ITems | January 2007

Support the U at the legislature

Alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the University can get an insider’s view of this year's University of Minnesota legislative request at the 2007 Legislative Briefing from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wed., Jan. 24, at McNamara Alumni Center. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP online by Jan. 18.

At the event, President Robert Bruininks and other members of the University community will explain how the projects in this year’s request will benefit the University and the entire state. Associate Professor Beth Stadler (electrical and computer engineering) will speak about the critical need for additional resources in science and engineering, specifically in the area of nanotechnology. Those attending the event also will learn how they can support the University’s request and its long-term goal of becoming one of the world’s top public research universities.

The University’s legislative request for $123.4 million in state support, includes a strategic investment of $11.5 million to expand programs in medical device technology, nanotechnology, neuroscience, and engineering as well as create a new Institute for the Advancement of Science and Technology. The request also includes $8.4 million in new funds for research and education in renewable energy and the environment. In addition, the University is requesting that the legislature create in statute a Minnesota Biomedical Sciences Research Facilities Authority that would authorize the construction of more than 750,000 square feet in research space over the next eight years.

To find out more or to get involved, visit the University of Minnesota’s new Legislative Network Web site www.supporttheu.umn.edu.

Freshman applications for fall 2007, again

The number of applications for freshman admission to the Institute of Technology is up about 13 percent so far this year following a sharp rise in applications last year. As of Dec. 30, 2006, the college had received 3,674 applications, compared to 3,250 the same time a year ago. Overall University applications are up almost 8 percent with 27,847 applications received by Dec. 30 compared to 25,800 the same time last year.

"We are pleased that we are improving on the gains we made last year, despite the fact that the number of high school graduates has remained constant over the last few years," said Peter Hudleston, Institute of Technology associate dean for student affairs.

The target freshman class size for fall 2007 is 800 and the college expects to meet this target, Hudleston said.

Serge Rudaz named founding director of new University Honors Program

Professor Serge Rudaz (physics and astronomy) has been named as the founding director of the new, campus-wide University Honors Program. Rudaz begins work immediately to prepare for the arrival of the first class of undergraduate students in fall 2008. As founding director, Rudaz will work with colleges to integrate current college-based honors programs into a single, more visible, campus-wide program. The new honors program is designed to attract the very best students and strengthen and expand the honors opportunities for all undergraduates on the Twin Cities campus. More...

Institute of Technology hosts robotics competition kick-off event

Hundreds of high school students from Minnesota and nearby states gathered at the University of Minnesota on Jan. 6 to kick off the 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition. Due to generous sponsorships from Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and other corporations, the number of teams in Minnesota competing in the event has grown from two teams last year to 16 this year. The growing interest in the event is building momentum for next year when the University of Minnesota will host the regional competition at the Sports Pavilion in March 2008. More…

Mechanical engineering faculty featured in local art exhibit

Female faculty members from the Department of Mechanical Engineering will be featured later this month as a part of an exhibition entitled "Women's Work" presented by WPVA, a local group of women photographers and visual artists. The show will run from January 12 through February 18, 2007 at the Phipps Center for the Arts, 109 Locust Street, Hudson, Wis.

Photographer Nancy Johnson, a communications staff member in mechanical engineering, contributed black and white portraits of each of the six female faculty in her department. More...

Research holds promise for developments in unmanned flights

Professor Demoz Gebre-Egziabher (aerospace engineering and mechanics) has received a grant from the Lockheed Martin Corp. to explore ways to dynamically increase precision and accuracy in aircraft landing systems. Gebre-Egziabher’s research holds the promise of new developments in the world of unmanned flight by exploring methods of using the military’s next-generation navigation and guidance technology to increase the effectiveness of navigation systems on unmanned aerial vehicles. More...

Professor’s findings on electrical properties of the skull may hold key to brain research

New findings about the electrical properties of the human skull by Professor Bin He (biomedical engineering) may hold the key to better diagnosis and monitoring of epilepsy, comas and other brain activity. Knowing the conductivity levels of the brain and skull are key to techniques commonly used to scan brain activity.

The research findings by He and his colleagues were detailed recently in the journal Applied Physics Letters and covered by Live Science and Fox News. More…

Institute of Technology astronomers use new 3-D imaging techniques to map a hypergiant star's massive outbursts

A group of astronomers led by Institute of Technology Professor Roberta Humphreys have combined images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the W.M. Keck Observatory in Kameula, Hawaii, to create the first-ever, three-dimensional images of one of the brightest supersized stars in the sky.

