March 18 2015 For the community of the University of Illinois at Chicago VOLUME 34 / NUMBER 25 uicnews.uic.edu 2 NOAH ROSENBLATT HELPS PEOPLE FIND BALANCE 3 UIC’S NEW LEADER ‘What would you do if you were chancellor?’ he asks students more on page 5 SEEKING CHANGES IN STATE RULES FOR CIVIL SERVICE 7 SLOAN WINNER NEAL MANKAD 9 LIFE HACKS FROM GRACE HOPPER INSIDE: CAMPUS NEWS 4 CALENDAR 8 STUDENT VOICE 9 POLICE / PUZZLES 10 SPORTS 12 NEXT PRINT ISSUE APRIL 1! Facebook / uicnews Twitter / uicnews YouTube / uicmedia Flickr / uicnews Instagram / thisisuic — Photo: Joshua Clark uicnews.uic.edu 2 I UIC NEWS I MARCH 18, 2015 send profile ideas to Gary Wisby, [email protected] PROFILE NOAH ROSENBLATT Helping people find balance By Gary Wisby — [email protected] Two groups of people are more at risk of falling than the rest of us: older adults and those who wear prosthetic legs. Research by Noah Rosenblatt is aimed at keeping these folks upright. One of his studies looked at motorized feet. “If you’re missing an ankle, they flex the foot, and can sense where you are in your gait cycle to keep the toe from catching the ground,” said Rosenblatt, a visiting clinical assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition. Another of his studies examined a different technology — a vacuum suspension system. “The stump goes into the socket like a foot into a shoe,” he said. “The device stays on the leg by sucking all the air out between the limb and the socket. “It’s supposed to make the user more comfortable and enable them to achieve faster walking, like tying your shoe tighter to avoid getting a blister.” The system improves balance and helps prevent falls. Newer devices provide evidence for clinicians to prescribe them, and for insurance coverage. Fall prevention is a continuation of the work with older adults by kinesiology professor Mark Grabiner. “We teach people how to catch themselves once they start falling,” Rosenblatt said. When he started at UIC seven years ago, he helped train a group of women, starting from the fact that women are at higher risk than men of falling, and breaking bones. The women were given four hourlong sessions and compared with a control group that received no training. Noah Rosenblatt’s research helps prevent falls. “We teach people how to catch themselves once they start falling,” says Rosenblatt, visiting clinical assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition. — Photo: Joshua Clark “The trained group reduced the risk of falling due to trips by 50 percent,” Rosenblatt said. “Now we’re trying to see whether we can improve on that.” Trips account for one-third of falls. “In the future we’ll deal with slips,” as on ice, he said. Another concern with older adults is preventing losing one’s balance. “We look at how we control our balance when we walk, our gait patterns,” Rosenblatt said. There are vacuum suspension systems for both above-the-knee and below-theknee prosthetics wearers. “Below the knee there are more bony areas,” he said. “Above the knee there are not as many bones, but a lot of tissue that needs to be kept in place.” “As prices for healthy foods go up, we have seen obesity rates going up. As we have seen prices for unhealthy foods going down, we have seen obesity rates going up.” Frank Chaloupka, distinguished professor of economics and director of the Health Policy Center, on a measure under consideration by Vermont lawmakers to add an excise tax to sugar-sweetened beverages, March 11 Burlington Free Press Rosenblatt grew up in Bellmore, New York, on Long Island. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Northwestern University and a Ph.D. at Boston University, both in biomedical engineering. Then he did postdoctoral work at UIC before starting work full time. Rosenblatt enjoys running. He’s done marathons, and most workdays he runs from his lab to the Ogilvie Transportation Center. Cooking is another interest. “I follow the recipe the first time, then I either add or swap out ingredients I think should have been there,” he said. He lives in Evanston with his wife, Emily, a program manager in advanced analytics and cognitive computing for “I saw children going to jail for protesting to keep their poetry and I thought, is this America, really?” Luis Alberto Urrea, professor of English and distinguished professor of liberal arts and sciences, on the inspiration for his new book of poetry, The Tijuana Book of the Dead, March 12 “The Takeaway,” WNYC Radio IBM. They met on their first day at Northwestern. “My freshman year roommate knew her freshman year roommate,” he said. The Rosenblatts are quite the travelers. They recently returned from Italy, and have been to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Finland, Russia, Spain, Canada, Mexico and Peru, where they swam in the Pacific Ocean with hundreds of sea lions. “We climbed active volcanoes in Guatemala and roasted marshmallows over lava flows,” he said. “My favorite country was Iceland, where we wore dry suits and snorkeled in glacial water along the Continental Divide and explored ice caves.” “Few things are simply a women’s issue; this is a community issue.” Julienne Rutherford, assistant professor of women, child and family health science, on the incidence of sexual harassment and assault women scientists experience during field research, March 12 Nature MARCH 18, 2015 I UIC NEWS I uicnews.uic.edu 3 A CALL FOR CIVIL SERVICE CHANGES University seeks more diverse applicant pool, flexibility in hiring By Christy Levy— [email protected] The state’s civil service statutes should be changed to provide a more diverse applicant pool and greater flexibility in exempting certain positions from civil service classification, university leaders said at a hearing at UIC Friday. University administrators, faculty and staff spoke in support of five recommendations compiled by human resources directors from all Illinois public universities. The recommendations were presented in November to University Civil Service Merit Board chairman James Montgomery, a University