Untitled Document

Monday, February 26, 2007

NOTE ON FORMATTING: When stories are transferred from the Web, certain punctuation marks and other marks in this report don't carry over and result in symbols and other formatting errors. To see or print the story in full without these translation errors, simply click on "full story" at the end of each item."

Total Clips: 13

	Date	Outlet
Fuel from plants may be state bonanza	02/26/2007	Birmingham News
More than a clenched first: Discussion about black power, politics, culture	02/26/2007	The Daily Eastern News
The digital divide	02/25/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Sleep disruption more harmful to Black, low-income kids	02/25/2007	Michigan Citizen, The
Hunger summit a feast of ideas	02/25/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
League of Women Voters to discuss immigration issues	02/25/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Lobbyist deal passed through many hands: Lawmaker says AU retiree's hiring skirted state review	02/25/2007	Huntsville Times
Students prepare for battle in War on Hunger	02/24/2007	Daily O'Collegian, Oklahoma State University
HRI grants $350,000 to industry research projects	02/24/2007	Landscape Management
Shelby addresses residents	02/24/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
AU building new apartments for athletes, other students	02/23/2007	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
The next generation	02/23/2007	Birmingham Business Chronicle
Auburn prof dicusses alternative fuels with President Bush	02/23/2007	Birmingham News


Fuel from plants may be state bonanza 02/26/2007 Birmingham News Mary Orndorff, Washington correspondent		Return to Top
WASHINGTON - The woody twigs on the floor of Alabama's forests, its empty fields of switchgrass and the waste from its chicken farms look increasingly like valuable raw materials in the nation's hunt for fuel made from something other than oil. And now President Bush wants to accelerate that search with new subsidies for biofuel research using the grasses and stalks and wood chips that are readily available and easy to grow in Alabama's soil and climate. "We can produce biomass as well if not better than anybody down in Alabama," said David Bransby, an Auburn University professor who is regularly consulted by the White House on alternative fuel technologies. Bush's proposed new farm policy, a long-range view of agriculture and alternative energy, includes about $1.6 billion for work on cellulosic ethanol made from plant material. It represents a major shift beyond the traditional subsidies of corn-based ethanol. "Our emphasis in terms of renewable fuels in this farm bill is not on corn," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said last week in a speech. "We believe there will always be a corn-based ethanol program ... But our emphasis, our $1.6 billion in research and development that we're proposing in the farm bill, would actually go to cellulosic ethanol." Criticized as too little: The dollar amount has been criticized as too low, especially after it is spread over a decade. And Congress will get the final say on exactly how much money is eventually allocated, but the overall emphasis on cellulose was applauded in Alabama. "Corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel have done a good job of opening the door and creating public acceptance for biofuels, but they are not going to completely solve our energy security needs," said Steven Taylor, a biosystems engineering professor at Auburn University. The White House apparently agrees. Noting that only 2 percent of the USDA's research budget is devoted to bioenergy, Johanns' proposal says the development of cellulosic ethanol - which currently has zero production in the U.S. - is necessary to meet the president's goal of reducing domestic consumption of foreign oil. While corn is well-suited to certain parts of the country, material containing cellulose can grow just about anywhere. On Thursday, President Bush visited a plant in North Carolina to promote the work. "It's an interesting time, isn't it, when you're able to say we're on the verge of some breakthroughs that will enable a pile of wood chips to become the raw materials for fuels that'll run your car," Bush said. Three members: Alabama has three members on the House Agriculture Committee, where the farm bill proposal will be rewritten before it becomes law. They got a briefing from Johanns before he testified where he highlighted the cellulosic ethanol programs. "When he mentioned it, those of us from the Southeast, our ears perked up," said Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile. "It does represent an opportunity." Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, is among those who believe the proposed funding levels are not enough. Even after production, it needs a distribution system and a market of business owners that can buy tanks and pumps to sell it, and people with cars that can buy it. "I view this as requiring a lot of government assistance to get over the hump," Rogers said Thursday. "The government can help make the changeover, but once you've got the infrastructure to produce and distribute it, there is no reason to continue the government subsidy thereafter." Ethanol-blended gas: In 2006, ethanol-blended gasoline accounted for 46 percent of the nation's motor fuel, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. About 4.9 billion gallons of ethanol were produced last year. Rep. Terry Everett, R-Rehobeth, said supplementing corn-based ethanol with cellulosic is critical to keeping food prices low, and he expects Congress to be supportive. Corn prices have risen as demand grows for the ethanol industry, squeezing farmers who buy corn to feed livestock. "You can't have this bad effect on the poultry producers, meat producers and hog producers," Everett said. Jimmy Parnell, a Chilton County cattleman and timber producer, has long viewed the limbs and woody leftovers from a timber harvest as a valuable source of energy. "It's just really exciting to see some of that stuff we read about five years ago that were possibilities may actually be something that is about to happen," Parnell said. "Any time the president gets interested, that means the spotlight is shining on it and it's a lot more likely to happen when he talks about it than a researcher or a farmer from Alabama like myself."
