Mayor to Deliver State of the City Address Jan. 11

Students in Jody Neathery-Castro's Introduction to Political Science course at UNO will experience the political process firsthand when they show up for class Wednesday, Jan. 11.

On the agenda that day – attending Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey's annual State of the City address.  Fahey will deliver his remarks on campus at 10 a.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Dodge Room.  The event is free, and all interested members of the university community are invited to attend.

John Christensen, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at UNO, will introduce the mayor.

"It's exciting for our students to be part of an event they would otherwise just see a glimpse of on TV," said Loree Bykerk, professor and chair of the UNO Department of Political Science.  "UNO being the forum for this address shows that we're an important part of what's happening in the city."

Fahey's address will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

For more information, contact Dr. Bykerk at 554.3613 or lbykerk@mail.unomaha.edu.

UNO to Commemorate Life, Legacy of MLK Jr.

The life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated Wednesday, Jan. 18, at UNO. The event will begin at noon in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Ballroom.

This year's celebration will include a keynote address by Joao Brito, a UNO graduate student from Brazil.

"During his lifetime, Dr. King sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together to address important community issues," said Sharif Liwaru, cultural awareness programs adviser at UNO. "Working alongside individuals of all ages, races and backgrounds, Dr. King encouraged Americans to come together to strengthen communities, alleviate poverty, and acknowledge dignity and respect for all human beings."

Tickets are on sale through Friday, Jan 13. They are $3 for students, $5 for faculty and staff, and $7 for the general public. No tickets will be available at the door. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the MBSC Business Office, located on the second floor of the MBSC, or by calling 554.2979.

The luncheon is sponsored by Cultural Awareness Programs in the Office of Student Organizations and Leadership Programs at UNO.

For more information, contact Liwaru at 554.2711.

Student Tuition, Fee Accounts to be Billed Electronically

The E-Bills are coming!

Student tuition and fee account billings will now be billed electronically via the E-Bill. The first electronic bill will be generated Friday, Jan. 13. Students will receive a notification of billing via their Lotus Notes student e-mail. Students may then click on the link within that e-mail to go to E-BRUNO or may login to E-BRUNO any time they wish to view their bill.

Students will no longer receive a paper billing statement. This will alleviate the time delay of mailing and the possibility of statements being lost in the mail or at home. Students may view or print their bill any time or as many times as they need. Payment due dates and payment methods will not be changed with E-Bills.

Students may view frequently asked questions and an informational brochure on the Web at http://cashiering.unomaha.edu/. A copy of the informational brochure also can be picked up in Cashiering/Student Accounts, 109 Eppley Administration Building.

For more information, call Cashiering/Student Accounts at 554.2324.

Safety Notice for On-Campus Incidents

The start of a new semester is a great time to brush up on the university's safety and emergency procedures.  The information below is provided by Campus Security, located in 100 Eppley Administration Building.

Incident Reporting

Incidents requiring immediate action include fire, environmental spills, medical conditions, property damage, disruptive behavior and crimes in progress. Persons involved with or observing these types of incidents should call Campus Security at 554.2911. Campus Security will dispatch officers to the scene and, if required, contact 911.

Faculty and staff can call 911 directly, but then they also should notify Campus Security to help coordinate the response and expedite travel to the emergency scene. Emergency information provided by the caller should include the building, floor, room number, call back number and nature of the emergency.

Evacuations

Faculty and staff should assist with room and building evacuations, and be aware of those needing special assistance. All employees should become familiar with the designated rally points for their buildings, which are listed in the back of the telephone directory under "Emergency Procedures."

Personal Threats and Harassment

Disruptive behavior on campus will not be tolerated. Threats or acts of violence should be reported to Campus Security and your supervisor. If the act appears to represent an immediate threat or harm to the individual, it should be reported at once to Campus Security or 911.

Personal Escorts

The escort service is available 24-7 for individuals on campus. Contact Campus Security to arrange for an escort.

Personal Safety Checks

Individuals who may be working alone outside normal working hours are encouraged to contact Campus Security. Security officers will periodically check on your safety while you are here.

Personal Property

The university is not responsible for personal property. Individuals are responsible for safeguarding their own property. Loss of personal property should be reported to Campus Security.

Alert System

A system to help facilitate emergency communications has been installed on the north and south campus. Announcements are distributed from Campus Security to building public address systems or speakers located in building corridors. When announcements are made, strobe lights will flash to notify the hearing impaired to seek assistance.

