December 2006
Thursday, December 21
When It Comes to a Search for a Spouse, Supply and Demand Is Only the Start
New York Times - Dec.21, 2006
Robert H. Frank, the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management at the Johnson School of Business, looks at the practicality and pitfalls of analyzing relationships based on an economic model.
It's a med alert!
Some remedies may be a prescription for trouble
Daily News - Dec. 21, 2006
Dr. Linda Vahdat, of Weill Cornell Medical College, comments on the recent study further showing the risks of hormone replacement therapy treatments for post-menopausal women.
Janitors union shops for a mall worker contract
Houston Chronicle - Dec. 20, 2006
ILR Professor Richard Hurd comments on the SEIU's Justice for Janitors campaign in Houston.
FOOD: Meal-assembly kitchens find niche amongst busy families
Amherst Record - Dec. 20, 2006
Debra Perosio, lecturer in Applied Economics and Management, comments on the trend towards convenience meals, such as meal-assembly shops and carside pick up from restaurants.
Wednesday, December 20
2006: A year in birding
San Marcos Record - Dec. 19, 2006
In an annual roundup of local and global trends in birds, Lab of Ornithology's annual feeder study is mentioned as a sign that the evening grosbeak may be in trouble due to declining sightings since 1989.
Christmas snow a no-go for most
USA Today - Dec. 20, 2006
Keith Eggleston, Regional Climatologist for the Northeast Regional Climate Center, predicts that this winter will be among the least snowy in the last century. Later in the article Mark Wysocki, of the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences department, notes that this winter appears similar to the winter of 1997 with very little snow until a blizzard hit on April Fool's Day.
Tuesday, December 19
Ivory-Billed Sightings Piling Up
Discovery Channel - Dec. 18, 2006
Sightings of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, which have accumulated since the sighting Cornell confirmed in 2004, are discussed, including a recent sighting by a man who had attended a workshop on how to identify the bird.
Another sad intrusion
Contra Costa Times - Dec. 19. 2006
Steven Yale-Loehr, adjunct professor at the Law School, comments on the Automated Targeting System being employed by the government that ranks the risk that American and international travelers pose for terrorism or criminal acts.
MeMe Roth And National Action Against Obesity Name 2006 Heroes and Villains in U.S. Fight Against Obesity
eMediawire.com - Dec.19, 2006
Brian Wansink, director of Cornell's Food and Brand Lab, is listed as a hero for the fight against obesity, noting his recently released book "Mindless Eating," which explores the eating habits of Americans.
Monday, December 18
On the Job, Learning Disabilities Can Often Hide in Plain Sight
New York Times - Dec. 17, 2006
ILR Professor Susanne M. Bruyere is quoted in an article about how companies cope (or fail to cope) with employees with learning disabilities.
Ark. Men Say they Saw Rare Woodpecker
New York Times - Dec. 15, 2006
Connie Bruce of the Lab of Ornithology is quoted in a report on a possible sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker in Arkansas.
Fast Chat: Steven Squyres
Newsweek - Dec. 16, 2006
Astronomy Professor Steve Squyres is interviewed about the Mars Exploration Rover mission.
Fraternity celebrates 100 years of service, looks to next century
Toledo Blade - Dec. 17, 2006
Members of northwest Ohio chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha, the nation's first African-American fraternity, founded at Cornell in 1906, gathered in Toledo to celebrate the fraternity's centennial celebration and its impact on the lives of area men.
Censored WWII reports unveiled 61 years later
Chicago Sun-Times - Dec. 17, 2006
East Asia Program faculty member Mark Selden is quoted in a story about reports from post-WWII Japan that had been censored and are now being released in a book entitled "The Atomic Bomb Suppressed: American Censorship in Occupied Japan," by Monica Braw.
From interior monologues to exquisite, aching stories
Philadelphia Inquirer - Dec. 17, 2006
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "The Conference on Beautiful Moments," by Richard Burgin.
99-cent pricing hooks shoppers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Dec. 17, 2006
Johnson Graduate School of Management faculty member Manoj Thomas is quoted in an examination of the psychological underpinnings of people's preferences for prices that end in 99 cents.
Why teens do risky, stupid things
Pravda (English Language) - Dec. 16, 2006
Human Development Professor Valerie F. Reyna is the co-author of a study that explores the reasons teens are more likely that adults to engage in high-risk behavior.
Friday, December 15
Ill Friend Spurs Alzheimer's Aid
Wall Street Journal - Dec. 15, 2006
Alums Helen and Robert Appel gift of $15 million to Weill Medical for Alzeimer's research is listed as Wall Street Journal's Gift of the Week.