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More than a clenched first: Discussion about black power, politics, culture 02/26/2007 The Daily Eastern News Tearria Ruffin, Campus Reporter		Return to Top
Kristen Hoerl, AU assistant professor, communication and journalism, is quoted in this story. In the history books, they were militants. On the TV screen, they were criminals in the streets. In Tony Chauncy's documentary, "Oh My God," they were the forgotten heroes of a lost revolution. The Black Panthers and their positive social work will be the focus during a discussion titled "The Legacy of Black Power in the Media and Culture." It will be at 6 tonight in the Arcola/Tuscola Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Black Panthers have often been associated with negative connotations. Tonight's discussion will provide a more honest perspective, said Kristen Hoerl, communication and journalism assistant professor at Auburn University. "We can see what gets left out in Hollywood," Hoerl said. She said the films that have come out of Hollywood in the past have not shown any of the positive things the Black Panthers have done. Angela Aguayo, Hoerl and Chauncy will give a different perspective of Black Panthers lived their lives. "We will try to explore what happens when black community mobilizes and how the media represents them in creative form," said Aguayo, a communications assistant professor at Eastern. Chauncy witnessed first hand the lives of Panther party members. He lived with notable members such as Afeme Shakur, the mother of Tupac Shakur, and filmmaker Julie Dash. Chauncy said the social services and activism in the group inspired him to make the film "Oh My God." "Other black people didn't know what they were doing and it caused a division between blacks and panthers," Chauncy said. Huey P. Newton and several friends formed the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in 1966 after the early death of Malcolm X and several violent urban uprisings. The group's radical beliefs and behavior caused the group to be alienated by many media outlets and they were often misunderstood. Aguayo said Chauncy's documentary disproves these notions created by media. "It provides people with a history that gives marginal credibility and legitimacy," Aguayo said. "It is prompting people to do something." Mainstream media saw the panthers as militant individuals and dangerous criminals, according to Hoerl. "The press framed the panthers to make them seem guilty," Hoerl said. The Black Panthers were more than black clothes, afros and a clenched fist. They gave aid to the struggling black communities and developed service programs such as free breakfast programs, Chauncy said. "They didn't get the credit of Martin Luther King," said Chauncy. "It took more than the Martin Luther King peace movement to get this done." Chauncy said that black people could not get certain privileges of today if it was not for the marches and polical activism. "They left a legacy of feeling strong," said Chauncy. " They gave us a feeling to feel proud." Songs like James Brown's "Say Loud. I'm Black and I'm Proud" and images of people wearing their kinky afros is what Chauncy is happy to remember from that period. Today, the younger generation sings a different tune. "We were saying we want more opportunities," said Chauncy. "(Hip Hop says) 'please understand, our backgrounds make us the way we are.' I think it is a copout." "Oh my God" provides an opportunity to have open forum of discussion. Aguayo wants minority students to bring dialogue on campus. "It is important for all students to come to understand the history of democracy through the political narratives that aren't allowed to circulate," she said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright 2007 The Daily Eastern News
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The digital divide 02/25/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Donathan Prater		Return to Top
Richard Burnett, executive director of the Office of Information Technology for AU, is a source for this story. Thousands of college students are having to face the music - for real. The recording industry has sent thousands of complaints to some of the nation's largest universities in response to music and video files being illegally downloaded over campus networks. Some of the more notable offenders are Ohio and Purdue, coming in one-two respectively, with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Tennessee and the University of South Carolina coming in just behind them. And they're not alone. The Recording Industry Association of America complained about nearly 15,000 students at 25 different universities one year, triple the amount it had the previous year. And while the issue of illegal downloading has obviously become a greater concern for the above mentioned institutions, it's one that hasn't become a rampant problem on Auburn University’s campus thanks to close monitoring and a number of technical safeguards already in place, according to Richard Burnett, executive director of the Office of Information Technology for Auburn University. "There are basically two kinds of music downloads - those where the individual has legally purchased tracks and the peer-to-peer file sharing Web sites where music and video files are sometimes illegally downloaded," Burnett said. "We only encourage students to use Web sites where they can legally purchase music." Because the computers located throughout the labs on AU's campus are designated for educational use, they are severely restricted in what can be downloaded on them, according to Burnett. But there are also measures to regulate personal computer usage in AU's dormitories as well, he said. "If you use our computer network, you fall under our guidelines," Burnett said. Auburn University is its own Internet service provider, according to Burnett, and works with its own compliance officer to monitor downloading activity at AU. "If that compliance officer notices a large amount of material being downloaded without being payed for, they would contact us and we’d take the necessary steps to contact the student(s) to get them to cease and desist illegal downloading and to delete any illegally downloaded files," Burnett said. "But we don't have a huge problem with that kind of activity at this point." At his busiest, Burnett says there have been only about three to four students a week his staff has contacted in regard to illegally downloaded material. That number has since shrunk to about once a week now. But that’s all in a day's work for Burnett as he does his part to make sure that AU remains an institute of higher learning and not a haven for illegal burning - or illegally downloaded - copyrighted material. One way AU's Office of Information Technology curtails the possibility of any computers on its campus being used to illegally download audio and video files is by limiting the bandwidth those types of files download best under. Bandwidth is a measure of frequency range typically measured in hertz. In layman's terms and as it applies to downloading a video or audio file on a computer, bandwidth is a measure of how much information you can push across a network. "Music and video files are usually relatively large files and there are restrictions on sites that offer illegal downloadable material to the point that downloading this material would be like downloading it using a dial-up Internet connection," Burnett said. "Other applications like Microsoft Excel,Word documents and other legal applications which students use for academics would still move at high speeds." And just as file downloading programs evolve, so too will the methods Burnett and his staff use to curb illegal downloading on AU's campus. "With technology it's a bit of match gamesmanship," joked Burnett. " As soon as you close one window they'e looking for a way in another."
