EarthWorks, April 11, 2008
Submit items to Lauren Bivona or Norm Meader at enews@email.arizona.edu preferably by 5:00 pm Wednesday of each week. Please include "EarthWorks" in the subject line.
On-line version available at http://www.geo.arizona.edu/events/enewsletter/EarthWorks-04-11-08.html (for Pine and webmail users).
In This Issue:
Departmental News
• From the Head
• Academic Dates FY2008/2009
• Lowell Professional Program in Mineral Resources Offer by the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering
• Congratulations to Meg Blome, GeoDaze Winners, and Madison Barkley
• Textbook Orders - Fall 2008 - DUE APRIL 20th
• Housing Opportunities
• Sabbatical Home for Rent
• ADVANCE Funding Available for Women Lecturers
• Surplus Property: Move your stuff to the first floor
University News
• Measles Outbreak in Tucson
• UA4Food Drive Needs Your Support!
• New Junior Faculty Conference Grant Program
• Biosphere 2 Science Saturdays with Jonathan Lunine
• Science Café-Tuesday, April 15, 2008- Sustainability with Roger L. Caldwell
• MARS! Lecture-Saturday, April 12th at 11:00 am-Bill Boynton
• Hot House: Discussion on Global Warming, Book Signing, & Slideshow
Funding/Job/Intern Opportunities
• Job Opening at B2 - Grants and Development Specialist
Upcoming Talks (Geosciences)
• Department of Geosciences Colloquium (Thursday)
Upcoming Talks (UA)
• Water Resources Research Center Seminar - Water Reform in Australia (Monday)
• Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Colloquium (Thursday)
• Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research Seminar (Wednesday)
DEPARTMENTAL NEWS
From the Head
Thanks, congratulations and big pats on the collective back for last week’s Geosciences extravaganza. Thanks to the front office, business office, faculty, researchers and students who made the Geosciences Advisory Board meeting such a success. Congratulations to all the speakers and poster-presenters at the 36th GeoDaze, thanks to all those attending and to our supporters, and BIG thanks to the organizing committee, especially Leopolt and Aly, for both making it look easy and for raising the bar once again. And thanks to field-trip leader George Davis for arranging both great weather and great rocks for Saturday’s field trip. And thanks to Jiba Ganguly and Mark Barton for adding their geological insights during the trip. I never did find any fossils in that granite, but took lots of photos. Finally, extra-big thanks to Lesa Langan-DuBerry, who was everywhere, making sure that everything was ready, in place, under-budget, and on schedule – from the Advisory Board meeting on Wednesday through cleaning up party at the Tucson Botanical Garden on Friday night.
Karl W. Flessa
Professor and Head [top]
Academic Dates FY2008/2009
The Academic Year Contract Dates for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 have been approved: August 11, 2008 through May 17, 2009.
The Provost's memo with specific details can be accessed on the Systems Control Website at:
http://web.arizona.edu/~syscon/docs/Academic%20Year%20Contract%20Dates%20Memo%20(2).pdf.
Lowell Professional Program in Mineral Resources Offer by the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering
The J. David Lowell Master of Engineering in Mineral Resources is intended for mineral resource professionals advancing to management positions and for those from other disciplines who are entering the mineral resources industry and need professional career preparation specific to the industry. The program is modeled after distance-based executive MBA programs. The curriculum will consist of courses that teach fundamental engineering principals in mining, cutting edge research and technology advances in the industry, mine finance and management, legal topics of importance to engineering managers, and personnel management.
For more information: http://www.mge.arizona.edu/pdf/LowellMEng_lowres.pdf.
Congratulations
To Meg Blome for receiving the DOSECC (Drilling, Observation and Sampling of the Earths Continental Crust) Summer Internship. Basically, it is a scholarship to fund summer work on her Lake Malawi core. She also received a scholarship for next year - the FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) fellowship for continuing to study Arabic next year. It is funded through the US Dept of Education and given through the UA Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES).
To GeoDaze Winners:
Best Overall GeoDaze Poster – Lisa Molofsky (prize from Arizona Geological Society)
Second Place GeoDaze Poster – Keith Lombardo (prize from Independent Mining Consultants)
Third Place Geodaze Poster – Ryan Porter (prize from BP Corporation)
Fourth Place GeoDaze Poster – Serkan Arca (prize from BP Corporation)
Fifth Place GeoDaze Poster – Meg Blome (prize from MagmaChem Exploration Inc.)
