University Business - September 2011 - (Page 18)

Behind the news Future Shock U Rubber Soul: Leading Polymer Science Universities Think abouT everyday gizmos like cell phones, ipods, kindles, even cuisinarts. We take items of convenience for granted, yet without polymer science discovery and product development research, these consumer devices would not exist. For over a century, polymer science faculty and graduate students have explored applications of a wide range of polymer materials, including nylon, neoprene, pvc, silicone, kevlar, and even old-fashioned natural rubber. so, we offer a guided tour of today’s leading polymer university programs. our first stop is The University of Akron (ohio). at one time, global tire corporations like goodyear, Firestone, and goodrich were all headquartered in akron, the “rubber capital of the World.” Today, more than 130,000 ohioans are employed by nearly 2,440 polymer-related enterprises—helping to coin northeastern ohio as “polymer valley.” as far back as 1909, the university developed the first college of polymer science and polymer engineering. luis proenza, current president, says that over the last decade, the university “has evolved into a convener, developer, and anchor for clusters of innovation. We are growing a regional innovation ecosystem that involves many partners—not only from industry, business, and government, but also from academia, community groups, school systems and other stakeholders.” our second visit takes us to the California Institute of Technology in pasadena. caltech was ranked number one in the London Times higher education World university rankings 2010 engineering and Technology category. The institution supports an interdisciplinary faculty with research specialties in materials and polymers. next, consider the University of Southern Mississippi, which offers programs in sports and high performance materials—focused on the engineering, design, and use of polymers for athletes and military personnel, including sports equipment and protective athletic gear. last and noteworthy, our reconnaissance of polymer universities takes us to the University of Massachusetts and its top-ranked program. impressively, UMass Amherst hosts the center for industry research on polymers, an industry development research consortium funded by the national science Foundation and launched more than 30 years ago. russell broome, president of the society of plastics engineers, frames the importance of the field. “Those of us tasked with inventing the future of plastics can barely imagine the wealth of opportunity and contribution plastics will make,” he says. “The world is on the crest of great change, and plastics will … be a central component to solving our biggest problems.” —James Martin and James E. Samels, Future Shock columnists, are authors of Turnaround: leading stressed colleges and universities to excellence (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009). Martin is a professor of English at Mount Ida College (Mass.) and Samels is president and CEO of The Education Alliance. 18 | September 2011 The spring 2011 class during its trip to Disney World course catalog Magic is Hard Work MoSt PeoPLe go to DiSney to ReLax anD Have fUn. foR the past three years, David Zanolla, a communication instructor at Western Illinois University, has taken students in his Disney World Communication Culture course to see the principles they learn about in class in action. “the people who needed the most convincing were the parents,” he says, adding that the spring break timeframe is usually thought of as party time. But with a daily schedule of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., students have a full plate. When Zanolla heard the WiU Honors College was accepting proposals for a special topic seminar, he expanded a well-received supplemental lecture about Disney Culture he’d been presenting to his freshman class into a one-credit course. the idea turned into a full-semester course with the orlando trip about mid-way through. the course also goes through the study abroad office to coordinate travel. Students pay normal tuition and an extra fee to cover travel expenses. once at Disney, they experience a mix of tours and guidance from Zanolla. Disney staff customize the tours and provide other learning opportunities. to keep students from getting too wrapped up in the Disney magic, he reminds them to look at the park through the eyes of a communication major and see how the “We create happiness” mission statement is supported by everything. Students can’t just say they were happy. “they have to say why and give examples of how it was created,” he explains. the class this coming spring is being offered through the communication department. it will be a good test of how viable it is, says Zanolla, who is willing to run it based on demand. “even when they are on vacation at a place ‘for kids’ they can see there is something going on.” —A.M. universitybusiness.com david zanolla http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - September 2011

University Business - September 2011
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Financial Aid
Money Matters
Internet Technology
Shared Governance
Acknowledging Achievement
Looking Back
Spotlight on Procurement
EduComm 2011
End Note

University Business - September 2011