March 31, 2003
Headlines Staff Council celebrates 30 years Transit system launces new lines Site choice deemed critical for research park Promotion & Tenure list for 2003

While you were away
Students and many faculty celebrated spring break away from campus last week, leaving behind scenes such as this row of cherry trees along South Donahue. Classes resume this week for most students.

Staff Council celebrates 30 years at AU

The AU Staff Council will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a dinner at the Dixon Conference Center on Thursday, April 3.

The 45-member organization represents 2,400 AU employees before the administration and in university committees and has helped secure improvements in staff benefits such as tuition waivers and incremental health insurance premiums.

Bourne

Outgoing Staff Council Chair Candace Bourne of Pathobiology, who leaves office Tuesday, April 1, says the council labored behind the scenes for more than two decades before rising in visibility during the late 1990s. "A lot of people worked hard to represent the staff with the administration," she said. "No one was keeping records for a lot of years, but if it had not been for the leaders back then, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Vic Walker

Vic Walker of Small Animal Surgery, who succeeds Bourne as Staff Council chair, agreed. "The Staff Council is now more credible as a governance group, and a lot of the credit for that has to go to those who have gone before us," he added.

AU established the Staff Council in 1973 to provide a forum of direct communication between employees and the administration. After three years of planning and organizing, the council held its first meeting in 1976.

In its early years, the council had a low profile on campus and kept few records of its meetings and accomplishments. That began to change in the late 1990s as Staff Council officers became more involved in university committees and in discussions with senior administrators.

Bourne said she has noticed a major change in relations between the Staff Council and the administration over the past decade. "We now have the ear of the administration," she said. "Ten years ago, we didn't have that."

Walker said the Staff Council will continue to seek improvements in staff benefits in the coming year and will work with Human Resources to update the university's wage and salary schedules.

While past efforts have focused on improving communication with the administration and faculty, the council this year will also expand communication with its own members. "A lot of people don't get involved because they don't feel that they can share in what goes on here," Walker said. "I hope that in the future every staff member feels like a full-fledged member of the university."

Bus shelters
The new shelter for Tiger Transit passengers at the Hill Dorms is the first of several planned for the campus in coming months. The shelters are part of improvements the campus transit system has initiated to increase ridership and reduce students' use of private vehicles on campus.

Tiger Transit adds seven new routes

The AU Transit System is continuing its upgrade with the addition of seven new connector routes between the university and off-campus student housing areas, effective Monday, March 31.

As with the recent changes to the three internal transit lines, transit officials say the changes are intended to reduce traffic and parking congestion by providing reliable, fast and efficient bus service.

Tiger Transit now has 21 buses operating on 10 transit lines. The three internal lines and five of the external lines connect near Haley Center. Two external lines begin and end at CDV Extension. Some external routes will also connect with the LETA transit system that serves the cities of Auburn and Opelika.

Faculty and staff may ride the internal lines and between the main campus and the veterinary campus without charge. Those wishing to ride to or from off-campus sites must purchase a bus pass from Transportation Services. The current cost is $22 per semester.

Running times for the external lines will be approximately 10-16 minutes. The internal campus routes are timed to run 6 to 8 minutes apart.

The color-coded internal routes are the Blue Line connecting parking areas and Haley Center, the Green Line connecting the west and central parts of campus and the Orange Line, which circles the central campus. These lines are joined by the Aqua Line, which serves the Ross-Harper areas; the Chocolate Line, which serves the University Loop; the Silver Line, which serves the North Donahue area; the Sky Line, which serves the South College Street area; and the Tan Line, which serves the Magnolia Extension area. Those lines connect near Haley Center.

Two other lines end at CDV Extension and require bus transfers to reach the central campus. They are the Gold Line, which serves the Wire Road area, and the Purple Line, which serves the Webster Road area.

Tiger Transit also operates a night shuttle service for students coming to or leaving the central campus between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Board of Trustees to meet Friday at conference center

The AU Board of Trustees will meet at 1 p.m. Friday, April 4, at the Dixon Conference Center.

Committee meetings starting at 8 a.m. will precede the board meeting. Also, the board's Academic Affairs Committee will participate in a workshop on that subject at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Samford 107.

For updates on AU Board and committee schedules, check the Board of Trustees home page.

Forest Service gets help from AU engineers

Biosystems engineers at Auburn are helping U.S. Forest Service personnel find a balance between recreation and environmental protection on the popular Kentuck Off-Road Vehicle Trail in the Talladega National Forest.