Best Undergraduate GeoDaze Poster – Andrew McCallister (prize from Kerry F. Inman)
Best Overall GeoDaze Talk – Andrew Frassetto (prize from Errol L. Montgomery and Associates)
Best Talk in Economic Geology – Francisco Quintanar (prize from John Guilbert)
Second Place Economic Geology Talk – Christian Rios Vargas (prize from M. Steven Enders)
Best Geochemistry/Geochronology Talk – Alex Pullen (prize from GeoMark Research)
Second Place Geochemistry/Geochronology Talk – Alyson Thibodeau (prize from BP Corporation)
Third Place Geochemistry/Geochronology Talk – Lynn Peyton (prize from Robert J. Parker)
Best Geophysics Talk – Joshua Spinler (prize from BP Corporation)
Second Place Geophysics Talk – Lepolt Linkimer (prize from BP Corporation)
Third Place Geophysics Talk – Soledad Velasco (prize from BP Corporation)
Best Talk in Paleoclimate/Surface Processes – Amanda Reynolds (prize from Golder Associates Inc.)
Second Place Paleoclimate/Surface Processes Talk – Stephanie McAfee (prize from Paul Martin)
Third Place Paleoclimate/Surface Processes Talk – Todd Engelder (Young Alumni Award)
Best Planetary Geology Talk – Tamara Goldin (prize from Gerard J. Beaudoin)
Second Place Planetary Geology Talk – Kelly Kolb (prize from Jim Hayes)
Best Structural Geology Talk – Alex Strugatskiy (prize from William W. Jenny/Jerome H. Guynn)
Best Undergraduate GeoDaze Talk – Jennifer McGraw (prize from BP Corporation)
To Madison Barkley who has been awarded a CDAC fellowship to study natural environments for hydrogen storage. The funding is from the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Program of DOE/NNSA and the Carnegie Institution of Washington. She will conduct research at the Argonne National Lab, investigating hydrogen in minerals and how these minerals respond to the effect of high-pressure.
Textbook Orders - Fall 2008 - DUE APRIL 20th
Textbook orders for Fall 08 are due April 20th.
If you are scheduled to teach a course for the Fall semester, please log in to the UA Bookstore website at http://www.uofabookstores.com/uaz/Faculty/index.asp?mscssid=U5328LTFFHJ99H6SP2D13TSCMWLLFWKB
to place your order online.
On the menu bar on the right-hand side of the page under "Order Now", select "Course Materials"
and then click on your "applicable campus" (picture of the UA bookstore). Fill in your order, click the "have reviewed order" button and submit.
Please contact Enedina if you have any questions or need help getting those orders in.
Housing Opportunities
Going away on sabbatical, need someone to house-sit, looking for short-term housing? AcademicHomes.com may be the place for you to look or advertise in. This website was created as a source for higher-education professionals planning sabbaticals, extended visits or research exchange trips. You can search for rentals, exchanges, homes for rent or sale.
The URL is http://www.academichomes.com/.
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Sabbatical Home for Rent
One of our faculty members is seeking to rent his home during his upcoming sabbatical. If you know of anyone who is looking to rent or somewhere else the faculty member might be advised to advertise, I would be grateful if you could help him ~ Philippe Jacquod in Physics.
Just a thought ... if you have new faculty hires coming in maybe this would be an opportunity for them to get settled for a few months before making any decision on renting/buying etc.
Philippe Jacquod
Associate Professor of Physics phone: 520-626-5112
University of Arizona fax : 520-621-4721
1118 E. 4th Street mail : pjacquod@physics.arizona.edu
Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Best,
Bernadette
ADVANCE Funding Available for Women Lecturers
FREE MONEY (for Colloquium speakers)
Funds are available through the UA's ADVANCE Grant to support visiting speakers in our colloquium series. The ground rules are easy: nominate female scientists in either the "junior" category or the "distinguished senior" category. Details below.
Please submit your nominations to Karl on the nomination form available from Lauren. I will then forward them to the VPR's office.
Deadline: June 15 (but do it now before you forget)
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Dear Colleagues,
The University of Arizona is a recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Grant, the goal of which is to increase the numbers and visibility of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The grant sponsors a number of activities, and we are writing to ask for your help in bringing both outstanding junior scientists and distinguished senior lecturers to campus during the 2008-09 academic year.
