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Thursday, November 30, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
Professor's study takes aim at global warming
Kansan staff writer
A study by a KU professor at a Colorado river might lead to the prevention of the detrimental effects of global warming.
Bill Baker, professor of geography, recently received a $13,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study the effects of natural disasters, such as fire and flood, on vegetation.
Effects of fire and flood, he said, may be similar to those caused by global warming, a weakening of the ozone layer of the earth's atmosphere. The thin ozone layer allows a deeper penetration of the sun's rays, causing global warming, or the greenhouse effect.
Baker said global warming sometimes had effects on fires and floods. Fires and floods, in turn, he said, affected vegetation.
"This study may tell us what's going to happen to landscape during global warming," he said. "It gives us ways to protect the forests."
Baker and two graduate research assistants will study the Animas River in southwestern Colorado.
"The Animas River is one of the
few rivers left in its natural state," he said. "Man hasn't put up umbrella or altered it. It's much easier to study.
"We're interested in the effect of climatic change on the forest that grows along that river," he said.
Baker said that he would spend parts of the next three summers in Colorado studying the vegetation, but that most of the project would be done in a geographical Resources Support System computer program.
George Frazier, graduate research assistant, said he was working on a program that would improve the animal similar to that of the Animals.
The program will take landscape, and given some kind of disturbance, it will simulate the effects of natural disturbances on landscape," he said.
Stephen Egbert, graduate research assistant, said he became interested in the project and planted with plant and landscape geography.
"I think what we hope to contribute is study about how the structure of landscape will change as a result of natural disturbance that comes as a result of global warming," he said.
Outlook bright for high-tech jobs
By Travis Butler Kansan staff writer
Job prospecta in the scientific and high-technology arena are still good, but there are uncertainties in some fields about the job market.
"We've had a number of employers in chemistry and computer science coming through," said Jim Henry, assistant director of the University Placement Center. "We've had some employers here who've been very happy with our students. There have been about a dozen recent faculty areas. Fall is usually not the busy season — spring is larger."
Julie Cunningham, director of the engineering career service center, said that the job market depended on the industry and the field. She said the engineering market generally had remained good.
Rob Herrington, vice president of Farallon Computing Inc., 1321 Wakarusa Drive, sees a strong role for the communications and data transmission market.
"There's only so much you can do with spread sheets and word processing," he said. "There's lots of things changing how people communicate."
Pamela Bridgen, executive director of the Association of Biotechnology Companies, said that the number
Engineers need to be able to communicate their thoughts and findings to others. Employers also look for leadership skills and extracurricular activity. It shows that students are connected with the wide world out there.'
E
June Cummingham Engineering career services center
of biology/biotechnology related companies had been steadily increasing, providing a growing market for jobs.
"The latest report I had covered the market through July," she said. "There were 39 new companies covered in that report. At that rate, there should be a total of close to 80 new positions with creatves new positions for people."
Intelligence and communication skills are two desirable talents. Leadership and drive also are valued by emplovers.
"Engineers need to be able to communicate their thoughts and findings to others," Cunningham said. "Employers also look for leadership skills and extracurricular activity. It shows that students are connected with the wide world out there."
Herrington said, "They want someone who is intelligent, someone who has the drive and commitment. We
like to look at people who think unconventionally and are intelligent."
Carl Locke, dean of engineering, said that employers varied when it came to wanting certain employee traits.
"Some look pretty heavily at academic achievement," he said. "The other thing they tend to look for is the ability of the student to think and solve problems. In most cases, they are less concerned with the exact details of the technical courses taken."
Several sources are producing a shortage in engineering jobs by the year 2000, Locke said. But there are many questions about the predictions.
"In the past, when we've had a shortage, there's been a rapid increase in recruiting and salaries," he said. "But that hasn't occurred."
"The jobs are there, but the companies are not actively trying to
recruit for them. Companies seem to be planning on a more short-term basis, not long-term. More companies are hiring only about three to four months ahead of time."
Bridgen are the Northeast and the West Coast are still the biggest areas in biotechnology. But, North Carolina and Texas are "up and coming regions."
Herrington said the Midwest was becoming more important in the technology field.
"On the East and West Coast, the cost of living is so high that people want to move where the cost of living is lower," he said. "We, like many companies expanding our research and development operations in the Midwest."
Herrington was originally the owner of Woz Systems Inc., a Lawrence-based company that had created a new type of communications package for the Macintosh computer company. Woz merged with Farallon, a California company. The company has not only kept its Lawrence operation going but it plans to double its size in the coming year.
"We expect to hire about 100 to 170 people in the next year or so," he said. "This includes our California branch and our Lawrence branch."
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