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News in Brief
AROUND CAMPUSUniversity of Iowa nets 103 of 113 NIH grants to Iowa under federal stimulus funding The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded 113 grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to Iowa institutions—103 of the grants to researchers at The University of Iowa. The complete list of grants is available at http://report.nih.gov/recovery/arragrants.cfm All told, UI faculty, staff, and students have received 117 ARRA-funded grants for scientific research from the NIH and other federal agencies, totaling $46,620,881 over the next three fiscal years. The UI Office of the Vice President for Research posts a breakdown of grants, as well as abstracts describing all funded projects, on a special web site at https://research.uiowa.edu/arra. “University of Iowa investigators have been very competitive in securing ARRA funding, and these totals speak to their talent and dedication,” says Jordan Cohen, interim vice president for research and economic development. “These grants are not just stimulating the state’s economy and the nation’s. They’re also boosting some of our most promising science.” To view a White House link of NIH director Francis Collins explaining the nationwide impact of ARRA biomedical research funding—including how it works and why it’s important—visit www.whitehouse.gov/video/Creating-Jobs-and-Finding-Cures-The-Recovery-Act-at-Work.
Seasonal flu vaccination program postponed for non-UI Health Care faculty and staff The 2009 seasonal flu vaccination program for non-UI Health Care faculty and staff will be postponed and offered in phases due to a temporary delay in vaccine shipments. The campus vaccination clinics previously announced for the week of Oct. 5 will be rescheduled. The University has an adequate vaccine supply to immunize faculty and staff who are health care providers or have personal contact with patients and visitors.
New episode of Iowa Insights podcast available
The University of Iowa Office of University Relations has released the October episode of Iowa Insights, a monthly podcast featuring interviews with some of the world's leading thinkers, researchers, and teachers. The October 2009 edition features interviews with Benjamin Nugent on his book about nerds; Randy Bezanson on art and the Constitution; and Beth Hochstedler on a new game highlighting careers in public health. The podcast may be heard online, downloaded to an mp3 player, or subscribed to via iTunes and RSS (Real Simple Syndication) readers. To listen, or for more information, visit http://news.uiowa.edu/iowa-insights.
Timothy Barrett of the UI Center for the Book wins MacArthur “genius grant” Timothy Barrett, research scientist and adjunct professor of papermaking at the University of Iowa Center for the Book, is a 2009 recipient of a fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The $500,000 MacArthur Fellowships, popularly known as the “genius grants,” are awarded to individuals in a variety of fields who have shown exceptional originality and dedication to their creative pursuits. The recipients learn of the grants “out of the blue” with a phone call from the foundation. The grants, with no strings attached, support the fellows for five years. MacArthur Fellowships offer the opportunity for fellows to accelerate their current activities or take their work in new directions. The unusual level of independence afforded to fellows underscores the spirit of freedom intrinsic to creative endeavors.
“People have asked me how it feels to receive this award,” Barrett says. “More than the money, I have to say I’ve been moved by the recognition. I’ve spent most of my career focused on the history, technique, science and aesthetics of hand papermaking. I’ve been lucky to be a part of the UI Center for the Book for the last 23 years because, in general, career tracks in my specialty are few and far between. So it is very much to the MacArthur Foundation’s credit that they acknowledge creativity in new fields of study, as well as in established disciplines.” Barrett joined the UI Center for the Book as its paper specialist in 1986 and served as its director between 1996 and 2002. He continues to teach courses that address the history, technique, science and aesthetics of hand papermaking, and he oversees the Oakdale Paper Production and Research Facility. He has created several of one-of-a-kind artist’s books using handmade paper and leather as the primary materials. His current research is focused on the non-destructive analysis of European paper made between the 14th and the 19th centuries—a study made possible by funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. He is also interested in the emerging field of book studies, the impact of the book on society and culture, and the future of the book equivalent. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/september/092209barrett.html.
