Faculty and Staff Notes

Share NC State’s Good News

As faculty and staff know, NC State has a lot of news to share. National and international publications carry stories about our research.

In the age of Twitter and Facebook, you can help spread the news. Besides submitting items to the Bulletin (always welcome), consider sharing some NC State news with your friends and family. Of course, if you’re going to spread the word, you have to read the stories. You can find them through our Web site, Facebook group or Twitter feed. Here are some other ways to help spread the word:

• Bookmark our In The News site and check it regularly for interesting stories
• Share the links to those stories with friends on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail, or go old school and talk about it with your co-workers or over dinner.
• Get stories sent to you automatically by setting up an RSS/Google news feed.
• Send notes to your legislative representatives reminding them of how important NC State is to the state and thanking them for their support.

Share your ideas with us on our Facebook page, and let us know how you’re sharing the good news. You can find more information at http://news.ncsu.edu/good-news/.

Dr. Terri Lomax is president of the  American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology.

Lomax Leads Space Biology Association

Dr. Terri L. Lomax, vice chancellor for research and graduate studies, became president of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology on Nov. 7 at the association’s national meeting in Raleigh. She will serve a one-year term.

The association, founded in 1984, includes university, government and industry members who share an interest in biology, space exploration and the effects of gravity and other components of the space environment on life. Lomax will lead the board of directors and represent the association with other professional societies, government officials, educational institutions, industry and stakeholder groups, and the public.

Lomax’s gravitational and space biology background is primarily in the study of plant molecular, cellular and physiological responses to environment. She served continuously as a NASA principal investigator for 18 years before moving to NASA headquarters in 2003. She  administered space biology programs and research to support human space exploration for three years.

MBA Students Win National Case Competition

An NC State team in the Jenkins MBA program won first place in the National Association of Women MBA annual case competition.

Team members Hong Jiang, Megan Naugle, Bri Tegtmeier, Emily Curley and Debranetta Gethers presented their marketing plan at the national finals in Anaheim, Calif., competing against five other teams that advanced through the first two rounds of competition.

The Jenkins team received a $3,000 award for winning the contest, which was sponsored by Home Depot.

Harrison Writes Book on Victorian Poet

Dr.  Tony Harrison, department head and distinguished professor of English, has a new book about a Victorian poet and critic due out this month. The Cultural Production of Matthew Arnold will be published by Ohio University Press.

College of Management Joins International Business Partnership

NC State’s College of Management is the newest member of the International Partnership of Business Schools, a dual-degree program hosted by the ESB Business School at  Reutlingen University in Germany.  Dr. K. Shannon Davis, associate dean of undergraduate programs, signed the agreement.

Dr. Ira R. Weiss, dean of the College of Management,  worked with IPBS member schools while at a previous institution, and was the lead contact for the partnership. “To be successful in today’s truly global business environment,business students need opportunities not only to study abroad, but also to study and experience business in international settings,” Weiss said. “Membership in the IPBS opens the door to many more such opportunities for our students.”

Professor Writes for Gandhi Center Book

Architecture Professor Thomas Barrie contributed a chapter for a book published by the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts this year. The chapter, The Basilica of La Madeleine, Vézelay: Spatial and Symbolic Narratives in the Medieval Western Christian Church, is included in Pilgrimages: Sacred Landscapes and Self-Organized Complexity, edited by John Malville and Baidyanath Saraswati.

H1N1 Nasal Spray Clinic Today

NC State students, faculty and staff who are most at risk for H1N1 flu can receive nasal spray vaccine today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Health Center, Room 2301. No appointment is needed.

Those who qualify for the nasal vaccine are:

• Healthy people 24 years and under who are not pregnant and do not have health conditions such as diabetes or asthma.
• Healthy people 25 to 49 years old who are emergency or health care workers.
• Healthy people 25 to 49 years old who live with or care for infants younger than six months.

The vaccine is free, but all recipients must present a current university ID. Those with Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance should present a member card and photo ID to receive the free flu shot.

Pregnant women, people with certain medical conditions or weak immune systems, or those over age 49 should receive an H1N1 shot rather than the nasal spray. They are encouraged to frequently check the Student Health Center Web site for shot availability.

Seasonal Flu Shots Available

Don’t miss the last seasonal flu shot clinic scheduled on campus. Today, State Health Plan members can receive free shots from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Talley Student Center ballroom. Register online at http://www7.acs.ncsu.edu/hr/benefits/enrollment/flushots. Be sure to bring your insurance card.

W-2 Smackdown Made Simpler

It’s now easier and safer than ever to help NC State make tax time greener. To save paper and time, sign up for an electronic W-2 earnings form. In response to security concerns from employees, now only the last four digits of your Social Security number are required. And yes,  the IRS will accept a copy of the form from your home printer.

To see where your unit ranks in the standings, visit the payroll page. Each Friday through Dec. 18, payroll will update the standings. Units with the highest percentages will be recognized. Questions? Send an e-mail to hr_payroll@ncsu.edu or call Joanie Aitken at 513-3548.

In Memoriam

Cindy Boone Sears, the university’s director of trademark licensing, died Wednesday. She had worked at NC State for 32 years.

Sears is survived by her parents, Frank Boone and Mary Jones Boone; husband, Calvin; sons, Neal and  Kyle; and brothers, Frankie Boone and Daniel Boone.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at Thomas Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Piney Grove Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Wake Chapel Memorial Gardens.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Wake County on behalf of Cindy Sears.