NU Board of Regents to Meet Today in Lincoln

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents meets today, Dec. 11, at Varner Hall, 3835 Holdrege St., in Lincoln. The publicly convened session will start at 10:30 a.m. in the Board Room. Read more.

Campus Holiday Open House Now Set for Dec. 14

Chancellor John Christensen, Senior Vice Chancellor Terry Hynes and Vice Chancellor Bill Conley invite faculty and staff to attend UNO's annual campus holiday open house. This rescheduled event will take place Monday, Dec. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom.

The open house had been schedule for Dec. 9, but this week's snowstorm closed UNO and cancelled the event.

Deadline Extended for Fourth Cumbre of the Great Plains Papers

The deadline for submissions has been extended until Friday, Jan. 1, for individual papers and presenters for The Fourth Cumbre of the Great Plains. The Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at UNO will host the conference Thursday through Saturday, May 13-15, 2010, at Embassy Suites in Omaha. The event's theme is "Human Mobility, the Promise of Development and Political Engagement." The conference will bring together scholars, policy-makers, and non-governmental and community representatives interested in exchanging views about the failures and successes of economic development and its impact on immigration. Read more.

Karen Garver Retirement Reception Today

After more than 25 years of service at UNO as an academic advisor in the Division of Continuing Studies, Karen Garver will retire in January.

A retirement reception for Garver will be held stoday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. The reception will take place in the Milo Bail Student Center Chancellor's Room. The Division of Continuing Studies invites the campus community to come and congratulate Garver in her retirement.

For more information, contact The Division of Continuing Studies at 554.2370.

Book Buy Back and Holiday Sale Under Way at UNO Bookstore

The "book buy back" event and annual holiday sale at the UNO Bookstore continues through Friday, Dec. 18. Individuals must have a current picture ID to sell books.

Estimated buy back prices can be viewed at http://www.unobookstore.comm by clicking on the "cash for books" link. Bookstore hours during the book buy back and sale:

- Today, Dec. 11
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

- Saturday, Dec. 12
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

- Monday through Thursday, Dec. 14-17
7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

- Friday, Dec. 18
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

EC UNO to Host Dec. 15 Screening of NET Television's "Prairie Wind"

The Environmental Club of UNO (EC UNO) will host a free screening and panel discussion of NET Television's "Prairie Wind: Nebraska's Energy Harvest" Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service Collaborating Commons.

In "Prairie Wind: Nebraska's Energy Harvest," NET Television producer Perry Stoner explores legislative, technical and cost issues, as well as how local communities could benefit from Nebraska harnessing the power of the wind. The program also examines how farmers and ranchers could use wind energy in their operations, and how landowners could reap economic benefits from a wind structure that takes less than an acre out of production. For documentary details, click on http://www.netnebraska.org/extras/prairiewind/.

Panelists will include:

- Perry Stoner, documentary producer;

- Sen. Ken Haar, Nebraska State Senator for Legislative District 21;

- Robert Byrnes, president of the Nebraska Renewable Energy Association; and

- Paul Vonderfecht, Omaha small business owner, Energy Smart Company.

For event information, contact Scott Williams at scott.williams@climateprotect.org.

The Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Task Force on Sustainability supports this event. For more information, visit http://www.unomaha.edu/green/.

Native American Studies Fall Honoring Ceremony Dec. 17

he Native American Studies faculty and Native American Studies Alumni Association (NASAA) will host their Fall Honoring Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom.

Seven undergraduate and graduate students will be honored for completing minors in Native American Studies. A Native Drum will perform and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Beth Ritter at britter@unomaha.edu or 554.3376.

Criss Library Extends Hours for Prep and Finals Week

Criss Library will pilot extended hours for prep and finals week this month.

"We are pleased to offer students this additional time," said Audrey DeFrank, acting dean of libraries. "We will track and evaluate student usage during this time to determine the feasibility of extended hours in subsequent semesters."

The library will stay open two extra hours until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday during prep week (Dec. 6-10), and Sunday through Tuesday of finals week (Dec. 13-15) to allow UNO students additional research and study hours.

Remaining prep and finals week library hours:

- Friday, Dec. 11
7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

- Saturday, Dec. 12
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

- Sunday, Dec. 13
Noon to 2 a.m.

- Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 14-15
7 a.m. to 2 a.m.

- Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 16-17
7 a.m. to midnight

- Friday, Dec. 18
7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"Miracle Mile Walk" Today in MBSC

This event has been designated a UNO Mav-Rec Wellness event.

