February 2007
Wednesday, February 28
Ice Cream May Aid Fertility for Some
New York Times - Feb. 28, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Dr. Zev Rosenwaks is quoted in an article about a study that suggests that eating ice cream and other high-fat dairy foods may lower the risk of one type of infertility.
Ten Steps To A Less Stressful Commute
Forbes Magazine - Feb. 28, 2007
The study co-authored by Human Ecology Professor Gary Evans, about rail commuters and their stress levels, is cited in a story that offers tips to commuters for making the trip less stressful.
Orphans of the storm rescued
Wilmington News Journal - Feb. 28, 2007
Lab of Ornithology Director of Conservation Science Ken Rosenberg is quoted in an article about efforts to help pelicans in Delaware that didn't make their annual migration south this winter due to the unseasonably warm weather and were subsequently affected by winter's sudden return in January.
Crowley milk plant shutdown to eliminate 80 jobs
Albany Times-Union - Feb. 28, 2007
Food Science Professor Kathryn Boor comments on the closing of the Albany, N.Y., Crowley Milk plant -- which a study she led last summer had named as having produced the best milk in New York state -- in an article about the impact this will have on the town.
Lie detector software catches e-mail fibbers
The Times of London (England) - Feb. 25, 2007
Communications faculty member Jeff Hancock talks about the lie-detection software being developed by a team of researchers he leads that may be commercially available next year.
Tuesday, February 27
Is an Economist Qualified To Solve Puzzle of Autism?
Wall Street Journal - Feb. 27, 2007
Front page article discusses the research of Economics faculty members Michael Waldman and Sean Nicholson suggesting a possible connection between early childhood TV viewing and autism and urging further study, in the context of a debate over the growing range of issues being examined by economists.
A Shield Against Corporate Bullying
Washington Post - Feb. 27, 2007
In an op-ed column, ILR faculty member Lance Compa comments on corporate executives' response to The Employee Free Choice Act, legislation in Congress that would permit an employee to choose union representation by signing a membership card.
Global action needed to address poverty: economist
The Hindu (India) - Feb. 27, 2007
Economics Professor Kaushik Basu discusses the need to address inequality and poverty through a coordinated global effort.
It wards off dates - but not bad cholesterol
Saint Paul Pioneer Press - Feb. 27, 2007 (registration required)
Weill Medical College faculty members Dr. Mary Charlson and Dr. Marcus McFerren co-authored an editorial accompanying a study which found that garlic does not lower cholesterol.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a test to accurately determine liver damage in dogs
DogFlu.ca (Canada) - Feb. 26, 2007
Veterinary Medicine Research Associate Marjory Brooks is quoted in an article about a blood test that can determine the extent of liver damage in dogs due to the presence of aflatoxins that were recently discovered in pet food.
Monday, February 26
Cornell Courts a Subcontinent
Chronicle of Higher Education - Feb. 26, 2007
Article about U.S. universities' visits to India to develop partnerships and collaborations features the recent visit by a Cornell delegation led by President David Skorton.
House considering legislation on formation of unions
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Feb. 26, 2007
ILR Director of Labor Education Research Kate Bronfenbrenner is quoted in an article about legislation introduced Feb. 6 in the House of Representatives to allow formation of a union after a majority of workers sign an authorization card.
Reserve Relief
Wall Street Journal - Feb. 26, 2007
Trade Policy Professor Eswar Prasad is the co-author of an op-ed piece about China's foreign exchange reserves.
Troy story
The Times of London (England) - Feb. 25, 2007
History Professor Barry Strauss' new book "The Trojan War: A New History" is reviewed.
A Pathway to Success
DIVERSE: Issues In Higher Education - Feb. 22, 2007
Chandra Joos, associate director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, is quoted in a look at Cornell's openness to accepting transfers from community colleges.
Friday, February 23
US born rhino arrives in Indonesian park on mission to breed
Antara News (Indonesia) - Feb. 23, 2007
Andalas, the first Sumatran rhinoceros born in captivity in over 100 years, has been transported safely to his native Indonesia as part of an international breeding program, accompanied by Robin Radcliffe, adjunct professor at the Cornell Veterinary Medicine, who was quoted in the article.
Cod stock hit with cold shift in climate
Boston Globe - Feb. 23, 2007
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Charles Greene is quoted in an article about how climate conditions have impacted the Atlantic fishing industry.
