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(09/20/05 4:12am)
IU's Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics celebrated five years of research, including projects aimed to eventually shed light on the evolutionary process and pinpoint causes of contamination in freshwater sources in the United States, with an inaugural symposium Friday afternoon in Jordan Hall. \nThe CGB began as a research center designed to study genomics, the study of genomes (complete gene sets for a particular species) and bioinformatics, the intersection of microbiology and computer science. It has grown through cross-disciplinary collaboration and support from the biology department and School of Informatics to include 30 programmers and full-time scientists in addition to an administrative staff of three. \nCGB is beginning to raise Indiana's prominence in the field of Genomics and Bioinformatics due to its success obtaining grants the past five years from the Indiana Genomics Initiative, the Eli Lilly Endowment and others.\nFriday's symposium highlighted current research projects undertaken by the CGB. Among these was the study of arthropods (insects and their relatives), a current hot topic in genomics. Arthropods are of particular interest because of the amount of diversity within the group and the belief that they make up a singular evolutionary family. By studying their differing genomes, researchers predict more can be learned about the evolutionary process. \nSpecifically, the center's researchers have studied the species Drosophilia, a flightless fruit fly, and Daphnia, a small crustacean known to some as a "water flea." \nThe Daphnia project is the first crustacean genome project and Daphnia are used to determine the health of the freshwater habitat they live in. By understanding the workings of Daphnia's genomes, researchers in the future might be able to pinpoint the specific cause of contamination in streams, rivers and ponds across the country.\n"Daphnia occur all over the world. They live in freshwater environments everywhere," said Peter Cherbas, biology professor and CGB director.\nAnother successful project of the CBG, in conjunction with the biology department's Rieseberg Lab, was the first genome mapping of a species of sunflower. Zhao Lai, a CBG staff scientist, spoke on the development of sunflower genomics resources at the symposium.\nBioinformatics also plays a key role in the CGB projects, and Informatics professors Sun Kim and Haixu Tang are having considerable success developing this area. Kim, who developed a software that aids in the study of genomics, is one of the professors who has been working with the CGB since its inception. \n"One of the very nice things about this program has been the interactions between the two schools and (Kim) was a part of that from the beginning," Cherbas said.\nTang is currently studying computer-generated models of ribonucleic acid, which will aid drug companies attempting to understand the true structure of RNA in the human system. \nComputers and informatics are also central in the work of the CGB. \n"The spirit of informatics is that computer science plays an important role in every discipline. Computers are everywhere," Kim said.\nIn the coming years, the CGB hopes to expand its research even further. This will be aided by its move into the new Simon Hall, which is currently under construction behind Myers Hall. \n"We will also be able to keep some of the space we are currently using," Cherbas said.\nMost likely, the CGB will generate much discussion in years to come.
(06/02/05 12:49am)
The professors at IU are a fascinating and diverse crowd. Many of them have dedicated much of their lives to advance knowledge in a specific area of study. These teachers have spent years challenging, inspiring, and educating students to give IU renown and recognition.\nJudith H. Anderson, a chancellor's professor in the English Department, and Victor E. Viola, Jr., a distinguished professor in the Chemistry Department and an adjunct professor in the Physics Department, are two professors that have left their mark on IU. Both professors have a long history with the University and have worked diligently during their time at IU.\nAnderson has been on IU's faculty since 1974, when she came here with her husband. \n"For me it is the quality of the department and also the eclecticism over the long term, the strength of the library in the humanities and the community within the University which I enjoy most about working at Indiana," Anderson said. \nAnderson specializes in Renaissance and early modern literature that spans from the 16th to 17th century and typically ends with the death of John Milton in 1674. Her research here includes intellectual and cultural history, and allegory and metaphor. Anderson believes one needs a well-rounded historical perspective to gain insight into the modern world. \n"If you do not have solid historical knowledge you are forever reinventing the wheel," Anderson said. \nShe believes that through gaining historical as well as literary insight we can begin to answer very important questions about our society today. \n"To a larger extent than we recognize we are living with the consequences of early modern theory. What a fact is, has changed," Anderson said. "There has been a real narrowing of this concept." \nBefore coming to IU, Anderson had taught at Cornell, Michigan, and Yale. She received her Bachelor's degree at Radcliffe College and gained her M.A. and Ph.D. at Yale. She has published "Biographical Truth: The Representation of Historical Persons in Tudor-Stuart Writing", "Words That Matter: Linguistic Perception in Renaissance English", and has a work coming out soon which focuses on metaphor, culture, and classical rhetoric during the reigns of the Tudors and Stewarts in England. She teaches a mix of graduate and undergraduate classes at IU. \n"I don't believe in the separation of research and teaching. The two feed on each other," Anderson said.