| < CLOSE WINDOW > |
March 8, 2006 |
|
Fred Esplin
Named Vice President For Fred C. Esplin has been named the University’s first vice president for Institutional Advancement. President Young announced the appointment at the March 6 meeting of the board of trustees. The newly created position combines the roles of the vice presidents for University Relations and Development to bring together under one person the development, communications, and alumni relations areas in an effort to more strategically advance the University’s mission and goals. The search committee, composed of campus and community representatives, was co-chaired by Robert Newman, dean of the College of Humanities and associate vice president for Interdisciplinary Studies, and Randall Olson, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and director of the John A. Moran Eye Center. According to Newman, “After vetting numerous external candidates, the committee was delighted to discover it had a first-rate candidate who was home-grown. Because of his excellent stint in the interim role, the committee and the campus development team came to admire Fred’s sense of inclusion, thoughtfulness, and passionate commitment to the advancement of the U. We are fortunate to have recognized him as an outstanding leader for our development efforts.” “I deeply appreciate the confidence placed in me and look forward to working with my colleagues in development, alumni relations, and communications in advancing the mission of the University,” said Esplin. “I am particularly honored to be selected to succeed Michael Mattsson, who has done such an extraordinary job in advancing the University’s interests over the past four decades. By bringing together the alumni relations, development, and communications functions under a common vice president, the University has followed the lead of most major universities, and with good reason,” Esplin added. “It is the start of a new era in our relationship-building with all of our internal and external audiences. I look forward to the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.” For further details see the press release.
In 2005, the U began purchasing wind power to minimize its use of fossil fuels. Motivated by a grant offered by ASUU, Plant Operations staff initiated an analysis of possible options for the acquisition of green power. The purchase (26 million kilowatt-hours) supports the U’s commitment to preserve resources and create a healthy environment. “These renewable energy sources are cleaner than traditional sources of electricity that produce carbon dioxide (CO2),” says Pete van der Have, the U’s assistant vice president for plant operations. “Green power purchases support the development of new renewable energy capacity.” The U of U recently made the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) list of Top 10 college and university Green Power Partners. The list highlights institutions of higher education within the Green Power Partnership that have completed the largest annual voluntary green power purchases through Jan. 18, 2006. “Green power” is defined as electricity products that are partially or entirely generated from environmentally preferable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact biomass and hydro resources. When compared to the total amount of electricity consumed in the United States, green power represents just a small fraction. However, the U of U, and specifically Plant Operations, is committed to reducing negative impacts on the environment. “This university is among the largest consumers of electricity in Utah,” says van der Have. “In that role, we have a social and moral obligation to continue to explore opportunities to do even more, at every turn. We are proud to partner with ASUU on this endeavor, recognizing that there is no “deus ex machina” solution to this challenge,” he adds. To see a list of EPA’s Top 10 college and university partners, visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top10ed.htm. For more information about EPA’s Green Power Partners, visit www.epa.gov/greenpower.
Hiram E. Chodosh has been named the new dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Chodosh comes to the U from the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is the Joseph C. Hostetler-Baker & Hostetler Professor of Law and serves as associate dean for academic affairs. “We are extraordinarily fortunate in hiring Hiram Chodosh,” says President Young. “He is an internationally recognized legal scholar and administrator who brings an exceptional breadth and depth of experience to the S.J. Quinney College of Law. His guidance and leadership will be foundational in moving our College of Law into the elite of public universities in America.” Chodosh, who will assume the deanship on July 1, is “excited and impressed by the U’s outstanding and collaborative leadership team; the enthusiasm, talent, and ambition of the faculty, students, and staff; the commitment, entrepreneurship, and generosity of the community; and a most spectacular setting for the construction of a new law school building.” Chodosh will focus on expanding the U’s global programs, developing professional opportunities for students, integrating the innovative use of technology, and promoting interdisciplinary research and training. For further details see the press release.