University kicks off 2009 campaign for charitable giving University of Iowa faculty and staff are asked for community support through the University’s 2009 annual campaign for charitable giving. The campaign offers an excellent opportunity to help Iowa neighbors and friends through the support of three local organizations: Iowa Shares, Community Health Charities of Iowa, and United Way of Johnson County. Payroll deductions can be easily arranged and managed online through the Human Resources self-service site: http://hris.uiowa.edu/selfservice/
ITS warns campus of new rash of phishing scams University of Iowa Information Technology Services reports that the University of Iowa e-mail system has been inundated with fraud attempts, which are known as “phishing” scams, against members of the UI community. These fraudulent attempts use e-mails designed to lure users into giving access to their Hawkmail accounts, as well as other personal information.
For more information regarding phishing scams and how to identify them, contact the ITS Help Desk at its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or call 319-384-4357 (4-HELP). For general information, visit the ITS Help Desk website at http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu.
The University of Iowa wins Healthy Iowa University Award The University of Iowa has received the Healthy Iowa College or University Award from the Academy for a Healthy Iowa—a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Public Health, Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, and Nutrition and Wellness Council of Iowa. Award winners are selected based on providing access to wellness, programming, financial commitment, measurability and sustainability. Winners retain the “Healthy Iowa” designation for three years, at which point they must reapply. The award was presented in Des Moines on Oct. 1 to Joni Troester, assistant director of UI Human Resources and director of UI Wellness; Megan Moeller, UI Wellness coordinator; Tanya Villhauer, associate director of UI Student Health Service; and Lisa James, interim administrative director for Student Health Service.
“Black and Gold Never Gets Old”: Celebrate homecoming through Oct. 10 The tradition of homecoming began at The University of Iowa more than 95 years ago. Once again, thousands of UI students, alumni, faculty, and residents of Iowa City and surrounding communities will come together for a weeklong celebration of Hawkeye pride leading up to the football game on Saturday, Oct. 10, against the University of Michigan. The homecoming parade, a staple event in the week’s activities, will begin at 5:45 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9. The parade starts at Washington and Gilbert streets and winds through downtown Iowa City, ending at Iowa Avenue and Gilbert Street. Hancher is presenting free performances by New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band—first during the parade, and then on the UI Pentacrest at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11. For a map of the parade route, see http://homecoming.uiowa.edu/parade. The parade is just one of many homecoming events with the theme “Black and Gold Never Gets Old.” Preceding the parade is the Alumni Block Party starting at 4 p.m. at Iowa Avenue and Clinton Street. UI friends and family can stop by the Alumni Welcome Tent for free drinks, food, and a variety of family-friendly activities. Following the parade, a pep rally with the Hawkeye Spirit Squad and Hawkeye Marching Band is planned on the Pentacrest, along with the coronation of the homecoming king and queen. After the pep rally and coronation, Motown legends the Temptations and rock quintet Augustana will perform at the homecoming concert on the Pentacrest. For more information about homecoming events, read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/september/093009homecoming09.html.
Meet this week's Kid Captains: Lucas and Nathaniel Anderson During the 2009 University of Iowa football season, UI Children’s Hospital is partnering with the Iowa Hawkeyes to feature stories of hope and inspiration. From a field of nearly 350 pediatric patients who were nominated for the honor, 13 youth will be recognized by the Iowa Hawkeyes as a "Kid Captain." Two siblings, Lucas and Nathaniel Anderson, will be honored at the Oct. 10 game versus the University of Michigan in Kinnick Stadium. Nathaniel, 12, had a rare spinal cord tumor that required expert surgery to remove; Lucas, 9, had coarctation, or narrowing, of the aorta and other cardiopulmonary abnormalities. Although their conditions require multiple major surgeries and ongoing treatment, the brothers nevertheless lead active and healthy lives. To learn more about the Andersons and the other 2009 Kid Captains, visit www
Sedarises’ Book of Liz to open Theatres Mainstage season David and Amy Sedaris’s comic hit The Book of Liz will open the University Theatres Mainstage season at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, in David Thayer Theatre of the University of Iowa Theatre Building. Tickets are $17 (seniors citizen $12; youth $10; and UI students $5 with a valid University ID), and are available in advance from the Hancher box office in Old Capitol Town Center. Additional performances of the production, directed by third-year Master of Fine Arts directing student Anthony Nelson, will be held at 8 p.m., Oct. 9–10 and 14–17; and at 2 p.m., Sundays, Oct. 11 and 18. The Book of Liz, which CurtainUp called “seventy-five brilliant minutes of hysterical theater,” is story of naïve, earnest, and extremely sweaty Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, whose secret-recipe smoky cheese-balls are the pride and financial sustenance of her Amish-like sect, the Squeamish. Feeling underappreciated after being demoted to harvesting chives, she decides to abandon the community of Cluster Haven, her llama in tow, and finds work at a Pilgrim-themed restaurant. Irreverent and relentless, the play pokes fun at the religiously conservative, Alcoholics Anonymous, homosexuality, and the question of what a breakfast burrito really is.
