UT www.utnews.utoledo.eduNEWS April 11, 2005 Volume 5, Issue 23 Best-selling author to discuss UT researcher looking to prevent importance of words bone loss By Jon Strunk s the baby boomers near retire- ment and the American Apopulation continues to age, health concerns such as cancer, strokes and heart disease more often are consid- ered the primary threat to older Ameri- Paying tribute cans. But the risk for broken or fractured Page 6 limbs is just as real because of age- related loss of bone mass. Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by decreased bone mass that leads to increased skeletal fragility and susceptibility to fracture, and more than 75 percent of the more than 10 million Americans afflicted with osteoporosis are women, according to the Tom Robbins National Osteoporosis Foundation. By Vicki L. Kroll To help reverse this trend, the “The lecture is going to be about the National Science Foundation has awarded Author Tom Robbins is searching for importance of words,” he said. “Language UT a five-year, $400,000 grant to develop Gripping art the perfect sentence. is my coach. As a writer, language is my and implement a program dedicated to Page 12 “The perfect sentence, if there is such manager, it’s my mistress, it’s my guru. studying the causes of skeletal fragility a thing, would be both vivid and mysteri- It’s very difficult to separate words from and looking at ways to reverse the process. ous, accessible and unpredictable at the image, but I do believe generally that “Forty percent of all women over same time. Whether it shakes out like a language itself is more important than the age 50 will eventually suffer from a hip, wrinkled bed sheet or barrels ahead like a objects or ideas it represents, especially wrist or vertebral osteoporotic fracture,” locomotive, it has to have rhythm,” he said for the novelist or poet because their jobs said Dr. Ozan Akkus, UT assistant in a recent phone interview from his home are to employ words not to communicate professor of bioengineering, who will near Seattle. “When the subject meets the but rather to reveal. So words have color, direct the study. “Twelve to 20 percent of Campus community verb, the verb should yell, ‘Surprise!’” contour, texture and weight, and these osteoporotic hip fracture patients don’t The writer known for his witty attributes are critically important in the invited to survive the year following their fracture wordplay and enlightening fiction will construction of good sentences.” due to surgical complications and old age.” deliver the 16th annual Richard M. Spring Convocation Robbins has put together some great According to Akkus, the current Summers Memorial Lecture Friday, sentences over the years. He has written treatment for osteoporosis aims to April 15, at 4 p.m. in Doermann Theater. Even Cowgirls Get eight novels, including preserve bone mass to prevent increased The title of his talk is “Language Is the Blues Still Life With Wood- Wednesday, April 20 (1976), bone weakness. He hopes to develop a Not the Frosting, It’s the Cake.” continued on page 2 4 p.m. complementary procedure to augment the Work area: body’s natural processes for strengthen- Doermann Theater Beth Rasor, ing the quality of remaining bone tissue front, and that naturally declines with age. *** Mallory Fay, seniors in Bone quality will be improved by the College artificial mimicking agents that will make President Dan Johnson of Pharmacy, up for the loss in natural factors that studied on a regulate the creation and mineralization of to discuss bench in bone tissue. As the body ages, the “Action Plan for Centennial mineralization process becomes irregular, Mall last which results in uncontrolled growth of Excellence” week. mineral crystals, increasing bone’s fragility. “The uncontrolled growth of Faculty/Staff Campaign crystals is akin to a fossilization process as we live,” he said. Kickoff Photo by continued on page 2 Daniel Miller 2 News April 11, 2005 Step into the World of Atoms this fall UT program designed to boost students’ By Deanna Lytle interest in chemistry, confidence By Jon Strunk n celebration of the World Year of original papers contain,” Curtis explained. To qualify, students must have Physics 2005, the physics and “There is no math intimidation in this n indication of last year’s success, completed one year of high school Iastronomy department is offering a course” as the material is conceptual in The University of Toledo chemistry and have limited family income special version of PHYS 1050 titled World nature. Achemistry department is expanding (below $32,000 or below $45,200 if the of Atoms during fall semester 2005. Two areas that Curtis will stress in Project SEED, a national program students have a secondary factor, such as The World Year of Physics recognizes the course include atomic structure and the designed to provide economically if they would represent the family’s first the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s demystification of physics phenomena. disadvantaged high school students generation in college, if they come from a Miracle Year 1905, a year in which he “I want to convey the behavior of interested in chemistry the opportunity to single parent family or if they’re a published three landmark papers in the atoms and how they go together to form conduct professional research in teams led member of underrepresented minority). field of physics on light quanta, Brownian things,” he said. “I especially want to get by University faculty. Amounts are scaled for family size. motion and the special theory of relativity. across that certain physics occurrences do Funded jointly by the American Students are required to work full The PHYS 1050 course has no not violate intuition. Often, things in Chemical Society and the UT chemistry time for at least eight weeks during the prerequisites and can be applied toward a physics are presented as if there is some department, the concept behind Project summer. UT core requirement and a College of Arts mystery or magic involved. But these SEED is to plant the idea that a college “This isn’t just a shadow program,” and Sciences requirement in natural apparent paradoxes are actually function- education is an attainable goal, said Jorgensen said, “it’s a proactive learning sciences. It is worth three credit hours and ing the right way. I want to make some of Dr. Andrew Jorgensen, UT associate environment. Students are in the lab doing meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the phenomena seem more friendly and clear.” professor of chemistry and coordinator of some of the same work as professors and from 1 to 1:50 p.m. in McMaster Hall Curtis said people from all academic the Project SEED program at the University. graduate students.” Room 2002. disciplines are welcome in the course. “In “We’re trying to catch high school First-year Project SEED students According to Dr. Larry Curtis, a sense, this class can be treated as a one- students early on,” he said. “We want to receive a stipend of $2,275, funded Distinguished University Professor of room schoolhouse. If there are some take those students who might not be equally by ACS and the UT chemistry Physics and Astronomy, class materials people who are well-versed in math, I can considering college either because of department. The Toledo section of ACS will include Einstein’s original papers, as speak to them. And if there are others who financial reasons or because they don’t and Dr. Robert Maley, a UT chemistry well as newspaper articles and work of don’t have as much experience in math, I think they could be successful.” department alumnus, also have donated later scientists. can address them.” By imbedding the students into funds. Those returning for a second year “What many people don’t realize is For more information on the course, professional research teams, Jorgensen of research — under the same professor that Einstein’s work is very easy to read — contact Curtis at [email protected] hopes the students get hooked on science and in the same lab — earn $2,600. people have added in more math than the or call Ext. 2341. and gain the confidence to know they can Jorgensen said he remembers being succeed academically at a university. in the same position as the students Project Author continued from page 1 UT has received more than $8,000 to SEED tries to reach — academically able pecker (1980), Jitterbug Perfume (1984), help fund seven students’ stipends — up to attend college but with no plans to do so Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates from four last year. Jorgensen said two of because of financial limitations. (2000) and Villa Incognito (2003). His last year’s students are returning, and he “I went to college because one of my books are available in 21 languages, and plans to make contacts with area high teachers invested his time to ensure his stories, essays and poems have appeared school chemistry and science teachers college was in my future,” he said. “We’re in numerous publications ranging from shortly to attract qualified candidates to trying to do the same thing with these Esquire to Playboy. fill the other five positions before the students today, and we are hopeful that The native of Blowing Rock, N.C., May 1 deadline. their future success will be the reward.” attended Washington and Lee University, graduated with honors from a professional Researcher continued from page 1 school of art, drama and music in Virginia, and did graduate work in Far In addition to the research, the grant College of Engineering, praised Akkus, Eastern philosophy at the University of has an educational aspect that will both for his academic and scholarly Washington.