As I noted in my recent phone message, I believe that last week's election brings us much good news--and leaves us with one major question mark.

On the good news side, the legislative races appear to be sending some strong supporters of higher education to Salem. Even better, voters decisively rejected all of the most ill-considered measures dealing directly with public employees. These include Ballot Measures 27 and 29, which would have made the administration of the state system more difficult; Measure 41, which would have required a new way of reporting public employees' earnings; and Measure 45, which would have limited our PERS benefits. The lopsided defeat of these measures--generally by 2-to-1 margins--indicates to me that the Oregon public may be tired of bashing state employees.

The question mark is property tax "Cut and Cap" Measure 47.

Whether voters approve this measure or not--and at press time, it appears there is a good chance they will--our response will be the same: We will fight for substantial state reinvestment in higher education.

In the short term, we plan to carry through all promised pay raises for faculty and staff. In the long term, we will continue making the case that higher education in Oregon can no longer take the brunt of state budget cuts.

Even with Measure 47 passing, there is a good chance that our budgets will remain healthy. A booming state economy, rising tax revenues and a healthy amount in the "kicker" fund bring new sources of money to the table. Governor Kitzhaber is strongly on our side, and we have done a good job of convincing legislators of our value and our needs.

While the legislature sorts things out, it is important to remember on-campus that Measure 47 is not directed against higher education or the good work we do. It is a plea for tax reform. Poll after poll has shown that Oregon voters respect and support our efforts, and believe that higher education is a priority for the state's future health. This, too, will work in our favor during the upcoming legislative session.

I am ready to fight for our needs and am confident we will see success this year. If you have comments or ideas, as always, e-mail me at pres@oregon.

Physicist Russell Donnelly is getting $5 million in cold cash from the National Science Foundation to develop an experimental device that will reveal new things about turbulence and convection--and that could lead to safer planes and improved auto gasoline mileage.

Donnelly will use the largest grant ever made to a single UO investigator to build, test and refine a prototype cryogenic Benard cell, a "cryostat" that will be something like a giant Thermos bottle filled with extremely cold gaseous helium.

When cooled to about 450 degrees below zero, just above the point at which helium gas liquefies, the element behaves in unusual ways. Donnelly says carefully controlled studies in helium, which is on the verge of becoming liquid, will answer important questions about the intense convection and turbulence that develop around moving bodies.

"Using gaseous and also liquid helium at very low temperatures for research in turbulence extends what we can do and learn in the laboratory by a factor of a thousand," he says. This information will provide a previously unavailable window into the physics of movement and could solve problems that have bedeviled physicists for decades.

Using helium in devices like wind tunnels where scale models of new designs are tested for safety and efficiency will have many applications, ranging from basic research to product testing. For example, a cryogenic chamber could be used in testing the way air flows over the wing of a proposed aircraft, Donnelly explains.

In simplified terms, physicists use a number, called the Reynolds number, to represent turbulence. Technical limitations have kept scientists from creating wind tunnel conditions with Reynolds numbers much higher than 10 million. This is a problem, since the wind flowing over the wing of a jet in flight has a Reynolds number of about 70 million.

"Obviously jets still fly," Donnelly says, "because engineers are quite clever and have good intuition, but they do not know experimentally how a full-sized version of one of their designs will fly until it is actually built."

Donnelly's cryostat will achieve Reynolds numbers of 100 million.

The research project will be the heart of the Oregon Cryogenic Turbulence Center to be housed in Willamette Hall on campus. Collaborating with Donnelly are Michael McAshan, former chief of cryogenic research at the superconducting supercollider project in Texas and now at Fermilab in Illinois, and Katepalli Sreenivasan, Yale University professor of physics and mechanical engineering.

Donnelly's three-year grant will allow him and his colleagues to develop new instrumentation for observing turbulent flows at very low temperatures and for performing experiments that create lab conditions never before attained.

The UO physicist already had examined the feasibility of his plan. In June, he organized a scientific conference at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York to discuss the feasibility of and opportunities presented by establishing a cryogenic turbulence center. The experts unequivocally concluded that cryogenic Benard cells and liquid helium wind tunnels are exciting possibilities that could revolutionize the field.

Once Donnelly and his colleagues refine a one-meter (3.3 feet) tall prototype tank, a scaled-up, 10-meter version will be built at a National Turbulence Center to be built at Brookhaven, site of the world's largest helium liquefier. The full-sized tank would achieve Reynolds numbers of 10 billion--comparable to the turbulence that takes place on the surface of the sun.

Donnelly is quick to point out that the current ceiling on achievable Reynolds numbers is a costly technological problem for engineers and the industries they represent.

"The measurements made possible by the use of cryogenic helium will be of tremendous value," he says. "The use of cryogenic helium overcomes serious barriers in wind tunnel testing."