ADVANCE Junior Scientist Lecture Series Lectures given by promising early career female scientists.
Please include junior women scientists in your 2008-09 departmental lecture series and nominate these invitees for UA ADVANCE Junior Scientist Lecture Series funds. The UA ADVANCE Grant can provide funds up to $1500 per selected nominee, including travel, lodging, and a $500 honorarium.
ADVANCE Distinguished Lecture Series Lectures that highlight cutting-edge research being done by leading female scientists external to the University of Arizona.
Please nominate a leading woman scientist in your field to be a part of this lecture series. UA ADVANCE will sponsor two speakers from different units on campus in 2008-09. The grant can provide finding up to $1100 in travel funds and a $1000 honorarium for each speaker. The series will continue in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and nominees from 2008-09 who are not selected for participation will be considered for future lecture series.
Sincerely,
LouAnn Gerken and Gail Burd
Co-Chairs ADVANCE Leadership Workgroup
Surplus Property: Move your stuff to the first floor
In an effort to make things easier on Surplus Property and to avoid hassles from Facilities Management and the Fire Marshall, put all items for surplus on the first floor of Gould-Simpson, near the freight elevator. To avoid confusion please use a sign to mark items that need to be sent to surplus. If an item is clearly trash, please dispose of it. If you have any questions about what can be disposed of, please contact Heather at 621-4959 or halvarez@email.arizona.edu. If you have already placed items near the freight elevator on the second, third or fifth floors, please move the items to the first floor.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Measles Outbreak in Tucson
Date: April 7, 2008
To: Deans, Directors and Department Heads
From: Harry McDermott, M.D., M.P.H.
Subject: Measles outbreak in Tucson
Since 1992, The University of Arizona has mandated that new students document that they have received immunization against measles before they are allowed to register for classes. This requirement was the result of an outbreak of measles on college campuses in the early 1990s that resulted in the closure of several campuses across the US. The Campus Health Service is responsible for managing this proof of immunization program in order to protect the campus community from this infectious disease. Most students satisfy this requirement through receipt of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine given to them as one of a series of recommended childhood vaccines.
As you may have heard, there have been nine confirmed cases of measles in Tucson since February of this year. These cases originated from a case of measles that occurred in a visitor from Switzerland who was cared for at Northwest Hospital. Measles is a highly contagious viral infectious disease. Currently, there are measles outbreaks occurring in Switzerland and Israel, so travelers to these regions are particularly at risk of acquiring measles if they have insufficient measles immunity. Measles also still occurs in most countries of the world. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently communicated guidelines for the prevention of measles. The following are the highlights of these recommendations:
- Any person born during or since 1957 should have received at least one and ideally two doses of the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine or have documented immunity to measles (through a blood test).
- Those persons born before 1957 are considered to be immune from measles (considered to have had the measles infection and the natural immunity that occurs after that infection). However, given the current measles situation, it is recommended that anyone born before 1957 confirm that they are immune to measles (through blood testing).
Given the measles outbreaks that is occurring in Tucson and these recommendations from the CDC, I would recommend that all UA faculty and staff check their measles immunity status by either confirming that they have received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine or by having a blood test done to check their immune status against the measles. Either of these options can be accomplished through your health care provider.
Please share this information with your faculty and staff employees. Feel free to contact me at 621-6489 if you have any questions regarding these recommendations.
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UA4Food Drive Needs Your Support!
If you have been meaning to participate in UA4Food, the University of Arizona’s campus wide food drive, and haven’t gotten around to it yet, please consider one of the following opportunities:
- Give Online - Please visit www.ua4food.arizona.edu and click on “Make a Donation.” Your donation will be matched based on the Community Food Bank’s Feinstein challenge grant. And, the food bank is able to stretch monetary donations far, purchasing $10 worth of food for every single dollar donated.
- Spring Fling - Receive $5 off your wristband on Thursday and Friday night of this week in exchange for the donation of a jar of peanut butter, canned meat, canned vegetables or a $5 donation to the Community Food Bank. For more information please visit http://web.asua.arizona.edu/~asua/sf.htm or contact Alex Manuel at 621-5610.
