UNO to Host Panel Tonight on 'Turmoil in Egypt and the Middle East: Contextualizing History in the Making'

UNO's History Department "Middle East Project Fund" and the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies will co-host a panel discussion on recent events in Egypt and the Middle East tonight on campus.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held tonight, Feb. 10, starting at 7 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Council Room.

"As Tunisia's ‘Jasmine Revolution' has evolved into mass demonstrations in Egypt and discontent in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, many questions remain to be addressed regarding the impact of these events on the USA and the international community," said Moshe Gershovich, professor of history at UNO. "While predicting the likely outcomes of these events may be tricky and premature, we can, and should, seek a historical context and perspective."

Tonight's event will be moderated by Guy Matalon, The Jewish Federation of Omaha Professor of Judaic Studies and director of the Schwalb Center, and will feature the following panelists:

- John Calvert, Henry W. Casper SJ Associate Professor of History, Department of History, Creighton University

- Moshe Gershovich, director of the "Middle East Project Fund," UNO

"Gain a deeper insight behind the headlines and enhance your awareness of the currents that shape what is taking place in this turbulent region of vital importance to the USA and the rest of the world," Dr. Gershovich said.

 Questions? Call (402) 554.3175 or e-mail mgershovich@mail.unomaha.edu.

Mavericks Aim To 'Sell Out Wisconsin'

UNO hockey will attempt to draw the largest crowd in school history for the second year in a row when it welcomes Wisconsin to Qwest Center Omaha this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 11-12. The goal of the "Sell Out Wisconsin" promotion is to earn the first sellout of all 15,959 seats at the Qwest Center for Friday's game. 

"We had outstanding success with last year's "Sell Out Ohio State" event, so it was only natural that we attempt to break our record again this season," said Trev Alberts, UNO's Director of Athletics. "Friday's game will be a battle of two ranked teams, and we hope fans in Omaha will be on hand to lend their support to the Mavericks and be a part of UNO history at the same time." Read more.

Virgin Galactic CEO to Present Durham Lecture, Receive Shea Award Feb. 16

George Whitesides, chief executive officer of Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, will be honored by the UNO Aviation Institute and the NASA Nebraska Space Grant on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Whitesides will receive the William F. Shea Award for his contributions to aerospace and present the 2011 Charles W. Durham Distinguished Guest Lecture.

Virgin Galactic, the first U.S.-based and regulated space tourism company, will soon offer space flights to civilians who receive extensive training. Whitesides is the company's first CEO.

The event will be held at the Thompson Alumni Center. A reception is planned for 6:45 p.m., with Whitesides' lecture following at 7:15 p.m. Both the reception and lecture are free and open to the public. Read more.

Rent-A-Chi Fundraiser Now Through April 30

Need help spring-cleaning your yard? Perhaps with snow removal? Members of Theta Chi fraternity at UNO are hosting the Rent-A-Chi fundraiser throughout the Omaha area, now through Saturday, April 30.

For $10 per hour, members of Theta Chi will assist with a variety of spring-cleaning tasks, including yard work and gutter cleaning. The chapter is also offering snow removal.

Funds raised will support the Theta Chi chapter at UNO.

For more information, contact Ryan Micek at ryan.micek@gmail.com or (402) 943.9533.

UNO Chess Club

The UNO Chess Club is re-establishing its weekly meetings. The club will meet this Saturday, Feb. 12, noon to 4 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Gallery Room. Any and all chess players in the UNO community are welcome to attend.

"Please bring your sets and boards, and a clock if desired," said Joe Knapp, UNO Chess Club president.

Members will meet every Saturday during the spring semester (except the dates immediately before and after spring break). MBSC locations may change. For details watch eNotes and check the plasma screens placed throughout the MBSC.

For more information, e-mail at jknapp@unomaha.edu or call (402) 515.0064.

Lunch Series Feb. 16 on 'Communicating Across Cultures'

"Communicating Across Cultures: Presentation Skills for Non-Native Speakers " is planned for Wednesday, Feb.16, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center U mon hon Room. 

Students who attend the UNO Speech Center Lunch Series will:

- Learn tips for non-native English speakers presenting in English;

- Understand how to adapt a presentation for multicultural audiences, and

- Recognize how to avoid common cross-cultural miscommunications.

This session has been designed for non-native English speakers.

Space is limited so you must register in advance and can be done by contacting a consultant at the Speech Consulting Center at (403) 554.3201 or unospeechcenter@unomaha.edu. Free pizza and pop will be provided.

Now Accepting Applications--3rd Annual Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Office of Research and Creative Activity at UNO is pleased to accept applications for the 3rd annual Student Research and Creative Activity Fair. The Fair will take place on April 5-6 in the Milo Bail Student Center. 

All UNO students (undergraduate and graduate) and Engineering students from the south campus are encouraged to apply. Application materials are available at http://www.unomaha.edu/spr/research.php Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 7.

For more information, contact the Office of Research and Creative Activity at (402) 554.2286 or unoorca@unomaha.edu.

Writing Center Workshops: 'Citing Sources in the MLA and Chicago Styles'

Whether they're undergraduates writing research papers for class or advanced scholars writing for publication, many writers find themselves bogged down in the details of citation – quotation marks or italics, comma or period, author's full name or just the initials?

The UNO Writing Center can help. The Writing Center's graduate consultant, Kathy Radosta, has developed interactive workshops on the most frequently used citation systems. Workshops are open to any member of the campus community.

A workshop on the MLA style is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2:30 to 4 p.m. 

