In the Wake of the Beagle

"In the Wake of the Beagle: Darwin in Latin American 1831-1836" is an exhibition opening tomorrow (1 March) in the Scholz Family gallery for Works on Paper in the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame at South Bend.

On display through 29 March, this exhibition presents a selection of photographs (including the one at right), lithographs, and books illustrating the Latin America sites visited by Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. The exhibition is offered as part of a cross-disciplinary academic investigation of Darwin's seminal text, On the Origin of Species, to mark the 150th-anniversary its publication.

Purdue to Hold Business Forum on China, India

A symposium examining business opportunities and challenges in China and India will be held 28 March at Purdue University's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Discovery Park at West Lafayette, reports Inside INdiana Business.

The Consul General of the Consulate of the People's Republic of China in Chicago, Ping Huang will be the keynote speaker.

The Confucius Institute, Discovery Park, Global Engineering Programs and the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at Purdue are sponsoring the event.

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"Miles from Nowhere" Author Coming to Purdue

Nami Mun, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, will speak this evening (26 February) at Purdue University in West Lafayette.

The talk, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Krannert Auditorium. The talk is presented by the Purdue Department of English and the Sycamore Review, Purdue's journal of literature, opinion and arts.

Mun's fiction debut, Miles From Nowhere, was published in January. The novel tells the story of Joon, a 13-year-old Korean-American girl who flees her dysfunctional family to live on the streets in New York City.

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Africa Night at IUPUI

The Second Annual Africa Night is set for 6-9 p.m. 18 April in Room CE450 of the Campus Center at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

It's sponsored by the IUPUI African Student Association and will include food, music, a fashion show and speaker.

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IU Venture Capital Team Advances to International Finals

The Venture Capital Investment Competition team from Indiana University Bloomington won first place at Friday's Mid-Atlantic Regional Final at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. With the win, IU's team advances to the VCIC International Finals, which will be held in April at the University of North Carolina.

Participating from the IU Maurer School of Law were third-year law and Master of Business Administration students Cole Parker and Jonathan Rinehart. Second-year MBAs Cindy Warren, Kate Lehman and Benjamin Trumbull represented the Kelley School of Business. The team beat out competitors from Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Maryland, Rochester, and Vanderbilt universities to take home top honors.

See more here.

VCIC began at UNC in 1998 as an educational event for MBAs to learn about venture funding. Now in its 11th year, VCIC has evolved into a marketplace for entrepreneurs seeking investors and a training ground for future venture capitalists.

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Europe Approves Lilly's Blood Thinner Drug

The European Commission has given Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly & Co. and its Japanese partner Daiichi Sankyo Co. permission to market their blood thinning drug Prasugrel, reports Inside INdiana Business.

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Kuijken visits UIndy for IBO concert

Baroque flutist and conductor Barthold Kuijken will perform at the University of Indianapolis as part of the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra's concert tomorrow (23 February).

Kuijken, a native of Belgium and the IBO's new artistic director, will lead the orchestra in a program of music from the four principal nations of Baroque music: Italy (represented by the music of Corelli), France (Rebel and Campra), Germany (Handel) and England (Purcell).

"Les Nations" begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall, Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, UIndy, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis.

Admission is $15; $10 students and seniors and free for UIndy faculty, staff and students. For tickets and additional information, call 317:202-0546.

Indy "500" Winner on New Zealand Stamp

Defending Indianapolis "500" champion Scott Dixon is being honored in his native New Zealand with a stamp, reports Inside INdiana Business.

He is among the drivers featured in a New Zealand Champions of World Motorsport stamp series. Dixon is featured on a 50 cent stamp. He is the reigning IndyCar Series champion.

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Regenstrief Institute Receives WHO Designation

The Indianapolis-based Regenstrief Institute's medical informatics group has received the first Collaborating Center for Medical Informatics designation from the World Health Organization (WHO), reports Inside INdiana Business.

The four-year designation allows the WHO to more directly draw upon the expertise of the group. Regenstrief Institute researcher Paul Biondich (pictured) has been named director of the center. He is also a professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

The Regenstrief Institute is a non-profit medical research organization. It is closely affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, Wishard Memorial Hospital and Clarian Health (Methodist, IU and Riley Hospitals). Almost all Regenstrief Institute MD and PhD researchers are also faculty members of the Indiana University School of Medicine. It is named for Samuel N. Regenstrief, an industrial production expert.

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The Challenge of Muslim Fundamentalism

Dr. Bassam Tibi (pictured) will discuss "The Challenge of Fundamentalism: Political Islam and the New World Disorder" during a noon luncheon 23 February in the offices of Ice Miller LLP, One Indiana Square, Indianapolis.

Dr. Tibi is professor of international relations at the University of Göttingen, Germany, and professor at Cornell University. His most recent book is Political Ismal, World Politics and Europe (Routledge, 2008. Born in Damascus, Syria, he moved to Germany in 1962.

The event is hosted by the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, the Indianapolis Eric M. Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany in cooperation with the Department of Turkish Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington.

For more information and to make a reservation, contact Sven Schumacher, honorary consul of Germany in Indianapolis.

