staff writer: Research Briefs Research Briefs

Casale has mounted revivals of The pencil and paper exams are just a few Queen of the Stardust Ballroom with examples of research areas faculty and Tyne Daly and Charles Durning and graduate students are investigating,” with Patrick Cassidy and says Paul Jones, chair of the educational . He has also directed psychology department. “This ranking a number of television shows, such is an indication of our research mission as the The Wayans Brothers show for and our commitment to produce Warner Brothers TV and The Faculty, highly qualified scholars and clinical starring Meredith Baxter for ABC. Casale practitioners locally and nationally.” received his master’s degree from UNLV. Educational psychology is a long- standing program at UNLV and offers Graduate-Level Programs master’s and doctoral degrees as well as Receive Nod from U.S. a specialist degree in school psychology. Students are prepared for professional News and World Report careers as university teachers, researchers, and mental health care Glenn Casale, Theatre Professor he quality of two graduate-level providers in the school and community. Tprograms – one in educational U.S. News & World Report also psychology and the other in law – has UNLV Theatre Professor recognized the quality of the William been recognized by U.S. News and S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. The Wins Regents’ Creative World Report. school moved up 13 spots to 75th – its Activity Award For the second consecutive year, highest rank ever. The move constitutes the educational psychology program a 25-place improvement in the past NLV theatre professor Glenn at UNLV was named among the top two years for the law school, which was UCasale recently won the 2009 25 specialty programs in the nation, established just 11 years ago. Nevada System of Higher Education according to an annual survey by U.S. “The law school – with new, Regents’ Award for Creative Activity. News & World Report. Out of 241 schools innovative programs and top faculty This award recognizes significant with doctoral degrees in education that to lead them – is continuing the accomplishments that bring recognition, responded to the magazine’s survey, momentum that began with a solid as well as national and international UNLV’s program ranked 21st, tying foundation. The U.S. News rankings stature, to the Nevada System of Higher with two other universities. Rankings of law schools are but one indication Education. are based on criteria such as research of our continued success at building The honoree receives a $5,000 activity, doctoral students’ GRE scores, a world-class faculty and cutting-edge stipend and a medal. and faculty awards. program of legal education,” says John Casale, who leads the department’s “The effectiveness of homework, V. White, dean of the law school. “The graduate-level directing program, joined how to teach climate change, and law school’s achievements in recent UNLV in 2003. He has directed a variety online test-taking versus traditional years are many, and, irrespective of of UNLV plays, as well as several major recognition of outside rankings, we are New York and productions. proud of our work to provide students He directed the 1999 Tony Award- with an excellent legal education nominated and Emmy Award-winning that emphasizes academic rigor, Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby. He also professionalism, skilled representation, recently directed a new production of and community service.” Dragapella, which was nominated for The Boyd School of Law received Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards special acknowledgement from U.S. for best production. News for several of its programs, For Reprise he has directed The including its Lawyering Process Threepenny Opera, starring Patrick Program, which maintained its Cassidy and Theodore Bikel; Anything ranking as the third best program Goes, starring Rachel York and Brent of its kind, and the Saltman Center Barrett; and Fiorella! with Tony Danza. for Conflict Resolution, which was His first L.A. production was Wrestlers ranked the nation’s ninth best dispute John V. White, Dean, Boyd School of Law with George Clooney and Mark Harmon. resolution program.

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UNLV Study Addresses Physical Stability of Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers

new study by UNLV researchers Afound that those living with Parkinson’s disease may improve their stability and reduce the likelihood of falling if they change the focus of their attention during movement. The study, which appears in the UNLV President Neal Smatresk, left, February 2009 issue of the scholarly addresses the recent journal Physical Therapy, found that National Clean Energy postural stability improved significantly Summit 2.0, including among a sample group of patients with panelists (from left) Parkinson’s disease when they adopted John Podesta, president and CEO of the Center an external rather than internal focus of for American Progress; attention. UNLV Hosts National former Vice President An estimated one million Americans Al Gore; U.S. Senate suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and two Clean Energy Summit Majority Leader Harry thirds of them reported falling within Reid; and financier T. or a second year in a row, UNLV recently co-hosted Boone Pickens. the last year. the National Clean Energy Summit, at which In the study, a research team led by F government and industry leaders, scientists, policy UNLV kinesiology professor Gabriele experts, and citizens gathered to discuss renewable energy issues facing the U.S. Wulf tested three groups of older adults and the world. with Parkinson’s disease by asking them The day-long summit, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Senate Majority to balance on an unstable surface (an Leader Harry Reid and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, included inflated rubber disk). presentations by national leaders from a variety of sectors seeking to advance clean One group was instructed to look energy initiatives. straight ahead and focus on reducing Speakers included former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, movement in their feet (representing energy executive T. Boone Pickens, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and others. an internal focus); a second group was Following this year’s summit, UNLV held its third annual Renewable Energy asked to look straight head but to focus Symposium on campus as well. Presented by UNLV’s Harry Reid Center for on the disk (representing an external Environmental Studies and the Division of Research and Graduate Studies, this focus). A control group was not given symposium focused on renewable energy technologies deployable in Nevada, the attentional focus instructions. Southwest, and across the nation. The external focus exercise resulted Presenters discussed research related to sustainability and renewable energy; in significantly greater postural stability concentrated solar-thermal and solar photovoltaic designs; biofuels and bio-energy; than both the internal and control fuel cell and hydrogen storage technologies; enhanced geothermal systems; new conditions. building technologies; and more. “For those with a history of falls, it’s Renewable energy is one of several sustainability-oriented areas of research much more effective to focus attention expertise at UNLV. on the effects that their movements have on the environment rather than to focus on the internal movements activities more safely and effectively.” “For example, beginning ice skaters themselves,” Wulf says. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, focus all of their attention inward on “These findings have the potential degeneration occurs in the basal ganglia, their movements and adopt a stiff to improve efforts of caregivers and the part of the brain that controls motor posture just to maintain balance,” Wulf clinicians providing rehabilitation function and learning. Wulf and her notes. “For experts, the act of skating guidance to Parkinson’s patients,” team contend that instructions directing comes naturally, and they’re able to she says. “They may also give the attention to the effect, or outcome, of the focus attention on the environment patients more control over their lives movement support a more automatic around them. by providing them with a strategy to form of motor control, consistent with “Similarly in rehabilitation, we’ve manage their posture and movement that seen from expert performers. found that directing attention externally

