Auburn University

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Good morning! Here's today's summary of news coverage of Auburn University.
NOTE: Any errors in text are due to formatting by the publication.
Total Clips: 8
Headline Date Outlet
   Supply of meningitis vaccine in high demand for students 08/24/2006 Birmingham News, The
   Auburn University again in U.S. News ranking 08/24/2006 Opelika-Auburn News
   South African Visit 08/24/2006 WTVM-TV
   Innovation: AU develops battery technology for Army, NASA 08/24/2006 Opelika-Auburn News
   Elections Administrators Certified 08/24/2006 WSTA-TV (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)
   Auburn University hosts U.S.-Africa Trade Delegation 08/24/2006 WRBL-TV
   City students exceed state average on ACT 08/24/2006 Cullman Times, The
   Giant nests perplex experts 08/23/2006 phillyBurbs.com - Philadelphia,PA,

Supply of meningitis vaccine in high demand for students
08/24/2006
Birmingham News, The
THOMAS SPENCER

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**Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, is quoted in this story.**

During this fall's back-to-school rush, demand for the vaccine that protects against meningitis is outpacing supply. Winkler Sims, director of the immunization division on the state Department of Public Health, said normally the meningitis vaccine is recommended for 11- and 12-year-olds, 15-year-olds and 18-year-olds. Because of the shortage, officials are recommending that the vaccine be delayed for the 11- and 12-year-olds and given to the other two groups. When the supply catches up with demand, the 11- and 12-year-olds will get the vaccine. Sims said he has been aware of the shortage for the past month.

The vaccine is offered in county health departments for patients who qualify for the Vaccines for Children program. Other patients get the vaccine from their physicians. Bacterial meningitis is a relatively rare but potentially life-threatening infection of the fluid around the brain and spinal cord. If caught, it can be treated with antibiotics, but unchecked it can lead to the loss of limbs, kidney function, or even brain activity. It can be spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, so vaccination is recommended on the verge of adolescence, when entering high school and again when entering college. Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, said parents and students were highly encouraged to get vaccinated before coming to school, but some were reporting they couldn't get the vaccine in certain areas of the state. For those students, Auburn is making the vaccine available as soon as it is available. Students returned to school last week. 'We have an ongoing waiting list and as soon as we get vaccine in we are administering it,' Kam said. 'There are about 20 people on the waiting list and I'm sure that will grow.' College dorm populations are considered to be particularly at risk for the disease, because the high-density living conditions increases the chances of swapping bodily fluids.

Spread of the bacteria has been linked with the uses of alcohol and cigarettes, which are sometimes shared. Samford University's director of student health services Shauna Yelton said that her school requires freshmen living in dorms to get vaccinated. She has received some calls from parents who haven't been able to find vaccine, but so far, Samford has enough on hand to meet the demand. Freshman students arrive Thursday. E-mail tspencer@bhamnews.com
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Auburn University again in U.S. News ranking
08/24/2006
Opelika-Auburn News
Amy Weaver

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U.S. News & World Report has named Auburn University to its national survey of the top 50 public universities for the 14th straight year. The annual survey, released today, ranks AU 39th among public universities nationwide, in a seven-way tie with the University of Alabama, California-Riverside, Kansas, Missouri-Columbia, Tennessee and Vermont. Last year, Auburn was 38th, the highest in the state.

AU Interim President Ed Richardson found the most significant news to be the universitys rising academic reputation and programs, including the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. We are attracting outstanding freshmen and the value-added ranking, among the regions best, shows we are providing them with meaningful academic opportunities when they arrive on campus. Auburns College of Engineering was ranked 60th nationally overall - 35th among public universities - that offer doctoral programs in engineering. Last year, the engineering college ranked 67th among all engineering programs and 40th among such programs at public universities.

Moving ahead in these rankings is central to our strategic planning as we position the college to compete for the best students to learn in an environment that joins a world-class faculty with state-of-the-art facilities that are now coming on line with the construction of the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology, said AU Engineering Dean Larry Benefield. I appreciate the support we have received from the university, our alumni and industrial partners. Our faculty has in particular made the kind of effort needed to bring us to the next level through a renewed focus on our outreach and research efforts while maintaining our core competencies in undergraduate instruction.

This is made more remarkable in the face of intense competition from competing engineering programs throughout the nation. The $108 million Shelby Center is currently being constructed along Magnolia Avenue. The first phase is expected to be done by next August. By the time the entire project is completed in about three years, Benefield anticipates the colleges ranking to be much higher.

We are going to have some incredible facilities and I think it is going to make an incredible difference in the kind of faculty and students we will be able to attract, he said. My concern is with quality and performance. When that is in place, the reputation will come in time.

Auburn has acquired significant recognition in recent years as the first school in the Southeast to offer a software engineering degree. And, it remains the only university in the country to offer a degree in wireless engineering. Benefield said the wireless program has grown from 23 students when it first started in 2002 to more than 200 currently, making it the fastest growing engineering program at Auburn. U.S. News & World Report is known for its annual college rankings.

