Red, Black, Gold ... and GreenTwo buildings on campus recently received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental De-

sign) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Science Annex received LEED Gold certification and the Dickey Health and Wellness Center received LEED Silver certification. The buildings are the University’s first structures built in accordance with the rigorous standards set by USGBC’s LEED green building certification program.

Highlights

Science Annex:

• Performs 27 percent more efficiently than a typically built building

• Provides a preferred parking space for occupants driving low-emissions, fuel-efficient vehicles

• Requires 50 percent less potable water for landscaping• Incorporates materials extracted and manufactured within a 500 mile radius

Dickey Health and Wellness Center:

• Performs 19 percent more efficiently than a typically built building• Utilizes paints and other materials that contain a low volatile organic compound (VOC) make up• Uses 40 percent less water than a similar building• Incorporates many materials that contain high volumes of recycled content

IN THIS ISSUE...

Vol. XXXIV, No. 3 NOVEMBER 2011

Experiential Learning Workshops .......... 2

Creating a Connection with Students ... .3

Who’s News ............................................ 3

Construction Updates ............................ .4

Did You Know? ........................................ 5

Professors on Sabbatical ........................ 6

Helios Education Foundation, UT Partner to Increase Graduation RatesThe Helios Education Foundation has granted UT $1.3 million over four years to support an initia-

tive to increase college graduation rates for first-generation and under-represented students.

The targeted students include full-time students who are studying mathematics, education, technology and science-related disciplines, who are members of minority groups and/or are first-generation college students and who are from the state of Florida. Nearly 300 students have been identified as the initial cohort.

Student success in the program will be measured by increased persistence and graduation rates, with gains of 17 percent expected over the next four years.

Lorie Kittendorf, director of student success, said that with the Helios grant UT can approach the support of this student population intentionally and tactically. She added that the program is unique in

Continued on page 2

Gobble, GobbleThe annual UT Potluck will be held Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Plant Hall Music Room. The Activity Committee will provide the turkey and faculty and staff are asked to bring their favorite holiday dish to share. Please RSVP to jdavila@ut.edu and include what type of dish you plan to bring.

Sykes College of Business is

“Outstanding” and “Excellent”

For the sixth year in a row, the Sykes College of Business has been named an outstanding business school by the Princeton Review. The College was featured in the 2011 edition of The Best 294 Business Schools, based on surveys of 19,000 students attending the 294 business schools during the past three academic years. The College was also recently ranked 47th in the category of “Excellent Business Schools” in the U.S. in the Eduniversal Worldwide Business Schools Ranking 2011.

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Register for Nov. 12 Experiential Learning WorkshopsOn Saturday, Nov. 12, the University will host two workshops devoted to experiential learning in

higher education: “Strategic Planning for Effective Experiential Education Program Design” and “Service-Learning: The Basics.” The workshops are coordinated through the Experiential Education Academy of the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE).

Speakers include Al Cabral, associate professor of management and director of internships for Nazareth College Rochester, and Suzan Harkness, assistant dean for academic technology and associate professor of political science at the University of the District of Columbia.

The workshops will take place in the Plant Hall Grand Salon.

For a description of the workshops, online registration or to learn more about NSEE, go to www.nsee.org or e-mail nsee@talley.com . To register contact Stephanie Thomason, associate dean of the Sykes College of Business, at sthomason@ut.edu .

that support of the program will largely rest on students, both at the undergraduate and graduate level, who will connect with the students of interest in targeted ways.

“We never know what person, event or moment will help a student connect to an institution, but we do know how crucial student engagement and involvement are for persistence and success,” Kittendorf said. “Our team of graduate academic coaches and undergraduate peers will hopefully serve as a key resource for the information, advice, support and involvement that are so critical for student learning and persistence.”

Helios Education Foundation Continued

UT Prepping for RNCA group has been formed to examine campus operations and planning for the 2012 Republican

National Convention (RNC) and its impact on campus life. The RNC will be held Aug. 26-30 in Tampa.

Those involved in the group are Brent Benner, Eric Cárdenas, Catherine Chastain-Elliot, Linda Devine, Michael Gilmer, Tim Harding, Kevin Howell, Stephanie Russell Holz, Kevin Lafferty, Larry Marfise, Dave Ramsey, Bob Ruday, Edesa Scarborough, Krystal Schofield, Joe Sclafani, Jackie Smith and Monnie Wertz.