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Sleep disruption more harmful to Black, low-income kids 02/25/2007 Michigan Citizen, The Desiree Hunter, Associated Press		Return to Top
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Black children and those from low-income families performed slightly worse on cognitive and academic tests than white children and those with higher socio-economic status when the students’ sleep was disrupted, a new Auburn University study shows. Auburn professor and lead researcher Joseph Buckhalt said the findings could have wide implications, but acknowledged that more research is needed for the information to be applied effectively. "We kind of regard this as intriguing even though it's preliminary," he said of the study, which was published in the January/February issue of Child Development journal. "It's a foundation for an exciting hypothesis for us that if you can address sleep, you can address a lot of problems." The study followed 166 average-performing students ages 8 and 9 for one week and looked at their sleep habits. The data was gathered from sleep diaries kept by the childrens’ parents, who also recorded the youngsters' reports of sleep quality and sleep-related problems such as being drowsy during the day. Researchers also used wristwatch-sized activity monitors called actigraphs to accurately pinpoint when the children woke up and fell asleep. On the day following the actigraph monitoring, the third-grade students were given standard academic achievement tests and cognitive tests measuring a range of mental functions. Buckhalt, who co-wrote the study with his wife Mona El-Sheikh and Notre Dame researcher Peggy Keller, said there was a 7-10 point difference in the scores from students with varying economic backgrounds. "Both showed detriment when sleep was lost, but the magnitude of the difference was much more pronounced for African-American and lower socio-economic status children,’" El-Sheikh said. "There were not very large differences except when sleep was poor.’" On average, the children studied were getting only 8 1/2 hours of sleep instead of the recommended 10-11 hours for their age. Black children averaged 20 minutes less sleep per school night than their white counterparts, largely due to earlier wake times, researchers found. El-Sheikh said the study could help researchers pinpoint a variable in student achievement gaps that's much easier to fix than more complicated factors associated with socio-economic status. El-Sheikh stressed the findings do not suggest any biological reasons for the differences, but rather cultural factors like multiple people sleeping in a room. "We do not know all the answers and if anything this study raises more questions than it answers," she said. "What is it about cultural practices that can have different ramifications from sleep? We're not saying these are good practices or bad practices, but maybe there are practices that have implications for better sleep."
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Hunger summit a feast of ideas 02/25/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Weaver, Amy		Return to Top
Besides being land-grant institutions, Auburn University and the University of Idaho have virtually nothing in common. At least that was the case a year ago. But times have changed, and now students at the University of Idaho are using awareness programs and fundraising efforts just like AU's as part of Universities Fighting World Hunger, a program started by AU with the United Nations World Food Programme to specifically educate college-aged students about the global fight to end world hunger. Several other universities joined the fight this weekend as first-time attendees of AU's War on Hunger Summit. This was the second year AU invited colleges and universities from across the country to get together and exchange ideas about how to motivate and spread a local and global message on a college campus. More than 20 institutions attended this year's conference. Everything the University of Idaho does was modeled after AU’s program. Their campaign is called War on Hunger and the student group championing the fight is the Committee of 19, just as with AU. Not every campus, however, can mirror another program and find success. Organizers of the summit said the gathering was intended to give students a starting point to build from for a program designed for success on each campus. University of Idaho sophomore Ashley Beck said UI made Auburn's model work in Moscow by finding students with a common passion. "They want to help, and they understand what we are fighting for," she said. "It's the same in Auburn." Georgetown University is anything but short of students willing to fight for a cause, according to junior Teddy Svoronos. But that’s also a problem. He said that's why OurMoment was started. The student group works to unify the many groups on campus to create a network to better address the global issue. Svoronos is one of its leaders. Students at Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga., didn't necessarily need to follow AU's model. They started HHOPE - Hunger and Homelessness Outreach Programs and Education - about three years ago when they noticed students from low-income families would receive free or reduced meals at school but would go without on the weekend. Victoria Dupree said Berry College students are still finding what works and what doesn't but that this is part of the struggle any college or university would face. Berry is a small college, but she said there are a lot of activities for students to participate in. Like Auburn, UI found success in one avenue - a friendly food drive competition with another in-state school, Boise State University. The Beat Bama Food Fight with the University of Alabama has been held annually for 13 years, and UI students are optimistic they could one day surpass AU in its successes. "The more competition there is, the more people we help," said UI doctoral student Esther Ngumbi. As it stands, UI is the only university in Idaho with a War on Hunger campaign, but students hope to see that change. UI does reach into the area high schools, not only to help the local hungry, but to educate future college students. Lindsey Shirley, a faculty member, said it works to educate people, especially those in the rural communities, about hunger in their own backyard. Idaho is the eighth hungriest state in the country, she said. "I never realized how hungry we were until I joined the War on Hunger," Beck said.
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League of Women Voters to discuss immigration issues 02/25/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Lindsay Field		Return to Top
The The League of Women Voters of Auburn will present its first program on immigration issues at its general meeting on Monday. The meeting will be held at the Monarch Estates meeting room, with a "Meet & Greet" at 7 p.m. followed by the program at 7:30. Committee members Janet Clark and Wendy Routhier will present an overview of the benefits and challenges of immigration. Clark will give an overview of the issue with current legal standards and problems, and Routhier will describe its economic impact with special emphasis on Lee County. Sue Ann Balch will discuss the impact the study will have on Auburn University. Those interested in joining or learning more about the League of Women Voters are encouraged to attend. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that focuses on keeping citizens informed of issues and providing voter service.
