6A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Richard Branham, professor of industrial design, was contracted by the new completely self-sustaining eco-city Masdar City to develop ways to help visitors navigate the structurally innovative headquarters building.
BUILDING (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
unique, never-before-seen structure. The design of the building was complex, centered around large wind towers that provided ventilation. Branham said his firm was using blueprints to visualize what it would be like for someone to walk around the building. Way-finding techniques he would use included the placement and
design of interactive signs, colors and landmark objects throughout the complex.
"People need landmarks and paths to mentally construct their environments," Branham said. "We find we forc
"We find ways for people to easily find their way around in complex environments."
Branham said. "I bring it to the classroom as much as possible."
Ashley Siebert, Merriam senior, who took Branham's class, said he took a unique psychological approach toward industrial design. She said Branham stressed the importance of considering how people interacted with a product's design.
people to easily find their way around in complex and ever-changing environments."
RICHARD BRANHAM KU professor
Branham said his eight-person firm, which was made up of former students, applied the lessons taught in his design classes. He said his work focused on applying academic theories of environmental cognition to determine how people interact with places and things. He said his real-world projects like Masdar took the place of a laboratory for research.
"The real world is my lab,"
"A big part of industrial design is interface design," Siebert said. "You have to think about how people will navigate the things you create."
Branham and his firm will be working with the Masdar Headquarters for
several years. The city's Web site said it expected the building to be fully functioning by 2016. The roof will be constructed first and will be covered by solar panels which will help power the construction and future operation of the building. Once completed, the building will feature retail outlets, a hospital, food courts, offices, prayer halls and direct access to the city's electric-rail underground transportation system.
—Edited by Betsy Cutcliff
CAMPUS
Group kicks off new lecture series
BY MEGAN HEACOCK
mheacock@kansan.com
H. George Frederickson is looking forward to his free chocolate chip cookie. As the honored guest speaker of the new Brown Bag Lecture Series, he'll earn it.
The new lecture series was created to bring in a real-world perspective of urban planning and is produced by the Kansas Association of Planning Students. It will kick off its first event today at noon in Melvin Hall.
"The series is still in its infant stage," he said. "But we hope it will bring diverse people together from across the University to talk about serious issues of the day."
KAPS is an organization for students interested in urban planning, an occupation that assists civic leaders, residents and businesses
John Elias, Atchison graduate student and KAPS student president, said the program had potential to stir important discussions among students.
plan for community growth.
The lecture series will cover a broad range of topics and themes. Ellias said KAPS purposely chose speakers from different fields, including architecture, design and law, to draw in a diverse audience. Another unique characteristic of the series is it's informal setting; attendees are encouraged to bring their own bag lunches and enjoy free drinks and dessert.
"He's a wonderful professor and very distinguished in his field," she said.
Caryn Woods, Lawrence graduate student and KAPS treasurer, said that while the informal format might make the lecture series more approachable, the real strength was in its speakers. She said she was the one who invited Frederickson to speak at the first lecture.
Woods said several students in public administration and political science would be particularly drawn to the series, but the topics could relate to anyone.
wear a lot of hats in their jobs and successful planners have varied interests in many areas," she said.
Frederickson, an Edwin O. Stene Distingushed Professor, said his lecture, "Accountability, Planning, and Institutional Resilience," was a critical look at the meaning of accountability and how it connected to the measurement of government performance.
Frederickson has authored and co-authored 12 books and 45 articles. Elias said Frederickson's topic was exceedingly important to public politics.
Professor Steve Padget from the School of Architecture will head the next Brown Bag Lecture on Sept. 15. Future speakers include John Gaunt, dean of the school of architecture, design and planning, and Stephen Hardy, from BNIM architects.
"Accountability is said to be the 'word that is eating government,'" he said.
"Planners must, oftentimes.
BROWN BAG
LECTURE SERIES
- Edited by Betsy Cutcliff
WHO: H. George Frederickson with 'Accountability, Planning, and Institutional Resilience'
WHEN: Wednesday Sept. 2 noon to 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Room 308 Marvin Hall
- Bring your own lunch.
Drinks and dessert provided.
The next speaker will be Professor Steve Padget from the School of Architecture on Tuesday, Sept. 15
Produced by Kansas Association of Planning Students
JENKINS (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
wondered what kind of health care there would be for young adults. She also asked Jenkins to make sure she read the legislation because politicians and the public listened to summaries and pundits' remarks.
"They listen to somebody tell them what it says," Maun said. "And then they latch on to something. That's how you got the rumors like the death panels."
