NOVEMBER 1999

COMPRESSION

Affordable research

Saving the state money and making a breakthrough in productivity have won Frank Murphy, FSU president of communications, statewide recognition.

Murphy and the team he led - the Academic Universe Work Group - won a $2,500 outstanding achievement award in the 1999 Davis Productivity Awards. The awards are sponsored by Florida Tax Watch and the State of Florida.

The work group led the companies' efforts to develop the information service called Academic Universe, which was designed for college students' research. It is supplied by the Web-based LEXIS®-NEXIS®, the world's largest provider of credible, in-depth information via the Internet.

Academic Universe makes what was previously a cost prohibitive research source available to the scholarly masses.

Prior to Academic Universe, Florida paid $1,797 each for just 41 users of LEXIS-NEXIS at six State University System (SUS) institutions. Now the service is available to everyone in the system, on an unlimited basis, for a nominal charge of $1.26 per user, which at Florida State is paid by the university for students, faculty and staff.
More than 1,000 universities and colleges followed FSU's lead in subscribing to the new service.

How to win a scholarship

Do you know any high school students who would like to win a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to Florida State University?

Do they like to use the Internet?
If so, and if they're juniors or seniors, they should register for the third annual FSU Online Scholar Challenge. The Challenge is a scavenger hunt using the web-based LEXIS®-NEXIS® Scholastic Universe research service.

Registration opens Nov. 15. For more information, clickon the Challenge icon at www.fsu.edu.

Fun without alcohol

Florida State and nine other universities are sponsoring alcohol-free entertainment in an effort to show students that college can be fun without drinking or drugs.

The entertainment, combined with an anti-alcohol media campaign, is financed by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The program includes DeGraff Hall, where all residents agree to abstain from drugs and alcohol.

The alcohol-free entertainment began in January with a celebration of the performance of the 1998 football team. There was a Mardi Gras party in February and this fall has seen shows at the Club Downunder and the Walkabout Cafe.

The plans include late-night movies and breakfasts and an all-night computer center where students can gather at Oglesby Union.

Psychologist honored

Thomas Joiner, an FSU associate professor of psychology and expert on depression and related disorders, has been elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association.
The honor "reflects demonstrated merit of an accomplished scholar of psychological science," according to Robert Contreras, chairman of the FSU psychology department.

The future of engineering

Dr. C. Paul Robinson, president of Sandia Corp., plans to speak on the emerging revolution in engineering and manufacturing Nov. 19 at a memorial lecture and dinner honoring Dr. Joseph E. Lannutti, late professor of physics at FSU.

Dr. Lannutti was active in the creation of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in 1982, after the engineering science program at FSU was discontinued.

The College of Engineering established a fund in Dr. Lannutti's memory for a lectureship. This year's speaker, Paul Robinson, received his doctorate in physics from FSU and was a student of Dr. Lannutti. He will speak at the college at 3 p.m.

A dinner will follow at the University Center Club at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19. Information and reservations may be made through Dr. David Edelson at edelson@eng.fsu.edu.

Teacher in residence

Cheryl Cliett, a 1966 FSU graduate in elementary education, is the first teacher-in-residence in the office of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Her job, the governor's office has announced, is to serve as liaison between the governor and teachers throughout the state.

Cliett has been a prize-winning elementary science, mathematics and technology teacher and co-owner of the Cliett Creative Group Inc. and Cliett Marketing in Tallahassee. She is president of the Junior League of Tallahassee and a member of Leadership Tallahassee.

"For nearly two decades, Cheryl has consistently demonstrated a high level of integrity, competence and dedication to the educational system," Bush said. "...With the creation of the teachers-in-residence, for the first time ever, Florida's teachers will now have a direct link to the Governor's office."

New degree

The FSU-Panama City campus is offering a new degree, a master of science in criminal justice. The classes will be offered on the Internet and on the Panama City campus. For more information, call 850-872-4750, ext. 150.

Biology honor

Donald L.D. Caspar, an FSU professor who is a pioneer in structural biology, has been honored internationally by other biologists.
Caspar is one of just 39 members of the Biophysical Society who are chosen to be in the first class of Society Fellows.

Caspar introduced the concept of quasi-equivalence, which has ever since helped scientists understand the structure of viruses.
The society was founded in 1956 and now has close to 6,000 members, who honor a few colleagues - such as Caspar - for distinguished work in expanding the field of biophysics.

Feeding the homeless

Students in an FSU nutrition class practice what they learn at least once a semester by serving a well balanced, nutritious meal to a group of homeless people in Tallahassee.
"They are very thankful," Nutrition Professor Dolores Truesdell said. "This is taking my teaching to the next step."
Some of her students do more. Two students, for example, call the Mill Bakery and Eatery every night to see if there's any left-over food. If there is, they deliver it to The Shelter.

Walkabout Cafe

A new cafe on campus entertains the customers with music, poetry, dancing and acting by FSU students, faculty and staff.
The Walkabout Cafe presents shows at the Club Downunder in the Oglesby Union.
For details, call Bob Howard at 850-644-6710.

Writing movies

Melissa Carter (M.F.A. '96, motion pictures) sold an 18-page treatment for a new film titled "Catch of the Day" to New Line Cinema in Hollywood for an initial payment of $225,000. She is now at work on the full-length script, the film of which will be produced by Warren Zide, whose most recent films are "American Pie" and "Flight 180."

Torch Awards

Lynette Thompson, DuBose Ausley and Wiley Housewright and the late Lucilla Housewright received FSU's Torch Awards for contributing to FSU's academic mission.
Thompson received the VIRES award, symbolizing moral, physical and intellectual strength. She was on the faculty of the classics department for 52 years, and was department chair from 1961 to 1980.

Ausley received the MORES award, symbolizing respect for customs, character and tradition. A well-known advocate of higher education, he has served on the Florida Board of Regents, the Governor's Commission on Education and the FSU Foundation's Board of Trustees.
Wiley Housewright received the ARTES award, symbolizing appreciation of aesthetics and the beauty of intellectual pursuits, on behalf of himself and his late wife, Lucilla. He was dean of the School of Music from 1966 to 1979. He and Lucilla endowed an eminent scholar chair at FSU, and later pledged $3 million for FSU's planned performance hall.

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