Two U.S. patents in plant biotechnology and agriculture have been issued to Dr. Elizabeth Hood, Lipscomb Distinguished Professor of Agriculture. The first, regulatory sequence of cupin family gene, has potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry and other areas. The second, methods of expressing and detecting activity of expansin in plant cells, helps to make large amounts of the protein expansin. Details are in a news release.

Dr. Philip Tew, associate professor of finance and director of the Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy, received a grant from the National Council for Economic Education to provide training in the "Understanding Fiscal Responsibility" curriculum for up to 200 fourth through 12th grade Arkansas teachers. The curriculum focuses on the federal budget, national debt and budget deficit, and discusses current public policy dilemmas that involve these areas.

Sarah Scott, instructor in communication studies, and Natalie Eskew, counselor in the Career Services Center, will present a session during the Women's Business Leadership Conference on "Amplifying Women's Voices and Increasing Women's Visibility in Our Careers and Communities." Their presentation in Centennial Hall is one of several featured as part of a new "lunch and learn" format during the conference. Schedule and registration information are available on the conference website.

An article by Dr. Catherine C. Reese, professor of public administration and director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, has been accepted by the Review of Public Personnel Administration. The article is titled, "The Status of Pay Equity for Women of Color." She also is piloting her iBook, Fair Pay for Women, written for the A-State Digital Press, in her current "Women and Politics" class.

Todd Clark, director of digital creative media in the Office of Marketing and Communications, served as chair for the District IV conference of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He led a committee that planned and organized the program around a theme of "forward thinking" for the three-day event in Fort Worth. Higher education advancement professionals from five states participate in District IV.