News and Updates from U of L

Kent School to Help China Enhance Social Work
U of L's Kent School of Social Work has entred a five-year program with China's Ministry of Civil Affairs to enhance that country's human services system and its network of professional social workers. China, the world's most populated nation, has 1.3 billion people.

Muslim Scholars See America Up Close
Does what you read or see on TV accurately reflect life in the United States? Pop culture plays a huge role in how people around the world perceive Americans. A program directed by U of L's Riffat Hassan and funded by the U.S. State Department brings Muslim scholars to the U.S. for a firsthand look at our religions and culture. Several U of L faculty members are visiting Pakistan as part of the program's second phase.

Courtesy U of L Athletics

U of L Formally Admitted into Big East The University of Louisville was one of five new members admitted into the Big East Conference on July 1 joining University of Cincinnati, DePaul University, Marquette University and the University of South Florida. All five universities will begin Big East competition in the 2005-06 academic year. The league had announced that the five new institutions had accepted conference membership on Nov. 4, 2003. With 16 members formally in place, the Big East has become the nation's largest Division 1-A conference.

U of L Engineers Improve Vehicle Design
The auto industry and the U.S. Army want safer, fuel-efficient, durable, corrosion-resistant, lighter-weight and low-cost trucks for military and commerical uses. Since 2000, U of L has teamed with the Army, Ford Motor Co. and other partners to meet these vehicle-design needs through an ongoing research project called IMPACT (Improved Materials and Powertrain Architecture for 21st Century Trucks). Mechanical engineering chair Glen Prater heads the multimillion-dollar project, which could net a total of $11 million in research support by its completion. Sen. Mitch McConnell has been key in securing the federal funding.
Prater recently received part of a new $1.5 million Army grant to develop software used in assessing and designing stronger and easier-to-manufacture vehicle structures. Since the project began, the skyrocketing cost of gasoline has made fuel efficiency for military vehicles an even more important goal.

University Summer Events
It may be hot and muggy, but there are a lot of cool summer things for you to do at U of L. It's the season for summer camps and workshops at U of L's School of Music. July's offerings include instruction in jazz, saxophone and piano. Budding musical talents can check the school's event calendar for more information.
For information about upcoming alumni events, visit the alumni event calendar.

Nearly 60,000 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed this year.

Be Smart in the Sun this Summer and Take Care of Your Skin The American Cancer Society says nearly 60,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed this year. That number is on the rise and has doctors worried, especially with the sunburn season upon us. The chief of surgery at University Hospital says avoiding the sun may not be possible, but there are ways to avoid sunburn.

U of L Track and Field Coach Mann Sprints the Globe
Second-season U of L track and field head coach Ron Mann is bringing attention to the sport by his involvement in promoting track and field worldwide. In June, Mann was one of five assistant coaches who helped Team USA men's head coach John Smith to complete the Team USA roster for the World Championships, slated for August. Mann will then serve as jumps coach for USA Track and Field at the World Championships August 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland.

Water Is Still a Mystery, Says Chemist
Surprisingly little is known about the structure of water chains in nature, says U of L chemistry professor Robert M. Buchanan. His lab started a new research program to evaluate the structure and property of water in crystals containing imidazole compounds. Buchanan has worked for 20 years with these compounds, which are useful in treating and preventing diseases and other health disorders.

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