Session to Look at Research Ideas on Faith and Spirituality at Work

A training session on “Research Ideas on Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, in WJWH 203 (Hembree Room). All faculty, students, staff and the general public are invited to bring a brown bag lunch. The session will focus on people who have an interest in talking about research ideas on faith and spirituality in the workplace.  This will be an open dialogue facilitated by the Tyson Center for Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace director, Judith Neal, Ph.D.  The session will begin with a brief overview of the current state of the research in the field.   Then participants will be invited to share interests, explore ideas and look for possible collaboration opportunities.  This session can be particularly useful to students who may be looking for research projects for next semester. 

For more information, contact Judith Neal, jneal@walton.uark.edu, 575-3721.

This session counts as credit towards the Diversity Certificate.

University of Arkansas Math Department Offers Free Tutoring for FHS Students

The University of Arkansas department of mathematical sciences and the Fayetteville High School department of mathematics are sponsoring an educational outreach activity: free math tutoring for all the Fayetteville High School students. The department of mathematical sciences has selected a number of undergraduate math majors, who have been trained in tutoring by Brian Rickard of the Enhanced Learning Center and who have then proceeded to  'shadow' math teachers at Fayetteville High School.  After this training, the students have begun their tutoring activity. The department of mathematical sciences plans to continue this outreach activity through the spring semester and in future years, possibly extending it to other high schools and middle schools in the area.

The schedule for the tutoring in the month of November is the following:

Wednesdays: Tutor/Subject: Jesse Wright-geometry, Aaron Berkowitz-honors algebra and calculus AB/BC, Erica Wortham-geometry, Silas Cerjan-geometry and Jill Crisler, geometry.

Thursdays: Sierra Haury-connections, Riley Clark-algebra II, Silas Cerjan-geometry, Shelby Robinson-algebraic connections and Ashlee Calhoun-statistics.

Tutoring is available to all Fayetteville High School students at 3:45 p.m. at FHS, room 3304.

For more information, contact Susan King (susan.king@fayar.net) and Luca Capogna (lcapogna@uark.edu).

Tea at RZ's Nov. 20

RZs CoffeeHouse will offer a tea menu from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Friday Nov. 20. The menu will include tea-sized ham and boursin cheese on baguette, grilled duck breast on brioche with orange anise compote, opera torte, Julia Child’s chocolate mousse and raspberry Napoleons along with a pot of Numi(R) Organic tea. Cost is $5.99 per person.

IT Day for Parents and Educators Set for Dec. 3

IT Day for Parents and Educators will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, in Walker Hall seminar room 203. Parents and educators of future Razorbacks will hear what the Sam M. Walton College of Business is doing in the field of Information Technology, as well as how the industry and Bill Holder, CIO of Dillard's, views the IT field. Attendees will also hear about financial aid, general and Walton scholarships, and career development services offered to Sam M. Walton College of Business students.

Dinner will be provided and begins at 5:45 pm.

Please RSVP to Carlan at cpine@walton.uark.edu or at 479-575-4261.

Austrian Professor to Discuss EU-US Student Exchange Program Nov. 19

Professor Anton Huber from the Institute of Chemistry at Karl Franzens University in Graz, Austria, will give a presentation on the EU-US Programs in Biorenewables at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19, in room 301A in the Agriculture Building.

Huber, who is co-director of the program with Andy Proctor, University of Arkansas food science professor, will discuss opportunities for University of Arkansas students to participate in "renewable resources" studies in Europe, with most expenses paid.

The University of Arkansas is the U.S. lead institution of a EU-US Consortium, with partners at Iowa State University and Kansas State University. The European partners are Ghent University, Belgium; Karl Franzens University, Graz, Austria; and National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, France. An important objective of the consortium is to facilitate graduate and senior transatlantic study in the area of biomaterial production and utilization.

The program funds up to $5,000 for participating students. Students enroll at the University of Arkansas and have their tuition waived at the EU institution. Students interested in studying at EU partner institutions should contact Professor Andy Proctor, department of food science, (aproctor@uark.edu).

There are two types of programs available for seniors and graduate students. One provides opportunities to study at one of the EU partner institutions for one semester by completing coursework and/or research. The second are two-week intensive study programs consisting of lectures and field trips with a final exam.

Alumnus to Give Final Plant Pathology Centennial Seminar Friday

The Plant Pathology Centennial Seminar Series will conclude on Friday, Nov. 20, with a presentation by alumnus Steven A. Slack, associate vice president for agricultural administration and director of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center at Ohio State University. His topic is "An Arkansas Traveler: My Journey." The campus community and public are invited to attend the seminar at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, in the Larry Coombes Auditorium, room 009, Plant Sciences Building.

Slack is the last of several alumni and former faculty members to give seminars in the series, which began Sept. 4.

The department is one of the oldest stand-alone plant pathology departments in a university in the United States. Its beginnings trace to 1888 when the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station was established at the University of Arkansas in keeping with its land-grant charter mandate to promote scientific agriculture.

The experiment station was organized into eight departments in 1906, including bacteriology and pathology, and the plant pathology department was created in 1909 to focus on plant diseases.

The plant pathology faculty conducts statewide Division of Agriculture research and extension programs and academic programs in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Arkansas.

Professor A. Rick Bennett became the eight head of the department in March 2009, following the retirement of Professor Sung Lim, who had served since 1991. Bennett is former national program leader for plant health in the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The first department head was J. Lee Hewitt, 1909-1917, followed by John A. Elliott, 1917-1923; Vive H. Young, 1923-1953; E.M. “Monty” Cralley, 1953-1959; Joseph Fulton, 1959-1964; Derald A. Slack, 1964-1990; and Sung Lim, 1991-2009.

Slack, the son of former plant pathology department head Derald Slack, received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis. He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas in 1996.

In 1975, Slack joined the plant pathology department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in 1988 he moved to Cornell University as the Henry and Mildred Uihlein Professor of Plant Pathology; he served as department chair from 1995 to 1999. He has been in his current position at Ohio State since 1999.

Slack is a fellow and past president of the American Phytopathological Society, an honorary life member and past president of the Potato Association of America, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Other honors include a USDA Group Honor Award for Excellence in 1995 for work on a non-pesticidal control strategy for the potato golden nematode and the meritorious service award for research by the National Potato Council in 1997. He is NABC's chair for 2005-2006.

9th Annual Razorback Roundup set for Saturday, Nov. 21

Students enrolled in equine classes will conduct a horse and tack auction Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena, north of the UA campus in Fayetteville.

Sixty college students in the horse and livestock merchandising, and equine behavior and training classes are working together to produce the 9th Annual "Razorback Roundup" Horse and Tack Auction.

The sale benefits the D.E. King Equine Program, a pre-dominantly self-funded program at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center is located on Garland Avenue, two miles north of the UA campus. For details see the complete on-line catalog at http://www.razorbackroundup.org/. The sale day schedule is as follows.

1 to 2 p.m. Close inspection and meet the trainers

2:30 to 4 p.m. Student presentation of horses

4:30 p.m. Auction

Concessions will be available on sale day in the arena foyer.

During the presentation of sale horses student-trainers will present their project horses under saddle and over an obstacle course. Kathi Jogan, barn manager/assistant instructor adds, “This is one horse auction where you will get no surprises when you get your new horse home. Each horse even comes with a detailed portfolio created by the students. It includes the training plan, a journal of each training session, cues used, health records, and bloodlines. If the horse had problems, physical or behavioral, they will be covered in detail."

Nancy Jack, director of the D. E. King Equine Program says, "Our reputation for placing horses in appropriate homes is spreading. Donors are gaining confidence in our program and are willing to give us high quality registered horses. Subsequently, we are offering many horses with World Champion bloodlines. Our buyers take time to study the portfolios so they know all about the horse they are bidding on. This results in a win-win situation.

