A student reads a newspaper in a campus library.
November 2007
Friday, November 30
Nano's Rear-View Mirror
New York Times - Nov. 29, 2007
A study recently released by several Cornell researchers describes how previously failed biodegradable plastic product, Biopol, was made strong and quicker to decompose by the addition of clay nanoscale particles.
New Devices Aim to Catch Breast Cancer Sooner
ABCNews - Nov. 7, 2007
The use of thermography at Weill Cornell Medical College is mentioned as one of the new ways doctors are using to try to detect breast cancer. Thermography is a technology developed decades ago to map heat from enemy missiles.
Thursday, November 29
Search For Treatment: Researchers Focus on Genes and Inflammation in Search for Clues to Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
New York Times - Nov. 29, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Ronald Crystal is quoted in an article about new studies expanding our knowledge of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.
Eltrombopag Studied In Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Medical News Today (United Kingdom) - Nov. 29, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. James Bussel heads a study that has developed a way to improve the condition of people diagnosed with chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, an auto-immune disease of the blood, and is quoted in an article about the study's findings.
Scientists Learn How to Deal with Rogue Asteroid Threats
Space.com - Nov. 28, 2007
Article mentions how measurements from the Arecibo radio observatory, operated by Cornell, revised the calculated odds of the asteroid Apophis hitting the Earth in 2029 to 1-in-45,000.
A plan for Cayuga Lake monitoring
Ithaca Journal - Nov. 28, 2007
Frank Proto, chair of the Tompkins County Water Resources Council, discusses the strategic monitoring plan for Cayuga Lake being developed with Cornell.
Spa offers fine wine - baths
Lexington Herald-Leader - Nov. 28, 2007
Weill Medical College Diane Berson is quoted in an article about a spa that offers bathing in red wine as a skin and body treatment.
Wednesday, November 28
New in paperback
Raleigh News & Observer - Nov. 28, 2007
History Professor Michael Kammen's new book "Visual Shock: A History of Art Controversies in American Culture" and English Professor Robert Morgan's book "Brave Enemies" are reviewed and listed.
Riding on the tails of Tigers' success
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Nov. 28, 2007
A study by Economics Professor Robert Frank is cited in an article about the "Flutie Effect," the upsurge in admissions and donations that follow a successful collegiate athletics program.
Researchers deem Alzheimer's a Type 3 diabetes
Chicago Tribune - Nov. 27, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Dr. Norman Relkin is quoted in an article about research that shows that Alzheimer's disease is a form of Type 3 diabetes.
Computed tomography angiography accurate in detecting coronary artery disease
News-Medical.Net (Australia) - Nov. 27, 2007
Weill Medical College Dr. James K. Min is quoted in an article about a new radiological method of detecting coronary artery disease.
Tuesday, November 27
'Mindless Eating' author to fight obesity
USA Today - Nov. 27, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink is taking a leave of absence to serve as executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
A Common Casualty of Old Age: The Will to Live
New York Times - Nov. 27, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Martha L. Bruce is quoted in a look at depression in the elderly.
Ben Nichols, professor and former mayor of Ithaca, dies at 87
Newsday - Nov. 26, 2007
Story on Ben Nichols, professor emeritus of Engineering and former three-term mayor of Ithaca, NY, who died Saturday.
A child doesn't need a father to be happy
The Observer (United Kingdom) - Nov. 25, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Peggy Drexler's book, "Raising Boys Without Men: How Maverick Moms are Creating the Next Generation of Exceptional Men," is cited in an op-ed piece on single women raising children without a father.
Monday, November 26
A Pep Rally For 'Red Hot Hockey' At Madison Square Garden
New York Sun - Nov. 26, 2007
The society page of the New York Sun extensively covered a pep rally held before this past Saturday's Madison Square Garden hockey game between Cornell and Boston University. The article quotes President Skorton and features several past, present and future Cornellians, as well as a photo album. The game was also covered by the New York Times, the New York Daily News, Lower Hudson Online, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, Cstv.com, U.S. College Hockey Online, and several other publications.
