PURDUE NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEEK OF SEPT. 17-22 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 center to lead national research in dietary supplements 2. Purdue receives $6.75 million for agriculture, health research 3. Purdue dean: Research is critical for everyone 4. Want tourists in your town? Brand it, and they will come 5. In the New Economy, fewer salespeople will call 6. Purdue, IU launch statewide calcium initiative 7. Purdue North Central Rated High by U.S. News 8. Purdue Extension campaign offers nutrition info for families 9. Week of activities to highlight nuclear science, engineering 10. Purdue researchers unveil program to track crop traits 11. Forestry conference to be held in New Albany 12. Purdue Notebook 13. Purdue Black Cultural Center workshop talks dollars and sense 14. Purdue Bands ignites 2000-01 concert season with 'Fall Fireworks' 15. Purdue Black Cultural Center offers heritage tour 16. Purdue welcomes Veriovka - Ukrainian song and dance 17. Hospitality students serve it up to the public 18. Insurance adjusters assessing student vehicles 19. Purdue calendar 20. Agriculture calendar 21. Best Bets for Journalists 22. Inside Purdue and Perspective ------------------------------------- RESEARCH NEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS ------------------------------------- 1. PURDUE CENTER TO LEAD NATIONAL RESEARCH IN DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS Purdue University will become home to a national center for the study of dietary supplements. The National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday (9/20) it will invest $7.8 million over five years in the Botanical Center for Age-Related Diseases, led by Purdue, with collaboration from University of Alabama Birmingham. The center's interdisciplinary team will examine plants touted to prevent age-related diseases including osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease and loss of cognitive function. Additional expertise will be provided by faculty at the University of Illinois and the Indiana University School of Medicine. ''The need for this research is clear,'' said Purdue Professor Connie Weaver, the director of the new center. ''More than 16 million Americans use dietary supplements, but more needs to be learned about their safety and effectiveness. 2. PURDUE RECEIVES $6.75 MILLION FOR AGRICULTURE, HEALTH RESEARCH Purdue has received $6.75 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund three research projects. The grants are part of $113 million in competitive funding to scientists and researchers looking for science-based solutions to challenges in genomics, biotechnology and natural resource management. ''These projects bring scientists together on critically important issues that affect a large number of people,'' said Vic Lechtenberg, dean of agriculture at Purdue. ''Thanks to the farsightedness of Congress, researchers can tackle the highest priorities and build a brighter future for agriculture.'' 3. PURDUE DEAN: RESEARCH IS CRITICAL FOR EVERYONE By the end of this decade, harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria could be eliminated from the food purchased by consumers. That's just one example of the potential payoff from an investment in agricultural research, says Victor Lechtenberg, dean of agriculture at Purdue and chair of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board. The United States has a rich tradition of being the world leader in agricultural research, but that research has increasingly been under attack from those who don't understand the importance or scope of modern agricultural research, Lechtenberg says. 4. WANT TOURISTS IN YOUR TOWN? BRAND IT, AND THEY WILL COME While the advertising concept of branding generally applies to products, a Purdue professor thinks regional branding is what Indiana communities need to succeed in making tourism a viable part of their local economies. Liping A. Cai, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management, defines tourism branding as ''a process of building a unique destination image that evokes a specific set of travelers' thoughts, feelings and associations, which in turn add value to their visiting experience.'' He says rural communities that decide to market themselves for tourism often think too small. 5. IN THE NEW ECONOMY, FEWER SALESPEOPLE WILL CALL Is the world of the much-ballyhooed New Economy so changed that your insurance man or stock broker won't try to sell you policies or stocks anymore? Not quite, but two professors in Purdue's counseling and financial planning major say the financial industry is changing from a basis in selling to a comprehensive advising approach. ''It's not just about dollars and cents anymore,'' says Sharon A. DeVaney, associate professor of consumer sciences and retailing. ''Today, people don't want to be sold financial products such as life insurance, mutual funds or accounting services. Clients want the tools and the options to make their own decisions.'' ------------------------ GENERAL INTEREST NEWS ------------------------ 6. PURDUE, IU LAUNCH STATEWIDE CALCIUM INITIATIVE Health experts at Purdue and the Indiana University School of Medicine are joining hands to help Hoosiers bone up on calcium and its role in promoting good health. Leading experts in calcium nutrition will meet with policy-makers and health professionals from throughout the state in Indianapolis Oct. 2 to discuss ways to promote public awareness and consumption of calcium. The event is free and open to the public. The new effort, called the Indiana Calcium Initiative, is aimed at medical and nutrition professionals, public health professionals, school food-service professionals, extension specialists, policy-makers, and corporate leaders. 7. PURDUE NORTH CENTRAL RATED HIGH BY U.S. NEWS For the first time ever, Purdue University North Central has made the ''America's Best Colleges'' list published annually by U.S. News & World Report. The report, in the magazine's Sept. 11 issue, ranks PNC fourth among public regional liberal arts schools in the Midwest. ''We're delighted to be recognized for the high quality education we provide to the citizens of our region,'' said James B. Dworkin, Purdue North Central Chancellor. ''This is another indication of the outstanding effort of our faculty and staff, as we constantly strive to improve in everything we do.'' 8. PURDUE EXTENSION CAMPAIGN OFFERS NUTRITION INFO FOR FAMILIES Does your dog eat better than your kid? That's the question posed on billboards along I-65 between Lebanon, Ind., and Indianapolis, and also on I-70 between Plainfield, Ind., and Indianapolis. The billboards, which feature a girl with a lollipop, a dog, and the question, were placed by Purdue Extension administrators to encourage people to contact Extension for information on foods and nutrition and other topics. ''The message is that a dog's diet has been scientifically formulated to provide proper nutrition for dogs. Unfortunately, it is not so simple for children,'' said Bill Evers, Purdue Extension foods and nutrition specialist. 