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| GAINESVILLE, Fla. » An artist's rendition of one concept for a future space vehicle that would take off and land like an airplane yet travel at hypersonic speeds of more than five times the speed of sound. NASA has made UF the lead institution of a consortium of universities that will work on the design of new propulsion systems and other advanced technology for such a spacecraft. The Institute for Future Space Transport is expected to receive a little over $3 million annually for the research for the next five years. (Photo courtesy of Colin Segal) |
A New Way To Classify Tumors
GAINESVILLE, Fla. » Patients with certain pancreatic tumors could benefit from a new way of assessing which growths constitute potentially aggressive cancers that are likely to recur or kill, report scientists at the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. See full story at http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2002news/pancreas.htm
Ahead Warp Speed
GAINESVILLE, Fla. » NASA has chosen the University of Florida as the lead institution in a nearly $16 million research initiative aimed at making space flight as routine, inexpensive and safe as commercial air travel. The space agency has announced that UF will lead a seven-member consortium of universities that make up its newly created Institute for Future Space Transport. The institute’s overall goal is an ambitious one: to design spacecraft and systems that will reduce launch costs by a factor of 100 and increase safety by a factor of 10,000. See full story at http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2002news/spacegrant.htm.
Ecstasy's Growing Tragedy
GAINESVILLE, Fla. » The illegal drug ecstasy, already linked to brain and liver damage, may be causing more agony in the nation’s streets and emergency rooms than anyone realizes, says a University of Florida medical expert. Once confined to the “rave” subculture, ecstasy and closely related chemicals, known collectively as methylated amphetamines, have become mainstream street drugs and are increasingly associated with fatal car accidents and multiple drug overdoses, said Bruce Goldberger, a UF associate professor and forensic toxicologist. See full story at http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2002news/ecstasydeaths.htm.
Drug Purification Made Cheaper
GAINESVILLE, Fla. » Using what might be described as a biological machine, University of Florida and Finnish researchers have demonstrated an experimental process for drug purification that one day could speed the production and decrease the cost of prescription drugs. The researchers created antibodies that recognized and attached to a cancer-fighting drug molecule. They installed the antibodies in almost unimaginably small silica tubes, known as nanotubes, arranged in a membrane. In an experiment reported Friday in an article in the journal Science, the “smart membrane” transmitted the drug molecule far faster than other molecules in a mixture. See full story at http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2002news/newdrug.htm
UF Political Scientist Wins Fulbright
GAINESVILLE, Fla. » Richard K. Scher, a University of Florida political science professor, has received a Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program Award for the 2002-03 academic year to teach and lecture in Hungary. See full story at http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2002news/fulbright-scher.htm
At a Glance
Jeremy Foley has been named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division I-A Southeast Region Athletics Director of the Year.
NACDA presents the AD of the Year (ADOY) award in each of the four geographic regions - southeast, northeast, central and west - while the membership is separated into six categories; Division I-A; Division I-AA/I-AAA combined; Division II, Division III; NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions combined; and Junior/Community Colleges. One winner was selected in each of the six categories, along with one international winner for a total of 25 honorees. "The program brings to light the exceptional jobs done by athletics directors across the country. These 25 winners exemplify that, providing us with a group of outstanding athletics directors who excel at their jobs,” said NACDA Executive Director Mike Cleary.
In The News
NASA's selection of UF to lead a consortium of institutions picked to design the next generation of spacecraft was featured on the national Associated Press wire service and ran in numerous newspapers. See the full story at http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryA22030A.htm
UF engineering researcher Peter Ifju was quoted June 17 in the LA Times in a story at micro-air vehicles. See the full story at http://www.latimes.com/la-000041725jun14.story
Law Professor Jonathan Cohen was quoted June 13 on ABCNews.com in a story about apologies. See the full story at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/apology_020613.html
UF research on liver research was featured in a story in the Washington Times. See the full story at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020613-32784512.htm
UFactoid
Did you know that...
...UF has ranked among the nation's 10 best collegiate athletic programs for 19 consecutive years? UF claimed the third-place plaque in the 2001-2002 Sears Directors’ Cup national all-sports competition. The Sears Directors' Cup, presented annually by the nation’s athletics directors, recognizes the schools with the best overall sports performances in an academic year. Florida and UCLA are the only schools to finish in the top 10 in national all-sports rankings every year since 1983-84.
Editor's Note: Points of Pride will be published one time per month during the summer.