VENTURE CAPITALIST DIXON DOLL TO DELIVER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING EYESTONE LECTURE
Dixon Doll, the noted venture capitalist who has guided entrepreneurs, investors and executives in the computer and communications industries for more than 35 years, will present the annual Eyestone Lecture for the College of Engineering.
Doll's lecture, "The Critical Role of Venture Capital in Fueling Innovation," is 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Fiedler Hall Auditorium. Following his address, April Mason, provost and senior vice president, will facilitate an audience question-and-answer session. The presentations are open to the public.
The co-founder and general partner of the venture capital firm DCM, Doll has been recognized for his accomplishments in venture capital by Forbes Magazine, who named him one of the top 100 venture investors on its Midas List for four years in a row. In April 2005 he was elected to the board of directors of the National Venture Capital Association in Washington, D.C. He also served as the association's chair from 2008 to 2009 and as a member of its executive committee from 2007 to 2009.
Doll has led DCM's investments in About.com, acquired by The New York Times Co.; @Motion, acquired by Openwave; Clearwire; Foundry Networks; Internap; Ipivot, acquired by Intel; and Neutral Tandem, among others.
In the mid-1980s Doll co-founded the venture capital industry's first fund focused exclusively on telecommunications opportunities. Those funds launched such noteworthy companies as Alantec, Bridge Communication, Centillion Networks, Network Equipment Technologies, Optilink, Picturetel, Polycom and UUNet.
Prior to becoming a venture capitalist, Doll was founder and CEO of an internationally recognized strategic consulting firm focused on telecommunications and computer networking. From 1972 to 1980 he also served as a faculty member of the IBM Systems Research Institute in New York City. He authored the seminal text Data Communications, published by John Wiley and Sons Inc. in 1978.
Doll has traveled extensively to six continents to give lectures and conference presentations. Through their family foundation, he and his wife, Carol, give generously to numerous educational and philanthropic organizations, including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, where he serves as chair of the museum's dual governing boards; the San Francisco Symphony; K-State; and the University of Michigan Business School.
Doll holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from K-State. He earned his doctorate and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, where he was a National Science Foundation Scholar.
The Eyestone Lecture Series, established in 2000, is funded by an endowment of the late Fred and Mona Eyestone. Fred Eyestone, a 1941 K-State graduate in electrical engineering, was a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council and a Distinguished Service Award recipient.
DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED AWARD OF EXCELLENCE EXTENDED
The deadline for the Classified Award of Excellence nominations has been extended to Feb. 10.
Information about the award program and the nomination form can be found at http://www.k-state.edu/hr/ped/classified-award-excellence.html. Nominations and letters of support may be emailed to hroffice@k-state.edu, preferably in PDF format.
This is the second year for this award program, and it differs from the Departmental Employee of the Year award. Three $1,000 awards are given to classified employees, one in each of the following three employment categories: office/clerical, service/maintenance and technical/professional. The awards are presented at the annual classified employee recognition ceremony in April.
NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR 2011 WAKONSE CONFERENCE
Nominations for fellows for the 2011 Wakonse Conference on College, which will be held May 26-31 at Camp Miniwanca, Mich., are due Feb. 18. Information and guidelines can be found at www.k-state.edu/catl/Wakonse/.
Since 1990 more than 2,000 faculty members from many colleges and universities have attended the Wakonse Conference on College Teaching. K-State started attending the conference in 2002, and over 60 faculty have attended. Their attendance was supported by the Provost's Office and the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and was endorsed by the Faculty Exchange for Teaching Excellence.
The major goal of the Wakonse Conference is to provide "inspiration and support for college teaching." During the conference, college teachers share teaching strategies and methods in a rustic environment of Camp Miniwanca, Mich. (near Shelby, Mich.) A major focus of the conference relates to pedagogical issues, but participants also discuss many other issues of academic cultures. The conference truly promotes development of junior and senior faculty and has attained national prominence. More information about the Wakonse Conference on College Teaching can be found at its website http://www.wakonse.org/.
