THE ROTUNDA ENTRANCE TO THE NEBRASKA UNION takes shape Tuesday morning as drywallers tape and sand prior to painting.

University Chipping Away at Y2K Problem

Compliance Efforts Moving Into Higher Gear

By Kim Hachiya, Public Relations

With 469 days left until 2000, campus officials are moving beyond an awareness campaign to a remediation plan to avoid any computer problems associated with the turnover to the new century.

"You'd pretty much have to be an ostrich to be unaware of the Year 2000 problem," said Gary Aerts, who is coordinating the university's 2000 compliance efforts.

Aerts, who also wears the hat of manager of administrative systems for Information Services, is working on 2000 remediation along with Rosaline Pao, a program analyst in Information Services.

Part of the problem, Aerts said, is that computing specialists don't know what to expect. "We are not exactly sure what our exposure is going to be until we look under the covers," he said. "You can have two departments who work side by side, one of which might be very much affected, and the other only slightly affected. So you can't make a global statement about the impact because of the nature of each department's work."

The university has developed a six-step process to address the issue. Each department was to identify a person who would take charge of the program, he said. That person is to take an inventory of hardware, software and files that might have exposure.

"This step has become a revelation for departments who didn't realize the plethora of software, files and embedded systems they were working with," Aerts said. An embedded system is one which might not be immediately apparent to a user. For example, a security alarm system might have an embedded system that is sensitive to 2000, meaning it might not operate or may improperly operate once 2000 is reached.

The third step is assessment and triage. Departments should look at all their operations and determine which are the most critical. Then they should determine whether these critical operations will be affected by 2000 issues.

If the answer is yes, Aerts said, departments should contact vendors, either on the web or by letter, asking vendors about the status of equipment and software.

Once items that potentially will not work have be identified, Aerts said, it's time to develop a plan of attack. For most users, that means either rewriting code for mainframe issues or upgrading software or hardware. If the problem is an embedded system, a vendor must remediate, he said.

The final step is to act on the plan. Aerts said he thought three of 165 departments have worked through all the steps.

This is troubling to him, because the goal for campuswide compliance is December 1998.

"It's highly unlikely we will make that date, but it's still a valuable goal to shoot for," he said.

Aerts said that if he were to give the campus a mid-term grade for compliance efforts so far, it would be a low C or D+.

"Eighty percent haven't developed a plan so far, so it doesn't look real good from that standpoint, but we have 400 some days to go," he said. He believes Nebraska is ahead of many other universities in addressing the problem.

In a perfect world, Aerts said, everyone at the university knows who their departmental representatives are and what's being done. "If you don't know, ask," he said.

The group has a comprehensive website to guide people through the process. It can be found at http://www.unl.edu/year2k/.

Aerts' group has contacted more than 100 vendors who work with the university to provide a variety of services, asking each for assurances that they are 2000 compliant and will not cause service disruptions for the university. That list in available on the year2K website.

He acknowledged that the level of interest in the problem is growing. "The average guy is now realizing that this isn't just technogeek hype anymore," Aerts said. "You can see where that perception came from though. Techies were saying to bosses: 'we caused this problem, we are the only ones who can fix it, it's going to cost you a ton of money to fix it, and you won't notice any changes once it's fixed.' I guess my response to that is 'survival of your business is not a bad strategy.'"

Aerts is among many tech-types who will not be flying on Dec. 31, 1999 or Jan. 1, 2000.

"I think you'd be crazy to fly anywhere that week. I've yet to see anyone in the airline industry provide any credible test results on their compliance efforts."

Wunder, Rosowski to Lead NEH Proposal Effort

John Wunder, professor of history, and Sue Rosowski, Adele Hall Distinguished Professor of English, have been tapped to lead the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's campaign to win a National Endowment for the Humanities regional humanities center.

The effort is aimed at preparing two grant proposals -- the first to seek a planning grant, the second to have UNL named as the host for the regional center.

Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard Edwards, in appointing Wunder and Rosowski, called upon them to "engage broadly the creative energies of many faculty members in the humanities and related disciplines" so as to produce winning proposals.

