Editor: Roy Summerford. Contributing editors: Bob Lowry, Janet McCoy and David Granger. Research editor: Mitch Emmons. Outreach editor: Diane Clifton. University Relations Executive Director: Pete Pepinsky.

The AU Report is the faculty/staff newsletter of Auburn University and is published by the Office of University Relations at Auburn University. Direct correspondence to AU Report, 23 Samford Hall, Auburn University, Ala. 36849-5109. Telephone 334/844-9999.Electronic mail:summero@mail.auburn.edu

AU to begin search for chief academic officer this month

AU President William Muse says a search will begin in the next week or two for a new chief academic officer to succeed Paul Parks, who will retire Sept. 30 as provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Parks' retirement as AU's chief academic officer will bring to a close an Auburn career spanning four decades as a student, graduate assistant, faculty member, Graduate School dean, vice president and provost. Often throughout his career, he has held two posts at once.

Parks, 64, has been provost and vice president for academic affairs since the position was created in 1993 to oversee all academic programs at the university. Parks was vice president for research from 1981-93 and dean of the AU Graduate School from 1972 -85, including two years with dual appointment in both posts.

In announcing Parks' pending retirement, Muse said, "Dr. Parks has been an excellent provost. He was the first we have had in that position, and he has handled it superbly."

Parks, who holds two degrees from Auburn, said his years at the university have been a rich and rewarding experience, and now he looks forward to spending more time with his wife, children and grandchildren.

Muse said Parks had indicated for some time that he was looking forward to retirement. "I hate to see him retire, but I guess it is inevitable at some point. He will be difficult to replace, especially since he has done such an excellent job."

Muse said he is pleased that Parks has agreed to remain until the end of the fiscal year. A search committee will be named in the next week or two and the search for a replacement will begin quickly, he added.

"Our objective is to have a person on board by next fall," the AU president said.
Parks said he will spend much of the remainder of his time in office preparing the way for his successor. "I want to make sure that as I leave the Provost's Office, there is a smooth transition with no disruption of ongoing programs and initiatives," he said.

Parks was named provost and vice president for academic affairs during the 1993 reorganization of the university that placed Auburn's core functions of instruction, research and outreach under the Office of Provost. The Office of Student Affairs was plac ed under the provost in 1997.

As chief academic officer, Parks has worked with university administrators, deans and faculty to convert AU's academic calendar from quarters to semesters, effective in August 2000.

Parks also has played a major role in developing and implementing the university's plan to prioritize and strengthen its academic programs and financial base. He has also been the university's chief representative in the statewide effort to standardize c ourse and transfer requirements between community colleges and four-year institutions.

Parks, an Opelika native, earned a bachelor's degree in animal husbandry from Auburn in 1956 and was a graduate assistant and junior faculty member for three years while earning a master's degree in animal nutrition from Auburn in 1959.

He earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Texas A&M in 1962 and served three years on the Texas A&M faculty before returning to Auburn as an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science in 1965.

Parks was named assistant dean of the AU Graduate School in 1968 and was promoted to dean four years later.

He was named vice president for research in 1981 and over the next 12 years, total organized research at AU tripled to $68.4 million.

Deans, others say Parks' departure will leave void for successor to fill

As word spread of the pending retirement of Paul Parks, Auburn University provost and vice president for academic affairs, the AU community -- both on and off campus -- reacted with unanimous praise for AU's first-ever provost.

"I was sitting in the meeting with the rest of the deans when he told us (of his pending retirement)," said Lee Evans, dean of the School of Pharmacy.

"Frankly, when he told us, my stomach turned. He was a major influence on my coming to Auburn. He has been extremely supportive of our building our pharmacy program and making the changes necessary to do so," Evans said.

'In my mind, there could not have been a better provost for the first provost at Auburn University. His absence will leave a void that will not be easily filled," he added.

Tom Regan, dean of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, cited one special quality of Parks.

"After working at the dean's level with eight provosts in four universities, I know that there are many, many qualities that are critical to the success of a provost," Regan said.
"One quality, however, is more critical than the rest -- integrity," he added.

"While Paul Parks brings many positive qualities to his position as provost, his most important and his best is integrity," Regan said. "One can always trust that he will do what he says, and that his actions are motivated by what is best for Auburn."

Human Sciences Dean June Henton said Parks proved to be the perfect choice for Auburn's first provost.

"He has successfully given leadership to the unification of the teaching, research, and outreach functions of the university," she said. "He has always been a tremendously hard worker and is driven by his strong desire to improve AU for the people of the state," Henton added.

Goodwin Myrick, president of Alfa Corp. and the Alabama Farmer's Federation, said agricultural leaders share a love for agriculture with Auburn's provost..

"Dr. Parks' administrative abilities, coupled with his love and appreciation for agriculture have provided Auburn with a springboard for what I hope will be an even greater emphasis on the importance in Alabama of farming and agribusiness in the 21st cent ury," Myrick said.

Research drop blamed on cuts in state support

Decreases in extramural funding in the areas of research, instruction and outreach at AU during fiscal 1997 indicate yet one more casualty of operating under severe funding deficits.

After two successive years of 15 percent increases in sponsored research support fiscal 1997 ended with a nearly 21 percent decline. While some colleges and schools achieved increases in extramural research competition, awards in instruction and outreach also were down 16 percent and 33 percent respectively.

The drop comes after two successive years of growth in extramural research funding and during a year when Auburn is suffering from the loss of many of its most productive and senior faculty.

