Date: 01/07/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Michele Mullings-Shand, director, Upward Bound Math and Science, (319) 234-6819
Gwenne Culpepper, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Upward Bound Math and Science Program at the University of Northern Iowa has received a four-year federal grant for $1 million from the U.S. Department of Education.
Expanding on the success of the well-known Upward Bound programs on college campuses nationwide, the Upward Bound Math and Science Program at UNI encourages high school students to seek post-secondary education in math or science. “There is a shortage of individuals going into the math and science professions, while the need for such individuals continues to increase,” says Michele Mullings-Shand, director of the UNI program.
The Upward Bound Math and Science Program has operated on the UNI campus since 1991. Mullings-Shand says about 80 percent of the program graduates have gone on to post-secondary education in the math or science area, and the majority of those have gone to Iowa colleges or universities.
Students in the program attend a free six-week summer session on the UNI campus, which includes classes, field trips and a weekly stipend. The program is seeking applicants. Interested students should be high school freshmen or sophomores, meet the U.S. Department of Education guidelines for taxable income and/or be a potential first-generation college student. Up to 45 students will be accepted. Application deadline is Feb. 1. For more information, students can contact their school guidance counselor, or call Michele Mullings-Shand at (319) 234-6819.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marc Moulton, UNI Gallery of Art, (319) 273-2003
Gregg A. Schlanger, (319) 273-6134
Daryl Smith, Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management , (319) 273-2238
James O'Connor, UNI Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—“Prairie Dreams,” a provocative art exhibition addressing the disappearance of native Iowa vegetation and wildlife, by artist Gregg A. Schlanger, will be on display at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Gallery of Art, Jan. 14 to Feb. 12.
The gallery will be transformed into a wetland environment consisting of five large pools of water. “Rain” will fall from an intricate arrangement of ceiling pipes, simulating a changing environment, including urban lawn , erosion and live native prairie plants. Silhouettes of various animals that were once native to Iowa will be found throughout the simulated environment.
“This project involves several firsts,” says Schlanger. “It will be the first time prairie plants have been forced into bloom in the dead of winter. It also will be the first time “rain” and pools of water will be welcome in a gallery space. ”
Experts say that up to 85 percent of Iowa once was covered with tall-grass prairie. Today less than one tenth of 1 percent remains. The biodiversity of prairie plants, animals and insects is quickly evaporating.
Plans are in place to extend four-lane U.S. Highway 20 from Dubuque west to Sioux City, bisecting the state. A symbolic Highway 20 will pass through the 4,600-sq. ft. exhibit representing the impact of roadway construction on the environment.
If successful, the exhibit will increase the awareness of Iowa's Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program (IRVM), headquartered at UNI. The program promotes developing native prairies along Iowa roadways. The state is planning to plant native vegetation along Highway 20.
“There are more than 600,000 acres of roadsides in Iowa, which require large-scale management. Planting native prairie grasses can actually lower maintenance costs, improve water quality, lessen the need for herbicides and provide an aesthetically pleasing view for motorists,” says Daryl Smith, UNI professor of biology/science education and IRVM director. “With prairie plants, we can greatly reduce the need to spray or mow ditches. The deep plant roots also filter runoff water and resist weeds.”
Schlanger, an associate professor of sculpture at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., will discuss the project at the opening reception, at 6 p.m., on Jan. 14. His art has been displayed in Berlin, Germany; the University of Arkansas; and the Tennessee Environmental Education Association Annual Conference in Eva, Tenn. Most notable was his controversial 900-mile-long, 22-ft. tall sculptural tribute to the endangered sockeye salmon on the Snake River, in Idaho.
The UNI Gallery of Art is located in the Kamerick Art Building on the UNI campus. Gallery hours are: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. The exhibit received support from Price Laboratory School, the Iowa Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program, the Center for Energy and Environmental Education and the UNI department of biology greenhouse and the UNI department of art.
This exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the UNI Gallery of Art at (319) 273-6114.
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