Game changing research on quantum nanoscience, greenhouse gas emissions, managing wild dingos and finding a cure for cerebral palsy are among the achievements that have won 2013 Fulbright Scholarships for one University of Sydney staff member, two PhD candidates and three alumni.

The six recipients, including honorary research fellow Dr Thomas Newsome, PhD candidates David Waddington and Craig Roussac, and alumni Iona Novak, Allan Young and Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine have all won Fulbright Scholarships, which will allow them to pursue their studies in the US.

The prestigious Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship program of its kind, and aims to promote mutual understanding through educational exchange. Founded by US Senator J William Fulbright in 1946, the program operates between the US and 155 other countries.

Dr Thomas Newsome

Dr Thomas Newsome, Honorary Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences: Fulbright New South Wales Scholar

Thanks to his Fulbright Scholarship, the re-introduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park will give Dr Thomas Newsome new inspiration for his research on dingo management in Australia.

Sponsored by the NSW government and universities, Dr Newsome's scholarship will take him to Oregon State University where he will collaborate with local researchers to determine whether or not there would be benefits for Australia in using similar measures with dingoes in areas where they have become locally extinct.

"Research on the dingo is important for two reasons," Dr Newsome says.

"Wild dogs, including dingoes, cause millions of dollars of damage to agricultural productivity annually. However, recent studies suggest that the reintroduction of the dingo into areas from which it has been made locally extinct could be the key to restoring Australian ecosystems decimated by introduced predators such as the feral cat and European red fox."

Dr Newsome completed his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and PhD at the University of Sydney. Along with working as an honorary fellow in the Desert Ecology Research Group in the School of Biological Sciences, he is also a senior ecologist at the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation.

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Six research leaders win Fulbright scholarships

Former Minnesota prep Gus Bradley was recently hired as an NFL head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Minnesota high school football will have two of its alumni serving as head coaches in the National Football League during the upcoming season.

Marc Trestman, who played at St. Louis Park and Paul Casey Gus Bradley, who prepped at Zumbrota, will coach the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively.

Trestman was a quarterback at St. Louis Park under coach Bob Roy a former Ponies three-sport standout and NDSU Bison and SCVAA Hall of Famer. Trestman played football at Minnesota for a couple of years before transferring to Minnesota State-Moorhead. Trestman became a coaching nomad with stops as a quarterbacks coach at the U of Miami, two stints with the Vikings and had coached for eight different teams in the NFL.

The University of Minnesota passed over Trestman a couple of times so he looked for greener pastures north of the border when he landed in Montreal in the Canadian Football League in 2008. He spent the past five years there and won a pair of Grey Cup titles.

Those Grey Cup victories are like Super Bowls to the CFL bunch.

Trestman looked good to Chicago because of his extensive background coaching quarterbacks. I think the Bears were looking for someone who could get max results from Jay Cutler.

I will be pulling for Trestman because of my 48-year friendship with Bayports Bob Roy, a fellow NDSU Bison and the fact that Trestman never lost sight of his dream of being a head coach in the NFL.

Gus Bradley steered a slightly different course in pursuit of his job in the NFL. He was a standout at Zumbrota High School for good pal Ken Belanger and landed a scholarship to dear old NDSU. Ponies all-metro players Eric Thole and Tony Grilz were also recruited to the Bison and were teammates with Bradley.

Grilz was his roommate for three years and I got to know Gus when he visited our house.

Originally posted here:
Thole: Former state preps pave coaching path to NFL

In an ongoing strategy to broaden Columbias already extensive global presence and perspective, University President Lee C. Bollinger joins this week with faculty, alumni, Brazilian leaders and a delegation of international visitors to open a Columbia Global Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilthe Universitys second in South America.

The opening of our Rio center marks an important milestone in fulfilling Columbias distinctive vision of global engagement, said Bollinger. The driving principle of the Columbia Global Centers always has been to foster academic collaboration across national boundaries, discover new knowledge, and address challenges facing our society by connecting students and faculty on our home campuses in New York City to partners around the world. It is fitting that Rio de Janeiro, a truly global capital, completes the initial phase in the evolution of Columbia Global Centers, and we look forward to working here in ways that not only deepen our own understanding of Brazil and South America but enhance our contributions to life and learning.

In addition to Rio, Columbia has opened centers in Amman, Beijing, Istanbul, Mumbai, Nairobi, Paris and Santiago. Columbia Global Centers promote and facilitate international collaborations, research projects, academic programming and study abroad, enhancing the Universitys historic commitment to global scholarship and problem-solving.

With a series of panel discussions and special events this week, President Bollinger, Thomas J. Trebat, director of Columbias Rio center, and Safwan M. Masri, Columbias vice president for global centers, will join with deans, faculty members and local dignitaries to discuss the future of cities, global perspectives on education, freedom of expression and economic development.

