Visit the Web site now at www.physicsnano.umn.edu.

In October, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved the University's 2010 Capital Request to the Minnesota Legislature, which includes a request for $56.3 million in state support for an $80 million Physics and Nanotechnology Building.

To support the request, sign up now for the University's Legislative Network and indicate your interest in the Physics/Nanotechnology Building. You can also join the Physics/Nanotechnology Building Facebook fan page to get the latest updates and action alerts.

Also mark your calendar:
Support the U Day at the Capitol
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010.
More details will follow in January.

Physics is an essential and foundational subject for majors and non-majors alike. About 3,000 undergraduate students per year across campus take physics classes, and 48 undergraduate degree programs (spanning six colleges) require at least one physics class for graduation. The U's physics department also provides real-world research opportunities to hundreds of students.

Nanotechnology is a natural partner for this project. Some of the most vital discoveries in physics are in areas which impact and support nanotechnology. While the University has a graduate program in Nanoparticle Engineering, the vast majority of students working in nanotechnology do so in their home departments.

If approved, the new building would include more than 43,000 square feet of modern and highly flexible physics laboratory and laboratory support space and more than 15,000 square feet of nanotechnology space. All told, the facility will contain 40 new research laboratories.

Creating a shared home for nanotechnology research will improve access and collaboration among nanotech researchers, expand the University's ability to turn research into real-world applications, and will help the U keep its competitive edge in grant funding.

For more information, visit the Physics and Nanotechnology Web site or the Legislative Network Web site.
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Institute of Technology Communications Office
itcomm@umn.edu

Science and Technology in the Middle East
(Physics 4993)
Israel and Jordan with Professor Marvin Marshak
May 19-June 7, 2010

For the first time, Minnesota students will have an opportunity to study this historic and strategically important area in a seminar led by a faculty member.

The seminar is pending final approval from the International Travel Risk Assessment and Advisory Committee (ITRAAC).

Possible seminar sites include universities in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheva and technology companies such as Intel, Teva Pharmaceutricals, Israeli Aircraft Industries, and Tadiran Electronics. Of particular interest in Jordan will be the region around Aqaba, where the U.S. Agency for International Development is working with the Jordanian government to promote a Special Economic Zone. The group will also visit some historic sites to achieve a better understanding of the historical context that continues to shape culture and politics in the Middle East.

There is arguably no region in the world outside of our own country that plays a larger role in the American consciousness than the Middle East, which is also a unique region in the context of science and technology.

The region generally lacks water and arable land. The distribution of energy resources is dichotomous. Some countries have huge petroleum and natural gas surpluses. Others are desperately short of energy resources. Can American scientists and engineers participate positively in the development of scientific and technological infrastructure in the Middle East?

Interested students are encouraged to visit the Middle East May Session Global Seminar Web page or contact Adam Pagel at pagel@umn.edu.
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Adam Pagel
International Program Coordinator
Institute of Technology
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
pagel@umn.edu
612-624-8013
612-626-1020 FAX
www.it.umn.edu/learningabroad

Management 3010: An Introduction to Global Entrepreneurship
Class on campus: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:55-11:35 a.m., Spring Term B
Travel to China: May 16-30, 2010

The application deadline is Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Cost is $4,600, including flight, accommodations, Chinese visa, in-country transportation and cultural activities, and some meals.

The international section of this course counts toward the management minor.

China is one of the world's most dynamic business markets and students will explore the rapidly growing opportunities for entrepreneurs in this exciting environment.

During the two weeks in China, students will spend time in Shanghai, Suzhou, and Beijing and visit historic and modern cultural sites like the Great Wall of China, Tienanmen Square, the Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium, and the World Expo in Shanghai!

Visit the program Web site for more schedule, housing, and application information.

For more information, contact the Carlson School of Management International Programs office at csomip@umn.edu or 612-625-9361.
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Adam Pagel
International Program Coordinator
Institute of Technology
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
pagel@umn.edu
612-624-8013
612-626-1020 FAX
www.it.umn.edu/learningabroad

Spaceflight with Ballooning Open House
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Akerman Hall, lobby and main stairwell

Faculty member James Flaten and students will answer questions and share their findings from scientific experiments recently carried by a weather balloon to an altitude of more than 100,000 feet. An inflated balloon with payload boxes will be on display.

For more information about the projects, visit the class public Web site.
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James Flaten, Ph.D.
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
flaten@aem.umn.edu

"Inventive Women: Portraits of Scientists and Engineers from the University of Minnesota"
Nov. 27, 2009-July 4, 2010
Minnesota History Center
345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul

Admission is free on Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m.

Meet women faculty featured in the exhibit at a public exhibit opening reception, sponsored by the Institute of Technology Dean's Office, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 5-8 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center.

The exhibit is a collection of black and white portraits by Nancy G. Johnson, a communications specialist in the Institute of Technology's Department of Mechanical Engineering. Each portrait is accompanied by a statement written by the faculty member about her research.

Johnson received an IDEA (Innovation, Diversity, Equity, and Achievement) grant from the University's Office of Equity and Diversity to produce the exhibit.

The exhibit runs concurrently with the new Benjamin Franklin exhibit, which also opens Nov. 27.
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Institute of Technology Communications Office
itcomm@umn.edu

International Education Week
Nov. 16-20, 2009
Events Listing

A variety of on-campus events, including an Institute of Techology Global Seminar Student Panel on Tuesday, Nov. 17, are planned.

Visit the Web site for a full schedule of events.

The Office of International Programs has a leadership role in supporting and publicizing these events.
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Institute of Technology Student Services
itss@umn.edu

Plumb Bob Free Coffee and Donut Stand
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009
8:30-11 a.m.
Lind Hall, lobby

Join us and find out about this leadership student group!

Plumb Bob is an honorary leadership society in charge of planning, organizing, and running IT Week. IT Week is a week full of events aimed to promote the Institute of Technology, its student groups, and sponsors.
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Ryan Clark
Plumb Bob
plumbbob@umn.edu

SHPE and SWE Free Salsa Dancing Lesson
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
5:30-7 p.m.,
Cooke Hall (next to the University Recreation Center), Room 308.

The event is open to anyone interested in learning salsa.

For more information, contact Karlo Malaga at studentactivities.shpe.umn@gmail.com.

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) promotes the development of Hispanics in engineering, science, and other technical professions to achieve educational excellence, economic opportunity, and social equity.

The primary focus of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is to support and encourage women in science and engineering fields. SWE provides support, leadership opporutnities, outreach experiences, community involvement, teamwork skills, and personal/professional development for females in science and engineering.
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Karlo Malaga
studentactivities.shpe.umn@gmail.com