CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, September 13, 1993
3
KU lagging in research spending
Report calls for specific funding goals
By Christoph Fuhrmans Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas is falling behind its peer institutions as a research university, says a report by a University Governance committee.
The Research Policies Committee sent its recommendations on how research could be improved at KU to the University Senate Executive Committee on Thursday.
The committee compared KU's research funding with the top 100 schools in the Association of State Universities, of which KU is a mem-
ber. KU was No. 93.
"Our position has been falling down the last 20 years," said Dick Himes, professor of biochemistry and biological sciences and chair of the research committee.
Himes said the recommendations focused primarily on improving research funding at KU.
"Research is critical to a major university," he said.
Himes said most research was done by graduate students and supervised by professors.
The report focused on six areas where KU could improve research.
increased awareness of the necessity for research at KU.
Set specific monetary goals for research funding.
Himes said that most research funds come from federal institutions such as the National Science Foundation.
According to the office of Research Support and Grants Administration, the Lawrence campus has increased its share of grant research money each of the last five years from about $30 million in 1989 to an estimated $50 million in 1993.
Despite the increase, Himes said that KU still was not on the same scale as other universities.
Set up programs to improve research.
- Develop related policies to sup
Improve the process of submitting grant proposals.
Kevin Reed, assistant director of research support and grants administration, said once a department filed a research grant request it took six to nine weeks to process.
Identify specific funds to improve research flexibility.
An example of how KU rated among its peer institutions in research was shown in a 1991 study by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. The study compared engineering research and development expenditures at KU with eight other universities. The comparison was to the universities of Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri and Nebraska and Iowa State and Oklahoma State universities.
With only $65.9 million slated for research, KU ranked the lowest of the nine schools in the study. Colorado, No. 29, had the highest ranking of the nine schools with $161.97 million.
For KU to become a better research institution, it must become more aggressive in seeking federal grants, Himes said.
"We just have to do a better job of competing," he said.
KU allocations
Kansas legislature allocated $702,806 for KU for '93. Here's how it breaks down by school.
James Frederick XANANS
Source The Office of Institutional Research and Planning
LESSONS FROM ART Dances, storytelling revive Indian traditions
By Donella Hearne
Kansan staff writer
Brilliant yellow feathers whirled making Walter Alhairya nothing but a blur. Eight white hoops encircled his body in intricate designs. The hoop dancer never stopped moving his feet to the steady rhythm of the drum.
Even though his costume was heavy and hot, Ahahty, freshmen at Haskell Indian Nations University, said it was all worthwhile. Ahahty is Kiowa, Comanche and Cherokee from Los Angeles
Pat Melody, said the group tries to represent many tribes.
It feels good if everyone likes it, he said. "It a way of letting go of bad feelings and getting back to what medicine to heal the mind."
Ahhaity was one of the Haskell performers who entertained the crowd at the Fifth Indian Annual Market this weekend. The Kiowa Cultural Commission a Haskell
"We tour all over the country," Melody said. "This is part of our tour production called 'Songs of Life,' which tells stories that are inter-tribal." All the performers at the market said they leamed the stories and dances as children.
tribal club, and the Thunderbird Theater's Honors Company performed traditional Indian stories and dances.
William Edmo Haskell freshman and performer
The market was one of the events of the Lawrence Indian Arts Show.
The Haskell groups performed among the tents where artists were showing their work.
Haskell facilities manager, Virgil Allen, estimated there were between 15,000 and 20,000 people at the market Saturday.
The Thunderbird Theater group brought laughter to children and adults alike as it acted out the story of Coyote the Creator's foolish ways.
Jennifer Attocknie, a Comanche and Pampa, Texas, senior, was recruited from KU to be the narrator of the story.
each individual brings his or her own traditional costume to the group. The director of the group,
"We've all grown up with traditional stories," said William Edmo, a Blackfoot from Browning, Mont., and Haskell freshman, who plays the part of Coyote. "They're part of us."
Tom Mauchahty-Ware, Kiowa and Comanche from Anadarko, Okla., said that he tours playing traditional music on the flute and that he tries to educate people about true Indian ways.
