FAU's United Way Campaign is now underway and will run through Jan. 6. There are many ways to give, including payroll deduction. Gifts can be directed to the community care fund or to any of the long list of non-profit organizations that receive United Way funding. Campaign representatives from all of the University's colleges and divisions have been named, and are distributing informational materials.

"The FAU community has a long history of giving wholehearted support to the United Way, which provides a wide variety of essential services to people in need," said President Mary Jane Saunders. "It is especially important for us to be as generous as we can during these difficult economic times, when so many of our friends and neighbors are struggling with financial, health and other challenges."

For more information, visit www.fau.edu/unitedway.

The University Research Committee invites applications and nominations for the 2012 Researcher of the Year. 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.

The research committee also invites applications and nominations for the 2012 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 for both competitions are located at www.fau.edu/research/internal_awards.php.

The deadline for nominations to the respective deans is Jan. 31, 2012. For more information, contact Camille Coley, Assistant Vice President for Research, at ccoley@fau.edu.

The FAU Strategic Planning Steering Committee, which includes representation from the faculty, staff, students, administration and community, is pleased to present a draft of the Florida Atlantic University 2012-17 Strategic Plan and invites comments from all interested parties. Visit www.fau.edu/planning/feedback.

FAU was recently awarded a $3.5 million Race to the Top grant for Job-embedded Principal Preparation programs through the Florida Department of Education. The grant will provide funding for an innovative leadership development partnership between FAU's College of Education's Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology and Broward County Public School's Department of Human Resource Development. MORE...

Join Team FAU for the Race for the Cure on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Downtown West Palm Beach -- you MUST register before Dec. 29 to be part of the FAU TEAM!
- Can't be part of the race? You can still be a Pink Owl! Be a Team FAU spectator with Proud in the Crowd registration.
- Not an early bird? Night Owls can also be Pink Owls with Sleep In for the Cure registration.
- You can also be a Pink Owl through your generous donation on behalf of Team FAU. Go to the Team FAU page http://www.komensouthflorida.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=492061&team=4867765 to complete your registration or make a donation to become a Pink Owl. If you have questions about TEAM FAU, contact Jennifer Bebergal at bebergal@fau.edu.

The celebration of FAU's 50th anniversary year will end on Dec. 31, 2011. After that date, the 50th anniversary logo should be removed from websites and email signatures, and new print publications should not display it. However, departments that have a remaining supply of stationery and other printed materials on hand that carry the 50th anniversary logo should go ahead and use these items during the early months of 2012 in order not to waste them. For information about anything related to the conclusion of the 50th anniversary year, please contact Lynn Laurenti at laurenti@fau.edu.

Faculty members must renew or return library books before Dec. 30. Books that are due on Dec. 30 cannot be renewed online after that date and must be brought to the library for renewal. Some books may have holds that prevent renewal and must be returned to the library on or before Dec. 30. Books can be returned on the Boca Raton campus to the library book drops at the Wimberly Library entrance and at the north and south ends of the Breezeway. The library book drops on the Jupiter campus are located between the parking lot and the administration building, in the library vestibule and at the Burrow. The book drops on the Treasure Coast campus are located at the library entrance. Overdue materials will incur a fine. Contact the library's Access Services Department at 561-297-6911 with questions or concerns.

Log into your library account and renew your books at http://fau.catalog.fcla.edu/fa.jsp?A=2&Login=1

FAU Today features a regularly updated section listing the accomplishments of University employees. Highlights from the past semester have just been added and can be accessed at the bottom of the right-hand column on the main FAU Today page. FAU faculty and staff members are invited to submit recent activities, accolades and honors -- such as fellowships and awards, conference presentations, election to officer positions in professional organizations or the publishing of a paper, chapter or book. The achievements should be job related, but from activities in which employees have participated outside the University -- no department committee work or other basic job duties. The one- or two-sentence blurbs should include your name, your department/college and a succinct description of the highlight. Send submissions to highlights@fau.edu.

Winter holidays are a time for families and friends to get together but that also means a greater risk for a fire. See the following links for some simple fire safety tips and information that will help keep electric lights, candles and the ever popular Christmas trees from creating a tragedy:

www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/focus/holiday.shtm
www.fau.edu/facilities/ehs/info/Electrical-Fire-Safety.pdf
www.fau.edu/facilities/ehs/info/Decorations-Fire-Safety.pdf

Environmental Health and Safety wishes the entire University community a happy and safe holiday season and encourages everyone to use the information provided to keep safe from the dangers of fire. Please contact Taff Geleta at 561-297-0030 if you have any question about fire safety.