The group will roll out information that may be helpful to faculty, staff and students. Presently it will launch a website — www.ut.edu/rnc — to update the UT community on topics related to the RNC. Please send any comments and concerns to Linda Devine at ldevine@ut.edu .

15 Minutes of FameUT librarian Art Bagley and Sally Shifke, museum relations coordinator for the Henry B. Plant Museum, were recently featured on separate episodes of WTSP-TV Channel 10’s local history oriented series “Why Do They Call It That?” Reporter Grayson Kamm interviewed Bagley about the origins of the UT Spartan mascot and why starting a four-year university in the depths of an economic depression was actually a good idea. Shifke gave the reporter a history lesson on Plant Hall and took him on a minaret climb.

Test Text?Did you receive a SMART (Spartan Mobile AleRT) test text message on Oct. 12? The test text was sent to 8,796 registered cell phones with a 90.3 percent success rate. If you have not subscribed — or are unsure and would like to check — go to www.ut.edu/safety/smart for directions. The next test is planned for Feb. 15, 2012.

RUN, BABY, RUN — More than 350 runners participated in this year’s Spartan Challenge 5k on Saturday, Oct. 15. Stephanie Russell Holz, dean of students, (on the left, waving) finished second in her age group with a time of 30:47. Kristen Whitney, area coordinator for residence life, was the first female faculty/staff member to finish with a time of 30:48. Stephen Blessing, associate professor of biology, took third place in his age group with a time of 23:02. The race is an annual fundraiser for the cross country team.

Step Up to the PlateShow your UT pride and help fund scholarships and campus improvements by purchasing a UT specialty license plate. You can secure a UT plate for an additional $27 the next time you register your car. For each plate purchased, $25 goes to UT. To learn more about the UT license plate, call the Office of Alumni Relations at x6209, or email alumni@ut.edu .

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WHO’S NEWS?

Continued on page 5

Professor Shares Ways to Better Connect with Today’s StudentsVisit just about any college class today, and you are likely to see

students on their cell phones during the lecture. In fact, 66 per-cent of students said that cell phones are more fun than class and 48 percent said they did not care if others in the classroom saw them on their phone (Gurrie, 2011).

According to Chris Gurrie, assistant professor of speech, this phenomenon is nothing new.

“In the 1960s, students read the newspaper. In the 1980s and 90s, they played hand held video games,” said Gurrie. “The difference with today’s devices is that now students can get to something or someone outside the classroom. Teachers no longer have a captive audience.”

Gurrie presented “Immediacy Immediately: Communicating for Connection” as part of the 2011-2012 faculty colloquium series. During the presentation, Gurrie posed the question are teachers competing with the technology itself (a cell phone, laptop, etc.) or are they competing with the person on the other end of that technology?

Gurrie argued that in order to capture and keep students’ attention, teachers should practice immediacy behaviors — those that draw students in and create a connection. By doing so, students will be less likely to seek that connection, or immediacy, from the people on the

other end of their cell phone.

In order to create immediacy with students, Gurrie recommends being available outside of the lecture hall through email or a Facebook page, changing up the seating arrangement in your classroom, and creating discussion through everyday occurrences. He also advises instructors to ask students for a mid-term assessment to see what they like and don’t like about the delivery of the class.

His top recommendation, however, is to constantly evaluate how you deliver the course material. “I feel this is something ageless, discipline-less,” said Gurrie. “You can be 100 years old or 30 years old and still be a fabulous lecturer if you are constantly changing it up and trying new ways to get the information across.”

The presentation was the culmination of three years of research. Gurrie’s findings were published in the North Dakota Journal of Speech and Theatre, the Florida Communication Journal and the Nova Southeastern Press.

MARCA BEAR, associate dean of international programs and associate professor of management and international business, was recognized at the annual meeting of the National Society for Experiential Education in October for completing the Experiential Education Academy. Bear is the first UT faculty member to receive this recognition.

WHITNEY BUSER, assistant professor of economics, had her article “The Impact of Fiscal Decentralization on Economic Performance in High-Income OECD Nations: An Institutional Approach” accepted for publication in the journal Public Choice.

MEGAN FRISQUE, director of community engagement, received the Mid-Level Student Affairs Professional Award from the Florida region of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the profession and who have contributed to programs that address the needs of students.