Top nanotechnology schools rent out their labs to businesses
Newsday - Nov. 26, 2007
The Cornell NanoScale Facility's director, George Malliaras, and User Program Manager Mike Skvarla are quoted in an article that takes a look at research conducted at the nation's nanoscale facilities by private industry.
1800: Dawn of partisan elections
Philadelphia Inquirer - Nov. 25, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign" by Edward J. Larson.
In Broadway Dispute, Questions of Fairness
New York Times - Nov. 25, 2007
Labor Management Relations Professor Emeritus Lois Gray is quoted in an article about the strike by stagehands in New York City.
Samuel L. Leonard, Cornell Zoologist, Dies at 101
New York Times - Nov. 23, 2007
Animal Science Professor Emeritus Ari Van Tienhoven is quoted in an obituary of Zoology Professor Emeritus Samuel L. Leonard, whose work in reproductive endocrinology led to development of the birth control pill.
Wednesday, November 21
Some Say Eating Contests in Bad Taste
New York Times - Nov. 21, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, is quoted in a look at eating contests.
DEC: Lake Source Cooling has no impact
Ithaca Journal- Nov. 21, 2007
A NY state Department of Environmental Conservation regional engineer states that the Cornell Lake Source Cooling project has had no impact on water quality in southern Cayuga Lake.
Evolution study finds 300 new genes
DrugResearcher.com (United Kingdom) - Nov. 21, 2007
Biological Statistics and Computational Biology faculty member Adam Siepel heads a study that has discovered 300 previously unknown human genes, and is quoted in an article about its findings.
Tuesday, November 20
A Hazy Future for a "Jewel" of Space Instruments
New York Times - Nov. 20, 2007
Robert Brown, director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, is quoted in an article about the ramifications of recent budget cuts to the Arecibo Observatory.
Extending the Arm of Campus Law
Inside Higher Ed - Nov. 20, 2007
Judicial Administrator Mary Beth Grant and law student Andy Cowan, vice chair of the Codes and Judicial Committee, are quoted in a story about proposed expansions of universities' judicial jurisdictions.
Decline of the Tenure Track Raises Concerns
New York Times - Nov. 20, 2007
ILR Professor Ronald Ehrenberg, director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, is quoted in an article about new findings by the American Association of University Professors that show a decline in the number of faculty with tenure or on a tenure track at American colleges and universities.
Samuel Leonard, pioneer in reproductive science, dies at 101
Syracuse Post-Standard - Nov. 19, 2007
Zoology Professor Emeritus Samuel Leeson Leonard, whose pioneering work in reproductive endocrinology in the 1930s led to development of the birth control pill, died Nov. 12 at his home, just four days before his 102nd birthday.
Cornell seeks Qatar partnerships for sustainable development
AME Info (United Arab Emirates) - Nov. 19, 2007
Francis J. DiSalvo, the John A. Newman Professor of Physical Science and founding director of the Cornell Center for A Sustainable Future, is quoted in an article about his visit to the Texas A& M University Qatar at which he delivered a lecture on the formation of partnerships for sustainable development.
Monday, November 19
Expert: Many Underestimate Calories
CBS News - 60 Minutes - Nov. 18, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, is one of the experts in a segment about the call by health advocates for fast-food restaurant chains to list calories on their menus.
Book Looks at John and Abigail Adams
Washington Post - Nov. 18, 2007
History Professor Beth Norton is quoted in an article on a new book, "My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams," a compilation of 289 letters the two historical figures wrote to each other.
Abuse Risk Seen Worse As Families Change
ABC News - Nov. 17, 2007
Elliott Smith, Associate Director of the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, is quoted in an article that describes the way children brought up in nontraditional family structures, homes without both biological parents, have a heightened risk of child abuse.
On Strike to Protect the Gains of the Past, With an Eye on the Future
New York Times - Nov. 17, 2007
ILR Professor Richard Hurd is quoted in an article about the state of labor relations in light of the current strikes by Hollywood writers and New York stagehands, as well as the recent walkouts by auto workers at General Motors and Chrysler.
