 |
News in BriefArtsFor the RecordCalendarJobsArchived ScarletsScarlet Info |
PROFESSOR MARTIN DICKMAN teaches on screen and in class to students at NU, Kansas State and Oregon State during his Nov. 30 plant pathology class at Mabel Lee Hall. Linking Classrooms at NU, KSU and Oregon State Internet 2 Class Deletes Walls Across the MilesBy Dave Fitzgibbon, Public Relations As classroom video screens flicker to life in three states, three professors join forces. They are separated by miles, but connected by the new technology of Internet2. Students in Nebraska, Kansas and Oregon sit poised before the televisions in high-tech classrooms with microphones sprouting from tables and remote-controlled cameras mounted on walls. As the class begins in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Mabel Lee Hall, multiple screens lining the front of the room reveal clear images of students and professors in similar classrooms at Kansas State and Oregon State universities. Hefty loudspeakers bring in the sound, loud and clear. Although this graduate level class in molecular plant pathology has little to do with the technology that makes it possible, the professors claim the high-tech gear is actually enriching the learning experience. By electronically joining the experts in this field of study, students learn from the best. "They're getting perspectives that they would never get from any one individual," said Marty Dickman, plant pathology professor at the University of Nebraska. "It's kind of the old synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts because the three of us each bring something different to the table." The class called "Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions" is weighty stuff. So perhaps it's only fitting that this class was chosen to test the muscles of Internet2, the new high-speed computer network linking some 160 research institutions nationwide. Slowdowns on the original Internet- caused by an explosion in users- fueled the development of Internet2. And without the new technology, this classroom hook-up would never happen. In the past, Dickman has made the three-hour drive to Manhattan, Kan., to teach a course alongside a colleague at Kansas State. The class benefited from two teaching perspectives. Now, Dickman shares the teaching duties with his Kansas and Oregon colleagues, and nobody leaves home. As such, this class is an experiment, and it's making history: This is the first time Internet2 has linked three schools in this way. "This test has been more successful than we imagined before we started," said Bruce Sandhorst, NU's instructional technology coordinator. "The faculty and the students have given us very, very positive feedback, they really like it. We've had other faculty looking at that and say, 'this is something I want to do' and we have faculty lining up to do this next semester." Dickman said, "Once you get used to the situation, it becomes quite seamless, you don't realize you're just talking to a box, but it's just your head is in a screen and even though the person may be 2,000 miles away, it's just as if we are talking one-on-one." Indeed, as students and professors interact through microphones and video screens, a new way of learning emerges. "Our expertise is different; one may focus on genetics, the other on biochemistry. When you put them together, I think what you get is a more robust view of what you're talking about and hopefully that's how the quality is improved, " said Tom Wolperty, plant pathology professor at Oregon State University, during an interview over a crystal-clear Internet2 video connection. Dickman agrees, pointing to the high quality connections as another benefit. "Not only do they get different viewpoints, they get exposed to different ways of looking at certain questions and topics as well as being able to interact one-on-one in almost real-time basis with leading experts in a given topic in this area." And that interaction is the key. Distance learning has been around for years, but until now has relied on satellites or microwave-based systems to relay the signals. That can be costly, and a signal delay inherent in satellite transmission makes fluid interaction difficult. Internet2 promises wider availability, lower costs and almost instantaneous interaction. "Students and instructors can have this discourse and the time between the signals getting there and coming back is so short that it's very easy to carry on a conversation and to talk with one another," Sandhorst said. The technology is putting new possibilities within reach. For example, Sandhorst said researchers have approached him about using the interactive system to conduct research activity, perhaps even remotely controlling research equipment. Suggestions Offered for Foiling Year-2000 GlitchesThe arrival of the year 2000 is a little more than two weeks away, and while the university as a whole is well-prepared for the changeover in its computers and servers there are still some important steps that faculty and staff can take to protect their office equipment. Turn Off or Unplug The first step is to turn off or unplug microcomputers before Dec. 31 to protect against power surges. (Simply turning the equipment office may suffice, but many new computers are always connected to power unless they're unplugged.) If you uplug your computer from its network connection, be sure to remember which jack is used. On Jan. 1 First of all, don't pick up the phone at 12:01 a.m. to see if there's a dial tone. If enough people do this, the system could overload and cause a temporary loss of dial tone. The Y2K Information Line (472-9900) will have recorded updates on the status of UNL computing infrastructure beginning by at least 3 a.m. Jan. 1. To report Y2K problems, call the university operator (472-7211 off campus, "0" on campus). Potential Service Disruptions There may be brief outages or disruptions of UNL's computing services from Dec. 26 through Jan. 2 as Information Services backs up major system