SUSAN GARBUTT, nursing simulation lab coordinator, presented “ITNEP Lessons Learned” at the University of South Florida College of Nursing’s “Integrating Technology in Nursing Education and Practice” workshop on Oct. 29.

JIM GORE, dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences, spoke to 20 Crystal River, FL community members at an Office of University Relations and Development-sponsored “Lunch with a Genius” event at the Plantation Golf Resort & Spa in October. He spoke about the delicate balance of harnessing our most precious resources with nature’s demand for maintaining its healthy ecosystems.

DANIEL GURA, vice president of Development and University Relations, will receive the 2011 Lloyd Horton Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for his commitment to the University and his involvement within the Tampa Bay community.

CHRIS GURRIE, associate professor of speech, received the “Teacher of the Year” award at the Florida Communication Association Convention. Additionally, Gurrie’s article “What are they doing on those cell phones? Bridging the gap to better understand student cell phone use and motivations in class” was published in the association’s Florida Communication Journal.

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CARL BUTTS .......................Campus Safety ..................................................Security OfficerHOLLEY CONTE ..................Career Services .................................................Staff Assistant IIHOLLY FARNELL .................Library ................................................................Technical Assistant II PeriodicalsMEGAN KINNEY ................Admissions for Graduate and Cont. Studies ....Admissions CounselorELIZABETH SCHOEPP ......Advising Office ..................................................Advisor

GINA LINEBERGER ...........College of Arts and Letters ...............................Administrative AssistantWENDY PLANT ..................Admissions for Graduate and Cont. Studies ....Sr. Admissions Counselor

Goodbye!

Hello!

Goodbye!

Hello!

Under ConstructionThe expansion and renovation of the Health Science and Human Performance (HSHP) facility in the

Martinez Athletics Center is nearing completion. Construction of the second floor addition for HSHP and new façade for the northeast end of the building will be finished in mid-November. Renovation of the existing first floor space will be completed over the winter break, concluding phase one of the project.

Renovations to the Edison Building have begun. The project will add three new offices, revamp existing classroom and dance spaces, and create a new home for the University’s collection of antique printing presses. The project is expected to be complete by Thanksgiving.

In the parking lot next to the Edison Building, site development has begun for a new structure to house an energy efficient central air conditioning chiller plant for the campus. Over the winter break, trenches will be dug across campus to run pipe from the central unit to ultimately serve various residence halls and buildings in the southern half of campus. The initial service will be to the entire Martinez Athletics Center.

Spartan Roll Turns TwoThe second anniversary of the Spartan Roll will be celebrated at Kona Grill on Nov. 10. Kona Grill, a restaurant located near the International Plaza in west Tampa, donates to UT a portion of the proceeds of each Spartan Roll sold. The Nov. 10 event includes live music, body sushi and award-winning menu items. The event will run from 6-10 p.m. More information and tickets to the event may be obtained at tickets@konagrill.com .

Thank a VeteranVeteran’s Day is Nov. 11. Please take a moment to thank faculty and staff who have served our country. Also, the Student Veterans Organization is hosting a Veteran’s Day dinner and raffle. Half of the proceeds from the event will go to Liberty Manor, a Tampa Bay charity that provides housing to homeless veterans. For more information, email paul.szoldra@spartans.ut.edu .

Check Out the Wellness Page on Spartan WebThere’s more on Spartan Web than Payroll and the Campus Directory! Log in to Spartan Web,

click on Employees, then Human Resources, then Wellness to access information and resources on improving your well-being.

Are you looking for an activity to get you moving? Check out Activity Suggestions for ideas. How about a Brainshark? Find out what a Brainshark is and give one a try. Why not print out a Tic-Tac-Toe game sheet? Complete two tic-tac-toes and you will be eligible to win $100!

Take a look at the Wellness Events Calendar to find out when there will be a massage therapist or free blood pressure check on campus. You can also browse through issues of the Better You From Blue newsletter and find links to nutrition and fitness resources.

So go take a look and contact any UTHR Wellness Committee member if you have questions, comments or ideas!

