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LANI GUINIER NEXT FORUM SPEAKER
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| Lani Guinier |
The University Honors Program is sponsoring a talk by Lani Guinier as part of the UA Forum Series on April 7 at 8 p.m. in E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. Tickets are $4 with a Zip Card.
Guinier, the first black woman to be appointed to a tenured professorship at Harvard Law School, teaches courses on professional responsibility for public lawyers, law and the political process, and critical perspectives on race, gender, class and social change.
A graduate of Radcliffe College of Harvard University and Yale Law School, Guinier came to public attention when she was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 to head the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, only to have her name withdrawn without a confirmation hearing. Guinier wrote of the experience in “Lift Every Voice: Turning a Civil Rights Setback into a New Vision of Social Justice,” published in 1998.
Guinier’s earlier books include “The Tyranny of the Majority,” 1994; and “Becoming Gentlemen: Women, Law Schools and Institutional Change,” 1995. Her most recent work is “The Miners’ Canary: Rethinking Race and Power,” co-authored by Gerald Torres of the University of Texas and published by Harvard University Press in 2002.
Prior to joining Harvard in 1998, Guinier was a tenured professor for 10 years at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In the 1980s, she headed the voting rights project for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and served in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division during the Carter administration as special assistant to then assistant attorney general, Drew S. Days.
A recipient of eight honorary degrees, Guinier has been given numerous other awards as well, including the 1995 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession, the Champion of Democracy Award from the National Women's Political Caucus and the Rosa Parks Award from the American Association for Affirmative Action.
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STATE CUTS FORCE TUITION AND FEE INCREASES
In response to additional and anticipated reductions in state budgetary support, The University of Akron’s Board of Trustees approved at its February meeting a 9.9 percent increase in tuition and the general fee, effective with the first summer term of classes. The facility fee, charged to all students, will increase by 1.9 percent.
“This action is a direct response to continued actions by the state to cut the budgets for colleges and universities,” said University President Luis M. Proenza. “We are forced to take these steps to ensure the quality of our academic programs, and so that the services we provide to students do not suffer.”
“However, even this increase in tuition will not address the magnitude of the budget shortfall; we are continuing to reduce other expenses and look for new sources of revenue besides tuition,” Proenza added. “Any way you look at it, this amounts to a tax-shifting to our students and families, because Ohio has progressively reduced support for higher education over the past 30 years.”
The University of Akron has seen a $14.6 million decrease in state support since spring 2000, including an anticipated decrease of $2.1 million before the end of its current fiscal year in June.
Earlier responses to state budget cuts to the University included efforts to develop and enhance alternative sources of revenues (such as private giving, grants and sponsored research, and federal funding) and numerous cost-cutting programs. Those programs have included the elimination of vacant positions and significant reductions in budgets throughout the University.
UA remains a competitively priced and high-quality choice for higher education. Prior to anticipated increases in tuition and fees at other state-supported universities, The University of Akron now has the fourth-highest costs among Ohio’s 13 public universities — at $6,682 per year for full-load, in-state students who enroll(ed) after Spring Semester 2002 at the main campus. That annual figure includes tuition of $5,846, a general fee of $582 and a facilities fee of $254. Miami University, the University of Cincinnati and Bowling Green State University will remain higher than UA, even before any increases on their parts.
Tuition and general fee costs at the Community and Technical College and Wayne College also were increased by 9.9 percent.
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DEAN RECEIVES LITERARY HONORS
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| John Kristofco |
John Kristofco, dean of Wayne College, has received the 2002 Chaffin Award for Fiction for his short story, “October 1962.”
The Chaffin Journal is a national literary publication of Eastern Kentucky University. Editors of the journal confer one award for fiction and one award for poetry annually, selecting from work submitted to the journal, which is published each January.
“October 1962” is about the Cuban missile crisis and the times surrounding it. Kristofco says it is loosely based on his own experience at that time.
