Aug. 7, 2012

Newly appointed School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Mark D. Markel spoke with Inside UW-Madison about his priorities and challenges for Wisconsin veterinary medical education and scholarship. Here are some of his thoughts:

Inside UW: What do you see as your top priorities out of the gate?

Markel: My goal is to carry on the outstanding traditions already in place at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and to build upon them to enhance the education of our students, the clinical service we provide to our patients and the research we conduct designed to benefit both animal and human health. My top priority will be to engage everyone at the school, and its many alumni, friends, referring veterinarians, and our partners in the agricultural industry to best determine how and where to focus our efforts in the coming decade to maintain and enhance our excellence in teaching, research and clinical service.

Inside UW: What are some of the biggest challenges you expect to face?

Markel: Despite the advances in veterinary medicine in the past 100 years, the profession faces many challenges today and in the coming decades. These challenges have come to the forefront with the budget crises that most states and the federal government continue to face. These have negatively impacted the schools ability to reward our outstanding faculty and staff, to fund our various research programs, and to minimize the debt load of our students. It will be my job to stay focused on recruiting and retaining the most outstanding faculty, staff and students in this environment to help address these issues.

Inside UW: Do you see any new directions or initiatives for the school on the horizon?

Markel: The school needs to remain focused on its core mission of providing outstanding teaching, research and clinical service. My goal will be for the school to critically evaluate each of these priorities and then implement strategies to enhance our leadership in these areas. Its too early to say what those strategies will be but central to any effort we undertake will be to recruit the most outstanding faculty, staff and students possible with the goal that they will serve as the future leaders in the veterinary medical profession.

Visit link:
New vet med dean discusses his priorities

Helping others is often a thankless job but that isnt the case for two supporters of Sequoia Union High School District who will soon be honored with the Purple Patriot Award.

Don Milhaupt and Mayela Ramirez were selected as Sequoia High School Alumni Association 2011-12 Purple Patriot Award winners, an annual award honoring individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding service or provided a significant benefit to Sequoia Union High School District in Redwood City. Both will be recognized at the annual alumni picnic Saturday, Aug. 18. Each noted how special it is to be recognized. And, even without recognition, each raved about the opportunity to work with and support the Sequoia community.

I love my work. I love my position. I love my community, said 57-year-old Ramirez.

Ramirez grew up in Mexico and came to the United States to seek medical assistance for her son 27 years ago. It started as a 15-day trip. They had some family in California but, once in the Bay Area, her family knew no one and had very little. Now she cant go into a store without running into someone she knows. Ramirez laughed, My husband said we need to move so he can have some privacy.

But Ramirez truly enjoys running into people. She started working with the Sequoia Union High School District as a parent volunteer when her four sons began taking classes at Sequoia High School in the late 90s. She started a volunteer tutoring program at her home, which was supported by the district. She signed on to new opportunities as they became available. In 2000, the school opened the Parent Center with Ramirez as the coordinator.

The Alumni Association wrote, (Ramirez) is an especially important person for Hispanics within the Sequoia community. She performs a vital role by translating and helping parents understand the tools necessary to better help their children in school. She is always available and always trying to help parents with the various activities within the school regardless of whether or not it is her direct responsibility. Many times she works extra hours in order to help parents.

Ramirez verified the last part and noted her kids often lived with her at the school hours after the last bell rang as she offered parents flexible times to fit their schedule. For her, its a chance to give back to people who are in a situation she was in when moving to California knowing few people and needing help.

Being recognized for years of work is emotional for Ramirez who is quick to point out others who support her efforts. One such supporter is her fellow Purple Patriot Milhaupt. Together, Ramirez said, they have worked on the schools adopt-a-family program during the holidays. With help from Second Harvest Food Bank, they supported 50 families in December and during Thanksgiving.

Milhaupt, 59, is passionate about working with students now, but it didnt start that way.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Milhaupt didnt think of doing anything when he grew up until the summer after his sophomore year. At the encouragement of a friend, Milhaupt served as a summer camp counselor for students with special needs. His desire to work with such students became clear.

Read more:
School supporters acknowledged by alumni

Do you care about the lack of housing affordability in Australia? Does it matter to you that for the first time in human history more people are suffering from over-nutrition than under-nutrition? Should high school completion rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students be higher on the national agenda?

Five of the University of Sydney's academics and alumni have shared what matters most to them in the fifth month of our What Matters campaign. Now the University is calling on members of the public to cast their votes to find out what matters most to them.

Each month, five new 'Leading Lights' from the University of Sydney community talk about how their work has made a difference to the world.

Leading Lights for August include:

Professor Stephen Simpson, Academic Director, Charles Perkins Centre: Controlling our weight

"Now, for the first time in human history, more people on the planet are suffering the diseases of over-nutrition than are suffering the problems of under-nutrition. So it's estimated 1.6 billion people are either overweight or obese, with associated health consequences."

