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| Transcript | Office of University Relations SDSM& T News 501 E. St. Joseph Street • Rapid City, SD 57701- 3995 Phone: ( 605) 394- 6082/ 2554 • Fax: ( 605) 394- 6177 BOARD OF REGENTS SUMMARY March 4, 1998 SDSM& T GEOLOGY PROFESSOR IN ANTARCTICA EXPLORING FOR FOSSILS Dr. James E. Martin, Professor of Geology and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, is in Antarctica exploring for fossils during January and part of February. Martin is a member of a joint U. S./ Argentine field expedition designed to search for and recover fossils from the Vega Island area of the Antarctica Peninsula. Martin's participation in this project, " Maestrichtian Land Mammals of Vega Island, Antarctica Peninsula" is funded by the National Science Foundation/ Division of Polar Programs. Dr. Judd A. Case, who is leading the field party and serving as U. S. Chief Scientist for the joint U. S./ Argentine project, said Martin was selected for the field team because of his ���� expertise in marine reptiles, dinosaurs and mammals." In addition, Dr. Case stated that Martin's skills as a field geologist " are extremely valuable" to the expedition " in adding a sound geological opinion regarding the stratigraphy and environmental interpretations of the deposits." The Argentine geologists and paleontologists have asked Martin to examine to a probable plesiosaur they found last year. This year's expedition team hopes to find marine reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals in these rocks that are from the end of the age of reptiles ( Cretaceous). Martin is expected to return to SDSM& T from Antarctica in mid- February. He also has been selected to participate in a second field session in Antarctica for this project in January and February of 1999. SDSM& T STUDENTS INITIATED INTO ALPHA SIGMA LAMBDA HONOR SOCIETY FOR NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS Nine students at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology were recently initiated into SDSM& T's Kappa Mu chapter of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society for Nontraditional Students. Alpha Sigma Lambda is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship and the recognition of nontraditional students continuing their education. SDSM& T SELECTED TO HOST 11TH ANNUAL ASCE/ MBT NATIONAL CONCRETE CANOE COMPETITION IN RAPID CITY THIS SUMMER The American Society of Civil Engineers ( ASCE) and Master Builders, Inc. have selected Rapid City, South Dakota, as the site for the 11TH annual ASCE/ MBT National Concrete Canoe Competition this summer. To be held June 18- 20, 1998, the national competition finals will be hosted by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ( SDSM& T). The event is expected to draw 650 people from across the nation to the Black Hills. Members of South Dakota Tech's ASCE Student Chapter, as well as several SDSM& T faculty and staff, worked diligently for several months on preparing the bid that succeeded in bringing the National Concrete Competition to the Black Hills. During a site visit to Rapid City a few months ago, representatives of Master Builders and ASCE were very impressed with the local support, hospitality, facilities, and scenic beauty offered by Rapid City and the Black Hills. SDSM& T has a strong tradition of designing, building and racing concrete canoes. South Dakota Tech's ASCE Student Chapter has advanced to the ASCE/ MBT National Concrete Competition eight of the past ten years the contest has been held. SDSM& T won the national competition in 1995 and also hosted the Rocky Mountain Regional ASCE Conference last spring. M* A* S* H KICKS OFF THE 1998 SDSM& T DEVEREAUX LIBRARY FILM SERIES THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, AT THE ELKS THEATRE The Friends of the Devereaux Library kicks off its 1998 film series, " Nostalgia Night 1998— Box Office Bonanzas" this Sunday, January 11th, with the 1970 classic comedy M* A* S* H. The movie begins at 6: 00 p. m. at the Elks Theatre. The Friends of the Devereaux Library, in cooperation with the historic Elks Theatre and several local sponsors, will be hosting " Nostaglia Night 1998— Box Office Bonanzas" for the next ten Sunday evenings from January 11 through March 15, 1998. Other films in this year's series, the dates they will be shown, and the local sponsors include: The Philadelphia Story, January 18, Dacotah Cement and SDSM& T Alumni Association; The King and I, January 25, SDSM& T Foundation; Shane, February 1, Brink Electric Construction Co. and Energy Laboratories; The Graduate, February 8, Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun, P. C.; The Caine Mutiny, February 15, Floridino's Pizza & Pasta and United Corporation; A Man for All Seasons, February 22, First Bank Rapid City; West Side Story, March 1, Hills Material Company; Deliverance, March 8, Table Top Ranch and Garnet Lake Lodge; and Blazing Saddles, March 15, Friends of Devereaux Library. SDSM& T MUSIC FACULTY AND MASTER CHORALE TO PERFORM AT SOUTH DAKOTA AMERICAN CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION IN PIERRE Music professors and the Master Chorale from SDSM& T will be making presentations and performing concerts at the South Dakota American Choral Directors Association ( SD- ACDA) annual convention