THE MAN IN THE NITTANY LION MASK
What’s it like being the Nittany Lion? If you ask Marty Duff, in his second year as the Nittany Lion, he’ll tell you that that it’s been the best experience of his life, because he gets to perform at events of all kinds -- from athletics to alumni reunions to activities with President Spanier. Most of all, Duff says the football games are an awesome experience, even though directing the 97,000 fans was initially unsettling. At the recent game against Pittsburgh, he was directing cheers on top of the north end zone -- the highest point at Beaver Stadium. "I pointed to one side and fans shouted ‘We are!’ and the other side would shout ‘Penn State!’ It was really cool." Duff, a graduate student in business logistics from Richboro, says that his goal is to represent every athletic team at Penn State, including club teams like hockey games and ski competitions -- although he admits he can’t fit them all into his busy schedule. Look for Duff at the men’s and women’s basketball games. To see a photo of Marty Duff as the Nittany Lion, go to http://www.clubs.psu.edu/cheerleading/1999picts/lionpu.jpg. Complete information about Penn State’s winter sports is online at http://www.psu.edu/sports/
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VOLUMETRICS DIET BOOK ALREADY A BEST SELLER
Barbara Rolls, who holds the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Penn State, has just written a new diet advice book that has been in bookstores for only a month but is already Number 6 on the Washington Post Hardcover/Nonfiction Best Seller List (as of Jan. 31). The Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter also awarded the book five stars for "highly recommended." The book, Volumetrics: How to Feel Full on Fewer Calories, details an eating plan that offers a way to enjoy your favorite foods, feel full after meals - and still lose weight. More information about Rolls’ book can be found online at http://www.psu.edu/ur/archives/intercom_2000/Jan13/research.html or contact Barbara Hale at
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IBM EXECUTIVE TO DIRECT PENN STATE eBUSINESS CENTER
IBM executive Nirmal Pal has been appointed as the executive director of Penn State’s eBusiness Research Center (eBRC). A 30-year veteran at the international computer giant, Pal was serving as director of the IBM Global Services Consulting Group when he accepted his new post at the University. His focus was on e-business, e-commerce, and other Internet-related areas. As part of the consulting group’s management team since its inception, Pal has helped its business grow in volume to $1 billion, and its staff grow to 5,000 consultants. Founded in 1999, the eBRC is a joint venture of the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and the Smeal College of Business Administration. Its focus is on marketing and business strategy in the electronic realm. A major study already under way is documenting the best practices of major firms operating online. The full article is online at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2000/ebrc.html or contact Charles DuBois at
or Kim Bierly at