of Illinois trustee. A subcommittee of Merit Board trustees — chaired by university trustee Karen Hasara — hosted two hearings on the recommendations, one in Urbana March 11 and the other Friday at UIC with a video conference to speakers in Urbana. The State Universities Civil Service System statutes — written in the 1950s — should be updated, said Maureen Parks, executive director and associate vice president of human resources. “There are practices and procedures that are not exactly modern for today’s environment,” Parks said. “The HR directors believe there needs to be some reform to make it more efficient, more productive and more fair, and to offer opportunities for growth.” The recommendations call for changing language approved by the Merit Board in 2009. Since then, audits have resulted in a significant number of job misclassifications, the human resources directors said in their recommendations. “If the language is not taken out, the state universities will continue to have substantial audit findings for misclassification,” they wrote. “It will be virtually impossible for a university to exempt a person from civil service and this will significantly impact the flexibility needed for our campuses to function efficiently.” Their recommendations include: • remove language that requires a position to be designated civil service if its description matches the specifications for a civil service classification, and that assumes all positions are civil service unless exempted by statute • create an audit procedures manual and a three-year audit cycle, rather than two-year cycle • modify scoring criteria to increase the diversity and size of the candidate pool referred for a position • allow out-of-state recruiting for civil service positions • provide flexibility for campus human resources offices to approve “specialty factors” that enhance minimum qualifications in the classification specifications, which are sometimes outdated. Urbana Chancellor Phyllis Wise urged the Merit Board to accept the recommendations and meet with human resources directors from public universities to discuss the proposed changes. The Merit Board will consider the recommendations at its May 20 meeting in Urbana. The changes would improve the civil service hiring process, Wise said. “Our workforce is complex. That means we need people in many job classifications,” she said. Urbana faculty member Matthew Wheeler said he was “seriously concerned” about the language in the civil service statutes that provides few exemptions. “It puts severe limitations on our ability to recruit and retain talented individuals,” said Wheeler, professor of animal sciences and bioengineering. Wheeler said he was particularly concerned about the requirement that civil service employees must be Illinois residents. In his research lab, Wheeler hired employees from Brazil and Italy who have specialized knowledge of regeneration — “there only may be a few dozen around the world.” “This may force me to leave an academic research institution that I love,” he said. According to the current “Rule of Three” in the statutes, hiring managers must consider the top three candidates who apply for a civil service position. If the candidates do not meet the requirements the hiring manager seeks, the hir- ing manager must close the search and start the process again, said Susan Key, director of portfolio human resources in the Urbana Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. “Filling positions is kind of part art and part science,” she said. “It takes time and effort, and any restrictions we have, we need to find a way to get rid of those restrictions. It shouldn’t be based on luck or hope. It should be based on a strategic plan.” The university needs a long-term solution to provide a more efficient civil service hiring and classification system, said Walter Knorr, university vice president and chief financial officer. “We must have the ability to define our workforce based on the ever-changing needs of the University of Illinois,” he said. “Every university in the state is in the same situation.” Providing a larger applicant pool for civil service positions would support the university’s commitment to diversity, said Tyrone Forman, UIC associate chancellor and vice provost for diversity. “It mirrors our goals of being more accessible and inclusive university and reflecting the demographics of the Chicago metropolitan area,” said Forman, professor of African American studies. The civil service statute and rules are online at sucss.illinois.gov Unity breakfast supports Chicago bids for Obama library By Anne Brooks Ranallo— [email protected] “We are one Chicago” was the theme of a began by mentioning that this was one of March 16 unity breakfast to support both his first tasks as chancellor on his first day UIC’s and the University of Chicago’s bids on the job. for the Obama Presidential Library. “If I understand Chicago politics corMayor Rahm Emanuel called for the rectly, if I mess this up, I’ll have the shortgathering to demonstrate that — whichever est tenure in the history of UIC,” he bid is chosen — the library belongs in Chi- joked. cago, where President Obama started his “As I considered coming to UIC, I was career in politics, rather than in New York. struck by the passion, dedication and Alfred Tatum, dean of the College of commitment of the faculty and staff that Education, set the tone when he told the work to provide our students a quality audience of about 300 university, civic, education,” he continued. religious and community leaders to put “We believe the presidential library is aside any rivalry between the South and an essential, transformative institution for West sides. Chicago’s future, and we will work to“Balkanization has no place in this city as gether to ensure its success at whatever we think about ways to preserve and extend site the Barack Obama Foundation the legacy of President Obama. We are one chooses. Chicago,” said Tatum, a member of UIC’s “The mayor has provided unwavering Obama Library