Cyber Security Tips for the Holidays!
"Be Cyber Wiser" - three Things you can do before shopping online this holiday Season:

1. Tune up your defenses.
Before you shop online, make sure you have your security suite (firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware) installed and updated with the most current updates. Also, keep your operating system and web browser up-to-date with the latest versions and updates.

2. Check sellers out.
Conduct independent research before you buy online from a seller you have never done business with. Some attackers try to trick you by creating malicious Web sites that appear legitimate, so you should verify the site before supplying any information. Locate and note phone numbers and physical addresses of vendors in case there is a problem with your transaction or your bill. Search for merchant reviews. Never, ever give out personal or credit card information on web sites you are not sure of. Think before you "Click."

3. Make sure the site is legitimate.
Before you enter your personal and financial information to make an online transaction, look for signs that the site is secure. This includes a closed padlock on your Web browser’s address bar or a URL address that begins with shttp or https. This indicates that the purchase site is encrypted or secured. Never use unsecured wireless networks like the ones in hotels, airports, cyber cafes, etc. to make an online purchase. Think before you "Click."

FAU will observe holiday break Monday, Dec. 24 through Tuesday, Jan. 1. All offices will re-open on Wednesday, Jan. 2. The extended holiday applies to all employees except those whose presence is required to maintain safety and meet ongoing operational needs. These individuals will earn holiday compensatory leave in accordance with HR policy.

Announcements will resume for 2013 on Monday, Jan. 7.

The Florida Atlantic University Libraries would like to invite you to take a customer satisfaction survey, which measures satisfaction with library services, staff, facilities, policies and more. The survey can be accessed at http://fau.countingopinions.com and will be available until Dec. 31, 2012. The survey results will be used to help identify areas to make improvements. If you have questions, contact Darlene Parrish, Ph.D., university librarian, at parrish@fau.edu or Malka Schyndel, M.S.L.S., associate librarian, at schyndel@fau.edu.

Chances are you know someone -- maybe someone close to you who was touched by breast cancer. Please join the FAU Pink Owls this January as we participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in West Palm Beach! Did you know that more than 75% of the money raised through this event stays in our community? It helps fund breast cancer education, mammograms and support for those battling breast cancer in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties, along with national research programs as they search for a cure.

The FAU Marching Band will kick off the team race in West Palm Beach on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Sign up for the FAU Pink Owls team (co-ed walk, timed race, or kids fun run) TODAY! Team registration closes in early January. The team is open to all FAU students, faculty, staff, family members, friends, alumni and community members. When you join the team, DO NOT select to have your t-shirt shipped to you -- as one of our team members will pick up t-shirts and have them available for pick-up on the Boca Raton, Jupiter or Davie campuses. Please consider donating the $7 that you will save on shipping to the team! (In addition to an official Komen Race shirt, FAU team shirts will be provided to team members PENDING FUNDING). Not a fan of early mornings? You can register to "Sleep in for the Cure" or just make a donation to the FAU Pink Owls.

Click this link for the FAU Pink Owls to join the team or donate to the team today. For more information please contact Jennifer Bebergal (Bebergal@fau.edu), Kathleen Dimaggio (dimaggio@fau.edu), Julie Sivigny (jsivigny@fau.edu), or Geoffrey Johnson (gjohns45@fau.edu).

FAU's Prestige Scholarship Committee seeks your assistance in identifying truly outstanding undergraduates who may be eligible to apply for nationally competitive scholarship opportunities including the Goldwater (for sophomores or juniors committed to research in the sciences, math, or engineering) and the Truman (for juniors planning for graduate/professional school leading to a career in government or public service). If you know of a student with an exceptional academic record and outstanding accomplishments that put them among the top 1% of students you have worked with, we would like to contact them and encourage them to apply for one of these opportunities. For further information about Prestige scholarships, visit www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/prestige.htm. Email names of students you think we should contact to tunick@fau.edu.

Let students know that: Registration for FAU's annual "Semester by the Sea" (SBTS) 2013 program for undergraduate students studying marine biology is open now through Friday, Jan. 11. The STBS program runs Monday, Jan. 7 through Friday, May 3 at FAU's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce. Early registration is strongly recommended, and students from any college or university are welcome to apply. The program provides an unforgettable learning environment that couples small class sizes, hands-on lab instruction and intensive field studies in subtropical marine ecosystems. The recommended program of study consists of three core courses and one elective course. Study topics include: subtropical biodiversity and ecology of seagrasses, reefs, and mangroves; techniques and applications of molecular biology in marine systems; techniques integral to aquaculture of important species; and fundamentals of physical and chemical oceanography. To register or for more informaiton, contact Ed Proffitt at cproffit@fau.edu.