You are invited to take the FAU Libraries' customer satisfaction survey (LibSat), which measures satisfaction in such areas as services, staff, facilities and policies. The survey will be available until Dec. 31, 2011 at http://fau.countingopinions.com. Your opinion matters. The survey's results will be used to make improvements.

To view a list of changes prompted by past LibSat surveys, click here. 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.

ATTENTION FACULTY MEMBERS: You are invited to take the FAU Testing & Evaluation's customer satisfaction survey. The survey will be available until Feb. 20, 2012, at http://iea.fau.edu/surveys/snap/testingandevaluation2011.htm. If you have questions, contact Shireen Lalla at slalla@fau.edu.

Be aware of holiday phishing scams. Phishing is the act of tricking consumers into revealing information or performing actions they wouldn't normally do online using phony email or social media posts. Cyber scammers know that most people are busy around the holidays so they tailor their emails and social messages with holiday themes in the hopes of tricking recipients into revealing personal information.

A common holiday phishing scam is a phony notice from UPS saying you have a package and need to fill out an attached form to get it delivered. The form may ask for personal or financial details that will go straight into the hands of the cyber scammer.

Banking phishing scams continue to be popular and the holiday season means consumers will be spending more money -- and checking bank balances more often. From July to September of this year, McAfee Labs identified approximately 2,700 phishing URLs per day.

Smishing -- SMS phishing -- remains a concern. Scammers send their fake messages via a text alert to a phone, notifying an unsuspecting consumer that his bank account has been compromised. The cyber criminals then direct the consumer to call a phone number to get it reactivated -- and collects the user's personal information including Social Security number, address and account details.

Also, "Be Cyber Wiser" by doing three things before shopping online this holiday season:
- Tune up your defenses: Before you shop online, make sure you have a security suite (firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware) installed and updated with the most current information. Also, keep your operating system and Web browser up-to-date.
- Check sellers out: Conduct independent research before you buy 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.
- 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 is encrypted or secured. Never use unsecured wireless networks to make an online purchase.

Visit www.fau.edu/oit/security for more tips and information.

The Boren Award for Study Abroad is also available for the 2012-13 Academic Year. Boren Awards provide a unique funding opportunity for U.S. students to study in world regions critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East). The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. The Boren Scholarships provide opportunities for undergraduate students to study in countries that are generally underrepresented in study abroad. Summer 2012 programs for STEM areas are also allowed. The FAU campus deadline for undergraduates is Jan. 11, 2012; after a campus review the final application must be sent by Feb. 9, 2012. The Boren Fellowships allow graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate studies. Graduate students apply directly and must submit their applications to arrive by Jan. 31, 2012. Information on all Boren awards can be found at www.borenawards.org.

For help, contact Dr. Catherine Meschievitz at FAU at 561-297-1039 or cmeschie@fau.edu.

The Writing Across the Curriculum program has scheduled two workshop sessions for the spring term. This two-day training seminar is intended for faculty, including adjuncts and graduate teaching assistants, who have not yet participated in a WAC seminar and are teaching, or plan to teach, WAC courses this academic year, and those who are planning or teaching courses in FAU's University Honors Program. The workshops will be held on the Boca Raton campus in SU 223 (video conferencing is available) on the following dates: Thursday, Jan. 12, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 19, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. or Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 29, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Contact Niki Wilson at nwilson3@fau.edu for more information and an application.

Registration begins today at 9 a.m. for the 2012 FAU Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship and the College of Business. FAU students, alumni and members of the business community are invited to compete for a share of more than $200,000 in cash and prizes. For the first time, the competition will also include a high school track for juniors and seniors from local high schools to compete for a four-year scholarship to FAU. For more information and to register for the competition, visit www.business.fau.edu/bpc.

The inaugural edition of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Newsletter is now available.

The latest issue of the College of Business newsletter is now available at http://business.fau.edu/newsletter-archive/september-2011/index.aspx

The Fall 2011 issue of the FAU in Broward newsletter can be viewed at www.fau.edu/broward/community/communityrelations/FAU-Newsletter.php.

