TO CLIPS INDEX Clips for February 19, 2009

Livengood: UA job promised to no one
Tucson Citizen/The Arizona Republic
2/18/09 9:23 PM
TUCSON - Finding the next Arizona men's basket-
ball coach could take a month or longer. UA athletic
director Jim Livengood, who has been compiling a
list of candidates for four months, will make the
decision with school president Robert Shelton.
With the Wildcats riding a seven-game winning
streak, some fans have suggested that interim
coach Russ Pennell be considered for the
permanent position. Livengood spoke to the
Tucson Citizen this week about where the search
stands for a coach to replace Lute Olson, who
retired in late October.

Partnership aims to create debt-free scholarships
The Arizona Republic 2/18/09 9:51 PM
In the midst of economic troubles and school budget
cuts, a new partnership could contribute millions of
dollars toward financing education for University of
Arizona students. Helios Education Foundation, a
non-profit organization active in Arizona and Florida,
announced Wednesday plans to partner with the
University of Arizona in order to provide money for
scholarships aimed at growing the university's debt-
free college program.

National agency sought for forensic sciences
The Arizona Republic 2/19/09
America's forensic-science operations are so
flawed that a federal watchdog agency should
be created to regulate crime labs and certify
expert witnesses, according to a report issued
Wednesday by the National Academies of
Science. The report, requested by Congress,
says there is little research to verify the integrity
of scientific protocols used in criminal
investigations. Because of that, it warns,
prosecutions are vulnerable to shoddy lab work,
unfounded testimony and false convictions. The
255-page report may stun those whose notions
about criminology are derived from television
shows portraying forensic science as infallible.
The NAS report calls for the creation of a National
Institute of Forensic Science to conduct research
and serve as an accrediting watchdog over
criminology. That proposal and other study
findings are to be the subject of an international
colloquium in April at Arizona State University's
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Michael
Saks, an ASU law professor who addressed
the research committee last year, welcomed
the proposals and findings.

39 Republicans give their pledge not to raise
taxes
The Arizona Republic 2/19/09
At least 39 of Arizona's 90 lawmakers have signed
the State Taxpayer Protection Pledge promoted by
Americans for Tax Reform. That means they have
promised to "oppose and vote against any and all
efforts to increase taxes," according to the pledge.
The number is significant in light of Gov. Jan
Brewer's trial balloon for a temporary tax hike to
carry the state through tough budget times. These
members, arguably, would be bound by their
pledge not to vote for a tax increase, or to refer it
o the voters for a decision. But while it takes a two-
thirds vote of the Legislature to raise taxes, it only
takes a simple majority to refer something to the
ballot, so the 39 wouldn't be enough to stop a
ballot referral.

UA pulls the plug on downtown science center
Associated Press/East Valley Tribune
2/19/09 3:00 AM EST
The economy has led the University of Arizona to
temporarily halt design and development work on
a $130 million downtown Tucson science center
and museum. University President Robert Shelton
said the school remains committed to a strong
partnership with the city. "However, the current
budget crisis makes it impossible for us to
proceed with our plans at this time," Shelton said.
The museum and science center are part of the
downtown Rio Nuevo redevelopment project. City
staff were told by the City Council Wednesday to
concentrate Rio Nuevo efforts on downtown infra-
structure and the Tucson Convention Center hotel
project.

Guest Opinion: Clifford Alexander III: Time to
focus universities on higher graduation rates
Arizona Daily Sun 2/19/09
I have to say that I am getting tired of the rhetoric
surrounding education spending in this state.
Somehow the university presidents have
convinced their students that the state is to blame
for their lack of success. Who is held accountable
for the dismally low graduation rates in this state?
According to The Education Trust, NAU's four-year
graduation rate for 2006 is 27 percent, the five-year
grad rate is 43 percent, and the six-year grad rate
is 47 percent. Do these numbers actually look
good to any student entering into what will probably
be their single largest investment? Is it the students'
fault? Is it the state's fault? Why are we failing to
graduate the students who enroll in college in this
state? Who is held accountable for graduation rates?