Dog flu closes second facility here
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Feb. 23, 2007
Edward Dubovi, director of the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory's virology center, comments on the extent of dog flu in an article about the virus.
Prostate Cancer Overtreated?
CBS - Feb. 22, 2007
Daniel Barocas, chief resident in urology at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College, is quoted in an article about the low number of men afflicted with prostrate cancer who opt for a "watchful waiting" strategy over possible over-treatment.
Power Napping for Overworked People
The Chosun Ilbo (South Korea) - Feb. 22, 2007
The "power-nap," as coined by Psychology Professor James Maas, is cited as a possible solution for the sleep-deprived in an article about time-pressed office workers in South Korea.
Thursday, February 22
Mom's Mad. And She's Organized.
New York Times - Feb. 22, 2007
In an article about the rise of mother's rights groups nationwide, Sociology faculty member Shelley Correll and her study on discrimination against employees with family responsibilities are mentioned.
Cornell University Initiative Seeks To Broaden Diversity in Computing
DIVERSE: Issues In Higher Education - Feb. 22, 2007
Computer Science Professor and Engineering Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Dr. David Gries and Theory Center Research outreach manager Margaret Corbit are quoted in an article about The Worlds for Information Technology and Science project, an initiative to develop innovative approaches to bring more underrepresented minorities and women into the computing field.
Virtual loses its virtues
Los Angeles Times - Feb. 22, 2007
Sociology professor Michael Macy is quoted in a look at Second Life, an online virtual world in which Internet users act out parallel fantasy lives, and the growing pains this phenomenon is going through due to its increasing popularity.
College donations surge
USA Today - Feb. 21, 2007
Cornell University received the fifth highest amount of charitable donations to U.S. colleges and universities, according to a survey for the Council for Aid to Education, a New York-based non-profit research group.
N-American case of pig meningitis in humans
Pig Progress (The Netherlands) - Feb. 21, 2007
Veterinary Medicine research associate Ruth Zadoks is quoted in an article about the diagnosis of the first reported case of pig meningitis in a human being in North America, in a 59-year-old New York state farmer.
Wednesday, February 21
FOOD: Woofing it down
Journal-Register - Feb. 21, 2007
Veterinary Medicine faculty member Joseph Wakshlag is quoted in a look at people who make home-cooked meals for their pets rather than feed them processed pet-food.
Signing (or Not) a Green Pledge
Inside Higher Ed - Feb. 21, 2007
Cornell's consideration of a plan for "carbon neutrality" is mentioned in an article about schools nationwide signing, or not signing, the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.
Rhino That Could Save All Rhinos
ABC News - Feb. 20, 2007
Veterinary Medicine adjunct faculty member Robin Radcliffe is quoted in an article about the relocation to his native Indonesia of Andalas, a rare Sumatran rhinoceros, the first born in captivity in more than 100 years, as part of an international breeding program.
Meat plant puts hard-luck town on edge
Businessweek - Feb. 20, 2007
ILR faculty member Lance Compa is quoted in a story about a Smithfield Beef processing plant to be opened in economically depressed Hooker, Oklahoma.
Bringing Laboratory Space Back to New York
New York Times - Feb. 20, 2007
Weill Medical College will be one of the institutions participating in the East River Science Park, a $400 million complex of specialized laboratories and office space in three buildings.
Tuesday, February 20
Cornell professor weighs on asteroid threat
News 10 Now - Feb. 20, 2007
Astronomy faculty member Jean-Luc Margot comments on the possibility of asteroids hitting the Earth, in light of this week's call by a group of space scientists for the United Nations to take action on the threat of an asteroid named Apophis that has a one in 45,000 chance of striking the earth in 2036.
Out of Control: A True Story of Binge Eating
New York Times - Feb. 20, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Katherine Halmi is quoted in an article about binge-eating disorder.
Editorial: A level playing field for American workers
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune - Feb. 20, 2007
ILR Director of Labor Education Research Kate Bronfenbrenner is quoted in an editorial that calls for Congress to modernize federal labor law.
Homemade Bombs Most Feared by FBI
Washington Post - Feb. 19, 2007
A look at terrorist bomb-making in the U.S. prominently features a profile of alum Kirk Yeager, whose interest in explosives began while earning a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Cornell.