Benefield says he watches them closely from year to year. You have to put a lot of emphasis on it because employers put a lot of emphasis on it and students deciding where to go to school put a lot of emphasis on it. Their parents do too. To establish its rankings U.S. News categorizes colleges and universities primarily by mission and, in some cases, region. The magazine then gathers data from each on up to 15 indicators of academic excellence, assigning each factor a weight that reflects the magazines judgment about how much each measure matters.

The indicators the magazine staff uses to capture academic quality fall into seven categories academic reputation among its peers, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, and (for national universities and liberal arts colleges) the graduation rate performance, or the difference between the proportion of students expected to graduate and the proportion who actually do. The newsstand book, Americas Best Colleges, which contains the U.S. News college rankings, may be ordered from www.usnews.com and will be shipped to bookstores today. aweaver@oanow.com | 737-2534
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South African Visit
08/24/2006
WTVM-TV
Elizabeth White

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Leaders from 11 South African countries visited Auburn University Wednesday.They were looking into trade opportunities with Alabama and the United States. Knowledge, being the most important commodity.

African leaders from 11 different countries sat down with Auburn University leaders to discuss possible trade ideas. Creating exchange programs between AU and South African Universities is a main goal. The hope is that Auburn University students will travel the continent, then come back to the states and dispell the false idea that Africa is dangerous for tourists.

South Africans are also learning how to start Research Parks, similar to Auburns. The park partners business and student based research to develop technology-based information and products. Dr. Royrickers Cook, Auburns vice president of university outreach, is excited about the possibilities.

"I know think they are where we are in terms of utilizing the universities to drive some of the technology being develop in their respective areas,' said Dr. Cook.

There is also talk that Alabama could provide timber to the South African region, possibly wireless networking systems and other types of technology. Wednesday's meeting, is the first of it's kind, for Auburn. Leaders say it's been a good first stepping stone.
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Innovation: AU develops battery technology for Army, NASA
08/24/2006
Opelika-Auburn News
Amy Weaver

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It looks like a tackle box, but weighs nearly 50 pounds. However, it's what's inside that matters most to Auburn University, the U.S. Army and NASA.

After 18 months, researchers at Auburn's Space Research Institute, with their partner, Radiance Technologies Inc., unveiled a new technology Wednesday that will provide the Army with a portable and reliable method of recharging AA batteries. The development will also help AU test a 5-kilowatt engine NASA would use for a lunar module.

The Army's Research Office and Central Electronics Command funded the $750,000 project to find a source of silent electrical power. While AA batteries are thrown out, other batteries are restored by connecting a charger to a running Humvee.

"Our goal was to be stealth but still be able to (use the technology to) communicate," said Mary Henrixon, project manager at Central Electronic Command.

The new technology isn't completely silent, but tremendously quieter than a Humvee's engine, said SRI Director Henry Brandhorst. But it creates portable energy to recharge AA batteries, a capability the Army does not have.

Henrixon said each soldier uses 88 AA batteries each day. A platoon on a five-day mission would dispose of about 650.

This new technology would reduce the amount of batteries soldiers use and carry, she said. The technology isn't meant to be mass produced for the entire Army, but used by specialized units only.

Eventually, it could be mass produced by a company at a low enough cost general consumers could afford, said SRI Research Fellow Ray Kirby.

The prototype has proved itself in more than 500 hours of laboratory testing and is capable of generating enough electrical power to charge six AA batteries every 15 minutes.

"This means that more than 150 AA batteries can be charged for each pound of propane fuel used," said Brandhorst. "We believe that this technology has the potential to greatly increase the efficiency of supplying American soldiers in the field with battery power."

Brandhorst said the project, which is far from over, will hopefully bring notoriety to Auburn, along with more research dollars, as well as attract students.

"What we want to do is to generate system engineers," he said of the growing field.

The next phase of the project has already begun, and is set to serve as a teaching tool. The Army wants the technology to be lighter, diesel-powered and a 160-watt system. The prototype uses propane. It will take several months for another model to be created and then it will undergo "torture tests" by the military, Brandhorst added.

"We know it works. The next step is now can you make it better," Brandhorst said.

Auburn is one of a few universities across the country working with Stirling technology. The prototype uses two free-piston Stirling engines, which eliminate vibration and noise.

"It uses heat from an external source and converts this heat to electrical power," said Brandhorst. "It has only two moving parts and because the external heat can come from a multitude of sources, this technology is a reliable basis for military and other defense-related applications."

