Featured Articles

Senior is lead author on paper published in prestigious journal

Biology department has banner publication year

Marching band performs at Lambeau Field

United Way 'Day of Caring' event is today

Noon Tunes again to feature familiar faces

Final budget/PEEQ charrette set for Tuesday

Hispanic Heritage Month activities begin this week

Coaches to continue weekly Blugold luncheons

Professor to discuss mathematics of elections

Alcohol Awareness Week set for
Sept. 20-26

Foundation says, 'Go green by going blue!'

Recent grads begin Teach For America assignments

Calling all experts: Participants sought for UW-Eau Claire Experts Directory

Photo Corner: Just passing through

UW-Eau Claire senior Lee Behling and chemistry professor Dr. Warren Gallagher are pictured next to the chemistry department’s nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, an instrument used in their methanobactin research that recently was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and announced in Chemical and Engineering News. (Photo by Bill Hoepner, LTS)

Senior is lead author on paper published in prestigious journal
A UW-Eau Claire senior is the lead author on a research paper published in August in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The publication of Lee Behling's research relating to the molecule methanobactin was deemed important enough to be announced in Chemical and Engineering News, a publication that focuses on exciting developments in the chemistry field.

"To a chemist, this is really big," chemistry professor Dr. Scott Hartsel said of Behling's work first being published in a prestigious journal and then being reported on in a highly respected science news publication. "It's like a rock star getting his picture on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine."

Biology department has banner publication year
The 2007-08 school year was a banner publishing year for the UW-Eau Claire biology department. Nine faculty members and six undergraduate students were involved in the publication of 16 journal articles, and three other faculty members authored or contributed to three texts or reference books.

Covering topics that included everything from fish and butterflies to megadroughts in Africa, antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and human anatomy and physiology, the journal articles appeared in such publications as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of the Lepidopterist's Society, Great Lakes Entomologist, The American Biology Teacher, Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Journal of Chemotherapy, Restoration Ecology and others. Full story and link to complete list of publications.

Marching band performs at Lambeau Field
The Blugold Marching Band performed a halftime show in front of 71,000 football fans during the Green Bay Packers' season opener Sept. 8 against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. It was the second time the UW-Eau Claire marching band played at Lambeau. The group first performed there in October 2004, when the band had 125 members. This year the band has 230 members, said director Randal Dickerson, UW-Eau Claire associate professor of music. See related news release. (Photos courtesy of Green Bay Packers)

United Way 'Day of Caring' event is today
UW-Eau Claire's United Way "Day of Caring" basket raffle kickoff will be held today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Central Campus Mall. Faculty, staff and students are invited to view and purchase tickets for the chance to win some of the theme baskets provided by university employees that will be raffled off Oct. 17 in a fundraiser for the United Way of Greater Eau Claire and its member agencies.

It's not too late for your department, office or unit to create a theme basket for the raffle. Following are some of the baskets to be included:

• Advising and New Student Initiatives: "Road Trip"
• McIntyre Library: "It's a Mystery"
• University Communications: "Local Foods"
• Career Services: "Patriotic Theme"
• Dean of Students: "It's All About ME, ME, ME"
• UW-Eau Claire Alumni Association and Foundation: "Bountiful Blugold Basket"
• Activities and Programs: "That's Entertainment"
• Children's Center: "Family Fun"

Find out how you and your coworkers can become involved in this effort. For more information and/or to volunteer, contact Jodi Thesing-Ritter (thesinjm@uwec.edu or 836-2325) or Jacqueline Bonneville (bonnevjk@uwec.edu or 836-3487).

Noon Tunes again to feature familiar faces

Jim Phillips, professor and chair of the chemistry department, performed with the band Little Willie during the 2007 Noon Tunes concert series. (Photo by Bill Hoepner, LTS)

Beginning today, UW-Eau Claire students and employees again will be treated to the music of bands that include UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and alumni among their members. The second annual Noon Tunes concert series will be held on the Central Campus Mall (rain site: The Cabin, Davies Center). The concert lineup is as follows:

• 11 a.m. Sept. 15: Duffy & Pace (English professor and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Bernard (Duffy) Duyfhuizen and associate professor of English Joel Pace).
• Noon Sept. 15:  Davey J (associate professor of English David Jones).
• Noon Sept. 26:  Little Willie (includes chemistry professor and department chair Jim Phillips on bass guitar; Billy Angel on keyboards; alumni Levi Felling on drums and Bill Hamilton on guitar; and current student Elise Wood on vocals.

Noon Tunes is sponsored by University Centers and the Dean of Students Office.

Final budget/PEEQ charrette set for Tuesday
The last of a series of charrettes sponsored by the University Planning Committee will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Sept. 16, to provide faculty and staff with information and the opportunity to give feedback on PEEQ — the program to evaluate and enhance quality — as well as information on the university's new budget process. All university personnel are invited to attend. The charrette will begin with an information session, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and provide written comments.

