Trustees OK residence hall upgrades, ratify 2 VP appointments

The board also ratified the appointments of two new vice presidents.

Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems Ltd. was selected from a drawing of the top 50 companies during a Wednesday (Aug. 27) night event that drew 500 people to the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.

Eugene H. Spafford, the executive director of Purdue's CERIAS (Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security), will present "Will Your Vote Be Counted? How Do You Know?" from  7-9 p.m. at the Morton Community Center, 222 N. Chauncey Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

Michael Smith, an associate professor of history and an expert on Russian history, will present "A New Cold War? America, Russia and the Georgia Crisis" at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 206. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Office of International Programs and the Department of History.

Of that amount, gifts to the university reached $201 million, exceeding the year's fundraising goal.

The free tickets for an "Evening with James Earl Jones" were available to Purdue faculty, staff and students on Thursday (Aug. 28) and were picked up on a first-come basis. The talk is part of Experience Liberal Arts, a monthlong celebration highlighting programs in the College of Liberal Arts.

On Sept. 15-18 faculty members will discuss green topics during brown bag talks each day from noon to 1 p.m. in the Deans Auditorium of Pfendler Hall. The sessions are free, and participants are invited to bring their own lunch.

"The issue of animal welfare and well-being reflects a change in the concern that society has about animals and where their food comes from," Pajor said. "And it's an issue that needs to be taken seriously because it has serious implications."

Nick Carpita and Maureen McCann will study genes involved in the formation of cell walls in the group of plants known as grasses, which includes corn. The goal is to find ways to produce more biomass containing more sugars that can be efficiently processed into biofuel.

Jiangsu Silk & Bamboo Performing Group

The event, which is free and open to the public, is 2-3:30 p.m. in Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse. Doors open at 1:45 p.m. The event is sponsored by Confucius Institutes at Purdue and Valparaiso University.

Kevin Locke

The program, titled "National Living Treasures," is presented by Purdue Convocations as part of its World Stage series.

"The damage to homes, the cost to rebuild or even death were not the deciding factors that influenced whether people returned to their neighborhoods after disasters like Hurricane Katrina," says Daniel P. Aldrich, an assistant professor of political science. "Based on historical evidence, people who were likely to return had strong social networks, such as neighborhood groups, churches, synagogues and parent-teacher associations, that they knew they could rely on for emotional support, information and even assistance. The people in communities who didn't know their neighbors' names or never picked up litter or had not given blood together were less likely to return. Civil society -- the bonds that ties us together through work and play -- provides many incentives to bring people back."

"Variety's the very spice of life, and this season we invite our audience to savor the many flavors of love," said Rich Rand, chair of the Division of Theatre. "Come to our Marquee and Horizon productions and experience stories heartwarming and surreal, tragic and edgy, radiant and romantic, bitter and sweet."

Lewis Black

Purdue's Student Concert Committee is presenting the performance, which is produced by Live Nation.

Each day will focus on one aspect of preserving the environment and practicing conservation. There will be opportunities for students, faculty and staff, and community members to participate throughout the week.

"Li'l Heads, Too!" will be presented Sept. 2 to Oct. 12 in the Stewart Center Gallery.

"Bob has extensive experience in facilities operations, personnel administration, planning and budgeting," said Purdue President France A. Córdova. "We were particularly impressed by Bob's leadership in sustainability efforts at Emory University, where he helped create a dynamic, results-oriented program that has generated positive results throughout all levels of the university and community."

The series theme, "What the Waters Washed Away: The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Retention of African American Art and Culture," will be punctuated by a lecture on Black Mardi Gras Indians by Joyce Marie Jackson on Sept. 24, a field research tour to New Orleans from Oct. 10-14, and a contemporary dance concert "When the Delta Speaks" on Nov. 12.

Alexander Crispo, associate professor of organizational leadership and supervision, says the practice of appreciative inquiry, in which leaders ask employees questions about what is successful in an organization, creates a sense of connectedness that can motivate workers.

Aerial view of the 2006
Gus Macker event

Organizers include the Lafayette Rotary Club and the Purdue University Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter.

"We're seeing much larger scale fraud and criminal behavior that has an international aspect to it," says Eugene H. Spafford, the executive director of Purdue's CERIAS (Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security). "We're also seeing a larger amount of espionage, both industrial espionage and nationally funded espionage. So, it's increasingly vital that global leaders take these threats seriously, put some resources into fighting cybercrime and cooperate with one another."

"Iron Man" will begin at 9:30 p.m. and will be projected onto a large screen at Slayter Center. The Movie on the Hill event is free and open to the public.

The Activities Bonanza will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 28) between the Purdue Memorial Union and Stewart Center. Purdue Student Union Board is sponsoring the event.

The theme this year is from the Chinese philosopher Confucius: "Study the past if you would define the future." The monthlong activities will be highlighted by the center's annual open house, a historic neighborhood tour in Chicago and a lecture by ethnic studies scholar Ronald Takaki.

Purdue also is among 14 public and private universities cited for its internship programs in the "Programs to Look For" category.