The hours of the Boca Raton Student Union for the winter break are as follows:
Monday, Dec. 12 - Friday, Dec. 16: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18: CLOSED
Monday, Dec. 19 - Friday, Dec. 23: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 24 - Monday, Jan. 2: CLOSED
Tuesday, Jan. 3 - Wednesday, Jan. 4: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 5 (regular hours resume): 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.

The dining locations on the Boca Raton campus will be operating on shortened schedules from Dec. 8 through Jan. 7. Click here to view a PDF listing the hours. For more about FAU's on-campus dining, visit www.dineoncampus.com/fau.

The University Faculty and Staff Club is closed for the winter break and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 9, at 11:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/facultyclub.

The University will be closed from Monday, Dec. 26, through Monday, Jan. 2, and reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Spring 2012 Semester will begin on Saturday, Jan. 7.

Even though there won't be snow, Pine Jog Environmental Education Center's Winter Natureland Art Workshops offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy the creative side of winter. In between the art, we will get outside and explore the magic of nature at the beautiful Pine Jog preserve. Bring your winter spirit, but leave your snowshoes home! At the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center on Jan. 2 to 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (extended care hours available upon request) for young artists (grades K to 5). Cost is $40/day or $180/week. Contact Kids Need More Art at 561-339-1077 or email kidsneedmoreart@yahoo.com.

"A Tribute to the Artists of the Holocaust Seven Decades Later, A Survivor Remembers" will be held on Thursday, Jan. 5, from 1-5 p.m. in the Barry and Florence Friedberg Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus. Tickets for FAU Lifelong Learning Society members are $10, non-members $15. For more information, call 561-297-2410 or visit www.fau.edu/lls/jan5.

This special event honors the memory of Hungarian composer Samuel Blasz, as well as the memories of the countless victims of the Holocaust. Blasz was the chief cantor and a composer for the Temple in Eger, Hungary prior to the start of the Holocaust. He also composed music for the Council of Catholic Bishops. As Blasz fled his home at the start of World War II, he hid his compositions in the basement. While he did not live to the end of the war, his daughter, Eva Blasz Egri, survived and was able to return to the home and retrieve his works.

The University Galleries will host the annual "Art with a Heart" exhibition titled, "Coexist," featuring visual art from the students of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County. This year's exhibition is part of a national competition and will be presented in the Ritter Art Gallery on the Boca Raton campus, in association with FAU's Museum Education Program. An opening reception will take place on Friday, Jan. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. Exhibition hours are Saturday, Jan. 7, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Tuesday, Jan. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 561-297-2966.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County are part of the more than 4,300 clubs across the country joining in a search to identify talented young artists. The competition is part of Boys & Girls Clubs of America's (BGCA) National Fine Arts Exhibit program, a comprehensive initiative promoting young people's creativity and encouraging artistic skills and cultural enrichment.

Classes for the Spring 2012 Semester begin on Saturday, Jan. 7. Holidays and important dates for the term include:
- Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday - Jan. 16
- Spring Break - March 5 to 11
- Honors Convocation - April (date to be determined)
- Commencement Ceremonies - May 3, 4

FAU Harbor Branch is offering "Ocean Renewable Energy: Harnessing the Power of the Sea" by Sue Skemp, Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, FAU, on Wednesday, Jan. 18. FAU is building the capability, infrastructure, expertise and partnerships needed to develop the methodology and tools to deploy, test and validate commercially viable ocean energy systems, such as harnessing the power of the Gulf Stream for generating electricity. Learn how this research is making a unique contribution to a broadly diversified portfolio of renewable energy for the nation's future.

The lecture series is presented every Wednesday through March 23 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m in the auditorium of the Johnson Education Center on the Harbor Branch campus in Fort Pierce. An opportunity to meet the speaker, appetizer buffet and cash bar follow the presentation. The lectures are open to the public, free of charge and reservations are not required. For more information, call 772-242-2506. www.hboi.fau.edu

FAU Executive Education's Service Management for Enhanced Profitability Program lays out a service model that clearly explains how to organize the enterprise for the delivery of service excellence and long term financial success. Learning more at http://business.fau.edu/executive-education/index.aspx

