1. Marquette forms national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, one of the nation’s largest youth development organizations, has announced a national partnership with Marquette University to extend educational opportunities for outstanding young people.

Marquette will provide up to three full-tuition scholarships annually to winners of BGCA’s Youth of the Year program, which recognizes exceptional Boys & Girls Club members. Each scholarship, renewable for four years, is valued at more than $110,000. The first scholarships will be awarded for students who enroll as freshmen in fall 2010.

When Marquette created an Urban Scholarship program several years ago, two of the 10 annual, full-tuition scholarships were designated for members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. The national partnership will make Youth of the Year winners from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. military bases abroad eligible for the new scholarships.

“Boys & Girls Clubs serve youth in our communities by helping them develop academic and leadership skills, and instilling in them the importance of service,” said Robert A. Wild, S.J., president of Marquette. “Those characteristics fit well with the pillars of a Marquette education — excellence, faith, leadership and service. And while we are starting with up to three national scholarships, in addition to the two local ones, we hope that this partnership will grow to involve more students here in Milwaukee and across the country, supporting Marquette’s long tradition of educational access.”

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2. $1.4 million grant awarded to Marquette researchers

A team of three professors in Marquette’s College of Health Sciences received a two-year, $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study and develop novel compounds for the treatment of cocaine addiction. The research team comprises associate professors of biomedical sciences Drs. David Baker, John Mantsch and Douglas Lobner. The funding was issued under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

According to the researchers, addiction to stimulants like cocaine is marked by a transition in drug consumption from casual or recreational use to a more compulsive, excessive pattern caused by a change in brain functioning. The team will work to pinpoint this mechanism and target it using novel pharmacological agents capable of inhibiting the addictive process. In particular, they are interested in the regulation of a specific chemical neurotransmitter known as glutamate that mediates information transfer between neurons.

“The Department of Biomedical Sciences at Marquette is playing a key role in important neuroscience research, particularly in the area of addiction,” said Dr. William Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences. “This grant represents another major step forward in continuing our efforts toward finding effective treatments for a spectrum of addictive processes.”

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3. Marquette named among Princeton Review’s “Best 371 Colleges”

In its annual guidebook for 2010, The Princeton Review again named Marquette University one of its “Best 371 Colleges.” Based on institutional data, student surveys and Princeton Review staff visits, the ranking places Marquette among only about 15 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. Selection criteria include academics, admissions selectivity, financial aid, fire safety and green initiatives.

In its profile on Marquette, The Princeton Review lauded the university for selective admissions practices, particularly the academic preparedness of incoming students. According to the profile, “Despite the number of applications Marquette receives, at least two admissions counselors look at each one. Admissions are increasingly selective, and applicants should have solid grades and a respectable course record. Nearly all Marquette students finished in the top half of their graduating class. The admissions department pays close attention to student essays and values writing skills in its candidates.”

Students surveyed praised a “dedication to academic excellence” and the Jesuit ideals at Marquette where “people are dedicated to helping others, are incredibly motivated to do well, and hopefully one day, change the world.”

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4. Register for New Folks Convocation by Aug. 10

All faculty, staff and administrators hired after Aug. 18, 2008, are invited to New Folks Convocation on Monday, Aug. 24. The program begins with registration at 8 a.m. in the AMU Lynch Lounge and concludes with a wine and cheese reception at the Jesuit Residence.


The day-long program is designed to give newer employees a greater understanding of Marquette University and its values as a Jesuit Catholic University. The program is sponsored by the Office of Mission and Identity.


Register with University Special Events at 8-7431 by Monday, Aug. 10.

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5. Volunteers sought for student move-in days

The Office of Residence Life is seeking volunteers to help with student arrival Aug. 26 and 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tasks range from greeting families as they arrive to assisting students as they move their belongings up to their rooms. Incoming freshmen arrive Wednesday, Aug. 26, and most sophomore students return to campus Saturday, August 29.

Volunteers are welcome either day for a few minutes to several hours to welcome students to campus for the new academic year.

For more information or to sign up, contact Rick Arcuri, associate dean for administration, at 8-7208.

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6. E-mails to be limited to 100 recipients in “To” field

To minimize the impact when an e-mail account is compromised by a spammer, IT Services will limit the number of people in the “To” line to 100 beginning today, Aug. 3. The 100 limit will not affect:
• the use of a server-side distribution list (as opposed to an Outlook- or Entourage-based list), including Redfish
• messages sent with a mail merge (by its nature it places a single address in the “To” line)
• exempted accounts

For more information contact the HelpDesk at 8-7799.

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7. Centennial Celebration of Women stationery available

To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the admission of women to Marquette, the university will offer special centennial letterhead and envelopes for departmental use. Standard Marquette stationery has been redesigned to contain a watermark indicating the Centennial Celebration of Women at Marquette. Stationery is to be used during the 2009-10 academic year.


Departments have the option of ordering standard or centennial celebration letterhead and envelopes.

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8. National Night Out includes kids’ activities, crime prevention focus

Milwaukee Police Department District Three will host “Take It Back To The Old School,” a National Night Out event tomorrow, Aug. 4, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in its parking lot, 2333 N. 49th St. The event will include a bounce house and kids’ games, a train, classic car show, district tours, equipment displays and information tables.

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime efforts, and strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

Marquette University is a member of district three.

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