Weekly Bulletin

2003 federal tax withholding changes

The Internal Revenue Service has issued new inflation-adjusted federal tax brackets and raised the personal exemption amount from $3,000 to $3,050 for 2003. This means that most employees saw a slight increase in their take-home pay in paychecks issued Jan. 3.

The amount of federal tax withheld from an employee's check is based on the number of personal exemptions or allowances claimed on the W-4 form. In 2002, one personal exemption was equal to $115.38 biweekly; the new amount for 2003 is $117.31.

The state income tax rate is 5.3 percent.

Questions about this information may be directed to call Brenda Libertine in the Payroll Office, 5-6119.

Retirement dinner for Jim Coopee

A retirement dinner in honor of Personnel administrator Jim Coopee, will be held Thursday, Feb. 20 at The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. Coopee is retiring after 35 years of service.

The cost for the dinner is $30. Contact Cheryl Daggett (5-6106) or Peggy March
(5-6129) for further information.

Joint evening exam requests

The last day for departments to submit requests to the Academic Scheduling Office for clearance of joint evening examination dates for spring semester is Friday, Jan. 31.

Nominations open for Alumni Association board

The Alumni Association Board of Directors is accepting nominations for individuals interested in running for election. The goal of the board is to elect those alumni who have demonstrated a desire to further the educational, community and cultural mission of the University and who would be willing to actively participate to achieve that objective. It is the board's intention to involve as many different alumni constituencies in the association as possible to broaden the diversity of the group and, in the process, effectively represent the alumni.
To nominate a candidate, visit the Alumni Association Web site (www.UMassAlumni.com) by Friday, Jan 31.

TIAA-CREF counseling

TIAA-CREF is offering individual financial counseling sessions to University employees on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 19-20 and Wednesday and Thursday, March 12-13, 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Treasurer's Office, 100 Venture Way, 2nd Floor, Small Library.

Appointments may be scheduled on the TIAA-CREF Web site (www.tiaacref.org/moc) or by calling Kathleen Maida at (800) 842-2004. Space is limited.

Final examination requirements

Departments should submit final examination requirements for the spring 2003 semester to the Academic Scheduling Office by Friday, Jan. 31.

Molecular Genetics and Microbiology seminar

Paul Bieniasz of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller University will speak on "Host factor: Gag interactions - helping and hindering retrovirus replication" on Friday, Jan. 31 at 12:15 p.m. in the MGM Seminar Room, S5-310 of the Medical School in Worcester.

The seminar is hosted by the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Center for AIDS Research.

'Your First Business Plan' workshop

A workshop on "Your First Business Plan" will be presented Thursday, Jan. 30, 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, 409 Main St., Am-herst. The session is sponsored by the chamber and the Western Mass. Regional Office of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC).

Focusing on business management fundamentals and business plan development, the workshop will cover financing, marketing and business plan development. It will be presented by Lyne Kendall, management counselor and financial analyst with the MSBDC and an ajunct faculty member at the Isenberg School of Management.

The registration fee is $25 and reservations are required. Call the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce at 253-0700 or the MSBDC at 737-6712.

MSBDC workshop on 'Selling Smarter'

The regional Office of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network (MSBDC) and the Springfield Enterprise Center will present a workshop "Making the Intangible Tangible ... Selling Smarter" on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Upper Double Suite, Springfield Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield.

The workshop is for entrepreneurs, small business owners, professionals and
consultants who want to learn innovative and proven tools and techniques for managing the sales process, obtaining new clients and increasing sales and customer retention.

The workshop will be presented by Tiffanie Z. Lyon, founder and principal of Lyon Sales Institute.

The registration fee is $35 and includes lunch. Reservations are required. Call MSBDC at 7370-6712.

Fraternity seeks faculty to lead seminars

Omega Delta fraternity is looking for faculty who would be interested in leading seminars at the house on Tuesday nights during spring semester.

The members are interested in any topic, but are particularly interested in the social sciences. The seminars are intended to be for the Greek community, but they'll be advertised and open to the whole University.

Located at 374 North Pleasant St., the Omega Delta house has a classroom that holds about 25 people, and there other rooms to accommodate larger groups if necessary.

Interested faculty should contact Jason Fossella at 549-0908 or by e-mail (jfossell@ student.umass.edu).

Healthy women wanted to participate in nutrition study

Researchers in the Nutrition Department are looking for healthy postmenopausal women to participate in a study on the effects of dietary flaxseed consumption on hormone levels in blood and urine.

Participants must have undergone a natural menopause, and not have taken any hormones, including estrogen replacement therapy, for the past six months; be non-smokers and have no prior medical history of cancer, diabetes or bowel disease.

