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IU News Round-up

Advisory panel halts audit of state toxicology lab
The Indianapolis Star, Fox19.com, MSNBC.com, July 19 -- A half-finished audit of drug and alcohol test results from the state's toxicology lab already has found serious problems that raise the possibility of wrongful convictions. Linda Chezem, chairwoman of the advisory board overseeing the state Department of Toxicology's move from Indiana University to a stand-alone state agency, said it's prudent to review the audit. She cited the cost -- more than $250,000 -- and the need to make sure the state is "spending money to get the best information we can." Full story. Full story 2. Full story 3.

IU Alumni Association incorporates social media into its website redesign
The Bloomington Herald-Times, July 19 -- J T. Forbes acknowledges that companies and organizations launch new websites all the time, and the news of a redesigned site for the Indiana University Alumni Association might not normally garner much attention. "This is going to be Webzilla -- an information-hungry beast," the IUAA executive director said this week. "One of the more noteworthy things about the redesign is that it's going to really harness the power of social media to better tell the IU story in terms of variety and diversity," he said. Full story.

Study maps mercury fallout from Indianapolis power plant
The Indianapolis Star, Courier-journal.com, News-medical.net, July 19, 20 -- An Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis study has found mercury contamination in soil downwind from a coal-fired power plant in Indianapolis, supporting the notion of localized mercury hot spots. The research examined soil near several plants across Central Indiana but zeroed in on an Indianapolis Power & Light plant on the city's southwest side. That's where scientists mapped a plume of soil contamination likely from the plant, which is the city's largest source of mercury emissions. Full story. Full story 2. Full story 3.

Study: More College Students Choosing Indiana
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report, July 15 -- A new Ball State University report finds more young people are coming to the state to attend college. The Educational Attainment in Indiana study shows the Hoosier state ranks second behind Pennsylvania in net migration. At the same time, the analysis indicates Indiana is attracting fewer college-educated people between the ages of 25 and 64 than it needs to build a strong economy. Full story.

What's An Online MBA Degree Really Worth?
CNBC's Net Net blog, July 19 -- Call it the Cadillac of online MBA degrees. Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill began its first ever online MBA program this month. The $89,000 price tag for the new online degree has been causing sticker shock. But, the concept has been around for a while. Indiana University Kelley School of Business launched its online MBA program before YouTube, Facebook and iTunes dominated the web. Indiana's "Kelley Direct" degree began its course load in 1999. Full story.

Earning an MBA Degree Can Lead to Alumni Connections
U.S. News and World Report, July 19 -- When an individual earns a master of business administration (MBA) degree, they are typically gaining much more than a diploma. Many MBA graduates also become part of an alumni network, which may be useful in finding jobs and developing knowledge in the future. Many institutions, such as Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, have alumni associations. The school's website notes that graduates who decide to participate in this program will be given support, counseling and opportunities through a career services center. Additionally, they are sent a monthly email newsletter that keeps them up-to-date on fellow alumni. Full story.

Neuroscience Facility Reaches Halfway Point
Wibc.com, July 19 -- Leaders from IU Health and Indiana University School of Medicine gathered Tuesday for a beam signing and topping out ceremony at the construction site of the neuroscience complex's first building -- an ambulatory care and imaging center being built on the campus ofIU Health Methodist Hospital in downtown Indianapolis. Full story.

IU updates football uniform design for 2011 season
The Indianapolis Star, ESPN.go.com, The Bloomington Herald-Times, July 19, 20 -- The IU athletic department announced today that Indiana's football uniforms, beginning with the 2011 season, will have a more traditional look both with the basic uniform and the helmet. Full story. Full story 2. Full story 3.

IU Outdoor Pool opens lanes for early morning swimming
The Bloomington Herald-Times, July 19 -- How hot is it? It's so hot the Indiana University swim team has suspended practice at the IU Outdoor Pool because the water's too warm -- even at 6 a.m. Full story.

