PURDUE NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEEK OF APRIL 30-MAY 5 This digest contains summaries of the following stories from Purdue News Service and Agricultural Communication Service. All these stories, and more, are available on the World Wide Web at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html3month/3month.html (Instructions for retrieving stories and photographs via the Internet are at the end of this document.) 1. Purdue 'stealth compounds' attack cancer cells 2. New chemical instrument uses advanced missile technology 3. Alumnus gives $10 million to build Krannert's competitive assets 4. Purdue to award 22 honorary doctorates 5. Purdue experts traveling state to explain possible tax changes 6. Purdue seeks host families for Japanese students 7. Purdue names outstanding agriculture senior 8. Purdue calendar 9. Agriculture calendar 10. Best Bets for Journalists 11. Fitness experts 12. National Science, Engineering & Health Package 13. Inside Purdue and Perspective ------------------------------------- RESEARCH NEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS ------------------------------------- 1. Purdue 'stealth compounds' attack cancer cells Imagine ordering a part to repair your car, and having the new part delivered in pieces you must first assemble. A similar situation often occurs in treating cancer, because the components needed to put the brakes on the cells' abnormal growth can be readily delivered through the cell membrane only in pieces that must be assembled by the cell. Scientists at Purdue have developed a method for getting these compounds into tumor cells -- already assembled. The method may be used to develop new, more powerful treatments that have fewer side effects and are less likely to produce drug resistance in patients being treated for cancer and certain viruses such as HIV. 2. New chemical instrument uses advanced missile technology Purdue engineers, using heat-seeking missile technology, have developed an instrument that dramatically speeds up the search for new catalysts that could improve chemical manufacturing processes and automotive pollution-control systems. The instrument will be used to create vast databases of chemical catalysts, says Jochen Lauterbach, a Purdue assistant professor of chemical engineering. He has applied the technique to the growing field of combinatorial chemistry, in which scientists use automated equipment to systematically create and test thousands of chemical samples in about the same amount of time it would have taken to test one sample with more conventional methods. (Photo available) ------------------------ GENERAL INTEREST NEWS ------------------------ 3. Alumnus gives $10 million to build Krannert's competitive assets A $10 million commitment from Purdue alumnus Jerry Rawls is one of the largest private gifts in the university's history and has pushed the Krannert School of Management's fund-raising campaign past its halfway mark. The Krannert at the Frontier campaign's goal is to raise $55 million for a new building, scholarships, professorships and high technology. Rawls, president, chief executive officer and director of Finisar Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., earned a master's degree in industrial administration in 1968 from the Krannert School. Richard A. Cosier, Krannert School dean, said a recommendation would be sent to the university's Board of Trustees to name the new building Jerry S. Rawls Hall. The $32 million building, which will have four floors above ground, will be constructed across Grant Street from the existing Krannert Building. The campaign also seeks $23 million to fund scholarships, endowed professorships and high-technology equipment. To date, the campaign efforts have raised $35.4 million. --------------------------- NEWS ABOUT PURDUE PEOPLE --------------------------- 4. Purdue to award 22 honorary doctorates Purdue will award honorary doctoral degrees to 22 persons during May commencement ceremonies around the state. ''Those we are honoring have reached unparalleled heights in their professional lives, and have unselfishly lent their skills and experiences to their communities and to Purdue,'' said Purdue President Steven C. Beering. Seventeen of the honorees will be cited at Purdue's West Lafayette campus during four commencement ceremonies May 12, 13 and 14 in Elliott Hall of Music. Five regional campus honorees will be recognized either at ceremonies for Purdue North Central on May 9, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne on May 10, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on May 14, or Purdue Calumet on May 21. -------------------- AGRICULTURAL NEWS -------------------- 5. Purdue experts traveling state to explain possible tax changes A proposed change in the way property is assessed in Indiana could mean significantly higher tax bills for homeowners. Purdue agricultural economists Larry DeBoer and John Huie and Extension specialist Bill Jones will conduct 14 meetings, from South Bend to Evansville, in May and June to explain the possible tax shifts and policy alternatives. The meetings are free and open to the public. 