Archive

Researchers develop revolutionary new uses for carbon
Post tenure review gets AAHE grant approval
Nutritionist to Glenn, UK grad enjoys high-profile clients
Ford donates Senate papers to UK library
UK develops strategic marketing approach, hires national director
UK Theatre opens season Dec. 3 with 'A Christmas Carol'
Get a grip on winter driving before it gets here
International School of Theory seeking candidate
     nominations for summer
PPD sponsors safety contest
Circle of Love returns hope, Christmas to needy children
Briefs

Researchers develop revolutionary new uses for carbon

The University of Kentucky has established a center for research on advanced carbon materials that could revolutionize the construction of aircraft and space shuttles, computer chips and magnetic imaging systems.

UK President Charles T. Wethington Jr. made the announcement Oct. 30, saying the center will be provided $6.67 million, more than half coming from a competitive National Science Foundation grant program.

The UK Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) will build on existing research into carbon nanotubes, carbon fullerenes and activated carbons already under way at the university, Wethington noted.

"One way to measure our progress toward becoming a top 20 public research institution is by our ability to win major awards," Wethington said. "This major award signifies that we have the expertise and the drive to be recognized as a top 20 institution."

The University of Kentucky was one of only 12 institutions to receive 48-month grants under the National Science Foundation's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center program. Among the 12 winning the grants were Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Princeton University. More than 133 universities nationwide sought the grants.

"Our work can serve as a seedbed for new industries, said Robert Haddon, professor of chemistry and physics and director of the UK MRSEC. "Research conducted through MRSEC can drive this technology and lead to new jobs. We've all heard of Silicon Valley. Perhaps Kentucky can become known as 'Carbon Valley.' I believe such a scenario is within our grasp."

Carbon nanotubes, discovered seven years ago, have been shown to be extraordinarily strong, lightweight and able to conduct electricity, Haddon said. He described nanotubes as "straw-like and only a few atoms in circumference.

"They are tiny but are also mighty," he said.

Areas in which nanotubes have potential applications include:
· Aerospace applications, including nose cones and other parts of space shuttles and aircraft;
· Motor vehicles, including brake pads and automobile bodies that are increasingly utilizing plastics;
· Computer chips, semiconductors and appliances requiring electricity-conducive parts;
· Pharmaceuticals and medical equipment such as magnetic imaging systems.

Haddon said UK researchers already have broken new ground in the relatively new field of carbon nanotube research. His research team has discovered ways to dissolve nanotubes in a variety of organic solvents.

"This discovery refuted the commonly held belief among scientists in the field that carbon nanotubes can only be dispersed, not dissolved in solution ... We now have a way to blend nanotubes with other materials" to strengthen the composite materials, he said.

The discovery is described in more detail in the Oct. 2, issue of Science magazine.

The solubility of nanotubes facilitates their use in such things as coatings and paint for aircraft, Haddon said.

"Our research breakthrough was given an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the scientist who won the Nobel Prize in 1997 ... Professor Richard Smalley of Rice University said this work at the University of Kentucky is a major advance in developing the molecular science of fullerene nanotubes," Haddon said.

Nanotube researchers already have established two spin-off businesses in UK's business incubator, the Advanced Science and Technology Research Center (ASTeCC). Also, several multinational companies ­ Air Products Inc., Ashland Chemical Inc., Conoco, DuPont, Englehard, Lockheed Martin, 3M and Mitsubishi Chemical ­ have "expressed their interest in working with UK to explore the possibilities for commercial applications" for nanotubes.

By Dan Adkins

Post tenure review gets AAHE grant approval

The University Senate Council has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the American Association of Higher Education to develop what may become a national model for post-tenure review.

Roy L. Moore, chair of the council, was notified earlier this semester by Christine M. Licata, an AAHE senior associate, that UK's grant proposal had received the maximum funding available under the AAHE's New Pathways II Project.
James L. Applegate, immediate past chair of the council, will head up the UK project.