\nViola has spent 25 fruitful years at IU. He is known for his work in nuclear and physical chemistry. Viola recently has finished a project he has been involved in for 15 years. The aim of the project was to investigate the formation dynamics and decay mechanisms of hot nuclear matter. \n"Basically, we showed how to boil a nuclei. Most of the recent studies were done at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York," Viola said. \nThis project will help the scientific community better understand terrestrial experiments with nuclei as well as it may give some insight into the nuclear science behind Supernova explosions. \n"(After the explosion) theoretically what is left is a neutron star. That neutron star is thought to be made up primarily of liquid and made of neutrons," Viola said. "We are looking at the reverse of the process which occurs with the explosion of a Supernova. However, the connection is tenuous."\nHe also has helped to show how Beryllium, Lithium, and Boron were formed in an astrophysics sense of the word and has received many awards for his overall work in the field of nuclear chemistry. These include a Guggenheim Fellowship and an IU Teaching Excellence award, He is known for teaching Freshman Chemistry and a Viola received his bachelor's degree at the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. He said his high school football and basketball coaches along with many colleagues of his he has met throughout the years as personally his biggest influences.\n"If you don't like challenges don't go into science. I think that is true with most fields though. Whatever you do you have to enjoy it," Viola said. \nThis year is Viola's last and he will go into full retirement once the summer is up. \n"We look at a problem, understand it at a certain level," he said, "but a new answer is bound to bring up new questions"
(09/04/03 5:09am)
Students will be introduced to African-American, American-Indian, Asian-American and Latino leaders on campus at the second-annual Orientation Reception for Students of Color from 5 to 7 p.m. today in the lobby of the IU Auditorium.\nMike Davis, the coach of the IU Men's basketball team, also will speak at the reception.\nDirectors of the Asian Cultural Center, La Casa -- IU's Latino Cultural Center -- and the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center are hosting the event along with representatives from the American Indian Student Association. Representatives from support services and other members of IU's staff will be in attendance and available to answer questions students may have.\nLast year the reception was held during IU's Welcome Week and not as many students showed up as leaders had hoped, said Gloria Gibson, associate vice chancellor for Multicultural Affairs, which was one of the main organizations in charge of organizing the event. \nThis year Gibson said she expects at least 200 to 300 students to attend the event. During the orientation, there will also be a raffle where each culture center will be giving away something from their house.\nOyibo Afoaku, director of the Black Culture Center, said this is only one of IU's activities that helps students realize how friendly the people on campus are.\n"We hope to speak to the students about our numerous positive programs and activities designed to enhance their academic, cultural, and social growth while at IUB," Afoaku said.\nMany culture centers exist on campus and each serve a unique purpose.\nLillian Casillas, director of La Casa, said the program exists to serve Latinos on campus. La Casa is located at 715 E. Seventh St.\n"La Casa is an advocacy office which provides support for Latino students and makes sure Latinos on campus have a voice," she said. \nAnother culture center which will have representatives at the orientation today is the Asian Cultural Center, which is located off 10th Street across from the Collins Living/Learning Center. \n"Since the ACC opened in October of 1998, the center has enjoyed working closely with the other cultural centers and various support offices on campus," said Melanie Castillo, director of the ACC. "ACC is an advocacy and resource center that offers a variety of educational programs. We conduct lectures, workshops, student leadership conferences [and] cultural programs among other activities to promote an understanding of the history and culture of the Asian and Asian American population."\nBesides CultureFest and this reception, IU hosts a multicultural dinner-meeting once a year for student leaders, and once a month all of the culture centers join together in celebrating heritage months. \nIU encourages students as well as faculty to celebrate diversity. \n"We want to incourage students to meet faculty, staff and student leaders," Gibson said. "We also want to make this a fun event."\n-- Contact staff writer Jay Paslay at jpaslay@indiana.edu.
