| News | . . . . | Arts | . . . . | Calendars | . . . . | Letters | . . . . | Links | . . . . | Deadlines | . . . . | Archive |
As part of the continuing Distinguished Speaker Series on the University
Park campus, Jeane J. 
Kirkpatrick, former U.N.
ambassador and syndicated columnist, will appear at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov.
5, in Eisenhower Auditorium. Following her hourlong talk will be a 20-minute
question-and-answer period. Tickets are not required.
After serving more than four years as the United States representative to the United Nations and as a member of the Cabinet, Kirkpatrick resumed her position as Leavey professor at Georgetown University and as senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), both positions she held prior to the first Reagan administration.
In addition to her responsibilities at Georgetown and AEI, Kirkpatrick is finishing a book on the U.S. role at the United Nations and in the world. She writes a syndicated column and lectures extensively throughout the country as she participates in the ongoing public dialogue on America's role in the world.
She was awarded the 1985 Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor, and also has been given the French Prize Politique for political courage. She has received the award of the Commonwealth Fund and the Humanitarian Award of B'nai B'rith, among many other honors.
For more information on this event, contact Erin Grenoble at (814) 863-3786.
Thomas E. Lovejoy, a tropical biologist and conservation biologist,
will speak on "Biological 
Diversity and the Wealth of Nations"
in the Life Sciences Consortium's Colloquium Nov. 11.
The colloquium will be videoconferenced from 101 Thomas Building to Room L-3621 at The Hershey Medical Center and to several other campus locations at 4 p.m.
Lovejoy has worked in the Amazon of Brazil since 1965. He is generally credited with having brought the tropical forest problem to the fore as a public issue, and is one of the main protagonists in the science and conservation of biological diversity.
He conceived the idea for the Minimum Critical Size of Ecosystems project, a joint research project of the Smithsonian Institution and Brazil's National Institute for Amazon Research. This program is considered a centerpiece of the newly emerging discipline of conservation biology.
He is the founder of the public television series "Nature," and for many years served as principal adviser to the series. He is the author of numerous articles and is author or editor of four books.
The Chemistry Department is hosting a colloquium series during the 1997-98 academic year. Unless noted, the talks -- which are open to the public -- will be held on Thursdays in S5 Osmond Laboratory and begin at 12:15 p.m. Refreshments will be served at noon.
* Oct. 30
Arthur B. Ellis of the University of Wisconsin at Madison will discuss "Chemical Sensors Based On Semiconductor Photoluminescence."
* Feb. 5, 1998
Mark A. Ratner from Northwestern University will talk about "Electron Transfer, Molecular Wires and Dissipation."
* Feb. 12, 1998
Frances H. Arnold of the California Institute of Technology will discuss "Design by Directed Evolution."
* Feb. 19, 1998
Digby D. MacDonald from Penn State will talk about "Passivity: The Reason for Our Metals-Based Civilization."
* March 5, 1998
Robert T. Paine Jr. from the University of New Mexico will talk about "Expression Through Synthesis: From Molecules to Polymers to the Solid State."
* March 19, 1998
Franz Hillenkamp, Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Universität Münster, will discuss "MALDI Mass Spectrometry: Great Applications But Little Understanding."
* March 26, 1998
Hazel M. Holden from the University of Wisconsin at Madison will give a presentation on "Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase: A Long Journey from Substrate to Product."
* April 2, 1998
James B. Anderson from Penn State will talk about "Quantum Monte Carlo."
* April 13, 1998 (Monday)
Tobin J. Marks from Northwestern University will discuss "Molecular Self-Assembly Routes to Optically Functional Materials."
* April 23, 1998
Samuel H. Gellman from the University of Wisconsin at Madison will give a talk on "Heteropolymer Folding: Proteins and Beyond."
* April 28, 1998 (Tuesday)
Amos B. Smith III from the University of Pennsylvania will talk on "The Design and Synthesis of Nonpeptide Peptido Mimetics: From Neuropeptide Hormone Agonists and Antagonists to Inhibitors of Aspartic Acid Proteases."
* April 30, 1998
Lloyd M. Smith from the University of Wisconsin at Madison will talk about "Making DNA Fly: Electrophoresis in Thin Air."
In observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Week (Nov. 3-7), Penn State Hazleton will host a lecture by Katie Koestner, a date-rape survivor and sexual assault prevention advocate, on Monday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. in the Campus Gymnasium. The event is free to the public.
A 1994 magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of William and Mary, Koestner has presented her acclaimed program "No/Yes," to several thousand students at more than 400 colleges, high schools and military institutions in 46 states. The in-depth session is followed by a question-and-answer period.
