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Dr. John Labadie (Art) created cover art and served as an advisor for the book, “Contemporary Color: Theory and Use” by Steven Bleicher, a professor of art at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The text was published in August 2004, and Dr. Labadie will use it in classes in the spring 2005 semester.

The art work used on the cover is one of a series, called “Search Engine,” which investigates the possibilities of visualizing the Web searching activities of programs such as Google, Dogpile, Yahoo, etc.

Dr. Dent, Ricotta join Leadership North Carolina

Fifty leading citizens from across the state will form the 2004-2005 class for Leadership North Carolina, including Dr. Eric Dent and Lorna Ricotta. Dr. Dent is the dean of the School of Business and Ms. Ricotta is the director of the Office for Alumni Relations.

Leadership North Carolina selects citizens who are current or emerging leaders in their organizations and/or communities. The class meets six times over seven months in different cities around the state exploring the most pressing issues in five key areas: economic development, education, environment, government/politics, and health and human services. The faculty is comprised of top leaders from government, business, nonprofits and education.

There are over four hundred graduates of the program who are connected by Leadership North Carolina to continuing opportunities to serve the state.

To find out more about Leadership North Carolina, please visit www.leadershipnc.org.

Curtis interviewed for story on Chinese space program

A news story based on an interview with Dr. Tony Curtis (Mass Communications) has appeared in print and electronic media outlets around the world. The story originated from the Beijing bureau of Reuters news service and was picked up by worldwide media.

The article is about China’s brief opening to the foreign press of its super-secret Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the nation's remote Gansu province.

Journalists from Reuters’ Beijing bureau, preparing for their rare glimpse of the desert launch pads, asked Dr. Curtis to comment from his post as editor of Space Today Online.

“The base has been used since the 1960s to launch a variety of important space
projects including recoverable Earth observation satellites, microgravity missions, and the manned flight last year,” Dr. Curtis told Reuters. “However, most Chinese commercial space flights take off from other spaceports.”

“The capsules and rockets for piloted space flights are assembled at sites around Beijing, then shipped nine hours by train to the Jiuquan site in the Gobi Desert,” Dr. Curtis said.

The professor pointed out that launches and landings from Jiuquan usually occur during northern hemisphere autumn and winter months because the seas are calmer for China’s tracking ships stationed on oceans around the world.

“The next step for China in space is to send up one of their Shenzhou capsules with more than one person aboard,” Dr. Curtis said. “After that, they will want to send up two Shenzhou capsules to practice docking them with each other in space.”

The professor recalled that China purchased a space docking system from Russia. That hardware would allow two spacecrafts to come together in space, suggesting an orbital docking by two ships. Such a docking could involve two Shenzhou capsules, or a capsule and a space station.

“I understand the Chinese are preparing a much larger version of their Long March rocket to lift 70 metric tons of payload to Earth’s orbit,” Dr. Curtis said. “That might be sufficient capacity to send a space station into orbit or a satellite out to the Moon.”

China has the technology for an unmanned lunar probe. For instance, a probe to map the Moon from orbit could be built by modifying hardware from one of the nation's Dongfanghong communications satellites. Such a Moon probe might be launched from China's Xichang Space Launch Center, the professor noted.

“They surely could, if they wished, send a satellite out to orbit the Moon or to circle around the Moon and return to Earth,” Dr. Curtis said.

China had said it wanted to be able to launch both a manned space station and a man to the Moon. Later, they publicly shelved the plan for the human landing on the lunar surface for financial reasons. Even if the larger rocket under development is completed, China still would have to design and build a complex system capable of landing a human being on the lunar surface and then taking off from the Moon for the return to Earth.

“Shelving the Moon landing makes sense,” Dr. Curtis said, “because both projects -- a Moon landing and a space station -- would be very large, expensive, long-term commitments.”

“They may want their own space station for military reasons, while they might join the international community in manned trips to the Moon and beyond,” he said. “Sending things to land on the Moon and return from the Moon are big projects.”

“The international community is interested in the Moon and Mars for mining and other commercial opportunities,” Dr. Curtis said. “China would find very little short-term military value in landing someone on the Moon.”

