Take Five
Plastic rain
An installation art display rained recyclable water bottles for an environmental awareness message in the University Art Gallery this winter. Professional artist Sandy Skoglund of New Jersey teamed up with 30 art students to collect empty water bottles and create “Raining Bottles” as part of the art department’s Stephen L. Barstow Art and Design Lecture Series. •
Brainiacs wanted
CMU launches two new doctoral programs this fall: neuroscience and the science of advanced materials.
The field of advanced materials (think nanomaterials and molecular research) has become an active area of research in CMU’s College of Science and Technology and the Center for Applied Research and Technology. Students in the science of advanced materials interdisciplinary doctoral program will take courses in physics, chemistry, and mathematics.
The Ph.D. program in neuroscience also will be an interdisciplinary program, integrating courses, research and clinical opportunities from departments including biology, chemistry, health sciences, rehabilitation and medical sciences, communication disorders, and psychology. It is closely related to CMU’s doctoral program in applied experimental psychology, although it will have a greater focus on neuroscience-related courses and give neuroscience students more flexibility in choosing from various departments. •
Canine couture
Walks across campus will no longer be cold or wet for Ares, the 2-year-old Great Dane service dog of student Sandra Isles, an environmental studies and geology double major.
Students in a functional apparel design class this spring used CMU’s high-tech body scanner to take Ares’ measurements and then designed and sewed winter wear and spring rainwear using breathable water-resistant and wind-resistant fabrics.
Isles can only carry up to two pounds, and she has trouble with her balance. Ares steadies her on stairs and carries books, medicine, groceries, and whatever she needs. Now he can be a little dryer while doing it.
Isles says she’s grateful for the clothing designers’ help.
“Knowing that my companion is cold or uncomfortable, I wanted to be able to do something for him – especially when he does so much for me,” she says.
An added bonus for Isles: no more wet dog smell. •
New dean for science and tech
Educator, administrator, and researcher Ian Davison joins CMU June 1 as the new dean of the College of Science and Technology.
He most recently served as an independent researcher and adjunct curator for the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He also directed the Academy of Natural Sciences Estuarine Research Center in St. Leonard, Maryland, and he spent 16 years teaching as a professor of marine sciences, botany, and marine biology at the University of Maine.
“The faculty and staff here really care about their work and their university,” Davison says. “From a professional and personal standpoint, that commitment is invaluable. Alongside colleagues this motivated and driven toward success, I know that I can make a difference as the new dean.”
Davison holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Westfield College, University of London, and a doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Dundee in Scotland.
He replaces Bob Kohrman, who retired. •
University life redux
Grandparents: grab your grandchildren and head to campus for CMU’s first ever Grandparents U summer camp.
The event June 18 through 20 brings together grandparents and their grandchildren ages 8 to 12 for three days of fun and hands-on educational sessions conducted by CMU faculty.
Sleep in residence halls, attend special classes together, and experience many other CMU highlights. Class selections may include subjects like Therapeutic Use of Animals, LEGO Challenge, Fish Aging Techniques, and Harry Potter’s World. Evenings will be spent swimming, bowling, watching movies, touring the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History, and more.
Learn more or register at alumni.cmich.edu (select Alumni Programs – Event Registration)
or call (800) 358-6903. •
