Monday, August 16, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section C · Page 17
Dean nurtures allied health, nursing, children
Stephanie McCarty Kansan staff writer
Driving race cars appeals to Karen Miller. If she could do something besides be a dean, that would be it.
"I would go to a race car driving school," she said. "They do have those, you know."
But because Miller happens to be the only person who is dean of two schools at the University of Kansas, she finds that there are simply not enough hours in the day to take racing lessons. She doubles as the dean of allied health and of nursing at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
What is life like as a dean? In a word: busy. Miller attends meetings from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week. In the evenings, she goes home to her three children, Megan, 22, Nicolas, 11, and Milli, 1.
"I just adopted Meili from China in March." Miller said. "Because families in China are
only allowed to have one child, they prefer to have little boys. Lots of little girls are abandoned every year."
In fact Miller's younger sister also adopted a girl from China.
"The girls will be able to grow up as cousins," Miller said.
Miller became the dean of nursing in 1966 and, in 1988, was named dean of allied health.
"Before I received the deans positions, I ran operations as vice president for patient care at Denver Children's Hospital," Miller said. "In a lot of ways, being the dean for nursing and the dean for allied health are quite similar."
Miller said that it is the dean's responsibility to ensure the quality of educational processes in the schools and to facilitate adequate resources.
"I also help to raise money for the schools and for student scholarships through private funders, such as friends and alumni of KU," Miller said.
resume. Miller received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She received her master's degree and doctorate in health care systems at the University of Colorado.
Like most deans, she has an impressive
She served as a board member for the National Institute of Nursing Resources and was elected as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
Sanchez said that Miller often buys bagels for everyone in her office.
"Karen Miller is a very good role model for students in administration or nursing leadership positions," said Sandi Sanchez, executive assistant. "Besides being highly motivated and full of energy, Karen is upbeat, positive, and a joy to work with."
"It is such a pleasure work with such a talented faculty and city civic leader," Miller said. "I have also met some of the most exciting and gifted students here. They definitely make life very interesting."
Miller said that because she likes the students, it makes it hard on her when she must face difficult student situations, such as when the expected growth hits the School of Nursing and the School of Allied Health in a few years.
Miller hopes to see both the School of Nursing and the School of Allied Health ranked high nationally. She also wants to double the amount of research dollars that come into the school.
"Health professions are going to be one of the most sought-after careers," Miller said. "They are predicted to be in great demand due to the rapidly growing population."
"Over the last two years, I've been helping to raise money for the new school of nursing, which should be completed very soon," she said. A day in the life of a dean and mother can have its time restraints.
"But I still want to race cars," Miller said. "Or maybe be a senator."
Edited by Mike Miller
DOUBLE-DUTY DEAN
University of Kansas Medical Center is located in Kansas City, Kan.
School of Nursing Dean's office 1004 Murphy Hall (913) 588-1601
School of Allied Health Dean's office 1004 Murphy Hall (913) 588-5235
Lightning rods strike at building safety
By Lisa John
Kansan managing editor
It wasn't always that wav.
When lightning strikes, people listen. But at KU, they don't necessarily worry.
I wasn't always that way.
Mike Richardson stood on the rooftop of Wescoe Hall on a recent winter summer day. Small, pointed lightning rods lined the flat roof at 30-foot intervals and topped each rooftop protrusion, all connected by a heavy metal cable that runs down to the ground.
Looking westward toward Budig Hall, Richardson, director of Facilities Operations, said he remembered all too well when he learned that Hoch Auditorium was on fire.
This lightning rod is one of dozens on top of Wescoe Hall. After Hoch Auditorium burned after a lightning strike in 1991, Regents schools across the state stepped up the program to add lightening protection to campus buildings. Photo by Lisa John/KANSAN
It was on a rainy Saturday in June, 1991 that his phone rang.
"I knew we were in trouble," Richardson said.
Even before the lightning, Hoch had three strikes against it; no lightning protection, dry timbers and no sprinkler system.
Back then, only about 25 of the buildings at the University of Kansas had lightning protection, said Warren Corman, University architect. At the time of the fire, Corman worked as an architect for the Board of Regents.
Corman was with his wife at the First Presbyterian Church when he saw a dark cloud of smoke coming from campus.
"Somebody came up and said that Hoch was on fire," Corman said. "But we didn't come up — it was raining like a son of a gun."
Not even the heavy rains could quench the fire.
"By nightfall, the whole building was gone, except for the front wall." Corman said.
After the fire, the Board of Regents ruled that all the Regents' schools in Kansas should have lightning protection on all of the key buildings, Corman said.
That's when he decided he'd better learn more about lightning rods.
"They're not what most people think they are," he said. "Lightning rods aren't to have lightening strike them — they're to dissipate the electrical charge as the clouds move across the sky."
And so began the statewide campaign to install lightning rods on the Regents schools.
At the University of Kansas, they started at the top of the Hill. The first KU buildings to get lightening protection were those with valuable collections, including Watson Library, Dyche Hall and Spencer Research Library, Corman said.
Doug Riat, associate director of Design and Construction Management, also remembers where he was the day Hoch burned. He was driving on the highway between Topeka and Lawrence.