Up to five K-State faculty members will be selected to be new Wakonse Fellows by attending the 2011 Wakonse Conference. The Provost's Office will provide $500 per person to defray registration, travel and meal expenses; additional expenses (estimate < $400/person) will be the responsibility of selected faculty. Nominated faculty members are encouraged to seek funds from their colleges and departments to support their attendance.
Deans, department heads and colleagues may nominate faculty, and self-nominations may be submitted. Written support from a dean or a department head will be considered as evidence of the nominee's recognized commitment to excellence in teaching and providing learning opportunities. Details of the nomination and selection process can be found at www.k-state.edu/catl/Wakonse/.
If you would like further information, contact Bill Genereux at 785-826-2927 or billgx@k-state.edu or Steve Stockham at 785-532-4453 or stockham@vet.k-state.edu. Bill Genereux will organize the 2011 K-State contingent's trip to the Wakonse Conference.
WORLD-CLASS OPERA SINGER NANCY MAULTSBY HITS HIGH NOTE WITH OPERA BENEFIT
When renowned opera singer Nancy Maultsby steps off the stage at some of the world's most recognizable performance venues, she retreats to her home here.
But at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, her refuge will become the stage.
Maultsby is performing a recital in K-State's All Faiths Chapel to benefit K-State Opera. Afterward she will greet patrons at a Meet the Artist reception, featuring wine and hors d'oeuvres, in the K-State Leadership Studies Building.
A mezzo-soprano, Maultsby is in demand by opera companies and orchestras throughout the world. Her vocal timbre and insightful musicianship allow her to pursue a repertoire extending from the operas of Monteverdi and Handel to recent works by John Adams. She regularly performs the major heroines of 19th-century French, Italian and German opera and the great symphonic works.
Maultsby's operatic career includes a wide range of roles in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses. She has performed often with Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she appeared as Erda in "Das Rheingold and Siegfried" and as the First Norn and Waltraute in "Gotterdammerung," all conducted by Zubin Mehta.
"I think it's important to give back to the arts, and as my husband is on the faculty at K-State and his students are very involved in the opera program, this seemed like a perfect fit," Maultsby said. "I've become friendly with the other voice teachers on the faculty as well. Jennifer Edwards, who was formerly the head of the voice program, has become a good friend and is still very much involved in the arts, both at K State and in the community. The benefit was her idea, and I was flattered and honored that she asked me to take part."
Edwards, now a professor emeritus, has been helping raise money for K-State Opera since 2007. She thinks Maultsby's recital will be the best endeavor yet.
"Nancy and I had talked about her doing something with or for the students for years," Edwards said. "But we never could find the right time and place and spirit of the event where she felt she could give back in her best way. I e-mailed her with a proposal about this recital, and she responded in 10 minutes with 'Let's do it.' "
Dale Ganz, Maultsby's husband and K-State vocal music professor, wasn't sure that the recital was the best idea at first, but the plan concocted by Maultsby and Edwards won him over.
"It's probably my fault that she hasn't performed here before," Ganz said. "I’ve discouraged her from singing locally because this is where she hides out and recharges her batteries. But I have many students who perform with the K-State Opera, and she had a little hole in her schedule and wanted to do it because she thinks it's a good cause -- she's doing it for my students and for all the voice students."
Reginald Pittman, director of K-State Opera, said the recital is a special event for K-State.
"Nothing along these lines has happened before," Pittman said. "No professional singer has come in and donated all the proceeds to us. We're very lucky to have one of our faculty members married to a professional opera singer. Nancy has quite the career -- it has expanded internationally, and it's a career many singers have only dreamed of."
Pittman and Edwards emphasized that all the money raised will help K-State students.
"Proceeds will benefit the students in their activities," Pittman said. "For example, summer opera programs or special singing events where they might need a little financial assistance to go."
"We want to use the money, which will go directly into the opera guild fund at the KSU Foundation, to give something extra to students who are already here at K-State," Edwards said. "We can use it to bring in amazing master teachers or to supplement travel expenses, or even just for outstanding costumes and props for the spring operas. I'm so thankful for all the guidance and support the foundation has provided in organizing this event."