Symphony Band to open season Oct. 7 with free show in Iowa Memorial Union The University of Iowa Symphony Band will open its 2009–10 season will a free concert at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the Iowa Memorial Union second-floor ballroom. The program, conducted by Richard Mark Heidel, UI director of bands, and doctoral student Michael D. Hart, will feature “Millennium Canons” by Kevin Puts, “Paris Sketches” by Martin Ellerby, “Colonial Song by Percy Grainger, “Redline Tango” by John Mackey, “First Suite in E-flat for Military Band” by Gustav Holst, and an arrangement of “Pas Redouble” by Camille Saint-Saens. Click here for more information on University bands.
UI Chamber Orchestra opens its 2009-10 season with Oct. 11 concert The University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of William LaRue Jones, will open its 2009–10 season with a free concert, featuring works by Handel, Haydn, and Bizet, at 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, in Mabie Theatre of the UI Theatre Building. Faculty soloists will be organist Greg Hand and new trumpet faculty member Amy Schendel. The program is the Organ Concerto in F Major by George Frideric Handel, the Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major by Franz Joseph Haydn, and the Symphony No. 1 in C Major Georges Bizet. The UI Chamber Orchestra, designed for graduate students in the UI School of Music, is based on the ensemble format established during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, before the emergence of the larger, modern symphony orchestra. Its repertoire covers a broad range from Classical and early Romantic composers to contemporary compositions. For biographies of the faculty artists featured in this concert, visit www.uiowa.edu/~music/bios/faculty.htm.
Museum of Natural History to hold free screening of Lost Nation: The Ioway The University of Iowa Museum of Natural History will present the movie Lost Nation: The Ioway at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, in Macbride Auditorium on the museum’s second floor. The movie, which is free and open to the public, will be shown as part of the museum’s Movies@MNH series. It will be shown again at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15. Lost Nation: The Ioway tells the dramatic true tale of two leaders’ struggle to save their people from inevitable American conquest, and the Ioway’s current fight to reclaim and maintain their unique history and culture. The documentary brings together commentary from historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and Ioway elders, along with new footage of historic sites, historical photographs and documents, art from the Smithsonian and other national museums, music, legends, dances, powwows, and reenactments. Click here for more information on the UI Museum of Natural History.
University of Iowa symposium features ‘Platforms for Public Scholars’ Oct. 15-17 “Platforms for Public Scholars,” the 2009 Obermann Humanities Symposium, co-sponsored by University of Iowa Obermann Center for Advanced Studies and International Programs, will explore the diverse ways in which humanities scholars are reaching out to public audiences, whether on their campuses or across the world. The symposium will be Thursday–Saturday, Oct. 15–17, in various Iowa City venues. The lectures are free and open to the public. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/october/100109obermann.html.
