News & Events: week of April 9

CSIS Seminar April 10: The Influence of Environment in Type 1 Diabetes Susceptibility
Heidi Utt Receives Outstanding Staff Award
RSVP now: College Year-End Celebration and Awards, May 11
Nominations for outstanding students due to Dean’s Office April 13
Volunteer judges needed for upcoming MESA events
Lab safety reminder from Department of Environmental Health & Safety
Call for applications: faculty development grants

Have news you’d like to share with the college? Send it to Erica Lefeave.

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CSIS Seminar April 10: The Influence of Environment in Type 1 Diabetes Susceptibility

The Center for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems presents: Jill Norris, Professor and Chair of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health

LOCATION: CU Building, Room 490
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 beginning at 12 p.m.

PRESENTATION TOPIC: The Influence of Environment in Type 1 Diabetes Susceptibility

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Jill Norris is Professor and Chair of Epidemiology in the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH). She has been with the University of Colorado Denver since 1990. She has served as founder and director of the PhD program in Epidemiology and as President of the CSPH Faculty Council.  She teaches courses in research methods, genetic epidemiology and genetic analysis.  Dr. Norris’ primary research interests are the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes and celiac disease with a particular focus on the impact of nutrition on the immune system; the genetic epidemiology of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes; and the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis.

REMOTE LOG-IN
For those wishing to participate in the seminar via remote log-in, the directions are as follows:

1. Go to the following link: https://connect.cuonline.edu/csis_seminar_spring_2012/
2. Enter the discussion as a guest. You will not need a password.
3. If you have further questions regarding remote log-in, please contact Byron Boyle

CU Denver’s Center for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems includes the inter-disciplinary IGERT grant, and is presently a joint center created in partnership between the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the School of Public Affairs. If you are interested in joining CSIS, or would like more information about the center, please contact Dr. Anu Ramaswami.

For information or comments on CSIS seminar, contact Zeljko Spiric.

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Heidi Utt Receives Outstanding Staff Award

Congratulations to Heidi Utt, Continuing Engineering Education Program manager, on receiving the 2012 College of Engineering and Applied Science Outstanding Staff Award.

The committee received two exemplary nominations this year and while they found both candidates to have impressive records, they unanimously agreed to name Heidi as this year’s award recipient. She will receive her award at the college’s Year-End Celebration and Awards Ceremony on May 11.

Congratulations again to Heidi on this achievement.

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RSVP now: College Year-End Celebration and Awards, May 11

College of Engineering and Applied Science Year-End Celebration

Friday, May 11, 2012
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Lawrence Street Center, Second Floor Terrace Room

Join engineering students, faculty, alumni and friends as the college celebrates the end of the academic year with lunch and an awards ceremony. Awardees include outstanding students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as the winners of the spring senior design competition.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Erica Lefeave
erica.lefeave@ucdenver.edu | 303-352-3675

RSVP is required; tickets will be issued for lunch. Space is limited.

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Nominations for outstanding students due to Dean’s Office April 13

Nominations for Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Students are due to the Dean’s Office on April 13. To nominate a student, send the student’s name to Petrina Morgan. The awards will be given at the college’s Year-End celebration on May 11.

The Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Student Awards replace the college’s Outstanding Senior Award. The decision was made to change the format to make the award more inclusive to all students, regardless of when they graduate. Contact Petrina if you have additional questions.

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Volunteer judges needed for two upcoming MESA events

We are pleased to announce the Middle School MESA Day and the High School MESA Engineering & Science Jamboree Design Challenges for 2012.

MESA Day Design Challenge (Middle School Competition)
This Friday, April 13, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., University of Colorado at Denver PE Events Center
To sign up to be a judge or volunteer for MESA Day, contact Anney.

MESA Engineering & Science Jamboree (High School Competition)
Friday, April 27, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., University of Colorado at Denver PE Events Center
To sign up to be a judge or volunteer for the MESA Jamboree contact Anney.