proposal steering commitsupport to both bids and we appreciate tee. the commitments he has made to ensure “There has been a tone of balkanization, UIC and the University of Chicago subof UIC vs. U. of C., South Side versus West mitted the strongest possible proposals.” Side, and private versus public. As a city, we Derek Douglas, University of Chicago have to resist this. Our commitment is to vice president for civic engagement, said, the president and his post-presidency.” “Throughout this process, both UIC and UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis made the University of Chicago collaborated the introduction before Emanuel spoke. He with community partners and provided Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks with Susan Sher of the University of Chicago and UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis at Monday’s event. — Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin opportunities for everyone from neighbors to elected officials, to civic and business leaders, to weigh in on the library and its role in our city.” Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff, spoke briefly of Obama’s trajectory from the Illinois Senate to the U.S. Senate, then the White House. “We as a city are not done on that journey,” he said. “It can be on the South Side, it can be on the West Side, but it can’t be on the Upper West Side of Manhattan,” Emanuel said of the presidential library, eliciting a round of applause. “The reason New York wants it is, they see what we see. There is a reason all these communities have come together. This is a tremendous opportunity to say ‘yes’ on jobs and ‘yes’ on economic development. “That is the catalyst we want to see in communities.” uicnews.uic.edu 4 I UIC NEWS I MARCH 18, 2015 send information about campus news to Sonya Booth, [email protected] CAMPUS NEWS Students show off talent at Art Fest By Justin Mendoza — [email protected] TanZen, who performed at last year’s event, takes the stage again tonight during the Battle of the Bands, a competition featuring seven bands. Bands battle it out onstage By Matthew Pozo — [email protected] Are you ready to rock, UIC? Battle of the Bands hits the stage at 6 p.m. tonight in the Illinois Room, Student Center East. Seven bands — Starbender, Oracle, Pharaon, Ghoul For A Goblin, Jiggawatts, The Red Flag Boys and TanZen — will perform a free show for the UIC community. There’s a $2 admission charge for others. The crop of bands this year was deeper than previous years, UIC Radio organizers say. “The number of bands who applied increased significantly from last year,” said Pearl Shin, UIC Radio’s music director. “Over 20 bands applied.” With midterms wrapping up, Battle of the Bands is the perfect event to get students’ minds off their studies before spring break. Students can expect a great show with a diverse mix of genres. “There’s really something for everyone to enjoy,” said Austin Sellers, marketing director for UIC Radio. “Students can have a chance to relax, listen to some new bands, support their peers and be a part of something creative and cool on campus.” Student work created at Art Fest will be displayed in the Ward Gallery. Picassos from the UIC community can share their artistic skills during the UIC Art Fest. Students of all skill levels can sign up through Friday at go.uic.edu/ARTFEST Paint, a brush and a canvas will be provided for students to work on their projects from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 30 through April 3 in the Campus Program offices, 340 Student Center East. “Students are very excited. They think they won’t finish in a week but they end up doing so,” said Sladjana Grbic, assistant program director for Campus Programs. The artwork will be displayed in the Montgomery Ward Gallery, with an opening reception April 4. Viewers can vote for their favorites April 4, 4 to 6 p.m., with the top three artists winning gift cards to the UIC Bookstore. “It’s a great experience,” Grbic said. “They leave very confident in their skills.” the Undergraduate Student Success Center (111 Stevenson Hall), the African American Academic Network (2800 Student Services Building), the Wellness Center (238 Student Center East) and the Library of Health Sciences. Monetary donations can be made online at go.uic.edu/food sixth annual UIC Day of Service, part of activities for the national Day of Service April 18. Groups are welcome. A list of sites is online at go.uic.edu/dosmap15. Register at go.uic.edu/uicdos For information, contact Student Leadership Development and Volunteer Services at 312-996-4500 or [email protected] Management on technology transfer. The $3,500 prize will be awarded at a reception May 19. For more information, email [email protected] CAREER FAIR THURSDAY More than 75 employers will be looking to hire UIC students and alumni for internships and full-time and part-time positions at the All-Majors Career Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Illinois Rooms of Student Center East. Students should bring a current i-card; alumni should bring alumni association POP-UP PANTRY THURSDAY membership card or similar documentation. A workshop before the career fair, 9:15– The Pop-Up Pantry, a food pantry for 10 a.m., will offer tips on getting the most registered UIC students, will be open Thursfrom the event. day, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in 604A Student The LinkedIn Photo Booth will offer Center East. professional portraits for LinkedIn profiles The food pantry, sponsored by the Wellfrom 12:30 to 2 p.m. ness Center and Undergraduate Student For more information, visit careers.uic.edu Government, offers canned goods and non-perishable food items. DAY OF SERVICE Food donations for the Pop-Up Pantry can be dropped off at the Dean of Students Help clean up a Chicago beach, prepare Office (3030 Student Services Building), a community garden or paint a school at the NEW DUSABLE EXHIBIT A preview of the DuSable Museum’s new interactive exhibit, “Freedom and Resistance: the Afro-American