Student Health Services nurse Julie Kalasek and the Miracle Milers invite the campus community to participate in the "Miracle Mile Walk." The free inside walking will take place Friday, Dec. 11, from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center U Mon Hon (Omaha) Room.

No experience is necessary, and participants will have the opportunity to walk inside to a 15-minute DVD.

"The Miracle Mile Walk is equivalent to a one-mile outdoor walk. It is designed for people of all ages and fitness levels," Kalasek said. "Wear comfortable shoes, or you can walk barefoot, too."

Click on http://www.unomaha.edu/enotes/2009/img/miraclemile09.pdf for the complete schedule.

For more information, contact Kalasek at 554.2374 or Becky Bohan Brown at 554.2243.

Sponsored by the Wellness Stampede, Human Resources and Student Health Services, You Look MAVelous! is UNO's fitness and summer weight loss challenge.

The mission of the Wellness Stampede, UNO's health promotion program, is to create a culture of health and wellness among all faculty, staff and students. Health goals are encouraged through programming and initiatives that celebrate healthier lifestyle practi contact David Daniels at 554.2008, daviddaniels@unomaha.edu. For more information, http://www.unomaha.edu/wwwocr/health/stampede.php.

UFO Study Group to Meet Saturday

The UNO UFO Study Group meets every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 285 Durham Science Center during the fall semester. The Saturday, Dec. 12, meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in unidentified flying objects and related phenomena is welcome to attend.

For more information, call John Powers at 319.2721.

Lynn Conner Retirement Reception Set for Jan. 11

Lynn Conner from UNO Athletes will retire after more than 24 years of service in January. The campus community is invited to join Conner for refreshments and to share memories on Monday, Jan. 11, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the William H. and Dorothy Thompson Alumni Center.

Those interested in contributing to Conner's retirement gift can download http://www.unomaha.edu/enotes/2009/img/connergift.pdf and send it to the address listed by Wednesday, Jan. 6.

For more information, contact Geri Backora at 554.2506 or gbackora@unomaha.edu.

UNO Staff Members Sought for Work-Life Study

Every person "bounds," or puts limits on, how much overlap they have between their work, family and personal interests. Researchers need participants for a study that investigates how UNO staff members and their spouses/partners manage these different boundaries on a daily basis and how these boundaries affect health and well-being (IRB# 237-09-EP).

Study participants must work at least 35 hours per week, must have lived together for at least two years, and must not have switched jobs or employers within the past year.

Participants will be asked to complete a one-hour and 30-minute interview, as well as a brief 10-minute survey. Each member of the couple will be interviewed and surveyed separately. Study participants will be compensated for their time.

For more information, contact Samantha K. Ammons at 554.3358 or sammons@unomaha.edu.

Call for On-Campus Pedagogical Support Activities

The University Committee for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT) announces the availability of Pedagogical Activity Grants for university-wide pedagogical activities to enhance teaching/learning at UNO.

Examples of possible activities, but not limited to these, are: guest speakers, workshops and book discussions. All applications should connect to one or more UCAT themes. Visit http://www.unomaha.edu/ucat for a link to UCAT themes.

The committee is accepting proposals on a monthly basis now through April or until funds are expended. The committee will fund grants up to $500 for each award. Proposals are due by the 21st of each month. Application forms are available on the UCAT Web site (http://www.unomaha.edu/ucat/). Applicants should submit one hard copy and an electronic submission of the application. Electronic submissions should be in rtf or MS Word document formats and should be sent as an e-mail attachment to Alice Woll (awoll@unomaha.edu). Hard copy submissions should be sent to the Center for Faculty Development in ASH 202.

For more information, contact 2009-10 UCAT Chair Kath Henebry at 554.3153 or khenebry@unomaha.edu.

In the News

- A 25-minute radio documentary on homelessness in Nebraska by School of Communication students in Robert Franklin's class this semester aired Dec. 5 on KCRO (660 AM). The documentary will air again at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 on KCRO.

- Dan Siedell, Art and Art History, was featured in the Dec. 5 issue of the Lincoln Journal Star. Siedell was recently appointed director of the Whale & Star Foundation. Whale & Star, based in Florida, houses artist Enrique Martinez Celaya's foundation and archives. Martinez Celaya is in his final year as the University of Nebraska Visiting Presidential Scholar.

