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What
Will You Discover?
Discover U Days April 21-22
In case you haven’t
heard, the U is having a party—two days of fun and enlightenment.
We’re inviting the community to visit campus to see some of
the great things going on up here, and we hope you'll come too!
FRIDAY,
APRIL 21
University researchers, world-renowned experts in their fields,
will present information sessions on a variety of research topics.
Beginning at noon, Larry H. Miller, local businessman
and a strong advocate for higher education, will present the “Discover
U Days” kick-off remarks, “The Rewards of Investing
in Higher Education,” in the Union Ballroom, followed
by lectures on brain research, global warming, documenting the human
experience, positive aging and the divorce cycle. Friday afternoon,
the following breakout sessions will be held from 1:30 until 2:15
and repeated from 2:30 until 3:15 p.m.:
“The Brain Institute: Why? Because We Need One”—
Union Saltair Room.
Panelists will include Raymond F. Gesteland, University vice president
for research and professor of human genetics, Norman L. Foster,
director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Care, Imaging and Research
and professor of neurology; and Erik M. Jorgensen, scientific director
at the Brain Institute and professor of biology. Panelists will
discuss how the Brain Institute will use unique Utah resources and
new tools to launch a broad-based and rigorous approach to understanding
the brain.
“Global Warming: Just Hot Air?”—Union
Theatre.
This lecture will be presented by David Chapman, dean of the Graduate
School and professor of geology and geophysics. Chapman leads an
active research group studying thermal aspects of geological processes
and is currently the chairman of the International Heat Flow Committee.
“The Documentary: Negotiating Difference”—
Language and Communication Building (LNCO) 1100.
Panelists will discuss the documentary as a tool used to negotiate
space between experiences. Presenters include folklorist Margaret
Brady, professor of English and Ethnic Studies, Craig Denton, professor
of communication, and Subhankar Banerjee, activist, photographer
and resident fellow in the College of Humanities.
“Life’s Transitions: Positive Aging / The Divorce
Cycle”—Orson Spencer Hall (OSH) 202.
An international expert on memory and aging, Robert D. Hill, professor
and chair of the University’s Department of Educational Psychology,
will offer a new framework for understanding the process of growing
old. Nicholas Wolfinger, a leading researcher on marriage and divorce,
is an associate professor of family and consumer studies and an
adjunct associate professor of sociology. He will present research
on understanding the divorce cycle.
A free Star Party will be held Friday night, beginning
at dusk (around 8 p.m.), on the roof of the (south) Physics Building,
117 S. 1400 E. Participants will be able to view nebulae, star clusters,
the moon, Mars and Saturn, using powerful, 12-inch Meade telescopes.
For more information, call the U’s Physics Department at 581-6901.
Friday and Saturday evenings, Utah Lyric Opera, the U’s student
opera ensemble, which originated nearly 100 years ago, will present
“Don Giovanni,” at 7:30 p.m., in Kingsbury
Hall. For information on obtaining discounted “Discover U
Days” tickets for the performance, call 581-7100.
The U’s student
ballet corps, Utah Ballet, will present its spring
concert on Friday and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., in the Marriott Center
for Dance. For discounted “Discover U Days” tickets
for the performance, call 581-7100.
SATURDAY,
APRIL 22
The University will be open to the community for cultural opportunities,
a health fair, sporting events, fun and games. Activities will get
underway at 9 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast
on the Olpin Union Building’s west plaza and with performances
on the patio stage by the University Jazz Band
and the University Actors Training Program. Families
and kids, young and old, can enjoy, among other activities, a giant,
blow-up slide, a bounce house, a rock climbing wall and fast pitch
baseball.
The Union patio will also be the site of a large Health
Sciences Fair where free health screenings will be offered.
The public is invited to come and learn about a multitude of topics—kidney
disease prevention, smoking cessation, poison prevention and first
aid, diabetes education, glaucoma screening and Lasik information,
grip strength, fire safety, skin cancer and sun safety, body fat
testing, bike and helmet safety, sleep disorder and snoring information,
stroke prevention and how to prevent infectious diseases. In addition,
children are invited to bring their teddy bears for a check-up at
the Teddy Bear Clinic. The Health Sciences fair
will be marked by an AirMed helicopter flyover. For more information
on the Health Sciences fair, contact Ron Allison at 581-2429.
