Candidate outlines priorities [
BY JILL ZEMAN
A self-described "old farm boy” who grew up in
a village in India said Wednesday he’d love to be
UNL's vice chancellor for research.
Prem Paul, associate vice provost for research
at Iowa State University in Ames, is one of three
candidates for the top research position at the
University of Nebraska-Iincoln.
UNL seeks a replacement for Marsha Torr, who
left in August to accept a position at Virginia
Commonwealth University.
Paul grew up in India and obtained a degree in
veterinary medicine from the Panjab Agricultural
University in India in 1969.
He then came to the United States and got his
Ph.D. in veterinary microbiology at the University
of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
Paul is a professor of veterinary microbiology
and preventive medicine at Iowa State and has
worked there since 1985.
While visiting UNL, Paul met with faculty
members and outlined five priorities he would
implement as vice chancellor
■ Commitment to academic excellence
■ Increased research funding - from all sources
■ Multidisciplinary research
■ Improving grant-writing skills for faculty
members
■ Innovations and technologies for economic
development
The vice chancellor for research plays an inte
gral role in UNL’s development under the 20/20
Vision report.
The report outlines goals -specifically in grad
uate education and research - for UNL to attain by
the year 2020.
Paul said he was impressed with the university
for formulating the vision statement
“It’s a lofty goal. It’s a good goal, but the ques
tion here is if it’s attainable,” he said.
“The answer is yes.”
Ed Schmidt, associate dean of the college of
arts and sciences, said he was most impressed with
Paul’s dedication to academic excellence.
“It was the first thing on his list,” he said.
The arts and sciences college conducts a lot of
research, so it’s important the new vice chancellor
is able to pay for the research, Schmidt said.
“We want someone in the office who will find
funding and do the things (Paul) talked about” he said.
Two more candidates will visit UNL for the vice
chancellor position. They are Brooks Keel, from
the University of Kansas School of Medicine in *
Wichita, and Sheldon Marc Schuster, from the
University of Florida in Gainesville.
Keel will visit Feb. 11-13, and Schuster will visit
Feb. 14-16.
Train plan derailed for now
BY GWEN TTETGEN
Sounds of a 120 mph train
gliding between Lincoln and
Omaha won’t be heard for
awhile.
Hie plan to study the feasibil
ity of installing a high-speed pas
senger train between Nebraska’s
two major cities sits and waits
because of a shortage of funds.
“We haven’t really been able
to accomplish a lot without
funding,” said Allan Abbott,
director of Public Works for the
City of Lincoln and vice chair
man of the Nebraska Transit and
Rail Advisory Council.
The plan was a part of die pri
ority bill from Shelley Kiel of
Omaha, a former Nebraska state
senator, introduced during the
1999 legislative session.
The bill passed swiftly
through the Legislature, the
council formed, but the hunt for
funds has proven difficult after
one and half years.
Last year, the council applied
for a federal grant through the
Federal Highway Administra
tion, but was too late to cash in.
Also last year, the council was
slated to receive money from the
state, but the request was line
item vetoed by Gov. Mike
Johanns.
To date, the council has col
lected between $60,000 and
$65,000 from the cities of
Lincoln, Omaha and South Sioux
City and Pro-Rail, a group advo
cating the installation of a train
between Lincoln and Omaha.
But the council still needs a
lot more money.
This year, the council has
again started applying for a
$350,000 grant from the Federal
Highway Administration, Abbott
said.
With the grant, the council
could hire a consultant to start
doing what the bill intended to
do in the beginning - study the
needs, costs and feasibility of
running a train between Lincoln
and Omaha.
“The council is optimistic
that we're going to get more
money," he said. "But it’s frustrat
ing not being able to move for
ward.”
In 1999, Kiel envisioned the
Legislature
train running from the Old
Market in Omaha to the
Haymarket in Lincoln, and even
tually statewide.
Kiel said she’s still hopeful,
and she thought installing a train
between the two cities was better
for the environment, people’s
health and was cheaper.
Installing another lane of
traffic to each side of 1-80 would
cost around $1 billion in each
direction, but the cost of a train
would only be around $212 mil
lion, Kiel said.
“We need to figure out
whether this is feasible before
the land is completely developed
between Omaha and Lincoln,’’
she said.
This session, Sen. Curt
Bromm of Wahoo proposed a
bill, LB245, to extend the dead
line for the NTRAC report to the
Legislature from 2002 to 2004
because of the delays.
The bill does not contain any
appropriation for funds to con
duct the study.
FREE Nokia 252 Phone!
^ FREE
Nokia 252
FREE Case
and Car
Charger
*FREE Evening & Weekend Calling For Life!
* FOUR State Local Calling Area
* RATE Plans Starting as low as $29.99
*TEjJHotQ&Joi*1b Jimm ton
* some restriction apply
Specials at these locations ONLY
Nebraska Bookstore Super Saver
13” and Q Streets
27* and Pine Lake Rd
Russ’s Market
70* and Van Dom
Super Saver
27* and Comhusker Hwy
Russ’s Market
33" and Hwy 2
Super Saver,
56* and Hwy 2
Big K-Mart
Beatrice, NE
Super K-Mart
27* and Comhusker Hwy
SPECIAL NEW RATE PLAN
*2,000 minutes for just $39.99. Includes no long
distance charges to anywhere in the United States!
Ends Sunday!
Bring in this ad and we will pay
your first month of service!
We Will Beat Any Competitors Prices!
CELLULARONE
Nokia
5120
Nokia
282
just $29.99!
with new
! HARDT COMMUNICATIONS Premiere Authorized Dealer activation!
J Jenni 890-5366 Doug 890-0215 Ryan 560-3988 Jerod 580-5920 Alisha 560-0062 Gary 580-0070
l Tanner 890-6095 Heather 890-0990 Rob 580-0062 Cassie 310-1920 Alan 580-4705 Traci 580-2044
Recycle your Daily Nebraskan
■
Tell us what you think about issues that affect you
online ® dajivneb.com
mmM
mmrnMM
-. Aibi
£>-vCSsf’iiSivS&•
Just email your message by 2pm, Tuesday, Feb. 13, to:
Valenti ne @ dai lyneb.com
You must include your first and last name, email
address and graduation date.
Your Valentine message will appear in the Wednesday
Daily Nebraskan and online at DailyNeb.com.
Offer is limited to one 25-word message per person. Must be current UNL
student graduating in May 2001. The Daily Nebraskan reserves the right to
edit or reject any message it deems objectionable. The drawing for the
Bahamas trip will be on or near June 15, 2001.
__
Research is an 8-Letter word.
V Reach for a new level of knowledge.
V Enrich your education by joining faculty in their research.
V Study subjects that interest you.
V Experience the benefits of a great research institution.
>/ Add $ to your bank account! (UP TO $2000)
yj Rev up your resume!
V Create and express yourself artistically.
V Here’s how to get involved
Find out about the UCARE undergraduate program at UNL.
Visit the UCARE web site at http://www.unl.edu/ucare
or contact Laura Damuth, UCARE Project Coordinator,
at ldamuthl@unl.edu or call 472-5024.
Application Deadline for 2001-02, Feb. 16,2001
A Spectrum of Opportunities:
KALEIDOSCOPE
Tuesday, February E3th
Nebraska Union
12-5 pm
For More krfurmaUon
www.unL€du car€«rs springfatr
nr raM
After.
STUDQ*TS OF
COLOR
RECRUITER RECEPTION
T«wadNt,f*eww|t3»
