Campus/Area University Daily Kansan / wednesday, June 7, 1989 3 1st KU woman aerospace PhD Graduate working at NASA beating employment odds by Susan Newburger Kansan staff writer Vicki Johnson has gone where no woman has gone before. Johnson, a NASA aerospace engineer, became the first woman to doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of Kansas. She returned to campus to receive the degree during the May 21 commencement ceremony, "This is what I have been waiting for." This finally what I've been waiting for. Johnson's dissertation investigated the optimum design of commercial airplanes through lifecycle costs, or the expense of maintaining and operating an airplane throughout its life. Jan Roskam, Dean E. Ackers distinguished professor of aerospace engineering and Johnson's adviser, said the study was timely. "With increasing costs, one of the things that NASA will look at is the potential payoffs and the bottom line," Roskam said. Johnson works at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lanygle Research Center in Hampton, Va., concentrating on aeronautic and supersonic aircraft concepts to meet design specifications. Johnson's pioneer effort began at Liberty High School in Liberty, Mo. when she was offered a scholarship to study engineering at the University of Missouri at Rolla. A counselor suggested that she relinquish the scholarship to a male student with a lower class rank. She chose to keep the engineering scholarship. "We let her decide on her education," said her father, Charles Johnson. In August 1976, while at Rolla, Johnson was chosen to participate in a cooperative program sponsored by NASA. The program allowed students to work at NASA on alternating semesters, so that students graduated in five years with substantial work experience. "I now visit high schools on career days, encourage students to take advantage of cooperative programs," Johnson said. NASA continued to encourage Johnson's educational advancement, supporting her as she completed a master's degree in flight services from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. NASA also paid her salary and tuition when she began the doctoral program at KU in August 1985. She studied on campus for the first year and returned to Hampton to finish her doctoral thesis. "KU's conceptual aircraft design program is the best in the country, if not the world," she said. "A side was that KU was close to home." However, at the undergraduate level, women make up less than 1 percent of the aerospace engineering students, according to Roskam. Johnson said she had become accustomed to those odds. In 12 years of studying aerospace engineering, she only the only woman in her class The balance is not much different at Langley Research Center. Of the 1,300 scientists and engineers at the center only 147 are women. Crossings improve at slow pace by Donna Eades Kansan staff writer More than two years after four University of Kansas students were killed when a train collided with their car, installation of flashlight for the railroad crossing in North Lawrence is nearing completion. Construction for two other Union Pacific crossings in Lawrence will be completed by the end of the year. A spokesman for the Union Pacific spokesman for the Union Pacific. One of the crossings scheduled for improvement is located at the entrance to the Riverfront Park in North Lawrence. On May 11, a Haskell Indian Junior College student was killed and two others injured when their vehicle collided with a train. Dawna Paul, 20, of Cherokee, N.C., one of the Haskell students injured at the Riverfront Park crossing has been released from the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. Ricky L. Cooper, Anadarko, Okla. is still listed in serious condition at the KU Medical Center. After the accident at the Laptap crossing in the Spring 1987, the National Transportation Safety Commission, the Lawrence crossings and four others on the same line between Lawrence and Topeka. The state allocated funds for construction of crossarms and flashing lights at the intersection. According to original Union Pacific estimates, construction at the seven crossings should have been completed by October 1988. "I can see how the delays are frustrated, but the wheels just don't move as quickly as we would. That's why the Tice, Union Pacific spokesman "A fatality might move it up in priority of installation, but in this case the crossing on Laptad road was the most pressing." Tice said. Steve Traynor/KANSA Department of transportation worker Roger Magnet begins to install a crossing arm and signal at the Lantad intersection in North Lawrence. Milo Kratochvil, coordinating engineer for the Kansas State Department of Transportation, said that 90 percent of the cost for the project will be paid by the state. Union Pacific and Douglas County will each pay 5 percent. Total cost for the project will be between $700,000 and $800,000. Shu-macher said. Rules seek lower default rate Education department's loan regulations will not affect KU by Sharon Chapman Kansan staff writer Tom Lyons, a spokesman for the department, said the restrictions would not affect the University of Kansas. The U.S. Department of Education enacted regulations on Monday to lower the high rates of debt on Guaranteed Student Loans. "Your (default) rate is a little above the national average but there will be no immediate charges for your school." Lyons said. According to statistics from the Department