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October 26, 2000 NEWS BRIEFS Matter matters Penn’s Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), one of the nation’s pioneering materials research centers, just received the second-largest grant from the National Science Foundation to materials research centers nationwide. The NSF awarded a five-year, $17 million grant to LRSM to continue its work developing innovative materials ranging from synthetic proteins to carbon fibers with unrivaled strength (Current, Oct. 12). The University will match the funds with approximately $2.1 million. Established in 1960 as one of the nation’s first three interdisciplinary materials research centers, LRSM has been supported by the NSF since 1972. Instant advice A new component has been added to the Penn InTouch system that makes it easier for students and their academic advisors to create and monitor their plans of study towards their degrees. Advisor InTouch, unveiled at a Logan Hall demonstration Oct. 18, allows students to do their degree planning and requirement auditing on line. It also lets faculty check students’ degree plans and draw up official plans of study for approval by school offices. Seamon farewell Vice President for Public Safety Thomas Seamon, after overseeing a double-digit decrease in nearly every category of campus crime, will step down at the end of this month to become the CEO of TrainLogic, a security training and consulting company in Blue Bell, Pa. Toward the end of his five years of running the University Police, Special Services, Security Services and the Office of Fire and Occupational Safety, he moved the departments to a new centralized headquarters at 4040 Chestnut St. University Police Chief Maureen Rush will assume his post until a permanent replacement is found.