Iconoclastic to the end
The Jerusalem Post (Israel) - Nov. 16, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "On God: An Uncommon Conversation" by the late author Norman Mailer with Michael Lennon.
Friday, November 16
You a mindless eater? 5 tips to handle the holidays
NBC News - The Today Show - Nov. 16, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, was interviewed at length by Matt Lauer on why Americans eat mindlessly. Article includes a link to the video of the report.
Water we waiting for?
Philadelphia Daily News - Nov. 16, 2007
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor David Pimentel is quoted in an article about the potential shortage of freshwater supplies.
The punk band for thinking headbangers
Honolulu Advertiser - Nov. 16, 2007
The punk rock band Bad Religion, which features Ecology and Evolutionary Biology alum (Doctorate) Greg Graffin, now a UCLA life-science professor, is profiled.
Fertility Therapies Under the Microscope
Wall Street Journal - Nov. 15, 2007 (subscription required)
Weill Medical College Professor Zev Rosenwaks is quoted in an article about controversies surrounding fertility treatments.
A Threat to Both Mom and Her Baby
U.S. News & World Report - Nov. 15, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Carol Levy is quoted in an article about gestational diabetes, which can develop in women during a pregnancy.
Thursday, November 15
Follow this eat-right plan to fortify your immune system
CNN - Nov. 14, 2007
Weill Medical College professor Susanna Cunningham-Rundles, Ph.D. is quoted in a collection of health tips aimed at bolstering one's immune system.
Virginia This Morning
WTVR CBS 6 - Nov. 14, 2007
English Professor Robert Morgan talks about his career and the interesting discoveries he made about the life of Daniel Boone while researching his new book "Boone: A Biography." (NOTE - Select "Robert Morgan" from the "Virginia This Morning Video" list at the top center of the page.)
To Know Us Is To Love Us
Slate Magazine - Nov. 14, 2007
Anthropology grad student Eric Henry is quoted in an article about changing views on Americans by residents of foreign lands.
NASA blasted for ignoring smaller asteroids
New Scientist (United Kingdom) - Nov. 9, 2007
Astronomy Professor Don Campbell is quoted in an article about a hearing of the Committee on Science and Technology in Congress that addressed funding of various methods of detecting asteroids that threaten to impact with the Earth, including the radar measurements provided by the Arecibo Observatory, which is facing the loss of its funding.
Wednesday, November 14
Microvascular system that nourishes engineered tissues developed
Thaindian.com (Thailand) - Nov. 14, 2007
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering faculty member Abraham Stroock is the senior author of a study in which minute channels within a water-based gel imitated a vascular system at the cellular scale and provided oxygen, essential nutrients and growth factors to nourish individual cells.
Responsibility Pays
Forbes Magazine - Nov. 13, 2007
Management Professor Mark Milstein, Director of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, is quoted in an article about the benefits for corporations of being socially responsible.
EarthTalk: cleaner cars, planetary limits
MSNBC - Nov. 13, 2007
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology grad student Josh Donlan is quoted in an answer to a reader's question about rewilding, the proposal to bring African and Asian wildlife to roam free in North America to help restore natural ecological balances.
Publicity of protest can make stock fall
Salt Lake Tribune - Nov. 12, 2007
Sociology Professor Sarah Soule co-authors a study that describes the impact of protest on the company targeted by the action.
How A Mussel Shut Down A Nuke Plant
Syracuse Post-Standard - Nov. 12, 2007
Natural Resources Professor Edward Mills is quoted in an article about the way Lake Ontario's zebra and quagga mussels are behind the surge of seaweed that shut down the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant three times in the past two months.
Tuesday, November 13
Ancients knew chocolate was good
CNN - Nov. 13, 2007
Anthropology Professor John Henderson leads a study which has determined that chocolate was used in drinks in Central America 3000 years ago.
Big Apple Grapples With Multiple Showbiz Strikes
New York Times - Nov. 13, 2007
ILR Professor Richard Hurd is quoted in an article about the effects of both the national writer's strike and the Broadway stagehand's strike on the entertainment industry in New York City.