The September article quoting Dr. Curtis may be read online at numerous media sites including Reuters, Yahoo news, CNN, MSNBC and ABC:

• Reuters
• CNN
• MSNBC
• ABC
• Yahoo

In Peru - Dr. Wendorff, second from left, with students Somia Beckford,
Jesseca Chavis and Todd Hunter

Dr. Wendorff escorts students to Peru

Dr. Liliana Wendorff (Languages) traveled recently to Piura, Peru with three students: Somia Beckford, Jesseca Chavis and Todd Hunter.

The group went to Peru as part of a new exchange program developed by the Department of English, Theatre and Languages in collaboration with the Office of International Programs. The students will spend a semester studying at the Universidad de Piura.

To read more about their exploits see: http://www.eltiempo.com.pe/Gozalo/Gozalo.htm.
Have your Spanish dictionary ready!

Students interested in joining this program can contact Dr. Wendorff at 521-6434 or liliana.wendorff@uncp.edu.

Art professor participates in Australian Webcast

August 26 was the opening of the International Digital Art Association (IDAA) exhibition at Victoria College of Art (VC) in Melbourne, Australia. Professor Su Baker informed the press that more than 300 people attended the evening session. Dr. John Antoine Labadie (Art) made a presentation at the IDAA/VCA public forums to a dedicated audience.

“By all measures it was a great success,” said Baker, who noted that she was especially pleased to speak with “Dr. Labadie from North Carolina.”

Dr. Labadie was present only in the virtual sense. He participated in what may have been the world’s first Web broadcast of an art opening at 4:30 a.m. (EST), Thursday, August 26, 2004. Folks attending the VCA opening at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Melbourne time had the opportunity to listen to and then interact with Dr. Labadie. He and his colleagues had connected a real-time video network, linking Dr. Labadie’s home digital studio in Red Springs, N.C., with the IDAA event on the other side of the globe. “It worked almost perfectly, but we’re going to have to work on the sound a bit,” he said.

According to Steve Danzig, IDAA founder and director, “It was truly an awesome thing to see Dr. Labadie projected 12 by 18 feet on the gallery wall. The picture was great and many people had an excellent time interacting with our digital colleague in America.” Danzig also said, “Stephen Jones and John Henton, two of the world’s leading digital theorists/pioneers, attended and were blown away by the Web cam broadcast. All in all it was awesome.”

More international Webcasts of this sort are planned by Dr. Labadie and Danzig. Dr. Labadie said, “I see some interesting possibilities for uses in the classroom and in other university functions as we sort out some cross-platform connectivity issues and security concerns ... we’re working on that now.”

DSS programs featured in national publication

The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) is the subject of an article in the September issue of the national newsletter, Disability Compliance for Higher Education. Entitled “Program retains first-year students with camaraderie, opportunities,” the article was included in the “programs” section of the publication.

The article describes the way the DSS office adapted the University’s retention strategies to reach disabled students and help them succeed in their freshman year. The subtitle of the newsletter, published by LRP, Inc., is “Successful Strategies for Accommodating Students and Staff with Disabilities.” Congratulations to Mary Helen Walker, Misty Sykes, Jennifer Lowry, Julie Apodaca and Debbie Jacobs.

Works by Hopper, Lightfoot on display at St. Andrews

The St. Andrews Presbyterian College Art Department presents “Land of Swamps and Barns,” an exhibition of paintings by Janette Hopper (Art) and Tulla Lightfoot (Art).

A reception is planned for Tuesday, September 21, 3 p.m. at the Vardell Gallery of St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C. The exhibition runs though October 11.

Dr. Labadie’s digital art on display in Brooklyn

Dr. John Labadie’s digital work is now being featured at the Guest Gallery of the Museum of Computer Art (MOCA) in Brooklyn, N.Y. Seven pieces were selected for this juried international invitational gallery.

The direct link is: http://moca.virtual.museum/guest/ labadie_37/labadie01.htm.

The MOCA link is: http://moca.virtual.museum. The MOCA is the oldest digital art museum on the web, established in 1994.

