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Eric Beck, visiting project coordinator for the Center for East Asian and Pacific studies, has a zest for life that is exemplified by an exhaustive list of interests, ranging from modeling to martial arts to massage therapy.

Prior to the opening of James Warfield's photographic exhibition at the Deke Erh Art Center in Shanghai in January, the UI architecture professor exchanged several rounds of e-mail messages with two women who had been assigned the task of translating English captions into Chinese characters.

While toddlers and infants played in nearby classrooms, campus officials and invited guests gathered Jan. 28 in the multipurpose room of the Expanded Child Development Laboratory (ECDL) to celebrate the facility’s grand opening.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois towns and cities committed to developing successful community visions through the adoption of comprehensive plans recently became eligible for assistance in reaching that goal, thanks to legislation enacted by the Illinois General Assembly. That legislation - and what it can do for communities - is the focus of an annual planning institute at the University of Illinois Feb. 26-27.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A world leader and a leading expert on Latin America economics are the recipients of international achievement awards presented by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Barry Bearak, a New York Times reporter and a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, will speak at commencement ceremonies May 18 at the Assembly Hall in Champaign.

Teaching Teamwork Project-based service-learning course LINCs students with nonprofits

Barry Bearak, a New York Times reporter and a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, will speak at commencement ceremonies May 18 at the Assembly Hall in Champaign. Bearak's work was cited by the Pulitzer committee for "his deeply affecting and illuminating coverage of daily life in war-torn Afghanistan" in 2001. Among his other honors are a George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting, the first prize of the South Asian Journalist Association for outstanding story of the year and the Mike Berger Award, given by Columbia University for reporting about New York City. Bearak earned his master's degree in journalism at Illinois. While at Illinois, he won the graduate fiction prize and wrote for the Daily Illini. Prior to joining the Times in 1996, Bearak was a reporter for 14 years for the Los Angeles Times and six years for the Miami Herald." "The sheer number of Mr. Bearak's prestigious journalism awards attests to his remarkable talent and dedication," said Ron Yates, head of the UI journalism department.

Rick Schoell, executive director for government relations and director of federal relations, University Office of Governmental Relations, has spent his 16-year career as a liaison between the university and state and federal legislators.

In the perilous world of adolescents, standing head and shoulders above the rest can feel more like a gypsy curse than the result of genetics.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Three new exhibitions will open on a staggered schedule throughout January at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Krannert Art Museum. All three will be on view through April 13.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - This year's local events celebrating the life and work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. include a weeklong film festival, a keynote lecture by the creator of the Boondocks cartoon strip, and a daylong training session for teachers to learn about ways to encourage diversity and counter racism. Events run from Jan. 13 through Jan. 27.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A proposal to provide drop-in child care for parents whose regular child-care arrangements break down was approved during a recent meeting of the Success by 6 Leadership Committee, which oversees an initiative of the United Way of Champaign County, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and major community employers to improve services for children in the community. Success by 6 is a national United Way initiative designed to make every child ready to succeed by the time he or she starts school.

'How are we doing?' CITES wants to know Although campus administrators are pleased with the results of combining the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Computing and Communications Services Office (CCSO), and the Center for Educational Technologies (CET) into what is becoming known as CITES (Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services), they want to know what you think. Since its inception last spring, one of the main roles of CITES has been reliable, effective, efficient core services. They hope the launch of a campuswide survey on its services in spring 2003 will tell them how they're doing. "We are working to identify different communities on the campus who have common interests in the use of different technologies," said Pete Siegel, chief information officer of the Urbana campus. "We are doing a better job of figuring out how to engage the campus in discussion of issues at the right time. Too early and we waste their time or we have them involved in things that don't pan out; too late and they don't feel they were properly consulted."

Anthropologist Jeremy Geller has spent his academic career unearthing the relics of ancient Egyptian civilizations and trying to divine the cryptic lives of people who walked the earth 5,000 years before him. Likewise, Geller, director of student international academic affairs, wants more Illinois students to transcend the insular world of collegiate life and develop a better understanding of other cultures and milieus through study abroad. Geller earned his doctoral and master’s degrees in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, and his bachelor’s in anthropology from Vassar College.