(08/27/03 7:01am)
At the Monroe County Courthouse Tuesday, the Monroe County Council passed a $47 million budget, which included a substantial increase for the Office of Family and Children from last year's $8.7 million to $11.4 million.\nThe council also granted an array of appropriations to the justice system, social services and health programs, airport, road and bridge funds, child welfare and programs for juvenile care, law enforcement, general administration, parks and recreation funds, and vehicles and buildings funds. \nThe Office of Family and Children is responsible for Medicare, Child Welfare Services, the Foster Parents program, the food stamp program, and giving aid to families that have children with special health problems in Monroe County. \n"When the state budget makes cuts in certain programs the local government has to compensate for it," said Jeffrey Ellington, the vice-president of the council. "I am disappointed in the state's budget cutback in Medicare and social services."\nThe council exceeded its maximum levy of the Family and Children fund. However, during the meeting it was explained that a statute in Indiana law states that a county council can elect the maximum levy of the Family and Children Fund if the resolution is clear. There is a chance of the state government cutting some of the money allotted to the Monroe County Office of Family and Children.\nIn the 2004 Budget, $12.28 million will go toward child welfare and juvenile care programs. $2.56 million will be allotted to social service and health programs; $8.3 million will go to County administration; $5.4 million will be given to the road and bridge funds; $4.9 million will be allotted to law enforcement. The county justice system will receive $7.6 million; $940,000 will be allotted to the airport; $560,000 is going towards the parks and recreation department. In 2004, the economic development plan will receive $320,000.\nThe money allotted in the Monroe County budget comes from property taxes, miscellaneous revenues such as fines and fees for various county services, county option income tax which is paid out of some people's salaries and excise taxes paid by residents of Monroe County. \nMany issues were raised by the council during the meeting. Sue West, the council's District I representative, addressed the issue of the county employees' salaries. \n"The most valuable asset to a county is its employees and I wish we could have given people a raise," West said. \nAlso discussed at Tuesday's meeting were possible future ways to raise revenue. Potential User fees were suggested by Councilman Scott Wells as a way to address the future problems in raising revenue for the county budget. Trenton Jones, the county council's District II representative, suggested the council continue taking measures to be less wasteful with revenue. Jones gave as an example using e-mail in certain departments instead of spending tax money on stamps which is one of the things taken into consideration this year in several departments of Monroe County's budget. \nThere were mixed reactions from the different members of the council as to how they felt about the 2004 budget. Most of the members had points of contention about certain issues on the budget as is expected in any government meeting. The budget passed not as a unanimous decision but as a compromise. \n"It's not an easy task and of course not everyone is happy but it's a good resolution," Jones said.
(08/27/03 5:55am)
At the Monroe County Courthouse Tuesday, the Monroe County Council passed a $47 million budget, which included a substantial increase for the Office of Family and Children from last year's $8.7 million to $11.4 million.\nThe council also granted an array of appropriations to the justice system, social services and health programs, airport, road and bridge funds, child welfare and programs for juvenile care, law enforcement, general administration, parks and recreation funds, and vehicles and buildings funds. \nThe Office of Family and Children is responsible for Medicare, Child Welfare Services, the Foster Parents program, the food stamp program, and giving aid to families that have children with special health problems in Monroe County. \n"When the state budget makes cuts in certain programs the local government has to compensate for it," said Jeffrey Ellington, the vice-president of the council. "I am disappointed in the state's budget cutback in Medicare and social services."\nThe council exceeded its maximum levy of the Family and Children fund. However, during the meeting it was explained that a statute in Indiana law states that a county council can elect the maximum levy of the Family and Children Fund if the resolution is clear. There is a chance of the state government cutting some of the money allotted to the Monroe County Office of Family and Children.