“We are offering lots of color and a variety of breeds and types this year. Ages range from weanlings to mature. Several of our horses are seasoned riding horses and some already have show points.  One of the main goals of the class is to get these horses into homes where they will fit well and stay for years to come," Says Jack. "The students are working very hard to produce a first rate auction. We are hoping for a big crowd to show moral support of this "real-life" business experience. Sightseers are most definitely welcome. On the other hand, if you choose to buy a horse from the Razorback Roundup your money will be going to a very worthwhile cause. All profits go to support the horses, student activities, and teaching programs in the department of animal science". 

Questions about the sale can be directed to Dr. Nancy Jack at 479-575-8423.

Razorback Roundup Horse & Tack Sale Web site: http://www.razorbackroundup.org/

E-mail: razorbackroundup@uark.edu

Equine Program Web site: http://www.equineprogram.org/

Professor's Presentation to Be Shown Nov. 21 on C-SPAN's Book TV

C-SPAN’s Book TV will broadcast on Nov. 21 the presentation given last month by University of Arkansas professor Robert Maranto on a new book of essays about the presidency of George W. Bush.

Maranto, who holds the Twenty-First Chair in Leadership in the College of Education and Health Professions, is lead editor of Judging Bush published by Stanford University Press. Maranto addressed an audience on Oct. 23 at Nightbird Books in Fayetteville.

The presentation is scheduled to be shown at 10 p.m. (CST) on Saturday, Nov. 21 on C-SPAN 2. Additional information about the book is also available at http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/15995.htm.

Emeritus Professor from Wisconsin to Discuss Teachers' Math Content Knowledge

Richard Askey, professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will speak about "Content Knowledge of Teachers" at noon, Friday, Nov. 20, on the University of Arkansas campus. Askey's lecture is a part of the series sponsored by the university's department of education reform. The lecture will be held in room 210 of the Graduate Education Building. It is free and open to the public. RSVP for a light lunch to http://uark.edu/ua/der

Physics Colloquium Nov. 20

Dr. Olivier Pfister will present a lecture entitled "Quantum Computing Over the Rainbow" at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in the Paul Sharrah Lecture Hall, room 133 of the Physics Building. Refreshments will be served in the lobby at 3:30 p.m.

Pfister received a B.S. in physics from Université de Nice and a Ph.D. in physics from Université Paris-Nord, in 1994, working on ultrahigh resolution laser spectroscopy and measuring the hyperfine and superhyperfine spectra of spherical top molecules. He was then a postdoctoral associate with Dr. John L. Hall at JILA for three years, and with Prof. Daniel J. Gauthier at Duke for two years, during which periods his interests expanded to nonlinear optics, optical frequency chains for time and length metrology, quantum interferometry, and two-photon lasers. He has been at the University of Virginia since 1999, currently an associate professor. Pfister's research has been focused on quantum optics, quantum interferometry, and quantum information with continuous variables. Pfister is a member of the APS (GQI, DLS, DAMOP, SESAPS) and of OSA. He is also particularly proud to have received the second prize in JILA's 1996 Clever Idea Contest.

Lecture Abstract:

Quantum computing has attracted much attention over the past sesquidecade because it makes integer-factoring easy, even though that has been a historically (if not provably) hard mathematical problem. The physical implementation of nontrivial quantum computing is an exciting, if daunting, experimental challenge, epitomized by the issues of decoherence and scalability of the quantum registers and processors. In this talk, I will present a novel scheme for realizing an entangled quantum register of potentially very large size in a remarkably compact physical system: the optical frequency comb (OFC) defined by the eigenmodes of a single optical resonator. The classical OFC is well known as implemented by the femtosecond, carrier-envelope-phase- and mode-locked lasers which have redefined time/frequency metrology and ultraprecise measurements in recent years. High coherence could therefore be expected in the quantum version of the OFC. Recently, we have shown theoretically that the nonlinear optical medium of a single optical parametric oscillator (OPO) can be engineered, in a sophisticated but already demonstrated manner, so as to entangle, in constant time, the OPO's OFC into an entangled state of arbitrary size, suitable for one-way quantum computing over continuous variables. I will describe the mathematical proof of this result and report on our progress towards its experimental implementation.

Speaker at Native American Symposium Brings Lesson on Straw Bale Housing

Anyone interested in sustainable practices that mean considerable savings in home heating and cooling could take a lesson from a small nonprofit organization that is helping to build housing for American Indians living within their reservations.

Mark Jensen, construction program director of the Red Feather Development Group, explained both the group’s effort to build affordable housing for Indians and the technique of straw bale construction during this year’s 16th annual Native American Symposium at the University of Arkansas. The symposium focused on ecology and sustainability with Jensen as the featured speaker at a session on Nov. 6.

Jensen described the Red Feather group’s effort to build two houses each year for Indians on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana and the Hopi reservation in Arizona. The nonprofit group based in Bozeman, Mont., requires the families who will live in the houses to pay for materials that are not donated to Red Feather and to work on their house as well as a house built for another family on their reservation either the previous or subsequent year.

Several people in the audience at Giffels Auditorium in Old Main on the Fayetteville campus were interested in the straw bale construction technique Red Feather uses. In response to a question, Jensen said humidity could dictate whether the straw bale technique could be used in Arkansas. He would not recommend it in a climate where the humidity reaches 80 percent.

The University of Arkansas Native American Symposium is sponsored by the Honors Film Association; the Native American Student Association; the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology; the Honors College; the Multicultural Center; the Walton College of Business; the College of Education and Health Professions; and the department of communication in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. 

Jensen explained that straw bale construction has been exceptionally well-received on the Indian reservations because the homes are well-built and beautiful. Not only are the houses less expensive to build than standard wood-frame construction, the savings in heating and cooling costs are significant.

“The energy efficiency of straw bale construction can save up to 75 percent on heating and cooling costs compared to traditional housing construction,” Jensen said. “The R-Value (a measurement of insulation’s resistance to heat flow) of straw bale construction is also significantly higher than wood-frame construction.”

Jensen gave the example of a family in northern Montana, where the temperature falls to 30 to 40 below zero, whose heating bill in a traditional wood-frame house ran about $400 per month in the winter. After they moved into a straw bale house, the heating cost went down to $40 per month, he said.

The houses constructed by Red Feather also feature radiant floor heat provided by hot water pumped through pipes in a concrete floor.

“The fire resistance of straw bale construction is rated at 2 hours, compared to 40 minutes for stick construction,” Jensen said.

Red Feather uses a load-bearing construction technique in which the straw bale walls are covered with plaster. More information on the construction technique as well as donating or volunteering for Red Feather Development Group can be found at the group’s Web site at www.redfeather.org.  

Red Feather didn’t start out building houses with straw bales, Jensen said. The builders were working on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.

“We saw wheat fields all around us but not many trees so we got the idea to look into straw bale construction,” he recalled. “We partnered with the University of Washington’s school of architecture, which was creating building codes for straw bale construction in Washington state.”

The technique dates back to the late 1800s when many pioneers in the Midwest had to make do without lumber until railroads were built to span the country some decades later. Because straw bales are a waste byproduct of wheat harvests, their use is environmentally responsible, Jensen explained, as well as eliminating the high cost of energy needed to harvest and ship lumber. Most farmers burn their fields after harvesting the wheat or flood them to hasten the straw’s decomposition. Red Feather works with farmers in the areas in which they build to benefit the local economy when possible, he said.

A Seattle business man, Robert Young, founded Red Feather Development Group in 1994 after reading a newspaper article while on a business trip in Taos, N.M., about elderly American Indians freezing to death on reservations because of inadequate housing during the harsh winter. The group describes itself as an independent, non-religious, nonprofit organization that employs volunteer humanitarian action to empower American Indian communities, foster cultural sensitivity and understanding, and contribute grassroots solutions to the enormous challenge of improving the dire housing conditions facing many of the nation’s reservations.

