Publication Date: November 10, 2009
Hello, and welcome to The LegisGator, the University of Florida's newsletter designed for members of the Gator Caucus. The LegisGator is a quick read featuring UF news bites you may have missed but would like to share with your fellow lawmakers or others.
Did you know?
The $574 million that 2,000 UF faculty members received in research funding last year generated more than $1.2 billion in business activity and 10,500 jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The University of Florida – Working for Florida.
This week's spotlight:
State Representative for District 9
Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda (D)
Gator connection: Received her law degree from the University of Florida in 1985.
Background: Rehwinkel Vasilinda's district represents Leon, Jefferson and Gadsden counties. She was elected to the House in 2008. She is a member of the Civil Justice and Courts Policy Committee; the Government Operations Appropriations Committee; and the Governmental Affairs Policy Committee. Rehwinkel Vasilinda is a professor in legal studies and applied ethics at Tallahassee Community College. She has focused her legislative initiatives on five ”Es” - energy, economic development, education, environment and excellence. In keeping with that focus, she initiated and launched the Florida Film, Entertainment and Television Caucus in November. She said her legislative priorities “support the development and use of clean, renewable energies, protection of our natural resources and opportunities to increase revenue that will help maintain the critical services and personnel that all Floridians expect and are due in these tough economic times.” Before her service in the House, she worked with the Attorney General's Office, the Florida Department of Environmental Regulations and Mike Vasilinda Productions. Before receiving her UF law degree, she attended New College and the University of South Florida, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in social and behavioral sciences. She is married to Mike Vasilinda and has two daughters and three stepsons. Rehwinkel Vasilinda was born in Rochester, N.Y., and moved to Florida in 1977.
News Bites
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With the state’s high jobless rate, Florida’s real estate outlook is plagued by the most dangerous condition to delay an economic recovery: uncertainty, according to the latest University of Florida survey.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Since reports of widespread bee die-offs began to surface in October 2006, researchers have investigated possible reasons ranging from hive-infecting mites to cell phone-tower radiation. They have yet to pinpoint the cause of colony collapse disorder — most likely, because there isn’t just one, say University of Florida researchers.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — “Driver’s Ed” for kids could be another name for a statewide program administered by the University of Florida that is designed to reduce the number and severity of injuries and deaths to children from bicycle and traffic crashes.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s consumer confidence remained flat at 72 in October, a level more in line with economists’ expectations than the initial increase that was recorded last month, according to a new University of Florida survey.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sugar Belle — a bold mandarin orange hybrid that ripens in time for the winter holiday market — will be the first University of Florida-created citrus variety intended for commercial production.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A toxin produced by freshwater algae has garnered plenty of media coverage in recent years, but a new University of Florida study shows there’s little cause for concern about its presence in Florida lakes.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — New technology that dramatically improves the effectiveness of hearing aids stands to help millions of Americans suffering from hearing loss, says a University of Florida professor whose research helped to develop the product.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The oyster lover’s axiom of edibility — that this shellfish is safest to eat in any month with an “r” in it — may soon become somewhat of a culinary anachronism, thanks to a new food-safety test developed with help from the University of Florida.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A gift of more than 2 million butterfly and moth specimens to the University of Florida contains hundreds and possibly more than 1,000 new unnamed species, and will help researchers better understand biodiversity and environmental changes.
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