FAU flags on all campuses are at half-staff today to honor the memories of:
- Agbe Asiamigbe, a graduate student in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Simantha Ather, a graduate student in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
- Silort Corioland, a recent graduate of the College of Business
- Dr. Jack Guistwhite, the University's founding registrar and a three-time alumnus of FAU
- Cecelia Kempler, founding director of the Kaye School of Finance, Insurance and Economics in the College of Business

FAU's United Way Campaign will wrap up on 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.

Students, staff and faculty at all campuses are invited to join in a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 16. The Day of Service events will benefit two local organizations -- the Glades Area A.R.C. in Belle Glade and the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. For the Glades Area A.R.C. the activities will include painting, cleaning and landscaping; with the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, the activities will include doing a community clean-up and creating a vegetable and a serenity garden. The service times with both organizations will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Transportation for students will be available from the Treasure Coast, Jupiter, Boca Raton and Davie campuses. For non-student staff and faculty, transportation will be the responsibility of the individual (specific location details are available upon sign-up). Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

RSVP by Jan. 12 to your respective campus: Treasure Coast/Harbor Branch: mball@fau.edu or 772-873-3385; Jupiter: hnorcini@fau.edu or 561-799-8043; Boca Raton: volunteer@fau.edu or 561-297-3607; Davie/Fort Lauderdale/Sea Tech: ffrage@fau.edu or 954-236-1219. Specific information for on-campus arrival times and locations for each campus will be provided upon sign-up.

This event is brought to you by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service, Multicultural Programming, Students Advocating Volunteer Involvement (SAVI) and Helping Out Our Town (HOOT). For more information, contact the Weppner Center office at 561-297-3607.

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.

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 (no classes, offices closed)
- Spring Break - March 5 to 11
- Honors Convocation - April (date to be determined)
- Commencement Ceremonies - May 3, 4

The celebration of FAU's 50th anniversary year ended on Dec. 31, 2011. 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.

The dining locations on the Boca Raton campus will be operating on shortened schedules 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 will resume normal operating hours on Monday, Jan. 9, at 11:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/facultyclub.

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.

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 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 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.

"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 Charles E. Schmidt College of Science's Frontiers in Science 2012 public lecture series kicks off with "Illuminating Brain Circuits," a presentation by David Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., scientific director and chief executive officer of the Max Planck Florida Institute, on Friday, Jan. 6, at 3:30 p.m. in the Charles E. Schmidt Biomedical Science Center, Room 126, Boca Raton campus. Fitzpatrick's lecture will focus on the use of light to explore the structure, function and development of neural circuits in the living brain. For more information on the series, visit http://science.fau.edu/frontiers/brochure_2012.pdf or contact Lauren Millan at 561-297-2954 or lmillan@fau.edu.

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.

The College of Business celebrates national mentoring month with the launch of its new Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program, which offers FAU students, faculty, alumni and FAU Business Plan competitors an opportunity to receive one-on-one mentoring with highly experienced entrepreneurs and executives. Five accomplished entrepreneurs will join the FAU community on Mondays through Thursdays beginning Jan. 9 in the DeSantis Pavilion in suite 201 on the Boca Raton campus. Each EIR has a wealth of experience in new venture development, advising start-up ventures and entrepreneurship education as well as a demonstrated history of innovation in high-growth industries. The Spring 2012 EIRs are:
- Bob Nelson, founding member of The New World Angels investment group
- David Gray, founder of Casebriefs
- Phil Viscomi, managing partner of Business Growth Advisors, Incorporated
- Ronald Rosenzweig, co-founder and previous executive chairman, president and chief executive officer for ANADIGICS
- Robert Schattner, founder and president of Omnimed

Appointments can be booked via email to adamscenter@fau.edu or by phone at 561-297-0927. For more information, visit www.business.fau.edu/eir

Florida's Blood Centers and FAU's Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service invite you to donate blood and save three lives. Florida's Blood Centers will be on campus for a blood drive on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 10, 11 and 12, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Majestic Palm Room of the Student Union on the Boca Raton campus. Donors will receive pizza, a free movie ticket, a mini physical and iron and cholesterol screenings. Picture ID required. Please stop by to donate! Questions? Contact the Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service at 561.297.3607.

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.

Mark Chudacoff, president of Midwest Truck & Auto Parts Inc., will kick off the College of Business Executive Forum Lecture Series on Thursday, Jan. 19, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in room 101 in the Office Depot Grand Lecture Hall in the College of Business on the Boca Raton campus. The Executive Forum Lecture Series provides FAU students and the business community exposure to the wealth of knowledge and experience of entrepreneurs and executives from a wide variety of businesses and industries. Each week, the speakers provide a brief overview of their individual businesses, as well as other professional experiences, followed by a discussion of key issues facing their industries, businesses or the business climate in general. Click here to view a listing of speakers.

All lectures occur on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in room 101 in the Office Depot Grand Lecture Hall in the College of Business on the Boca Raton campus. RSVP online at business.fau.edu/executiveforum beginning the Monday prior to each lecture. For more information, contact Jessica Aptman at 561-297-2980 or japtman@fau.edu.

The 2012 FAU Business Plan Competition (BPC) is right around the corner! Attend the BPC Learning Session: Meet the Winners to learn about this year's prizes and how you can network with experienced venture capitalists, early-stage angel investors, successful entrepreneurs and senior business leaders. Students, faculty and members of the community are invited to attend the session on Friday, Jan. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. Previous winners will share their stories and offer advice, and an experienced entrepreneur will be present to share tricks and tips with attendees. RSVP online at http://business.fau.edu/ls.

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.

Start the New Year on a healthy note. Quit Smoking Now! Free six-week classes beginning Tuesday, Jan. 10, from noon to 1 p.m. in Today & Beyond Wellness, SS-222 (over the food court), Boca Raton campus. Free nicotine replacement supplies provided. For more information, call 561-297-1048.

Get healthy with yoga. First class is FREE. Join any time. Spring classes run through 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 January 2012 is now available online at www.fau.edu/oit/training/files/jan_12.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.

The Career Development Center on the Boca Raton campus will be expanding its same-day career advising hours starting Monday, Jan. 9. Any currently enrolled degree-seeking students can now be seen by a career advisor (with no appointment required) every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit www.fau.edu/cdc.

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.

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.