This spring the K-State Opera is doing two one-act operas: "Gianni Schicchi" by Puccini and "Trouble in Tahiti" by Leonard Bernstein. The one-acts will be performed March 10-12 in McCain Auditorium with the K-State Orchestra.
Maultsby won't be singing just opera at the recital. She has selected an assortment of performance pieces to suit every taste.
"The program is quite varied," she said. "It's a combination of art song and opera selections from well-known operas, as well as a bit of operetta and some selections from Stephen Sondheim -- a little something for everyone."
The cost to attend the recital and reception is $75. Reservations must be made by Friday, Feb. 4. For more information or to make a reservation, go to www.found.ksu.edu/email/arts_science/opera/opera_email.html.
ZOOMING IN: BEACH MUSEUM OFFERS FILM SERIES, WORKSHOPS WITH WARHOL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
An exhibit of Andy Warhol photographs is coming into focus through a film series and special events at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. The museum is host to "Big Shots: Andy Warhol Photographs of the '70s and '80s."
The film series is a way to learn more about the life and work of pop artist Warhol. All films will be shown in the Beach Museum's UMB Theater. The films are free and open to the public, and no reservations are required to attend. The screening schedule is:
* 2 p.m. Feb. 26 and 27, "Dropping in on Andy Warhol." The 20-minute film introduces the life and art of Warhol to elementary- and middle-school students.
* 2 p.m. March 12 and 13, "Painters Painting: The New York Art Scene, 1940-1970." The 116-minute film investigates American art movements through conversations with artists in their studios.
The Beach Museum also is offering several workshops and special events in conjunction with the Warhol exhibit:
* Adults will have the chance to be kids again at the Valentines Workshop for Adults from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at the museum. Desserts will be provided along with all materials and supplies needed to create valentines. A digital camera and photo printer will be available to make photo valentines. The cost is $10 per person, and reservations are required.
"This would make a great date night activity," said Kathrine Schlageck, the museum's senior educator. "The workshop will give the adults a chance to create a photo valentine card for their loved ones, breaking away from the everyday, traditional valentine cards."
It's also an opportunity to create a valentine for a secret love or family member, Schlageck said.
* The whole family is welcome to create valentines at the annual Family Valentines Workshop, sponsored by the Student Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6. Refreshments will be served during the workshop. The cost is $5 per child, but Beach Buddy members as well as families with a family museum membership are half price and will receive a special gift. Memberships can be purchased at the workshop. Reservations are not required, but all children must be accompanied by an adult.
* Schlageck will teach a pop art workshop for children in the student classrooms at the museum from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. Children, ages 6 and older, are invited to take part in the workshop, also inspired by the Warhol exhibition. They will tour the exhibition to learn how Warhol used photography as the basis for his prints. After viewing the exhibit each student will create individual silkscreen art based on labels from everyday life. Each child is encouraged to bring a plain, white T-shirt to the workshop so they can transfer their silkscreen design to the shirt. The museum will not provide shirts.
The cost of this workshop is $3 per child, and reservations are required. All children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult.
* At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, Liz Seaton, organizer of the Warhol exhibition, will present "Meet the Art: Andy Warhol." Seaton will give an overview of Warhol's work in the museum's collection. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested.
Reservations can be made by calling 785-532-7718.
For more information, contact Schlageck at 532-7718 or drop by the museum on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Free visitor parking is available next to the building. Normal museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
OVERLAND PARK MAYOR REPRESENTING K-STATE ON GROUP THAT ENHANCES REGION'S ECONOMY, QUALITY OF LIFE
Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach has been named K-State's representative on the Johnson County Education and Research Triangle Authority, also known as JCERTA.
A cooperative partnership between K-State Olathe, the University of Kansas' Edwards campus and the KU Medical Center, JCERTA aims to create economic stimulus and enhance the quality of life in Johnson County, the state of Kansas and the Midwest. K-State Olathe brings K-State’s established expertise in animal health and food safety to students and industry in the Kansas City area so we can collaborate with businesses and help prepare the work force.
