1. Strategic planning discussion with Father Pilarz is tomorrow

MUSG will host a student forum with President Scott R. Pilarz, S. J., tomorrow, Tuesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. in the AMU first floor lobby. The discussion will focus on strategic planning, and includes a listening session for students to share their thoughts on the university-wide strategic planning process, similar to the listening sessions Father Pilarz is holding with faculty and staff. Established in 1996, the president-student forum gives students the opportunity to speak directly to the university’s senior leadership.

Students can also share their thoughts and questions for Father Pilarz in advance of the forum by using the hashtag #muprez, or by directing tweets to @MarquetteU or @MUSG.

2. City of Milwaukee to hold emergency drill near Marquette tomorrow

The Milwaukee Fire Department will be conducting a full scale emergency exercise Tuesday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to noon, near the Marquette campus. The exercise, which is designed to simulate a hazardous material release, will take place primarily at a materials facility at 404 N. 13th Street, near the Marquette Interchange. There will be increased activity around the intersection of 13th Street and St. Paul Avenue and the area just south of Eckstein Hall under the Interchange during the drill.

The simulation will likely include the use of a smoke machine, alarms, and local emergency personnel, vehicles and equipment. Emergency personnel will also be conducting air monitoring near campus.

Local law enforcement agencies including emergency medical personnel, public health, fire departments and hazardous materials personnel will be participating. Members of Marquette’s Department of Public Safety, Office of Administration, Office of Health and Safety, and Office of Marketing and Communication have been invited to participate as observers.

Contact Toby Peters, associate senior vice president, at 8-5561, with questions regarding the simulated hazardous materials incident.

3. Men's basketball team advances to NCAA Sweet Sixteen; send-off event tomorrow

The men's basketball team defeated Murray State 62-53 Saturday evening to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA men's basketball tournament for the second year in a row. The Golden Eagles will play seventh-seeded Florida at 9:17 p.m. CT, Thursday, March 22, at the US Airways Center in Phoenix. All members of the campus community are invited to a team send-off event that will take place outside of the Al McGuire Center at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 20.

The Marquette band, cheerleaders and Golden Eagle mascot will be at the send-off event. A “good luck” banner will be available for Marquette community members to sign, which the team will take with them to Phoenix.

The Union Sports Annex will open at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, and will host a viewing party for the 9:17 p.m. CT game with fan giveaways, food specials and prizes. Visit the “Sweet Repeat” website for a complete list of game watching parties and NCAA tournament conversations on social media.

4. Physical therapy and executive MBA programs rank high in U.S. News & World Report

The latest graduate school rankings from U.S. News & World Report show Marquette programs ranking among the best in the country. Of particular note this year are improvements in rankings for Marquette’s graduate programs in physical therapy, speech pathology and audiology, clinical psychology, education and executive MBA.

The College of Health Sciences’ physical therapy program is ranked 12th nationally in the magazine’s 2013 rankings, and its speech pathology and audiology program is ranked 62nd. The College of Education’s graduate program is ranked 79th. Also ranked in the top 100 are the College of Engineering’s biomedical engineering program at 51st, and the College of Arts and Sciences’ clinical psychology program, ranked 79th.

The College of Business Administration’s executive MBA program is ranked 15th, and its international business program is ranked 22nd. U.S. News & World Report changed its part-time MBA methodology this year, and Marquette’s program is now ranked 65th.

The Law School’s overall ranking is 96th, while the part-time law program is ranked 19th. The dispute resolution program is ranked seventh, and Marquette’s rank among law firms is 59th.

The magazine does not rank all graduate programs annually.

5. Influenza virus circulating on campus

Increases in influenza activity in Milwaukee and confirmed cases on campus indicate that the flu season has arrived. Further increases in activity are expected during the coming weeks.

The flu viruses circulating this year are quite similar to those that circulated last year, including influenza A (H3N2), H1N1 and influenza B viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that everyone aged 6 months and older receives the influenza vaccine.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that is spread when a person who has the flu coughs, sneezes, or speaks and sends the flu virus into the air, and other people inhale the virus. Symptoms of influenza usually appear suddenly and may include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches.