\nIn the 2004 Budget, $12.28 million will go toward child welfare and juvenile care programs. $2.56 million will be allotted to social service and health programs; $8.3 million will go to County administration; $5.4 million will be given to the road and bridge funds; $4.9 million will be allotted to law enforcement. The county justice system will receive $7.6 million; $940,000 will be allotted to the airport; $560,000 is going towards the parks and recreation department. In 2004, the economic development plan will receive $320,000.\nThe money allotted in the Monroe County budget comes from property taxes, miscellaneous revenues such as fines and fees for various county services, county option income tax which is paid out of some people's salaries and excise taxes paid by residents of Monroe County. \nMany issues were raised by the council during the meeting. Sue West, the council's District I representative, addressed the issue of the county employees' salaries. \n"The most valuable asset to a county is its employees and I wish we could have given people a raise," West said. \nAlso discussed at Tuesday's meeting were possible future ways to raise revenue. Potential User fees were suggested by Councilman Scott Wells as a way to address the future problems in raising revenue for the county budget. Trenton Jones, the county council's District II representative, suggested the council continue taking measures to be less wasteful with revenue. Jones gave as an example using e-mail in certain departments instead of spending tax money on stamps which is one of the things taken into consideration this year in several departments of Monroe County's budget. \nThere were mixed reactions from the different members of the council as to how they felt about the 2004 budget. Most of the members had points of contention about certain issues on the budget as is expected in any government meeting. The budget passed not as a unanimous decision but as a compromise. \n"It's not an easy task and of course not everyone is happy but it's a good resolution," Jones said.
(08/11/03 2:04am)
This summer, IU scientists helped to install the Quasar Equatorial Survey Team camera on the 48-inch Oschin Schmidt Telescope at the Palomar Observatory of the California Institute of Technology near Pasadena, Calif. \nThe QUEST camera is the largest astronomical camera in the world. It was designed and developed by a team of scientists from IU working in conjunction with scientists from Yale University. The camera will allow professional star-gazers and astronomers to increase the number of objects that can be analyzed and studied in the California night sky. \nIU's team of scientists developed the readout system for the QUEST camera and took charge of the installation. The readout system included electronics that control the camera. During the installation process, IU scientists ensured that QUEST worked on the telescope. \nJim Musser, chairman of the physics department, headed IU's team of scientists working on the QUEST project. His colleagues, who aided him in developing and installing QUEST, included Kent Honeycutt, Stu Mufson and Brice Adams from IU's Department of Astronomy and Mark Gebhard from IU's Department of Physics.\n"We have been working on this project now for about three years," Musser said. "The telescope was previously instrumented with photographic plates, which of course do not allow computer-based analysis. You can imagine that the ability to process an image using a computer provides an enormous increase in the number of objects which can be analyzed and studied."\nThe Quest Camera includes 112 CCDs -- charged-coupled devices. The charged-coupled device, a light-sensitive semiconductor technology used in digital cameras and image scanners, allows Palomar observatory to use a computer to analyze pictures from the universe as well as greatly decrease the amount of time needed to expose and develop images. \n"The drawback of using the older method of photographic plates was that it would take one hour for an exposure and 30 minutes to develop," said Bob Thicksten, a superintendent at Palomar observatory. "Now, (the whole process) can take one or two minutes."\nMost modern telescopes are equipped with similar CCD cameras. However, QUEST is unique because it covers a large field of view approximately four by four degrees. This broad range of view will allow scientists working at Palomar Observatory to detect much more phenomena in our universe than was previously possible.\n"It will be possible to increase the total number of detected supernova in other galaxies by an order of magnitude," Mussar said. "It is also uniquely suited to the search for near-Earth asteroids."\nScientists chose the Palomar Observatory as the location for the installation of the QUEST camera because it is the home of the Oschin Schmidt Telescope. The Palomar Observatory is responsible for discovering Quaoar in June 2002. At half the diameter of Pluto, Quaoar is the largest Kuiper belt object known and is the largest object to be found in our universe since Pluto was discovered in 1930. The fact that the Oschin Schmidt Telescope is automated and that there are on average 300 clear nights a year where Palomar is located are other reasons for choosing the Palomar Observatory for the home of QUEST. Palomar's Observatory will be used by scientists from CalTech, Cornell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, IU and Yale. \nThe QUEST camera in Palomar is the second QUEST camera developed by a joint IU and Yale team. The first Quest camera was installed in the CIDA Schmidt telescope in Venezuela in 1997 and included 16 CCDs.