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Lobbyist deal passed through many hands: Lawmaker says AU retiree's hiring skirted state review 02/25/2007 Huntsville Times Bob Lowry		Return to Top
MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Medicaid Agency has hired a lobbyist under a complex contractual arrangement totaling $57,720 a year for the equivalent of six months' work while she collects her $59,000 annual state pension. The lobbyist, Sherry G. Fulford, retired in December after a state government career that included lobbying stints for Auburn University and Gov. Bob Riley's office. Fulford, who had not worked for Medicaid previously, was hired under a contract that starts with the state Finance Department, and goes through Auburn University at Montgomery to a Montgomery company before going back to the state. AUM and the company are being paid fees for their roles. "It's like laundering money from one agency to another," said state Rep. Neal Morrison, D-Cullman. "It's just like PAC-to-PAC transfers" that hide the source of campaign contributions. Morrison, chairman of the Legislature's Contract Review Oversight Committee, said the state Finance Department failed to bring the contract before his committee. "They didn't want the lights shined on it and they didn't want the public to know they were hiring a lobbyist." If Fulford went to work for the Medicaid agency as a regular state employee, her annual salary would be limited to only $20,000, according to Alabama Retirement Systems. The contract limits Fulford to working 1,040 hours a year, the equivalent of six months' work full-time. Carol Herrmann-Steckel, commissioner of the Medicaid agency, said she picked Fulford for the job. "When word got out on the street that Sherri was no longer employed by Auburn University, I got in contact with her," said Herrmann-Steckel. "Sherri and I go back a long ways and I know the quality of her work." But because Fulford said she didn't want to give up her retirement benefits to work directly for the agency, Herrmann-Steckel turned to Andy Hornsby, assistant director of the state Finance Department. "Carol probably could have done that (hired Fulford), and I started to say, 'Why don't you just do that,' but we already had the arrangement with AUM and the relationship," Hornsby said. The Finance Department contracts with AUM and two other universities to help it find expertise outside the merit system. Herrmann-Steckel, who was also former Gov. Guy Hunt's Medicaid commissioner, said she didn't know the details of Fulford's contract. "All I know is that it will be taken care of by Andy," she said. Jeff Emerson, Riley's chief spokesman, referred questions about the contract to Hornsby. No hiring prohibition Although Fulford is listed on the Alabama Ethics Commission's roster as a registered lobbyist for the Medicaid agency, Hornsby said state agencies "technically are not supposed to hire lobbyists." But unless a governor issues an executive order specifically banning agencies from hiring lobbyists - as former Gov. Fob James did - there is no prohibition against it, said James Sumner, executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission. Mac McArthur, executive director of the Alabama State Employees Association, said, however, Medicaid's contract takes away a state merit system job. "This stinks to high heaven," he said. "It's not only wrong - it may be illegal. Going back to the second James administration and coming forward, we've seen contract employees spread like kudzu." But McArthur questioned why a state agency needs a lobbyist anyway. "They have a governor who is going to be presenting their issues there," he said. "What are they going to do? Lobby against the governor's budget?" After the Medicaid commissioner sought his help, Hornsby said, he contacted AUM's Outreach, an extension program that provides services outside the academic area. "We contracted with AUM to find us a person to do this work you see in this contract," he said. "They found Sherri. And obviously, we knew about Sherri, too. "We have an arrangement with AUM that if we identify a need they will find a person," said Hornsby, who is former president of the Auburn Alumni Association. At AUM, the school's Outreach program outsourced the contract to a Montgomery company - Square Root Solutions Inc., which has the contract with Fulford. The Times was unable to obtain a copy of that agreement. According to Hornsby, Square Root Solutions bills AUM, which then bills the state Finance Department. Finally, Medicaid reimburses the Finance Department. Along the way, SRS and AUM collect a percentage of Fulford's pay - which starts out at Square Root at $52.50 per hour. How much she receives after the fees was not spelled out. The contract between the Finance Department and AUM calls for payments of $55.50 per hour, not to exceed $57,720 a year. John G. Veres III, chancellor of AUM, said the contract with Square Root Solutions calls for the company to bill AUM at the rate of $52.75 per hour, plus roughly 5 percent, "to cover us for processing." According to its Web site, Square Root Solutions designs, maintains and hosts Web sites. There is no indication on its site that it has any expertise in personnel matters. But Square Root President Andy Martin said in an e-mail to The Times that 11 years before he and his partner formed SRS, "we worked at a company that was focused on state and local government solutions and staffing. So basically, we brought that expertise forward to SRS. Our relationship with AUM Outreach goes back to 2000 when SRS' office was located in the Small Business Incubator." As recently as Wednesday, J.M. Veres & Associates was listed as a "partner" of Square Root Solutions on SRS' Web site. The head of J.M. Veres & Associates, Joseph Veres, is the brother of the AUM chancellor. Under its "Who We Are" link, SRS listed J.M. Veres & Associates as a partner, along with Ektron, a Web content company, and Integrated Computer Solutions, described as a provider of "military-grade" security for computer systems. Shortly after The Times' inquiry, however, SRS removed the J.M. Veres & Associates link. No recent contract In an e-mail to The Times on Thursday, Joseph Veres said his company had not had a contract with SRS "for several years." Veres' company, as listed with the Alabama secretary of state's office, says its primary business is to "obtain/manage grants." A Veres relative is on the payroll at AUM's Outreach. Daniel Veres, who is the nephew of John and Joseph Veres, is the administrative coordinator for the Center for Advanced Technologies. AUM's Outreach Web site says Daniel Veres previously worked for J.M. Veres & Associates. Katherine Jackson, interim vice chancellor for Outreach at AUM, did not return a phone call seeking more information about SRS or AUM's relationship with the company. Although he has been Fulford's longtime friend, John Veres, formerly vice chancellor for Outreach at AUM, said he did not know the Medicaid contract was for Fulford. "The best I can figure is that no one at AUM knew it was for Sherri," he said. Before she began lobbying for Auburn, Fulford was the executive director of university relations at AUM. The public portion of the Finance Department contract and the AUM contract with SRS didn't list Fulford's name, but the sixth page outlined the job description for the person that SRS was to recruit. It read: "Square Root Solutions