News Briefs

West-side roads closed

A 450-foot section of Stadium Drive north of Kinnick Stadium is closed for approximately three weeks for a construction project. The construction began June 3. The north sidewalk also will be closed.

Vehicles can gain access to Lot 43 and the Recreation Building by Melrose Avenue. The access from Hawkins Drive is closed and a temporary traffic light has been installed at Stadium Drive and Melrose.

One lane of a section of Newton Road will close for several months beginning June 10. Newton Road will be single lane, one-way alternating traffic from the Nursing Building to the Newton Road parking ramp. Traffic will be controlled by alternating traffic signals.

The project should be completed by Nov. 15, but a return to two-lane travel on Newton Road should be possible sooner.

Academic Advising wins honor

The University of Iowa Academic Advising Center has won a national award for the "Introduction to Academics" program it developed for new student and parent orientation. The National Academic Advising Association award will be presented at the annual conference Oct. 1 in Salt Lake City.

The four-year-old program provides incoming University students and their parents with detailed information about requirements for specific majors and the role of the advising center in helping students stay on track.

"We found that many parents and incoming students were worried that in such a large university there wouldn't be anywhere to go for individual attention and assistance," says Diane Hauser, an adviser, who nominated the program with Lisa Ingram, associate director of the center.

Staff celebrate achievements

Russ Prandy, custodial supervisor, gets his blood pressure taken at Staff Celebartion Day.

At least 900 people attended Staff Celebration Day to view exhibits of work by University staff in all parts of the University. Food, fun, and the announcement of the winners of IOWAs-Improving Our Workplace Awards-were other features of the day.

Those attending could have blood pressure and cholesterol readings, Shiatsu neck massage, and food prepared by the IMU chefs as passersby watched.

Nancy Noyer, program associate in Worklife Services, who has organized Staff Celebration Day for several years, said she was particularly pleased with the demonstrations by artists and craftspersons, new this year.

Professors, staff member honored

Students, faculty, and staff were honored at the Henry B. Tippie School of Management Spring Honors Banquet.

Roy Suddaby, assistant professor of management and organizations, received the M.B.A. Core Faculty Member of the Year award. Baba Shiv, assistant professor of marketing, was selected as M.B.A. Elective Faculty Member of the Year. The Tippie School of Management Staff Member of the Year award was given to Jeff Emrich, director of student services.

Deadlines for faculty on web

The Office of the Provost has made faculty development information and application materials for the 2002-03 fiscal year available through the office website, www.uiowa.edu/~provost/facdev.

Information includes the deadlines for application for each program.

Hard copies will be sent upon request to faculty who are unable to obtain them from the web, but the office encourages faculty to use the web site as a major source because the materials are updated there when changes occur.

Study Serbo-Croatian, Polish with ISU, UNI on the Internet

Iowa's three state universities have formed a partnership to teach Eastern European languages and culture via an Internet-based videoconferencing system, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported in its June 3 issue. The partnership, called the Iowa Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Distance Learning Consortium, is scheduled to offer its first courses next spring.

It will offer language courses in Czech, Polish, and Serbo-Croatian and courses, taught in English, on regional culture, history, and politics. Participants on the three campuses will interact through two-way audio and video sent over the commercial Internet.

The three institutions banded together to preserve their instruction in Slavic studies and related fields, says Russell Valentino, associate professor of Russian and director of the University's Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. He also directs the new partnership.

Curtailment season beginning

The Summer Energy Curtailment season that started June 1 lasts until Sept. 30. During that time, the University may be called upon to reduce electrical usage for periods of not more than six hours each. However, there will be no more than 16 occurrences during the summer, and 12 hours' warning will be given. In most cases, peak usage occurs shortly after noon.

The University produces approximately one-third of its own power. The University works with MidAmeri- can Energy, which provides the rest, to reduce electrical usage when a curtailment is called.

Facilities Services Group's web site is full of information on energy curtailments at www.uiowa.edu/~fusfsg/utils/curtailment.htm.

Hillcrest dining to be limited

Due to capital construction projects scheduled at Hillcrest Residence Hall, Hillcrest Market Place food service will have no accessible entrance for approximately six weeks after July 18.

The food service will reopen for summer hours beginning with the evening meal on June 9, to coincide with the first of the summer sports camps, and end with lunch on July 18. Hours at Hillcrest will change from week to week. In addition, the Hillcrest menu will be limited and lines may be longer.

Other west campus food service alternatives Monday through Friday are located in the Boyd Law Building, Eckstein Medical Research Building Food Court, Bowen Science Building, and University of Iowa Health Care.

Grant to benefit programs for persons with disabilities

A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center at the College of Law will help programs to increase the self-sufficiency and independence of people with disabilities.

The grant comes from the department's National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Its overarching goal is to expand and improve law and policy that impacts the employment of Americans with disabilities. Peter Blanck, professor of law, is principal investigator.Anthology wins award

Like Thunder: Poets Respond to Violence in America, an anthology published by The University of Iowa Press, has won the 2002 American Poetry Anthology Award. This award is given annually by the Unitarian Universalist Poetry Cooperative. The anthology was edited by Virgil Suarez and Ryan G. Van Cleave.