Daily IU News Round-up
November 17, 2009
IU geologist: Moon water discovery `remarkable'
Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Associated Press, CBS, Nov. 17, 16, 13 -- An Indiana University geologist who spent years studying lunar soils collected by the Apollo astronauts says NASA's discovery of water on the moon is "remarkable." IU geologist Abhijit Basu (Oh-bee-JEET') (Bah-Soo) says Friday's news that NASA spacecraft kicked up significant amounts of frozen water when they crashed into the moon last month raises questions about how it got there. Full story. Full story 2. Full story 3. Video. Video 2.
Lawmakers' to-do list is full of dicey issues
On the 2010 agenda: tax caps, gambling, lobby reform and more
The Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, (Editorial) The Bloomington Herald-Times, Nov. 17 -- More ceremony than substance will fill the agenda today when the state's 150 lawmakers return to the Statehouse for their annual Organization Day. Think of it as the first day of school: They'll catch up with friends, find their desks and get reacquainted with the building. But the real tests start Jan. 5, when legislators begin confronting such dicey issues as gaming and property tax caps. Lawmakers will wrestle with those tasks amid increasing pressures caused by the state's dwindling revenues -- and they will do so in an election year. All 100 House seats and half of the 50 Senate seats are on the ballot next November. Full story. Full story 2. Full story 3.
IU administers 1st round of H1N1 vaccinations
Indiana Daily Student, Nov. 17 -- It was the first and only day of the IU Health Center immunization clinic for the H1N1 virus, and IU alumna Samantha Gonzalez sat in a chair at Assembly Hall waiting for her reserved time to receive the vaccine. The health center received 980 shots from the Indiana State Department of Health, enough to open up the first day of the clinic on Monday, said Steve Chaplin, assistant managing editor for the Office of University Communications. Full story.
Opinions vary on Bill Belichick's decision
IU computer agrees with going for it on 4th down, most others simply do not
The Indianapolis Star, Nov. 17 -- A sophisticated NFL decision-making computer program designed by Indiana University physics researcher Chuck Bower, Zeus determined New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't wacko after all. Belichick attempted to convert a fourth-and-2 from his own 28-yard line with 2:08 remaining and the Patriots leading the Indianapolis Colts 34-28 Sunday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Full story.
New advice: Skip mammograms in 40s
Federal panel's stance draws outrage from some doctors
The Indianapolis Star, CBS, Time, Associated Press, Usnews.com, Nov. 17,16 -- Women in their 40s should stop having routine mammograms, an influential federal task force said in a controversial report released Monday. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which sets government policy on prevention, cited evidence that the potential harm to women having annual exams beginning at age 40 outweighs the benefits. "The doctors aren't going to know too much more than what the women are because you have experts who have come together and come up with different conclusions. So what are you going to do?" said Victoria Champion, director of the Cancer Control program at the IU Simon Cancer Center and associate dean for research at the Indiana University School of Nursing.
Full story. Video. (3:38) Full story 2. Full story 3. Full story 4.
University Research Concludes Real Time Location Systems Can Transform Hospitals
Business Wire, Nov. 17 -- Results from the first multidisciplinary university study examining the impact of a Real Time Location System (RTLS) deployed throughout a hospital show that the technology for tracking mobile medical equipment is driving increased operational efficiency and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, while also enabling nurses to spend more time with patients and improve staff morale. "The level of data generated by these systems has the potential to profoundly change the management of technology and the delivery of patient care," said Barbara Christe, the lead researcher for the study team and associate professor and program director of Biomedical Engineering Technology at the joint research campus Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Full story.
Pedestrian struck by car in front of Wells library
Indiana Daily Student, Nov. 16 -- A 25-year-old female student was struck by a black Mitsubishi Lancer at about 2:22 p.m. Monday on 10th Street in front of the Herman B Wells Library. IU Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said the pedestrian, Anjana Govil, was crossing 10th Street diagonally and was struck while crossing the westbound lane of traffic. He said the officers on the scene determined the driver was not driving more than the speed limit. Full story.
