Purdue News Roundup
Purdue News Roundup
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March 27, 1998
Jordanian ambassador to speak at PurdueNOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To arrange an interview with Ambassador Marwan Muasher, call Katy Ibrahim, International Programs, (765) 494-8462. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Marwan Muasher, Jordan's ambassador to the United States and a Purdue University alumnus, will give a public lecture about the Middle East peace process Wednesday (4/1) evening. Muasher's presentation, "Peace and the Jordan Model," begins at 7:30 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center, followed by a reception in the Anniversary Drawing Room in the Purdue Memorial Union. Both the lecture and the reception are open to the public. Muasher received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue. After graduation, he worked as a research engineer with the Research Institute at the University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia and then as the director of the computing center at the Jordan Electric Power Co. From 1982 to 1990 Muasher was a political columnist for The Jordan Times, an English-language daily newspaper. In 1985 he began working for the Jordanian government, first with the Ministry of Planning, then as press adviser to the prime minister. From 1990 to 1994 he was director of the Jordan Information Bureau, the information arm of the Jordanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. During this time he was spokesman for the Jordanian delegation to the Middle East peace negotiations, and he served as co-master of ceremonies at the signing of the peace accord. Muasher was named the Jordanian ambassador to Israel in 1994 and became ambassador to the United States in May 1997. Muasher's talk is co-sponsored by the Organization of Arab Students and the Office of International Programs. The reception is sponsored by the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. CONTACT: Katy Ibrahim, International Programs, (765) 494-8462.
Workshop focuses on service-learning at PurdueWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue University will host a workshop April 8 aimed at bringing classrooms and community-service agencies together.The daylong workshop on service-learning, "Enhancing Student Learning at Purdue," will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, in Room 314, Stewart Center. The public is invited. Purdue's representative for the Indiana Campus Compact, Richard Grace, who is director of Purdue's Undergraduate Studies Program, and the Task Force on Citizenship Education are sponsoring the workshop to encourage discussion of Purdue courses that provide service-learning as a component, and to facilitate the development of future projects that enhance student learning while satisfying a community need. Service-learning courses are those in which the students do a community-service activity and then analyze it in the classroom. "Response to service-learning partnerships already in place at Purdue and other universities has been nothing but positive," said John Pomery, chairman of the task force and an associate professor of economics. "Our focus groups tell us students receive a more rounded approach to traditional classroom education, faculty members are provided with new avenues for effective research, and community-service agencies benefit by a semester-long commitment from student volunteers." The workshop will feature presentations by Purdue's EPIC's Program (Engineering Programs in Community Service) coordinators. Faculty and students involved in specific service-learning courses at Michigan State University and Indiana University will discuss their successes -- including MSU's Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program, which serves as a 21-credit minor in service-learning for students with strong technical majors in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Esther Chosnek, director of the Volunteer Bureau of Greater Lafayette, will discuss the costs and benefits of service-learning partnerships and address the needs of the community. Invitations have been sent to more than 50 agency directors in the Greater Lafayette area. The workshop is organized so people can drop in for a single 50-minute session (parallel to normal class periods), or stay for the entire day of speakers and panel discussions. Here's the schedule:
Survey seeks to identify volunteers in Purdue communityWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue University students, staff and faculty are being asked to respond to surveys about service-learning courses and community service.The campuswide survey is being conducted by Purdue's representative for the Indiana Campus Compact and the ad hoc Task Force on Citizenship Education. The Indiana Campus Compact is a consortium of colleges, both public and private, seeking to cultivate in students a lifelong commitment to community service. "The inventory will help the university improve service-learning curricula, give community-service organizations a university connection for their projects, and help the university identify its many contributions to the community," said Richard Grace, director of the Undergraduate Studies Program and Purdue's representative for the Indiana Campus