On Saturday, the Marriott Library will hold a gently used
book sale on the Union Plaza. The U bookstore will also
be selling discounted Ute merchandise, and Swoop
will be on hand at the Union to sign copies of his book, The
Adventures of Newton and U, commissioned by the U’s
College of Education.
“Discover U Days” participants are encouraged to bring
their soccer shoes and golf clubs to take advantage of Free
Sports Clinics. University of Utah soccer coach
Rich Manning will hold two clinics, beginning at 10 and
11 a.m., on the sports field southeast of the Alumni House, behind
the Sill Center. Head University golf pro James Kilgore
will conduct two (short game) golf clinics, also at 10 and 11 a.m.,
on the University Golf Course. For information on the soccer clinic,
call Casey Fox at 585-5692. For golf clinic information, call 581-6511.
On Saturday, there will
be free admission to the University’s
two main museums and Red Butte Garden.
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the Utah Museum of Natural History
will open earlier than usual, at 9:30 a.m. Red Butte will open at
9 a.m. The Olympic Plaza, located on the south
end of Rice-Eccles Stadium will also be open, and the admission
fee to see the 2002 Winter Olympics highlights video will be waived.
Friday and Saturday evenings, Utah Lyric Opera, the U’s student
opera ensemble, which originated nearly 100 years ago, will present
“Don Giovanni,” at 7:30 p.m., in Kingsbury
Hall. For more information on obtaining discounted “Discover
U Days” tickets, call 581-7100.
The U’s student ballet corps, Utah Ballet,
will present its spring concert on Friday and Saturday, at 7:30
p.m., in the Marriott Center for Dance. For discounted “Discover
U Days” tickets, call 581-7100.
For a complete schedule
of “Discover U Days” events, visit http://ucomm.utah.edu/epromo/udays_offcampus.html
or call 581-6773. You are encouraged to forward the invitation Web
link to family and friends. Help spread the word!
A Chat
with Pete van der Have
Finding a time to chat
with Pete van der Have is not easy. When I caught up with him, he
had just come in from checking out the freaky snowstorm on April
6.
Pete is assistant vice
president for plant operations and has worked on campus since graduating
from South High in 1962. While an undergrad, he started by sweeping
the carpenter shop and picking up supplies for the “the shops.”
After graduating, he quit for a couple of nine-month periods to
teach English and French at Hillcrest High School—and then
returned to the U in 1969. He’s been here ever since.
“It’s a
great place to work,” he says. He likes the variety of the
work and enjoys interacting with the students. Since he’ll
be retiring from his position in June, we asked what things he would
change if he could. “I’d like to see a more common vision
for the learning environment,” he says, using the high tech
classrooms in the C. Roland Christensen Building as an example.
“Some faculty members resist using the new technology for
various valid reasons. Facilities people are encumbered with the
same resistance, at times. All of us need to stay current with the
emerging opportunities involving new technology and embrace those
changes,” he says. Pete also would like to see the U follow
the national trend in higher education making facilities professionals
a partner in the decision-making process regarding the future of
campus.
State and federal funding
levels are another concern. “We’re struggling to keep
up with funding needs, both in providing opportunities to students
who can’t afford to come to the U, and with compensation issues
so that we can deal with recruitment, retention, and recognition
of valuable, skilled, and loyal employees. My fear is that we’re
losing the race,” he says.
Born in Rotterdam, Holland,
Pete and his family moved to Monticello, Utah in 1957 where his
father was to take a job in the nearby uranium mines. When the job
evaporated, his family moved to Salt Lake City, leaving Pete behind
to finish 7th grade in Monticello. “I was very proud to take
second place in the spelling bee,” he says. Although he spoke
French and Dutch, he’d had only seven months of English. He
moved to Salt Lake, finished his schooling, and entered the U.
Pete’s a traveler.
In the past several years, he’s visited most countries in
western Europe, Japan, Canada, and Mexico. He likes to read non-fiction,
such as Barbara Tuchman’s works and, most currently The
Insomnia Solution, by Michael Krugman, “because I’m
a terrible sleeper,” he says.
Pete will retire from
the U in June—but not for long. He has been hired back as
a consultant to lead the U’s campus-wide Homeland Security
project. (More details on that in the May 3 FYI News).
Pertussis
(Whooping Cough) is Back!
