Plaques will commemorate UA achievement

"From the first minute it opened, the UA has been different than other universities," said Sharon Kha, senior officer of institutional advancement. "We want everyone to know which amazing discoveries separate the UA."

Kha said the "Points of Discovery" project is intended to "inform students, employees and the public about the long tradition of discovery or creative achievement that has distinguished this university."

The silver and red plaques will be posted on the buildings this fall. A more in-depth narrative explaining how the discovery affects American society will be located under glass in the buildings' lobbies, Kha said.

She said students or visitors will be able to conduct a self-guided tour with a brochure that will map out "points of discovery" locations. Kha also hopes to put a virtual tour on the UA's Web site.

"Prospective students taking a campus tour will be impressed by the many discoveries that they will see took place here at the UA," she said.

Earlier this year, Kha asked university faculty to nominate departments for the plaques. Kha compiled 12 discoveries from their responses that will be the first to be featured on the building plaques.

The discoveries and advances include:

The development of three anti-cancer drugs at Arizona Cancer Center made by Syd Salmon, Cancer Center regents professor, medicine professor Dave Alberts and Bob Dorr, associate Cancer Center research scientist

N. Scott Momaday, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American Indian author and regents English professor who teaches and wrote in the Modern Languages building

UA scientist Gerard Kuiper, who was one of two scientists who founded planetary studies and planetary exploration at the UA in the Kuiper Space Sciences Building

The project is relatively inexpensive, Kha said, but individual departments that receive plaques have the option of improving or adding to them.

More plaques will be added by next spring, she said.

Jack Johnson, director of the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, applauded the project.

"I think its one of the most fantastic things that UA has done," Johnson said. "But I don't think we should limit the signs to one discovery."

Johnson said the project should be expanded because there have been many notable discoveries in each building.

"When we retire athletes' numbers, more than one is honored," he said. "I think the UA should be proud enough of its scientific investigators to put several names on the honor roll."

Students had mixed feelings about the project.

"I think it's interesting, but I don't think anyone's going to look at them," said Cameo Butts, a biochemistry freshman. "There are a lot of plaques around the UA right now and I never read them. I think it's a waste of money."

Undeclared sophomore Tracy Andres said "Points of Discovery" is a worthwhile expense.

"I think it's a good idea," she said. "It lets people know what is getting accomplished here at the UA."