Schaeffers, Masons travel to Lewis and Clark country

Dr. Lisa Schaeffer (Student Affairs) and husband Mike (PE) vacationed in the Northern Great Plains states with Bill and June Mason in late June, early July. Bill is retired vice chancellor for Business Affairs and June is a retired University employee too.

The group visited Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Iowa. Highlights included a scenic drive up the Great River Road (Mississippi River), travel along the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior, a walk across the Mississippi River at its source at Lake Itasca, Minn., and visits to several Lewis and Clark Expedition sites. Mike noted that 2004 is the 200th anniversary of the famous expedition into the Northwest Territories.

Steeds, Hopper to exhibit at BTI Center

Professors Ralph Steeds and Janette K. Hopper (Art) have been selected to exhibit at the North Carolina Printmakers Guild at the Betty Ray McCain Gallery in the BTI Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, N.C. The opening is Wednesday, September 22 from 6 – 8 p.m.

Bess Tyner completes Search & Rescue program

Bess Tyner (Facilities Planning) has successfully completed the SAR course offered by The National Search and Rescue School at the Yorktown Coast Guard Training Center.

The school was established in 1966 as a facility devoted exclusively to training professionals to conduct search and rescue (SAR). It currently teaches a variety of maritime and inland search planning courses. Graduates number over 14,000 men and women, civilian and military, including over 1,400 from 103 foreign nations.

The SAR course provides training in oceanic, coastal, and inland search planning procedures. Tyner serves as a member of Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Van Zandt, Steeds, Hopper in shows

Paul Van Zandt (Art) had a sculpture in the Sculpture Salmagundi VIII exhibition in Rocky Mount Arts Center, Rocky Mount, N.C., July 10 - August 29.

Congratulations to Ralph Steeds (Art) for his showing in the Rutgers Touring Portfolio with the Southern Graphics Conference Invitational Exchange Portfolio called “Y Chromosome.”

Janette K. Hopper (Art) had prints in the following exhibits: Rebus Works, Raleigh, N.C., Architect's Gallery, Fayetteville, N.C. and the Durham Art guild, Durham, N.C., May 13 – June 20.

Blake Tyner interviewed for documentary film

Blake Tyner (Art) spent two days in August working with Terry Wolsey, a film producer for Eyeline Media, on a documentary entitled “Gospel Truth.” Eyeline Media is based in St. Cyrus, Scotland and produces television programs and corporate videos.

The documentary focuses on the “lining” of song in the African American churches of the South and its ties back to Gaelic tradition that would have been practiced in the Southern Presbyterian churches. The result will actually be two documentaries; one to be shown on Gaelic television and a second version that will be shown on television in the United Kingdom.

The first day of filming was done at the 1850 historic Longstreet Presbyterian Church on Fort Bragg. The service for nearly 100 descendents of the Scottish who settled the Cape Fear region was lead in Gaelic by Dr. Douglas Kelly of the Reformed Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. Bess Tyner (Facilities Planning), a member of the Coast Guard Pipe Band, provided bagpipe music.

The second day of filming was an interview with Blake Tyner conducted at Mill Prong House near Raeford. Mill Prong was built around 1797 by Tyner’s fifth great-grandfather, John Gilchrist, a large plantation owner, Revolutionary War soldier and member of the North Carolina House of Commons. Tyner was interviewed for the English version of the film by Dr Robert Beckford, the director of the Centre for Black Theology at the University of Birmingham. His academic work focuses on the relationship between African diasporan religion (Black theology) and politics.

The interviewer for the Gaelic version was Mary Ann Kennedy, a broadcaster and performer based in the Scottish capital of Inverness. One of a select number of singers to have won both Gold Medals at the National Mod, she is also twice winner of the International Celtic Harp competition in Lorient, Brittany. Kennedy was given a Saltire Award for Lasair Dhe, the finale of the 1999 Highland Festival, involving Cliar and Gaelic choirs from all over the Highlands and Islands.

Tyner’s interview focused on what life would have been like for John Gilchrist, his family and their relationship to their slaves. He was able to verify that the slaves worshiped with the family and would have been exposed to Gaelic.

