This is the twelfth week of the spring 2015 semester.
ALERTS:
Beginning TODAY, Monday, March 30th, you will need permission from your instructor and from the A&GS Dean in order to drop a class; you must be passing the class at the time you drop it in order to receive a W and the W will count toward the 5 maximum Ws allowed. You may no longer drop a class online; all drops must be processed in the Office of Enrollment Services (Buchanan Hall, Room 230).
Sooner Saturday now takes place in April – and we need student volunteers! Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 25th, when the College will host High School juniors and their parents for a day of fun and information. Please e-mail the College’s Events Planner Mona Springfield at if you’d like to help out.
Please go here: http://www.ou.edu/content/enrollment/final_exams/spring_semester_final.html to check out the spring 2015 FINAL EXAM schedule. If you discover that you have more than two exams on the same day, please note the following:
o A student will not be expected to take more than two final examinations in one day. In cases where a student has three or more exams scheduled for the same day, instructors must offer make-up exams. The student's number of exams will be reduced to two by the following procedure: a. If a student has three or more exams on the same day, the instructor(s) giving the third and subsequent exams must provide make-up exams during the week designated for final exams for that semester; b. The student must notify the instructor or department of the third and subsequent final exams scheduled within a single day. Such notification must be given to the specific instructor or department before the end of the twelfth week of classes (that’s the end of THIS WEEK!).
The Countdown Continues: Just 27 days until the gala opening of the 2015 NWC Biennale. And don’t forget that the magnificent Galileo exhibit opens this fall! http://galileo.ou.edu/
Severe Weather Guidelines
With storm season now officially upon us, it’s a good time to review the severe weather guidelines for the National Weather Center. Please note the attached documents, listing best areas of refuge in student housing and on main campus. Information for Emergency Preparedness, including seasonal preparedness, can be found at the OU Emergency Preparedness website http://www.ou.edu/emergencypreparedness.html
NWC Severe Weather Guidelines:
· THE NWC DOES NOT SERVE AS A PUBLIC SHELTER OR BEST AVAILABLE AREA OF REFUGE for the general public.
· The Best Available Refuge Areas for faculty, staff, students, and tenants of the building have been identified as rooms 1313, 1350, the Founders Hallway, and 1st floor North restrooms.
· NO ANIMALS ARE ALLOWED IN THE NWC with the exception of ADA compliant service animals. An exception to this rule MAY be made ONLY when a severe weather warning is in effect.
· During the severe weather season the University has developed a procedure for Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) days as declared by the National Weather Service. These situations are generally declared far in advance of storm activity during a period when all the conditions appear to be coming together to warrant a high threat. In those situations, President Boren may invoke an early closure of the Norman campus to allow people to proceed with their personal safety plans. During Particularly Dangerous Situation days where sufficient advance warning of impending weather is available, the University has designated Best Available Refuge Areas in select locations for use by on-campus students, faculty, staff and others at the time at which they may need to seek shelter (attached).
· Between 7:00 PM – 7:00 AM (when entry doors are locked), Security MUST open the doors and let people in seeking refuge IF there is a Tornado Warning.
· If a Tornado Warning is issued by WFO and/or storm sirens are going off, Security will direct everyone to the designated best areas of refuge and will not sign people in at that time.
· The Norman recreation centers and elementary schools are no longer open/available to the public as severe weather refuges (in effect since July 1, 2013).
· The City of Norman Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is staffed during severe weather events and can be reached at 292-7008 for questions regarding location openings and current severe weather conditions.
Great NEW Climate course
“Managing for Climate Change” (GEOG 3890, sec. 001) is a dynamic new climate course that will be offered for the first time this fall. The course will be co-taught by A&GS Dean Berrien Moore, Dr. Elinor Martin from the School of Meteorology, and Dr. Renee McPherson from the Department of Geography & Environmental Sustainability. There will also be guest instructors from the research and management communities. Students who take this course will:
· Gain an understanding of the climate system and learn how climate varies
· Discover the impacts of climate change on our region and how they affect management decisions
· Understand how decision are made under uncertainty
· And much more!
The class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM, and the only pre-requisite is junior/senior status or instructor permission. For more information, please contact . For permission to enroll, contact Asst. Dean Hempe at .