Experience,” will be presented by DuSable curator Charles Bethea Thursday at the African American Cultural Center. The permanent exhibit, set to open in June, will take a contemporary look at the history of African Americans in the U.S. from the transatlantic slave trade to the 21st century. The brownbag presentation begins at noon in 207 Addams Hall. For more information, visit uicaacc.wordpress.com MYRESEARCH PORTAL UPDATE The myResearch Portal, a university portal that provides researchers with information on current and pending grant awards, has been updated for access to additional information. Part of the START myResearch project, the portal is an electronic research administration system that includes financial and payroll data for business managers and investigators. The system is a collaboration between the three campuses and Administrative IT Systems and Services. For more information visit web.uillinois.edu/start_myresearch or email Youngwook Song at ywsong@ uillinois.edu. CALLING INNOVATORS, INVENTORS April 28 is the deadline to apply for the Innovator and Inventor of the Year Awards, given to outstanding faculty members who have worked with the Office of Technology SHUTTLE BUS TO CUPPA The campus Semester Express Shuttle has been re-routed to provide service to and from CUPPA Hall while building repairs are under way. Faculty offices and student services have been moved to other locations in the Student Services Building and the west side of campus. The service will continue throughout the day, with the last bus leaving CUPPA Hall at 6: 30 p.m. For more information on intracampus bus service, visit go.uic. edu/shuttlebus APPLY FOR INNOVATION FUND Deadline is April 2 for pre-proposal applications for the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Proof-of-Concept Awards, project grants of up to $75,000. Projects must be based on a UIC invention that has been disclosed to the Office of Technology Management. For more information, visit cif.uic.edu, email [email protected] or call 312-996-7013. MARCH 18, 2015 I I uicnews.uic.edu UIC NEWS 5 Amiridis: ‘What would you do if you were chancellor?’ By Sonya Booth — [email protected] By noon on his first day as chancellor, Michael Amiridis had already had donuts with UIC groundskeepers and breakfast with Mayor Rahm Emanuel before attending a technology innovation press conference held by Sen. Dick Durbin. But “this meeting is the most important meeting for me today,” he told the 47 UIC student leaders invited to lunch on the 28th floor of University Hall. “There is a lot of work to do and I need your help.” Amiridis asked the students for their questions and comments. “Tell me, what would you do if you were chancellor?” he asked. They replied with comments that ranged from parking prices and campus food quality to the cost of higher education for undocumented students and the need to strengthen the sense of community on campus. Other topics: the importance of getting college students involved in the political process, the role of athletics and expanded honors classes. “He seems very supportive of students and our initiatives,” said Annie Li, president of Student Alumni Ambassadors and a senior in health information management. “He’s very approach- Watch the video! youtube.com/uicmedia able. I’m looking forward to working with him.” “He could change the way people look at UIC,” said Stephanie Tena, president of the Collegiate Panhellenic Council and a student in liberal arts and sciences. “He could bridge the gap between students and staff. And he’s super funny.” “It’s great that he wants to know how students are feeling. He didn’t have to do this,” said Jamel Russell, president of Minority Students for the Advancement of Public Health and a graduate student in public health. “Hopefully, he’ll follow through.” Amiridis had his own request for students. “The things you like about UIC, let the world know,” he said. “The things you don’t like, let us know and give us a chance to correct them.” Chancellor Michael Amiridis met with student leaders on his first day Monday to hear their suggestions. — Photos: Joshua Clark uicnews.uic.edu 6 I UIC NEWS I MARCH 18, 2015 Killeen prepares to begin presidential term in May By Mike Helenthal — [email protected] Timothy Killeen will officially become University of Illinois president May 18. At the March 12 board of trustees meeting in Urbana, chair Edward McMillan said Killeen is already transitioning into the leadership position. “It’s remarkable how much you’ve been involved already,” McMillan told Killeen. President Bob Easter’s last official day will be May 17. McMillan and the board directed Killeen to begin developing a university-wide strategic plan to ensure the U of I meets future needs in fulfilling its missions of education, research, public service and economic development. Killeen said planning will begin soon and the process will be inclusive, with input from the three campuses and strategies from their own plans. The board asked Killeen to complete the plan within 12 to 18 months. Killeen, who promised to update the board at the July 22 annual retreat, said the strategic planning process will have a strong student focus. “A lot of people will be called on to participate. The planning process will be inclusive,” he said, “a collaboration with our campuses that will forge a vision to guide our collective future.” Killeen said there are untapped synergies the three campuses can develop to further the university’s mission and better serve the state’s citizens. “We must embrace those opportunities,” he said. STATE FUNDING CUTS Walter Knorr, university chief financial officer, said university officials continue to work with state leaders on a range of issues after Gov. Bruce Rauner announced a state budget that would cut higher education funding by more than 30 percent. The proposed cuts would reduce the university’s current $622 million appropriation to $453 million, making the level of state support the lowest since the 1950s in inflation-adjusted dollars. The state