Volume 124 Issue 133
kansan.com
Thursday, April 12, 2012
EDUCATION
MARSHALL SCHMIDT/KANSAN
SEE INSIDE
The future of federal funding for research at the University remains uncertain as the last of the stimulus money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, ARRA, is spent this summer. Federal research grants provide funding sources for basic level research, which offer many graduate students income and experience at the University.
"The growth of research dollars from the federal dollars has been flat or declining in the past five to seven years," said Steve Warren, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies. "We can't do a lot without those federal dollars."
Research funding declines; hinders student experience
While spending on research grew to $240 million in the fiscal year 2011, almost $24 million came from the temporary ARRA award, which has been mostly spent on infrastructure. While some research is financed privately or through the state, most of it is funded through federal agencies.
Brock Roughton, a graduate student from Denver, analyzes data as part of his PhD studies. Roughton's project is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Health.
"Funding isn't going away, but there's less of it, and it's harder to get," Warren said. "Our advantage in this kind of market is that we have some very competitive faculty members. They'll do fine and get through this."
Kyle Camarda, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering, said 90 percent of his research relies on federal funding. He said most of that funding goes to pay graduate students assisting
MARSHALL SCHMIDT
mschmidt@kansan.com
"Federal funding allows us to do more theoretical projects designed to help the general welfare of the population," Camarda said. "Without that funding, I couldn't fund those graduate research students."
Camarda's current projects include improving anti-HIV drug delivery, making medications safer to use and increasing the efficiency of distillation, one of the greatest uses of energy in the world.
Camarda said that federal funding pays for basic research that private companies would rarely support. But that basic research gives tools for companies to apply for more applied research, Camarda said.
his research.
"Federal funding allows more students to be involved in research and pursue graduate degrees," Roughton said.
While his grant will expire next year, Roughton expects it will be renewed despite federal budget cuts. Roughton works with two other graduate students on projects meant to prevent negative immune response to medications.
Brock Roughton, a graduate student from Denver, is working on his Ph.D. under Camarda. In his third year, Roughton is working under a grant given by the National Institute of Health.
Edited by Max Rothman
"I think research is vital because it aims to seek truth, and that should always be encouraged in a society," Roughton said.
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Information from the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. 2011 Expenditures Breakdown by Source of Funding (Both Campuses Combined)
Expenditures From All Sources (Both Campuses) *in millions*
Fiscal Year (Ending June 30)
State and Local Governments Not-for-Profit, Other
Federal Government Industry
CONTRIBUTED BY STUDENT SENTATE ELECTION COMMISSION
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
The student senate election commission ruled Wednesday night that SPQR committed chalking violations. The coalition was ordered to get rid of all SPQR chalking violations by 10 a.m. today.
CLASSIFIEDS 11
CROSSWORD 4
SPQR violates chalking rules
vshanker@kansan.com
VIKAAS SHANKER
uskanker@kansan.com
Before Wednesday night's hearing at the Kansas Union on SPQR's chalking violations, six members of SPQR lined one side of the oval table in togas while six red-shirted KUnited members sat opposite them in the Curry Room.
Keith Adams, the election commission chairman, entered the room and immediately told SPQR that the hearing was professional and anyone without a shirt under the toga should get a shirt or leave. Two members decided to leave.
After a half hour of debate, the hearing committee — composed of four elections commission members — found SPQR in serious violation of the Student Senate elections code.
SAY NO MORE
It was that kind of night for SPOR.
In effect, SPQR has been ordered to clean and remove all SPQR related chalkings by 10 a.m. Thursday morning. If that isn't done, the coalition will be dissolved and no seats awarded to SPQR by vote will be granted.
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
"The voting members of the elections commission have determined that the intent of SPQR was malicious, and it has altered the political climate." Adams said. He also added that comments on SPQR's Facebook page showed intent to commit the violation and a refusal to pay any fines, so the commission decided against a monetary penalty.
Index
Jamaica Kincaid, a west Indian writer, speaks for the Landscapes and Memory lecture held at Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas University Tuesday night. Kincaid has 15 publications of novels and poetry.
"Obviously we are running against KUnited," Sultana said. "It specifically targets issues that we feel the students need to be informed about and be aware of. In that way, we do try to provide information statements that foster discourse."
