Disparities Regarding AIDS
  HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest social, economic, and health challenges in the world. It is a global emergency claiming over 8,000 lives everyday (Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS). This means that at least FIVE people die of AIDS every minute. In the United States an estimated of 40,000 Americans become infected with HIV every year. At the end of 2004, an estimated of more than one million persons in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS, with 24-27% undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection.
  HIV/AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death for people who are 25-44 years old in the United States. But HIV/AIDS disproportionately affect minorities. For example, racial and ethnic minority populations (primarily African Americans and Hispanics) constitute 58 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases reported since the epidemic began. In the year 2001 HIV/AIDS was among the top THREE causes of death for African American men aged 25-54 years old and among the top FOUR causes of death for African American women aged 20-54 years old. In year 2003 HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death among African American men ages 25-44, and African American women aged 25-34 years. As of January 2004, 67 percent of all women reported with HIV/AIDS were African American and 16 percent were Hispanics/Latina while more than two-thirds (70%) of new HIV/AIDS cases reported are among African Americans and Hispanics. Do you want to know more? Click here.

Student Union Holiday Reception
   The holidays are just around the corner. Everyone is invited to the Student Union's 3rd Annual Holiday Reception on Wednesday December 14, 2006. The event will take place at Bengal Café from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. For more information email thomeni@isu.edu

Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships
  Qualified applicants are invited to apply for Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships. These Diversity Fellowships are designed to increase the diversity of the nation's college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Fellowships are sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by the National Research Council of the National Academies. Eligibility information and online Web-based applications are available at http://www.national-academies.org/fellowships.

Professional Achievement Award
  This award honors one alumnus from each college and three alumni from the College of Arts and Science. Everyone is invited to nominate an alumnus who meets the criteria and has enjoyed great success in his or her field. Each nomination will be reviewed by committees of faculty and alumni before recipients are selected. To make nomination or to get more information about the program please go to ISU Alumni Webpage. All nomination forms should reach the ISU Alumni Office at Magnuson Alumni House 554 S 7th Avenue on the corner of 7th and Halliday no later than Monday January 16, 2006.

Outstanding Student Achievement Award
  This award honors one graduating senior from each college and three from the College of Arts and Sciences. The School of Graduate Studies nominates a master student and a final year doctoral student.
  Faculty and staff members are invited to nominate a student who meets the criteria and will graduate in December 2005, May 2006 or August 2006. Each nomination will be reviewed by committees of faculty, students and alumni before recipients are selected. To make nomination or to get more information about the program please go to ISU Alumni Webpage. All nomination forms should reach the ISU Alumni Office at Magnuson Alumni House 554 S 7th Avenue on the corner of 7th and Halliday no later than Monday January 16, 2006.
  The Outstanding Student Achievement Awards Banquet will be held on Friday April 21, 2006. The recipients, their immediate family and the most influential professors named by the recipients will be invited to the banquet.

Distinguished Faculty Nomination
  Nominations are being sought for three ISU faculty members to be selected as the Distinguished Teacher (DT), the recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award (DPSA), and the Distinguished Researcher (DR). The three winners will receive certificates and cash awards at the May 2006 Commencement exercises. Nominations for the first two awards are now being accepted through January 13, 2006.
    Candidates for the DT will be chosen solely on the basis of teaching expertise. Candidates for this category must be nominated by members from at least TWO groups: students, faculty/staff, or alumni. The selection process is based largely on nominations received from students and alumni. Candidates for the DPSA may be nominated by one or more groups from students, faculty/staff or the public. This award is based solely on public service activities.
    All nominees must be members of the University faculty currently in the third or subsequent year of full-time service at ISU and planning to continue as a member of the University faculty in 2006-07. Up to five finalists in each category will be honored at a banquet prior to Commencement.
    Nomination forms for the DT and DPSA may be obtained from, and returned to, Connie Tillotson, Office of Academic Affairs, Administration Building Room 250, ISU Box 8063, Pocatello, ID 83209, telephone 282-2171; the offices of the academic deans; ISU offices in Idaho Falls and Twin Falls; the Eli M. Oboler Library information desk; the College of Technology cafeteria in the Roy F. Christensen Building; or the ISU home page at http://www.isu.edu/acadaff/awards. Nominations also may be sent by e-mail to tillconn@isu.edu. Information on the procedure for selecting the Distinguished Researcher may be obtained from the Office of Research, Box 8130, Pocatello, ID 83209.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration
  This national day has been proclaimed by Congress each year since 1987, and is honored annually the first week of February. National Girls and Women in Sports Day recognizes the progress of girls and women in sports, and the benefits that sport and fitness activities can bring to the lives of all girls and women. Count me IN is the national theme for this year's day and serves to acknowledge the importance of sport participation for women and girls as well as men and boys.
  Idaho State University will host a celebration in recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday February 4, 2006. This celebration will include sport/activity clinics for girls grades K-6. Advance registration is 10.00/girl (first come basis, limit 300 girls). The registration deadline is Monday January 30, 2006. On site registration will take place beginning at 8:00 am in the Reed Gym lobby and costs 15.00/girl. Check-in will begin at 8:00 am, and the event will run from 8:30 am to 11:30 am in ISU's Reed Gym. Girls will participate in three different sport/activity clinics, one every hour.
  Registration and Consent/Waiver forms will be available at local elementary and middle schools, Pocatello Parks and Recreation, the ISU Reed Gym Sport Science, Physical Education Office, and ISU Campus Recreation - Reed Gym, throughout the month of January and first week of February. For more information, contact Dr. Karen Appleby at 208-282-5613 or email her at applkare@isu.edu