\nOther projects currently being worked on by IU's Physics and Astronomy departments are the SNAP project, which is a space-based supernova observatory, and MINOS, a long range neutrino oscillation experiment at Fermilab. \n"The supernova studies are addressing the question of the makeup of the universe, and in particular what the primary form of matter/energy in the universe is," Musser said. "We now think that so-called 'dark energy' is the main energy component in the universe, largely as a result of studies involving these supernova. As to whether this leads to a unified field theory (is) hard to say"
(07/28/03 1:42am)
The 2003 Speedo Champions Series featured 551 swimmers and 85 teams this weekend at the Student Recreational Sports Center. \nOlympic qualifying times were broken in the event by three different swimmers in four separate events. Nick Cenci, 20, and Alyssa Kiel, 16, broke the Olympic qualifying times in the men's 200-meter butterfly and the women's 400-meter individual medley, respectively. Their performances placed Cenci at the 34th and Kiel at the 35th position nationally in their events. Kiel is already ranked 13th nationally in the women's 400-meter freestyle and fifth nationally in the women's 800-meter freestyle. \nKiel, who has been swimming since she was four, attributed her success in the women's 400-meter individual medley Saturday to her early lead. \n"It's always nice to be in front," Kiel said. "There are always people to push me to do my best." \nAmong the Olympic qualifiers was Whitney Myers, who broke the Olympic qualifying times in three events. \nMyers, 18, swam in the women's 200-meter butterfly, the women's 100-meter butterfly and women's 200-meter individual medley. \nWhitney is already ranked 15th in the women's 200-meter butterfly, 20th in the women's 100-meter butterfly, 21st in the women's 200-meter individual medley and 40th in the women's 400-meter medley nationally. \nThese three Olympic qualifiers are among the swimmers eligible to compete in the Olympic Trials scheduled to take place July 7 to 14, 2004, in Long Beach, Calif. However, for most of the champions this weekend the next step in the national swimming circuit is the U.S. Nationals, which are being held Aug. 5 to 9 in College Park, Md. \nAfter the meet, 19 swimmers made nationals qualifying times. \nThese top-notch swimmers of all ages traveled from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Kentucky to compete in the meet.\nNumerous USA Swimming Sectional Tournament swimmers set meet records also. Among them were Justine Mueller (women's 200-meter breaststroke), Chris Ash (men's 200-meter breaststroke), Myers (women's 200-meter butterfly, women's 100-meter butterfly, and women's 200-meter individual medley), Kiel (women's 200-meter freestyle and women's 400-meter individual medley), Margot Brooks (women's 800-meter freestyle), the Northern Kentucky Clippers which consists of Jason Vadney, Dustin Thompson, Mike Anderson and Chris Seitz (men's 400-meter freestyle relay), and the Washington Township Swim Club's team (men's 400-meter freestyle relay and men's 800-meter freestyle relay). \nAmong the Nationals qualifiers, Vadney -- the winner in the men's 400-meter freestyle and the men's 200-meter freestyle -- was undecided as to whether he was going to nationals this year. \n"I'm not sure," Vadney said. "I want to go on but I don't want to train for another two weeks." \nFor the elite swimmers, the Speedo Champions Series was merely a stop on the road to the nationals and Olympic trials. Yet for many talented swimmers, it was their last chance to qualify, and it can be a heartbreaking experience. \nHowever, most swimmers said they are honored to already have made it to such a high level of competition. Shelly Klaus, a teammate of Kiel on the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins and competitor in the Speedo Champions series, described the workout regiment swimmers generally follow. \n"We work out twice a day and swim for two hours at a time," Klaus said. "(Lifting weights) or running is basically extra." \nAlthough swimming is primarily an individual sport that centers on training and individual performance, the team element plays a key part in this sectional tournament. \nOf the female teams, The Cincinnati Marlins came in first with The Lake Erie Silver Dolphins coming in second. Washington Township Swim Club won the gold in the male team competition. \nYet, what makes these teams successful is the hard work of the coaches and talented athletes that make them up. \nVadney, a nationals qualifier, said he didn't know what put him out front this weekend. \n"I don't know about edge," Vadney said. "I just had more guts going out there"