Chabin: Restructure taxes for stability
Arizona Daily Sun 2/19/09
The Flagstaff Democrat says Arizona can't afford
wild swings in funding for education and social
services. Cuts alone won't cut it. State Rep. Tom
Chabin, D- Flagstaff, said on Wednesday that a
temporary, one-cent sales tax isn't comprehensive
enough, but he is trying to persuade his peers in
the Legislature that reviewing the state's tax code
might be key to stabilizing the shaky economy. "I
think we have to look at revenue enhancements
or some sort of change in our tax structure,"
Chabin said in an interview Wednesday before
joining other state Democrats at a budget hearing
at Northern Arizona University. "Our whole tax
structure is truly built on a building and trades
economy, and that economy has just come to
a standstill. We have a very real and genuine
crisis in funding public services."

Meltdown could force college aid adjustment
Associated Press/Arizona Daily Sun
2/19/09
Johnny's a middle-class student who worked hard
to get good grades and a high SAT score. Jane's
record isn't as good, but her family is low-income,
and without help she might not be able to go to
college at all. Who should be first in line for help
from the government to pay for college? It's a
debate that hits hot-button questions about
fairness and opportunity, and lately, many experts
think the middle class has been winning. But the
economic meltdown could be shifting the playing
field, as the government and colleges themselves
are forced to focus on helping the neediest
students and try to head off a wave of dropouts.

Editorial: Rio Nuevo shifts direction, needs leader-
ship
Arizona Daily Star 2/19/09
Our view: Suspension of UA projects prompts move
to generation of revenues. The University of Arizona's
announcement Wednesday that the economy was
forcing it to suspend work on the science center and
state museum — slated to be cornerstones of the
Rio Nuevo Downtown redevelopment project —
could be the project's death knell. We hope it thrives,
but that will require concerted effort and leadership.
Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup told us Wednesday that
the UA action takes the science center and state
museum "off the burner, but keeps the pilot light
on." The UA announcement means Rio Nuevo's
emphasis will shift to more immediate revenue-
generating projects and more private-sector
involvement, Walkup told us. The science center
and museum will remain in the long-term plans.

Science Center project in limbo
Arizona Daily Star 2/19/09
Work was suspended Wednesday on the pro-
posed University of Arizona Science Center on
the West Side — a project seen for years as the
centerpiece of  Tucson's Rio Nuevo
redevelopment district. The University of Arizona,
which has spent more than $13 million on four
different plans for the center, is "suspending"
work on the project due to the economic crisis.
While asserting the university still wants to
build the Science Center someday, University
President Robert Shelton said the school can-
not afford to burn the cash it would take to get
the center ready for construction this year.

Rio Nuevo bond money shifted again
Arizona Daily Star 2/19/09
Rio Nuevo has changed course again. The City
Council voted 6-0 Wednesday to redirect money
from its recent bond sale to projects "like" re-
vamping the Tucson Convention Center and a
new convention hotel. About $58 million from the
December bond sale had been designated for
museums and historic re-creation on the west
side of the Santa Cruz River and on Downtown
infrastructure. But the council now wants more
of the money to go to projects that will help
generate sales taxes that will add future
revenue to the Rio Nuevo tax- increment
financing district.

'Death ray' breathes life into solar plans
Arizona Daily Star 2/19/09
It was a bit of a parlor trick for University of Arizona
scientist Roger Angel: Using the 10-foot parabolic
mirror he'd built atop a discarded communications
dish behind Bear Down Gym, Angel vaporized a
hole in a quarter-inch piece of steel for a visiting
congresswoman. Angel, a regents professor of
astronomy and optical sciences, is not really
looking to generate heat, but to use cheaply
produced mirrors to focus light and make
electricity at a cost that rivals the burning of
fossil fuels. His little "death ray" demonstration
proved to him and others that his focus is
correct so far.

