May 5, 1997
Volume 49, No. 31

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tomasello receives Guggenheim Fellowship Michael Tomasello, professor of psychology, has been named a 1997 Guggenheim Fellow. Tomasello received the fellowship for his project "The Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic Origins of Human Cultural Learning." Guggenheim Fellows are appointed based on "unusually distinguished acheivement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment." Tomasello was one of 164 artists, scholars and scientists chosen to receive awards totalling almost $5 million. Lung cancer summit goes live via satellite The Winship Cancer Center has been chosen as one of the sites for the Nationwide Summit on Lung Cancer, a videoconference that will be broadcast live, via satellite to medical centers around the nation. The summit takes place on May 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. The videoconference is being broadcast from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland. ABC News correspondent Cokie Roberts will moderate a panel discussion. The panel will have representatives from the National Cancer Institute, the President's Cancer Panel and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. The broadcast can be viewed at Emory Hospital Auditorium, room E214. A question-and- answer session led by Emory lung cancer experts will follow.   Emory Healthcare provides melanoma screenings The Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Center, part of the Winship Cancer Center, and the Department of Dermatology will sponsor a free screening for melanoma on Wednesday, May 21. The screenings will be conducted by Emory Healthcare dermatol- ogists at Emory Hospital in classrooms B and C. The screenings are free and open to the public. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, but if discovered early, can often be succesfully cured. Risk factors for malignant melanoma include family or personal history of melanoma, a light complexion, multiple or abnormal moles, and a blistering sunburn in childhood. Menger awarded for his 'originality' Fredric Menger, Candler Professor of chemistry, will receive the 1997 Charles Herty Medal from the American Chemical Society. The Society cited Menger's work for its originality, its attack on preconceived notions and its real-world applications. Roald Hoffman, professor of physical science, Cornell University, said, "The independence he exhibits in his thought, and the care with which he expresses his ideas, mark him to me as one of the very few truly original organic chemists in the world." Menger, a faculty member since 1965, has focused his research on bio-organic chemistry, enzyme models, the development of films and polymers, and host-guest chemistry. The solid gold medal is presented to a chemist in the Southeast who has made significant contributions to his or her chosen field. It will be presented to Menger at a ceremony on May 28. New Pathology and Laboratory Medicine chair James L. Madara, professor of pathology and director of the division of gastrointestinal pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, has been named chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the School of Medicine effective July 1. Madara is a nationally recognized scientific investigator in the area of epithelial cell biology. He currently is principal investigator for four National Institutes of Health grants focusing on interactions between epithelial cells-the cells lining our organs-and neighboring cells, including other epithelial cells, environmental pathogens and inflammatory cells. After earning his bachelors degree from Juniata College in 1971, Madara received his M.D. degree from Hahnemann Medical College in 1975. He completed his internship and residency at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston and served as a research fellow in the departments of medicine, pathology and anatomy and cell biology at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Attracted to Emory because of its outstanding reputation and its strong leadership committed to academic development and scholarly activities, one of Madara's first responsibilities will be to build a research group focusing on the area of epithelial pathobiology. "My goal is to continue the development of the pathology department into one in which clinical activities interface synergistically with biomedical research activities," he said. Madara noted that there are two major challenges facing academic pathology departments today. These include avoiding becoming two separate departments-clinical and research-which are noninteracting and protecting the careers of outstanding young faculty members as well as established investigators at a time of shrinking resources.

CAMPUS NEWS Yerkes protext turns ugly as demonstrators attempt to push past barricades and police   The countdown 'commences'; bon voyage 1997 graduates   Dalili attends Presidents' Summit on America's Future   DNA research discovers cause of one type of muscular dystrophy   Supreme Court and politicians ingoring 'right-to-die'   Heads of state at Carter Center conference   Perks in store for employees using alternate transportation   Come soar to 'Greater Heights' with fellow Emory staff   Issues in Progress   Wellness   PERSPECTIVES First Person: Abigail Trafford Johns ability to build relationships reverberates years later   Profile: Vince Johnson For Johnson, commencement's the most wonderful time   SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH Vandall writes the book on torts and makes it shorter   No offense: To viruses and bacteria, we're just a snack Longstanding service honored at luncheon Four employees are celebrating their 40th anniversary with the University this year. Glynda Gerron, chief medical technician in the Clinical Research Unit; James Lackey of Administrative Services; Jean Mooty, a financial counselor in Emory Hospital Admissions; and Lorenzo Tookes, a handler in Materiel Management, were honored at the annual Employee Service Awards Luncheon on April 16 along with colleagues who have worked at Emory 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years. Gerron, who began working the same year in which she graduated from the now-defunct School of Medical Technology at age 19, helped set up the Clinical Research Unit in 1960. Tookes has worked in a variety of locations on campus throughout his tenure, including Dooley's Den and the Emory Grill.