UO E-clips, June 20
News stories for June 20, 2008: UO journalism professor Melissa Hart, in a guest viewpoint in today's Register-Guard, says the same-sex marriages at San Francisco City Hall inspired tears in her eyes; a National Science Foundation feature appearing on Live Science today looks at why people choose to live in wildfire zones, quoting heavily on the work of UO psychologist Paul Slovik; the U.S. Department of Education today reports on states chosen, including Oregon, to work with the National Technical Assistance Center (co-directed by a UO educator) to implement and scale-up evidence-based practices; and Red Orbit reports on a deal that will have Strategic Diagnostics Inc. producing a library of antibodies for the study of usher syndrome, quoting the UO's Monte Westerfield
Gender aside, weddings are special (Register-Guard, guest viewpoint by Melissa Hart, UO professor of journalism): As a rule, I don’t cry at weddings. However, this week, the nuptial celebrations at San Francisco City Hall inspired even the stodgiest among us to wipe our eyes and grin at men in twin tuxedos, women in matching satin dresses and children in taffeta frocks or tiny suits eyeing the complimentary cupcakes passed out by blue-shirted members of the Unitarian Church. On Tuesday, county clerk’s offices in California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Why people live in wildfire zones (Live Science): The California wildfires in 2007 led some people to wonder why anyone would live in terrain as vulnerable to natural disasters as parts of California. Now, the heart of the 2008 fire season will soon be here and people will no doubt ask similar questions as homes and communities are threatened once again. … For decades scientists like Slovic, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore. and president of the Decision Research group there, have studied aspects of these difficult questions.
States chosen to work with National Technical Assistance Center to implement and scale-up evidence-based practices (U.S. Department of Education): The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) today announced that its national technical assistance center has selected six states with which it will work to expand promising, evidence-based practices for K-12 students. The states include: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon, which will join forces with the center to actively increase effective, evidence-based practices in those states. • Missouri and Virginia, which will focus on building the foundations for scaling-up implementation capacity. … Co-directors at the center include Karen Blase and Dean Fixsen, assisted by partners Rob Horner at the University of Oregon and George Sugai at the University of Connecticut.
Strategic diagnostics Inc. to produce library of antibodies for the study of usher syndrome (Red Orbit): Strategic Diagnostics Inc. (Nasdaq: SDIX) - a leading provider of biotechnology-based detection solutions for a broad range of life science, food, water, agricultural and environmental applications - announced that it will be expanding its relationship with the University of Oregon, Eugene and the Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans (LSUHSC) by beginning to supply antibodies for the study of Usher Syndrome. … Monte Westerfield of U. of Oregon commented, "These tools will enable us to visualize the complex interaction of proteins in our disease models. Our initial tests of SDI's antibodies have already produced surprising results that will help in unraveling the pathology behind this disease." SDI will produce the antibodies through its proprietary Genomic Antibody Technology(TM) platform.