UA suspends work on downtown science
center/museum
Tucson Citizen 2/19/09
The University of Arizona said Wednesday it will
suspend building a combined UA Science Center
and Arizona State Museum downtown until the
national and state economic crises ease. "Our
mutual commitment to a strong partnership be-
tween the UA and the city in downtown
redevelopment remains strong," UA President
Robert N. Shelton said. "However, the current
budget crisis makes it impossible for us to
proceed with our plans at this time." Shelton
said the university will suspend building design
and development work on the $130 million
project immediately. Some exhibit design work
will continue, but at a much slower pace, and
UA will request that the city keep the site open
so construction can start when the economy
improves.

Gimino: No UA coaching furloughs at this stage
Tucson Citizen 2/18/09 9:41 pm
Perhaps you saw the news the other day. Arizona
State football coach Dennis Erickson will be taking
some involuntary time off. Same for Sun Devils
basketball coach Herb Sendek. And athletic
director Lisa Love. Budget crunches from coast to
coast mean that employees at several university
athletic departments will be taking mandatory
furloughs. At ASU, Erickson will have to take 12
unpaid days - a loss of $20,800 - before June 30,
according to USA TODAY. Sendek takes a hit of
$13,600 from his base salary. As for the coaches
at the University of Arizona and other athletic
department employees? Nothing. Yet.

UA researcher's project could lead to cheaper
solar power
Tucson Citizen 2/19/09
A demonstration Wednesday that used the sun's
energy to quickly cut a nickel-sized hole in a steel
plate could someday translate into cheap,
abundant electricity. UA professor Roger Angel
has developed a way to make low-cost mirrors
with a high quality of focus for photovoltaic
systems that are five times less expensive than
reflective PV devices now in use. The technology
is the first step in developing a photovoltaic
system that could compete in price with
conventional natural gas power plants, said
Angel, University of Arizona Regents' professor
in astronomy and director of the Steward
Observatory Mirror Lab.

UA professor researching 2 drugs that may
reduce recurrences of cancer-causing colon
polyps
Tucson Citizen 2/19/09
A University of Arizona professor is researching
drugs that could one day prevent colon cancer.
Eugene Gerner, a UA professor of cell biology
and anatomy, has been researching cancer
prevention for about 25 years. In his most
recent research, he found drugs that are 95
percent effective in eliminating colon polyps,
which can lead to colon cancer. He is doing
research to see if he can prevent polyps from
growing in people who are predisposed to
develop colon cancer. By treating them early,
the therapies could stop polyps from developing.

Union says it is suing to block Arizona layoffs
Associated Press/Tucson Citizen
2/19/09 10:58 am EST
PHOENIX -- A labor union says it plans to sue
Gov. Jan Brewer to try to halt state government
layoffs resulting from recent budget cuts. The
Service Employees International Union said
Thursday that a lawsuit it will file in Maricopa
County Superior Court in Phoenix will allege
that the state failed to follow its rules on so-
called "reductions in force." It also will contend
that the state violated workers' constitutional
rights to due process. A Brewer spokesman
had no immediate comment on the union's
announcement.

UA financial-aid program gets $2 million gift
Tucson Citizen 2/19/09 10:14 a.m.
The Helios Education Foundation announced
a $2 million gift Thursday to a University of
Arizona scholarship program dedicated to
increasing access for middle class families.
Arizona Assurance is a jointly public-privately
funded financial aid program at UA that enables
students to earn undergraduate degrees in four
years without any debt. UA President Robert N.
Shelton launched the program last year and
funded it by diverting money from merit aid
programs to Arizona Assurance. He said the
ultimate goal would be building a $100 million
endowment.

