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See events sponsored by CLAS and its departments.
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News about awards and events from around the CLAS.
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The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media.
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News
2010
January
- New Study
Suggests Theory for Insect Colonies as ‘Superorganisms’
A team of researchers including scientists from the University of Florida has shown insect colonies follow some of the same biological “rules” as individuals, a finding that suggests insect societies operate like a single “superorganism” in terms of their physiology and life cycle. - UF to Hold Conference
on Conservation and Development, Latin America and Africa
The University of Florida will host an international conference, “Bridging Conservation and Development in Latin America and Africa: Changing Contexts, Changing Strategies,” from January 28 to 30. - CLAS Announces
Award Winners in Teaching and Advising
The University of Florida recognizes its outstanding teachers and advisors from throughout the campus by awarding Teaching/Advising Awards, which are available to all colleges offering undergraduate instruction. - Marshall
Nirenberg, Biologist Who Untangled Genetic Code, Dies at 82
Nobel-Prize winning biologist and CLAS graduate Marshall W. Nirenberg died Friday at his home in Manhattan.
[via New York Times] - Two CLAS Faculty Awarded
Fulbright Scholar Grants
Three University of Florida faculty - two from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - have received Fulbright Scholar grants to teach or conduct research overseas this year. - Diverse Magazine Honors
African American Studies and Women’s Studies
Professor Stephanie Evans, an associate professor of African American studies and women’s studies at the University of Florida, has been chosen as one of 12 “Emerging Scholars” by Diverse magazine. - Four-Part
Lecture Series Examines Identity-Tracking Technologies
A four-part lecture series on the evolving technologies of identity begins Jan. 13 at the University of Florida and continues through the spring semester. - From Crickets to
Whales, Animal Calls have Something in Common
Scientists who compare insect chirps with ape calls may look like they are mixing aphids and orangutans, but researchers have found common denominators in the calls of hundreds of species of insects, birds, fish, frogs, lizards and mammals that can be predicted with simple mathematical models.
February
- Panelists
at UF Bemoan Demise of Bipartisanship
Bipartisanship in Florida is on the verge of extinction and one reason is gerrymandered districts that allow extremist politics to flourish, according to panelists Wednesday night in Pugh Hall on the University of Florida campus.
[Gainesville Sun] - DNA Sequencing Unlocks
Relationships Among Flowering Plants
The origins of flowering plants from peas to oak trees are now in clearer focus thanks to the efforts of University of Florida researchers. - Coital Conservatism Ended
before Birth Control Pill Arrived, says Researcher
The pill did not give birth to the sexual revolution despite the widespread belief in its libidinously liberating effects that persists to this day, says a University of Florida professor. - During
UF visit, Historian Paints Picture of State During WWII
Florida historian Dr. Gary Mormino painted a very different picture of Florida than most of us know. [via Gainesville Sun] - Come
see UF's Speech and Debate Team in Action
This weekend's Palmetto and Palm Swing Forensics Invitational at the Reitz Union will give college students from across the country a chance to hone their skills of persuasion — skills that may be vital later on in their careers. - Why
Is Eco-Spirituality Undergoing a Revival Now?
Editorial by Bron Taylor, Religion professor [via Science and Religion Today] - UF Researchers: Ancient
Crocodile Relative Likely Food Source for Titanoboa
A 60-million-year-old relative of crocodiles described this week by University of Florida researchers in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology was likely a food source for Titanoboa, the largest snake the world has ever known.
March
- Southern Conference on
Slavic Studies comes to UF
The University of Florida hosts the 48th annual Southern Conference on Slavic Studies March 25-27. - Author of ‘Under
the Tuscan Sun’ to Visit University
University of Florida alumna Frances Mayes, the professor and writer best known for her 1996 memoir Under the Tuscan Sun, will speak at 7:30 p.m. March 31 in the Pugh Hall Ocora. - Making
Florida History His Own
Michael Gannon has been named the first recipient of the Florida Literary Lifetime Achievement Award. A towering figure in his long career at the University of Florida, Gannon has earned praise for the breadth and depth of his writing.