In the grant proposal, Applegate said UK officials hope to develop a comprehensive senior faculty development policy that will provide incentives for faculty development, as well as a post-tenure policy. National figures show one-half the American professorate will be over the age of 50 by the year 2000, he noted.

"It's essential to the well-being of higher education that we find ways to keep senior faculty engaged and energized," Applegate said. "We want to develop a program that does that on several fronts. To assist in this goal, we will be collaborating with national leaders in this area, as well as faculty leaders from other state institutions."

Applegate further noted that post-tenure review has been an issue at UK since 1994, when the College of Arts and Sciences implemented a pilot review policy. That policy called for a review only in cases where a faculty member's performance evaluation indicated serious problems in major areas. Applegate said that although the policy has shown some success, it requires revisions before it can be implemented across the university.

UK's proposal to the AAHE noted that the University Senate was in the midst of a comprehensive review of the general promotion and tenure process, passed by the Senate at its meeting last month. Meanwhile, the College of Medicine has been engaged in its own review of faculty roles and reward systems. Applegate said the AAHE grant would help "in bringing together current work in the Medical Center and on the Lexington Campus."

Because UK is one of a handful of universities where medical colleges, traditional main campus programs and a community college are located in the same institution, the post-tenure review policy developed here stands to become a model for the nation, Applegate said.

The strategy for developing a new post-tenure review policy will involve a series of campus seminars featuring AAHE experts and representatives from other research and land-grant universities, as well as discussions with other state universities. The dates for those events have not been set.

Applegate said the post-tenure review project was one of several that will be a part of the AAHE grant work.

"We want to look at a comprehensive approach to senior faculty development to keep senior faculty engaged and positive while maximizing their contributions to our students and the university," Applegate said.

By Dan Adkins

Nutritionist to Glenn, UK grad enjoys high-profile clients

You could call Barbara Landrum Rice a dietary consultant to the stars, and for more than one reason.

Rice was among a team of NASA scientists who studied the nutritional requirements of John Glenn as he recently orbited aboard space shuttle Discovery.

The University of Kentucky graduate also spent several years as a private-practice nutritionist catering to rich and famous clients in Hollywood.

Fiercely protective of her former clients' confidentiality, she would not name names.

"A fair number of my clients were people in the entertainment industry." That's as close as she'll get.

Rice landed her job at Johnson Space Center by virtue of her association with those high-profile entertainers.

"In Los Angeles, I learned very quickly how to help improve the health of some very intelligent and headstrong people. It was quite a challenge."

Rice said she occasionally spots former clients on television or in the movies and wonders if they're sticking to their diet. She still worries about their health.

The identity of Rice's most recent celebrity client is no secret ­ 77-year-old Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth back in 1962. Rice and her NASA colleagues were specifically monitoring the metabolic aspects of Glenn's protein intake. The study has far-reaching ramifications.

"As we begin to look at space stations and travel to other planets, we have to study these things more and more," she said. "Nutritional deficiencies can occur in six months. A trip to Mars may take three years. We do indeed need to look at a micro-gravity environment and how it affects muscle loss."

Rice said muscle loss occurs more rapidly in space for unknown reasons.

"That's what we're trying to find out," she said.

While Rice communicated with the astronauts, she also connected with students at her alma mater.

Upon learning of Rice's work, about five doctoral students in nutrition and food science had fun thinking of questions for her. Some of the questions, and Rice's answers, are as follows:

Q: What are the different caloric needs due to weightlessness?
A: Research, both in space and on the ground, is well founded in showing that the requirements are the same in space. Most people don't believe that. They think floating is easier.

Q: Do astronauts get to pick what they eat in space?
A: Yes. We have an inventory of about 350 foods to choose from, foods that are available to the common person, except the form and packaging have changed. They do have the option of taking special foods from home. One astronaut flew Girl Scout cookies. But the food does have to be specially wrapped to endure the rigors of space flight. And they do have to be tested microbiologically.

Q: Does weightlessness affect digestion and absorption?
A: Most research on this is anecdotal. Astronauts report that it seems as if things slow down, especially with absorption. They feel full longer. We're looking into that from a pharmacological approach. It's real hard to measure that up there.

