WEDNESDAY,FEBRUARY 5,2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 5A
Young researcher receives new grant
By Nikki Overfelt
noverfelt@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Growing up as a farm kid, Douglas Wright said he never set out to cure any diseases.
Instead he said his life choices had led him to research diseases,
"I'm not one of those people who said I want to be a researcher and cure cancer. That never happened that way," he said. "It's kind of steps and ladders."
A 1992 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Wright is entering his sixth year at the University School of Medicine as an assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology. Already the National Institute of Health has awarded Wright four research grants.
"He is certainly one of the rising stars in the research faculty," said Joan Hunt, associate dean for research and graduate education.
"He personifies the kind of young researcher that will make the University great in the future." she said.
Normally by his age, a researcher just starts receiving grants. Hunt said.
Wright's newest grant is for the study of neurological disorders given to the school by the NIH in early January.
Under this new grant, Wright is working with three graduate students and two lab technicians to study the sensory neurons involved in diabetic neuropathy, which is a nerve disorder caused by diabetes.
"One of the sad complications of diabetes is that it affects the nervous system," Wright said.
Diabetes causes loss of sensation for the patients, especially in the feet, he said.
The goal of the research is to find out which neurons are being affected, understand the basic mechanisms that affect the disease and target chemical mediators that are involved and how these mediators can be used as therapeutic agents, Wright said.
Wright and his team are doing their research with mice, although similar experiments in the past were done with rats. One difference they have found between rats and mice is one of the most fascinating discoveries in their research. Wright said.
While the feet of rats stricken with diabetes become highly sensitive to pain, mice with diabetes lose sensation in their feet, just like humans. With this discovery, doing studies on these mice to understand how their nervous system works will push their research forward, Wright said.
Inspiration to do this research came from his fascination with the nervous system, Wright said.
"I'm sort of overwhelmed at the complexity of the system that's frightening, yet exciting," he said. "The more we learn about the nervous system, the more we realize the less we know about it."
But Wright has not always done research with the nervous system and mice. In his postdoctoral study at Washington University in St. Louis, Wright worked with fish and sting rays.
"I never thought I would be studying clinical-related neuroscience," Wright said. "I came a long way from taking care of stingrays."
Edited by Jason Elliot
By Lauren Airey lairey@kansan.com kansan staff writer
Exite easier for students called to duty
When students are called to active military duty, they have to make one stop instead of spending hours on campus withdrawing from classes and arranging refunds.
The Office for Student Support and the University Registrar have adopted a "one-stop exit" for students called to active duty. This is the first time the registrar's office has used this type of system. Instead of contacting all their instructors and the various offices necessary to withdraw from the University, students can now make one stop at the registrar's office and be ready to leave in about 15 minutes.
Judy Gilliland, an administrative assistant at the registrar's office who is in charge of veterans services, estimated three to
"The time I would have spent waiting in line, I got to spend with my family."
Jason Brunner Shawnee junior
five people had used this procedure since it was implemented last week.
"Most students only have a few days to get their things in order, so we're trying to expedite the process," Gilliland said. "Before, they would have to go to student housing, go to the enrollment center. It could take them an entire day."
Jason Brunner, Shawnee junior, used the new "one-stop exit" before leaving for active duty last week. Leaving the University took him two hours instead of seven or eight, he said.
"As with everything that goes
on at KU, like enrollment and add/drop, it takes a long time to get something done," Brunner said. "The time I would have spent waiting in line, I got to spend with my family. If I would have done it the old way, I would have lost all that time with my family."
Students ordered to active duty usually need to withdraw from all classes, move out of student housing and arrange for refunds in tuition, campus fees and parking or bus passes. Now, the registrar's office will contact the appropriate offices to arrange these refunds.
"We do an exit interview process," Gilliland said. "I ask them questions, like if they need me to contact the financial aid office or student housing, and get their forwarding address."
Students who leave for military duty and contact the University Registrar, will receive a full
refund of tuition and fees if they withdraw from all their classes. Partial refunds will be given when credit is awarded for some classes but not all of them. No record is kept of the reason for cancellation or withdrawal.
The registrar's office will ask the Student Development Center to notify instructors of a student's military status, and students can contact their teachers by phone or e-mail about the possibility of a grade or incomplete in a course.
According to a survey issued last fall, 10 students were in the active reserves, 15 in inactive reserves and 33 in the National Guard. More than 20 students have been ordered to report to active duty in the past few months, said Richard Morrell, University registrar, in a press release.
Newsletter aims to unite Christian groups
- Edited by Jason Elliott
By Cal Creek
ByCal Creek
ccreek@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The staff of a new Christian newsletter said it wanted to achieve Christian unity at the University of Kansas.
Abby Swift, Olathe senior, conceived the idea of Flood Light during the "I Agree with Lee" campaign last spring. She said the campaign created unity that she wanted to help continue. The campaign spread the word of faith through T-shirts with "I Agree with Lee" printed on them.
"When you feel the creator of the universe asking you to do something, it's hard to say no," Swift said.
She contacted people she knew with media and publishing experience and began brainstorming.
Over time, a staff formed including Swift, coordinator of publicity and advertising, Tim Kleier, production manager and Spring Hill junior, and Trisha Wyckoff, design and layout editor and Clearview City senior. By last June, they had began to prepare for the first issue.
"I believe that it was God's will, and if its God's will, then I want to be involved," Kleier said.
Swift was teaching English in China when the first issue came out in August. The students' goal was to create a comprehensive newsletter that unified the Christian organizations on campus. The four editors distribute the newsletter at Christian organization meetings. Swift said they wanted its title to reflect that ambition.
"God calls us to be the lights in this world," she said. "A lot of lights
"God calls us to be the lights in this world. A lot of lights are little and dispersed. We bring the lights together in one undeniable flood light."
Abby Swift Olathe senior
are little and dispersed. We bring the lights together in one undeniable flood light."
While helping design the first issue, Kleier also wrote his testimony. Kleier wrote about his walk with God since he became a Christian when he was 16. The reoccurring feature gives contributors an opportunity to share how they see Christianity in their lives. Other
contributors to the feature include Lee Bickerstaff, Emporia junior, and Swift's father, Tom Swift, a pastor.
Flood Light has other recurring features including a different verse each week, a monthly calendar of local Christian events and meeting schedule for local Christian organizations.
The staff of Flood Light continues to look for new staff members and contributors. Swift said she maintained an optimistic view for the newsletter's future.
"It's God's thing not my thing," she said. "Worry gets very little done."
The newsletter's fourth issue will be distributed after spring break.
Edited by Jason Elliott