In a landmark election, eligible graduate assistants and graduate teaching assistants on the Urbana campus voted in favor of union representation.

Shea resigns from board; Lamont appointed

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - How heightened national security has affected higher education will be the topic of a forum beginning at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 (Wednesday) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Program aims to revitalize Afghan farm economy

Schedule announced for election Simple majority will determine if graduate students get union representation Graduate assistants (GAs) and most teaching assistants (TAs) are eligible to vote in an election Dec. 3 and 4 to determine whether they wish to be represented by GEO (Graduate Employee Organization) as their exclusive bargaining representative or whether they would prefer to have no representation. About 2,700 assistants are eligible to vote. The question will be decided by a majority vote. "The outcome of the election will affect current and future graduate assistants and teaching assistants at this campus," said Graduate College Dean Richard P. Wheeler, "and it is important that the decision reflect the preferences of all those who are eligible to vote. I encourage all eligible assistants to consider the arguments and information supporting and opposing union representation, to make an informed choice, and to vote in the election." Election schedule 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 3 - Illini Union Dec. 4 - Assembly Hall (Bring a photo ID) Questions about eligibility to vote and voting procedures: Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board 320 W. Washington St., Suite 260 Springfield IL 62701-1135 (217) 782-9068 (phone) (217) 782-9331 (fax) A list of assistants who are eligible to vote: www.grad.uiuc.edu/ Absentee ballots The Labor Board must receive a written request (at the address given above) at least 10 days before the election (no later than Nov. 22).

Books of honor

Faculty members display art through Jan. 5

Chairman Gerald Shea’s proposal for a 3 percent salary increase in FY04 for faculty and staff members making less than $150,000 per year was voted down by the UI Board of Trustees at its Nov. 14 meeting in Urbana. 

George Crawford is a building service supervisor in Housing. During Crawford’s 22-year career with the university, he has twice been nominated for the Chancellor’s Distinguished Staff Award. He has been in his current job for almost three years, where his responsibilities comprise training, chairing the safety committee and special projects.

Hosting events with dignitaries on campus or being a guest in a foreign country can be a little disconcerting for someone unfamiliar with the customs. However, event planners and international travelers can get a guiding hand from staff members in the Office of International Engagement and Protocol.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Chancellor Nancy Cantor has announced a $11.5 million gift from Doris and Jay Christopher and The Pampered Chef Ltd. to support the Family Resiliency Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Property crimes, robberies and criminal sexual assaults all increased in the University of Illinois reporting district during the reporting period from Sept. 1, 2001, to Aug. 31, 2002, according to statistics released this week by the University of Illinois Division of Public Safety.