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WHO’S NEWS?Continued

CARL BUTTS .......................Campus Safety ..................................................Security OfficerHOLLEY CONTE ..................Career Services .................................................Staff Assistant IIHOLLY FARNELL .................Library ................................................................Technical Assistant II PeriodicalsMEGAN KINNEY ................Admissions for Graduate and Cont. Studies ....Admissions CounselorELIZABETH SCHOEPP ......Advising Office ..................................................Advisor

GINA LINEBERGER ...........College of Arts and Letters ...............................Administrative AssistantWENDY PLANT ..................Admissions for Graduate and Cont. Studies ....Sr. Admissions Counselor

STEPHANIE RUSSELL HOLZ, dean of students, presented “Community Collaborations: Student and Academic Affairs Coming Together as Educators” at the National Association for Campus Activities South Regional Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC on Oct. 14.

NORA JARMON, associate director of residence life, was selected as a participant in National Association of Student Personnel Administrator’s 2012 Alice Manicur Symposium for women aspiring to be senior student affairs officers in January. The symposium is held every two years and participants are selected through a competitive process.

JACK KING, professor of art, served as a judge for the fourth annual Winter Springs Festival of the Arts. Along with fellow-judge Adam Justice, an art curator at the Polk Museum of Art, King awarded 19 ribbons to artists from around the country

DONALD MORRILL, associate dean of graduate and continuing studies and Dana Professor of English, had his article “Character in Nonfiction” published in TriQuarterly Online.

KLARA NELSON, associate professor of information and technology management; Marcy Courier, professor of information and technology management; and Gilbert Joseph, Dana professor of accounting, had

their article “An Investigation of Digital Literacy Needs of Students” accepted for publication in the Journal of Information Systems Education.

DANA PLAYS, professor of communication, had her film Grain Graphics screed as part of the Retrospective Screening Series at the 50th annual Ann Arbor Film Festival.

JEFFREY SKOWRONEK, associate professor of psychology; Bruce Friesen, associate professor of sociology; and Heather Masonjones, chair/associate professor of biology, had their article “Developing a Statistically Valid and Practically Useful Student Evaluation Instrument” published in the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

REBECCA WHITE, James W. Walter Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship and director of the Entrepreneurship Center, presented “Catch the Tampa Bay Tech Wave” with Linda Olson, founder and executive director of Tampa Bay WaVE Inc., at the Downtown Debriefing Series on Nov. 3.

JACOB WILSON, assistant professor of health sciences and human performance, will present “Sport Supplements — Overview on Beneficial Supplements” and “Sport Nutrition to Prevent Age Related Muscle Loss” at the International Symposium on Exercise and Nutrition: Focus on Muscle and Adipose Tissue at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland in December.

A FREAKISHLY FUN EVENT — There was a great turnout for the annual faculty and staff Halloween Party on Oct. 31. The International Programs Office came dressed as the IPO Globe Trotters and won the award for best group costume. Employees from Financial Aid dressed as characters from the Flintstones and took the prize for best skit. Best individual costume went to Lorraine Hoffberg from Financial Management, who dressed as a mouse inside a wedge of cheese.

Did You Know?The Science Wing of Plant Hall is now home to a JSM-6010LA Analytical Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). An SEM bounces a beam of electrons off an object to magnify it up to 300,000 times and provides a clearer image than a traditional compound microscope. The instrument will be the focus of the Essentials of Electron Microscopy

course, and also be used in forensic science and invertebrate zoology curriculums. The purchase of this device was made possible in part by the generous contributions of Dr. and Mrs. R. Vijayanagar. Dr. Vijayanagar is a member of the Board of Trustees. The microscope will be dedicated on Nov. 11.

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Faculty Sabbatical ProjectsFALL 2011

SUZANNE COLLINS, associate professor of nursing, “Good Nurses Having a Bad Day, A Concept Analysis and Consideration of the Relationship to Nursing Workforce Retention”

CHERI ETLING, associate professor of finance, “Analysis of the Impact of Introduction to Global Business on Student Learning and Retention” and “The Impact of Cause Related Marketing”

LEWIS HARRIS, chair/professor of art, “Jury-like Decisions and the Gender Effect”

STEVE HEKKANEN, professor of psychology, “Basic and Applied Research in Finance”

JAMES LEE, associate professor of marketing, “Antecedents and Consequences of Consumer Comfort in Service Encounters”

SUSAN TAYLOR LENNON, professor of speech, theatre and dance, development of one-woman dance/theatre performance work

LORI BENSON MCRAE, associate professor of biology, “Stomach Content Analysis of the Aholehole, Kuhlia xenura, in two Hawaiian Streams”

