Around The Campus

College holds study break to ease finals-week stress\nThe College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring a late-night study break from 10 p.m. to midnight Monday in the lobby of the Main Library. Snacks will be provided, and will be served by deans and faculty members from COAS. \nKumble R. Subbaswamy, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said he thought the late-night interaction with some of the University's top educators might help students studying for finals.\n"Students need a break in exam-week tension; some may be low on meal points at this time of the semester, and I think it will be fun," Subbaswamy said in an e-mail to department chairs. "We did this kind of thing when I was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in Miami, and it was very well attended and the students appreciated it.\n"Finals week is very stressful for most students. For many -- we hope most -- it is a time of intense study. The Library becomes the hub of much of this intense study. The College -- in which almost all undergraduates take at least some courses -- wants to show its appreciation of hard-working students. This is the reason for this Snack Break sponsored by the College. Department chairs and dean's office personnel will be out there serving. The library administration is very excited about this event as well. We hope to make this an recurring finals-week event."\n3 undergrad researchers named Beckman Scholars\nSeniors Jeremy Matthew Brown, Mackenzie Ford and Aaron Hinz have been named Beckman Scholars, one of the most prestigious undergraduate research awards in the country.\nThe program provides each of six undergraduate recipients up to $17,600 to support two semesters plus two summers of scientific research in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, neural science or medical science, according to a press release.\nA College of Arts and Sciences committee applied last year to the Beckman Foundation and won six awards to distribute during the next three years.\nApplicants were required to submit a proposal for research, a nominating letter from a faculty members and two supporting letters of recommendation from other faculty members. \nBrown's research will focus on behavior patterns of the burrower bug, testing assumptions underlying current theories of the evolution of social behavior. It will build upon work previously done under Associate Professor of Biology Edmund Brodie.\nFord will try to synthesize a molecule that can be used to treat people who suffer from the autoimmune disease Lupus. Specifically, Ford's project aims to produce a molecule that will reduce kidney failure, which is a leading cause of death in lupus patients.\nHinz was nominated for a Beckman by Associate Professor of Biology Yves Brun. The award will allow him to research properties of bacteria that enable them to attach to a host.