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<div class="style3" align="left"> IN FOCUS: January 11, 2008</div>
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<div align="left"><b> TOP NEWS </b></div>
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<td bordercolor="#FFFFFF" border-weight="1px" bgcolor="#000000"
height="15" width="97"><b><span class="style7"><font color="#ffffff">CALENDAR</font></span></b></td>
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<div align="left">SOUTHWESTERN RESEARCHER PARTICIPATING IN
PROJECT THAT WILL HELP LEARN MORE ABOUT EARLY HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE</div>
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<td rowspan="13" bordercolor="#000000" valign="top" width="97"><b>CAMPUS
CALENDAR </b><br>
<br>
To view upcoming events at Southwestern by day, week or month, click <a
href="http://www.southwestern.edu/sucalendar/main.php">here</a>.<br>
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<p>A Southwestern University astronomy professor is participating
in a project that could add to our knowledge about the early history of
the universe.</p>
<p>The project involves the study of “intergalactic medium” –
clouds of gas that are located between the galaxies in the universe.
Because these clouds contain primordial material from the beginning of
the universe, studying them can provide important clues about the early
history of the universe, including galaxy formation.</p>
<p>But it is not easy to study the intergalactic medium. Although
the clouds may be hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of light
years across, they are of such low density that they cannot be observed
directly. The only way to “see” them is to study how light from more
distant galaxies is absorbed as it passes through them. The absorption
is revealed in the spectrum, or “light signature,” of the more distant
galaxy. By studying spectra, astronomers can deduce information about
the physical properties of clouds, such as density, thickness,
temperature, composition and motion.</p>
<p>“Studying these clouds requires sophisticated computer models
of how light interacts with the gas in intergalactic space,” says Mark
Bottorff, an assistant professor of physics at Southwestern. </p>
<p>Bottorff is working on a project to develop these
sophisticated computer models. <br>
The project is funded by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI),
which is operated for NASA and headquartered at Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore. The institute oversees all programming related
to the Hubble Space Telescope.</p>
<p>Read the rest of the story <a
href="http://www.southwestern.edu/cgi-bin/newsroom/article.cgi?id=57">here</a>.
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<div align="left">EVENTS</div>
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<th scope="row" align="left" valign="top">AUSTIN CIVIC ORCHESTRA
TO PERFORM AT SOUTHWESTERN JAN. 19 </th>
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<p>The Sarofim School of Fine Arts is presenting a performance by
the Austin Civic Orchestra on Saturday, Jan. 19. The orchestra will
perform its Winter Concert, titled “Fifth Avenue.” Internationally
renowned pianist Anton Nel will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano
Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” on a program that also includes the 5th
Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich and Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dance
No. 5. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Alma Thomas Theater.
Tickets are $10 at the door.</p>
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<div class="style8" align="left">MEDIA COVERAGE </div>
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<p align="left">The December issue of <em>University Business</em>
featured Southwestern’s staff mentor program as one of “30 Smart
Business Ideas.” That same edition of <em>University Business</em>
also featured Southwestern’s master plan in a story about campus
architecture. Read the issue online <a
href="http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewpage.aspx?pagename=/toc_200712.htm&folder=pagecachefolder">here</a>.<br>
<br>
The <em>Houston Chronicle</em> ran a feature story on Romi Burks’
chocolate class. The story was picked up by the Associated Press and
later ran in several other papers across the state, including the <em>Austin
American-Statesman</em>, the<em> San Antonio Express News</em>, the <em>Laredo
Morning Times</em> and the <em>Midland Reporter Telegram</em>. Read
the story <a
href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5410714.html">here</a>.<br>
<br>
Following Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, several local media outlets
noted the fact that she had spoken at Southwestern in 2005. Read the
story from the <em>Austin American-Statesman</em> <a
href="http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/12/28/1228austinpakistan.html">here</a>.<br>
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The <em>Williamson County Sun</em> ran a story about auditions for the
upcoming production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”<br>
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<div class="style8" align="left">NOTABLES</div>
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<p align="left"><strong>Fay Guarraci</strong>, assistant
professor of psychology, has had a paper accepted for publication in
Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. The paper is titled
“Intracranial Infusions of Amphetamine into the Medial Preoptic Area
but not the Nucleus Accumbens Affect Paced Mating Behavior in Female
Rats.” Several students from Southwestern and St. Edward’s University
collaborated with her on the paper, along with a faculty member from
St. Edward’s. </p>
<p><strong>Ben Pierce</strong>, professor of biology and holder
of the Lillian Nelson Pratt Chair, authored a new 3rd edition of
Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, a college-level textbook in genetics
published in December by W. H. Freeman and Company. Previous editions
of the book have been used at more than 270 colleges and universities
and have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.</p>
<p><em>Have a submission for “Notables”? Send it to
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:infocus@southwestern.edu">infocus@southwestern.edu</a>. </em><br>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Katy Boose
Editorial Coordinator
Southwestern University
1001 E. University Ave.
Georgetown, TX 78626
512-863-1487
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:boosek@southwestern.edu">boosek@southwestern.edu</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.southwestern.edu">www.southwestern.edu</a></pre>
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