Geospatial Summer Fellowship ProgramThe Geospatial Summer Fellowship Program, sponsored by the Oklahoma NASA Space Grant and the Center for Spatial Analysis, provides students with opportunities to explore the use of geospatial information science in higher education learning. This six-week online program includes hands-on GIS and remote sensing training, webinars and a course project. Upon completion, students will receive a laptop and stipend. Participants will study under the direction of Melissa Scott, Assistant Director of Research and Education at the Center for Spatial Analysis at the University of Oklahoma. Please see the attached flyer for all the details of this wonderful opportunity, including eligibility requirements and deadlines.
This Week’s Seminars:
Dr. Carlos Gaitan, Research Scientist, South Central Climate Science Center, will present “An Introduction to Statistical Downscaling,” on Tuesday, March 31, 12-1 p.m. The talk will take place in 4 Partners Place, Room 3065 (301 David L. Boren Blvd.) Bring your lunch, coffee and water will be provided.
Dr. Lance F. Bosart, from the Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences at the University at Albany/SUNY, will present The Occurrence of Extreme Weather Events over North America Arising from Interactions of the North Pacific Jet Stream with Tropical and Polar Disturbances on Tuesday, March 31, at 3:30 PM in the National Weather Center, Room 1313. Refreshments will be served at 3:00 PM.
Andrew Dzambo, master’s degree candidate in the School of Meteorology will present Characterizing Cirrus Cloud RHICE at the ARM SGP Site For Different Synoptic Classifications on Wednesday, April 1 at 3:00 PM in the National Weather Center, Room 5600.
Dr. Girish Chowdhary, Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University, will present Algorithms for Data-Driven Autonomous Monitoring of Massive Scaled Spatiotemporal Processes on Thursday, April 2, at 1:15 PM in the National Weather Center, Room 1350.
ISARRA Conference May 20-22
An exciting conference will be held on the OU campus this May, with a focus on weather and atmospheric science using unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Oklahoma has distinguished itself as a strong player in both UAS and weather-related activities. Recognizing this, the International Society for Atmospheric Research using Remotely piloted Aircraft (ISARRA - will be hosting its 2015 (ISARRA 2015) meeting here in Norman during May 20 - 22. Information about the meeting and registration can be found at If you would like to receive future mailing about ISARRA 2015 please subscribe to the email list at: You will be able to unsubscribe at any time.
This week’s Extras
Student Success Series:
Wednesday, April 1 Financial Aid for 2015-16 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Wagner Hall, Room 250
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 1842, physician Dr. Crawford W. Long of Jefferson, Georgia, first used ether as an anesthetic during a minor operation. He placed an ether-soaked towel over the face of James Venable and removed a tumor from his neck.
In 1858, the first U.S. patent for a combination lead pencil and eraser was issued to Hyman L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1867, the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. In 1870, the 15th amendment, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race, was passed by the U.S. Congress. It would take another 50 years for an amendment guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of gender to pass.
In 1899, a storm that buried Ruby, Colorado, under 141 inches of snow came to an end. Ruby was an old abandoned mining town on the Elk Mountain Range in the Crested Butte area.
In 1909, the Queensboro Bridge, the first significant double-deck bridge in the U.S., was opened to traffic. The Queensboro Bridge is one of the greatest cantilever bridges in the history of American bridge design. A collaboration between the famed bridge engineer Gustav Lindenthal (1850-1935) and architect Henry Hornbostel, the Queensboro's massive, silver-painted trusses span the East River between 59th Street in Manhattan and Long Island City in Queens. The opening of the Queensboro Bridge was one of, if not the, most important feature to stimulate the continuing development of Long Island City and Queens in general. Before it, Long Island City was isolated and unevenly developed.
In 1939, the comic book Detective Comics #27, which introduced Batman, appeared on newstands.
In 1964, Jeopardy debuted on NBC-TV.
In 1972, the British government assumed direct rule over Northern Ireland.
In 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in Washington, DC, by John W. Hinckley Jr. Two police officers and Press Secretary James Brady were also wounded.
In 1987, Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers was purchased for $39.85 million.
In 1993, in the Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown hit his first home run.
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