You were vaccinated
for whooping cough when you were little, right? You’re immune
to whooping cough for life, right? Unfortunately, being immunized
for pertussis when you were young did not provided life-time immunity
as once thought. Therefore, this highly contagious lung infection
is back, especially in Utah. Since 2004, Utah has experienced three
times higher infection rates than the rest of the nation. Adolescents
and adults are disproportionately affected. Once exposed and infected,
the severe, unrelenting cough associated with pertussis usually
lasts as long as ten weeks, but often can last for several months.
Complications can occur and may include pneumonia, suppressed breathing,
seizures, coma, and even death. It’s now believed childhood
pertussis immunizations only last from five to 10 years, so it’s
being recommended that adolescents and adults up to the age of 64
years be re-immunized with a newer vaccine (Tdap) to prevent pertussis
infection. This will protect adults from the disease and will reduce
the risk of spreading it to infants who are at greater risk of getting
the more severe complications. The Student Health Service has the
new vaccine available. Call 581-6431 for more information.
And
on a Related Note...
Be
Prepared!
The University Disaster Planning and Intelligence Committee is encouraging
the campus community to become educated now about pandemics, epidemics,
and outbreaks. The committee is addressing campus preparedness in
three areas:
• Public awareness education
• Business continuity—in the event that social distancing
strategies are ordered by the health department
• Business continuity—should significant numbers of
essential personnel be personally impacted
An exercise this spring will test the U’s institutional preparedness.
Presenters are available now for staff and committee meetings. For
additional information, call 581-6590. For information specific
to Utah, visit http://health.utah.gov/epi/diseases/flu.
For additional information, visit www.pandemicflu.gov.
April
is National Poetry Month
Ink runs from
the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
—from “Eating Poetry” by Mark Strand
Celebrate National Poetry
Month by reading a poem to a young person or writing your own. Here
is one by Donald Revell who teaches in the Department of English.
Zion
Suddenly copper roses glow on the deadwood
I am these because I see them and also see
Abolition, the white smock on a girl
Eating an apple, looking down into
The valley, a small train steaming there.
I go upland to join death.
And death welcomes me, shows me a trailhead,
Foot-tracks overfilled with standing water.
Man has never owned another man here.
Aglow in the shade hang apples free for the taking,
I’m saying that death is a little girl. The apple
There in her hand is God almighty where the skin
Breaks to her teeth and spills my freedom all over
Sunlight turning deadwood coppery rose.
—from Pennyweight Windows
FYI
Mystery Photo Contest!
What is it? Where is it on campus?
Photo
by Roger Tuttle
Send
your answer (be
specific!) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu
by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Apr. 20 for a chance to win two tickets to
Los Hombres Calientes performing at Kingsbury Hall on May 3 at 7:30
p.m. The group is known for its unique sound, a fusion of modern
and acoustic jazz, New Orleans soul, Latin grooves, and an Afro-centric
world-music sensibility. 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, Apr. 20 at noon..
Thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the tickets!
Note: This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.
Mystery Photo
Winner Update!!
The mystery photo was
of the block U in Cottam's Gulch which is often used as a flower
planter box. Cottam's Gulch is located just east of University Street,
southwest of the George Thomas Building (Utah Museum of Natural
History), west of the Stewart Building, and northwest of Simmons
Pioneer Memorial Theatre.
We had 41 people submit
the correct answer so we put all their names in our Ute cookie jar
and drew one name. Ryan Garlick is the lucky winner of our Apr.
19 FYI Mystery Photo Contest. He is a teacher’s assistant
in the communications class in the College of Architecture + Planning.
The class gives students tools for different ways to communicate
their architectural ideas. He hopes to go into practice as soon
“as possible.” Ryan wins two tickets to Los Hombres
Calientes courtesy of Kingsbury Hall on May 3 at 7:30 p.m
Thanks to everyone who
entered the contest! Plan to enter the next FYI Mystery
Photo Contest in the May 3 edition of FYI.
Secretary
Leavitt to Give Commencement Address
Former Utah Governor
and current Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael O. Leavitt
will present this year’s Commencement address on Friday, May
5, in the Huntsman Center. The procession will begin at 8:30 a.m.
and the commencement program will begin at 9 a.m.
Natural
History Museum to Present Vision for New Museum
Students, faculty, and
staff are invited to bring their lunch and join Utah Museum of Natural
History Executive Director Sarah George for a presentation on the
vision for the new museum. The first brown-bag will be Tuesday,
April 25, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Olpin Union Building,
room 161; the second will be Wednesday, April 26, from 12:30 to
1:30 p.m. in the Eccles Health Sciences Education Building, second
floor classroom. For more information, contact Patti Carpenter at
585-6369 or pcarpenter@umnh.utah.edu.