Jenkins said she had pledged to read the health care bill, but said she had only a few hours on some legislation, such as the stimulus bill earlier this year.
ity party.
Others asked Jenkins to support expanded universal health care, Jenkins said she wanted to join the health care debate, but could not because she was not in the major-
"It came to us at 3 a.m., I think, and we were voting on it the next day" jenkins said.
"I don't know that I have made myself clear here," Jenkins said. "Democrats have unfettered power in Washington. That means my vote is not needed on health care."
After the meeting, Jenkins said the size of the crowd was about average for what she had seen across her district, which included the western part of Lawrence, Topeka and Manhattan.
"I appreciate them coming out and letting their voices be heard," Jenkins said.
Mary Geiger, Jenkins' spokeswoman, said the office didn't know what to expect in the town hall events.
"Congresswoman wants to listen to the concerns of all constituents and that's what she has spent this month doing." Geiger said. "I think she's heard a lot of concerns, from constituents across the board."
Derek Martin, Prairie Village junior, said he was interested in what the congresswoman had to say because he was a political science major and wanted to hear from the people who were representing Kansas on a national level.
"I think it's not only important that I know what they think, but also it's interesting just to hear what they have to say, because they're a national official," Martin said.
Jon Seldin, Boca Raton, Fla. junior, said he liked the town hall atmosphere as long as it was civil and not disruptive. He said he favored a public option in health care.
"I think it's beneficial to the country." Seldin said.
Students such as Dylan Smith, Lawrence junior, who supported universal health care protested the event both inside and outside the Dole Institute.
"We are one of the only industrialized countries, probably the only one, without universal health care," Smith said. "It just makes me sad to see with the great wealth of this nation, I don't understand why we can't extend a little bit of that money toward people who are less fortunate."
Lawrence Bush, director of facilities and events for the Dole Institute, said the room was booked at the beginning of August, and should have been held at a larger venue given the overflow attendance.
"When this was originally planned, it was only supposed to be a very small gathering," Bush said. "Only in the last few days had it turned to this."
HEALTH
Edited by Tim Burgess
Students to get free flu shots
BY SARA KUGLER Associated Press
NEW YORK — The nation's largest school district said Tuesday it will offer free swine flu vaccinations to its 1 million-plus schoolchildren as New York City takes bold steps to avoid becoming the country's flu epicenter again in the fall.
Hundreds of school districts nationwide have agreed to allow vaccinations in school buildings, once the vaccine becomes available in mid- to late October as the nation prepares for a spike in swine flu cases in the coming months.
New York officials said the vaccine — also available to private school children — would mostly be given to children through a "wait" in the
nose rather than by injection.
Last spring, the virus rapidly spread among high school students, beginning with a private high school in Queens. Officials estimate as many
killed about 500 people
Last spring, the virus rapidly spread among high school students beginning with a private school in Queens.
President Barack Obama said Tuesday that while swine flu vaccine will be voluntary, the gov-
as 1 million people were sickened in the city, and more than 50 people died. Nationwide, swine flu has
ernment will "strongly recommend" that people get it.
The vaccine is still being tested and analyzed. Once it is deemed safe and effective, the government — which has bought 195 million doses — will ship the vaccine to state health
departments in portions, starting with about 45 million doses in October.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Radha Chatterjee, right, Walgreens pharmacist, injects a flu shot into customer Michael Sokoll in New York, Tuesday. Drugstore operators are beginning their seasonal flu shot campaign several weeks early this year, saving they expect the demand for vaccine this year.
YOUR COMPLETE
GAMEDAY SPORTS COVERAGE
DES MOINES, Iowa — From anesthesia to the recovery room, 70-year-old Monna Cleary's children followed her surgery — 140 characters or less at a time.
HEALTH Family follows surgery via Twitter updates
Twitter is opening doors to the sterile confines of operating rooms, paving the way for families — and anyone else for that matter — to follow a patient's progress as they go under the knife.
Most of the Cleary family chose to track the developments from a laptop computer in the hospital's waiting room.
"It made the time go by," said Cleary, who was joined by a brother, two sisters and a sister-in-law at the hospital. "We all feel it was a positive experience."
His mother, who underwent a hysterectomy and uterine prolapse surgery, had given her OK for hospital spokeswoman Sarah Corizzo to post a play-by-play of the operation on Twitter, a social-networking site that lets users send out snippets of information up to 140 characters long using cell phones or computers.
Associated Press