World Food Prize recipient to discuss seeds as new weapon against hunger Oct. 13 Gebisa Ejeta, the winner of the 2009 World Food Prize, will discuss “Back to the Roots of the Problem—Sorghum Hybrid Seeds as a New Weapon Against Hunger,” at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13, in room 1117 of University Capitol Centre. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is part of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (UICHR) Careers for Change Lecture Series. Ejeta is an agronomy professor at Purdue University who will receive the $250,000 World Food Prize in a ceremony Oct. 15 in Des Moines. He will be honored for his monumental contributions in the production of sorghum, one of the world’s five principal cereal grains, which have dramatically enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Ejeta also is being recognized for his “persistent efforts to foster economic development and the empowerment of subsistence farmers through the creation of agricultural enterprises in rural Africa.” For more information on Ejeta and the World Food Prize, visit www.worldfoodprize.org/press_room/2009/june/ejeta.htm. For more information on UICHR, visit http://international.uiowa.edu/centers/human-rights, or call Joan Kjaer at 319-335-2026.
Grad students host online discussion on making scholarship public Humanities scholars have traditionally worked autonomously, but technology offers new options for collaborating and communicating with diverse communities. UI graduate students Bridget Draxler and Peter Likarish are doing just that as HASTAC scholars. HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory) is a leading web site for promoting the digital humanities. With peers from Washington University, they're cohosting an online forum, "Democratizing Knowledge in the Digital Humanities: Making Scholarship Public, Producing Public Scholarship," at http://www.hastac.org. Topics to be discussed include best practices for developing and implementing community projects, and benefits and risks of academic-community projects. For the next year, the UI students will report on work happening at the University by blogging, tweeting, vlogging, podcasting, and other forms of networking with the HASTAC community. HASTAC scholars are students nominated and supported by their home institution with a small stipend and an informal mentor. The UI Center for Teaching provided Draxler and Likarish with funding, and Teresa Mangum, associate professor in English in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is their mentor.
UI Office of the Ombudsperson issues annual report The University of Iowa’s Office of the Ombudsperson released its annual report today, noting several encouraging developments despite a 15 percent increase in visitors using the services of the office. The report attributes the increase, in large part, to the flood of 2008 and the ongoing economic crisis. Some challenges actually united the campus community last year, as in the case of the community’s response to the flood. Additionally, the University’s receipt of federal stimulus money “cushioned the harsh effects of the economic downturn at least slightly, and will allow for better planning and minimization of involuntary job loss,” according to the report. Other encouraging trends noted in the report include:
See the report at www.uiowa.edu/~ombud/documents/Year23AnnualReportfinal.pdf.
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:
DISCOVERIESUI scientists use blood brain barrier as therapy delivery system The blood brain barrier is generally considered an obstacle to delivering therapies from the bloodstream to the brain. However, University of Iowa researchers have discovered a way to turn the blood vessels surrounding brain cells into a production and delivery system for getting therapeutic molecules directly into brain cells. Working with animal models of a group of fatal neurological disorders called lysosomal storage diseases, the UI team found that these diseases cause unique and disease-specific alterations to the blood vessels of the blood brain barrier. The scientists used these distinct alterations to target the brain with gene therapy, which reversed the neurological damage caused by the diseases. The findings, which were published Sept. 13 in Nature Medicine’s advance online publication, could lead to a new noninvasive approach for treating neurological damage caused by lysosomal storage diseases. Lysosomal storage diseases are individually quite rare, but as a group they affect approximately 1 in 8,000 live births. The diseases are caused by deficiencies in enzymes that break down larger molecules. Without these enzymes, the large molecules accumulate inside cells and cause cell damage and destruction. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/september/092109blood-brain-barrier.html.
