MARCH 3, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

1. New trustee is communication and Graduate School alumnus

The Marquette Board of Trustees Wednesday elected Ben Tracy, Comm ’98 Grad ’04, to the board. Tracy, 34, is a national correspondent for CBS News based in Los Angeles. He reports primarily for the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and The Early Show, as well as CBS Sunday Morning.

“Ben represents a generation of our young alumni whose voices are important to the future direction of the university,” Darren Jackson, board chair, said.

Tracy will receive the Marquette University Alumni Association 2011 Spirit of Marquette Award in April for professional achievement before age 40. He has covered many important stories, including the historic flooding in the Midwest and Hurricane Gustav in 2008, the death of Michael Jackson, and the recent mass shootings in Tucson, Ariz. He regularly covers education reform and the housing market.

An award-winning reporter, Tracy has won five Emmys and received the prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award for broadcast news. Before joining the CBS network, Tracy was a reporter for WCCO-TV, the CBS-owned station in Minneapolis, where he was a member of the station’s investigative team, covering major stories such as the methamphetamine epidemic and the collapse of the 35W bridge. During that time, he also was a contributor to the Saturday Early Show on CBS, to which he brought his signature “Good Question” segment, started at WCCO-TV, to a national audience.

A native of St. Paul, Tracy served as director of university communication at Marquette from 2001 to 2004. While a student at Marquette, he studied at the Les Aspin Center in Washington, D.C., and interned in the White House Press Office during the Clinton administration.

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2. President Robert A. Wild, S.J., to be honored by Alpha Sigma Nu

President Robert A. Wild, S.J., will be honored Sunday, March 27, at the annual awards brunch of the Father Danihy Alumni Club of Alpha Sigma Nu.

Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society, will honor Father Wild as Alumnus of the Year at a Mass, brunch and award presentation beginning at 10 a.m. in the AMU Chapel of the Holy Family.

Cost is $22 per person. RSVP by Monday, March 14.

Father Wild plans to retire July 31, after serving 15 years as Marquette’s 22nd president. He taught theology at Marquette from 1975 to 1984 and has been a member of the university’s Board of Trustees since 1990.

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3. Marquette University Chorus to perform for Paradise Lost in Chicago

Distinguished Concerts International in New York City has invited the Marquette University Chorus and director Mark Konewko to participate in a performance of Eric Whitacre’s Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings on Tuesday, March 8, at 2 p.m. in Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.

The performance is open to the public. Tickets cost $40.

Marquette’s 39 students in the chorus will spend about 10 hours in rehearsals over a three-day residency leading up to the performance.

Whitacre will be the guest conductor for this special concert, which is a prelude event to the American Choral Directors Association National Conference that begins Wednesday, March 9.

For information about providing financial support for the students’ trip, contact Konewko at 414-881-5551.

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4. E-LIMO featured at Green Energy Summit

The Green Energy Summit will be held Wednesday, March 9, through Friday, March 11, at the Frontier Airline Center. Marquette’s e-LIMO, a student senior design project involving a gas-powered public safety van being converted into an electric vehicle, will be featured.

Plenary speakers include Will Allen, director of Growing Power; Dean Amhaus, executive director of Milwaukee Water Council; Paul Jadin, Wisconsin secretary of commerce; Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: the Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future; Debra Rowe, president of U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development; Tom Still, president of Wisconsin Technology Council; Mary Ann Wright, vice president of global technology and innovation accelerator for Johnson Controls Power Solutions; and Thomas Llewellyn Wright, scientist emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey.

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5. Government funding of student financial aid threatened

Governmental funding of student financial aid at the federal level — money that directly impacts the bottom line of undergraduates attending Marquette — is threatened for the academic year that starts in August. The House of Representatives has approved a cut of $845 from the top Pell Grant award, which would result in a per individual maximum of $4,705 rather than $5,550. And the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is being eliminated.
 
