PROFESSOR: U.S. SHOULD WORK WITH, NOT AGAINST CHINA: Cooperation is the key to building a strong economic relationship between the United States and China. While President George W. Bush is taking a tough stance after the release of the American spy plane crew, Chu-yuan Cheng, an economics professor, believes U.S. officials should work more closely with the Communist country, a potentially important trading partner with 1.3 billion customers. For more information, contact Cheng at ccheng@bsu.edu.

EXTREMIST GROUPS KEEPING A LOW PROFILE: While extremist groups have fallen from public view since the horrific Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, most are alive and well. Such groups are taking a lower profile given their lack of popularity in light of the worst terrorist act on American soil, said Bryan Byers, a criminal justice professor and expert on hate groups. Contact Byers at bbyers@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1530.

A TALE OF TWO ECONOMIES: The Indiana legislature should be forgiven for trying to spend more money that the state has. They have been spending the last few months working in Indianapolis, where the economic landscape is distinctly different from other corners of the state, says Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business Research. With each year that the state’s capital city and largest urban area surpasses the remainder of the state in economic growth, the gap in affluence between central Indiana and the other 83 counties in Indiana grows more noticeable. Contact Barkey at pbarkey@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5926.

IN THE WEIGHT ROOM, INTENSITY IS THE KEY: Studies show people participating in weight-training routines benefit more from multi-set programs as compared to one-set workouts. However, the key to building strength and stamina is intensity of the workout, says William Kraemer, director of the Human Performance Laboratory. For more information, contact him at wkraemer@bsu.edu or (765) 285-3412.

NEW FIELD STATION BENEFITS STUDENTS, COMMUNITY: Nearly 400 acres of Ball State property has become part of the new Field Station and Environmental Education Center. Field stations are designated areas for scientific investigation of the environment in an outdoor laboratory facility. The stations allow study of ecological processes and responses on a wide range of scales from molecules to ecosystems found in those areas. For more information, contact Kemuel Badger, biology professor and field station director, at kbadger@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8828.