Corporate sponsors include Whirlpool, Stanley Tools, Benjamin Moore Paints, Moen, Probuild, Bosch Power Tools, Therma-Tru Doors, Master Lock and Insulation Solutions. Sponsorships help reduce the cost of the homes by nearly $25,000.

Volunteers camp in tents at the building site for one to four weeks, and Red Feather encourages local residents to interact with the volunteers to foster natural cultural exchange and understanding of local customs. The building season is June on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana and September on the Hopi reservation in Arizona.

“It’s a life-altering experience,” Jensen said. “People don’t want to leave. They come back the next year. We have several generations of some families who volunteer.”

Jensen said he and other workers with Red Feather have been asked several times by Indians whether they live in straw bale houses so he decided it was time to “walk the walk.”

“I’m getting ready to build my own straw bale home in Bozeman,” he said.

Noted Entomologist and Darwin Scholar to Visit Campus Nov. 19-20

Gene Kritsky, a noted entomologist and Darwin scholar, will be at the University of Arkansas Thursday, Nov. 19 and Friday, Nov. 20, in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book, Origin of Species, in November 1859.  Kritsky will present “Darwin’s Origin of Species: Its History and Meaning” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main. He will also present a biology seminar at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, about periodical cicadas and an entomology seminar at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, on the history of bee hives.  His visit is being jointly sponsored by the departments of entomology and biological sciences.

To learn more, please go to  http://inside.msj.edu/academics/faculty/kritskg/index.html

Sports Medicine Symposium to Focus on Injury Prevention

The University of Arkansas graduate athletic training program and Northwest Health System present the 4th Annual RAZOR Fitness Sports Medicine Symposium on Dec. 5 at the University of Arkansas Center for Continuing Education. This year, the symposium's focus will be on injury prevention programs so the organizers strongly encourage not only sports medicine professionals but also coaches and educators to attend.

The conference takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.

Keynote speaker will be Dr. Timothy E. Hewett. Hewett is the director of the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center at Children's Hospital Research Foundation in Cincinnati. He is an assistant professor in pediatrics and orthopedic surgery in the College of Medicine and an adjunct associate professor in rehabilitation sciences at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Hewett is best known for his work in the area of the prevention of knee injuries in female athletes. He will speak about the mechanics of ACL injury and those at risk and then introduce a practical ACL prevention program.

Other practical applications that will be discussed are trunk and core training, proper lifting techniques (presented by Todd Barbour, University of Arkansas director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports) as well as other presentations describing throwing injuries, the role of the trunk in upper extremity activities, and a case study of an ACL rupture in an NFL quarterback.

A fee schedule and online registration are available at http://hpl.uark.edu/media/RAZOR_sports_medicine_09.pdf. The advanced registration is strongly encouraged, although there will be onsite registration at 7:30 a.m. along with a continental breakfast.

Student Support Services Presents Toys For Tots

The University of Arkansas Student Support Services will be taking donations as well as toys to help provide for children and needy families on Christmas from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 through Tuesday, Nov. 24, in the Arkansas Union (in front of the food court). Come out and support this wonderful cause. Those who donate $5 or more will be eligible for the grand prize. Free cookies will be served.

Physics Colloquium Nov. 13

Zuzanna Liliental-Weber, Ph.D., materials science division at Lawrence Berekeley National Laboratory, will present "Structural Perfection of In-Rich III-Nitrides; Relation to Luminescence" at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, in the Paul Sharrah Lecture Hall, PHYS 133. Refreshments will be served in the lobby at 3:30 p.m.

Abstract:

InxGa1-xN is used as active material in optical devices and gives the possibility of obtaining light emission with tunable wavelength, depending on In content. However, due to the large size difference between Ga, In and N, a miscibility gap was predicted theoretically and phase separation has been shown experimentally in this alloy system. Hence, the growth of single phase homogeneous InxGa1-xN is still challenging. Despite the general believe that only the growth of InGaN films with In content higher than 20% is difficult and thus hampers the development of long wavelength LEDs, we found that thick layers (>100 nm) of InGaN with low In contents (~10%) also have high density of structural defects that strongly affect their optical properties. Using a variety of analytical techniques (including TEM, x-ray studies, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence performed on the same samples) we show for 10% In that the layers are sequestrated into sublayers with different In content when the film thickness exceeds a certain critical layer thickness. We find that only samples thinner than 100 nm are almost free of structural defects and these samples give single band edge PL peaks. CL studies on the thin samples confirm PL results with one band edge peak and give multiple peaks when an electron beam is placed in the defective parts of the layers. TEM studies show high density of planar defects in the thicker samples. These defective samples showed multiple PL peaks corresponding to layers with different In content. However, the presence of some low energy PL peaks (l ~ 4420 Å) required layers with much higher In content that was not detected by TEM, x-ray or RBS in the thick samples. We are suggesting that some of these PL and Cl peaks, especially from the structurally defective samples can originate from defects as well as regions with different atomic arrangements.

In this presentation p-doping of InN will be also discussed, since in order to apply InN to devices one needs to be sure that p doping in this material is possible. While undoped InN films are always n-type, p-type doping is still difficult to achieve. Transmission Electron Microscopy shows that the InN samples doped with either increasing or constant Mg concentration follow a cation or anion substrate polarity. In-polar samples change growth polarity when the Mg concentration is >1019cm-3. N-polar samples have much higher density of planar defects than In-polar samples and their presence leads to a decrease in dislocation density. In the N-polar samples equally spaced planar defects are observed for Mg concentration >1019cm-3.  It will be shown that three different polytypes (2H, 3C and 4H) are observed in this type of samples.

Liliental-Weber directs a research group interested in the characterization of thin films and interfaces with state-of-the art electron microscopy techniques. Her special interest is the influence of structural defects on the optical and electrical properties of semiconductor thin films and interfaces, such as dislocations and planar defects in III-nitrides, off-stoichiometric III-V thin film semiconductors, ordered structures and metal contacts to different type of semiconductors.

High Performance Computing Users Group Meeting Dec. 7

A meeting of the High Performance Computing Users Group will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, in the Executive Boardroom of the JBHT building, located on the 5th floor.

Mike Abbiatti, executive director of ARE-ON (Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network), will speak about the current status of the network as well as future opportunities for high speed optical connections to other institutions such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Texas Advanced Computing Center. This is an opportunity for members of our research community to provide input about how we may improve and enhance the utilization of ARE-ON with the use of advanced applications.

Staff from the AHPCC (Arkansas High Performance Computing Center) will be on hand to discuss future training opportunities such as an Advanced Scientific Visualization class at TACC as well as inquiries to the group about what types of training would most benefit researchers here on our campus. A vendor report detailing the current state of HPC technologies will also be given by AHPCC staff members just returning from SC09, which is the largest convention of its kind in the world.

Please RSVP to jpummil@uark.edu so that we may get an accurate head count of who may be attending the event.

Fill 'Er Up' Food Drive Underway

The student employees of the department of intramural/recreational sports & SAC are sponsoring the “Fill ‘Er Up” Food Drive through Dec. 16.  Donation stations are placed at each door entrance leading into the HPER Building and also in the foyer by the Service Center on the 2nd floor. 

Any member that brings in at least three food items (per visit) on any weekend (Friday – Sunday) during the food drive will receive one free guest pass at the time of entry, redeemable until Jan. 31, 2010. 

Donations will be made to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. 

During the food drive, a competition between sororities, fraternities and residence halls will take place.  Tell the facility assistant at the door what organization you are sponsoring at the time of donation!  Bragging rights to top organization!

Garrison Financial Institute to Host 'How Can I Afford Retirement?' Workshops at Fayetteville Library

Research shows that individuals in the 50- to 70-year age group believe they are prepared for a comfortable retirement, but many may have not saved enough to achieve that goal. The Garrison Financial Institute in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is collaborating with the Fayetteville Public Library to host the “How Can I Afford Retirement?” series of workshops.

