Recent sightings

Moved by music
Graduate student Ina Selvelieva, a native of Bulgaria, performs a piano solo during a UW Symphony Orchestra rehearsal at Mills Hall in the Mosse Humanities building. James Smith, symphony director and professor in the School of Music, says Selvelieva’s performance will be one of several “standout” moments during a concert to be held Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Mills Hall. The event will showcase the winners of a concerto and composition competition.

Photo: Jeff Miller

An inexpensive, modular solar-energy technology that could be used to heat water and generate electricity won $12,500 and took first place in both the Schoofs Prize for Creativity and Tong Prototype Prize competitions, held during the College of Engineering’s annual Innovation Days. In a package about the size of a small desk, the winning system uses a flat Fresnel lens to collect the sun’s energy and focus it onto a copper block. Then a unique spray system converts energy from the copper block into steam, says inventor Angie Franzke, an undergraduate student in engineering mechanics and astronautics. The steam can provide heat for household use or power a turbine to generate electricity. Fifty-two students spent the fall semester designing and developing prototypes for their inventions, and competed for a share of $26,000 in prizes.

Photo: Michael Forster Rothbart

During the 30th annual Statewide Theater Auditions weekend, held Feb. 10 and 11 in the Memorial Union, choreographer and dancer Mario Green, an alumnus of UW-Stevens Point, leads a group of undergraduate students in a workshop on dance auditions. The workshops helped prepare students in dance, theater, music and theater design to prepare for auditions with representatives of local and national performing arts organizations ranging from American Players Theatre to the Sante Fe Opera.

Photo: Michael Forster Rothbart

Undergraduate student Brandon Harris ignites a large plastic water bottle filled with alcohol during The Wonders of Physics event held Feb. 12 at Chamberlin Hall. The fiery rocket demonstration is part of an annual series of free science outreach education programs presented by physics professor Julien “Clint” Sprott. The 2006 program was dedicated to the memory of physics colleague Thomas W. Lovell (1946-2005), who planned, coordinated and participated in 170 presentations of The Wonders of Physics from 1984-2005.

Photo: Jeff Miller