UA shows science is cool on its varied sites on Net

By Dan Sorenson

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Astronomy and space

Tuition may be going up every year, but there’s a free, informal self-paced education and some fascinating viewing awaiting anyone with Internet access and time to cruise the University of Arizona’s thousands of science Internet pages.

Looking for tips on a science project or just stunning screen wallpaper for your computer? You may even be able to find help with math homework or with work around the home.

The College of Agriculture and Life Science home page’s “Extension Outreach” link offers information that can be useful to gardeners trying to identify garden critters: cals.arizona.edu/extension.”

Speaking of agriculture, visit “Tomatoes Live!” at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center Internet site to see something of hydroponic plant life at the UA’s greenhouses on North Campbell Avenue via webcam.

The Business Journal of Phoenix – 12:43 PM MST Tuesday (Jan. 16, 2007)

by Angela Gonzales

The Business Journal

The Muscular Dystrophy Association and the ALS Therapy Development Institute have joined forces to launch a $36 million drug discovery project.

The three-year project will attempt to identify biochemical targets and find drugs to attack amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The collaboration was funded by MDA’s Augie’s Quest, a fast-track ALS research program, and by the Cambridge, Mass.-based ALS Therapy Development Institute.

Research will take place at the institute’s 16,000-square-foot lab in Cambridge.

Based in Tucson, MDA spends nearly $200 million a year on ALS research. It operates 225 neuromuscular disease clinics across the country and 37 ALS-specific research and care centers.

For more: www.mda.org.

Ken Alltucker

The Arizona Republic

Jan. 14, 2007 12:00 AM

Gov. Janet Napolitano wants to bolster the state’s education and innovation with a proposed budget that would sprinkle over $75 million next year for bioscience, technology, and math- and science-related initiatives.

Science Foundation Arizona would get an additional $35 million to foster the state’s innovation and technology. An additional $25 million would ramp up downtown’s biomedical campus. And the state’s top math and science teachers would be rewarded with fatter paychecks as part of a $15.5 million math and science initiative.

The governor stressed that her spending plan reflects the need to prepare Arizona’s students and businesses for a world that increasingly will produce technical and high-skilled jobs.

Napolitano unveiled her budget Friday morning before meeting with various groups, including Science Foundation Arizona, which also announced its initial grants on Friday. The fiscal 2008 budget must be voted on by the Legislature, though Napolitano also has veto power.

UA programs rank in top 5 in faculty scholarly index

- Staff and Wire Report

Published: 01.12.2007

Tucson Citizen

New rankings based on faculty scholarly activity place several University of Arizona programs among the country’s best.

The recently released Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, a new means of assessing doctoral programs at research universities, ranks 354 institutions and about 7,300 doctoral programs.

The index ranked two UA doctoral programs, communication and agronomy and crop sciences, No. 1 among large research universities. In the broader category of agricultural sciences, UA was rated the top program in the country based on faculty productivity.

Programs in botany and plant biology, pharmaceutical sciences, and medicinal chemistry and entomology all received a top five ranking. UA’s nutrition program placed 10th among large research universities nationwide.

IBM engineer, team granted record number of patents

By Becky Pallack

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

IBM engineer Gail Spear just learned that she was awarded 14 patents last year, bringing more than 50 patents to her name, with more pending.

Her Northeast Tucson neighbors don’t know she’s a prolific inventor, but Spear said her family is proud of her. Her great ideas happen in usual ways, with a team of co-workers brainstorming around a marker board, Spear said. All of her patents have more than one name on them.

Spear and other scientists at IBM’s Tucson storage-systems development center at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park beat their own record for the number of U.S. patents they received in a single year, with 135 patents in 2006.

Pa. plastics firm to open plant here

By Richard Ducote

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

A Pennsylvania-based plastics manufacturer will move into an 85,000 square-foot plant on the South Side and bring 25 jobs to Tucson over three years, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc. said Friday.

Computer Designs Inc. plans to invest $1 million in equipment and building improvements at 6270 S. Country Club Road, TREO said.

The company makes molded packaging for medical instruments, electronic components and other uses.

The company plans to open its Tucson operation within 90 days but is not yet accepting employment applications, TREO said.

The news is “a good deal” for the area, said Joe Snell, TREO president and CEO.

“Tucson keeps getting short-listed and getting the winning edge from companies looking to expand in the West,” he said.

By Eric Swedlund

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

University of Arizona engineering students returning to classes next week will see improvements to their advanced computer lab, complete with new 3-D design software, courtesy of Intel.

Intel Corp. gave the College of Engineering 25 Dell OptiPlex computers and a Dell Latitude laptop computer, which will be used in several engineering courses and for work on student projects.

The addition to the Virtual Development Center computer lab will enhance a busy work center for students and provide up-to-date equipment.

The SolidWorks software is used in engineering courses to teach 3-D design and is coupled with a small rapid prototyping lab so students can print their designs in three dimensions.