The workshops are non-commercial and free, but participants must register in advance at: http://gfi.uark.edu. The first workshop, “Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement” will be offered at the Fayetteville Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, or at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. The session will be taught by Glenn E. Atkins, CFA, Garrison Asset Management, LLC.

These workshops have been made possible by a grant from the Investor Protection Trust, a non-profit organization devoted to investor education. Since 1993, the trust has worked with states to provide independent, objective investor education needed by all American to make informed investor decisions. To learn more about Investor Protection Trust, visit their Web site at http://www.investorprotection.org.

The other sessions will be offered in 2010: Session 2 – “Closing the Gap: Investment and Expense Strategies – Even for Late Starters!”: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, or 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13; Session 3 – “Investing Wisely to Avoid the Financial Risk of Longer Life Expectancy”: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11, or 10 a.m. Saturday, March 13; and Session 4 – “Protecting Your Investments – The Best Defense is a Wise and Safe Investor: Fall 2010.”

For more information, contact Rochelle M. Costrell, Associate Director, Garrison Financial Institute, Sam M. Walton College of Business 479-575-4399, rcostrell@walton.uark.edu

Skinner to Present CSES Seminar Nov. 9

The Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences Fall Seminar Series will continue at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in the Larry Coombes Auditorium, Plant Sciences 009, with a presentation by Vaughn Skinner, director of Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center, on Development and Use of Spatial Information Technologies to Manage an Agricultural Experiment Station.

Activities to Mark 20th Anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall

Two weeks of events are planned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. From Nov. 5 through Nov. 20 in the display cases in the Fine Arts Building will be the works of professor Bryan Gott’s graphic design students and the historical maps of Dr. Fiona Davidson’s geography students, along with artifacts from the former East Germany.

• From 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in 421 Old Main — A discussion of “Inside Communism: Personal Recollections of Everyday Life behind the Iron Curtain” by Dr. Evan Bukey and Dr. Thomas Grischany. They will discuss their experiences living in the German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union / Bulgaria, respectively, and share photos with the audience.
• From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in J.B. Hunt 207 — "Dinner and a Show: The East German Western Apachen (Apaches)." Bring your lunch and come see one of the many Westerns the East Germans made, in which the Indians are the good guys and the cowboys are the ruthless capitalists. Introduction by Dr. Kathleen Condray.
• From 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in Kimpel 105 — Dr. Lisa Corrigan will discuss the rhetorical context surrounding the fall of the wall by looking at the public discourse of Ronald Reagan. This lecture will be followed by a question and answer session.
• From 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Kimpel 210 — “99 Red Balloons and the Youth of America” by Dr. Jennifer Hoyer. She will discuss how the only four West German pop songs to make it onto American charts were all about the conflict between East and West in the Cold War.
• From 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Ozark 25 — A symposium "The West's Political Reaction to the Fall of the Wall" featuring Alessandro Brogi, Benjamin Grob-Fitzgibbon, and Thomas Grischany. Each panelist will offer remarks for 15 to 20 minutes followed by questions and discussion.

All events are free and open to the public.

Next Animal Science Seminar on Monday, Oct. 26

The next Animal Sciences Department Seminar will feature Amber Brooke Rayfield, who will present "A genetetic approach to parasite resistance in beef cattle," and Timothy Norton Rojas, who will present the "Impact of forage vs. conventional feeding on carcass quality and sensory of beef." The seminars begin at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in the Hembree Auditorium, AFLS E-107.

Future seminars in the series will be at the same time on Mondays and in the Hembree Auditorium. They include:

• Nov. 2 – Juvenal Kanani – "Evaluation of nutritive value of forages in ruminants by internal markers"
• Nov. 9 – James Dale Caldwell Jr. – "Impacts of Condensed Tannins on the Ruminant Animal"
• Nov. 16 – John Thomas Richeson – "Stress and the acute phase protein response in newly received beef cattle"
• Nov. 23 – Lindsey Nicole Mehall – "The effects of pre-versus post-treatment fabrication on microbial load count of primal and sub primal cuts of red meat"
• Nov. 30 – Tifanie Kindle Silver – "Investigation into the incidence of intestinal helminthes in goat species"
• Dec. 7 – Eric Hatungimana – "Effects of Dietary Neutral Detergent Fiber on Performances of Lactating Dairy Cattle"

Author Zulfikar Ghose to Speak on the Question of a Writer's Identity

Zulfikar Ghose, a prolific author of poetry, fiction, and literary criticism, will offer a public lecture titled "On Being a Native Alien: The Question of a Writer's Identity" at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in Kimpel Hall 105. Ghose was born in British India in 1935, an area that later became Pakistan. He attended Keele University in Britain in the 1950s, where he studied English and philosophy.  He was sports correspondent, based in South Asia, for the London Observer.  In the 1960s he began publishing poetry, short stories and his first novels. "The Murder of Aziz Khan" (1967), a harshly realistic look at the persistance of feudalism in newly independent Pakistan, is considered the first novel by a Pakistani published in the United States.  In the 1970s he gained international repute with his trilogy, "The Incredible Brazilian," which Thomas Berger called "a picaresque prose epic of Brazilian history."  Paul Theroux judged the work "a considerable feat of imagination and novelistic ventriloquism" and Anthony Burgess hailed it as "what fiction is meant to be about: life bigger than life."  His most recent novel is "Triple Mirror of the Self" (1992).  He is currently Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Texas-Austin, where he taught for many years.

As the title of his lecture suggests, Ghose defies -- and resists -- neat geographical or theoretical categorization as author and critic.

His talk is sponsored by the Pakistan Culture Club, the Latin American Studies program, and the King Fahd Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. For more information on Ghose, go to http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1724

The Private Memory of Aggregate Shocks Lecture Topic

Carlos da Costa will present “The Private Memory of Aggregate Shocks” at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, in Walton College, room 431.  Dr. da Costa received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is currently a visitor at MIT.  He has recent publications in JPE (2008, 2005), JPub (2008), Review of Economic Dynamics (2009), among other top journals. More information can be found at http://epge.fgv.br/en/professor/carlos.eugenio.

University of Arkansas Hosts First Salute to Veterans Event

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas will host A Salute to Veterans at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 in the Arkansas Union Ballroom. This is the first event of its kind, and the public is invited to attend.

Speakers will discuss the connection between the military and educational opportunities at the University of Arkansas, and attendees will be recognized for their service.

Speakers include:

• George Westmoreland, chair of the Governor’s Yellow Ribbon Task Force and civilian aide to the secretary of the Army for Arkansas
• Major General William D. Wofford, adjutant general, Arkansas National Guard
• Vaughn DeCoster, team leader, Fayetteville Vet Center
• Hunter Riley, Pat Tillman Foundation program director and University of Arkansas alumnus
• G. David Gearhart, University of Arkansas chancellor
• Josette Cline, chair, University of Arkansas Veterans Task Force

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Danielle Strickland, manager of advancement communications
Office of university relations
479-575-7346, strick@uark.edu

Chemistry/Biochemistry Lecture Oct. 19

Franklin Davis, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Chemistry, Temple University, will present "Asymmetric Synthesis of Nitrogen Heterocycles using Sulfinimines (N-Sulfinyl Imines)" at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in CHEM 144.

Davis was elected a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2009. He has received numerous honors and awards from the ACS and various institutions.

His research interests are focused on the development of new reagents and methodologies for the asymmetric synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles and natural products employing sulfur-nitrogen reagents.

A reception will take place after the seminar in CHEM 105. The event is open to the public.

For more information see http://chemistry.uark.edu/1690.htm, or contact seminar chair Matt McIntosh, mcintosh@uark.edu.

"Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover"

Students and employees are invited to participate in the University of Arkansas’ “Living Library.”  A living library functions similarly to a regular library, except that the books are real, diverse, human beings, who teach others about themselves and their experiences through interpersonal dialogue. 

