UO E-clips, Jan. 13

UO donations to make up gap in aid grants (Register-Guard): The University of Oregon will use donations to provide more than $340,000 in additional financial aid to students for spring term to cover cuts to a state grant program ordered by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. University officials came up with the additional aid so students won’t have to absorb the $80 cut imposed on full-time students and $40 on part-time students. About 2,900 UO students will get the supplemental aid.

UO funding aids development of energy products (Daily Journal of Commerce): Two energy-saving innovations have been funded by the University of Oregon’s University Venture Development Fund. The fund is a tax-incentive program created in 2007 by the Oregon Legislature to help state universities create commercially successful products. The university awarded $36,500 to build and test a prototype for a self-tracking photovoltaic shading device and light shelf created by UO architecture professor Ihab Elzeyadi. The product would save energy while producing clean energy to operate buildings. The new system will be monitored by Frank Vignola of the UO Solar Energy Monitoring Lab. And $33,787 was awarded to build and test a prototype for a window-mounted feature that reduces human stress while saving energy. The project involved UO architecture professors Kevin Nute and G.Z. Brown, as well as professor emeritus Richard Marrocco. The university awarded a total of $191,849 to six university research projects.

Prices fall in Eugene, Ore., but not enough to aid home sales (USA Today): Housing prices are sliding in Eugene -- but not enough to boost sales. "Even though prices are relatively cheap by some West Coast standards, relative to incomes here, they are actually somewhat expensive," says Tim Duy, director of the Oregon Economic Forum at the University of Oregon.

UO professors win Fulbrights (Register-Guard): Three University of Oregon professors have been awarded Fulbright scholar grants to do research and lecture abroad. In addition, the university is hosting one visiting Fulbright scholar for the academic year. This year about 1,000 American professionals received the Fulbright scholar awards. A similar number of foreign scholars received awards to come to the United States. The traditional Fulbright Scholar program allows faculty to spend three months to a year in another country. UO Fulbright scholars are: musicology professor Lori Kruckenberg, who is doing work at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany, through August; geography professor Lise Nelson, who is doing work at the College of Michoacan, Michoacan, Mexico, through February; and anthropology professor Phillip Scher, who is doing work at the University of the West Indies-Cave Hill, Barbados, through May. Working at the UO on a Fulbright grant is accounting professor Chen-Lung Chin, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan, who will be at the university until July.

UO, Eugene police launch traffic safety day (Register-Guard): In a partnership between the University of Oregon Department of Public Safety and Eugene Police Department, Traffic Safety Day will help drivers, bikers, walkers and skateboarders learn how to better share the road. EPD will provide traffic enforcement and education on public streets near campus from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14.