Concerned about erosion and its pollution of nearby streams and rivers, Kentuck trail managers have requested the assistance of AU researchers to identify ways to reduce erosion on the popular trail system and minimize the ecological impact of off-road vehicles.

Biosystems engineering experts will do that in a two-year research project funded in part by a grant from the AU Environmental Institute. The Kentuck Trail project is one of six environmentally related AU research efforts to which the Environmental Institute awarded grants this month.

Jim Baier, AU biosystems engineering assistant professor and principal investigator in the Kentuck study, said researchers first will evaluate the extent of the erosion problems on the trail. They will then search for an additive that can be incorporated into the soil to reduce erosion and limit the formation of ruts on the heavily used trails. The research team also will establish general ORV trail maintenance guidelines for managers of trails in Alabama and other Southeastern states.

Going up
The new Poultry Science building is taking shape on the south side of campus. The building in the College of Agriculture is the first academic building to be constructed south of the Hill Dorms. The $17 million building is scheduled to open next January. It will be joined soon afterward by the new home for the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

Site choice deemed critical for success

Consultants conducting a study on the feasibility of establishing a research park at AU say site selection will be critical to the success of a park if the university proceeds with the idea.

Certain factors will be essential to recommendations regarding site selection, say representatives of Sasaki Associates Inc. and Hammer-Siler-George who briefed AU's Research Advisory Council on March 14.

Those factors include suitable use of the site, proximity to campus, access, aesthetics and preservation of sensitive environmental areas, plus other characteristics.

"We are examining a number of potential sites," said Sasaki's Perry Chapman. "Some are more attractive than others, and some in our opinion are not suitable for a number of reasons."

Consultants have conducted interviews with campus groups and local government officials since the Office of the Vice President for Research began the initiative last fall. These groups are contributing to the report, which the consultants say will be completed in early May.

"We presently are working on site diagrams and developing what we call an accommodation study that focuses on the most suitable sites," Chapman said. "We will narrow our recommendation to a primary site most suited to a park, and an acceptable alternative site."

Chapman said the Sasaki team, which worked with the university to develop its master plan, is examining possible sites to determine if they will be complementary to the campus and community. He said the university's mission will also be a major consideration.

"I am very pleased with the approach this project is taking and I think it can be a very integral part of the campus," Chapman said. "It emphasizes land use as being as important to the university as its teaching, research and outreach activities."

While Sasaki focuses on site recommendations, consultants from Hammer-Siler-George are developing a report on issues associated with the business plan.

"We think this is a 10-year financial model," said Hammer-Siler-George representative Vernon George. "We are examining issues such as technology transfer targets, density, land uses, governance structures and costs. Once we have those defined, we can suggest strategies for marketing the space."

Education faculty, students join advocates of day care at festival

Faculty and students from the AU College of Education will join local parents and child care advocates in hosting "Family Day at the Park" for all area families and music patrons from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at Martin Luther King Park in Auburn.

With proceeds benefiting Auburn Day Care Centers Inc., the festival will feature music by area bands, family entertainment, concessions, costumed characters Aubie and McGruff for the children and activities for all ages. Bands include the reggae band One Drop; Brothers to Brothers, featuring old school rhythm and blues; the Uncle Roy Show, featuring country folk blues; the Low Mo'Jo Jazz Band; the ASFA Jazz Trio; Baldhead Fred Blues Review; and All-Star Blues Party.

Ethel White, director of Auburn Day Care Centers, credits Mary Rudisill, a professor in AU's Department of Health and Human Performance, as a major organizing force behind the festival.

Rudisill and student volunteers helped organize the fund-raiser through their involvement with the public child care centers. She and the students assist the Auburn Day Care staff in developing age-appropriate activities that promote learning and health in preschool children.

The AU students and Rudisill visit the day care center each Tuesday and Thursday to work with the children and assist on other days as needed.

"I try to get my students firsthand experiences, but also to realize it's a real give-and-take relationship. They've learned a lot and it really does help the morale of the teachers to have people come and show they're interested and to model good practices," Rudisill said. "It's a great day care that is committed in a big way and I really don't think this partnership could be any better than it already is."

Besides assisting in the infant, toddler and preschool motor skills development programs, graduate student Sara Wall works with the staff and children four days a week and created a gymnastics program for the 3- to 5-year-olds.