Tony L. Strickland, associate professor of psychiatry at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, will present "Ethnobiologic and Sociocultural Aspects of Dementia" from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, in 110 Henderson Building (Living Center) on the University Park campus. A reception will immediately follow the presentation.
Strickland has extensive clinical and research experience in the areas of ethnobiologic variations in response to psychotropics, stress and neuroendocrine reactivity, forensic neuropsychological evaluation, with a particular emphasis on the cerebral perfusion and neuropsychological consequences of cocaine and other drugs of abuse.
Paolo Berdini will present a lecture, "Women Under the Gaze: A Renaissance Reading of Genesis 3," at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium in the Palmer Museum of Art on the University Park campus.
Berdini's lecture is part of the 1997-98 Department of Art History Lecture Series, "Picturing Knowledge: Art, Science, Cognition." Berdini, assistant professor of art history at Stanford University, writes on and teaches renaissance, baroque and modern art and architecture. His book, The Religious Art of Jacopo Bassano: Painting as Visual Exegesis, was published this year by Cambridge University Press.
The lecture is free to the public. A reception will follow the lecture.
The Population Research Institute has scheduled the following noontime lectures for the fall semester in 406 Oswald Building on the University Park campus:
* Nov. 4: Bruce Western from Princeton University, and Katherine Beckett from Indiana University will present "The Penal System as a Labor Market Institution: How Unregulated is the U.S. Labor Market?"
* Nov 11: Joe Schafer from the Penn State Department of Statistics will present a brown-bag lunch seminar on "Introduction to Multiple Imputation for Missing-data Problems."
Cultural chaos is plaguing American college campuses and there isn't a solution in sight. So says Phoebe Eng in her presentation "The Diversity Time Bomb: Working with the Chaos" at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Penn State Berks campus Perkins Student Center Theatre.
The presentation includes anecdotes of Eng's own experiences as an Asian American woman in the varied fields of law, media and academia. Author of Bluntly Speaking and former publisher of A. Magazine, Eng offers active solutions to the issues of race and diversity. Admission is free to the public. For more information, call Doreen Fisher at (610) 396-6067.
The Breakfast with Penn State series presents "Internet 2: What It Is and What It Means to You" by J. Gary Augustson at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in the Berks campus Perkins Student Center.
Augustson is executive director of computer and information systems for Penn State and has played a key role in making the University a leader in national networking activities. He will discuss his goal to build an information technology infrastructure that will support Penn State's academic and administrative activities.
For reservations, call Doris Fraser at (610) 396-6050. There is no admission charge. For more information, call Jeff Deitrich at (610) 396-6056.
Jean Harris, Penn State Harrisburg associate professor of professional accountancy, is the Nov. 11 speaker in the School of Business Administration's "Current Issues in Business" lecture series at the Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center.
Harris' noontime presentation will focus on the "Impact of Global Forces on Domestic Tax Policy." Globalization of the world economy has altered investment and production activities. It is also likely to alter national, state and local tax policies.
"Implications for the United States include pressures to alter basic tax structure and to shift tax burdens," Harris said. "Responding to these pressures will move debate over tax policy from the national level to the global level and challenge conventional interpretations of sovereign powers."
The Central Pennsylvania Society of the Archaeological Institute of America will once again present a varied selection of speakers on the University Park campus. In addition to support from the AIA, programs are co-sponsored by the Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies and the College of the Liberal Arts.
Events include:
* Wednesday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m., 101 Kern Building: Paul Zimansky, Boston University, will speak on "City of the Grim Reaper: Rediscovering Mashkan-Shapir, Iraq." This lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies.
* January lecture and members' dinner to be announced.
* Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1998, 8 p.m., 101 Kern Building: Stephen Lekson of the University Museum, University of Colorado, is presenting "Chaco: The First Great Southwestern Center." This lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of Anthropology.
* Wednesday, April 1, 1998, 8 p.m., 101 Kern Building: A visiting scholar of the departments of anthropology and history, Ludmila Koryakova, will present a lecture on Bronze Age kurgans in Central Asia.
Cookies and beverages are available at all programs, and the public may meet the lecturer following the talk. The public may attend all programs except the members' dinner.
With call-in shows clogging the airwaves and Rush Limbaugh reaching an audience of 20 million each week, it's hard to ignore talk radio. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment at Penn State will host a roundtable discussion to explore the political, social and legal questions raised by this dynamic medium.