Gerlach is a 1976 graduate of K-State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and played on the men's basketball team.
"We're so pleased that Carl is willing to represent K-State on JCERTA," said K-State President Kirk Schulz. "Carl has a history of working with others to achieve positive results in his many roles in the Kansas City area, and he is a longtime supporter of K-State.
"K-State's Olathe campus will play a key role in our goal of becoming a top 50 public research university by 2025," Schulz said.
Gerlach serves on the board of the Overland Park Economic Development Council and the Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was a member of the K-State School of Leadership Studies Advancement Council and is past president of the League of Kansas Municipalities Governing Body. He currently serves on the Bistate Commission.
He is the director of marketing for a major screen-printing company in the promotional products industry.
Gerlach succeeds Karin Brownlee as K-State's representative on JCERTA. Brownlee was recently appointed to lead the Kansas Department of Labor.
GLASS, PLASTIC AND PAPER, OH MY: RECYCLEMANIA RETURNS TO K-STATE
K-State is going gaga for going green.
For the third straight year K-State will participate in the RecycleMania recycling competition. The eight-week competition begins Feb. 6 and ends April 2. A two-week trial period, leading up to the official start, has already begun. Throughout the competition each college or university will report its recycling and trash weights and be ranked on the RecycleMania results page.
"K-State's first two RecycleMania endeavors resulted in a combined total of 371,012 pounds of material being recycled and 4,480 pounds of food waste recycled through K-State's composting program," said Joe Myers, physical plant supervisor at K-State.
RecycleMania started as a friendly competition between two universities in 2001. Over the past decade it has grown exponentially, with 575 schools in 49 states, the District of Columbia and international entries from Canada, the UK and Qatar competing in the 2011 RecycleMania.
Learn more about RecycleMania at http://www.recyclemania.org/. More information about recycling at K-State is available at http://www.k-state.edu/recycling/.
BEEKEEPING AND ASTROPHYSICS COLLIDE IN COMEDY 'HUMBLE BOY'
The theater program will present the comedy "Humble Boy" at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3-5 and Feb. 9-12, all in Nichols Theater.
"Humble Boy" is about broken vows, failed hopes and the joys of beekeeping. The story follows Felix Humble, a 35-year-old Cambridge astrophysicist, in his search of a unified field theory. Following the sudden death of his father, Felix must return home to be with his difficult and demanding mother. He soon realizes that his search for unity must be expanded to include his own chaotic life.
A modern-day parallel to Shakespeare's "Hamlet," "Humble Boy" is the winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Award, the Critics' Circle Best New Play Award and the People's Choice Best New Play Award.
The K-State production of "Humble Boy" is directed by Kate Anderson, associate professor of theater, and lighting design is by John Uthoff, associate professor of theater.
Tickets are $14 for the general public, $12 for seniors and military, and $9 for students. They can be purchased at the McCain Auditorium box office from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, or by calling McCain at 785-532-6428 during box office hours. Tickets also may be purchased at the Little Theater box office in the K-State Student Union from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays. Groups of 10 or more may receive a discount rate. For more information or assistance in planning a theater party, contact Marci Maullar at 785-532-6878.
KANSANS TO BENEFIT FROM UNIVERSITY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH VETERINARY LABORATORY
K-State is strengthening its collaboration with industry through a partnership with Abaxis Inc., an animal health company coming to the Kansas City area.
Thursday the company announced a strategic alliance with K-State, the K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and the university's business development and commercialization arm, the National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and Commercialization. This alliance will provide a full-service commercial laboratory for veterinarians across the United States.
"Collaboration between our animal health experts here at K-State and Abaxis shows what is possible when higher education and industry work together," said President Kirk Schulz. "Building relationships like this will help make K-State a top 50 public research university. The partnership with Abaxis provides momentum not only for K-State but for the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor as a whole."
Abaxis is in the final stages of building selection in the Kansas City area -- which is in close proximity to both the Kansas City airport and the K-State campus in Manhattan, Kan. -- to house a laboratory testing facility that will be the hub of the Abaxis Veterinary Reference Laboratory. K-State experts will help provide an array of laboratory testing and pathology analysis that needs veterinary interpretation and experience.
