A new Science Teaching and Student Services Center and a new Medical Biosciences Building on the Twin Cities campus are among the major items included in the University’s 2006 capital bonding request to the state legislature, which reconvenes March 1. The University is requesting $206.1 million for capital projects that invest in students, the biosciences, human health, and the environment and for other projects that support the research infrastructure.
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University are urged to attend the 2006 Legislative Briefing from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wed., Jan. 25, at McNamara Alumni Center. President Robert Bruininks and other members of the University community will offer an insider’s view of the capital request. Distinguished McKnight University Professor Jeffrey Roberts, head of the chemistry department, will speak about the critical need for the new science education facility. The program also includes information about how alumni, faculty, and staff can support the University’s request and its long-term goal of becoming one of the world’s top public research universities.
The Legislative Briefing also includes a light dinner buffet and performance by the U of M Alumni Marching Band. Walk-up registrations will be accepted.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s bonding proposal recommends funding $127.6 million of the University’s request, including fully funding the new science classroom and student services facility, an expansion of the Carlson School of Management, and a new building for the Labovitz School of Business and Economics on the Duluth campus. However, the governor’s recommendation provides only half of the $80 million University officials requested for maintenance of existing facilities and $4.3 million of the $40 million requested for a new biosciences building, and it did not include $2.8 million requested for improvements at University research centers and field stations around the state. More...
On Wednesday, March 8, advocates for the Institute of Technology will gather at the state capitol to visit with their legislators. IT Day at the Capitol is an opportunity for Institute of Technology students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the public to demonstrate their support for the University. Bus transportation to and from campus will be provided. More information about the event, including schedule and transportation options, will be published in the February issue of ITems.
UMAA Annual Celebration features Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will highlight the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s Annual Celebration on Tues., May 23. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:00 p.m. Both reception and dinner will be held on Northrop Mall. O'Connor's keynote address is set for 8:00 p.m. in Northrop Memorial Auditorium. Tickets go on sale Feb. 15 at Northrop Ticket Office. If you would like to be seated with other Institute of Technology alumni and friends, email itas@umn.edu by Feb. 15 or call 612-626-1802. You can also purchase open seating tickets on your own by calling 612-624-2345 or ordering online.
Watch for next issue of Inventing Tomorrow
Success stories of entrepreneurial alumni highlight the winter 2006 issue of Inventing Tomorrow magazine, which will be mailed in early February. Other features include a profile of Institute of Technology Dean Steven Crouch, a story about student engineers who are working to make the world a better place, a digest of research achievements, and a retrospective of transportation safety research at the University. To update your mailing address or to order a free subscription to Inventing Tomorrow, email itmag@umn.edu. The online edition is available at www.it.umn.edu/inventing.
Honors
Professor Gary Balas (aerospace engineering and mechanics) and his longtime collaborator, Professor Andy Packard of the University of California–Berkeley, received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Control Systems Technology Award from the IEEE Control Systems Society. The two researchers were honored for their "outstanding contributions to control systems technology by developing state-of-the art control algorithms and enabling software for use in industrial problems, for making modern robust control tools accessible to practicing engineers, and for their leadership role in the field of control engineering.”
Distinguished McKnight University Professor George Barany (chemistry) has received the 2006 Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in the chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics of peptides.
Assistant professors Demoz Gebre-Egziabher (aerospace engineering and mechanics), Yongdae Kim (computer science and engineering) Efie Kokkoli (chemical engineering and materials science), and Stergios Roumeliotis (computer science and engineering) are among 10 recipients of the 2006–08 McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, a program designed to advance the careers of the University's most promising junior faculty. They will be honored at an awards dinner on March 7, 2006.
Professor Roger Fosdick (aerospace engineering and mechanics) received a Laurea Specialistica Honoris Causa in Ingegneria Meccanica from the Politecnico di Bari, Italy. The honor is the highest honorary degree granted in the engineering profession in Italy and involved the approval of both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The award was presented to Fosdick at a formal ceremony held in December 2005 in Bari.
Professor Chris Macosko (chemical engineering and materials science) has received the 2006 Fernley H. Banbury Award from the American Chemical Society for “research using fast melt processing and chemical reactions to create new micro- and nano-structured polymeric materials.”
