4/10/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
William Calhoun, vice president for University Advancement, (319) 273-6078
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Three Cedar Valley families have made gifts to the University of Northern Iowa's "Students First" Campaign, to be used toward construction of the McLeodUSA Center.
The Young Family Foundation has given $300,000; Tom and Maureen Porth have pledged $250,000; and Elizabeth McCoy has donated $100,000. The proposed center will provide a first-class facility for University of Northern Iowa athletics. Research estimates the potential community impact of the arena at 273,000 visitors and $15 million annually.
The Young Family Foundation was established in 1990 to benefit the citizens of Northeast Iowa. The Young family has given to many community projects throughout the years, including the UNI-Dome and Young Arena.
The Porths are owners of Village Inn Restaurants in Cedar Falls and Waterloo.
Elizabeth McCoy's gift was made in memory of her husband, Robert, who was general manager of the "Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier" from 1952 to 1983.
The "Students First" campaign has a goal of $75 million for scholarships, academic program support and facilities, including $15 million to build the McLeodUSA Center. Other capital projects include McElroy Hall in Waterloo, which houses the Freeburg Early Childhood Program; a human performance center to be built onto the north end of the UNI-Dome; renovation of Lang Hall and Russell Hall; and equipment for McCollum Science Hall.
The leadership gift phase of the campaign's local drive is now underway. The Cedar Valley major gift drive kickoff will be later this year.
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4/10/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Mitch Strauss, associate professor, Department of Design, Family and Consumer Sciences, (319) 273-2702
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- With monies totaling $250,000, the University of Northern Iowa has established a new laboratory to evaluate textile materials. Mitchell Strauss, associate professor in the textile and apparel program in the Department of Design, Family and Consumer Sciences, said the lab will be one of the best equipped in the Midwest, and will include state-of-the-art devices for testing fabric durability, colofastness, safety and comfort.
Money for the project was awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and UNI.
"The NSF awarded this grant to support improvement of science education for young women at UNI," explained Strauss. "Over the past two decades, women have successfully moved into a wide variety of professional fields. However, even though women make up 45 percent of the employed labor force in this country, they account for only 16 percent of the employed scientists and engineers." Strauss said barriers to women entering these fields include apprehension about using equipment and instruments in data gathering, and the gender socialization of women toward passive roles in the research process. "This laboratory will address and remedy that situation."
A dedication ceremony for the new laboratory will be at 3 p.m., Thursday, April 12, in 230 Latham Hall.
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Following is a list of story leads and the University of Northern Iowa sources who can best address them. Feel free to contact the source directly.
Jeffrey Helsing, program officer with the U.S Institute of Peace (USIP) will be among the speakers for the Human Rights and Ethnic Conflict seminar, taking place at UNI, April 11-13, in 207 Gilchrist Hall. Helsing's areas of specialty include the Middle East, conflict resolution, and U.S. foreign policy. He will speak at 2 p.m., April 11, on conflict management; and again at 2 p.m. on April 13, on human rights and the curriculum.
Other speakers for the event, sponsored by the USIP, are Sonia Biserko, head of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Serbia; Henryk Sokalski, former United Nations assistant secretary general and head of the U.N. preventative deployment force in Macedonia; and Rumbi Mabuwa of the Women's Rights Division, Human Rights Watch. They will address a select group of UNI faculty, who will then work to incorporate the new information into their curricula.
Cate Palczewski, associate professor, Department of Communication Studies, (319) 273-2714
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
UNI ROTC hosts spring awards
The UNI Army ROTC corps of cadets will be recognized during the spring awards ceremony at 1 p.m., Friday, April 13, in the West Gym. The 29 cadets will receive awards from a variety of Iowa veteran and military organizations, including the VFW, AMVETS and the American Legion. Lt. Col. Michael De Puglio, who heads the UNI ROTC program, said the class has participated in a series of volunteer service activities, maintained an average grade point average of 3.13, and averaged a score of 268 (out of 300) on the military physical fitness test.
Michael De Puglio, professor, military science, (319) 273-6220
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Through a $100,000-per-year research project involving the citizens of Delhi, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and UNI scientists, Silver Lake in Delaware County will be restored. When completed, the project will make Silver Lake capable of sustaining fishing and boating recreation once again. “Water quality is the state's most serious environmental problem,” said William Stigliani, co-director of the UNI Center for Energy and Environmental Education. “Up to half of Iowa's water bodies are no longer capable of providing their intended uses.”
William Stigliani, co-director, Center for Energy and Environmental Education, (319) 273-2573
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
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