Taking it up for your neighbours
The Statesman (India) - Feb. 18, 2007
Economics Professor Kaushik Basu is quoted in an article about the second SAARC Business Leaders' Conclave in Mumbai, India, which explored the possibility of outsourcing to India's neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Monday, February 19
Clinton's run cuts both ways for N.Y.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Feb. 19, 2007
Government Professor Theodore Lowi is quoted in a look at how the Presidential candidacy of Senator Hilary Clinton will impact her performance representing New York in the US Senate.
Psychology erases the idea of children as 'blank slates'
USA Today - Feb. 18, 2007
Psychology Professor Barbara Finlay is quoted from an essay she wrote in the online journal Developmental Science on the development of the human mind.
Countdown to extinction
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Feb. 18, 2007
Christopher W. Clark, director of the Bioacoustics Research Program, is quoted in an article about the many efforts to save right whales.
I think, therefore I am, the best
Irish Medical News (Ireland) - Feb. 16, 2007
Psychology Professor David Dunning is quoted in an article about the ways people from all walks of life have self-perceptions that are flawed.
detox diets
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Feb. 17, 2007
Nutrition Professor David Levitsky is quoted in an article about special diets for detoxing from certain substances found in food.
Fat-pet pill? Try common sense
Newsday - Feb. 16, 2007
Veterinary Medicine faculty member Joseph Wakshlag is quoted in an op-ed piece about the pros and cons of Slentrol, a prescription drug combatting obesity in dogs.
Friday, February 16
Two Indian Americans in 'Battle of the Brains'
Hindustan Times (India) - Feb. 16, 2007
Engineering student Anand Bhaskar is quoted in a report on his and fellow students Nitin Gupta and Michael Cheng entry into the finals of the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest in Japan.
Hot chocolate holds steady as winter's power drink
Asbury Park Press - Feb. 16, 2007
The Food Science research that discovered that hot cocoa has cancer-preventing qualities is cited in a look at the popular beverage.
Snow Days
Inside Higher Ed - Feb. 16, 2007
Cornell students' experiences with the closing of the University this past week due to winter weather conditions is included in an account of how schools across the northeast handled the storm.
New Tests Will Help Detect Fish Virus
New York Times - Feb. 15, 2007
Microbiology and Immunology Professor Paul Bowser is quoted in a story about a new test to quickly detect the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, a fast-spreading aquatic virus that threatens the Great Lakes fishing industry.
Cross-cultural marriage rates falling
USA Today - Feb. 15, 2007
Policy Analysis and Management Professor Daniel Lichter is quoted in an examination of the changing trends in marriage across racial and ethnic lines.
Farm Bill a growing concern
Albany Times-Union - Feb. 4, 2007
In her monthly column, Cornell Farm to School Program Director Jennifer Wilkins calls for the renewal of the Farm Bill.
Wednesday-Thursday, February 14 & 15
Economic Scene: A Health Care Plan So Simple, Even Stephen Colbert Couldn't Simplify It
New York Times - Feb. 15, 2007
In his column, Economics Professor Robert H. Frank points out flaws inherent in the health insurance changes President Bush proposed in his recent State of the Union address.
GIMME 5: Moon shots and super stars
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Feb. 15, 2007
Five current and former NASA astronauts who had sports backgrounds during their college days are listed, including Ed Lu from Cornell, who was a member of the Big Red wrestling team.
Cornell power plant wins $1M grant
Syracuse Post-Standard - Feb. 14, 2007
Edward R. Wilson, manager of Cornell's central heating plant, is quoted in an article about a $1 million grant Cornell University received from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority in support of the university's combined heat and power project, which will recover and use heat given off by electricity generation, increasing efficiency.
Goat Milk Ice Cream Scoops New Audience
New York Times - Feb. 14, 2007
Food Science Senior Extension Associate David P. Brown is quoted in a story about the development of a new product to hit grocery shelves - ice cream made from goat's milk.
Studies on Romance Love Valentine's Day
Washington Post - Feb. 13, 2007
Communication faculty member Jeffrey Hancock is quoted in a look at scientific research into the nature of love and romance.
Tuesday, February 13
A Familiar and Prescient Voice Is Back
New York Times - Feb. 13, 2007
The book "The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God," based on a series of lectures exploring the boundary between science and religion that were delivered by the late Astronomy Professor Carl Sagan in Glasgow in 1985, is reviewed.
Surging CEO pay sparks backlash
Adelaide Now (Australia) - Feb. 13, 2007
Economics Professor Robert Frank is quoted in an article examining the growing backlash over extravagant pay packages for US corporate executives.