Qualified individuals need to plan on participating in the study for four months. Financial compensation will be provided.

Anyone interested in being part of the study should contact research manager Sara Sabelawski at 7-4298 or by e-mail (sara@nutrition.umass.edu).

Departmental UCards now available at UCard Office

Effective at the start of the spring semester, the sale of Departmental UCards will move from Printing Services to the UCard Office on the campus side of Franklin Dining Hall.

Departments will be able to purchase Guest UCards that can only be used for making photocopies; they also may add value to their existing Guest Cards through the UCard Office.

The UCard Office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information, call 5-0197.

Fall course proposals deadline

Department course proposals and scheduling materials for the fall 2003 semester should be submitted to the Academic Scheduling Office by Friday, Jan. 31.

Men needed for diabetes study

The Energy Metabolism Laboratory is currently studying different methods of screening and diagnosing people with either pre-diabetes or Type-2 diabetes.
Men who have or who are concerned about Type-2 diabetes are needed to serve as subjects.

Participants will receive a free diabetes screening with results that may be taken to a doctor; a bone density scan and body fat analysis.

For more information, contact Carrie at 5-0331 or by e-mail (csharoff@excsci.umass.edu).

Grants available for public service projects

Faculty and professional staff are invited to submit proposals for Public Service Endowment Grants for the 2003-04 academic year.

Created to encourage outreach and public service activities at each of the UMass campuses, the grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 are available for projects that address regional needs as defined by community leaders, such as the Pioneer Valley Plan for Progress.

To be considered, applicants must identify a collaborative partner organization in Franklin, Hampshire or Hampden counties. Proposals should be submitted to the Office of Industry Liaison and Economic Development, 406A Goodell by March 14.

Forms, guidelines, and regional priorities are all online (www.umass.edu/oed/pseg.html).

For additional information, contact Michael Wright of the Office of Industry Liaison and Economic Development at 5-1334 or via e-mail (michael.wright@admin.umass.edu).

Wintersession grades due

Grades from wintersession classes should be submitted to the Continuing Education Registrar's Office by Tuesday, Jan. 28.

Community Tree Conference

The 2003 Community Tree Conference, "Preservation of New England's Vintage Trees," will be held Thursday, March 13 in Stockbridge Hall.

The one-day conference will introduce tree wardens, arborists, foresters, landscape architects and other land managers to some of the challenges and opportunities facing them in the preservation of vintage trees. Topics include financial evaluation of vintage trees; structural problems; pruning, bracing and cabling; soil amendments, mulches, and pest management options; and old growth forests.

All proceeds are used to support outreach and Extension activities in Arbori-culture and Community Forestry.

The conference is sponsored by UMass Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service's Northeast Center for Urban and Community Forestry. The co-chairs are David Bloniarz and H. Dennis P. Ryan.

The cost is $50, which includes a coffee break and parking pass. Send check payable to UMass to Tree Conference, UMass Extension, French Hall, 230 Stockbridge Rd., Amherst, MA 01003. For registration information, contact Kathleen Carroll at 5-0895 or by e-mail (kcarroll@umext.umass.edu).
For program information, contact Dennis Ryan at 5-6626 or by e-mail (hdpryan@forwild.umass.edu)

A description of the program, registration form, and directions are availabe online (www.umassgreeninfo.org).

Ecological Landscaping Winter Conference set

"Building Viable Habitats: Resources for the Ecological Landscape," the 10th annual winter conference on Ecological Landscaping will be held Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough.

This year's conference has been expanded to a two-day long series of workshops. Presented by University faculty, UMass Extension educators and green industry professionals, the workshops will provide information on lawn care, soil management, pest control, tree and shrub care, ecological design, weed management, and other topics.

The conference will be keynoted by Leslie Sauer of Andropogon Associates, who will discuss ecological landscape management, and Elaine Ingham, a national expert on the soil-food web, who will explain the complex soil system and ways to manage its health.

The conference will include an Eco-Marketplace which will feature more than 50 vendors of products and services related to ecological landscaping and conservation.

The program is co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association, UMass Extension and the New England Wild Flower Society.

Pre-registration rates are $125 for Friday only, $95 for Saturday only, or $185 for both days (Late Registration: $145, $110, $215 respectively). Discounts are available to businesses or organizations sending two or more people. The first registrant pays full price; additional registrants from the same organization pay: Friday only, $95; Saturday only, $75; both days, $165. All registrations must be received together. Discounts apply to early registration only.

Send checks payable to ELA to ELA Conference, c/o NEWFS, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham MA 01701.

For more information, contact ELA's conference coordinator, Nancy Askin, at (978) 425-0101 or Kathleen Carroll, UMass Extension, at 5-0895 or via e-mail (kcarroll@umext.umass.edu).