This is fifth week of the spring 2015 semester.
ALERTS:
· Career Specialist Donald Asher will present “Finding a Job with Any Major” TODAY from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM in Meacham Auditorium.
· The annual MAJORS/MINORS FAIR takes place this Wednesday, February 11th in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom from 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM; there will be no Walk-In hours on Wednesday due to the Fair. This event targets OU students who have not yet selected a major. Stop by to check out the fantastic A&GS booth and to talk with interested students about your major. There’s free pizza!
· The Tornado Forecasting Series with Rich Thompson continues this Tuesday, February 10th, at 7:30 PM, in the National Weather Center, Room 1313. Check out the attached flyer for all the details.
· Support the Student Veterans Association (SVA) this Friday, 2/13, at their BAKE SALE in Buchanan Hall from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. Perfect timing - right before Valentine’s Day! All proceeds from the sale will go toward a new SVA Resource Center.
· You can now view (but not yet enroll in ) Fall 2015 courses on Ozone, so you can start to fill your course shopping cart.
· The Countdown Continues: Just 76 days until the gala opening of the 2015 NWC Biennale.
Spring and Summer 2015 degree candidates:
Pick up everything you need for commencement and convocation! Mark your calendars for Graduation Gear-Up, 10 am – 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 3 through Friday, March 6. Located in the Beaird Lounge, Second Floor of Oklahoma Memorial Union. www.ou.edu/commencement. …
A Reason to Live
OU will present “A Reason to Live” on Tuesday, February 10th from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM in the McCasland Field House. This suicide prevention program features two speakers: Kevin Hines, who attempted suicide at the age of 19, and Kevin Briggs, a retired California Highway Patrolman who has earned the nickname “Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge.” Together, they provide a powerful message that is full of hope. Please see the attached flyer for details.
David James Shellberg Scholarship
In memory of the late David James Shellberg (M.S. in Meteorology, 1994), the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences will present a memorial scholarship to a student exhibiting exemplary vision focused on the utility of surface observations in the realm of meteorology or climatology. The competition is open to any University of Oklahoma student in good standing enrolled in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at any point during the academic year ending at the spring semester in which the award is presented. This includes both undergraduate and graduate students.
To be considered for the award in 2015, you must submit a conference preprint, extended abstract, or abstract of any paper or poster that was submitted to a relevant meeting, workshop, conference, or symposium during the 2014-2015 academic year. A single scholarship will be awarded based upon the recommendations of a review panel.
All submissions must be received via email to Brad Illston () no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. The scholarship recipient will receive a $500 award, presented at the annual College awards ceremony on April 8th, 2015. The recipient’s name will also be engraved on a plaque in OCS main office. You can download an application at: http://bit.ly/1uav1mV
Drought Research Opportunity
Dr. Mark Shafer and Dr. Darren Purcell are seeking two undergraduate student research assistants to gather news stories to use as data for a study on media coverage of drought in the South Central Plains and SWAAG region states (NM/OK/TX/AR/LA).
Ideal skills and experiences include data gathering experience from media sources, some coding that would enable rapid data acquisition from archives, completion of GIS 4013 (Fundamentals of GIS), and a minimum 3.0 in the applicant’s major coursework. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Shafer at and send the following documents electronically:
· Current resume
· Cover letter explaining your experience and interest in this project
· List of two professors (other than Drs. Shafer and Purcell) who are willing to serve as references.
McNair Scholars Program
"Whether or not you reach your goals in life depends entirely on how well you prepare for them and how badly you want them. . . .You're eagles! Stretch your wings and fly to the sky."
Ronald E. McNair
Dr. Ronald Ervin McNair was a physicist and NASA astronaut who died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986; he was only 35 years old. The McNair Scholars Program was created in honor of Dr. McNair. It is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. If you interested in earning a PhD, and if you are a first generation* undergraduate student who receives a Pell grant, or if you are an undergraduate from an underrepresented ethnicity (African-American/Black, Alaska Natives, American Indian/Native American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American Pacific Islanders/Native Hawaiians), you may apply. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, have 60 credit hours, and a GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Program participants receive $2800 in stipends for their research and participation in the program. The application can be found at http://mcnair.ou.edu and is due March 1st. For questions, please contact Sophia Morren at .