- Qiuming Zhu, Computer Science, was quoted in the Dec. 7 issue of the Omaha World-Herald about Computer Science Education Week events at UNO.

If you are a member of the UNO community and have been interviewed by the media - local, state, regional, national or international - we want to know about it. Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@mail.unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number. For more information, call 554.2762.

In Print

- Science News, the bi-weekly news magazine of the Society for Science and the Public, has published an article on the research of a UNO biology professor. Alan Kolok, a professor in the Biology Department, is conducting research regarding the relationships among land use, occurrence of pollutants in local waterways and the effect of those pollutants on fish. Read more.

If you've authored or edited a book, article or other text that's been published recently, we want to know about it. Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@mail.unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number. For more information, call 554.2243.

On Stage

UNO Jazz Ensembles MBSC Performance Today
Bring a lunch and a friend and enjoy free jazz today, Dec. 11, in the Milo Bail Student Center Nebraska Room. The UNO Jazz Ensembles will perform brown bag concerts from noon to 12:50 p.m.

For more information contact Pete Madsen at 554.2297 or petermadsen@unomaha.edu.

Prevailing Winds Concert Takes Place Tonight
The UNO Concert and Jazz Bands will conclude the fall semester with the annual "Prevailing Winds" concert today, Dec. 11. The 7:30 p.m. concert will be presented in the Strauss Performing Arts Center.

All four groups will be featured, presenting short programs that will begin with Jazz Ensemble Too performing "Shiny Stockings" arranged by Sammy Nestico and "Let the Good Times Roll" arranged by Mark Taylor. 

The Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by James Saker,  will present the second performance of a new work that was premiered in May -- a Spanish-flavored fanfare by Ethan Wickman called "Corrida."  Graduate flute student Sara Schuhardt will be featured in the Gordeli "Concerto for Flute." The Wind Ensemble will conclude their portion of the program with one of the most frequently performed classics for concert band, Alfred Reed's "Russian Christmas Music." 

The Jazz Ensemble, directed by Pete Madsen, will perform two works by Jaco Pastorius that were featured on their concert for the Nebraska Music Educators Association Conference in November.  They are "Used to be a Cha Cha" and "Liberty City." 

The concert will conclude with the University Concert Band performing works by Elliot Del Borgo and James Barnes.  This will be the first performance of this group under the leadership of Courtney Snyder, the new assistant director of bands.

Tickets are $5 for Adults and $4 for seniors and students.  All UNO faculty and students will be admitted free with a MavCard.  For additional information, contact the University Bands Office at 554.3352.

The Moving Company to Perform Dec. 11 in HPER
The Moving Company at UNO will perform "New Works and Works in Progress" Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. in the Dance Lab, 231 Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Building. Donations will be accepted at the door.

The Moving Company is UNO's modern dance performing group and part of the School of HPER. Auditions are open to all UNO students and members of the Omaha community. It is an intergenerational company with a mission to create new works and to restage historical pieces.

For more information, visit http://www.unomaha.edu/themovingcompany or call 554.3239.

If you are a member of the UNO community and are involved in an upcoming performance, we want to know about it. Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@mail.unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number.

On Exhibit

UNO Student Art Competition for Mammel Hall Tonight
A closing reception for the UNO Student Art Competition for Mammel Hall exhibition will take place today, Dec. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the UNO Art Gallery, located in the Weber Fine Arts Building.

Juror Janet Farber, curator of the Schrager Collection, selected 30 works by 18 students for the exhibition. A selection committee from the College of Business Administration determined purchase awards from these works, which will eventually be installed in Mammel Hall. Mammel Hall will be the new home for the College of Business Administration next fall.

Refreshments will be served and the purchase awards announced at 5 p.m. For more information, contact Bonnie O'Connell at 554.2787.

Criss Library Hosts Smithsonian Traveling "Earth From Space" Exhibit
A Smithsonian "Earth from Space" exhibit remains on display through Thursday, Dec. 17, at the Criss Library Gallery.

"Earth from Space" presents dozens of detailed satellite images on vivid freestanding banners and reveals the awesome beauty of the planet's surface through the "eyes" of a space satellite. The exhibit explains how remote sensing is used to expand scientists understanding of life on Earth and introduces the technologies scientists use to gather this astonishing imagery. 

This Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition presentation was developed in collaboration with the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The gallery is located on the main floor of the library. For more information about the display, call 554.2640.

If you are a member of the UNO community and are involved in an exhibit, we want to know about it! Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@mail.unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number. For more information, call 554.2243.