Teach in the Netherlands
  Our partner university in Rotterdam Netherlands is seeking guest lecturers for their upcoming international week from February 13-17, 2006. All interested faculty members are invited to apply. Please write in the application forms that you are from a partner institution. If you are chosen, please inform Michelle Lewis, Director of International Programs and Services. For more information, click here.

Retirement is a New Journey
  It has been said that retirement means different things to different people. For some, it is a time which should provide peace of mind and the opportunity to fulfill dreams, desires, and goals. For others, it is a beginning of another adventuresome journey.
  Richard Ropicky, a Construction Supervisor in the Physical Plant Department for instance, plans to spend time with his family including 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and get in as much golfing as possible. Rich Ropicky is retiring on December 31 after 22 years with ISU. He has been involved in renovation and construction projects in every building on campus as well as many off campus and outreach buildings.
  Everyone is invited to a retirement reception for Richard Ropicky on Wednesday December 21, 2005 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the Student Union Bengal Cafe. Presentations will begin at about 2:30 pm. For more information contact Physical Plant at 208-282-4086.

Toiletries Drive
  ISU's Students' Community Service Center (SCSC) is holding their annual toiletries drive for the holiday season. Personal hygiene items will be collected until December 16. Donations can be arranged to be picked up or can be dropped them off at the bin set up in front of the Information Booth in the PSUB, Reed Gym, or brought up to the third floor of the SUB in the Student Leadership and Involvement Center.
  This drive is a very worthwhile cause because for many homeless and low-income people, toiletry items, like soap and toothbrushes, are costly and hard to come by. Suggested items for this event include towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, razors, shaving cream, feminine hygiene products, infant care products, (especially diapers/wipes) or any other personal care items that are available. For more information email scsc@isu.edu

ISU Outdoor Program Activities
  ISU Outdoor Program Office is organizing some outdoor activities from now until January 8, 2006. Everyone is welcome to participate. Interest individual is required to call 208-282-3912 or go to Outdoor Program Office at PSUB to sign up.

Christmas Concert
  Idaho State University will present two Christmas Concerts. These concerts are part of ISU's fine-arts series “A Season of Note,” consisting of six performances during the 2005-2006 academic year. The first concert, “A Kurt Bestor Christmas” concert, will feature Bestor accompanied by the Teton Chamber Orchestra at 7:30 pm on December 17, 2005. Show tickets are $24 for the main level and $18 for the upper level.
  The second concert will feature eclectic musician Steve Eaton and his son Marcus. They will present their "Home for Christmas" concert at 7:30 pm on December 22, 2005. Show tickets are $12 for the main level and $8 for the upper level.
  Both concerts will be held in the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall, in the L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center. All seats for both shows are reserved. Tickets can be picked up or ordered at the Stephens Performing Arts Center Box Office from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. For more information call 208-282-3595.

Ice-Free Dry Valleys of Antarctica Presentation
   Dr. Robert Wharton, the Idaho State University Academic Vice President and a recipient of the United States Antarctic Service Medal, will present "Exploring the Ice-Free Dry Valleys of Antarctica" at 7:30 pm on January 19 in the Idaho Museum of Natural History building's Room 204. This presentation is free and open to the public. Dr. Wharton will take the audience on a visual trip of Antarctica, exploring the landscape and learning about its physical and biological restraints. Dr. Wharton has spent an extensive amount of time researching Antarctica specifically its cold desert environments. He has also served on the National Research Council's Polar Research Board. For more information on this event, contact Hannah Sanger at 208-233-3391 or 208-282-6458.

Note:
The images in this newsletter were retrieved from the UNAIDS web site at http://www.unaids.org/, AVERT web site at http://www.avert.org/worldaid.htm, Defense Logistic Agency web site at http://www.dla.mil/, and ISU photo gallery.