TERRY PARSSINEN, professor of history, “Women Survivors of the Nazi Concentration Camps”

TERESA PERGOLA, associate professor of accounting, “Earnings in Quality and Corporate Governance”

SPRING 2012

KEVIN BEACH, professor of biology, “Algal Color: The Role of Structure vs. Pigmentation and Their Respective Impacts on Photosynthetic Performance”

MARCUS INGRAM, chair/associate professor of finance, “History of Chemistry as an Alternative Context for Teaching Chemistry to Non-science Majors”

JEFF SKOWRONEK, associate professor of psychology, “Perception vs. Performance: Executive Functions in Children Diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder”

FULL YEAR

FRANK GILLEN, Dana professor of English, “Monograph: Motifs in Harold Pinter,” reading his drama, creative writing on two plays, work toward their production

DANA PLAYS, professor of communication, experimental and documentary digital installation and film projects for peer reviewed publication/exhibition.

UNDER THE SEA — An exhibition of photographs by internationally renowned photographer Scott “Gutsy” Tuason ’86, “Imagine Diving Deep into the Sea,” is on display through Nov. 30 at the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery. The exhibition includes 26 shots of underwater landscapes and sea creatures in their natural habitats. Tuason will give a Gallery Talk about his diving experiences on Nov. 29 at 6 p.m.

Common Dolphins & Gannet Birds (East London)

THE “MUNNARET” — Greg Bowdler, assistant director of enrollment communication in the Office of Admissions, has challenged himself to customize 52 Munny “blanks” during the year of 2011. For week 42, in honor of Homecoming, Bowdler transformed the 4” action figure into one of Plant Hall’s famous minarets. So far, Bowdler has turned Munny figures into everything from an Oscar (week 9) to a flower pot (week 18) and even a UT Spartan (week 23). Follow his blog to see what Munny creation he comes up with next: munnyaweek.blogspot.com .

Interfaith Program Recognized

The OSLE-coordinated program,”Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Promoting Faith, Values and Spirituality” received a Program of Distinction award at the Florida National Association of College Personnel Administrators Drive-in Conference on Oct. 7. The program, designed to aid students in developing a sense of purpose and self-awareness, included a Community Conversations series, Speakers Forum on Religion, Character and Values Leadership Retreat, Spirituality and Film series, and Values Book Club.

Employee of the Month

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Get in the InsighterSend your news, notes and story ideas

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OCTOBER GLENDA SAMS

Administrative Assistant to the Dean of StudentsStudent Affairs

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For future events and more info see www.ut.edu/campuseventcalendar

Wednesday, Nov. 9 Center for Ethics Speaker Series with Urban Land Institute. Brevard Hall Room 18, 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10 Music of Mark Sforzini — Fourth Annual Composer Festival. Fletcher Lounge, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11Women’s Basketball vs. Wisconsin-Parkside. Martinez Athletics Center, 7:30 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 12 Men’s Lacrosse vs. Central Florida (exhibition). Pepin Stadium, 1 p.m.Women’s Basketball vs. Clayton State. Martinez Athletics Center, 6 p.m.Monday, Nov. 14 Men’s Basketball vs. Southeastern. Martinez Athletics Center, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16 Scholars’ Symposia presents Eamonn Wall. Music Room, 4 p.m.

TWO WEEKS@UT

CAMPUS HOURSCAMPUS STOREhttp://utampa.bncollege.com

HENRY B. PLANT MUSEUMwww.plantmuseum.com

SCARFONE/HARTLEY GALLERYwww.ut.edu/scarfonehartleygallery

MACDONALD-KELCE LIBRARYhttp://utopia.ut.edu/hours.htm

COMPUTER LAB HOURSwww.ut.edu/technology/labs

DINING SERVICEShttp://dining.ut.edu/locations.html

Thursday, Nov. 17 “Jaws” screening, with presentation by Dan Huber, assistant professor of biology, at Tampa Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 Olivier Latry, organist of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. Sykes Chapel, 6 and 8 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 19 Swimming vs. Saint Leo. UT Swimming Complex, 11 a.m.Tuesday, Nov. 22 Women’s Basketball vs. Puerto Rico-Bayamon. Martinez Athletics Center, 5:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Florida Memorial. Martinez Athletics Center, 7:30 p.m.Nov. 23-25Thanksgiving Break

NOVEMBERLORRAINE HOFFBERG

AccountantFinancial Management