will provide Finance with a consultant who has extensive years of experience working within State government, as well as the Governor's Office. They will provide expertise to the Finance Director in the area of governmental affairs and legislation. Square Root Solutions will monitor legislation affecting the Alabama Medicaid Agency, work with the House and Senate Members to have bills introduced and moved through the Legislature which have an impact on the Medicaid Agency and their recipients, educate Legislators on functions and services of Medicaid, and train Medicaid staff on governmental affairs." The agreement between the Finance Department and AUM, dated Dec. 21, 2006, was signed by Finance Director James Main, Finance General Counsel Richard Cater, Hornsby and John Veres. There was a separate professional services agreement between AUM Outreach and SRS to hire someone for the job. Morrison, the lawmaker, said four-year schools, including AUM, Troy University and the University of Alabama, routinely get state contracts and assign them to businesses. He said those contracts never come before his committee. "AUM is literally giving out millions of dollars to subcontractors," Morrison said. "Most of it is being subcontracted to business and industry. "The University of Alabama hired a lawyer and paid him megabucks to argue with me about why they shouldn't have to do this (bring contracts before the committee)," said Morrison. "This issue has been going on, not only in this administration, but the last two." Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, vice chairman of Morrison's committee, said he was unaware of the Medicaid contract with Fulford. "It sounds to me there's a loophole there that needs to be changed," he said. "They're circumventing the contracts committee. It sounds to me like they're trying to do backflips to keep it from the public. "If the administration is doing this as business as usual and doing it on a regular basis, this stuff needs to come before the committee." Veres said the contract with SRS is "atypical of the kind of contracts we have with state government. Most of the contracts are big pieces of work for major services that take from four to seven years." The Finance Department's arrangement with AUM is not unusual and it has similar arrangements with Alabama and Troy, Hornsby said. "We've always had contractual arrangements with universities to get various work done that's necessary to the function of state government," he said. "They can bring expertise to the table that you can't always get in the merit system." But the state Personnel Department said there is a position within the merit system - governmental relations manager - that would cover the duties of an agency lobbyist. Darby Forrester, manager of Classification and Compensation for the Personnel Department, said the job calls for the person to act as a liaison between an agency and the Legislature, review legislation that affects the agency, and make sure that agency-supported bills are introduced. Forrester said the person could work in the statehouse during a legislative session. The salary range for the job is from $49,162 to $74,950. Four state agencies, the Department of Education, the Department of Insurance, the Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Department of Transportation, each have a merit system governmental relations manager. McArthur said the Finance Department is abusing the state's merit system by hiring Fulford on a contract. McArthur said Mary Finch of the Medicaid agency had previously done "a very good job" of communicating the agency's needs to lawmakers, but Herrmann-Steckel said Finch had been promoted to chief of staff and had taken on new responsibilities. Leaving door open Although Fulford has a one-year contract, Herrmann-Steckel said she may extend it when it expires on Dec. 31. "I'm leaving that door open," she said, adding that Fulford may also do some lobbying in Washington, D.C. Fulford said she was told by Herrmann-Steckel that the Medicaid agency was restructuring its office, needed help training workers and getting "two or three pieces of very technical legislation" through the Legislature. "I don't know the mechanics of how they did it (hired her)," she said. "I didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize my retirement. I'm not working all the time, certainly not full-time." Fulford said she and her husband, William J. "Happy" Fulford, a lobbyist for the University of South Alabama, had established a limited partnership, The Edge, and she hopes in the future to work as a private consultant. "I do want to keep working, but I really don't want to work full-time," she said. "I really want to do contract consulting." Fulford worked for Riley's office "on loan" from Auburn University President Edward Richardson during the 2006 legislative session. Auburn paid Fulford's salary and benefits but was reimbursed by the governor's office, according to Emerson. Fulford was scheduled to return to her job at Auburn, but at the end of the session, Richardson terminated her employment with Auburn through a letter, according to Fulford. She said she then decided to take her state retirement.
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Students prepare for battle in War on Hunger 02/24/2007 Daily O'Collegian, Oklahoma State University Anabel Mendoza		Return to Top
Visions of starving children and dying babies are causing some OSU students to make a difference. Four students will travel to Auburn, Ala., today to learn about world hunger in an attempt to create a War on Hunger campaign at OSU. Ashley Bedford, a human development and family sciences senior; Andre Storey, a human resources sophomore; Emma Deputy, a political science graduate student; and Christy Baker, a plant science graduate student, will attend the third annual War on Hunger seminar at Auburn University. The seminar informs universities of world hunger and gives students actions that can be taken to fight against it. Students from each university that attend can take what they learn back to their schools and implement the ideas and information. Bedford said she hopes to start a chapter of War on Hunger at OSU. Faculty, staff and several organizations have expressed interest in the possible chapter. "I'm aware that college students can't give a lot of money, but there are other things that we can do, not just give money," Bedford said. “With the different areas students are educated in, we can come up with different ideas to help.” Students who are unaware of the catastrophic effects world hunger has will be able to join and help once the new chapter is set up at OSU. "I think it's great that they're going; hunger is a big concern and a lot of people would get involved," said Omar Hossain, an accounting freshman. "I didn't know that women and girls made up most of the world's hungry, but it kind of makes sense, guys can catch food and stuff. I just didn't know.” The College of Human Sciences at Auburn is hosting the seminar and there will be several speakers: Congresswoman Eva Clayton from North Carolina; James Morris, executive director of the World Food Programme; and David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World and The Alliance to End Hunger. The weekend seminar will last from today until Feb. 25. OSU paid all expenses. According to Auburn University's War on Hunger Web site, 6 million children die each year due to