"Without a very detailed analysis it would be difficult to determine exactly how much such things as the early retirement incentive offered at the end of 1996, the exodus of many of our faculty leaving for greener pastures, and increased work loads on re maining faculty affect the decline in sponsored research, but these factors certainly are among the causes," said AU Vice President for Research Michael Moriarty.

"Clearly, those faculty taking advantage of the retirement option were among our most senior and experienced researchers," he added. "Many had significant funding histories and proposals they would have written had they stayed, would likely have been fund ed during fiscal 1997.

"Fewer faculty were hired as replacements and those replacement faculty generally are newer in their fields and their capabilities for securing extramural funding are not yet strong enough to completely fill voids left by the loss of more experienced rese archers," he continued.

With overall faculty numbers also now fewer since the retirement offering, instructional loads are necessarily greater.

"Faculty, thus, have less time to devote to research and competition for extramural funding," Moriarty said.

"The absence of any significant salary increases for the past three years also has affected morale, and this environment certainly does not help."

While Moriarty contends that his analysis is theory based, he cites supporting data that shows decreased activity in the competition for extramural funding:
€ The amount of the average award is down 12 percent.
€ The total number of awards decreased 10 percent.
€ There is a consistent decline in numbers of proposals submitted over each of the past three years -- the factor Moriarty calls the most alarming.

Moriarty notes increases in extramural research funding achieved in the areas of agriculture, architecture, human sciences, liberal arts and sciences and mathematics.

"But the largest dollar declines were seen in such areas as engineering, space power and pharmacy -- traditionally areas that drive economic development," Moriarty added. "Continued deficits in these areas will directly translate into a decline in the qu ality of life within our state and region."

Moriarty says there is no question that continued years of decreased or level funding for higher education will result in widespread eroding of the state's ability to compete as an economic force.

Final summer quarter before transition perpexes planners

The final quarter of Auburn's five decades on the quarter system may turn into the most memorable one for faculty involved in the transition to semesters.

A committee has recommended that the University Senate re-examine the proposed calendar for summer 2000 -- the term preceding implementation of the new semester system.

The item is on the agenda for the Senate meeting at 3:10 p.m. Tuesday in Broun Auditorium.

Auburn's Academic Standards Committee on Jan. 30 recommended that the calendar, approved in a straw vote by the Senate on Jan. 13, be reviewed to ensure that it satisfies academic standards requirements.

While the proposal meets laboratory criteria, some members object because it does not provide the traditional week for final examinations.

The proposal under review for summer 2000 term allows for three examinations with the final -- the third exam -- being a non-comprehensive test given on the last day of the term for all courses. Some faculty say this may not satisfy the university's acade mic standards.

"Comprehensive finals are important to evaluate what a student learns and masters during a term," said Linda Glaze, assistant provost for undergraduate studies. Glaze, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatu res and ex-officio member of the Academic Standards Committee, said,
"Because this calendar does not provide time for final examinations, in my opinion it lowers academic standards."

Some students are also concerned about the absence of a comprehensive final and a single day of testing.

"For many students, the final exam means the difference between passing or failing a course," said Asim Masood, Student Government Association representative to the University Transition Committee. "And if you impose testing in all courses on a single da y, without some time at the end of the term for studying, I think there will be protests."

The Academic Standards Committee raised a list of concerns during its Friday meeting regarding the proposed summer 2000 calendar:

€ Evaluation is often as much a part of academic quality as is instruction. Dispensing with finals week is thus detrimental to several programs;

€ Both calendars that were presented (one shortening summer quarter only, one amortizing the time across three quarters) require the sacrifice of academic quality through shortening at least one academic term;

€Due to pedagogical constraints, courses with labs (e.g., chemistry) will likely only be able to teach six labs rather than eight in the proposed schedule. This will result in poor preparation for students who are merely completing prerequisite seque nces for more advanced work.

One alternative, said Scott Hodel, chair of the Academic Standards Committee, could be: "Run the summer quarter in summer 2000 in a fashion similar to a summer semester, where three credit classes meet for a significantly longer period of time, and where labs meet twice per week, rather than once."

Several alternatives have been considered by the Senate, with one stumbling block being the problem of scheduling labs at overlapping times during the shorter period.

Merit Scholars to help celebrate name change for Honors College

Auburn will host approximately 1,000 special guests at its first Merit Monday on Feb. 16.

Alabama's National Merit Scholar and National Achievement Scholar semifinalists, National Hispanic Scholar finalists and other in-state high school
students with ACT scores of 29 or above who have been accepted to Auburn have been invited.

"We wanted to do something special for the best and brightest students in Alabama and we think Merit Monday is an innovative way to recognize them and show them what Auburn has to offer them academically," said Susan Allen, coordinator of the AU scholarsh ip office. "We will be the first university in the state to do something like this for these outstanding young people."

The highlight of Merit Monday will be a 4 p.m. ceremony at the Quadrangle to officially designate Auburn's new Honors College, approved by the Board of Trustees at its January meeting as the first in the state. The event will be attended by
AU President William Muse, representatives of the Board of Trustees, deans, department heads and Honors faculty.

All Merit Monday invitees are guaranteed at least $1,000 in annual scholarship money. Students with a 32 or higher on the ACT are guaranteed full-tuition scholarships and automatic acceptance into the AU Honors Program.

"I think it is important to point out that we are able to make this money available to these students using the existing scholarship accounts," Allen said.

"No new money will be used other than that from the growth of existing endowments. We'll just be taking the same money and using it in a manner that better rewards the most qualified and deserving students."

Merit Monday will feature a welcome by Muse, lunch at the AU Hotel & Conference Center, tours of the campus and class observation -- including 30 minutes each of hands-on lab experience in either physics or biology.