"On the horizon I could see a large black cloud," Rlait said. "By the time I got there, the building was engulfed in flames."
Riat said that now more than 50 buildings on campus have lightning protection.
Cost of the installation averages about $35,000 per building, Riat said. Smaller buildings such as Danfort Chapel, cost about $5,000 per building.
"We have been spending an average of a little less than $100,000 a year on lightning protection since 1993." Riat said.
Richardson said that once the lightning rods had been installed, they're relatively maintenance free — until a roof needed to be repaired or replaced. That's where the challenge comes in.
"The lightning rods have to be reinstalled, so it's a continual maintenance issue — but it isn't a big problem," Richardson said. KU employees often reinstall the lightning protection themselves.
Having lightning rods does not guarantee a building will not get hit, Corman said.
"But it's like having 95 percent insurance — very rarely will it get hit if it's protected."
From a cost standpoint, Riat said the money is well spent. "If we can keep even one building from being destroyed by lightening, it's worth it."
— Edited by Anjum Aziz
KU students hooked on tales of fishing lore
By Matthew Friedrichs
Kansan editor
This fish story ain't no lie
This his story aren't no lie.
And if you don't believe me, ask Lisa John, Kansan managing editor, or Phil Huntsinger, associate professor of health, sport and exercise sciences. They were both there.
Ted Decker, a fisherman from Grantville, hooked and landed a University of Kansas class this big (imagine I've got my arms spread wide, and you can see west side of Memorial Stadium between my hands).
OK, OK, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but at least 100 students hung onto Decker's words and laughed for the duration of his hour-long presentation, despite the sharp pain of taking a Saturday morning class.
Decker fishes for the big ones. He catches flathead catfish in the Kansas and Missouri rivers.
"That's Walter," Decker said, holding a mounted head and circulating a picture of a 76-pound flathead he landed. "That's the biggest one I've ever caught."
Decker was the first in a line of fishermen that Huntsinger brought to teach Fish Kansas. Huntsinger has taught the class since 1985.
Every summer he tries to entertain, teach and maybe hook a few new fans for the sport.
Ted Decker certainly caught our attention.
During his best day fishing in recent memory, he caught a 70-pound flathead, a 30-pound flathead, a 10-pound carp and then nabbed two black snakes in his front yard when he got home.
The self-described river rat's stories write with life, twisting
and turning like the rivers that he practically lives on.
He's paddled his kayak on the Missouri River from Omaha to Kansas City and from Kansas City to St. Louis — by himself.
He makes notes on his Missouri River navigation map, marking a good fishing spot, indicating good camping areas and writing about his conversations with other colorful characters like "Flathead" in Waverly, Mo., and "Hambone" in White Cloud.
When he's not kayaking across Missouri, Decker feeds his hunger for fishing by tending lines hanging from branches within a few feet of the bank along the Kansas River.
He baits his large hooks — they're not designed for earthworms because the hooks are almost as big as a worm — through the tail of a perch, small carp, bulbhead or larger goldfish. Then he drops the hooks in the water before dusk.
He checks them early in the morning to see if he's landed anything worth eating.
When he finished answering questions, Decker pulled out a cooker filled with deep-fried catfish and offered samples of his handiwork.
This summer, the class struck at Decker's lure like the flatheads and went home with a taste of his fishing style.
As we munched on the catfish, Decker swallowed Huntsinger's bait — two slabs of ribs to show gratitude to Decker for giving up a Saturday morning of fishing.
"My wife said, 'Oh good, we can eat ribs tonight. We don't have to eat fish," Decker said.
Edited by Derek Prater
EVERYTHING BUT ICE BEDS·DESKS·BOOK CASES CHEST OF DRAWERS unclaimed freight & damaged merchandise 936 Mass.
KIEF'S Audio/Video Big Sale Now! TV & DVDs 24th and Iora, Lawrence, KS. 842-1811
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Come Join The Fun At LAWRENCE CATHOLIC CAMPUS CENTER
KICKOFF TO SCHOOL BBQ Tuesday, August 17th 5:30 pm Come meet new friends! Go to Beach 'n' Blvd following BBQ
SECOND ANNUAL MASS ON THE HILL Wednesday, August 18th 6:00pm Start your school year off right! Campanile Hill (Potter's Pavilion) Opening Convocation following Mass
Ice Cream Social Sunday, August 22 Learn more about St. Lawrence After 11:00am, 5:00pm and 10:00pm Masses
1631 Crescent Road
785-843-0357
www.st-lawrence.org
HIesta! Thursday, August 26 5:00pm A celebration to welcome new students. Food and Fun Bring Friends!
If all you want from church is hell, fire and brimstone, burn this ad.
Hell, fire, and brimstone you won't find in our church. But if it's warm fellowship and the love of a forgiving and understanding God you want, join us in worship Sunday.
The Episcopal/Lutheran Campus Center 1116 Louisiana (Between 11th and 12th)
Sunday Worship- 5:00 p.m. followed by a free dinner at 1116 Louisiana
Tuesday Worship- 12:00 noon at Danforth Chapel/KU
Weekly Bible study groups and weekly prayer groups.
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