[Tampa Bay Tribune] - Chemistry Professor Selected
as Sloan Research Fellow
Chemistry professor Adam S. Veige was selected as a 2010 Sloan Research Fellow, the only researcher to be so honored in Florida. - War
of the Worldviews: Why Avatar LostAvatar had
audiences rooting for nature, against the destruction of marauding
tanks — but the Oscar went to the film that offered a soldier's-eye
view.
[Op-Ed from religion professor Bron Taylor in Religion Dispatches] - Scientists
Urge Full-Scale Excavation of 'Vero Man' Archaeological Site
For four scientists from Florida and Colorado, there is no question about the need for a full-scale excavation into the city’s Ice Age archaeology, they said Thursday.
[TCPalm] - Hiaasen
says Florida's Zaniness gives him lots to Write About
Award-winning journalist and University of Florida alumnus Carl Hiaasen discussed his experiences as an investigative journalist and columnist for The Miami Herald and answered questions from the audience Tuesday evening March 2, 2010 at UF's Bob Graham Center for Public Service. [Gainesville Sun] - UF
Professor's Book is Gold Medal Winner
A University of Florida professor is being honored for his biography of Everglades advocate Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
[Gainesville Sun] - Longtime
Keeper of UF's Black History Celebrating Last Day at the University
One of the University of Florida's longtime keepers of black history celebrates her last day at the University of Florida today.
[Gainesville Sun]
April
- UF Professor Emeritus
Elected to National Academy of Sciences
H. Russell Bernard, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Florida, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. - UF
Center Concerned about Oil's Effects on Sea Turtles
Karen Bjorndal, director of the Archie Carr Center of Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida, said she is extremely worried about the impact the oil spill will have on the sea turtle population, from the foraging areas to beaches where they nest.
[Gainesville Sun] - UF Graduate Student wins
National Civics Award
Anthropology doctoral student Edward Gonzalez-Tennant has become the first winner of the new Eleanor Roosevelt Global Citizenship Award presented by the Center for a Public Anthropology. - UF
VP Paula Fussell and Graduate Students Recognized during Women’s
History Month
Four CLAS graduate students were among seven that received awards during the 13th annual Women’s History Month Celebration at the UF Presidents Home on March 25. [Inside UF] - Ambassador Program
Draws Student Support
Students visiting the Academic Advising Center will be greeted by a new sight: peers acting as guides to the advisement process. - UF Honors Program Names
Dunlevie Professors for Next Year
Two distinguished University of Florida faculty members have been appointed as Elizabeth Wood Dunlevie Honors Term Professors for the 2010-11 academic year. - Three UF Students Named
Goldwater Scholars for Next School Year
Three University of Florida students were named Goldwater Scholars for the 2010-2011 year by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. A fourth student received honorable mention in the competition. - Activists Among Us:
the Gainesville Women's Movement Across Generations
Sponsored by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, the panel discussion will bring together local activists from the 1950s through the present to discuss the ongoing struggle for social justice, gender equality, and human rights. - International Astronomy
Conference Comes to UF
Astronomers from around the world are coming to the University of Florida this week to discuss the origins of stars, planets, and galaxies. - 'Tuscan
Sun' Author Frances Mayes, a UF Grad, Comes to Town
It will be 20 years this July since author and UF alumna Frances Mayes dropped her life savings into a house in Italy and began writing a series of books based on her experiences in the Tuscan countryside. [Gainesville Sun] - UF
Physics Professors Break Energy Record
A new, unexplored area of science just opened up, and UF plans to reap the benefits. [Alligator] - UF
Physicists Join Others to Witness Atom Smasher Attempt
University of Florida physicists will join colleagues around the world today in observing a massive atom smasher's attempt to reach world-record energy levels. [Gainesville Sun]
May
- Senior Lecturer in Department
of History wins Rembert W. Patrick Book Award
Dr. Steven Noll, Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and Dave Tegeder, Associate Professor of History at Santa Fe College, have been awarded the Florida Historical Society’s 2010 Rembert Patrick Award for their book, Ditch of Dreams: The Cross-Florida Barge Canal and the Struggle for Florida's Future. - Lowly Termite, not the
Lion or Elephant, may be the Star of Africa’s Savanna