For students, this is an excellent opportunity to interview someone different from themselves, and may help to fulfill a diversity requirement for a class.  (Please check with the instructor to be sure.) 

For employees, the time spent having a dialogue with a new book can count as one hour towards their UA diversity certificate.  Participants in the Professional Development Institute can also receive credit towards their certificate. 

For everyone, this is an opportunity to learn from and better understand one another and our cultures.

You may visit http://libinfo.uark.edu/diversity/livinglibrary/faq.asp to learn more about the program, including a list of books and information on how to schedule your session. 

Please e-mail Mary Honoré Tucker at mhonore@uark.edu, or call Mary at 575-7096, to reserve your 45-minute session with a “living” book.  

All sessions with books at the Living Library will be held in the living room of Holcombe Hall, located at Garland and Maple.

The Living Library Program is organized and sponsored by the University Ombuds Office, the University Libraries' Diversity Committee, and the International Students and Scholars Office.

Department of Animal Science Graduate Seminar Series Schedule

The department of animal science graduate students fall 2009 seminar schedule follows. Presentations take place from 3:30 to 4:20 p.m. in Hembree Auditorium (AFLS E107).

Dates and topics are as follows:

Oct. 19: Cari Ann Keys – Free range vs. conventional methods to raise pigs and their effect on pork quality

Oct. 26: Amber Brooke Rayfield – A genetic approach to parasite resistance in beef cattle

Timothy Norton Rojas – Impact of forage vs. conventional feeding on carcass quality and sensory of beef

Nov. 2: Juvenal Kanani – Evaluation of nutritive value of forages in ruminants by internal markers

Nov. 9: James Dale Caldwell, Jr. -- Impacts of Condensed Tannins on the Ruminant Animal

Nov. 16: John Thomas Richeson – Stress and the acute phase protein response in newly received beef cattle

Nov. 23: Lindsey Nicole Mehall – The effects of pre-versus post-treatment fabrication on microbial load count of primal and sub primal cuts of red meat

Nov. 30: Tifanie Kindle Silver – Investigation into the incidence of intestinal helminthes in goat species

Dec. 7: Eric Hatungimana – Effects of Dietary Neutral Detergent Fiber on Performances of Lactating Dairy Cattle

Immigration Basics: General Information and Common Misconceptions

Elizabeth Young, director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the School of Law and Roy Petty, attorney with the Petty Law Office in Fayetteville, will lead a Brown Bag discussion of frequently asked questions and hot topics in immigration, as part of the One Book, One Community program from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in room 326 in the School of Law.

Campus Clothesline Project on Display

The Campus Clothesline Project is scheduled to be on display at the Central Quad, the mall area in front of the Arkansas Union, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 6; and from 9 a.m. to about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7. The project is scheduled for extended hours on Wednesday to coincide with the second annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, a march to bring greater awareness and to speak out against violence against women. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes begins at 6 p.m. in the Arkansas Union mall area and is co-sponsored by RESPECT, White Ribbon, Greek Life and SARPA. The public is invited.

Middle East Experts Discuss Future of Israel and Palestine at University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Two noted experts on the Palestinian and Israeli conflict will lead a roundtable discussion at the University of Arkansas from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, in Room 105 of Kimpel Hall. Roane Carey and Yoram Meital will discuss “Palestine/Israel After Gaza: Futility or Hope?” The event is sponsored by the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. It is free and open to the public.

Roane Carey is managing editor of The Nation, co-editor of The Other Israel (2004) and editor of The New Intifada (2001). Carey was resident scholar this spring at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. He traveled to Gaza in June with a group led by Code Pink: Women for Peace, the U.S.-based anti-war and social justice organization.

Yoram Meital is professor of Middle Eastern studies and director of the Chaim Herzog Center for Middle East studies and diplomacy at Ben-Gurion University, Israel. He is author of Peace in Tatters (2006) and Egypt’s Struggle for Peace (1997). He is currently resident scholar at Northeastern University in Boston.

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Joel Gordon, director
King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies
479-575-4157, joelg@uark.edu

Steve Voorhies, manager, media relations
University Relations
479-575-3583, voorhies@uark.edu

Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences Announces Seminar Schedule

The University of Arkansas department of crop, soil and environmental sciences will hold regular seminars at 3:30 p.m. Mondays, in PTSC 009. The schedule is as follows:

Sept. 28 – Andrew Scaboo - Evaluation of Inbreeding Methodologies and Molecular Markers for Developing Food-Grade Soybean Cultivars.

Oct. 5 – Michael Sweeney - Soil Quality in an Experimental Cow-Calf Management System Incorporating Novel Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue.

Oct. 12 – Dr. Raymond Wheeler, senior plant scientist, NASA - Agriculture for Life Support Systems in Space: Past, Present, and Future Research.

Oct. 19 – Amanda Mathis - Performance Evaluation of Septic System Absorption Field Products with Differing Architectures in a Profile-Limited Soil.

Oct. 26 – Chris Rogers - Role of Fluvial Sediments in Modifying Phosphorus Export from the Illinois River Watershed. Bodie Drake - The Effect of Variable Elemental Composition, Temperature, and Light on Periphyton Phosphorus Uptake in Northwest Arkansas Streams.

Nov. 9 – Vaughn Skinner - Development and Use of Spatial Information Technologies to Manage an Agricultural Experiment Station.

Nov. 16 – Brad Davis - Response of Rice, Soybean, and Wheat to Low Rates of Glufosinate.

Nov. 23 – Adriano Mastrodomenico - Soybean Nitrogen Fixation and Nitrogen Allocation at Different Reproductive Stages and Water Regimes.

Nov. 30 – Channon Toland - Stormwater Runoff and Plant Survival on Mock Green Roofs at the Watershed Research and Education Center. Rob Rorie - Determining the N Status of Corn Using Digital Color Analysis.

Dec. 7 – Sanjeev Bangarwa - Alternatives to Methyl Bromide:  Integrated Approaches to Nutsedge Management in Tomato.

Chemistry Lecture Sept. 18

Alumnus Howard Hendrickson, Ph.D. ’96, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UAMS, will present a seminar “Targeted Metabolomics: Looking for Hay in a Haystack,” at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, in CHEM 144.

An open discussion will take place after his talk in CHEM 144 for undergraduate and graduate students interested in his research or study in pharmacy.

The event is open to the public

Hendrickson’s research is aimed toward the discovery and validation of new biomarkers of disease using “targeted-metabolomics.” The aim of targeted-metabolomics is to correlate the concentration of an endogenous small molecule (e.g., amino acid, lipid) to the pathology of a disease state. His laboratory works with a team of physician-scientists and scientists to identify new biomarkers of disease, including, radiation-induced organ damage, diabetes, and drug abuse.

Chemistry/Biochemistry Lecture Sept. 14

Professor David B. Collum, Cornell University, will present “LDA-Mediated Ortholithiations: Salt Effects and Autocatalysis,” at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, in CHEM 144. His research involves the mechanistic basis of organolithium reactivity and selectivity, always with the synthetic organic community in mind. Among the awards he has received are the American Chemical Society Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award and a National Institutes of Health MERIT Award.  He has collaborated with and consulted for a number of pharmaceutical companies and has published more than 100 research papers.

A reception will take place after the seminar in CHEM 105.

The event is open to the public.

For more information see http://chemistry.uark.edu/1690.htm, or contact seminar chair Matt McIntosh, mcintosh@uark.edu.

Nadi Cinema Sets Fall Schedule

Nadi Cinema, the Middle East Film Club, screens films from across the Middle East and often beyond.  All films – classics, cult favorites, recent hits, comedies, tragedies, political thrillers, social commentaries, and romances, in black-white and living color – are subtitled in English.  Screenings are free and open to the public.  Nadi Cinema is hosted by Professor Joel Gordon of the department of history (joelg@uark.edu).

The films are show at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in 104 Mullins Library.