This concept may change future research on turbulent flows and revolutionize the way submarines and surface ships are tested.

For Jolene Siemsen, being a nurse practitioner is a privilege.

"I get to work with people on a very personal and honest level. People let me enter their lives simply because of the nature of the work I do, even if it is just primary health care related to a cold," she says.

In her sixth year at the Student Health Center, Siemsen believes some of the most important work she does is in the Women's Clinic. And she relies on her own inner-strength to help handle some of the more sensitive issues.

"I work with women in instances such as sexual assault, infection and pregnancy. And for me, that means I have to have a certain amount of courage and sensitivity in asking very personal questions.

"Working with women who have been sexually assaulted," she continues, "is quite moving to me. I am grateful to participate in their care because I think women have so much healing to do, and they need comprehensive, compassionate health care."

Siemsen splits her day between working in the Women's Clinic and as a general care practitioner. But no day is typical.

"As much variety as there is in human beings is what I might see in a day," she says.

At day's end, however, her interests vary. "I do dishes and the laundry in my spare time," she jokes. Nonetheless, she enjoys reading, walking, hiking and camping, when she can find the time.

Siemsen strongly believes in the basic philosophy of nursing, that of caring for each individual.

"When I was in school, we chose a nursing theory, and I focused on the theory of caring. And if things get difficult, I tend to go back to a basic desire of establishing mutual respect in the relationship.

"If someone comes in with a chip on their shoulder," she continues, "and they are not giving me much information or not cooperating, I return to my sense of what my therapeutic role is, and it is clearly not to say, `Fine. I'll see you later.' I want to establish that mutual respect, which means respecting that person as an individual, and expecting him or her to respect me in return."

And that is part of Siemsen's fundamental goal.

"I want to create an environment where people can answer honestly to questions of health and wellness," she says. "My goal is to get enough interaction with people in order to establish a relationship of open communication and trust."

Students are invited to design a poster for the campus-wide Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in January. Entries must be turned in by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at 198 Lawrence Hall. The winner will be announced Nov. 22. For contest information, call 6-4123.

The last impediment to completion of the new Spencer View Family Housing complex is gone.

Construction of the second phase of the 272-unit family housing project is expected to begin this winter, now that the "keeper" of the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C., has removed the former Amazon Family Housing complex from its listings, effective Oct. 22.

"We've been informed by the City of Eugene's planning office that we are now free to begin construction this winter on the final phase of our new family housing project on that site," says Mike Eyster, University Housing director. "This action is good news and simply makes sense."

Phase II of Spencer View, slated to open fall term 1997, will add 140 two-bedroom apartments to the 132 two- and three-bedroom units in the first phase which opened in September. The complex, within walking distance of campus, also includes a 15,000-square-foot commons building housing a family center with outdoor play areas, a community room, offices and maintenance facilities.

Financed by the sale of 30-year, state-issued bonds, the $16 million new complex will be paid off with rental income. Currently renting for the below-market rates of $435 and $535 per month, Spencer View is being built to meet or exceed all local and state fire and building codes and safety standards.

The former Amazon site was listed on the National Register in March following the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation's recommendation. After St. Vincent de Paul relocated and refurbished several of the structures and the university tore down and recycled nearly all of the materials from the rest, the City of Eugene Historic Review Board voted on Sept. 26 to remove the site's designation as a local historic district.

The Amazon complex was comprised of military barracks, reassembled at the East 24th and Patterson site in 1947 as temporary housing for returning World War II veterans who were attending the university on the G.I Bill. That G.I. Bill connection was why the city board originally designated the complex a historic district in 1994.

Some lucky amateur photographer will gain statewide fame (but no fortune) as winner of the biennial Oregon Blue Book cover photo contest.

Open to Oregon residents of any age, the contest seeks entries of original color prints or slides depicting a scenic Oregon location. Preference will be given to photos with a horizontal format and a significant amount of the color blue in the image.

Entries must be postmarked by Nov. 25, and the winner will be notified by Jan. 31, 1997.

For information and entry forms, call Sharon Hood, Oregon Secretary of State's Office, (503) 986-2234.

I give to the Charitable Fund Drive because I have seen the direct impact these organizations have on people's lives. Please join me in continuing Oregon's proud tradition of helping others by supporting the activities and services that are most important to you. Your contribution is a strong statement of personal and professional commitment to your state and to your community.

Last year, through the Charitable Fund Drive, UO employees joined with others in this area to do many good things for people needing help in Lane County. Those good things included providing

40,000 night's rest for families in emergency shelters;

1,200 tons of food for needy individuals;

6,162 nights of safe shelter for 272 women and 361 children fleeing domestic violence;

A "sobering station" and referral to treatment for 3,400 intoxicated individuals;

Medical and dental care for thousands of low-income individuals; and

34,000 hot meals at community soup kitchens, with more than 50 percent of those meals were served to children under the age of 14.