Jim Wood is enthusiastic about his work as director of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) in the David Eccles School of Business. One of his current projects is a two-year study of Salt Lake City’s homeless population, part of the federal government’s national project called “Housing First,” which involves monitoring a group of homeless people who are provided housing and then comparing their use of community services to a control group that does not have housing. “Several studies have shown that a small number of chronically homeless people—most often single men living on the street—actually consume most of the services offered by the government,” says Wood, “things like shelters, medical clinics and hospitals, detoxification and counseling, and jails, and if that group of chronically homeless were provided housing and thereby stabilized, their consumption of services would decline enough to offset the cost of providing housing. We will analyze key factors in both groups to see if the claim has merit,” he adds. Results of the BEBR study will guide the agencies as they move forward in addressing the issues associated with homelessness in the Salt Lake community. The study should be completed by 2007 and will be reported in BEBR’s bi-monthly publication, the Utah Economic and Business Review. For more information, contact James Wood at 581-7165 or bebrjaw@business.utah.edu.
Photo by Roger Tuttle Hint: It’s some place on campus. Send your answer (be specific!) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Mar. 9 for a chance to win two tickets to Diavolo - Tombé du Ciel at Kingsbury Hall on Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. If we get more than one correct response by that time, we’ll do a drawing from our Ute cookie jar and list the lucky recipient right here by Thursday, Mar. 9 at noon. Thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the tickets! Note: This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only. Congratulations
to The Mar. 8 FYI Mystery Photo is of the south end of the Alice Sheets Marriott Center for Dance building. We had about 40 people submit the correct answer so we put all their names in our Ute cookie jar and drew one name. Summer Keaunui is the lucky winner of our Mar. 8 FYI Mystery Photo Contest. She wins two tickets to Diavolo - Tombé du Ciel at Kingsbury Hall on Saturday, March 25, courtesy of Kingsbury Hall. Summer works in Academic Outreach and Continuing Education (AOCE) as a supervisor for the desk team which does data entry, scheduling and cashiering. She has worked for the U since 1997 and has been at AOCE since March 2004. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! Plan to enter the next FYI Mystery Photo Contest in the Mar. 22 edition of FYI.
How did Earth evolve? That depends on who you ask. The traditional scientific answer says that when the Earth was formed some 4.5 billion years ago, it was an inferno of boiling metals, minerals, and gases that had to subside before the first primitive life could evolve. Evidence from rocks has placed the transition at about 3.8 billion years ago—the date of the oldest hints of life and sedimentary rocks that formed at low temperatures. However, John W. Valley has a different theory based on the discovery of unusually durable zircon crystals—as much as 4.4 billion years old—found in isolated locations in northwestern Australia. The crystals provide evidence that the hotter period ended much earlier than previously thought—perhaps 4.2 billion years ago or even earlier. The study of these tiny “time capsules” is driving new technology and yielding a wealth of knowledge about the Earth’s beginnings. Valley will discuss the subject at the next Frontiers of Science lecture on Wednesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology Auditorium. Valley is the Charles R. Van Hise Professor of Geology and Geophysics at UW-Madison. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jim DeGooyer at 581-6958 or jdegooyer@science.utah.edu.
The 2006 Tanner Lecture on Human Values will be presented Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m. in the Union Ballroom by Justice Margaret Marshall, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. Her talk is titled “Tension and Intention: The American Constitution and the Shaping of Democracies Abroad.” For more information, visit www.tannerlectures.utah.edu or call the Tanner Humanities Center at 581-7989.
• Criminal
Justice Center Approved • U of
U Tops Donations to Utah Schools
• Law School
Profs Aid Iraqi Students • Bogut’s
Jersey Retired
The Office of the Vice President for Research announces Synergy, a new program leading to the development of opportunities for external support of interdisciplinary research. The U of U Research Foundation commits up to $1 million to a new program to stimulate discovery of new opportunities, bringing research groups together in new ways. The funds will promote preliminary research that will lead to substantial external funding with a significant multiplier effect. The deadline for letters of intent is March 15. Full proposals are due to the Office of the Vice President for Research on May 1. For more information, send e-mail to research@utah.edu.