Branching out
Austin American-Statesman - Feb. 13, 2007
A 2002 study on college majors of Muslim students is cited, and Law alumna Farhana Khera is quoted in an article about the changing career preferences of American Muslims.
Unions Could Target State's Tribal Casinos
Hartford Courant - Feb. 13, 2007
ILR Director of Labor Education Research Kate Bronfenbrenner is quoted in an article about unionization efforts by employees of the Foxwoods Casino and Resort in Connecticut.
A Valentine to the Lovelorn
Palm Beach Post - Feb. 12, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Dr. Catherine Birndorf offers advice to singles on whether or not it is time for them to be dating again in an article on sex and romance in advance of Valentine's Day.
Monday, February 12
Backyard Bird Count Enters Tenth Year
NPR.org - Feb. 11, 2007
Miyoko Chu, science editor for the Lab of Ornithology, is interviewed on Weekend Edition about the 10th annual Great Backyard Bird Count.
Backyard bird counters serve positive purpose
Juneau Empire - Feb. 11, 2007
Increased local participation in the Lab of Ornithology's annual Great Backyard Bird Count is mentioned in this article, encouraging people to join in the count and logon to the user-friendly site to see the difference their count makes in real time.
Acoustic tools may help endangered whales
Portland Press Herald (ME) - Feb. 10, 2007
Christopher Clark, director of bioacoustics research, talks about the use of bioacoustics to locate rare right whales that may be in the path of large ships at sea. The underwater "listening" method would be less costly than the current less effective method of spotting the whales via airplane.
Cornell Research Funds Lead New York Schools, Study Says
Bloomberg News - Feb. 8, 2007
An article discusses Cornell's first economic impact study and compares Cornell's spending with that of other universities.
Friday, February 9
Study: Cornell's Medical Branch Has Big Economic Impact
New York Sun - Feb. 9, 2007
A look at Cornell's first ever economic impact report reveals the fiscal contributions that Weill-Cornell Medical Center brings to New York City.
Bush health care plan: 'You're on your own'
Political Affairs.Net - Feb. 9, 2007
Dr. Oliver Fein, professor of clinical public health, comments on President Bush's proposed plan that would put the burden of purchasing health insurance on the individual.
Thursday, February 8
Gay teens coming out earlier to peers and family
USA Today - Feb. 8, 2007
Ritch Savin-Williams, professor of human development, comments that young people increasingly see gay people in a positive light, in an article discussing the trend of gay teenagers coming out at an earlier age.
Scientists map horse's DNA
Newsday - Feb. 8, 2007
Dr. Doug Antczak, professor of equine medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine, comments on how the rough draft of a mare's genetic blueprint "takes us from the Dark Ages of [equine] genetics to the relative forefront."
Democrats Seek To End Secret Union Ballots
New York Sun - Feb. 8, 2007
Richard Hurd, professor of industrial and labor relations, comments on the difficulty that Democrats face in trying to pass a bill that would replace secret union ballets with a petition-based system.
Wednesday, February 7
Dogs in region fall victim to flu outbreak
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Feb. 7, 2007
Edward Dubovi, professor of virology with the Vet College, comments on the spread and current low fatality rate of the canine flu.
Electoral College reform in Md. sought
Baltimore Sun - Feb. 7, 2007
Theodore J. Lowi, professor of government, comments on the possible effects if Maryland awards its electoral votes to the presidential canidate that wins the popular vote nationwide.
Does your mirror lie?
Lincoln Journal Star - Feb. 6, 2007
A study led by David Dunning, professor of psychology, showed that people often do not recognize their own short comings and may over-rate themselves, which may lead to poor choices.
Dating Online? Expect Weighty, Tall Tales
KVVU-TV Fox 5 in Las Vegas - Feb. 6, 2007
Jeffrey Hancock, assistant professor of communication and information science, discusses the results of his study on online dating, which showed that users of Internet dating sites were most likely to lie about their weight and their height.
Tuesday, February 6
A Break for Fractures
NY Post - Feb. 6, 2007
Dr. S. Robert Rozbruch, Director of the Institute for Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction at Weill Cornell, is quoted on an article discussing the use of electrical stimulation to promote healing fractured bones.
The Global Bet
Washington Post - Feb. 4, 2007
Cornell finance faculty member David Ng's study on home bias among U.S. investors is cited in this article recommending caution when investing in the overseas markets.