This year, in support of the strategic plan and as part of the new budget process, Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich has set aside $250,000 for proposals that address UW-Eau Claire's strategic priorities. The charrette will provide information on how to submit proposals.

Background on these initiviatives, as well as a link to an online form for providing anonymous feedback, can be found on the strategic planning and PEEQ Web sites.

Hispanic Heritage Month activities begin this week
A reception will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month activities at UW-Eau Claire from 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the Presidents Room of Davies Center. The university's Office of Multicultural Affairs and Student Organization of Latinos/as will sponsor the Hispanic Heritage Month Welcome Reception, where students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to enjoy Latin American appetizers, music and educational displays. See a complete listing of upcoming events scheduled for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Coaches to continue weekly Blugold Luncheons
This year Blugold coaches from football, basketball, hockey and softball will again hold weekly Blugold Luncheons, usually on Tuesdays, where they will discuss different aspects of the current season.

All Blugold Luncheons will take place from noon-1 p.m. in the Rosewood Room of the Quality Inn (see full schedule) and will be catered by Mancino's. The cost for attendees is $7 per week and includes a sandwich, cookie and beverage. No advance registration is necessary.

Professor to discuss mathematics of elections

Reynolds

Dr. Don Reynolds, UW-Eau Claire professor of mathematics, will present "Why Must Elections Be So Chaotic?" at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in Room 100 of Hibbard Humanities Hall.

Reynolds will examine some of the pitfalls of various voting procedures from a mathematical perspective. The free presentation is sponsored by UW-Eau Claire's Math Club, a student organization that promotes students activities related to the mathematics field. Full story.

Alcohol Awareness Week set for Sept. 20-26
UW-Eau Claire students, faculty and staff  will once again participate in National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week Sept. 20-26. A variety of activities will focus on the dangers associated with alcohol and remind students of the many ways to have fun without alcohol:

• Saturday, Sept. 20: Michael Noll Memorial Run/Walk, 10 a.m.; special event at Action City, 6 p.m.-midnight.
• Sunday, Sept. 21: Half-price bowling at Hilltop Center, noon-close.
• Tuesday, Sept. 23: Campuswide "Most of Us" campaign.
• Wednesday, Sept. 24: "Jail and Bail" event.
• Thursday, Sept. 25: Virgin Bourbon Street at The Higherground, 8-11 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 26: Interactive Resource Fair on Central Campus Mall, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

More information.

Foundation says, 'Go green by going blue!'

Photo by Bill Hoepner, LTS

The UW-Eau Claire Foundation, in support of the university's commitment to sustainability, is offering reusable Blugold grocery bags to faculty and staff. There is a charge of $2 per bag to help defray the Foundation's costs to provide the bags. Those wishing to purchase bags should contact Robin Leary in the Foundation office at 836-5630 or learyrj@uwec.edu.

Recent grads begin Teach For America assignments
Three recent UW-Eau Claire graduates have been accepted into the highly selective Teach For America program, a nationwide organization that recruits top college graduates to teach for two years in public schools that are difficult to staff.

Those selected for the program were Gina Livingston, who graduated in December 2007 with a major in Spanish; Rebecca O'Brien, who graduated in May with majors in biology and Latin American studies; and Christopher Piper Nielson, who graduated in May with a major in political science.

Livingston is teaching math and science in second-grade, English-as-a-second-language classrooms at Cole Art and Science Academy in Denver; O'Brien is teaching middle-school science in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; and Nielson is teaching remedial English to ninth graders in Philadelphia's inner city at Mastery Charter School/Pickett campus. Full story.

Photo corner: Just passing through

UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and students on their way to work or classes the morning of Sept. 9 may have seen some unusual visitors to campus. The white pelicans in the photos above and below, caught on camera by Jodi Baglien Sparkes, Publications/Continuing Education, made a stop along the Chippewa River during their fall migration. The birds spend the summer months mostly to the northwest of the Chippewa Valley in various areas of the United States and Canada, said Chris Floyd, assistant professor of biology, who also saw the birds circling the river and campus as he walked to class Sept. 9. White pelicans breed on islands in inland rivers and bays and spend the winter months along the Gulf coast and the Baja California peninsula, said Paula Kleintjes Neff, professor of biology. Learn more about white pelicans on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Web site.

Photos by Jodi Baglien Sparkes

University Bulletin
Published weekly during the fall and spring semesters by the UW-Eau Claire News Bureau. News items and notices should be sent to the News Bureau, Schofield 201, by 10 a.m. Monday for publication in the following week’s issue. E-mail submissions to Julie Poquette at poquetjm@uwec.edu are encouraged. Faculty/staff news items are published on a space-available basis.