Pete Grandjean, an associate professor in Health and Human Performance, has also joined the team and helps Rudisill instruct an aerobics class for teachers and parents.

President's Day
While war flared anew in the Middle East, ROTC units at Auburn assembled on March 20 for their annual observance of President's Day, a tradition that has continued through war and peace since the late 19th century.

Speaker to discuss trends in clothing

Steven R. McCracken, president of DuPont Textiles and Interiors, will present the 17th annual Grisham-Trentham Lecture in AU's College of Human Sciences on April 10. McCracken will speak on"How to Clothe Body and Home in the 21st Century" at 11 a.m. at Dixon Conference Center.

"In his talk, Mr. McCracken will provide an overview of what it will take to inspire consumers in the 21st century and beyond in the area of apparel and textiles," said Michael Solomon, College of Human Sciences Professor of Consumer Behavior and coordinator of the Grisham-Trentham Lecture.

DuPont Textiles and Interiors, based in Delaware, is a subsidiary of DuPont and Ciba Specialty Chemicals. McCracken joined DuPont in 1975 as a field engineer in the engineering department assigned to nonwoven products in Old Hickory, Tenn.

Since then, he has worked in operations, finance, planning, marketing and business management positions for DuPont in the United States and Europe. McCracken holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

The Grisham-Trentham Lectureship was established by Gary Trentham to expose students to internationally respected fashion experts. The lectureship is named for Trentham, who taught at AU for 23 years, and the late Charles Grisham and Betty Grisham of Huntsville, who provided funding.

Promotion and tenure list for 2003

Professor
Elizabeth A. Guertal and Charles D. Monks, Agronomy and Soils; Joseph B. Hess, Poultry Science; Edward J. Sikora and Michael L. Williams, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Steven E. Taylor, Biosystems Engineering; James David Williams, Horticulture; Richard E. Britnell, Industrial Design; T. Randolph Beard, Economics; Peter A. Hastie and David Pascoe, Health and Human Performance; Susan Kidd Villaume, Curriculum and Teaching; David G. Beale, Mechanical Engineering; Victor Nelson, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Glenn R. Glover, Lisa J. Samuelson, Lawrence D. Teeter and Daowei Zhang, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; Lenda Jo Connell, Consumer Affairs; Susan Brinson, Communication and Journalism; Larry Gerber and Michael Melancon, History; Constance Relihan, English; Robert Weigel, Foreign Languages and Literature; Eric Bakker, Chemistry; Yu Lin and Francis Robicheaux, Physics; Mary K. Boudreaux and Bernhard Kaltenboeck, Pathobiology.

Associate Professor
Diane Hite, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology; Elise R. Irwin, Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures; Barbara Vestee Flournoy Wilder, Nursing; Vishnu Suppiramaniam, Pharmacal Sciences.

Associate Professor and Tenure
Micky Eubanks and Nannan Liu, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Joey N. Shaw, Agronomy and Soils; Russell A. Wright, Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures; Andrew Freear, Architecture; Peter Walter Grandjean, Health and Human Performance; James E. Witte, Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology; Daniel K. Harris, Mechanical Engineering; Marilyn A. Read, Consumer Affairs; Cate Giustino, History; Roderick Long and James Shelley, Philosophy; Greg Weaver, Sociology; Hilary Wyss, English; Ellen N. Behrend and Janet A. Welch, Clinical Sciences; Charles Breese, Pharmacal Sciences; Jonathan W. Armbruster, Biological Sciences.

Tenure
Alice Moore Buchanan, Health and Human Performance; Brenda M. Allen, Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; Philip Chaney, Geology and Geography; David Whatley Hinson, Architecture; Wayne Gary Martin, Curriculum and Teaching; Joseph P. Ansell, Art; William Dale Harrison, Communication and Journalism; Robert Judd, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology.

Assistant Clinical Professor: Angie Burque, Sociology.

Associate Clinical Professor: Emily Myers, Sociology.

At right: Oil painting, "Robert," of Bob Hagerty by Janice Koenig Ross

Pebble Hill to host tribute to late artist

The AU Center for the Arts and Humanities will host "Happy Hour: A Tribute to Bob Hagerty," a special exhibit in memory of artist Robert Hagerty, from April 5-May 2. The exhibit will open Saturday with a public reception from 4 p.m-6 p.m.

