I hear it all the time. “I hate having my picture taken. I HATE having my picture taken.” I see it all the time: that worn out, 20-year-old church directory photo you keep trotting out to use for a headshot. Don’t tell me you still think those huge shoulder pads are still in…..or those mutton chop sideburns and man-perms are currently popular. Come on, give it up! You need a new head shot. You know who you are….

You would think we were the BMV: grumpy old ladies who bark at you to look at the camera and then click the shutter mid-blink. You would think we were the annoying people at the unnamed, over-priced photo studio that not only tells you to say something insulting like “Cheese!”….or “Money!”…or “Davey Jones”….or “Nick Jonas!” They might as well be telling me to say: “Economic depression!” or “Bernie Madoff!” Then they turn around and guilt you into buying this enormous package that you really don’t need: 172 wallets, 480 portrait petites, 37 5 x 7’s and 12 8 x 10’s.

Believe me, we understand. Getting your photo taken is like baring your soul to the cruel gods of Geretol or Dexatrim. It is awful. We here in the photography department hate having our photo taken, too. We do our best to make it as quick and as harmless as possible. Think of it as a root canal with really, really, really good meds. Using the overly dramatic root canal example, it is something a little stressful but painless. And your outcome is not the usual nausea and pain that accompanies a root canal, but a very good photo.

I know you think you are the lone exception in “photogenic-ness”. You declare it is hopeless. You just can’t take a good photo. This is where knowing how to get your good side, how to light you and at what angle to shoot you from is half the battle. And we do all that. It also helps knowing all the tricks of the trade that Photoshop has to offer. We can soften wrinkles, take off pimples, lighten up under eye circles and make your teeth look whiter. The only thing we can’t do is promise you that you will look like Angelina or Brad when we are finished. But let’s face it; even Angelina and Brad don’t look like Angelina and Brad anymore.

It also helps to know what to wear in your photo. Do not wear red. It reflects on the skin and can make your complexion look florid. Do not wear turtlenecks. They actually make you look heavier. It also helps not to tan right before you come over. Yes, you may look a healthy golden brown when you stroll in. But the camera sees a scary electric orange that says “Hey! I am radioactive!” Because we want this photo to be as good as possible, we have a comprehensive list of “what not to wear” we will gladly share with you upon request. We believe that if you are going to make the time to come and visit us for a new photo, it should be the best experience possible. And you should walk out a happier person than you came in.

So throw aside your reservations, toss caution to the wind, and call me to set a time to have your portrait taken. If you have a new hairstyle, you need a new headshot. If you have lost some weight, you need a new headshot. If you broke down and put away those enormous plastic blue-framed, pink-tinted glasses and bought yourself some new frames, you need a new headshot. If you had a promotion, you need a new headshot. If the last time you had your photo taken was when Eisenhower was president, stop trying to pass that photo off as you and call me now!

And unlike that unnamed, over-priced studio, we don’t cost a thing. When was the last time you actually got something for nothing? Consider this our own brand of economic stimulus.
So for now, I am waiting for a phone call from you telling me you have summoned up your courage, are ready to take a big leap of faith with us and you are putting that 20-year-old photo away for good. Call me, Barb Goodwin, at ext. 7130. You know who you are!

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: BARB GOODWIN, administrative assistant in Photography Services.

The Sponsored Research Office (SRO) promotes a supportive environment for research and scholarly and creative endeavors of the University community. We act as resource or refuge for faculty and academic staff. Since grant proposals to outside sources require specific administrative approvals, SRO is here to help you negotiate this process. We will steer you in the right direction so you can focus on what matters to you – your scholarly work!

In addition, SRO provides assistance with finding funding sources and proposal preparation, offers grantsmanship and compliance training, monitors compliance with research-related regulations, administers the review of human subjects research, and assists in non-financial post-award administration. We’re a one-stop shop for moving your project from possibility to reality.

Though certain requirements exist for each grant submission, our goal is provide the level of assistance you need to get your proposal out the door. Once a potential funding source is identified, SRO works to help you overcome obstacles. SRO has the vantage point and knowledge to connect, mediate, and coordinate University-wide linkages. Much like a set of Tinker Toys, we’ll assist you in piecing the proposal the together. Your imagination is the limit.

A good idea is crucial for writing a successful proposal. Most reviewers look for reasons to eliminate proposals. They read for “what’s wrong” with them due to more requests than funds. Your job is not to give them any excuse to eliminate your proposal. As research administrators, our job is to help develop a good idea into a convincing proposal. We begin with the perspective of “what’s right” with your proposal and build from there. The process takes patience and practice.

A proposal is a persuasive document trying to convince a sponsor that your idea is worthy of funding. If you’re passionate about your idea, it will show in your writing. Finally, make it concise; make it clear; make it worthy; and make it sing! We’ll be here when you need us.

For more information about the Sponsored Research Office, please visit our web site at www.usi.edu/sro. Also you may contact us by email at mhdragoo@usi.edu, phone 812/465-1126, or visit our office in the Wright Administration Building Room 104.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: HEATHER DRAGOO, sponsored research specialist.

David L. Rice Library is increasing its Web 2.0 presence with the implementation of a blog and a Facebook page. Several librarians and I collaborated to create the Let’s Talk Library blog and the library’s Facebook page, in order to quickly update the USI community with information about new resources, events, and services. The term “Web 2.0” describes interacting with the Internet that is user-centered and collaborative. Second Life, Flickr, Wikipedia, Facebook, and blogs are all examples of well-known Web 2.0 technologies. Universities and colleges are using Web 2.0 applications specifically to reach out to students, faculty, and staff.

Let’s Talk Library (blog)

Rice Library’s new blog, Let’s Talk Library (http://ricelibrary.blogspot.com/), contains postings and photos related to library services, events, and resources. USI faculty members and students can peruse stories or subscribe to a feed of blog postings. Let’s Talk Library is available from the Rice Library home page (www.usi.edu/library). Recent postings briefly describe the Evansville Digital History Project and new e-books, but topics also cover new print resources, changes in research databases, web site enhancements, Interlibrary Loan, University Archives & Special Collections, Distance Learning Services, policies, exhibits/displays, special events, and instructional materials. For more information about Let’s Talk Library, or to learn how to subscribe to a feed of blog postings, contact me (Margie Ruppel, mdruppel@usi.edu) or Joanne Artz, assistant director and head of Reference Services (jartz@usi.edu).

Facebook

Realizing the importance of meeting students on their own terms, Rice Library joined the world of Facebook in the summer of 2008. Rice Library’s Facebook page has over one hundred interested fans who keep up-to-date on what’s happening in the library world. The Rice Library Facebook page features a virtual bookshelf targeting the newest books to our collection, a discussion board where common reference questions are answered, a list of links to other web pages of interest (e.g., information on library careers or Ethiopian traveling libraries), and direct links to library resources JSTOR and WorldCat. True to the world of Web 2.0, Rice Library’s Facebook page also subscribes to feeds from the aforementioned Let’s Talk Library blog. Anyone with a Facebook account can become a fan of the David L. Rice Library’s Facebook page. The library is working to make the Facebook page another outlet for answering reference questions from students. For more information about Rice Library’s Facebook presence, contact Brooke Bolton, Instructional Services Librarian (babolton@usi.edu) or me.

POST CONTRIBUTED BY: Margie Ruppel, reference and interlibrary loan librarian, David L. Rice Library.