The schedule is as follows:

Sept. 9:  Shokaran / Hemlock (Iran 2000). A ‘subtle, provocative and elegant’ (New Times) tale of ‘temporary marriage’ – often called an Iranian adaptation of ‘Fatal Attraction,’ and starring the magnificent Hedieh Tehrani (Donya, Halfmoon) in the film that made her a star.  90 minutes/Farsi

Sept. 23:  Ha-Bu`a / The Bubble (Israel 2006). The latest film by gender bender Eitan Fox, the ‘bubble’ is Tel Aviv, a carefree, hip metropolis where young Israelis, even army reservists, can forget how close they live to Occupied Palestine – at least until Noam runs into Ashraf at a West Bank checkpoint. ‘Friends’ meets ‘Will and Grace’ in the shadow of a smoldering conflict.  118 minutes/ Hebrew

Oct. 7:  Izzat / Respect (Norway 2005) 107 minutes, Norwegian/Urdu. Hollywood gangster genre meets Norway’s multicultural urban – and underworld – landscape, as three young Pakistani-Norwegians, out of place in Oslo and disaffected from their parents’ immigrant traditions, became attracted to the East Side Crew. ‘Life’s a matter of honor.’ 107 minutes/Norwegian and Urdu

Oct. 21:  al-Liss wal-Kilab / The Thief and the Dogs (Egypt 1962) 124 min, Arabic. The celebrated adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz’s classic tale, brought to the screen by the great Kamal al-Shaykh, starring Shukri Sirhan and Shadia.  This is the elegiac story of a cat burglar, a product of social revolution, whose time has passed.    124 minutes/Arabic

Oct. 28:  Zinda Lash / The Living Corpse (Pakistan 1967). Second Annual Pakistani Fright Night -- the classic Dracula tale faithfully re-told, yet set far from Transylvania, this a must for horror/monster devotees and proof that ‘in the 1960s even Pakistan was swinging.’  ‘So hot it was banned on original release,’ Zinda Lash features, naturally, a few great musical numbers. 104 minutes/Urdu

Nov. 4: Agir Roman / Cholera Street (Turkey 1997) 115 min, Turkish. Based on a popular novel, the film is set in an old decaying district in Istanbul, home to gypsies, outlaws, prostitutes, those struggling to get by and those endeavoring to escape.  Described as evocative, suspenseful – and unforgettable.  115 minutes/Turkish

Nov. 18:  The Terrorist (India 1999).  ‘An utterly poetic, suspenseful film’ (Washington Post) and a featured selection at Sundance, this film follows a suicide bomber as she ‘marches toward the end of her life.’  Based on events surrounding the assassination of India’s Rajiv Gandhi.  ‘She’s a natural born killer.’  95 minutes/Tamil

Dec. 2:  Wahad min al-Nass / One of the People (Egypt 2006) 132 min, Arabic. A recent Egyptian social thriller with a characteristic cynical take, this is the story of a security guard who witnesses a crime and becomes ensnared in something larger than life – at least his life.  What place is there for the common man in a world of corrupt tycoons and political fixers?  132 minutes/Arabic

Akhmadullin to Perform Guest Recital

Natalia Bolshakova and Iskander Akhmadullin

The Fulbright College department of music will feature guest artist Iskander Akhmadullin on trumpet in a recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the newly renovated Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Center on the University of Arkansas campus. Akhmadullin will be accompanied on piano by Natalia Bolshakova in a program consisting of works by Giuseppe Torelli, J.G.B. Neruda, Joseph Turrin, Richard Peaslee, Bert Truax, and Bernardino Bautista Monterde.

Iskander Akhmadullin is the assistant professor of trumpet at the University of Missouri and holds degrees from the Kazan Music College, the Moscow State Conservatory, and the University of North Texas. He has been a co-principal trumpet with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra for several seasons and has been a member of the National Trumpet Competition Faculty, as well as performed at numerous festivals and conferences, including the Moscow Autumn Festivals, the Russian Trumpet Guild Conferences, and the International Trumpet Guild Conferences. Together with his wife, pianist Natalia Bolshakova, Akhmadullin has given recitals and master-classes in the United States, Germany and Russia. He was among the first Russian trumpet players to perform on the baroque trumpet.

Natalia Bolshakova studied at the Moscow Conservatory and the University of North Texas. She has been a prizewinner in many competitions, including the New Orleans International Piano Competitions and the Ima Hogg Young Artist International Competition. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras across the United States and in Europe. In 1997, she was cited by the BBC Music Magazine as “one of the most promising musicians of the younger generation.” Bolshakova is on the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Missouri.

The Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall is located in the Fine Arts Building on the UA campus. Free parking is available in the parking deck, which can be accessed from Stadium Drive and is located directly to the west of the Fine Arts Building. The admission is free and the public is cordially invited to attend. For more information, please call the department of music at 479-575-4701 or see the Web at http://music.uark.edu/.

Morris Dees, Founder of Southern Poverty Law Center, to Speak at School of Law

Morris Dees. (Photo by Kevin Glackmeyer.)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Morris Dees, pioneering civil rights attorney and founder and chief trial counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center, will give a presentation at the University of Arkansas School of Law at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18. The talk is open to the public and will take place in Leflar Law Center in the E.J. Ball Courtroom.

“I am thrilled to welcome Morris Dees – a great, personal hero to me and so many others, to the School of Law,” said Cynthia Nance, dean and professor of law. “Truly, I can think of no better person to exemplify the monumental positive difference our profession can make than Morris Dees. I have no doubt he will inspire and educate us all.”

The son of an Alabama farmer, Dees achieved remarkable success as a lawyer and publisher in the 1960s. While snowed in at an airport in 1967, Dees decided to change course in his life and devote himself to helping others.

As he wrote in his autobiography, A Season for Justice, “I was ready to take that step, to speak out for my black friends who were still 'disenfranchised' even after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Little had changed in the South. Whites held the power and had no intention of voluntarily sharing it. ... I had made up my mind. I would sell the company as soon as possible and specialize in civil rights law. All the things in my life that had brought me to this point, all the pulls and tugs of my conscience, found a singular peace. It did not matter what my neighbors would think, or the judges, the bankers, or even my relatives."

Following this epiphany, Dees began taking on highly controversial civil rights cases across Alabama and the South, including, in 1969, filing suit to integrate the Montgomery YMCA. In 1971, he and his law partner Joseph J. Levin Jr. founded the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. Civil rights activist Julian Bond was the center’s first president.

The Southern Poverty Law Center works to educate the public about tolerance while its legal team fights discrimination and hate groups. The center’s Intelligence Project tracks and monitors hate groups and provides updates to law enforcement and the public. Its Teaching Tolerance program is one of the world’s most comprehensive resources for anti-bias information and education.

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Andy Albertson, director of communications
School of Law
479-575-6111, aalbert@uark.edu

Turf Crowd Turns Out for Field Day at Division of Agriculture Center

Graduate student Tara Wood discusses research on managing white grubs, which are Japanese beetle larvae, in different varieties of grass.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It’s a turf crowd that scientists and their graduate students perform for at the Turfgrass Field Day, but attendance has grown each year of the annual event at the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center 2.5 miles north of the University of Arkansas campus on Arkansas Highway 112.

The turfgrass research area includes the largest putting green in Arkansas. It’s used for bentgrass research and is part of a horticultural research, extension and teaching complex provided by the University of Arkansas System’s statewide Division of Agriculture.

Assistant professor Aaron Patton, who coordinates the event, said most of the approximately 260 field day visitors work in the lawn care, golf course, athletic field and sod farm industries. The field day was held every other year until 2007 when it became a yearly event.

“I think we are meeting a real need by providing updates on research, demonstrations of recommended practices and new technology, and a trade show, which had 20 vendors this year,” Patton said. “It’s also good for networking with other turf people, vendors and university people.”

