May 20, 1999 / Volume 18, Number 21
News Bureau | Calendar | II Info | II Archives
- Scientists: Crop 'trash' may have disease-fighting agents
- Instead of traveling to Brazil's tropical rain forest or diving into the ocean, a team of UI scientists are looking for disease-fighting compounds closer to home, harvesting potential agents from the trash piles of byproducts at crop-processing plants.
- Timing of cockpit members' crisis communication is critical
- When there's a crisis in the cockpit, why do some flight crews think on their feet and react swiftly, while other crews make potentially fatal mistakes?
College Preview Program set for May 25 ... Conference on Ukrainian Subjects ... Summer Art program announced ... Directory updates requested ... Allerton Chautauqua is June 6 ... Opening on Staff Advisory Council ... Conference honors music educator
By Jim Barlow
Instead of traveling to Brazil's tropical rain forest or diving into the ocean, a team of UI scientists are looking for disease-fighting compounds closer to home, harvesting potential agents from the trash piles of byproducts at crop-processing plants.
Initial laboratory tests on cultured mammalian and human cells indicate an ethanol extract of soybean molasses represses the ability of at least one dietary carcinogen to damage the DNA of normal cells, the researchers report.
A report is being published in the May issue of Agricultural Research Magazine. More details will appear later in the journal "Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis." At the Environmental Mutagen Society Meeting, March 27 to April 1, in Washington, D.C., the team announced that the structure of the active compound -- named phytochemical complex 100 (PCC 100) -- contains a combination of chemicals known as saponins. Very little work has been done on their biological effects.
The team also reported at the meeting that PCC suppresses the growth rate of cancer cells and that an isolated soy-protein fraction drastically reduces the growth rate of human colon cancer. The work was based on a newly developed cell-growth kinetic assay.
The soy protein finding did not come as a surprise, because the apparent positive effects of soy protein and its estrogen-like isoflavones have been documented. But the still-evolving technique may allow scientists to more precisely identify the specific protein agents and the anti-cancer mechanisms that are involved, said team leader Michael J. Plewa, a geneticist in the department of crop sciences.
"It is strange to be running off to the rain forest to yank up weird plants when we may already be sitting on mountains of very useful pharmaceutical agents in our own corn and soybean fields," he said. "During crop processing, raw materials are modified by mechanical disruption, chemical extraction and changes in temperatures and pressures. Agents you take out of plants for food or processing products may not necessarily be the ones that are actually in the plants or seeds themselves. They may have been modified."
Plewa's team includes UI colleagues A. Lane Rayburn, B.A. Francis and several students, and M. Berhow of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Collaborative work is continuing with BIBRA International in the United Kingdom and Archer Daniels Midland Co. in Decatur. Funding for exploring the byproducts and developing assays to find anti-mutagens and anti-carcinogens comes from the U.S. Soybean Board and Illinois Soybean Operating Board.
"We are looking to prevent environmental carcinogens ingested in our diet from affecting normal cells in our bodies, and to isolate agents that slow down the growth rate of already existing cancer cells," Plewa said. "If we can repress their growth, we might be able to extend the use and heighten the effectiveness of therapeutic drugs, chemotherapy and radiation."
By Mark Reutter
When there's a crisis in the cockpit, why do some flight crews think on their feet and react swiftly, while other crews make potentially fatal mistakes?
The question long has preoccupied airlines where passenger safety can rest on the capacity of pilots to cope with bad weather and equipment failures at the same time. Airlines have trained crews to follow three procedures with special care during an emergency -- collecting information about the situation, discussing the importance of the tasks and distributing the tasks among the members.
Research by a UI professor, however, suggests that an important element is missing -- a recognition that the timing of crew communications greatly affects performance.
"The conventional wisdom is 'more is better,' meaning that the more a crew engages in communications in an emergency, the better their performance," said Mary J. Waller, a professor of business administration. "What I found was quite surprising -- that simply discussing and distributing tasks across crew members was not associated with good performance."
Waller based her findings on a unique "micro" study of 10 crews that were similar in experience and training. The three-person crews (all white males) worked for the same airline and were videotaped in a sophisticated B-727 flight simulator.
Each crew "flew" the same pattern and faced a battery of problems, including a hydraulic system failure, bad weather and the loss of nose-wheel steering.
Waller coded crew behaviors at 10-second intervals after they were notified that weather conditions prevented them from landing at the scheduled airport. From then on, the crews were under uniform levels of time pressure, workload and rapidly changing conditions.
Waller used three senior commercial pilots to rank crew performances. She then cross-checked the performances with the type and quantity of conversations held during the emergencies.