The Interlibrary Loan department (ILL) of FAU Libraries will be closed for the holidays from Monday, Dec. 24, through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. ILL books must be ordered before Monday Dec. 10 and articles must be ordered before Friday, Dec. 21 to arrive before the holidays. ILL materials must be returned or renewed by Thursday, Dec. 20. For more information, contact ILL at lyill@fau.edu or 561-297-0563.

FAU Libraries are reminding all faculty to renew or return library books before Sunday, Dec. 30. Books that are due on this date cannot be renewed online after that date and must be brought to the library for renewal. Overdue materials will incur a fine. Some books may have holds, preventing renewal. Those items must be returned to the library on or before the Dec. 30 deadline.

FAU Boca Raton, return books in the library book drops at the north and south ends of the Breezeway and at the Wimberly Library entrance.

FAU Jupiter, return books in the library book drops between the parking lot and the administration building, in the library vestibule and at the Burrow.

Contact the library's access services department at 561-297-6911 with questions. Log into your library account and renew your books here, http://fau.catalog.fcla.edu/fa.jsp?A=2&Login=1.

FAU's Creative Writing Program is pleased to offer two eight-week, non-credit writing workshops for the community at FAU Boca Raton.

Writing Fiction Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. - Jan. 24 to March 21

Writing Creative Nonfiction Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. - Jan. 24 to March 21

No class March 7 (spring break)

$250 fee per eight week workshop, $180 for FAU employees (or their immediate family), students or alumni. Seating is limited. Registration deadline is Thursday, Jan. 10. For additional information or a registration form, please contact Mary Sheffield at msheffi3@fau.edu or 561-297-2974.

GRADUATE ASSISTANT POSITIONS - DAVIE CAMPUS

The Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology(ELRM) is looking for FULL-TIME GRADUATE STUDENTS (Masters or Ph.D.) to work as Graduate Assistants. This position entails working directly with Dr. Daniel Reyes-Guerra and other grant managers on the DAVIE CAMPUS on the PROPEL(Principal Rapid Orientation and Preparation in Educational Leadership Program) grant.

The Graduate Assistant will be expected to WORK 20 HOURS per week on a schedule to be arranged with Dr. Reyes-Guerra. Doctoral students will be paid at a rate of $14.42/hour, Masters at $10.81/hour. Students beginning this position in January 2013 will be eligible for the 80% tuition waiver.

Applicants must be full-time (9 credit hours or more) Master or Doctoral level students at FAU who demonstrate:

-Good social skills(efficient and courteous) when working directly with fellow graduate assistants and program staff, graduate level program participants, school district administrators from Broward County Public Schools, and doctoral-level professors.

-Excellent communication (written & oral) skills.

-Excellent organizational skills.

-Ability to assist with planning, organizing, and attending program meetings.

-Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel,Access,Outlook,etc.), AdobeAcrobat9Pro, other webpage software.

-Completion of CITI requirements for researchers mandated by the FAU IRB.

-Experience with research processes (literature searches, writing literature reviews, collecting and analyzing data).

-Experience with survey research, interview, and/or focus groups.

-Experience with SPSS preferred.

-Working knowledge areas of school improvement, school governance, social justice in educational leadership, international school leadership, and strategic leadership theories, school leader development programs, and teacher leadership development programs preferred.

For further information, please contact Dr.Reyes-Guerra at dreyes@fau.edu or Hayley Wilson at hwilso19@fau.edu or 954-236-1654. Be sure to send a cover letter and resume, including two (2) professional references.

The Division of Research is pleased to announce the third year of funding for the Faculty Mentoring Program. In order to foster the exchange of ideas and best practices in funded research, senior colleagues with significant extramural funding experience are paired with tenure-track faculty members who wish to be mentored and commit to submitting a fundable research proposal at the end of the one-year mentoring period. The mentor will receive a monetary award of $1,000, and the mentee will receive $2,000. The mentor and mentee can be from the same college or department, but it is not required.

To apply, visit www.fau.edu/research/mentoring_program.php. The applications are due Friday, Jan. 11, with funding for this program beginning Friday, March 1. For more information, contact Camille Coley, assistant vice president for research at ccoley@fau.edu.

The University Research Committee invites applications and nominations for the 2013 Researcher of the Year Awards. One $2,500 award will be made for each faculty rank (assistant/associate/full) to honor excellence in sponsored and project-oriented research, with particular emphasis on externally funded research. Guidelines and application forms are located at www.fau.edu/research/internal_awards.php. For more information, contact Camille Coley, assistant vice president for research at ccoley@fau.edu.