The field day includes pesticide recertification training for turf managers in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

A tour of research projects and demonstrations included a range of topics, such as grass variety trials, variety selection for various purposes including drought tolerance, managing putting greens, fertilization, and control of plant diseases, insect pests and weeds.

Reports on turf research and extension projects are provided in the “Arkansas Turfgrass Report” published annually by the division’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. To see the report online and event announcements, visit the Turfgrass Science Web site at turf.uark.edu.

Results of turfgrass variety trials in Arkansas and other states in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program are online at www.ntep.org.

Bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in “horticulture, landscape and turf science” are offered by the horticulture department (hort.uark.edu) in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

West Fork Watershed Celebration & River Cleanup on June 13

The 4th annual West Fork Watershed Celebration and River Cleanup will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Riverside Park, located off state Hwy. 170 in downtown West Fork. Volunteers will check in from 8-9:30 a.m. at the park, then fan out to stations along the river and clean up targeted areas. The cleanup will end at 11 a.m., when a free chicken lunch will served to the first 150 people. Door prize drawings are scheduled for noon. In addition, there will be live music and educational booths. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

The West Fork of the White River flows into Beaver Lake, which is our supply of drinking water.  Each year, a clean-up of our river is conducted as part of protecting our source of safe drinking water and protecting wildlife habitats.

The event is being coordinated by the West Fork Environmental Protection Association. Sponsors and partners include the Watershed Conservation Resource Center, the City of Fayetteville, the City of West Fork, Kiwanis Club, Audubon Arkansas, Washington County Environmental Affairs, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Stream Team, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Arvest Bank, Bank of Fayetteville, Tyson Foods, the Arkansas Canoe Club and Beaver Water District.

For more information, call 225-1611 or visit www.wfepa.org.

Toastmaster Club Meeting

Worried about your next presentation? The Razorback Toastmasters Club meets from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month (June 3 and June 17). This month they will meet in room 104 in Mullins Library. Whatever your skills - learn to be ready for any public speeking situation, to think quickly and clearly on your feet and build strong leadership abilities.  Everyone is invited to visit.

Math Colloquium April 23

Dr. Kei Nakamura, Oklahoma State University, will present "Incompressible one-sided Heegaard splittings for hyperbolic once-punctured torus bundles" at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in SCEN 322. Refreshments will be available in SCEN 350 from 3 to 3:30 p.m.  All are invited.

NPR Deputy GM to Lecture at University of Arkansas April 22

Philip Bruce, deputy general manager of NPR West at National Public Radio, will present the 2009 Roy Reed Lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Arkansas Alumni Association House. Bruce is a journalism honors graduate from the University of Arkansas, class of 1980. He has spent more than 25 years as a correspondent and bureau chief for network television affiliates in Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Little Rock and Fayetteville. His lecture is sponsored by the Lemke department of journalism.

Physics Fantastic Fun and Follies Fair April 4

The University of Arkansas Society of Physics Students in association with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers presents "Physics Fantastic Fun and Follies Fair" from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 4, at the Physics Building, 825 West Dickson Street. Everyone is invited for amazing demonstrations and liquid nitrogen ice cream! Admission is free. Fun for all ages. Come enjoy the wonders of science!

Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism Workshop

The Quality Writing Center (QWC), the Enhanced Learning Center, and the Office of Community Standards and Student Ethics will present the fourth and final spring installment of the Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism Workshop at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, in Kimpel 206 B.

The two-hour workshop has three parts. First, the program defines plagiarism, describes consequences, and explains when students need to cite source materials. Second, the workshop teaches approaches to summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting, along with techniques for making proper in-text and bibliographic entries. The workshop culminates in a series of exercises that challenge students to practice the strategies and techniques learned.

Seats are limited. Interested students should reserve a spot online by clicking on the “Workshops” link at www.uark.edu/write. Questions about the workshop can be answered by QWC Director Bob Haslam at writcent@uark.edu. The workshop series will resume in the fall.

Biological Sciences Seminar March 26

Dr. Heidi Kluess, department of health science, kinesiology, recreation and dance, University of Arkansas, will talk about "Environmental modulation of sympathetic neurotransmission" at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in SCEN-604. Coffee and cookies will be available at 3:30 p.m. in SCEN-502.

Web Conference set to Examine Renewable Energy Projects

Join the University Libraries in exploring the possibilities of renewable energy projects on campuses nationwide by attending a Web conference titled "Onsite Renewable Energy - Wind, Solar, and Geothermal" at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in room 472B in the west side of the Mullins library. The conference, a part of the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology program, features speakers in the field of renewable energy, and provides a question and answer session to encourage discussion among the participants and speakers. For more information please contact Patricia Kirkwood pkirkwo@uark.edu  or Joanna Person at ggg73@hotmail.com.

University of Arkansas Professor to Lecture on Rwandan Genocide Feb. 26

Professor Samuel Totten will give a lecture titled "The Suffering Doesn’t End Once the Killing has Stopped: The Plight and Fate of the Survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide" from 2 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26, in the Helen Robson Walton Reading Room of Mullins Library. Copies of Totten's recent book The Plight and Fate of Women During and Following Genocide will be available for sale on site by the University of Arkansas Bookstore.

Totten, professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Arkansas, received a Fulbright Fellowship last year to work in Rwanda, where he helped establish a genocide studies program at the National University of Rwanda and interviewed survivors of the 1994 "machete genocide" there. He is writing a book from the interviews. He and a colleague have established a scholarship fund to raise money for survivors of genocide around the world to attend college. The Post Genocide Education Fund can be found at http://www.postgen.org/. Totten has written and edited numerous books about genocide and is the editor or co-editor of several journals on the subject.

This lecture is co-hosted by the University of Arkansas Bookstore, the university chapter of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND), the department of curriculum and instruction and the University of Arkansas Libraries.

University of Arkansas School of Social Work Celebrating Black History Month

During the month of February, the School of Social Work (SCWK) at the University of Arkansas is celebrating Black History Month. All UA faculty, staff and students are invited to visit the SCWK lobby to view "Silas Hunt: A Documentary". Hunt was the first African American student to attend the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1948. Law classes were held in the current School of Social Work building. This documentary was produced and directed by Chris Erwin and has received the following awards: Aegis Winner's Award, Aurora Gold Award,and Telly Bronze Award. The School also has on display a number of posters of notable African American social activists throughout history.

Nadi Cinema/Middle East Film Club to Meet Feb. 11

Nadi Cinema/Middle East Film Club at the University of Arkansas will present the film “Camur/Mud” (Dervis Zaim, Turkey 2003) 82 minutes, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in 104 Mullins. The film is free and open to the public.

Near the border between Turkish and Greek Cyprus, where black mud is believed to carry miraculous healing abilities, four Turkish friends deal with teenage memories of the Greek-Turkish war and, at the same time, try to strike it rich on the antiquities market.  A black comedy mixing surrealism with reality, “Camur” is a film about ‘rebirth.’  Turkish w/English subtitles

Scott Carrell Piano Recital Guest Artist set for Feb. 24

Pianist Scott Carrell will present a guest artist recital at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall at the University of Arkansas Fine Arts Center. A reception will follow the performance.

Carrell has captivated audiences in the U.S. and Europe with his virtuosic flair, expressive playing and informative comments, by presenting innovative programs of both classical and jazz works, including discussion of the works and the composers.

A native of Texas, Carrell has performed numerous recitals as soloist and as collaborator, including concerto appearances with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra, the Southwestern University Orchestra, the Plainview Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, the Little Rock Wind Symphony and twice with the Harding University/Community Orchestra.  An active chamber musician, he co-founded the Searcy Chamber Music Series and has performed on many of its concerts. 

Receiving degrees from Southwestern University, the University of Illinois and the D.M.A. from the University of North Texas, he studied with internationally-known artists Drusilla Huffmaster, Ian Hobson and Vladimir Viardo and participated in master classes with Abbey Simon, Gail Delente and Dominique Merlet.  The French Piano Institute awarded him a prize for the best performance of a work by Henri Dutilleux at the 1996 FPI Festival in Paris, France.  He was also honored with the Distinguished Teacher Award from Harding University for the 2003-2004 academic year. 

