University Daily Kansan / Monday, October 31, 1988
11
Researchers help KU to keep pace
By Laura Woodward
By Laura Woodward Kansan staff writer
In the nooks and crannies of the University of Kansas, professors are looking through microscopes examining blood vessels and analyzing faded parchments written centuries ago.
Such research is important to the University. Without it, Robert Bearse said, the function of KU would be defunct.
Many professors are doing just that.
"The function of a university is to collect, analyze and disseminate knowledge," said Bearse, the associate vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service. Many professors are doing just
Stephen Addiss, professor of art history, is researching Japanese Zen monk artists. Because there hasn't been much written about this topic, Addiss is doing two things.
"I'm writing on the art of Zen, a book detailing 25 major artists and their lives," he said. "I'm also writing a biographical dictionary."
Graduate students are helping Addiss gather material for his two books.
"One is my own interpretation with historical and artistic comments," he said. "The other is to open up the others' others can do their research."
Andrew P. Debicki, distinguished professor of Spanish and Portuguese, has spent nearly 30 years writing literary criticism of Spanish poetry.
"My research always links up to a theoretical question," he said. "I'm interested in the relationship between the literary text and the reader — how the reader responds to the text."
Debicki is beginning work on a project to reform the way in which the history of Spanish poetry has been constructed.
Ronald Borchardt, department chairman of pharmaceutical chemistry, said one project that researchers in his department were working on is to help treat patients of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
"This research is supported by a grant from the National Institute for Mental Health," he said. "It could be the development of anti-ADI drugs."
Researchers have been trying to develop an anti-viral agent that would prevent the AIDS virus from penetrating blood vessels.
Jeff Aube, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry, is working on new techniques to synthesize organic molecules.
"We've developed new technology to monitor how drugs can react with each other," he said.
Research awards
Aube said his research was purely academic.
Borchardt said such research would keep students informed about things that wouldn't be published for another one to two years.
The following figures are a sampling of various departments at KU and the awards given to them for research purposes. These figures are taken from July, 1 1987 to June 30, 1988.
Note: these are preliminary figures not final figures.
| Business | Number of awards | Amount of awards |
|---|
| Business | 3 | $70,500 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences |
| Chemistry | 27 | 1,026,920 |
| English | 1 | 400 |
| History | 2 | 12,603 |
| Mathematics | 4 | 177,450 |
| Psychology | 2 | 128,904 |
| Botany | 4 | 178,583 |
| Education |
| Art Education | 1 | 24,890 |
| Special Education | 16 | 1,313,617 |
| Engineering |
| Aerospace Engineering | 1 | 18,500 |
| Civil Engineering | 1 | 18,890 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 9 | 365,711 |
| Fine Arts |
| Design | 1 | 4,500 |
| Pharmacy |
| Pharmaceutical Chemistry | 23 | 1,790,032 |
| Social Welfare |
| Social Welfare | 16 | 310,969 |
Source: Annual Report of Awards for Fiscal Year 1988 KANSAN graphic
consulting," he said. "You learn about things years before others see them in open literature."
RECRUIT
'When you are an active researcher, you get a lot of opportunity to participate in meetings and do
"If you're going to attract good faculty, you need good students and good facilities," Bearse said. "We try to work on all three fronts."
Continued from p. 1
A preliminary report from the KU research and grants administration for fiscal year 1988, which ended July 1, showed that KU received about $24 million in research grants last year. That included the Lawrence campus only.
Bearse estimated that 90 to 95 percent of KU's research, is financed by federal grants, was for non-commercial use. The other 5 percent, financed by private grants, is used for commercial application.
In addition to the grants, Bearse listed other reasons why faculty chose KU over other universities.
"One of the biggest positive things we have for attracting researchers is the beauty of this area for living," he said. "It's amazing how often we meet in Kansas, and they come here to Kansas, and they come fall in love with the place."
Administrative support for faculty is another reason why faculty choose KU. Bearse said.
"We may not be able to give them a lot of money, but we have been able to allow people to do their own thing," he said.