Hanukkah -- Dreidel 101
Austin American-Statesman - Dec. 15, 2006
Rabbi Yechiel Frank of the Cornell United Religious Work is quoted in a history of the traditional dreidel game associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
John Mohawk dies at age 61
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Dec. 15, 2006
American Indian Program's Robert Venables and Jose Barreiro are quoted in the obituary for Native American intellectual John Mohawk.
Music Pioneer Ahmet Ertegun Dies at 83
New York Times - Dec. 15, 2006
Weill Medical College faculty member Dr. Howard A. Riina, who was the neurosurgeon of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun (who passed away at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center due to head injuries from a fall at an October Rolling Stones concert) is quoted in the obituary for the Rock and Roll pioneer.
Towns try new ways to fight annual invasion
USA Today - Dec. 15, 2006
Lab of Ornithology's Kevin McGowan is quoted in a story about steps, both humane and not, several towns nationwide are taking to dissuade crows from flocking to their municipalities.
Democrats watch health of South Dakota senator
The Miami Herald - Dec. 15, 2006
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Matthew Fink comments on the condition of Sen.Tim Johnson, D-S.D., who is recovering from brain surgery, in an article that discusses the ramifications of the Senator's health for Democratic control of the Senate.
Immigration Law
New York Law Journal (subscription required) - Dec. 13, 2006
Adjunct Professor of Law Stephen Yale-Loehr is the co-author of a review of Supreme Court decisions and other recent cases that reemphasize that criminal lawyers should consider the possible immigration consequences of guilty pleas or criminal convictions for their noncitizen clients.
Thursday, December 14
Brain thrust Can stem cell transplantation stop a rare, fatal disease?
San Diego Union-Tribune - Dec. 14, 2006
Weill Medical College Professor Ronald Crystal is quoted in a report on stem cells being used to treat Batten disease, a fatal, untreatable brain disorder.
Spring's Timing Thrown Off
San Francisco Chronicle - Dec. 14, 2006
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor David Winkler is quoted in an article about the reverberations climate change appears to be having throughout all aspects of the ecosystem.
NASA's Moon Plan Worries Mars Scientists
New York Times - Dec. 14, 2006
Astronomy Professor Steve Squyres is one of the scientists attending an American Geophysical Union meeting commenting on the advantages and disadvantages of proposed manned exploration of the moon for future robotic and manned Mars exploration.
Next goal for Mars rover: Victoria Crater
New York Times - Dec. 14, 2006
Astronomy Professor Steve Squyres is quoted in an article about the Martian Rover Opportunity, which is exploring the rim of Victoria Crater and may be sent on a trip inside it.
New York Gets Ready to Count Calories
New York Times - Dec. 13, 2006
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brain Wansink is quoted in an article about a new law in New York City that requires restaurants to list the calories of each menu selection.
Late composer leaves $6.5 million to Cornell music department
Albany Times-Union - Dec. 13, 2006
The estate of the late composer and Cornell alum Sidney Cox includes a $6.5 million gift for Cornell's music department.
Wednesday, December 13
GE employee was involved in promising Alzheimer's research
Albany Times-Union - Dec. 12, 2006
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering alum Erin Finehout is the focus of an article discussing her participation in research that identified 23 biomarker proteins for Alzheimer's disease.
Panel to Debate Antidepressant Warnings
New York Times - Dec. 13, 2006
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Andrew Leon will serve on a panel set to discuss whether drugs prescribed to relieve depression make some people more likely to attempt suicide, and is quoted in an article about the issue.
Christmas music calms newborns, nurses report
Tacoma News Tribune - Dec. 12, 2006
Amanda Ring, a children's health nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell Medical Center is quoted in an article that describes how Christmas music is particularly soothing to newborn babies.
Facebook: A campus fad becomes a campus fact
Christian Science Monitor - Dec. 12, 2006
Office of Information Technologies director Tracy Mitrano's policy memo "Thoughts on Facebook" is cited in a discussion of the social-networking website.
Analysis: New drugs attack blood diseases
UPI - Dec. 12, 2006
Weill Medical College faculty member Richard Furman is quoted in a look at several new advancements in experimental drug medications.
Tuesday, December 12
Detecting Alzheimer's Early
Wall Street Journal - Dec. 12, 2006
Weill Medical College faculty member Norman Relkin is the co-author of a study that has identified 23 biomarker proteins for Alzheimer's in a trial of nearly 100 patients, and is quoted in an article about his work similar research conducted by other institutions. (News of this discovery appeared in over 350 media outlets worldwide.)
Christmas Tree Growers Battle Poachers
New York Times - Dec. 12, 2006
Donna Levy of the Cornell Plantations is quoted in an article about strategies used by tree growers to dissuade Christmas tree poachers by rendering evergreens temporarily discolored and smelly.
In Tuition Game, Popularity Rises With Price
New York Times - Dec. 12, 2006
Ronald G. Ehrenberg, director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, is quoted in a report on factors involved in the rise of college tuition.
First course: For college freshman, eating right is up to them
Wisconsin State Journal - Dec. 12, 2006
The 2003 Cornell study on the "Freshman 15" weight gain is cited in a look at students' dietary choices at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Low-fat Labels Can Lead to Weight Gain
ABC News - Dec. 11, 2006
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brain Wansink is the co-author of a study that finds that people consume more calories when they eat low-fat snacks than when they eat the regular versions.
What to eat for a better sex life
MSNBC - Dec. 11, 2006
Weill Medical College faculty member Dr. Barbara Bartlik is quoted in a story about foods that are beneficial to a person's sex life.
Monday, December 11
The 6th Annual Year in Ideas
New York Times Magazine - Dec. 10, 2006
Cornell faculty were cited in this year's listing of the Year in Ideas issue of the New York Times Magazine:
The New Equality- Economics Professor Robert Frank is cited in an examination of factors affecting the changing nature of economic inequality.
The E. Coli Wipe- The biohazard-detecting napkin developed by Human Ecology and Engineering members Dapeng Li, Margaret Frey and Antje Baeumner is listed.
Cohabitation Is Bad For Women's Health- Research by Nutritional Science faculty members Caron Bove and Jeffery Sobal was drawn upon for a new study that finds that women tend to gain weight once they move in with male partners.
Hottest Ad Space in Times Square May Be on Tourist's Cameras
New York Times - Dec. 11, 2006
Engineering senior Christian Montoya is quoted in a story about the way advertising messages in New York City's Times Square are proliferated worldwide by virtue of being in the background of visitors' widely disseminated still and video digital imagery.
When E. Coli took on a mean streak
Newsday - Dec. 10, 2006
Food Science Professor Robert Gravani is quoted in a report on the history of E. coli that traces its evolution from a harmless bacterium to the danger it is today.
A more perfect union?
New York Daily News - Dec. 10, 2006
Gene Carroll, director of Cornell's Union Leadership Program, is quoted in an article about the ongoing labor dispute between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York City and the Transport Workers Union.
Count finds more than 50,000 crows in Terre Haute
Indianapolis Star - Dec. 10, 2006
The Lab of Ornithology's Kevin McGowan is quoted in a look at the migration of 58,000 crows to Terre Haute, Ind.
Friday, December 8
Oxnard farm may be linked to E. coli cases
Los Angeles Times - Dec. 8, 2006
Food Science Professor Robert Gravani is quoted in an article about the E. coli outbreak in food from several New York and New Jersey Taco Bell restaurants.
Are We Facing an Epidemic of Self-Injury?
Chronicle of Higher Education - Dec. 8, 2006
Human Development Professor Joan Jacobs Brumberg's essay on the prevalence of self-injury, or "cutting," in today's youth discusses Cornell research on the issue and presents an historical perspective.
Speaker: Child care must be economic priority
Syracuse Post-Standard - Dec. 8, 2006
City and Regional Planning faculty member Mildred Warner called for business leaders to make affordable child care a priority at this year's United Way of Central New York's Success by Six annual policy breakfast.
Gambling on Luck-Based Benefits
Los Angeles Times - Dec. 8, 2006
A study from the Cornell Institute for Health and Productivity Studies on presenteeism, the hidden costs of employees coming to work while sick, is referenced in a look at workplaces that have adopted paid time-off banks, which combine sick leave and vacation days.
It's a busy time for environmental activities in Rockland
The Journal News (NY) - Dec. 8, 2006
Design and Environmental Analysis faculty member Jack Elliot is quoted in an account about a Cooperative Extension of Rockland County program on green (ecologically friendly) buildings.
Thursday, December 7
Volunteers help tackle the daunting process of applying to college
Seattle Times - Dec. 7, 2006
Recent alum Hemanth Srinivas is quoted in a story about college graduates assisting prospective college students through the application process.
Brewster students explore science at Cornell University
NY Journal News - Dec. 7, 2006
Laurel Southard, director of undergraduate research in the office of undergraduate biology, is quoted in an article about students from Brewster High School who join other students that make academic visits to Cornell, annually, through the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers.
Six experts recount their pursuits of happiness
Wall Street Journal - Dec. 6, 2006
Economics Professor Robert Frank is among experts quoted in a column examining the factors that affect happiness.
Beneficial Bacteria
New York Times - Dec. 5, 2006
Joseph H. Hotchkiss, professor and chair of the Department of Food Science, answers a reader's question about bacteria in yogurt.
