MSU’s annual Garden Day will take place Friday. The day will feature a variety of 12 garden workshops, lunch, speakers and self-guided tours of the gardens.
Fifteen teachers are attending the Physics of Atomic Nuclei Program, or PAN, from Monday through Friday at the Cyclotron at MSU to learn about nuclear physics, research and classroom applications. PAN — the Cyclotron’s biggest outreach program — also offers nearly the same camp for high school students next week, Aug. 9-13.
Steve Lacy, the associate dean for graduate studies in the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, is expected to receive one of the most prestigious awards in the field of journalism Friday. The 2010 Paul J. Deutschmann Award for Excellence in Research, which is awarded by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, or AEJMC, is as an award that recognizes significant contributions to scholarly research throughout the course of an individual’s career.
MSU researchers in women’s health will use a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to create a mentoring program that will connect junior faculty with experienced researchers. The Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health, or BIRCWH, program will be housed in the College of Human Medicine, said Mary Nettleman, a grant recipient and chairperson of the MSU Department of Medicine. MSU also has contributed funds for the program.
Sarah Willis, a creative writing sophomore at Grand Valley State University, directs this summer’s production of Peter Pan at All-of-us-Express Children’s Theatre at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road., which premiered Friday night. The All-of-us-Express Children’s Theatre is a local nonprofit organization that produces plays throughout the year.
In line with a growing trend of businesses offering mobile access, Biggby Coffee customers can access a calorie counter, find nearby locations and other information using the company’s new mobile website. The site, launched in July, converted the original Biggby website into a mobile-friendly version for use on cell phones.
Endangered giant pandas in China could see significant change in their habitats due to research partially supported and conducted by MSU’s Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. There are large areas of natural habitat for giant pandas outside current captivities, which leaves much of the panda population vulnerable, according to research conducted by international and MSU scientists.
It is rare that a single paper changes the horizon of science. Instead, Wolfgang Bauer said scientists — including MSU researchers — publish countless papers and results that slowly push science toward a different direction. One such paper, examining protein folding, was published last week in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, or PNAS, which showed proteins fold into their structures more slowly than previously thought.
Friday is the last day to be counted in the 2010 U.S. Census. Any Michigan resident who failed to mail back a form or talk to a census worker should call 1-866-872-6868 to be counted.
School-based health centers prove effective in exposing students to healthier behaviors, according to a recent study conducted by an MSU researcher. After examining health centers in middle and high schools across the state, the study found school-based health centers are a convenient asset because students can seek health care without leaving the building, said Miles McNall, a researcher in MSU’s University Outreach and Engagement.
Rain showers sent children and their parents fleeing for cover under the colorful canopies Wednesday afternoon at the East Lansing Family Aquatic Center, but after the sun came out less than five minutes later, the celebrations continued. The 2010 Summer Splash took place Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the aquatic center, 6400 Abbot Road.
Philip Strong, who currently is the assistant dean for Lyman Briggs College, has been named the leader of the Neighborhood Concept pilot project in Hubbard Hall for next year. As leader of the Hubbard pilot program, Strong will coordinate programs involved with the Neighborhood Concept and work with faculty and students. He also will be in charge of assessing the effectiveness of the programs.
Four area lawyers will vie to become 30th District Circuit Court Judge in Tuesday’s primary. The six-year position opened after the retirement of Judge James Giddings, leaving no incumbent in the race to become Ingham County’s newest judge. Competing for the position are: Clinton Canady, Gregory Crockett, Jim Jamo and Billie Jo O’Berry.
MSU’s graduate student government and the city of East Lansing plan to introduce a new parking program in the fall for graduate and professional students, following a deal reached Tuesday.The Council of Graduate Students, or COGS, has discussed the possibility of such a program with city officials since fall 2009. Under the program, which was approved by the East Lansing City Council on Tuesday, the city would sell a bulk number of parking permits at $150 — a 50 percent discount — per semester for Lot 10, or the Division Street ramp.
New and returning MSU students might find themselves climbing up a wall or pigging out on free food samples upon their return to the university before the start of the fall semester. Officials at MSU’s University Activities Board, or UAB, have spent much of the summer securing sponsorships and planning activities for its 30th annual U-Fest, which is scheduled to be held from 7-11 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Union.
Textbooks might become a lot cheaper for students at MSU and across the nation if a bill in the U.S. Senate becomes law. The Open College Textbook Act, introduced in Sept. 2009, would provide one-year grants to universities and professors to produce quality textbooks that would be available for free online.
Learning Arabic can be difficult for both native speakers and newcomers to the language. But MSU’s Detroit Center hopes to give educators useful strategies for this task during a two-week STARTALK workshop. The national program to improve the teaching of languages, including Chinese, Arabic and Hindi, began Monday and continues through Aug. 6.
Based on past voter turnouts and filings for absentee ballots, about 1.7 million voters are expected to vote in Tuesday’s primary, according to the Michigan Secretary of State.
The Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, will offer free rides to all customers with a Michigan voter registration card during regular service hours Tuesday, the date of the primary elections. Valid cards must be presented to the driver upon boarding to receive a free ride.
The MSU Community Music School is turning students into triple threat performers with its new Musical Theatre Camp this week, teaching young performers the ropes of the stage in a little more than a week’s time. From Monday through Friday, more than 60 students from grades 2-12 will fill their days with singing, choreography, acting, costume design and other activities that will prepare them for the basics of a stage production.