"We expect this to prove a wonderful recruiting tool for Auburn and plan to make it an annual event," said Allen.

'Staff' listing for this course turns out to be AU president

On Wednesday afternoons this quarter, Auburn President William Muse is taking some time out from his administrative duties to remind himself what his job is all about.

Muse is spending that time in a Haley Center classroom teaching U100, better known as The Auburn Experience, a course designed to acclimate freshman students to college life at Auburn. It is Muse's first foray into the classroom since teaching a marketing class at Akron in 1991. It is a return to his professorial roots.

"I started out as a professor and taught for about six years both as a professor and a department head," Muse said. "Then when I became a dean, I became more or less a fulltime administrator. So teaching this class has been enjoyable. I've always enjoyed teaching. It's what I started out wanting to do."

Muse's return to the classroom came about as a result of discussions with Bettye Burkhalter, AU's associate provost and vice president for student affairs, and Debbie Conner, senior coordinator of Freshman Year Experience, AU's freshman transition program . Last fall, Muse agreed to teach the class in tandem with Burkhalter, who teaches the class when administrative activities keep him away.

"Dr. Muse has always been a strong supporter of the U100 program here at Auburn," said Conner. "This has provided a wonderful opportunity for students to get to know their university president on a personal basis."

In a recent session of U100, Muse fielded questions from the 18 students in the class.
Most questions pertained to AU-related topics, ranging from the concerns over funding for higher education to possible expansion of the football stadium. Others were more personal in nature and helped the students see the "normal" side of their university president -- a man whose hobbies include reading (his favorite author is fellow Mississippian Willie Morris), walking (he tours the campus each morning at 6 a.m.) and attending cultural and sporting events at Auburn.

"I think it's great having Dr. Muse as a teacher," said Lindsey Boney, a Mobile freshman. "He has said that he is an advocate for the students at AU and I think it's great to have the president of the university here for us to be able to ask him question s.

"Being able to interact with the president in this way says a lot about the administration and faculty here at Auburn and the trust they have in the students," Boney added. "It's great being able to get to know Dr. Muse on more of a personal level."

For his part, Muse says that the experience has bolstered his belief that Auburn students are special.

"Being here with the students and seeing their depth of thought has simply served to confirm my view that Auburn students are a cut above students in general,"
Muse said. "They're brighter, more disciplined and have a positive attitude about themselves and their school. Auburn students are one of the strongest assets of this university."

Muse says constraints on his time will be the deciding factor as to whether he continues to occasionally teach the freshman course.

Deborah Conner named Outstanding Freshman Advocate by U.S. group

Deborah Conner, senior coordinator of Auburn's freshman transition program, has been named an Outstanding Freshman Advocate by the National Resource Center for the Freshman Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Conner is one of 10 people nationwide to be selected for the honor.

"Dr. Conner's work with our freshman transition program here at Auburn has been outstanding," said AU President William Muse, who nominated her for the award.

"The programs she and her staff have designed to help acclimate freshmen to the college experience here are without peer. She is richly deserving of this award," he added.

Bettye Burkhalter, vice president for student affairs, complimented Conner's work on the program, which is known as Freshman Year Experience.

"Debbie's work in the area of freshman advocacy is critical to the success of our freshmen in both their academics and extracurricular activities," Burkhalter said. "I am very proud of Debbie, not only for this award, but for the outstanding work that she does for AU every day."

Conner's work with AU freshman includes two main programs -- Camp War Eagle and the freshman course U100, also known as "The Auburn Experience."
Camp War Eagle is Auburn's summer orientation program for incoming freshmen, a two-day, three-night "camp" where students meet faculty, talk to advisors and register for classes.

Camp War Eagle also features a separate program for parents to familiarize them with university services and resources. An average of 3,000 students and 350 parents attend Camp War Eagle each summer.

U100 is a two-hour credit course for freshmen that helps them become more familiar with what AU has to offer both in and outside the classroom.

Thousands of AU freshmen have taken the course since it was first offered in 1991. Conner and Wendi Huguley, a program advisor for the Freshman Year Experience, coauthored a textbook for the course.

Conner will receive the award, which is cosponsored by the Houghton Mifflin publishing firm, at the 17th annual National Freshman Year Conference, Feb. 20-24 in Columbia, S.C.

Family of '39 Miss Auburn gives scholarship honoring present, future winners

The first Sadie Edwards Roberts Miss Auburn Scholarship has been presented to Abby Bowden of New Brockton -- Miss Auburn 1997.

The presentation was made in Mobile on Jan. 23 by the children of Sadie Roberts -- sons David Roberts Jr. and Ben Tom Roberts, both of Mobile, and daughter Mary Harriet Slingluff of Dothan. The trio -- all AU alumni -- created the scholarship to honor the ir late mother, who reigned as Miss Auburn of 1939.
Sadie Roberts died in April 1997.

"After Mother died, we decided that we wanted to do something to honor her and we wanted to do something in a way that she would have valued," said David Roberts. "Her reign as Miss Auburn was always one of her fondest memories, so I did some research an d discovered that no scholarship for Miss Auburn existed. We felt like that would be the perfect way to honor Mother."

The scholarship is a one-year, $1,000 award that is for use by Miss Auburn during the year of her reign. It may be used to cover academic costs or other expenses incurred as Miss Auburn.

"I'm very honored to be the first recipient of this scholarship," said Bowden, a senior majoring in public relations.

"I had the opportunity to know Sadie Roberts before she passed away and she was a great example of what Miss Auburn should be. This is just a real honor for me and I'm grateful to the Roberts family for making this possible."

