January 10, 2007

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.

Campus activities honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr. are in full swing and will continue through his birthday on Jan. 15. Longtime social activist and author Angela Davis will present a keynote address on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at noon in the Olpin Union Ballroom; a screening and discussion of the film, American Blackout, which takes a provocative look at black disenfranchisement in the 2004 elections, will be shown Friday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Olpin Union Theatre; and recording artist Goapele will perform on Monday, Jan. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in Gardner Hall.

Additional activities include a panel discussion titled “Treading Water” with U faculty discussing the recent setbacks in civil and human rights in the United States on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at noon in the Olpin Union East Ballroom; a performance by Eisa Davis on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Olpin Union Ballroom; a lecture by Spelman College President Beverly Daniel Tatum on the psychology of racism on Friday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Olpin Union Saltair Room; and a diabetes awareness community service project on Jan. 13 at the Northwest Multipurpose Center.

All MLK events are free and open to the community. For detailed information, visit www.diversity.utah.edu/mlk2007.html.

Happy 50th Birthday!
A. Ray Olpin Student Union Building

To mark its golden anniversary, the Olpin Union will hold two special birthday events for faculty, staff, students, and friends. On Wednesday, Jan. 17 at noon, everyone is invited to a birthday party in the Union food court with birthday cake, a message from President Young, and the opening of the 1957 time capsule.

On Thursday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. a gala event will include guided tours of the building, an exhibit of the Union’s extensive art collection, and a formal dinner with entertainment, special guests, and a message from 1957 ASUU president, Senator Bob Bennett. Tickets for the gala, which are going fast, are $25. For more information call Julie Mayhew at 581-4004 or visit www.union.utah.edu.

The building’s namesake, A. Ray Olpin, was president of the University of Utah from 1946 to 1964. With construction of the Union building in 1957, Olpin began a ten-year building program that resulted in more than 30 new buildings added to campus. The Olpin Student Union has been the heart of campus life for half a century. Join in celebrating 50 years of memories and friends.

A Peek at the 2007 Legislative Session

The 2007 legislative session starts Jan. 15 and runs 45 calendar days through Feb. 28. “We will know what our fiscal future holds on March 1,” says Kim Wirthlin, vice president for legislative affairs.

The lay of the land hasn’t changed much since before the election last Nov. 7. The ratio between Democrats and Republicans remains the same with 19 Democrats and 56 Republicans in the House and eight Democrats and 21 Republicans in the Senate. Of the 75 House seats up for re-election, only 14 were open seats. On the Senate side, only half the seats were up for re-election with just six open seats. John Valentine and Greg Curtis will continue as President of the Senate and Speaker of the House respectively, so there are no changes in top leadership. But there are changes coming in committee assignments. For example, only one senator will remain on the Capital Facilities Committee, so most committee members will be new—including the committee chair. “This offers us the opportunity to tell our story to these new people,” said Wirthlin.

Legislative Priorities. Faculty and staff compensation remains the top priority this session with the expectation of a three percent increase. Funds also are being sought for faculty and staff retention. A request for $1 million in institutional funds would provide for further development of digital media programs in science and math; add faculty for molecular biology, chemistry, and beginning mathematics; expand academic advising and other student support programs; and expand the pharmacy residency program. Funds also are being sought for continued support of engineering programs.

The Capital Facilities Committee will be asked for $9.5 million to pay half the $19 million cost of remodeling the College of Nursing. Nursing has raised the other half. Finally, a request for $5 million would be used to pay for a new chiller plant to support the new buildings on the Health Sciences campus.

The U will continue to pursue legislative approval to initiate a student revenue bond in order to begin building the student life center, a non state-funded project.

FYI Mystery Photo Contest!
What is it? Where is it on campus?

Photo by Ann Floor

Send your answer (be specific!) to FYI@ucomm.utah.edu by noon on Thursday, Jan. 11 for a chance to win a four-pack of tickets to Sideways Stories from the Wayside School (Youth Theatre) on Feb. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at Kingsbury Hall.

The winner will be randomly selected from the pool of those submitting the correct answer. The winner will be listed in the next FYI News due out Jan. 24.

Thanks to Kingsbury Hall for providing the prize!

This contest is open to U of U faculty and staff only.