"I tried to capture actual behavior as opposed to the more theoretical procedures often used in evaluating crew performances," Waller said. "My aim was the tear-apart patterns of behavior in groups on a micro level."
She found that crews that made mistakes had the same number of conversations as the high-performing crews, but did not engage in information exchange at the right time. "While high-performing crews were very targeted and specific when an emergency arose, the low-performing crews tended to sprinkle their exchanges over the whole simulation. This amounted to a big disconnect between training and actual conditions.
"My research suggests that airlines -- or any organization where safety relies on team performance -- consider the issue of 'behavior timing' as a crucial element in the training of crews," the UI researcher said.
By Becky Mabry
If the UI doesn't retire Chief Illiniwek and the licensing of merchandise that depicts him, the university and the NCAA might be sued for patent and trademark violations.
That threat came from Michael Haney of Oklahoma, who said he spoke for Seminole, Sioux and other tribal governments in Oklahoma, as he addressed a committee of five visiting NCAA representatives May 12 at the Illini Union.
The NCAA team was on campus to evaluate the university's efforts to comply with the NCAA certification program. The UI has been doing a self-study for more than a year that looks at academic and financial integrity, rules compliance, and commitment to racial and gender equity.
The issue of whether Chief Illiniwek should be retained was not included in the self-study. Each of the eight or so people who spoke to the NCAA committee said they believed the UI self-study was incomplete because it ignored the Chief issue.
"As an avid sports person myself, racial discrimination has no role to play in collegiate athletics in the United States and certainly not here at the UI," said Francis Boyle, a professor of law.
"And if you agree with me that racial discrimination has no role in collegiate sports, I ask you to order them to stop using the Chief and to stop selling items representing Chief Illiniwek."
Ryan Amacher, chair of the NCAA review committee, said the committee couldn't order anything, but would make recommendations to the NCAA on its findings.
Fred Hoxie, the Swanlund Endowed Chair of History, said the NCAA should insist upon a review of the Chief Illiniwek issue. He noted that Native American students feel humiliated by the Chief, and that a self-study of the issue should include the opinions of Native American students as well as other students of color.
Haney said he had made about 30 trips to the campus in recent years to urge UI officials to retire the Chief. He pointed out that the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office canceled seven patents for the Washington Redskins football team, including the name "Redskins." He said a similar lawsuit could be filed against the UI and the NCAA.
"I'd like to walk into the next century walking hand-in-hand like equals, not with you people making fun of us, using us as entertainment on a sporting field or as a mascot or a cheerleader," Haney said. "We're very dignified people. And when people see the Chief, it sends a message across the country that we still live in teepees and have rain dances.
"We fully intend to go forward with this suit regarding patents and trademarks," Haney said.
Amacher said the committee will present its findings to the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification in Indianapolis. That committee will determine the university's certification status and is expected to announce its decision by January 2000.
By Becky Mabry
Smoking has been banned in all buildings on campus as well as in campus-owned or campus-leased vehicles, according to a policy that officially took effect April 1. The only exception is in overnight guest rooms designated for smokers.
"Achieving this goal will require the willingness, understanding, and patience of all members of the campus community working together," said Charles Colbert, the vice chancellor for administration and human resources.
The policy, which stipulates that as a general rule preferential consideration shall be given to non-smokers whenever it's clear they're being involuntarily exposed to smoke, was conceived to achieve the goal of a smoke-free public environment.
The new policy also prohibits smoking outdoors immediately adjacent to building entrances and in areas surrounding fresh-air intakes except at a reasonable distance, or unless otherwise designated.
Unit heads or those designated by them are responsible for ensuring that the policy is implemented by communicating it to staff members.
"This policy relies on the thoughtfulness, consideration and cooperation of smokers and non-smokers for its success," Colbert said. "It is the responsibility of all members of the campus community to observe provisions of these guidelines."
The one-hour presentation is open to all UI staff and faculty members with high school-age students. Anyone interested in attending may register by contacting Kal Lwanga at klwanga@illinois.edu or 333-0824. E-mail reservation should include name, department, campus address and phone number, and number of people attending.
The theme of the conference is "Between Modernism and Postmodernism: New Developments in Ukrainian Philosophy, Art and Literature." Sessions, which are free and open to the public, are scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon, 1-3 p.m., and 3:30-5:30 p.m. each day in Rooms 314 A and B of the Illini Union.
Dmytro Shtohryn, organizer of this and all previous UI Ukrainian conferences, and chairperson of the UI Ukrainian Research Program, said that more than 40 speakers -- primarily from academia and from Canada, Germany, Ukraine and the United States -- will present papers. Among the speakers are four members of the Ukrainian conference program committee: Assya Humesky, University of Michigan; Larissa Onyshkevych, Princeton Research Forum; Jaroslav Rozumnyj, University of Manitoba; and Bohdan Rubchak, UI at Chicago.