The system will be particularly helpful during tornado warnings. The announcement will alert building occupants to seek shelter and again later when the warning has ended. The alert system also can be used to announce university closings, confirm evacuations for fire or chemical release, or other emergency conditions.

More information on campus emergency procedures can be found in the UNO Employee Telephone Directory beginning on page 106. For more information about Campus Security procedures related to campus emergencies, contact Stan Schleifer at 554.3596 or Paul Kosel at 554.2648.

Put Money on Your MavCard Online

UNO students, faculty and staff can now add money to their MavCards online at http://mavcard.unomaha.edu.

MavCard users can go online to make a deposit, manage their account, report a card lost or stolen and set up automatic deposits.

First-time users will need to register before they can manage their account.  For more information, contact MavCard Services at 554.2220.

Nominations Sought for Excellence in Teaching Award

The UNO Excellence in Teaching (EIT) Committee is seeking the nomination of qualified faculty for the 2006 UNO Excellence in Teaching Award. 

The faculty member must have taught at UNO for three years or more. The faculty member should be an outstanding teacher, and have completed teaching-related research and focused service in teaching-related activities. Faculty members can be nominated by students, other faculty and administrators for this award. No self-nominations will be allowed.

The nomination form and criteria are available on the Web at http://www.isqa.unomaha.edu/pietron/eit/home.html. The nominators may send the information to Leah R. Pietron in PKI 284D or via e-mail to lpietron@mail.unomaha.edu. 

The deadline for nominations is Friday, Jan. 13.

Maverick Watch

Go Mavs! Support your Mavericks by attending their home events.

Students are admitted free to all home athletic games with a valid UNO ID and game-day ticket. The spouses, significant others and children of students also are admitted free. At the game, students must present a valid UNO ID to receive a ticket. Tickets do not have to be ordered in advance. Tickets will be available on the day of the game at each home event. For more information, call 554.MAVS (6287).

At home this week...

Thursday, Jan. 12

Women's basketball vs. North Dakota

Sapp Fieldhouse

6 p.m.

Men's basketball vs. North Dakota

Sapp Fieldhouse

8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 15

Swimming & diving vs. University of Nebraska at Kearney

Health, Physical Education and Recreation Pool

1 p.m.

For more information about UNO Athletics, visit the Web at http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/.

Intro Week for Group Exercise Classes Jan. 9-13

Campus Recreation's intro week for group exercise classes begins Monday, Jan. 9.  The schedule is listed below.

Monday, Jan. 9

B.G.S.

Noon to 12:45 p.m.

110 Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Building

Step

5:30 to 6:15 p.m.

110 HPER

Power Punch

7:45 to 8:45 p.m.

110 HPER

Tuesday, Jan. 10

Relaxation Yoga

7 to 8 a.m.

231 HPER

Aqua Lunch

11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

HPER Pool

Beginning Pilates*

5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

230 HPER

Wednesday, Jan. 11

W.E.T.

5:15 to 6 p.m.

HPER Pool

Beginning Yoga

6:35 to 7:35 p.m.

230 HPER

Thursday, Jan. 12

Relaxation Yoga

7 to 8 a.m.

231 HPER

Beginning Pilates*

5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

230 HPER

Turbo Kick

6:45 to 7:45 p.m.

230 HPER

Friday, Jan. 13

S.W.E.A.T.

2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

230 HPER

*You must attend one of the introductory classes to participate in the beginning Pilates class.  Intro classes are scheduled for Jan. 10, 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26 in 230 HPER beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Group exercise classes are free to all current students and Campus Recreation activity card holders. All classes are subject to cancellation at any time due to attendance and instructor or room availability. For more information, call Dave Daniels at 554.2008.

Weight Watchers Open House Meeting Jan. 9

The Weight Watchers on Campus program will host an open house meeting Monday, Jan. 9. The event, which is free and open to all interested members of the campus community, will begin at noon in 203 Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building.

The next session of Weight Watchers on Campus will begin Monday, Jan. 23. The cost of the 10-week session is $120. A three-part payment plan is available, and payments will be collected at the open house meeting.

For more information, contact Amber Nielsen at 554.3917.

Participants Sought for Depression Study

The University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Psychiatry is recruiting individuals experiencing depression for participation in a research study of an antidepressant medication. Participants must be between the ages of 19 and 80, and in good general medical health. All study procedures and medications are provided.

