University enters into educational partnership with IMG Academies
The University of Miami has entered into an exclusive educational partnership with the prestigious IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida. As part of the partnership, which has been under way since January, the University is teaching language courses through its Intensive English Program on the IMG campus. At IMG Academies, student athletes from all over the United States and more than 50 countries are trained by world-class coaches to excel in a sport of their choosing. The University plans to design classes for family members who often accompany these prodigies. To learn more about UM at IMG Academies, visit www.miami.edu/img.

Second event in 2004 Community Forum Series is tonight
In preparation for its role as host of the first presidential debate this fall, the University presents "Democracy in Miami: A Work in Progress," the spring 2004 Community Forum Series that explores locally oriented issues of national importance. The second forum in this series is "Up From Cynicism: Politics, Campaign Finance, and Civic Activism in Miami-Dade County," from 7 to 9 p.m. in the College of Arts and Sciences Gallery Center. Panelists include Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorensen; Thomasina Williams, Esq.; Ric Katz, political consultant; and Robert Sechen, chief counsel of the Republican State Party. Professor Gregory Bush, director of the Institute for Public History, is the series moderator. The forum is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Gregory Bush at 305-284-6406, or via e-mail, or read the news release. The Community Forum Series is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Institute for Public History, the League of Women Voters, and the Urban Environment League.

Faculty Senate meeting on medical campus
There will be a Faculty Senate meeting at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building's fourth floor conference room. All faculty members are welcome to attend. Visit the Faculty Senate Web page for more information.

Register now for the SPEAK test
The SPEAK test, required for prospective International Teaching Assistants (ITA's) to demonstrate ability in spoken English, will be given at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, in room 102 of Dean Robert Allen Hall. Registrations for the SPEAK test may be sent to Julia Cayuso by 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 6, and should include the student's name, department, and Social Security number. All test takers must bring photo identification (passport or 'Cane Card) with them on the day of the test. Contact Julia Cayuso at 305-284-1326 for more information.

Keep your kids out of trouble this summer
Summertime can be a nightmare for parents. Without the benefits of a daily schedule and structured activities, children can become bored, which sometimes leads to trouble. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) `can help you in locating summer activities for your child. For more information about finding appropriate summer activities for your young ones, contact EAP's Life Stages at 305-284-6604.

Alumna in Residence begins Wednesday
The Alumni Association's Alumni in Residence Program, which runs Wednesday, March 31 through Thursday, April 1, provides an opportunity for alumni to return to campus to share their talent and success with students, alumni, faculty, and administrators. This year's recipient is Roselee N. Roberts, the director for legislative affairs for The Boeing Company. For more information on Roberts, visit the Web. Scheduled events include interactive classroom lectures, group discussions, and a recognition reception. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 305-284-2872. The Alumni in Residence Program was established through the support of the Honorable Julia Chang Bloch and Stuart Marshall Bloch, and was created to recognize alumni who have distinguished themselves and their alma mater through lifetime achievement and professional accomplishments.

Earn Microsoft's newest certification
The Computer Training Group will soon offer a course for the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST). This five-week (40-hour) course will teach, train, and certify you for all of the core skills needed to be a support desk technician for Windows and Microsoft Office. The University's Computer Training Group is offering special rates for approved University employees. Call for details at 305-284-5800 or visit the Web site.

Be there! The purchasing vendor fair
The University community is invited to the Purchasing Department's Vendor Fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 6, in the Flamingo Ballroom of the Whitten University Center. Representatives from various University approved vendors, such as Fed Ex, Lanier, Office Interiors, VWR, Cingular Wireless, and Park Avenue will be available to answer questions and provide information. For more information, contact Annette Bringas at 305-284-3093.

Learn the art of listening at EAP seminar
The Employee Assistance Program will conduct the seminar "Listening: The Active Ingredient" from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, April 2, in room 155 of the Dominion Parking garage. This interactive seminar is designed to provide experience in using active listening skills. Participants will practice labeling the speaker's emotions, using voice tone to convey meaning, allowing pauses, prompting with open-ended questions, and paraphrasing. Register by calling the Professional Development and Training office at 305-284-5110 or visit the Web site.

Planning for retirement? This seminar is for you
AIG/VALIC presents "Retirement Strategies for Life" from 12 to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 2, in the Professional Development and Training office at the Max Orovitz building. Come and learn more about retirement transitions, Social Security and Medicare, income and distribution planning, tax planning during retirement, investment strategies for retirement, and estate planning. To register, call 305-284-5110 or visit the Web.

Don't forget about the graduate faculty meeting on Thursday
The 2004 Graduate Faculty Meeting will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 1, in the MacLamore Executive Dining Hall at the School of Business Administration. The meeting is open to all graduate faculty from all campuses.

