Briefs

CLEARS becomes IRIS: With a new acronym, an expanded mission and a new director, CLEARS (the former Cornell Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing) has become IRIS (the Institute for Resource Information Systems). The scope of IRIS goes beyond scientific and technical issues of remote sensing, according to the newly named director, Stephen D. De Gloria, who also serves as associate professor of resource inventory and analysis in the Department of Soil, Crop and Atmospheric Sciences. IRIS will advance the characterization, understanding and evaluation of environmental systems through the application of resource inventory, aerospace remote sensing, geographic information systems, global positioning systems and related spatial information technologies, De Gloria said. IRIS is now composed of three program areas: Resource Inventory, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems under the leadership of Eugenia Barnaba, William D. Philpot and Stephen D. Smith, respectively. These IRIS programs are currently located in both Hollister and Emerson halls and will be joining other units of the Center for the Environment at Rice Hall in the near future.

Sagan returns: Carl Sagan, the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences, has returned to Ithaca after successful treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Wash. Recent medical tests point to a complete recovery from a rare bone marrow disease. Sagan is beginning to resume a full schedule. In the spring, he will be teaching Astronomy 202 -- Our Home in the Solar System. The course compares Earth with the other worlds in the solar system. Other ongoing projects include co-producing a film based on his novel Contact, pursuing scientific questions about organic matter in outer space, and completing work on two forthcoming books. A one-hour documentary on Sagan, produced by CBS News for the Arts & Entertainment Network's Biography series, is scheduled to air 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9.

Fraternity's awards: On Saturday, Nov. 2, the New York Beta Chapter off Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity held its third annual Balanced Man Scholarship awards banquet. This scholarship serves to recognize exceptional freshman men who excel in the areas of scholarship, leadership, athletics and community service. Provost Don Randel was guest speaker at the banquet held at the fraternity house at 109 McGraw Place. More than $1,500 in scholarship funds were given to the three award winners: Peter Weinert, Antar Al-Qawwee and Rudolf Koch.