The majestic animals most closely associated with the African savanna — fierce lions, massive elephants, towering giraffes – may be relatively minor players when it comes to shaping the ecosystem. - Oral History Program
Remembers Memorial Day through the Words of Veterans
On Memorial Day one can pause to remember the soldiers who fought and died for America by reading or listening to the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program’s (SPOHP) oral histories of soldiers, sailors, and marines from World War II, Vietnam, and the Korean and Iraq wars. - UF Research Initiative
on African American History Contributes to Award-Winning Book
Old South, New South, Down South?: Florida and the Modern Civil Rights Movement (West Virginia Press) has been awarded the 2010 Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Book Award by the Florida Historical Society. - Center for African
Studies Students Receive Record Number of Fulbright-Hays Research Abroad
Awards
Five doctoral students in the Center for African Studies have received Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad grants this year, more than any previous student class. - Newborn Infants Learn
while Asleep; Study may Lead to Later Disability Tests
Sleeping newborns are better learners than thought, says a University of Florida researcher about a study that is the first of its type. The study could lead to identifying those at risk for developmental disorders such as autism and dyslexia. - UF Professor Wins Short
Story Prize in New York
University of Florida English professor Mary Robison has been awarded the 2009 Rea Award for the Short Story. - Workshop at UF to Address
Threat of Insect-Based Terrorism
A workshop at the University of Florida May 20-22 will look at the possibility of an unusual but potentially massive form of insect-based terrorism that could be launched in Florida. - Astronomers Plan Second
Look at Mega Star Birthing Grounds
Astronomers this summer will take a close look at a rare cosmic cradle for the universe’s largest stars, baby bruisers that grow up to have 50 times the sun’s mass.
June
- National Humanities
Center Chooses UF Professor for Fellowship
Leah Rosenberg, associate professor of English at the University of Florida, has been selected as a National Humanities Center Fellow for the 2010-2011 academic year. - UF
Professor Makes Long Career of Writing Short Stories
Mary Robison has made a long career of writing short stories. The University of Florida professor published her first short story in The New Yorker in 1977. Her first collection, "Days," was released two years later and eventually three more followed — "An Amateur's Guide to the Night," "Believe Them" and "Tell Me: 30 Stories." [Gainesville Sun] - Geologist: Florida Ridges’ Mystery
Marine Fossils tied to Rising Land, not Seas
Sea level has not been as high as the distinctive ridges that run down the length of Florida for millions of years. Yet recently deposited marine fossils abound in the ridges’ sands. - National Science Fellowships
Announced
Ten out of twenty-four University of Florida students that received National Science Fellowships for 2010 are from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
July
- UF
Archaeologist Finds Remains near Silver Glen Springs
Asa Randall, a UF Ph.D. student who found the bones, estimates they are 500 to 700 years old. [Gainesville Sun] - UF Forms Task Force
to Coordinate Efforts Related to Oil Spill
The University of Florida has created an oil spill task force with 29 faculty members to coordinate research and response efforts related to the April 20 spill in the Gulf of Mexico. - Busy Summer Ahead for
Whitney Trainees
In early June, undergraduates from across the country arrived at the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience to participate in the Laboratory’s Research Experience for Undergraduates training program. - UF Astronomers Pioneer
New Planet-Observing Technique
Using the world’s largest optical telescope, a team of University of Florida astronomers has pioneered a new method of observing planets outside our solar system. The method suggests that large Earth-based telescopes could play a leading role in rapidly accelerating research on “extrasolar” planets. - Lab's
Bone Experts Unearthing Answers
As it turns out, human remains were found in the St. Johns River by law enforcement scuba divers searching for Haleigh Cummings in April - but they weren't those of the missing 5-year-old. They were a lot older, as in an American Indian who lived along the river hundreds of years ago - a determination made by the experts in bones at the University of Florida's C.A. Pound Human Identification Lab. [Gainesville Sun]
August
- UF Study Shows Carnivore
Species Shrank During Global Warming Event
A new University of Florida study indicates extinct carnivorous mammals shrank in size during a global warming event that occurred 55 million years ago.
- Women Stay in Fringes
of Most Popular Comic Strips, Study Finds
The portrayal of women in comic strips is no laughing matter, according to a new University of Florida study, which finds that females are rarely the jokester and often not even part of the humorous exchange. - Over-the-Counter Painkiller
May Help Ease Emotional Slights, UF Study Finds
Maybe that disgruntled JetBlue flight attendant should have popped a couple of Tylenols. - UF Spotlight: Clive
Wynne
Dog lovers know the feeling. Their pets seem human. The way they lick a tear-stained face or gaze adoringly, sometimes even more so than friends or, um, spouses. But that's a misperception, says animal behaviorist, author and contrarian Clive Wynne. People may behave like animals, but dogs, he says, are just good at being dogs. - UF
Professor Helps Sick Kids Make ‘Gator Memories’
Mathematics professor Tim Jacobbe runs Caleb’s Pitch, a non-profit which helps Florida children with life-threatening or debilitating conditions create “Gator memories.” [Gainesville Sun] - The
Power of Two: Douglas and Pamela Soltis
A University of Florida couple studying the evolution of flowering plants shows the value of doubled genomes—and joined careers. [Science] - University
Awarded Two Projects to Study Gulf Oil Spill's Effects
The Florida Institute of Oceanography has selected a UF project to analyze the chemical breakdown of oil in marshes and the health of those ecosystems as one of 27 in the state to use money donated by BP to measure effects of the Gulf oil spill. The study will be conducted by Geological Sciences professor Andrew Zimmerman and Biology professor Brian Silliman. [Gainesville Sun] - History
Project Helping Inmates Turn Lives Around
For a little while, once a week, Melissa Willcoxon lives in 1940s Gainesville, watching in her mind's eye as Ed Kissam meets the woman he would marry when the two attended the University of Florida. [Gainesville Sun] - U.S. Sea Turtle
Populations Difficult to Estimate or Protect Without More Data
The population sizes of six species of sea turtles listed as either endangered or threatened in the United States cannot be accurately determined based on currently available information, says a new report from the National Research Council. - UF
Professor Honored with Grads
University of Florida professor Vasudha Narayanan says putting together a good college course is like balancing flavors in a meal. [Gainesville Sun]
September
- Samuel Proctor Oral History
Program Participates in Civil Rights Movement and Oral History in the
Mississippi Delta Panel
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, in partnership with Delta State University and the Sunflower County, Mississippi Civil Rights Organization, organized the 2nd Annual Civil Rights Movement and Oral History panel on September 22nd at the Capps Archives and Museum Building at Delta State University. - Ants take on Goliath
role in Protecting Trees in the Savanna from Elephants
Ants are not out of their weight class when defending trees from the appetite of nature’s heavyweight, the African elephant, a new University of Florida study finds. - With New Technique, UF
Astronomers find Potassium in Giant Planet’s Atmosphere
Any driver who’s seen deer silhouetted by the headlights of an oncoming car knows that vital information can be conveyed by the outlines of objects.
October
- UF Research Gives Clues
about Carbon Dioxide Patterns at End of Ice Age
New University of Florida research puts to rest the mystery of where old carbon was stored during the last glacial period. It turns out it ended up in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. - UF Trustee Endows Professorship
to Improve Health Care
A gift of $2 million from Dr. Steven and Rebecca Scott will endow a professorship in the University of Florida’s department of chemistry to help UF scientists develop advancements that will improve health care for all people. - College Students
Often Feel Call to Certain Careers Years before Graduating
Far from being undecided about what direction to take in life, many students just starting in college already know their career callings, a new University of Florida study finds. - UF Astronomers,
Engineers to offer Activities in Expo at National Mall
The University of Florida’s departments of astronomy, and mechanical and aerospace engineering, are combining disciplines to participate in the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Expo at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. - UF to Help Sequence
Genome of Flowering Plants’ Ancient Living Relative
University of Florida researchers are part of a nationwide team preparing to open a door into better understanding plant evolution by sequencing the genome of the single living sister species to all other flowering plants. - UF Research Provides New
Understanding of Bizarre Extinct Mammal
University of Florida researchers presenting new fossil evidence of an exceptionally well-preserved 55-million-year-old North American mammal have found it shares a common ancestor with rodents and primates, including humans. - UF Astronomers Win
$8 Million to Build Unique New Instrument
A multinational team led by University of Florida astronomers has won an $8 million grant to build a major new astronomical instrument for the largest optical telescope in the world in Spain’s Canary Islands. - UF Study: Emotional
Effects of Heavy Combat can be Lifelong for Veterans
The trauma from hard combat can devastate veterans until old age, even as it influences others to be wiser, gentler and more accepting in their twilight years, a new University of Florida study finds. - UF Astronomers to
Present Program, Activities in East Gainesville
As part of an ongoing effort to reach out to the community, the University of Florida MAS Outreach Initiative in the Department of Astronomy is hosting “Stars Shine on East Gainesville,” a celebration of art, science and culture, at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Martin Luther King Center, 1028 N.E. 14th St.