Professor Donald Truhlar (chemistry) has received the 2006 Schroedinger Medal, which is given by the World Association of Theoretically Oriented Chemists (WATOC) to an outstanding senior theoretical/computational chemist. WATOC honored Truhlar for "his outstanding contributions to the theory and computation of chemical reaction dynamics in ground and excited states." Medals for 2006 through 2008 will be presented at the WATOC 2008 World Congress to be held in Sydney, Australia, in 2008.
Truhlar also was honored by the Journal of Physical Chemistry with a Festschrift (a special issue honoring an individual) published Jan. 19. By custom, the Festschrift’s cover story is an invited paper from the honoree, and all other contributions are made in tribute to that person. The Truhlar Festschrift features articles by international leaders in theoretical chemistry and molecular dynamics and included contributions from former Truhlar group members.
Graduate student Renqiu Wang (electrical and computer engineering) won first prize in the student contest of the IEEE Radio Wireless Symposium, held Jan. 17-19 in San Diego, Calif. She received the award for the paper “Distributed Trellis Coded Modulation for Multi-Source Cooperative Networks.”
Associate Professor Renata Wentzcovitch (chemical engineering and materials science) has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). The APS Fellowship Program honored her for “computational tools for and valuable predictions of structure and properties of earth minerals and exotic oxides, especially at high temperature and pressure.” Each year no more than one-half of one percent of the then current APS members are elected to the status of Fellow.
Media watch
Muskie math: World-record story just doesn't add up
Douglas Arnold, director of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, weighs in on a dispute over a world-record muskie. Dec. 11-18: Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.), Grand Forks Herald(Grand Forks, N.D.) , Monterey-Herald (Monterey County, Calif.), Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.).
Fishing Hall of Fame upholds muskie record
Members of the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame met Jan. 16, to draw their own conclusions on the muskie after hearing testimony from IMA director Doug Arnold and others. Wed., Jan. 18, Scripps Howard News Service; Thurs., Jan. 19, ESPN Outdoors.
Chemistry may provide key to reducing Great Lakes' lampreys
University scientists, including chemistry professor Thomas Hoye, have discovered a new and better way to reduce sea lampreys in the Great Lakes: using a chemical signal that can trick the voracious predators into traps. Tues., Jan. 3, ESPN Outdoors (reprint of Star Tribune article).
Is this life?
In the quest to engineer a synthetic organism, Vincent Noireaux, an assistant professor of physics, is involved in cutting-edge research. Wed., Jan. 4, The Scientist.
Breathing in oceans full of air
Back in 1980, Edward Cussler, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, built an artificial gill that extracted oxygen from water. His dream was that the device would one day allow him to breathe just like a fish, giving him an unlimited supply of oxygen while diving. Thurs., Jan. 5, NewScientist.com.
Center for Diesel Research establishes toll-free helpline
A temporary restriction on the sale of a 2-percent blend of biodiesel in Minnesota was lifted Jan. 13. A toll-free diesel helpline was established through the mechanical engineering department’s Center for Diesel Research to answer questions from the public about B2 diesel fuel use, storage, availability, and related questions. Thurs., Jan. 5, DL Newspapers.
Weather spurs a pothole boom
Mihai Marasteanu, an assistant professor of civil engineering, explains why the extremes of Minnesota weather take such a huge toll on the state’s roads. Thurs., Jan. 12, Pioneer Press(St. Paul, Minn.), Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.).
Physics Force makes science really cool
Physics Force members describe efforts to make physics fun, including their annual physics demonstrations at Northrop Auditorium in January. Fri., Jan. 13, KARE 11 News.
U physicist awaits his sample from Stardust
University of Minnesota physicist Bob Pepin is among the researchers who will study samples of comet dust brought back to Earth by NASA’s Stardust mission. Pepin and his team of researchers will use a specially designed “platinum pocket” in their analysis of dust particles from space. Mon., Jan. 16, Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.); Fri., Jan. 20, Platinumtoday.com; Mon., Jan. 23, University of Minnesota Moment.
Pluto mission excites local astrophysicists
University astrophysicist Charles Woodward describes the goal of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and its moon Charon. On its nearly decade-long, one-way journey, the New Horizons spacecraft will cross the entire solar system on its way to the mysterious planet. Fri., Jan. 20, KARE 11 News.
Events
Legislative Briefing
Jan. 25: Learn how you can be an effective advocate for the University at the Capitol and in your community at the Legislative Briefing. The event begins with a light dinner followed by a presentation on the U's 2006 legislative requests. Walk-in registrations accepted. Free. For more information call 612-624-0821. 5:30-8:00 p.m., McNamara Alumni Center.