The lessons learned from this project will help Auburn prepare for a $2.7 million deal with NASA. Kirby hopes the university will be able to begin testing a 5-kilowatt engine by next December. Brandhorst said NASA is interested in an engine for possible space power applications.
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Elections Administrators Certified
08/24/2006
WSTA-TV (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)
Alex Randall

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**The following was excerpted from a roundup of local news stories, and mentions election administration training at Auburn University.**

At the top of the News:

Our Elections Administrators are making good news. John Abramson, Natalie Thomas and Corrine Halyard-Plaskett have all been certified. They took 12 courses each over the past several years through Auburn University and now have completed the top national training. They are Certified Election Registration Administrators. This is the highest designation in Election Administration and our officials were among the first 320 people nationwide to achieve this rank.
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Auburn University hosts U.S.-Africa Trade Delegation
08/24/2006
WRBL-TV
Jaime Lakin

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**A story on the visit of the trade delegation also appeared in the Opelika-Auburn News.**

Future success isn't tied to competition; it's about partnership. That was the message Wednesday as representatives from 10 African nations visited Auburn University.

In the morning, the delegates heard from university staff about research and development initiatives, and then wrapped up the day with discussions with city leaders and university faculty."
"We're looking at marketing strategies," said Dr. Royrickers Cook, assistant Vice President of University Outreach for Auburn University. "We're looking at economic development. We're looking at entrepreneurship from the stand point of how does the university sort of drive entrepreneurship activity."

Cook says Wednesday's talks were just the first of many discussions he hopes will continue to connect AU to, not only the state, but the international community.

The visit was sponsored by the United States Department of State. Wednesday's delegates included business leaders, government officials and researchers from the nations of Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, according to a release from the university. The State Department's U.S.-Africa Trade Program is designed to provide information on the United States' business culture and explore trade possibilities between the U.S. and Africa. The program also focuses on the link between good governance and economic development in the new global economy.
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City students exceed state average on ACT
08/24/2006
Cullman Times, The
Nancy Glasscock

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**"AU was the most popular college choice among Alabama students taking the test" (ACT).**

Cullman City students rank 10 percent higher than the state average on college readiness standards based on ACT college entrance exam test scores, records show.
Records from the past five years of ACT testing for the Cullman City School System show 25 percent of students met college readiness standards for English composition, algebra, science and biology, compared to a state average of 15 percent. A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses.
"I am proud of our students," Superintendent Jan Harris said. "They consistently score above the state and national averages on all assessments including the ACT."
To meet college readiness standards, out of a possible high score of 36, students must score an 18 on English composition, a 22 on algebra, a 21 on social science and a 24 on biology. According to the ACT, the average national composite score for 2006 was 21.1.
Seventy-eight percent of Cullman City students during the past five years were college ready, while 40 percent met standards for the algebra portion of the test, 64 percent met the standards for social science and 30 met the standards for biology.
The peak number of students from the city school system who took the ACT during the past five years was 180 in 2004-05. Records show 171 students took the test in 2005-06. Act research has shown the rigor of course work rather than the number of core courses has the greatest impact on ACT performance and college readiness.
Students who take a minimum of algebra I, algebra II and Geometry typically achieve higher ACT math scores than students who take less than three years of math. In addition, students who take more advanced math courses substantially increase their ACT math score.
Cullman City students who took algebra I, algebra II, geometry, trigonometry and calculus scored an average of 23.6 on the ACT math portion, compared with 21.8 statewide. Cullman City students with less than three years of math, scored an average 18.4 on the math section of the ACT, compared with 16.6 statewide.
Students taking biology and chemistry in combination with physics typically achieve higher ACT science test scores than students taking less than three years of science courses, according to the ACT. Records show students who took general science, biology, chemistry and physics scored an average of 21.8 on the science portion of the ACT compared with 21 statewide.
Students who took less than three years of science scored 19.2 on the ACT compared with an average score of 18.4 percent statewide.
More Alabama high school students took the ACT this year than in 2005, apparently indicating a greater interest among college seniors in attending college, according to ACT reports. Alabama students scored an average overall score of 20.2, the same as the 2005 national score and below the national average of 21.1, The Associated Press reported.
The results showed Alabama students improved or stayed the same in meeting the ACT's benchmark score, which is the level at which students are considered to have a good chance of making a C or better on college-level courses. The ACT report also showed Auburn University was the most popular college choice among Alabama students taking the test, followed by the University of Alabama, UAB, Troy and South Alabama. The most popular out-of-state schools among Alabama students were Mississippi State, the University of Georgia and Florida State, according to The Associated Press.
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Giant nests perplex experts
08/23/2006
phillyBurbs.com - Philadelphia,PA,

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Don't freak out yet …

According to the Associated Press, "To the bafflement of insect experts, gigantic yellow jacket nests have started turning up in old barns, unoccupied houses, cars and underground cavities across the southern two-thirds of Alabama."

In one case, the nest was attached to two walls and under a slab, leading Auburn University entomologists to remove it in sections.

Dr. Charles Ray of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has warned people not to go near the giant nests because of the yellow jacket’s painful sting.

Yellow jackets are often confused with bees. While they can visit flowers for sugar, yellow jackets are actually carnivorous creatures – eating insects, carrion and picnic food.

OK, now you can freak out. Seriously, run for your lives …
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