lags by more than $300 million in promised university aid to date and is around $6 billion behind in payments to vendors overall. Knorr said the university’s financial position becomes murkier when considering legislative efforts to shift state-funded portions of health and retirement programs to the university’s books, as well as ongoing efforts to reduce the Medicaid rate, which “It’s remarkable how much you’ve been involved,” contributed to a $7 million board chair Edward McMillan told President-elect Timothy Killeen. — Photo: L. Brian Stauffer shortfall at UI Health. “That’s going to be in play here this (legislative) session,” he said. “We’re probably going to be looking at some cost shifting.” Students, too, are feeling pressure from the state budget crisis. Knorr said the Feb. 22 cutoff by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the Monetary Award Program was the earliest it has ever been. Knorr said the university can’t use its $2.3 billion endowment to blunt the proposed budget cuts because many of those funds are donor targeted and can’t be used as general revenue funds. NEW TRUSTEES Ramon Cepeda, a 1990 UIC graduate in criminal justice, attended his first meeting as university trustee. Rauner appointed Cepeda and Urbana graduate Jill Smart to six-year terms, filling the seats held by former board chairman Christopher Kennedy and Pamela Strobel, whose terms expired in January. Cepeda, 47, a political independent from Darien, is senior vice president of Northern Trust Corp. in Chicago, where he oversees the commercial real estate group he created in 2010. He is managing director of Northern Trust’s wealth management division. Smart, 55, a Republican from Downers Grove, is president of the National Acade- UIC graduate Ramon Cepeda began his term as university trustee. — Photo: L. Brian Stauffer my of Human Resources, a nonprofit organization that recognizes institutions and individuals for achievement in human resources. She graduated from the Urbana campus in 1981 with a degree in business administration. She will be installed as trustee at the May 7 meeting. University leaders speak at state budget hearings Top university leaders from the three U of I campuses are scheduled to testify in Springfield Thursday at legislative hearings on the fiscal 2016 state budget. At the same time, the Office for Governmental Relations and the Alumni Association Illinois Connection advocacy group launched a grassroots campaign to contact state lawmakers. Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed a fiscal 2016 state budget that includes a 31.5 percent reduction in the appropriations for public universities — a $209 million cut in direct state support for the U of I. A massive cut in direct state support will diminish the academic experience for 78,500 students and damage the university’s competitiveness, President Bob Easter and campus leaders will testify. Traveling to Springfield with Easter are UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis, Urbana Chancellor Phyllis Wise and UIS Chancellor Susan Koch, along with vice chancellors for student affairs from the three campuses. For more information, visit go.uic.edu/illinoisconnection and go.uic.edu/staterelations MARCH 18, 2015 I UIC NEWS I uicnews.uic.edu 7 SCIENTIST WINS SLOAN FELLOWSHIP Researcher Neal Mankad replaces precious metals with abundant elements By Jeanne Galatzer-Levy — [email protected] has solved the same problem. There are Neal Mankad, assistant professor of a number of biological processes that chemistry, was awarded an Alfred P. Sloan rely on inorganic materials, usually iron, Research Fellowship for his research on copper or zinc. fundamental issues of sustainability — “Living organisms couldn’t survive if finding ways to replace precious metals they had to rely on with earth-abundant platinum for elecelements in catalytic “THERE’S A LOT OF tron catalysis,” he processes. FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE THAT said. The two-year Mankad believes Sloan fellowships are WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND.” fundamental inorawarded to early-caganic chemistry can help explain how reer scientists and scholars of outstanding nature has evolved to solve these probpromise. They are given for distinguished lems — lessons that can be used to find performance and potential to make subnew catalysts. It’s an unfunded area of stantial contributions. research for his team, though, and he “The Sloan award has no budget we have has not been able to devote much time to follow,” said Mankad. “It allows young to it. scientists to pursue work in their group “I’m hoping that with the Sloan felthat may not be funded, that may be more lowship, we can add resources to help us risky, but that might, if they work, bring build models and to help us understand you a breakthrough result.” how these bio-inorganic sites work,” he There is a renewed push towards sussaid. tainability in all areas of chemistry, said “The more fundamental your science Mankad. “But there is a lot of fundamental is, the more important it is to have some science that we need to understand before things you’re doing that aren’t very goal we get to the point that we can move to oriented, that you can kind of fish replacement technologies.” around,” Mankad said. Mankad wants to look at how evolution Neal Mankad (right), assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded a Sloan fellowship, given to early-career scholars. — Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin uicnews.uic.edu 8 I UIC NEWS I MARCH 18, 2015 Send information about campus events to Christy Levy, [email protected] CALENDAR MARCH 19 ALL-MAJORS CAREER FAIR More than 60 employers looking to hire students and alumni at the fair, hosted by the Office of Career Services. Free event for UIC students and alumni only; bring i-card 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. / SCE go.uic.edu/allmajors EXHIBITS MARCH 31-APRIL 4 THROUGH APRIL 30 Gush Visualizing Uncle Tom’s Cabin : Pictorial Interpretations of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Novel MFA thesis exhibition featuring Soheila Azadi, Jessica Cobb, Meg Nafziger and Lauren C. Sudbrink on display at Gallery 400. Reception, 5–8 p.m. April 3; artists’ talks, 5 p.m. April 3 Examining how characters and events are represented through the years Hours: Mon.