Friday and Weekend, July 13 - 15, 2012
Data shows record-breaking expanse of drought
More of the United States is in moderate drought or worse than at any other time in the 12-year history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, officials from the National Drought Mitigation Center at UNL announced July 12.
Analysis of the latest drought monitor data revealed that 50.92 percent of the nation's land area is in various stages of drought, up from the previous record of 46.84 percent a week ago. Records prior to July 4 were 45.87 percent in drought on Aug. 26, 2003, and 45.64 percent on Sept. 10, 2002. Read more about this announcement in Today@UNL.
'Sunday Scientist' focuses on fruit biology July 15
The University of Nebraska State Museum's "Sunday with a Scientist" program will focus on fruit biology, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., July 15 at Morrill Hall.
"Fruits: Fabulous, Flying and Flavorful Food" will be presented by Stacey Smith and Sabrina Ross, both assistant professors of biological sciences. The scientists will discuss why studying the biology of fruit can help improve and conserve crops people eat. Read more about Sunday Scientist in Today@UNL.
Website ranks Dairy Store as Lincoln's top restaurant
The UNL Dairy Store was selected as the best restaurant in Lincoln via an online vote organized by TripAdvisor.com. The Dairy Store received highest marks in value, with similarly high marks in food, service and atmosphere.
Reviewers recommended the Dairy Store with five stars. The reviews include a variety of comments posted by Dairy Store customers. More information is available on the TripAdvisor website.
Architecture to kick off 'Dean's Days' presentations July 16
A series of presentations will feature UNL deans outlining plans for their respective colleges for the upcoming year. "Dean's Days," organized by the Office of Admissions, begin with the College of Architecture, 10 to 11:30 a.m., July 16 in Architecture Hall, room 211.
The dean presentations — which will include time for comments from participants — are free and open to faculty and staff. The series is a staff development program to teach Admissions recruitment staff about academic opportunities on campus.
For more information, including updates on the location of each "Dean's Days" presentation, go to the Admissions website.
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Hage's research to power brain injury diagnostic device
A handheld tool is under development to diagnose traumatic brain injuries on the spot using technology developed by a UNL chemist. Such a device could yield critical and in some cases life-saving information to guide triage decisions from the battlefield to the football field.
SFC Fluidics, a Fayetteville, Ark.-based biotechnology company, recently entered into a license agreement with UNL's nonprofit affiliate, NUtech Ventures, to use technology developed by David Hage, professor of chemistry. NUtech is responsible for building partnerships between the University of Nebraska and the private sector. Read more about this collaboration in Today@UNL.
Book details how drought is detected from space
Policymakers and relief agencies can use data from satellites to deliver relief from some of drought's worst effects, including financial setbacks in the United States and famine in developing countries. Farmers and ranchers can use the same information to incorporate big-picture information into their own decision-making. A new book, "Remote Sensing of Drought: Innovative Monitoring Approaches," details the rapidly evolving state of the art of detecting drought remotely from space.
The book, published this spring by CRC Press, is edited by Brian Wardlow, a geographer and remote sensing professor in School of Natural Resources who is affiliated with the National Drought Mitigation Center and Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies; Martha Anderson, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service; and James P. Verdin, U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation and Science Center. Read more about this book in Today@UNL.
Security breach may have included employee data
On Wednesday night, May 23, a security breach of the Nebraska Student Information System, the university-wide student information system, was detected. NeSIS contains Social Security numbers and date of birth for all employees. When the initial announcement was made Friday evening, it was unclear that employee data was included.
At this time, we have no direct evidence that this information was downloaded and we have no reports of identity theft stemming from this breach. We are working with an outside security firm to help analyze the level of risk of personal information being misappropriated and to make recommendations for any additional safeguards that are needed. Read more details and find other resources about this security incident in Today@UNL.
UNL launches Nebraska App
UNL has launched the Nebraska App, a suite of mobile applications that makes essential university resources available on mobile devices. Students can check grades, access course content and browse the course catalog. They can access the public directory and get in touch instantly, keep tabs on Husker sports, find places on the campus map, stay informed with the latest campus news, watch videos, and even listen to podcasts of popular lectures in iTunesU.
"UNL is moving services to the where the students are in terms of devices and network access"," said Mark Askren, Chief Information Officer. "Students now have a much more powerful connection to UNL via their mobile device." Read more about Nebraska App in Today@UNL.