December vote will decide on graduate student union

Faculty members and academic professionals retire Between Sept. 1, 2001, and Aug. 31, 2002, 138 faculty members and academic professionals retired from the UI, according to the Office of Academic Human Resources. The retirees, their positions,units and years of service: Academic Policy Analysis Larry R. Askew, associate director, 29. Accountancy Andrew D. Bailey Jr., Ernst & Young Distinguished Professor, 8. Eugene Willis, Arthur Andersen Alumni Professor, 27. Administrative Information Technology Services Terry G. Moore, management systems coordinator, 33. Admissions and Records Christine M. Tarant, assistant director, 31. Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Lee H. Sentman, professor, 37. Wayne C. Solomon, professor, 14. Agricultural and Consumer Economics Lyle P. Fettig, professor, 40. Nancy I. Moser, research programmer, 23. Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences administration George P. Hendricks, associate director for operations, 12. Donald A. Holt, professor and senior associate dean, 20. John W. Santas, assistant dean for academic programs, 24. Agricultural Engineering Paul W. Benson, lecturer and executive director of Illinois Electric Council, 24. Animal Biology Daryl C. Sweeney, associate professor of animal biology and of physiology, 37. Animal Sciences Daniel Grunloh, research specialist in life sciences, 30. Anthropology Steven J. Holland, graphic technician specialist, 28. Architecture R.A. Forrester, professor and assistant director, Versailles Program, 21. Art and Design Roger F. Blakley, professor of art, 31. Julius E. Rascheff, associate professor of art, 31. Assembly Hall Jimmie L. Abel, associate director for operations, 13. Astronomy John R. Dickel, professor and Campus Honors Faculty, 38. Biochemistry Robert L. Switzer, professor, 34. Chemistry Susan E. Bekiares, associate professor of library administration, assistant to the head, and coordinator of research programming, 35. William H. Pirkle, professor, 38. Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services Edward M. Krol, assistant director, 29. Joan Mills, research programmer, 38. Ronald D. Szoke, research programmer, 23. Civil and Environmental Engineering Edward J. Cording, professor, 35. G. Fernandez-Delgado, research engineer, 31. David Pecknold, professor, 32. Computer Science Saburo Muroga, professor, 38. Paul E. Saylor, professor, 35. Counseling Center James F. Sipich, clinical counselor supervisor, 37. Crop Sciences Harold E. Kauffman, professor and interim assistant dean, International Activities, 21. Glenn A. Raines, agronomist, 25. Curriculum and Instruction Kenneth J. Travers, professor, 39. Economics H.F. Williamson, associate professor and associate dean, 38. Educational Organization and Leadership Paul W. Thurston, professor and director of Office of Professional Development, 28. Engineering Administration Michael H. Pleck, professor and visiting assistant dean, 38. David L. Powell, director, Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering, 21. Laurie A. Talkington, director of development, 16. English Mark P. Costello, professor, 35. James R. Hurt, professor, 36. W.D. Kay, professor, 37. English as an International Language Mary S. Temperley, assistant professor, 20. Environmental Council Richard F. Sparks, visiting professor, 4. Family Medicine Deborah C. Rugg, teaching associate, 7. Finance James A. Gentry, professor, 36. Fire Service Institute Gifford T. Smith, assistant fire services education specialist and program director, 10. James B. Straseske, fire services education specialist and associate director for administration and research, 29. General Engineering Edward N. Kuznetsov, professor, 22. History John H. Pruett, associate professor, 29. Human and Community Development Dale S. Montanelli, associate professor, 27. Illini Union Yukiko Llewellyn, assistant dean of students, 30. Government and Public Affairs, Institute of Brenda K. Eheart, adjunct associate professor, research specialist in behavioral sciences and in social policy, 23. Deborah A. Kasak, senior specialist in education, 8. Institute of Aviation Tom W. Emanuel, assistant director for academic affairs, 33. William D. Geibel, professional aviation education specialist, 29. Roger W. Marsh, research engineer, 31. Internal Medicine Ralph A. Nelson, head and professor, 23. Danny L. Scott, clinical instructor, 11. Labor and Industrial Relations Ronald J. Peters, professor, 26. Alice R. Vernon, director of development and alumni relations, 30. Law John E. Nowak, professor, 30. Ronald D. Rotunda, Jenner professor, 28 Liberal Arts and Sciences administration Dianne Andrews, assistant professor, and coordinator of foreign language teaching education, 14. Robert M. Copeland, associate dean, 28. Emily M. Peck, associate dean and assistant professor, 29. Materials Research Lab Virginia C. Metze, senior research programmer, 37. Materials Science and Engineering Carl J. Altstetter, professor of physical metallurgy, assistant dean and director of international programs, 44. Li Chang, research engineer, 14. Pengdi Han, senior research engineer, 14. Mathematics I.D. Berg, professor, 38. Carol Castellon, teaching associate, 15. Harold G. Diamond, professor, 35. Robert P. Kaufman, professor, 37. Leon R. McCulloh, professor, 41. Philippe M. Tondeur, professor and director, Division of Mathematical Science, 34. Medical Information Science Allan H. Levy, professor, 27. Molecular and Integrative Physiology Abetta L. Helman, research specialist in life sciences, 27. Norma C. Ramirez, research specialist in life sciences, 24. Victor D. Ramirez, professor of physiology and Beckman Institute affiliate, 28. Music Sam Reese, associate professor, 6. Thomas Wirtel, assistant professor, 7. John C. Wustman, Center for Advanced Study Professor, 34. Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Michael F. Bolin, Extension specialist, 29. Anita A. Povich, associate publications editor, 19. Jun Wu, research specialist in agriculture, 8. Office of Business and Financial Services Katharine J. Kral, assistant vice president, 12. William D. Morgan, associate director, grants and contracts administration, 27. James M. Skinner, purchasing officer III, Purchasing, 26. Peter J. Czajkowski, associate vice president for financial planning, 34.

