Winter 2008

Ticker

Tops in ecology and evolutionary biology

Emory ranks No. 1 in the country in ecology and evolutionary biology, according to a new study by Academic Analytics, which measures the nation’s research universities in terms of faculty productivity. Dean of Emory College Robert Paul attributed the top ranking to Emory’s well-known program in population biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.

Emory scientists elected AAAS fellows by peers

Vaccine scientist Harriet Robinson and chemist Albert Padwa have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Robinson is chief of the Division of Microbiology and Immunology at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and Padwa is the William Patterson Timmie Professor of Organic Chemistry.

Evening MBA ranked No. 2 in nation

In BusinessWeek’s first ranking of part-time (evening) MBA programs, Goizueta Business School ranks No. 2 among all Evening MBA programs in the nation and No. 1 in the Southeast, based on selectivity, quality, and student feedback. Goizueta’s program received an “A” in teaching quality, was named “best for career switchers,” and ranked No. 2 in student satisfaction.

Research Vice President for Health Sciences named

David S. Stephens has been named vice president for research in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. In this newly established position, Stephens will oversee the research enterprise and lead planning activities that enhance collaborations throughout the health sciences and the University. Previously, Stephens was executive associate dean for research in the School of Medicine.

Infectious disease vaccines receive a booster shot

Emory has been awarded a seven-year contract of approximately $23.7 million to evaluate new vaccines and therapies for infectious diseases as one of the newest members of a group of eight Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units across the country. The units are funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

EPIC award honors law school alumnus

Hulett “Bucky” Askew 67L, longtime director of the Office of Bar Admissions for the Supreme Court of Georgia, was honored by the School of Law and the Emory Public Interest Committee (EPIC) at the twelfth-annual EPIC Inspiration awards ceremony in February with a Lifetime Commitment to Public Service Award.

Center for Health Discovery and Well Being opens

Following the adage that it’s better to prevent illness than to treat it, Emory has opened the Center for Health Discovery and Well Being on the eighteenth floor of Emory Crawford Long Hospital, said Kenneth Brigham, director of the University’s Predictive Health Initiative. The center is part of the Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute.

Record-breaking CPR event trains six hundred

Six hundred people learned to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation through an on-campus American Heart Association program this fall. The three-day event trained the largest number of people in “CPR Anytime” in a single venue in the country, said Josh Rozell 08C, chief of Emory EMS, a student-run volunteer organization.

Alumna named new director of 199-year-old Bible Society

Anne Robertson 94T has been named executive director of the Massachusetts Bible Society, an organization founded to further biblical and theological study and reflection through educational programs, grants, and other means of strengthening the ecumenical church. Previously, Robertson served as pastor of the United Methodist Church of Westford, Massachusetts.

Neuroscience ICU receives design award

The neurosciences Critical Care Unit at Emory University Hospital received the 2008 ICU Design Citation Award. The twenty-bed unit, which opened last year, is one of the largest and busiest in the United States. The suites facilitate a high level of patient care as well as providing a family living area and access to showers, a kitchen, and laundry facilities.

Statistics a vital part of clinical trials

A study by Andre Rogatko, professor of biostatistics at the Winship Cancer Institute, shows that researchers should bone up on statistics. An “overwhelming number” of cancer clinical trials are designed without advanced statistical methodology, he reported in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which slows down the delivery of new drugs to cancer patients.

National First Freedom Award to law school’s John Witte

John Witte Jr., Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law and director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, received the 2008 National First Freedom Award. Witte was selected for his “extraordinary commitment to the preservation and protection of the principles of religious freedom,” said Ambassador Robert A. Seiple, president of the Council of America’s First Freedom.