ generosity makes this prize one of the most remarkable in higher education. The $40,000 prize is presented annually at Commencement and is particularly well-suited for faculty who are nationally recognized scholars. The prize recipient is selected by the University president, based on recommendations from the Rosenblatt committee. Nominations should include a letter of nomination with supporting discussion indicating the candidate’s accomplishments; a current curriculum vitae; a minimum of five but no more than 10 letters of reference, a majority coming from referees external to the U of U; and a brief description of the referees’ qualifications and relationship to the nominee. For 2006, nominations
made during and since 2001 will be carried forward. Re-nominations
with additional information are invited. Send nominations to:
Pioneer Theatre Company is offering all U faculty and staff a special rate of $15 per ticket to all performances of Humble Boy now through Jan. 28. Tickets are limited to four per person, and must be purchased in person at the PTC Box Office by showing a current UCard. PTC Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. “Humble Boy is perfectly suited to the University community,” says PTC Managing Director Chris Lino. “Its protagonist is a Cambridge researcher studying Unified String Theory, which should intrigue the math and physics people. Its plot echoes Hamlet, which should pique the interest of the Humanities departments. And it’s a wonderful, touching, funny play about people looking for human connection— with just enough spicy language and witty dialogue to keep everyone engrossed.” Playwright Charlotte Jones won the 2002 Critics Circle Best New Play award for Humble Boy. For more information, contact the PTC Box Office at 581-6961.
Each year in compliance with policy and procedures (PPM 1-6), the U holds an annual public planning meeting to review the year’s building and design projects. This year’s meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Olpin Union room 411 at 5 p.m. Items to be discussed include:
This is a great opportunity to hear the details about campus construction projects with an opportunity to ask questions. If you have an agenda item or questions, contact Teri Erick at 585-9244 or t.erick@ucomm.utah.edu.
A trio of women policy makers, all U alums, will discuss their roles in making policy at the local, state, and national level on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. in the Hinckley Institute of Politics, room 253 OSH. Panelists include Natalie Gochnour, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce; D’Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, Administrative Services, State of Utah; and Karen Okabe, deputy mayor, Salt Lake County. Doug Fabrizio will moderate the discussion which will air live on KUER FM90’s “Radio West.” The panel is sponsored
by The Cassandra Network, which links together women who work in
public policy jobs, provides mentoring for women who are in the
early stages of their careers, and hosts public forums to discuss
policy issues from the perspective of women. The Cassandra Network
is a program within the U’s Center for Public Policy and Administration.
The discussion is free and open to everyone. For more information,
contact Jennifer Robinson at 585-3048 or
The Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) is sponsoring an open house for U staff who are interested in learning about or applying for the executive or evening Master of Public Administration program. Those interested are invited to stop by the Ted Hebert Reference Room (OSH 216) on Tuesday, Jan. 17 any time between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. for program information and light refreshments. Contact Jackie Grant at 585-7985 or jackie.grant@cppa.utah.edu with any questions, or to make an appointment if you cannot attend the open house but are interested in the MPA program.
A conference on social awareness will present information on topics such as examining personal biases, fostering linguistic awareness through bilingual education, unmasking the reality behind sexual assault, a discussion on social justice and identity, and a presentation titled “When did you First Know you were White?” The conference will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Peterson Heritage Center on campus. Registration is free but must be completed by Friday, Jan. 13. For more information, send e-mail to diversity@asuu.utah.edu.
The University Teaching Committee has selected three recipients for the 2006 University Distinguished Teaching Awards. Congratulations to Lynn Jorde, a professor in the Department of Human Genetics, Suzanne Stensaas, a professor and lecturer in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, and Barry Weller, a professor in the Department of English. All were approved by the Board of Trustees.
It’s always gratifying when U of U research gets mentioned in national news media. So it was particularly rewarding that the University was mentioned three times in the January 2006 issue of Discover, the popular national science magazine. A full page was given to a story and photograph about research into whale lice and what they say about the evolution of a species known as right whales. The study was conducted by U biologists Jon Seger, Vicky Rowntree, and colleagues. Two other U studies were included in Discover’s “100 Top Science Stories of 2005.” Ranking 85th was the discovery of the Falcarius utahensis dinosaur by Jim Kirkland of the Utah Geological Survey and Scott Sampson and Lindsay Zanno of the Utah Museum of Natural History and the U’s Department of Geology and Geophysics. And cell phone research by U psychologists David Strayer and Frank Drews came in at number 86. The study showed that when young motorists talk on cellular phones, their reaction times slow to those of elderly drivers.
• Pioneer Theatre Company Artistic Director Charles Morey has been named a MacDowell Fellow and will be in residency at the prestigious MacDowell Colony in Spring 2006. • The Honors Program recently received an award from the Utah Heritage Foundation for adaptive use of its building in Fort Douglas. • K.S. Ravi Chandran, professor of metallurgical engineering will be presented the 2006 Champion H. Mathewson Award by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS). Congratulations to all! Read more about the accomplishments of your colleagues at “Recognizing U.”
• Recent
Administrative Appointments • Utah
Takes the Emerald Bowl • Written
a New Book Lately? • Making
Copies... • Check
your Address! • Utah
Legislature Begins Jan. 16 • Summer
Research Opportunities for Undergrads • News from the Campus Store
Registration begins online on Monday, Jan. 16, and in person at the Field House on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Classes include aerobics, belly dance, break dance, jazz dance, Latin dance, pilates, yoga, yogalates, and tennis. Personal trainers are available and there’s a new free-weight center at the Field House. For more information or to register online, visit www.utah.edu/campusrec.
Question: What goes “boom!,” is the size of a refrigerator, and can kill you? Answer: A household refrigerator containing flammable laboratory chemicals. In the past few years, refrigerator explosions and fires have taken place on campuses around the country including Penn State, the University of Virginia, and the University of Maryland. Fortunately no one has been killed. The U’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety wants you to be aware of the following information: A flammable liquid is defined as having a flash point of less than 100°F (38°C). Flammable liquids include acetone, benzene, tetrahydrofuran, cyclohexene, ethyl and methyl alcohol, and isopropanol, to name a few. Two types of refrigerators are required for storage of flammable liquids or gases at the U of U: • Flammable-safe (also called “laboratory-safe” or “flammable material” refrigerators) use specially designed interior parts to prevent the ignition of flammable vapors inside the storage compartment. Ultra low freezers (less than -40°F) generally cannot be approved for storage of flammable materials. • Explosion-proof
refrigerators are used in an area where flammable vapors or gases
may be present in the external environment around the unit.
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