Vol. 39, No. 133, June 24, 2008     /     Log Archive

People who recall his Weidner Center shows (most recently, last October) know that cynical satirist George Carlin made audiences laugh and think, even as he said Earth would be better off without them — "Let the insects have a go. You know, I don't think they'll come up with sneakers with lights in them... or snot candy." He had a routine called "I kind of like it when a lot of people die" about rooting for higher disaster death tolls, and he also swore he never wanted to "pass away" himself. ("Euphemistic b***s***! Why can't people just say, 'He died'?") Well, on Sunday, George Carlin died, more or less suddenly, at age 71. You can only hope someone happened to tell him "Have a nice day!" seconds beforehand. In campus news:

Luczaj, project win support for local bedrock research
Assistant Prof. John Luczaj of Natural and Applied Sciences is principal investigator for a project expected to yield better maps of the bedrock beneath Brown County along with valuable data on groundwater and other resources. Luczaj leads the team that is receiving a total of $109,000 in first-year support to extend statewide mapping being done as part of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey. A team of geologists and GIS/database specialists, with UW-Green Bay student assistance, will participate in the research. The grant also provides money for core-sample drilling, testing and travel to inspect rock outcrops and quarries. Municipal records and well-construction reports from private drillers will be incorporated into the database. For details, click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2008/08-158.htm.

Bauer-Dantoin, Fermanich, Zorn to analyze groundwater chemicals
Profs. Angela Bauer-Dantoin (Human Biology), Kevin Fermanich and Michael Zorn (both of Natural and Applied Sciences) were recently awarded a $37,000 grant by the UW System's Groundwater Research Program. Their project is "Assessing Levels and Potential Health Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Groundwater Associated with Karst Areas in Northeast Wisconsin." The project will investigate whether endocrine-disrupting chemicals, as well as other indicators of livestock or human fecal waste, are present in groundwater near farmland in Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac and Kewaunee counties. The study will also determine whether the presence of these factors in groundwater varies after major recharge events (e.g., the spring thaw), in response to soil characteristics, or due to proximity to farming operations or septic systems. Finally, the study will investigate whether groundwater samples from these areas exhibit estrogenic activity, which can occur as a result of contamination by hormone-containing human or animal waste and entail long-term health consequences for both men and women. Bauer-Dantoin, Fermanich and Zorn anticipate that results from the project, which will involve two Environmental Science and Policy graduate students as well as several undergraduate students, will provide valuable information for the residents of Northeastern Wisconsin regarding the safety of their well water.

Federal investigation at Louisville has UW, Parkside officials concerned
A University of Louisville dean picked to lead UW-Parkside acknowledges his college is now under federal criminal investigation. Needless to say, Wisconsin officials are following developments closely. See http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-uw-parksidechance,0,3210349.story.

Nicolet College schedules info session on UW-Green Bay deal
A free information session about a new Northwoods partnership and UW-Green Bay's Adult Degree Program is scheduled for 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 16, in Room 202 of the University Transfer Center on the Nicolet College campus, 5364 College Drive, Rhinelander. It is open to anyone interested in this new degree option. For background, see http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2008/08-156.htm.

Spanish Immersion seminar returns for another year at Stone Harbor
Necesita usted aprender Español? Do you need to learn Spanish? The UW-Green Bay Spanish Immersion for Professionals program is in a position to help, Monday through Friday, Aug. 11-15, at the Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay. It's an intensive language-learning experience in a resort setting. Fees are $465 for noncredit instruction with lodging additional. See http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2008/08-157.htm.

Reminders: Bookstore, Deadman, Sodexho
Wednesday (June 25) promises to be moderately eventful:

• The Phoenix Bookstore is closing for inventory on the library plaza, but we read elsewhere they'll have a sale from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Union's Phoenix Rooms

• There's a gathering from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, in Student Services Room 1600 for Sandy Deadman

• There's a $2.75 Sodexho cookout on the "quad" near the Union from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More LOG on Wednesday
There's more where this came from. See you Wednesday afternoon.

Brief
Lucy A. Arendt, assistant professor of Business Administration (Management) recently attended and presented a paper at the Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. Her paper, "You can learn a lot from a paper frog: An experiential exercise on followership," was co-authored with Robin K. Sronce, a former UW-Green Bay colleague now at Drury University. The paper describes the use of origami to demonstrate the impact of effective followers on group process and outcomes.

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