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News for faculty and staff

December 20, 2007

FEATURED NEWS FOR EMPLOYEES

Strategic plan forums scheduled for January

Purdue faculty, staff and students and the Lafayette-West Lafayette community can contribute ideas for Purdue's next strategic plan at three open forums in January.

Comments and feedback also can be given through a blog on the 2007-13 Strategic Plan Web site, www.purdue.edu/strategic_plan/2007-13.
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Emergency preparedness office urges New Year's resolution

This New Year's Eve, nearly 50 percent of Americans will make at least one resolution as they look toward the New Year. Today, Purdue's Emergency Preparedness Office is encouraging all faculty, staff and students to make a resolution that is both important and easy to keep: preparing for emergencies. More

MEMOS

To faculty and staff: Announcements regarding procedures for snow recess and severe weather emergency

This memo is from Joseph Mikesell, interim vice president for physical facilities. See memo here.

CAMPUS NEWS

Purdue's Union Club Hotel offers holiday specials

The Union Club Hotel is offering room rate discounts the week after Christmas.

Deluxe rooms will rent for $69.60 per night and a room with a queen bed or two twin beds will rent for $57.60 per night. The special rates, a 40 percent discount, begin Dec. 26 and run through Jan. 2. More

Professor to appear in History Channel documentary

**Randy Roberts**

A Purdue history professor will be featured Friday (Dec. 21) at 11 p.m. Eastern time in a History Channel "History in Focus" episode entitled "Charlie Wilson's War."

Randy Roberts, Distinguished Professor of History, was interviewed by the History Channel in November about the former Texas congressman. Wilson was instrumental in aiding the Afghan rebels in the 1980s as they fought against the invading Soviet Union. The documentary airs the same day the new film "Charlie Wilson's War" opens in theaters. The movie stars Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts. More

ROTC graduates commissioned

Four Purdue Naval ROTC graduates take their oath as part of the Tri-Service Commissioning Ceremony on Monday (Dec. 17) in the Purdue Memorial Union South Ballroom. Adm. Gary Roughead, U.S. chief of naval operations, commissioned 35 graduates during the ceremony, including 15 ensigns from the Naval ROTC, four second lieutenants from the Army ROTC and 16 second lieutenants from the Air Force ROTC. These new officers will immediately go on to train in their respective specialties in the U.S. military.

New specialization will focus on supercomputing

Purdue is developing courses that will focus on high-performance computing, making it one of a few universities nationwide to offer such curriculum. The specialization will be offered in the Department of Computer and Information Technology. More

GENERAL NEWS

Purdue Research Park company commercializing method to improve early cancer diagnosis

**Performing an analysis**

A new Purdue-licensed technology to improve early cancer diagnosis is being developed by MatrixBio LLC, a Purdue Research Park company.

The company has just received seed round funding from the Main Street Venture Fund, located in Fort Wayne, Ind., which will allow the company to further develop its diagnostic tests and to proceed with its second phase of clinical trials. More

New smart tire senses damage, increases safety

**Research on a "smart" tire**

A new type of "smart" tire developed by a Purdue professor is able to sense damage when a tire goes flat or loses treads, making it safer for road travel.

The tire's technology also can be used to detect impending defects before a tire is mass produced.

A team led by Gary W. Krutz, director of Purdue's Electrohydraulic Center and a professor of agricultural and biological engineering, has developed a tire system that senses failures in real time. More

Purdue Research Park company receives $5 million production contract to develop component for world's largest telescope

Zeeko Technologies LLC, a Purdue Research Park-based company, announced that its sister company, Zeeko Ltd., was awarded a $5 million contract to develop a component to be used on the world's largest telescope. More

Indiana selected as lead state for Woodrow Wilson Fellowships to improve teacher preparation and recruitment

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has selected Indiana as the first site for its new national fellowship for high school teachers, intended to help overhaul teacher education and encourage exceptionally able teacher candidates to seek long-term careers in high-need classrooms. A grant from the Lilly Endowment of $10,161,106 will support the Indiana program, which focuses on high school math and science teaching. More

Purdue veterinarian suggests top 10 holiday gift ideas for pets

As you check gifts off your holiday shopping list, consider the gift of health for your pet, says Lorraine Corriveau, a wellness veterinarian at Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine. More

Prof: Mull over calories in wine, beer before toasting the New Year

While many people are conscious of the calories from snacking on holiday cookies and hors d'oeuvres, many partygoers may not be counting the calories in their alcoholic beverages, says a Purdue expert. More

PEOPLE

PMO director retires; search launched

The director of Purdue Musical Organizations (PMO) on Wednesday (Dec. 19) announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31.

Brian Breed has led the university's student performing groups since 1989. PMO ensembles entertain audiences throughout the United States and overseas in venues that have included Carnegie Hall, Westminster Abbey and the Great Wall of China. PMO's annual Purdue Christmas Show in Elliott Hall of Music draws more than 30,000 people each year. More

Chandra Lovejoy Joins Endocyte as Director of Regulatory Affairs

Endocyte Inc. announced Monday (Dec. 17) the appointment of Chandra Lovejoy to the position of director, regulatory affairs.

Lovejoy comes to Endocyte from Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, Calif., where she was most recently a manager of regulatory affairs. More

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Upcoming events at Purdue

Here is a list of events happening Dec. 20-Jan. 2 on the West Lafayette campus. More

WIRED workshop aims to energize entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship traditionally refers to a new business in a single location, but more and more it is being practiced across broad geographic regions.

An upcoming Indiana WIRED workshop will help civic leaders and business-minded people in north-central Indiana think and act entrepreneurially in an ever-increasing global economy. The Energizing Entrepreneurs (e2) Institute will take place Feb. 4-7 at the Best Western Brandywine Inn and Suites, 304 S. Sixth St., Monticello. Registration is $400 for community teams of four to six people and includes meals and lodging. More

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