"The true beat is not like in the movies, the one created by the great chief, Mr. Goldwyn," Mauchatty-Ware said. "We're still mad at him for the
way he made people think of Indians. We're still mad, even though he's gone to that great cash box in the sky."
Steve Queton, a Haskell senior who descends from Kiowa and Cheyenne ancestors as well as Italian heritage, said that dancing in the Kiowa Cultural Organization's group was important to him because of his religious beliefs.
"The dancing and the stories are all religious."
Quenoton said "Indians are very close to God."
He said he also danced to remind people of the Indian tradition and to educate others about Indian traditions. He said he thought it was important to keep tribal traditions alive.
"Years ago, we were told not to speak our languages and practice our traditions," Queton said. "Many tribes lost their languages because of that. Now we're fighting to try to hold on to it."
Melissa Lacey/ KANSAN
Steve Quetelet of Lawrence performs a traditional Kiowa fancy dance at the Fifth Annual Indian Market.
Students converge for greek conference
By Shan Schwartz Kansan staffwriter
One hundred-fifty Greek students and advisers from four states converged in Lawrence this weekend as KU played host at an annual regional conference.
The Mid-American Interfraternity Council Association/Mid-American Panhellenic Council Association Western Area Conference was Friday and Saturday in the Kansas Union.
The MIFCA/MAPCA conference, called "Foundations for the Future," encouraged participants to analyze individual, relationship and Greek issues, said Jennifer MacDonald, Shawnee senior and MAPCA Western Area vice president. Conference presenters challenged students to carry their leadership skills into their everyday adult lives.
Students and greek affairs administrators from schools in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri participated in the conference. It was coordinated by students and advisers from KU and the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo., an engineering school.
Speakers at the conference included Vic Boschini, dean of students at Butler University in Indianapolis; T.J. Schmitz, chief executive officer of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity; Caryl Smith, KU dean of student life; and David Ambler, KU vice chancellor for student affairs.
MacDonald said conference participants took part in three-phase workshops that offered them interpersonal exercises. The workshops focused on individual issues, such as time management, etiquette and goal setting, relationship issues, such as gender and cultural issues; and Greek issues, including risk management, creative social planning and scholarship.
Melissa Jenkins, a member of the conference planning committee, said the speakers and presenters at the conference were inspiring.
"The speakers were all prominent in society, and they told us how to use the leadership experiences we gain in greek life to become leaders in our adult lives," she said.
Jenkins said the opportunity to meet with greek students from other schools was also valuable.
"we got to work intimately with people we didn't previously know," she said. "It was good to find that everyone had the same problems and concerns about Greek life, and we learned from each other."
KU physicists to rally for super collider
$10 billion project faces U.S. Senate vote
By David Stewart
Kansan staff writer
Particle physics and political muscle will come together today when a KU professor and other researchers meet in Washington, D.C.
Participants from all over the country will gather at George Washington University to support the Texas superconducting super collider before this month's U.S. Senate vote to finance the $10 billion project.
Vice President AlGore, physicist Stephen Hawking and astronaut Steve Young are scheduled to address the crowd of scientists and physicists about the necessity of the super collider project, said Alice Bean,
professor of physics. The rally was organized by the American Physical Society.
Twenty times more powerful than any atom smasher in existence, the 40-trillion-volt super collider would consist of two rings 54 miles long, said Francis Prosser, associate chair of the physics and astronomy department.
By accelerating protons, or positively charged nuclear particles, around the rings, smashing them together and detecting the resulting crash, researchers hope to get a better understanding of the nature of matter. Prosser said.
Bean said she hoped that a large turnout at the meeting at George Washington University would demonstrate to the Senate that the physics community stands firm in its support for the project.
"We haven't communicated to the public yet why it's so important to have a super collider," Bean said. "I couldn't imagine we could let a vote in the Senate kill it."
Sen. Bob Dole strongly supported the project, but Sen. Nancy Kassebaum intended to oppose the project's financing, legislative aides said.
As one of the KU researchers on the project, Philip Baringer, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, said that despite critics' complaints of few immediate or definite benefits from the project, the super collider would provide data and research opportunities unavailable anywhere else.