The
Role of the University in a Time of War—Final Lecture
Student winners of the
essay contest will present their papers on The Role of a University
in a Time of War. This final event in the lecture series will be
held Wednesday, April 19 from 5:30–7 p.m. in the Honors Program
office in Fort Douglas. For more information, contact Nancy Brown
at 581-7383.
InfoFair
2006—The Access Horizon
Are you interested in
knowing more about the future of accessing scientific information
in the health sciences? If so, then plan to attend InfoFair 2006
on Tuesday, April 25 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in room 1730 of the
Eccles Health Sciences Education Building. The daylong fair will
focus on current information about health sciences computer applications,
resources, and services. Donald A. B. Lindberg, director of the
National Library of Medicine, will discuss access to truthful and
relevant scientific information. A panel of University experts will
follow the lecture. The afternoon session includes presentations
on faculty research projects, scholarly communication, and online
collaboration tools. The fair is free and no registration is required.
Questions? Visit
http://medstat.med.utah.edu/or/infofair/infofair2006/
or contact Jeanne Le Ber at 585-6744 or jeannele@lib.med.utah.edu.
50
Books/50 Covers
Can you judge a book
by its cover? Find out at a reception celebrating the American Institute
of Graphic Arts’ 50 Books/50 Covers exhibit on Thursday,
April 20 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Marriott
Library. See 100 of the best-designed books and book jackets from
across the country. Included in this year’s exhibit, which
runs now through May 5, is Something Lived, Something Dreamed,
Urban Design in the American West, a fine press book published
by the Marriott Library’s Red Butte Press. Questions? Contact
Madelyn Garrett at 585-6168.
World
Tai Chi Day
Celebrate World Tai
Chi Day on Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon on the Marriott
Library Plaza. All styles are welcome! Questions? Contact Bill Parkinson
at 585-5236.
Los
Hombres Calientes at Kingsbury Hall
Hear the sound of New
Orleans soul, Latin grooves, and an Afro-centric world-music sensibility
when Los Hombres Calientes comes to Kingsbury Hall on May 3 at 7:30
p.m. For ticket information, call 581-7100 or visit www.kingtix.com.
Receive a 10 percent discount by showing your UCard at the time
of purchase.
Dean
Sperry Leaving the U
David J. Sperry, dean
of the College of Education, will be stepping down July 1 to work
on public education issues with the Utah Commission of Higher Education.
A national search for a new dean is underway. College of Education
faculty and staff have been asked for their recommendations for
members of a search committee, and for an interim dean. It is hoped
a new dean will be named by the end of December.
U Women’s
Team Makes “Elite Eight”
Congratulations to
the U’s outstanding women’s basketball team for their
fine season and for making the “Elaine Eight” or “Elite
Eight!” Two Canadian members of the team, Shona Thorburn and
Kim Smith, became the first Utes to be drafted in the first round
by the WNBA. Go Utes!
What’s
New at the University Guest House?
• Adjoining rooms
for families (two queen-size beds in each room)
• Free high-speed wireless Internet access in the lobby and
in every room
• Free parking for all hotel guests
• New fitness equipment including elliptical trainers, treadmills,
bikes, Universal gym, and free weights
• Public computers in the newly-updated lobby
• A free deluxe continental breakfast
All campus groups receive
the discounted campus hotel rate, and campus orders and purchasing
cards are accepted. For group reservations, call 587-2980 (more
than 10 guests). For individual reservations, call 587-1000. For
online reservations, visit www.guesthouse.utah.edu.
Your
Participation Requested for Online Poll
Your help is needed
for five minutes. The Office of Institutional Advancement is conducting
an online poll among faculty and staff and they need your input.
Please take a moment to complete this anonymous poll by visiting
the site below. Results of the poll will be available for review
in the University Marketing & Communications office located
in 308 Park Building after May 8. Come on...reward yourself with
a five-minute break from work! http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/9849/InstitutionalAdvancement2006.htm.
Of
Interest to Faculty
•
Faculty Complement Presented
Associate Vice
President for Budget and Institutional Analysis Paul Brinkman presented
the annual faculty complement to senators at the April meeting of
the Academic Senate. Overall, the number of faculty has remained
about the same over the past five years. Within the complement,
the number of full-time faculty with the rank of lecturer has increased
significantly while the number of adjunct faculty has decreased.
