Front Page News at Indiana University

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IU informaticists show new levels of refinement in predicting human mobility, epidemic spread
John N. Williams chosen new dean of IU School of Dentistry
Biologist Ellen Ketterson a 2009 AAAS fellow
IU hits $177 million in cost reductions as part of ongoing effort
The Cleveland Orchestra announces Indiana University residency activities for January 2010
IU's Mutembwa selected 2010 Rhodes Scholar
IU Jacobs School of Music well represented on Grammy nominee list
Winter holidays in Indiana in 2009: Festive fun facts from the Indiana Business Research Center
Study by Kelley School professor answers the question, "Are Promotional Bundles a Good Idea?"
Katherine Finley named executive director of Organization of American Historians
IU Bloomington Scoreboard

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IU informaticists show new levels of refinement in predicting human mobility, epidemic spread -- The interplay of human mobility patterns like those between local metropolitan commuters and long-range airline travelers during a global epidemic can be modeled in such detail so as to offer refined views of epidemics that could aid in public health emergency decision making, according to new research published by a team led by informaticists at Indiana University. The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' Online Early Edition, also note that with these refined computational strategies, new levels of accuracy about the behavior of targeted mobility networks and epidemic progression can be imagined. Read the complete story.

John N. Williams chosen new dean of IU School of Dentistry -- IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz and Uday Sukhatme, executive vice chancellor and dean of the faculties at IUPUI, on Wednesday (Dec. 16, 2009) announced the selection of a new dean for the Indiana University School of Dentistry. John N. Williams Jr., D.M.D., will become dean of the IU School of Dentistry, which is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. His appointment will be effective June 15, 2010, pending approval by the Trustees of Indiana University. Williams will replace retiring Dean Lawrence Goldblatt. Read the complete story.

Biologist Ellen Ketterson a 2009 AAAS fellow -- Indiana University Bloomington biologist Ellen Ketterson is IU's newest fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the organization announced Dec. 17. Ketterson is invited to attend a special ceremony at the AAAS annual meeting in San Diego on Feb. 20, 2010. Ketterson was chosen for her "contributions to novel research in animal behavior and evolutionary biology, especially for experimental field research involving 'phenotypic engineering.'" Read the complete story.

IU hits $177 million in cost reductions as part of ongoing effort -- Indiana University has achieved $177 million in operating expense reductions as part of an ongoing university-wide cost-containment effort, university officials announced Dec. 16. Over the next decade, officials added, IU will realize nearly $1 billion in cost savings from this effort. IU President Michael A. McRobbie said that although the spending cuts have come at a time when university-wide enrollment has increased by some 5,000 students, they have been accomplished with no harmful impact on the quality of academic and research programs on any campus. Read the complete story.

The Cleveland Orchestra announces Indiana University residency activities for January 2010 -- Indiana University and The Cleveland Orchestra today (Dec. 18) announced details of The Cleveland Orchestra's newly established Indiana University Residency, to take place Jan. 18-21, 2010. The IU Jacobs School of Music has partnered with IU Auditorium to present The Cleveland Orchestra concert and to broaden the orchestra's visit so that it brings additional learning opportunities to students on campus and in the community. Read the complete story.

IU's Mutembwa selected 2010 Rhodes Scholar -- Indiana University senior Mutsa Mutembwa has been named a 2010 Rhodes Scholar to represent her native Zimbabwe. Majoring in economics and mathematics, she will graduate in May with plans to become a financial economist. Mutembwa, one of approximately 80 Rhodes Scholars for 2010, also plays defender on IU's field hockey team. She is the 14th student from IU to become a Rhodes Scholar and the fourth student-athlete. Read the complete story.

IU Jacobs School of Music well represented on Grammy nominee list -- The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is once again a prominent player on the nominee list for the annual Grammy Awards, to be presented live on Jan. 31 on CBS. Grammy-winning trumpet player and Jacobs alumnus Chris Botti's In Boston release captured three nominations: Best Pop Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Long Form Music Video. Botti has become the largest-selling American jazz instrumental artist, garnering numerous awards. Read the complete story.

Winter holidays in Indiana in 2009: Festive fun facts from the Indiana Business Research Center -- With Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa coming up soon, here are some interesting Hoosier holiday factoids from the Indiana Business Research Center in Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Read the complete story.

