News Briefs

Butler, who came to the college in 1984, currently chairs the mechanical engineering department and previously served as interim dean during 1999 and was associate dean for academic programs from 1997 to 1999. A nationally recognized expert in thermal science energetic materials, he has published extensively in the field.

Forrest Holly, chair of the Engineering Dean Search Advisory Committee, said the committee had been very impressed with the depth of faculty-staff support for Butler’s candidacy.

Butler earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1979 and 1981, respectively, as well as a doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1984, all from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He served as a visiting faculty member at the Universite de Provence, Marseille, France, in 1994 and 1997 and as a visiting faculty fellow at Sandia National Laboratories, Liver-more, Calif., in 1991.

Butler succeeds Anthony Hines, who resigned to devote full time to teaching and research.



Get fit, help United Way

United Way and UI Wellness are joining forces to encourage fitness and healthy competition, while benefiting the University’s United Way campaign.

Individuals may sign up for one of two teams, which will be headed by Doug True, vice president for finance and university services, and John Fieselmann, associate professor, clinical track, joint office for clinical outreach. Each participant will receive a United Way donation envelope and must turn in a minimum of $10, either in pledges or as a personal donation.

From Jan. 2 to Jan. 30, the teams will track the minutes they spend in their personal fitness regimen. Activities that may be tracked include those currently counted in the Minutes Matter program. The winning team will be the group with the highest average number of minutes exercised per team member. For more information, contact Laura Reed, (35)3-2314.

The United Way campaign is currently at 78 percent of its $400,000 goal. University retirees have donated $79,882. The UI Foundation has raised $22,243, and UI employees have contributed $211,836 to the campaign. For information about giving to the United Way, call 338-7823.



Davis lectures in January

Activist Angela Y. Davis will lecture as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Convocation, which begins at 7 p.m., Jan. 15 in the Main Lounge IMU. Davis’ lecture, "The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the radical frameworks for social justice" will discuss Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts for civil rights and on the history and progression of the pursuit of social justice. The convocation and lecture are free and open to the public.

Davis is known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the United States and abroad. She has been active as a student, writer, scholar, and organizer. Harnessing the momentum of national and personal civil rights struggles of the sixties, Davis cofounded the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression in the early 1970s. The organization continues its work today.




GSN new at TIC

Global Search Network (GSN) is the latest corporate affiliate of the University of Iowa Technology Innovation Center (TIC) in Coralville.

Global Search Network (GSN), a web-based career management application, is a personalized placement service for individuals.

GSN’s application, CareerManage.com, will be the first web application to review the entire universe of available jobs and then automate the entire search, match, and résumé submit process.

GSN was established in 1999 and relocated from California to Iowa in September 1999.

Global Search Network is the 15th TIC tenant, while 16 TIC "graduate" firms have succeeded in meeting their business goals after leaving the incubator.



Prizes handed out by fyi

In an effort to better meet the needs of readers, fyi sent a survey in November to a randomized group of faculty and staff. We’ve been very pleased with the hundreds of surveys returned, and especially happy to get your comments, positive and otherwise.

Readers who returned their surveys by Dec. 1, with their names attached, were entered into a drawing for three $30 gift certificates. The winners of the gift certificates are Valdean Lembke, College of Business; Sheri Swartzendrubber, University Libraries, and Christine Walters, University Libraries. Thanks to all who entered and all who returned their surveys. We’ll let readers in on our findings at a later date, as results are tabulated.



Hancher gift certificates for holiday giving

Hancher Auditorium is prepared for the holidays, with gift certificates and tickets for lovers of music, theater, and dance. But the box office will close at the end of the day Dec. 16 for the University winter break, so don’t wait until the last minute.

Gift certificates are available in multiples of $5 and may be redeemed during the next year for tickets to any UI performances handled by the Hancher Box Office. Tickets to specific performances also are available.

For more information, call (33)5-1160.