From these new images astronomers have learned that the gaseous outflow is more complex than originally thought from VY Canis Majoris, a red supergiant star. More...

Honors

Professor Priscilla Cushman (physics and astronomy) was appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation's Office of High Energy Physics Advisory Panel for a three-year term

Robert P. Hammer (Chem Ph.D. '90), a William A. Pryor Professor of Chemistry at Louisiana State University, has been named by Scientific American magazine as a research leader within the 2006 Scientific American 50, the magazine’s prestigious annual list recognizing outstanding acts of leadership in science and technology from the past year. The Scientific American 50 appeared in the magazine’s December issue. Hammer made the list because of his research over the last year in the basic science of Alzheimer’s Disease published recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

A student team from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, called 'Dijkstra,' qualified to compete in the 2007 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)-International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals in Tokyo, Japan, March 12-16. The University's teams placed 5th, 6th, 18th and 25th out of about 180 regional teams.

Media watch

Physics students take on bowling buddies

The physics of bowling were put to the test when University of Minnesota physics students engaged in a bowl-off against the regulars at Bryant-Lake Bowl in Minneapolis. Nov. 29: WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul).

Research favors meteor theory on dinosaur extinction

University of Minnesota geology professor Donna Whitney is involved with a team of researchers that say the analysis of Atlantic Ocean floor sediment has produced compelling evidence that a single meteor’s impact obliterated most of the Earth’s animal species 65 million years ago. Dec. 2: Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri); Dec. 14: Minnesota Moment.

U of M gives update on neutrino project

The University of Minnesota is proposing construction of a new detector as part of the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) project, based at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the Soudan Underground Laboratory, a unique physics laboratory operated by the School of Physics and Astronomy. Dec. 5: Timber Jay News.

Scammers and spammers bombarding e-mail boxes

Joseph Konstan (computer science and engineering) provided advice on how to steer clear of e-mail scams. Dec. 5: MN Daily.

U of M planning largest expansion since West Bank

A University of Minnesota plan calls for the addition of several new biomedical research facilities on campus. Dec. 7: WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul).

Yes, in fact, there is accounting for taste

John Riedl (computer science and engineering) was quoted in an article about how video and music stores track your preferences. Professor Riedl developed an early computerized recommender in the 1990s. Nov. 20: Fortune; Dec. 10: Baltimore Sun; Dec. 20: Calendar Live (California)

Robots 'do something interesting' at U of M student show

More than 200 engineering students showed off their computer-controlled robots to the public at the University of Minnesota Robot Show. Dec. 11: WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul); KSTP-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul); University News Release.

Web identity unsafe

John Riedl (computer science and engineering) discussed web identity crime and safety. Dec. 12: MN Daily.

Pawlenty backing renewable energy plan

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is promoting renewable energy in Minnesota including biogas produced from plant wastes, an energy initiative showing promise in research at the University of Minnesota. Dec. 13: Pioneer Press (St. Paul).

U of M professor gets grant from Lockheed

Demoz Gebre-Egziabher (aerospace engineering and mechanics) has received a $50,000 grant from Lockheed Martin Corp. to study ways to increase performance of aircraft-landing systems. Dec. 13: Twin Cities Business Journal.

Synthetic Chemistry: Gold road to safe sushi

Use of a new kind of chemical reaction catalyzed by a gold compound has helped a team of University of Minnesota researchers make an important segment of azaspiracid, a toxic marine molecule. Dec. 14: Nature.

Web site to monitor Internet traffic pulse

Andrew Odlyzko, director of the Digital Technology Center at the University of Minnesota, expects to unveil a Web site soon that is designed to track Internet traffic around the world. Dec. 15: PC World; Hamilton Spectator (Canada).

Electrical Properties of Human Skull Finally Determined

New findings about the electrical properties of the human skull by Bin He (biomedical engineering) may hold the key to better diagnosis and monitoring of epilepsy, comas and other brain activity. Dec. 14: FOX News; Dec. 14: Live Science.

Fuel from renewables

A University of Minnesota renewable energy research team has invented a ‘reactive flash volatilization process’ that heats oil and sugar about a million times faster than you can in your kitchen. Dec. 19: Engineer Live (United Kingdom).

New park being built near St. Anthony Falls

About an acre of a new mid-river park being opened by Xcel Energy will be developed in conjunction with the nearby University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. Dec. 21: Star Tribune.

Events

Physics Force public show

January 11: The Physics Force, a group of Institute of Technology physics faculty and high school science teachers will offer their zany but scientifically impeccable overview of the fundamental principles of hard science in a public show designed for all ages. Free and open to the public. 7 p.m., Northrop Auditorium.