Q: What are the various mechanics of eating food in space? Do the peas fly up their noses?
A: Actually, we don't fly peas. But yes, it can be a problem if they're not careful. They're briefed on how to open a package. Problem items are usually placed in a sauce to bind them. Take scrambled eggs, for instance. Food technologists had problems getting the texture and thickness right while making sure they were cohesive and did not flow out."

As one of five sisters to graduate from UK, Rice has become something of a legend at the College of Human Environmental Sciences. The Landrum tradition began about 40 years ago when Rice's older sisters, twins, became the first of five Landrum siblings to graduate from the college.

She also has helped established two scholarships at UK.

By George Lewis

Ford donates Senate papers to UK library

Retiring U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford donated 1,500 cubic feet, about 1,500 boxes, of documents and materials from his 24-year Senate career to the University of Kentucky Libraries Nov. 10.
Ford, a Democrat from Owensboro, presented the papers to UK President Charles T. Wethington Jr. at a ceremony in the William T. Young Library auditorium. Also delivering remarks was State Historian James C. Klotter.

The papers will be maintained in the UK Libraries' Special Collections unit in the Margaret I. King Library South Building as part of the Modern Political Archives collection. The Ford Collection joins those of other distinguished Kentucky politicians, including Alben W. Barkley, A.B. "Happy" Chandler, Earl C. Clements, John Sherman Cooper, Walter D. Huddleston, Thruston B. Morton, Stanley F. Reed, Fred M. Vinson and Wilson W. Wyatt.

Jeff Suchanek, overseer of the Modern Political Archives, said the papers "cover all aspects of Senator Ford's Senate career, including legislation, correspondence, newspaper clippings, press releases, speeches, photos, daily schedule books and material from Ford's district offices in Lexington, Louisville and Owensboro."

Suchanek said Ford began sending the materials last spring. UK library archivists expect the final shipments next month.

"It's such a large collection, it will take several years to process," Suchanek said, noting that Ford, who leaves office in December, is Kentucky's longest-serving U.S. senator, having completed four six-year terms.

During his Senate career, Ford served as minority whip and was involved in numerous debates on major national legislative items and policies. Among the items Ford shaped were the Family and Medical Leave Act, the National Energy Security Act of 1992, the Age Discrimination Act Amendments of 1986, the Tobacco Reform Act of 1985 and the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1977.

Access to the papers will be restricted, with access granted only by Ford. Many papers, particularly constituent letters seeking Ford's assistance, will not be available for public review for 30 years under a U.S. Senate resolution that applies to all senators.
The collection does not include Ford's papers during his service as Kentucky's lieutenant governor (1967-71) and governor (1971-74). Also, as part of the agreement with the Owensboro Museum, many of Ford's Senate office artifacts, including plaques and groundbreaking shovels, will be displayed by the museum rather than at UK.

By Dan Adkins

UK develops strategic marketing approach, hires national director

Lloyd Axelrod, director of University of Kentucky Public Relations, announced Oct. 12 that Michele D. Ripley has been named the University's national marketing director. This is a new leadership position within UK and represents a constituent-based approach to shaping and positioning the entire institution locally and nationally.

Higher education in America faces unprecedented trends in the marketplace that could affect growth. In addition, competition has increased for top students and faculty, financial support and national distinction. The University of Kentucky is among a growing number of colleges and universities to respond with a new commitment to integrated marketing.

Ripley comes to this position from the University's College of Fine Arts, where she was director of public relations and development for nine years. In that role, she helped the college create audience development programs, promote some 400 public events that attracted more than 120,000 patrons annually and increase its private financial support by 266 percent over five years. Prior to working at the University, Ripley was director of corporate promotion at North American Publishing Co. in Philadelphia.

"Michele understands both the business of marketing and the subtleties of higher education," said Joseph T. Burch, vice president of University relations "She can help the university effectively use marketing practices to analyze trends and constituents' needs, develop responsive program and communications strategies, and guide change as we strive to become a national leader in higher education."