files and performs various Y2K readiness tests. (There are no plans for any service interruptions involving UNL's Computing Network during this period). Information services may shut down certain servers beginning Dec. 31 to provide the most reliable backups possible be able to carefully monitor a particular server during the transition. Your e-mail server might not be available Dec. 31, so you should check your e-mail on Dec. 30. Virus Protection Hackers are releasing computer viruses that are designed to activate in the new year. Information Services has site-licensed the McAfee antivirus software for the PC and the Virex product for Macintosh. These products are licensed for departmental computers as well as computers owned by UNL faculty, staff and students. If you already have these products, make sure that you update them. Download instructions for these products is on the Web http://software.unl.edu/antivir us/. Y2K Compliance for Last-minute Shoppers * If you or your department has not already done so, see if your software or model of computer is Y2K compliant. Often, a simple downloadable software patch is all that is needed to correct a Y2K problem. Microsoft Y2K information can be found on the World Wide Web http:/ /www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/product.asp. For assistance, contact the IS Help Desk at 2-3970. o UNL has purchased a number of Norton 2000 software licences to check personal computers for Y2K compliance. The licenses are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. E-mail Gary Aerts <gaerts@unl.edu> to obtain a CD containing the software. Specify in your e-mail the number of licenses you plan to use (one license per PC). Norton 2000 is available for PCs running Windows 95, 98 or NT. o Y2K compliance for Microsoft NT and Novell Servers: for information about Microsoft Y2K compliance for NT as well as Windows 95/98 and Office 95/97 refer to http:/ /www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/product.asp on the Web. Y2K compliant service packs are available for Novell Netware versions 3.12 and above at http://support.novell.co m/misc/patlst.htm. Custom Support Custom Support is a fee-for-service support group within IS offering service options to help maintain computer, application and server support at UNL. To discuss options that will work best for you, call Luther Hinrichs at 2-8846 or call the Customer Service line at 2-5785. Macintosh Don't assume that since the Mac has always been Y2K-compliant that the software running on the Mac OS has always followed the rules. For more information, see Apple's Y2K site at http://www.apple.com/about/ye ar2000/.
JIM GRIESEN cuts the paper as members of the Office of Student
Affairs help wrap Christmas gifts that office members purchased for a
family
identified by the Lincoln Action Program. This is the second year the
office
has "adopted" an LAP family and purchased gifts for them. This
year's family, a working couple with two preschool aged daughters, will
know their gifts were chosen with care. Office members are, from left,
Chuck
Van Rossum, Cathy Wittman, Debbie Hendricks, Rosemary Blum, Barbara
Wright-Chollet,
James Griesen and Tonda Humphress. "This is just a way for us to
give
of ourselves to the community," Griesen said. Response to Fetal-Cell Controversy Smith to Appoint Bioethics Advisory PanelUniversity of Nebraska President L. Dennis Smith announced Dec. 8 that he will create a panel to advise and make recommendations to him and the university regent on bioethical issues arising from research on human biology and behavior, and the applications of that research. "The University of Nebraska complies with all federal guidelines and policies pertaining to research utilizing human subjects and fetal tissue," Smith said. "However, I believe that an increased level of public and scientific discourse must take place with regard to certain types of biomedical research." Smith referred to the sequencing of human chromosome 22 and the potential to map the entire human genome within years. "Biomedical research is advancing rapidly and ethical and legal discussions need to keep pace." The Nebraska Bioethics Advisory Commission will review the appropriateness of policies, guidelines, and regulations as they relate to bioethical research being conducted at the University of Nebraska. The committee will also be asked to identify broad, overarching principles to govern the ethical conduct of biomedical research at NU. It will not be responsible for the approval of individual projects. There are currently processes in place at the federal level and at the university to approve research projects. "It is my intent to appoint a panel of experts and lay persons to review current practices at the University of Nebraska and to identify a set of broad, overarching principles to govern the ethical conduct of potential future biomedical research at NU." Members of the Nebraska Bioethics Advisory Commission will be selected and appointed by Smith and will be representative of the following categories of primary expertise: (1) philosophy/theology; 2) social/behavioral science; (3) law; (4) medicine/allied health professions; (5) medical ethics; and (6) biological research. At least three members will be selected from the general public, bringing to the committee expertise other than that listed. The membership will include scientists and non-scientists and close attention will be given to equitable geographic distribution and to ethnic and gender representation. Smith said he will encourage the commission to review the
deliberations
of other entities, including the National Bioethics Advisory Commission,