Code Freeze winter symposium

January 11: Code Freeze is an annual winter symposium focusing on global development and best practices in software engineering. The event is organized by the University of Minnesota's Software Engineering Center (UMSEC). 8 a.m.–5 p.m., McNamara Alumni Center.

Headliners Lecture: David Tilman

January 11: Hope for renewable energy and an answer to global warming may be right under our feet, according to scientist David Tilman, the speaker at the next Headliners lecture. Tilman will explain the next generation of biofuels–prairie grasses. Fee charged.
7 p.m., University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center.

Clean Energy Resource Teams Conference

January 16-17: Be a part of getting renewable energy and energy efficiency projects up and running. The conference provides an opportunity to learn about successful projects and get connected to the ideas, resources and expertise you need to bring clean energy to your community. Fee charged. Register online. 8 a.m.–5 p.m., St. Cloud Civic Center.

Math Matters IMA Public Lecture Series: Christopher Budd

January 18: Christopher J. Budd, Professor in Applied Mathematics and Director of the Centre for Nonlinear Mechanics, University of Bath, England is the featured speaker for the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications lecture entitled "Making Sense of a Complex World." He will explain how simple properties often emerge from seemingly very complex systems, and how we can use these properties to gain understanding of the world around us. Free. 7 p.m., 125 Wiley Hall.

Headliners Lecture: Guy Kawasaki

January 19: Guy Kawasaki, one of the individuals behind the success of the Macintosh computer, is an innovation evangelist, entrepreneur, and a venture capitalist. His lecture entitled "The Art of the Start" will address the fundamental knowledge needed to start a new organization. Free. 1 p.m., McNamara Alumni Center.

Risk and Response to Global Environmental Change, Lessons from Cross-National Social Science Research

January 25-26: Presentations and discussions at this conference will focus on the responses (or lack thereof) of governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and national and international policies to the scientific fact of global warming. Free and open to the public. 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Cowles Auditorium, Hubert H. Humphrey Center.

Looking ahead

Institute of Technology Public Lecture: Kim Stelson

February 6: A lecture by Kim Stelson, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota who also serves as director of the Institute of Technology's new NSF Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, will focus on fluid power and will explain how researchers at the new center are working on new ways to save energy and improve our lives by using fluid power. 7 p.m., 402 Walter Library.

CTS Winter Luncheon 2007

February 8: Bruce Simons-Morton, chief of the Prevention Research Branch in the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, will present a lecture entitled "Myths and Misconceptions About the Young Driver Problem and its Solutions." He will address the substantial and growing evidence that it is possible to alter the pattern of risk for young drivers through effective policy and behavioral interventions. 11:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m., Radisson University Hotel.

UMAA 2007 Volunteer Leadership Summit

February 10: All University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) national, society and chapter volunteers are invited to participate in the 2007 Volunteer Leadership Summit. The program will include presentations, interactive sessions, round-table and panel discussions, and networking. 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m., A.I. Johnson Room, McNamara Alumni Center.

Stem Cell Institute Conference

February 26: "Creating Stem Cells by Research Cloning: Scientific, Ethical, Legal & Policy Challenges," a conference sponsored by The Stem Cell Institute, will lead a national audience in exploring the implications of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also known as research cloning. This conference will convene top researchers and experts to explore the issues raised by SCNT, the options open to universities, and how policy should progress. Fee charged. Register online. 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Coffman Memorial Union.

Science & Technology Banquet

April 11: Lee Lynd, professor of engineering at Dartmouth College and chief scientific officer, co-founder, and director of Mascoma Corporation will be the keynote speaker at the Institute of Technology's annual gala, sponsored by the Institute of Technology Alumni Society. Registration opening in February 2007. Event location and time to be announced.

Wireless Cities Conference ... Communities of Interests

April 16–17: This Wireless Cities conference brings together educators, researchers, project coordinators, funders, community activists and policy-makers to discuss the implications of wireless communities. Sponsored by The University of Minnesota Digital Media Center, Digital Technology Center, Institute for New Media Studies, the Metropolitan Design Center, and Digital Watershed. Register online. Walter Library.

Design of Medical Devices Conference

April 17–19: The conference includes two days of technical/clinical sessions and the one-day 4th Annual President's 21st Century Interdisciplinary Conference. Sponsored by the University of Minnesota's Biomedical Engineering Institute, Institute of Technology, Academic Health Center, Office of the President, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Register online. Radisson University Hotel.