The roundtable -- "Talk Radio: Political Participation or Pointless Pontification?" -- will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Room 112 of the Kern Graduate Center on the University Park campus. The event is free to the public.
Panelists will include Clay Calvert, assistant professor of communications and associate director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment; Robert O'Connor, associate professor of political science, who specializes in American politics; and Kevin Nelson, co-host of the popular local morning talk show, "Lion Country Comments," on WRSC. A fourth panelist from National Public Radio has been invited, and will be announced at a later date.
John Frohnmayer, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, and David S. Touretzky, Carnegie Mellon professor and research scientist, will meet at Penn State Erie, Behrend College, at noon Wednesday, Nov. 5, in a debate about "Policing Cyberspace: The Internet and the First Amendment." The free debate draws on each man's personal experience in dealing with rapidly changing computer technology and will take place in the Reed Union Building Commons.
A seasoned trial lawyer, Frohnmayer has had a frontline role in the war over America's culture and is now a speaker, writer, legal scholar and ethicist. His book, Leaving Town Alive, describes the turbulent conflict of art and politics. A second book, Out of Tune: Listening to the First Amendment, is intended to stimulate discussions on issues of public importance.
Touretzky found himself in the center of a controversy when he opposed the Carnegie Mellon administration's decision to censor sexually explicit images on university computer systems. That decision received national media coverage and fueled heated debate in academia.
"Policing Cyberspace: The Internet and the First Amendment" continues the 1997-98 Penn State-Behrend Speaker Series. The debate also will be broadcast live by the college's radio station, AM1450/WPSE.
David Walker, professor of Australian studies at Deakin University, will discuss "Australia's Asian Futures: National Legacies versus New Imperatives?" at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in 102 Weaver Building on the University Park campus.
Professor Walker, a distinguished Australian cultural historian, directs the Centre for Australian Studies at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, and is currently visiting at Georgetown University. His scholarly work has ranged from major monographic research and publication to journal editorship to bibliographic compedia.
The lecture, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the Australia-New Zealand Studies Center. For additional information, contact Patricia Corbett at phone: (814) 863-1603; e-mail pac9@psu.edu.
Penn State's chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers will sponsor a talk by Edwin McLaughlin, CEO of Tidewater Construction Co., at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in the Applied Research Laboratory Auditorium on the University Park campus.
As president and CEO of Tidewater Construction Corp. (TCC) in Virginia Beach, Va., Penn State engineering alumnus McLaughlin oversaw the May 1996 expansion of the $72.7 million George P. Coleman Bridge in Yorktown, Va. Speedy work on this project was crucial: not only was the shortest detour around the closed bridge 75 miles long, but the state department of transportation also imposed an $8,000-per-hour penalty for exceeding a 24-day maximum closure.
In addition, construction efforts had to avoid disturbing peregrine falcons nesting nearby, as well as Lord Cornwallis' Revolutionary War fleet, scuttled beneath the bridge. TCC created an innovative solution to all these constraints, constructing the bridge 34 miles downstream and floating its six xpans into place atop barges. Under McLaughlin's direction, the expanded bridge was ready for traffic after only nine days of closure, allowing TCC to garner a substantial $4,000-per-hour early-completion bonus.
Partial funding for this event has been provided by the student activity fee. For more information, contact Martha Gross at meg141@psu.edu.
"The Coming of the Millennium: The Religious Significance of the Year 2000" will be the topic of the Joanne and Paul Tanker Lecture on Friday, Nov. 7 at University Park. The lecture, which begins at 9:05 a.m., will be held in 111 Boucke Building and is sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program and Hillel Penn State.
Franklin Littell, president of the Philadelphia Center on the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights, will speak, as well as Rabbi Leon Klenicki, interfaith affairs director for the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. A discussion will follow the presentation at 10 a.m.
Richard G. Saacke from Virginia Tech, recipient of a 1997 Outstanding Alumnus Award from the College of Agricultural Sciences, will present a seminar, "Our Changing Perspectives on Male Fertility," at 12:45 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, in 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building on the University Park campus.
Saacke has earned recognition around the world for his research in the area of reproductive physiology with emphasis on the bovine male. He has received numerous awards for both his research and teaching programs.
For more information call Mike O'Connor at (814) 863-3913 or e-mail MOconnor@das.cas.psu.edu.
In conjunction with the annual benefits enrollment period, informational benefits open houses will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Nov. 7, 12, 14 and 21 in 101 Kern Building on the University Park campus. Blood pressure screenings also will be available.