For more information, call Shelby Pracht at 354.6868, or send an e-mail to unmcprc@unmc.edu.

"Saving Faces" Exhibition to Open at UNO Art Gallery

Omaha will be the third stop for a North American tour of a unique art exhibition that provides an in-depth look at the physical and emotional aspects of patients who underwent head and neck surgery subsequent to trauma, disfiguring forms of cancer or other problems. 

The exhibit will run from Jan. 13 to Feb. 24 at the UNO Art Gallery. A five-part speaker series will take place during the exhibition to highlight issues related to healing that are raised by the paintings.

Bringing the art exhibition, "Saving Faces: Art and Medicine," to Omaha has been a cooperative venture between UNO and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

The exhibition features 42 portraits by Scottish artist Mark Gilbert showing patients at various stages of their treatment. Gilbert's exhibition was spawned by an invitation from Iain Hutchison, M.D., a British maxillofacial surgeon, to come to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of St. Bartholomew's and Royal London Hospital and see for himself what these patients go through. The paintings he created provide a visual narrative of the healing process.

Some of the exhibition portraits are nearly six feet tall. They were first displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in London and then toured throughout the British Isles and Europe. Prior to coming to Nebraska, the portraits had been on display at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. "This is a tremendous honor to have this exhibition in Omaha," said Virginia Aita, Ph.D., associate professor of preventive and societal medicine at UNMC and director of the planning committee for the event. "It has been highly acclaimed and has been the source of widespread media coverage."

The portraits depict the patients' appearance before, during and after reconstructive facial surgery, Dr. Aita said, capturing their changing emotions during the healing process and allowing the viewer to experience the transformation the patients go through.

"The exhibition truly combines the best of art, science, hope and healing," said Deborah-Eve Lombard, director of the UNO Art Gallery. "It will provide a moving and powerful experience to all who view it."

All of the events associated with the exhibition are free and open to the public, Dr. Aita said, and will provide a rare opportunity to explore the integration of art and medicine and the nature of healing.

The speaker series will take place over a five-week period with each program beginning at 7 p.m. The dates, title of the programs, speakers and locations for the series are listed below.

Friday, Jan. 13

"Saving Faces: Art and Medicine"

Speaker – Dr. Iain Hutchinson, the British surgeon who launched the exhibition

Weber Fine Arts Theater

Thursday, Jan. 19

"Healing through the Art and Science of Head and Neck Surgical and Related Interventions"

Panel discussion headed by William Lydiatt, M.D., a UNMC head and neck cancer surgeon.  The panelists will include Dr. Aita (moderator); Perry Johnson, M.D., a UNMC plastic and reconstructive surgeon; and Tom Salinas, D.D.S., a UNMC prosthodontist.

Eppley Science Hall Amphitheater at UNMC, 43rd and Dewey Ave.

Thursday, Jan. 26

"Healing through Poetry"

Speaker – Ted Kooser, the U.S. poet laureate who is a head and neck cancer survivor

Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St.

Thursday, Feb. 9

"Regarding Transformation: Healing and the Perception of Integrity of Persons"

Speaker – Michael Gillespie, Ph.D., senior lecturer, University of Washington Ð Bothell and UNO professor emeritus

UNO Art Gallery

Thursday, Feb. 16

"Healing and its Relationship to the Depiction of Illness"

Panel discussion headed by Mark Gilbert, "Saving Faces" artist, with panelists Barbara Simcoe, associate professor, UNO Department of Art and Art History (moderator); Al Harris-Fernandez, director of the Sioux City Art Center; and Aaron Holz, assistant professor, College of Fine Arts, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

UNO Art Gallery

The opening public reception will be held Sunday, Jan. 15, at the UNO Art Gallery from 2 to 4 p.m. The UNO Art Gallery is closed Saturdays and Mondays. It is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The "Saving Faces" Exhibition was made possible thanks in large part to a $3,500 grant from the Nebraska Arts Council. The speaker series was made possible by a $6,165 grant from the Nebraska Humanities Council. Additional support was provided by the UNMC College of Medicine; the UNMC Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine; the UNO College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media; the UNO Art Gallery; the UNMC Center for Continuing Education; the Wilson Humanities in Medicine Program; and the UNMC Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

For more information about the exhibition and speaker series, contact Dr. Aita at 559.5157 or Lombard at 554.2796.