Public Lecture, University of Minnesota Rochester: Minnesota Energy
Feb. 1: Find out what the University of Minnesota is doing to develop alternative energy sources. “Minnesota Energy: The Future Is Renewable” is the title of a public lecture by Regents Professor Lanny Schmidt, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Schmidt, a collaborative member of the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, is one of the nation’s leading experts in renewable energy. Sponsored by the Rochester Area Alumni and Friends of the University of Minnesota. For more information email RAAFUM@r.umn.edu. Free. 7:00 p.m., MH 223 Memorial Lecture Hall, University of Minnesota Rochester.
IMA Public Lecture: Artful Mathematics
Feb. 8: Mathematics meets art in exciting new research. In "Artful Mathematics," Daniel Rockmore, Dartmouth University professor of mathematics and computer science, shows just how stylish math can be. Free. For more information call 612-624-6066. 7:00 p.m., 125 Willey Hall.
CTS Winter Luncheon: The Dramatic Failure of U.S. Traffic Safety Policy
Feb. 9: Dr. Leonard Evans, internationally known traffic safety expert, is the keynote speaker at the Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) Winter Luncheon. Evans will address the factors that led to the "uniquely" U.S. failure of traffic safety policy—and the lack of recognition that it is indeed a dramatic failure. Fee (student discount available). Register. For more information call 612-624-3044 or email conferences5@cce.umn.edu. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Radisson Metrodome Hotel.
ITAS Day at the Works: ChemFest
Feb. 25: The Works, a hands-on science and technology museum, is celebrating its 11th anniversary with ChemFest, a special event for the whole family. Visitors will learn about the mysteries of chemistry and conduct fun experiments, and they also can explore the world of science and technology featured in the museum's unique ongoing exhibits. Goldy Gopher will make a special guest appearance from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Door prizes will be awarded. Sponsored by the Institute of Technology Alumni Society, the Society of Women Engineers, and The Works. Free. For more information call 952-848-4848 or email info@theworks.org. Free. 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., 5701 Normandale Road, Edina.
National Engineers Week
Feb. 19–25: ChemFest is just one of the many events across the U.S. and in other countries that will mark the 55th annual National Engineers Week. Programs and activities during Engineers Week are dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers’ positive contributions to the quality of life and to motivating young students to pursue engineering careers. Engineers Week was initiated in the United States, but related programs and materials are now available in other countries.
Looking ahead
IT Day at the Capitol
March 8: Mark your calendars for IT Day at the Capitol, an opportunity for University students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the public to demonstrate their support for the University. Bus transportation to and from campus will be provided. More information about the event, including schedule and transportation options, will be published in the February issue of ITems and online.
Digital Technology Center: Data Mining Open House
March 23: The Data Mining Open House features a keynote address by Dr. Usama Fayyad, chief data officer and senior vice president of Yahoo; a poster presentation on University research; panel discussions featuring University faculty and members of industry. Free. Registration required by March 16. For more information call olesen@dtc.umn.edu or 612-625-6414.
9:00 a.m.–3:15 p.m., 402 Walter Library.
2006 Science &Technology Banquet
April 11: Dr. Paul M. Horn, senior vice president and director of IBM Research, will be the keynote speaker at the Science & Technology Banquet in Minneapolis. IT’s premier annual event, the banquet is a fundraiser, a social event, and a business networking opportunity for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and corporate friends in the Minnesota business community. Banquet proceeds benefit the Institute of Technology Alumni Scholarship Fund. Online registration will be available in February. Fee. 5:30–8:30 p.m., Minneapolis location TBA.
2006 Institute of Technology Commencement
May 5: Celebrate commencement with graduating students, their families and friends, and the Institute of Technology community. 7:00 p.m., Northrop Auditorium.
UMAA 2006 Annual Celebration
May 23: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be the featured speaker at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s Annual Celebration. Ticket pricing and other details will be available soon. Tickets go on sale Feb. 15 at Northrop Ticket Office. If you would like to be seated with other Institute of Technology alumni and friends, email the itas@umn.edu by February 15 or call 612-626-1802. You can also purchase open seating tickets on your own by calling 612-624-2345 or online. 5:30 p.m., reception; 6:00 p.m., dinner, Northrop Mall; 8:00 p.m., keynote address, Northrop Auditorium.