A former Auburn resident, Hagerty died in 2001 of complications from a brain tumor. His friends and colleagues organized the show, which includes some of Hagerty's work as well as many pieces inspired by him.

Hagerty held a degree in Fine Arts from AU and a master's in fine arts from the University of Cincinnati. He taught design and drawing at Tuskegee University before taking a position at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught in the commercial art program.

Terry Rodriguez, one of the organizers of the exhibit, said Hagerty's paintings often featured dense textures and the subtle use of color. He was, she noted, "very fond of architectural elements." In the last years of his life, Hagerty worked extensively in drawing, especially figure studies.

Among the works featured in the exhibit are ceramic pieces by Margaret Boozer, an independent artist in Washington, D.C.; mixed media construction by Terry Rodriguez; a portrait of the artist by Janice Ross; "Mirrored Afternoon, 2003," an oil by Natalyn Havenick Rose; and a performance piece by Lee Horvitz of Cincinnati. Other contributors to the show include Charlie Rose, Conrad Ross, Gary Wagoner and Agnes Taugner.

The exhibit will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Pebble Hill, home of the AU Center for the Arts and Humanities, is at 101 Debardeleben Street in Auburn. For information, call 844-4946.

Research award
Bruce Tatarchuk, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering, received the 2003 Creative Research Award from the Office of the Vice President for Research on March 14, during the spring meeting of the Research Advisory Council. The council established the award in 1999 to honor outstanding scholarly and creative achievements. The award recognizes Tatarchuk's research in microfibrous materials.

Task force organized for I-85 corridor economic development

AU is collaborating with government, business and educational partners across East Alabama in creating a task force to develop an economic development strategy for the Alabama I-85 corridor.

The corridor, which extends approximately 80 miles from the Georgia state line to Montgomery, encompasses four counties -- Montgomery, Macon, Lee and Chambers -- and eight municipalities.

"From an economic standpoint, East Alabama has many of the same attributes that have led to the creation of high quality, high paying jobs in other regions in the Southeast United States," said AU President William Walker, who commissioned the task force.

"Along the I-85 Corridor, there are several universities, numerous two-year colleges, outstanding medical complexes, attractive natural resources and an educated work force, to name a few," added Walker. "Working together, I envision that this corridor could become a more dominant region in driving the state of Alabama's economy.

"I cannot think of a better time for us to come together and create a regional economic development strategy -- not solely for the recruitment of industry, but for birthing and nurturing industry and innovation from within our spheres," Walker said.

Participants at a recent assembly included representatives from AU's colleges, schools and departments at Auburn and Montgomery, the mayors of Opelika and Auburn and economic development personnel from area cities and counties.

David Wilson, associate provost and vice president for AU Outreach, identified resources and goals for a task force plan that calls for high tech industry clusters of economic activity. Wilson has studied the concept of overlapping clusters or groups of interrelated industries cutting across city, county and political lines in the U.S. economy. There are 43 industrial clusters in the United States.

"This initiative represents a new type of thinking for regional economic development," said Wilson.

For instance, an industry that produces chemical products could possibly overlap with plastics, oil and gas and processed food industries.

"Most regions tend to have two or three of these industries," said Wilson. "We need to determine what clusters would be appropriate for this region."

Barbara Patton, mayor of Opelika, said she thinks this concept is a good one and she commended AU President William Walker for the university's efforts. "Auburn University is such an asset and brings so much to the table for this region, plus all the other assets we have such as health and other educational facilities."

Mayor Bill Hamm of Auburn said that the initiative is "building on the university's strengths and resources. I think it has tremendous possibilities."

The task force will be interviewing three consultants in regional economic development in the coming weeks. A consultant will help determine what types of clusters would be appropriate for economic development along I-85.

Among other charges, the chosen consultant will conduct interviews with stakeholders to determine shared values and aspirations and will conduct a study of assets and readiness for innovation.

The consultant will also profile the corridor's culture and competitive advantages, present a road map for success and challenge the task force to think creatively. The time frame for completion is approximately six to seven months, and all consultants being considered have said they will deliver a strategy that can be implemented.

The higher education infrastructure that exists along the corridor provides advantages for technology-based industries for education, employee training and opportunities for research, innovation and development. Auburn University, Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, Auburn University at Montgomery, Troy State University at Montgomery, Southern Union Community College and Trenholm State Technical College provide educational resources for the region.

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