A workshop on the Chicago style is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Both workshops will be held in the Milo Bail Student Center Jenkins Room. Light refreshments will be served.  To register, contact the Writing Center at (402) 554.2946 or write to unowritingcenter@unomaha.edu.

Gilman Scholarships Available for Pell-eligible Students to Study Abroad

The Gilman Scholarship Program offers funding for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. The program provides awards of up to $5,000 for U.S. citizen undergraduate students at two and four-year institutions who are receiving a Pell Grant to study abroad.

"Studying abroad during your undergraduate career can be a life-changing experience," said Emily Hardt, Study Abroad and International Exchanges advisor at UNO. "Receiving a Gilman Scholarship and studying abroad will make you a more competitive candidate for jobs, other scholarships, and admission to graduate programs."

For more information, contact Hardt at ehardt@unomaha.edu or (402) 554.2293. The Study Abroad Library in 241 Arts and Science Hall is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The UNO deadline for fall 2011 and summer 2011 applications is Tuesday, Feb. 15. For details visit:

http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program/

http://world.unomaha.edu/index.php?page=studyabroad

Learn More About New Blackboard Version 9.1 Next Week

The next opportunity for UNO faculty and staff to learn more about the new version of Blackboard will be a Brown Bag Lunch demonstration at noon on Thursday, Feb. 17, in 261 University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute http://unoconnect.na6.acrobat.com/bb9/. 

The upgrade from Blackboard Version 8.5 to Version 9.1 is planned for the weekend of May 9. The most noticeable improvement in the new version of Blackboard is easier navigation or fewer clicks for instructors. Increased functionality includes options for wikis, blogs and journals. The assignment feature, grade center and discussion board also have improvements. 

Faculty and staff can familiarize themselves with the new features and improvements in Blackboard 9.1 several ways:

Brown Bag Lunch Demonstrations - Feb. 17: Noon to 1 p.m. 261 PKI

Upgrade Website - http://api.unomaha.edu/blackboard/bb9main.php - This web site will help keep you informed of brown bags demonstrations, workshops, support documentation and other information as UNO moves towards the "Go Live" date. 

Test Drive - You can test drive Blackboard 9.1 by pointing your web browser to: http://blackboard.unomaha.edu. (Address active October 15th) Use the same login and password as you do in the current version. Course content has not been copied to this version; however, each faculty has been given a blank developmental course to utilize.

Hands-On Training - Watch your e-mail for more training opportunities March through May of 2011.

If you have questions, contact Information Services Technical Support at (402) 554.HELP (4357) or e-mail unohelpdesk@unomaha.edu.

Charity Dodgeball Tournament to Benefit Omaha Food Bank

Members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at UNO will host its first charity dodgeball tournament for the Omaha Food Bank.

The event happens Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 6 to 10:45 p.m. at the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building; and Thursday, Feb. 17, from 6 to 8:45 p.m. at the Sapp Fieldhouse. Read more.

Beatles Tribute Show Coming to UNO

The Strauss Performing Arts Center will host the critically-acclaimed, and widely enjoyed, Beatles tribute show "Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience" on Saturday, Feb. 19.  The concert will benefit Omaha's Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra.  Read more.

ORCA Fund for Investing in the Research Enterprise Grants

The Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) is also announcing the Fund for Investing in the Research Enterprise (FIRE). FIRE grants will support the collection of preliminary data/proof of concept for faculty projects that demonstrate a high potential for attracting substantial extramural funding. FIRE proposals are now being accepted. The submission deadline for this call for proposals is Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 at 5 p.m. The guidelines for submission and other proposal documents are available at http://www.unomaha.edu/spr/research.php.

ORCA Undergraduate Scholarly Experience Grants Available

The Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) announces the Fund for Undergraduate Scholarly Experience (FUSE). FUSE grants will support the participation of undergraduate scholars in faculty-mentored research and creative activity. FUSE proposals are now being accepted. The submission deadline for this call for proposals is Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 at 5 p.m. The guidelines for submission and proposal cover page are available at http://www.unomaha.edu/spr/research.php.

Student Health Services and Human Resources Cold and Flu Tips

It's that time of the year -- cold and flu season is here. Student Health Services (SHS) and Human Resources (HR) have teamed up to offer faculty, staff and students some tips for the season.

"Follow and visit these helpful tips and links to maximize your health and the health of your co-workers throughout the year," said Marcia Adler, director of SHS.

• SHS has compiled the following tips:

- Get a flu shot -- it is not too late. They are still available at Student Health Services (now located off the atrium in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building).

- The best line of defense against viral infections is purposeful hand washing using water and soap or hand sanitizer. This should be done any time you cough or sneeze. Sneezing in your elbow is preferred.

- Get adequate sleep.

- Keep your horizontal work areas wiped down daily -- this is an employee job function not your housekeeper's. Please do not forget your keyboards and phones. Many people wipe the work phone but forget their cell phone.

- If you are sick and running a fever over 100 degrees you should stay home until you are fever free.

- Change your toothbrush after you are fever free.

- Consult your physician if you have difficulty breathing or symptoms do not improve after 10 days.

- Employees may see a physician at UNO by calling (402) 554.2374. Your doctor's visit can be paid by payroll deduction, cash or with some providers billed to your insurance carrier.

You can contact SHS at (402) 554.2374 for any questions or if you would like additional information.

• HR has updated its Wellness Page to also offer the flowing links: http://www.unomaha.edu/humanresources/wellness.php.