News in brief

Six get national honors
Three faculty members — Larry L. Bumpass, Stephen R. Carpenter and F. Fleming Crim — were elected May 1 to the National Academy of Sciences, and three others — William M. Denevan, Lorrie Moore and William S. Reznikoff — have been named American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellows for 2001.

Election to the academy is among the most coveted and prestigious honors in all of science, outshining all other professional recognitions save the Nobel Prize.

Bumpass, emeritus professor of sociology and director of the National Survey of Families and Households, is a well-known demographer whose studies of marriage and the family have helped portray key trends in American life. Bumpass has been on the faculty since 1970.

Carpenter, the Halverson Professor of Limnology and a professor of zoology, joined the faculty in 1989. Carpenter is an ecosystem ecologist known for his work on large-scale experiments and adaptive ecosystem management. He is currently president of the Ecological Society of America.

The J.E. Willard and Hilldale Professor of Chemistry, Crim is an authority on chemical reactions at the molecular level. He is also known internationally for developing techniques in spectroscopy for controlling chemical reactions with light. Crim joined the faculty in 1977.

Crim, Carpenter and Bumpass join 48 other current or emeritus members of the UW–Madison faculty who have been honored with election to NAS. They were elected May 1 at the 138th annual meeting of the academy. There are currently 1,874 active members of NAS.

The National Academy of Science is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for the general welfare.

Three faculty were also named American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellows: Denevan, Carl O. Sauer Professor Emeritus of geography, is a leader in the field of cultural ecology who has transformed our understanding of the environmental and material conditions of the pre-Hispanic Americas.

Moore, professor of English, is described by the academy as “the American Chekhov.” Moore’s novels and story collections have received widespread acclaim. Known for her skepticism of popular culture, she is renowned for looking at tragedy with from a wry perspective. Her most recent book is “Birds of America.”

Reznikoff, Evelyn Mercer Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has increased vastly our knowledge of gene activation. His work has yielded the first structure of a transposase-DNA complex, a landmark in the field.

In all, the academy selected 185 new fellows from across the country, and 26 from around the world. Members of the 2001 class were chosen for their contributions in many fields.

Tobacco Quit Line begins
The Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and the Wisconsin Tobacco Control Board have launched the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line. For the first time, anyone anywhere in Wisconsin can get help in quitting smoking by calling (877) 270-STOP, toll-free .

The Quit Line offers free counseling to people in Wisconsin who want to quit smoking. “Telephone counseling services have been found to increase quit rates significantly,” said Michael Fiore, center director. “The Quit Line links smokers to cessation specialists, who provide in-depth, personalized help to smokers during the quitting process.” Up to four telephone counseling sessions over a year’s time will be offered to people wanting to quit tobacco use.

“We believe the Quit Line will assist many people in their goal to quit smoking for good,” says Earnestine Willis, chair of the Wisconsin Tobacco Control Board. “The Quit Line is an important part of our comprehensive strategic plan to reduce smoking in Wisconsin by 20 percent by 2005.”

Funding for the Quit Line was awarded by the Wisconsin Tobacco Control Board and is part of a multi-million dollar settlement agreement with the tobacco companies.

The Quit Line will provide referral services to existing programs and clinics where available and offer information for friends and family members who want to encourage tobacco users to quit.

According to 1999 statistics, 23.7 percent (930,000) of Wisconsin adult residents smoke. More than 80 percent of them have stated that they want to quit smoking, and 55.7 percent have quit for one day or more. Out of 14 who want to quit, only one succeeds.

The Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, part of the University of Wisconsin Medical School, has provided cessation and prevention services in Wisconsin since 1992 and is a nationally recognized research center.

Citizens view court through politicized lens
The Supreme Court’s decision ending the recount of the presidential vote in Florida did indeed have an impact on the public’s view of the court, but in a way that may surprise some observers, says a university researcher.

Starting in late spring 2000 and continuing until mid-March 2001, Political scientist Herbert Kritzer asked a random sample of Americans what they thought about the Supreme Court. He divided the sample into those interviewed before the court ended the Florida recount and those interviewed after the court’s action.

Among his findings:

• Overall, the public approval rate of the Supreme Court declined only minimally after the Florida recount decision. Some commentators have insisted that the December decision undermined the court’s credibility.
• But the key finding was that public evaluation of the court in the wake of the court’s action had become politically charged, compared to before the recount decision. The evaluation of Democrats dropped 17 percent, while that of Republicans rose 13 percent, with no appreciable shift among independents.

“Where before the December decision on the Florida recount, partisanship was not related to evaluation of the court, after the election it was,” says Kritzer. “It’s too early to tell whether the impact is permanent or whether the court’s action will fade from public consciousness, resulting in a return to the historical situation where evaluation is largely unrelated to political affiliation.”

Students examine property rights movement
Some commentators have called the private property rights movement the most prominent new movement of the last decade. Dubbed the anti-environmental movement by its opponents, activists in private property rights say environmental protection advocates threaten liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Fifteen university seniors in the Environmental Studies Certificate Seminar have conducted a semester-long research project on the private property rights movement in Wisconsin.

The students will present their results Tuesday, May 8, 3-5 p.m. at Memorial Union (check Today in the Union for room). The 45-minute free public presentation will be followed by a period devoted to questions and discussions. Representatives of environmental, governmental and private property organizations, many of whom assisted the students in their research, have been invited to participate in the discussion of environmental and land use policy and decision making.

Students focused their research on case studies including:

• The proposed de-federalization of the 7,300-acre Badger Army Ammunition Plant in Baraboo. The Sauk County Board next month is expected to consider a plan to use the plant land for mostly conservation, recreation and education.
• Proposed new rules on non-point source pollution being promulgated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
• Growth of local land trusts throughout the state
• The new statewide Smart Growth program.

Information: 262-5537.

Fossils, sundials and earthquakes hold sway at museum
Learn how to make a sundial. Dive for rocks in the free rock pile for kids. Take the museum quiz. Explore the great ice age.

These free public educational events and more will be featured at the Geology Museum’s annual open house Sunday, May 6, 1-5 p.m.

Beginning at 1 p.m., museum visitors can learn how to make sundials and identify rocks, minerals and fossils. Special presentations include “Behind the Display — Dinosaur Research at the Museum,” 1:05 p.m.; “Wisconsin and the Great Ice Age,” 1:30 p.m.; “The Museum Quiz,” 2:15 p.m.; and “Earthquakes!” 3 p.m.

In addition to the presentations, the ever-popular free rock pile for kids will be available at 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Bring a bag and rain gear if necessary.

The Geology Museum is in Weeks Hall, 1215 W. Dayton St.

Two from UW–Madison nominated for teaching recognition
Jake Blanchard, associate professor of engineering physics and Cyrena Pondrom, professor of English and women’s studies, have been nominated from UW–Madison for UW System teaching awards.

Helping students negotiate problems they’ll run into as professional engineers is Blanchard’s specialty. Pondrom, meanwhile, emphasizes the content of each piece studied, whether the course is a small graduate seminar on avant garde literature, an undergraduate survey of modern American poets, or a live statewide call-in radio broadcast on contemporary writing.

These awards carry a $5,000 stipend. The UW System will announce its award winners later this year.