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March 19, 1999 JOURNALISTS: Here's a story idea and some Purdue events during the next two weeks. Road School paves way to better roads More than 1,200 people, from street commissioners to mayors to highway engineers, will gather at Purdue's Stewart Center on Tuesday and Wednesday (3/23-24) to explore ways to make Indiana's roads and highways more reliable, enjoyable and efficient. Highlights from the 85th Annual Purdue Road School include: Road conditions. Tuesday. 9 a.m. Walter Sutton Jr., associate administrator for policy for the Federal Highway Administration. Traffic Issues. Tuesday. 1:30-5 p.m. Daniel Shamo, with the Indiana Department of Transportation, will provide an update on Indiana's intelligent transportation system initiatives, designed to use sensors and other devices along the roadway to monitor traffic, detect accidents and smooth traffic flow. Research on Ways to Improve Highways. Wednesday. 10:15 a.m. Robert Bernhard, professor of mechanical engineering, and Vincent Drnevich, head of Purdue's School of Civil Engineering, will discuss research designed to build "Safe, Quiet and Durable Highways." Historic Bridges. Wednesday. 10:15 a.m. James L. Cooper, professor emeritus of history at DePauw University and a well-known bridge historian, will present a session on "Practical Approach for Maintaining Historic Bridges." CONTACTS: Karen Hatke, program coordinator for the Joint Transportation Research Program at Purdue, (765) 494-9310, ahler@ecn.purdue.edu; and Kumares Sinha, the Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering and director of the Joint Transportation Research Program, (765) 494-2211, sinha@ecn.purdue.edu Events Wednesday, March 24. Conversations About Teaching. 3:30 p.m. East and West Faculty Lounges, Purdue Memorial Union. Speaker: Jay Akridge, professor of agricultural economics who has led workshops in Central and Eastern Europe and South America on agribusiness management education and who is in charge of Purdue's new executive MBA in agribusiness program. Sponsored by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs so that award-winning Purdue faculty can share their creative approaches to teaching. CONTACT: George Van Scoyoc, associate executive vice president for academic affairs, (765) 494-0608, gevanscoyoc@evpaa.purdue.edu Friday, March 26. Roger C. Stewart, vice president, Global Treasury, Procter and Gamble Co., Cincinnati, talks about "Global Treasury -- Managing Risk in a Volatile Environment" at the Krannert Executive Forum at 11:30 a.m. in the Krannert Building Auditorium. Reporters are asked to refrain from asking questions, videotaping or taking photographs during the lecture, but all are allowed during the student question-and-answer sessions. CONTACT: Tamyra Gibson, director of public relations, School of Management, (765) 494-4392, gibson@mgmt.purdue.edu Saturday, March 27. Purdue Musical Organizations' Glee Club and the Black Voices of Inspiration from the Purdue Black Cultural Center perform their first-ever combined concert for the public. The event, at 7:30 p.m. at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, is a preview of the "Voices of America" show the two groups will take on an 18-day tour of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in May and June. B-roll of a previous nonpublic performance by the combined choirs is available from Grady Jones, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2079; grady_jones@purdue.edu. CONTACTS: Amy Page Christiansen, PMO Club director, (765) 494-3947, apc@purdue.edu; and Howard Lucas, assistant director of the Black Cultural Center, (765) 494-3095, hslucas@hfs.purdue.edu Tuesday, March 30. Lecture and dinner with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, a fund-raiser presented by Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Lecture at 7 p.m., dinner at 8 p.m. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Speech topic is "Leadership: From the War Room to the Board Room." To arrange coverage, journalists should contact Alice Alesia, IPFW University Relations, (219) 481-6165, AlesiaA@ipfw.edu; or IPFW Sports Information, (219) 481-4101. Friday, April 2. Board of Trustees meeting. 1:30 p.m. Room 304 (Anniversary Drawing Room), Purdue Memorial Union. (Date changed from March 26.) CONTACTS: Jeanne V. Norberg, director, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2084; jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu, or Joseph L. Bennett, vice president for University Relations, (765) 494-2082; joe_bennett@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page