–Tues. and Thurs.–Fri. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Wed. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sat. 12:30–4:30 p.m. Hours: Tues.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat. noon–6 p.m. Daley Library Special Collections go.library.uic.edu/Exhibit Gallery 400, ADH LECTURES MARCH 18 MARCH 19 MARCH 19 Who Run the Classroom? Possessed by the Past Immaculate Conceptions Jennifer Richardson, research assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, and Kevin Allred, doctoral candidate at Rutgers University, discuss how they use Beyoncé’s music and career to engage issues of black feminist theory with students. Part of Women’s Heritage Month Agi Legutko, director of the Yiddish Language Program at Columbia University, discusses dybbuk, postmemory and modern Jewish identity. Sponsored by the Institute for the Humanities Faculty fellow Rosie Hernandez, associate professor of Hispanic and Italian studies, examines the religious imagination in Counter-Reformation Spain. Sponsored by the Institute for the Humanities 5–8 p.m. / Lecture Center A1 12:30 p.m. / lower level, SH 4 p.m. / lower level, SH SPECIAL EVENTS MARCH 18 MARCH 19 MARCH 31 Battle of the Bands Pop-Up Pantry Tuesdays-at-One Seven bands — Starbender, Oracle, Pharaon, Ghoul for a Goblin, Jiggawatts, The Red Flag Boys and Tanzen — compete for an opening slot at next year’s Spark in the Park. Sponsored by Campus Programs and UIC Radio 6–10 p.m. Illinois Room, SCE Free nonperishable food items for UIC students in need. Bring i-card. Sponsored by the UIC Wellness Center and the Undergraduate Student Government 11 a.m.–4 p.m. 604A SCE go.uic.edu/food Violist Karl Davies (right) and clarinetist Gene Collerd, faculty members in the department of music, perform chamber music by Mozart and Schumann, including Schumann’s “Märchenbilder” (“Fairy Tales”) 1–1:50 p.m. L060 ETMSW FOR MORE UIC EVENTS, VISIT EVENTS.UIC.EDU MARCH 18, 2015 I UIC NEWS I uicnews.uic.edu 9 Want to contribute a story? Email Christy Levy, [email protected] STUDENT VOICE By Nicole Cardos [email protected] Hopper never forgot to credit the female team that worked with her. “Grace was incredible about the women she worked with,” Pierce said. “She knew that you should hold onto really good people and make concessions for them.” For her own credit, Hopper is associated with the creation of the COBOL language, one of the first high-level programming languages, Pierce said. “But she came up with the idea of a compiler,” she said. “A program that translates machine language into human language, which is what COBOL is based off. “You can thank Grace for being able to have an app on your iPhone, and the same app on your friend’s Android.” As a young girl, Hopper took apart seven alarm clocks to learn how they worked and how to fix them. “It illustrates the point that she wasn’t afraid to break things apart,” Pierce said. Grace Hopper “had this spirit that students could learn from,” says Women in Science and Engineering director Veronica Arreola. — Photo: U.S. Navy Hopper didn’t learn how to program until she was 37 years old. She was a mathematics professor before she joined the Navy on her third try during World War II. Hopper was denied the first two times for being underweight and holding a job too important to national security. Upon acceptance, Hopper was assigned to work on the Harvard Mark I: a 10,000pound computer used in World War II. Hopper was a genius, but she was also persistent. “People are framed as geniuses just because they persist,” said Veronica Arreola, director of the Women in Science and Engineering Program and the organizer of the event. “From what I know of Grace, she had this spirit that students could learn from. “Even rocket scientists have to persist.” Cultural cuisine at ‘Taste’ By Justin Mendoza — [email protected] Delicious entrees filled the East Terrace in Student Center East with a delightful aroma Thursday. Student organizations showcased their cooking skills while raising money during the Taste of UIC, sponsored by Campus Programs. “It’s been here for many years. About 500 people come to support the event,” said Jessica Adam, assistant program director in Campus Programs. Students and staff members lined up to purchase tickets and try cultural cuisine. “We are selling great snacks with a healthy twist,” said Jacob Mey, doctoral student in kinesiology and nutrition and president of the Student Nutrition Association Club. “We have kale chips.” People tried food from organizations such as the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and Filipinos in Alliance. With a handful of plates, they looked for empty tables to enjoy their lunch. “I got an empanada filled with ground beef, a tamale, and a tostada tinga,” said Ian Torres, a junior in Latin American and Latino studies. “It’s pretty good so far.” Sandra Li tried the Taste of UIC for the first time. “It’s better than expected,” said Li, a senior in psychology. “My favorite is the spam wasabi.” Kevin Pilarczyk, junior in teaching of mathematics, serves food while Brenda Herrera, junior in biology, tries some. — Photos: Joseph Horejs uicnews.uic.edu 10 I UIC NEWS I MARCH 18, 2015 WORD SEARCH: LANGUAGES TAUGHT AT UIC Sudoku Puzzler by Ian Riensche, www.sudokupuzzler.com SUDOKU: HARD Find the words listed below in the word bank. Words can be found in any and every direction. Enjoy! — Puzzle: Vana Povrzenic Use logic and process of elimination to fill in the blank cells using the numbers 1 through 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. ARABIC CHINESE FRENCH Find the answer to this week’s puzzle online at go.uic.edu/puzzle318 WORD BANK GERMAN GREEK ITALIAN JAPANESE LATIN LITHUANIAN POLISH RUSSIAN SPANISH POLICE UIC Police emergency: 312-355-5555 Nonemergency: TDD: 312-996-2830 312-413-9323 Visit the UIC Police crime map uiccrimemaps.org/map and the Chicago Police CLEAR Map gis.chicagopolice.org MARCH 9–15 CRIMES REPORTED TO UIC POLICE Theft: 8 Assault: 2 Disorderly conduct: 1 Interference with emergency equipment: 3 Criminal trespass: 1 ARRESTS BY UIC POLICE March 11: A man was arrested for assault at 5:12 a.m. at UI Hospital. A female juvenile was arrested at 11:05 a.m. at UI Hospital for a battery that occurred Feb. 15. March 15: A man was arrested for criminal trespass at 5:30 p.m. at 919 W. Maxwell St. UIC News Staff Published on Wednesdays during the academic year (monthly during summer) by the Office of Public and Government Affairs of the University of Illinois at Chicago. 