BEACON to focus on
evolution in action

Green for good continued

Themes surrounding sustainability and natural

round in MSU's

resources crop up in a number of academic programs

solar-heated hoop

Michigan State University will use a $25 million grant

at MSU, and students from seven MSU colleges can

houses, students

from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to

select an environmental studies specialization and

and staff grow

establish a center that brings together scientists from

learn from world-class faculty involved in

certified-

across the nation to study evolution in action in both

environmental research. A living-learning program

organic

natural and virtual settings.

for incoming freshmen—the Residential Initiative on

produce, which

the Study of the Environment, or RISE—provides a

is served in

MSU's center—one of a handful of highly coveted NSF

MSU is one of
the nation's top
five campuses for
sustainability,

according to the National

Wildlife Federation's most
recent Campus Environment
Report Card.

close-knit academic

several campus

community in which

dining halls and

students participate in

distributed locally

environmental

through community

stewardship experiences

supported agriculture. The hoop houses also serve as

CONsortium, BEACON will serve as a resource for

on and off campus.

classrooms for about 25 students and for area

academics and industry to perform basic research

Students who study

Science and Technology Centers—officially is titled

BEACON: An NSF Science and Technology Center for

the Study of Evolution in Action.

Short for Bio/computational Evolution in Action

while helping create new technologies to solve

environmental sciences

real-world problems—from the development of safer,

get their hands dirty on

more efficient cars to systems that detect computer

intrusions.

who serves on the farm advisory team and is

people, and they feel empowered to make changes

numerous academic programs

benefits students and

that improve the health of people and the health of

the community. Year-

the environment."

environment and sustainability.

programs that evolve in a natural, open-ended fashion,

part of," says Laurie Thorp, an MSU specialist-adviser

campus. The Student

coordinator of RISE. "They know that they are feeding

evolution as an ongoing process, using real organisms

Digital organisms are self-replicating computer

a working farm on

classroom and a lab that

that are focused on the

organisms" undergoing evolution.

"The students really value the community they are

Organic Farm is both a

discover common ancestry, BEACON will focus on

in laboratories and at field sites and using "digital

growing methods.

MSU students can choose from

In contrast to evolutionary studies that focus on fossil

records or comparison of DNA among species to

farmers interested in learning about hoop-house

New major prepares stude nts for growing
film industry in Michigan

allowing experiments that parallel those performed in

Programs that offer film students a blend of theory

MSU also started two new specializations in the fall:

experimental evolution laboratories and mirroring

and production technique, such as Michigan State

documentary expression and fiction film production.

more targeted evolutionary computation applications.

University's new film studies major, could help

budding filmmakers take advantage of Michigan's

Learn more at beacon.msu.edu . 0

burgeoning film industry, says Emmy Award-winning

documentarian Ken Burns.

Notes from Israel continued

schools throughout the country in honor of classmates

who lost their lives in the military or to terrorism.

"Our new programs were created largely in response

to recent State of Michigan film initiatives and the

significant student demand," says Jennifer Fay,

director of film studies. "They combine film studies

Last fall, MSU's College

and production

of Arts and Letters

technique, including

introduced the major—

screenwriting, directing,

April 20—In striking contrast to the quiet, contempla-

available through the

editing, and sound

tive memorial tributes of 24 hours before, the night-

Department of Eng-

design. This combina-

time streets are now packed with boisterous revelers of

lish—in addition to a

tion sets MSU's pro-

all ages. Dozens of children, covered from head to toe

film studies minor that

grams apart from other

in silly string, are laughing and running.

replaces the former film

universities' offerings."

It is Independence Day in Israel, and Israelis from all

studies specialization.

directions are converging on the epicenter of the

Burns—whose latest

celebration in Tel Aviv—Rabin Square—where dancers

and singers commemorate significant events from the

history of Israel and fireworks explode overhead every

hour. In the plaza at the nearby Opera House, stage

shows for children draw large crowds and good cheer.

Cafés are packed, and street vendors are busy selling

Israeli flags and bubble makers.

Ironically, less than one week later, Rabin Square would

serve as the center of Israel's Earth Day celebration as

well, only this time the electrical generators would be

powered by the leg-power of more than 40 hardy

bicyclists. But tonight, during Israel's lavish 62nd

birthday party, there is no shortage of energy—human

as well as electrical—in Tel Aviv.

In April 2008, Michigan

enacted a law to

film, The National Parks:

provide tax credits for

America's Best Idea,

film production

debuted last Septem-

ber on Public Broad-

Emmy Award-winning documentarian Ken Burns speaks on campus during

the College of Arts and Letters' Signature Lecture Series.

casting Service—kicked

off the college's Signature Lecture Series for 2009-10.

"In tough economic times, it is even more critical to

have a rigorous film studies program to prepare the

legions of young people who will have to be conver-

sant in the language of our new visual culture and be

able to reflect the values and ethics so these new

forms of communication do not control us but rather

continue to reflect our highest ideals," says Burns.

companies that shoot

movies in the state.

Governor Jennifer

Granholm acknowledged the second anniversary of

the credits during her weekly radio address in early

April, noting that in the past two years, filmmakers

have spent $348 million in Michigan and employed

6,700 people and that Michigan has been used as the

backdrop for 89 movies or TV shows.

Learn more at english.msu.edu/film.