retiree profile

retiree profile

At its Nov. 4 meeting, the Urbana-Champaign Senate passed an amendment to the University Statutes and Senate Procedures that will restrict Faculty Advisory Committee membership to tenured faculty. Linda Beale, professor of law, spoke against the amendment, expressing concern that it would render the committee exclusionary, precluding input from a spectrum of faculty members. However, Senator Herman Krier, the Richard W. Kritzer Professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, supported the amendment, saying that the committee’s sphere of influence comprises matters that long-term faculty members could better address, such as promotion and tenure decisions.

A new UI Web site uses video clip interviews to let parents of infants, toddlers and preschoolers see and hear how other parents cope with the challenges of raising young children. In addition to the video clips, the Parent-to-Parent Web site features a message board, links to recommended resources, and advice from experts.

One of the advantages of living in a community that’s home to a major research university is access to resources that would otherwise likely be available only in a large, urban area. The Audiology and Speech Clinic, operated by the UI’s department of speech and hearing science, is just such a resource for residents of Central Illinois.

Jenny Barrett is a senior research programmer in the department of psychology.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Steven F. Schomberg is to be promoted to vice chancellor for public engagement and institutional relations, pending approval of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at its meeting Nov. 14 in Urbana.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The most brilliant display of fall color to be found this season may be indoors - at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Krannert Art Museum.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The most brilliant display of fall color to be found this season may be indoors - at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Krannert Art Museum.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Enrollments in online courses and degree programs at Illinois colleges and universities continue to increase significantly each semester as does the number of courses available by means of the Internet, according to Illinois Virtual Campus (IVC), a clearinghouse on distance-learning programs offered by the state's institutions of higher education.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Two mockup residence-hall rooms will be set ablaze simultaneously Friday (Oct. 25) on the University of Illinois campus during a demonstration of the potential of sprinklers to limit fire damage.

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Although retirement is often viewed as an opportunity for rest and a slower-paced lifestyle, retiree Linda Klippert has a schedule packed with a multitude of trips and projects.

Persistence must be the watchword for retiree Lolita Perdue, who retired as personnel manager for UI's Printing Services May 1, after 11 years with the university. Perdue and her dog, Maggie, an 8-year-old German Shepherd mix, have been taking dog training classes so long that Perdue's friends tease her about their apparent lack of progress. Although Maggie, whom Perdue calls her "Humane Society girl," earned her United Kennel Club title in obedience training with relative ease, her certification in agility training has proved more of a challenge. Perdue and Maggie are preparing for a dog trial that will be held in November in Peoria, with hopes that Maggie will finally earn her second leg in agility training by passing the open level of competition. Their previous attempts at the open-level certification were thwarted by Maggie's refusal to stay in the sit position alone in the ring while Perdue left the room for five minutes in accordance with competition regulations.

New Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society established

State Sen. Stanley B. Weaver of Urbana and his late wife, Mary Smith Weaver, were honored Oct. 12 for their lifelong dedication to preserving nature and for Sen. Weaver’s many years of public service

Kathy Guthrie is the director of the Office of Volunteer Programs.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Fifty-six high school bands from across Illinois will compete in the 32nd annual Illini Marching Band Festival on Saturday (Oct. 19) at the University of Illinois.

UI receives record $219 million in private gifts

University administrators and the Graduate Employees Organization are one step closer to an election that will decide if certain graduate assistants on the Urbana campus want to be represented by a collective bargaining unit.