Representatives from the following organizations and companies will be on hand to speak with faculty and staff:
* Health Care
Employee Benefits Division (Healthpass PPO and Plan A Hospital/Surgical/Major Medical)
HealthAmerica (HMO)
Penn State Geisinger Health Plan (HMO)
* Dental Plan
Employee Benefits Division
* Vision Coverage
National Vision Administrators (NVA)
* Maintenance Prescription Drug Plan (MPDP)
University Health Services
* Blood Pressure Screenings
Employee Benefits Division (Health Matters)
* Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employee Benefits Division (Health Matters)
* Life Insurance
Employee Benefits Division
* Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (VADD)
CNA Insurance Company
* Flexible Benefit Accounts
Employee Benefits Division
* Retirement Plans
State Employees' Retirement System (SERS)
TIAA-CREF
* Long-Term Disability
TIAA
* Tax Deferred Annuities
Equitable
Fidelity
TIAA-CREF
VALIC
Vanguard
Faculty and staff at other campuses will have an opportunity to attend benefits sessions at their locations. The times and dates for these sessions will be announced.
Keith Shaw, a painter in the Office of Physical Plant, recently
painted the cattle barns off Orchard Road on the University Park campus.
The fresh paint will offer the barn's exterior some protection from the
weather, which has begun to turn winterlike.
Photo: Greg Grieco
The University Libraries are offering the following series of seminars during the month of November to help library users learn more about the growing number of databases accessible through the Library Information Access System (LIAS) and on CD-ROM. LIAS searching techniques that enable users to maximize their searching power also will be presented.
To register or learn more about the seminars, send an e-mail to signup@psulias.psu.edu. If you have any additional questions, contact Doris Herr at (814) 863-0325. Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended. Information on the seminars also can be found by typing HELP WORKSHOP when using LIAS or on the Libraries' Web site at http://www.libraries.psu.edu.
All seminars will be held in Tower Room 402, Central Pattee Library on the University Park campus.
* Chemical Abstracts: Nov. 4, 10 a.m.-noon
* EndNote Bibliographic Software: This seminar is an introduction to software, which allows the automatic importing of citations from electronic databases such as MEDLINE, the manual inputting of new citation records, the formatting of references in manuscripts and the creation of bibliographies in more than 300 styles, Nov. 4, 1-3 p.m.
* History databases: Nov. 5, 8:30-10 a.m.
* Penn State Libraries Catalog in LIAS: Nov. 6, 10 a.m.-noon
* NEXIS: Learn how to effectively negotiate the NEXIS library and file structure and search a full-text database. (Note: LEXIS/NEXIS is available only for Penn State faculty, staff and students engaged in course-related research. Participants must present a valid Penn State ID at the seminar.) Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-noon
* Census Data on the Internet: Nov. 12, 8:45-10 a.m.
* Congress and the Legislative Process on the Internet: Nov. 19, 8:45-10 a.m.
* International Resources on the Internet: Nov. 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
To register for the following program offerings on the University Park campus, please contact Jan Hawbaker at (814) 865-3085 or JQH3@psu.edu.
* Be Well Advised
Learn how the Well Advised self-care manual can help you make informed decisions about at-home treatment and entering the medical system at the appropriate time. The fee for the program includes a copy of the Well Advised self-care manual; meets Friday, Nov. 7, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in 110 Henderson Building (The Living Center). Cost: $10, reimbursable to HMO participants.
* Meditation Series
Each session includes tips for achieving optimal health, followed by a weekly guided visualization and meditation. Meets Thursdays, Nov. 6-Dec. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. in 301-A Agricultural Administration Building. Cost: $35, reimbursable to HealthAmerica HMO participants.
To register for these or other Human Resource Development Center programs on the University Park campus, complete the registration form found in the back of the fall HRDC catalog, and fax to (814) 865-3522.
* The "Sound" of Leadership, COM 044: Refine your voice qualities to create positive perceptions and develop interpersonal power. Nov. 17 - 21, 1:30-4:30 p.m., 319 Rider Building. This program meets for three sessions. Cost: $119.
* Exceptional Quality Service, CUS 001: Nov. 18, 8:30-11:45 a.m., 319 Rider Building. Cost: $44.
* Going with the Flow of Change, PRO 092: Nov. 18, 1:30-4:30 p.m., 319 Rider Building. Cost: $44.
* Communicating Under the Pressure of Changing Conditions, COM 047: Nov. 20, 1:30-4:30 p.m., 319 Rider Building. Cost: $44.
Paula Shaki, chair of the senior class gift committee,
points out the location of the planned HUB terrace.
