News for the Campus Community Nov. 20, 2009 • Vol. 25, No. 7

WIU paleobiologist's team discovers new dinosaur Find in South Africa sheds light on largest dinosaurs

Matthew Bonnan, “I can’t express in words just how times (2004, 2006, 2007) working with associate professor exciting and what a privilege this is to South African colleagues at two quarry of biology at Western announce to the world a brand new sites determined to be Early Jurassic, Illinois University, has dinosaur, one that’s a transitional, that approximately 195 million years ago. been featured in the tells us in some ways how we moved from An analysis of the bone microstructure international media after smaller biped animals to bigger, heavier of the 7-meter (20-feet) long herbivore having been part of the quadruped animals,” Bonnan said. “And it indicates that it was young and still team that discovered a fits in so well with the research I’m doing growing. Its skeletal anatomy shares a new dinosaur in South personally, and with students. number of key features with sauropods. Africa. “On a scientific level, it’s really Limb proportions show that Aardonyx Named Aardonyx, fulfilling to have a hypothesis on how you was a biped, although its forearm bones meaning “earth claw,” the new find is think dinosaurs got large, then to test that interlock—like those of quadrupedal shedding light on the origins of the biggest in the field and get back these kind of data sauropods—suggesting that it could dinosaurs ever, the sauropods, Bonnan —a new dinosaur—that really does start to occasionally walk on all-fours, Bonnan explained. fill in some of those anatomical gaps,” he explained. The discovery was accepted for added. Bonnan’s specialties in the digs are as a publication in the Proceedings of the With funding from National functional morphologist, who understands Royal Society B, a significant journal of Geographic Society’s Committee for anatomy and how bones and muscles biological research and reviews, with the Research and Exploration, and with work together in movement, and as a title, “A new transitional sauropodomorph support from Western’s College of Arts vertebrate paleobiologist, who studies how dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South and Sciences and Center for Innovation vertebrate animals have evolved. Africa and the evolution of sauropod in Teaching and Research (CITR), Bonnan See “Bonnan,” p. 2 feeding and quadrupedalism.” has been to Free State, South Africa three

H1N1 vaccine, Wright Residence dedication prevention info As the holiday break approaches, Beu Health Center recommends that individuals use that time off to rest and recuperate in order to remain healthy. “While we recognize this is a busy time of the year, Beu encourages individuals to use the break time to slow down. Get some rest, eat right and allow yourself time to recuperate from any lingering colds or other illnesses,” said Beu Health Center Director Mary Margaret Harris. While flu season is just beginning, confirmed–and probable –cases of H1N1 continue to be reported locally, as well as throughout the state and the nation. Individuals should remain vigilant about their health and well-being, Harris added. “If you’re sick, don’t make turkey and all the trimmings for your family. Don’t President Al Goldfarb, and Dr. Ken Wright and his wife, Betty, cut the ribbon officially travel or shop ‘til you drop. Prevention is dedicating the Wright Residence as the new Veteran’s Resource Center during a often the best medicine to avoid the virus: ceremony on Veteran’s Day. The Wrights donated Ken’s boyhood home at See “prevention,” p. 2 333 N. Ward St. to Western. Student organization gathers support for member in Iraq

Members of Western Illinois University’s Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (SCIMA) recently showed their support of a fellow member who is currently stationed in Iraq. SCIMA students collected donations throughout October to send care packages to accountancy student Andrew Mulrooney, a junior from Pecatonica (IL), who is stationed in Iraq with his National Guard unit. “The SCIMA students wanted to let Andy know we were thinking of him Accountancy student Andy Mulrooney and are so proud that he is serving our SCIMA members Joanna Specht (left), Jessie Lai (center), and Nicole MacLeod (back row, middle) at an IMA leadership country,” said Amy Ford, faculty adviser training session last spring. for the group and an instructor in the (right), organize donations to send to accountancy department. “So many their fellow WIU student who is in Iraq. people pitched in on the project. Faculty even offered extra credit to her students SCIMA students organized the donations and students throughout the College of who donated items for the care packages. and are sending out the US Postal Service’s Business and Technology donated food, Other faculty members donated money to “America Supports You” flat-rate donation candy and games to send to Andy and his help with postage. boxes. National Guard troop.” Mulrooney has been an active member For more information, contact Ford at Ford added that Susan Behling, a of SCIMA for the past two years. [email protected] or (309) 298-1152. professor in the accountancy department, Bonnan cont’d Prevention, cont’d “We were ecstatic that when