as it deems appropriate. Diverse University Community Valued Survey Finds Support for International Contributions at NUBy Kelly Bartling, Public Relations A study of international student contributions to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln revealed that most students agree strongly that international students, professors and graduate teachers are making an important contribution to the campus community. In a survey conducted in spring 1998 by the university's Bureau of Sociological Research, 81.3 percent of 520 students asked said they agreed or strongly agreed that international students make an important contribution to the campus community. More than 70 percent of UNL students asked had taken a class with a professor or graduate teaching assistant from another country. Those students rated international instructors and the quality of courses taught by international instructors as high or higher than those taught by instructors from the United States. "Often, reports on the impact of international involvement on campuses emphasize the quantitative contributions of international students, such as credit hours produced, degrees granted, and financial impact on the university and community," said Suzanne Ortega, associate dean of graduate studies. "This survey helps quantify the impact of international students on the campus intellectual and social climate, their contribution to enhancing the acceptance of ethnic diversity and the globalization of student attitudes and career goals at the university." Other attitudes revealed by the survey included many students' interest in traveling to foreign countries or desire to learn more about other cultures increased as their exposure to international students or faculty increased. According to the survey, students who had the greatest opportunity to interact with international students and faculty reported an increased likelihood that they would choose a career with a global dimension. Students with frequent contact with international students and faculty reported greater acceptance, in the survey, of individuals from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, including U.S. racial and ethnic minorities. Some highlights revealed by the survey: - Almost eight of 10 students surveyed had taken at least one course from a professor or graduate assistant from another country. They rated the quality of the courses and instructors, (76 percent and 78.1 percent respectively) as higher or higher than similar courses taught by U.S. instructors. They also rated them as equally demanding (78.1 percent) or more demanding (19 percent). - 97.2 percent had taken a course with at least one student from another country. - Students with high international contact reported an increased interest in traveling to other countries (95.5 percent). "Results from the study should go a long way toward dispelling some of the more negative common myths about international faculty and teaching assistants," Ortega said. "Students clearly appreciate the quality of instruction they are receiving and recognize the contribution that international peers and instructors make to education and to campus life. Harnessing New Ag Technologies Requires Research, EducationBy Lisa Jasa, IANR news New technologies related to site specific management and biotechnology are quickly creating a need for agricultural research at a different level, speakers said during the University of Nebraska's annual Agronomy Highlights meeting. While satellites, yield monitors and new tests can provide more precise information about a specific field, further research and education are needed to help understand, interpret and apply this data in farm operations, speakers said Dec. 6. The theme for the event, sponsored by the university's Department of Agronomy, was "Intensifying Agronomic Systems: Economic and Environmental Advantages." About 300 farmers, crop consultants, researchers and agribusiness people learned about NU institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources research related to site-specific management, biotechnology, more efficient grazing strategies, and developing horticultural and turfgrass seed industries. "One hundred years ago we had lower yields, lower inputs and crop production systems that were extensive rather than intensive across Nebraska," noted Ken Cassman, agronomy department head. Through research, education and technological advances, production has changed dramatically. To be profitable, competitive and protect the environment, today's farms require much more intensive management, he said. "We have the equipment to apply nutrients more precisely," Cassman said, and access to site-specific information about soil properties and climate. What seems to be missing is the fundamental knowledge to interpret and use the information available through new technologies, he said. "Remote sensing images can tell you the crop is under stress," said Jim Schepers, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service agronomist at NU. However, they can't tell producers whether it's caused by a lack of nutrients, disease or a variety of other problems. He suggested producers begin using these images by having aerial photos taken of their fields before planting and several times during the season. Such photos can be used as diagnostic tools to help indicate problems while there is still time to correct them. Charles Shapiro, NU soil scientist at the Haskell Agriculture Laboratory near Concord, reported on a study conducted at several Nebraska sites, part of which examined the use of variable rate nitrogen application. Variable rate application did not increase crop yields, even though crop models indicated such an increase. A better understanding and mapping of the specific agroeco zones will help researchers and farmers better understand when the new technologies may be best used in specific situations, Shapiro said. An agroeco zone map accounts for climate, soil type, average precipitation, average growing degree days and other factors affecting plant growth. Cassman noted that "this dichotomy between theory and practice demonstrates that we must greatly expand our knowledge of the dynamic relationships controlling crop response to site-specific conditions" to provide the information farmers need to profit from these new