November
- Robert Putnam to Discuss
Religion, Politics and Community at UF’s Bob Graham Center
Robert D. Putnam, one of the nation’s leading experts on community and civic engagement, will be discussing his new book on the changing composition of religious faith in the United States during a visit to the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service on Nov. 30. - UF Professor Aids
in Securing Grants for Local Schools to Provide Training in U.S. History
A University of Florida professor has assisted Marion County schools in being awarded nearly $2.4 million in federal education grants to increase public school teachers’ content knowledge of U.S. history. - Fall 2010
Outstanding Leadership Awards for Undergraduate Male and Female Graduating
Seniors
Three graduating seniors from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences were recognized by the 2010 Outstanding Leadership Awards. - UF to Collaborate with
Library of Congress on Veterans’ Oral Histories
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida will begin working with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project to archive the experiences of Florida’s veterans since World War II. - Oral History Program Interviews
Florida Opportunity Scholars
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) is conducting oral history interviews with University of Florida students, both past and present, who are Florida Opportunity Scholars. - Senator Bill Nelson
and Former Governor Bob Graham to Discuss Findings of the Oil Spill
Commission
This event has been cancelled.
Senator Bill Nelson and former Florida Governor Bob Graham will answer audience questions at the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service during a live, three-way videoconference following the hearing of the National Commission on BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on November 8. - Researchers use
Math, Maps to Plot Malaria Elimination Plan
Two University of Florida researchers and their international colleagues have used mathematical models and maps to estimate the feasibility of eliminating malaria from countries that have the deadliest form of the disease. - Grant to Help Astronomy
Department Search Skies for Habitable Planets
At a time when astronomers are searching for Earth-like planets, the University of Florida has received a grant for $500,000 to lead the pack.
December
- Discovery by UF Geologist
Rekindles Debate on Origins of Multi-Cellular Life
A recent discovery by a University of Florida geologist may lend support to the theory that one of the defining moments of evolution may not have occurred as currently thought. - Declassified
Papers Show U.S. Recruited Ex-Nazis
Professor Norman Goda co-authors report on declassified documents that reveals to a greater extent how American counterintelligence recruited and shielded ex-Nazis from prosecution following World War II. [Via New York Times] - CLAS Geography Graduate
Receives Presidential Recognition
Pamela Nagler (B.A. Geography), a research physical scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), was recognized Monday, December 13 with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Awarded for innovation that advances scientific and engineering frontiers and for scientific leadership, the highest recognition granted by the United States government to early career scientists and engineers. - UF Study Provides New
Insight into Origin, Evolution of Flowering Plants
Flowering plants have evolved at explosive rates throughout history, yet scientists since Charles Darwin have been faced with the great biological mystery of how they originated. - UF Expert: Biodiversity
Loss Correlates with Increases in Infectious Disease
Habitat destruction and species extinction may lead to an increase in diseases that infect humans and other species, according to a paper in the journal Nature co-authored by a University of Florida ecologist. - National Science Foundation Awards UF $1.5 million for Nanotechnology Center The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million grant to a University of Florida chemist to create a center for investigating manufacturing techniques for nanoscale electronics.