Robison’s work in Ceramics Monthly

Stephen Robison’s ceramics appear in the September issue of Ceramics Monthly. He recently exhibited in the Doda/Salt Show in Missoula, Mont., and in the Box Show in Iowa City, Iowa at the Akar Gallery.

Layla Locklear attends Marine Quest

Layla Locklear, daughter of John (Physical Plant) and Tonya, (Social Work Program) enjoyed a week this summer at UNCW’s Marine Quest, Environmental and Education Program. Layla explored the salt water marshes and observed wild life and sea life in their natural habitat.

Student Health Services serves faculty, staff too

First aid and other non-medical services are available at Student Health Services, however, a $62.50 per semester fee is required to be eligible for health services. The fee is payable at the Cashier’s office. Please bring your receipt to Student Health Services.

Student Health Services is open 24 hours with the exception of closing Sunday at 5 p.m. and Friday at 4 p.m.

If you have any questions, please call 521-6219.

October HR training sessions are posted

The following training sessions for employees are being offered through Human Resources during October:

October 6 at 10 a.m. - Travel Vouchers
October 7 at 10a.m. - Accident Reporting
October 7 at 11:15 a.m. - Workers Compensation for Supervisors
October 8 at 9 a.m. - New Employee Safety Orientation
October 12 at 10 a.m. - Fire Safety
October 18 at 10 a.m. - Golf Cart Safety
October 19 at 1 p.m. - Documentation, Discipline and Discharge
October 20 at 9 a.m. - Performance Management for Supervisors
October 20 at 1 p.m. - Workplace Harassment for Supervisors
October 21 at 3:30 p.m. - Financial Planning and Budgeting
October 26 at 1 p.m. - The Team Approach
October 28 at 9 a.m.- Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9)

Birthdays, September 15-30

Dawn Albrecht
Timothy Altman
Cherry Beasley
Ollie Bishop
Von Breeden
Drake Chavis
Weston Cook, Jr.
Carlene Cummings
Jeannie Davis
Paulette Dial
Shirley Floyd
Larry Gales
George Harrison
John Hays
Kelvin Hunt
Jean Jacobs
Charles Jenkins
Beverly Lowry
Delores Lowry
Frank Myers
Elizabeth Normandy
Monica Osburn
Mitchell Oxendine
Linda Oxendine
Sylvia Pate
Meredith Storms
Donna Strickland
James Strickland
Peggy Thomas
Bess Tyner
Timothy Van Hooser
Cary Wilson

New Hires

David Tolar - Grounds Technician, Physical Plant
Corey Shott - Police Officer, Campus Police
Terry Locklear - Computing Consultant, CED
Mark Payne - Student Services Manager, Regional Center
James Lewis - Computing Consultant II, UCIS

Births

• Francis Wasser Ladd, was born September 6 at 11:47 p.m., weighing in at six pounds.
  10 ounces, to the proud parents Dr. Melissa Schaub (ETL) and Dr. Roger Ladd (ETL).

Deaths

• Dr. Anita Guynn’s brother, Stephen E. Guynn, of Price’s Fork, Va., passed away recently. Dr. Guynn is in the Department of English, Theatre and Languages.
• Dr. Monika Brown’s (ETL) father passed away September 6 in Nuremberg, Germany.
• Condolences to Ed Wittenberg (Housing) on the passing of his paternal grandmother Anna Lee Wittenberg of Hickory, N.C.

Weddings

• Dr. Marilu E. Santos (Biology) and Dr. Howard G. Ling (Business) were married on May 16, 2004. The wedding took place at Kure Beach Memorial Lutheran Church, followed by a reception at the Cameron Museum of Art in Wilmington, N.C. The memorable event was shared with 60 family members and close friends. The couple will travel to Rome, Florence and Venice, Italy in December for their honeymoon.
• Carol Hunt’s (Student Services) daughter, Rhonda D. Hunt, a UNCP graduate, was married on August 7, 2004, at the Amphitheather on campus. Rhonda teaches math for the Hoke County Schools and has been there for five years. She married Terry L. Lambert. They reside in Pembroke.