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– in this case, keeping the rubber disk important because it will tell us how the Research and Policy (NICRP) in as still as possible – allows automatic different parts of the valley would react partnership with the Southern Nevada control processes to kick in and tasks to an earthquake,” Luke says. “These Health District, the Nevada State are performed more effectively and measurements translate into guidance Health Division, and the Clark County efficiently.” on structural design requirements in the School District. The study is available online at www. community.” The survey was administered by ptjournal.org. By combining results of direct 15 of the state’s 17 school districts in field testing with analysis of more the fall of 2008. Its goal was to provide 3-D Model Depicts Area’s than 160 seismic site classifications baseline data on the overall health Earthquake Reactions filed by others with local government status of children entering school. agencies, the UNLV research team “With this new information we compiled a database of 230 shear- NLV researchers have completed can begin to identify health issues wave velocity measurements. Using the most detailed three- that may ultimately affect the well- U the database and other sources of dimensional model to date showing being of children, in and out of school, information, the team created the how shallow sediments of the Las and implement strategies to make shear-wave velocity model for the Vegas valley will respond during an improvements,” says Denise Tanata valley to depths of hundreds of feet. earthquake. Ashby, executive director of the NICRP. The final product for the research The model can be used to design The 22-question survey gathered team, a seismic hazard map, will be safer buildings and highway bridges information on a variety of variables, used by local officials in disaster relief and is the latest step toward the team’s including insurance status, access to planning, land use planning, and development of a comprehensive health care, immunizations, weight, assessment of existing infrastructure seismic hazard map for . and health behavior. Nevada ranks third in the nation for in the event of an earthquake. Luke and colleagues Aly Said, also The survey was distributed to risk of large-magnitude earthquakes. parents of the estimated 30,744 In Southern Nevada, active faults a UNLV engineering professor, and Wanda Taylor, interim dean of the entering kindergartners. More than capable of producing an earthquake 11,000 surveys were collected. Among of magnitude 6.0 or greater have been College of Sciences and a geoscience the findings: identified. professor, were awarded a multi- • 36 percent of kindergartners were Howard R. Hughes College of year grant from the U.S. Department either overweight or at-risk of Engineering professor Barbara Luke of Energy in part to determine being overweight. and an interdisciplinary team of UNLV which areas of the basin would be • 18 percent had no health faculty and students performed site most susceptible should a major surveys throughout the Las Vegas valley earthquake occur. insurance coverage. over the last two years to measure A more detailed explanation of • 25 percent indicated using profiles of shear-wave velocity. the project appeared in the November emergency rooms or urgent care Shear-wave velocity is a measure of 2008 issue of The Leading Edge, an facilities for non-life threatening the speed at which certain stresses move official publication of the Society illnesses in the past 12 months. of Exploration Geophysicists. More through the various sediments that The researchers hope the study’s information on the project is also make up the valley floor. data will be used to identify and available at http://earthquakes.unlv.edu. “The shear-wave velocity model is remediate health disparities and may ultimately lead to increased academic First-Ever Study of success among Nevada’s students. Health Status of “Studies have shown that there are Nevada Kindergartners definite links between the health status Completed of a child and the child’s academic success,” Tanata Ashby says. “If we can team of UNLV researchers recently track the trends that may be affecting Aconducted a statewide study the health status of children, we can resulting in the first-ever comprehensive target parent outreach and resources health status report on children entering and ultimately increase both the well- kindergarten in Nevada. being and academic success of children The Nevada Kindergarten Health in our state.” Survey was conducted by UNLV’s The full report is available online at Barbara Luke, Engineering Professor Nevada Institute for Children’s http://nic.unlv.edu.

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