Five consecutive generations of the Roberts family, dating back to the current generation's maternal great-grandfather in 1888, have attended Auburn. David Roberts' two children are currently enrolled at AU.

Sadie Edwards Roberts was born and spent her childhood in Union Springs. She received a degree in education from Auburn and taught briefly before becoming a fulltime mother and homemaker.

Search to begin for Boshell Eminent Scholar

The College of Veterinary Medicine will soon launch a search for its Boshell Eminent Scholar, whose work will focus on diabetes research and the disease's link between humans and animals.
The $600,000 funding for the endowed chair is only part of the contributions made to Auburn by the late Dr. Buris R. Boshell and his wife, Martha Boshell, of Birmingham.

C.H. Yoo appointed Huff Eminent Scholar

Chai Hong Yoo, an authority on the analysis and design of curved interstate highway bridges, has been named Huff Eminent Scholar in the College of Engineering.

An AU faculty member since 1980, Yoo was previously Gottlieb Professor in Civil Engineering. He succeeds Fred Molz, who retired in 1996.

Yoo has achieved international recognition for his research and teaching in the field of structures. His work focuses on horizontally placed curved girders, which are used in such structures as highly complex urban interstate exchanges.

His teaching and research in this area, which spans 25 years, has resulted in the development and implementation of practical design criteria to problems otherwise constrained by the inherent complexity of these complicated, high-density structures.

Yoo, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, is coauthor of Analysis and Design of Curved Steel Bridges, a comprehensive text and reference tool for researchers and practitioners in the field. He has also developed teaching materials for stat e and federal transportation agencies.

The Elton Z. and Lois G. Huff Eminent Scholar Chair was established in 1989 to enhance the quality of teaching and research in the Department of Civil Engineering through faculty who bring national and international recognition to the university.

Three receive Deans Awards in Sciences and Mathematics

Three faculty members from the College of Sciences and Mathematics deliver Dean's Faculty Research Award Lectures in their college in February.

Chris Rodger, Alumni Professor in the Department of Discrete and Statistical Sciences; Marie Wooten, an associate professor in the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Sciences; and Robert Gastaldo, a professor in the Department of Geology, have been select ed as the 1998 Dean's Faculty Research Award recipients.

The awards, established in 1997 to honor the research and scholarly pursuits of CoSAM faculty, said Dean Stewart W. Schneller.
"We congratulate this year's recipients as exemplary researchers and extend our gratitude to our alumni and friends who appreciate the work of the college hand provided the resources for these awards," Schneller said.

The awards are made by nominations in three categories: the biological sciences, the physical sciences and mathematics/discrete and statistical sciences.

Each recipient receives a $1,000 honorarium and a plaque.

Rodger will speak Wednesday, Feb. 11, on "All You Ever Wanted to Know about Cycle Systems, and More!."

Wooten will present her lecture Feb. 18, on "Caught in a Life and Death Situation: A Neuron's Dilemma."

Gastaldo will speak Feb. 25, on "Ecosystem Stability in the Late Paleozoic Icehouse Greenhouse."

Each public lecture will be at 3 p.m. in 151 Chemistry Building. A reception will begin at 2:30 p.m. before each lecture.

Rodger began his academic career at AU in 1982, rising from assistant to full professor in eight years. He has written more than 100 papers in professional, refereed literature, which has led to numerous invited lectures worldwide.

In 1995, Rodger was awarded the Hall Medal, given annually by the Institute of Combinatorics and its Applications for "recognition for an extensive and significant body of research work of exceptional quality." In addition, Rodger has been recognized as a n advisor of the year by the college.

Before coming to AU in 1987, Wooten taught at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was a Fellow at the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory. She was recognized as an Alumni Professor at AU from 1992-97.

Her research in signal transduction has been continually funded by a variety of agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. Her research has been published in many of the prestigious journals in her fields. In addition, Wooten has been recognized as a teacher of the year and advisory of the year while at AU.

Gastaldo joined AU in 1978 and rose to full professor in 1988. He has been twice selected as an Alumni Professor at AU, from 1990-92 and from 1992-96.

Gastaldo is internationally acknowledged for his research in paleontology and is currently co-editor of Palaios. He was recognized as the first Alexander Von Humboldt Awardee at AU, is a 1997 Smithsonian Institution Short Term Visitor and a Disting uished Lecturer for the Geological Society of America Coal Geology Division for 1996-98.

A Fellow of the Geological Society of America, Gastaldo's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Petroleum Research Fund and other international agencies. Gastaldo has excelled in the classroom as well and recently received a grant c alled the American Geological Institute Curriculum Development Project.

Purchasing head publishes article examining impact of change in field

An article by AU Purchasing Director Ted Brown has been selected by the National Association of Educational Buyers as the lead article in the winter 1998 issue of the NAEB Journal.

The article, "The Creation of Change -- It's Coming Your Way," examines the impact that changes in technology are having on purchasing and other administrative and support aspects of higher education.

In the article, Brown discusses the potential for increased use of automated systems in purchasing. Citing cost- and time-savings, he warns that university offices which fail to take advantage of technology could be bypassed into obsolescence.

The NAEB is the professional association serving purchasing professionals in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

Salts named to new state board

Connie J. Salts, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, has been appointed by Gov. Fob James to serve on the newly formed Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy.

She is director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program in the School of Human Sciences.

Salts was also elected by the members of the board to serve as the first chair.

Salts and Thomas A. Smith Jr., associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, have been active in statewide efforts since 1992 through the Alabama Association for Marriage and Family Therapy for passage of the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Act.