we began maybe just a bigger form. wash your hands frequently, get enough to take bone bits on the surface away and “It got really exciting in 2007 when we rest, stay home if you’re not feeling well, dig a little deeper, we got nice, well- started laying these bones out and looking don’t share cups or eating utensils with preserved solid bones. Incredibly, not only closely at the features on them,” Bonnan others and get a flu shot,” she said. were we finding pieces of the limbs and said. “We realized this animal, while it Individuals who do become ill over the ribs and the backbone, but we also shared certain features with ones that we Thanksgiving break should not return to started to find pieces of the skull. That’s know, had features that we’ve never seen campus until they are fever-free for 24 when it started to get really exciting, before. We finally were able to say this is hours, without the aid of a fever-reducing because the skull can tell you if you have indeed a new species of dinosaur. That was medication. a new dinosaur or not,” Bonnan said. “By an incredible feeling.” WIU faculty, staff and students who the end of 2006 we had enough of the skull The two bones in the forearm of the meet the CDC priority group guidelines to get an idea of what this animal looked new dinosaur Aardonyx was the tipoff to can receive the H1N1 injectable vaccine or like.” Bonnan that this animal was related to the nasal spray vaccine at Beu Health Center. The skull and jaws show signs that giant sauropods. The vaccines are available at no cost and this dinosaur had a wide gape and could “The forearm bones of Aardonyx appointments are not needed. See priority bulk-browse, taking in huge mouthfuls are beginning to show the interlocking groups for the injectable vaccine in the of vegetation in each bite, an adaptation position found in the giant sauropods. Nov. 9 release and the nasal spray vaccine amplified later in sauropod dinosaurs. In other dinosaurs that are bipeds, that in the Nov. 4 release at wiu.edu/news. Despite its “small” size, sauropod-like walk on their hind legs, you don’t see that For more information, contact Beu vertebral joints had developed to brace its feature. You only see that in sauropods,” Health Center at (309) 298-1888. backbone, and the thighbone (femur) was Bonnan explained. “Aardonyx may not straightened for weight-support, Bonnan have walked on all fours all the time, but added. The feet were flattened, bore large it was certainly was capable of dropping Health dept. clinics claws, and were more robust medially, down and walking on those forearms The McDonough County Health features of a weight-bearing axis shifted because it had the ability to resist the Department will offer seasonal flu shots towards the midline as in their giant near- stress.” for state employees, by appointment, from descendants. “Both on a scientific level and a 1-5 p.m. on the following dates: He said the next step was to take the personal level this has just been absolutely Tuesday, Dec. 1 bones back to the lab in South Africa fantastic,” Bonnan added. Thursday, Dec. 10 and clean them, assemble them and start Tuesday, Dec. 15, and to figure out whether what they had Tuesday, Dec. 29 unearthed was something new to science For an appointment, call (309) 837-9951. or whether it was already known and wiu.edu/connection — page 2 Grants & Contracts Civil Service News Three COEHS faculty received Employee of the Month University Research Council grants: Ralph Graham, Kinesiology—$4,500 Tim Schroll, customer service for “Effects of an Exercise and Diet representative for the GIS Laboratory in Modification on C-reactive Protein and the geography department, was named the Blood Lipids in Obese but Otherwise Civil Service Employee of the Month for Healthy Women;” Carol Longley, November. DFMH—$5,000 for “Snacking Behavior of According to his nominators, "Tim is Preschool Children at Home;” and a positive role model for students and Daniel Yoder, RPTA— $2,588 for the fellow GIS Center employees. The level of “Leisure is Recreation is Play: Well, Not enthusiasm he brings to work, along with Really.” his positive attitude, is vital to the work Gisele Hamm, IIRA—$1,096 and $600 environment and are two of the reasons in supplemental funding from various why the workplace functions above and sources for “MAPPING Community beyond." Support.” Schroll has worked a temporary William Jorgesen, Quad Cities employee in the GIS Center since 2006. He Executive Studies Center—$37,427 from was hired to his current full-time position should contact Laura Caldwell, Civil the Illinois Department of Commerce and in 2009. Service Employees Council (CSEC) public Economic Opportunity for “Employer Western faculty, staff and relations representative, at (309) 298-1000 Training Investment Program.” administrators, as well as community or e-mail [email protected]. Lori Sutton, IIRA—$4,562 in members, wishing to nominate a civil supplemental funding from various service employee for this recognition, sources for “Continuum of Care Support.” Horticulture professor develops sustainable Turkey, trimmings landscaping website and GIS mapping “It all started with the idea that I could that could be used for teaching, one that Once upon a time, in order to trace reduce the amount of would also