IU voices in the news

Should Severely Obese Children Be Put in Foster Care?
Bet.com, July 19 -- ABC News reported that the majority of their experts that they called completely disagreed with Ludwig and Murtagh. They wrote: Dr. David Katz, founder of the Yale Prevention Center, said that there was no evidence that the state would do a better job of feeding children than their parents. Dr. David Orentlicher, co-director of Hall Center for Law and Health at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, also disagreed, saying that based on past instances, child protective service agencies might be far too quick to place overweight children in foster care. Full story.

Study challenges assumptions on school discipline
Washington Post, NYTimes.com, July 20 , 19 -- Here's one myth of school debunked: Harsh discipline is not always a reflection of the students in a particular school. It can be driven by those in charge. The research showed that while some high-poverty schools suspended students at unexpectedly high rates, others with strikingly similar characteristics did not. The same discipline gap was clear for prosperous, suburban schools and small, rural schools; some were harsh, and others with nearly identical qualities were not. "It's a really important finding," said Russell Skiba, an Indiana University professor who has studied discipline issues for 15 years. "It says it's not totally about what kids and communities bring but it's a choice that schools make." Full story. Full story 2.

6,000 Indiana nonprofits lose tax-exempt status
Philanthropyjournal.org, July 20 -- Nonprofits that lost their tax-exempt status "are mainly all-volunteer organizations, and they are a major mechanism by which people are engaged in their communities," Kirsten Grønbjerg, a professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Bloomington, and Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, says in a statement. Full story.

What does it take to be a good citizen?
The Indianapolis Star, July 18 -- This article was written by Sheila Kennedy, professor and director of Public Affairs Programs for the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Full story.

For Runners, Soft Ground Can Be Hard on the Body
The New York Times, July 18 -- Exercise researchers say there are no rigorous gold-standard studies in which large numbers of people were assigned to run on soft or hard surfaces, then followed to compare injury rates. There's a good reason for that, said Stuart J. Warden, director of the Indiana Center for Translational Musculoskeletal Research at Indiana University. It's too hard to recruit large numbers of people willing to be randomly assigned to one surface or another for their runs. "I think the reason people haven't answered that question is that it is not an easy question to answer," Dr. Warden said. Full story.

5 Things to Learn About Learning at TEDx
Wired Geek Dad blog, July 5 -- Last May, my community assembled about two dozen interesting people to share what they know on stage. The theme in Bloomington, Indiana's Buskirk-Chumley theatre that day was "Wisdom of Play." Speakers included a mix of local, regional and national speakers talking about a range of passions around that broad topic. Inspired by the life and inner-life of J.R.R. Tolkien, Indiana University Professor of Telecommunications Edward Castronova has made an academic career out of studying online games and virtual worlds. His work on the economics of EverQuest produced critical insights that legitimized gaming as a serious activity. "The most important reason for game literacy," he says, "is that through games we learn something about ourselves and about the nature of reality." Full story.

How To Protect Your Voicemail
NPR.org, July 19 -- While many people take steps to protect their personal computers from hackers, the News of the World scandal has shown that people don't often take the same care to protect their cell phones. Michele Norris speaks with Christopher Soghoian with the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University about how protect your voicemail account. Full story.

From the Chronicle

Illinois Tests a Financial Incentive for Transfer Students
Like their peers across the country, students in Illinois can save money by starting at a community college. But, because community colleges charge lower tuition, students who take this approach and who qualify for the state's need-based grant program stand to receive less money than they would have if they started at a four-year college. That is about to change for some students. Full story.

Our Moral Conversation With Students
Teaching is not just a job; it is a calling. Most of us who become scholars believe in learning's redemptive power. We have a responsibility to help solve the problems plaguing our universities, and so we must accept the challenge of stretching our students -- intellectually, morally, and psychologically. This fall we should begin a professor-driven moral conversation about binge drinking and the culture of campus partying. Cacnio's non-apology and the dozens of YouTube clips from the Vancouver riots would be excellent catalysts, not just to start the conversation, but also to launch a revolution. Full story.

Small Group of For-Profit Colleges Agrees to Observe Standards of Conduct
Facing pressure to shape up from Democrats in Congress, the federal Education Department, accreditors, and even traditional nonprofit institutions, a small group of proprietary colleges is trying to set a good example for the rest of its sector. Full story.

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 Ryan Piurek, Office of University Communications, rpiurek@iu.edu.