Weekly Bulletin

Volunteers needed for exercise study

The Exercise Science Department is looking for subjects to participate is a 10-day training study looking at the effects of exercise on carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Women between the ages of 18-39 who do not exercise but want to start, want to lose weight and don't smoke are eligible to participate.

Participants receive free fitness testing, a state-of-the-art bone density scan, nutritional analysis and body fat analysis. Spots are open in February, March and April.

Contact Steve at 665-0137 or by e-mail (sblack@excsci.umass.edu) to sign up.

Employees needed for nutrition study

Classified employees are needed for a study about how people learn and respond to different nutrition-related cancer prevention messages. The research is under the direction of Elena Carbone, assistant professor of Nutrition. Data collected will only be used for academic research purposes.

Participants will find out what kind of learning style works best for them, learn about nutrition and cancer prevention, and receive a $20 gift certificate to Atkins Farm and two learner-tailored nutrition education messages to keep at the end of the study.

Participants will be asked to complete two telephone and one in-person interviews. The total time commitment is approximately one hour and 40 minutes. Participants must be full-time, classified Amherst campus employees who do not work for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences or any food service facility; be over 18 years old; have no personal history of cancer (staff with a family history of cancer are still eligible to participate); and be able to read and write English.

Sign up by e-mail (lmquinti@nutrition.umass.edu) and indicate the best method and time to be contacted.

Faculty candidates present Medical School seminars

Faculty candidates at the Medical School will present two special seminars in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology next week at the Worcester campus.

Nikolay V. Dokholyan of the department of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University will speak on "Identifying Importance of Amino Acids for Protein Folding" on Monday, Feb. 4 at noon.

Brian Kuhlman of the department of biochemistry at the University of Washington will discuss "Computational Design of Novel Protein Structures" on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at noon.

Both presentations are scheduled for the 8th floor conference room in the Lazare Research Building.

Jazz history workshop

Tom Reney, host of "Jazz a la Mode" on WFCR-FM, is offering a new session in his ongoing series "A Listener's Guide to Jazz History," beginning Feb. 24. The series of eight meetings is held at the Broadside Bookshop, 241 Main St., Northampton, on Sundays from 6-8:30 p.m. The cost of the workshop is $250-$200 (sliding scale), and enrollment is limited to 12.

The workshop offers a survey of jazz history, highlighting its various styles and most important innovators, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wynton Marsalis, placing their contributions within the musical and social context of their time. Each meeting features extensive listening and discussion around many of the classic recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD is used as a text.

Reney has been the jazz producer at WFCR since 1984. He has taught jazz history at the University and Holyoke Community College and lectured at Smith and Amherst colleges, and Clark University. He writes about jazz for the Boston Globe Magazine and Valley Advocate, and served as the jazz and popular music contributor to The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography and The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia.

For information or to pre-register, call 586-1764.

Pomposiello leads seminar at Medical School

Pablo Pomposiello, assistant professor of Microbiology, will discuss "Global Responses to Oxidative Stress in E. coli" on Friday, Feb. 8 at 12:15 p.m. at the Medical School in Worcester.

The talk takes place in the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Seminar Room, S5-310.

Fall course proposals and scheduling materials due

Departmental course proposals and scheduling materials for fall 2002 are due in the Academic Scheduling Office on Friday, Feb. 1.

Joint exam request deadline

The last day for departments to submit requests to the Academic Scheduling Office for clearance of joint evening examination dates for the spring semester is Friday, Feb. 1.

Chemistry seminar

Professor Neil Branda of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia speaks on "Using Molecular Switches to Control Structure and Function" at a Chemistry Department seminar on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 11:15 a.m. in 1634 Lederle Graduate Research Center.

Arts Council grant deadline

The next deadline to apply for UMass Arts Council single project/event grants is noon on Friday, Feb. 6. The grants are for events held after Feb. 19.

Student groups, academic departments and other campus organizations are eligible to apply for up to $2,000 to support arts events that feature music, dance, poetry, theater, visual arts, film and other related art forms. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Grant guidelines and application forms are available at the UMass Arts Council office in 101-103 Hasbrouck, the Campus Activities Office in the Student Union and online (www.umass.edu/fac/artscouncil). Assistance for applicants may be arranged by calling the council at 5-0202.

Support group for lesbians

"Lesbian Connection: Pathways to Healthy Relationships," an eight-session educational and support group for lesbians who wish to improve their intimate relationships, will begin Wednesday evening, Feb. 20 at the Everywoman's Center in Wilder Hall.

The group is free and open to lesbians from the Five Colleges and surrounding community. For more information and to register, call 7-0077.

Kaffeepause

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures is offering a Kaffeepause on Wednesday, Feb. 6 from noon to 2 p.m. in the fifth floor lobby of Herter Hall. All are welcome to join in German conversation, a look at recent German television news, free coffee and snacks.

Reception for visiting German historian

A reception to welcome visiting German historian Annette Weinke is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4 in 601 Herter. The campus is invited to attend.

Environmental Engineering program seminar

"Applications in Bioremediation" will be discussed by Todd Rees of Golder Associates in Cherry Hill, N.J. on Friday, Feb. 8 at 3:35 p.m. in 15 Marston Hall.

Faculty candidate leads Microbiology seminar

Mary Ellen Davey of Dartmouth Medical School and a candidate for a microbial physiology faculty position in the Microbiology Department will present a talk on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 11:15 a.m. in 201 Morrill IV North.

Davey will discuss "An Active Mechanism for the Maintenance of Biofilm Architecture."

Financial planning workshop

The Treasurer's Office is sponsoring a financial planning workshop, "Tax Reform Act for 2001 and Ramifications on Retirement Savings" on Friday, Feb. 15, 2-3:30 p.m. The presenter is Larry Donn of VALIC.

The workshop is free and open to all University employees and students. Register with Kim Roy at 587-2068 or by e-mail (kroy@umassp.edu). Registration closes the week before the workshop.

Cannella, Yarworth to speak at Weekly Sports Luncheon

Men's lacrosse coach Greg Cannella and men's swimming coach Russ Yar-worth are scheduled to speak at the Weekly Sports Luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at noon in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center.

The cost of the buffet lunch is $6.50. Call 5-4289 for reservations.

Older Pentium computers needed

If you've replaced your PC with one of the superfast one-gigahertz (or even faster) desktop models, students in the Professional Writing and Technical Communication Program (PWTC) in the English Department could make good use of your old computer.

Since 1993 PWTC has run a "loan closet" of PC-type computers for students whose machines are too slow to run the complex software demanded by the five-course program, or to connect with the UMass ethernet system. The supply has run short this year, so if you have a Pentium I (133, or 166 hz) or Pen-tium II computer, it will be put to immediate use.

Working PC monitors, mice and keyboards also are gratefully accepted. A PWTC student will pick up your old computer. Contact John Nelson by e-mail (nelson@english.umass.edu) or by calling 5-3560.

Want to start an exercise program?

The Department of Exercise Science is conducting a short-term exercise training study. Non-smoking women between the ages of 18-45 who do not exercise regularly, but want to start, may qualify to participate in the study.

Participants will receive a bone density scan, body fat analysis, blood-sugar profile, fitness assessment, a week of monitored exercise training, and a customized long-term exercise program. Financial compensation of up to $75.

For information, contact Francesca by e-mail (flb@student.umass.edu).

Final exam requirements

Departments should submit final examination requirements for spring 2002 to the Academic Scheduling Office by Friday, Feb. 1.