The UA Board of Regents met April 18-19 in Homer. The regents approved a certificate in power generation at TVC, passed a resolution of appreciation for Syun-Ichi Akasofu and honored Provost Reichardt by naming the Natural Sciences Facility building the Paul B. Reichardt Building. The board delayed action on a requested $2 million increase for renovation of the Arctic Health Research Building. The board's next meeting is June 6-7 in Fairbanks. For details visit www.alaska.edu/bor/.
The 2007 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Service Award recipients have been announced. Yelena Matusevich, CLA, won the teaching award; A. David McGuire, CNSM, won the research award; and Shirish Patil, CEM, won the service award. They will be honored at an awards ceremony May 7 at 4 p.m. in Wood Center conference rooms C and D, following the Faculty Senate meeting. For more information about the awards visit www.uaf.edu/provost/usibelli/.
Facilities Services will be renovating the east wing of the Arctic Health Research Building beginning in May. During the 8-month renovation, department offices and laboratories will be relocated. Maps indicating where faculty, staff and students have moved will be provided at the building's entrance. For more information visit www.uaf.edu/fs/currentprojects.html.
UAF is gearing up for the American Heart Walk May 19. Many university teams are already engaged in this community-wide effort and have raised more than $22,000 towards the $30,000 goal. If you would like to join an existing team, form a new team or make a contribution, visit the American Heart Walk Fairbanks website at www.heartwalk.kintera.org/fairbanksak/.
Retired Gen. Henry Hugh Shelton, a former two-term chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be the keynote speaker for this year's commencement ceremony May 13 at the Carlson Center. Shelton will receive an honorary doctoral degree, as will Athabascan elder and author Catherine Attla and veteran atmospheric scientist Norbert Untersteiner. The Rev. Edward Hartmann will receive a Meritorious Service Award. For more information about the 2007 commencement visit www.uaf.edu/commencement/.
John Walsh, IARC, was a lead author on the polar regions chapter of the second volume of the Fourth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Judith Kleinfeld, CLA, was invited by first lady Laura Bush to speak at a regional conference of the Helping America 's Youth initiative held April 11-12 in Nashville, Tenn.
Greg Newby, ARSC, has been appointed chief scientist at ARSC. Newby has been with ARSC since 2003 and has served as acting chief scientist since 2005.
Daniel Oliver was appointed director and marine superintendent of the Seward Marine Center. Oliver is a former commander in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Barry McWayne, museum, retired at the end of March after 37 years with the UA Museum of the North.
Douglas Goering and graduate student Srivathsan Ragunathan, both CEM, along with Pramod Karulkar, OEM, presented a paper at the 2007 International Conference on Semiconductor Thermal Measurement, Modeling, and Management.
Updates to the UAF directory are due May 15. Please review the proofs at www.uaf.edu/directory/proof07/ and update your information at http://edir.alaska.edu, or notify your administrative contact with any changes. Contact the OIT Support Center at 8300 or helpdesk@alaska.edu for assistance.
SOM recently completed its five-year maintenance review to retain its business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Benefits open enrollment has begun. For more information visit www.alaska.edu/hr/benefits/open_enrollment/.
The last day of class is May 7. Final exams take place May 9-12. The residence halls close at noon May 12. Final grades are due by noon, May 16.
Employee notice, protection for whistleblowers: Any employee may in good faith report to testify before a public agency concerning: a violation of federal, state or local law; a danger to public health or safety; gross mismanagement; a substantial waste of funds or clear abuse of authority; or a matter under investigation by the state. Employee protections and obligations regarding reports of these matters of public concern are fully stated in Alaska statutes 39.90.100 through 39.90.150, which are available for review at University Relations, 201 Eielson Building.
Saturday, May 12
Commencement Rehearsal
10:30 a.m.-Carlson Center
Graduate Picnic
12:30-2:30 p.m.-Wood Center
Sunday, May 13
Graduation Mass
10:30 a.m.-Schaible Auditorium
Processional line-up, Carlson Center
12:20 p.m.-Graduates
12:45 p.m.-Faculty and administration
12:45 p.m.-Stage party and honorary degree recipients
Commencement Ceremony
Noon-Carlson Center opens for guests
1:20 p.m.-Academic procession begins
1:30 p.m.-Ceremony begins
Commencement Reception
Immediately following the ceremony in the Carlson Center’s Pioneer Room, sponsored by the Fairbanks Chapter of the UAF Alumni Association.