Photo: Greg Grieco
The Class of 1998 has voted to fund the construction of a terrace for the Hetzel Union Building expansion on the University Park campus as its class gift.
A majority of the ballots favored the terrace over three other possible class gifts. The terrace will be an outdoor study and eating area on the south side of the expanded HUB, with a view of the HUB lawn.
Construction now under way is adding 91,000 square feet to the HUB, including new facilities for the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. The HUB daily provides nearly 18,000 students, faculty and staff with study lounges, eateries, student organization offices and recreation space.
"I think the terrace was popular with our voters because it's included in the architectural plans already, so as soon as the HUB addition is completed, our gift will be there," said Paula Shaki, chair of the senior class gift committee. "Also, many students feel a strong connection to the HUB from spending a lot of time there between classes."
Shaki is a resident of Monroe, N.Y., and plans to graduate with a degree in journalism in May 1998. In addition to her student activities, she is a reporter with the Centre Daily Times.
Seniors are asked to pledge the balance of their $50 general deposit toward the gift. Nearly $10,000 has been pledged for the 1998 gift in this manner so far. The general deposit is held during a student's undergraduate years to cover unforeseen expenses, fees and emergency costs.
"We'll continue to raise money for the terrace during the rest of the academic year by focusing on appeals to student organizations and other creative efforts," said Shaki.
"This is a wonderful way for current students to share with future students," said William Asbury, vice president for student affairs. "The terrace is an excellent choice, because it will be an attractive and very heavily used area."
The other gift options presented to the seniors involved a display area for the recently-restored, mounted Pennsylvania mountain lion in Pattee Library; a courtyard between Whitmore Lab and Pond Lab; and a scholarship endowment. In addition to accepting votes at various on-campus polling sites, this was the first year in which seniors could vote on a University-sponsored Web site devoted to the class gift.
Ideas for the class gift have been accepted by the Office of Annual Giving throughout the year. Approximately 100 people submitted ideas, which resulted in 35 distinct proposals being brought before the gift selection committee. The committee, consisting of 10 seniors and members of the faculty, staff and administration, narrowed the options to the final four gift ideas on the ballot.
Senior class gifts have been a Penn State tradition for more than a century, and include the Old Main clock tower, the Nittany Lion Shrine and an endowment for preservation of the American elm trees on campus. The class of 1997 has raised nearly $115,000 to design and construct a Peace Garden that will celebrate a peaceful and civil University community.
The merger of The Hershey Medical Center and clinical operations with the Penn State Geisinger Health System has generated additional health plan choices for many Penn State faculty and staff members. Effective Jan. 1, 1998, the Penn State Geisinger Health Plan HMO will be a health care plan option for employees at certain Penn State locations and for those residing in certain counties where that plan has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance.
The Penn State Geisinger HMO is being offered in addition to the health
care choices previously provided by the University. This addition will expand
the choice of health care providers for many faculty and staff. The directory
for Penn State Geisinger Health System providers, as well as directories
for other health plans, are included in the Time
to Choose materials for 1998,
which were mailed to each benefits-eligible faculty and staff member. The
open enrollment period extends from Nov. 1-21, to make changes that will
be effective Jan. 1, 1998.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to review carefully the choices available to them. Additionally, representatives from the Employee Benefits Division and benefit plan providers will be available to speak to employees individually at the Employee Benefits Open houses. Please refer to the Employee Benefits column on page 6 of this edition of Intercom for the dates, times and locations of the open houses.
An overview of Penn State quality indicators is now available from the Office of University Relations in the form of a Power Point presentation.
The collection of images outline Penn State rankings as determined by various magazines, books and surveys. For example, rankings of colleges and universities by U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and Money magazines are included in the presentation. Also included are recent rankings by USA Today, and books and college guides such as The Best Hospitals in America and Ivy League Programs at State School Prices.
For copies of the presentation contact Cindy Hall, director of University marketing for Penn State, at cbh3@psu.edu or by calling (814) 863-5680. The presentation also can be found on the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/rankings/.
Research/Penn State magazine, which won the 1997 Gold Medal for Special Interest Magazines from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, is currently updating its faculty/staff mailing list. The magazine is mailed in September, January and May. Faculty and staff who did not receive the September 1997 issue featuring the Hobby-Eberly telescope on the cover, and who would like to be added to the magazine's mailing list can contact Pitter Langheinrich in research publications, 320 Kern Building, University Park, (814) 865-3477, or send e-mail to nmb1@psu.edu. Faculty and staff who would like to be taken off the mailing list may also contact the office.