being held January 23- 24 in Pierre. Kantorei, the auditioned choral ensemble of the Dakota Choral Union, also will be presenting a concert during the SD- ACDA convention. Dr. James D. Feiszli, SDSM& T Director of Music Activities and Professor of Music, is the SD- ACDA conference headliner, presenting two sessions during the two- day meeting. His " Internet Tools for the Choral Musician" will be based on Feiszli's experience as the founder and executive director of ChoralNet - the Internet Center for Choral Music. Feiszli's other presentation, entitled " What Do I Do with this Thing?: Computer Uses for Choral Rehearsals" will focus on MIDI and other technologies that can be used to enhance the choral rehearsal. In addition, Dr. Feiszli will be conducting a concert by Kantorei, the select, auditioned choral ensemble of the Dakota Choral Union. The Kantorei concert will be performed in the rotunda of the South Dakota State Capitol part of the convention conclusion. Dr. Susan L. Reid, SDSM& T Assistant Professor of Music, will be conducting a concert by the SDSM& T Master Chorale during the convention. The Master Chorale, whose members are auditioned from SDSM& T Concert Choir, will be performing at 11: 00 a. m. Saturday morning at Memorial Lutheran Church in Pierre. SDSM& T PROFESSOR DEMONSTRATES VIRTUAL REALITY MINE DESIGN ON LEARNING CHANNEL PROGRAM JANUARY 12TH The Learning Channel program, Extreme Machines: Earth Breakers, includes a demonstration of virtual mine design software by Dr. Zbigniew Hladysz, SDSM& T Chair and Professor of Mining Engineering. The program will be shown Monday, January 12, at 6: 00 MST, on TCI cable channel 44 and Rapid Choice channel 31. The Learning Channel program features a journey down into the Homestake Mine, the deepest mine in the United States. Staff members of Pioneer Productions from London, England visited the South Dakota Tech campus last spring to film Hladysz's demonstration of virtual reality mining. Virtual mine design offers tremendous potential for helping the mining industry meet the future material needs of society while still balancing important environmental considerations. By first designing mines on the computer, the industry can utilize cutting- edge technology to ensure that its mining operations in the 21st century are as safe, economical, and environmentally sound as possible. Dr. Hladysz uses the innovative Vulcan virtual mine design software developed by Maptek, Inc. to teach his students computerized mining design by creating underground and surface mining sites in virtual reality. Through the use of virtual mining software, SDSM& T undergraduate students design a computerized mine that provides a three- dimensional view of all aspects of the mine. The first mining department in the world to implement the Vulcan software in its curriculum, SDSM& T is one of the very few universities, and possibly the only institution, whose mining department requires undergraduate students to actually use integrated mine design software in their senior design projects. OCEANOGRAPHER TO VISIT SDSM& T / WILL DISCUSS OCEAN DRILLING RESEARCH Dr. Deborah Kelley, an oceanographer from the University of Washington, will be the featured speaker at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering Friday Afternoon Seminar Series on January 30. Kelley will speak at 4: 00 p. m. in the Mineral Industries Building ( Room 222). Her presentation is open to the public. During her visit to the Tech campus, Dr. Kelley also will speak to SDSM& T's Oceanography class at 12: 00 noon in Room 222 of the Minerals Industries Building. Her presentation is entitled " Volatile- Fluid Evolution in Submarine Magma- Hydrothermal Systems". Dr. Kelley has just returned from an Ocean Drilling Program cruise and is very active in research on deep seated hydrothermal systems. In her presentation, Dr. Kelley will discuss the nature of fluids trapped within the rocks that are a part of the oceanic crust. A surprising result of her studies is the discovery of fluids with methane concentrations greater than 40 times those of basaltic gases and of vent fluids. FEBRUARY 17TH IS SDSM& T PRIORITY DEADLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDERATION New students interested in receiving priority consideration for institutional scholarships offered by the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology for the 1998- 99 academic year must complete admission application procedures by February 17,1998. A completed admission application includes an application form, ACT or SAT test scores, and a high school transcript. Only those entering students who have submitted admission application materials to SDSM& T that are received by February 17, 1998, will be given priority consideration for the institution's various scholarships for the 1998- 99 academic year. SDSM& T offers a scholarship program for incoming and currently enrolled students that totals more than $ 332,000 in scholarships and grants. The institution offers numerous scholarships to incoming freshmen with guaranteed renewable support for four years provided the recipient maintains a minimum 3.0 grade point average. In addition to four- year renewable scholarships, over 230 other scholarships— some with certain eligibility criteria and others that are unrestricted— are