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News in Brief
AROUND CAMPUSFraternal Order of Eagles pledges to raise $25 million for UI diabetes research Leaders of The Fraternal Order of Eagles, the University of Iowa, and the University of Iowa Foundation have announced a $25 million gift commitment from the Eagles that will fund diabetes research at the University. In recognition of the commitment, the University will establish The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center in the new University of Iowa Institute for Biomedical Discovery (UIIBD). The Fraternal Order of Eagles gift will fund endowed chairs and fellowships for diabetes researchers, provide seed research grants for innovative research ideas, and help recruit leading scientists in diabetes research and translational medicine. UI specialists say the gift, combined with a team approach, will foster more rapid advances against the disorder. They add that this partnership provides the support that the best and brightest minds need to reach their goal of a better life for people affected by diabetes. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/september/091608eagles.html.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences announces Saturday Scholars series Whether you spend five days a week in class or it has been 25 years since your last college lecture, you can enjoy the Saturday Scholars programs from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The annual series of free lecture and discussion sessions is open to the public. All presentations begin at 10 a.m. in room 40 of Schaeffer Hall. Each session lasts about an hour, with a 20- to 30-minute presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. This year's programs include:
For more information on the series, visit www.clas.uiowa.edu/alumni/saturday_scholars/index.shtml.
Participants sought for local StoryCorps flood stories project The devastating flood that hit Iowa last summer made headlines around the state, nation, and world. Yet many stories could be lost if not preserved—or worse yet, simply remain untold. University of Iowa Libraries—along with University and community partners—plans to document and preserve these stories of everyday heroism and kindness by launching a StoryCorps oral history project titled "Under the Current: Collecting Stories from the Flood." Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/september/090408storycorps.html.
POROI to present “Writing Science at the Writing University” in October Writers and scientists don’t always speak the same language, but an upcoming colloquium aims to bridge that gap. “Writing Science at the Writing University” will take place Tuesday–Friday, Oct. 7–10, at The University of Iowa. The conference, which is open to the public, is presented by the Project on Rhetoric of Inquiry (POROI), the International Writing Program, the Graduate College, and 16 co-sponsors across campus. Topics include communicating science in writing, a discussion called “Scientist Meets a Writer,” writing science textbooks, the role of writing in learning science, and more. Presenters include ecologist and acclaimed author Sandra Steingraber; Washington Post science writer David Brown; poet Richard Kenney; fiction writer and mechanical engineer Karl Iagnemma; McGraw-Hill executives; Pulitzer Prize–winning author and evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson; and Ben Beck, conservation director of the Great Ape Trust. Also sharing perspectives on links between science and writing will be 16 UI faculty and staff from an array of fields. For a schedule and locations of the sessions, visit http://poroi.grad.uiowa.edu/conferences/2008/writing-science-at-the-writing-university.
Iowa Center for Developmental and Learning Sciences to host Oct. 3 workshop Academics and researchers in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and communication sciences are invited to attend a free, public workshop, "Neural Plasticity Across Multiple Time Scales," from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3, in room S401 of Pappajohn Business Building. Asif Ghazanfar of Princeton University will discuss the embodied nature of primate communication; Joan Stiles of the University of California, San Diego, will speak on fundamentals of brain development; and UI psychologist Mark Blumberg will discuss sleep and the development of body, brain, and behavior. The conference is presented by the Iowa Center for Developmental and Learning Sciences, the Department of Psychology, and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, with funding from the Perry A. and Helen Judy Bond Fund.
Resources available for UI faculty, staff members impacted by flood An emergency relief fund is available to help faculty, staff, and students recover from the floods. Staff and faculty interested in applying for financial assistance from the UI Flood Relief Fund are encouraged to visit the UI Flood Assistance Request Page www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/uihelp.html. A Hawk ID and password are required to enter the site. Faculty and staff requesting financial support from the flood fund will be asked to schedule a confidential appointment to meet with an eligibility coordinator. Appointments can be scheduled by visiting the UI Flood Assistance Request Page or by calling 3UI-FUND (384-3863). Additionally, a UI Flood Exchange web site, www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/flood-relief/flood-exchange, has been created where members of the UI community can post messages seeking or offering assistance to one another. For more flood-related resources, news, and information, visit the UI Flood Recovery Web site www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery.
See what Learning and Development courses are right for you UI Learning and Development, a unit of Organizational Effectiveness, provides professional development services to faculty and staff. There are many learning opportunities that will support your professional development and growth. Look for classroom instruction on leadership issues for managers, frontline supervisors, human resource professionals, and office professionals. Check out the following links:
DISCOVERIESStudy links common plastic chemical to heart disease, diabetes Higher levels of urinary bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound commonly used in plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study by an international research team that included a University of Iowa researcher. The study, which was coauthored in part by Robert Wallace, UI professor of epidemiology, was published in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. BPA is one of the world's highest production-volume chemicals, with more than two million metric tons produced worldwide in 2003 and an increase in demand of 6 percent to 10 percent annually, according to the article. BPA has been used for many years for making certain plastics and resins in many consumer products but has been the subject of controversy in recent years. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/september/091608bpa.html.
UI study: Embryonic stem cells might help reduce transplantation rejection Researchers have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. The University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center finding has implications for possible improvements in organ and bone marrow transplantation for humans. The study results appeared in the online journal PLoS ONE, published by the Public Library of Science, at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0003212. People who need bone marrow or solid organ transplantation must take immunosuppressive drugs that can cause side effects nearly as severe as the disease they have. They also can experience graft-versus-host disease, which can cause death. These problems are spurring researchers to develop methods to reduce transplantation rejection, said the study's principal investigator, Nicholas Zavazava, professor of internal medicine and director of transplant research at the UI Carver College of Medicine. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/september/091508stem-cells.html.
Researchers help show continuous glucose monitoring improves blood sugar control Patients with type 1 diabetes who used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices to help manage their disease experienced significant improvements in blood sugar control, according to initial results of a major multicenter clinical trial funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Results from the study were presented during the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Rome, and portions of the data will be published in the Oct. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, available at http://nejm.org. The CGM study is a randomized, controlled trial involving 322 patients spanning the age range of 8 to 72 years at 10 sites, which included the University of Iowa Children's Hospital and other academic, community, and managed care–based practices. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/september/090808diabetes_monitoring.html.
TRANSITIONSUI Health Care tabs Williams for chief of operations post University of Iowa Vice President for Medical Affairs Jean Robillard has announced that Gordon Williams has agreed to serve as chief of operations, responsible for project planning and construction. Williams, 61, has served as interim chief executive officer of UI Hospitals and Clinics since December 2007. As chief of operations, project planning, and construction, Williams will be responsible for the planning and implementation of the construction of the new UI Children's Hospital, the new acute care tower, and the planning and implementation of the relocation of ambulatory care facilities to an off-site location. In addition, he will plan and oversee special projects for the vice president for medical affairs (VPMA) and will serve as a strategic advisor to the VPMA.
UI research office announces staff changes The University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research has named James Walker, formerly director of the UI Health Protection Office, the interim associate vice president for research—regulatory affairs. Walker succeeds Richard Hichwa, who had held the position since January 2007. Hichwa will continue serving in his original capacity as associate vice president for research for biological, mathematical, and physical sciences, and additionally will be responsible for greater faculty participation in economic development.
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