Library computer training extended

Auburn Libraries is offering additional training sessions in February for faculty and staff interested in learning the new software system AUBIECat.

AUBIECat, which enables users to access its online catalog files directly from the world wide web, replaced LUIS.

Sessions -- all at Draughon Library -- will be: Thursday, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 20, at 3 p.m.; and Friday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m.

All sessions will be in the instruction laborat The sessions will last about an hour, and no registration is necessary.

For more information or questions, call or e-mail Marcia Boosinger, instruction librarian at RBD, at 4-1740 or boosiml@lib.auburn.edu.

Alliance helps improve quality of child care for members' employees

Ten of Lee County's 22 child care centers have joined the Employers' Child Care Alliance Quality Enhancement Partnership. AU was a founding member of the alliance, which helps employees find quality day care for their children.

Alliance staff work with child care centers and teachers to enhance the quality of child care available for employees of alliance members

During the first year of the partnership, employers sponsored more than 2,400 hours of quality training for teachers of children of alliance members' employees. More than 20 teachers received training last year, and 24 teachers are enrolled in ECCA spons ored classes for 1998.

The alliance sponsors classes that lead to a child development associate credential for participating teachers.

This year, the 10 centers are participating in the ECCA's Steps to Accreditation program, which provides a system of incremental steps to accreditation by the National Association for Education of Young Children.

Currently, only the AU Child Study Center, which is primarily a limited-hours training and research site for child care professionals, is accredited by the NAEYB.

The alliance is guiding the centers through a step-by-step process of documented support, training and technical assistance necessary to meet accreditation standards. In supporting the training, AU has been in partnership with Auburn Day Care Centers, Au burn First Baptist and Auburn City Schools Child Development Centers, Bonnie's Kids, Hardy's and Wee Care during the first two years.

"This program has been very well received by the child care community," said ECCA Manager Gail Piggott. "We have many providers who give excellent care in Lee County, and they need to be recognized for that."

The steps program toward accreditation provides a way for parents to assess the quality of centers. "When parents seek assistance through our resource and referral service, they often ask about the 'quality' centers or those that are accredited," Piggott said.

"Now, we will be able to identify centers that have attained step one, two, three or four. Though not a guarantee of quality, it at least gives an indication of the center's commitment to enhanced quality,"

The ECCA could find no program of the desired type to assist child care centers in moving toward accreditation, so alliance staff developed the program locally, she said.

For further information contact Piggott at 749-8400.

Dillard wins state honor for dietary work

Carol E. Dillard, a faculty member in the School of Human Sciences, has been named Outstanding Dietitian of the Year for 1998 by the Alabama Dietetic Association.

Dillard, an instructor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science and a sports medicine dietitian for the Auburn Athletic Department, will receive the award during an annual meeting next month of ADA.

"This award highlights her dedication and service to the dietetics field and we are proud to have her associated with the department," said Sareen Gropper, interim head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at AU.

Dillard is past president and past chairman of that board of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education. She also serves on the National Association of College and University Food Service, and American Heart Association-Alabama Affiliat e, the Alabama Food Service and Nutrition Exposition and the Alabama Dietetic Association, where she is state campaign chairman.

At AU, Dillard founded and serves as sponsor of the AU Hotel and Restaurant Management Student Organization and is a member of the Auburn Dietetic Association.

In addition to teaching classes in dietetics, food science, nutrition science and hotel and restaurant management, Dillard works in the AU Athletic Department as a nutritionist and part of the Optimal Performance Team.

Dillard works with athletes, in a group or individually, changing their nutritional needs so they will obtain maximum energy performance, says Mike Roberts, director of Sports Medicine for the AU Athletic Department.

"Carol is very personable with the kids and they respect what she is doing and how she goes about it," Roberts said. "She's worked with me a little over a year and there is no doubt about it, some athlete's performances have gotten better.

"Athletes now seek her out," he said. "It's been more of by word-of-mouth. As one athlete talks to another, they pass along how Carol has been able to help them."

She earned the bachelor's degree from Jacksonville State University and the master's degree from Troy State University. Her areas of specialty include food service administration, hotel and restaurant management and weight control.

Goodwin Lecture Series slated for Feb. 16-17

Gordon Shepherd of the Yale University School of Medicine will present two lectures Feb. 16-17 at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine as part of the Joy Goodwin Distinguished Lecture Series.

The presentations at the Overton Auditorium will be:
€ Monday, Feb. 16, "The Neural Basis for the Sense of Smell," 4 p.m.
€ Tuesday, Feb. 17, "Centenary of the Synapse: From Sherrington to the Molecular Biology of the Synapse and Beyond," 11 a.m.

Shepherd is an internationally recognized professor of neuroscience who has been a member of the Yale faculty since 1967. He has been in the Yale School of Medicine's Section of Neurobiology since 1979.

ADC lectures look at landscaping

Two noted landscape architects -- Guy Cooper and Laurie Olin -- will visit Auburn's College of Architecture, Design and Construction during February and complete the 1998 Winter Lecture Series.

Cooper, co-owner of Landscape Design Limited in London and author of two horticulture books, will speak on "Paradise Transformed" on Feb. 20.

Olin, who has been engaged in landscape design and planning consultation to many internationally renowned design firms, will speak on "Perfecting the Ordinary," on Feb. 27.

Both public lectures will be at 4 p.m. in Parker Memorial Auditorium, B-6 Dudley Commons.

Cooper, along with partner Gordon Taylor, has been involved with horticulture since 1974 and has been designing private gardens since 1983.