also available to incoming and returning South Dakota Tech students. SOUTH SHORE NATIVE ESTABLISHES $ 1,000 SCHOLARSHIP AT SDSM& T South Shore native Jerry Johnson, a true philanthropist, remembers where he started and now wants to help young people from his hometown area help themselves. Johnson, who now lives in Burlington, Vermont, has established a $ 1,000 scholarship to assist one senior annually from South Shore High School who wishes to attend the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology ( SDSM& T) in Rapid City. If there are no students from South Shore enrolled as a freshman or sophomore in any given year, the scholarship can be awarded to an entering freshman from elsewhere in South Dakota. Jerry graduated from South Shore High School in 1966 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from SDSM& T in 1970. He started his career with New England Telephone, Boston, MA in the engineering department. In 1997 Jerry accepted an early retirement offer from NYNEX and started a second career as President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Associates, Inc., which develops and delivers technical training to the telecommunications industry. SDSM& T TO HOST VIP TOUR ' 98 ON FEBRUARY 7 The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology will be hosting VIP Tour ' 98 on Saturday, February 7, from 11: 00 a. m. until 2: 30 p. m. ( MST) for prospective students of all ages. Participants will have an opportunity to tour the SDSM& T campus, learn about financial aid and scholarships, meet current students, have lunch with professors from each department, observe the laboratories in use, visit the residence halls, and tour the sports/ recreation facilities. SDSM& T STUDENTS GETTING READY TO COMPETE IN THE" OLYMPICS" OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING Three computer programming students from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology ( SDSM& T) are busy getting ready to compete in the " Olympics of computer programming"— the ACM ( Association of Computing Machinery) International Collegiate Programming Championship. The SDSM& T team will compete February 27 - 28,1998, in Atlanta, Georgia, against 53 other university teams from the United States and around the world. The South Dakota Tech students earned a berth in the contest's World Finals by winning the ACM North Central Regional Programming Contest last November in which 54 university teams from the Upper Midwest, Manitoba and western Ontario competed. Teams from the University of Minnesota- Morris and South Dakota State University, who won 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the regional contest, also will be participating in the championship competition. Of the approximately 3,750 computer students from 700 universities in 40 countries who competed in regional contests, only the top 162 students qualified for advancement to the ACM World Finals. The 26 international student teams represent universities in Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden and Taiwan. In addition to SDSM& T, the 28 universities in the U. S. and Canada that qualified for the ACM finals include Duke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT), Oklahoma State, Stanford, University of California- Berkeley, University of Texas - Austin, and Virginia Tech. During the five- hour competition, teams of three students each will race against the clock to solve as many complex, real- world programming problems as they can— using creativity, teamwork, innovation and logic skills. SDSM& T PALEONTOLOGIST'S ANTARCTICA EXPEDITION FINDS FOSSILS THAT MAY PROVE A LAND BRIDGE ONCE CONNECTED ANTARCTICA AND THE AMERICAS During his recent fossil expedition to Antarctica, Dr. James E. Martin, SDSM& T Professor of Geology and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, and his scientific colleagues from the United States and Argentina found the tooth of a duck- billed dinosaur— the first such fossil ever discovered on the continent of Antarctica. In addition, the paleontologists found a portion of a leg bone from Antarctica's most ancient bird and the remains of giant marine reptiles called plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. The duck- billed dinosaur, or hadrosaur, provides significant paleontological evidence in support of the idea that a land link once existed between Antarctica and the Americas. This land bridge may have been used not only by dinosaurs but also by marsupial mammals in their emigration from the Americas to Australia via Antarctica when the continents were closer together. Dr. Martin was one of only three U. S. paleontologists selected to participate in the joint U. S.