Compact. Service-learning courses are those in which the students do a community-service activity and then reflect in the classroom to gain further understanding of the course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. Surveys have been sent to all 2,400 faculty members and 6,000 staff members on the West Lafayette campus, plus 4,500 students -- approximately 10 percent of the student body. Six hundred surveys also have been sent to recognized campus organizations. The surveys seek data on community-service activities, service learning, volunteerism and philanthropy by the Purdue community. Those who have not received a survey or who would prefer to respond on line can fill out a form on the Web at http://www3.mgmt.purdue.edu/citizen_ed. They should enter the user ID "service." According to Grace, "Service learning has long been a tradition at Purdue, but no one has attempted to determine its scope." For example, nursing students instruct aviation technology students on first aid, pharmacy students make house calls on the elderly to make sure they're taking their medicine correctly, and the award-winning EPICS Program, "Engineering Programs in Community Service," matches faculty and students with local nonprofit agencies needing technical assistance. In the latest service-learning partnership, students from the School of Computer and Electrical Engineering and students from a sociology course are developing a prototype system for tracking homeless clients for the Indianapolis office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. EPICS Program co-director Ed Coyle said: "We provide the technical expertise and resources these agencies wouldn't be able to afford on their own. At the same time, the program helps undergraduate students become more marketable as they participate in real projects with real customers." CONTACT: Richard Grace, (765) 494-0843; e-mail: regrace@usp.purdue.edu
Four fraternities violate Greek alcohol policyWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Four Purdue University fraternities may not attend parties where alcohol is served and will have to conduct education programs after having violated Interfraternity Council rules about serving alcoholic beverages at social functions.The Greek Judicial Board, composed of students, decided that Alpha Gamma Rho, Beta Theta Pi and Pi Kappa Phi fraternities were responsible for allowing students under age 21 to drink alcoholic beverages during a party Jan. 24 in the Pi Kappa Phi chapter house. Phi Kappa Theta was found guilty of the same offense during a party at the chapter house Jan. 23. The hearings and appeals of the incidents were completed March 19. Each organization was placed on alcohol probation for four to six weeks, which means the chapter may not attend any function where alcohol will be served. All four fraternities also must conduct an alcohol education program for each of the chapters with the help of Andrew Robison, assistant dean of students. At least 85 percent of the membership must attend the program, which must be scheduled before Wednesday (4/1). Purdue's Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association passed a revised alcohol policy last month that takes effect Wednesday (4/1). The organizations decided that chapters will sponsor invitation-only events and will not provide alcohol. Invited guests age 21 or older may bring their own beverages, with a limit equivalent to six 12-ounce beers or four wine coolers per person. Guests will be checked for age and identification before being allowed into the function. The revised policy also calls for function hosts to have sober members serve as door monitors and designated drivers. CONTACT: Robison, assistant dean of students, (765) 494-1232; e-mail, robison@purdue.edu
'Purdue: A Closer Look' wraps up spring series in AprilWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- "Purdue: A Closer Look," the university's weekly television magazine about Purdue people, programs, research and services, wraps up its 1997-98 season of Greater Lafayette and statewide cable telecasts and Indianapolis broadcasts with three programs in April.Each half-hour program includes a campus news update, feature segments and a studio interview. The program is seen weekdays in Greater Lafayette and on Purdue's West Lafayette campus on The Purdue Channel (Insight Communications Channel 5; University Residences Television Antenna System Channel 15; and Purdue Cable Network Channel 4). Telecast times are noon Monday and Friday and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Weekly broadcasts of the program are seen at 11:30 a.m. Sundays on WFYI-TV 20, the Indianapolis Public Broadcasting Service affiliate. Several cable outlets around the state present the program as well (see listing below). The Greater Lafayette telecast weeks, Indianapolis broadcast dates and topics for programs in April:
"Purdue: A Closer Look" is produced by the Center for Instructional Services and the Office of University Relations. Program hosts are Beth Forbes, news coordinator at Purdue News Service, and Greg Zawisza, director of special projects at University Relations. In addition to the Greater Lafayette and WFYI broadcasts, the program also is seen on the following cable outlets around the state (check local listings):