Jan. 18
5:30 - 7 p.m.
College of Business, Boca Raton Campus

The Center for Body, Mind and Culture in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is hosting an international conference titled, "Mindful Body in Healing and the Arts: Explorations in Somaesthetics" on Thursday, Jan. 19, and Friday, Jan. 20, in the Arts and Humanities Building on the Boca Raton campus. The conference will examine the various ways that mindful body consciousness can contribute to health, healing and aesthetic experience. Speakers will address the premise that the human body is not merely a physical mechanism but a sentient, sensitive, purposive subjectivity or mindful soma that is also shaped by the society in which it dwells. There is no conference registration fee, however advanced registration is required. To register or for more information on the conference, visit www.fau.edu/bodymindculture/Conferences.php or email bodymindculture@fau.edu.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. in University Theatre on the Boca Raton campus, this collaboration between Robert deMaine, cello, and Heather Coltman, piano, continues for a third season and features works by Bach, Brahms, Delius and Schumann. Suggested $10 donation at the door. www.fau.edu/music.

FAU Harbor Branch is offering "Understanding the Planetary Life Support System: Next Generation Science in the Ocean Basins" by John Delaney, University of Washington on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The global ocean ecosystem is essential to the quality of life on the continents. The oceans are very complicated, changing rapidly and unpredictably. Sophisticated computational simulations and models of oceanic behavior require immense amounts of carefully crafted data input to become predictive. Novel approaches to working the oceans in the coming generations have the potential to revolutionize our perceptions (and eventual management) of the entire planet.

The lecture series is presented every Wednesday through March 23 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m in the auditorium of the Johnson Education Center on the Harbor Branch campus in Fort Pierce. An opportunity to meet the speaker, appetizer buffet and cash bar follow the presentation. The lectures are open to the public, free of charge and reservations are not required. For more information, call 772-242-2506. www.hboi.fau.edu

FAU's professional ensemble-in-residence -- the Florida Wind Symphony with Kyle Prescott, conductor -- performs a special concert on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. in University Theater on the Boca Raton campus. It will feature the remarkable voices of Dean Peterson, soloist with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and FAU alumnus, and Birgit Fioravante, acclaimed soprano of the Duelling Divas and the Opera Orchestra of New York. This concert will fill your heart with romantic favorites. Conductor Kyle Prescott invites you to an elegant reception available following the concert. Tickets $15, $35 including reception at 1-800-564-9539 or www.fauevents.com.

The four digital Living Room Theaters are located in the Culture and Society Building on the Boca Raton campus. Patrons can enjoy the European style cafe after 5 p.m. Show dates, times and ticket information can be found at http://fau.livingroomtheaters.com.

Get healthy with yoga. First class is FREE. Join any time. Spring classes start Jan. 3 and end May 4. Yoga exercises every muscle, nerve and gland in the body and releases stress and tension. Benefits include strength, flexibility and balance. The class is appropriate for every body type and fitness level. Classes are by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Building, Room 115. Cost for faculty and staff is $70 for 8 classes, or $10 for 1 class. Cost for students is $40 for 8 classes, or $5 for 1 class. Cost for community members is $80 for 8 classes, or $12 for 1 class. Contact Kristine Lee at 561-297-0159 or klee26@fau.edu for additional information.

FAU is committed to the safety and well-being of all employees. In keeping with this commitment, the University has developed a return-to-work program for employees who sustain a workplace injury. This return-to-work program will provide modified duty and/or alternate duty assignments, where possible, that accommodate the functional restrictions and limitations as determined by the authorized treating physician, and will bring the employee back to work as quickly as medically possible. See all of the details about this program at www.fau.edu/hr/files/ReturnToWorkprogram.pdf.

The OIT computer training schedule for December 2011 is now available online at www.fau.edu/oit/training/files/dec_11.pdf. To register go to https://swise.fau.edu/training.

The Weppner Center for Civic Engagement and Service (WCCES) in the Division of Student Affairs is compiling a list of on-campus volunteer opportunities for students. If there are departments that have a need for student volunteers, complete the Request Form for Volunteers found at www.fau.edu/volunteer under the Community tab on the left-hand side of the page. Questions? Contact Jheanelle Shepherd at 561-297-3607 or jshephe8@fau.edu.

Join friends, alumni and students of FAU on a trip to China. Many of you have been to Egypt, Italy, Greece and Eastern Europe with us, and now by popular demand, we have scheduled an introduction to China trip for March 1-9, 2012. Walk on the Great Wall, see the Olympic Village and visit landmarks including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Oriental Pearl Tower and more. The trip includes the best from Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai with many extras.

Please contact Dianne Reeves at dreeves@fau.edu for more information on how to register for this fantastic trip. Click here for a PDF of the trip flyer.