In order to minimize the spread of influenza, the campus community is urged to take common sense prevention steps:

Avoid using others’ personal items such as cell phones, keyboards or touchpads, and drinking or eating utensils.
Wash hands often with soap and water.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
Cover nose and mouth with a tissue or shirt sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick. Seasonal influenza is spread mainly by person-to-person contact through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Drink plenty of fluids, eat a well-balanced diet and get plenty of rest.

If individuals develop symptoms consistent with influenza, they should stay home from work, class and campus activities and minimize contact with others for at least 24 hours until after their fever is gone.

Contact Student Health Service at 8-7184 with questions or concerns about symptoms or prevention tips, and to schedule an appointment to receive the flu shot.

6. Orientation staff applications due tomorrow

Orientation staff applications for group discussion leaders and program assistants for fall 2012 orientation are due Tuesday, March 20. Applications, job descriptions, time commitments and deadlines can be found online. All interested students who will graduate after May 2012 are encouraged to apply.

For additional information, contact Julie Murphy, coordinator for new student programs, at 8-5769.

7. Danny Pudi and The Avalancheros to present free improv show

The Avalancheros, an improv group featuring Marquette alumnus Danny Pudi, star of the television show Community, will present a free show Saturday, March 24, at 10 p.m. in the AMU Ballrooms. The Avalancheros are a touring improvisational group featuring John Farley (Rules of Engagement), Pat Finn (House), Kevin Farley (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Chris Marrs (Hot in Cleveland).

This event is sponsored by Late Night Marquette, Marquette University Student Government and the Diederich College of Communication. For additional information, contact Danny Manson, communications coordinator in the Division of Student Affairs, at 8-3212.

8. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist to speak at tweetup

James Causey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist, will speak about reporting on urban affairs during a tweetup at the Diederich College of Communication Thursday, March 22, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Johnston Hall’s first-floor jPad. A tweetup is a gathering of people brought together by Twitter. The tweetup is being held in honor of the first anniversary of The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, a multimedia website that provides objective, professional reporting on local issues in five central Milwaukee communities.

RSVP online.

9. Annual Marburg Lecture is Wednesday

Ronald G. Ehrenberg, Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics at Cornell University and an expert in the economics of higher education, will deliver the annual Marburg Lecture Wednesday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m. in Raynor Memorial Libraries, Beaumier Suites.

Ehrenberg has served as a consultant to faculty and administrative groups and trustees at a number of colleges and universities on issues relating to tuition and financial aid policies and other budgetary and planning issues. In 2002, he wrote Tuition Rising, a critically acclaimed examination of the American higher education system. The Marburg Lecture is named in honor of the late Theodore F. Marburg, a long-time member of the economics department at Marquette, and provides a forum for the discussion of moral, philosophical and social dimensions of economic issues.

10. Undergraduate McNair Scholars to present research

The McNair Scholars Program and Office of Multicultural Affairs will co-host a colloquium Thursday, March 22, at noon in Raynor Memorial Libraries, Beaumier Suite A.

Toby Baker will present his research, “Bucking the trend: An exploration of the first-generation college graduate’s experience,” and LaTasha Ellis will present her research, “Neighborhood educational opportunities zones: School-community collaboration in urban settings.”

For more information, contact the McNair Scholars Program at 8-1771, or the Multicultural Center, at 8-7205.

11. Evans Scholars hosting head-shaving event to benefit St. Baldrick's Foundation

Marquette’s Evans Scholars will host a head-shaving event Saturday, March 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marquette Evans Scholar house, located across the street from Schroeder Hall. All proceeds will benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the world’s largest volunteer-driven charity committed to funding research to find cures for childhood cancers.

Free food and drinks will be provided at the event. Go online to learn more about the event, or to sign up to participate as a shavee.

12. Latin American Student Organizations presents Colores

Colores, the Latin American Student Organization’s annual cultural showcase event, will be held Saturday, March 24, at 6 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium. Colores is a cultural show displaying Latin American art, dancing, singing and other talents performed by students.

