http://news.ufl.edu The latest from the University of Florida. Thu, 15 May 2008 13:37:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The invasion of gigantic Burmese pythons in South Florida appears to be rapidly expanding, according to a new report from a University of Florida researcher who’s been chasing the snakes since 2005. Associate professor Frank Mazzotti of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has published a new ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/15/pythons-2/ Happy hour’s apparently getting a little too festive, as a new University of Florida study shows that drink specials like happy hour or ladies night dramatically increase the risk people leave a bar intoxicated. Here’s UF researcher Virginia Dodd. http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/14/drink-specials-2/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Every year for nearly two decades, Florida farmers have gathered at the Suwannee Valley Twilight Field Day to hone their craft, often learning how to grow more luscious and larger fruits and vegetables. This year, however, there was a new lesson being offered: how to grow small. ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/14/designer-salads/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A last call should be issued for drink specials because they dramatically increase the risk of college students walking out of a bar intoxicated, especially if they are underage, a new University of Florida study finds. The study is unusual in that it obtained breath samples from college ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/13/drink-specials/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications today announced the nation’s first endowed chair in public relations with a focus on public interest communications, a field of research and practice focused on tools and strategies to advance organizations’ missions and goals in the nonprofit and ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/13/pic-endowed-chair/ Psychology professor Clive Wynne was quoted in a May 12 USA Today story about the cognitive abilities of parrots. http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/12/usa-today-clive-wynne/ This is Update Weekly, your online audio source for University of Florida news and events for the week beginning Monday May 12th, 2008. http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/12/update-weekly-124/ English professor David Leavitt reviewed William Styron’s “Havanas in Camelot: Personal Essays” in the May 11 New York Times. http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/11/new-york-times-david-leavitt/ WHO: University of Florida wind engineering faculty and graduate and undergraduate students. WHAT: Demonstration of massive hurricane simulator and other unique equipment intended to mimic the effects of hurricanes as part of UF research aimed at toughening homes against the big storms. Researchers will use the 2,800-horsepower machine to blast a ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/08/demonstrations-set-for-huge-hurricane-machine-shingle-launcher/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Research Foundation has named 33 faculty members as UFRF Professors for 2008-2011. The recognition goes to faculty members who have a distinguished current record of research and a strong research agenda likely to lead to continuing distinction in their fields. The UFRF professors were ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/08/ufrf-profs-08/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Florida is seeking to elevate the prominence of its Holocaust research program, and a couple from south Florida feel that attracting a national authority on the subject is one way to do that. It was announced today that Irma ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/08/holocaust-studies-gift/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Retinas in newborn mice appear perfectly fine without any help from tiny bits of genetic material called microRNAs except for one thing — the retinas do not work. In the first-ever study of the effects of the absence of microRNAs in the mammalian eye, an international team of ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/07/retina-rna/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A couple of years ago, University of Florida English professor Sidney Homan was walking through Central Park with his son Danny, an aspiring novelist studying for his master’s degree in creative writing at Texas State University. With all the arrogance of youth, Danny was busy explaining that his ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/06/authors/ Veterinary medicine professor Julie Levy was quoted in a May 6 USA Today story about efforts by various groups to help feral cats. http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/06/usa-today-julie-levy/ WHO: University of Florida President Bernie Machen WHAT: Machen is announcing UF’s budget cuts today and will hold a news conference to answer questions about those cuts. WHEN: 4 p.m. today. WHERE: President’s Conference Room, Tigert Hall, Room 226. BACKGROUND: Machen has asked deans to create plans for reducing their budgets ... http://news.ufl.edu/2008/05/05/uf-president-schedules-news-conference-to-talk-about-budget/