The first 50 students with 50 volunteer service hours completed and submitted between Aug. 20, 2011, and Feb. 1, 2012, win exclusive SERVOLUTION prizes! Students should submit volunteer service hours by fax to 561-297-2563. For more information, view the guidelines at www.fau.edu/volunteer and click on Servolution.

Birds and nature are common threads in this show, which features ceramics by Karla Walter, who is the curator of the Eissey Art Gallery at Palm Beach State College (PBSC), and photographs by Dennis Tishkowsky, a photography instructor at PBSC and John I. Leonard High School. The free exhibition runs from Friday, Jan. 6 through Friday, March 9, at the John D. MacArthur Campus Library Gallery. For more information, call 561-799-8530 or visit www.library.fau.edu/npb/npb.htm.

This mixed media jewelry design exhibition by Karen McGovern, a conservation biologist and jewelry designer, features dramatic necklaces and pendants that were inspired by nature. The free exhibition runs from Friday, Jan. 6, through Friday, March 9, at the John D. MacArthur Campus Library Gallery. For more information, call 561-799-8530 or visit www.library.fau.edu/npb/npb.htm.

The Wimberly Library is hosting "Conceptual Narrative: Mixed Media from the Chodorkoff Collection," an exhibition of contemporary fine art and crafts curated from its Drs. J. Rosmarin Chodorkoff and B. Chodorkoff Collection, through Tuesday, Jan. 31. The library-wide exhibition features an eclectic mix of glass, fiber, ceramics, painting, sculptures and prints from such established artists as Dale Chihuly, Ed Rossbach, William Morris and Clifford Rainey. "Site," a 30-inch high ceramic bust that was created as a self-portrait by John Woodward is among the pieces by emerging artists featured in the exhibition. Dr. Bernard Chodorkoff, a retired psychoanalyst/psychiatrist, and his wife Dr. Joan Rosmarin Chodorkoff, a retired clinical psychologist, donated their art to the Wimberly Library because they wanted their collection in an academic setting so that it could be seen by students as well as the general public. To complement the exhibition, selected artists' books from the library's Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts will be on display. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is displayed in the atrium lobby, on the second floor west outside of the administrative offices and in the Jaffe Center on third floor east. Viewing hours are available by calling 561-297-3770 or at www.library.fau.edu/geninfo/hours.htm.

The University Galleries present "Figured Spaces: Selections from the John Morrissey Collection," through Saturday, Feb. 11 in the Schmidt Center Gallery on the Boca Raton Campus. The exhibition features works by 12 artists selected from the collection of West Palm Beach attorney John Morrissey. All of the artists present the human figure in spaces or environments that convey a wide range of psychological states and evoke strong emotional responses. Co-curators Karen J. Leader, assistant professor of art history, and W. Rod Faulds, director of the University Galleries, selected the works. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/galleries or call 561-297-2966.

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. An exhibition of the the entries opened on Nov. 1 on First Floor West of the Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus and will remain on display until Feb. 29 More information at www.fau.edu/goabroad/PhotoContest.php.

Are you currently taking an antidepressant and experiencing sexual side effects? Clinical Research Studies at the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is conducting a clinical research study to better understand the effects of an investigational antidepressant medication on sexual functioning when compared with an approved medication. We are currently enrolling individuals who have well-treated depression with their current SSRI antidepressant, but are experiencing sexual side effects thought to be caused by their current antidepressant medication. For more information, call 561-297-0164. Eligible participants will receive payment for time and travel.

Older adults, 55-75 years of age and older, are wanted for the following study: "Relationship between Cognitive Function and Physical Activity Levels"

What are the requirements for participation?
Good health and be able to make a one-time (brief) visit to the FAU Exercise Science Lab.

What will I do?
Fill out a Physical Activity Questionnaire and perform a manual cognitive function test.

What can I expect to get out of my participation?
You will gain an understanding of how physical fitness is related to cognitive health. You will also be given the option of having your body composition measured and given an exercise prescription, a $75 value.

How long will the visit last?
About 30-40 minutes

Contact the FAU Exercise Science Laboratory at 561-297-3752, or Flavia Pereira (fpereir3@fau.edu, 541-908-6661), Stephanie Kurti (skurti@fau.edu, 630-205-6363) or Nicole Dzubay (ndzubay@fau.edu, 419-934-2127), for more information.

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.