Up to 20 tenured and tenure-track instructional faculty who submit proposals by Dec. 2 that are judged worthy of Summer Research Awards will receive grants worth $4,000 each in 1997.

"The purpose of the Summer Research Awards program is to stimulate research by providing faculty with sustained time for scholarly and academic endeavor," says Assistant Vice Provost Paula Burkhart.

The Faculty Research Committee will evaluate the applications. Proposals will be judged on their scholarly or artistic merit and the extent to which they advance knowledge in a particular field.

Award winners will be announced by Jan. 31, 1997.

Applications are available at Research and Faculty Development, 125 Chapman Hall, or by e-mail: kariwk@oregon. For information, call 6-3188.

The Knight Library has acquired the Drenikoff Collection, a 445-volume private collection of books dealing principally with Bulgariana. The Hoover Institute, to which it was originally bequeathed, gave the collection to the university after determining that it substantially duplicated holdings in the institute's existing collection.

The Drenikoff Collection includes books on Bulgarian anthropology, archaeology, art, ethnography, folklore, history, literature, medieval texts and political science. Highlights include a large number of early 20th-century books on the Balkan War and a complete set of the rare serial, "Bulgarski Starini," containing the sole published editions of major medieval Bulgarian manuscripts.

The University of Oregon is the primary repository for Bulgarian books in the Pacific Coast Slavic and East European Library Consortium.

In the spotlight

Becky L. Sisley, Physical Activity and Recreation Services, has been selected to receive in November the 1996 Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Health and Human Performance at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Russell J. Donnelly, Physics, has received the 1996 Lars Onsager Medal from Trondheim University in Norway for his 40-year research career in low temperature physics, particularly the super conductive qualities of superfluid helium at temperatures just above absolute zero. He recently traveled to Trondheim University--where Onsager, a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical chemist and Donnelly's mentor at Yale University, received his undergraduate education--to accept the award and deliver the associated Onsager Lecture.

Seven UO musicians performed with the Eugene Symphony in an Oct. 9 coast-to-coast broadcast on National Public Radio of Miguel Harth-Bedoya's Sept. 26 inaugural concert as the symphony's music director and conductor. Performing were violinist Alice Blankenship and violist Franklin Alvarez, both Music GTFs; and Music faculty Sylvie Spengler, cello; George Recker, trumpet; Jeffrey Williams, trombone; Richard Frazier, tuba; and Charles Dowd, timpani.

Maureen Weiss, Exercise and Movement Science, was elected president of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology at the 900-member group's annual conference in October.

Frank Geltner, EMU, has been accredited as a Registered Parliamentarian by the National Association of Parliamentarians after passing a five-part examination. In celebration, he will offer a workshop on parliamentary procedure and related topics from 9:00 a.m.-noon on Nov. 16 in the EMU Walnut Room. To register and for information, call 6-0007 or send e-mail to parlipro@oregon.

In September, Lani Loken-Dahle, Physical Education, was selected to represent United States Diving at the U.S. Olympic Committee's Coaching Standards Development Workshop in Colorado.

Kay Coots, Environmental Health and Safety, has passed an examination to become only the fourth Certified Safety Professional in OSSHE. Safety officer Mark Maguire also has completed the first step--designation as an Associate Safety Professional--of the two-step process for eventually achieving that certification level.

As Pacific Advanced Communication Consortium director, Deanna Robinson, Journalism and Communications, is organizing a Nov. 21-22 conference in Eugene to set up advanced graduate programs in telematics, a combination of computers and telecommunications. Featuring on-site speakers and programs taught via videoconferencing and the Internet, the event will attract participants from university telecommunications, computer companies and government agencies in the Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii and western Canada.

With a 3.28 GPA, the 1995-96 UO women's basketball team posted one of the top grade-point averages in the country, according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Coached by Jody Runge, the Ducks' academic mark tied them for eighth with Youngstown State and Indiana State. Oregon was the only Pac-10 member and only West Coast school on the WBCA Academic Honor Roll.

In Print

Evlyn Gould, Romance Languages, is the author of The Fate of Carmen, published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

On the podium

Jennifer Freyd, Psychology, will deliver the keynote address, "The Logic of Forgetting Abuse: Cognitive Science and Betrayal Trauma Theory," on Nov. 12 during the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies meeting in San Francisco.

Maradel Gale, Planning, Public Policy and Management, and Micronesia/South Pacific Program director, participated in a traditional Ava ceremony and presented a paper in August on "Weaving a New Pacific Workplace Design" during the Pacific Basin Coastal Zone Management `96 conference in American Samoa.

Joyce Dean, Specialized Training Program, was keynote speaker at Connecticut's 11th annual Conference on Supported Employment in September. Her presentation was "Understanding Variation: A New Way of Thinking About Our Business."