NEH recently began a competitive process to establish 10 regional humanities centers around the country. Nebraska is in the "Great Plains" region, which also includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Each center is intended to become a locus for humanities programming, coordination of activities, and educational efforts that connect universities and colleges, museums, historical societies, humanities councils, and other cultural organizations throughout the region. Each center is to be permanently funded by a $20 million endowment, including $5 million from NEH.

The competition includes two stages. First, institutions may compete for planning grants, probably in the range of $150,000, to assist them in preparing their final submissions; it is expected that the deadline for planning grant proposals will be in March or April, 1999. Second, institutions that have won planning grants will be invited to submit proposals for designation as center hosts, with one winner in each five-state region. The deadline for these proposals is expected to be approximately one year after the planning grants' deadline.

Selected humanities faculty members with already-identified interests in the Great Plains region have been invited to participate in discussions to formulate UNL's proposals. However, anyone interested in participating is encouraged to contact Wunder or Rosowski, Edwards said.

NU Animal Science Celebrates 100 Years

By Molly Klocksin, IANR News

When the federal government needed pork for troop rations during World War I, officials asked the University of Nebraska's then-Department of Animal Husbandry to increase hog production by 20 percent.

During World War II, the department again answered the government's call, this time to raise more sheep for the shearling pelts that lined U.S. Army Air Corps aviators' jackets.

Over its 100-year history, what is now NU's Department of Animal Science has responded to such crises, anticipated needs and solved problems through teaching, research and Cooperative Extension efforts.

The department marks 100 years of contributions to agriculture Oct. 10 with a day-long celebration on the university's East Campus and at Lincoln's Cornhusker Hotel.

From department graduates such as keynote speaker Chuck Schroeder, chief executive officer of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, to those who returned home to farms and ranches or jobs in agribusiness with state-of-the-art skills, NU's animal science graduates make vital contributions to agriculture's progress, said Animal Scientist Dennis Brink, co-chair of publicity and registration for centennial events.

"We're proud of every alum who's out there," Brink said. "They're everyday people dedicated to producing food for this country and the world."

Through the years, department faculty's ideas have sparked research that has provided solutions for agricultural producers, agribusinesses and society, he said.

Much of NU's research earlier in this century was in livestock selection.

For example, in the early 1940s, Nebraska animal scientists partnered with 10 other Midwest universities to reduce fat in pork and improve production. When the partnership ended, NU researchers continued studying swine reproduction genetics, eventually proving careful selection and breeding can increase litter size.

In 1997, with swine industry guidance, NU publicly released pigs from the highly prolific Nebraska Index Line, which had been developed as part of swine reproduction research. The release made the line's unique genetics available to commercial swine breeders who are evaluating the line for use in breeding programs. NU is believed to be the only public university in the past 30 years to develop and publicly release such a line, Brink said.

Over the years, Nebraska animal scientists also have proved selection is effective in making steady changes in cattle growth traits. In the 1940s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture turned to the university as a partner in cattle crossbreeding research at Fort Robinson near Crawford. NU animal scientists continued studying the strengths and weaknesses of different breeds after the USDA's Meat Animal Research Center opened in Clay Center during the 1960s. Research there continues to contribute significantly to understanding and improving cattle genetics, he said.

NU animal scientists have been leaders in dozens of other notable research projects.

In the 1960s, a Nebraska meat scientist developed ways to restructure meat into shapes, adding value to meat products. The food industry has used this research widely, notably by McDonald's restaurants in developing its McRib pork sandwich, Brink said.

For years, some Nebraska farmers grazed cattle on cornstalks as a cheaper alternative to raising hay, said Terry Klopfenstein, an NU beef nutritionist. In the 1970s, Nebraska researchers began studying how farmers could use crop residues more effectively. This research found that both cows and calves could graze cornstalks with proper supplements, such as protein and minerals, he said.

