June 2008 Archives

Missouri S&T's FSAE team placed second overall in the 2008 FSAE West Coast Race. The University of Maryland team won the race.

"The team’s performance has been very instrumental in bringing the department and campus great visibility. Whenever you get a chance, congratulate Hank Pernicka, Joe Boze, and the team members for their outstanding showing this year," said Ashok Midha of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department.

Awards won:

- 2nd Place overall
- 2nd Place overall in Dynamic Events
- 2nd Place in Endurance
- 1st Place in Autox
- 1st Place in Autodeskt Inventor Award

Drop off your used toner cartridges at Room 102 of University Center. As of June 26, this campus has collected 650 used cartridges for recycling. Your efforts to recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum cans and plastic bottles are appreciated! Together we can make a difference.

Want to catch the Missouri S&T Solar Car Team in action this summer? Then catch a ride with other local solar racing fans to join the team at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., on July 14.

Chancellor John F. Carney III and the Miner Alumni Association are sponsoring the bus ride to Neosho, where Missouri S&T’s Solar Miner VI and more than 20 other solar-powered vehicles will stop as part of the North American Solar Challenge, a 2,500-mile race from Dallas to Canada. The Neosho stop is the only Missouri stop on the race.

The bus, provided by USA Tours of Rolla, will depart at noon on Monday, July 14, from the parking lot west of Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building and Student Recreation Center, 10th Street and Bishop Avenue. Passengers may board beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The bus is available at no cost to passengers, but space is limited to the first 57 who register. To sign up, students, faculty, staff and community members should log on to solarride.mst.edu and click on the “Sign Up” button.

The deadline to register is Monday, July 7.

Jerri Lynne Arnold-Cook, director, leadership and cultural programs
Rebekah Laurel Stewart, secretary, counseling and disability services
Barbara Elaine Light, program/project support specialist, graduate studies
Tiffany Kroeze, student program administrator, Greek life, student life

The Tour of Missouri, held Sept. 8-14, will challenge 120 cyclists from 15 professional teams. A new course on Sept. 11 will take cyclists from Lebanon to Rolla. Cyclists will be challenged by six sizeable hills to the finish around 3 p.m. in front of Missouri S&T’s Castleman Hall. This is the first year Rolla has played host to the event.

Several years ago there was an effort to reduce electricity usage on the Missouri S&T campus. The green stickers above light switches are coming back to remind everyone to turn off lights when not in use. Don’t forget to turn off the lights when leaving an unoccupied room -- we can make a difference!

During an upgrade of Chartwells’ operating system on April 14, an interruption in credit card processing occurred, causing a delay in the actual posting of charges and debits. Therefore, some purchases made between April 14 and June 16 are just now being posted. Statements will show that many Chartwells charges made during this time have not been processed until now. Chartwells has contacted all local banks, which are working to help minimize negative impacts. Chartwells regrets any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have questions or concerns, call 364-5436.

Distance and continuing education needs plastic two-liter soda bottles for the bottle rocket section of the Intro to Engineering camps this summer. Bottles may be delivered to Room 216 University Center. For further information call 341-6222.

Missouri S&T faculty or staff members interested in reading the book chosen for the fall 2008 One Book program can receive a free copy of the book from the Missouri S&T Bookstore. A valid employee ID will be required.

The One Book program aims to improve freshman students’ experience during their first year at Missouri S&T by giving them something in common to talk about. Organizers also hope to foster a sense of community among faculty and staff by including them in the program. The book is being read by the entire incoming freshman class, as well as hundreds of others across campus and across the community.

The book, They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, is a true story about the civil war in Sudan, as witnessed by three of the tens of thousands of young children who were forced by flee their homes and walk more than 1,000 miles across eastern Africa after their villages were destroyed.

Missouri S&T has been in the news a lot lately. In terms of national visibility, the biggest bang (so to speak) comes from Time magazine, which will feature a brief about the camp in its June 30 edition, on newsstands soon.

Other recent news items:

• The sway of hammocks, quoting James Bogan and originally published in the Los Angeles Times, is repeated in Florida's Sun Sentinel newspaper. "In 1996, James Bogan, a professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, poet and frequent traveler to Brazil, wrote that even today, residents of the Amazon call their hammocks 'old mother,' a reference to the way hammocks seem to embrace and envelop sleepers in comforting arms."
• Copyright quiz limits students' music file sharing is the Newsweek pickup of an Associated Press story that has been covered by many news organizations across the nation.
• Across Missouri: Rolla man rides horse to save gas, about how Missouri S&T plumber Roy Snelson cuts down on his fuel bill, has been covered by The Kansas City Star and other media across the state.