hunger-related causes in developing countries. Bedford attended last year's seminar in Alabama. "It was really great," Bedford said. "I learned tons of things about hunger and HIV. Hunger is mostly an issue for women and girls and it (the seminar) tries to do things to focus on that." Seven out of ten of the world’s hungry are female, according to Auburn's War on Hunger Web site. "We hope to get everybody involved," Bedford said. "Hunger, poverty and HIV are all connected. Most of the programs are designed for women and girls. If women get food, then they are more likely to give it to their children." Bonnie Gladden, who was in charge of arranging the accommodations for the students, said, "We want them to be able to brainstorm and get really good ideas from the seminar in order to formulate programs here at OSU." The all-inclusive trip required $4,400 for all four students. Ed Miller, associate dean of agriculture, requested money for the trip from the provost office and also received financial help from several OSU colleges who each donated $675. Students prepare for battle in War on Hunger Panel discussed misconceptions of minorities Greek groups 'stroll' for pride, Salvation Army
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HRI grants $350,000 to industry research projects 02/24/2007 Landscape Management		Return to Top
AU professor Charles H. Gilliam was awarded a $18,500 HRI research grant. WASHINGTON, D.C. The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) Executive Committee considered 100 applications for research funding in 2007 and granted $350,000 to 24 projects and four scholarships. The committee selected research focusing on industry priority issues resulting in problem-solving solutions and techniques. The Executive Committee continues its efforts to grow the HRI Endowment Fund, currently at $10 million. The committee reaffirmed HRIs efforts to broaden research activities through continued collaboration with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative. The committee also agreed to fund a two-year post doctoral position at the USDA-ARS/Beltsville in support of the biodegradable pot research through the USDA-ARS/HRI Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Looking to the future, HRI leaders also agree to further expand the funding base for nursery research by pursuing such appropriate external funding opportunities as competitive grants from USDA and other federal agencies. HRIs vision is to become the nursery and landscape industrys research and development (R&D) national leader. HRI grants for 2007 include CROP PRODUCTION Landscape Plant Development Center Dr. Harold Pellett $30,000 Development of New Landscape Plants for all Regions of North America Landscape Plant Development Center Dr. Harold Pellett $3,000 Developing the Landscape Potential of Native Plants North Carolina State University Dr. Anthony V. LeBude $5,000 Using Vapor Pressure Deficit to Control Intermittent Mist Application during Vegetative Propagation of Ornamental Species North Carolina State University Dr. Thomas Ranney $10,000 Breeding New Nursery Crops The Ohio State University Dr. Hannah Mathers $17,000 Evaluation of Postemergent Herbicides, Tree Guards and Fertility in Bark Cracking in Nursery Trees Washington State University-Puyallup Center Dr. Gary Chastagner $10,000 Identification of Christmas Trees with Superior Needle Retention MARKETING/CONSUMERISM Gerke & Associates Inc, MOMr. Joe Weston $19,000 Category Management for Garden Centers PEST MANAGEMENT Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Dr. Albrecht Koppenhofer $16,000 Granular Sex Pheromone Formulations for Oriental Beetle Mating Disruption The Ohio State University Drs. Pierluigi Bonello and Daniel A. Herms $25,000 Molecular Biology of Ash Resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer Pennsylvania State University Drs. Greg Hoover and James C. Sellmer $5,000 Challenging and Evaluating Hemlock Species Susceptibility to Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) and Elongate Hemlock Scale (EHS) USDA-ARS, FL Dr. Richard Mankin $10,000 Development of Acoustic Technology for Early, Rapid and Effective Detection of Asian Longhorned Beetle Larvae within Landscape Trees Tennessee State University Drs. Sam Ochieng and Jason B. Oliver $20,000 Pyrethroid Band Treatments to Certify Field Nursery Stock Against Imported Fire Ant University of California Dr. Michael Coffey $20,000 Development of New Technologies for the Detection of Phytophthora in Ornamental Nurseries Virginia Polytechnic Inst & State University and North Carolina State University Drs. Joseph C. Neal and Jeffrey F. Derr $5,000 Controlling New Weeds in Nurseries Pennsylvania State University Dr. Kelli Hoover $15,000 Short Range Pheromone of Asian Longhorned Beetle Oregon State University Drs. John Luna and James Altland $10,000 Establishing Perennial Grass Cover Crops within Tree Rows of Field Nurseries POST-PRODUCTION PRACTICES Iowa State University Drs. William R. Graves and David Grewell $14,000 Continued Development of Bioplastics for the Green Industry PRODUCTION/EFFICIENCY California Polytechnic State University Dr. Shaun F. Kelly $14,000 Development and Performance of RFID Containers for the Nursery Industry RESOURCE MANAGEMENT US National Arboretum, USDA-ARS and Tennessee State University Drs. Donna Fare and Sandra Reed $6,500 Use of Controlled-Release Aluminum Sulfate in Container Substrate for Controlling Flower Color of Bigleaf Hydrangea Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Dr. Robert D. Wright $15,000 Nutrient Management of Ground Pine Chips as a Container Substrate North Carolina State University Drs. Ted E. Bilderback and Stuart Warren $13,000 Garbage IN Substrate OUT Solving the Bark Media Shortage Auburn University Dr. Charles H. Gilliam $18,500 Evaluation of a Forestry In-Field Harvesting By-Product as an Alternative Substrate in Containerized Nursery Crop Production WATER Clemson University Dr. William Bauerle $25,000 A Systematic Approach to Solve Nursery and Landscape Water Management Colorado State University Drs. James E. Klett and Yaling Qian $16,000 Interactive Impacts of Salts and Surfactants in Recycled Wastewater on Landscape Plants SCHOLARSHIPS $2,000 Carville M. Akehurst Memorial Scholarship Fund $2,500 Timothy S. and Palmer W. 'Bill' Bigelow, Jr. Scholarships $2,000 Spring Meadow Nursery Scholarship $1,500 The Usrey Family Scholarship
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Shelby addresses residents 02/24/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Tamiko Lowery		Return to Top