Approps committees to assess state impact
of federal stimulus
azcapitoltimes.com 2/18/09
Arizona's lawmakers will dissect the recently-
passed federal economic recovery plan and
assess its impact on the state's budget
beginning Feb. 19. Budget staff will provide
lawmakers that day with a preliminary analysis
of the stimulus package during a joint hearing
by the House and Senate Appropriations
committees. Senate committees will spend
the next few days looking at specific parts of
the federal spending plan, a senior
Republican lawmaker said. "It is crucial
that we are swift but thorough as we evaluate
how this money affects our state's agencies,"
Senate President Bob Burns stated in a press
release.

Decision Theater hosts second flu pandemic exercise
Phoenix Business Journal 2/19/09 12:17pm MST
Arizona health care officials are testing their decision
making capabilities Thursday in the second simulation
of a flu pandemic at an Arizona school. Officials from
the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona
State University, Arizona Department of Education
and others from county health departments are on
hand at ASU Decision Theater to test their capabilities
as the scenario unfolds. Decision Theater, a
computerized simulator with seven wall-length video
screens, allows officials to test their actions based on
information from multiple sources. Decision Theater
officials hoped to expand the scenario this year to
provide a more accurate feel. The scenario allows
officials to test various planned methods for dealing
with a flu crisis and see what works and what doesn’t.

Deep Trouble
Tucson Weekly 2/19/09
Nine things you should know about the Arizona
Legislature. Hey--you're busy. We get that. Your
job is shaky; your 401(k) is shrinking; your house
ain't worth what it used to be; and your kid's tuition
is going up. You've got a lot on your mind, and you
don't have time to follow the antics of state law-
makers up in Phoenix.  That's why we're cutting to
the chase with this simple list of nine things you
ought to know about what the Arizona Legislature
is up to this session. We've also provided a bonus
list of a few bills worth following.

Lawmakers call DES, university reductions politics
Havasu News-Herald 2/18/09 11:04 PM MST
Some local lawmakers are calling recent service
reductions at one state university and the state
Department of Economic Security an attempt at
grandstanding and political persuasion. Recent
budget cuts forced the announcement of new
reductions in several DES social programs and
safety-net services that would mainly affect the
developmentally disabled and foster families.
State Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City,
said Wednesday these cuts DES and Arizona
State University are making are ones that the
general public would most oppose. Rep. Doris
Goodale, R-Kingman, agreed, pointing out
services are being cut that help disabled
children and adults, as well as, veterans,
when administrative departments should
be where the focus is. Gould says it is just
a way for Arizona State University and the
DES to inoculate themselves from further
cuts down the road in the Legislature.

For collegiate good fit, try before you buy
Yuma Sun 2/18/09 4:33 PM
Making that all-important decision about which
college to attend is tough for high school seniors.
But one local administrator is making sure
students have some first-hand experiences to
help them out. Eileen Knight, Northern Arizona
University-Yuma campus associate director of
admissions, toured NAU-Flagstaff earlier this
month with dozens of Yuma high school seniors
and five guidance counselors to get a feel for
collegiate culture. Some of the students were
already accepted to a college, but now they must
decide which one is a suitable, personal fit,
Knight explained. "Students go out of their way
to buy a pair of designer jeans but college is
much more expensive than a pair of jeans, so
they ought to go out of the way to try on a college
to see if it's a good fit," Knight said.

Arizona could feel climate change more than
any other state
Cronkite News Service/abc15.com
2/18/09 1:29 pm
Arizona is feeling the effects of climate change
more than any other state, but it is also positioned
to benefit economically by leading the nation in
addressing the problem, a Nobel Prize-winning
climatologist told state lawmakers Tuesday. “If
Arizona can get ahead of this problem, we could
be the place where they’re deploying the first, the
most, solar _ and wind energy as well _ in the
nation,” said Jonathan Overpeck, co-director of the
University of Arizona’s Institute for the Environment
and Society. “Talk about a stimulus.” There’s plenty
of bad news for Arizona if climate change goes
unchecked, Overpeck told the House Environment
Committee. In the next 50 years, he said, Phoenix
could see highs topping 130 degrees and drought
could drain reservoirs along the Colorado River,
while rising temperatures could change the state’s
vegetation, especially at higher altitudes.