The violation had to do with SPQR campaign manager Brian Sultana's chalking of "the best student leadership money can buy," and "Fuck career politicians," next to KUnited's chalked messages. According to a brief by KUnited spokesman Marc Savoy, three
were supposed to be pointed attacks against KUnited, Sultana said it was a part of SPQR's message.
Savoy said the hearing committee was right in its decision.
"The commission has a wide range of discretion to act in broad ways," Savoy said. "I think they did that tonight: I think it was within the realm of what they could do."
The ruling gave SPQR 13 hours to clean up the chalking.
Allison Kohn, KUnited's campaign manager, said KUnited has been trying to run the cleanest campaign in its history.
Sultana was asked if SFQR will abide by the hearing committee's ruling.
But Savoy said that the close proximity of SPQR's message affected KUnited's message.
"It was just tacking on an idea to a campaign that would dissuade students in the sense of harming the brand," Savoy said. "It tampers with the message."
"It was just really offensive," said Kohn about SPQR's messages. "We were just kind of shocked that our opponent would want to fight dirty."
Sultana said that KUnited's vast campaign filled the sidewalks, making it harder for SPQR to chalk without being close to KUnited.
"If it's in fact not doing any of the four things of actually messing with the chalking of the other group, then it's free for all," said Sultana on the freedom to chalk on the sidewalks.
Specifically, the commission ruled that SPQR violated section 409.B.6. of the code, which states, "No individual shall remove, deface, obscure or otherwise tamper with the campaign materials of another candidate or coalition." The markings obscured KUnited's chalking under the code.
When asked if the two messages
"Maybe the rain will come," he said.
During the questioning period, the hearing committee asked both sides if they considered SPQR chalking as defacing, obscuring or tampering with KUnited's chalking. It also asked what each coalition thought was a reasonable distance between coalition chalking.
Sultana said that his chalking did not by definition deface, obscure or tamper with KUnited's chalking since it wasn't altering the message in any way. Also, while maintaining that SPQR wasn't opposed to KUnited's aggressive chalking,
"The ruling was ludicrous"
Sultana said.
KUnited members witnessed the violation and documented it.
Edited by Amanda Gage
A full Woodruff Auditorium listened as Jamaica Kincaid spoke about her famous writing Tuesday evening as a part of the Humanities Lecture Series presented by Hall Center for the Humanities.
Kincaid, born Elaine Potter Richardson, grew up impoverished on the Caribbean island of Antigua, which was occupied by British forces during the '50s and '60s when Kincaid grew up.
Her literature is best known for its use of landscapes, strong female characters and characters who struggle colonization. Some of her well-known work includes "Annie John" "A Small Place" and "Lucv"
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
RACHEL SALYER
rsalyer@kansan.com
Kincaid classifies her works as autobiographical.
Author's perspective moves students
SPEAKER
"Everything is autobiographical including the punctuation," Kincaid joked. "It isn't true in the sense of court of law, but is true in a sense of my life."
Kincaid shared a chapter of her new book "See Now Then," which will not be released until September, and took questions from the audience, most of which were about her experience in Antigua.
"I am a product of the colonial experience," Kincaid said, referring to the racism and rigorous British school system she experienced in Antigua. "I once had to copy books one and two of Paradise Lost as punishment in school."
contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
For Kincaid, the love of reading is eventually what led her to write, and her passion for the two was infectious.
"Listening to her just really made me want to buy her new book and read more of her stuff", Jamie Fuller, a sophomore from Wichita, said, who attended as a part of her evolution class.
"She had so many interesting things to say and the way she says it really puts you in her shoes,"
Fuller said. "I really enjoyed the perspective it offered."
Kinkaid, now a professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, signed books for the audience after her lecture.
Samantha Simmons, communication coordinator for the Hall Center, said Kincaid was the finale of their lecture series this year, which had a multicultural focus.
as a West Indian writer who is also an American citizen."
"We tried to pick well known or famous authors that the audience would be most likely be familiar with," Simmons said, "We hope people enjoyed her because she has such a unique experience to offer
The Humanities Lecture Series begins again September 6 with poet Nikky Finney.
Edited by Pat Strathman
Don't forget
Vote for Student Senate today at Mrs. E's, Wescoe Beach or online. Polls close at 4 p.m.
Today's Weather
50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, easily cloudy
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Searchin' for the sun
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