P.E.O. Chapter BJ Grant (Program for Continuing Education)

• P.E.O. Chapter BJ Grant (Program for Continuing Education) - Maximum of $3,000 available - Spring 2011 Semester - Must be a full-time student with a minimum 2.00 (3.00 for graduate students) cumulative gpa - Must be a female who has interrupted her eduation for at least 24 consecutive months and finds it necessary to resume her studies due to changing demands in her live and who is within 24 months of graduation - Financial need is required - Deadline - 09/06/10
  
  Applications available at: http://www.isu.edu/scholar/forms/PEOBJgrantApp.pdf

Weird Cases: paying attention in law school

Law school is a tough challenge even for the bright students who gain admission. In America, a good student will complete over 4,000 hours of lectures, classes and scholarship. Law books are long and law libraries are large. Law school probably isn’t the best choice for anyone unable to pay attention to something for longer than a few minutes at a time. Matthew Scott Jones, however, is inviting a different view. He is suing the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) because it won’t grant him special conditions for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Last September, Mr Jones applied to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) which all law schools approved by the American Bar Association require. The examination includes five 35-minute multiple-choice tests and a 35-minute essay. It is designed to test candidates’ abilities in understanding complex texts, the organisation and management of information, the ability to draw reasonable inferences, critical thinking, and the analysis and evaluation of other people’s reasoning. Mr Jones asked for double the time to take the tests because of his attention deficit condition and his request was declined.

Mr Jones is keen to become a lawyer but whether his lawsuit is a good tactic is open to question. He alleges in his claim that his clinically diagnosed ADHD impairs his reading and his ability to concentrate so much that his competence in those key legal fields is “below that expected in comparison to most people”. Mr Jones has also asked the court to rule that his LSAT results (which are sent to the law schools to which he has applied) must not be flagged as “not taken under standard conditions”.

In the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, Mr Jones claims that his rights have been violated as LSAC “has illegally refused and is illegally refusing” to accommodate his disability by giving him double the normal time to sit his exams. The court will soon have to decide whether being unable to pay sustained attention is a valid reason for being awarded extra time in law exams, and, if so, whether people relying on the exam results – like law school admissions tutors – are entitled to know if someone has passed an exam in that way. If Mr Jones wins, one question for future courts will be whether the same thing applies to people sitting Air Traffic Control or medical exams.

The US system of regulating the education and practice of lawyers is rigorous. American attorneys – of whom there were 1,180,386 at the last count - are strictly trained and monitored. The American system, in fact, got off to a very strict and no-nonsense start. In 1639, Thomas Lechford, the first lawyer to practise in New England, was disbarred for malpractice. He was found guilty of “embracery” (pleading with the jury out of court). Still, as Americans might delicately observe, Lechford had been trained in England as a solicitor.

Gary Slapper is Professor of Law at The Open University. His new book Weird Cases is published by Wildy, Simmonds & Hill.

The USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships

sponsored by USA Funds, are open to financially needy students who are high school seniors, undergraduates, or graduate students. Applicants must be United States citizens or legal residents enrolled at least half time as an undergraduate, or full time as a graduate student, in an accredited institution and not in default on a student loan.
Deadline: Closed
Applications and Info: The most current information is always available at www.usafunds.org.

SpineFX Early Stage Researcher Position at the University of Bern

Applications are invited for a Ph.D. Studentship in the Biomechanics Division at the Institute for Surgical Technology and Biomechanics, University of Bern, within the SPINEFX Initial Training Network (ITN) supported by the EU Marie Curie Action (www.spinefx.eu). The successful applicant will join a program focused on developing new methods for the biomaterial reinforcement of weakened bone.

Description
Research topics covered within the project include the development of biocement formulations that best match the intrinsic mechanical properties of native bone, taking into consideration also the influence of the particular pathology on bone competence. The influence of cement distribution on the mechanical integrity of whole bone structures will be simulated to provide guidance for augmentation methods. This work is conducted in collaboration with the Swedish medical technology company BoneSupport AB.

Candidates with an M.Sc. or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field should apply. Experience with any of the following would be a desirable: mechanical testing equipment and procedures, tissue mechanics, finite element methods, mechanical design and image analysis. Applicants with a background in Materials Science and a demonstrable competence in high-level mathematics may be considered. An excellent knowledge of the English language is required and knowledge of the German language would be helpful, but not mandatory.


According to the EU ITN rules of eligibility, the candidates must have completed their M.Sc. or equivalent Degree within the past 4 years, may not be Swiss nationals and may not have resided in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the past 3 years. Employment conditions (e.g. compensation, working hours) are regulated by a standard model contract at the University of Bern for projects within the EU Marie Curie program.

The candidate must commence the position by 1. November 2010 (or earlier) and the position is limited to a duration of 3 years.

Please send a CV and the contact information for 2 references via e-mail to:

PD Dr. Stephen Ferguson
Division Head: Biomechanics
University of Bern
Institute for Surgical Technology and Biomechanics
Stauffacherstrasse 78
CH-3014 Bern
Switzerland
stephen.ferguson@istb.unibe.ch

Research Field

Engineering - Biomedical engineering

Benefits

The Biomechanics Division comprises a multi-disciplinary research team focused on the treatment of spinal disorders, with projects in the areas of bone mechanics, intervertebral disc and soft-tissue mechanics, disc biology, tissue engineering, implant design and evaluation and computational modelling.

Application Deadline
31/07/2010

Comment/web site for additional job details
www.spinefx.eu

University of Bern
Institute for Surgical Technology and Biomechanics
Academic
Stauffacherstrasse 78
CH-3014 - Bern
SWITZERLAND
phone +41 31 631 5925
fax +41 31 631 5960
email stephen.ferguson@istb.unibe.ch
http://www.istb.unibe.ch