IIT Today

IIT Public Lecture: The Science of 2012

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Drawing from certain interpretations of ancient Mesoamerican inscriptions and the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, a cottage industry has emerged in popular culture in recent years, primarily concerned with the theory that the calendar predicts the end of the world or some other monumental event, to arrive in December 2012. The phenomenon has recently received the Hollywood treatment with a blockbuster film directed by Roland Emmerich. Most of the theories, and the film, predict a variety of astronomical phenomenon that cause apocalyptic events on Earth, including alignment of the planets, intersection of the Earth with other planets and/or meteors, a reversal of Earth's magnetic polarity, and giant solar storms.

IIT physics professor Christopher White will examine some of the 2012 claims in a public lecture, The Science of 2012 at 6:30 pm on Thursday, December 3, in Siegel Hall. White will discuss the reality of the astronomical phenomenon those predictions use as their basis, and how the Earth will really meet it's end (in a few billion years). Join Professor White and the Quality of Worklife committee for this free lecture. Refreshments will be available following the lecture, provided by QWL.

Please RSVP for The Science of 2012 here.

Christopher White presented a public lecture exploring the science behind claims made in another recent movie, Angels & Demons, in June. Watch The Science of Angels & Demons lecture here.

Faculty/Staff: RSVP for the 2009 IIT/IITRI Holiday Party

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Please RSVP by Tuesday, December 1 for the IIT/IITRI Faculty and Staff Holiday Party, being held from 3 - 6:30 pm on Thursday, December 10, in Hermann Hall.

The party will feature a "Create Your Own Pasta and Potato Bar," along with many appetizers and desserts, and two free drink tickets with a full-price cash bar thereafter. Visit the BOG during the party and take part in bowling, Wii, and billiards.

This year, IIT/IITRI are supporting the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Please bring an unopened, non-perishable canned or packaged food item. Please do not bring perishable or homemade food, or items in glass jars. Food items most needed include beans, cereal, chili, pasta, peanut butter, rice, soup, tuna, canned vegetables, and canned fruit. Make sure that donated items have not passed their expiration date. Envelopes will be provided if you prefer to make a cash donation.

Every employee who sends an RSVP for the holiday party will automatically be entered into this years raffle. Your name will be entered a second time if you bring a donation for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The drawing will take place at 5 pm. You must be present to win.

Shuttle buses will be available to and from the party for the Downtown Campus and the Institute of Design. View the shuttle schedule and RSVP for the party here.

Volunteers Needed
Staff and faculty volunteers are needed to help with registration and collecting donations in shifts of 30 minutes each. If you are interested please email Liz Alva at alva@iit.edu with the time slot of your preference. If you do not have a time preference, QWL will gladly assign you when needed.

Architecture's Amanda Williams Featured Artist for Chicago Artists Month

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

October was Chicago Artists Month, an annual celebration of Chicagos vibrant visual arts community, for which the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs spotlights a group of artists who embody the diversity of the community. One such featured artist for the 2009 Chicago Artists Month was Amanda Williams, adjunct associate professor in the College of Architecture. From the Chicago Artists Month website:

"Not bound by a single medium, Amanda Williams uses painting, photography, design and installation as her tools for visual expression. She has developed a signature style of vivid, layered compositions that are an interplay of 2 and 3-dimensional space. The continuing thread in all of the work is an ongoing narrative that seeks to intertwine the viewers reality with that of her own."

"She has exhibited throughout the US, including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the August Wilson Center for Art and Culture in Pittsburgh, the Soap Factory in Minneapolis and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Williams is the recipient of much recognition including being named a Chicago Artist to Watch by the Chicago Artists Coaltion (CAC), the Robert J. Eidlitz Travel Fellowship to Ethiopia and the SF General Hospital Foundations Heroes & Hearts Public Art Commission. Amanda earned her bachelor's in architecture from Cornell University with an emphasis on fine art. She practiced architecture for several years in California before making a fulltime to commitment to her fine art practice."