- Argentine field expedition to the Vega Island area off the eastern side of the Antarctica Peninsula. These islands are rich in both terrestrial and marine fossils and is the only known area in Antarctica to span the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, the time when the dinosaurs became extinct. The 3- inch foot bone of a bird found is believed to be the oldest remnant of a bird ever found in Antarctica. Partial skeletons of plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, which were giant marine reptiles, also were recovered during the expedition. Some of these specimens include fossils of young plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, which are very rare in the fossil record, according to Martin. SDSM& T has a duck- billed dinosaur on display in its Museum of Geology. South Dakota Tech paleontologists have also unearthed mosasaurs and plesiosaurs along the Missouri River near Chamberlain similar to the fossils Martin and his colleagues found in Antarctica. The National Science Foundation/ Division of Polar Programs provided funding for the participation of Martin and his U. S. colleagues. Dr. Martin, who returned to SDSM& T from Antarctica in mid- February, has been selected to participate in another field expedition to Antarctica next January and February. Martin will present a program on his Antarctic fossil expedition experiences at 5: 00 p. m., Friday, February 27, in the Surbeck Center Bump Lounge. The program is free and open to the public. CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 3RD AT SDSM& T A Chinese New Year Party will be held on the South Dakota Tech campus Tuesday, February 3, from 6: 00 to 9: 00 p. m. in the Surbeck Center Ballroom. The event is being coordinated by the Chinese Student Association and the Friendship Family program through SDSM& T's Ivanhoe International Center and National American University. The program will include singing, dancing, games, cooking, and learning about how Chinese New Year is celebrated. In addition, participants will have an opportunity to meet international students attending college in Rapid City and also try new Chinese foods. TECH TO HOST 34TH ANNUAL CONCRETE CONFERENCE MARCH 6TH The 34th Annual Concrete Conference will be held March 6, 1998, from 8: 00 a. m. to 5: 00 p. m. in EP 252 ( Electrical Engineering/ Physics Building) on the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology campus. This year's conference theme is " Concrete Rehabilitation - Inspection, Design and Repair." The luncheon speaker, Jo Coke, is the first woman to be elected vice president of the American Concrete Institute ( ACI) International. Conference speakers and their presentation topics include the following: George Hoff, Mobil Oil, " Concrete Rehabilitation Information Source"; Denis Donnelly, Federal Highway Administration, " Structural Rehabilitation"; John Scanlon, Wyss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.; " Practical Concrete Rehabilitation"; David Henson, Master Builders, Inc.; " Structural Upgrade Systems"; Brenda Flottmeyer, SDSM& T graduate student, " Admixture Compatibility"; Michelle Nielsen, SDSM& T graduate student, " Recycled Glass Concrete"; Dr. Edward Duke, SDSM& T Director of Engineering & Mining Experiment Station ( EMES) and Research Associate of Professor Geology, " Petrography of Concrete"; Kevin Michols, CTL, " Inspection and Design of Repairs"; Milt Anderson, Symons Corporation, " Concrete Repair - Case Studies"; Jo Coke, Fibermesh Division, Synthetic Industries, " Developments in Synthetic Fibers for Concrete Repair"; Scott Thome, SIKA Corporation, " Repair Materials "; and Jim Meyer, W. R. Grace Company, " Shrinkage Problems in Patching and Overlays". Sponsors of the conference are SDSM& T���s Civil & Environmental Engineering Dept.; SDSM& T's ASCE Student Chapter; Dakota Chapter of the American Concrete Institute; Dacotah Cement; Hills Materials Company; Birdsall Sand & Gravel; Kost Brothers; and Sweetman Construction. SDSM& T GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCHING THE USE OF RECYCLED GLASS IN CONCRETE Michelle Nielsen, a Civil & Environmental Engineering graduate student at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, is conducting research on the feasibility of using recycled glass as aggregate in concrete. Nielsen's research is being conducted in collaboration with Rapid City's Materials Recovery Facility ( MRF) and under the supervision of Dr. M. R. Hansen, SDSM& T Associate Professor of Civil Engineering. The SDSM& T graduate student's preliminary research findings indicate that it may be feasible to use crushed recycled glass to replace 20% of the aggregate ( sand and rock) in concrete. After conducting a battery of standard strength and durability tests, Nielsen also has determined that adding fly ash as 20% of the cementitious materials counteracts the tendency for glass to expand in concrete due to alkali silica reactivity problems. Nielsen is scheduled to present her preliminary research findings at the 34th Annual Concrete Conference to be held March 6, 1998, at SDSM& T. She also will make a presentation during the open paper session of the spring convention of the American Concrete Institute, the premier concrete organization in the world. In addition, the SDSM& T graduate student has been accepted to present her paper, " Using Recycled Glass as Aggregate in Concrete", at the Sydney Diamond Symposium on the Materials Science and Engineering of Concrete Cementitious- Based Compounds. This is an international specialty conference on concrete. SDSM& T DRAMA CLUB TO PRESENT ONE- ACT PLAYS SDSM& T's Drama Club will present this year's One Act Play Festival this Friday and Saturday at 8: 00 p. m. in the Surbeck Center Ballroom. The programs are free and open to the public. This year's line- up is composed entirely of comedies and is suitable content for all ages. Plays to be performed include The