Iowa researcher finds Nader likely helped Gore in 2000 election Nine years have passed, but many Democrats are still sore at Ralph Nader for his maverick candidacy in the 2000 election that many believe was the reason George W. Bush beat Al Gore. But new research from a marketing professor in the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business suggests that while that claim is true, it also suggests that Nader’s candidacy actually helped Gore. “Many people would have come in supporting Nader but eventually voted for Gore, and that might not have happened if Nader had never entered the race,” says William Hedgcock, UI assistant professor of marketing. Hedgcock’s findings were recently published in the Journal of Marketing Research. His paper, “Could Ralph Nader’s entrance and exit have helped Al Gore?” was coauthored with Akshay Rao of the University of Minnesota and Haipeng Chen of Texas A&M University. In an experiment, Hedgock showed one group of test subjects two hypothetical candidates—A and B, standing in for Bush and Gore—and asked them to select one after providing a sample of political attributes of each. In the two-way race, Bush’s stand-in won 81 percent of the vote while Gore’s received 19 percent. Another test group was shown three candidates, with a third candidate, C, to represent Nader. In the three-way race, Nader’s proxy won 72 percent, Bush 28 percent and Gore didn’t get a single vote. Finally, the subjects in the second group were told that the Nader candidate was no longer available and were asked to select from the Bush or Gore stand-ins. This time, Gore received 39 percent and Bush received 61 percent. How did Gore’s share of the vote go from zero to 39 percent in the second group, even though nothing happened beyond a third candidate dropping out? Hedgcock says it’s called the self-perception theory. That’s when undecided people make a decision about something, whether it’s a political candidate or a brand of soda, and identify with that decision. When their original choice becomes unavailable, they select an alternative option with the most similar attributes. “Selecting Nader defines a person, it makes those people think of themselves as that kind of a person, so when you can’t make that choice anymore, you go to the next closest Nader type,” Hedgcock. “In the 2000 election, that was Gore.” Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/september/09289nader-gore.html.
A new take on why social cues confuse babies and dogs in a classic hiding game A study by developmental scientists at The University of Iowa and Indiana University challenges the conclusions of two recent studies on how babies and dogs respond to certain social cues. The new findings, published in the journal Science, indicate that babies and dogs may not be as clever as the other studies suggest. Last year, a surprising study led by József Topál of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences showed cues from adults—like nodding, speaking, and pointing—cause babies to perform worse in a classic toy-hiding game. The September 2008 report in Science suggested that babies have a unique ability to “read” social cues in a way that misled them in this particular task. Then, in a follow-up paper published earlier this month, the same research team reported that dogs, like babies, are confused by social cues—but wolves aren’t. The authors concluded that dogs have become sensitive to social cues from humans due to our shared evolutionary past. The UI and Indiana study used a 10-year-old theory based on how the brain works to provide another explanation for these hiding-and-finding mistakes. Led by John Spencer, professor of psychology in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and director of the UI Delta Center, the work indicates that babies age 10 months or younger are distracted by social cues—they focus on adults’ faces and gestures rather than paying attention to where the object is hidden and do not have a unique ability, as the earlier study suggested. Because dogs show a similar pattern of behavior with social cues present, the computer model used by Spencer’s team can explain their behavior, too. Spencer and his colleagues suspect that wolves succeed in this task for the same reasons older babies do—they can form a robust memory for the hiding location. They say this makes particular sense given that the experimenters hid bits of food in the study with wolves. Read the full University News Services release at http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2009/september/092409spencer.html.
TRANSITIONSProvost appoints Schnoor to head UI Water Sustainability Steering Committee Provost Wallace D. Loh has appointed UI engineering professor Jerry Schnoor as director of the UI Water Sustainability Cluster Steering Committee, effective immediately. The appointment is the first step in the University establishing its Water Sustainability Initiative, including 10 new faculty positions for interdisciplinary “cluster hiring” to advance research, education, and outreach on sustainability. In his new position, Schnoor will help select members of the committee, which will include representatives from the Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research, and each participating college. The committee is charged with coordinating the development of the initiative and the hiring of new faculty in the field of water sustainability. Commenting on the appointment, Loh says: “Jerry Schnoor has the vision, energy and international reputation necessary to lead the UI Water Sustainability Initiative. In a time of fiscal constraint, this initiative represents a small but real commitment by the colleges and the university to interdisciplinary and focused excellence.” Schnoor, Allen S. Henry Chair in Engineering, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and codirector of the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research in the UI College of Engineering, chairs Gov. Chet Culver’s Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council. He is internationally known for his leadership in environmental research and engineering education.
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