Last call for Digital Library Fellows grants
The Otto G. Richter Library has established the Digital Library Fellows program, which seeks to expand the quality and range of scholarly content on the Internet by awarding grants that assist faculty in the development of digital resources. The library will provide workspace, funding, and extensive technological support to faculty for the creation and online delivery of scholarly content that can be used by researchers throughout the world. The library is seeking projects that will have a significant impact on the teaching, learning, and research of a particular discipline. Up to three awards will be provided with a maximum funding of $15,000 each to begin June 1. The program is open to faculty who constitute Richter's primary service community and who hold full-time appointments at the University of Miami. Visit digital.library.miami.edu/fellows.html for additional information, proposal format, and award criteria. The deadline for submission of proposals is Wednesday, March 31.

You're fired ''Katrina doing spreadsheets is not good television. Katrina in a miniskirt makes good television, but that's frustrating because I don't walk around Miami selling houses wearing a short skirt and looking cute." Katrina Campins, a UM alumna who was one of the final six contestants on NBC's The Apprentice. Campins, a prominent real estate broker in Miami, was "fired" from the show last Thursday. The Sun-Sentinel (March 25) Overprescribing of drugs ''A depressed patient needs to be watched closely, particularly in the initial stages of treatment or when the dosage is raised. This is something we should be doing anyway as mental health professionals.'' Eva Ritvo, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry, on the recent trend of overprescribing antidepressants to patients, a practice that has led to new government warnings. The New York Times (March 24) Coral facing new disease "A lot of very freshly exposed skeletons alerted me. But we have no idea what it is." Dana Williams, a postdoctoral associate, on the new and unidentified flesh-eating disease that is killing staghorn coral off the Florida Keys. The Miami Herald (March 24)

March 29 Workplace Ergonomics Awareness. Learn how you can design a workspace that will help you work more effectively and comfortably. The seminar takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Max Orovitz building. This interactive session will assist you in arranging office workspaces, choosing furniture, and organizing activities so that you can minimize potential risks commonly associated with repetitive stress-type accidents and injuries. To register or for more information, call the Professional Development and Training Office at 305-284-5110.

March 29 "Limits of Pluralism at the Jewish Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv." Kaylin Goldstein, Ph.D., will speak on this topic from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. For more information, call 305-284-8180.

March 30 "D-Day Invasion on Normandy, France." The College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of History will host the 2004 Estelle and Emil Gould Humanities Lecture featuring Harold "Hal" Baumgarten at 5 p.m. in the auditorium of The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. Wounded five times, Baumgarten, is a multi-decorated survivor of the first wave landing on the Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach on D-day, June 6, 1944. He has written two books on the subject and speaks before various organizations monthly. His book Eyewitness on Omaha Beach is being used in the history department of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Steven Spielberg was inspired in part by the story of Hal Baumgarten for his movie Saving Private Ryan. Baumgarten was shot four times on Omaha Beach, and Spielberg was moved by the fact that Baumgarten wore a large Star of David on the back of his uniform for the invasion. A reception will follow. For more information, contact Zulema Rivero at 305-284-4732.

March 30 through April 1 Creative Thinking and Innovative Strategy. The Executive Education Center in the School of Business Administration is hosting this three-day certificate program in conjunction with Mindrange. The program focuses on the learning process to harness the power of creative thinking for your organization. Whether you're in finance, production, marketing, sales, human resources, or information technology, you will learn proven strategies to solve problems, improve decision making, and foster innovation. To register, call 305-284-2513 or send an e-mail. For complete information, visit the Web.

March 31 Friends of Philosophy Dialogue: Same-Sex Marriages. Should people be able to marry members of the same sex? Should the state have the authority to prohibit such marriages? Join the philosophy department for a wide-ranging discussion of the morality of same-sex marriages from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in room 160 of the Learning Center. Discussion leaders include Jennifer Uleman, assistant professor of philosophy; Father Bernard Kirlin, Catholic chaplain to the University and pastor of St. Augustine's Catholic Church; Father Frank Corbishley, chaplain at UM since 1994; Mary Coombs, professor of law; and Clark Freshman, also a professor of law. This event is open to the public and refreshments will be served following the discussion. For more information, visit the Department of Philosophy Web site or call 305-284-4757.

(New) April 1 Richard Cohen lecture. This veteran journalist and author of the best-seller Blindside: Lifting Life above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir, will speak as part of the Robert Groves Lecture Series at 7:30 p.m. in Studio A at the School of Communication. He will detail continuing his career as a journalist, despite suffering from Multiple Sclerosis since the age of 25, which has left him nearly crippled and virtually blind, in addition to two bouts with colon cancer. He also will share his view of the problems facing television news departments now that conglomerates rule the broadcasting world. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call 305-284-2235.

(New) April 1 April Fool's Poetry Gala. Celebrate National Poetry Month with selected readings from three provocative poets: Fleda Brown, Nick Carbó and Michael Hettich, at 4 p.m. in the Pearson Residential College Master's apartment. Presented by the College of Arts and Sciences, The Creative Writing Program, and the Department of English. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and poets' books will be available for purchase. For further information, call 305-284-2182.