The University Research Committee invites applications and nominations for the 2013 Scholar of the Year Awards. One $2,500 award will be made for each faculty rank (assistant/ associate/full) to honor excellence in scholarly activities. Guidelines and application forms are located at www.fau.edu/research/internal_awards.php. For more information, contact Camille Coley, assistant vice president for research at ccoley@fau.edu.

There are no events currently scheduled for this week.

There are no events currently scheduled for next week.

The Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts will offer a workshop titled “Really Sharp Design” with artist Beatrice Coron, who specializes in artists’ books, illustrations and public art, on Sunday, Dec. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Center’s book studio at the Wimberly Library, FAU Boca Raton, 777 Glades Road.

Coron will teach cutting techniques, stenciling and working in dimensional ways. Her art is cut designs made of paper, glass or metal, and range from small to monumental. The cost is $70 for FAU students, $90 for FAU faculty, staff and students from other institutions and $110 for the public. To register, go to www.jaffecollection.org and click on workshops, or call John Cutrone at 561-297-0455.

By Yoshiji Hirose, Sunday, Jan. 6, 4 p.m. in PA 101, FAU Boca Raton.

By Paul Finkelman, Sunday, Jan. 13, 4 p.m. in PA 101, FAU Boca Raton.

Lerner is a partner at the literary agency, Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner. Prior to becoming an agent, she worked as an editor for 16 years at major trade publishers, including Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin and Doubleday. As an agent, she largely represents non-fiction writers in the areas of science, psychology, history, cultural studies, biography, current events and memoir. She holds an MFA in poetry from Columbia University and is the author of a memoir, "Food & Loathing: A Lament," as well as "The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers." The event will be held at Live Oak Pavilion, Student Union, at FAU Boca Raton on Monday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/sota.

Join the Jewish Cultural Society (JCS) at FAU on Wednesday, Jan. 16 as they sponsor a fun and educational tour of Miami’s historical Jewish sites. Stops include the Holocaust Memorial, the Jewish Museum and Temple Beth Shmuel, Cuban Hebrew Congregation of Miami. Costs are $65 for JCS members and $75 for non-members. The JCS is a dynamic volunteer organization whose mission is to help preserve Jewish cultural heritage and traditions at FAU Libraries through philanthropic endeavors and social and educational programs. Contact Sara Landset at 561-297-3921 or slandset@fau.edu.

Students, faculty, and staff at all campuses are invited to join in a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service on Saturday, Jan. 19. The deadline to sign up is Tuesday, Jan. 15. The Day of Service events will benefit two local organizations – Veteran’s New Life Haven in Broward County and the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. For Veteran’s New Life Haven, the activities will include home repair and restoration of apartments for veterans; with the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, the activities will include sorting donations and making care packages for the homeless. The service times with both organizations will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Transportation for students will be available as follows: FAU Davie will provide transportation to Veteran’s New Life Haven; FAU Jupiter will provide transportation to the Homeless Coalition; FAU Boca Raton will provide transportation to both sites. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Lunch will also be provided to all volunteers.

Sign-up by Tuesday, Jan. 15 to your respective campus: FAU Davie: ffrage@fau.edu or 954-236-1219; FAU Jupiter: hnorcini@fau.edu or 561-799-8043; FAU Boca Raton: volunteer@fau.edu or 561-297-3607. Specific information for each campus morning arrival time and location will be provided upon sign-up. This event is sponsored by Students Advocating Volunteer Involvement (SAVI)and the Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service, Division of Student Affairs. For more information, contact the Weppner Center office at 561-297-3607.

By Rabbi Eugene Korn, Ph.D., Sunday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. in PA 101, FAU Boca Raton.

FAU will be closed on Monday, Jan. 21 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The Center for Body, Mind and Culture in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is hosting an international conference titled, “Body and Technology: Instruments of Somaesthetics” on Thursday, Jan. 24th and Friday, Jan. 25, in the Arts and Humanities Building at FAU Boca Raton. Regarding the body as a sentient soma rather than as a merely material machine, this conference will examine the complex relationship between body and technology, exploring how the body, as our basic instrument for living, has been reshaped by the technologies it has developed – changing our somatic habits through which we experience and act in the world but also altering the body through various forms of mechanical or chemical enhancement.