Danes of Our Lives; The Nerd; Words, Words, Words; and Sure Thing. GENEROUS LOCAL RESIDENTS DONATE $ 575,000 GIFT Prominent Rapid City residents Jim & Nancy Christensen and Bill & Lori Reuter, along with another local School of Mines alumni couple, provided a holiday gift to the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and the Black Hills Children's Home. The three couples donated a commercial building in Rapid City to SDSM& T and the Black Hills Children's Home. The appraised value of their gift is $ 575,000. Retired consulting engineer and Tech alumnus Jim Christensen ( GenEng ' 57) and wife Nancy donated their ownership position in the building to two charities. Part of their gift is earmarked for an SDSM& T athletic scholarship endowment. The remaining portion of the Christensens' gift is directed to the Black Hills Children's Home. With their portion of the building, Tech alumnus Bill Reuter ( ElecEng ‘ 56) and Lori, his wife, established The William & Loreli Reuter Presidential Scholarship, an endowed fund, to benefit students enrolled at SDSM& T. Bill, who has a Ph. D. degree in electrical engineering, has been Vice President of Operations at Pete Lien & Sons Inc. and recently retired. The third couple, both alumni of the School of Mines, contributed their 50% interest in the building to support the SDSM& T athletic program through the Hardrock Club. The Hardrock Club, which is responsible for athletic fundraising efforts at the university, will use the funds for athletic scholarships and program support. " Support from local friends and alumni is important to the Hardrock Club, as well as the athletic and general scholarship programs" said SDSM& T President Richard J. Gowen. " This very generous donation will benefit all future generations of students for which we are extremely grateful." PIANIST JANEEN LARSEN TO PRESENT GUEST RECITAL AT SDSM& T Pianist Janeen Larsen will present a guest recital at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology on Thursday, February 4, at 7: 00 p. m. in the Music Room of the New Gym. Admission is free. The recital will demonstrate a variety of piano styles and reveal connections between 19th century literature and 20th century improvisation. The program includes works by Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy and Gershwin as well as improvisations on jazz tunes. Originally from Chicago, Dr. Janeen Larsen, Professor of Music at Black Hills State University, has performed as a classical pianist throughout the Midwest. She teaches classes in Piano, Music History, Music Theory and Music Appreciation at BHSU. In addition she performs with a variety of local jazz, Dixieland and dance bands. JEN TRENARY AND CHARLES COX ELECTED PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF SDSM& T STUDENT ASSOCIATION Students at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology recently elected Jen Trenary as president and Charles Cox as vice president of the SDSM& T Student Association. Trenary is a junior Civil Engineering major. Her activities at South Dakota Tech include the Leadership Development Team, Student Association, American Society of Civil Engineers ( ASCE) Student Chapter, Alpha Omega Epsilon, and working in the undergraduate study program. Cox, a junior Mechanical Engineering major, is the son of James and Elizabeth Cox of Yankton. Campus organizations in which he has been active include the Mini- Indy team, TONITE, M- Week Committee, American Society of Mechanical Engineers ( ASME), Society of Automotive Engineers ( SAE), Triangle Fraternity and soccer. The fathers of the new SA president and vice president are both alumni of SDSM& T. In addition, Jen Trenary and Charles Cox are majoring in the same respective engineering fields in which their fathers received their degrees. VINE DELORIA, JR. TO BE GUEST SPEAKER FEBRUARY 23 DURING SDSM& T ENGINEERS WEEK Noted author and South Dakota native Vine Deloria, Jr. will be the guest speaker at SDSM& T on Monday, February 23, as part of SDSM& T���s Engineers Week activities. Deloria will present " An Informal Fireside Chat" ( without the fireside) at 2: 00 p. m. in the Surbeck Center Ballroom and at 7: 00 p. m. in the Didier Education Center ( Classroom Building 204). Deloria's presentations at South Dakota Tech are open to the public with no admission charge. His appearances are co- sponsored by the South Dakota Humanities Council and SDSM& T. An internationally acclaimed scholar and author, Deloria is recognized as a leading and outspoken voice of Native American viewpoints. His works include Custer Died for Your Sins, Of Utmost Good Faith, God is Red, and The Metaphysics of Modern Existence. In Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact, one of his recent works, Deloria provides a provocative and challenging discussion of certain anthropological and scientific theories from a Native perspective. Vine Deloria was born in Martin, South Dakota. He currently is a professor of American Indian studies, professor of history and adjunct professor of law, religious studies and political science at the University of Colorado. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Journey Museum in Rapid City. The Friends of the Devereaux Library are hosting a book- signing reception for Deloria on Sunday, February 22, from 2: 00 - 4: 00 p. m. in the Devereaux Library on the South Dakota Tech campus. PROFESSOR JACK WEYLAND WILL PRESENT " JUST IN IT FOR THE TOYS" / OVER 500 AREA 6TH - 12TH GRADERS TO ATTEND ENGINEERS WEEK EVENTS AT SDSM& T Professor Jack Weyland will present " Just In It for the Toys" at 11: 00 a. m., Friday, February 27, in the Surbeck Center Ballroom on the SDSM& T campus. Weyland's presentation will focus on how to have fun with physics. Over 500 area 6th- 12th graders are scheduled to attend Professor Weyland's program. As part of SDSM& T's Engineer Week activities, students from area middle, junior and senior high schools will also tour various departments on campus and observe experiments/ displays in the participating departments. Tours will be conduced by SDSM& T's ROTC students and Student Ambassadors. The students also will have sack lunches with South Dakota Tech students in the campus departments. Weyland, who currently is a professor of physics at Ricks College in Idaho, taught physics at SDSM& T for 25 years. In 1993 he received SDSM& T's Presidential Award for Outstanding Professor in recognition of his excellence in teaching. He has written a science book for youth called Megapowers and also wrote an article called " Science Goes to the Movies" for the 1994 Science Yearbook for World Book Encyclopedia. Weyland also has presented a program called " Hollywood's Greatest Science Bloopers" on a Canadian television station. DAKOTA CHORAL UNION TO PRESENT VALENTINE'S DAY SHOWCASE The Dakota Choral Union ( DCU) will present a Valentine's Day Showcase of musical themes of love and romance on Saturday, February 14, at 7: 30 p. m. in the SDSM& T Surbeck Center Ballroom. The evening of cabaret- style performances features a range of musical styles from opera to swing, as well as an array of elegant desserts. Also appearing are the DCU Divas, an all- women's group that sings mainly Big Band tunes. Guest artist Beverly Scripter, a local singer and voice teacher, will sing arias from works by Mozart and Strauss. The Dakota Choral Union is a cooperative effort between SDSM& T and the Rapid City area community, designed to serve the choral needs of the community as well as providing additional opportunities to SDSM& T students. Its organizational structure provides all singers, regardless of prior musical background, with an opportunity to have meaningful experiences through the performance of solo vocal and choral ensemble singing. Tickets for the Valentine's Day Showcase are available at the Dahl Fine Arts Center. SOUTH DAKOTA BUSINESS WITH SDSM& T ROOTS SUPPLIES SOFTWARE TO SILICON VALLEY COMPANIES Dakota Scientific Software, Inc. ( DSS) proves that a small, high- tech company can succeed in Silicon Valley's highly competitive computer industry while being based in South Dakota. A small business that started at SDSM& T and still is located on the campus, has created high- wage, high- tech jobs in South Dakota. Diane ( M. S. CompSci ' 91) and Mike Boucher ( M. S. CompSci ' 91), both South Dakota School of Mines & Technology alumni, began the software company seven years ago. Now the business supplies high- speed math libraries for Sun Microsystems and several other high- performance computer companies. Diane and Mike, president and vice president respectively, founded the company in December 1990 on a shoestring budget with $ 10,000 of their own money and $ 16,000 from the Governor's Office of Economic Development ( GOED). Dakota Scientific focused on applying advanced supercomputer technology to develop the fastest math software available for desktop computers. The Bouchers attribute some of their company's growth and success to the assistance received from SDSM& T officials and GOED. The company's start- up funds were used to hire Tech faculty members and four students to further develop their software product featuring an optimized math library. DSS succeeded in developing the fastest math library available for Sun's UNIX workstations. Despite having an excellent product, the new company's first couple of years were lean. Initial marketing efforts did not produce the anticipated software sales. The company's first break came when Australia's America Cup team approached the Bouchers about using their software as the exclusive linear algebra supplier for One Australia. The exposure of DSS's product during the America Cup brought Fujitsu officials from Japan to Rapid City to visit the Bouchers about licensing their software. Having no experience in dealing with Japanese businesses, the Bouchers again turned to SDSM& T officials for assistance. " President Gowen was a wealth of advice. His knowledge of Japanese business was extremely helpful" said Mike Boucher. The Bouchers decided not to turn over their technology to Fujitsu and instead made the decision to go full time with the business. Mike Boucher states the real value of the technical assistance provided by SDSM& T and other officials was not so much the actual dollars received, but the contacts and referrals within the local business community. He compares the technical assistance that DSS received to a " high- tech barn raising." After putting a solid business plan in place, the Bouchers successfully pursued and obtained funding from the Rapid City Economic Development Revolving Loan program and an