Kansans will benefit from this alliance in several ways, said Kent Glasscock, president and CEO of K-State's National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and Commercialization. During a 10-year period the new laboratory is projected to bring 50 to 100 jobs to Kansas.
"Our partnership with Abaxis is a perfect example of how K-State can create economic growth," Glasscock said. "By leveraging our capabilities on the Manhattan campus, we can bring companies like Abaxis to the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor and strengthen Kansas and the region."
Moreover, veterinary students at K-State will have more opportunities to learn how to diagnose diseases affecting companion and exotic animals.
"The relationship between the College of Veterinary Medicine and Abaxis provides an opportunity for us to remain abreast of changes that continually take place in veterinary medical diagnostics," said Ralph Richardson, dean of the college. "K-State's veterinary college has built a great legacy for being relevant to the profession. With its 100 faculty members teaching more than 500 veterinary students, graduate students, interns and residents at any one time, we have a great opportunity to assure that our graduates are exposed to cutting-edge laboratory diagnostic practices. Emerging diagnostic techniques and rapid implementation in the field should benefit the entire profession."
Pat George, Kansas commerce secretary, said the partnership is a great development for the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor.
"The partnership between K-State and Abaxis will bring job growth and research discovery and prove to be a great asset to our state," he said.
STUDENT TALENTS SHOWCASED IN CELEBRATION OF MCCAIN'S 40TH SEASON
The spotlight will shine on the music, dance and acting talents of K-State students in the first McCain Student Showcase, a show in honor of the 40th anniversary season of the McCain Performance Series.
The showcase is at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, in McCain Auditorium, and features performances by students in K-State's music, theater and dance programs.
"McCain Auditorium has helped shape the lives of countless K-State students in the last 40 years," said Todd Holmberg, executive director of the auditorium. "This performance is intended to honor that lasting legacy."
Holmberg said several K-State students from the music, theater and dance programs have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts.
"But the impact of McCain Auditorium is much more than that," he said. "The building has fed students' creative souls and has provided a place for inspiration for decades. These experiences are continuously influencing hundreds, if not thousands, of former K-State students in their everyday lives, no matter what their chosen career."
Tickets are $5 for the general public. Admission is free for all K-State students with their K-State ID. Tickets must be obtained in advance and can be purchased at the McCain Auditorium box office, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, or by calling 785-532-6428 More information is available online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH OFFERS CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES, WORKSHOPS AND MORE
The Black Student Union and other multicultural groups at Kansas State University will offer several events in February for the national celebration of Black History Month.
"Black History Month is important to K-State because it allows us to share our rich culture and history with students, faculty and staff," said Seth Ellis, president of the Black Student Union and a senior in secondary education. "There are so many things that people may want to know about African-American culture. Black History Month gives us time to communicate, share and celebrate our culture with K-State."
Ellis said Black Student Union members at K-State are actively involved in planning events and activities for Black History Month.
"The Black Student Union, past and present, has stood for improving academics, leadership, cultural and political awareness, recruitment and retention of multicultural students, and providing educational campus programming and community service," said Myra Gordon, associate provost for diversity and dual career development and Black Student Union adviser.
All Black History Month activities are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted, and will be in the K-State Student Union. They include:
* "Reclaiming the Black Genius," 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, in Forum Hall. The presentation, by African history lecturer Ashra Kwesi, is a critical discussion about redefining and regaining black culture.
* Black History Panel, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in Room 212. The panel will examine black history in America.
* "Soldier Mentality," 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, in the Flint Hills Room. The lecture by Jerichi Lockett will provide techniques and tips on how students can deal effectively with physical and mental health during and after college.
* DSTinguished Gents Award Gala, 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, in the Cottonwood Room. The ceremony is presented by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Tickets are $15. For more information call 785-532-6436 or e-mail dst1913@k-state.edu.
* "Ex Ku Klux Klan Member," 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, in Forum Hall. A former member will lecture about his life in the Ku Klux Klan and why he decided to leave.