technologies. Several speakers addressed issues related to growing and marketing genetically modified crops, commonly called GMOs, in 2000. Producers need to know their customers and be alert to market changes before selecting seed, said Rod Johnson, member services director for the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association. He suggested producers treat their non-GMO grain as a specialty crop, "using the procedures necessary to make sure that what you intended to produce is the product you end up with." He recommended producers communicate closely with local elevators to stay informed about their customers and current and expected changes. "Producers and elevators need to work as a team to provide a product that can come to market," he said. Elevators and producers face similar challenges in trying to predict and adjust to the market changes. "Testing for GMOs has not been an industry-friendly procedure. The industry needs a quick, affordable, reliable testing mechanism" to identify the purity of non-GMO grain for the market, Johnson said. Producers hoping for a premium with non-GMO grain will need to follow procedures similar to those used by seed companies, he said. Even then, they won't be able to guarantee that the seed they planted was entirely non-GMO. "The jury is still out on whether there will be premium on non-GMO crops," said NU Agricultural Economist Roy Frederick. "It will depend a lot on what the rest of the world does with their production." For example, Brazil is planting only non-GMO seed in 2000. "The situation is very fluid and could change as much in the next three to four months as it did in the last three to four months," Frederick said. Doug Robinson, chair of the U.S. Grains Council, agreed that GMO production "is not just a U.S. issue, but involves producers around the world." Robinson, who recently presented the Grains Council's perspective at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle, said much of the concern expressed today is similar to that expressed with previous agricultural breakthroughs, such as the introduction of corn hybrids earlier this century. "What's best for the food system and those who depend on it will
continue to be the primary mission of agricultural research in our
land-grant
universities and the major challenge in the new millennium," Cassman
said in closing remarks. Smith Defends LotusNotes Decision, Budget ProcessAt an Academic Senate meeting Dec. 7, NU President Dennis Smith fielded questions from faculty regarding the LotusNotes conversion, budget reallocations and distance education. Smith opened the meeting with prepared remarks, suggesting that NU must adjust to changes in the demographics of its students and to educational delivery methods offered by technology, Smith said. Faculty must be involved in judging course equivalencies for students who present credits attained through distance education offered by non-NU institutions, he said, adding that he plans to name a faculty council similar to the Research Council, to advise and make decisions regarding distance education opportunities. In response to a question, Smith said he did not think campuses will become obsolete as more students enroll in distance education courses but will instead become "communities of scholars" where students will take upper division courses and work with pre-eminent scholars and researchers. "That opportunity cannot be replicated on line," Smith said. The research mission of the university must remain located in the Lincoln campus, Smith said, in part due to resource issues with the other campuses. He said the historic mission of the land-grant institution remains as important in 1999 as it did in 1900. Smith refuted comments that the reallocation was driven by central administration. He said that because the Legislature appropriated enough funds for salary increases but not for operating increases, campuses were responsible for covering increases in operating costs through internal sources. "I'm not telling you how to reallocate; and I'm certainly not taking the money back from you," he said. When asked why the LotusNotes system was implemented, Smith said four years of planning and notice occurred before the implementation decision was made. In addition, the university could not continue the inefficient use of multiple email systems. "We can't always wait five years for everyone to notice and have input before we make a decision; I have to assume that information is filtering down into the campuses," he said, adding that faculty have processes on individual campuses that allow opinions and comments to be made. In response to why the university funded positions at the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha, Smith said that obligations to staff the new center had been made and needed to be kept. "We had made commitments. It's very easy for you, after the fact, to look at and question and criticize various decisions. If we had to wait until we had the money in hand, nothing would ever get done. Remember, input does not always mean you get what you want," he said. In other news, the senate voted favorably on a resolution supporting academic freedom in the conduct of university research. The resolution developed after NU Medical Center researchers were criticized for using fetal stem cells collected from abortions while studying neurological disorders. Thad Kulik, engineering, said he could not support the resolution because he could not separate the arguments proposed by the researchers - that the cells are collected from waste tissues -- from arguments used by Nazi researchers who said that they were using "unwanted tissues," - collected from Jews and others in death camps. Kulik said the issue was not one of academic freedom but one of using a questionable procedure to advance science. The resolution passed overwhelmingly, with just three or four
dissenters. |
Back to Top
For questions regarding the Scarlet's Web pages, contact:
(402) 472-8518, Fax: (402) 472-7825