In 2007, Carrell released a new compact disc, Ragtime Memories, which consists of pieces in various ragtime style -- classic, novelty and player piano styles.  Composers represented include Joplin, Scott, Lamb, Confrey, Berlin and others, plus two original rags.  His previous disc, Crossings was released in 2005, including works by Chopin, Debussy, Haydn, Schulz-Evler and Carrell.  It features the world premiere recording of the title work, an original composition based on a painting by an Arkansas artist.

An active member of the Arkansas State Music Teachers, he has presented sessions at both regional and state conferences and served as the state coordinator for the student composition competition; he began serving as the MTNA South Central Division coordinator in 2004.  His judging activities include students at all levels, from local festivals to national competitions. Currently teaching piano, music theory and composition at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, Carrell is in demand as a soloist, collaborative artist, teacher and adjudicator.

Math Colloquium Nov. 20 at University of Arkansas

Professor Mikhail Feldman from the University of Wisconsin will present "Shock Reflection, Free Boundary Problems and Degenerate Elliptic Equations" at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in SCEN 322.  Refreshments will be served from 3 to 3:30 p.m. in SCEN 350.  All are invited.

Lt. Governor to Answer Questions about Lottery

Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter will talk with University of Arkansas students and answer questions about Proposed Constitutional Amendment 3, the Scholarship Lottery Amendment. He will speak in room 510 of the Arkansas Union at 2:30 p.m., Monday, October 27. The talk is being sponsored by the Young Democrats in cooperation with the Hope for Arkansas Committee.

Unique Student Documentaries to Premier at Arkansas Union Theater

Four student-produced documentary films will premier at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, at the Arkansas Union Theatre. The students made the films in graduate-level classes taught by two award-winning University of Arkansas journalism professors, Larry Foley and Dale Carpenter, who have collaborated on documentary films for more than 25 years. Each documentary presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the student filmmakers. The premiere is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the public.

The documentaries include:

•    Bridge to a New Life: the Story of Miss Malen and the Couchsurfers (filmmakers Sarah Moore and Cheryl Sybrant). Synopsis: The film takes a look at the lives of homeless young adults, age 18-22, in Northwest Arkansas who are given a second chance in life when they enter Youth Bridge Transitional Living Program, run by the witty, and sometimes exasperated, Miss Malen Gardner.

•    Dogpatch USA (filmmakers Dixie Kline and Matthew Rowe) Synopsis: Arkansas built a theme park around Al Capp’s popular comic strip, Lil’ Abner, in the heart of the Ozarks. In spite of warning signs that it might fail, Dogpatch USA entertained a generation of people. A mountain of challenges finally crushed the park, but its ghost is still hanging around.

•    KURM RADIO: The Soapbox of the Air (filmmakers Kelly Millar, Hayot Tuychiev and Nikki Wise) Synopsis: There are only a handful of independent radio stations left in the United States. The film follows Colonel Kermit Womack and his staff as they show just how much a day at KURM radio differs from the average, conglomerate programming.

•    What Can Happen in Three Weeks (filmmakers Kevin Estes and Michelle Conty-deGroat) Synopsis: Each semester, the University of Arkansas hosts approximately 20 Japanese students from Shimane University for an intensive crash-course in American language and culture. The film documents the Japanese students and their experiences.

For more information, contact: Larry Foley, professor, Walter J. Lemke department of journalism, 479-575-6307, lfoley@uark.edu

Workshop for Teaching Assistants and TA Advisors

The Teaching Assistant Effectiveness Advisory Committee, a standing committee of the Graduate Council, strives to support teaching assistant preparedness on the UA campus. The committee will host two upcoming workshops for teaching assistants for TA's and TA advisors in all disciplines across the university.  “Online Communication Resources for Teaching Assistants” will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 or from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, both in Kimpel Hall 206B. The workshops will demonstrate for faculty and teaching assistants how they can use “wikis” and Facebook to create online discussion areas where teaching assistants can share ideas, problems, and resources.

For information contact Dr. Patrick Slattery at pslatter@uark.edu

Landscape Architect to Lecture on "Beyond Green"

An entry monument to High Desert in Albuquerque, N.M., one of several stylized images of blue grama grass, a drought-resistant plant native to the area. Courtesy Design Workshop, Inc.

Kurt Culbertson, who is the School of Architecture's 2008 John G. Williams Distinguished Professor, will launch the school’s 2008 – 2009 lecture series at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, with a talk titled "Beyond Green: Toward Social Justice and Equity Through Design." The lecture will take place in Shollmier Hall.

Culbertson is principal, shareholder and chairman of the board for Design Workshop Inc., a landscape architecture, land-planning and urban-design firm with offices in Aspen, Colo., and Asheville, N.C. The firm, which the ASLA named Landscape Architecture Firm of the Year for 2008, is renowned for using sustainable development and design strategies to reconcile economic needs with the preservation of scenic, cultural and community values. Culbertson took a lead role on two key projects for Design Workshop: the master planning process for Flathead County, Montana, a 3.8-million-acre community experiencing rapid growth, and the design of High Desert, a residential development in Albuquerque, N.M. that uses open space planning to preserve natural drainage systems and views. These and other projects are discussed in depth in the 2007 monograph on Design Workshop, Toward Legacy.

A native of Shreveport, La., Kurt Culbertson received his undergraduate degree in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in business administration in real estate from Southern Methodist University. He has won more than 20 regional and national awards for design work that ranges from secluded sanctuaries to national parks. In addition to design work, he has conducted extensive research on the contributions of German-American landscape designers to the profession of landscape architecture and authored an award-winning biography, The Life and Times of George Edward Kessler.

Students In Free Enterprise Cook-Out Rescheduled

The Students In Free Enterprise cook-out has been postponed until Wednesday, Sept. 10, due to rain. Everyone is invited to attend to learn more about becoming involved in one of the greatest student organizations at the University of Arkansas!

Chemistry Seminar Sept. 5

Professor John Mclean of Vanderbilt University will present "Structural Separations by ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry: New Prospects for Complex Biological Systems," from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, in CHEM 144.

The event is open to the public.

Abstract:  Following the paradigm of the human genome project, much of current systems biology research entails characterizing, quantifying, and cataloging the biomolecular inventory of a sample at specific dimensions of space (e.g. cellular, tissue, or organism level) and time (e.g. point in the life cycle, healthy vs. Diseased state). In support of high throughput systems biology research, new measurement strategies are necessary that incorporate simultaneous “omics” data. Rapid (us-ms) two-dimensional separations based-on ion mobility-mass spectrometry (im-ms) techniques have demonstrated great utility in characterizing complex biological samples, primarily because different biomolecular classes (e.g. peptides, carbohydrates, oligonucleotides, lipids, etc.) Adopt structures in conformation space (correlation of structures vs. M/z), which are predictable based on prevailing intramolecular folding forces. This report describes recent results for a variety of biomolecular classes including those of interest in metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, glycomics and genomics. The aim of this work is to define the conformation space in which different classes of biomolecules are observed. Furthermore, we report molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate structural differences within a given molecular class. For example, structural differences for carbohydrates and glycans are observed in a predictable manner for different isobaric (same mass) positional and structural isomers. Analogously, isobaric lipids of different classes (e.g. sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids) adopt distinct structures owing to differences in the degree of coordination that the anhydrous molecules can achieve with alkali metals in competition with intramolecular hydrogen bonding forces. Based on these studies, we describe how the general position of signals in conformation space can yield information about which biomolecular class a particular signal belongs, and within a biomolecular class, what additional information can be interpreted from experimental structural determination.

For more information contact Charlie Wilkins, cwilkins@uark.edu.