“You literally went to bed thinking that you — and everybody else — might not wake up the next morning,” he recalls. “Yet, despite what was happening on a global scale, your own life and the lives of those around you continued, with the insecurities and challenges of every day. For a high school freshman, those already were significant.”
Kristofco, who became dean of Wayne College, also is an English professor, who primarily teaches composition and poetry writing. His short stories and poetry have been published in over 70 different national journals and magazines.
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IRB NOMINATIONS SOUGHT
The University’s Institutional Review Board is seeking nominations of qualified faculty for five upcoming vacancies.
A goal of the IRB is to ensure a diverse membership to reflect the University and the larger community. Board members review IRB applications and attend a monthly board meeting. Openings are available in business, sociology, education or nursing.
Nominations will be accepted through April 18. An election for open slots will be held by the IRB membership at its full board meeting in May. Notification of appointments by the vice president for research will follow. The three-year appointments begin on Sept. 1.
Submit names along with curriculum vitae to: N. Margaret Wineman, IRB chairperson, attention: Mary Samartgedes, IRB secretary, Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs
Zip +2102.
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WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION LUNCHEON PLANNED
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| Lois Margaret Nora |
On April 7, Women in Higher Education will host a luncheon and recognize outstanding women students at The University of Akron. The event will begin at noon at Martin University Center. The cost is $15 per person. Reservations may be made with Mae Schreiber, University Libraries Reference Department, Zip +1709.
The keynote speaker will be Lois Margaret Nora, president and dean of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Nora holds degrees in medicine, law and business and is the principal investigator for numerous funded-research projects, including the American Association of Women Research Award to study gender issues in medical education.
For more information contact Linda Marx, president, at ext. 7460 or Lmarx@uakron.edu , or visit www.uakron.edu/whed .
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ANNUAL CHARLES M. KNIGHT LECTURES SCHEDULED
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| Stephen J. Lippard |
Stephen J. Lippard, the Arthur Amos Noyes Professor of Chemistry and chemistry department chair at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will deliver two lectures in April as the Charles M. Knight Lecturer.
The Pittsburgh, Pa., who earned a doctorate at MIT, will present “Platinum Anticancer Drugs: DNA Binding and Cell Biology” on April 7 at 3 p.m., and “Non-heme Iron and the Biological Oxidation of Methane” on April 8 at 2 p.m. Both lectures will be delivered in Mary Gladwin Hall 111.
Lippard’s research activities include mechanistic studies of platinum anticancer drugs, the synthesis of dimetallic complexes as models for non-heme iron enzymes and metallohydrolases, structural and mechanistic investigations of methane monooxygenase, and optical sensors for neurotransmitters.
He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. Lippard’s awards include the American Chemical Society’s Award in Inorganic Chemistry, sponsored by Monsanto Company, and its Award for Distinguished Service in Inorganic Chemistry, sponsored by Mallinckrodt Company.
For more information, contact the Department of Chemistry at ext. 7372.
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SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL COMING TO CAMPUS
The Bard’s 439th birthday will be celebrated here when the Department of English hosts its annual Shakespeare Festival on April 3 at Martin University Center. All events are free and open to the public.
Kicking off the festivities will be the Great Lakes Theater Festival’s 2003 touring production of “Awaken the Dream” from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in the South Room. The program deals with Shakespeare’s comedy, “A Midsummer Night's Dream.”
At 5 p.m., Jyotsna G. Singh will deliver the 2003 Cathryn Carroll Taliaferro Shakespeare Lecture. “Rereading the Tragic Genre Via Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ and ‘King Lear’” is the title of her talk. A professor at Michigan State University, Singh’s special interests include Shakespeare and early modern drama, feminist theory, postcolonial theory and film studies.
Following the lecture, winners of the UA Shakespeare Essay Contest will be announced. Two top prizes and three honorable mentions will be awarded for Shakespeare papers written for English department courses.