The event is open to faculty, staff and students. Tickets will be sold for $5 in the AMU lobby March 19 to March 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door for $6.

For additional information, contact Rosa Mathis.

13. First year photo project exhibition

During the summer of 2011, seven incoming students were chosen to document their first year at Marquette in photography. Throughout the first semester, project participants captured images of their transition to college and met for bi-weekly discussions. Their photos will be available to view at a gallery exhibition Friday, March 23, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the lobby of Raynor Library.

For additional information, contact Julie Murphy, coordinator for new student programs, at 8-5769.

14. Celebrate International Day in the AMU this Friday

The Office of International Education will host its 28th International Day Friday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the AMU lobby. This annual event celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the Marquette community, which includes students from more than 68 countries and various multicultural groups. Booths featuring cultural activities and food samples from various countries will be set up throughout the AMU, and faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by to learn about world cultures and to participate in cultural activities.

For additional information, contact Erin LeMoine marketing coordinator in the Office of International Education, at 8-5762.

15. Project Night Night in need of donations

MU Volunteers is in need of donations for Project Night Night, which provides care packages to homeless children in local shelters. Crib-size blankets, new and gently-used books, new and gently-used stuffed animals, fleece material and yarn are needed. Items can be dropped off in Lalumiere Hall, 340, or arrangements can be made to deliver the items to Marquette Hall, 003, over a lunch hour.

A full list of needed items can be found online. Contact Kathy Hawkins, Project Night Night coordinator, at 8-5500 for additional information.

16. Integrative Neuroscience Research Center hosting seminar tomorrow

Dr. Rob McCullumsmith of the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Medicine, will give a presentation titled, “Abnormalities of Glutamate Transporter Expression in Schizophrenia,” Tuesday, March 20, at 3:30 p.m. in Schroeder Complex, 256.

The seminar is sponsored by the Integrative Neuroscience Research Center (INRC). The full schedule of the INRC’s spring seminar series is available online.

17. Lewis and Clark exhibition at Raynor Memorial Libraries

Raynor Memorial Libraries is the last stop for a five-year traveling exhibition on Lewis and Clark, which will be located in the lobby of Raynor Library until April 27. Based on original documents from the Native American collections of the Newberry Library and other institutions, the exhibit examines Lewis and Clark’s 1804 to 1806 expedition to the Pacific Ocean and their encounters with more than 50 native tribes along the way.

A lecture in conjunction with the exhibition titled, “The View from the River Bank,” given by Herman J. Viola, curator emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution, will be held Wednesday, April 25, at 4:30 p.m. in the Raynor Memorial Libraries’ Conference Center. Visit the Raynor Memorial Libraries’ website for additional information.

18. Investor presentation expert to give free breakfast workshop

Tim Taylor, oral presentation consultant at Band of Angels, will give a free breakfast workshop Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in David Straz Hall, 105. Taylor has worked with CEOs of early-stage ventures in virtually every industry, and is an expert at helping entrepreneurs build content for investor presentations.

The breakfast and workshop are free and open to all members of the Marquette community. Contact Bram Daelemans for additional information or to RSVP.

19. Lenten Taize Service will be held tomorrow

Brother Emile, from the ecumenical community of brothers in Taize, France, will lead a Lenten Taize service, “Around the Cross,” Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at Calvary Church, 935 W. Wisconsin Ave. Following the service, Brother Emile will engage students in a discussion on the Taize community’s work with young people and their mission throughout the world. People of all faith traditions are welcome to join for an evening of contemplative prayer and song.

For additional information, contact Thomas Koester, assistant director of Campus Ministry.

20. Eastern Orthodox Vespers Service will be held tomorrow

The Marquette chapter of Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) will host an Eastern Orthodox Vespers service Tuesday, March 20, at 6:45 p.m. in St. Joan of Arc Chapel. Vespers is an evening prayer service that is spiritual and peaceful, filled with God's love in Christ through the Trinity. The service is open to the entire Marquette community.

The service is co-sponsored by Campus Ministry and the Marquette Chapter of OCF. For more information, contact Fr. John D. Jones at 8-5938.