More recent research revealed that wet byproducts from ethanol and corn processing industries are excellent cattle feed. Wet corn gluten from wet milling plants and wet distillers' grains from dry milling operations traditionally have been dried before use, but today are being fed wet in the Cornhusker state. Nebraska studies found that feeding these byproducts wet saves drying costs and provides better nutrition than dried products. These new feeds could cut costs compared to conventional corn-based feed, Klopfenstein said. The cattle industry has adopted these findings, and feedlot demand for these wet byproducts has helped Nebraska's ethanol and corn processing industries expand rapidly.

Extension initiatives such as the Integrated Resource Management project proved teams of university professionals, including animal scientists, extension educators and veterinarians could help producers improve their herds. NU's team approach to problem-solving exemplified how extension serves Nebraskans, Brink said. The program became a model for other universities.

The department's contributions to Nebraska over the past century will be among the Oct. 10 celebration's major themes. Daytime events will take place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the animal science building. These include youth activities, displays, buffet lunch, and class and judging team reunions. Early arrivals can take part in campus tours starting at 9 a.m. Schroeder will present an evening speech focusing on animal agriculture's future. Evening events begin with a 6:30 p.m. social hour, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and Schroeder's speech at the Cornhusker Hotel.

Registration is due Oct. 1. For details or to register, call (402)472-6478.

Board of Regents Opposes Constitutional Lid

By Dara Troutman, University of Nebraska

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has adopted a resolution opposing the passage of Initiative 413, the proposed constitutional lid on state and local government spending.

The measure was offered by Regent Chuck Hassebrook of Walthill at the Board's public meeting Sept. 4 at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead.

Analysis has shown that the University of Nebraska would be subject to a $20 million reduction in state support in the first year alone if the proposal is adopted by Nebraska voters.

"This amendment implicitly says that as we become a more affluent society in the future, all of that increased affluence must go into private consumption or private investment and none can be invested in the public goods that help build a stronger society," Hassebrook said. "I believe this is particularly short-sighted with respect to education because the increased affluence in this society is largely the result of new knowledge. Refusing to reinvest some of that increased affluence in the creation and dissemination of new knowledge is like feeding seed corn to cattle. It may save you some money in the short run, but it is going to cost you in the long run." Hassebrook said he is especially troubled by the impact passage of the initiative could have on tuition levels.

"Let there be no doubt that a vote for Initiative 413 is a vote for higher tuition," Hassebrook said.

University officials have said a 22 percent increase in tuition would be required to entirely offset the $20 million loss in state revenue in FY 1999-2000. The alternative would be to significantly reduce university programs. Unlike many other political subdivisions, the university does not have taxing authority and receives no funds from property taxes. It receives approximately 75 percent of its annual operating revenue from the state through the biennial budgeting process and approximately 25 percent from student tuition.

Regent Nancy O'Brien of Waterloo said it is the responsibility of members of the Board of Regents to inform the public about the impact of the initiative on the university.

"I believe that this (proposed constitutional amendment) is detrimental," she said. O'Brien said some supporters of the initiative are the same people who have asked the university to do more in terms of programs, colleges, and degrees to meet the needs of business.

Regent Rosemary Skrupa of Omaha urged the board to distance itself from the debate.

"It is our job to stay out of the fray," she said. "If the lid passes, then we have to work with it and implement it; if it doesn't, all to the well and good."

Skrupa added, "I think that this is the wrong position for the regents to take at this point in time."

However, Regent Don Blank of McCook said, "The university belongs to the people and we will do the bidding of the public, but they have elected us to be responsible for the management and direction of the university. It behooves us to inform the people what the consequences will be to the university if this passes."

Blank said he is concerned about the quality of the institution and noted that the Lincoln campus recently fell in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

"Everyone wants an outstanding university, but we're not going to solve that problem if we get into a situation that we're going to be severely limited in what we can do," he said.

Several board members took issue with statements by supporters of the lid who have said that if University of Nebraska tuition is too high, students may go elsewhere for their postsecondary education.