Shelby mentions AU's Center for Engineering Technology in his talk in Opelika. While he does business in Washington, D.C., his home is in Alabama. "I come home to Alabama every year, to every county, to let you know I haven't forgotten about you," said U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby of Tuscaloosa as he addressed a large crowd of Lee County residents Friday at Opelika City Hall. Already well into his 21st year serving as a U.S. senator, Shelby spoke in straight-shooter fashion without a need for sweaty-palm notes. There was obvious ease in his speaking as he talked of wars past and present, of how history has a way of repeating, of costly military mistakes in Iraq, of a Medicare wish list, of luring automotive giants to Alabama, of exploiting brainpower at Auburn University for the good of the country, of troops in the trenches and forgotten POWs, of Huntsville's technology and Smiths Station’s growth, of how thankful he was for 77 percent of Lee County’s 2004 Senate vote, of how there are some 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, of a bottomless tax dollar pit, of the need for water balance between Alabama, Georgia and Florida and of the weighted responsibility teachers have in America’s classrooms. It seemed the war in Iraq weighed heavy on his mind with much of his Southern speech centered on soldiers and veterans. "There are 132,000 soldiers in Iraq and 20,000 to go," Shelby said. "We live in a troubled world, don't kid yourself about that. Nobody likes wars. This is a war we've never fought, the war on terrorism. Our administration made a lot of mistakes. I make mistakes every day. I made four to five this morning." He said soldiers in Iraq need unified support. "I would never go to vote to cut off materials and moral support for our troops," Shelby said. "Sometimes everything's not rosy. Our troops need our confidence in them." When he opened the floor for citizens to speak, he fielded questions about a costly war and how sending more troops is not the answer. "Our dream was democracy in Iraq," Shelby said. "I don't think that will happen. I wish we hadn't made the mistakes we've made in the last two to three years. I wish we'd have been gone a long time ago. In two to three years Iran will probably have nuclear weapons." He spoke of the threat of nuclear weapons coming out of North Korea, too. "It's like what President (Ronald) Reagan once said after the treaty was signed with the Soviet Union, 'I trust 'em, but we're certainly going to verify it.'" He said war is never good and that he's seen firsthand what war does to the human spirit. "I've had dinner with the wounded, the blind, at Walter Reed Hospital," said Shelby, who was born in Birmingham. "War is hell." Councilman and retired surgeon Dr. William Lazenby spoke of how one of Lee County's last POWs took a turn for the worst about a month ago. "He went to the veterans hospital in Tuskegee and was totally disappointed in the quality of care and was sent to Montgomery. I hope you're aware of how the quality of care is not in keeping with East Alabama Medical Center. He is extremely bitter. ... He's still in a Montgomery hospital now." Shelby said he was sorry to hear that and how wounded veterans deserve the best-quality health care the country can provide. As Americans age and live longer, he said the importance of quality health care becomes a necessity. "As we get older we spend more money on health care as a nation," said Shelby, who pointed out that Medicare is on the short list for financial headway. He says when it comes to tax dollars, 21 cents on the dollar goes to Social Security, 19 cents goes to National Defense and to non-defense respectively, 14 cents goes to other mandatory enrollments, 12 cents goes to Medicare and 7 cents goes to net interest. "I wish they'd run Medicare like a pension fund and keep politics out of it," Shelby said. "But we didn't set it up like that. It's where it is. We've got 50 paying in and one paying out. My sons say they want their money now!" He continued with the jokes when he spoke of the buzz surrounding Coach Nick Saban's decision to turn toward the Tide, which is Shelby's alma mater. He said you can bet his household was tuned to ESPN on Jan. 4 when Saban held his elephant-sized press conference. "But I bet nobody in Auburn was watching it," said Shelby, as he laughed aloud. On a serious note, Shelby said that Auburn University's Center for Engineering Technology, which is under construction and will bear the senator's name, would open Alabama's door to elite engineers across the country and beyond. "We've worked hard to bring in over $100 million to Auburn University," said Shelby, who pointed out that Phase I of AU's engineering center would cost over $54 million and that he was able to help secure $30 million for Phase I and $34 million for Phase II. "You can recruit the finest researchers and faculty in the nation," Shelby said. "Science, math and engineering - get the best. This will help secure our grandchildren's future. I like what our governor (Bob Riley) is doing luring people to do business in Alabama. I tell people all the time, 'Alabama's on a roll!' Our economy is booming. I've never seen it like this in my life, and you can see it here with new industry." And as he walked out of Opelika City Hall Friday, he paused in front of the Veterans Memorial Monument. "That's real nice," said Shelby before he hit the road again to his next county stop. Shelby's practice each year is to visit each of Alabama's counties for a public meeting like the one Friday. It was his 1,399th.
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AU building new apartments for athletes, other students 02/23/2007 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Associated Press		Return to Top
This AP story also appeared in the Miami Herald and the Lexington Herald-Leader. AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn athletes living on campus will be able to move into new university-owned student apartments by the fall of 2008, one of several planned athletic facility upgrades. The four-bedroom apartments will replace Roy B. Sewell Hall, built in 1962 and home to most Auburn football and men's basketball players until the NCAA outlawed athletic dorms in 1994. The apartments will be built on the site of Caroline Draughon Village, which formerly housed married students. The new facility will include a dining hall and even a convenience store. "This is what is happening on a lot of campuses," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said. "They are going to be very nice. It's very attractive, particularly for freshmen and sophomores, to be living on campus. We are very excited about it. "To come onto this campus and have a great place where student-athletes can live and walk to their classes and walk to practice and have a nice place to eat, there's nothing like it." Jacobs said 100 beds will be reserved for athletes in the new apartments, which will be within easy walking distance of practice and game facilities. "There will be more regular students living there than athletes," he said. Football coach Tommy Tuberville and basketball coach Jeff Lebo both said the plan will help Auburn's athletes and aid in recruiting. No significant changes have been made to Sewell Hall since a remodeling project in the early 1980s. "Our younger players will be there, but some of the older players are probably going to want to stay there, too," Tuberville said. "It's going to be some of the nicer facilities in the area." Added Lebo, "It's good because it will be within walking distance of everything we do. It'll be good for recruiting. I understand it's going to be really nice." The apartments are one of many changes to Auburn's facilities. The board of trustees is expected to approve construction of a nearly $100 million basketball arena at its June meeting. New facilities are already in the works for tennis, golf and swimming. Renovation of locker rooms and offices at the football complex are scheduled to begin this spring. Plus, Auburn is spending some $3 million on an 1,100-square foot HD video board at Jordan-Hare Stadium by next season, twice the size of the old one. "It's not going to be the biggest in the league, but it will be one of the best," Jacobs said.
