NIH Juried Art Show

NIH will hold a juried art show open to all scientists at NIH-including postdocs, post-bac IRTA, visiting fellows and medical students. Pieces must be framed no wider than 30 inches across. Artwork can contain any medium except sculpture, due to lack of space.

The show will have 20 spaces available near the hospitality center in the Clinical Research Center. The goal is to feature the talents of scientists currently working at NIH. Art pieces will be chosen by Lillian Fitzgerald, curator of the CC Art Program, and Deanne Alpert of NHLBI's Laboratory of Developmental Biology.

Deadline for submitting is Friday, Apr. 27. Participants will be notified in the middle of May. The show will take place at the beginning of June.

Submit slides or a CD of your artwork to Alpert in Bldg. 10, Rm. 6N240, MSC 1622. Include your name, contact information and a brief description of the materials used in each piece. For more information email alpertd@mail.nih.gov.

National Day of Prayer, May 3

This year's National Day of Prayer will be observed Thursday, May 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the lawn in front of Bldg. 1. All are welcome.

Career Fair for Grant Managers

Grants management professionals at NIH can explore career advancement and work enrichment opportunities at the first annual professional development Career Fair. Titled "Breaking Ground," it will be held Wednesday, Apr. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Natcher Bldg. atrium. For more information visit http://odoerdb2-1.od.nih.gov/gmac/gmac/profdev_main_2.html#events.

Save the Date for NIH's National Women's Health Week Events, May 14-18

National Women's Health Week is May 14-18. The theme is "It's Your Time! Pamper Your Mind, Body and Spirit." Each weekday, an exhibit and free women's health literature will be available in Bldg. 31, A-wing lobby from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, attend "Midday for Me" in Bldg. 31, Conf. Rm. 2 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. for information from experts on campus safety, wellness, nutrition and stress relief. Conference room space is limited. For more information visit http://orwh.od.nih.gov.

NLM Offers 'Evening with Levi Watkins'

From the streets of Montgomery, Ala., to the halls of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr., has traveled on a path filled with many challenges and triumphs. His is a story of strong faith, hope and healing. NLM is sponsoring an evening with Watkins plus a performance by the Unified Voices Choir on Friday, Apr. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in Lister Hill Auditorium, Bldg. 38A. A tour of NLM's exhibit, "Opening Doors: Contemporary African-American Academic Surgeons," along with light refreshments, will be provided at 5:30 p.m. in the first-floor lobby of Bldg. 38. The exhibit will be on display through May 31.

Watkins is a pioneer cardiac surgeon who implanted the first automatic defibrillator in a human in 1980. Currently professor of cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he has been instrumental in increasing the number of minority students at that institution.

Earth Day Celebration To Be 'Zero-Waste' Event

The NIH Division of Environmental Protection will encourage composting at NIH's Earth Day observance on Thursday, Apr. 26, by officially making it a "zero-waste" event.

What is zero waste? It's the use of products such as plates, utensils and cups that are biodegradable. These products are sent to a composting facility along with food waste generated during the event. The items are then degraded into mulch or compost.

All collected compostable items will be delivered to the USDA composting facility in Beltsville. USDA Beltsville is interested in receiving and processing such material from local federal facilities. The mulch created from this process will be available for use by participating agencies.

The zero-waste concept also includes recycling all beverage containers, paper and cardboard used during the event. DEP hopes promotion of the concept during Earth Day will encourage others to follow suit for their events.

The zero-waste strategy is an increasing trend in the waste management industry as it promotes the use of biodegradable materials and contributes to landfill avoidance. These renewable products also reduce our dependence on natural resources such as oil, land and timber by eliminating rather than managing waste.

Some of the biodegradable products used in this process are innovative. The forks, for example, are made from bio-based resins and potato starch. The plates are made from bagasse, a renewable sugar cane-based product.

For more information, email NIH recycling coordinator Gareth Buckland at bucklandg@mail.nih.gov.