I ONI

Showcasing UF
and Florida's future
scientists .._

Each year since
1963, Florida sci-
ence teachers and
several hundred
high school stu-
dents have traveled
to UF's campus
for a prestigious
event known as the Mary J Koly
"Junior Science,
Engineering and Humanities Sympo-
sium"(JSEHS). This unique three-day
program is designed to foster and en-
courage student interest in science and
mathematics. This year, JSEHS will take
place Jan. 24-26.
The program includes visits to
laboratories of more than 50 research-
ers, a speaker competition for the top
25 senior-level high school research-
ers in Florida, and an opportunity for
ninth- and 10th-grade students to give
presentations about their research.
Students are invited to bring posters to
display throughout the symposium.
Another component of JSEHS is
UF faculty lectures. This year's speakers
include Dr. Lyle Moldawer, vice chair
of research, Laboratory of Inflamma-
tion Biology and Surgical Science, and
Charles Telesco, professor, department
of astronomy.
JSEHS is hosted by UF's Center for
Precollegiate Education and Train-
ing, the U.S. Armed Services and the
Academy of Applied Science. For more
information, please visit www.cpet.ufl.
edu/JSEHS or call 352-392-2310.
Mary Jo Koroly
Director, Center for P'c,'o//l ,,I'
Education and Training

EPI dedication ceremony to
be held on Jan. 26
A dedication ceremony for the new
80,000-square-foot Emerging Pathogens
Institute (EPI) building will be held at 2
p.m. on Jan. 26.
The ceremony's keynote speakers will
include President Bernie Machen, Vice
President for Research Win Phillips, and
several state of Florida officials.
Deans from eight University of Florida
colleges affiliated with EPI will join to-
gether for a ribbon cutting. Included
are the College of Medicine, College of
Engineering, College of Veterinary
Medicine, College of Dentistry,
College of Liberal Arts and Sci-
ences, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, College
of Public Health and Health
Professions and the College of
Pharmacy.
The building's dedication
will be combined with the
annual EPI Research Day 2010,
including an open exhibit of ap-
proximately 80 research posters. The
exhibit will be held from 10 a.m. to noon.
The dedication and exhibit are open to
the public.

U F UNIVERSITY of
UFFLORIDA
The Foundation for The Gator Nation

II EmaM

UF students Ashley Van Putten, Wendy Alderman and Ami Patel visited the Taj Mahal during a
recent trip to educate Indian children about tobacco hazards.

UF students take anti-tobacco message

to India, blog reaches beyond

L.

Instead of spending winter holiday break with family, five University of
Florida pre-medicine majors blogged from India about their experiences
with Doctors Without Borders.
Wendy Alderman, Jasmine Nebhrajani, Ami Patel, Krupa Patel and
Ashley Van Putten traveled to Mota Fofalia, India, to help educate children
about the dangers of tobacco use.
Each day 55,000 children in India start using tobacco and about 5 mil-
lion children under the age of 15 are addicted to tobacco, according to an
online article written by Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, an associate professor and head
and neck cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
Ami Patel's uncle, Kiran Patel, is one of three founders of the Mota Fofalia compound, including a
hospital and the Shree Chhotubhai A. Patel Learning Institute and Academy.
PowerPoint presentations provided 150 academy students, ages 13 to 16, with vivid pictures of the
harmful effects of tobacco use. Although many U.S. schools censor such pictures, the Indian school per-
mitted them, said Wendy Alderman.
Alderman considers the effort a success, crediting the "shock value" of the pictures, as well as the inter-
active games and awarding of candy.
The UF students traveled several times to an Internet cafe to blog (gatorgirlsinindia.blogspot.com)
about their experiences. Alderman said that she and the other women decided to create the blog to stay
connected with their families, but the blog soon began to reach others.
"The world is becoming increasingly connected," said UF alumnus Vivek Chandrasekhar, a manager at
Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Chandrasekhar found the blog after reading about it in
the "InsideUF" online newsletter (http://insideuf.ufl.edu).
Chandrasekhar said he was attracted to the blog because of the time of year the women decided to
engage in the cause, and because of the cultural experience for them.
Alderman recommends keeping a blog when traveling.
"You may forget the experiences you have, but if you blog about it, you can reread it and feel what you
felt in that moment," Alderman said.
By Kristie Andres

I UF0Calendar

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OW

Jan. 19
UF Career Resource Center presents Career Showcase, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
O'Connell Center.
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service presents a health-care
debate, given by former Senators Tom Daschle and Bill Frist, 7
p.m., Pugh Hall Ocora.

Jan. 20
UF Career Resource Center presents Career Showcase, 9
a.m. to 3 p.m., O'Connell Center.
Jan.22
Spring S-U grade-option deadline.
Jan.29
Spring-degree applications deadline.
Recurring Events

Jan.30
The Harn Museum of Art presents weekend tours at 11 a.m. on every
Saturday, and docent-led tours at 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Both
events are free and open to the public.
This is a sampling of events from the electronic UF calendar.
For more event details, or to submit an event to the calendar, click
"UF Calendar" at www.insideuf.ufl.edu.

Produced by the
University Relations Office
for faculty, staff and students
Editor Susan Stewart
January 19, 2010

Scholarships now available
Rotary Club of Gainesville, along with other local
Rotary clubs, is currently accepting applications for
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships. Scholarships up
to $25,000 will be appointed for a one-year period of
academic study and foreign residence.
The scholarships help promote Rotary's ideals of peace
and international understanding by encouraging daily
contact with people of other cultures and traditions.
For more information, e-mail Harry Shaw of the
Rotary Club of Gainesville, hshaw@oasis.ufl.edu.

UF campus directory pickup
The 2010 University of Florida Campus Directory is
available for pickup at Central Stores Warehouse, Build-
ing 705, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Central Stores Warehouse is located on Radio Road,
directly west of the UF Motor Pool. For more informa-
tion, e-mail Sharon Eyman, sharonla@ufl.edu.

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