Mars: Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet

Frontiers of Science Lecture
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology Auditorium

Matt Golombek, a research geologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, the lead NASA center for planetary exploration, will present the next Frontiers of Science Lecture. Golombek is a science operations team chair for NASA’s twin Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which are currently exploring the red planet. He also led the team that selected the landing sites for these missions. Golombek will talk about the latest scientific discoveries on Mars, including the evidence for water, ice, and climate change. Golombek is co-author of the book Mars: Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet for the National Geographic Society.

Saving for Retirement

Do your New Year’s resolutions include saving more for your retirement? The University’s investment providers will be on campus Jan. 23 through Jan. 26. For a complete list of dates, times, and locations, visit www.hr.utah.edu/forms/lib/RetirementSessions07.pdf. You also may schedule a confidential one-on-one counseling session with a licensed representative to discuss your individual retirement goals.

• Fidelity Investments
(800) 642-7131

• TIAA-CREF
(800) 842-2776 or 883-5100 (SLC)
www.tiaa-cref.org/services/meetings/index.html

• Vanguard:
(800) 662-0106 ext. 14500
www.meetvanguard.com

For additional information on the U’s retirement plans, visit www.hr.utah.edu/ben/retirement.

Calls for Nominations

Alumni Association Awards
Due Friday, Jan. 26
The Alumni Association is accepting nominations for candidates to receive the following awards:

• The Faculty/Staff Community Service Award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has contributed significantly to the betterment of the off-campus community through sharing or volunteering time, talent, and/or resources. The award recipient will receive a $1,000 cash stipend.

• Perlman Awards for Excellence in Student Counseling are awarded to faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to the University through student advising and counseling. Two awards are given—one each to a faculty and a staff member. Each award recipient will receive a $1,000 cash stipend.

• The Par Excellence Award pays tribute to a young alumnus/a who is making outstanding contributions to the community, the University, and to her/his profession. Nominees must have attended the University within the last 15 years.

The awards will be presented at a spring awards banquet on April 18 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Nomination forms are available to download at www.alumni.utah.edu/scholarships. For more information, call 585-9012.

Belle S. Spafford Award
Due Thursday, Feb. 1
Nominations are now being accepted by the College of Social Work for the annual Belle S. Spafford Award which recognizes women who have had an impact on Utah by improving the lives of women and their families.

Belle Smith Spafford achieved international recognition when she served as the general president of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1945. She was a 52-year member of the National Council of Women of the United States where she served as its second vice-president for eight years and as president from 1968-1970.

The nomination form is available to download at www.socwk.utah.edu/spafford or may be requested by mail from ealiceb@netzero.com. The award will be presented at an event in April. For more information, contact Alice Belisle at 673-3380 or training@dichotomyutah.com.

Trustees Pass Two New Minors

• Biomedical Engineering
A new undergraduate minor in Biomedical Engineering will give students enrolled in other majors the opportunity to study topics in modern biomedical engineering that will enhance their educational horizons and broaden their potential employment opportunities. It will meet a recognized need within the College of Engineering to give students from several departments exposure to biological concepts and applications, and will strengthen interdisciplinary ties between the respective departments.

• British Studies
A new minor in British Studies from the College of Humanities will provide students with a multifaceted understanding of Britain and the former British Empire by requiring related course work across disciplinary boundaries and by fostering independent research using methods that combine two or more disciplines. In this way, students who may no longer focus on specifically British themes will still gain a rich and nuanced appreciation of a culture that historically has been one of the major forces shaping the world.

The Play’s The Thing

• U Theatre Department
Bertholt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle will be presented by the theatre department in the Babcock Theatre, Jan. 17-21 and 25-28. Brecht was a pioneer in the development of epic theatre, where the audience is expected to consider the social or political consequences of the story—even be moved to take political action or work for social change. For a schedule of performances and ticket information, contact the Kingsbury Hall Ticket Office at 581-7200 or www.kingtix.com.

• Babcock Performing Readers
“Impromptu Readings,” a free program of monologues and one-act plays by Garrison Keillor (“Prodigal Son”) and award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein (“Tender Offer”), will be presented Thursday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Olpin Union Theatre. Monologues from novels or short stories include “Lulu is Blind” from Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston; “Gertrude Talks Back,” from Good Bones and Simple Murders, by Margaret Atwood; and A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean. For more information, call 232-0762.