The evening will conclude with a Shakespeare Gala Birthday Party, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the ballroom. Hors d’oeurves and birthday cake will be served.
For more information, call ext. 7603.
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ORIENTATION 101 INSTRUCTORS NEEDED
The University College Dean’s Office is seeking individuals to teach University Orientation 101 in the fall.
The two-credit course introduces new students to University resources, helps them develop successful learning skills such as note-taking, test-taking, time management and stress management, and develop support networks of peers, faculty and advisers. More than 35 sections of University Orientation 101 are offered at various times of the day and evening.
Participants will attend a faculty development session as well as monthly meetings during the semester for ongoing course development, resource sharing and problem solving. Full-time faculty and administrators who teach a section of University Orientation 101 in addition to their regular class/work load will receive up to $1,500 in a University account for legitimate business expenses, such as travel for professional development or equipment purchases.
Those interested should contact Dean Karla Mugler or Stefanie Shatrich at ext. 7066 stef@uakron.edu .
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ROBERT W. LITTLE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHES INTERNSHIP
Students in Classical Studies, Anthropology and Archaeology have more opportunities to participate in local and worldwide archaeology and cultural research studies, thanks to a $250,000 gift from the Robert W. Little Foundation.
The Robert W. Little Internship in Classical Studies, Anthropology and Archaeology was created through the estate of UA alumnus Robert W. Little, who died on May 26, 2000. The endowment will provide salaries, tuition to field schools, travel and living expenses, as well as instructional support pertaining to student internships and research activities.
In recognition of the gift, The Robert W. Little Conference Center will be dedicated in the Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences building in late spring.
James R. Graves, a long-time friend of Little and a trustee of the foundation, says the trustees are very pleased to have arranged for this gift. “The University has been very kind in utilizing the funds in such a way as to optimize the gift for the students,” says Graves. “The conference room named for Bob is outstanding.”
Frank Falk, department chair, says the endowment will significantly augment the department’s resources.
“The Department of Classical Studies, Anthropology and Archaeology is an applied, research-based degree program,” says Falk. “All majors are required to complete selected courses that include applied research techniques and hands-on participatory learning. This endowment will greatly enhance student opportunities for kinesthetic learning in cultural and archaeological projects.”
UA students have participated in archaeological projects in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Azerbaijan and within the Ohio and Erie Canal Corridor. Cultural research projects have included international research on the food gathering practices of street children in Tanzania, the food distribution system of the Akron-Canton Area Food Bank, and ethnography in Summit County and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Little earned degrees in history and library science in 1952 and 1954. After college, he worked for The BFGoodrich Company and the Akron Public Library. He also served in the United States Army during World War II.
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CBA ALUMNI TO BE HONORED
The College of Business Administration will recognize the business achievements and community contributions of four alumni on April 3 at the 2003 Dr. Frank L. Simonetti Distinguished Business Alumni Awards breakfast. The event, named for an alumnus, professor and dedicated friend of the college, will begin at 7:15 a.m. in the Student Union, Ballroom.
The 2003 honorees are Charles H. Huettner, ’69, president of Huettner & Associates and a former White House senior adviser for aviation; James W. Phelps ’68, deputy mayor for economic development in Akron; Gary L. Taylor ’75 and ’77, president and chief executive officer for InfoCision Management Corp.; and Sharon L. Whitfield ’83, first vice president for investments for Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.
Tickets are $25 per person and proceeds will benefit CBA scholarships. For reservations, call the Alumni Association at ext. 7270.
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FEDERAL JUDGES BRINGING GAVELS TO CAMPUS
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will hold court in the School of Law’s Moot Courtroom on April 8 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Its members are expected to hear arguments for four appeals, says Richard Aynes, dean of law school.
Established by Congress in 1982, the Federal Circuit hears appeals from the 94 district courts, the Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Court of International Trade, the International Trade Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the agency Boards of Contract Appeals and the U.S. Court of Veterans Claims.