Printing and mail services invites you to its Customer Appreciation Day Wednesday, June 25. Stop by printing and mail services (located in the lower level of the Campus Support Facility) between 1-3 p.m. Wednesday to take a tour, learn about services and see the newest printing capabilities. Refreshments will be served and drawings will be held. Prizes include an i-pod, t-shirts, and canvas prints of any image of your choice.

The first of two new substation transformers was installed on Wednesday, June 18. The transformer is equipped with an automated load tap changer that controls the campus distribution voltage independent of the utility-supplied voltage. The variation in voltage has caused power quality issues with campus equipment in the past.

The next campuswide power outage is planned for Saturday, Aug. 9, for installation of the second transformer.

Five Missouri S&T students placed second in the national finals of the Metcalf and Eddy Academic Design Contest. For the competition, the Missouri S&T team developed plans to upgrade an existing wastewater treatment facility in order to extend the life of the plant and meet newly implemented effluent standards.

If you’re using internet resources that send email to your @umr.edu address - such as Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo – you will have to log into each individual account and update your email address to the new @mst.edu address to receive mail from these sites after July 31.

Forty new transfer students and their guests will be on campus beginning at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 27, for Transfer Advising Day. Students will meet with advisors, register for classes, and get ready for their first Missouri S&T semester this fall.

Services for Dr. Harry “Hank" Sauer, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Missouri S&T, who passed away June 17, are as follows:

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 20, at Null & Son Funeral Home, 1010 Kingshighway in Rolla. A Rosary service will begin at 5 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 21, at St. Patrick Church, 17 St. Patrick Lane in Rolla. The family requests any memorial contributions be made to the Patricia Ann and Harry J. Sauer Scholarship, which can be accessed at http://giving.mst.edu/waystogive.html, or to St. Patrick Church.

Sauer earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Missouri S&T and worked at the university for more than 50 years. Read about Sauer’s career with the university at the following link: http://news.mst.edu/people/2007/sauer05.html

The Missouri S&T Staff Council and Retirees are sponsoring a "Salute a Veteran" blood drive from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, in St. Pat's A & B in the Havener Center.

Donors will receive a commemorative t-shirt and may dedicate donations to a current or former U.S. Armed Forces member. Bring in the address of your favorite soldier to let them know you donated blood on their behalf. You may also send a card to an anonymous soldier currently serving overseas.

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks requires proof of identification for first time donors. For more information, contact the center at 1-800-280-5337, or call Cecilia Elmore at 341-6798 for specific appointment times.

If you are interested in helping out with the blood drive, call Elmore or email elmorec@mst.edu. Volunteer shifts of 30 minutes to two hours are available.

Counseling and Disability Support Services and Student Health Services invite the S&T community to attend the health and wellness educator candidate presentations/open forums from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, June 27, Monday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 1 in the Havener Center. Each candidate will make a brief wellness-related presentation and will be available for questions. Please come meet our candidates and provide your feedback.

Congratulations to Ganesh Kumar Venayagamoorthy, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, for achieving senior member status of the International Neural Network Society (INNS). Venayagamoorthy was one of 38 individuals recognized for significant contributions to the field.

Ed Finnell, senior inventory clerk for procurement, is retiring after 30 years of service to the university. The department will host a reception for Finnell from 2-4 p.m. Friday, June 20, in the Carver/Turner Room of the Havener Center. Please come by and wish him a happy retirement.

Congratulations to Dr. Petra DeWitt of the history department, winner of the third annual We Love Your Class award. The freshman engineering students nominated 23 instructors from nine departments. Other top nominees were Dr. Yinfa Ma, Dr. Ron Bieniek, Dr. Harvest Collier and Dr. W.J. Charatonik.

A memorial garden is planned to commemorate former chancellor Gary Thomas’s significant contribution to Missouri S&T. Dr. Thomas was an avid gardener and hired the university’s first landscape architect. The garden will be located between the Havener Center and Toomey Hall – two buildings he helped bring to our campus. Dr. Thomas said that when parents see how well we care for our campus, they know we will care for their child. Contributions to this garden may be sent to University Advancement Records, 112 Campus Support Facility.

Rolla fire department is conducting smoke test training for new firefighters at Stuart Apartments at 9 a.m. today (June 12).