Their projects have ranged from creating master plans and installations for the gardens on the 36-acre estate of pop singer Elton John to advising on the restoration of a late 17th- early 18th-century landscape Bramham Park, a major country house in Yorks hire. In addition, they have provided statues from Italy for the garden of Prince Charles at Highgrove in Glou-cestershire.

More than 100,000 copies have been sold of their book, English Herb Gardens & English Water Gardens, published in Great Britain, the United States and Germany.

Ekelund, Hebert produce book on economics

Robert Ekelund, the Lowder Eminent Scholar in Economics, and Robert Hebert, Russell Foundation Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in the Department of Economics, have completed a new book, Jules Dupuit, the Engineers, and the Origins of Microeconomics.

In the book they argue that economic theory was discovered by the French rather than the English and was a product of engineers rather than economists.
The book will be published by the University of Chicago Press.

Unsung Hero: Gerry Pitchford, University Relations

This week's Unsung Hero is Gerry Pitchford, secretary III in University Relations, where she has been employed for eight years. She was asked:

I get the greatest satisfaction in my job when... "all my work is completed in an accurate and timely manner."

In my job area, quality is measured by... "using all my skills necessary to do a good job."

If I could change one thing about Auburn (or my job), it would be: "nothing; I like my job and Auburn just the way it is."

I've always wondered why... " staff employees have to work 10 years to be able to get an 'A' hang tag."

When people come to this campus, I want them to... "feel at home and enjoy the beautiful campus and friendly people."

"In my spare time, I like to... "spend time with my husband and family, especially my granddaughter Ellie. I also like to go on trips with my sisters, read and attend sporting events."

Campus Roundup

Fine Arts Concerts set for Feb. 11, 15
The Jacques Thibaud String Trio from Berlin will perform Schubert and Beethoven trios at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Goodwin Recital Hall. The National Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble will play trios and sonatas and a nonet by Poulenc, Martinu and Spohr on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m. in Goodwin. Admission for each event is free for students; $15 for others.

Expert on Spanish-American literature to speak
Enrique Pupo-Walker, Centennial Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Vanderbilt University, will present a public lecture on Spanish-American literature, "Images of Desire and Diversity: The Emergence of Latin America, 1820-1900," at 4 p.m. Thursday, Fe b. 19, in Haley Center 3195. Pupo-Walker has published many books and articles on Spanish-American literature and related subjects. His lecture is sponsored by the University Lectures Program, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and the Spanish Honorary Society, Sigma Delta Pi.

Discounts available on hotel rooms for AU travelers
AU travelers have access to discounted hotel rooms nationwide via the State Universities of America hotel agreement negotiated by the University of Cincinnati. For information on access to a website describing the discounts and hotels, contact Accounts P ayable at 844-4612.

IRS changes rules for some student workers
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued new guidelines on FICA/Medicare taxation of student wages. The following students are subject to the 7.65 percent FICA/Medicare tax: Undergraduate students who are enrolled for less than six hours per quarter; graduate students who are enrolled less than five hours per quarter and are not enrolled in course numbers 690 or 790; students who are classified as "career employees." A career employee is someone who is eligible to participate in the university's bene fit program or is classified by the institution as a "career employee." The number of hours worked is no longer a criterion in determining FICA/Medicare status. The change became effective with the biweekly payroll on Feb. 6. For information, contact P ayroll and Employee Benefits at 844-4183.

Check Web for recycling trailer schedule
The recycling trailer schedule is now on the World Wide Web at http://www.auburn.edu/administration/iss/admin_services/facilities/trailer.html

AU RESEARCH

Company to develop AU filter technology

Seattle-based Halosource, a company that formed last year to develop and market a water purification technology developed by AU, has entered into a formal licensing agreement with the university.

Halosource President Clive Defty, said the company has some definite ideas regarding the technology.

"We've spent the past six months testing the technology," Defty said. "Our testing has been positive, and we believe we will have an immediate market in the area of water purification."

The technology, developed by AU Chemistry Professor S.D. Worley, uses a polymer base to destroy harmful contaminants without introducing chemicals into the water source.

"This is a biocidal compound that is not soluble in water, which kills the organisms, but does not put anything toxic into the water," Worley said.
Iodine presently is the primary water treatment method used throughout the world,
Defty explained. And presently, there is no other satisfactory substitute.

"There are some 1.2 billion people in the world who do not have safe drinking water," Defty said. "We believe this technology provides a convenient and effective alternative to iodine and other chemical-based water treatment methods."

Halosource expects to have a marketable product within the year, Defty said. It will take several months, he added, to obtain EPA approval.

Collaboration gives access to GCG software

Auburn researchers now have access to a DNA analyzing and protein sequencing software package used by more that 30,000 scientists worldwide.

Access to the Wisconsin Package(TM), a product of the Genetics Computer Group (GCG), is through a sub-licensing agreement with the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The multi-user, mainframe system contains more than 140 programs available to scientist s, including programs for fragment assembly, searching, mapping, multiple and pairwise sequence alignments, RNA folding and protein secondary structures.

"This program is powerful and efficient, and a fundamental and useful tool in the area of molecular biology," said Mary Cupp, an entomology senior research fellow at Auburn.

The GCG system, which is used by more than 530 research institutions in 35 countries, is a standard in the area of molecular research. UAB holds a primary user license for the system and maintains a site at its campus. This program, Cupp said, will make o ptions unlimited for researchers.

"In the past, other similar programs were very limited because the program was only on one computer and could only be used by one person at a time," Cupp said. "With this one (GCG) being on the mainframe, there is unlimited usage. It is much less restrict ed. Being able to sublease it through UAB, we are getting a lot for very little."