serve as a tool students could the path of a meal from your table to the mowing I was doing use to learn more about the technologies source, you may only have had to take a every week or so. I have discussed in her class. short jaunt to a nearby field. But in these a large backyard, and “I have not found a textbook on the days of modern transit, when the foods I spent well over an topic appropriate for such a class,” she that people consume hail from various hour on a rider mower, said. “The technologies are developing regions of the United States and even the keeping that grass very quickly, and our students need to globe, that path, many times, is much more well-kempt,” wrote learn about them before they get into the complex; the more complex the path, the Marietta Loehrlein in job market. Getting a textbook published more complex the data are about that path. her first blog post on would take too long. Our students need GIS, or “geographic information systems,” her new website called this information now. technology provides a way to display such “Sustainable Landscaping.” “Many university classrooms already data visually. Loehrlein, a horticulture professor provide Internet access; this website will Linda Zellmer, government in Western’s School of Agriculture, make it easier for both instructors and information and data services librarian developed the site as an instructional students to access the information in an at Western Illinois University Libraries, tool for a new Sustainable Landscaping organized manner,” she added. utilized GIS to prepare a website Practices course she is teaching. The site Loehrlein noted that while there are (available at faculty.wiu.edu/LR-Zellmer/ includes an abundance of information— books, articles and websites devoted thanksgiving.html) that links to PDF from alternative energy and landscape to one or another of the technologies, versions of the maps that show where equipment to creating wildlife habitat her Sustainable Landscaping website the foods consumed at the traditional to pesticide use and recycled landscape addresses all of the pertinent issues, Thanksgiving meal—such as turkey, materials—and addresses a rapidly providing a comprehensive resource cranberries, squash and green beans— evolving area responding to environmental for individuals, organizations and even originate. In addition, the website has issues, including global climate change. municipalities. a link to a comprehensive poster (also The blog provides a way to share “It is arranged like chapters in a book, a PDF) that shows where all of the her personal experiences about practical and eventually it will have hands-on Thanksgiving foods are grown in the landscaping application. activities and problem sets designed for United States. Loehrlein wanted to make the classroom use. Other topics covered on Visit faculty.wiu.edu/LR-Zellmer/ information for the course available not the site include irrigating with gray water, thanksgiving.html to access the maps and only to her students, but also to instructors constructed wetlands and using plants to the comprehensive poster online. For more at other universities and the general mitigate environmental factors, especially information, contact Zellmer at public. She decided to develop a website sun and wind,” she added. [email protected] or (309) 298-2723. wiu.edu/connection — page 3 Professional activities

Four COEHS faculty members received Framing the Issues” at the American Teachers Association Area Conference awards at the CITR’s Fourth Annual Educational Studies Association on Science Education on Oct. 29-31 in Faculty Research Symposium: Donna conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Other WIU Minneapolis, MN. Aguiniga and Kathy Perone, Social presenters included Deb Miretzky “She Sandra Watkins and Bridget Sheng, Work, were recognized for Best in Track Has Her Opinion and She Sticks With It!: Educational Leadership, presented for Research Development Activities Social Foundations and Undergraduates”; “Cultivating Highly-Effective Teachers: for their presentation “The Ethics of and James Cohen, “Raising a Toddler Lessons Learned from a Teacher Leader Competency: Practitioner Perceptions and Bilingually in a Monolingual Society with Graduate Program” at the 2009 PDK Concerns About Competent Social Work Both Parents in Academia: Cake Walk it is International Summit on Quality Practice.” Aguiniga was also recognized Not.” Education Recruitment and Retention in for Best New Faculty Proposal. Jill Myers Mary Jensen, Special Education, along Indianapolis, IN. and Gayle Carper, LEJA, received the with six students, presented “Create Jim West, IDT and Peggy West, CITR, award for Creative Activities for their Unique Data Collection Forms” and co-presented the keynote speech , “Using presentation, “Electronic Aggression: “Practical Methods of Data Collection” at Wikis for Online Collaboration,” for the Ethics and Free Speech.” the Illinois Council for Exceptional fall/winter trimester faculty in-service John Closen and Lloyd Kilmer, Children Conference on Nov. 6 in Lisle session at Palmer College of Chiropractic Educational Leadership, presented a (IL). Nov. 2 in Davenport, IA. training session, “Instructional Practices Roberto Mazza, History, presented Inventory,” for superintendents