In Rigorous Test, Talk Therapy Works for Panic Disorder
New York Times - Feb. 6, 2007
Psychodynamic or "talk" therapy is found to have good results when dealing with panic disorder patients, according to results of a study led by Dr. Barbara L. Milrod, an associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell.
Monday, February 5
America's most expensive colleges
The rules of efficiency and keeping costs down don't apply to academia
Newsweek - Feb. 4, 2007
Professor Ronald Ehrenberg, director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, is quoted in an article about the reasoning behind recent tuition increases.
Iraq's Shadow Widens Sunni-Shiite Split in U.S.
New York Times - Feb. 4, 2007
In an article about Sunni-Shiite Muslim tensions in Arab communities in the U.S. including on college campuses, Cornell and Georgetown are described as being considered "oases of tolerance."
Are Brides Going Too Far to Lose Weight?
ABC News - Feb. 3, 2007
Marilyn Kotcher, a lecturer of social work in psychiatry at Weill Cornell, comments on how even self-assured women may feel the pressure to lose weight for their wedding day.
Delivering pizzas, earning peanuts
Staten Island Advance - Feb. 4, 2007
In a Superbowl Sunday related article, School of Hotel Administration faculty member Michael Lynn discusses the thinking behind people's tendency to tip waitstaff more than pizza delivery drivers.
Friday, February 2
Flight attendants to be tested for secondhand smoke exposure
Akron Beacon Journal - Feb. 2, 2007
Weill Medical College Radiology Professor Dr. Claudia Henschke is quoted in an article about flight attendants requesting CAT scans to screen for lung cancer that may have occurred as a result of secondhand smoke they were exposed to on airline flights before the days of in-flight smoking bans.
First endangered fish species recovers -- and in New York City's Hudson River
Innovations Report (Germany) - Feb. 2, 2007
Natural Resources faculty member Mark Bain is quoted in an article that reports that a fish, the shortnosed sturgeon, has been taken off of the endangered species list.
Street smarts
Newsday - Feb. 1, 2007
Nancy Olsen-Harbich, a human development specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County is quoted in an article about safety skills parents should impart to their children.
DIY cars move a step closer
Auto Express News (UK) - Feb. 1, 2007 (registration required)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering faculty member Hod Lipson's development of the Fab@home, a computer peripheral that can manufacture three-dimensional objects the way a printer prints text, is featured in an article about the device's application to the automotive industry.
Thursday, February 1
Bird sighting
Salt Lake City Tribune - Feb. 1, 2007
Data from Lab of Ornithology's Backyard Feeder Watch program is cited in a look at the Western scrub-jay.
Corporate Research Support Rebounds
Inside Higher Ed - Feb. 1, 2007
Cornell University is ranked 13th in the amount of funding for university research and development in science and engineering fields it receives from industry according to the National Science Foundation Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges.
Study of Work Policies in 180 Countries: U.S. Compares Well With Others in Protecting Individual Workers Against Discrimination, But Ranks Low in Protecting Workers' Family Lives
The Hill - Feb. 1, 2007
Sociology faculty member Shelley Correll is listed as a resource in an article about a major study on public policies for working families in 180 countries.
Kittens might require an extra vaccine series
News-Sentinel - Jan. 31, 2007
Feline Health Center director Dr. James Richards is quoted in an article about the findings of an American Association of Feline Practitioners panel, which he chaired, that has determined that kittens might require an extra vaccine series.
Looking at human impact of Net
University at Buffalo Reporter - Feb. 1, 2007
A profile of alum Michael Stefanone includes his description of projects he worked on while at Cornell, which included mobile wireless devices used to enhance museum tours.
Giffords speaks out to alma mater
Arizona Republic - Jan. 31, 2007
A Cornell Daily Sun interview with alumna U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the youngest woman ever to be elected to the Arizona State Senate and only the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to U.S. Congress, is excerpted.
Clean plates affect calorie totals
Earthtimes.org - Jan. 31, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Postdoctoral Associate Collin Payne offers research-based advice on how to snack during the Super Bowl without gaining weight.
Menstrual mood swings may help women get pregnant
newindpress.com (India) - Jan. 31, 2007
Weill Medical College Faculty Member Emily Stern is quoted in an article about National Institute of Mental Health research that has revealed that the monthly mood swings experienced by many women may serve an evolutionary purpose, by helping to get them pregnant.