- SHAC 5K – The Student Health Advisory Council is holding its annual 5K walk/run on Sunday, April 13. Proceeds will benefit the Community Food Bank and the UA Farmers’ Market. For more information, please visit http://rfyl.arizona.edu/event.htm or contact David Salafsky at 621-8297.
All proceeds from UA4Food benefit the Community Food Bank’s child hunger and nutrition programs. “The number of people seeking our assistance has increased by 25 percent,” said Bill Carnegie, Community Food Bank president and CEO. “The need is greater than ever, and we really appreciate the support the University family brings to children, our most vulnerable community members.”
If you have questions about UA4Food, please contact Holly Altman at 626-4671.
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New Junior Faculty Conference Grant Program
International Affairs is pleased to announce the opening of the new Junior Faculty Conference Grant (JFCG) program. The JFCG provides funding to tenure-eligible junior faculty for travel to conferences and presentations held outside of the United States. Funding of this new grant program has been provided by the Office of the President.
The application deadline for the first JFCG funding cycle is April 16, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. Tenure eligible junior faculty members presenting invited and/or refereed papers at international conferences this summer have until April 16, 2008, at 4:00 p.m. to request assistance toward airfare for travel between May 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008.
The JFCG review committee is comprised of faculty members and the Executive Director of the division of International Affairs (IA). The committee follows standard peer review practice and considers only those applications that are effectively documented. Proposals that have a clear potential to provide significant benefit to the career of the candidate and/or to yield long-term ties between The University of Arizona and scholars or educational institutions outside the United States are given preference. Only junior faculty members who have exhibited extraordinary leadership and potential are considered competitive for funding. There must be five (original plus four copies) applications submitted and they must be typed, with documents in the order prescribed. Single copies, late and/or incomplete applications will be returned.
Information regarding funding guidelines, application procedures, deadlines for future funding cycles, along with travel dates, can be found online at www.international.arizona.edu/oed.
Applications should be submitted to the Office of the Executive Director, International Affairs, 935 N. Tyndall Ave., attention JFCG. It is strongly encouraged that applications be submitted in person. For questions please contact Janis Mathiasen at 626-8530 or jmathias@email.arizona.edu.
Biosphere 2 Science Saturdays with Jonathan Lunine
This Spring, the B2 Institute is pleased to inaugurate its new Science Saturdays outreach program, a series of public lectures and other special events on the Biosphere 2 campus. This coming Saturday, April 12th, at 1:00 PM, our speaker will be:
Dr. Jonathan Lunine, UA Planetary Sciences Professor , who will discuss: "Exploring the Outer Solar System".
Admission to the talk is included with the cost of admission to Biosphere 2, and a 50% discount is offered to you and your direct family upon presentation of your CatCard. You may also consider our membership program, which offers unlimited annual visits to Biosphere 2 as well as additional benefits. For more details, consult our website http://www.b2science.org/b2institute.html.
Pierre Meystre
Director, B2 Institute
www.B2institute.org
The University of Arizona
Science Café-Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - Sustainability with Roger L. Caldwell
Event: Science Café - Flandrau: The UA Science Center
Topic: Sustainability
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 15, 2008,
6-8 PM
Location: Espresso Art, 942 East University
Presenter: Roger L. Caldwell,
Professor Emeritus,
Soil, Water and Environmental Science
Admission: Free and open to the public
Like coffee? Like science? You are in luck! The Southern Arizona Section of the American Chemical Society (SAZACS) and the Chemistry Department at the University of Arizona are sponsoring a series of Science Cafés on topics of particular interest to the Tucson community. A Science Café is an entertaining evening out on the town sipping coffee and talking science. The idea started in the late 1990's with the café scientifique in the United Kingdom and bars des sciences in France. A typical science café starts off with a brief informal presentation by a scientist followed by a question period and a free-for-all discussion.
On street parking or parking in the Tyndall garage for a nominal fee. For more information about Flandrau: The UA Science Center, see http://www.gotUAsciencecenter.org.
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MARS! Lecture-Saturday, April 12th at 11:00 am-Bill Boynton
MARS!
In advance of the landing of the Phoenix Mars Lander, scheduled for May 25th, 2008, B2 Institute is proud to present a series of special public lectures by some of the major players in the field.