6. Purdue seeks host families for Japanese students Purdue's School of Agriculture is seeking Hoosier farm families to host six Japanese college students who will visit Indiana for a month this summer. The first student will arrive July 20 and leave Aug. 20. The other five will arrive Aug. 4 and leave Sept. 8. Host families are expected to provide room and meals. For more information, contact Prudence Miller, international students and visitors coordinator for International Programs in Agriculture, at (765) 494-8458 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] 7. Purdue names outstanding agriculture senior Luke Jacobus of Columbus, Ind., is this year's outstanding senior in the School of Agriculture. Jacobus, an entomology major with an international study minor, studied in Japan and completed seven semesters of Japanese language studies. He is conducting a biodiversity study of mayflies in the streams, rivers and lakes of New York state, the results of which will be published in the journal Northeast Naturalist. Jacobus will deliver the class response during a commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13, one of four commencements scheduled that weekend at the West Lafayette campus. ---------------------- MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ---------------------- 8. Purdue calendar This calendar lists entertainment events, lectures, exhibits and meetings involving Purdue people during the next four weeks. An interactive, online calendar of Purdue events is at http://www.purdue.edu/calendar/ 9. Agriculture calendar This calendar lists Purdue Agriculture events during the next four weeks. 10. Best Bets for Journalists -- Purdue schedules 4 commencement ceremonies May 12-14 -- Beloved professor and mentor Martha Chiscon retires July 31 11. Fitness experts Here is a list of four Purdue experts who can speak about fitness and the impact of exercise on aging. 12. National Science, Engineering & Health Package These stories were distributed nationally and internationally this week to about 1,450 writers, reporters, editors and other interested parties. A Web site with links to all the stories and photos in this Science, Engineering & Health Package is at this URL: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/paks/scipak.digest.0005.html 1. Purdue 'stealth compounds' attack cancer cells 2. Laser-assisted machining will make ceramic parts less costly (Two photos available) 3. Method could prevent disconnection for roaming cell phone users 4. Students invent healthful soybean snack cracker (Photo available) 5. Method removes gas additive MTBE from tainted water 6. Prescription for pharmacist: A change in dosage (Photo available) 7. Predictions for 21st century engineering -- Satellites will improve agriculture, resource management -- Boutique materials will become available in lot sizes of one -- Water will replace transmission oil -- Ethics will play greater roles in engineering education, energy use -- U.S. will build 'intelligent highway network' to separate trucks and cars -- Rainwater and snow melt will be managed to protect water quality -- Future vehicles will 'understand' their role in transportation 8. Wireless technology experts 13. Inside Purdue and Perspective Check the online versions of Inside Purdue, the faculty/staff newspaper, and Perspective, a quarterly publication for alumni, parents of students, faculty and staff, for other news about Purdue, at http://www.purdue.edu/PER/Periodicals.html. How to retrieve stories and photographs electronically Releases, publication-quality photographs, and a searchable database of Purdue and Big 10 experts are available at the PurdueNews Web site at http://news.uns.purdue.edu. Faculty and staff may register as experts at the Web site. Publication-quality photos also are available at the PurdueNews ftp site at ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/. Purdue News Service also produces e-mail digests of stories on five topics: agriculture; business, finance and technology; lifestyles, education and careers; science, engineering and health; and weekly Purdue News (that's this digest). To subscribe (or unsubscribe) to this service: -- Address your request to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Use a mail form with no text or graphics -- Leave the subject line blank. In the body, indicate which digest(s) you want: subscribe agnews subscribe biznews subscribe lifenews subscribe scinews subscribe pu-news (Purdue subscribers) subscribe puweek (non-Purdue subscribers) To unsubscribe, just substitute ''unsubscribe'' for ''subscribe.'' Problems? Contact Mike Willis, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-0371, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Jeanne Norberg, director Purdue University News Service 1132 Engineering Admin. Bldg. West Lafayette, IN 47907-1132 Phone: 765-494-2096 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