Cupp said she expects the program will be a success on Auburn's campus.
"In the future, it can be used in class as a teaching tool," she added. "Many types of classes can use the program ­ evolution classes and forensic science classes, too, because of their involvement of DNA study."

Sharon Roberts, an associate professor in the Department of Botany and Microbiology, has used the GCG program and found it to be a useful addition in research.

"It provides computerized access to large DNA databases, and it has a number of different functions for analyzing nucleic acid sequences and protein sequences," Roberts said.

"A number of different DNA sequences can be fed into the system and it can look for similarities in the sequences, or match them up."
Roberts agrees that access to the system is an asset to AU researchers. "In essence, you are at a sight where you can get into other databases and see as they are updated," he said. "You have access to the latest information because the data are updated c onstantly.

"These data bases are massive. It's different from only having a program on a CD ROM and being able to pull it up on one computer. With the GCG system you are at a terminal with unlimited access."

Auburn scientists can access the UAB site by setting up a users account through the AU Office of the Vice President for Research.
User accounts may be established for individual laboratories; individual grants within a lab; or for individual users. Billing -- based on time online -- will be monthly.

Cupp expects the program's success to grow along with the growth of technology.

"Molecular work is growing at such a fast rate that programs like this (GCG) are necessary," she said.

"This program will make things much easier for everyone who takes advantage of the system." Roberts added.

Streitz named associate director of Industrial Programs & Technology Transfer

Wendy Streitz, a former engineer manager with Westinghouse Electric Corp., has been named associate director of Industrial Programs and Technology Transfer at Auburn University. The appointment became effective Jan. 1, according to Associate Provost and V ice President for Research Michael Moriarty.

Streitz, who holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, has served as interim associate director of IPTT at Auburn since March 1996.

"We had some very strong applicants during our national search for candidates to fill the position," Moriarty added. "Because of her experience and qualifications, Wendy emerged as the top choice."

As associate director, Streitz will work closely with AU faculty, industry, other universities and government agencies to promote Auburn-developed technologies and to protect the interest of the university and the researchers.

"Wendy has worked effectively as interim associate director," said IPTT Director Jan Dowdel Thornton. "She has been instrumental in assisting us since her arrival and her continued involvement in the program will be a tremendous asset."

Auburn's IPTT operation set an all-time record in fiscal 1997 for the number of disclosures filed by faculty researchers for discoveries or inventions. Totaling 43 disclosures for the year, the 1997 record was a near 300 percent increase over the number o f disclosures filed during fiscal 1996.

Group provides support, instrumentation service

University research centers and facilities have an on-campus source for obtaining instrumentation service and repairs.

The Research Electronics Support Facility (RESF) is available to service and repair a variety of electronics instruments used for conducting research, says Henry Cobb, RESF director.

Cobb and his two associates, electronics technicians Mike Hornsby and Robert Price, together have 57 years experience in instrumentation repair and design.

"Our service and field test equipment enables us to make quick diagnosis, and we also are equipped to service most VCRs, video display systems and computer equipment," Cobb said.

RESF is located in 252 Broun Hall, with shops in Broun 252 and 253. Its services include: electronic instrument repair and calibration; electronic instrument system integration and upgrades; engineering and technical evaluation and consultation; electroni cs instrument design and construction.

For more information, contact the RESF at 4-1832, by electronic mail: cobbhen@mail.auburn.edu, or by fax at 844-1809.

Consistency required in cost reporting

Cost Accounting Standard 502 says that the university must be consistent in charging costs which are incurred for the same purpose under the same circumstances as either a direct cost or a facilities and administrative cost (e.g. F&A, indirect cost, or ov erhead).

It is the purpose of this standard to ensure that costs charged directly to sponsored projects are not also being recovered in the F&A rate charged to sponsored projects. When certain types of costs are sometimes charged to sponsored accounts and sometim es charged to departmental accounts then, barring significant differences in the purpose and circumstances surrounding the cost, the possibility for double charging exists.

Direct costs are those which can be specifically and easily identified as absolutely necessary for the conduct of the project scope of work. Things such as technician salaries, laboratory equipment, research supplies, and project specific travel are all e xamples of things usually charged directly to sponsored projects. F&A costs or indirect costs are those that support the overall functions of the institution as part of the daily operations. Things such as secretarial support, utilities, custodial servic es, office supplies and local telephone access charges are examples of costs usually accounted for as overhead or F&A costs.

The Federal Government pays for sponsored projects through reimbursement of direct costs charged on accounts as well as F&A costs through charging the federally approved indirect cost rate to those accounts. If costs are included in the determination of the F&A rate as well as being charged as direct costs on projects, then the Federal Government could be overcharged. As a result, OMB A-21 states that office supp lies, local telephone costs, salaries of administrators and clerical staff, postage, and memberships should normally be charged as F&A costs. These types of expenditures as well as other general purpose costs should not be charged to federally-funded acc ounts.

If the purpose of the expenditure and the circumstances related to a particular project are clearly different from the normal operations of the institution, then exceptions for direct charging some of these costs will be considered by the Office of Contra cts and Grants Administration upon receipt of written explanation.

The best time to determine the allowability of various costs on a sponsored project is when the proposal is originally prepared and submitted to a sponsor. Then, when funded, the project should flow smoothly with costs incurred following the approved budg et.

OUTREACH

Outreach VP's office funds distance education projects

Three distance education proposals, one from Auburn University's College of Business, one from AU's College of Education and a joint proposal from the Schools of Pharmacy and Nursing, are being funded by the office of the Vice President for University Out reach.