of Education, the default rate at KU is 12.3 percent. When Education Secretary Lauro Cavazos announced the plan, he said that 37 cents of every dollar spent on the loan is used to service unpaid loans. Cavazos' plan divides schools into four categories of default rates: those schools above 60 percent, between 40 and 60 percent, over 30 percent and over 20 percent. Schools with these rates will be required to begin specific programs to lower the rates. All schools must provide counseling to first-time borrowers. Other measures are determined in the school's default rate category. Schools that fail to comply with these regulations may be suspended or banned from the GSL program. Even though the regulations will not affect KU directly, the Student Financial Aid Office plans to add programs to lower the rate of default. "Our default rate is far below the ceiling that's required for schools to be forced into taking remedial action," Jeff Weinberg, assistant director of financial aid, sai d. . . But we will be making a concerted effort in the fall to bring down our rate." loan counseling to keep up with the increased number of students who are borrowing, Weinberg said. Although Weinberg said default rates should be lowered, he thinks that the focus should not be on the reasons behind the rates. But on the reasons behind the rates. "Some of these figures can be misleading. At a small school, six people may receive loan money. If three of these six default, you have a 50 percent rate of default," he said. The effort would include more Weinberg said more than the financial side of the default problem needs to be considered. He said it is not always the students' fault that loan payments are not met. "Some schools don't provide the necessary services once the student arrives. They don't receive the services they pay for and then are unable to meet their loan payments," he said. Weinberg said that he does not want to see the door to higher education closed to disadvantaged students because of high default rates. Chemical causes evacuation by a Kansan reporter Haworth hall was evacuated for about 20 minutes yesterday morning while the Overland Park Bomb Squad removed a five gallon container of hazardous chemicals found in a storage closet. The chemical, anhydrous ethyl ether, is used as a solvent in lab work. It has a 90-day shelf life. After 90 days the chemical may unstable, and, if exposed to air, there is a risk of explosion, Robin Eversole, Director of University Relations, said. "The chemical was stored in a closet and had just been overlooked for a period of time." Eversole said. for a period of time, Eversole said. The chemical had been in the closet since 1966. After removing the container from the building, KU police and the Overland Park Bomb Squad took it to a University-owned field adjacent to the Sunflower Munitions plant eight miles east of Lawrence. "We had to use caution because of the potential for explosion," LT Jeanne Longaker, spokesperson for KU Police, said. "We called overland Park because they're the explosives experts in the area," she said. The container was heated,breaking the chemical down into a harmless mixture of carbon dioxide and water. There was no explosion. The chemical was found in a campuside inventory of hazardous chemicals instituted at the request of the Lawrence fire department. "No other chemicals this old or in this quantity were found," Loralee Saxon, a spokesman for University Relations, said. Sanders appointed StudEx chairman by a Kansan reporter William Sanders' appointment as Student Senate Executive Committee chairman was unanimously approved on May 24, after Christine Stanek's appointment was rejected by the committee. Stanek, St. Charles, M.o., senior, was suspended from her position as off-campus senator along with three other students. She was suspended from the university and then as chairman by Student Senate President B. Jake White was confirmed on The suspension occurred because of an alleged violation of the University Code regarding the number of pupus senators allowed in the Senate. As a result of her suspension, Stanek could not serve as StudEx chairman. White said legislation had been passed five years ago changing the university code to allow for five off-campus students who did research had been conducted before the four senators were suspended. Sanders said that although Stanek was reinstated as an off-campus senator, her appointment to the StudEx chair was not reconfirmed and his appointment was subsequently approved. As executive committee chairman, Sanders will preside over StudEx meetings. His responsibilities also include assisting senate committees, representing members for the fall and assisting student organizations with their bylaws. Welcome Back! Wednesday- Margaritas $1^{100} Chicken Breasts $3^{25} Thursday- Draw of Beer 75c Well Drinks $1^{75} Combo Sandwich $3^{25} Sunday- Cheeseburger, Fries & Mug $2^{00}$ (50e refills) Friday- Bucket of Beer $7^{00}$ (six domestic beers) Featuring: Outdoor Patios, Pool Table, Big Screen T.V., Daily Food & Drink Specials The Yacht Club Bar & Grill 842-9445 Sun.-Thur. Grill closes at 10 p.m. Fri. & Sat. Grill closes at midnight 530 Wisconsin Need a roommate ? place a classified WELCOME BACK STUDENTS 20% Off any single item not already on sale limit 1 per customer Expires June 14,1989 PENNYLANE CASSETTES • COMPACT DISCS • RECORDS • VIDEOS Downtown 844 Massachusetts 749-4211 Hours: 10-8 Mon.-Sat. 11-6 Sun.