Shtohryn is professor emeritus of library administration in the UI Slavic and East European Library and of Ukrainian literature in the department of Slavic languages and literatures.
The conference, which will be conducted mostly in the Ukrainian language, is being held in conjunction with the UI Summer Research Lab, a function of the Russian and East European Center. For more information about the Ukrainian conference, contact Shtohryn at 356-9195 or by e-mail at shtohryn@illinois.edu.
Information on how to update incorrect e-mail address listings can be found on Page 14 of the directory, or by contacting the CCSO Resource Center.
If you filled out a joint appointment form last year and your appointment has changed, call the Office of Publications and Marketing at 333-9200 to request a new form. Completed forms are due Sept. 1.
UI employees who will retire between June 1 and Sept. 30, 1999, and want their names included in the new directory should request a retiree form from the Office of Publications and Marketing. Completed forms are due Sept. 1.
The UI Office of Continuing Education is co-sponsoring the free public event. Sandwiches, drinks and desserts will be available to purchase, but picnics are welcome.
Hosted by the UI College of Fine and Applied Arts and School of Music's Division of Music Education and Council for Research, the conference has been organized to commemorate the contributions of the late Marilyn Phlederer Zimmerman to the field of music education. Zimmerman was a member of the UI music education faculty from 1984-1995.
"Dr. Zimmerman was one of the first music educators to examine the relationship between cognitive process and musical learning, building her studies on the theories of Jean Piaget," said conference organizer Eunice Boardman, UI professor emeritus of music education.
The conference's keynote speaker is Harvard University professor Howard Gardner, whose research in the fields of developmental psychology and neuropsychology led to the development of educational theories that have placed him at the center of school-reform efforts in the United States. Gardner is best known for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments, such as I.Q. tests. According to Gardner's theory for understanding human intellect, each individual possesses autonomous "faculties" that function alone or together with other faculties. Gardner originally identified seven such faculties, one of which is musical intelligence.
Gardner is the author of several books, including "The Disciplined Mind: What All Students Should Understand," just released by Simon & Schuster.
Gardner's keynote talk at the UI conference, "Music in the Family of Human Intelligences," is free and open to the public. He will speak at 7 p.m. June 3 in Smith Hall. He also will lead a workshop for UI faculty members, "Applying the Theory of Multiple Intelligences to College Teaching," from 10 a.m. to noon June 4 in 406 Illini Union.
Other featured conference speakers: Jeanne Bamberger, professor of music and urban education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; David J. Hargreaves, professor of education, University of Durham; Frances Rauscher, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.
Conference co-sponsors are the Vernon K. and Marilyn Pflederer Zimmerman Foundation; the colleges of Education; Engineering; Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; Office of Instructional Research; and Teaching Advancement Board.
The cost of the conference is $90; students, $40. For more information on the conference schedule and session locations, or to register, call 333-1027 or 244-5808; e-mail pbost@illinois.edu or harwood@illinois.edu; or see the conference Web site: http://www-camil.music.uiuc.edu/crme/cognitionconference/default.html.
The Office of Academic Human Resources, Suite 420, 807 S. Wright St., maintains the listings for faculty and academic professional positions. More complete descriptions are available in that office during regular business hours. Job listings are also updated weekly on its Web site at: http://webster.uihr.uiuc.edu/ahr/jobs/index.asp. Any other information may be obtained from the person indicated in the listing.
faculty
Astronomy and Physics. Assistant professor; two tenure-track positions. PhD. Research interests in observational or theoretical cosmology preferred; will consider applicants with interests in other areas of astronomy and astrophysics. Available: August 2000. Contact Carol Stickrod, 333-3090. Closing date: Oct. 1.
Library, UI. Assistant undergraduate librarian and coordinator of library instruction program, and assistant professor of library administration. Master's in library science from an ALA-accredited library school and one year's experience teaching library instruction and reference services in an academic library are required. Experience with electronic resources and computer-assisted instruction programs for library users and course work or experience in the design and development of interactive instruction systems (self-paced learning) are preferred. Salary: $33,000 minimum. Available: Aug. 21. Contact Allen G. Dries, 333-5494. Closing date: June 10.
Library, UI. Assistant undergraduate librarian and coordinator of cataloging, and assistant professor of library administration. Master's in library science from an ALA-accredited library school and one year's experience in cataloging non-print materials; experience in supervision and management are required. Experience in providing reference services and familiarity with serials management is preferred. Salary: $33,000 minimum. Available: Aug. 21. Contact Allen G. Dries, 333-5494. Closing date: June 10.