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ENGINEERING ALUMNI AWARDS PRESENTATION IS APRIL 11
College of Engineering faculty, staff and alumni will gather on April 11 for the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards at Martin University Center. The breakfast program begins at 7:30 a.m.
Alumni honorees are John E. Schremp Jr., ’77, president of Firestone Polymers, LLC and Firestone Natural Rubber Company; Philip S. Thompson, ’72, vice president of business transformation and chief information officer at IBM Integrated Systems Solutions Corporation; and Allen R. Barber, ’74, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems.
Two Honorary Award recipients will be recognized. Margaret F. Donovan, who established the Robert E. Donovan Scholarship Fund for undergraduate and graduate women pursuing degrees in engineering, law or business, and The Margaret F. Donovan Chair for Women in Engineering — which is believed to be the first in the United States designed to enhance and promote female leadership in engineering. Hoyt Wells, who retired in 1994 as vice chairman of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, will be honored posthumously.
Tickets are $15 per person and proceeds will benefit College of Engineering scholarships. For reservations, call the Alumni Association at ext. 7270.
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FITZGERALD INSTITUTE HOSTING COMPETITION
Students with “the entrepreneurial spirit” will have the opportunity to gain feedback from industry experts regarding their business plans and be awarded seed money during the College of Business Administration’s Second Annual Business Plan Competition on April 12.
The Fitzgerald Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies is hosting the event from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Martin University Center. Judges will award $3,000 to the top business plan, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third.
The keynote speaker is Thomas Chema of Arter & Hadden LLP in Cleveland, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
“At The University of Akron, we realize that entrepreneurship is more than a set of tools for starting and growing a business. It is a mindset — an artful, insightful and innovative mentality,” says Todd Finkle, associate professor of management and Fitzgerald Institute Fellow.
“UA’s College of Business Administration emphasizes cooperation between industry, government and academia in the pursuit of economic development. This event contributes to this goal.”
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EDUCATION ALUMNI AND FACULTY TO BE HONORED
The 11th Annual Distinguished Education Alumni and Faculty Dinner will be held on April 22 at Martin University Center, beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Dinner and the program will follow at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $25 per person and reservations are due by April 16. Call the Alumni Association at ext. 7270.
Alumni honorees are James G. Hyre,’75, former president, Education Leadership Corporation former superintendent, Canton City School District; Janet (Spoonster) Litzel,’78 and ’90, clinical instructor and director of extended educational experiences, UA College of Education; and Jerome Pecko,’69, ’74 and ’85, retired superintendent, Barberton Public Schools.
Recipients of faculty awards are Lisa A. Lenhart, assistant professor of curricular and instructional studies, Outstanding Teaching Award; Dianne Brown Wright, associate professor of educational foundations and leadership, Outstanding Service Award; and Loreto R. Prieto, assistant professor of counseling and director of the Clinic for Child Study and Family Therapy, Outstanding Research Award.
Selected to receive the Outstanding Campus Partner Award is Brian Pendleton, professor of sociology; and Pat Corbett, Superintendent of the Summit County Educational Service Center, is the recipient of the Outstanding Community Partner Award.
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DISTINGUISHED NURSING LECTURE PLANNED
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| Lois K. Evans |
The College of Nursing and Ortho McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc. are hosting the Fifth Annual Distinguished Lecture Series in the Goodyear Polymer Center, Goodyear Auditorium on April 16 at 3 p.m. To attend, R.S.V.P. by April 9 to Heather Warner at ext. 7552.
Lois K. Evans will present “Visioning a Future for Gerontologic Nursing.” One of the nation’s foremost researchers in the care of the elderly, Evans has been involved in groundbreaking research in lessening the use of restraints on frail elders in the nation’s nursing homes and hospitals.
Refreshments will be served following the lecture. Nurses seeking continuing education hours will be awarded 1.0 contact hour.
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