*A first generation student is one whose parents have not earned a Bachelor's degree (an associates or some college work is fine).
Two OCS openings remain:
The Oklahoma Climatological Survey has filled the Student Outreach Position, but there are still two openings remaining in OCS:
· Student Assistant with the Climate and Data Services Group. This position is a part-time, 12-month appointment, subject to excellent completion of tasks by the student and availability of funds. For more info, visit jobs.ou.edu (requisition #21411) OR https://jobs.ou.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=324258
Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) student assistant. This is a part-time position. (requisition #21488)
This week’s Extras
Student Success Series:
· Memorization Skills Tuesday, February 10th 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Wagner Hall, Room 250
· Emotional Intelligence: Your E-IQ Wednesday, February 11th 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Wagner Hall, Room 250
The First Quarter Oklahoma Water Survey Newsletter for 2015 is available online here: http://oklahomawatersurvey.org/
On Friday, January 30th, Dr. Solomon Hsiang presented a seminar in DGES titled “The Causal Effect of Environmental Catastrophe on Long-Run Economic Growth: Evidence from 6,700 Cyclones.” The original paper from which that presentation was drawn is attached.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MM?
If you have any announcement you would like posted in Monday Memo (e.g., meetings, seminars, jobs, internships or just some great news) please send it to Asst. Dean Hempe () by Friday at noon to appear in the next week’s edition.
On this Day in History:
In 1825, the U.S. House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams the sixth president of the U.S.; none of the four candidates had received a majority of electoral votes. Adams was the son of the second president, John Adams.
In 1870, a new U.S. Weather Bureau (later re-named the National Weather Service) was authorized by Congress and placed under the direction of the U.S. Army’s Signal Corps, which is responsible for military communications. Cleveland Abbe, considered the first U.S. meteorologist, was named the Bureau’s chief scientist the following January.
In 1875, the first train finally passed through the problem-laden Hoosac Tunnel. The Hoosac Tunnel cuts through a rugged 4.75-mile stretch of the Berkshires between Boston and Albany. In March 1853, one of the earliest tunnel boring machines ground ten feet into the Hoosac Mountain and died, never to run again. It took several failed attempts, lots of nitroglycerin, and 20 more years to remove the drill and complete the tunnel. Over 200 workers died during its construction.
In 1909, the first forestry school was incorporated in Kent, Ohio.
In 1933, the temperature at Moran, Wyoming (right next to Teton National Park) plunged to 63 degrees below zero to establish a state record. Not to be outdone, the temperature at the Riverside Ranger Station in neighboring Montana dipped to 66 below zero to establish a record for that state, and also a record for the nation (which stood until 1954).
In 1942, Daylight Saving Time, then known as “War Time,” went into effect in the U.S. The law was repealed on September 30, 1945, when individual states once again imposed their own "standard" time. It was not until 1966 that Congress passed legislation setting a standard time that permanently super-ceded local habits – except in Arizona, which is exempt (for a reason too long to explain here!).
In 1950, during a speech before the Ohio County Women's Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that he had a list of over 200 members of the Department of State that were "known communists." Although McCarthy never produced any solid evidence that there was even one communist in the State Department, the ensuing witch hunt (aka “McCarthyism”) did untold damage to many people's lives and careers and had a muzzling effect on domestic debate on Cold War issues.
In 1960, the official groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The first star to be dedicated on the historic walkway belonged to the actress Joanne Woodward, an Academy Award winner for The Three Faces of Eve (1957). Today, there are over 2,500 stars on the Walk of Fame, which covers more than 15 city blocks.
In 1964, The Beatles made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. They performed "All My Lovin'," "Til There Was You,” "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand.”
In 1971, the San Fernando Valley experienced the Sylmar earthquake that registered 6.6 on the Richter Scale.
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