Sign up for one or both events by Monday, April 2nd!

Each year, Colorado MESA, a program designed to encourage minority and female students to prepare themselves for pursuing college majors in mathematics, engineering and science, hosts competition events at the middle school and high school level: The MESA Day Design Challenge and the MESA Engineering & Science Jamboree Design Challenge.

The MESA Day and MESA Engineering & Science Jamboree Design Challenges are hands-on engineering competitions. Students compete in a series of mathematics, engineering and science related projects including constructing wind turbine and website design.

Judges score and evaluate teams based on their designs, presentations, or knowledge with an award ceremony following the competitions. Qualifying students will also go on to compete in the national MESA USA Design Challenge at the University of Washington in Seattle this summer.

For more information on MESA Day (April 13th): http://www.cmesa.org/projects/MESA_day.html

For more information on MESA Jamboree (April 27th): http://www.cmesa.org/projects/HSEJ.html

For this year, some things to note:

• The Wind Energy competition is the national challenge for this year. We will be needing 20 judges for this category. The winning team will go on to compete in the national MESA USA Design Challenge.
• The winner of the Video/Internet category will have their video featured on the Colorado MESA website
• Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will not have a Team Rocket Challenge this year.

Use the MESA competitions as a community outreach opportunity! This event is a great opportunity for companies to participate in community outreach. Please forward this message to your colleagues.

Questions? Contact Anney at 303-556-8547 or anney@cmesa.org

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Lab safety reminder from Department of Environmental Health & Safety

This information is intended for those people who oversee research laboratories to make you aware of two recent events that have focused national attention on laboratory safety in academia.

On October 19, 2011, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board released a report on a laboratory explosion at Texas Tech University in 2010. More information is available at http://www.csb.gov/newsroom/detail.aspx?nid=386.

On December 27, 2011, the Los Angeles District Attorney filed felony charges against a UCLA professor and the Regents of the University of California for violations of labor laws in the death of a researcher that occurred almost three years earlier. The tragic death resulted from a laboratory accident. More information is available at http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/28/local/la-me-1228-ucla-death-20111228.

Though the cases are pending, these events reiterate the expectation that universities and faculty ensure that their students and employees work in a safe environment. It is prudent that the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus make sure that we are taking appropriate steps to protect the safety of all laboratory workers. The Department of Environmental Health & Safety has been reviewing and revising the content of training, analyzing the results of laboratory audits to collect trends and metrics that are incorporated into training and safety announcements, and working closely with investigators and administration to ensure safety of all laboratory workers.

Here’s what you can do:

• Maintain a consistently strong safety culture in your laboratories. Two very visible actions are to ensure that all laboratory workers use proper personal protective equipment at all times and that floors, counters, hoods, and shelves in your laboratory are kept free of clutter.
• Ensure that all of your laboratory workers have both general laboratory safety training through EHS and that you provide additional laboratory-specific training to address potential hazards in your laboratories. Make sure that all training is well documented. Visit the EHS training webpagefor links and instructions to the following safety courses:
  • Lab Safety Training (U00050) for all new hires working in labs.
  • CU: Chemical Waste Management (U20037)
  • Blood Borne Pathogens/Exposure Control Training (U00069)
  • Radiation Safety Training
• If you are planning on hosting student interns in your laboratory, please have them register for our newly rolled out laboratory safety training program.  There are three phases to the program: (1) In-person laboratory safety training class, typically conducted at the downtown campus but is also offered at the Anschutz Medical Campus; (2) completion of on-line safety training (actual courses required to be determined either at the in-person training or based on input from assigned laboratory); (3) completion of on-the-job training during the first week of the laboratory rotation. More information is available through our partner – the Experiential Learning Center at the Downtown Campus: 303 556-6656.
• EHS has implemented a Chemical Hygiene Plan requirement.  Some labs have completed their Chemical Hygiene Plan  – Thank you. Stay tuned for additional guidance and information on how to develop your lab specific Chemical Hygiene Plan.Promptly address all unsafe conditions. Remember that EHS can provide assistance to you in identifying, assessing, and mitigating hazards.