Workers would lose jobs under mandatory health-insurance laws, report says
The Kansas City Star - Nov. 13, 2007
Policy Analysis and Management faculty members Richard Burkhauser and Kosali Simon authored research funded by the Employment Policies Institute that suggests that laws that require employers to provide health insurance to employees will cause one in 10 of those workers to lose their jobs.
Weight Around the Waist
New York Times - Nov. 13, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Louis Aronne answers a reader's question about whether or not liposuction reduces the health risks from added weight in a person's midsection (it doesn't).
Loyalty a Factor in Heroism
The Guardian (United Kingdom) - Nov. 11, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink is quoted in an article about a study he contributed to which looked at what personal qualities make people heroic in war.
Monday, November 12
RIT chief's inauguration a mix of joy, grief
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Nov. 10, 2007
President David Skorton is quoted in an article about the inauguration ceremony of alumni William Destler, Rochester Institute of Technology's ninth president, at which he was the keynote speaker.
Balancing Act: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Remembers Her First Steps in the Law
Law.com (Legal Times) - Nov. 12, 2007
In a profile on Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court Justice reflects on her years leading up to her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, and she describes the impact novelist Vladimir Nabokov, former Cornell professor of Russian literature, had on her as an undergraduate.
Transformer
Boston Globe - Nov. 11, 2007
History Professor Michael Kammen reviews the book "A Life of Picasso: The Triumphant Years, 1917-1932" by John Richardson.
The visible hand
Hindustan Times (India) - Nov. 10, 2007
Economics Professor Kaushik Basu authors a profile of the economist Prasanta Pattanaik.
Push to sedate resistant immigrant prompts bill
The Dallas Morning News - Nov. 2, 2007
Adjunct Law Professor Stephen Yale-Loehr is quoted in an article about a man denied due process and facing deportation.
Friday, November 9
Study: Alfalfa Disease Hits Northeast
New York Times - Nov. 9, 2007
Michael Wunsch, a Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Plant Pathology, is the lead author of a study appearing in the October 2007 issue of the journal Plant Disease that details the extent in the Northeastern U.S. of "brown root rot," a fungus that attacks alfalfa and clover with rotting brown lesions and is quoted in an article about the study which also features Plant Pathology Professor Gary Bergstrom.
Experts play the heavy on news of chubby perks
MSNBC - Nov. 8, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Louis Aronne is quoted in an article about research that found that being overweight did not increase the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.
Companies Boost Healthy Habits
U.S. News & World Report - Nov. 8, 2007
Ron Goetzel, Director of the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies is quoted in an article about large employers' sponsoring of wellness programs and the response to them by their employees.
Study shows why poor kids may make sicker adults
WebIndia123.com (India) - Nov. 8, 2007
Gary Evans, the Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor of Human Ecology, is quoted in a story about a study on the physiological effects (poor health, shortened life span) of poverty in young children.
Securing a Father's Place In American Social History
Forward - Nov. 7, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "Abraham Epstein: The Forgotten Father of Social Security" by Pierre Epstein.
Thursday, November 8
Pregnancy barely slowed Paula Radcliffe at NYC Marathon
New York Daily News - Nov. 8, 2007
Weill Medical College Dr. Ilana Brownstein is quoted in an article about New York City Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe, who trained for the event throughout her pregnancy.
Maybe Money Does Make the World Go Round
Chronicle of Higher Ed - Nov. 8, 2007
"The Economic Naturalist," by Economics Professor Robert Frank is one of the works featured in a look at books that use economists' reasoning presented in clear prose to investigate and explain curious events and patterns in our lives.
Scientists convene to look at climate change
Providence Journal - Nov. 8, 2007
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor Robert H. Howarth is quoted in a story on a gathering of scientists to study climate change.
Company develops biodegradable packaging from CO2
FoodProductionDaily.com (France) - Nov. 7, 2007
Story discusses the fact that Ithaca, N.Y., company Novomer has raised $6.6 million in seed funding to develop a range of biodegradable plastics. Chemistry and Chemical Biology Professor Geoffrey Coates, the company's chief science officer, is quoted.