Ripley is a member of the Board of Directors for CASE-Kentucky and vice president of the board for Spindletop Hall. She is also active with the United Way, having co-chaired the $462,000 UK campaign in 1995 and served on the United Way of the Bluegrass campaign cabinet as chair of both volunteer training and communications/events. She is also a member of its marketing cabinet. Ripley is a 1991 graduate of Leadership Lexington (now Leadership Bluegrass) and has been actively involved on many civic boards and projects. For nine years, she was the voice of the arts on WUKY's Arts Calendar.

A native of Lexington, Ripley is a journalism graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Communications.

Staff report

UK Theatre opens season Dec. 3 with 'A Christmas Carol'

The University of Kentucky Department of Theatre will perform one of the most beloved Christmas tales of all time, when it opens Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" Dec. 3 in the Guignol Theatre in the Fine Arts Building.

This classic story teaches the infamous miser, Scrooge, the true meaning of Christmas through visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Performances run through Dec. 13, and ticket prices range from $7 for students to $11 for the general public. To purchase tickets, call 257-4929.

A pre-show talk on the life and time of Charles Dickens will be presented by Joseph Gardner, a professor of English at the University of Kentucky at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and 1 p.m. Dec. 6 in the John Tuska Gallery of Art, just opposite the Guignol Theatre. Admission is free.

Other shows in the Department of Theatre's 1998-99 season will include Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage" opening Feb. 25; William Inge's "Picnic," opening March 30; and Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance," opening April 15.

Staff report

Get a grip on winter driving before it gets here

You don't have to be all that mechanically inclined to keep yourself and your vehicle out of trouble this winter. Foresight and common sense are your two most useful tools.

Here is a list of key items to check before the mercury begins to drop:

­ Battery: If your battery is having difficulty turning your engine over now, just think how it will ­ or won't ­ respond in really cold weather. Frigid temperatures have the ability to reduce your battery's capabilities by half. If your vehicle's battery is more than three years old, it's probably time to replace it. Also make sure the battery connections are clean by scraping them with a steel-bristled brush.

­ Oil: We all know how important regular oil changes are to a vehicle's health. This is especially true going into the cold months. Check your owner's manual to see how often you need to change the oil in your vehicle.

­ Wipers: Clear visibility, always of utmost importance to motorists, becomes especially crucial during cold weather, particularly when it snows. If you cannot see clearly out of your vehicle, you're jeopardizing your own life and the lives of others. Wiper blades top the list of items to check to ensure you'll have proper visibility. Blades generally last only a year. If yours have exceeded their life span, invest a few dollars and replace them. Take the economical route by buying new blades at a discount auto-part store and mounting them yourself. They are easily installed.

­ Wiper fluid: Snow can be pretty until it turns to slush. And slush can be especially ugly when it's thrown on your windshield by that tractor-trailer rig barreling past you on the interstate. So, you should see your way clear to keep lots of wiper fluid on hand. But it won't do you any good sitting in the bottle. Check your fluid level and replace when necessary.

­Tires: Perhaps the most important factor on your car, tires are often the most neglected. The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that half the tires on the road are either worn or under-inflated. Falling temperatures cause tire pressure to drop, which can let the air out of your tires. Check your tires' condition before winter sets in. A gauge of your tires' condition can be achieved by inserting a dime edgewise into the tread. If the tread fails to cover the dime's date, then it's time to replace your tire. And be sure to check tire pressure at least twice a month during cold weather. You also might want to familiarize yourself with your tires' ideal air pressure, found in the owner's manual, on a placard inside the glove compartment or on the driver's door pillar. You might also want to consider having your tires rotated regularly, say after 7,000 miles or so. This can be done for a relatively nominal charge by the mechanics you hire to change your oil.