Conference presenters include distinguished experts and academics from France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Australia, Canada, Italy, Ireland, and China, as well as from American universities such as the University of Virginia, Bucknell, and the University of Florida. Their presentations discuss the somatic role and impact of technologies of human-computer interaction, the application of somatic-related technologies to contemporary visual and musical arts, biotechnologies of health, wellness, athletics, and the impact of technology on how the body is treated in other practices and environments, including the legal courtroom. More information at www.fau.edu/bodymindculture/Conferences.php.

By Rabbi Eugene Korn, Ph.D. on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 in the Electrical Engineering Building, Room 106, FAU Boca Raton.

Memories of Gold Show - An Evening of Solid Gold Doo Wop

Sunday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m. in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium, FAU Boca Raton.

For more information, please contact Polly Burks at 561-297-2752.

Board of Trustees Room, AD 305, FAU Boca Raton, Thursday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. Novey is the author of "Exit, Civilian," a 2011 National Poetry Series Selection, and "The Next Country," a finalist for the 2008 Foreword Book of the Year Award in poetry. She’s received awards from the Poetry Society of America, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the PEN Translation Fund.

Her recent translations include Clarice Lispector’s novel "The Passion According to G.H." She has taught in the Bard College Prison Initiative and at NYU, Columbia and Princeton. More information at www.fau.edu/english.

By Sam Lehman-Wilzig on Sunday, Feb. 10, 4 p.m. in PA 101, FAU Boca Raton.

The Winter Science Institute, A STEM Initiative, for students age 11-17 will be held at FAU on the Boca Raton campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 26, 27, 28 & Jan. 2, 3, 4.

It will feature hands-on science activities that are great for Science Olympiad preparation in areas including:
- Life, Personal & Social Science
- Earth & Space Science
- Physical Science & Chemistry
- Technology & Engineering
- Inquiry & Nature of Science

The cost is $175 per student. To register, visit www.science.fau.edu/oce. Registration deadline is Dec. 7, 2012.

Business Services would like to remind you about a gem on the Boca Raton campus -- the FAU Club. The Club provides opportunities for the FAU family to meet, socialize and dine in a relaxed environment. The Club is proud of its distinquished cuisine, the gracious staff and the excellence of its special events. An exceptionally prepared buffet luncheon is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (last seating at 1:30 p.m.). Special events such as happy hours and game day-themed lunches make this a destination place on campus.

The Club is also available for rental for departmental, corporate or private social events. There are multiple spaces available in the Club making it a great choice. Parking is conveniently located just behind the Club in a dedicated lot. Simply swipe your faculty or staff Owl Card to gain entry to the lot any weekday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or during special events. The lot is also available during private functions to make parking convenient for your guests.

Visit www.fau.edu/fauclub for more information.

Get healthy with FAU Yoga! The first class is FREE and join any time. Yoga classes are now finished for 2012. Spring semester yoga classes begin on Thursday, Jan. 3 and run through Sunday, June 30. Yoga exercises every muscle, nerve and gland in the body and releases stress and tension. Benefits include strength, flexibility, balance, increased energy and stress reduction. This class is appropriate for every body type and fitness level. Classes are sponsored by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:10 to 1 p.m., and Wednesdays 6 to 7 p.m., in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Building, Room 115. The cost for faculty and staff is $70 for 8 classes, or $10 for 1 class. For full-time students, the cost is $40 for 8 classes, or $5 for 1 class. For community members, the cost is $80 for 8 classes, or $12 for 1 class.

Contact Kristine Lee at 561-297-0159 or klee26@fau.edu for additional information.

The IT computer training schedule for December 2012 is at http://www.fau.edu/oit/training/files/dec_12.pdf

To register for classes, go to https://swise.fau.edu/training.

For further information about these Prestige Scholarships, see www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/prestige.htm.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is for exceptional college students who intend to pursue careers in science, mathematics, or engineering. Students intending to study medicine are eligible only if they plan a research career rather than a career as a medical doctor in private practice. Applicants must be a full-time matriculated sophomore or junior with a GPA of at least a B, and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. For the 2010-2011 academic year, winners had an average GPA of 3.95. FAU internal deadline is December 15.

The Truman Scholarship is a $30,000 merit based grant awarded to outstanding undergraduate juniors who wish financial support to attend graduate or professional school in preparation for careers in government, the non-profit sector or elsewhere in public service. FAU internal deadline is January 5.

The Morris Udall is for sophomores or juniors interested in environmental studies; or Native American/Alaskan sophomores or juniors. The FAU internal deadline is January 31.

The NSEP/Boren is for undergrads to study abroad and work in national security. The FAU internal deadline is January 13.

