Emory Report

January 18, 2000

Volume 52, No. 17

Emory Year-in-Review January Reviving and 'inventing' traditions and community are goals of new CONTACT Emory. The Committee on Traditions and Community Ties (CONTACT Emory), a group assembled by President Bill Chace as an outgrowth of the 1996 Alumni Leadership Conference, was charged with examining ways to encourage memorable traditions at Emory. The group sent out a survey to the Emory community and planned a series of focus groups to gain feedback. In addition, committee members planned to visit peer institutions to get a sense of traditions and community life on those campuses. Emory taking up mantle and mandate of Commission on Teaching with new council. A new body, the University Advisory Council on Teaching, was appointed to act on the work and recommendations of the Commission on Teaching and to chart a continued course of excellence for pedagogy at Emory. The advisory council initially focused on teaching and technology, teaching students with disabilities, soft money concerns and the documentation of teaching excellence. The council also planned a colloquia series of Emory professors on the subject of teaching. Groups form to plan future development of Emory West. Two groups of faculty and administrators formed to determine the best way to utilize Emory's newly acquired acreage with the goal of turning it into a research center for the next millennium. February Lullwater shuttle road options under consideration. In accordance with 1998's Campus Master Plan, which called for the eventual removal of daily car traffic from Emory's core campus, a new parking deck in University Apartments connected to the main campus by a road skirting Lullwater was proposed. Chace and the University Senate committee on the environment reviewed five variations of the plan, taking into account the environmental impact of the new road and its construction. A student coalition gathered 300 signatures on a petition against the plan, as well as posted signs and wrote chalk messages around campus protesting the road. Institute for Jewish Studies launched, Lipstadt to direct. Emory established the new interdisciplinary institute to coordinate, monitor, guide and promote the future growth of Jewish studies and the enhancement of Jewish life at the school. Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies, was named director. Turner delights WHSCAB crowd at Future Makers talk. Ted Turner lived up to his "Captain Outrageous" nickname in a Feb. 9 speech at Emory, speaking for 45 minutes in off-the-cuff remarks centered mostly on the destruction human beings wreak on the environment. Candler Dean Kevin LaGree resigns. LaGree, who occupied the deanship at Candler since 1991, left the theology school at the end of 1999 to take the helm of Simpson College, a private four-year school of about 1,250 students located near Des Moines, Iowa. Lagree oversaw a sevenfold increase in Candler's endowment. Said Chace: "We will miss him greatly, but he should know, as he departs for Iowa, that his legacy is powerful and indelible in Emory's history." Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu discuss peacemaking in Cannon Chapel. The event filled the chapel to capacity Feb. 17 and was marked by an easygoing informality as the two men spoke before an invitation-only crowd. Sitting on opposite sides of LaGree, Carter and Tutu each gave a short talk on his experiences in peacemaking and then answered questions. Emory community has plenty of questions about proposed shuttle road at Lullwater's edge. More than 100 faculty, staff and students gathered at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center auditorium Feb. 24 for a campuswide forum and discussion on the proposed shuttle road along the edge of Lullwater. Chace discussed the necessity of the plan in his opening remarks and later promised that "no new substantial incursion in Lullwater will occur during my administration." March Medical, business schools ranked in U.S. News' Top 25. The rankings appeared in U.S. News and World Report's 2000 "America's Best Graduate School" guide. Emory's School of Medicine moved up to 19th among research-oriented medical schools from a previous ranking of 21, and the Goizueta Business School's MBA program ranking remained unchanged at 21st. The School of Law dropped three spots to 28th, but its triadvocacy program was ranked third. New Council on Information Resources and Technology (CIRT) looks to 'map' high-tech future. The new council was established to develop a strategic vision for how Emory can best use new technologies to accomplish its mission. Formerly the Digital Infor-mation Resources Council, CIRT was established by the provost's office to serve in an advisory capacity, counseling the provost, deans and other top administrators on broad matters of policy and budgetary priority concerning technology and information resources. Emory West master plan takes shape. Adam Gross of Ayers/Saint/Gross, the Baltimore architectural firm that helped create the central Campus Master Plan, and David Clear, campus planning and construction's project manager for Emory West, led meetings held March 30 and 31 in WHSCAB and Goizueta auditoriums to preview plans