9. WEEK OF ACTIVITIES TO HIGHLIGHT NUCLEAR SCIENCE, ENGINEERING Nuclear Activities Week at Purdue, Monday through Friday (9/25-29), will feature a variety of events focusing on issues, research and opportunities surrounding nuclear science and engineering. The public can view poster displays, attend discussions on nuclear safety and the future of nuclear power, and tour campus labs and facilities, including Purdue's research nuclear reactor. The week-long series of events is sponsored by Purdue's School of Nuclear Engineering and the health physics and nuclear pharmacy programs. -------------------- AGRICULTURAL NEWS -------------------- 10. PURDUE RESEARCHERS UNVEIL PROGRAM TO TRACK CROP TRAITS Seed companies, grain handlers and food processors will have an easier time tracking value-added, genetic traits in crops thanks to a new computer program developed by Purdue researchers. ''With this system, we can track the purity of these products from seeds planted in the field to the grain used to make taco shells, and we can do it at a reasonable cost,'' says Rick Vierling, a Purdue agronomy professor and director of the Indiana Crop Improvement Association Genetics Lab. The program will help breeders and producers develop crops that are more nutritious, are easier to process or have pharmaceutical properties, he says. 11. FORESTRY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN NEW ALBANY A conference for forest landowners on financial issues and alternative products will be held Oct. 12 through Oct.14 at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany. The event is sponsored by Purdue's Department of Forestry & Natural Resources and the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, in cooperation with Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky and the Historic Hoosier Hills Resource Conservation and Development District. The conference, ''Income Opportunities and Financial Strategies for Forest Land Owners,'' will explore new industries and markets for forest products and services. --------------------------- NEWS ABOUT PURDUE PEOPLE --------------------------- 12. PURDUE NOTEBOOK - John Zimbrick, professor of health sciences at Purdue, has been named a Fellow of the Health Physics Society. ------------------------------- ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ITEMS ------------------------------- 13. PURDUE BLACK CULTURAL CENTER WORKSHOP TALKS DOLLARS AND SENSE Purdue's Black Cultural Center will offer a workshop, ''A Financial Fitness Workout,'' Sept. 30. The workshop, led by Purdue graduate and Merrill Lynch financial consultant Baron Murdock, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 310 of Stewart Center. The workshop, part of the BCC's ''Talking Dollars and Making Sense'' series of wealth building and financial empowerment workshops, is designed to bring both the campus and Greater Lafayette information that will enable the African-American community to become more money savvy. 14. PURDUE BANDS IGNITES 2000-01 CONCERT SEASON WITH 'FALL FIREWORKS' ''Vesuvius,'' a Frank Ticheli symphonic band work with lots of firepower, provides the spark for the ''Fall Fireworks'' concert by the Purdue Symphonic and Fall Concert Bands on Oct. 1. The free event, set for 2:30 p.m. at the Long Center, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette, kicks off the 2000-01 concert season for Purdue University Bands. 15. PURDUE BLACK CULTURAL CENTER OFFERS HERITAGE TOUR A Purdue-based tour will head off to Ohio for a weekend of African-American culture and heritage, Oct. 13-14. The Purdue Black Cultural Center's tour of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Central State University and Wilberforce University will depart from the Black Cultural Center, 110 Third St., West Lafayette, at 5 p.m. on Oct. 13, and return at approximately 7 p.m. on Oct. 14. The cost is $25 for Purdue students and $50 for the public. Sept. 30 is the deadline to register by calling (765) 494-3092. 16. PURDUE WELCOMES VERIOVKA - UKRAINIAN SONG AND DANCE Veriovka brings its traditional Ukrainian folk singing and dancing to Purdue Oct. 14 as part of Purdue Convocations' Patron's Choice Series. Seventy-five of the finest classically trained dancers, singers and musicians from all over the Ukraine make up the Veriovka Ukranian National Dance Company, which prides itself on combining traditional Ukrainian song and dance with contemporary style. The performance begins at 8 p.m. at Elliot Hall of Music. Ticket prices are $25, $21 and $16 for the general public, and $18, $15 and $12 for Purdue students with a valid identification card. ---------------------- MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ---------------------- 17. HOSPITALITY STUDENTS SERVE IT UP TO THE PUBLIC Hospitality and tourism management students are back in class, marking the fall opening of the John Purdue Room in Stone Hall. Although the John Purdue Room operates as an genuine restaurant for Purdue and the surrounding community, the restaurant also serves as a classroom lab designed to give hospitality and tourism management students basic and advanced knowledge of food service operations. 18. INSURANCE ADJUSTERS ASSESSING STUDENT VEHICLES Insurance adjusters are meeting with Purdue students this week and next week to assess damage cause by metal filings stripped from the water tower in Tower Acres. Employees of Frontier Adjusters have scheduled appointments to evaluate vehicles at the parking lots of Delta Delta Delta, Phi Kappa Theta, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta and Theta Xi. The appointments started Monday (9/18) and will run through at least Wednesday (9/27). More than 200 appointments have been scheduled so far. 19. 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/ 20. AGRICULTURE CALENDAR This calendar lists Purdue Agriculture events during the next four weeks. 21. BEST BETS FOR JOURNALISTS -- Toni Morrison to lecture at Purdue -- Purdue, IU launch statewide calcium initiative ''Best Bets'' also has details on the Sept. 26. dedication of a new traffic operations lab; the Oct. 13 Krannert Executive Forum, featuring the president of a company that distributes pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids; and the Oct. 14 Chemistry Show, a public demonstration of the chemical properties of fire and ice. 22. 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. 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