The next lecture will take place this Saturday, April 12th at 11:00 am: Mars!: Trials and Tribulations on Mars: Discovery of Buried Ice Leads to the Phoenix Mission, by Bill Boynton, Professor, Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
All lectures will take place in the Biosphere 2 Theater at 11:00 am. Attendance is free, but does not include admission to the Biosphere 2 tour. Please consider becoming a Biosphere 2 member (information: http://www.b2science.org/b2membership.html) and have unlimited free admissions if you plan on attending more than one public lecture.
For information on upcoming Mars! lectures, please view our web site at: http://www.b2science.org/b2institutemars.html.
Pierre Meystre
Director, B2 Institute
www.B2institute.org
The University of Arizona
Hot House: Discussion on Global Warming, Book Signing, & Slideshow
Wednesday, 16 Apr 2008
4:30 pm
Location: UA Bookstore, Room (SUMC)
Robert G. Strom, Professor Emeritus, LPL, will appear the UA Bookstore for a book signing, slideshow and discussion about his book, Hot House: Global Climate Change and the Human Condition.
Global warming is extremely complex because it deals with so many different characteristics of the Earth and their complex interactions. It is addressed by almost all sciences including many aspects of geosciences, atmospheric, the biological sciences, and even astronomy.
It has recently become the concern of the other diverse disciplines such as economics, agriculture, demographics and population statistics, medicine, engineering, and political science.
The book attempts to address these complex interactions, integrate them, and derive meaningful conclusions and possible solutions.
Open to the public. Free of charge. For more information, http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/calendar/calendar.php?ID=116
Related link:
Global Warming, http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/resources/globalwarming/
FUNDING/JOB/INTERN OPPORTUNITIES
Job opening at B2 - Grants and Development Specialist
To: Campus Community
From: Biosphere 2
Subject: Grants and Development Specialist – Part-time Position Announcement
Job Number 40585
The University of Arizona Biosphere 2 program is seeking a part-time Grants and Development Specialist to write, coordinate and administer grants and foundation solicitation. The successful incumbent will be expected to write, review and prepare proposals and coordinate their distribution as well as monitor awarded projects and prepare budget projections and financial statements according to state, university or sponsor requirements. Please visit www.uacareertrack.com for more information on qualifications, duties and responsibilities as well as information on how to apply.
UPCOMING TALKS (GEOSCIENCES)
Joint Geosciences/Hydrology and Water Resources Colloquium
Who: Andrew Jacobson, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University
What: Calcite Dust and the Atmospheric Supply of Sr and Nd to Seawater
When: Thursday, April 17, 4:00-5:00 pm
Where: Koffler Building (CBS) Room 216
Semester Schedule: http://www.geo.arizona.edu/events/colloquium.htm
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UPCOMING TALKS (UA)
Water Resources Research Center Seminar (Monday)
Who: Dr. Pam McRae-Williams, Research Director of Water in Drylands, Collaborative Research Centre (WIDCORP),
University of Ballarat, Australia
Title: Water in Drylands: Changes Brought About by Major Water Reform in Australia
When: Monday, April 14, 12:00 noon - 1:30 pm
Where: Sol Resnick Conference Room, Water Resources Research Center, 350 N. Campbell Avenue
The presentation will provide an overview of current water reform in Australia. It will then focus on dryland rural regions and describe how these water reforms have or are expected to improve water supply and security. It will outline some of the research done by WIDCORP to date and identify some of the areas of emerging research interest.
If anyone would like to meet with Dr. McRae-Williams after the presentation please contact Jane at 792-9591 Ext. 55.
WRRC Website: http://cals.arizona.edu/AZWATER/
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Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Colloquium (Thursday)
Who: Alessandro Morbidelli, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur/SWRI
What: Towards a Coherent Picture of the Dynamical Evolution of the Outer Solar System
When: Thursday, April 17, 3:30 pm
Where: Kuiper Space Sciences Building Room 308
Semester Schedule: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/calendar/calendar_plus.php
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Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research Seminar (Wednesday)
Who: Dr. Howard Arnott, Dept. of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington and
Christine Hallman, Doctoral Student, Department of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona
Title: An Investigation of Frost Rings in the Young Trees of Sheep Mountain
When: Wednesday, April 16, 12:00 noon
Where: Tree-Ring West Room 20 (Math Annex/Old Purchasing and Stores)
Semester Schedule: http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/events.html
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