The James Madison is for seniors or recent graduates for graduate study to teach in history or political science and has a deadline of March 1. The Madison does not require FAU nomination.

The Student Union at FAU Boca Raton will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 through Friday, Dec. 21, and closed Saturdays and Sundays. New Era Barbershop will be open for normal business hours through FAU’s Winter Break. Student Union Regular Operating Hours will resume Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Please visit the following link for information on special holiday hours for FAU's Food Services - www.dineoncampus.com/fau/.

The Department of Housing and Residential Life is holding a contest to name the new FAU residence hall, scheduled to open next fall. Students, faculty, staff and the public are encouraged to submit their ideas for residence hall names by Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.

Send an email to Beverly Stewart at stewart@fau.edu with "Name the New Hall Contest" in the subject line, and include your name, Z# (if applicable), prospective building name and the reason why you chose that name. The winner will receive a $500 scholarship!

"Born from Folding: The Art & Science of Origami" is now open at the Wimberly Library in the Boca Raton campus. It is best viewed during daylight hours, when the natural light from the windows of the library lobby streams through the tessellation patterns of the origami on display. Check www.library.fau.edu/geninfo/hours.htm for hours. The Vanessa Gould documentary "Between the Folds" (Green Fuse Films, 2009) is the inspiration for the exhibition. The film explores the artistic importance of origami and then moves on to origami's connections to the world beyond art: to math, to science, to engineering. "All of these paperfolders," Gould says, "artists and scientists alike, whether producing beautiful objects or finding new ways to fold airbags or space telescopes, are involved in a creative effort." Featured origami artists: Christiane Bettens, Philip Chapman-Bell, Joel Cooper, Erik Demaine, Martin Demaine, Lydia Diard, Christine Edison, Melina Hermsen, Andrew Hudson, Peter Keller, Ralf Konrad, Yoshinobu Miyamoto and Matthew Shlian.

Information at www.library.fau.edu/depts/spc/JaffeCenter/exhibitions/born_from_folding/index.php.

Each year the Office of International Programs holds a photo competition and exhibit to celebrate and highlight the amazing moments captured by our students while studying abroad. Please visit the First Floor West of the Wimberly Library to view photos submitted by study abroad students from this past year. The exhibit runs through Feb. 28, 2013.

Clinical Research Studies at FAU's College of Medicine is conducting a clinical research trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an investigational medication for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. There is no cost to participate and eligible participants will receive payment for time and travel. If you or someone you know is suffering from Alzheimer's, call 561-297-0164 to learn more.

The Language Development Lab, under the direction of Professor Erika Hoff, is conducting a federally funded study of early monolingual and bilingual development. We are looking for 24- to 30-month-old children who are learning Spanish at home and at least one parent was born in a Spanish-speaking country. For participating, you will receive $150 in gift cards and your child will get a gift and a t-shirt. With your permission, we will contact you again every 6 months until your child is 5 years old. We will pay for your time at each visit. If you complete this study through the age of 5 years, you will receive a total of $1,000 in gift cards.

We are also looking for 24- to 30-month-old children who are learning only English at home. For participating, you will receive $50 in gift cards and your child will get a gift and a t-shirt. With your permission, we will contact you again every 6 months until your child is 5 years old. We will pay you for your time at each visit. If you complete the study through the age of 5 years you will receive a total of $400 in gift cards. We plan to study children's language development from 2 years and 6 months to 5 years.

The purpose of these studies is to gain a better understanding of how language develops during this period. We will come to your home or you can come to our playroom on the Davie campus of Florida Atlantic University or to our office on the Boca Raton campus -- whichever is easier for you. If you are interested in this study, email langdevlab@fau.edu. You may also call 954-236-1142 or check out psy.fau.edu/~hoff/LangDevLab/index.htm for more information.

The Communication Disorders Clinic is located on the 4th floor of the College of Education building on the Boca Raton campus and provides speech, language and hearing diagnostic and therapy services -- including accent reduction therapy -- to children and adults. Services are available Monday through Friday during every semester on a space-available basis. Appointments for diagnostic or treatment services may be made by calling Maria at 561-297-2258. Payment can now be made by VISA or MasterCard.

The clinic offers Stroke Support and a Stuttering Support groups, each meeting once a month. Interested parties should contact the clinic for details. FAU faculty and staff members and their families receive a 50 percent discount for all services. Full-time FAU students receive a 50 percent discount for evaluations and then are charged $10 per treatment session.

The Communication Disorders Clinic is operated by FAU's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. For more information on clinic services, visit www.coe.fau.edu/csd/clinic.htm.