Two members of the Missouri S&T swimming team have landed on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team for the 2007-08 season.

Two members of the Missouri S&T women's track and field team have been selected to the ESPN the Magazine academic all-district team for the recently completed 2008 season.

Read these stories and get caught up on all of Missouri S&T's sports action at http://sports.mst.edu/ .

Missouri S&T Miners for a Cure will host a pancake breakfast at Applebee’s in Rolla from 8-10 a.m. Saturday, June 14. They will serve all you can eat pancakes, eggs, bacon, orange juice, milk and coffee. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. The cost is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children 6 and under. For more information, contact Melissa Folsom at 341-7276 or mfolsom@mst.edu.

The student financial assistance office encourages departments to notify them of their F-08 scholarship recipients by Friday June 20, to ensure that the scholarship value shows as a credit on students’ initial F-08 e-bill.

Departments must complete and submit a scholarship notification form in order for the student financial assistance office to properly post the scholarship award.

The University of Missouri Statewide Cooperative EdD Program will hold an informational session at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, in the Havener Center. To register, please call 573-882-6869 or email maherm@missouri.edu.

Due to planned fireworks displays on June 13, June 20 and June 27, Lot M 36 will be closed after 6 p.m. on those dates. Lot M 19 and all L lots will be open. All of these dates for fireworks displays are Fridays.

Catch up with a group of Missouri S&T students who are studying in Taiwan as they share their experiences with Visions.

The final drawings of the Proud Miner campus campaign have been completed.

• Matt Becker won a $100 Wal-Mart gift certificate.
• Trish Sowers won two all-sport season passes for Miner Athletics.
• Andrew Stewart won a $50 gift certificate to University Book and Supply.

Thanks to Bob Phelan for the outstanding photo coverage of Staff Day 2008. Click here to see his work.

And the winner is ... the Materials Research Center. See staffcouncil.mst.edu to see the winning entry.

Click here to find out who won during Wednesday's Staff Day raffle drawing.

Based on the results of the 2008 Staff Council survey, Staff Council has partnered with Human Resource Services/Affirmative Action to determine your thoughts about professional development. Please help us assess professional development needs by taking a few moments to complete the brief online questionnaire found here: www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227TZ8NAFWR .

The results of this survey instrument will be used to a) measure the level of interest among staff for professional development, b) identify priority needs and c) develop recommendations for improving existing and expanding new professional develop opportunities for Missouri S&T staff.

The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, June 20.

The elevator in Wilson Library will be out of service for repairs from June 3 until further notice. Patrons who are unable to use the stairs should see the circulation desk for assistance. If you have any questions, please call 341-4008.

Dr. A. Kellam Rigler, professor emeritus of computer science, passed away April 20 in Columbia, Mo. Dr. Rigler retired from Missouri S&T in 1994 after spending 25 years on the faculty. An obituary will appear in an upcoming issue of Missouri S&T Magazine.

Check out the new website/blog devoted to the S&T solar car team: http://solar42.mst.edu/ .

Missouri S&T’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) is raising funds to support relief efforts following the earthquake that rocked central China on May 12. So far, the group has raised $2,265.66. A portion of the funds were sent to Mercy Corps and Sun Microsystems is providing a 1:1 match.

Checks payable to CSSA can be mailed to Chen Songjie, Missouri Enterprise #200, 408-0555, scn6f@mst.edu, or Wang Zhonglai, Room 348 Toomey Hall, 341-6560, wangzho@mst.edu.

The probability of a significant earthquake occurring in the Central United States within the next 50 years has many government and non-government agencies looking at how they can better prepare for this potentially catastrophic event. Find out how by attending the New Madrid Seismic Zone Conference, Aug. 12-14, 2008, on the Missouri S&T campus. To register or for more information, go online to newmadridconf.mst.edu

Public radio station KMST, 88.5 FM in Rolla and 96.3 FM in Lebanon, Mo., has been off the air since about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, when the station's transmitter failed. The station is awaiting the delivery of parts from the transmitter's manufacturer.

According to KMST General Manager Jim Sigler, the parts should arrive on Tuesday, June 3, at the earliest. In the meantime, listeners may continue to tune in to the station online at the KMST.org website.

The Proud Miner campaign is getting a bonus round of prize drawings. Respond by the end of Thursday, June 5, to be in the final drawings for a $100 Wal-Mart gift certificate, two all-sport season passes for Miner Athletics and a $50 gift certificate to University Book and Supply. Details and the form are at giving.mst.edu/proudminer/ .