Study by Kelley School professor answers the question, "Are Promotional Bundles a Good Idea?" -- The best things in life aren't free, especially for companies trying to lure customers by offering sweet deals on two complementary products. Marketers traditionally have relied heavily in their sales promotions on free and reduced offers for bundled products (two items packaged together). Prior research has shown the "free" item suffers in perceived value among consumers when it is paired with another product. A recent study co-authored by a faculty member at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business Indianapolis goes further, demonstrating a "freebie devaluation effect" lowering the perceived value of the focal item as well. Read the complete story.

Katherine Finley named executive director of Organization of American Historians -- The executive board of the Organization of American Historians, which has executive and editorial offices housed at Indiana University, has appointed Katherine "Kathy" Finley as the organization's new executive director. Finley will begin March 1, 2010, in advance of the OAH annual meeting in Washington, D.C., April 7-10. Katha Kissman, OAH interim executive director, will serve in a transition capacity through the 2010 annual meeting. Read the complete story.

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Indiana University Bloomington Scoreboard

Schedule for Saturday, Dec. 19:
Women's Basketball: Cleveland State, 4:30 p.m., Cleveland, Ohio
Men's Basketball: North Carolina Central, 8:30 p.m., Bloomington, Ind.

Schedule for Tuesday, Dec. 22:
Women's Basketball: Toledo, 12 p.m., Bloomington, Ind.
Men's Basketball: Loyola, 6:30 p.m., Bloomington, Ind.

Schedule for Monday, Dec. 28:
Men's Basketball: Bryant University, 9 p.m., Bloomington, Ind.

Schedule for Tuesday-Wednesday, Dec. 29-30:
Wrestling: Southern Scuffle, Greensboro, N.C.

Schedule for Thursday, Dec. 31:
Women's Basketball: Purdue, 12 p.m., West Lafayette, Ind.
Men's Basketball: Michigan, 12 p.m., Bloomington, Ind.

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IU in the news

Are you happy? Indiana ranks near bottom of list
Associated Press, Dec. 18 -- People in sunny, outdoorsy states -- Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida -- say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why. A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine. Hoosiers, however, were among the least happy in the country -- third from the bottom of the list. Indiana does have some things working against it on the happiness front. Dr. Alan Schmetzer, a professor of psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is skeptical about this and other attempts to quantify happiness into anything that could produce a state-by-state ranking. "People have tried," he said. "I think most of us would say that what makes us happy is some kind of internal sense that all is right with the world -- our world. And that's pretty subjective." In other words, one scientist may define the core factors of happiness in one way. Another might define them differently. Although he treats people for depression in the course of his work, Schmetzer said: "I find most of the folks that I meet here in the state of Indiana to be pretty nice, happy-go-lucky people." Full story.

Charities still in great need this holiday season despite increase in gift spending
USA Today, Dec. 16 -- Americans are spending more on holiday gifts this season than last, but that spirit of generosity has yet to reach many charities. A Chronicle of Philanthropy poll of 395 charities conducted online in the past week found that one-third of the charities expect donations to decline by 10% or more by year's end. Charities of all sizes seem to be affected by the downturn. Some charities are benefiting from an upturn in the stock market, especially as donors who bought stock in the past year seek ways to avoid capital-gains taxes. Last year, so many stocks had lost value, there was little financial reason for Americans to give stock instead of cash. The Indiana University Foundation, for example, has seen "an incredible revival" of stock gifts, says Eugene Tempel, its president. Less than two weeks into December, he notes, the foundation processed $3.8 million in stock gifts, compared with $850,000 worth of appreciated securities in all of December 2008. Full story.

Nobel winner advocates for joint ownership
The Observer, Dec. 16 -- Sustainability is a popular word these days and it is widely doing the rounds at the climate change summit in Copenhagen. What it means in practice, for those most vulnerable to the effects of changing weather, is less apparent. However, the work of this year's winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, 76 year-old Elinor Ostrom, reveals how communities can manage scarce resources, and turn a profit. She says that groups of users like unions and associations are able to collectively exploit resources while enforcing rules that govern their cooperation. By extension, she shows how human societies can profitably manage common wealth -- forests, fish stocks, rivers, pasture -- without destroying the very source of their income. Full story.

Robert Gates to speak at Winter Commencement
Indiana Daily Student, Dec. 14 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will speak to IU graduates at winter commencement about what they can accomplish through hard work and perseverance. The University will also present Gates, who earned a master's degree from IU, with an honorary doctoral degree during the ceremony.
"At commencement, oftentimes we get to bring back people who serve as an example of what people can achieve with an IU degree," IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said. The University Faculty Council established a policy used to govern who receives the degrees, said Erika Dowell, president of the Bloomington Faculty Council. Full story.

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