U student’s model will aid in bridge investigation

University of Minnesota civil engineering student Rachel Gaulke showed off her 1/200th-scale model of the collapsed I-35W bridge on Feb. 19 in the Civil Engineering Building, about a mile from the bridge site. Gaulke, a junior, was selected by Civil Engineering Professor Carol Shield to build the model for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The five-foot-long, $6,000 model was later shipped to Washington, D.C., where the NTSB will use it to help visualize and explain information related to the bridge collapse and its causes, states a release from the university.

Gaulke said she spent 100 hours on the project, consulting bridge plans and computerized drawings to make her calculations. The model is made mostly of model railroad parts and was painted to identify the bridge’s tension and compression members, in order to illustrate the structural forces that affected the bridge. (The design appears to sport a nod to the U, as well — the undercarriage is maroon and gold.)

Gaulke said the project taught her time management and “the importance of precision and accuracy, and what can go wrong if measurements and calculations are not perfect.”

U of M Good Neighbor Fund accepting grant applications

Neighborhood and business associations adjacent to the Twin Cities campus, on which the university’s Gopher’s TCF Bank Stadium is under construction, may apply for grants through the Good Neighbor Fund. The grants are intended to help “preserve the beauty, serenity and security of communities that are impacted by the new stadium,” according to an announcement by the university. Deadline for grant applications is Tuesday, April 1.

Member groups of the U of M’s Stadium Area Advisory Group may apply for a part of the $69,000 pool, said Jan Morlock, university community relations spokesperson. The grants could be used to leverage other projects, she suggested, from specific events to longer-term strategies such as marketing or building up assets of the community.
For information or to apply, go here.

‘Mini Med School’ class registration open to all

The theme for this year’s “Mini Medical School” on campus is “The Aging Game.” Topics for the five-week series in March and April include what happens as we age, aging skin, oral health, sexuality and aging, heart health, and what we should know about prescription drugs and medications. It is sponsored by the university’s Academic Health Center.

There is no homework, but faculty members provide lists of suggested readings. The two-and-a-half-hour weekly classes will be held on Mondays, 6–8:30 p.m., March 24–April 21, in Coffman Memorial Union Theater.

“Graduates” receive a mini diploma, not a medical degree, points out a release from the university. Those enrolled will have access to the new “Mini Medical School Web Community.” It will allow students to discuss presentations and connect with other students during and following the program.

The classes will be taught by “some of the country’s leading physicians and researchers,” according to the release. Mini Med School students “learn directly from experts how the body works and how to take an active role in maintaining one’s health.”
Registration is $75. A limited number of scholarships are available for those with financial need. For registration, directions and parking information, go here. To register by phone, call 612-626-5680.

U of M info

University of Minnesota information, directories, maps, parking, news and events can be found at the university’s website or by phone at 612-625-5000.

last revised: March 12, 2008

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