KU prof wins Carengie prize for research A KU professor who won a prestigious Carnegie Corporation Fellowship hopes to use the award to help unravel the mysteries surrounding Muslim women's scholarship prior to the 18th century. Beverly Mack, associate professor of African and African-American studies, will receive $98,600 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York toward her archival research in the Maghreb, the northwest area of Africa, which includes Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria and Tunisia. Once there, she will look for Arabic manuscripts by and about women scholars prior to the 18th century. "This research aims to dispel the Western stereotype that Muslim women are not active scholars," Mack said. John Janzen, professor of anthropology and director of KU's African Studies Resource Center, said the fellowship was not only a wonderful recognition for Mack, but it also reflected highly on the level of work being done in African studies at KU. "African studies has been developing here over the past decade," he said. "And Beverly Mack is the kind of person who symbolizes this level of national and international recognition for the first-class scholarship that is going on here." Mack already has uncovered evidence that suggests that at least one female scholar was corresponding with her male contemporaries prior to the 18th century. Through her initial research, Mack has uncovered letters written by Muslim male scholars to the female scholar Nana Asma'u. Mack was nominated for the fellowship by a panel headed by KU Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway.

Interactive maps update DASC site Since winning a special achievement award last year for its Web site, the State of Kansas Data Access and Support Center has been busy creating more interesting features to add to the site, said Kenneth Nelson, DASC project manager. Nelson said that the center, which is located at the Kansas Geological Survey and serves as the state's clearinghouse for geospatial data,would be adding interactive maps that feature pan and zoom options. The maps will illustrate various geological features in Kansas, such as streams and city boundaries. Nelson said that he thought the maps would help make the data more accessible. "Our biggest service is that it is free," said Amber Smith, Geographic Information Systems specialist for DASC. "There are not a lot of tools that are out there that are free and easily accessible." Smith said that the site also would be including a metadata tool to collect information about spatial data throughout the state. The DASC Web site can be accessed at gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu.