Emory Report
December 10, 2007
Volume 60, Number 14

   
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December 10, 2007
Around Campus

Survivor speaks out on Gulag prison system
On the eve of the opening of a King Center exhibit tracing the history of the Soviet Union’s forced labor camp system and its impact on Russia and the world today, human rights activist Sergey Adamovich Kovalev will speak at Emory. The event, organized by Emory’s Center for Russian and East European Studies, the Department of Russian and East Asian Languages and Cultures and others, is set for Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 205.

Kovalev will also speak with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. “Conversations at the Carter Center ” will be webcast live on www.cartercenter.org and will feature a panel of human rights leaders discussing the Gulag prison system’s impact, as well as offer comparisons to the American Civil Rights Movement.

A survivor of Soviet persecution, Kovalev is president of the Moscow-based Human Rights Initiative and a leading member of Russia’s democratic opposition. As both a cofounder of Memorial, a civic organization devoted to the memorializing of the victims of political persecution, and the Moscow branch of Amnesty International, Kovalev has been an open critic of the Yeltsin and Putin administrations. Kovalev will be joined at the Emory event by his son Ivan, who was also imprisoned at the Gulag.

David Stephens appointed VP for research in WHSC
Emory has named David Stephens vice president for research in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. In this newly established position, Stephens will oversee the WHSC research enterprise and lead planning activities that enhance Emory research programs and collaborations.

Previously, Stephens was the executive associate dean for research in Emory School of Medicine. He directs the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine.

“This new research position is a critical part of our strategy to achieve the WHSC vision of transforming health and healing,” said Fred Sanfilippo, executive vice president for health affairs, CEO of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and chairman of Emory Healthcare. “Dr. Stephens has been a remarkably productive member of the WHSC research and administrative teams. His numerous and notable successes in garnering major research grants, his proven ability to collaborate within the University and with external research partners, his groundbreaking research discoveries, and his local, regional and national leadership make him the ideal person to hold this key new position.”

Learn more about Emory’s community, diversity plans
The Emory community is invited to attend an informational session with diversity consultants on Monday, Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. in 400 Administration Building. Discuss ideas that will help Emory create community and diversity plans.

For more information, call 404-727-2616.

Dec. 28 last day to request library items from storage
Woodruff Library’s Level 6 materials will be returned from storage and inaccessible to staff and users Dec. 28 through Jan. 27. Items classified HN-KZ and N-NX must be requested before noon, Dec. 28, or before Dec. 19 for reserve requests. Level 6 will reopen Jan. 28, 2008.

For more information, visit http://web.library.emory.edu.

Faculty, staff can save on cars with Ford discount
Emory faculty and staff are eligible to receive a discount at most Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Mazda stores, through Dec. 31.

Made possible by the law firm of Borda, Lorenz and Geggie, the Ford X-Plan offers faculty and staff a fixed, “no-hassle” price on select vehicles at a substantial savings. The X-Plan pricing is available whether a purchase is made outright, financed or leased.

To sign up for the program, Emory employees must obtain an X Plan PIN number from Fran Kleabir at fkleabir@ford.com or Jane Regan at jregan18@ford.com, and reference the Borda, Lorenz and Geggie firm.
Present the PIN to a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover or Mazda dealerships to qualify for X-Plan pricing.