Tip Sheet Week of July 21, 2003

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

News Bureau

TIP SHEET Week of July 21, 2003
Current topics of interest in higher education in western Wisconsin

Story Idea
This summer Nathan Miller, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, is working with undergraduate student Justin Reiter to understand observations from the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory. The goal is to help determine the causes of X-ray emission from some of the hottest stars in the galaxy. Chandra is the third of NASA’s series of four Great Observatories, which began with the Hubble Space Telescope. Chandra allows astronomers to see what celestial objects look like in X-rays. In this study, the X-ray observations highlight regions of gas heated to temperatures of millions of degrees, which appear in the powerful winds of these bright stars. Because observations taken in Earth orbit are downloaded and analyzed using computers, the whole range of data reduction to analysis is being carried out using facilities in UW-Eau Claire’s physics and astronomy department. Miller and Reiter are working with researchers from UW-Madison and L-3 Communications Analytics Corp. in Maryland. To learn more about the project, you can contact Nathan Miller at millerna@uwec.edu or (715) 836-3165.

Story Idea
Thirty-plus 7th-11th graders are participating in the Hmong Youth Leadership Program at UW-Eau Claire. The pre-college camp runs July 20-Aug. 3. The camp uses various activities (field trips, group activities, games and projects) to help students with communication, math, science and technology skills. Students develop their English skills by researching and writing about the Hmong. Activities begin in the morning and continue into the evening. For more information or details about specific activities, contact Charles Vue of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (715) 836-3367 or vuecc@uwec.edu.

Photo Opportunity
Children who participated in Spanish Summer Camps offered by two UW-Eau Claire Spanish education majors will enjoy Fiesta del Sol today, July 21. The fiesta begins at 6 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire. The fiesta features Spanish food and music. The students offered the camps to teach children Spanish and to make people aware of the importance of making language education available to elementary-age children. For more information, contact organizers Valerie Mumm and Lee Ann Pignet at (715) 855-4423 or (715) 855-4115.

UW-Eau Claire's Experts Directory

Judy Berthiaume, Director
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu

Updated: July 21, 2003