* Study Session, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Room 212. The event will include free tutoring for students to promote educational success.
* A lecture by Kevin Powell, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in Forum Hall. Powell is an American political activist, poet, writer and entrepreneur.
BOOK DONATIONS SPREAD KNOWLEDGE TO IRAQ'S BASRAH UNIVERSITY
K-State is supplying stacks of textbooks to help rebuild Iraq.
K-State is partnering with the Manhattan-based nonprofit Help Us Learn ... Give us Hope to provide textbooks to Iraq's Basrah University. The books will help train a new generation of professionals, including engineers and agricultural business leaders.
Post-war Iraq doesn't have enough teaching materials and textbooks for its students, according to the United Nations, and about 5 million Iraqi citizens are illiterate.
President Kirk Schulz and other university administrators visited Iraq in November as guests of Fort Riley's 1st Infantry Division. One of those administrators was Art DeGroat, director of military affairs at K-State and a retired Army lieutenant colonel.
"While we went to Iraq as a developmental activity that contributed to our military partnership, we discovered an opportunity to help, and that is simply what K-Staters do," DeGroat said.
Basrah University was once a crown jewel in the higher education system of the Middle East, DeGroat said.
"During our visit we discovered years of atrophy and neglect, but we also met committed, brave and persistent university leaders hoping for a brighter day," he said. "K-State wants, in some small way, to be part of this new dawn for Basrah University and its students."
Saddam Hussein once forced Iraqi universities to follow strict textbook guidelines, but those rules have since been lifted.
"In Iraq a lot of the old textbooks have been destroyed, looted or burned, and now there's a tremendous shortage of textbooks," said retired Army Col. Gary LaGrange, who founded Help Us Learn ... Give us Hope in 2008. "Teachers and professors at all levels have made pleas to us to send them books."
Some of the roughly 10,000 textbooks collected from K-State students, staff and faculty will be shipped later this year from the Manhattan National Guard Armory to Iraq with a deploying military unit. Troops will deliver textbooks and school supplies to Basrah University, which will distribute leftover books to other schools and libraries in southern Iraq.
"We're helping empower Basrah University to be the champion for rebuilding Iraq's education system," DeGroat said.
This effort isn't the first time K-State has provided textbooks to universities in the war-torn countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. K-State has donated a total of about 25,000 textbooks to Help Us Learn ... Give us Hope.
K-State Libraries, the College of Engineering and the department of English donated books to Kabul University and Balkh University in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2009, said Daryl Youngman, associate professor at K-State Libraries.
The donations to Basrah University could launch more partnerships between K-State and the Iraqi university, DeGroat said.
"Much remains to be done, but we are off to a sound start," he said. "We envision the textbook donation project as a powerful first step that shows we are committed."
Those interested in donating books or school supplies can visit http://www.helpuslearngiveushope.org to learn more.
CONSTRUCTION STARTED ON THE FORMER UNIVERSITY RESEARCH WASTE LANDFILL TO CLEAN CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER
On Jan. 25, workers started digging a trench as part of a five-year groundwater treatment program north of K-State's Bill Snyder Family Stadium near Kimball Avenue.
"We will be treating the contaminated water in the area," said Kelly Phillips, environmental manager. "This is important because if the ground is to be used for something in the future, then water contamination won't be an issue."
The groundwater is contaminated from university chemical waste that was buried in '60s and '70s. "It was all legally disposed of then, but we want to do the right thing and get it cleaned up," said Phillips.
When completed, the trench will be 150 feet long, 20 feet wide at the top and four feet wide at the bottom. Water will be collected in the trench and will be pumped into a treatment system that will clean the groundwater. Then the water will be pumped into a holding tank and sampled. If the treatment is effective, the clean water will be pumped to the sanitary sewer.
"The water will be tested periodically to make sure that the system is still in working condition," said Phillips. "We will make sure the water is at the cleanest standards that it is supposed to meet before we discharge it to the sanitary sewer."
Construction on the trench and water system is expected to be finished next month. The groundwater corrective measure will run for three to five years.