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News in Brief
AROUND CAMPUSUniversity to proceed with recovery of Art Building West The University of Iowa will move ahead with repairing and restoring Art Building West, one of two buildings that were home to the School of Art and Art History, and also with returning the south end of the former Museum of Art to preflood conditions as a temporary quarters for some of its displaced arts programs. The University hopes to fully reoccupy Art Building West, the award-winning structure designed by internationally acclaimed architect Steven Holl, by December 2009. Like many buildings on the arts campus, Art Building West—opened and dedicated only two years ago—sustained damage in the June flooding of the UI campus. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/november/110408art_building.html.
Men's Anti-Violence Council open house Nov. 12 invites men to combat violence Jerrod Koon wants to stop violence against women, and he believes men can play a vital role in making that happen. "For too long, this has been considered a woman's issue," Koon says. "Violence affects men's lives directly and indirectly. We typically think of men committing violence, but I want to add the idea that men can also confront and prevent violence." Koon became part of the solution by coordinating the Men's Anti-Violence Council (MAC), a volunteer program of the Women's Resource and Action Center (WRAC) at The University of Iowa. Koon, a graduate student in the UI College of Education Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, says he hopes other men will join him at an open house from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, to learn more about the council and how they can help. The open house, which will be held at WRAC, located at 130 North Madison Street, is an opportunity to learn more about MAC, meet current MAC volunteers, obtain resources and meet other men who are interested in anti-violence. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/november/110308anti_violence.html.
Catalyst Awards reception set for Nov. 13 The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity invites the University of Iowa campus community to celebrate distinctive and innovative diversity contributions at the 2008 Catalyst Award Reception from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Levitt Center for University Advancement. Catalyst Award recipients this year are: John Achrazoglou of College of Education, individual award; Jimmy Reyes of the College of Nursing, individual student award; and Iowa Edge and Women's Resource and Action Center program/department awards. Recipients will be honored with a plaque and $1,500 award. For more information contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 319-335-0705.
W-2 forms will be available on HR Self Service web site Once again, the University of Iowa W-2 and/or 1042-S (for nonresident aliens) forms will be available on the HR Self Service web site (http://hris.uiowa.edu/selfservice). The 2008 W-2/1042-S forms will be available mid- to late-January 2009, and by electing electronic delivery you will have access to your form approximately one week before the forms are mailed. For more information, refer to the Payroll web site, www.uiowa.edu/hr/payroll.
Benefits open enrollment period continues The 2009 UI benefits programs open enrollment period has begun for all benefits-eligible University staff and faculty. For faculty, professional and scientific (P&S), and merit supervisory exempt staff, the open enrollment period runs through Nov. 16. Merit staff open enrollment runs through Dec. 1. There are changes to flexible credits, some insurance plan premiums, the Group Life Insurance plan, and the spending account programs. Also, due to a change in Iowa law, employees can now cover dependents 25 and under on health and dental plans regardless of the dependent's student status. To enroll online, go to the Human Resources Employee Self-Service web site at https://hris.uiowa.edu/portal/, log in, click on "Benefits Enrollment" and make your selections. Upon enrollment, a confirmation statement will be sent through campus mail showing the employee's 2009 benefits and their costs. For more information, visit www.uiowa.edu/hr/benefits/index.html. 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:
DISCOVERIESFruit fly genes allows UI biologist to better understand cancer, other diseases A University of Iowa biologist is studying the genes of fruit flies in an effort to better understand the genes involved in the development of cancer and other diseases in humans. John Manak, assistant professor of biology in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and researcher in the Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics, published his research in the Sept. 4 online edition of the journal Public Library of Science-Genetics. He and his collaborators found that a class of DNA bound proteins normally thought to be involved in the repression of genes is also bound to active genes. By looking at the whole organism as well as in a particular tissue, they were able to hone in on specific functions of these proteins. Since members of this class of proteins have been shown to produce cancers when altered, these data show that linkages between the genes of drosophila (fruit fly) and humans are gradually becoming clearer, bringing scientists closer to the goal of one day understanding the genetic causes of various cancers and other diseases in man. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/october/103008fruitfly.html.
Lung airway cells activate vitamin D and increase immune response Vitamin D is essential to good health, but it needs to be activated to function properly in the human body. Until recently, this activation was thought to happen primarily in the kidneys, but a new University of Iowa study finds that the activation step can also occur in lung airway cells. The study also links the vitamin D locally produced in the lung airway cells to activation of two genes that help fight infection. The study results appear in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology, now online. In addition to contributing to calcium absorption and bone health, vitamin D is increasingly recognized for its beneficial effects on the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been recently linked to increased risk of some infections, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, and some cancers. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/november/110408lung_cells.html.
TRANSITIONSIowa DNR deputy Christiansen named director of UI Sustainability Office University of Iowa president Sally Mason has named Liz Christiansen, currently deputy director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), director of the new UI Office of Sustainability, effective Dec. 8. In her new role, Christiansen will coordinate and develop programs to promote sustainability and resource conservation; lead or coordinate efforts to formulate institutional goals, policies, practices and measure progress; seek grants and other funding to financially support campus sustainability efforts; and work to enhance and enlarge the UI community's understanding of the importance and feasibility of sustainability initiatives from an ecological and financial perspective. Christiansen brings to the director position some 18 years of working in recycling, waste reduction, green government, sustainability, outreach, and education in both the private and public sectors. She has served as deputy director of the IDNR since 2002, overseeing a department with 1,100 employees and an operations budget of more than $100 million. Under her leadership, the agency became the first in the United States to undertake and sustain a Lean effort. Commonly used in manufacturing, Lean is a system for companies and other organizations to continuously analyze their operations and trim any unnecessary processes and waste.
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