and “Christian Institutions of Jerusalem Angel Tree program principals at the Regional Office of and Palestine in the Late 19th Century, Education #35 on Oct. 28 in LaSalle (IL). Until the Early 1920s” at the Second For the 16th consecutive year, Western's Richard Filipink, History, presented Annual CSU Middle East and Islamic accountancy honorary Beta Alpha Psi “It’s a Long Way From Tipperary: Boston (MEIS) Conference held Oct. 16-17 at San (BAP) and the accountancy department are and the Kennedys,” and Virginia Jelatis, Francisco State University, and “Dining sponsoring the Angel Tree Program. history, presented “From Puritans to out in the Holy City: the Spanish Consul The program provides holiday gifts Patriots; Boston and the American in Jerusalem 1914-1919” Oct. 14 at Illinois and necessities to foster care children Revolution” at the Teaching American State University. and teenagers in McDonough, Fulton, History Grant Fall Workshop held Alison McGaughey, University Warren, Henderson and Hancock counties. Oct. 25 at WIU. Relations, presented “What Did it Mean to The Department of Children and Family Tracy Davis, EIS, was a panelist for be ‘Normal,’ and Why Does it Matter?: An Services (DCFS) from each of the counties the WIU National Association for Black Analysis of a Midwestern Tradition and its has provided the name, age, gender, size Journalists (NABJ) discussion on “Poor, Relation to Composition Teaching Today” and "wish list" of each child. The goal of Dumb, and Guilty: The Perception of at the Sixth Annual English Graduate Beta Alpha Psi is to provide each child African Americans in the Media” Nov. 12 Organization Conference held Nov. 13-14 with three gifts. at Cafe Aroma in Macomb. at WIU in Macomb. Anyone interested in participating Terri Hare, Financial Aid, presented Darlos Mummert, Special Education, should contact Becky Hall, accountancy the session “Cross Training and Office has been named to the Human Rights department, at (309) 298-1152 or Transition” at the 2009 Illinois Association Advisory Committee for Mosaic of [email protected]. Please include: your of Student Financial Aid Administrators Macomb. name, campus phone and location. Cash (ILASFAA) Fall Training Oct. 2 in East Katharine Pawelko, RPTA, presented donations are also welcome (checks Peoria, (IL). the sessions “Developing an Equine payable to Beta Alpha Psi Angel Tree Jennie Hemingway and Dana Moon, Assisted Activity Program;” “Therapeutic Program). If donations exceed the amount COEHS Dean’s Office, were panel Riding Benefits to Riders with Visual needed for the foster children, food baskets members for the program “All Sorority Impairments;” “Exploring the Social World will be provided to families in need. Sisterhood” discussing relationships, of Whitewater Kayakers;” and “Motivation Donors are asked to securely attach women in leadership and sex-role and Job Satisfaction Factors For Summer the angel tag with the child's name to the stereotyping during Sorority Week hosted Camp Staff” at the State University of New outside of the wrapped package and to by the WIU Panhellenic Council. York-Cortland 59th Recreation Conference. indicate the type of gift(s), such as toy/ Julie O’Brien, UAASC, and Jessica Barbara Sandall, Abha Singh, LaVerne clothing, that have been purchased. Gifts Butcher, Student Services, also presented, Logan and Don Powers, Curriculum and must be ready to be picked up or delivered and Janine Cavicchia, Women’s Center, Instruction’s Science Education Center to the accountancy department, Stipes Hall served as moderator. faculty members, delivered the sessions 418, by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Andrea Hyde, EIS, gave a workshop, “Ecological Footprints;” ”Inquiry-based “We truly appreciate the kindness “YogaEd Tools for Teachers” to a group Assessment in the Elementary Science and generosity of our ‘angels’ over the of Quad Cities Counselor Education Classroom;” ”Integrating Science years,” said Cheryl Westen, BAP adviser students as part of the EIS405G: Classroom and Math in the Middle/Junior High and accountancy instructor. “While there Management course. Hyde also chaired Classroom;” and “Walking Through is always a great need for donors, this several sessions and presented “Academia Millions of Years to Teach Integrated particular holiday season will certainly and Constraints on Intimate Relationships: Science”at the 2009 National Science see an even greater need given the current economic situation facing our country. We hope to help least 60-70 children this year.” wiu.edu/connection — page 4 Historical newsletters now online thanks to University Libraries Earlier this year, two WIU librarians in the western Illinois counties, Thompson Thompson noted that scanning the took it upon themselves to make the pointed out, highlights how the seemingly newsletters took a better part of year. A historical past and collective memories of simple recounting of the lives of the people WIU student worker, Kylene Davenport, the western Illinois region more accessible in the region provides contemporary completed the bulk of the time-intensive to those near and afar. insight into the “simpler” days of yore. scanning work. Bill Thompson, librarian and associate “One of the items that I remember While the historical societies’ professor at University Libraries, and clearly is the Articles of Indenture signed newsletters available online are not Jeff Hancks, Baxter-Snyder Professor by an Illinois couple. Although Illinois was searchable by full text, Thompson noted of Regional and Icarian Studies and not a slave-owning state, some of those that he hopes that will happen in the University Archives and Special who lived in the state practiced indentured future. Collections unit coordinator, applied for servitude, a near cousin to slavery,” he “The fact that this historical content is and were awarded a grant through the explained. “Reading the articles, which now available online makes the collection Consortium of Academic and Research amounted to a temporary surrender of an even more marvelous resource than the Libraries in Illinois (CARLI). The grant many of the freedoms we take for granted print iteration of the newsletters held at enabled Hancks and Thompson to in return for room and board, was an WIU,” Thompson said. “Those interested spearhead a project that makes the content eloquent statement of the hardships that in the region’s history or who are doing of several western Illinois historical people were willing to undergo to escape genealogical work from afar don’t have societies’ newsletters available online. the even worse conditions only available to travel to Macomb to read about the Included in the online collection—which to them elsewhere,” he added. fascinating history of those who lived and is available at collections.carli.illinois.edu/ Thompson also cited another item that worked in western Illinois. They can just cdm4/index_wiu_hsn.php?CISOROOT=/ stuck with him-—the tale of the first- go online, and the information from these wiu_hsn —are newsletters from known murder in Schuyler County, which historical societies’ newsletters is available the western Illinois counties of was published in the Schuyler County to them at their fingertips.” Hancock (1987-present); McDonough Historical Society’s newsletter. And, according to Hancks, the (1982-present), including the Colchester “The story of the murder was about newsletters are just the beginning of the Area Historical Society (1995-present); two men who were chopping wood. An historical content University Libraries is Rock Island (1966-present); and Schuyler argument soon ensued, and one killed collecting and making available online to (1969-present). the other. Not only did the newsletter researchers. “Western’s Special Collections already publish the account of the murderer’s “We currently offer photographs and had hard copies of the materials,” trial and execution, but it also provided some books published by Western, and explained Thompson. “It was a matter of a list of the effects of the deceased, which future plans call for important historical getting permission to scan them and make were derived from the probate records. resources, including WIU yearbooks and them publicly accessible, so Jeff worked Through that list, a reader gets a sense of the Western Courier,” Hancks said. with the various historical societies the material culture of ordinary people For more information, contact involved to get their permission to put the —the clothes they owned, the tools they Thompson at (309) 298-2784 or at material online.” possessed and so on. Items like these open [email protected] or Hancks at Thompson noted the collection has up a lost world and provide first-hand (309) 298-2717 or [email protected] been available online since late last information about what a person carried summer, and the newsletters online are with him and owned in frontier Illinois,” browsable by individual issue. Perusing Thompson said. the many stories about people and places Rec Center hours during Thanksgiving break GBCC hosts Student Recreation Center hours for Thanksgiving Break are as follows: Pre-Kwanzaa Dec. 2 Friday, Nov. 20: 5:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. The Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural No group fitness classes Group fitness class: Center (GBCC) will present its 10th Aquatics Center: 6-7:45 a.m.; “YogaFit” 4:45-5:45 p.m. Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ; 3-6 p.m. Aquatics Center: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 in the 4-6 p.m. Multicultural Center. Saturday, Nov. 21: 8 a.m.-noon All are encouraged to learn and No group fitness classes Wednesday, Nov. 25: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. celebrate the history of Kwanzaa. Aquatics Center: 9-11 a.m. No group fitness classes The event will include a short program Aquatics Center: 11a.m. - 1 p.m. of singing and expressions of culture Sunday, Nov. 22: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 26-Sunday, Nov. 29 followed by “Karamu Feast” (food Aquatics Center: 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. Closed. sampling). For more information, contact the For more information, call the Campus GBCC at (309) 298-2220. Monday, Nov. 23: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Recreation Office Monday-Friday, Group fitness class: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at (309) 298-1228. “20-20-20” 4:45-5:45 p.m. Aquatics Center: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; 4-6 p.m. wiu.edu/connection — page 5