With a strong endorsement by the University Faculty Senate for the action, Dr. Bobby K. Marks has approved the removal of interim from Gilmore's title. Gilmore has announced that he plans to retire when a new vice president for Academic Affairs is named.
Marks also approved a title change for Dion McInnis, director of University Relations and Development, to executive director of University Relations and Development. He said that the change was appropriate for McInnis because his division includes the offices of Alumni Relations and Public Relations, which are administered by directors.
A search committee chaired by Dr. Richard Eglsaer has been charged with identifying qualified candidates to replace Gilmore, who was named interim vice president for Academic Affairs in October, 1995.
After conducting their national search, Eglsaer's committee will make recommendations to Marks. Tentative starting dates for the new vice president are Jan. 15, 1997, at the earliest, through Sept. 1, 1997, at the latest.
Dr. E. Rex Isham, professor of physics, is serving as acting chairman of the department in Palma's absence.
Palma will spend the fall and winter at the University of California, San Diego, and the spring and summer at the University of Minnesota. At UCSD Palma is working at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, collaborating in research with Dr. Kurt Marti on noble gas and nitrogen elemental and isotopic measurements in iron meteorites.
Palma and Marti hope their work will uncover important information concerning the formation and subsequent evolution of the early solar system and meteorite parent bodies. The research is related to work Palma did on iron meteorites while earning his doctorate at Rice University.
At the University of Minnesota Palma will work with Dr. Robert Pepin, who is internationally known for his research on meteorites and the early solar system.
"Splitting my time between these two extremely productive laboratories will enable me to maximize the amount of science I can accomplish during my leave," said Palma. "I'm excited by the possibility of establishing collaborative efforts with scientists at the very forefront of my field that will continue long after I have returned to SHSU."
Richardson said that a national search has begun for a person to be appointed to the position for the 1997-'98 academic year.
"I believe our position should be very attractive to academic journalists on sabbaticals and to working professional journalists as well," said Richardson. "The major advantage of this new process to SHSU is that it brings annual nationwide recognition to the university and the journalism program during the search process."
Another benefit under the new format, he said, is that new ideas will be introduced each year.
The Philip G. Warner Endowed Chair in Journalism was established with a $1 million donation from The Houston Endowment Inc. Warner, a SHSU graduate and distinguished alumnus and now a Houston lawyer, was formerly vice president and editor-in-chief of the Houston Chronicle.
The photography of Tony Gonzalez will be on display Tuesday through Nov. 9 in the Level 3 Gallery of the Dan Rather Communications Building. The gallery is on the 3rd Floor, and gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no admission fee.
Gonzalez will discuss his work at 2 p.m. Thursday in Room 125 of the Rather Building, with a reception from 7-9 p.m. Thursday in the Level 3 Gallery. "You Can't Take It With You," which has been described as a "wildly uproarious comedy," opens Wednesday in the University Theatre Center's Mainstage Theatre. Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee as well.
Written by George Kaufman and Moss Hart and popularized by Frank Kapra's classic film, the play follows the exploits of an eccentric American family in 1936. Admission is $7, or $5 with SHSU or senior citizen identification.
The Sam Houston Wind Ensemble will perform a diverse program, featuring works from the 18th through the 20th centuries, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Beto Criminal Justice Center's Killinger Auditorium.
Gary Sousa, conductor of the ensemble, said the program will open with Peter Mennin's "Canzona, " "a highly contrapuntal renaissance-style work in 20th century guise."
The ensemble will also perform a transcription of J. S. Bach's "Organ Fantasia in G" and Gustav Holst's "Suite in F," based on a collection of English folk songs. The second half of the program includes Toshiro Mayuzumi's "Concerto for Percussion and Wind Orchestra" and a "romp" through the English countryside via Malcolm Arnold's "English Dances."
Tickets for the Wind Ensemble performance are $5, with Friends of Music admitted free. Students, both public school and college, are admitted free with identification. For information call 294-1360 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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