CONTACTS: Zawisza, (765) 494-2086; e-mail, greg_zawisza@purdue.edu; Forbes, (765) 494-9723; e-mail, beth_forbes@purdue.edu
Pulitzer Prize winner to speak at Literary Awards BanquetWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Novelist and short story writer Richard Ford will be the featured speaker Tuesday, April 14, at the 67th annual Literary Awards Banquet at Purdue University.The banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the North Ballroom, Purdue Memorial Union. The event is open to the public, and tickets may be purchased until April 8 at the English department office in Heavilon Hall for $12 for students and $17 for all others. Ford, the author of seven books, is perhaps best known for his 1996 novel "Independence Day," for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. His other awards include the PEN-Faulkner Award, the Award of Merit in the Novel from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. Ford's most recent book is "Women With Men," a collection of novellas. Ford also will give a reading of his work at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in Krannert Auditorium. The banquet is preceded by a reception for the winners of a high-school writing contest. It will be from 5:30 p.m. until 6:25 p.m. in the English Department Lounge. During the banquet, winners of the annual Literary Awards Competition will be announced. The awards are given to Purdue students who submit works in creative writing and expository prose categories. The banquet and competition are sponsored by the Department of English and School of Liberal Arts. For ticket information, contact the English department office at (765) 494-3740. CONTACT: Tom Ohlgren, professor of English, (765) 494-3740; e-mail, tohlgren@gte.net
Grants send 9 Purdue doctoral students to conferencesWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Nine Purdue University students will present their doctoral research at national and international conferences, with all travel expenses funded by grants. The 1998 A.H. Ismail Interdisciplinary Program Doctoral Research Travel Awards were presented to the following recipients:
The late Professor A.H. Ismail was a faculty member in the Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation Studies from 1958 to 1984. The awards commemorate his enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research and his concern for the graduate students with whom he worked. CONTACT: Candiss Baksa Vibbert, assistant dean of the Graduate School, (765) 494-6963; e-mail: cbvibbert@grad.purdue.edu
Purdue students recognized for achievementsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Nineteen Purdue University students recently were recognized for their achievements.-- Jonas Moskowitz, a junior from West Lafayette who is majoring in philosophy, won the School of Liberal Arts Dean's Prize for the Outstanding Undergraduate Work on Race, Culture or Gender. His paper, "Social Genethics of Beneficial Biotechnology," discussed cultural diversity with regard to the implications of genetic engineering of humans. He will receive a cash award of $250. The 8-year-old competition recognizes artistic or creative work representing strategies for overcoming barriers imposed by inequalities, disabilities or discrimination. -- Priscilla Hall, Greenwood, Ind ., and Nichole Salmon, Michigan City, Ind ., both pharmacy majors, won the Second National Clinical Skills Competition on Dec. 6 in Atlanta. Each member of the Purdue team won $500 for putting together a pharmaceutical care plan for a hypothetical patient with multiple disease states in less than two hours. Purdue's pharmacy team also tied for first place in the inaugural competition in 1996. -- Two teams of Purdue undergraduate students will compete in the national collegiate Mock Trial Championships April 3-5 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. A nine-student team placed second, and a seven-student team placed fourth overall during regional competition. The top four teams go on to the nationals. The tournament pits teams of students in competitions similar to real-life trials. This year's case involved the trial of a celebrity charged with the murder of a child.
Purdue NotebookFaculty and staff honors:-- Eliot Smith, professor of psychological sciences, received the annual Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Sciences. He was recognized for a paper he co-wrote entitled "Intergroup Relations: Insight From a Theoretically Integrative Approach." The study soon will appear in the journal Psychological Review. He shares the award with co-writer Diane Mackie of the University of California, Santa Barbara. -- Ei-ichi Negishi, professor of chemistry, has been awarded the American Chemical Society's 1998 Award in Organometallic Chemistry for discovering new kinds of molecular "coaches" that can be used to assemble pharmaceuticals, plastics and other useful compounds. The award will be presented March 31 at the society's national meeting in Dallas. Negishi is recognized in the scientific community for his pioneering work in developing chemical reactions that are catalyzed or promoted by metal-containing compounds.
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Compiled by J. Michael Willis, (765) 494-0371; e-mail, mike_willis@purdue.edu
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