þÿFrom: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 2, 2008 1:48:45 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Are Diabetes and Obesity Linked to Periodontitis? UIC News Release September 2, 2008 CONTACT: Sam Hostettler, (312) 355-2522, samhos@uic.edu ARE DIABETES AND OBESITY LINKED TO PERIODONTITIS? The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a two-year federal grant to continue a study on how periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the tissues surrounding teeth, is linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity. Dr. Keiko Watanabe of the UIC College of Dentistry has found that periodontitis accelerates the onset of insulin resistance in rats fed a high-fat diet. Her new research will determine how periodontitis affects diabetic complications in the retina, aorta and pancreas. "The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically as the result of an increase in obesity caused by a high-fat diet, junk food and a sedentary lifestyle," said Watanabe, associate professor of periodontics. Although the association between obesity, type 2 diabetes and periodontitis is recognized, she said, the underlying causes remain poorly understood. Watanabe said the goal of the new study is to identify the causes by which periodontitis influences insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and organ damage, so clinicians will be able to screen prediabetic individuals at risk of developing the disease. A plan to treat periodontal inflammation will also be developed so that insulin resistance will not accelerate to diabetes. A key challenge is to determine whether the relationship between diabetes, obesity and periodontitis is causal, Watanabe said. Most of the data linking the conditions are based on epidemiologic or cross-sectional studies, she said. Watanabe uses female diabetic fatty rats in her research, a model that closely resembles humans who consume a high-fat diet and subsequently develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Human subjects, she said, cannot be used to study the direct effect of periodontitis because it is not ethical to induce the disease. "Several prospective studies using human subjects demonstrated that the treatment of periodontitis led to improvement of glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes," she said. "However, confounding factors, such as medications used to treat type 2 diabetes, body mass index, the stage and duration of diabetes, and the onset and severity of periodontitis are difficult to assess or are broadly controlled in such studies. "Thus, the causal nature between periodontitis, diabetes and obesity remains unclear." Diabetes is a disease in which the body fails to produce -- or responds poorly to -- insulin, a hormone needed to control the level of blood sugar. It is estimated that 300 million people worldwide will suffer from type 2 diabetes by the year 2025, nearly double the number of people affected in the year 2000. Most Americans diagnosed with diabetes have type 2, according to the American Diabetes Association. Watanabe's initial study was published in the July issue of the Journal of Periodontology. The study was funded by a UIC College of Dentistry Research Seed Grant. The new study, totaling $432,000, is being funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, one of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Terry Unterman, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics, and Haohua Qian, associate professor of ophthalmology, will collaborate on the project. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 2, 2008 4:11:56 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: 'Moving Wall' Vietnam Veterans Memorial Comes to Chicago UIC News Release September 2, 2008 CONTACT: Bill Burton, (312) 996-2269, burton@uic.edu 'MOVING WALL' VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL COMES TO CHICAGO The Moving Wall, the half-size replica of the Washington, D.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will be on display at the University of Illinois at Chicago Sept. 4-8. An opening ceremony Thursday at 2 p.m. will feature a color guard of the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Bagpipes and Drums of the Emerald Society of the Chicago Police Department. The Moving Wall, open day and night under the Chicago skyline at Harrison and Halsted, makes its first visit to the city in more than a decade. Planning for the Moving Wall's visit began over two years ago by the UIC Undergraduate Student Government. "It makes it real -- these are names, not just numbers," says Brett Thurman, president of USG, of the 58,228 names on the wall. "It's not so much a message as a feeling, and it brings home the loss, the sacrifice and the service." UIC has more than 700 students currently drawing veterans' benefits. In 1982, John Devitt, a former helicopter door gunner and Army veteran, visited Washington for the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This experience led him to build the "Moving Wall" with other Vietnam veteran volunteers. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas in 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the country from April through November. The Moving Wall's visit to Chicago is coordinated by UIC Undergraduate Student Government and co-sponsored by a variety of UIC departments, student groups, and external partners. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 3, 2008 1:43:09 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Former UIC Dentistry Dean Seymour H. Yale, 1920-2008 UIC News Release September 4, 2008 CONTACT: Sam Hostettler, (312) 355-2522, samhos@uic.edu FORMER UIC DENTISTRY DEAN SEYMOUR H. YALE, 1920-2008 Dr. Seymour H. Yale, former dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, died Aug. 28 at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was 87. Dr. Yale was named dean in 1961 and held that position for 22 years. He was instrumental in securing federal funds to design a new building for the UIC College of Dentistry, which opened in 1972 at 801 S. Paulina St. "Our building is one of the largest and sturdiest dental schools in the country," said the current dean, Dr. Bruce Graham. "And that is thanks to the foresight, planning and hard work of Dr. Seymour Yale." Yale received his dental degree from UIC in 1945 and opened a practice in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood. He began teaching at UIC in 1948 and was head of the department of dental radiology when he was named associate dean in 1961. He was named dean four years later. During his tenure he launched initiatives that included starting a comprehensive periodontal program. Yale retired as dean in 1987 but continued to do consulting work with the UIC School of Public Health. He also continued his private practice. He was a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He was also a member of the American Dental Association, the Illinois State Dental Society, Chicago Dental Society, American Academy of Oral Radiology, International Association for Dental Research, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was an honorary member of Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity. Yale is survived by his daughter, Patti Shapiro; son, Dr. Russell Yale; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Services have been held. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 4, 2008 1:13:10 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy Names New Director UIC News Release September 4, 2008 CONTACT: Sherri McGinnis González, (312) 996-8277, smcginn@uic.edu UIC INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY NAMES NEW DIRECTOR Robin Mermelstein, professor of psychology and clinical professor of community health sciences, has been named director of the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Health Research and Policy. Mermelstein's research has focused on tobacco use, from initiation through cessation; adolescent smoking and problem behaviors; and cancer prevention. She has served as deputy director of the institute and as director of its Center for Health Behavior Research since 1997. "Dr. Mermelstein brings enormous scientific and administrative experience to her new role as director," said Dr. Paul Brandt-Rauf, dean of the UIC School of Public Health, who oversees the institute on behalf of all deans. "She is a nationally recognized health-behavior researcher who, for the past 20 years, has received continuous grant funding from the National Institutes of Health." Mermelstein is the principal investigator on a National Cancer Institute-funded grant to examine adolescent smoking patterns. The study tracks the natural progression of smoking experimentation -- from nonsmoking to dependence -- to examine many factors that might influence teen smoking behaviors, such as emotional well-being, daily activities, interactions with family and peers, and physiological reactions. She has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on nearly 30 research projects in health psychology and health behavior change. Mermelstein said she was honored to succeed her two immediate predecessors and wants to "continue the tradition of excellence at IHRP by adding to the scientific knowledge and developing strong community-based research projects while building and enhancing collaborations with researchers across campus and disciplines." The UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy stimulates and supports a broad range of research to improve health practices and policies. Established in 1997, it consists of five interdisciplinary all-campus centers and two programs that bring together researchers from more than 40 academic disciplines to address complex health issues. The institute hosts four federally funded research training programs; partners with more than 200 community organizations, schools, health departments, and other institutions to promote health in communities; and works to address health disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Since its inception, the institute has supported more than $134 million in research funding. In November, the institute will feature a week-long series of events emphasizing health communication to communities, the media, and others involved in health promotion. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 4, 2008 4:35:41 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: 'Experience UIC Day' Welcomes All to Chicago's Largest University UIC News Release September 4, 2008 CONTACT: Bill Burton, (312) 996-2269, burton@uic.edu 'EXPERIENCE UIC DAY' WELCOMES ALL TO CHICAGO'S LARGEST UNIVERSITY Neighbors, alumni, friends, students and their families can "Experience UIC!" this Saturday by taking "classes without quizzes," enjoying entertainment and recreation options, touring campus and eating a cook-out lunch. The University of Illinois at Chicago offers a program of leading-edge discussions with UIC faculty on health, finance, green living and politics. Entertainment includes outdoor music, free dance lessons, and games and sports clinics for kids. Red Light School District, a student improv comedy group, and children's storyteller Kucha Brownlee will perform. Topics of the 10 classes include the CeaseFire violence reduction program, asthma, planning Chicago's bike routes, and health tips for women over 50. A special panel discussion of UIC political science faculty will examine international politics and conflicts in current hot-spots like the Middle East, Turkey, Israel, Latin America and Sierra Leone, where they have recently visited or conducted research. Also visiting campus and available for viewing is the "Moving Wall," a traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. "Experience UIC!" is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UIC Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St., and other campus locations. Call (312) 996-8535 or visit www.uiaa.org/chicago for more information. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 5, 2008 12:22:30 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Donation Supports Social Worker for Children with Cancer UIC News Release September 5, 2008 CONTACT: Sherri McGinnis González, (312) 996-8277, smcginn@uic.edu DONATION SUPPORTS SOCIAL WORKER FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER The National Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society will donate $50,000 to fund a pediatric oncology social worker at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. The Society recently announced gifts of more than $715,000 to Philoptochos programs and to hospitals and research programs throughout the United States. The donation to UIC is part of this disbursement and is the society's largest gift to a Chicago-area organization this year. "We are incredibly thrilled to have a dedicated social worker for our children and families struggling with cancer," said Dr. Mary Lou Schmidt, head of the division of pediatric hematology/oncology at UIC. "This gift will directly help families who are dealing with the difficulties of caring for a seriously ill child and coping with the everyday needs of their whole family." Lauren Lux, a recent part-time social work intern at the hospital, will fill the position created by the gift. "Lauren is very gifted, and we are delighted to have her as a full-time member of our team," said Schmidt. "She understands the special needs of our patients and will have a great impact on the services and support we offer patients." The division of pediatric hematology/oncology at UIC provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services to children and adolescents with cancer, leukemia, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, and other blood disorders. The donation will also assist the joint programs in pediatric oncology at UIC, Rush Children's Hospital, and Stroger Hospital of Cook County to host additional social work interns to serve pediatric oncology patients at the three institutions. Members of the National Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society executive board and of the Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos board will present a check to Schmidt at a ceremony Sept. 6 at 12:30 p.m., at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, 1740 W. Taylor St. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 9, 2008 10:25:56 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Leads Multi-Center Study to Evaluate Blood Flow and Stroke Risk UIC News Release September 9, 2008 CONTACT: Sherri McGinnis Gonzaléz, (312) 996-8277, smcginn@uic.edu UIC LEADS MULTI-CENTER STUDY TO EVALUATE BLOOD FLOW AND STROKE RISK The University of Illinois at Chicago has been awarded a five-year, $2.1 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to lead a multi-center study to assess blood flow and stroke risk. Ischemic strokes -- the type caused by clots rather than bleeds in the brain -- account for 80 percent of all strokes and represent a major source of death and disability. They are often caused by atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque inside the walls of blood vessels. Advances in endovascular techniques, such as threading a catheter to open up a blockage, or placing a stent in a vessel, provide new treatment options for patients with stroke. But these interventions carry risks, and physicians don't always know which patients are appropriate candidates for these procedures. "There's been a lot of emphasis in prior medical research on the type of stroke that affects the anterior circulation, or blood supply to the major lobes in the front of the brain," says Dr. Sepideh Amin-Hanjani, UIC assistant professor of neurological surgery and principal investigator of the study. "But there's another set of arteries that supply the back part of the brain, including the brainstem, which is a smaller, but in some ways, a much more functionally important part of the brain with a lot of important real estate," he said. Even a very small stroke in this area of the brain can have very devastating consequences, Amin-Hanjani said. Until recently, it has been difficult for researchers to measure blood flow in the vertebral arteries to the back of the brain. But they hypothesize that patients with vascular disease in these arteries have low blood flow and are at higher risk of stroke. The study will enroll 80 patients at five sites who have first-time stroke symptoms caused by 50 percent or greater blockage of the arteries leading to the back of the brain. Patients will receive standard brain imaging with MRI or CT, imaging of the blood vessels, and possible medication therapy, which might include aspirin, anti-cholesterol medication, or blood pressure lowering medication. As part of the study, patients will additionally undergo magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion and quantitative magnetic resonance angiography (QMRA) that measures blood flow using "NOVA" technology developed by UIC neurosurgeon Dr. Fady Charbel. The Noninvasive Optimal Vessel Analysis measures the volume of blood flow, direction, and provides a four-dimensional view of the shape and form of blood flow. Patients will be imaged when they are first enrolled in the study and six and 12 months later. They will be monitored monthly for any recurrent symptoms that would suggest a stroke. After following the participants for a minimum of one year, researchers will compare the blood flow of patients who had a stroke since their initial symptoms with those patients who did not have stroke. "We hypothesize that patients who have better blood flow to their brains are going to be the ones that don't have new strokes, and those that have low blood flow on their brain scans will be at higher risk of having strokes," said Amin-Hanjani. If this is demonstrated, then patients with low blood flow to their brain -- even when they first have stroke symptoms -- may be candidates for intervention such as stenting or angioplasty to increase blood flow, said Amin-Hanjani. At the same time, people who have stroke symptoms but normal blood flow could be reassured that their risk of stroke on medication therapy is low, and there may be no need for further intervention exposing them to unnecessary risk. "If we know who is at highest risk, we may be able to figure out who is going to benefit the most from interventional treatment," said Amin-Hanjani. "Given that treatment such as stenting is not entirely risk free, it would be important to know that you're treating the highest risk population and offering them a benefit, rather than treating patients who may not need it." Study patients will be enrolled at UIC, Mercy Hospital in Chicago, Columbia University in New York, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of California Los Angeles. For more information about the study, visit http://veritas.neur.uic.edu or www.clinicaltrials.gov or call (312) 355-2050. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 9, 2008 3:21:02 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Spotlights Sustainable Living with Roadshow UIC News Release September 9, 2008 CONTACT: Bill Burton, (312) 996-2269, burton@uic.edu UIC SPOTLIGHTS SUSTAINABLE LIVING WITH ROADSHOW An environmental carnival called the Sustainable Living Roadshow will visit the University of Illinois at Chicago this week. Fresh from visits to both parties' national conventions, the show's educators and entertainers will roll in to UIC on bio-fueled buses. "It's a fun way to introduce people to concepts of sustainable living -- renewable energy, [non-petroleum based] transportation, sustainable food -- with things like games and music and a green marketplace," said Cynthia Klein-Banai, UIC's interim associate chancellor for sustainability. A Green Screens Film Festival, including round-table discussions and workshops, is Wednesday and Thursday 5:30 to 8 p.m. at UIC Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. The roadshow sets up Friday and Saturday at Harrison Field, where it will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are eight main attractions: •Solar Stage. Sun-powered stage offers live music from local and national touring bands, a puppetry theater, hip-hop and poetry slams, youth spoken-word and performance, eco-fashion shows and more. •Clean Energy Showcase. A variety of alternative fuel vehicles and interactive displays demonstrate renewable energy technologies. •Eco-info Zone. A showcase of books, films, magazines, education curricula, grassroots info-zines and how-to brochures. •Workshops and speakers. Includes such local groups as Chicago Free Trade, Local First Chicago, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and Blacks in Green. •Conscious Carnival midway. Through games of chance and interactive demonstrations, visitors discover solutions to pressing environmental and social concerns. •Awakened Art Garden. Murals made with recycled materials, workshops and interactive art projects by recycle artists is on display and on sale. •Natural Health and Healing "Farmacy." Emphasis is on homegrown natural medicine and health care products. •Green Market Place. Visitors learn about socially and environmentally conscious companies and organic, safe and earth-friendly products. The Sustainable Living Roadshow's UIC appearance is sponsored by the UIC Student Centers, UIC Eco-campus (a student group) and the UIC Office of Sustainability. Among participating local nonprofits and businesses are the I-Go car sharing group, Working Bikes Co-op, the Green Heart fair trade company, Soul Vegetarian East Restaurant and Lakeside Café. UIC will follow up the roadshow with Sustainability Awareness Week Sept. 15-19. Each day activities and displays will highlight a different sustainability issue, from transportation and food, to conservation, recycling and reuse. All events are free and open to the public. For more information or to request accommodations for persons with disabilities, call (312) 355-2488. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 9, 2008 4:31:02 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Gallery 400 Exhibits Art by Progressive Rockers UIC News Release September 10, 2008 CONTACT: Anne Brooks Ranallo, (312) 355-2523, aranallo@uic.edu GALLERY 400 EXHIBITS ART BY PROGRESSIVE ROCKERS Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago will exhibit visual art by the musicians of a local progressive rock record label through Oct. 4. The exhibition, titled "Chances Are the Comets in Our Future: A Visual Introduction to Drag City," showcases album covers by Bonnie "Prince" Billy, The Red Krayola, Singer, Royal Trux, Gastr del Sol, Neil Hamburger, Silver Jews, Ghost and Weird War. The 80 pieces also include cover designs and artwork by Art and Language, David Berman, Barbara Bloom, Gene Booth, Bill Callahan, Brian Calvin, Neil Michael Hagerty, Stephen Prina, Albert Oehlen, Savage Pencil, Roman Signer and Christopher Williams. The artwork dates from Drag City's founding in 1989 to the present. "This is not a history of the label, but an introduction to many of the ways Drag City has paid particular attention to the visual impact of its releases," said Anthony Elms, gallery assistant director. "The Drag City catalog proves that a well-designed record package is a work of art, crafted with conceptual impact, visual intelligence and emotional pleasure." Gallery 400, located in the UIC Art and Design Hall, 400 S. Peoria St., is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For information, call (312) 996-6114. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 11, 2008 11:32:47 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Receives $10 Million Gift for Polish Studies UIC News Release September 11, 2008 CONTACT: Brian Flood, (312) 996-7681, bflood@uic.edu UIC RECEIVES $10 MILLION GIFT FOR POLISH STUDIES A $10 million gift to the University of Illinois at Chicago to enhance studies in Polish history, language and literature will transform the study of that country and its culture in the city with the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw. The donation, a bequest from the late Romuald Hejna, is the second-largest gift from an individual that UIC has ever received and the biggest single gift to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Hejna's bequest will create two chairs in the history of Poland and one chair in Polish language and literature. "Mr. Hejna's gift has ensured not only that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will remain on the map for Polish Studies -- so vital already in Chicago with its storied and strong connections to Poland -- but also that UIC will become a beacon for scholars who wish to research and teach in this specialization," said Dwight A. McBride, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "He has left an enduring legacy, and in doing so, has given the college a legacy to nurture in the creation of the Hejna Chairs." The Chicago-born Hejna attended the University of Illinois at Navy Pier for two years. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a member of the French Club, the Polish Club, the Russian Club and the Navy Pier Alumni Association. Hejna, a former public school history teacher, amassed his personal wealth through a variety of stock holdings. He took great pride in his dedicated study of the market and routinely attended shareholder meetings of the companies in his portfolio. He traveled often to Poland to explore his deep interest in Polish and European cultural arts. Despite leading a private life, he was active in Chicago's Polish community. He was a life member of the Polish Museum of America, which granted him the Polish Heritage Award in 2006 for his support of the museum. His other cultural memberships included the Polish Falcons of America, the Polish American Congress and the Polish Military History Society of America. Since 1995, Hejna made multiple gifts to UIC totaling nearly $500,000 for an endowed scholarship in the history of Poland to the history department as well as a chair in the history of Poland. Consistent with this lifestyle and selfless nature, Hejna requested anonymity in his support of UIC until his death in July. "Ron Hejna had tremendous compassion and warmth -- a really big heart," said Carla Knorowski, formerly of the college's advancement office, who worked closely with Hejna. "He wasn't interested in building a legacy to himself. He passionately wanted to give people the opportunity to learn about Polish history, language and literature." With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Liberal Arts and Sciences is UIC's largest college. It comprises 22 departments and programs and offers more than 60 undergraduate major fields of specialization, 40 minors, nearly 50 graduate degrees at the masters and doctoral levels and more than 1,100 courses. The college features programs in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu. [Note: Mr. Hejna's name is pronounced "HAY-nah"] - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 12, 2008 2:25:47 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: 'Seagull' Opens UIC Theatre Season UIC News Release September 12, 2008 CONTACT: Anne Brooks Ranallo, (312) 355-2523, aranallo@uic.edu 'SEAGULL' OPENS UIC THEATRE SEASON [Editor's note: Photos can be downloaded from http://newsphoto.lib.uic.edu/main.php/TheSeagull/] The University of Illinois at Chicago opens its theatre season with Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" in a new translation by director Yasen Peyankov, associate professor of theatre. Peyankov, an actor with the Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble, prepared a group of student actors for the play by taking them to a performance of "The Seagull" at the Drama School of Sofia, his alma mater in Bulgaria. For the UIC production, Peyankov retained the play's 1895 setting but updated the dialogue for an American audience. "It doesn't sound antiquated and foreign, as most British translations do," he said. "The Seagull" is set in a Russian country estate where a group of writers and actors face artistic conflicts and unrequited love. Konstantin, a frustrated avant-garde playwright, pursues Nina, an aspiring actress. Nina pursues Trigorin, a famous author paired with Konstantin's mother Arkadina, a fading star of the stage. Townspeople and estate staff members become involved, creating a series of triangles. "The Seagull" opens Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Other performances are Oct. 4, 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m.; and Oct. 5, 8 and 12 at 2:15 p.m. UIC's theatre season will continue with the Nov. 11 opening of Caryl Churchill's "Fen," a portrait of mothers and daughters who toil like serfs in the potato fields of England's Fens, taking solace in superstition, alcohol, infidelity and evangelism, with tragic results. Lanford Wilson's "Hot L Baltimore," which opens Feb. 20., explores the hopes and delusions of the American Dream through interactions among the old and young residents of a fleabag hotel. The final play, "An American Ma(u)l," is a contemporary satire by Robert O'Hara in which a newly elected war-time president proposes to jump-start the economy by re-establishing slavery. "American Ma(u)l" will open April 10. Tickets to all productions are $10-15. Call the UIC Theatre box office, (312) 996-2939. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 12, 2008 3:01:19 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Hosts 'Science Saturdays' Kick-off Sept. 20 UIC News Release September 12, 2008 CONTACT: Sherri McGinnis González, (312) 996-8277, smcginn@uic.edu UIC HOSTS 'SCIENCE SATURDAYS' KICK-OFF SEPT. 20 Advances in robotic surgery will kick off Science Chicago's "Science Saturdays" in a unique tour and discussion at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Sept. 20. Science Saturdays offer rare, behind-the-scenes tours at internationally known research facilities throughout the Chicago area. UIC surgeons Dr. Enrico Benedetti, the Warren H. Cole Chair in Surgery, and Dr. Pier Cristoforo Giulianotti, the Lloyd M. Nyhus Professor of Surgery, will discuss robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery and provide a demonstration of the surgical robotic. Visitors will view a robotic surgical procedure. Robotic-assisted surgery offers advantages over traditional surgery, such as faster recovery, less blood loss and fewer post-surgical complications. Using the da Vinci surgical system, surgeons need to make only a few tiny incisions to accommodate the laparoscope and robotic arms to precisely control the movements of the surgical instruments inside the patient. UIC surgeons perform robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery of the pancreas, lung, esophagus, colon, stomach, liver, gallbladder and kidney. A state-of-the-art training lab allows surgery residents and visiting surgeons to practice their skills with the surgical robot before performing procedures on patients. The program will take place at the UIC College of Medicine Research Building, Moss Auditorium, 909 S. Wolcott St., from 1:30-2:45 p.m. and 3-4:15 p.m. UIC will host additional Science Saturdays programs on Nov. 15 and Feb. 21. Participants must register in advance for Science Saturdays by visiting www.sciencechicago.com About UIC UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu About Science Chicago Adventure. Excitement. Exploration. As the world's largest science celebration, Science Chicago will awaken the inner scientist in all of us by allowing all to explore the wonders of our region's scientific resources. From now through next August, more than 100 of the Chicago area's leading academic, scientific, corporate and nonprofit institutions will host thousands of programs that will provide hands-on learning; spur thoughtful debate; enhance classroom learning; and build enthusiasm for the pursuit of cutting-edge science. Science Chicago will help establish the critical value of science and math education to inspire the next generation of innovation. Life's A Lab. With free, interactive public programs, Science Chicago will demonstrate that science isn't just something you learn in a classroom or lab -- it happens all around us and has real impact on our daily lives. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 17, 2008 11:56:45 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Pre-Med History Student Wins Scholarship to Study Public Health UIC News Release September 17, 2008 CONTACT: Paul Francuch, (312) 996-3457, francuch@uic.edu PRE-MED HISTORY STUDENT WINS SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDY PUBLIC HEALTH Anand Sandesara, a University of Illinois at Chicago Honors College senior majoring in history and enrolled in the university's Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions pre-med program, has been awarded an Ambassadorial Scholarship from the Rotary Foundation. Sandesara lives in Glenview, Ill. and graduated valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar from Glenbrook South High School in 2006. He will study for one year starting in early 2010 at a sub-Saharan African or Indian university, to be assigned this December. The scholarship is valued at $23,000. "The universities I selected are in major urban centers of Africa or South Asia -- areas of the world in dire need of public health practitioners," he said. Sandesara will take graduate-level courses in public health and will apply credits earned toward a master of public health degree. He also plans to earn an M.D. degree, then enter a primary care medicine practice, perhaps abroad or in an underserved area of the United States. Each of the universities Sandesara chose for his Rotary Scholarship offers fieldwork opportunities and encourages grassroots community health work. The scholarship requires him to work on a service project with a local Rotary club in the country assigned. At UIC, Sandesara pursued an eclectic liberal arts pre-med curriculum as a history major with minors in biology, French and sociology. He said the studies heightened his interest in sub-Saharan Africa health care issues. "Because of my particular interest in HIV/AIDS, I felt that I would gain the most by learning in a region that has been hardest hit by it and other diseases," he said. His interest in HIV developed from work as an undergraduate research assistant and an ongoing internship at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Sandesara is president of UIC's Alternative Spring Break program and chairs the university's Volunteer English as a Second Language program. While studying history and sociology in Cairo he helped set up an ESL program for Egyptians. This past year he worked at UIC's Institute for Juvenile Research under Geri Donenberg, associate professor of psychiatry, studying an HIV/AIDS intervention program for at-risk teenagers who have been through Cook County's juvenile justice system. He credits UIC's diversity in helping shape his world outlook. "My time at UIC has definitely prepared me well to serve as a representative of the United States because I have met so many different people from all walks of life that define so many different American experiences. UIC really is a slice of the true America." About 38,000 students have been awarded Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships since 1947. Students serve as goodwill ambassadors to their host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other local organizations. Students apply for the scholarship through their local Rotary club. Sandesara is the sixth UIC undergraduate to win the scholarship. Rotary awarded 760 Ambassadorial Scholarships for 2008-09. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 17, 2008 12:43:29 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Literacy Grant Aids Local Preschoolers UIC News Release September 16, 2008 CONTACT: Jeffron Boynés, (312) 413-8702, jboynes@uic.edu LITERACY GRANT AIDS LOCAL PRESCHOOLERS The University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Literacy received a $3.8 million federal grant to give local preschoolers a head start on literacy when they enter kindergarten. "The goal is to put preschoolers -- mainly children who are economically disadvantaged, currently are limited in their English proficiency, or have a disability related to learning -- on the right track for reading and writing in elementary school," said William Teale, professor of education and principal investigator on the project. "Achieving Preschool Language and Literacy Excellence" teams UIC with the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The literacy project will be implemented in seven preschool classrooms throughout the Lower West Side, South Lawndale, Austin and Gage Park. Under the grant, about 400 preschool children will receive research-based teaching in language and early reading and writing skills over the next three years. Classroom teachers and assistants will receive professional development in instructional and assessment strategies. "Our work should directly help many preschool children do well in literacy during the elementary-school years," Teale said. UIC is one of 31 U.S. Department of Education Early Reading First grant recipients nationwide. Jeffri Brookfield and Maureen Meehan from the Center for Literacy, housed within the College of Education, will serve as co-principal investigators. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 18, 2008 10:18:50 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: New Chemical Reaction Aids Drug Manufacture UIC News Release September 18, 2008 CONTACT: Paul Francuch, (312) 996-3457, francuch@uic.edu NEW CHEMICAL REACTION AIDS DRUG MANUFACTURE Part of almost all the top 200 brand-name drugs is a nitrogen-containing ring-shaped structure that chemists call an "N-heterocycle." Manufacturing these drugs depends on the ability to synthesize N-heterocycles, but most synthesis reactions take a long time and produce toxic waste byproducts. A University of Illinois at Chicago research group may have found a faster, cleaner, "greener" way to streamline these chemical reactions, and the National Institutes of Health has just awarded the team a five-year, $1.48 million grant to prove its effectiveness. "Hopefully it will reduce the cost of doing business," said Tom Driver, assistant professor of chemistry, whose laboratory is leading the research effort. "I can't compete with a pharmaceutical company in inventing new materials, but what I can do is invent new tools for them to use. We're interested in making the synthesis of drugs a lot easier." Driver and his coworkers have devised a chemical reaction that creates a carbon-nitrogen bond, such as in the N-heterocycle, using an azide, a chemical that powers the airbags in cars. "You need a particular type of starting point that has to be energetic, because the bonds we're trying to functionalize are quite stable," he said. Since the azide contains three nitrogen atoms, he said, after it gives up one, "the only byproduct in our reaction is nitrogen gas, which is green and non-toxic." Driver's reaction reduces the number of steps needed to synthesize the N-heterocycle molecules. He compares the process to a better way of cooking a feast. "You can do it using 15 to 20 pots and pans, which you've then got to clean up. But if you can make that feast in a way that uses just one or two pots and pans, that would be fantastic." Driver's