for the newly acquired annex. The two outlined a variety of features, including building size and construction, parking facilities, use of green space, maintenance and others. The plans called for the razing of all existing buildings-with the exception of Candler Mansion. Sam Nunn/NationsBank Policy Forum. The third annual forum, held March 21-23, brought academic, government and private sector experts together with student delegates from 14 metropolitan institutions. The forum, which rotates among the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Emory campuses, was titled "Leadership, Values and Ethics: Educating Global Citizens for a New Millennium," for 1999. April CLH to redevelop site, build new 16-story medical office space. Emory announced that Crawford Long Hospital would expand with the construction of a 500,000-square-foot, six-story diagnostic and treatment center topped by a 16-story medical office building downtown. The new complex, which will include a 1,000-space visitor parking deck, will help consolidate the hospital's outpatient services and eliminate the need for patients and visitors to navigate a maze of hospital corridors and tunnels. MARTA plans unveiled, area residents still lukewarm. At three public meetings in March and early April, MARTA unveiled several route options in their study of a transit corridor connecting South DeKalb and Clifton Road to the Lindbergh station. Erick Gaither, senior associate vice president for business management, said that of the residents he talked with, "No one was opposed to us getting relief for traffic and congestion. But they had strong feelings about [MARTA] coming through their neighborhoods." May Hunter signs up for another term as law school dean. Dean Howard "Woody" Hunter, after 10 years at the helm, accepted reappointment by Provost Rebecca Chopp for a third term. Hunter's appointment came after implementation of a new tenure review process consisting of review from both internal law faculty and the deans of Duke, New York University and the University of Southern California law schools. Speaker Reich extols the virtues of 'work and wisdom' in crafting post-graduation life. Commencement speaker and former labor secretary Robert Reich urged members of the Class of 1999 to "find a job that makes you happy" and "find a mate whom you love and who will love you back." The 3,192 graduates taking part in Emory's 154th Commencement filled the Quandrangle on a morning where the weather was idyllic. Chace offered a few words of encouragement and advice to the graduates, saying that Emory "is glad to have played its part" in the ongoing human endeavor of teaching, a function that "the world will now carry on for you." June Emory begins 'capital' summer as 14 building projects break ground. Facilities Management waited until summer to do much of the planned construction work that would cause the most inconvenience. Large projects included the Whitehead Research Building, the University Apartments parking deck and shuttle road, continuation of the Open Space project, Cherry Logan Emerson Hall, and the Alumni Center. John Fields, director of project management, said that fall 1999 would be an "interesting time" at Emory, with work on the projects continuing. Further construction figured to take up several more summers, as the list of planned capital projects was long. Law school establishes Sam Nunn ethics chair. An unexpected windfall of money from a lawsuit settlement was used by Emory to establish a faculty chair in ethics and professionalism in honor of alumnus and former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn. The settlement resulted from a lawsuit against chemical company DuPont, alleging the corporation withheld evidence during a 1993 civil case. U.S. District Judge Hugh Dawson of Columbus, Ga., intending to make a statement about the importance of legal ethics, halted a federal criminal investigation in exchange for DuPont's payment of $2.5 million each to Georgia's four law schools, plus $1 million to establish an annual symposium. July Performing arts center will be named for alumna, husband. The soon-to-break-ground performing arts center was named for a couple who donated $8 million toward the new facility. The estimated $30 million, 98,000-square-foot Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, to be built between Goizueta Business School and the Fishburne Parking Deck, was planned to include a 750-seat concert hall, a 150-seat lab theater and a 150-seat dance studio. August Emory and area schools use record-breaking NSF grant to create neuroscience center. The National Science Foundation awarded a five-year grant of nearly $20 million to Emory, Georgia State, Georgia Tech and the Atlanta University Center to become one of five new Science and Technology Centers nationwide. The award to the Atlanta schools, the largest per-year grant ever received by the University, established the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience. Cleland, Barnes, Chace tackle tough issues at forum for U.S. Smart Growth Task Force. The University hosted a field tour of the U.S. Senate Smart Growth Task Force Aug. 25 in the Emory Conference Center. The event, which featured Gov. Roy Barnes and