Williams joined IIT this fall. She has also been working for the past year on a partnership with Bounty Paper Towel and Rush Philanthropic Arts to promote/celebrate the importance of art in the schools and in the lives of young people, leading art projects at art organizations in various cities throughout the country that focus on the theme of "Building Bounty-ful Bridges." Read more.

Knapp Entrepreneurship Survey Results

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Recently, the Knapp Entrepreneurship Center issued a survey to understand the interest in entrepreneurship at IIT and among its larger community of alumni and tech park residents. During the short period of time the survey ran, we received 56 responses across students, staff, faculty, and alumni.

To the question "Have you ever considered starting a business?", 90.7% of the respondents replied yes, and 66.7% of the respondents said that they were currently in the process of starting a business, with 29.7% of all respondents involved in two or more start-ups.

The results show not only a strong interest in entrepreneurship, but also a significant amount of entrepreneurial activity among the IIT community. Details of the survey results are available on the Knapp Center website.

The Knapp Entrepreneurship Center is a support services center for IIT-related entrepreneurs. Visit the Knapp Center website to review the listing of the center's current clients and discover how the Knapp Center can help you.

Thanks to all of you who participated in the survey. Congratulations to the winner of the drawing for the $50 Starbucks gift card: Roya Ayman, professor and director of I/O Psychology Training Program, Institute of Psychology.

Faculty/Staff: Annual Enrollment for Health, Dental, Flexible Spending - Deadline this Wednesday

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Human Resources announces that the annual enrollment period will be from November 10 - 25, 2009. Click here for further details on the plans and costs. You also should have received a copy by campus mail on Monday, November 9 and it is posted to the HR website along with must-read FAQ's.. Correction to the mailing: The medical cost increase is projected to be approximately 12%.

Webcast Presentation
Visit the HR portal site under "announcements" to view a webcast of the annual enrollment presentation.

Get Involved: Campus Sustainability Working Groups Begin Soon

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Members to be selected next week. Become part of the team. The Office of Campus Energy and Sustainability (OCES) is looking for students and faculty to join Campus Sustainability Action Plan Working Groups that will develop plans for each campus sustainability policy area (aligned with IIT's Strategic Plan). OCES is looking for students, faculty and staff to take on the challenge of helping IIT to become the most sustainable urban campus in the US.

Working Group areas
• Energy Policy
• Emissions
• Transportation
• Stormwater/Landscape
• Supply Chain Management
• Green Building

Each group will be comprised of faculty, staff, students and outside experts and will meet at least once a month. Each area will be comprised a core group of members that meets and is responsible for shaping ideas and making decisions, with additional feedback/input from a less active, but not less important, participatory group of members. The working groups will begin soon and will be active through April, when findings and plans will be presented at the Sustainability Forum on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.

To apply to join this opportunity to help shape IIT's sustainability actions for the future, students please email your contact information and your desired working group topic to campussustainability@iit.edu. Faculty and staff, please contact Director of Campus Energy and Sustainability Joseph Clair directly.

Contact campussustainability@iit.edu with any questions.

CPR/AED Training

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Are you in need of CPR/AED training? Has your certification expired? Please contact Student Health Services to pre-register for the next session. The cost of the class is $30. If you have any questions or if you are interested please contact Melody Jack at 312.567.7550 or jack@iit.edu.

December Campus Sustainability Forum: Sustainability Commitments - Make Your Voice Heard

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

The next Sustainability Forum will be held from 12 - 1:30 pm on Wednesday, December 2 in the MTCC Ballroom (lunch included). The December forum topic is "Sustainability Commitments." In addition to a guest speaker, Joseph Clair, director of the Office of Campus Energy and Sustainability (OCES), will lead an interactive discussion of IIT's sustainability commitments, with IIT community participation driving the level of commitment. If you want to challenge IIT to go further, this is your chance to make sure that happens. Seating is limited. RSVP today to campussustainability@iit.edu.