News in brief

KU staff to sponsor summer food drive

Unclassified Senate and University Support Staff Senate have joined together to host their first summer food drive, July 13-17. The senates are hosting the food drive in July to combat shortages in supply and higher demand that typically occur in summer. Through ECKAN, this drive will gather donations to fill local food pantries that help hungry families in Lawrence. Donations will be given to ECKAN Just Food, a partnership of local food pantries and will be shared with Salvation Army, Trinity Interfaith Pantry, Ballard and ECKAN. The Just Food program includes as partners community members, businesses, faith-based groups, local farmers and other programs concerned about hunger.

Donation collection points are being determined and will be announced at a later date. Any department that would like to serve as a collection point should contact Thelma Simons at tsimons@ku.edu.

Just Food suggests donations such as canned/pouch-packed tuna or salmon, canned chicken, bean soup, chili, peanut butter, oatmeal, whole grain or graham crackers, all kinds of pasta, cereal, canned vegetables, shelf-stable vegetable juice, canned fruit, dried fruit, powdered or evaporated milk and boxed dinners, among others.

Details about the event are posted on both the Unclassified Senate and USS Senate Web sites.

Facilities Operations, Design and Construction Management reorganize

Don Steeples, senior vice provost, recently announced that the offices of Facilities Operations and Design and Construction Management will undergo a reorganization designed to improve financial efficiency and improve communication with the offices’ colleagues.

Facilities Operations will be known as Facilities Operations and Planning. Doug Riat will continue in his role as director and will report to Steeples. Design and Construction Management will be a major division of Facilities Operations and Planning. Jim Modig will continue to direct the office, and he will report to Riat.

"We believe the annual savings will be at least $200,000 by the third year with this new structure," Riat said.

The changes will be effective July 1. Steeples said the organization is common in Kansas Regents institutions.

Submissions for KU directory due June 17

All KU departments and divisions are asked to update their entries in the administrative offices section, or "white pages," for the 2009-10 KU directory by June 17.

Department representatives should review relevant sections of the 2008-09 directory and note any additions, deletions or changes that need to be made.

The name, telephone number and e-mail of the department representative making the changes should be noted. Please be sure the department or division’s central e-mail address is included.

You may send the changes by e-mail to erapport@ku.edu or you may mark the changes on a copy of the directory page and send it by campus mail to Evie Rapport at University Relations by 5 p.m. June 17.

For changes to individual listings in the blue-bar pages, faculty and staff should contact their department’s personnel-related staff representative.

For more information, contact Rapport at 864-8869 or erapport@ku.edu.

Park and Ride rerouted because of tunnel work

Because of ongoing utility tunnel work and the temporary closure of the Irving Hill Road bus stop, the Park and Ride Express will be rerouted May 18-Aug. 14.

Visit kuonwheels.ku.edu for the summer route map and schedule.

CReSIS cited in report on climate change

The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets is cited frequently in a report on global climate change just released by the National Science Foundation.

The study, titled “Solving the Puzzle: Researching the Impacts of Climate Change Around the World,” breaks the research down into six categories: ice, sky, sea, land, life and people. The work done by CReSIS is noted in the “ice” section for providing a deeper understanding of the impact of climate change on the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica.

According to the report, “Satellite-based radars have shown that parts of the ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctic are undergoing rapid changes. However, the cause of these rapid changes is poorly understood.”

The report notes how CReSIS research also will help over the coming years with the assessment of future sea-level rise through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

To read the full report, click here. (PDF)

West campus pond to be lowered for runoff control

The west campus pond will be lowered five feet from its normal level during the early stages of construction of the new pharmacy building. This temporary change will help prevent flooding of the excavated basement, which could delay the work. An existing storm sewer that ran through the new building's location is being relocated, which made this change necessary. The depth change is estimated to last about two months.

Construction of the new School of Pharmacy building is now well under way. Large earth-moving machines are preparing the site and digging foundations, and construction workers are on foot in the area. Persons who work at the Multidisciplinary Research Building, Structural Biology Center, the Kansas Geological Survey and other west campus research buildings should be prepared to stop or slow down when driving on Becker Drive or Constant Avenue south of 19th Street.

Later this summer, construction will begin west of MRB on the new Lawrence Bioscience Business Incubator. That project will also have an impact on west campus traffic, but work is unlikely to begin prior to Labor Day.

Hemenway suggests departing gifts be sent to KU Endowment

Since Chancellor Robert Hemenway announced he would step down this summer, a number of schools and departments have stated interest in giving gifts to honor his time as chancellor. Hemenway has requested any such gifts be given to the university’s general scholarship fund at KU Endowment. Details about the fund are available online.

Payroll deduction available for Ambler memberships

Faculty and staff can purchase a membership to the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center through payroll deduction. Memberships can be purchased monthly for $20.83 or annually for $250. If purchasing in person, visit the administrative office in room 103 of the center. Payroll deduction forms for 2009-10 are available in the administrative office or online.

Membership provides access to 15,000 square feet of cardiovascular and resistance training equipment; equipment checkout services — towels, racquets, basketballs; six multipurpose gymnasium wood courts; synthetic multipurpose arena; martial arts studio; aerobics studio; golf simulator; suspended walking/jogging track; 42 foot rock climbing wall; four racquetball courts (one convertible to squash); and the opportunity to purchase KU Fit (aerobics) passes, FIT4U (fitness assessments) and personal training services.

Only KU faculty and staff on the Lawrence campus are eligible for payroll deduction. Spouse and domestic partner memberships of faculty and staff are not eligible for payroll deduction. Kansas Union employees should contact their human resources office on the third level of the Kansas Union if interested in payroll deduction. Payroll deduction is not available for affiliate employees.

For more information about Recreation Services and the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center, visit www.recreation.ku.edu.