Lawrence briefs

Former university official to lead Hispanic council

Former Kansas University administrator Janet Murguia will take over leadership of the nation’s largest Hispanic advocacy agency at the beginning of next year, officials at the National Council of La Raza announced Thursday.

Murguia left KU in January to become executive director of the council. As expected, she will become its president and CEO when Raul Yzaguirre retires after 30 years in the position.

“I am honored and humbled that the board of directors has selected me to succeed a man for whom I have the utmost respect, admiration and affection,” Murguia said in a news release.

Murguia, who has three degrees from KU, was appointed KU’s executive vice chancellor for university relations in July 2001.

Kansas University

Faculty to honor famed Kansas photographer

Four Kansas University faculty members will be in Fort Scott beginning today for a four-day celebration of native son Gordon Parks.

Parks, a photographer, writer and director who now lives in New York City, is expected to attend the events at Fort Scott Community College.

Those from KU scheduled to present information include Renate Mai-Dalton, director of the Multicultural Scholars Program and a longtime friend of Parks’; Maryemma Graham, founder and director of the Project on the History of Black Writing and director of the National Poetry Writing Project; John Edgar Tidwell, associate professor of English; and Kevin Willmott, associate professor of theater and film and writer and director of “CSA: Confederate States of America.”

A complete schedule is available at www.gordonparkscenter.org.

Lawrence

Hospital dedicates new cardiac center

Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Thursday dedicated the Bob Billings Cardiac Evaluation Center, a nonemergency facility for the diagnosis of patients with cardiac problems.

The center features four large observations rooms, which provide space for family members to accompany patients during testing.

The center was named in honor of Billings, a Lawrence developer who served on the hospital’s board of trustees for 11 years. Billings died in February 2003.

Hospital administrators hope that providing cardiac patients with a quiet environment for testing and treatment will reduce patients’ stress.

The center has been in operation since late August. LMH raised the $440,000 needed to construct the center during its 2003 Hearts of Gold Ball.

Technology

State Supreme Court to air arguments online

Topeka — Arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court will be available live on the Internet starting Tuesday.

“We believe it is important that citizens have the opportunity to take advantage of this technology to hear firsthand the matters that are argued before the court,” Chief Justice Kay McFarland said.

The proceedings can be accessed at the court’s Web site at www.kscourts.org.

The court generally conducts oral arguments every six weeks for three or four days. Next week, oral arguments will run Tuesday through Friday.

The court first used the Internet for broadcast Aug. 30 during arguments on the school finance case.

Enron investigator to speak at KU

A lead investigator into the downfall of Enron will speak this month at Kansas University.

Bill Plybon, who received his degree from KU in 1982, will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union. The speech, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the School of Business and the Beta Alpha Psi honorary organization.

Plybon was an examiner team leader for the Atlanta firm Alston & Bird LLP. The firm was hired by the courts to examine Enron’s special-purpose entity transactions and to tell the story of what happened at the company.

Plybon currently is vice president and deputy general counsel for Coca-Cola Enterprises.