For more information call University Relations at 7581 or visit www.uaf.edu/commencement/.
The Out and Proud Film Festival, sponsored by the Student Activities Office, presents 20 Centimeters April 30 in the Pub and May 2 in Hess Rec Center, at 7 p.m. For more information visit www.uaf.edu/activity/.
The Center for Health and Counseling is hosting a retirement party for Bill Connor, who is retiring after 24 years with UAF, May 2 from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom.
The Department of English Colloquium series presents "The Authorship Problem in Forensic Linguistics" by G. Burns Cooper, CLA, May 4 at 3:30 p.m. in the Kayak Room.
Marge Thompson, Rasmuson Library, presents an exhibit of her photography during the First Friday opening May 4 from 5-8 p.m. at Well St. Art Co. located at 1304 Well Street.
The 2007 Grad Bash takes place May 5 from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. in the Pub. You must be 21 to enter the Pub, and a 2007 graduate or guest to attend.
Four UAF researchers were awarded more than $6.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation for projects studying diverse aspects of the arctic circumpolar region: Donie Bret-Harte, IAB, received $1.94 million; Terry Chapin, IAB, received $3.28 million; Richard Collins, GI, received $803,668; and Doug Kane, INE, received $537,565.
Libby Casey, KUAC, won three 2007 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for sports reporting with Midnight Sun Baseball, for continuing coverage with Alaskan Soldiers' Tour Extended and for feature reporting with Staff Sergeant Eugene Alex Remembered.
Miho Aoki, CLA and ARSC, received the top prize in the Digital Creation Awards. Aoki's award-winning piece Parties is on display at www.toray-dca.jp/english/prize/.
Jane Weber, Developmental Studies, received the TRIO Champion Award at the National TRIO Day Celebration March 6 for outstanding services and contributions to providing educational opportunities for disadvantaged students.
Laura Thompson, a pre-nursing major, was named the TRIO Achiever of 2006 for demonstrated academic excellence and perseverance in overcoming barriers and accomplishing her educational goals.
Katherine Keith, physics and renewable energy engineering major, received the $5,000 Morris K. Udall Foundation Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Merit Award.
The 2006-2007 Exceptional Student Employee Award recipients are: Jason Addison, Celine Gonon, Heather Kraemer, Crystal McGill, Rebecca Missler and Cameron Poindexter. For more information visit www.uaf.edu/career/.
April 30, 2007: Nominations for the Chancellor's Diversity Award are due. For more information contact fnmrc1@uaf.edu.
May 31, 2007: Applications for the Lawrence Tingook Davis Memorial Scholarship are due. For more information visit http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu/opportunities/.
Aug. 2, 2007: Nominations for the Distinguished Alumnus, Alumni Achievement and William R. Cashen Service awards are due. For more information visit www.uaf.edu/alumni/.
Response to Virginia Tech Tragedy
Our hearts go out to the students, faculty, staff and friends of Virginia Tech who have suffered terrible losses as a result of the tragic shootings. The fatalities and injuries are unprecedented in U.S. higher education history. As President Steger leads his school through a period of examination, reflection and recovery, we mourn both the loss of lives and of our sense of security. Incidents such as this are rare on American college campuses. Unfortunately, it seems no workplace or community institution is immune from random violence. College campuses remain vulnerable, despite our security efforts, because we want them to forever be free and open places of discourse. While we strive for that ideal, this tragedy reminds us of the importance of preparing for the worst.
UAF has a long-standing emergency management plan, strengthened in 2002 when we participated in a disaster-resistant university project through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This project prompted us to evaluate our strengths and vulnerabilities and improved our ability to respond to emergency situations. We are currently working with UA Statewide to enhance our capabilities even further and will revisit our own security and emergency preparedness policies and practices to ensure we have not missed anything we could be doing better.
In the meantime, more information about what to do in case of a campus emergency is available online at www.uaf.edu/uaf/alert/ or contact University Relations at 7581. I urge everyone to take the time to familiarize themselves with the resources there. We are all responsible for being prepared for an emergency situation.