Please review these issues with your laboratory group, and feel free to contact ethan.carter@ucdenver.edu.  303-724-0345 with any ideas for improving laboratory safety on campus.

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Call for applications: Faculty Development Grants

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 2012/2013 – Proposals due April 30, 2012

Purpose
The Faculty Development Grants have undergone changes since their inception as the Faculty Development Center has continued to seek ways to optimize the limited funds we can make available to faculty. This year the Center for Faculty Development Advisory Board has recommended that we offer grants in three categories: (A) $10,000 (two awards),  (B) $5,000 (three awards), and (C) $2,000 (ten awards).

These grants are intended to enhance the quality of teaching and/or research/creative work. Among those items to be supported in all three categories are: (1) attending workshops and conferences related to teaching and/or research/creative work, (2) employing student assistants involved in research work, (3) supporting professional development, (4) converting existing courses to newer technologies, and (5) obtaining special equipment or software.

Examples of ineligible expenses include (1) faculty release time or salary, (2) student tuition reimbursements, and (3) travel to attend a conference to present the project results. Collaborative projects are encouraged.

Eligibility
Eligible faculty members for these awards are those holding a full-time appointment at the UC Denver Downtown Campus, in any of the following categories: 1) untenured, tenure-track faculty; 2) tenured faculty; 3) instructor or senior instructor; or 4) clinical teaching track. (Non-tenure-track faculty can apply only for projects related to teaching unless their contracts include a stipulation that they engage in scholarly activity.)  A faculty member can receive only one faculty development grant every other year; faculty members who received a Faculty Development Grant in the summer of 2011 are ineligible this year. A faculty member who receives a Faculty Development Grant must submit a report of activities by December 1, 2013

Proposal Components
The 2012 Faculty Development Grant proposals should contain the sections listed below. Applications can be submitted in one category only in this competition. A review committee comprised of CFD associates and previous grant awardees will review the applications. Proposals that are incomplete or unclear to the reviewing panel will not be judged; proposals should effectively communicate project plans and goals.

• Cover page with required signatures (see below).
• Project Significance (Not to exceed two pages, single-spaced in length)
  • Describe the significance of the project in your research/creative works and/or teaching activities. Do so in language that can be understood by the reviewing panel that may or may not be from your discipline. Projects described in terms that cannot be understood by the reviewing committee will not be funded.
• Project Outcomes  (Not to exceed 1 page, single-spaced in length)
  • What are the expected final products from this funding within a year of the award? Be sure to explain how the requested funding will directly impact these products.
• Budget and Timeline(Not to exceed 1 page, single-spaced in length)
  • A timeline should provide specific milestones with realistic time given to each stage of the project.  A detailed and realistic budget must be provided.  The requested budget must be explicit; the reviewing panel will award only budget items deemed to be essential to achieving the stated outcomes of the project.
• Vita (Not to exceed 2 pages.)
  • Include an abbreviated CV highlighting the most relevant activities and accomplishments that will give the review committee important background for interpreting your proposal. Highlight any recent funding received.

Application and Review Process
Complete the application cover sheet and submit your proposal electronically to: center.facdevelopment@ucdenver.edu. Late proposals will not be considered.

Proposals are due to the Center for Faculty Development by 5 p.m. April 30, 2012.

Review Timeline
SELECT DATES
April 30, 2012             Deadline for faculty members to submit applications
May 4, 2012                Proposals sent to review committee
June 1, 2012                Results disseminated
July 1, 2012                 Funds available
June 30, 2013              Last day to spend funds
December 1, 2013       Report of activities and results due in the Center for Faculty Development

Please note: Faculty are responsible for obtaining IRB approval prior to data collection.
If you have questions, please call or send an e-mail message to: Ellen Stevens, Director, Center for Faculty Development, 303-315-3030, center.facdevelopment@ucdenver.edu.
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