"It seems to me that this statement reflects a profound misunderstanding of the role of this institution," Hassebrook said. "This university, like all land-grant colleges, was created to make higher education afforable and accessible to the sons and daughters of ordinary people. I am deeply concerned that the passage of Initiative 413 would drive tuition through the ceiling and threaten our ability to fulfill our historic obligation to the people of Nebraska."

Regent Charles Wilson of Lincoln said he agrees with those who think taxes in Nebraska are too high. "However, having said that, I do not think that the solution should be etched in stone in constitutional status as opposed to the legislature and the governor taking appropriate actions to limit expenditures wherever possible."

"It is our responsibility to be stewards of the University of Nebraska and to do what is in its best interest," Wilson said. "There is no doubt in my mind that this will have a negative impact (on the university). We are already below the median for faculty salaries in our peer group. If we want to be in the upper half in terms of quality, then we cannot be in the lower half in terms of faculty salaries. This is going to have a major negative impact on our ability to offer quality programs. And as Regent Hassebrook has pointed out, the only possible solution to that is going to be to raise tuition. It will simply not be possible to raise tuition high enough to make up for the losses that occur as a result of this."

Regent Drew Miller of Papillion opposed the resolution.

"I think the University of Nebraska Board of Regents is a case study in exactly why you need initiatives like this because we don't do a very good job of keeping good eyes on the taxpayers' money. We don't do a very good job of reigning in costs. We have plenty of room to cut costs but administrators want to spend every penny they can get."

Responded Regent O'Brien: "I am for judicious spending, but I am not for restraining growth of the university."

The board voted to six to two to oppose Initiative 413 with Miller and Skrupa dissenting. In nonbinding votes, all four of the University's student regents also voted in support of the resolution to oppose the lid.

NU Horticulturalist Exploring Landscape and Quality of Life

By Dan Holder, IANR news

Properly designed landscapes can be soothing, cool or uncomfortable to the viewer. A University of Nebraska landscape horticulture specialist wants to connect design factors with the resulting emotional response.

Steve Rodie, NU Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources horticulturalist, is trying to quantify how properly placed trees, shrubs and flowers can improve quality of life.

Studies at other universities have shown a definite connection between quality of life and nature.

"What's been proven in the past, for example, is that (if) you have a tree outside your hospital room window, you'll heal faster," Rodie said. "Or they'll stress you in a psychological experiment, then show you pictures of nature and your stress level will come down."

In the first phase of his project, Rodie surveyed four focus groups in Omaha and Lincoln. He questioned 27 homeowners about their landscape design experience with the nursery/garden center industry.

Focus group participants also were asked about their expectations of how landscaping could affect their quality of life when looking at or spending time in their yards and gardens.

"If you have a tree in your yard, fine. But depending on where it is placed and how it is used in the landscape, can we actually say we enhanced the quality of life you are deriving from that landscape because we have matched it to your personality and your family needs?" Rodie said.

"My sense is that the nursery industry has an important role in quality-of-life enhancement. The stronger the connection to quality of life the nursery industry can make, the more public awareness there will be of the connection."

Aside from measuring quality-of-life benefits, Rodie's research focuses on showing homeowners the potential advantages of landscaping. One example is a professionally placed shrub that fulfills several functions, such as providing flower and fruit color, masking a foundation and providing a privacy barrier, all within the home's comprehensive design.

"If you think of how well a design can suit a family and create outdoor space, in essence you're adding rooms to your house," Rodie said. "They're not 12-month-a-year rooms, but they can certainly be comfortable extended living space during much of the year."

Rodie's work also is aimed at helping the nursery industry enhance the public's perception of design as a service instead of a product. Good design requires careful thought, creativity and plant knowledge. Landscape design is much more than just the finished plan.

Next, Rodie will test how landscape design relates to quality-of-life issues for the public. First, he will establish a range of words that describe different outdoor environments and scenes. Landscape designs can make people feel cool or warm, comfortable or uncomfortable, excited or intrigued, and he is trying to establish a consistent range of word choices.