The competitive distance education grants were announced last spring in a memo to university faculty from David Wilson, vice president for University Outreach.

"Auburn University seeks to develop and implement special distance education programs of quality in order to serve citizens of Alabama and others who are unable to attend a resident program on campus," said Wilson.

"We are providing competitive grants for those Auburn University academic departments that propose programs which seek to address a critical need and which have every expectation of longevity and success," Wilson added.

Proposed distance education activities can include degree applicable courses and entire degree programs, credit certificate programs, noncredit professional development programs, curriculum enhancement activities, programs related to technology transfer, public policy issues, cultural enrichment, or other programs of vital importance to the citizens of Alabama, according to the memo.

"However," stated Wilson, "credit degree programs generally will have the highest priority."

The 13-member Faculty Selection Committee for the Distance Education Project, comprised of dean's appointees, reviewed 14 proposals and recommended six be entered in the second round of competition.

In addition to requirements that the projects be longterm and self- supporting, the committee considered other elements, including:

€Innovative instructional design.

€A clear and succinct description of the project and its goals in reaching an off campus clientele.

€A confirmation of the centrality of the project to departmental and institutional goals.

€Clear evidence of need.

€A realistic and documented expression of demand.

€A realistic estimation of the impact of the project.

€Indication of the readiness of faculty to conduct the project.

€Careful consideration of distant students' service and academic resource needs and methods for their provision.

€Indication of support from cooperating units and external organizations/individuals.

€A detailed, accurate and appropriate budget, indicating all sources of funds.

€A carefully planned and proactive evaluation/assessment process.
Faculty involved with the six final proposals provided more detailed information about their programs to the Faculty Selection Committee, which submitted their final evaluation to the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach.

The project selected from the College of Business will receive outreach funding of $21,000 to develop and implement a Video- and Internet-based Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) program by fall 1998. The proposal was prepared by Stanley Harris, associate professor of management, Kim Kuerten, assistant MBA director, and Robert Niebuhr, associate professor and management department chair.

The joint proposal by the Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy, Health System Informatics: A Multilevel, Distance Education Demonstration Project, will receive $21,000 in outreach funding for development and implementation. The proposal was prepared by Bill Fe lkey, associate professor, Pharmacy Care Systems, Thomas Riley, professor of pharmacal sciences, and Kathy Jo Ellison, associate professor of nursing.

The third proposal, approved for outreach funding of $3,540, is from the College of Education's Physical Education Department. It is titled Physical Education "Electronic" Masters Degree (M.Ed.). The proposal was prepared by Steve Sanders, professor in th e Department of Health and Human Performance.

AU's Department of Distance Learning and Outreach Technology (DLOT) will provide consultation and assistance in the implementation of the grants."

"These three projects represent a significant extension of our academic offerings in areas of critical need," said Richard Alekna, DLOT department head.

Nine counties participate in Family Fair

Maya Angelou, one of the great voices of contemporary literature is coming to the Wiregrass Saturday, March 14, as part of the Wiregrass Family Fair.

She will speak at 11 a.m. at the Houston County Farm Center, 1699 Ross Clark Circle in Dothan.

Angelou's presentation will be the highlight of the two-day Wiregrass Family Fair, which also will feature a number of other educational and entertaining events and activities for all ages.

The March 13-14 event is a collaborative effort of nine counties, Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike. Alabama Cooperative Extension System agents are working with other entities such as Enterprise State Jr. Colleg e, Wallace College and Troy State University as well as other health agencies such as the Family Guidance Center, the Houston County Department of Human Resources, The Dothan Eagle, Fort Rucker and other service sororities and social service agencies.

The fair is expected to enrich family life by providing fun-filled, educational and entertaining activities, motivational speakers and exhibits.

Objectives of the Wiregrass Family Fair are:

€ To provide a variety of health screenings.

€ To promote good health, nutrition and lifestyle for all ages.

€ To alert the public of services available in the Wiregrass that can help enrich family life.

€ To emphasize regional businesses, industry, churches and organizations.
One highlight of the fair is a home and garden show Friday, March 13, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Other Saturday events include a "Welcome Home" family video competition sponsored by WTVY/Channel 4; a 10-room nutrition pyramid adventure; numerous health information booths and health screenings; children and youth corners featuring JAMA the Clown; an i nternational cultural fair; and commercial exhibits from Wiregrass counties.

Houston County Extension Agent Rosalind James, coordinator of the event, said,
"We are extremely honored to have Maya Angelou as our guest for Family Fair. She is known worldwide as a poet, educator, historian, bestselling author, actress, playwright, civil rights activist, producer and director."

In conjunction with Angelou's appearance, a creative writing competition was held for children, youth, teens, college students and adults in participating schools, colleges and universities throughout the Wiregrass. The creative writing program is being d edicated to the multi-talented Angelou.

In the 1960s, at the request of Martin Luther King Jr., Angelou became the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She was also appointed by President Gerald Ford to the Bicentennial Commission, and by President Jimmy Carter to the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year.

Among her other accomplishments, Angelou has made hundreds of appearances on network and local television. She was the subject of an interview with Bill Moyers for a PBS special; her award-winning and autobiographical account of her youth, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was a two-hour TV special for CBS. Three-way Choice, aired as a five-part mini series on CBS, and her Afro-American in the Arts was a PBS special for which she received the Golden Eagle Award.

Admission to the Wiregrass Family Fair is free. Exhibit space is still available and sponsors are still needed. For information regarding exhibitions and sponsorship, contact Pat Cook at 793-8107 or 1-800-533-7445. For general information about the fair, contact Rosalind James, Houston County Extension Agent at 334-794-4108.