IU hosts "facts only" discussion on health care reform tonight
The Bloomington Herald-Times, Nov. 17 -- Indiana University will host a health care reform panel discussion tonight that intends to shun opinion and present the facts. Moderated by Terri Renner, senior lecturer in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the discussion is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Willkie Auditorium, 150 N. Rose Ave. Full story.
IU voices in the news
Calgary police probe rash of hate graffiti
Thestar.com, Nov. 17 -- Alvin Rosenfeld, professor of English and Jewish studies at Indiana University and director of the Institute for Jewish Culture and the Arts is quoted in this article. Full story.
Trends
State Cuts Give Private Colleges an Edge
Los Angeles Times, Nov 17 -- Thousands of other students might have jumped at the chance to attend UCLA, but not Michael Rodriguez. He passed up his UC acceptance last year in order to attend California Lutheran University, a less well-known but more intimate private campus in Thousand Oaks. Rodriguez, who is happy with his choice, said one reason for the decision was a financial aid program Cal Lutheran established specifically to lure students who had been admitted to several top UC campuses. A math and physics major from San Fernando, Rodriguez also said he wanted a more personal setting with small classes and hoped to avoid the overcrowding and other problems state budget cuts are causing at UC schools. Full story.
Taking Aim at Student Muckrakers
The New York Times, Nov.17 -- Since 1992, Prof. David Protess at the Medill school at Northwestern University has worked with undergraduate journalism students to investigate cases in which prosecutors appear to have taken aim at the wrong people. That might be about to happen again, only this time the students themselves would be the targets. Full story.
Oregon Universities Try to Recruit More Latino Students
The Oregonian, Nov 17 -- With stacks of college brochures and her own story as proof, Andrea Arce travels across Oregon telling Latino students that they can go to college. It doesn't take a 4.0 and a rich family, she says at recent stop at Forest Grove High School. She never thought she could get into college or afford to go until she got a scholarship to Western Oregon University. "One step at a time," she tells a student. "You can do it." One student at a time, Arce is chipping away at one of the biggest challenges facing Oregon's public universities: Educating more of the state's fast growing Latino population. Full story.
Social Networks Could Help Community College Students
USA TODAY, Nov 17 -- Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out today finds. But while large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology. Full story.
From the Chronicle
Legality of Racial-Preference Bans Is Disputed in Federal Court
In a legal battle with potential implications for any state that bans affirmative-action preferences, a federal appeals court is weighing arguments that the ban adopted by Michigan voters in 2006 is unconstitutional because it places distinct burdens on minority residents seeking more access to the state's public colleges. Full story.
The recession may be over, but state-financed colleges and universities will feel its ill effects for the next two or three years, an economist told a group of university administrators here Monday.
Michael H. Strauss, chief economist at Commonfund, an asset-management company serving about 1,300 college and university endowments, said that increases in industrial production and corporate profits have helped the world economy begin to recover. As major American corporations are faring better, some may soon start hiring again, shoring up state tax coffers, Mr. Strauss said during a presentation at the annual conference of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Full story.
Hiring Outlook for College Graduates in Coming Year Remains Bleak
The good news: Hiring for new college graduates is expected to hold steady in 2010. The bad: Hiring for new college graduates is expected to hold steady in 2010. That's after plummeting in 2009 by about 35 to 40 percent, according to a major annual survey of companies. "It's going to be competitive, no doubt about it," says Phil Gardner, director of Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research Institute, which conducts the survey. Full story.
Daily IU News Round-up is distributed to faculty and staff at IU, and it contains a short review of media coverage relating to IU administrative and student news, federal and state legislative policy, and trends and issues in higher education. Prepared by the IU Office of University Communications, the Daily IU News Round-up is not an all-inclusive gathering of news featuring IU faculty and staff. To subscribe to the Daily IU News Round-up list or to have your name removed, please contact Susan Williams, Office of University Communications, sulwilli@indiana.edu.
