Purdue Business Tips
April 1995
Disposable table service makes economic sense for schools
Using permanent, reusable serviceware in school food service operations may reduce
the amount of waste sent to landfills, but it is not as cost effective as using disposable
plates, utensils and glassware, says a Purdue service industry expert. Richard F.
Ghiselli, assistant professor in the Department of Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional
and Tourism Management, and two colleagues studied 237 public school corporations
in Indiana to find out how much money they were spending on permanent serviceware
vs. disposable. He found that purchase/replacement and cleaning costs for permanent serviceware
exceeded those for disposable serviceware. At this time, landfill and waste-hauling
costs aren't prohibitively high, Ghiselli says. For example, he found that in $1
worth of landfill space, a school could store 3,455 paper plates, 5,537 paper cups, or
4,906 plastic forks. CONTACT: Ghiselli, (765) 496-2374; Internet, ghisellir@cfs.purdue.edu
New cooling technology bubbles with possibilities
Tiny bubbles are proving they can "take the heat" at Purdue. Issam Mudawar, professor
of mechanical engineering, is doing research on a cooling technology that uses bubbles
to dissipate enormous amounts of heat. The technology could be used in the design
of future fusion reactors, to make more efficient medical equipment and to make smaller,
lighter electronics. Mudawar's technique forces boiling liquid at high pressure through
tiny channels the size of hypodermic needles, a process called microchannel flow boiling. "When you boil liquid, you create little bubbles, like heating water in
a pot," he says. "In the case of microchannels ... bubbles form on the channel wall
and are quickly flushed out with the liquid, taking the heat away with it in the
process. The instant one bubble leaves, another one forms to replace it." Mudawar says other
applications that could benefit from the system are lasers, medical X-ray equipment
and avionics systems in military aircraft. CONTACT: Mudawar, (765) 494-5705; Internet,
mudawar@ecn.purdue.edu News release and photo of Mudawar available from Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2096.
Consumers think 'percent more free' ads offer more than they do
They may indeed be getting something for nothing, but consumers think that amount
is more than it actually is, says a Purdue retail expert. A popular advertising strategy
offers a "percent more free" when consumers buy "bonus size" items. "When asked how
many ounces of product are free in a 24-ounce bottle labeled '50% more free,' most
consumers would say they were getting 12 free ounces," says Larry J. Seibert, assistant
professor of general business at Purdue's North Central campus. "The actual free
amount would be 8 ounces, based on a 16-ounce regular size." CONTACT: Seibert, (219) 785-5233.
Pawpaws provide potential, Purdue experts predict
The pawpaw -- the largest fruit native to the United States -- has the potential to
become a popular flavor in American foods, says a Purdue flavor chemist. Carol Karahadian
says that because of its unique taste, the pawpaw could become the next trendy fruit, like the kiwi. Bruce Bordelon, assistant professor of horticulture, says: "Pawpaws
are shaking out as having good market potential already. They should start showing
up soon in expensive restaurants as a novelty item." Bordelon is coordinator of Purdue's pawpaw variety trial, which is part of a 14-university effort to determine the best
varieties of this unusual fruit. The yellow-brown fruits are about the size of a
potato with a texture like a very ripe banana on the outside. CONTACTS: Karahadian,
(765) 494-8232; Internet, Karahadc@cfs.purdue.edu Bordelon, (765) 494-8212; Internet, Bruce_Bordelon@mailhost.hort.purdue.edu
News release and black-and-white photo and b-roll of pawpaws are available from Purdue
News Service, (765) 494-2096.
Dual-major health sciences students enjoy job security
Companies that must comply with a growing number of regulations on pollution and job
hazards are hotly pursuing students who major in both health physics and industrial
hygiene, says David Tate, director of student services in Purdue's School of Health
Sciences. "Companies have to comply with these laws but often can't afford both a health
physicist and an industrial hygienist," he says. "So they're eager to hire one person
knowledgeable in both areas. Industrial hygienists deal with such issues as hazardous waste, indoor air quality, and air and noise pollution. Health physicists design
and direct programs to protect people from the harmful effects of X-rays, lasers
and radiation. Bachelor's graduates of this dual-degree program can command a starting
salary around $37,000. CONTACT: Tate, (765) 494-1392.
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: This list of story ideas is available via e-mail. To receive
it, send an e-mail message with the text "send punews 9504bp5" to this address: almanac@ecn.purdue.edu.
Purdue News Service also posts recent news releases, experts lists and story tips on a gopher server at: newsgopher.uns.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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