April 1 "Moving Species too Fast and too Far: Hawaii and the Global Issue of Biological Invasions." The 2004 Gifford Arboretum Lecture and Art Opening features Peter Vitousek, Ph.D., professor at Stanford University and a member of National Academy of Science, for this lecture, tour, and reception from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the Cox Science Center lobby and lecture hall. There will be a tour of the Arboretum at 6:15 p.m., and a reception and art exhibit curated by professor Christine Federighi of the art department after the lecture. Everything is free and open to the public. For more information, call 305-284-5364 or visit the Web site.

(New) April 2 Gynecologic Cancers. Leo Twiggs, M.D., associate dean for women's health and professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, will discuss this topic as part of the medical school's Conversations About Cancer With UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Experts series. The talk is free to the community and will be held from 12 to 1 p.m. at UM/Sylvester in Deerfield Beach (1192 East Newport Center Drive, Suite 100). R.S.V.P. by calling 305-243-1000 or 1-800-545-2292. Seating is limited. For more information, contact Joanne Leahy at 954-571-0107.

April 2 The Hours. Kim Fuller, director of the Psychological Services Center, will discuss this critically acclaimed film at 6 p.m. in room 536 of the Fred C. and Helen Donn Flipse building. Award winning actors Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore, co-star in a story that compares the struggles of three depressed women in different generations. For more information, call Jose Rodriguez at 305-284-3303.

April 2 Neuroscience Center Seminar Series. Peter Mombaerts, an associate professor at the Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Neurogenetics at The Rockefeller University, will present "Olfaction Targeted" at 4 p.m. in Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh-floor auditorium. His lecture is the second in an annual series sponsored by the Neuroscience Center, the School of Medicine, and the Office of the Provost. A casual reception will follow. For more information, call 305-243-6793.

(New) April 3 "Benefits of Psychotherapy for Bipolar Disorder." Sheri L. Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and co-editor of the book Psychological Treatment of Bipolar Disorder, will present this talk at 7:30 p.m. at Aventura Hospital, Medical Arts Building, conference room 101. For more information, contact Chuck Rogers at 954-923-0073.

Baseball's Employee Day tickets becoming available The annual baseball University Employee Day is Saturday, April 17, against Florida State University. All employees will receive one complimentary ticket to the game, and can purchase up to five (5) additional tickets for family members for only $1. In addition, the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited edition Pat Burrell Hurricanes Legend Bobblehead doll. Representatives will be available at the locations listed below to distribute tickets. Remember to bring your valid employee ID card. No photocopies of employee ID cards will be accepted as a substitute for the original. Forms must be filled out in advance. Visit the Web to print your copy. Call 305-284-2263 for further information about Employee Day tickets. Coral Gables campus: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside the Whitten University Center breezeway Tuesday, April 6 Thursday, April 8 Tuesday, April 13 Thursday, April 15 Medical campus, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside Au Bon Pain. Thursday, April 1 Tuesday, April 6 Thursday, April 8 Tuesday, April 13 Rosenstiel Campus, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside the cafeteria. Wednesday, April 7

March 30 Classical saxophonist Claude Delangle. The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music presents this world-renowned classical saxophonist in a free concert at 4 p.m. in the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. Along with pianist Odile Delangle, he will perform works by Piazzolla, Dubois, Ravel, Debussy, and others. For more information, call Luis Ruiz at 305-284-2438.

April 1 LoweDown at the Lowe Art Museum. Come for a special evening of art, tours, refreshments, live jazz, and 5,000 years of world art in one night of culture and leisure from 6 to 9 p.m. Catch an 7:30 p.m. tour of the current exhibition Fools Rush In. The show concentrates on lovers as related to the Renaissance period. Admission is $5 and free for Lowe members. For more information, call 305-284-3535 or visit the Lowe's Web site.

(New) April 2 University Chamber Singers, Women's Chorale and Men's Chorale Concert. The choral studies department of the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music presents this free concert at 8 p.m. in the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. No reservations or tickets are required for this concert, but seating is limited. For more information, contact the Choral Studies office at 305-284-4162 or via e-mail.

(New) April 8 Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Distinguished Visitors Series. The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music presents jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano for a electric performance at 8 p.m. at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students. Joe Lovano was taught to play alto sax by his father, Tony "Big T" Lovano, a respected Cleveland, Ohio, saxophonist. Lovano gained national attention with guitarist John Scofield's Quartet and with the Paul Motian Trio. In 2001, Lovano was the Down Beat Critic's Poll Winner for "Musician of the Year," and the Jazz Journalists Association Critic's Choice Awards winner, both for "Musician of the Year" and "Jazz Album of the Year (52nd Street Themes). He received Grammy nominations in 2000, 1997, 1995, and 1994. For more information on the Stamps Series, visit the School of Music Web site or call 305-284-4940.