­ Spare tires: AAA estimates that about 30 percent of drivers experience a flat tire at least once a year. With that in mind, consider ensuring that you have a useable spare tire and easy access to your spare, jack and tire tools. Having to fumble through loads of Christmas gifts for the necessary tools alongside an icy roadway at night could create a real hazard or, at the very least, spoil your Christmas spirit.

By George Lewis

International School of Theory seeking candidate nominations for summer

Students interested in the international humanities now have a school all their own.

The International School of Theory in the Humanities was founded last year by the University of Kentucky and universities throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe.

The Graduate School Fellowship Office annually accepts nominations for a $3,500 scholarship to the international school. The scholarship goes to a doctoral student, allowing them to attend the five-week summer program at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

The first program was held this summer.

"There were plenty of schools of the humanities, but no international school," said Spanish and Italian professor Edward Stanton, UK's representative for the school.

This summer, two UK doctoral students attended the school, which featured four five-week seminars and three one-week workshop.

"The whole point is humanities in the new millennium. Is humanities important? Why? Why do we need to discuss it?" said Yanira Paz, a Spanish and Italian doctoral student and one of the two UK students who attended.

Paz concentrated on one seminar in particular, "Imaginary Ethnographies," but tried to hear as many of the other lectures as possible. She also spent time sightseeing around the city, one of the most popular and oldest pilgrimage sites in Europe, and the university, a 500-year-old institution.

For more information on the school, call 257-3261 or visit the Web site at www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/fellowship/fellopps.html.

By Doug Tattershall

PPD sponsors safety contest

The safety committee of the Physical Plant Division is sponsoring a safety contest in remembrance of Erik Peake, a PPD employee who died in a 1996 heating-plant accident.

The contest will carry a $2,000 award, divided equally between a PPD employee and a psychology student. Peake, who died at age 19, had wanted to study psychology.

The contest is open to psychology students who have reached at least a junior classification and to all full-time, non-management PPD employees. The employee must be nominated by fellow employees and must have demonstrated an effort to promote safety and help reduce injuries in the physical plant. Student applicants are required to submit an essay of 750 to 1,000 words on a topic related to safety and psychology.

Deadline for entry and nominations is Nov. 30. The winners will be announced at a luncheon Dec. 14.

Submit nominations and essays to John Summersett, Room 211, Service Building.

Staff report

Circle of Love returns hope, Christmas to needy children

You never know what could make a difference in the life of a child. It might be a bike, a pair of gloves or just the thought that someone out there cares.

The University of Kentucky's Circle of Love is one way UK employees can help make that difference for needy children. About 1,400 children in the Lexington area are matched with UK employees from the Lexington Campus and Chandler Medical Center for Circle of Love, a gift-gathering program. Christmas "wish lists" gathered by school workers are given to UK employees who use the lists to fulfill some holiday dreams.

"These are not children who are going to get a little something for Christmas. They're not going to get anything without our help," said Monica Mehanna, director of communications for the College of Engineering and a Circle of Love volunteer. "They are the neediest of the needy."

The program's coordinators work with local schools to create a list of names and gather wish lists. After UK employees gather gifts, the schools distribute them and often return thank you letters to UK.

On their wish list, many of the children ask for toys and games. Some are more practical.

"One year, a little girl just asked for some gloves and hairbows. Later, we got a letter about how much that meant to the family to have that little help," Mehanna said.

Not only do the gifts give needy parents something to put under the tree, sometimes they build hope in children who may have little. One boy simply asked for a bike to replace one that had been stolen. He got his wish when a University department took his list.

"That little boy had experienced the worst of humanity when someone took his bike," Mehanna said. "When someone got him a new one, that helped him see maybe all the people in the world are not bad."

Parents who have been helped by the program often write in their thanks and say they plan to return the favor by helping similar programs once the family is back on its feet.

"When you see what some of these kids want, you think it is no big deal," Mehanna said. "Some of us have so much, we take it for granted. But these wishes really are big deals for these children."

Names and gift cards for the 1998 Lexington Campus Circle of Love are available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Tuesday at tables set up in the Student Center, Anderson Hall, Patterson Office Tower, Agriculture Science Center North and Peterson Service Building.

