NATIONAL NEWS

Russian scientist lauds UT’s science leadership
One of Russia’s leading scientists recently visited the University of Tennessee, leading a roundtable discussion with some of UT’s top scientists and giving a lecture on U.S.-Russian scientific relations.
Dr. Evgeny Velikhov, president of Russia’s Kurchatov Institute and vice president of the Russian Academy of Science, came to UT to learn more about the university’s scientific efforts and find ways to increase connections with the Russian science community.In his address to faculty, staff and students, Velikhov highlighted projects that were examples of U.S.-Russian scientific cooperation through the years. He emphasized GLORIAD, the global ring supercomputing network based at UT, as a prime example of cooperation between the two countries.The roundtable, which included a number of UT’s distinguished professors, covered a range of topics befitting Velikhov’s diverse background — from nuclear energy to the evolution of Russia’s science community at the end of the Cold War.
Bald Eagles return to Tenn.
The West Tennessee area is preparing for the annual return of the majestic American Bald Eagle back from their summer homes in the upper Great Lakes and Canada. With wingspans of six to eight feet and weighing up to 16 pounds, the American Bald Eagle has been returning to the open water, marshes and cypress-dominated sloughs of Reelfoot Lake for generations.
This year’s Reelfoot Lake Eagle Festival is set for January 13-15, 2006, and will celebrate one of the largest wintering populations of bald eagles outside Alaska. The Eagle Festival offers a wide range of opportunities for Reelfoot Lake visitors to see these magnificent birds in the wild. Local park and wildlife experts will be sponsoring walking tours, bus tours, pontoon cruises, interpretive sessions and special photography displays throughout the weekend.
“The return of these American Bald Eagles to Reelfoot Lake has become one of the most exciting winter events in Tennessee,” said Reelfoot Lake State Park Manager James Cox. “The entire staff at Reelfoot Lake State Park looks forward to providing an opportunity for guests to see our national symbol in its natural habitat.”
Designated a national natural landmark, Reelfoot Lake was created by a series of violent New Madrid fault zone earthquakes in northwest Tennessee during the winter of 1811-1812. Reelfoot Lake State Park offers outstanding recreational activities such as wildlife viewing, fishing, boating, hunting and hiking. For more information about Reelfoot Lake State Park or the Airpark Inn call the Park office at 1-800-250-8617 or visit www.tnstateparks.com/reelfootlake.

Aircraft company stays in Nashville
Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber said last week that nearly 1,000 jobs that were set to leave will now remain in the Nashville area.
In a letter from Vought Aircraft Industries CEO Tom Risley, Vought announced its plans to abandon the move of its Airbus component manufacturing to Dallas, Texas and maintain those operations at its facility in Nashville in efforts to become more competitive.
“There’s no question that the loss of any job is a major blow, but in this particular instance we were looking at losing nearly 1,000 jobs. The industry that Vought is involved in is highly competitive and expensive. Our goal moving forward is to continue to assist the company in its growth here and maintain a business environment that helps manage costs and maintain profitability.”
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (www.voughtaircraft.com) is one of the world’s largest independent suppliers of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, the company designs and manufactures major airframe structures such as wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has annual sales in excess of $1.2 billion and more than 6,000 employees in seven U.S. locations.