601 S. 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[email protected] Photography, UIC Photo Services Roberta Dupuis-Devlin & Joshua Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] uicnews.uic.edu MARCH 18, 2015 I UIC NEWS I uicnews.uic.edu 11 DAMAGED DNA Researchers examine how repair enzyme works By Jeanne Galatzer-Levy — [email protected] Our entire genetic code is made up of 6 billion base pairs, yet dozens of different enzymes can recognize and interact with very specific patterns, whether they are responsible for turning on — or off — a specific gene, or finding and repairing one type of damage to the DNA itself. Many, if not most, of these enzymes have a binding site that fits into the site it needs like a lock and key. Still, it boggles the mind to imagine how these enzymes home in on their targets. UIC researchers Jung-Hyun Min and Anjum Ansari wondered how a repair enzyme could work if it lacked a lockand-key binding site. In research published recently in Nature Communications, they found that the enzyme quickly sorts through vast stretches of DNA without wasting time on sites it wasn’t designed to fix and quickly finding the sites where it was needed. Other DNA-binding enzymes may use this strategy as well. “If the DNA is normal, the interaction that the protein makes with the DNA is not very tight and the protein is able to hop along at some speed,” said Anjum Ansari, professor of physics and co-principal investigator. “When the protein encounters a damaged DNA, it’s not quite like a normal DNA, it’s a little twisted,” she said. “The protein stumbles at that spot and gets a little stalled, enough to give it a little bit more time at the damaged site. The longer it sits, the higher the probability that it will open the DNA and initiate repair.” This “stumble” gives the protein time to flip out one strand of the double strands that make up DNA and begin repair of the other, damaged strand, said Jung-Hyun Min, assistant professor of chemistry and co-principal investigator. The protein, xeroderma pigmentosum or XPC, is unusual because it can repair different types of damage. This makes it important for the repair of DNA damaged by environmental hazards, like the chemicals released by cigarette smoke, pollutants and fuel combustion, Min said. To see how the protein binds DNA without this kind of specific binding site, the researchers used a chemical trick to bind the protein to a site on undamaged DNA. To their surprise, they found the protein had flipped open the undamaged DNA. This suggests that if you hold the repair protein in place long enough anywhere on the DNA, it will open even undamaged DNA, Ansari said. Using an unusual technique called temperature-jump perturbation spectros- Jung-Hyun Min, assistant professor of chemistry, and Anjum Ansari, professor of physics, study DNA-binding enzymes. — Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin copy, which allowed the researchers to observe the interaction of the protein with DNA millisecond by millisecond, they determined that the protein needed seven milliseconds to flip open DNA at a damaged site. “We think it could take as much as 4,000 times as long to open DNA at an undamaged versus damaged site,” Ansari said. The XPC protein moves too quickly to engage undamaged DNA, but it stalls at a damaged site just long enough to bind the DNA and begin repair. “This has a potential to explain the kind of phenomena that we couldn’t explain before — how the XPC protein is recruited to unexpected places where it has been found, like transcription sites,” Min said. “It may be that all you need is to bring the protein to these novel sites and stall it for a moment.” Now that they know what to look for, the two researchers think delay-triggered kinetic gating is a common mechanism, with a role in many, or even all, DNA recognition proteins. Xuejing Chen, UIC department of chemistry, is first author on the study. Co-authors include Yogambigai Velmurugu, Guanqun Zheng, Beomseok Park, Yoonjung Shim and Chuan He, UIC; Younchang Kim, Argonne National Laboratory; and Lili Liu and Bennett Van Houten, University of Pittsburgh. Nobel laureates visit UIC to mark anniversary of global peace organization By Brian Flood — [email protected] The Social Justice Initiative at UIC welcomed Nobel Peace laureates Leymah Gbowee and Jody Williams to campus Monday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, a group whose first president was social reformer Jane Addams. The nonprofit organization, with 30 international branches that promote women’s contributions to global peace efforts, teamed with the Nobel Women’s Initiative to sponsor the day-long event at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum on campus. More than 70 invited community activists, philanthropists, academics and campus leaders joined the laureates for discussions of gender peace movements around the world and to strategize ways to bring about greater social justice. Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel recipient from Liberia, told the group that the celebration and Addams’ legacy as the first U.S. woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize brought two principles to the forefront: human rights and nonviolence. “When Jane Addams started the work Nobel Peace laureates Jody Williams (left) and Leymah Gbowee visit UIC Monday. — Photo: Al DiFranco that she did, I can just imagine it was not trending,” said Gbowee, a peace activist who help end the second Liberian civil war in 2003. “She began the entire conversation of people’s rights and that states should pay attention to it.” While addressing social justice progress, UIC historian Barbara Ransby reflected on the contemporary efforts of young people. “I am very uplifted by the brilliance, the courage, the determination to really build off the foundation of so many women who began fighting a hundred years ago,” said Ransby, director of the UIC Social Justice Initiative. “The spirit and legacy of those fights are very much the ground and foundation in which young women today are not only envisioning a better world, but demanding and making a better world for themselves and their communities.” Those at the conference collaborated to develop a U.S. Peace and Freedom Statement that will be delivered next month during the league’s centennial congress at The Hague, Netherlands. Closing remarks were given by Williams, the first UIC Social Justice Initiative fellow, who received a Nobel Prize in 1997 for her international campaign to ban land mines. Other speakers included Eric Gislason, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost; Astrida Orle Tantillo, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Steve Everett, dean of the College of Architecture, Design and the Arts; Terry Mazany, Chicago Community Trust president and CEO, and Jennifer Scott, director of Hull-House Museum, and Mary Harrison, U.S. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom section president. 12 uicnews.uic.edu I UIC NEWS I MARCH 18, 2015 SPORTS Baseball preps for Illinois State By Mike Laninga — [email protected] Eleni Polites is on the All-Tournament Team after batting .538. — Photo: Steve Woltmann The baseball team hosts Illinois State this afternoon at Curtis Granderson Stadium. — Photo: Timothy Nguyen Cheer on the baseball team today as the Flames take on Illinois State at 3 p.m. at Curtis Granderson Stadium. The baseball team (4-9-1, 2-1 Horizon League) beat Valparaiso (4-10, 1-2 Horizon League) Friday, 8-2, and Saturday, 3-2, but fell behind early Sunday at home in the series finale, 15-1. Redshirt freshman Gabe Dwyer gave UIC its lone run of the day with his first career homer in the eighth inning. Senior Tyler Detmer has the nation’s longest reachedbase streak with 36 as he recorded a pair of singles against the Crusaders. He improved his season batting average to .333. Valpo’s surge began with three runs in the opening frame and continued with five scores in the second stanza. The Crusaders went ahead by double digits in the third inning with three runs, which gave Valpo an 11-0 advantage. The Flames’ bullpen struggled on the mound as seven UIC pitchers combined to give up 17 hits, 10 walks and four hit batters. The Flames recorded eight hits on the day, including seven singles and one double from sophomore Ricardo Ramirez – his second two-bagger of the season. Gymnastics sets season-high scores By Jennifer Zoellick — [email protected] Gabrielle May earned a career-best score in her last meet as a Flame. — Photo: Steve Woltmann The women’s gymnastics team defeated Southeast Missouri State, 193.625-191.800, Sunday at the UIC Pavilion. The Flames earned their highest team score of the season and set team highs on bars and floor in the first senior night held at the UIC Pavilion. Senior captain Gabrielle May had an outstanding final meet as a Flame, earning a career-best 39.225 in the all-around category to take first place. “It was so exciting to have the first senior day here at the Pavilion,” head coach Peter Jansson said. “The girls came out very strong. We finished off with a bang with five great hits on floor. In the end, it all added up our best score of the season and we will head into the conference championships with confidence.” UIC heads to Denton, Texas, for the Midwest Independent Conference Championships Saturday at Texas Woman’s University. UIC started strong in the first rotation, with sophomore Nikki Woodruff scoring a career-best 9.800 to tie for first place with May. Softball picks up wins at Spring Fling By Laura White — [email protected] The softball team (8-10) pulled away with a 4-3 win against Monmouth (2-6) Sunday to close out the UCF Spring Fling Tournament in Orlando. The Flames won two of five games during the tournament, also beating Fairfield, 9-0, Saturday. They lost to Butler and James Madison Friday and UCF Saturday. The Flames open Horizon League competition this weekend, hosting Oakland Friday and Saturday at Flames Field. After Monmouth tied the game in the top of the seventh Sunday, senior Amanda Mener stepped to the plate with junior Laura Swan on second and hit a walk-off single to score the game-winning run. The Flames put up eight hits against Monmouth, with Mener and senior Eleni Polites producing three each. Polites and Mener were named to the All-Tournament Team after batting .538 and .462 through their five games. UIC scored an early run in the first round at the plate. After freshman Tiana Mack-Miller reached on a fielder’s choice and Swan walked, senior Erica Hampton singled and Mack-Miller came in to score on a Monmouth error. The Flames plated two more runs in the second. With sophomore Kaleigh Nagle and junior Dana Capocci on after a walk and bunt single, freshman Taylor Cairns walked and Nagle scored on the wild pitch. Polites hit her first career triple to left field, allowing Capocci to come across the plate. Monmouth brought in a run in the top of the third and in the sixth. They tied the game in the top of the seventh. Swan led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and moved to second on a groundout from Hampton. Mener came to plate with one out and singled to bring Swan around the bases for the game-winning run.
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