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Lilly to Develop Treatments With Danish Company

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. is partnering with Danish biotech firm NeuroSearch to develop medicines for treating central nervous system disorders, reports Inside INdiana Business.

Under the three-year deal NeuroSearch could receive as much as $30 million in initial payments and research funding and up to $320 million in milestone fees for each product developed and commercialized.

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Kaya, an American Girl, Comes to Eiteljorg Museum

Fans of American Girl dolls are making plans now to get to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 28 February.

The star will be Kaya, an American Girl doll with Nez Perce heritage. There'll be storytelling, games and activities inspired by Nez Perce culture.

Kids can:
* Visit the Plateau Gallery and learn about objects used by Kaya’s people.
* Hear a tale performed by Nez Perce storyteller Rosa Yearout, Eiteljorg Museum artist in residence.
* Play traditional games and make a stick dice game to take home.
* Participate in craft activities, like bead drilling.
* Enter for a chance to win one of three Kaya dolls that will be given away throughout the day.
* Discover American Girl books and other fun finds in the Eiteljorg Museum Store.

All activities are free with museum admission.

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Venetian-Style Carnevale Comes to Indy

Can't make it to Venice for the Carnevale? Head to the Indianapolis City Market on 21 February!

The Italian Heritage Society of Indiana is staging an "elegant evening of Italian cuisine, wines and music" in the market from 7-11 p.m. next Saturday.

While masquerade is optional, it is encouraged!

Tickets include a cocktail, antipasti and dinner catered by Constantino’s, cannolis by Ristorante Lucia, an espresso bar, entertainment by The Indianapolis Opera and a DJ who will play old favorites and current dance music -- plus valet parking.

Advance sale tickets ($65) are available from the IHSI, but tickets for $75 also will be sold at the door.

The Italian Heritage Society of Indianais a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote Italian culture, art, history and language. Membership is open to Italians and all those who appreciate the culture.

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"Only the Brave" Screens at IUPUI

International Design Symposium

Designers, critics, scholars, manufacturers and dealers are participating in a two-day symposium at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in conjunction with the "European Design" exhibit on display 8 March through 21 June.

"Shaping a New Century: An International Design Symposium" will be held 6 and 7 March at the IMA to examine the present and future of European decorative and industrial design.

Four sessions will focus on creating, making, judging and designing.

Registration information is online. Cost is $150 for students and $250 for the public.

UPDATE:

Costs have dropped! It's now $50 for students and $100 for the public for both days!

Participants also have been announced. They are:
* Alberto Alessi (Director of Marketing Strategies and Design Management, Alessi s.p.a. – Italy)
* Jurgen Bey (Creative Director, Studio Makkink & Bey– Holland)
* George Beylerian (CEO & Founder, Material ConneXion - New York)
* Juli Capella (Director, Capella Arquitectura & Design, s.l. – Spain)
* matali crasset (industrial designer, matali crasset productions – France)
* Beatrice de Lafontaine (Director, when objects work – Belgium)
* Michele De Lucchi (architect, aMDL-architetto Michele De Lucchi Srl– Italy)
* Sylvain Dubuisson (Dubuisson Associes - France)
* Rolf Fehlbaum (Chairman, Vitra – Switzerland)
* Nasir Kassamali (Owner, LUMINAIRE® – U.S.)
* Eero Koivisto (Co-Founder, Claesson Koivisto Rune - Sweden)
* Didier Krzentowski (Owner, Galerie kreo – France)
* Susan Grant Lewin (President, Susan Grant Lewin Associates - New York)
* Catherine McDermott (Professor, Kingston University - United Kingdom)
* R. Craig Miller (curator, Indianapolis Museum of Art – U.S.)
* Cedric Morriset (independent journalist, curator and design consultant – France)
* Cilla Robach (curator, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm – Sweden)
* Jerszy Seymour (designer, Jerszy Seymour Design Workshop – Germany)
* Penny Sparke (scholar, Kingston University – United Kingdom)
* Dr. Josef Strasser (senior curator, Die Neue Sammlung--The International Design Museum Munich – Germany)
* Richard Wright (Director, Wright – U.S.)

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Students Participate in US-Polish Exchange

The first 15 high school students from Poland arrived in the United States last weekend under the U.S.-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program established by U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R.-IN).

The program sets up academic exchanges for American and Polish secondary students under 19 years old who have been accepted for up to one academic year of study abroad in a credit-approved program.

Unfortunately for Indiana, they're not coming to the Hoosier state.

The first three weeks the Polish students are in the U.S., they will live with American families in either Des Moines, Ia., or Chicago, Ill. They will attend a local high school for two weeks, followed by a one-week internship with a civic organization or in the office of a local government leader. The fourth week will be spent in Washington, D.C. at a week-long Civic Education Workshop.

After the Polish students have completed their program, 15 American students and two educators from the same U.S. schools will fly to Poland to participate in a similar four-week program. The exchange culminates in a week-long summer camp that will bring the American and Polish students and educators together.

