U partners in grant to promote technology education
The University will share in a $10 million, multi-institution
grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch
the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education
(NCETE). The center will study ways to teach engineering
and technology effectively. NCETE will also prepare a community
of university and K-12 educators to assume leadership roles
and reshape the learning of thousands of students nationwide.
The NCETE coalition includes four research universities,
five technology education institutions, fifteen K-12 school
districts, and three education-related societies. Utah State
University, the lead institution on the grant, will be NCETE's
fiscal and management home.
Five of the center's 20 doctoral students are expected
to come from the University of Minnesota, whose share of
the grant money is $792,063.
In 2001 the NSF began a $100 million initiative to rebuild
teaching leadership in math, science, and technology by
establishing national Centers for Learning and Teaching.
NCETE is one of five centers to be funded by the NSF over
a five-year period.
Legislative Network launches "Vote for the U"
campaign
The U's Legislative Network is collecting signatures of
people who pledge to vote Nov. 2 for candidates who support
the U and higher education. In a year when the focus is
on national elections, the importance of state races can't
be underestimated. A drive at the State Fair generated nearly
2,000 Vote for the U pledges—and now the campaign
comes to the campuses, with a goal of reaching 10,000 pledges
by election day. Faculty and staff are urged to get involved.
Register now for the IT Mentor Program
The start of fall semester means that it's time to register
for the IT
Mentor Program, which matches students with working
professionals in technical fields. Hundreds of IT students
are seeking volunteer mentors who will help them prepare
for the transition from the academic environment to the
professional world. To meet our goal of providing a mentor
for every student who wants to participate, we need you
help.
Activities include networking, sharing ideas, touring a
company, attending professional meetings, discussing career
strategies, and reviewing resumes. Time commitment is two
hours per month from October through April. Training and
guidance is provided.
Become a mentor and enjoy the reward of help a student
launch his or her professional career. You and your company
will also gain a closer connection to the U as well as the
opportunity to network with other professionals.
The Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications (IMA)
begins the 2004–05 IMA Public Lecture Series with
a presentation by world-renowned mathematician Professor
Sir Roger
Penrose, University of Oxford. Penrose will deliver
a lecture entitled "Does
Mathematics Rule the World?" at 7 p.m., October
25, in 150 Tate
Laboratory of Physics.
One of the most honored living mathematicians and theoretical
physicists, Penrose is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor at
Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Foreign Associate
of the National Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the
Order of Merit. Among his other honors are the Wolf Foundation
Prize for Physics (jointly with Stephen Hawking), the Adams
Prize from Cambridge University, the Dannie Heinemann Prize
from the American Physical Society and the American Institute
of Physics, and the Albert Einstein Prize.
The lecture is free. For more information call 612- 624-6066.
Honors
Professor Subir
Banerjee (geology and geophysics) received the
2003 William Gilbert Award
from the American Geophysical
Union for his contributions
to geomagnetism and paleomagnetism.
He also was honored with
the 2004 Louis Neel Medal
from the European Geosciences
Union for advancement of
geophysics (magnetism and
other physical properties)
through application of condensed
matter physics .
Events
MAST Grand Opening
September 21: The University community,
IT alumni, friends, and the general public are invited to
attend the grand opening of the Multi-Axial
Subassemblage Testing (MAST facility, a new national
laboratory dedicated to large-scale testing and analysis
of structural systems research. The $11.5 million facility
is funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
and is part of the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake
Engineering Simulation (NEES). President Bruininks and NSF
program director Joy Pauschke will speak at the event, which
also includes a reception and tours of the facility. Free.
RSVP (612-625-5522). 5:00–6:30 p.m., 2525-4th
Street S.E.
Microbial and Plant
Genomics Research Seminar
Series
September
22:
The Cargill Building for
Microbial and Plant Genomics
Research Seminar Series
begins its fall 2004 schedule
with a presentation by Elizabeth
Shoop, Department of Computer
Science, Macalester College.
Her talk is entitled "Data
Exploration Computer Tools
for the Gene Ontology
Database." The seminar
series is sponsored by
the Center for Microbial
and Plant Genomics, St.
Paul campus. Seminars are
held on Wednesdays, noon–1:00
p.m., 105 Cargill-MPG.
For more information
on the schedule call 612-624-7408
or email CMPG@umn.edu.
AEM 75th Anniversary
Celebration
September 23–25:
Alumni, friends, and the
U community are invited
to attend "A Confluence
of History," the Department
of Aerospace Engineering's 75th
Anniversary Celebration.
Learn about the department's
current and future research,
socialize with old and
new acquaintances, meet
current faculty and students,
and attend the Gopher
football game with other
AEM alumni. Fee for reception
and game tickets; other
events are free. For more
information or to register
call 612-625-8000 or email dept@aem.umn.edu.
Distinguished Women
Scientists and Engineers
Speakers Program:
Alexandra
Navrotsky
September
27–29:
Professor Alexandra
Navrotsky, Edward
Roessler Chair in Mathematical
and Physical Sciences,
University of California
at Davis, will present
two talks for students
and faculty and a lunchtime
discussion for women
faculty. Her visit is
sponsored by the Distinguished
Women Scientists and
Engineers Speakers Program.
September 27: 3:30 p.m.,
110 Pillsbury Hall; September
28: 1:25 p.m., Amundson
Hall; September 29: lunch
with women faculty,
time and location TBA.
For more information
contact Associate Professor
Renata Wentzcovitch (612-625-6345
or
wentzcov@cems.umn.edu).
DTC Open House
October 1: The Digital Technology Center
will host an open
house for representatives from industry with interests
in the digital technologies. The program includes presentations
on distributed robotics, intelligent storage architecture,
and supercomputing as well as technology demonstrations
in a variety of areas. Free. Preregister
by September 24. For more information call 612-624-9510
or email events@dtc.umn.edu.
8:30 a.m. – noon, 401/402 Walter Library.
IMA Public Lecture Series:
Does Mathematics Rule the
World?
October 5: The Institute for Mathematics
and Its Applications (IMA) presents a lecture by distinguished
mathematician and theoretical physicist Professor Sir Roger
Penrose, University
of Oxford. His presentation, "Does
Mathematics Rule the World?" is
the first event in the 2004–05
IMA Public Lecture Series.
Free. For more information
call 612- 624-6066. 7:00 p.m.,
150 Tate
Laboratory of Physics.
Chemistry Centennial Celebration
October 8–9: The Department of Chemistry
turns 100 years old this year and is sponsoring a birthday
party to celebrate. The centennial
celebration begins with an optional dinner on Friday
evening, October 8, followed by a full day of events on
Saturday, October 9. Registration
is required. Fee for some events. For more information call
Nancy Hagberg at 612-625-2503 or ccc@chem.umn.edu.
Saturday's program includes Minisymposium
2004, a day of activities and events for undergraduate
students who are interested in graduate studies in chemistry.
Faculty advisors are encouraged to attend with their students.
Preregistration
by October 1 is required. Free. For more information call
612-626-7444 or email minisymp@chem.umn.edu.
