1. Founder of Teach For America to speak at Commencement

Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive of Teach For America, will be the speaker for the spring 2010 Commencement ceremony, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 23, at the Bradley Center.

Kopp proposed the creation of Teach For America in her undergraduate senior thesis at Princeton University in 1989 and has spent the last 20 years working to sustain and grow the organization. Today, 7,300 corps members are teaching in 35 urban and rural regions across the country while 17,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity.

Teach For America expanded to Milwaukee this year, with a cohort of 38 teachers. Marquette is one of two local universities providing coursework for the corps members that will enable them to earn a master’s degree in education and complete Wisconsin’s teacher licensure requirements in two years.

“The selection of Wendy Kopp as our 2010 commencement speaker draws attention to our yearlong Celebration of the Centennial of Women at Marquette, marking the historic decision to admit women to the university, and to our ongoing mission to provide access to education for the underserved,” said Marquette President Robert A. Wild, S.J. “We share her commitment to address injustice and to improve the lives of young people by providing qualified, committed teachers.”

As part of the commencement ceremony, Kopp will receive an honorary degree from Marquette, along with:

Joan Biskupic, Jour '78, author and Supreme Court correspondent for USA Today

Anne M. Burke, Illinois Supreme Court Justice and founder of the Chicago Special Olympics

Janice McLaughlin, M.M., Arts '69, author and president of the Maryknoll Sisters

2. Dr. David Baker named one of Business Journal’s "Forty Under 40"

Six of the 40 individuals selected by The Business Journal’s 2010 “Forty Under 40,” which recognizes young leaders in the Milwaukee area, have Marquette connections.

Dr. David Baker, associate professor of biomedical sciences, was selected along with five alumni. In nominating Baker for the award, Marquette President Robert A. Wild, S.J., said “It is not often that a teacher-scholar receives millions of dollars in grants from such prestigious entities as the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse and establishes a business to develop and commercialize discoveries made in his laboratory — let alone to do so before the age of 40.” Baker and his colleague, Dr. John Mantsch, founded Promentis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a start-up company that aims to develop and commercialize chemical compounds that have shown promise as a novel treatment for schizophrenia and other central nervous system conditions.

The five alumni in The Business Journal’s 2010 “Forty Under 40” group are:

• Michael Delzer, Law '96, Delzer Lithograph Co.
• Maureen Kennedy-Harlan, Grad '04, Joy Global
• Christina Kutsch, Arts '92, Harley-Davidson Museum
• Joe Rock, Bus Ad '92, KPMG LLP
• Kelly Twigger, Law '97, ESI Attorneys LLC

The winners will be honored in a special section in the April 9 issue of The Business Journal and at a April 12 awards event.

3. Artist to discuss paradox of jungle terrain

Clara Andrea Rojas Mocetón will present “Freedom Without Borders” today, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Haggerty Museum of Art. A reception will precede the lecture, at 6:15 p.m.

Mocetón chooses the tropical jungle terrain as the subject of many of her paintings in the exhibit Freedom Without Borders because for her it holds a paradoxical presence of life and death, hope and despair and abundance and misery. Rojas explores the answers of how destruction and fear can be transformed into healing and life. Her work is on display at the Latino Arts Gallery.

The program is held in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Languages, the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences and the Centennial Celebration of Women.

4. Texas law professor to discuss justice for battered women defendants

Sarah Buel will present “Achieving Justice for Battered Women Defendants" for the 2010 McGee Lecture tomorrow, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. in the Raynor Library Beaumier Suites. Buel, clinical professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin, has worked with battered women and abused children as an advocate and a prosecutor for 32 years. She also founded and directed several legal and advocacy agencies for supporting battered women. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences.

Buel narrated the 1992 Academy Award winning documentary Defending Our Lives and in 1996 was profiled by NBC as one of the five most inspiring women in America.

5. Ulice Payne to speak at program tomorrow

The National Society of Black Engineers and the Multicultural Business Organization are hosting "African-Americans at Marquette: Past, present, future," tomorrow, Feb. 26, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium. The event will feature keynote speaker Ulice Payne, Bus Ad '78 and Law '82, Marquette trustee and president of Addison-Clifton.