Sen. Max Cleland as well as Chace, was held to discuss various ways to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in Atlanta. September Class of 2003 is smaller (thankfully) but more traveled, more focused on attending Emory. With a class of 1,197 freshmen accepted (47 more than the target of 1,150), Emory College cut back on its number of acceptances. Dean of Adm-ission Dan Walls stressed the large number of early-decision admissions for 1999-40 percent-and the larger number of international admissions-40 students from 20 countries for 1999, up from 25 international students accepted for 1998. Chace declares academic year 2000-01 as "Year of Reconciliation" at Emory. In an open letter to the Emory community, Chace outlined plans for making reconciliation the theme of 2000-01 at Emory, with a major symposium on the subject as the centerpiece. He also mentioned the possibility of special courses and seminars to fit the theme, town meetings with major public figures associated with Emory, and artistic events. "I believe that reconciliation can serve as a broad rubric embracing matters as varied as our own spirituality and beliefs in an era dominated by technology, the inequitable distribution of wealth in the world, the challenge of achieving social justiceand our relationship to the environment," Chace wrote. Emory receives high bond ratings, borrows $295 million to pay for new capital projects. Emory received an Aa1 rating from Moody's Investor's Service and an AA rating from Standard & Poor's (S&P) on new bonds issued in late September. The money was borrowed to finance major construction projects. October Gifts to Emory total $233.9 million for fiscal year 1999, second-best in University history. Said Bill Fox, senior vice president for Institutional Advance-ment, "This tremendous year shows how great the Emory story is and how loyal and committed our friends are." Emory received donations totaling $14 million from individuals, $94.5 million from foundations and corporations, and $114.9 million from trusts and bequests. In addition, $10.5 million was processed in donative gift awards by the Office of Sponsored Programs. Search committees look for leaders in grad school, theology, international affairs. Three search committees were formed to locate new deans of theology and the graduate school, as well as a new vice provost for international affairs. Candler Dean LaGree had left to become president of Simpson College in Iowa, and Graduate School Dean Donald Stein and Vice Provost Marion Creekmore were stepping down to return to the ranks of teaching faculty. Emory hosts inaugural conference on Southern religion. The Oct. 21-23 conference featured President Jimmy Carter and former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, as well as other scholars and religious leaders. The conference featured face-to-face as well as online discussions on "Religion and the American South: Toward a Renewed Scholarship." Emory, state leaders officially dedicate new Vaccine Research Building on Oct. 14. "The idea of the Vaccine Center is to create new technologies that will make our most challenging problems, such as AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, influenza and respiratory viruses, things of the past," said the center's inaugural director, Rafi Ahmed. The new 75,000-square-foot, four-story facility adjoins the main building of Yerkes. November Chace, Maron deliver second annual State of University Address in Glenn Auditorium. Broadcast and webcast live via EmoryVision from Glenn Auditorium, the more-elaborate second edition of the State of the University Address featured a rendition of "Happy Birth-day" to celebrate Dooley's 100th. Chace and SGA Pres-ident Matt Maron spoke. They addressed a variety of issues, including plans for a holiday airport shuttle (Maron) and a declaration of overall fiscal and social health for the University (Chace). Flex-time discussion dominates Nov. 3 PCSW panel. Discussion at a panel organized by the President's Commission on the Status of Women centered on the issues of flexible work options and Human Resources initiatives already in place to combat problems revealed in the PCSW's recently released "Invisible Barriers" study. Alexander named new University general counsel. Kent Alexander, a partner in the King & Spalding law firm and former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, was appointed senior vice president and general counsel for the University, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds the late Joseph Crooks, who died unexpectedly in January 1999. December "Faculty at Emory" project has broad scope to examine professorial roles at the University. The Faculty Council's "Faculty at Emory" project, launched by council chair John Boli, will explore several issues over the next couple of years. Boli, also president of University Senate and an assistant professor of sociology, said the initiative is one for which he and others on campus have felt a need. Issues to be examined include governance authority, maternity leave, mentoring, emeritus opportunities, tenure, and balancing teaching, research and service by faculty members. --compiled by Peter Mills Return to January 18, 2000 contents page