PURDUE NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEEK OF JULY 23-28 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. Research critically needed for manned space exploration 2. Purdue grows its own computer techies; lauded as national model 3. Purdue Notebook 4. Workshop helps farmers identify forage problems 5. Purdue radio station adds new music and information programs 6. Kenny Wayne Shepherd booked for Purdue concert 7. Purdue calendar 8. Agriculture calendar 9. Best Bets for Journalists 10. Inside Purdue and Perspective ------------------------------------- RESEARCH NEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS ------------------------------------- 1. RESEARCH CRITICALLY NEEDED FOR MANNED SPACE EXPLORATION If the nation is serious about the manned exploration and development of space, then more attention must be focused now on research to study how weightlessness and reduced gravity would affect everything from power production to plumbing, says a recently published report funded by NASA. The research is critical for the development of space-related technologies, says the report, published by the National Academy of Sciences and written by a committee of scientists and engineers appointed by the academy's National Research Council. ''There are certain scientific and engineering problems of a fundamental nature that need to be addressed before these technologies can be developed,'' says the committee's chairman, Raymond Viskanta, the Goss Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue. ''It is recommended that this research should be done now because it will take years to develop the needed technologies.'' ------------------------ GENERAL INTEREST NEWS ------------------------ 2. PURDUE GROWS ITS OWN COMPUTER TECHIES; LAUDED AS NATIONAL MODEL Purdue is solving its problem of filling the growing number of computer-related positions on campus by ''developing its own'' in an unusual program that has captured national attention. ''Three years ago we decided to attack our hiring problems by looking for people in other professions with the aptitude to do the job and an interest in changing careers, rather than constantly competing for the limited national pool of information technology professionals,'' said Laverne Knodle, executive director of Management Information. ''We found many people from other backgrounds with the personal skills and aptitudes that would make them successful in our organization. All we had to do was provide a means for them to acquire the necessary technical skills.'' The National Association of College and University Business Officers this month honored the Purdue program as a national model in its annual Higher Education Awards Program. --------------------------- NEWS ABOUT PURDUE PEOPLE --------------------------- 3. PURDUE NOTEBOOK - Matt Falker was hired as assistant director of Purdue Musical Organizations, effective Tuesday (8/1). Falker will direct PMO's University Choir and assist in directing PMO Express. - Frank Kuntz was hired as assistant director of Purdue Musical Organizations, effective Tuesday (8/1). Kuntz will assist in directing PMO University Choir as well as the Purduettes. - Julie Silver was hired in May as public relations and promotions coordinator for Purdue Musical Organizations. Silver is developing and coordinating publicity for PMO ensembles and performances, creating and developing PMO publications, and coordinating electronic promotions such as the PMO Web site. -------------------- AGRICULTURAL NEWS -------------------- 4. WORKSHOP HELPS FARMERS IDENTIFY FORAGE PROBLEMS Spotting problems in forage production is easier if you know how. Purdue is sponsoring a one-day workshop to help farmers develop a keener eye. The 2000 Forage Diagnostic Training program is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Purdue Agronomy Research Center, located about seven miles northwest of West Lafayette on U.S. 52. The workshop is sponsored by the Purdue Agronomy Department and the Indiana Forage Council. Keith Johnson, Extension forage specialist, said the in-field workshop will provide practical advice for growers, agribusiness people and others who deal with forages on a regular basis. ------------------------------- ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ITEMS ------------------------------- 5. PURDUE RADIO STATION ADDS NEW MUSIC AND INFORMATION PROGRAMS Purdue University's WBAA AM920 will introduce its new schedule beginning Monday (7/31), featuring one of public radio's most popular programs and the return of cutting-edge, alternative contemporary music. The new programming adds ''Car Talk,'' ''World Cafe,'' ''Marketplace,'' ''Mountain Stage,'' ''Latino USA,'' and ''This American Life'' to the WBAA AM920 schedule. 6. KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BOOKED FOR PURDUE CONCERT The Purdue University Student Concert Committee announced today (Friday, 7/28) that blues rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd will kick off the school year with a concert on Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. in the intimate Loeb Playhouse, located in Stewart Center. An opening act has yet to be announced. Tickets to the Aug. 30 concert go on sale at the Stewart Center and Elliott Hall box offices to Purdue students on Friday (8/4) and then to the general public on Aug. 7. The box office hours both days will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All purchases will be made on a first come-first served basis. All seats are $25 and there is a limit of six tickets per person. ---------------------- MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ---------------------- 7. PURDUE CALENDAR This calendar lists entertainment events, lectures and meetings involving Purdue people during the next month. An online calendar of Purdue events is at http://www.purdue.edu/calendar/ 8. AGRICULTURE CALENDAR This calendar lists Purdue Agriculture events during the next four weeks. 9. BEST BETS FOR JOURNALISTS -- Beering to preside over his last commencement Aug. 6 -- Electronic surveillance experts available 10. 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]