For Professor Stephen Simpson, Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow in the School of Biological Sciences, an initial interest in locust swarms led to a fascination for human nutrition.

"The locust knows what it needs and eats what it needs. We found that actually locusts, and it transpired all other animals that we've studied, have separate appetites for protein, fat, carbohydrate and they can respond with really quite sophisticated nutritional wisdom," Professor Simpson says.

"We then addressed the question; well why is it that humans seem to have such a lack of nutritional wisdom?"

His current research investigates why people eat what they do and how our modern nutritional environment may circumvent basic nutritional wisdom.

View post:
What matters to you?

The memories flooded David McCormicks room at Coventry High School on Thursday. About 24 hours later, students had a 120-square-foot poster covering two chalkboards nearly filled with goodbyes.

I will always miss you and love you, one comment reads. There will be a huge hole in our hearts, another writes.

McCormick, 50, died this week. Investigators at the county medical examiners office said that toxicology reports in the next few weeks may determine the cause of death but assured that there were no signs of foul play.

Meanwhile, a district grieves.

The outpour of grief has been overwhelming, said Cindy McDonald, Coventry High School principal.

McDonald describes McCormick as an iconic figure at Coventry.

He was Mr. Coventry.

He announced most school events, whether sports or academic related. He was involved in the PTA and the boosters. He was a social studies teacher at the high school and the senior class advisor.

But it was the things he did everyday that she and others will never forget.

Students told McDonald that he would smile when he saw them. Others confessed that it was because of McCormick that they decided to stick it out and attend college.

Read this article:
Coventry grieves loss of well-loved teacher

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As American families and students prepare for the start of a new school year, Mattress Firm, the nations largest mattress retailer, has teamed up with Protect-A-Bed to help raise awareness for the health and academic benefits of a good nights sleep.

According to The National Sleep Foundation, school-aged kids from 5-12 years old need 10-11 hours of sleep each night to meet the demands of academic and extracurricular activities. In teenagers and young adults, 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep is critical to optimal school performance. Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems that impact their performance in school. According to a study by the Journal of Sleep Research, students 1114 who obtained lower levels of sleep exhibited lower self-esteem and grades, and higher levels of depression.

Interestingly, its not only the quantity of sleep that matters; quality matters too. The Better Sleep Council estimates that nearly 70 percent of old beds are handed down, often repeatedly, to children. Parents will upgrade to a new mattress set but their kids often sleep on beds that are 10 years old or more. The Better Sleep council advises that old mattresses should be replaced. A poorly constructed mattress or a mattress that is beyond eight years old often fails to support the body, causing muscle aches and fatigue.

At Mattress Firm, we are committed to helping our customers get a good nights sleep, and part of that commitment is educating them about the importance of replacing a mattress every eight years, said Steve Stagner, President and Chief Executive Officer at Mattress Firm. As students start the school year, its a good time to think about the age of their mattress. Newer mattresses provide optimal support that can help the body feel rested and refreshed in the morning, leading to better physical and mental performance all day long.

Mattress Firms Back to School partnership with Protect-A-Bed, the leading provider of bedding protection products, is focused on raising awareness of the importance of a healthy and comfortable sleep environment. Unprotected mattresses, especially in a dormitory setting, can absorb dust mites, germs and bodily fluids after many years of different people using the mattresses, said James Bell, Chief Executive Officer at Protect-A-Bed. Protect-A-Bed mattress encasements and protectors, create a layer between students and whats lurking in their mattresses, to create a more hygienic sleep environment.

Furthermore, according to Bell, mattress protection will prevent additional damage to the mattress in the event of an accident. Student-caused damage to a mattress results in damage fees at many colleges and universities.

To celebrate the Back to School season, Mattress Firm and Protect-A-Bed are hosting the Sleep Smart sweepstakes during the month of August. Students and parents can like the Mattress Firm and Protect-A-Bed Facebook pages, share back to school sleep tips, and register to be eligible for weekly mattress protection giveaways. On August 31, one grand-prize winner will be selected at random to win a bedding protection kit and a $500 Visa gift card. More details on how to enter are available at http://apps.facebook.com/sweepstakeshq/contests/270681.

For students and families looking to purchase a bed or mattress protection during the month of August, Mattress Firm is holding Back-to-School sales in stores nationwide. Faculty, staff and alumni are also eligible for special discounts and pricing which includes:

About Mattress Firm

See the article here:
Mattress Firm and Protect-A-Bed Launch Back to School Campaign to Increase Awareness of the Health and Academic ...

