Campus News: green ideas

Have green ideas?

Student organizations and individual students have until Feb. 21 to submit preliminary proposals seeking funds for campus projects related to sustainability, energy efficiency and conservation or renewable energy, including composting, landscaping and transportation. 

A total of about $30,000 will be awarded by the Green Fee Advisory Board, which includes students, faculty and staff. The funding comes from the UIC Green Fee paid by undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

 

Science and religion

The Institute for the Humanities and UIC Jewish-Muslim Initiative will host a conference March 10 exploring the role of science in religion.

“Science in Judaism and Islam” takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Institute for the Humanities, lower level, Stevenson Hall.

 

Modernizing O’Hare

Find out details of the $7 billion O’Hare International Airport modernization project at a lecture Feb. 20.

FAA project manager Christina Drouet presents “The O’Hare Modernization and Chicago Airspace Project” from noon to 1 p.m. at the Great Cities Institute, 400 CUPPA Hall. The lecture is sponsored by the Urban Transportation Center.

 

Chancellor search

Nominations are due Monday for members of the UIC community to serve on a search committee to find UIC’s next chancellor.

The advisory committee will include 16 members: seven faculty members, an undergraduate student, a graduate or professional student, two deans or directors, an academic professional, a civil service staff member, an alumna or alumnus, a representative from the University of Illinois Foundation and a member of the Chicago community.

Brief letters of nomination should be sent via email to Elizabeth Dooley, clerk of the UIC Faculty Senate, at edooley@uic.edu

UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares’ contract expires in January 2015.

 

Economic jackpot?

A lecture Feb. 21 examines the implications of expanding casino development to help bolster the state economy.

“Casinos as Tools for Economic Development in Suburban Chicago” takes place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Great Cities Institute, 400 CUPPA Hall.

Speakers are Ryan Gallagher and Michael Wenz, assistant professors of economics at Northeastern Illinois University.

For more information, email gcities@uic.edu

 

Better way to travel?

How could transit around campus be improved?

Share your ideas through UIC’s Multimodal Transportation Plan survey about transportation around UIC at 

The digitally accessible survey is available through Feb. 17.

Members of the UIC community can share their comments Feb. 12 at two workshops: 4 to 5:30 p.m., Thompson Rooms, Student Center West, or 6:30 to 8 p.m., 329 Student Center East.

 

Free dental screenings

Free screenings by College of Dentistry students will be offered 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the college’s clinics. No appointments are necessary.

Students are preparing for their licensing exams. Screening includes a free limited dental exam and x-rays, if indicated.

Certain patients will be selected for treatment on the days of licensing exam, March 22 and 23.

Patients with all missing teeth are not accepted. Must be 18 years old or older and cannot be allergic to latex.

 

Self-defense skills

The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women will host a self-defense class Feb. 20.

The “I Am Self Defense” workshop takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. in the School of Public Health gymnasium.

 

Celebrating Herstory

The 20th annual Women’s Leadership Symposium, “HERSTORY: Celebrating Our Past and Soaring into the Future,” is seeking presenters to give workshop sessions on leadership development.

The symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 5 in the Illinois Room, Student Center East.

Past topics have included mentoring, conflict resolution, technology, financial planning and networking.

Deadline to submit proposals is Feb. 19 to wlrc@uic.edu or the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center, MC 363.

 

Check it out

Be sure to check out UIC’s new science blog, UIC Science. The Tumblr blog features everything and anything science at UIC including biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine and more.

 

Vacation, sick leave payouts

UIC employees can defer vacation and compensable sick leave payouts to their 403(b) and 457 retirement accounts when they retire or leave the university.

For instructions, call the Benefits Services office at 312-996-6471 on or before 60 days before the last day of employment.

The benefits office is located on the first floor of the Marshfield Building.

For more information visit NESSIE, the university’s HR website.

 

Need help?

Not sure how to use computer software? Ask Lynda.

Lynda.com, a collection of online tutorial programs available free to UIC students and employees, offers more than 1,000 video tutorials on software topics such as Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft products; web publishing; video and audio editing; operating systems and more.