Full-time faculty continue to teach about 70 percent of all credit
hours, a proportion that has remained essentially the same over
the past five years. More information is available online at www.obia.utah.edu/ia/stat/2005-2006/ss0506E1.pdf.
•
Fall Calendar for 2007-2017 Approved
The fall calendars for the ten-year period 2007-2017 were approved
at the April meeting of the Academic Senate. Changes include classes
starting on a Monday rather than mid-week, fall break being a full
week rather than two days, and the Thanksgiving break remaining
as two days. To ensure that the new academic calendar does not interfere
with federal grant contract compliance requirements, classes will
start later in August in some years, pushing back the last day of
finals to later in December. The new schedule will be effective
fall semester 2007.
•
A Request to Review
From Marriott Library
Each year, the Marriott Library evaluates its subscriptions before
renewing them. Since the budget is not keeping pace with inflation,
new materials are affordable only if some existing subscriptions
are cancelled. Faculty members are asked to help determine which
to renew and which to let lapse by reviewing the list and submitting
comments by June 4. The list is available at http://www.lib.utah.edu/colldev/2006serialsreviewintro.htm.
For more information, call Barbara Cox at 587-9167.
Of
Interest to Staff
•
University Committees Need You!
The Staff Council is seeking new members to serve on University
committees. All regular, full time (.75 FTE or greater) staff employees
who have completed their probationary period of employment, and
all .50 FTE staff employees who are eligible for benefits may apply.
The council is looking for employees who are self-motivated, want
to improve the U, enjoy working with others to “make a difference,”
have an open mind, and are able to serve. Applications and nominations,
which may be submitted electronically or on paper, will be accepted
until Friday, May 5 at 5 p.m. For a list of committees needing new
members, a description of each committee, or application/nomination
instructions, visit www.utah.edu/staffcouncil/nominationform.html
or contact Steve Hoskins at 581-3038 or steve.hoskins@fm.utah.edu.
Bulletin
Board
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Annual Open Enrollment ends Monday, May 15
Please review the open enrollment materials sent to your home for
important information on new choices available in the health plan
for the 2006 plan year. If you wish to enroll or make any changes
to your health plan coverage and/or participate in flexible spending
accounts (FSA) for the 2006 plan year, you may use the online enrollment
form or mail in your personalized open enrollment form and/or FSA
enrollment form. Online enrollment must be completed or your forms
must be submitted to the Benefits Department at 420 Wakara Way,
or the Employee Service Center at A024 in the University Hospital,
or by fax to 585-7375, no later than Monday, May, 15 by 5:30 p.m.
If you have not received your open enrollment packet, visit www.hr.utah.edu/ben/oe/index.php.
If you have questions, contact the Benefits Department at 581-7447,
www.hr.utah.edu/ben/staff/,
or attend an open enrollment session listed at www.hr.utah.edu/ben/oe/OESessions06.pdf.
•
25 Voices: Call for Guest Curators
Twenty-five community members will be invited to select a work of
art from the Education Collection at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
and write an accompanying label, which will result in the exhibition,
25 Voices, on view July 8-August 27. “I usually choose
the pieces for the summer exhibit,” says Jenny Woods, an educator
at the museum, “but this year, we decided to invite members
of the community to be involved in something they don’t usually
have an opportunity to do,” she adds. If you are interested
in being a guest curator, contact Jenny Woods at 581-3580 or jwoods@umfa.utah.edu
by May 1.
•
Redstone Health Center Now Open in Park City
Digital screening mammography service is now available on Tuesdays
and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Redstone Health Center
located in Park City. Open since September, the clinic offers services
in cardiology, family and preventive medicine, OB/GYN, internal
medicine, pediatrics, podiatry, gastroenterology, rehabilitation
services, diagnostic radiology, pharmacy, and ophthalmology. For
more information, call 581-5496.
•
Youth Education Offers SUMMERSCOOL
Half-day classes and full-day camps in subjects such as filmmaking,
comic book art, chemistry, kayaking, and video game programming
will be offered this summer by Youth Education. Children can study
with other bright and motivated students in the Youth Academy of
Excellence or get wild and wacky in Club U’s All about Animals
(or choose from ten other weekly themes). For more information on
programs for students ages two to 18, check online at www.youth.utah.edu
or call 581-6984 to request a catalog.
•
FYI on Summer Break
The May 3 FYI will be the last issue until Aug. 23. News
items for the May 3 FYI are due April 24.
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