Wrapped gifts along with the gift cards should be returned to 206 Student Center between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 7 and 8.

Chandler Medical Center employees can pick up wish lists today through Dec. 4 in the hospital lobby and across from the Big Blue Deli. Gifts should be wrapped and returned along with the wish list card Dec. 7 and 8 in the hospital lobby.

For more information on the Lexington Campus program, call 257-1911. For more information on the Chandler Medical Center program, call 323-6023.

By Selena Stevens

Briefs

Graduated driver licensingprogram to be studied
The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) and the Kentucky Transportation Center have received a grant to study the effectiveness of Kentucky's graduated driver licensing program.

The $250,000 grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be used to compare teen motor vehicle crashes for 1994 and 1995 with 1997 and 1998 ­ before and after the graduated driver licensing program went into effect.

Factors that will be studied include the type of crashes, severity of injuries, number of fatalities, violation patterns and costs associated with teens' motor vehicle crashes.

The study also will take a closer look at how the graduated driver licensing program has been implemented in four Kentucky counties -­ two urban and two rural.

The graduated licensing program allows novices to gain experience driving while under controlled conditions. Some of the complexity of driving, such as driving alone and driving at night, is phased in over time.

Participants needed for study of wisdom teeth health
The University of Kentucky's College of Dentistry needs participants for a wisdom teeth research study. Anyone between the ages of 14 and 45 who still has all their third molars (wisdom teeth) and adjacent second molars, may be eligible to take part in the program.

Participants accepted for the study will receive $25 per annual visit. For more information or to schedule a screening, call 323-8520.

Children's artwork selected for annual holiday cards
Two very special patients at the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital have created artwork selected for the 1998 limited edition holiday cards now being sold to benefit the UK Children's Hospital Fund.

Jessica Wilder, 17-year-old daughter of John Wilder of Booneville, used a computer to create her unique artwork titled, "Peace by Piece." Also chosen was a colorful holiday drawing by William "Bill" Lebron Cooper, 6, son of Whitney Sacks of Frankfort.

The cards will be available throughout the holiday season at all Lexington Kroger stores and Kroger stores in Winchester, Versailles and Nicholasville. They also will be available for purchase through the UK Children's Hospital Development Fund office by calling 257-1121. The cards are sold in packages of 15 for $4.99. Proceeds fund pediatric research, new equipment and program enhancement.

UK Hospital Auxiliary sponsors breakfast with Santa
Pediatric patients and children of University of Kentucky employees will have breakfast with Santa beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, in the UK Hospital cafeteria. Special guests will be the members of the UK football team, the UK cheerleaders and the UK Wildcat. After breakfast, entertainment will be provided, and photographs can be taken with Santa.
Tickets will be sold in front of the hospital gift shop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. Tickets cost $3 for children and $3.50 for adults.

Project STEPS extends national outreach for one year
The Human Development Institute recently announced it will receive $143,000 to continue the Project STEPS National Outreach Project for another year. The federally-funded project facilitates the development of educational transition services for young children with disabilities who are moving from preschool into primary public schools.

The Project STEPS National Outreach Project works with the states of Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Susan Duwa recently joined HDI to serve as technical assistance coordinator for the STEPS National Outreach Project.

HDI helps other states train for transition services
The states of Virginia, Alaska and Indiana are looking to the University of Kentucky for assistance in issues of educational transition services.

Virginia has contracted with UK's Human Development Institute to conduct an evaluation of its Training and Technical Assistance Centers for Special Education and Title I Programs.

The Indiana Parent Information Network has contracted with HDI for training and technical assistance on educational transition services for young children with disabilities. The contract will run from January 1999 to August 1999.

The state of Alaska has contracted with HDI to provide training on coordination and collaboration in transition systems for children with disabilities birth through eight years of age. HDI project director Beth Rous will travel to Alaska in November to train representatives from education (preschool and primary), Head Start, child care and other agencies identified by the state as major stakeholders in services for young children.