Wednesday, December 6
Future Dimming for Puerto Rico Telescope
Los Angeles Times (AP) - Dec. 6, 2006
Story discusses the scientific benefits gained from the Arecibo radio telescope, managed by Cornell, in Puerto Rico and the funding cuts that the facility faces.
The Better Sex Diet
Forbes.com - Dec. 5, 2006
Dr. Barbara Bartlik, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Dr. John Mulhall, Director of the Sexual Medicine Program, both of Weill Cornell Medical Center are two of several experts that explain why adding certain foods to your diet can help you spice up your sex life.
Search for ivory-billed woodpecker resumes in east Arkansas
WMC-TV (AP) - Dec. 5, 2006
Cornell and the Nature Conservancy are supplying experts for the resumed search for ivory-billed woodpeckers in the Big Woods of east Arkansas.
Tuesday, December 5
Cashing In on India's Boom
ABC News - Dec. 4, 2006
Kaushik Basu, the C. Marks Professor of International Studies, comments on how Americans can best invest in India's booming markets.
10 Tips to a Successful Website Redesign
University Business - Dec. 5, 2006
Lisa Cameron-Norfleet, Program Manager of Developer Relations in the office of Web Communications is quoted in a list of tips on how to successfully redesign a University website.
An escape into healing
Virtual reality is helping ease excruciating pain, phobic anxiety and stress from trauma
Newsday - Dec. 5, 2006
Dr. Roger Yurt, director of the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at Weill Cornell Medical College is quoted as the co-author of a study that found pain perceptions of burn victims was reduced during therapy sessions if they were playing a virtual game called Snow/World.
Monday, December 4
With a Shirt and Discounts, Wal-Mart Says Thank You to Workers
New York Times - Dec. 4, 2006
ILR Professor Richard Hurd is quoted in an article about steps Wal-Mart is taking to address employees' increasingly public expressions of discontent with the company.
Take a memo: Ouch!
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Dec. 4, 2006
Design and Environmental Analysis Professor Alan Hedge is quoted in an article that examines how ergonomic changes to workstations can benefit both the health and productivity of the employee.
Weak-willed food makers need a prod
Albany Times-Union - Dec. 3, 2006
In her monthly column, Cornell Farm to School Program Director Jennifer Wilkins comments on initiatives by both governments and some food companies to curb the marketing of fattening foods to children.
Backstory: Look, Mom, it's me. I'm OK!
Christian Science Monitor - Dec. 3, 2006
Cornell's "Hi, Mom!" Web cam, located atop Barnes Hall, is the central focus of a look at web-cams on college campuses.
Gender pay gap narrows -- for unexpected reasons
Los Angeles Times - Dec. 3, 2006
ILR Labor Economics Professor Francine Blau is quoted in an article about how the disparity of pay between genders is narrowing, more from the erosion of men's wages than from increases to women's.
Extra Weight, Higher Costs
New York Times - Dec. 2, 2006
Human Ecology faculty members John Cawley and Jeffery Sobal are each quoted in an examination of the economic and health costs of being overweight or obese.
U.S. universities set up shop in Arab lands
Indianapolis Star - Dec. 2, 2006
Weill Medical College's Qatar campus is mentioned in an article about U.S. learning institutions opening extensions in Persian Gulf lands.
The Nose Knows
National Review - Nov. 30, 2006
Neurobiology and Behavior Professor Dr. Charles Walcott is quoted in a piece on the presence of magnetite, found in many species of bacteria and animals, including humans, aiding in migration and the sense of direction.
Friday, December 1
Feds Rate Travelers for Terrorism
Washington Post - Nov. 30, 2006
Adjunct Professor of Law Stephen Yale-Loehr is quoted in an article about the revelation of the Automated Targeting System, a screening program that for the past four years has been secretly compiling data on travellers and assessing their security risk.
Unions See Opportunity at N.C. Plant
New York Times - Nov. 30, 2006
ILR Professor Richard Hurd is quoted in an article about a crackdown on immigrant workers at Smithfield Foods Inc., and organized labor's response to it.
Cornell's Dairy Store cow is back after three month disappearance
Newsday - Nov. 30, 2006
Cornellia, the fiberglass cow mascot of the Cornell Dairy Store which was stolen three months ago, was returned and found on the pitcher's mound of Hoy Field, wearing a wreath, a Cornell baseball shirt, and with a Rawlings baseball at its feet.
Ethanol: One smart idea, professor says
Grand Rapids Press - Nov. 30, 2006
Michigan State professor criticizes study co-authored by Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor David Pimental suggesting that the production of ethanol requires more energy than it produces.