SBA- guaranteed loan from Pioneer Bank and Trust. The DSS owners emphasize that a good business plan is critical to a company's success. " The problems in business are not lack of money or access to capital" says Mike Boucher. " If a company has a good business plan, it will have access to the capital it needs." After taking two accounts away from its main competitor ( Cray Research), Dakota Scientific started to grow. In 1994 Sun Microsystems, which had 90% of the market and was still growing, bought the rights to license Dakota Scientific's software as a high performance math library. After licensing some additional compiler vendors operating in the UNIX market, DSS expanded its products and services available to the high- performance computing market. Dakota Scientific's growth has resulted in additional jobs being created. The company currently has twelve employees, all of whom are Tech alumni. In addition to its products for Sun's UNIX systems, DSS's math libraries have proven to be the fastest for the Windows 95, Windows NT, Solaris and Solaris/ x86 markets. Customers of Apogee Software, Quadrics Supercomputers, and Edinburgh Portable Compilers are just a few of the many people to whom DSS supplies high- speed math libraries. DSS also does consulting work for vendors who contract with the company to work with key suppliers. This contracting work includes optimizing large- scale scientific and engineering codes such as structural analysis applications for major CAD vendors whose products simulate car crashes for Chrysler and airplane stresses during flight for Boeing. Dakota Scientific also is just completing a three- year research contract with Los Alamos National Laboratory to support work in simulated nuclear bomb testing under the provisions of the comprehensive test ban treaty. DSS also is a co- developer with Los Alamos Laboratory of a supercomputing framework to be used by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories to run computer applications that support stewardship of the nuclear stockpile, weapons design, climate modeling and other missions of national importance. Persevering through the challenges, risks and uncertainties of owning their own business, the Bouchers have steered DSS to an impressive growth these past seven years. The collaboration between DSS and SDSM& T works quite well. In addition to helping teach some classes and to leasing part of its space on the Tech campus, the Bouchers also provide SDSTech faculty and staff with access to DSS��s high- performance computers. SDSM& T and DSS are a good match. Dakota Scientific provides good, high- wage jobs for the local economy. Tech produces high- quality computer science graduates that DSS needs. Mike Boucher calls Rapid City a good place for high- tech companies like DSS to be based. Local governments and economic development officials are cooperative. Recruiting qualified and talented people is relatively easy. A good infrastructure, coupled with Internet access and overnight shipping services like Federal Express, allows DSS to conduct business anywhere in the nation. Many Tech alumni want to return to South Dakota and are available if a company is interested. Taxes, real estate and other business expenses are relatively low compared to other regions of the country. One DSS employee who relocated from San Jose reports that he has more spending power in Rapid City even though he is earning 3/ 4 of his former salary in California— and he is much happier! Dakota Scientific's success connects the high- tech, entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley to South Dakota. In addition, the high- wage, computer- techology jobs created by the company allow some of South Dakota Tech's graduates to stay in South Dakota and utilize their quality education. Additional information about DSS can be obtained by calling 800- 641- 8851 or ( 605) 394- 8851 or by accessing the company's web site at www. scisoft. com. DILBERT'S " ALICE" CHARACTER MODELED AFTER SDSM& T ALUM When Anita Freeman ( EE ‘ 76) graduated from SDSM& T, the Ethan, South Dakota native never dreamed she would someday be the inspiration for a character in one of the world's most popular comic strips— Dilbert. Alice, the Dilbert character with the bright pink suit and the fluffy, triangle- shaped hair, is modeled after Anita. The electrical engineering degree Freeman received from SDSM& T has led her on a successful career path from the Tech campus to Kodak, Pacific Bell and now Cisco Systems. Her journey into the comic strip world began when she took a position as an applications engineer with Pacific Bell in California. She first met Dilbert creator Scott Adams in January of 1991 when she started working at Pacific Bell. Adams and Freeman were team members in the same lab at Pacific Bell. During her first week on the job, Anita made a lasting impression on Adams when she helped him fix a problem that he found very frustrating. Her Midwestern propensity to help others in need, coupled with her engineering capabilities based on her education at SDSM& T, were likely factors in Freeman's willingness to take a chance and offer to help her new coworker. Grateful and impressed by her technical proficiency, Adams was soon telling his coworkers that " Anita knows everything." Becoming good friends, Freeman and