"To do any kind of surveys with the general public relative to the quality of life, you need to use the right words, in the right structure," Rodie explained. "A lot of the discussion of quality of life in the past has been more about economics and gross national product. I think we all have a sense of what brings quality to our lives, but measuring that sense can be very difficult.

"Now we're trying to expand more into measurement of scales of happiness that are more subjective. What I'm trying to do is fit this into the scheme of the home environment. Rarely has anyone ever looked at the outdoor home environment, which to me can simply be an extra room that attaches to where you live and where you de-stress at the end of the day."

The initial research was supported in part by the Horticulture Research Institute and the Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association in cooperation with NU Cooperative Extension.

NU Researchers Working to Curb Swine Odors

By Faye Colburn, IANR News

A variety of solutions are being explored to solve one of the swine industry's most vexing problems: odor.

Swine odor has been much in the news lately, noted Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska bioenvironmental engineer. Pork producers who manage their operations to reduce odors will create neighborly good will, he said.

In manure storage, any obstacle between air surface and manure reduces the diffusion of molecules that carry odors into the air, Koelsch said. Many materials can be used as the obstacle. For example, blowing straw on the surface of an open storage facility can provide odor relief. Achieving six-inch minunum thickness of barley or wheat straw is key to maintaining the straw through spring and summer. Straw also has to be replaced annually because it becomes saturated, sinks and becomes part of the slurry.

Leka rock, a floating volcanic stone, also can be spread on the surface of an open-storage facility, Koelsch said. It's relatively expensive, at about $1 per foot, but lasts longer and doesn't blow to one side.

Outdoor manure storage pits can be covered by a floating plastic liner. Such covers can last eight to 10 years and reduce odors by as much as 90 percent. Even an unbroken crust of dried manure can reduce odor, particularly in a bottom-loading system, Koelsch added.

For anaerobic (low oxygen) lagoons, limiting odor production is preferred to covers that limit odor release. Proper sizing of an anaerobic lagoon and maintaining an adequate permanent pool allow natural biological processes to limit odor production.

In undersized anaerobic lagoons, natural bacteria only partially break down the manure, resulting in odors. However, a roomy lagoon allows the bacteria to digest manure completely to keep odors in check. Two groups of bacteria work in anaerobic decomposition. Acid-forming bacteria work with solids to form acids and other compounds. Methane-forming bacteria convert acids to odorless methane and carbon dioxide. An unbalanced system with too many acid-forming bacteria, though, can favor high-acid compounds with strong odors.

Some lagoons encourage purple sulfur bacteria, which help reduce odors. Not only do they use odor-causing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia to grow, these bacteria also metabolize simple organic compounds to help reduce water pollution, remove toxic ammonia and produce anti-viral substances.

So far, conditions that encourage the growth of purple sulfur bacteria have eluded researchers, but Koelsch said he and other NU engineers still are investigating the differences between lagoons that support them and those that don't.

Koelsch said many commercial feed and manure additives are available to help reduce odors, but effectiveness varies significantly. Some additives mask swine odors with other odors -- peppermint additive is one example. Others, such as lime, stop anaerobic activity that causes odors. Still others enhance anaerobic activity so the manure does break down completely.

Producers who are considering additives should get independent opinions of commercial preparations, Koelsch advised. ISU and North Carolina State are testing additives, he said. Results of Iowa State's testing are available only in electronic form at <http://www.ae.iastate.edu/Odor/pitadd.htm>. Additive suppliers also should be able to supply these independent test results.

Dust from feed, feed waste and pulverized manure also carry odor, said the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources specialist. A regular, light misting of vegetable oil, sprayed throughout animal housing, can reduce dust and therefore odors. Increased fat in the diet, adding high oil corn and using wet-dry feeding systems also help reduce odors. Biofilters for ventilation air from animal housing are very effective in controlling housing-related odors.

Separating manure solids from liquids also can reduce odor, Koelsch said. So can keeping outdoor lots dry. Although expensive, an aeration system to churn oxygen into the manure also reduces odor. Aeration systems cost at least $3 per pig capacity, plus capital investment cost.