laboratory has already published four research papers describing the reaction. "This is a brand new reaction -- no one's ever done it before," he said. "We've demonstrated that what we're proposing works. Now, basically, we want to flesh it out in more detail and invent new reactions." The NIH is also interested in using Driver's reaction to alter certain chemotherapy drugs that cancer cells have developed a way to pump out of themselves. "We want to learn how to clog the pumps and turn them off," Driver said, so that standard chemotherapy drugs remain lethal to the cancer cells. A key obstacle is that "between our blood and brain, these pumps exist as well," which helps keep the chemotherapy drugs from being too neurotoxic. Driver's team is trying to figure out how small molecules interact with the pump, which scientists at pharmaceutical companies can use in designing chemotherapeutics. "We're interested in mechanism," said Driver. "Our reaction can be employed to ease the synthesis of these quite complex small molecules. "We're not only going to be interested in the invention of new reactions, but also demonstrating its applicability in the synthesis of complex functional, important small molecules." For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 18, 2008 10:26:25 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: SATURDAY: UIC Police vs. CPD in Benefit Ballgame for Fallen Officers UIC News Release September 18, 2008 CONTACT: Bill Burton, (312) 996-2269, burton@uic.edu SATURDAY: UIC POLICE VS. CPD IN BENEFIT BALLGAME FOR FALLEN OFFICERS WHAT: Eleventh Annual Benefit Softball Game for Fallen Officers. In memory of fallen police officers and in support of their families, the University of Illinois at Chicago Police will host its 11th annual benefit softball game against the Chicago Police Department's 12th District. Despite the somber motivation for the fundraiser, the day is for "sunshine, softball, pizza and hot dogs," says Cmdr. David Peters of the UIC Police. "People talk about a North Side-vs.-South Side baseball rivalry in this city, but every year we play a fall classic right here on the Near West Side," Peters said. "We hope people will come out and show their support." Much of the UIC campus lies within the 12th District, and the UIC Police -- a separate police department with statewide jurisdiction -- works closely with 12th District officers in serving the Near West Side. WHEN: Sept. 20 - rain or shine 5 p.m. WHERE: UIC South Campus Fields 14th and Morgan streets DETAILS: This year's proceeds will benefit the family of CPD Officer Richard Francis, who was shot and killed in July while answering a disturbance on a CTA bus. Francis earned 35 commendations in 27 years on the force. A $5 donation is requested of those attending the game. There will be a raffle drawing for prizes, and food and beverages will be available. Donations can be made to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and mailed to UIC Police at 943 W. Maxwell St., Chicago, IL 60608. For more information, Contact Peters at (312) 996-0047; dpeters@uic.edu Past remembrances: 1998 Officer Michael Ceriale 1999 Officer James Camp and Officer John Knight 2000 Ceriale, Camp and Knight 2001 Officer Brian Strouse and Sgt. Alane M. Stoffregen 2002 Officer Eric Lee and Sgt. Hector Silva 2003 Officer Benjamin Perez and Sgt. Phillip J. O'Reilly 2004 Perez and O'Reilly 2005 Officer Michael P. Gordon 2006 Officer Eric Solorio 2007 Memorial Scholarship Fund For more information about the UIC Police, visit www.uic.edu/depts/police - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 18, 2008 11:37:54 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Academy Award-winner Hosts Eye and Ear Infirmary's 150th Anniversary Gala UIC News Release September 18, 2008 CONTACT: Jeanne Galatzer-Levy, (312) 996-1583, jgala@uic.edu ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER HOSTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-winning actor and a star of television's "Dancing with the Stars," will host a Sept. 23 gala celebrating the 150th anniversary of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine's department of otolaryngology. The gala will be held in the Cathedral Room of the University Club of Chicago. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. Matlin, a native of Morton Grove, Ill. who was instrumental in getting legislation passed to support closed-captioning, will also serve as honorary chairperson of the "Now Hear This!" fund, which is being founded to mark the sesquicentennial of UIC's Eye and Ear Infirmary. She is also currently serving as a national spokesperson for the American Red Cross. Her 1986 film debut in "Children of a Lesser God" earned her a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actress. The "Now Hear This!" fund will be used for advancing the quality of life and treatment options for people who experience deafness or hearing loss, said Dr. J. Regan Thomas, the Francis L. Lederer Professor and head of otolaryngology at UIC and co-chairman of the fund. It will also fund direct patient care for patients in need, he said. The Chicago Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary opened its doors in 1848 on Clark Street in Chicago. The infirmary was devoted to the prevention of blindness and deafness, to "avert the misery which must always attend them, as well as the burden, private or public, they must entail." By 1871, the State of Illinois had recognized its important work, and by a special act of the legislature its name was changed to the Illinois Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary, later shortened to Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary (EEI). The EEI has been the site of invention of groundbreaking clinical and surgical techniques, leading to important developments in head and neck surgery, facial plastic surgery, diagnosis of ear disease, and treatment of hearing loss. Intubation -- the opening of closed airways -- was introduced at the EEI in 1885 for the treatment of diphtheria. The Holinger-Brubaker endoscopic camera, developed in the mid-20th century, produced the first images of the eardrum and middle ear and the first fine images of the airway, including the larynx, esophagus and lung. The department's extraordinary contributions continue with the recent development of the Virtual Temporal Bone and the Virtual Nose, developed in tandem with the Virtual Reality in Medicine Lab (VRMedLabSM) at UIC. This year UIC otolaryngologists will perform the first auditory brain stem implant in Chicago, and they are refining new surgical techniques in the application of endoscopic skull base surgery. For more information on the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, the 150th Gala or the "Now Hear This!" fund, go to www.entgala.com or call (312) 996-1544. Media coverage of the gala is welcomed. Contact Jeanne Galatzer-Levy as above. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 18, 2008 4:06:57 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Noted Architects to Speak at UIC UIC News Release September 18, 2008 CONTACT: Anne Brooks Ranallo, (312) 355-2523, aranallo@uic.edu NOTED ARCHITECTS TO SPEAK AT UIC WHAT: The School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago invites the public to attend its annual series of lectures by prominent architects and educators. WHERE: UIC Arts and Architecture Building, Room 1100 845 W. Harrison St. WHEN: All lectures begin at 6 p.m. Sept. 22: Jose Oubrerie, professor, Knowlton School of Architecture, Ohio State University Sept. 26: Sanford Kwinter, writer and design theorist, New York Oct. 6: Preston Scott Cohen, professor and chair of architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design Oct. 27: Paul Florian, principal, Florian Architects, Chicago Nov. 3: Dawn Finley and Mark Wamble, Interloop Architecture, Houston Nov. 10: Stan Allen, dean, School of Architecture, Princeton University Nov. 24: Jan Edler and Tim Edler, directors, Realities: United, Berlin DETAILS: Admission is free. Seating is limited. For information, please visit www.arch.uic.edu/events/lectures.php - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 19, 2008 1:28:12 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC's CeaseFire Receives $400,000 for Anti-Violence Work on West Side UIC News Release September 19, 2008 CONTACT: Sherri McGinnis González, (312) 996-8277, smcginn@uic.edu UIC'S CEASEFIRE RECEIVES $400,000 FOR ANTI-VIOLENCE WORK ON WEST SIDE The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded two grants to CeaseFire to continue its violence intervention work in Chicago's West Garfield Park and West Humboldt Park neighborhoods. The grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the Department of Justice total $400,000 and will allow CeaseFire, based at the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Public Health, to keep workers on the street to intervene and mediate conflicts and to stop shootings and killings. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Chicago) expressed strong support for CeaseFire as an integral part of a comprehensive strategy to stop violence, especially shootings, in Chicago and elsewhere. "In recent months, the Chicago area has seen an alarming increase in gang-related shootings and violence. Half of all homicides in Chicago have been linked to gangs," Durbin said. "We must continue to fight gang violence through a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes gang enforcement, prevention and intervention measures. Today's grant for the CeaseFire program will help strengthen the overall effort to reduce gang violence in the region," Durbin said. "CeaseFire is an evidence-based program that really works, and we're very pleased to see that the Justice Department is responding by providing some resources to work with it," said Davis. A recent three-year evaluation of CeaseFire, commissioned by the Department of Justice, validated the CeaseFire model as an intervention that reduces shooting and killings and makes communities safer. The report, led by Wesley Skogan of Northwestern University, found the program to be "effective," with "significant" and "moderate-to-large impact," and with effects that are "immediate." The full report is available at www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/ceasefire.html. "We are extremely pleased to have the continued support of the Department of Justice to help to stop shootings and killings in Chicago," said Dr. Gary Slutkin, professor of epidemiology at UIC and executive director of the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention, which runs CeaseFire. "With this federal support, we are able to maintain the CeaseFire model on Chicago's West Side and demonstrate the effectiveness of this public health approach to reducing violence," he said. "Communities throughout Chicago and Illinois are grateful to Senator Durbin and Congressman Davis for their critical support of this effort and their commitment to making neighborhoods safer." CeaseFire is an evidence-based public health approach to reducing shootings and killings. The project uses highly trained street violence interrupters and outreach staff, public education and community mobilization to reverse the violence epidemic. For more information on CeaseFire visit www.ceasefireillinois.org. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 19, 2008 2:23:45 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Walkers Converge for 'Start!' Heart Walk UIC News Release September 18, 2008 CONTACT: Jeanne Galatzer-Levy, (312) 996-1583, jgala@uic.edu UIC WALKERS CONVERGE FOR 'START!' HEART WALK WHAT: UIC will participate in the American Heart Association's "Start!" Heart Walk on its own new route this year that takes advantage of UIC's unique campus geography. Walkers from the separated east and west sides of campus will walk a mile towards each other and meet up in the middle at Arrigo Park. The UIC Walk is being held in conjunction with the larger AHA "Start!" Heart Walk on the lakefront at Grant Park and is UIC's way of thanking the AHA for contributing more than $21 million to its cardiovascular research programs since 1970. WHO: Students, faculty and staff from colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Education on the the east side of campus will walk west to meet walkers from the health sciences colleges and the medical center on the west. All will meet in Arrigo Park for a program that will include speakers and a free, healthy lunch. WHEN: Sept. 26 walk begins at noon WHERE: -West side walkers gather at 1740 W. Taylor St. -East side walkers gather at 601 S. Morgan St. -Arrigo Park destination is 1349 W. Lexington St. DETAILS: "The Cardiology Section is pleased to be involved with the AHA in this endeavor," says Dr. Samuel Dudley, Jr., professor of medicine at UIC and chief of cardiology at the medical center. "The AHA has been a good friend to UIC and a steadfast advocate for heart disease prevention and cures." - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 22, 2008 11:44:18 AM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Launches IllinoisResource.net for Nonprofits UIC News Release September 22, 2008 CONTACT: Anne Brooks Ranallo, (312) 355-2523, aranallo@uic.edu UIC LAUNCHES ILLINOISRESOURCE.NET FOR NONPROFITS The University of Illinois at Chicago has launched a new website, IllinoisResource.net, to help Illinois community organizations and local governments obtain federal funding for their projects. The site will offer: A virtual proposal building studio, where nonprofit partners can share information and consult with technical assistants who know the federal grant process News of opportunities for funding, networking and partnerships for nonprofits and governments Online tutorials and workshops on topics such as cost-sharing, managing a federal grant budget, and navigating the Grants.gov website Registration for community workshops, online courses, customized group training sessions and state and regional conferences Regularly updated information on federal grant trends, demographics and the federal grant process Subscription to the IllinoisResource.net e-newsletter "What has been lacking in other projects offering similar support is the ongoing training and technical assistance," said David Perry, director of UIC's Great Cities Institute. The new Web site is part of the Neighborhoods Initiative, a program of the Great Cities Institute. The Web site's content will be continuously updated in response to the needs of the participating groups. "With what we learn from our outreach, we can be nimble and flexible with the assistance that we provide," said Nacho Gonzalez, assistant director of the Neighborhoods Initiative. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 22, 2008 12:24:54 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Ocean Floor Geysers Warm Flowing Sea Water UIC News Release September 22, 2008 CONTACT: Paul Francuch, (312) 996-3457, francuch@uic.edu OCEAN FLOOR GEYSERS WARM FLOWING SEA WATER With about 71 percent of the Earth's surface being ocean, much remains unknown about what is under the sea, its geology, and the life it supports. A new finding reported by American, Canadian and German earth scientists suggests a rather unremarkable area off the Costa Rican Pacific coast holds clues to better understand sea floor ecosystems. Carol Stein, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a member of the research team that has studied the region, located between 50 and 150 miles offshore and covering an area the size of Connecticut. The sea floor, some two miles below, is marked by a collection of about 10 widely separated outcrops or mounts, rising from sediment covering crust made of extinct volcanic rock some 20-25 million years old. Stein and her colleagues found that seawater on this cold ocean floor is flowing through cracks and crevices faster and in greater quantity than what is typically found at mid-ocean ridges formed by rising lava. Water temperatures, while not as hot as by the ridge lava outcrops, are surprisingly warm as well. Finding so much movement in a bland area of the ocean was surprising. "It's like finding Old Faithful in Illinois," said Stein. "When we went out to try to get a feel for how much heat was coming from the ocean floor and how much sea water might be moving through it, we found that there was much more heat than we expected at the outcrops." The water gushing from sea floor protrusions warms as it moves through the insulated volcanic rock and picks up heat. "It's relatively warm and may have some of the nutrients needed to support some of the life forms we see on the sea floor," said Stein. Her best guess as to why the water flows so rapidly is that it accelerates off nearby sea mounts and follows a well-connected network of cracks beneath the sea floor. The earth scientists dropped probes from ships down to the pitch-dark ocean floor to collect temperature and heat-flow data to form images of what is happening in this area of the ocean, with water flowing down into rock, heating up and remixing below the floor sediment, and then escaping above the sea floor. Only in recent decades have earth scientists discovered such life forms as bacteria, clams and tubeworm species living near the hot water discharges along the mid-ocean volcanic ridges. The rather flat undersea areas which Stein and her colleagues studied were thought to be lifeless, but the nutrient-enhanced warm water flows they discovered suggests this area too may be capable of supporting life. "The sea floor may not be quite as much of a desert even as we thought maybe 20 or 10 years ago, but rather there may be a lot of locations similar to this well-studied area in terms of the water flow where there's a lot more biological activity," she said. The earth scientists hope to do follow-up studies to add details to their findings, and see if they can find other regions comparable to the one off Costa Rica. "We're only beginning to really understand the interplay of the water flow and the nature of the ecosystem on the sea floor," said Stein. "I think as we move away from the ridge crests, understand what's going in the overall ocean, we'll have a better understanding of how life is distributed and affects the oceans and our planet." The findings were reported in a letter printed in Nature Geoscience's September 2008 issue. Other key authors of the letter include Andrew Fisher of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Robert Harris of Oregon State University. The lead author is Michael Hutnak, now with the U.S. Geological Survey. Funding for the project came from the National Science Foundation. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 23, 2008 1:28:29 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Turning Brownfields Green in a Sustainable Way UIC News Release September 23, 2008 CONTACT: Paul Francuch, (312) 996-3457, francuch@uic.edu TURNING BROWNFIELDS GREEN IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY How do you redevelop a "brownfield" in a sustainable way? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Environmental Science and Policy a five-year, $750,000 grant to identify best management practices for redeveloping sites in this manner, gauge the benefits, and get the information to the public and policymakers. Sustainability has become a popular buzzword term among people wanting to do the environmentally-responsible right thing. But like "green," "eco-friendly" and other terms, it is sometimes exploited by those marketing products of questionable environmental benefit to unsuspecting persons not exactly sure what the terms mean. Brownfield is another contemporary term, but it is precisely defined by the EPA as "real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant." "Brownfields clean-up has been a popular program for a number of years, but more and more people are asking, how can we do this in a more sustainable way?" said Susan Kaplan, who conducts outreach and research activities at the institute. "Instead of cleaning up a contaminated site that had a toxic chemical on it, and building a conventional office building, how can we redevelop that site in a way that reduces or actually prevents pollution now and into the future? It's a new, proactive kind of thinking." Institute researchers at UIC, teaming up with two outside technical advisers and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will define what it means to turn a brownfield into a new green development in a way that sustains the site as eco-friendly -- and the value of doing so. The team will analyze successful developments around the country, highlighting the sustainable components and the underlying policies and practices that enable the developments to be built. Other parts of the study will focus primarily on Midwest sites. Life-cycles of sustainable components will be analyzed, along with ways to maximize energy efficiency and all of the environmental, economic, and community health benefits of redeveloping a brownfield in a sustainable manner. "There is a variety of information available, but there's a need to bring it together," said Kaplan. The institute will administer the grant. Members of the brownfields sustainability consortium will meet twice a year while working in sub-project groups. A web site detailing best management practices will be among the first public offerings, along with an easy-to-use guidebook and eventually a workshop. In addition to Kaplan, project collaborators include institute director Thomas Theis, economist Joshua Linn and environmental and occupational health expert Serap Erdal, all with UIC; urban planning and brownfields expert Christopher De Sousa of UW-Milwaukee; economist John Braden and pathobiologist Marilyn Ruiz, both of UIUC; St. Louis-based architect Dan Hellmuth, who specializes in sustainable design; and Minneapolis-based green urban redevelopment consultant Michael Krause. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 23, 2008 1:57:16 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: New Grant to Train Scientists in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences UIC News Release September 23, 2008 CONTACT: Sam Hostettler, (312) 355-2522, samhos@uic.edu NEW GRANT TO TRAIN SCIENTISTS IN ORAL AND CRANIOFACIAL SCIENCES The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry has received a four-year, $2.2 million federal grant to train researchers in oral and craniofacial sciences. The UIC Multidisciplinary Oral Sciences Training Program will provide research training to predoctoral and postdoctoral scientists in microbiology/immunology, oral cancer, wound healing, tissue engineering and biomaterials, and clinical and translational research. Dr. Luisa DiPietro, professor and director of the Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration, will serve as the program's principal investigator. The program, funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, one of the National Institutes of Health, will consist of two components. The first is a long-term predoctoral training program that includes study in the College of Dentistry's doctoral program in oral sciences or an allied doctoral program. Highly qualified non-dentists may also obtain a doctoral degree in this program. Trainees may earn a D.D.S. degree concurrently with the doctoral degree, allowing the program to graduate scientists uniquely capable of pursuing clinical and translational research. The second program is postdoctoral training -- for scholars who have already earned a Ph.D., doctorate in oral sciences or a D.D.S.-Ph.D. dual degree -- with the goal of preparing them to be independent oral health researchers. "The program will provide a comprehensive and flexible approach to training individuals -- especially those from diverse disciplines and underrepresented minorities -- with the goal of establishing a pipeline of young scientists and clinician scientists who are expertly trained and will pursue careers in oral health research," DiPietro said. UIC was selected to receive the grant because of several unique features, DiPietro said. It is supported by an interdisciplinary and collaborative group of 27 faculty members from the UIC colleges of dentistry, engineering, pharmacy and medicine. In addition, doctoral students will be required to perform specified observational clinical training, and unlike several other programs, students do not have to decide immediately to enter the college's D.D.S.-Ph.D. program, she said. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 24, 2008 2:34:50 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: What to Do with Leftover Embryos in Fertility Clinics? UIC News Release September 24, 2008 CONTACT: Sherri McGinnis González, (312) 996-8277, smcginn@uic.edu WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER EMBRYOS IN FERTILITY CLINICS? The majority of infertility patients are in favor of using left-over embryos for stem cell research and would also support selling left-over embryos to other couples, according to a recent survey. The survey is published in two related studies in the September issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility. The researchers surveyed 1,350 women who presented for infertility at a large, university hospital-based fertility center in Illinois. The survey included 24 questions on patient demographics, obstetric and infertility history, and opinions about using extra embryos for stem cell research and selling extra embryos to other couples. Assisted reproductive technology has resulted in the creation and cryopreservation of extra embryos at fertility centers across the country. It was estimated in 2002 that 396,526 embryos were in storage at U.S. fertility clinics, according to previously published research. These embryos may be used for future pregnancy attempts, donated to other couples or agencies, given to researchers, or discarded. Because infertility patients are the gatekeepers of these leftover embryos, it is important to understand their opinions, according to Dr. Tarun Jain, University of Illinois at Chicago assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, clinical IVF director, and lead author of the study. When asked if using leftover embryos for stem cell research should be allowed, 73 percent of the 636 respondents who stated a definitive opinion answered yes. "Infertility patients, in general, are altruistic, and it makes sense that they would try to advance medicine and help others," said Jain. African Americans and Hispanics were less likely to approve of using leftover embryos for stem cell research, compared with Caucasians. Patients younger than 30, Protestant, less wealthy and single were also less likely to support using leftover embryos for stem cell research. The researchers also asked infertility patients if they would be willing to sell their extra embryos to other couples, a practice that is considered ethically unacceptable by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. There is an emerging demand from infertility patients who cannot conceive using their own oocytes, or eggs, to purchase left-over, pre-existing embryos because it is a more cost-effective option than using an egg donor, according to the authors. When asked if selling leftover embryos to other couples should be allowed, 56 percent of the 588 respondents who stated a definitive opinion answered yes. Hispanics were less likely to approve of selling extra embryos when compared with Caucasians, but all East Indian respondents approved of the practice. Women who had never been pregnant were also less likely to approve, according to the study. The authors say this is the first survey to examine the opinions of a general infertility population related to the use of leftover embryos and to analyze the results based on the patients' sociodemographic and reproductive backgrounds. "Given the potential for a significant increase in the commoditizing of spare embryos, medical societies and policy makers may need to pay close attention to this controversial area," conclude Jain and co-author Stacey Missmer from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. For more information about reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, visit www.uicivf.org For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 24, 2008 2:41:17 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: UIC Series Examines Latino Political Activism of 1968 UIC News Release September 24, 2008 CONTACT: Brian Flood, (312) 996-7681, bflood@uic.edu UIC SERIES EXAMINES LATINO POLITICAL ACTIVISM OF 1968 The University of Illinois at Chicago Latin American and Latino studies program presents a photo exhibit, panel discussions, and films that reflect the political heritage of the student movement in Mexico and Latin America, and the impact that political refugees had on the civil rights movement in U.S. Latino communities. The series, "1968 in Latin America and U.S. Latino Communities: Protest, Repression, and Exile," will examine political activism from 40 years ago, such as the Oct. 2 killing of hundreds of Mexican students protesting at Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco area of Mexico City. Admission is free. For information call (312) 996-2445. "The Dirty War in Mexico: Militants, Guerrilleros, and Disappeared Political Prisoners" Oct. 2, 5 - 7:30 p.m. (Opening event and reception) Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S. Halsted St. Photo exhibit and panel discussion. Exhibit features images found in a Mexican government archive and focuses on police repression in Mexico from 1967 to 1977. Panel discussion will include pioneering Mexican artist and political activist Felipe Ehrenberg, along with the curator and researcher of the exhibit, which will be on display Oct. 2 - 9. "1968 - The Aftermath: Latin American Political Diasporas in the United States" Oct. 3, Noon - 2 p.m. Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S. Halsted St. Drawing from their own political experiences as activists, educators, and artists in Latin America and the United States, panelists will address the political and social impact of the 1968 movements in Latin America. “The Dirty War in Mexico: Militants, Guerrilleros, and Disappeared Political Prisoners” Oct. 3, 6 - 8:30 p.m. Café Teatro Batey Urbano, 2620 W. Division St. Presentation of photo exhibit featuring images found in a Mexican government archive and focusing on police repression in Mexico from 1967 to 1977. Panel discussion will include pioneering Mexican artist and political activist Felipe Ehrenberg, along with the curator and researcher of the exhibit. "1968 – The Aftermath: Latin American Political Diasporas in the United States" Oct. 3, Noon - 2 p.m. Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S. Halsted St. Drawing from their own political experiences as activists, educators and artists in Latin America and the United States, panelists will address the political and social impact of the 1968 movements in Latin America. "1968: From Mexico City to Chicago" Oct. 6, 6 - 8 p.m. Casa Michoacan, 1638 S. Blue Island Ave. Panel discussion will analyze the impact of the 1968 movements on Mexican activism in Chicago. Films Related film presentations will take place at the UIC Latino Cultural Center, Lecture Center B2, 803 S. Morgan St. Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. Short Films by Santiago Alvarez Cuban filmmaker's short films are critical of U.S. imperialism, racism, and former President Lyndon Johnson. Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. "ROJO AMANECER" by Jorge Fons (1989, 98 minutes) Award-winning film focuses on the day of a middle-class Mexican family living near Plaza de Tlatelolco, where the 1968 student massacre took place. Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. "Tlatelolco: Las Claves de la Massacre" by Carlos Mendoza (2003, 58 minutes) Investigative film covering the events surrounding the 1968 student massacre. Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. "El Bulto" by Gabriel Retes (1992, 114 minutes) Lauro (Retes) awakens from a 20-year coma and must deal with the cultural shifts he encounters in early 1990s Mexico. - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 24, 2008 3:43:19 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month at UIC UIC News Release September 24, 2008 CONTACT: Brian Flood, (312) 996-7681, bflood@uic.edu LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER HERITAGE MONTH AT UIC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Heritage Month will be celebrated with a series of events at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This year's theme is "Queer Health Matters: Being Well. Being Queer." LGBT Heritage Month is sponsored by the Gender & Sexuality Center at UIC, formerly the UIC Office of GLBT Concerns, which provides educational resources to combat prejudice and misunderstanding about issues related to gender and sexual identity. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information and a complete list of events, visit www.glbc.uic.edu or call (312) 413-8619. Events: Wednesday, Oct. 1 Opening program and reception. "Bisexuality and the Implications of LGBTQ Labeling." Kevin Kumashiro, UIC associate professor and chair of educational policy studies. 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Room 2850, University Hall, 601 S. Morgan St. Tuesday, Oct. 7 Free Rapid HIV Testing. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. UIC Wellness Center, Room 238, Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. Friday, Oct. 10 Kellogg Rainbow Merit Scholarships Luncheon featuring presentations "AIDS Activism Before HIV" by Jennifer Brier, UIC assistant professor of gender and women's studies; and "Understanding the FDA Policy" by Rob Garofalo, deputy director, Howard Brown Health Center. 1 - 3 p.m. Cardinal Room, Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. RSVP to Liz Thomson, lthomson@uic.edu by Oct. 7. Thursday, Oct. 16 Lunch 'n Learn Event. "The Disadvantages of Illinois Healthcare Law for LGBT People." Timothy Murphy, UIC professor of philosophy in biomedical science. Noon - 1:30 p.m. Room 1171, Behavioral Sciences Building, 1007 W. Harrison St. RSVP to Liz Thomson, lthomson@uic.edu by Oct. 13. Wednesday, Oct. 22 "All Sexual Minority Women are Not Equal: Alcohol Use and Mental Health Risk Factors." Tonda Hughes, UIC professor of health systems science; and Alicia Matthews, UIC associate professor of health systems science. Noon - 1:30 p.m. Room 145, UIC College of Nursing, 845 S. Damen Ave. Tuesday, Oct. 28 "Gender Changing for the Non-Faint-of-Heart." Deirdre McCloskey, UIC distinguished professor of economics, history, English, and communication. 3 - 4:30 p.m. Private Dining Room A, University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, 1740 W. Taylor St. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 29, 2008 12:32:16 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Urban Planning Expert Named 'Emerging Leader' UIC News Release September 29, 2008 CONTACT: Anne Brooks Ranallo, (312) 355-2523, aranallo@uic.edu URBAN PLANNING EXPERT NAMED 'EMERGING LEADER' Nik Theodore, associate professor of urban planning and public affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been named by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to the inaugural class of Emerging Leaders, a two-year program designed to make the city more competitive globally. Eighteen professionals from the public, private and nonprofit sectors were selected from a pool of nominees. Theodore directs the Center for Urban Economic Development in the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. He teaches and consults on urban planning and labor markets in the United States and the United Kingdom. He earned a doctoral degree in public policy analysis at UIC. "As an expert on workforce development, the day labor market, and labor economics, Nik is clearly in the forefront in thinking about Chicago's position in the global economy as it affects not only industry, but the human condition as well," said Michael Pagano, dean of the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. Theodore's previous honors include an Atlantic Fellowship in public policy at Manchester University in England and a listing among the Crain's Chicago Business "40 Under 40" in 2003. During the first year of Emerging Leaders, Theodore will meet with other participants in a series of seminars on issues of the global economy, foreign policy, the environment and climate change, energy and migration. In the second year, they will research a pressing global challenge that affects Chicago and the Midwest. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign. From: UIC News Bureau <burton@uic.edu> Date: September 29, 2008 3:53:04 PM CDT To: jhendry@uic.edu Subject: Carbon Label Reveals Graphite Oxide Structure UIC News Release September 29, 2008 CONTACT: Paul Francuch, (312) 996-3457, francuch@uic.edu CARBON LABEL REVEALS GRAPHITE OXIDE STRUCTURE A research team including chemists at the University of Illinois at Chicago has detailed the molecular structure of graphite oxide, a layered material prepared from graphite and used as a precursor to produce advanced carbon materials. One such material, chemically-modified graphene, holds potential for advanced electronic devices and batteries. While graphite oxide has been around for about 150 years, only now do scientists understand its molecular makeup. That opens the door wider to developing products made of graphene. The structure was revealed using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. The graphite oxide was labeled with the stable isotope carbon-13, which gives a clearer view of the compound via NMR. In nature, only 1 percent of the carbon in graphite oxide is the carbon-13 isotope. The researchers sought a way to make a synthetic variety containing 100 percent image-enhancing C-13. The enhancement was suggested by Yoshitaka Ishii, associate professor of chemistry at UIC. Synthesis was performed in the laboratory of Rodney Ruoff, professor and chair of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. The NMR analysis was conducted at UIC. "Because of carbon-13's very weak NMR signals, we suggested preparing carbon-13 labeling on graphite compounds," said Ishii. "There have been many structural models of graphite oxide proposed over the past decade. Based on our multi-dimensional solid-state NMR analysis, we were able to conclude which model is most likely to be correct." Ishii said his lab will further validate the structure of graphite oxide and plans to analyze other advanced carbon materials using carbon-13 labeling. "This should be good news for scientists who've struggled to synthesize these advanced materials without knowing their molecular structures," he said. The findings were reported in the September 26 issue of the journal Science. Ruoff is the lead author. Institutions of collaborating researchers include the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, and Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology. For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu - UIC - NOTE: Please refer to the institution as the University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference and UIC on second reference. "University of Illinois" and "U. of I." are often assumed to refer to our sister campus in Urbana-Champaign.