Everest IMAX filmmaker
to speak at University Park

Filmmaker David Breashears -- best known for his role in the first-ever IMAX film on Mt. Everest -- will present a multi-media account of his experiences on Everest during the 1996 blizzard on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium on the University Park campus. He is appearing as part of the Distinguished Speakers Series.

Breashears' work has taken him to remote locations throughout Tibet, China, Nepal, Pakistan and East Africa. In the spring of 1996, he directed, photographed and co-produced "Everest."

When the now-infamous blizzard hit Mt. Everest in May of '96, killing several climbers, Breashears and his team were in the midst of making the film. They stopped filming to assist several of the stranded climbers to safety -- and were later recognized as heroes.

The event is free to the public, but tickets are required. Remaining tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets also may be available the night of the speech. The Eisenhower ticket box office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities at (814) 863-3786.

To learn more about the 1996 tragedy on Mt. Everest, read David Breashears' dispatches, online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/ expeditions/96/

Alumnus photographer
to give lecture Oct. 4

Penn State alumnus Steve McCurry, an award-winning photographer whose pictures have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times and Time magazine, will give a free lecture and slide presentation, "World Images: The Travels of Photojournalist Steve McCurry," at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, in Schwab Auditorium on the University Park campus.

McCurry is returning to Penn State to receive the College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Fellow Award, a lifelong designation to honor alumni who are leaders in their field and to allow them to share their expertise with current Penn State students. In conjunction with the award, McCurry's work will be on display in Zoller Gallery Oct. 1-20.

McCurry has published three books: The Imperial Way (1985), Monsoon (1988) and Portraits (1999). Life magazine named him the 1998 World Photo Winner, and his work for National Geographic covering the 50th year of independence in India, was an essay finalist in the Eisenstaedt Awards.

Football 101 expands to two sessions

"Football 101: FUNdamentals for Fans," has been expanded for 1999 and will be held in early October in three locations.

Last year's event has been extended into a two-session program, and is being offered in Altoona, Harrisburg and State College. Coaches, officials and special guest speakers will be on hand to share their football expertise with fans of all ages who would like to learn about the history, strategy and secrets of the game. Video highlights will be used.

The program schedule follows:

n Penn State University Park, Bryce Jordan Center, Rooms E and F, Tuesdays, Oct. 5 and 12. Register by calling (800) PSU-TODAY (778-8632); for more information, call (814) 863-0229;

n Penn State Harrisburg, Olmsted Building, second floor auditorium, Tuesdays, Oct. 12 and 19. Register by calling (717) 948-6338; for more information, call (717) 948-6505;

n Penn State Altoona Downtown Conference Center, 12th Avenue at 14th Street, Mondays, Oct. 11 and 18. To register or for more info, call (814) 942-4780.

The early registration fee is $35, or $20 for students or a single-day session; on-site registration is $40.

Global carbon cycle to be examined

"Feedbacks on the Global Carbon Cycle" will be presented by Fakhri A. Bazzaz, Mallinckrodt professor of biology at Harvard University, on Oct. 7 from 3:35-4:30 p.m. in Room 111 Wartik Laboratory, University Park.

Bazzaz, who conducts research in the areas of plant population biology, plant physiological ecology and global climate change, will discuss two causes of these feedbacks: (1) reduction in photosynthesis and growth; and (2) ecosystem-level feedbacks operating through the return of nutrients to the soil and competition between plants and microbes for these resources.

Bazzaz is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow and received the Humboldt Research Prize (Germany).

Building a professional image is topic of Nov. 17 lunch

Barbara L. Jackson-Hall, director of alumni relations in The Smeal College of Business Administration, will discuss building a professional image that can enhance your self-confidence, self-acceptance and self-worth, on Wednesday, Nov. 17, in 118 Agricultural Science and Industries Building on the University Park campus.

The brown-bag lunch meeting will begin at 11:50 a.m. with an opportunity for informal networking. The talk, sponsored by Professional Women at Penn State, will begin at 12:05 p.m.

Erie speaker series
to feature newsmakers

Penn State Erie has announced a notable lineup of newsmaking personalities for its 1999-2000 Speaker Series. With a theme of "Taking Charge: Politics, Finances and Personal Freedom," the series includes political satirist Al Franken; a debate between Democrat James Carville, former Clinton campaign manager, and Republican Angela "Bay" Buchanan, former U.S. treasurer; teacher, writer and activist Sonia Sanchez; and financial and economic commentator Jane Bryant Quinn.

Franken will open the series at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, with "An Evening with Al Franken." Best known for his work as an Emmy-winning actor, writer and producer of Saturday Night Live, Franken has recently hit the best-seller list with Why Not Me: The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Al Franken Presidency.

The series continues with the Carville-Buchanan debate at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9. Carville, author and Democratic presidential adviser, will match wits with Buchanan, former co-host of CNBC's "Equal Time" and sister of presidential hopeful Pat Buchanan.

Temple University Professor Sonia Sanchez will take part in a campus celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17. In her writing and teaching Sanchez explores women's lives, the triumphs and struggles of people of color, and global and humanist themes.

The series ends Tuesday, April 4, with "The Economy and Your Money.com," a presentation by award-winning Newsweek columnist Jane Bryant Quinn. A syndicated newspaper columnist and prominent writer on personal finance and economic issues, Quinn has been named by the World Almanac as one of the 25 most influential women in the United States.