At the state level, the governor has proposed keeping the Wisconsin Tuition Grant at its current level despite the state's project $3.6 billion budget deficit over the next two years. However, the Legislature must still vote to approve this recommended level, so it is important that elected representatives learn about the importance of WTG. On Thursday, April 7, Marquette will join a Students' Day of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities at the Capitol to advocate for this continued funding.
 
An integral part of the university’s mission is to educate men and women who are prepared to be informed leaders in their civic community. Marquette encourages everyone to participate in the process of governance by learning about how these cuts will impact them and sharing thoughts with elected representatives. Marquette community members can learn more about these cuts and what they can do by visiting the advocacy website of the Office of Public Affairs.

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6. Finance students again advance in CFA investment competition

Five undergraduate students from the College of Business Administration again have advanced to the next round of the Charted Financial Analyst’s Investment Research Challenge. The CFA Institute’s Americas regional competition will be held in Omaha, Neb., April 5-7. Four winners from the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe/Middle East/Africa regions will compete in this year's global finale on April 8 in Omaha. This is Marquette’s third year participating in the prestigious CFA competition and they have won the local competition each year.

The Marquette students, who are all part of the college’s Applied Investment Management program, defeated teams from Carroll University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, UW-La Crosse and UW-Milwaukee on Feb. 24 in the final presentations of the local competition, which was hosted by the CFA Society of Milwaukee. Members of the winning team include Luke Darkow, Kristin Holzhauer, Mark Rutherford, Christina Starkey and David Zakutansky. The panel of judges comprised Joseph Eberhardy, CFA, Wells Fargo Advantage Funds; Lucas Fairborn, CFA, Artisan Partners; and Andy Hintz, CFA, Grace Matthews.

Local CFA societies host and launch an Investment Research Challenge in conjunction with participating universities. The universities assemble teams of three to five business and finance students who work directly with a company in researching and preparing a company analysis. The teams’ final presentations are evaluated locally by high-profile panels of heads of research, portfolio managers, and chief investment officers from the world’s top firms. The local champions advance to the regional competitions; winners there go on to the global finale.

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7. Study abroad application deadline extended to March 11

The study abroad application deadline has been extended to Friday, March 11, for a number of summer and fall semester study abroad programs, including China, England, Ghana, Italy, South Africa, Spain and others.

For more information contact the Office of International Education at 8-7289. Business students should contact the International Business office at 8-3433.

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8. McNair Scholars applications due March 11

Applications for the McNair Scholars Program, for eligible undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate study, are due Friday, March 11. Students accepted to the program will participate in an eight-week summer research experience and receive a $2,800 stipend.
 
The program offers a variety of services and activities, including GRE preparation, visits to area graduate schools and participation in national and regional research conferences.
 
To qualify, students must have a GPA of at least a 2.5 and have completed 60 or more credits by the end of the spring 2011 semester.
 
For more information, contact the McNair Program Office at 8-1771.

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9. Officer and combat photographer to speak about Vietnam experience

Retired Col. David Fitz-Enz, an alumnus of the College of Business Administration and award-winning author and film producer, will share his experiences as a soldier, combat photographer and platoon leader in Vietnam at 11 a.m. tomorrow, March 4, in the Old Gymnasium A105. Light refreshments will be served.

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10. Panel discussing therapeutic benefits of animals

The Milwaukee Aging Consortium, of which Marquette University is a member, will present a panel discussion, “Therapeutic Benefits of Animals,” Tuesday, March 10, at Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St. The panel members include experts from Delta Society, Health Heelers Professional Therapy Dog Service and the Wisconsin Humane Society. Therapy animals will accompany several panel members, and a Milwaukee morning radio personality will moderate.

Registration begins at 12:45 p.m., followed by networking at 1 p.m. The program runs from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., with additional networking at 2:45 p.m.

Attendance is free for Marquette employees and students who advance register as a member of Marquette, and $10 for all others. For more information call 414-289-0890.

