May 12, 2008

Science Trivia Contest 5/21

Nomad World Pub, 501 Cedar Avenue S
$10 Registration Fee Per Team

Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m.

Do you love science news? Can you name the first person to eat in outer space? Do you own copies of "Blade Runner" or watch "Star Trek" reruns? Then join the Nomad World Pub and the Bell Museum of Natural History for Science Trivia, hosted by Doomtree MC and self-professed science geek, Dessa. Test your knowledge of science and nature with questions ranging from current events to biology 101 to science fiction. Gather a group of up to 5 friends and compete for gift certificates, Bell Museum memberships and other prizes. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. Call 612-626-1897 to secure your spot!

Getting Published: How to Publish Your Science Research Article 5/21

Time: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:00 PM -- 3:00 PM
Location: Walter 310

This workshop, intended for graduate students and newer faculty in the sciences, will help you identify appropriate journals to which to submit your article and discuss how to manage your rights when signing a contract with a publisher. Join your colleagues to share your ideas and discuss the issues you face as an emerging academic author.
Register here for the workshop.

Finals Week Hours

2nd Floor Great Hall Study Space OPEN 24 HOURS/DAY from Sunday, May 11, 8 am through Saturday, May 17, 6 pm

Study Days (May 10-11)
Sa, Su 8 am-12 midnight

Finals Week (May 12-17)
M-F 8 am-12 midnight
Sa 8 am-6 pm

May 06, 2008

Grant Funding for Graduate Students 5/15

Time: Thursday, May 15, 2008 2:00 PM -- 3:30 PM
Location: Walter 310

Find out more about funding opportunities available to graduate students. Learn how to use IRIS, SPIN, and Community of Science and the Foundation Directory to search for grant opportunities. Setting up e-mail updates on specific subjects will also be covered, as well as how to find internal U of M funding sources.

Resources for the course are listed on the Web site of the Office of the VP for Research, http://www.research.umn.edu/opportunities/

Register here for the workshop.

May 05, 2008

SCImagine! 2008: Robots Take Over the Library 5/9

Three robots, three student groups…a battle of the intelligent versus the artificially intelligent.

What: SCImagine! 2008, the Science & Engineering Library's annual spring event.
Where: Upson Room, Walter Library 102
When: Friday, May 9, 2008 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public.

Come see live robot demonstrations and the latest creations of artificial intelligence by students from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. The presentations will be accompanied by light refreshments and stimulating conversation.

SCImagine! emphasizes the Science & Engineering Library's role as an intellectual gathering place on campus. Each spring the library showcases university teaching, learning, and research in the physical sciences and engineering offering fascinating presentations and lively discussions.

FFI

May 01, 2008

The Semiconductor Industry's Nanoelectronics Research Initiative: Motivation and Challenges 5/6

Jeff Welser
Director, SRC Nanoelectronics Research Initiative
IBM Almaden Research Center

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
4:30 p.m. reception
5:00 p.m. seminar
101 Walter Library

In this talk, the scaling challenges facing current CMOS technology will be discussed, along with the ultimate limits for charge-switching based devices. From this motivation, the current status of the NRI program will be discussed, with an overview of the current research topics being investigated at the NRI centers.

FFI

April 30, 2008

Jane Goodall lecture 5/3

Renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall will give a public lecture on Saturday, May 3.

Public lecture: Mayo Memorial Auditorium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2008
Time: 11 a.m. to noon

April 28, 2008

Grant Writing for Interdisciplinary Research - Developing Successful Proposals 4/30

Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Time: 3:00-5:00 PM
Location: Twin Cities: A.I. Johnson Great Room, McNamara Alumni Center

This workshop will discuss the unique issues and concerns in preparing proposals within interdisciplinary contexts. Through facilitated discussion and drawing upon the expertise of faculty panelists, this workshop will address:

* How can proposal conceptualizations be expanded to include the potential intellectual contributions that diverse disciplines offer?
* How can complementary expertise outside your discipline be identified and located?
* What is unique about writing interdisciplinary proposals?
* What are the characteristics of a successful interdisciplinary proposal?
* What are the pros and cons of alternative strategies for writing interdisciplinary proposals?
* How can disciplinary differences in language, methodology, and writing styles be addressed to communicate in a single voice?