Political Science. Faculty, comparative politics (open rank); two tenure-track positions. PhD. Emphasis on methodology, including methodologies relevant to qualitative research is desirable. Positions are open with regard to regional focus in the following areas: Asia, the Middle East and post-communist countries. Available: Aug. 21, 2000. Contact Peter F. Nardulli, 333-3880. Closing date: Oct. 8.
academic professional
Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, College of. Media/communications specialist-graphic design. Bachelor's and two year's graphic design production experience. Candidate must have excellent graphic design skills as evidenced in a portfolio. Computer illustration skills and/or Web design a plus. Available immediately. Contact: Larry Ecker, 333-9432, l-ecker@illinois.edu Closing date: June 1.
Atmospheric Science. Research programmer. Bachelor's and two years' relevant experience required. Good interpersonal/communication skills needed. Knowledge of NT- (and some Mac-) based desktop systems, and UNIX services (primarily HP-UX and Linux) highly desirable. Available immediately. E-mail resume and cover letter to davidw@atmos.uiuc.edu. Closing date: June 7.
Board of Trustees Office. Coordinator of records and contracts. Bachelor's with a business or technical area preferred, three years' experience in records or contracts management; knowledge of UI business procedures. Knowledge of Board of Trustees office procedures preferred. Available immediately. Contact: Corla A. Hagenbruch, 333-1920, hagenbru@uillinois.edu. Closing date: May 24.
Commerce and Business Affairs, College of. Academic adviser, Office of Undergraduate Affairs. Master's required, preferably in business-related area; prior experience working with undergraduate students on the campus preferred. Available: June 15. Contact H.F. Williamson, 333-2740. Closing date: May 24.
Operations and Maintenance Division. Mechanical engineering specialist (six positions available). Bachelor's in mechanical engineering. Additional consideration will be given to candidates who have experience with institutional mechanical systems, one or more advanced engineering degrees or professional engineering registration. Available: June 7. Contact Kent V. Reifsteck, 244-2865. Closing date: May 28.
Publications and Marketing, Office of. Media/communications specialist (editorial/writer). Bachelor's in English, journalism or related field and two years' experience, or an advanced degree with one year's experience. Applicants must possess a working knowledge of print production and a demonstrated understanding of marketing principles. Experience in a Macintosh desktop is essential. Experience in coding documents and maintaining Web pages is a plus. Available: July 19. Contact Don Kojich, 333-9200. Closing date: June 9.
Publications and Marketing, Office of. Media/communications specialist (editorial/catalog editor). Bachelor's in English, journalism or related field and two years' experience, or an advanced degree with one year's experience. Applicants must possess a working knowledge of all aspects of print production and a demonstrated understanding of basic marketing principles. Experience in coding documents and maintaining Web pages is a plus. Available: July 19. Contact Don Kojich, 333-9200. Closing date: June 9.
Research and Technology Management Office. Specialist/RTMO accountant. Bachelor's required with experience in either complex business, academic or governmental accounting environment involving contract and license management; judgment to handle sensitive, confidential and complex matters; complex interorganizational issues; capability of working in high-activity environment; knowledge and ability to manage complex data and billing systems; knowledge of intellectual property law and licensing accounting experience desirable. Available immediately. Contact Kathy Harper, Fourth Floor Swanlund. Closing date: May 20.
Water Survey, Illinois State. Assistant chemist. Bachelor's in chemistry or related physical science. Knowledge and experience with USEPA methods, IEPA accreditation, QA/QC practices are required. Available immediately. Contact Human Resources, Illinois State Water Survey, 333-0448. Closing date: when position is filled.
Water Survey, Illinois State. Service climatologist/ assistant support scientist. Bachelor's in atmospheric sciences. Knowledge and experience in using weather and climate data, experience in use of personal computers (Windows applications and UNIX workstations). Must be able to work with the public. Available: June 1. Salary: $27,000-$29,000. Contact Human Resources, Illinois State Water Survey, 333-0448. Closing date: May 31.
staff
Personnel Services Office, 52 E. Gregory Drive, Champaign, conducts open and continuous testing for civil service classifications used on campus. More information is available by calling 333-2137. Or visit its Web site at: www.pso.uiuc.edu.
A report of honors, awards, offices and other outstanding achievements of faculty and staff members.
Michael H. LeRoy, professor of labor and industrial relations and of law, received the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. The award recognizes his commitment to excellence in teaching and enhanced student learning. LeRoy was lauded for his enthusiasm in class, setting high standards with strong support, ability to explain complicated concepts, ability to make students think critically, and his ability to make the subject matter relevant to his students.