Bulletin Board

• The Red Rocks are hot!
U gymnastics 2007
Faculty Staff night is Jan. 12
The 10-time national champion Utah gymnastics team will host its first meet of the season against five-time NCAA champion UCLA on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center. That’s also Faculty/Staff night, so watch for your coupon to arrive through campus mail—good for you and your immediate family. If you missed it, no worries. You can print one out here.

Coach Greg Marsden’s “Red Rocks” include Nicolle Ford, team captain and a seven-time All-American; Ashley Postell, 2006 NCAA all-around runner-up, a 10-time All-American, and the 2002 World balance beam champion; Kristina Baskett, the 2006 NCAA uneven bar champion; and Daria Bijak, the 2005 and 2006 German national all-around champion.

And don’t forget, all U faculty and staff receive a 20 percent discount on season tickets. For more information, call 581-8849 or visit www.UtahUtes.com.

Note: The NCAA championships will be held at the Huntsman Center April 26-28.

• Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast
Welcome back to Spring Semester at Utah’s flagship university. Join your friends at a pancake breakfast free to students, faculty and staff on Thursday, Jan. 11 from 9-11 a.m. on the Union Patio.

• Mommy Monologues
Call for submissions: Due Jan. 19
Monologues from men and women on different perspectives and experiences relating to motherhood are being sought by the Women’s Week 2007 planning committee. The theme for the March celebration is “Motherhood Matters.” Selected monologues, (five minutes preferred) will become the content for an evening performance of “Mommy Monologues.” Send submissions to kay.richards@utah.edu or Tiffany Merrill, Gender Studies Program, 290 S. 1500 E., Room 218, Salt Lake City, UT 84112.

• U lab gains accreditation
A U of U laboratory established after the 2002 Winter Olympics to help combat the use of performance-enhancing drugs in athletic competitions has received accreditation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory is one of only two labs in the United States and 34 worldwide to have the formal certification. The other U.S.-accredited lab is at UCLA. Receiving WADA accreditation is a rigorous process, involving sample testing to ensure the lab correctly analyzes samples for the presence of drugs and metabolites, on-site inspections, and acquisition of state-of-the-art technical equipment.

• Clarification: University Pharmacy not affiliated with the U of U
The business section of the Dec. 8, 2006 Salt Lake Tribune reported that University Pharmacy, located at 1320 East 200 South in Salt Lake City, has received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration regarding drug compounding. Some people have mistakenly assumed that University Pharmacy is affiliated with the University of Utah. In fact, University Pharmacy has no affiliation with the U of U. The University operates a system of hospitals and clinics that includes several pharmacies, none of which is named University Pharmacy.

• Cholesterol: Do you know your numbers?
PEAK Academy will offer cholesterol screening Feb. 7-8 from 7:00-9:00 a.m. The results will include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and glucose. Cost is $20 for U faculty, staff and students; and $30 for community members. Call 585-7325 to make an appointment.

Note: The cholesterol measuring method has been changed to a finger prick. The benefits to measuring cholesterol this way include no needles, receiving the results before you leave, and receiving your fasting glucose level—a good indicator of diabetes risk. The process takes about five minutes and machines are certified to be as accurate as laboratory testing.

• Annual public meeting to review campus construction projects
Each year, the U holds a public meeting to review the campus planning and construction projects for the past year. The meeting to review 2006 projects will be held Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. at 540 Arapeen Way in Research Park. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. For more information, call Teri Erick at 585-9244.

• Register now for Campus Recreation Services’ spring fitness program
Online registration for classes begins Monday, Jan. 15 and in-person at the Field House beginning Wednesday, Jan. 17. Classes include aerobics, belly dance, jazz dance, Latin dance, Pilates, tai chi, weight training, yoga, yogalates, and tennis. Also available is personal training, a 5,000-square-foot cardio area, and a free-weight center. For more information, to register online, or to check out the facilities visit www.utah.edu/campusrec.

• Changes at the Marriott Library
Due to the library’s renovation project, some collections and service points have moved. The Middle East Collection has moved from level 5 to the north side of level 4 just off the lobby. Curriculum has moved from level 3 to level 1, to the right of the service desk. For additional changes, visit www.lib.utah.edu/construct.

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