News •let • ter [nóoz lèttèr]: A report or letter containing news of interest to a particular group, for example, the members of a society or employees of an organization, and circulated to them periodically (Encarta Dictionary). Yup, that’s what we do. On the first day of every month, the U of U Alumni Association launches a message through cyberspace to more than 32,000 subscribers, informing them that their monthly online newsletter—U-News & Views—is ready for reading. The purpose of the newsletter is to keep University alumni and friends aware of the variety of activities and events taking place on the U of U campus. It also provides a forum for them to communicate with one another and with the University—to express views, share news, and read about the people who make it happen. See for yourself: A link to the current issue of the newsletter can be found on the Association’s homepage: www.alumni.utah.edu. The newsletter’s editorial staff (all two of us) welcomes submissions from campus departments and colleges. Please get submissions to us by the 15th of each month for inclusion in the following month’s newsletter—i.e., by March 15th for the April edition. We look forward to hearing from our campus colleagues. Linda
Marion, Editor, U-News & Views
The physics department hosts free weekly star parties each clear Wednesday night beginning at dusk. The observatory is located on the roof of the South Physics Building located directly east of Kingsbury Hall. Enter through the east or west door and take the elevator to the top floor. For additional information, visit www.utah.edu/astro or call 581-6901.
Do you want to know more about common poisonous plants in Utah? Or how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning? Want to know more about how to prevent poisonings? Or how to obtain some of the UPCC's new poison prevention outreach materials? Then check out the Utah Poison Control Center. The center, which is a program of the College of Pharmacy, was established in 1954 and has responded to more than 1.1 million calls for assistance. In 2005, UPCC received over 42,500 reports of position exposures, 61 percent of which involved children less than six years of age. To request a telephone sticker or for more information, call 1-800-222-1222 or visit www.utahpoisoncontrol.org.
• The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women and Women's Week Celebration Committee are pleased to announce that Elizabeth Tashjian, Associate Professor of Finance, has been selected to receive the 2006 Linda K. Amos Award. This award recognizes a female staff or faculty member at the University of Utah who has selflessly given time and energy to improve the educational and/or working environment for women at the University. • Christopher Hacon, an associate professor of mathematics, has been awarded the American Mathematical Society's prestigious Centennial Fellowship for the 2006-2007 academic year. The fellowship is presented annually to outstanding mathematicians who have held the doctoral degree for between three and 12 years and who have demonstrated excellence in research achievement. The stipend for the 2006-2007 Centennial Fellowship is $64,000, plus an expense allowance of $3,250. Hacon's research is in the field of algebraic geometry. • Julio Bermudez, an associate professor in the College of Architecture + Planning, has received the Premio a la Trayectoria Creativa Arturo Montagú. The prize is the highest honor awarded by the Sociedad Iberoamericana de Grafica Digital (SIGraDi), the largest Latin American association of digital graphics in design. The award recognizes high and sustained creative accomplishment in digital graphics and design throughout the recipient’s career. Read more about the accomplishments of our U of U community at www.unews.utah.edu/?action=recognizingU.
Nominations for the 11th annual “Honors for Nursing” will be accepted until March 31. The award recognizes nurses and others who support the nursing profession. Those receiving recognition will be honored at a dinner on May 9, hosted by the College of Nursing Alumni Association. Recognition forms are available online at www.nurs.utah.edu or from Sue Onwuegbu at 581-5109. A $15 fee is required for each nomination and will support nursing scholarships. For more information, send e-mail to Sue.Onwuegbu@nurs.utah.edu or Melanie.Wolcott-klein@hsc.utah.edu.
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is accepting applications for volunteers interested in leading tours during its exhibit titled “Rooted in Tradition: Art Quilts from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum,” from June 3 to Oct. 15. Applications are due March 30. The exhibit includes more than 60 quilts made in the last 20 years. Volunteers will receive training in tour techniques and exhibition content. No previous experience is necessary and scheduling will be flexible. For more information, contact Amy Edwards at 953-5371 or aedwards@umfa.utah.edu.
Camp Hobé is a summer camp for kids with cancer and their siblings located 30 minutes west of Salt Lake. Volunteers stay onsite and serve as cabin counselors, activity leaders, cooks, medical staff, and lifeguards. Camp sessions run June 17-23; June 25-30; and June 18-19. For more information, call 631-2742 (leave a message) or send e-mail to beckwithrushton@yahoo.com or visit www.camphobe.org.
|
|