According to Lugar's office, the senator has consistently advocated for student exchange programs. He authored the legislation that established the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, which provides 250 full scholarships annually for American high school students to live with a host family and attend school in Germany for a year.

Additionally, Lugar and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) laid the groundwork for the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department, which hosts more than 300 international students from countries including Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Turkey.

For more information, contact Mark Hayes, 202:224-8370.

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Indy to Broadcast First Spanish-Language Programming

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has announced the launch of a new Spanish-language television program on WCTY-TV 16. The program is set to air weekly and will provide up-to-date information on events and issues happening in Indianapolis.

The first episode of the new program airs at 6 a.m., noon and again at 6 p.m. today (11 February). Citizens who subscribe to Brighthouse can view the program on channels 16 and 17, Comcast subscribers can view it on channels 16 and 28, and AT&T customers can view it on channel 29.

For more information, contact Jessica Higdon, Press Secretary, Office of the Mayor, 317:327-3649.

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Brightpoint to Reduce Global Work Force

Indianapolis-based Brightpoint Inc. says it will cut at least 220 positions from its global work force as part of a plan to deal with the weak economy, reports Inside INdiana Business.

The reductions are in addition to the 10 percent cut in the number of workers announced last June. Brightpoint is also eliminating cash bonuses for senior executives and implementing hiring and salary freezes.

The spending reduction plan comes as the company reports a fourth quarter net loss of $346 million for fiscal 2008, compared to net income of nearly $15 million the previous fiscal year. Brightpoint says it took a $325.9 million impairment charge in the fourth quarter primarily related to the acquisition of Dangaard Telecom in 2007.

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Indy Irish Fest Dates Set for 2009

The 14th Annual Indy Irish Fest will be 18-20 September in Military Park in downtown Indianapolis.

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"Understanding China through Its History"

"Understanding China through Its History", a presentation by Dr. Edward McCord, begins at 7 p.m. 5 March in Mother Theresa Hackelmeier Memorial Library auditorium of Marian College, Indianapolis.

McCord is an associate professor of history and international affairs and director of the Taiwan Education and Research Program at the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. The presentation is the First Annual Alumni Global Studies Lecture.

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'One Laptop Per Child'

University of Notre Dame alumnus Charles Kane will return to campus next to week to talk about his transition from working as a for-profit executive to pro-bono president and chief operating officer of One Laptop Per Child Association Inc., reports Inside INdiana Business.

His presentation on Technology and the Globalization of Education at 5 p.m. 10 February in the Eck Visitors’ Center auditorium on the South Bend campus is open to the public at no charge.

The organization manufactures and distributes laptop computers to children in poor and developing regions around the world.

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Ancient Egypt Comes to Indianapolis

Over 130 treasures from the tomb of the “Boy King” and other important rulers from 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history will be on exhibit at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis later this year.

The exhibit, opening 27 June, will feature objects from some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, from the 4th Dynasty into the Late Period (about 2600 B.C.E. – 660 B.C.E.), many of which have never visited the United States.

Four galleries devoted to King Tut will correspond to the four rooms of his nearly intact tomb where the treasures were discovered by British explorer Howard Carter in 1922. Legendary artifacts from the antechamber, the annex, the treasury and the burial chamber will include Tutankhamun’s golden sandals, jewelry, furniture, weaponry and statuary.

This exhibit will also feature the largest image of King Tut ever found — a 10-foot statue that may have originally stood at his mortuary temple and retains much of its original paint, one of four gold and precious-stone-inlaid canopic jars and CT scans of Tut’s mummy.

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Valpo Brings Water to Chinese Village

Students at Valparaiso University are launching an effort to bring clean water to a rural Chinese village as part of an annual effort that supports a sustainable community development project.

The University’s Social Action Leadership Team will work to educate the campus and local community about the importance of water issues to people throughout the world during “Shui 2 Go! Pipeline to the People,” its 2009 World Relief Campaign.

By the end of the spring semester, the student-led social justice ministry aims to raise at least $15,000 to fund the development and construction of a pipeline system that will bring clean water year-round to nearly 900 people living in Saihan, a village in China’s Yunnan province. SALT is partnering with Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation to carry out the project.

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EJ&E Sold to Canadian Company

Canadian National Railway has acquired the principal lines of EJ&E Railway, including 198 miles of mainline tracks running from Waukegan, Illinois to Gary, reports Inside INdiana Business.

CN expects freight traffic on the rail line to more than triple in some portions of the EJ&E, including those in Griffith, Gary, Schererville and Dyer.

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IVCI Laureates Series Continues

The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis Laureate Series presents "Scenic diversions" featuring David Chan, Bronze Medalist at the 1994 Competition and now Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. 3 February in the Indiana History Center, 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis.

Joining him in this mixed program of music for violin with piano and piano solo is collaborative pianist Jeewon Park.

Chan's picturesque program includes Arvo Pärt's minimalist Fratres (a piece recently used in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood), Szymanowski's impressionistic Fountain of Arethuse, Wieniawski's Fantasy on Themes from Gounod's Faust, and Schubert's Impromptu in G-flat Major for piano solo, D. 899.

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