March 5, 2012, Club Bulletin #409

March 5, 2012 Program for Today: MHS Block Schedule

March 5 Invocation by:

Rotary Guests: Joni Anderson, Kristy Ruse, Adrian Salek, Marcus Schupp, Davis Schrokc, Sidney Rudolph, Sierra Sagastume and Justin Ritz.

Rotary Announcements: Kudos to the 28 Rotarians with 80% Attendance since the first of July!! Reminder of the following meetings today: Vocational Awareness Committee, Foundation Committee and New Member Project Committee.

Our Guest Night will be on Saturday Evening, March 3, 2012 at the Rendezvous starting at 5:45 P.M. for a Murder Mystery Evening with YPN. Attire will be business casual.

Put Friday, April 13, 2012 on your calendar to attend the Rotary Convention State Meeting at Riverside Casino for Lunch at noon.

Program for Today: Dr. Barry Butler joins us again to share good news from the University of Iowa where he is now the Provost.

He told us of the new hiring format that cluster faculty around a research topic from across knowledge areas. Topics include: water sustainability, digital humanities, obesity and the aging brain and mind. This format brings faculty from 7-8 different research disciplines to study one world impacting topic.

Barry also told us of the University's impact on Muscatine County with 320 students attending from here; with 171 on financial aid, 1500 Alumni in the County and $16.3 million being spent in the Iowa City Corridor and $4.1 million from Muscatine County purchases.

He also is proud of the following in regard to the University and Iowa City: ACT, the mission of the University, Van Allen, Ponsetti, the City of Literature and an innovative grant for $500,000 that the University received to make paper!!