West students react to possible name change
ASU Web Devil 2/19/09
As the Arizona Board of Regents debates changes
for the West campus, some students say changing
the campus’ identity makes very little sense.
Possible changes include reducing West to only
one college — the New College of Interdisciplinary
Arts & Sciences — and changing the campus’
name to reflect that consolidation. Stephen Des
Georges, a West campus spokesman, said the
name change is not necessarily a direct result of
ASU’s budget cuts. “Based on the cuts they’ve done
to the college and everything that’s been done, now
it’s a new college and I guess the name reflects that,”
he said. Slobodan Vojvodic, a sophomore studying
global business, said he doesn’t like the name
change because it represents everything else that
was changing around the campus. “I don’t think it’s
necessary to adjust the name of the school,” he said.

ASU to host safety conference
ASU Web Devil 2/19/09
ASU police will host more than 100 visitors
on Thursday and Friday for a regional safety
conference aimed at protecting college
campuses nationwide. The event, the first
of its kind involving ASU, was recommended
by an ASU committee that studied
investigations of the April 2007 Virginia Tech
massacre. Campus law-enforcement,
administrators, mental-health professionals,
residential-life associates, legal counsel and
human resource employees will travel to ASU
for “Process Improvements for College Threat
Assessment.” The two-day conference will
allow leaders from colleges and universities
around the nation to share ideas for making
campuses safer. Nancy Tribbensee, general
counsel for the Arizona Board of Regents and
recently appointed student-safety coordinator
for Arizona, is scheduled to speak, as well as
members of the Iowa State University police
force and United States Marshall Service
researchers.

Legislature cuts funding of water research
program
jackcentral.com 2/19/09
The Arizona Water Institute (AWI) became the
latest casualty of Arizona’s budget cuts as the
legislature continues to look for ways to
eliminate the state’s deficit. During a session
held at the end of January, the legislature
announced the cuts of several programs
created by former governor Janet Napolitano.
The AWI was one of the programs mentioned,
according to NAU Vice President of Research
Laura Huenneke. However, AWI Director Kathy
Jacobs said the universities made the decision
to cut the institute. “The universities made the
decision in the context of a $140 million budget
cut,” Jacobs said. “It is true that the (legislature)
did identify the AWI as a target, making it easier
for the universities to select AWI for cuts.”
Members of the legislature were not able
to be reached for comment.

Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE) Hosts
the ASU Tech Forum for the Investment Community
PRNewswire 2/18/09
TEMPE, Ariz., -- Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE),
the technology venturing arm of Arizona State University,
held its first technology forum for investors on Feb. 12
and 13, 2009. In hosting the event with ASU SkySong
in Scottsdale, AzTE collaborated with its tech transfer
partner, the University of Pennsylvania's Center for
Technology Transfer (CTT). The forum was sponsored
and supported by Silicon Valley Bank, Squire Sanders,
and Ernst & Young. The ASU Tech Forum introduced
the investment and corporate communities to selected
university research programs, technologies, and start-
up opportunities from ASU and Penn.

Coaches, ADs forced to take time off as
vacation from reality ends
The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com
2/19/09
It turns out the financial crisis might include a medical
breakthrough. At several public universities, it has
cured tone-deafness. As state budgets swirl toward
the sewer, lavishly compensated college coaches are
being ordered to take time off. Their bosses sometimes
even use the term "furlough," expressing their solidarity
with the commoners. Like other employees at Arizona
State, football coach Dennis Erickson and basketball
coach Herb Sendek will each be forced to take 12 days
off, saving $20,800 on Erickson's base salary and
$13,600 on Sendek's. Athletic director Lisa Love has
furloughed herself for 15 days. Arizona State's Herb
Sendek will have to take 12 days off by June 30,
saving $13,600 of his $292,000 base salary. (AP)