A panel of Marquette community members will also discuss the Marquette experience from the perspective of African-Americans, including:

• Latrice Harris-Collins, admissions counselor
• Alex Peete, associate director of the Educational Opportunity Program
• Dr. Phoebe Williams, associate professor of law

6. Chorus, orchestra giving free performances this weekend

The Marquette University Chorus will present a showcase of popular musical selections including numbers from RENT, My Fair Lady, Avenue Q, South Pacific and West Side Story, Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium.

The Marquette University Symphony Orchestra will perform a concert featuring works by Beethoven, Dvoràk and Mozart on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. in the Varsity Theater.

7. Economic Leadership Forum to focus on financial regulations

The College of Business Administration will present the second annual Economic Leadership Forum Monday, March 1, at 7:15 a.m. in the AMU ballrooms. The event, which includes a continental breakfast, is free for employees and students. Cost is $5 the general public. Register online.

Moderated by Dr. Linda Salchenberger, Keyes Dean of Business Administration, a four-person panel will discuss the challenges and changes that financial institutions, corporations and consumers will face in the year ahead. The panelists are:

Dr. Abdur Chowdhury, professor of economics

Philip Flynn, president and CEO, Associated Banc-Corp

Dr. David Krause, director of the Applied Investment Management program

Colin Lancaster, principal, president and COO, Stark Investments

8. Hip-hop culture to be explored at panel discussion

The Department of Social and Cultural Sciences will host a panel discussion about the hip-hop generation Wednesday, March 3, at 5 p.m. in Emory Clark Hall 111.

Four panel members from three different academic institutions will discuss race, class, capitalism, globalization, the rise in the rate of incarceration of African-American men over the last 20 years and how these issues are affecting race relations in Milwaukee and around the country.

Panelists are:
• Dr. Jerry Gafio Watts — professor of English and sociology at the City University of New York Graduate Center
• Dr. Jooyoung Lee — a Robert Wood Johnson health and society scholar at the University of Pennsylvania
• Hank Williams — a doctoral candidate in English and Africana Studies at the City University of New York Graduate Center
• Dr. Erin Winkler — assistant professor of Africology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The discussion is being facilitated by Robert Turner, 2009-10 Arnold L. Mitchem Dissertation Fellow, a doctoral candidate completing his dissertation on the lives of NFL players.

9. University mourns the death of Dean Emeritus Russell Brown

Marquette University mourns the death of Dr. Russell Brown, dean emeritus, who passed away Sunday, Feb. 21.

Services are tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27, in Port Orange, Fla.

Brown, Dent ’47, joined the Marquette dental faculty in 1957, was tenured in 1959 and named full professor in 1961. He was named assistant dean in 1964 and associate dean in 1967. He was named dean of the School of Dentistry in 1970, retiring as dean in 1984.

Condolences may be sent to his wife, Mrs. Mildred Brown, 5769 Pendlebury Court, Port Orange, FL 32127-7960.

10. Fulbright workshop, panel and individual consultations available

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will host a Fulbright Scholar Program workshop Wednesday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in AMU 163. Gary Garrison, assistant director of Asia (workplace) Institute of International Education, and Ranya Rashed, manager of the American Program (workplace) Fulbright Commission in Egypt, will discuss the application process and opportunities available to faculty through the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Marquette faculty members who have received a Fulbright will also discuss their experiences and answer questions from 11 a.m. to noon in AMU 163.

RSVP to Jennie Schatzman, office coordinator, at 8-7225 for the workshop or faculty panel.

The Fulbright representatives will also be available by appointment from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. for individual consultations. RSVP to Christy Lennon, assistant director of project planning and development, at 8-3642 by Monday, March 1, to request a 20-minute individual consultation.

11. $1,000 grants available through international poster session

The Office of International Education is requesting submissions for the second annual Marquette International Research Poster Session, Friday, April 9, in coordination with International Day.

OIE will award three $1,000 grants to faculty for the most promising research projects as selected by a panel of peer judges. These awards can be used by researchers for international travel, supplies or other services required in conducting the research.

The deadline to submit abstracts and to register for the poster session is Friday, March 12. For more information or to submit an abstract, e-mail Terence Miller, director of OIE.

12. Stipends available for faculty learning community

The Service Learning Program and Manresa for Faculty in the Center for Teaching and Learning are also accepting applications for faculty to become members of the Scholarship of Engagement Faculty Learning Community. The community will focus on best practices in service learning and community-based research. Full- and part-time faculty chosen to participate in this community will receive a $2,000 course development stipend for integrating service learning into a course that has not had a service learning component, or a $1,500 stipend for significantly enhancing the service learning/community-based research component of one of their existing service learning courses. Applications are due March 31.

