PENN STATE RANKS HIGHEST IN NATION IN ALUMNI GIVING
For the fourth year in a row, Penn State has been named the nation's top-ranked university in the number of alumni donors, according to an annual survey released this month by the New York-based Council for Aid to Education. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, 71,423 Penn State alumni made gifts totaling $50.7 million to their university, with Harvard University ranking second, receiving donations from 66,138 of its alumni. The University of Michigan ranked third, with 65,102 alumni donors. These figures reflect the generosity of our alumni and the deep pride they have in the University's accomplishments, as well as their ongoing faith in its direction and future, said President Graham Spanier. This good news also is a result of the dedication and hard work by the volunteers and professional staff involved in our Grand Destiny capital campaign. Penn State's Grand Destiny campaign, which began in 1996 and is scheduled to end June 30, 2003, aims to raise $1 billion in private support to strengthen the University's overall mission of teaching, research and service. For more on this story by Laura Stocker, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/2001alumgiv.html
RELIGIOUS FATHERS ARE MORE INVOLVED WITH CHILDREN
Religious fathers, whether married or divorced, are more involved with their children than nonreligious fathers and report higher quality relationships as parents, according Dr. Valarie E. King, assistant professor of sociology, demography and human development and family studies. "Religious fathers report putting more thought and effort into their relationships with their children, feeling more of an obligation for contact with them and having higher expectations of a continued good relationship with offspring," she said today (March 31) at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America. For more on this story by Paul Blaum, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/religiousfathers.html
NEW LIGHT SHED ON VITAMIN A'S ROLE IN IMMUNE RESPONSE
Experiments with human cells have shed new light on vitamin A's role in the immune response, suggesting that the vitamin's active form may enhance the effectiveness of interferon, one of the body's natural defense chemicals and an immune system regulator. Dr. Catharine Ross, who holds the Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair in nutrition, led the research effort. There are quite a few animal studies that show that vitamin A deficiency affects inflammation and the immune system's response, she says. These new data from experiments with human cells suggest that vitamin A augments natural interferon's regulatory response. Less interferon may be necessary when the active form of vitamin A is adequate. For more on this story by Barbara Hale, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/immuneandvitaminA.html
SOLIDARITY CONFERENCE APRIL 6-8
The second annual Solidarity Conference will be held at Penn State's University Park campus beginning Friday, April 6, in Osmond Laboratory. The conference, which runs through Sunday, April 8, will offer films, workshops and speakers on such topics as globalization, promoting social justice, racism and sexism, and animal rights. Initiated by the Alliance for Animal Rights, the conference is co-sponsored by several student organizations, including ALLIES, Black Caucus, Eco-Action, and the Undergraduate Student Government. For a schedule of events, go to
http://www.geocities.com/solidarityconference/schedule.htm.
NEW TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIPS ADDRESS NEED
A state-sponsored initiative for students in technology-related majors - the Pennsylvania New Economy Technology Scholarship Program - is helping to fund educational expenses for nearly 50 students at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Forty-seven Penn College students in approved majors are expected to receive grants totaling $75,000 by the end of the 2000-01 academic year, according to Benjamin H. Comfort III, director of financial aid. The program, which includes the SciTech Scholarships and the Technology Scholarships (formerly known as the GI Bill for the New Economy), addresses the need for a technologically skilled work force while helping to stem the migration of Pennsylvania college graduates to other states. For more from Penn College, go to http://www.pct.edu. For more on the scholarships, http://www.pheaa.org
GILMORE RECEIVES NSF EARLY CAREER AWARD
Rick O. Gilmore, assistant professor of psychology and head of the Brain Development Laboratory in the Department of Psychology, has received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for research in spatial perception in early infancy. Gilmore is principal investigator on the nearly $400,000, five-year project that will examine how spatial perception and action planning develop in early infancy and what factors influence their development. For information on his research, go to http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/r/o/rog1/ For more on this story, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/archives/intercom_2001/March29/index.html
GHILANI RECEIVES AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK
Charles Ghilani, program chair for both the Surveying and Surveying Technology programs at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, received the Earle J. Fennell Award from the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping last month. The award is given to professionals and educators who have made outstanding contributions to Surveying and Mapping Education. Ghilani is co-author of two leading textbooks, Elementary Surveying and Adjustment Computations. He has also created seven Internet courses that are available as distance courses for surveying professionals. For more information on Ghilani, go to http://surveying.wb.psu.edu/psu-surv/chuckbio.htm
CURATOR OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLECTION TO LECTURE
Charles Blockson, curator at one of the nation's leading African-American heritage collections at Temple University, will give a talk on The African-American Heritage and the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania, on Thursday, April 5, in Heritage Hall of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center at 7:30 p.m. Blockson, author of The Underground Railroad, will also sign books immediately following the lecture. This event is free and open to the public. The program is co-sponsored by Paul Robeson Cultural Center, Residence Life/Cultural Lounge Programs, Department of History, Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity and the Centre County Genealogical Society. For more information on the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, go to http://www.sa.psu.edu/prcc/
WERNER TO GIVE THIRD LECTURE IN TEXTUALITY SERIES
Marta L. Werner, textual scholar and assistant professor of English at D'Youville College, will give a lecture on " 'Were Seas to Cross to Come': Crossing and Crossing Out in Emily Dickinson's Manuscripts," at 4 p.m., Thursday, April 5, Foster Auditorium in Pattee Library. Her talk is co-sponsored by the University Libraries and the Department of English. For more information, contact Robin Schulze, associate professor of English, at 814-865-9932 or mailto:rgs3@psu.edu