Bob Andersen, associate director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, recently was presented with the 1999 President's Award by the Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Inc. The award was "in recognition and gratitude for outstanding and diligent service to colleagues and students in the state of Illinois." The award was presented during the association's annual conference in April. Andersen is only the 19th recipient of the award in the 30 years ILASFFAA has been in existence.
Robert C. Bilger, professor of speech and hearing science, recently was honored with a Life Achievement Award by the American Auditory Society (AAS). Bilger was honored as an individual who has distinguished himself by his contributions to issues of the ear, hearing and balance. Supported by over 35 years of continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, Bilger's work has included investigation of temporal factors in audition, auditory dysfunction on frequency resolution, perception of complex sounds, speech perception, evaluation of cochlear implant patients, psychoacoustic studies of subjective tinnitus, and effects of aging on speech recognition. This award is the highest honor given by the society.
Matthew W. Finkin, the Albert J. Harno Professor of Law, has been appointed to the governing board of the Institute for Labor Law and Labor Relations at Schloss Quint, Germany. The institute, which is affiliated with the University of Trier, is the foremost research center of its kind in Europe. It hosts a number of visiting scholars annually and publishes a wide range of papers and monographs.
Eric T. Freyfogle, the Max L. Rowe Professor of Law, has been awarded first place in the non-fiction book category by the Society of Midland Authors for his 1998 "Bounded People, Boundless Land." Using legal cases and contemporary events, Freyfogle argues that individualism and the rights of private property should be reshaped in ways consistent with the future health of the land and wildlife. He was honored at the society's awards banquet May 18 in Chicago.
Jae Kennedy, professor of community health, has received one of five $55,000 Distinguished Research Fellowships from the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The fellowship recognizes a researcher who has eight or more years of substantive disability research experience. The fellowship and additional research assistance from the Mary Jane Neer Research Fund, will allow Kennedy to devote the 1999-00 academic year to the study of disability support networks. Kennedy will analyze a series of special supplements to the National Health Interview Survey, identifying population patterns in type and level of assistance received by American adults with disabilities.
Urbana Middle School and the UI's "Unity in Community" has become part of the Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The College of Education, in collaboration with Urbana Middle School, created "Unity in Community," a student-centered, project-oriented curriculum. The project is funded by an Apple Education Grant awarded in 1998 to support schools that demonstrate innovative uses of technology in the classroom.
The project was nominated by Steven P. Jobs, chairman and CEO of Apple Computer Inc., in the Education and Academia category. The awards program is a joint project of Computerworld Newspaper and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. It recognizes vision, leadership and innovation in information technology.
Caton received a bachelor's degree in 1950 from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, where he was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He received a master of arts degree in philosophy in 1951 and a doctorate in 1956, both from the University of Michigan. He held a Rackham fellowship from the University of Michigan from 1954 to 1955 and a Fulbright grant for study at Oxford University from 1956 to 1957.
He joined the UI faculty in 1958. He worked in the areas of the philosophy of language, metaphysics and logic. His book, "Philosophy and Ordinary Language," was used in universities across the country as an introduction to a distinctive approach to contemporary philosophy.
He was a visiting professor at Purdue University from 1967 to 1968 and at the University of Western Ontario from 1969 to 1970. He won a National Endowment for the Humanities research grant from 1979 to 1980.
He retired from the UI in 1995 and was named professor emeritus.
He is survived by his wife, Robin; two daughters; two sons; seven grandchildren; and a sister.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Charles E. Caton Memorial Fund, UI Foundation, Harker Hall, MC-386.
Haven earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Commerce at the UI in 1927 and completed a master's degree at the UI in 1931. He became the director of the physical plant in 1934 and was in charge of administering the operation and maintenance of the physical plant as well as campus planning and construction, landscape and site development and land acquisition on all campuses. In 1967, he was named director of physical plant planning and construction. He retired in 1971.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred; a son; a daughter; and a granddaughter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the UI Foundation, Harker Hall, MC-386, or to the Assisted Living Suites in care of La Posada Foundation, 750 S. La Posada Circle, Green Valley, AZ 85614.
Patterson was a professor at the UI from 1953 to 1993. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Nebraska and a doctorate in genetics at the California Institute of Technology.
He was chairman of Mayze Genetics Conference for 26 years and the director of Mayze Genetics Cooperative Stock Center for 20 years.
He served in the Army during World War II in Europe, America and the Pacific.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; a son; a daughter; two brothers; and two sisters.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association.