Date: 1/20/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jerry Soneson, UNI associate professor of philosophy and religion, (319) 273-2990
Aaron Podolefsky, UNI Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, (319) 273-2517
Vicki Grimes, UNI Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—The opening presentation in the year-long Millennium Lecture Series, originally scheduled for Jan. 19, has been rescheduled to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 26, in the Maucker Union Expansion. Jerry Soneson, University of Northern Iowa associate professor of philosophy and religion, will delve into the ancient beliefs of the apocalypse and Armageddon. The address was postponed due to the storm that passed through the area Wednesday.
“Thinking About the End Times: From Ancient Israel to the New Millenium” examines the traditions surrounding thoughts of the end of the world that began in ancient Israel.
During the millennial year, selected members of the UNI faculty will present 10 different Millennium Lectures. There will be five lectures offered during each of the spring and fall semesters of the year 2000. All lectures will include the presentation of a scholarly paper, and some will include artistic performances and exhibits.
“We want to think of the Millennium Lecture Series as a yearlong conversation among those of us who are fortunate enough to experience this historical moment, which comes just once in 20 lifetimes,” said Aaron Podolefsky, UNI Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “It is an opportunity to consider our histories, our lives today and our futures as individuals, as members of Iowa families and communities, and as members of the larger human family.”
For more information, contact the UNI Office of Public Relations at (319) 273-2761, or check UNI's website at www.uni.edu.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Pramod Sarin, UNI family coordinator for international students, (319) 234-3304
Germana Nijim, UNI director of international services, (319) 273-6421
Vicki Grimes, UNI Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-02761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—Pramod Sarin, coordinator of the Host Family Program at the University of Northern Iowa, recently received the Governor's Volunteer Award for Sarin's 20 years of volunteer work at UNI.
Germana Nijim, UNI director of international services, was told of the award nomination by Tom Romanin, UNI associate vice-president for educational and student services. Sarin was the first person Nijim thought of for a possible nomination.
“The award calls for someone who has a long history of volunteering, as well as dedicated service,” Nijim said. “Mrs. Sarin has been working as a volunteer for a number of years and has always been faithful and available to the international program here at UNI.”
Sarin has been involved with the program since 1975 after immigrating from India in 1970 with her husband, Vinod Sarin. She recognized the benefits of such a service for international students to help acclimate themselves to American culture by linking them up with a host family.
“Students get to know the true American culture and not just what they see on television and on campus,” said Sarin. She also sees the program as a benefit to the emotional needs of an international student.
“It allows for students to have a family away from home, so they are not so lonesome and homesick,” she added. “Having hosted some students, it's a great experience for the host family as well.”
Nijim also said that Sarin seeks occasions to speak at club and organizational meetings in order to spread the word about possibly becoming a host family for an international student. Sarin's effort to raise awareness of the program includes word of mouth from current and past host families.
“We also do informational programs to different organizations in the community and church groups,” she said. According to Nijim, Sarin's involvement in the program has helped to advance the program in many ways.
“She's a devoted volunteer who talks about the program to people in the community,” said Nijim. “They are often moved to join the program after hearing Mrs. Sarin speak.”
Besides volunteering at UNI, Sarin serves as the director of Midway Development in Waterloo and as a teacher of adult education at Hawkeye Community College. She is also listed in the Folklife Directory as a resource on information regarding India. She has been nominated for a volunteer award that is given by USA Today and the United States Information Agency for her volunteer work. Announcement of recipients will not be until the end of January.
For more information about the international program at the University of Northern Iowa, contact Nijim at (319) 273-6421.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Don Shoultz, state representative, (319) 235-1920
Cathy Zeman, director of the Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center, (319) 273-7090
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—State Representative Don Shoultz, Waterloo, received the Iowa Recycling Association's Outstanding Public Service for the Betterment of Recycling Award Thursday, Jan. 20, during a luncheon at the Botanical Center in Des Moines.
Among highlights of his legislative work on behalf of the environment, Shoultz sponsored legislation to fund hazardous waste cleanup in 1984; was a contributing author to the 1987 Groundwater Protection Act; an author for Iowa's Waste Reduction and Recycling Act in 1989; lobbied for Iowa's waste tire recycling laws; and served on the Energy and Environmental Protection committee since 1983. He has also received awards from the Iowa Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, the Iowa Renewable Energy Association and the Isaak Walton League.
Shoultz, a 1962 bachelor's degree graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, was nominated for the award by Catherine Zeman, director of the Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center, housed at UNI. She said he has not only helped to solve issues that affect the environment statewide, but he has also been a supporter of applied research and experiential learning grants for students at UNI.
“I'm very pleased that he is receiving this award,” said Zeman. “He's due the recognition for his efforts.”
The Iowa Recycling Association's Outstanding Public Service for the Betterment of Recycling Award is given to an elected official or media personality who has demonstrated outstanding service for the betterment of Iowa's recycling industry.
For more information, contact Zeman, at (319) 273-7090.
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