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The next generation 02/23/2007 Birmingham Business Chronicle Ty West		Return to Top
AU's Chemical Engineering Department is mentioned in this story. With demand for engineers often outpacing supply, engineering firms are searching for innovative ways to keep top students in state Alabama Power Engineer Jameela Pickens’ company has several programs to recruit and train young engineers. View Larger ast month, more than 100 high school students spent the day at BE&K Engineering's headquarters in Birmingham learning about the range of possibilities for a career in engineering. Company leaders are hopeful that many of those students, which were among of the best and brightest in their classes, will end up at BE&K Inc. again in the future - as employees. Because of a growing demand, but tight supply, of engineers, BE&K and other engineering, construction and project management firms are looking for ways to attract and keep the top engineering talent in the state of Alabama. BE&K's Career/Scholarship Day, which it hosts annually in conjunction with Auburn University's Chemical Engineering Department, Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation and several other businesses, is part of the company's effort to make sure the top engineering students stay in Alabama. "We're not doing our job if we don't give our best students good reasons to stay in Alabama," BE&K Chairman and CEO Mike Goodrich said. In its Career/Scholarship Day program, more than 100 students from Jefferson, Shelby and Talladega counties were able to spend the day with BE&K engineers to discuss the field and participate in demonstrations. The students were also introduced to different scholarship opportunities. And while the event gives students the opportunity to get interested in the field, it also allows the sponsoring companies and organizations to get an early look at some of the top engineering talent. Students attending the event earned a minimum of 25 on the ACT or rate in the top 10 percent of their class if they had yet to take the test. BE&K's program is just one example of a program designed to get young students interested in engineering. Many local firms have programs affiliated with in-state engineering programs that allow students to work for a company while they are still in school and give them an inside track to a job. Alan Cannon, the past-president of the Engineering Council of Birmingham and an engineer at BE&K, said ECOB's scholarship program is another example of an effort to keep engineers in the state. Through the program, awards and scholarships are presented to top students at the state's engineering schools. "It's to encourage engineering (as a career)," Cannon said. "We're trying to keep these students here in the state of Alabama." Currently, Cannon said the state has a fairly strong engineering community, but with the growing trend of jobs being outsourced to other countries, he said recruiting engineers will become increasingly important. Cannon said providing scholarships and rewarding students at state engineering schools provides firms with a quality supply of talent to choose from when it comes time to hire workers. "We routinely hire fresh new graduates from the state's engineering schools," Cannon said. "We don't usually get many applicants or recruit outside of Alabama." Jeremiah Haswell, a research engineer with Southern Co. Generation's Research and Environmental Affairs Department is one of those young engineers. Haswell, a native of Ozark, Ala., initially worked as an intern for Southern Co.through the Industrial Scholars Program while he was a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "In my last year and a half of school, I was actually working 15 to 20 hours per week," Haswell said. Haswell said he thinks programs like the Industrial Scholars Program and Alabama Power's engineering training program can be used to help keep engineers in Alabama. "This state is like every other state with an aging workforce," Haswell said. "We need more young engineers to come in and learn the ropes." Carrie Kurlander, spokesperson for Alabama Power Co., said her company, as well as Southern Company, have a number of programs designed to recruit and keep the state's top engineering talent. For instance, Kurlander noted that both Alabama Power and Southern Company have co-op and internship programs in place, like the one that Haswell participated in. Also, Kurlander notes that the companies actively recruit the state schools, as well as the entire region for engineers. "We have an 18-month classroom and on the job training program that has been highly effective," Kurlander said. Kurlander said Alabama Power's generation sector has an Engineering Advisory Team that allows management to become actively involved in the recruiting process. Kurlander said the company also tries to become involved in recruiting high school students as well, to get them interested in careers in engineering. Ron Harris, president of Paul B. Krebs & Associates Inc., said his company tries to hire from the state engineering schools. "As far as keeping them in state, we try to be competitive with salaries or benefits," Harris said. Harris also noted that his company has an education program that allows employees to seek additional degrees and professional development, with the company paying for tuition. "It's important because it allows the young professionals to develop both with experience with their work and their career development," Harris said. HB Brantley, owner of Brantley Visioneering Inc., said his company created an internship program, primarily for in-state students, almost a year ago. In addition to different recruitment and education programs, Brantley said he believes there are several other factors that will affect whether or not a top engineering student wants to stay in Alabama. "The kids coming out of college are not only interested in gainful and meaningful employment, but also the quality of life," Brantley said. "I think that employers are recognizing that is a major factor in recruiting young talent "To that end, we as a community need to address those issues that would make Birmingham a more attractive place to live and work in."
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Auburn prof discusses alternative fuels with President Bush 02/23/2007 Birmingham News Mary Orndorff, Washington, D.C.		Return to Top
WASHINGTON - Auburn University professor David Bransby was among nine academic experts who met with President Bush this morning about developing alternative fuels for cars. Bush has said he wants to reduce American gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years, a goal Bransby and the others said was realistic. "I told him that his State of the Union speech last year (2006) showed everybody this is a bipartisan supported issue," Bransby said Friday after the private White House session. "Up until then it was the Democrats agreeing and Republicans were the oil people, but when he came out and said we're addicted to oil, that just made a huge difference to the private sector." Since then, private industry has dramatically increased investment in research and technology to develop fuels from sources other than petroleum. In addition to ethanol made from corn, scientists are close to making biofuels from things like switch grass, poultry litter, wood chips and other abundant agricultural resources, Bransby said. Bush is proposing increased government subsidies of the alternative fuel industry, as well, to help reduce reliance on foreign oil. "I know it's a necessary goal. It's necessary for national security purposes. It's necessary for economic security purposes. And it's necessary in order to be good stewards of the environment," Bush said after the meeting. Mary Orndorff
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