The Monogram Club honored former Huskies guard Kayla Burt of Alki, pictured center, & club member Joe Epler, age 101, pictured with wife, Marion, also 101, at Salty's on Alki Thursday. The Monogram Club comprises former West Seattle High School athletes providing scholarships to new alumni.

The Monogram Club, former West Seattle High School lettered varsity athletes providing scholarships to new alumni there met at Salty's on Alki Thursday, Aug. 2, for a special luncheon. They recognized two citizens. Each, you might say, beat the odds, Kayla Burt and Joe Epler.

Kayla Burt

Guest speaker Kayla Burt is an Alki resident and former UW Huskies basketball leading scorer. At a small get-together at her home, she went into cardiac arrest and was clinically dead, shortly before New Year's Eve, 2003. Her heart stopped for five minutes.

Luckily she had eight teammates over, hanging out for the holiday. At 11:23 p.m. she was sitting down on her bed, then collapsed face down. Her eyes were rolled in the back of her head. She was purple and seemed lifeless her pals recalled. Two performed CPR.

Paramedics shocked her out of ventricular fibrillation and into a normal sinus rhythm. She lay in a coma for 15 hours at UW Medical Center. Six days later she had an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) placed in her chest to shock her heart back to a normal rhythm. Doctors still do not know the cause. Her daily routine involves exercise, including basketball, biking, and running.

"I have a story of surviving sudden cardiac arrest when I was a college athlete at UW," she told the West Seattle Herald. "It's great to be here today, around so many inspirational people who have led the way for a lot of other people, like this 101 year-old man, still kicking it."

She pointed to Joe Epler.

"I was a guard," she said of her basketball position. "Being a lefty I played left wing a lot."

She graduated in 2006 with a communications degree. She was an Assistant Womens Basketball Coach at the University of Portland, an EMT in South King County, and then worked in the Valley Medical Center ER as a Medical/Surgical Technician. She is an Outreach Coordinator at The Hope Heart Institute.

View original post here:
Monogram Club honors former Huskies guard Kayla Burt of Alki, & member Joe Epler, age 101

Thursday, 02 August 2012 12:33

William E. Evans Jr., a member of the Class of 1973, will be the third recipient of the St. Ignatius of Loyola Alumni Award from Fairfield Prep.

The award was established in 2010 to recognize alumni of Fairfield Prep "who exemplify the characteristics that Prep seeks to instill in its graduates, specifically open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice."

"Bill Evans has demonstrated these qualities through his extensive volunteer efforts and programs to support the people of Nicaragua, and currently works as the president of Connecticut Quest for Peace, leading an organization which is actively providing relief via humanitarian cargo aid, education, medicine and health care to poverty stricken Nicaraguan communities," according to a press release from the school.

Evans will receive his award at the school-wide Mass of the Holy Spirit on Sept. 7.

At Connecticut Quest for Peace, Evans heads and oversees an organization that contributes time, resources, and financial aid to a dozen missions in Nicaragua, many of which are Jesuit-based, and which include schools, a trade learning center, medical facilities, a maternity hospital, a burn center, and an orphanage. Through many of his efforts, this organization sends tons of needed supplies, supports nutrition programs, has started scholarship programs, and contributes to loan programs. Evans travels to Nicaragua twice a year to interact with the local communities and organizations, identify new areas of need, and make plans for the distribution of his aid and resources. All of his Connecticut efforts are handled by volunteers. More information can be found at ctquestforpeace.org.

Evans grew up in Stamford, one of seven children. His three brothers also attended Fairfield Prep: Matthew '73, John '74 and Mark '78.

He attended Worcester Polytechnical Institute, graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.

He carried on the painting business (currently William Evans Painting) that he and his brothers started to help pay their tuitions to Prep and college.

He met his wife Joyce in high school; has four children Bryan, Abby, Tim and Molly, and lives in Westport.

Excerpt from:
Fairfield Prep to honor alumnus for leadership in Quest for Peace

An anonymous letter has tagged several students and alumni in the alleged hazing and death of San Beda law student Marc Andre Marcos.

The letter, sent to the police and Marcos' family by one of those supposedly present during the victim's initiation rights, mentioned 33 people who may have been involved in the alleged hazing incident.

In an interview aired over GMA News TV's News To Go, the San Beda College School of Law confirmed that at least 16 of the people identified in the letter were their students.

"We can confirm at least 16 are students of San Beda College Alabang School of Law. I think I can also confirm two, three, four of them have already graduated and [are] presently reviewing for the Bar exam," said Atty. Bruce Rivera, prefect for student affairs of San Beda College School of Law.

He noted, however, that they "cannot be sure if these are the actual persons there or they might be the fall guys or [if] the list is sanitized."

Read the original post:
Anonymous letter tags students, alumni in San Beda law student's hazing death