FFI and registration visit the webpage.

April 15, 2008

Seeing Climate Change: Film & Video Festival 4/24-4/27

The Bell Museum of Natural History presents the Seeing Climate Change Film & Video Festival, a weekend of films, discussions, workshops, and social gatherings that focus a lens on climate change and global warming.

Featured Films

Everything’s Cool (USA, documentary, 2007)
Thin Ice: Saattuq (France, documentary, 2007)
Arctic Tale (USA, family documentary, 2007)
From Sea to Rising Sea (Canada, documentary, 2005)
Kilowatt Ours (USA, documentary, 2004)
The Last Winter (USA/Iceland, fiction, 2006)

Admission per film

$8 for adults
$5 for students, seniors, and members
Children under 3 years old free

FFI

Minnesota Supercomputing Institute Open House 4/23

April 23, 2008
Walter Library, University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

All members of the University community and their guests are invited to this free event.

MSI will hold an open house on April 23, 2008 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. to increase awareness of our services throughout the University of Minnesota community and to showcase the work of the researchers who use our resources.

FFI and registration.

April 10, 2008

Biometric Recognition: A New Paradigm for Security 4/16

DTC science and technology innovators Lecture Series
Anil Jain
Michigan State University

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
4:30 p.m. Reception
5:00 p.m. Seminar
402 Walter Library

This talk will present an overview of biometric recognition, its advantages and limitations, and the challenges in dealing with accuracy, individuality, fusion and security issues.

FFI

April 09, 2008

Urban sprawl: Observations on urban form, environment, and health 4/14

April 14, 2008
12:15 pm to 01:15 pm
MPC Seminar Room, 50 Willey Hall

Julian Marshall, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota

This talk will explore how neighborhood- and regional-scale urban form can influence energy, environmental, and health impacts of cities. The talk will present a scaling rule for urban land area expansion over time, offering quantification of urban sprawl (i.e., declining population density), and discuss implications for population exposure to urban air pollution.

April 08, 2008

Cafe Scientifique: The Science of Happiness 4/15

Tuesday, April 15, 7 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl, Uptown
$5-$10 (pay what you can)
Advance Tickets Available. Visit bryantlakebowl.com.

It's often been said that happiness is a state of mind, and most of us spend considerable time and effort trying to achieve it. What have scientific researchers learned about happiness? Is our individual outlook, for better or worse, something we've inherited? Does each of us have a happiness "set-point" that we return to despite circumstances? Join us for a discussion with faculty from the University of Minnesota's Center for Twin & Family Research, which explores how genes and environment interact to influence individuals.

April 02, 2008

Get It: Simplified Book Delivery for University of Minnesota Twin Cities Patrons

Requesting a book from a Twin Cities campus library is a new one-stop process for University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) faculty, staff and students. Book delivery services at the TC University Libraries are as simple as clicking "Get It"!

"Get It" consolidates book requesting services previously found in 3 places:

* Recall - changing the due date of a book that has already been checked out for earlier pickup at any convenient campus library
* Point-to-Point - for delivery of books not checked out, to be picked up at a more convenient campus library than the owning library
* Libraries to U - for delivery of books to on-campus faculty/staff offices

An additional service is now being offered with the "Get It" link:

* Paging - pulling books from the shelves of a library to be held for users at the Circulation Desk of that same library.

For more information on "Get It" check here.

April 01, 2008

Cafe Scientifique: Fueling the Future 4/8

Tuesday, April 8, 6 p.m.
Kitty Cat Klub, Dinkytown
Free ($5 suggested donation)
Despite evidence of global warming and its environmental impacts, our demand for energy is steadily rising. In order to close the gap and address the problem, we will need not one but many solutions—from cleaner, more efficient energy sources to creative conservation efforts. A panel of researchers and business leaders will discuss possible ways that we might fuel the future—from increased use of wind and solar power to electricity from microorganisms found in our waste.

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