For more information about the series call (814) 898-6171.

Panel to discuss ways to
use information technology

A panel discussion on "Using Information Technology in Process Improvement" will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, in Ballroom A of The Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.

Panelists are: Robin Anderson, coordinator of process improvements in Computer and Information Systems; Jan Barnoff, manager of financial information systems in the Office of the Corporate Controller; Kenneth Forstmeier, director of Office of Research Information Systems in the Office of the Vice President for Research; and Martha Jordan, director of the Recruitment and Alumni Volunteer Program. Barbara Sherlock, quality and planning specialist in the Center for Quality and Planning and Human Resource Development Center is the moderator.

The panel will discuss how to use information technology as a tool for process improvement; considerations in using technology effectively; and what teams have done in the areas of financial reporting, information and communication management, and training.

To attend this panel discussion, call the Center for Quality and Planning at (814) 863-8721. For more information on this and other course offerings, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/president/cqi/.

Talk links evolutionary biology, statistics

Masatoshi Nei, Evan Pugh professor of biology, will present the Krishnaiah Memorial Lecture at 4 p.m. Sept. 30 in 62 Willard Building on the University Park campus. The lecture, "Evolutionary Biology and Statistics," is open to the public.

Nei's lecture concerns new statistical methods for handling large-scale data resulting from the enormous number of DNA sequences that have become available for testing new hypotheses of evolution in recent years. He will discuss new trends in the statistical study of evolution with a historical perspective and an emphasis on the importance of collaborative research between biologists and statisticians.

Nei is one of the founders who established the theoretical basis of current work in molecular evolutionary biology.

Workshop to focus on best practices
for mentoring graduate students

A strong faculty/student relationship is the cornerstone of graduate education. Unlike undergraduate education that is primarily based upon successful completion of a course-based curriculum, graduate training is based on the apprenticeship model. A significant proportion of a graduate student's learning occurs in one-on-one interaction with the research supervisor or as a participant on the adviser's research team.

The Graduate School will hold a workshop for faculty, administrators and graduate students to enhance the effectiveness of mentoring graduate students. The workshop, titled "Faculty/Student Relationships: Promoting Mutual Accountability," will be held Oct. 25, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. Karen Klomparens, assistant provost of graduate education, Michigan State University, will deliver the keynote address.

The program will begin at 8 a.m. and will conclude with remarks at 12:45 p.m. by Richard Yahner, associate dean for student affairs in Penn State's Graduate School. Lunch will be provided.

Registration for the workshop is required and forms are available in the Graduate School, 114 Kern Building, or in the department office. The deadline to register is Friday, Oct. 15.

Curator to be next speaker in series

Georgia Brady Barnhill, the Andrew W. Mellon curator of graphic arts for the American Antiquarian Society, will give a lecture, "The Legacy of Isaiah Thomas: The Collections of the American Antiquarian Society," at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, in the Palmer Museum of Art's Palmer Lipcon Auditorium on the University Park campus. Barnhill's talk is part of the lecture series, "Drawing from the Past: Perspectives on Rare Books and Printed Materials in the Visual Arts." The lecture is free to the public.

Barnhill is co-editor of The Cultivation of Artists in 19th-Century America, co-author of Early American Lithography: Images to 1830, and author of Wild Impressions: The Adirondacks on Paper.

The lecture series addresses the subject of rare books and printed materials in the visual arts from the 16th century through the 19th century. The speakers provide a variety of scholarly and professional perspectives, including those of curators, bibliographers, historians, educators and collectors. The series is sponsored by the Center for the History of the Book, the Department of Art History, the Art Education Program and the School of Visual Arts.

Controversial church elder to talk at two events

The Rev. Jimmy Creech, an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, will talk about the church's struggle to welcome and accept lesbian and gay people during two events on the University Park campus.

Creech will speak on the topic "I Love You ... Let the Revolution Begin," at an affirmation service at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3, in Eisenhower Chapel. He will then lecture on "The Encouraging Signs of Change" from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, in 101 Kern Building.

In 1997 Creech performed a covenant ceremony for two women, an action that generated great controversy. Currently on voluntary leave of absence from active ministry within the United Methodist Church, Creech is traveling the country to speak and write about his experiences.

The events, sponsored by the Commission on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Equity and United Campus Ministry, are free to the public.

Technology-based opportunities to be explored Oct. 18

"Opportunities in Working in/with a Rapidly Growing Technology-based Corporation" is the topic of a free noon lecture on Monday, Oct. 18, in 108 Wartik Lab on the University Park campus.

Mike Albin, vice president for science and technology at Perkin Elmer in Foster City, Calif., will give the talk, which also will be teleconferenced to Room D at The Hershey Medical Center. The lecture is part of the "Life Sciences Alliance with Industry" series this fall.

Faculty and students at University Park may join Albin for lunch in 513 Wartik Lab following his talk. For more information, call (814) 863-3792.

Higher education funding topic of videoconference

Should funding for higher education be tied to institutional performance? Leaders from state systems, governing boards and legislatures will discuss the trend of using performance results in higher education budgeting, and how to better prepare institutions to address the criteria by which they are held accountable, during a panel discussion offered live via satellite from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

The Center for Quality and Planning and Outreach and Cooperative Education are co-sponsoring local access to the video conference. To attend, register by calling (814) 863-8721. There will be no charge to Penn State participants.