Initial programs and projects based in Rio include a close partnership with Columbias Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, which has already opened a Studio-X laboratory in the city for experimental work in urban design. The Center is facilitating Brazilian projects for Columbia Law School, Columbia Business School, Columbia University Medical Center and the School of International and Public Affairs. Columbias School of the Arts is looking to launch film projects in Brazil, and the Global Scholars Program also seeks a Brazilian component.

From almost any perspectiveeconomic, political, social, culturalBrazil exudes vibrancy and growth and has enormous contributions to make to the global community of nations, said Trebat. With its national focus now turned squarely toward improving education for all of its citizens and expanding knowledge in all fields, Brazil and its iconic city of Rio de Janeiro are also absolutely perfect hosts for this, the newest Columbia Global Center.

Columbia Global Centers encourage new relationships across schools, institutes, and academic departments within the University. Some of the research and scholarly initiatives are regionally focused while others involve multiple centers engaged in truly global conversations. The centers also support a significant expansion of opportunities for Columbia students to do hands-on research and service-learning abroad, particularly those who may not want to spend a full semester or academic year off-campus.

Some universities in the United States have built branch campuses and degree-granting schools abroad. Columbia is taking a different path. The Columbia Global Centers provide flexible regional hubs for a wide range of activities and resources intended to enhance the quality of research and learning at the University. They are built on the belief that establishing an interactive network of partnerships across geographic boundaries and collaborations across traditional academic disciplines can help address complex challenges by bringing together scholars, students, public officials, private enterprise and innovators from many fields.

The Rio center occupies about 2,500 square feet of office space in the heart of the citys commercial center, with close proximity to local universities, research centers and the city transportation system. It houses a small classroom, a seminar room, and offices for use by faculty, students and staff. The addition of an eighth node in Rio de Janeiro represents an important milestone in the evolution of the network of Columbia Global Centers, said Masri. The opportunities the vibrant city of Rioindeed Brazilhas to offer are vast, in terms of student and faculty engagement as well as partnerships with local universities and institutions. The global center in Rio will also serve as an important hub as we embark on addressing global themes across the network; particularly universal education, health, and the future of cities and urbanization. Brazil is an incredible model of development and reform, provides easy access to the rest of the region, and has graciously welcomed and supported our presence, for which we are incredibly grateful.

by Columbia News Staff

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Columbia Opens Global Center in Rio de Janeiro

Mt. Diablo High sale of handcrafted wood gifts

Mt. Diablo High School's Academy of Architecture, Construction, Manufacturing, and Engineering will hold a sale of students' handcrafted wood gifts and furniture from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 23.

The sale will be at the school, 2450 Grant St., in Concord. Entrance to the campus is on the East Street side of the school across from John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus.

For information, contact Jenny Ruscoe at mdusd.org, or at 925-682-4030, ext. 2719.

Parent program offered at Pixie Play School

Pixie Play School offers a parent and tot program for families with children ages 2-3 from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays, at the school, 1797 Ayers Road in Concord.

Parents will have a parent education session with the staff, joining the teachers to interact with children in a safe environment, providing firsthand experiences with activities and special projects. Through these experiences, children strengthen their self-concept, develop curiosity and increase vocabulary.

A snack will be served during the session.

The cost of the program is $50 per session. For information and registration, call the school at 925-689-4030 or email info@pixieplayschool.org.

YV Christian holding education miniseries

Originally posted here:
School notes: Mt. Diablo High ACME Academy students' handcrafted gifts, furniture on sale March 23

By MARLA K. KUHLMAN

ThisWeek Community News Wednesday March 20, 2013 2:26 PM

Three new Gahanna Lincoln High School Alumni Hall of Fame inductees and three Cornerstone Award winners were announced during the March 14 Board of Education meeting.

The Cornerstone honorees are Randy Allen, a former Gahanna computer science teacher and technology director; Leanne Gabriel, a former Gahanna Middle School West and Lincoln High School teacher; and Claire Yoder, a retired Gahanna teacher and longtime G-J board member.

To be a recipient of a Cornerstone Award, the nominee must have been associated with the school district for a minimum of 10 years as an employee or in another supporting role.

The Gahanna-Jefferson Education Foundation recognizes the tradition of excellence and established the Cornerstone Award.

The Hall of Fame inductees are Michele Abraham, a 1972 graduate who's the state director for the South Carolina Small Business Development Centers; Dr. Bill Shade, a 1980 graduate who works in internal medicine for a private practice in Zanesville; and Eileen Tatman, a 1961 graduate who's a retired medical technologist.

The Hall of Fame recognizes graduates who have brought credit and honor to themselves through their performance and achievement. A period of 10 years must have elapsed between graduation and eligibility for induction.

All inductees will be honored during a community celebration in Lincoln High School's auditorium May 24.

Allen began his tenure as a computer science teacher in Gahanna in 1984. He was twice nominated for Ohio teacher of the year and in 1988 became the national computer teacher of the year, as selected by the IBM Corporation and Technology & Learning Magazine.

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Schools name Hall of Fame, Cornerstone Award recipients