News in Brief
Penn State Intercom......March 20, 2003

Health care for uninsured
is topic of Spanier call-in

Health care for the 39 million Americans lacking health insurance will be the topic of the next edition of "To the Best of My Knowledge," President Graham B. Spanier's monthly call-in show airing at 7 p.m. March 25 on WPSU-FM and WPSX-TV.

Joining Spanier in the studio will be Pamela Farley Short, professor of health policy and administration and director of the Center for Health Care and Policy Research. Participating by phone from Washington will be Dr. Roger J. Bulger, president and CEO of the Association of Academic Health Centers and a member of the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.

Listeners and viewers with questions or comments are encouraged to call (800) 543-8242 during the one-hour broadcast. Internet users worldwide will be able to link to sound and pictures from the program at http://www.wpsu.psu.edu/ttbomk/; and they will be able to contact the president during the program via e-mail to response@psu.edu.

"To the Best of My Knowledge" is a series designed to explore topics of national and local interest and to allow listeners a chance to communicate directly with Penn State's president.

Ag open house

The College of Agricultural Sciences will play host to prospective students at its 10th annual open house from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 22, beginning at the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus. About 60 faculty, staff and students from the college will be on hand to answer questions about the agricultural sciences, and about University life, and representatives from the Ag Advocates student organization and the Ag Student Council also will attend.

The event is open to all prospective college students and their families. To register or for more information, check the Web at http://www.cas.psu.edu or call the Office of Undergraduate Education at (814) 865-7521.

Penn College open house

The Pennsylvania College of Technology will hold Spring Visitation Day for prospective students and their families on Sunday, March 23.

For information about the complete schedule of events, call (800) 367-9222, e-mail visitation@pct.edu or visit http://www.pct.edu/visitation on the Web.

Computer Expo is March 26

The Computer Store will hold its 2003 Computer Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, in The Nittany Lion Inn Ballroom on the University Park campus. Faculty and staff can talk with hardware and software vendors, enjoy refreshments and register to win prizes.

For information, visit the Computer Store's Web site at http://computerstore.psu.edu or call (814) 865-2100.

TSR deadlines set

The Telecommunications and Networking Services (TNS, a unit of the Information Technology Services Office) has announced deadlines for Telecommunications Service Requisition (TSR) forms for work that is to be billed for the current fiscal year.

Forms for all TSRs that are to be billed during the 2002-03 fiscal year need to be completed by March 29. For work that is to be completed during the summer months, it is requested that TSRs be completed by May 5.

Background information on estimated lead times for specific types of telecommunications work is posted on the TNS Web site at http://tns.its.psu.edu/policies/leadtime.html .

Office Professional Award

The Penn State Educational Office Professionals (PSEOP) is seeking nominations for the 2003 Outstanding Office Professional Award.

The award recognizes office employees who have provided exceptional meritorious service on behalf of the University. For information and a nomination form, visit http://www.personal.psu.edu/org/PSEOP. Nominations are due Monday, March 31. For information, call Sarah Aumiller or Shelby Hoy at (814) 863-1864.

Roast honors Asbury

Bill Asbury, vice president for Student Affairs, will be honored by Special Olympics at an April Fool's Day fund-raiser. Asbury, who will be retiring in June, has been instrumental in facilitating the Special Olympics Summer Games, which take place on the University Park campus each June. The dinner and roast, to be held at 6:30 p.m. at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, will benefit Special Olympics Centre County. For ticket information, call (814) 880-7398.

Scholarship announced

Children of Penn State or Penn College technical service or staff employees may apply for the 2003-2004 Steve A. Garban Grant-In-Aid. Eligible students must be offered admission as first-year, full-time students at any University location or at the Pennsylvania College of Technology; must have demonstrated leadership and humanitarian qualities through extracurricular activities; and must have achieved or show promise of achieving academic success.

To apply, submit a letter that includes: student's name and Social Security number; Penn State or Penn College employee's name and position; and a personal essay of no more than two typewritten pages that gives illustrations of the student's leadership, humanitarian and academic merits. Letters will be accepted until April 30. The award recipient will be selected and announced in May.

Send information to Carol Lewis, student aid coordinator for University scholarships, Office of Student Aid, 314 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802.

For details, check the Web at http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/scholarships/pssch1a.html or e-mail Carol Lewis at cll1@psu.edu.

Focus group volunteers sought

The Department of Food Science is holding a focus group discussion to understand consumers' perceptions of the changes in salmon production. Any staff or faculty member who eats salmon or buys salmon for others can participate. The focus groups will be held on the University Park campus or a convenient community location. For information, call (814) 863-7783 or e-mail wuq100@psu.edu.

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