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11. Business entrepreneur to speak at Business Plan Competition Banquet

Chuck Templeton, founder of OpenTable.com, will be the keynote speaker at the Marquette Business Plan Competition Banquet on Wednesday, April 13, in the AMU Ballrooms.

The event will begin with a poster session and reception at 5 p.m. and will also include a dinner at 6:30 p.m., keynote speech at 7 p.m. and conclude with the presentation of awards at 8:15 p.m. The event is free for Marquette students, faculty and staff, and is open to the public for $25. RSVP online.

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12. Soup with Substance to address “spaces to live one’s sexual identity”

Campus Ministry will host a Soup with Substance, “A Place to be Loved and Supported: Spaces to live one’s sexual identity,” tomorrow, March 4, at noon in AMU 227. Rev. Roger Schmit, hospital chaplain and associate pastor in Kansas City, Kan., will speak about his pastoral experiences while working to heal the community of Laramie Wy., after the murder of Matthew Shepard. Father Schmit was the pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center near the University of Wyoming at the time of Shepard’s death. The event will focus on how to create spaces where sexual identities can be shared. Lunch will be provided.

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13. Math, engineering and neuroscience seminars being held

The Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science will hold a colloquium Friday, March 4, at 4 p.m. in Cudahy 401. Dr. Selwyn Ng, Van Vleck Assistant Professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present “Computability Theory and Effective Randomness.”

Dr. Charles Bouman, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, will present a Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering colloquium at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in Olin Engineering 120. Bouman will present “Model-Based Reconstruction for Multislice Helical Scan CT.

The Integrative Neuroscience Research Center will host Dr. Paul Kenny, associate professor of molecular therapeutics at Scripps Research Institute, Tuesday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m. in Schroeder Complex 256. Kenny will present “Noncoding RNAs and Drug Addiction.”

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14. Students to compete in Iron Chef Marquette competition

The Center for Health Education and Promotion will host the third Iron Chef Marquette cooking competition, Friday, March 4, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in AMU Marquette Place. Six student teams will create an appetizer, entrée and dessert using ingredients found in residence hall rooms or apartments. Each team will work with a Sodexo chef and judges from campus will rate the culinary creations.

Audience members can watch and compete for prizes by answering nutrition trivia questions. For more information call 8-5217.

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15. Free group fitness classes offered tomorrow

The Department of Recreational Sports is offering free group fitness classes tomorrow, March 4.

The classes are free to members:
• Zumba at 1 p.m. at the Rec Center
• Spin at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Rec Center
• Hip Hop Fitness at 4 p.m. at the Rec Center

Call 8-6979 for more information.

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16. MUSG hosting paint-your-own pottery and The Tourist

Marquette University Student Government is hosting “Color Me Mine” Saturday, March 5, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at La Terraza, a paint-your-own pottery studio. Students will have an opportunity to paint ceramic figurines, mugs and more. Students will meet at 1:30 p.m. on the east side of AMU to board the bus. The $10 cost will cover transportation and a choice of ceramic. Tickets are available in the AMU Brooks Lounge.

The Tourist will be playing at the Varsity Theatre Friday, March 4, at 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 5, at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Frank (Johnny Depp) is an American tourist in Venice, Italy, who is trying to cure his broken heart. On a train, Elise (Angelina Jolie) sits next to him to make the police think he is her lover, whom they are hunting. This sets events into motion in which Frank must evade the police and mobsters to survive. Tickets are available at the door for $2 with an MUID and $3 without.

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17. Marquette in the News delivers university media coverage to your inbox

The Office of Marketing and Communication monitors local, state and national media coverage involving Marquette University. OMC distributes via e-mail a collection of the top news stories about Marquette and members of the university community every Thursday afternoon. Marquette community members who would like to be added to the distribution list should e-mail Marquette in the News.
 
To stay informed of all Marquette mentions in the news, or to track a specific facet of the university, sign up for news alerts through a search engine like Google or Yahoo. These services provide news alerts based on customized keyword searches. Go to https://www.google.com/alerts and enter “Marquette University” or whichever university unit you would like to track.

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