C O M P R E S S I O N

SHORT TAKES ON BIG SUBJECTS

Astronaut lands at FSU


Astronaut Norman E. Thagard, who holds the U.S. record for the longest time spent in space, has joined the engineering faculty as a visiting professor at FSU.

Thagard, an FSU alumnus who retired from NASA Jan. 3, is teaching an upper-level electronics course, and is being considered for a permanent position on the faculty.

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Thagard home," said FSU President Sandy D'Alemberte. "With his knowledge and experience in space, engineering and medicine, we're honored to have him teaching here."

Thagard, who earned bachelor's and master's of science degrees in engineering science at FSU in 1965 and 1966, was the first American launched into space on a Russian rocket and the first American on the Mir space station. He holds the U.S. record for the longest space mission after his 115-day flight on the Russian Mir last year.

In December, Thagard became the fifth person to receive the Westcott Medal, which is presented for outstanding contributions to the university. He was also honored as a "Grad Made Good" in 1983, and FSU's student health center was named for him in 1986.

A native of Marianna, Fla., Thagard, 52, considers Jacksonville his hometown. His wife, Kirby, grew up in South Ponte Vedra Beach. The couple met while attending FSU and have three sons, Norman, 27, James, 25, and Daniel, 16.

After graduating from FSU, Thagard entered active duty with the Marine Corps Reserve and became a naval aviator in 1968. He flew 163 combat mission in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970.<p>
After returning to the U.S., Thagard resumed his academic studies, earning a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1971.

Thagard was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978. A veteran of five space flights, he has logged more than 140 days in space.

FSU draws top students


Florida State University now ranks in the top 20 in attracting National Merit Scholars.

In 1995, FSU enrolled 88 freshman merit scholars and ranked 17th among the nation's colleges and universities, up from 50th the previous year.

"This year we focused on attracting National Merit Scholars, and everyone from the Admissions Office to faculty, students and alumni helped," said Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeld, FSU's dean of undergraduate studies.

"The result is a dramatic increase in the number of scholars in our freshman class -- particularly those from other regions of the country," she said. "It's gratifying to see that once students of this caliber actually look at what Florida State has to offer, they often decide this is the place they want to be."

Harvard University topped the list with 368 merit scholars.


A growing Florida career

FSU is now offering a course on managing retirement homes.

"Senior Services Management," offered by the department of hospitality administration to both hospitality majors and the public, covers the planning, development, operations and management of retirement facilities.

"Here in Florida, with so many elderly residents, there is a growing interest in producing highly trained managers of retirement homes," said hospitality administration Associate Professor Jane Ohlin.

Anyone interested in the course should call 644-4891 and leave a name and phone number.

Hurricane relief


The Capital Area Chapter of The American Red Cross raised almost $2,800 for victims of Hurricane Opal during the Florida State-Miami football game in October.

Nearly 15,000 homes in the Florida Panhandle were damaged or destroyed by the hurricane.

A century of jewelry


You can see the history of Europe reflected in the sparkling creations on display through April 7 in "A Century of Jewelry and Gems 1785-1885" at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala.

The jewelry from the collection of Nancy and Gilbert Levine was made and worn during a period of European history that saw sweeping changes in society and fashion.

The Appleton Museum of Art is jointly owned by the FSU Foundation and the Central Florida Community College Foundation.


Lawyers and love

An FSU associate professor's speech on law and love has won first place in the American Bar Association's 1995 Law Day awards.

Laurin A. Wollan Jr., a lawyer and an associate professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, took first place and a $500 award in the 1995 Judge Edward R. Finch Law Day Speech Award. His speech, "Law and Love, One and Many: Reflections on Rules and Diversity -- A Law Day Talk," was presented to the Inquirers' Adult Discussion Class at the First Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee.

In his talk, Wollan raised the question of whether too much law divides our society and crushes our capacity to care about one another.

Productive heroes

The creators of the FSUCard have taken the top honor in the 1995 Davis Productivity Award, leading a best-ever showing by FSU employees.

Bill Norwood, executive director of the FSUCard Application Technology Center, and Al Gilligan, director of Business Services, won the "Outstanding Individual Achievement" award and joint prize of $2,000 for turning a plastic student ID card into a multipurpose tool now used by 300,000 college students on several hundred campuses.

The Davis Awards are administered by Florida TaxWatch and the Florida Council of 100 to reward state workers who are "productive unsung heroes."

Winning the "Notable Work Unit" award and $600 were Professor David Coursey and his World Wide Web application development class in the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy. On his own time, Coursey taught a course in which his students developed web sites for the Florida Legislature, state parks, Tallahassee office of the Internal Revenue Service, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, and a prototype online system for state employees to search state contracts.

Winners of the "Notable Individual" award and $300 were Paul Farmer of Administrative Information Systems, and Bob Maige of Purchasing for GREETS, an automated, paperless purchasing process.

Alum on World Trade court

FSU Law School alumnus Jim Bacchus is the only American on the new seven-member supreme court of world trade.

Bacchus, an attorney and former congressman, serves on the appellate body of the World Trade Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. The court will resolve trade disputes among 120 nations.

A 1978 law-school graduate and editor of the Law Review, Bacchus heads the Orlando office of Greenberg Traurig and specializes in international trade law. He served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 15th District from 1990-94 and was special assistant to U.S. Trade Representative Reubin Askew from 1979-81.

He assumed the part-time WTO position in December for a term of two to eight years but will continue to live and practice law in Orlando.


Reese named controller

Larry Dean Reese is FSU's new assistant vice president for finance and controller.

Before assuming his new duties, Reese was FSU's inspector general and director of internal auditing. Among his responsibilities were conducting investigations and administering the university's internal audit program.

A certified public accountant, Reese also worked as associate university controller at the University of Florida as a legislative auditor with the state Office of the Auditor General.