13. Lenten half-day retreat offered March 5

The Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality is hosting a Lenten half-day retreat Friday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gesu Parish Hall. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP by Wednesday, March 3, at 8-4545.

The Faber Center is also offering weekly reflections online. This week's reflection is provided by Dr. John Pustejovsky, chair and associate professor of foreign languages.

14. Business students win state competition

Five students from the Graduate School of Management defeated teams from the University of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to win the second Wisconsin Association for Corporate Growth Cup. The ACG Cup is a case study competition where MBA students analyze and present on a hypothetical investment acquisition.

The Marquette team, which won the $5,000 top prize, comprises Ben Adams, Scott Ginal, Michael Sanfilppo, Jason Woldt and Andrew Zimmerman. The team first competed internally against six other teams at Marquette to advance to the state competition.

15. FSA expenses need to be submitted for 2009

Employees who re-enrolled in the medical FSA for 2010 have until Sunday, March 15, to incur eligible expenses and get reimbursements from the funds they contributed in 2009. (This extension does not apply to the dependent care FSA.) EBC, Marquette’s third-party FSA administrator, will automatically verify this for employees. Any FSA funds from the 2009 calendar year not used by March 15, 2010, are forfeited.

Employees with unused funds in their 2009 health care or dependent care flexible spending account need to submit their receipts and reimbursement forms to EBC by March 31, 2010.

Employees can also use their “Benny card” for any eligible 2010 expenses. New cards will not be issued for three years, so plan participants must retain their card even after they have exhausted their FSA dollars. Extra or replacements cards cost $10 per card.

For more information call Human Resources at 8-7305.

16. Marquette vs. Louisville game to benefit Children’s Medical Research Foundation

The Marquette Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will hold its annual “Cure for Kirby” fundraiser at the men’s basketball game Tuesday, March 2, at 8:30 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Children’s Medical Research Foundation, an organization trying to find a cure for Sanfilippo B syndrome, a rare neuro-genetic disorder that stops normal development and typically causes death before adulthood.

17. Math, engineering, physics and neuroscience colloquiums scheduled

The Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science will hold a colloquium tomorrow, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. in Cudahy 401. Dr. Yuehua Cui, assistant professor of statistics at Michigan State University, will present “Gene-based genome-wide association studies with entropy."

William Espey of Espey Consultants will present “Lessons learned from Katrina,” Tuesday, March 2, at noon in Haggerty Engineering 494. Espey will discuss the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Evaluation Task Force to review the performance of the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System. The program is sponsored by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Dr. Lynette Daws, associate professor of physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will present a seminar for the Integrative Neuroscience Center on Tuesday, March 2, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Schroeder Complex 256. Daws will present “Organic Cation Transporters in Depression and Alcoholism.”

Dr. E. Dan Dahlberg, professor of physics at the University of Minnesota and Institute of Technology distinguished professor, will present a colloquium for the Department of Physics on Wednesday, March 3, at 3:30 p.m. in William Wehr Physics 141. Dahlberg will present “Magnetism at the nanoscale.”

18. $2 fitness classes offered tomorrow

The Department of Recreational Sports will offer $2 fitness classes tomorrow, Feb. 26. Classes are free to members and cost $2 for nonmembers on a first-come, first-served basis:

• kickboxing at 3 p.m. in the Rec Plex small gym
• Zumba at 1 p.m. in Rec Center aerobics room
• spinning at 4 p.m. in the Rec Center lower level spin room
• dance aerobics at 4 p.m. in the Rec Center aerobics room

Recreational Sports’ Groups Fitness program will also begin sales of punch cards for their session B group fitness classes beginning Monday, March 1. Session B classes will begin Monday, March 22. Punch cards will be available for $15 and entitle the cardholder to attend 15 classes of their choice, at either facility, on a first-come, first-served basis. Punch cards will expire at the end of the semester and do not apply to yoga, pilates and boot camp classes.

19. Eastern Orthodox Vespers service held by Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry will hold an Eastern Orthodox Vespers service Monday, March 1, at 6 p.m. in the Saint Joan of Arc Chapel. Vespers is an evening prayer service that is spiritually beautiful and peaceful, filled with God’s love in Christ through the Holy Spirit, according to Campus Ministry.

For more information, contact Rev. John Jones, professor of philosophy, at 8-5928.