Adams maintained that friendship after he was reassigned and she took over his Pacific Bell projects. " You never know whether everything would have been different if I had opted not to try and be helpful to Adams that first week of working with him" muses Freeman. Adams started drawing caricature composites of his coworkers and bosses to relieve his boredom during office meetings at Pacific Bell. His office doodles evolved into the Dilbert character and eventually into some comic strips. Despite finally receiving a cartoon contract in 1989 and seeing Dilbert launched in 50 newspapers, Scott Adams continued working at Pacific Bell. He would draw Dilbert at 5 a. m. each morning before going to his Pacific Bell job. After losing his job due to " downsizing" in 1995, he devoted full time to his Dilbert endeavors. Even though they no longer work together, Freeman has stayed in close touch with Adams. During her frequent business travels in her current position as product manager for Cisco Systems, Anita is always on the lookout for good ideas for Dilbert characters. Freeman didn't see the early Dilbert comic strips in which the Alice character first appeared. After several comments from friends and coworkers, she finally asked Scott Adams directly whether there was a connection between her and Alice. Adams finally admitted that she was the inspiration for the Alice character. In his chapter on Alice in The Seven Habits of Highly Defective People, Adams admits that " Alice's real- world counterpart ( Anita) was the model for Alice's pink suit, her fluffy hair, her long work hours, her coffee obsession, her technical proficiency and her take- no- crap attitude." Dilbert fans recognize Alice as someone who works hard, cuts to the chase, and has little tolerance for fools or idiots. One cartoon shows Alice tossing a coworker through the ceiling for an insensitive remark about women breaking through the glass ceiling. Dilbert's creator admits that Anita wouldn't do some of the things that Alice does. " As far as I know, the human version of Alice has never kicked a man into his hat, stuffed an intern into his shirt sleeve, or slapped a man so hard he traveled back in time. But if I ever hear about it happening, it wouldn't surprise me" states Adams in The Seven Habits of Highly Defective People ( p. 209). Dr. Larry Simonson, SDSM& T Professor of Electrical Engineering, knew Anita when she was a student at Tech. They also both worked at Texas Instruments one summer. He remembers Anita as a friendly, outgoing student who earned good grades and was an honor student. In the mid- 70' s Tech's student population was mostly male. Many of Anita's classes had only two or three female students. " She was one of the barrier breakers for women" says Dr. Simonson. " She was very outgoing and always chatty" he adds. An Ethan High School graduate who attended a one- room country school in Hanson County, Anita stays in touch with her South Dakota roots. Her mother and a brother live in Ethan, and another brother lives in Tea. Her Dilbert connection hasn't changed her financial status. She doesn't receive royalties from the Alice character. " I haven't made one penny from Alice" jokes Freeman, " but it has opened doors for me. A person dreams about many things happening in a lifetime, but this was never something you dream about." She has heard that an Alice doll will be on the market soon, but she hasn't seen one yet. " Dilbert is the most photocopied, pinned- up, downloaded, faxed and e- mailed comic strip in the world" according to United Media, the company that develops and markets150 comic strips and editorial features worldwide. With a daily readership of 150 million, Dilbert is published in more than 1,550 newspapers in 17 languages in 39 countries and has over two million books in print. In addition, the comic strip has its own web page -- The Dilbert ZoneTM at www. unitedmedia. com. |
| Creator | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. University Relations; |
| Subject | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; South Dakota Board of Regents; |
| Local Subject | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
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| Digital Publisher | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Devereaux Library
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| Date | 1998-03-04 |
| Type | Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Office of University Relations |
| Language | eng |
| Relation | Is part of Office of University Relations SDSM&T News Collection |
| Rights | The work from which this copy was made did not include a formal copyright notice. This work may be protected by U. S. copyright law (Title 17, United States Code), which governs reproduction, distribution, public display, and other uses of protected works. Uses may be allowed with permission from the copyright holder, if the copyright on the work has expired, or if the use is fair use or within another legal exemption. The user of this work is responsible for compliance with the law. |
| Submitting Institution | Devereaux Library. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. |
| Date Digital | 2009 |
| CONTENTdm number | 996 |
| CONTENTdm file name | 1005.pdf |
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