"It's been judged by several scientific committees to be the most important project in the field of particle physics," Baringer said. "History tells us that society reaps some type of benefit from these types of projects."
"The project is pretty far along," Baringer said. "They've spent $2 billion on it already. The lab in Dallas employs a couple thousand people. They may be reluctant to come back when they get laid off if the project is delayed for a few years. This is a door-die vote."
If the Senate does concur with the House's vote of 280-150 in June to stop financing the super collider, scientists would have great difficulty attempting to
restart the project in the distant future. Baringer said.
"If the (superconducting super collider) is not built, you might wreck fundamental physics for 50 years," Ralston said. "There should be a little more appreciation for how things are discovered. It's a reasonable function of government to spend a tiny fraction of its budget on new discoveries."
Trees going bald
Early changes in area trees is just another result of the adverse summer weather.
Rains, heat damage campus trees
Source: Douglas County Extension Office
James Frederick / KANBAR
By Brian James
Vancouver staff writer
One of the wettest summers on record followed by a sweltering August has made life hard for trees, experts said.
"Nearly all the trees on campus are under stress right now," said Steve Helsel, assistant director of landscape in facilities operations.
Students are not the only ones who may be stressed out this fall.
Heilsel said that as a result of the stress, leaves on trees are turning autumn colors or falling off altogether about one month earlier than usual.
"The defoliation can be seen on some upper parts of campus, but it is especially common on trees around Potter Lake and those lower grove areas," he said.
Dennis Bejot, a horticulturist for the Douglas County Extension Service, said the heavy rain in early summer saturated the soil, depleting the oxygen in the soil used by tree roots. The ample water forced trees, especially young ones, to grow new roots near the surface. Some deeper roots may have even rotted. Bejot said.
As the August heat dried out the soil, the roots could not get enough water to the tree. he said.
"We have many trees that are starting to thin out and drop their leaves as a result of the stress," Bejot said. "With others, their leaves are beginning to turn yellow or brown."
even oak trees," he said.
The rain and humidity also caused an onslaught of diseases to trees on campus, Helsel said.
"We've had fungus problems in older sycamores, haples and maples,
Helsel said that facilities operations workers are watering and aerating trees to get oxygen to root systems.
"But we're at a loss to the number of things we can do to help now," he said. "Most of the damage has already been done."
Both Helsel and Bejot said that despite the stress on trees this season, they expect few will die.
Helsel said he does not expect to see the brilliant colors of last autumn appear again this year.
"This fall the trees will look kind of raggy," he said. "But that happens in Kansas — nobody did this was Vermont."
"Most have enough of a root system to survive." Bejot said. "But if we have a hard winter, you can bet we will lose some trees."
CAMPUS BRIEFS
Nominations are being accepted through Wednesday at the Student Union Activities office in the Kansas Union for the E.X.C.E.L. scholarship search. E.X.C.E.L., excellence in community, education and leadership, is an award given annually to outstanding students.
Nominations due for students who E.X.C.E.L. at KU
Any full-time undergraduate student with a 3.0 or higher grade point average can be nominated for the scholarship.
One female and one male student will be recognized with a $500 scholarship during homecoming. Oct. 15-16.
After nominations are received, applications will be mailed to the student nonnues. The application deadline is Sept. 28 in the Student Union Activities office.
Finalist interviews will be Oct.7.
KU architecture students take first place in competition
SIX KU students accepted a $1,500 first-place prize Friday for their drawings of Lecompton's Constitution Hall, a 137-year-old building.
The 1993 Charles E. Petersen Prize competition is designed to increase awareness of historic U.S. buildings.
During the summer of 1992, the architecture students spent 10 weeks measuring every detail of the building down to each nail and floorboard.
Fifth-year architecture students Edward Schmitz, Prairie Village; Steven Harrington, Seneca; Kenia Winslow, Liberal; David Wayne Haase-Divine, Gainesville, Fla.; Eric Zabilka, Wilmor, Ky.; and Kurt Brunner, Ottawa graduate student, received the award.
Compiled from Kansan staff reports.