Most faculty members teach and do research. Bearse said that about 200 of KU's 1,200 faculty members participated only in research.
If a faculty member is not given tenure, Bearsear said that the Universities failed. He considered that an important attitude in the recruitment of
researchers.
"When we recruit someone here, we are sure that he will be successful."
KU expects its recruited faculty in both the sciences and the humanities to participate in research. Bearse said a faculty member's schedule must include at least 40 percent teaching, 40 percent research and 20 percent service.
"We expect that all new faculty will have a balanced program of teaching and research," said Judith Ramaley, executive vice chancellor.
Many faculty members said that they thought KU was doing a more than adequate job of recruiting researchers.
"I would have to say that the University is doing a good job," said Ronald Borchardt, chairman of the department of pharmaceutical chemistry "The University has been working with the 17 years that I've been here. I would have pressed to leave this institution because I feel a lot of loyalty."
Downing agreed with Borchardt.
"We still have limits on salary. And the best people will still have the skills to go elsewhere," he said. "But Kluu has a place to work and live and support, such as the Margin of Excellence which can outweigh a larger salary."
Last session the Legislature decided to finance most of the first year of the Margin, a request by the Board of Regents schools for program and faculty salary enhancement.
Philip Morris, Kraft merge
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Kraft Inc. said yesterday that it had agreed to a $13.1 billion buoyment by Philip Morris Cos. Inc., ending a short but successful merger between the big merger ever between two non-oil U.S. companies.
In a joint statement, the two food giants said they reached a definitive agreement in which Philip Morris would pay $106 cash for each of Kraft's outstanding shares.
Kraft shares closed at $8.50, up
$2 a share, Friday on the New
Stock Exchange. Philip Morrison
down 25 cents at $4.74 a share.
The agreement comes just five
days after Kraft, which is based in Glenville, Ill., said it would negotiate with Philip Morris only if the tobacco and consumer products company raised its initial 800 a share buyout offer.
On Oct. 23, Kraft rejected Philip Morris' initial offer as inadequate, and unveiled a restructuring it said would pay its shareholders more than the amount but also would heap $12.4 billion in new debt on the company.
Hamish Maxwell, chairman and chief executive of Philip Morris, said in a statement that his company thought the merger would be beneficial to the company's company that will compete more effectively in world food markets.
Faculty research benefits KU students
By Laura Woodward
Kansan staff writer
Last year, about $3 million was paid to students participating in research projects, said Robert Bearse, associate vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service.
Faculty research benefits not only faculty but also students. Labs do brisk business on payday when student researchers drop by to pick up their checks.
"Some of them are doing research, and some are doing more routine things like clerical work," he said. "I very much encourage undergraduates who want to do a research career to get some experience in labs."
Ronald Borchardt, chairman of pharmaceutical
studies, and to 12 undergraduate
students, working in the department.
one end of the log and a student on the other end," he said.
About $200,000 went to undergraduates and the rest to graduate students.
An additional benefit to students is the international flavor of the science labs, Borchardt said.
"This is one of the things that sets KU aside from smaller institutions: the huge amount of money that comes into the University and is paid out to students involved in research projects," he said.
"I think it's important for an individual to be exposed to different cultures and different ways of doing things," he said. "When you have a good friend, you can attract people from all over the world."
STADIUM BARBER SHOP
Bearse said students benefited from the opportunity to apprentice themselves to a faculty member involved in some type of research.
experience for him.
Trammel said research could teach much that couldn't be gleaned from a textbook.
Andy Trammel, Lawrence graduate student, works in a pharmaceutical chemistry lab in Malott Hall, and he said that it had been an invaluable
"You learn the textbook as an undergraduate, but it's almost like a night and day difference when you actually do the work," he said. "We have good resources and good people."
"You learn the basics as an undergraduate," he said. "I think of going to grad school as an apprenticeship. It's hands-on experience."
Tramnel said the lab was made up of about 15 graduate students and the real post-docs' students.
"The best teaching that goes on is a professor on
Borchardt also thought students received a much better education from professors who were
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