Cornell warns farmers about brown root rot
WSTM-TV 3 - Nov. 5, 2007
Plant Pathology Professor Gary Bergstrom is quoted in an story about the detection of the crop disease brown root rot in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Wednesday, November 7
When Trust in an Expert Is Unwise
New York Times - November 7, 2007
Economics faculty member Henry Schneider talks about an experiment he once conducted concerning auto repair shops that illustrated the economics principle of the "expert service problem."
Employment gap Between Working-Age People With and Without Disabilities Continues
KLFY-TV 10 - November 7, 2007
Andrew Houtenville, director of the Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell, discusses the institute's study that measures the employment gap separating working-age people with and without disabilities.
Survey shows price of gratuity is rising, as is number of recipients
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - November 7, 2007
Hotel Administration faculty member Michael Lynn is quoted in an article about a study on changing aspects in the practice of tipping.
U.S. Food Aid Critics Call on Congress for Overhaul
NPR - All Things Considered - November 7, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Chris Barrett is one of the experts interviewed in a report on criticism of the United States' Food Aid program.
Plants might help clean contaminated soil
DailyIndia.com (India) - November 6, 2007
Plant Biology Professor Leon Kochian is quoted in an article about a study that suggests that certain plants can help clean toxins out of the soil by accumulating metals into their body parts.
Tuesday, November 6
Avoid common mistakes of child car seats
Albany Times-Union - Nov. 6, 2007
Cathy Dort of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County is quoted in an article about possible dangers of improperly used or faulty child car seats.
Restaurant trend: fresh & local
4Hoteliers (Hong Kong) - Nov. 6, 2007
Hotel Administration faculty member Alex Susskind is quoted in a look at the Cornell Food Safety and Nutrition Roundtable, held in September 2007 at the School of Hotel Administration.
Kamikaze pilots had some reasons to wear headgear
Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman - Nov. 6, 2007
Economics Professor Robert Frank's book "The Economic Naturalist: In Search of Explanations for Everyday Enigmas" is quoted in an answer to a reader's question about why kamikaze pilots wore headgear during their missions.
DARPA race pushes robotics forward
CNET - Nov. 5, 2007
Cornell's entry into the 3rd annual DARPA Urban Challenge was one of the 6 out of 11 finalists (out of 89 original applicants) that successfully completed the test of driverless cars on urban streets at the former George Air Force Base in Southern California's Mojave Desert last weekend.
Rule Britannia, and the United States too
Baltimore Sun - Nov. 4, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the Modern World" by Walter Russell Mead.
Monday, November 5
Japan's macho males
Japan Today (Japan) - Nov. 5, 2007
Linguistics major Sarah Andrus authors an op-ed piece about the daring fashion choices of many men in Tokyo, Japan.
College Towns Escape the Pain
New York Times - Nov.4, 2007
In an article about the subprime mortgage crisis, the presence of Cornell University is mentioned as a reason for Ithaca, NY, being at the top of the list of the top 10 metropolitan areas with the lowest percentage of subprime loans in 2006.
Eat less, save health and save the planet
Albany Times-Union - Nov. 4, 2007
In her monthly column, Cornell Farm to School Program Director Jennifer Wilkins discusses the overall advantages, for both the individual and the world, of eating less.
Forum says upstate N.Y. needs better marketing
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Nov. 4, 2007
City and Regional Planning Professor Susan Christopherson is quoted in an article about a conference held on campus last week that discussed reasons behind the loss of qualified workers in the region.
Safety concerns lead to feeding suggestions for jerky pet treats
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel - Nov. 3, 2007
Veterinary Medicine Professor Richard Goldstein is quoted in an article about safety concerns being raised over dog treats.
Friday, November 2
2 Winning Drug Tests, One Expected and One a Surprise
New York Times - Nov. 2, 2007
Dr. Ira M. Jacobson, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Weill Cornell, comments on the exciting results of recent research into curing Heptatitis-C.
Pianist-psychiatrist Richard Kogan gives concert-lecture on Leonard Bernstein
Plain Dealer (OH) - Nov. 2, 2007
Dr. Richard Kogan of Weill Cornell, a psychiatrist and Juilliard-trained pianist, discusses how he explores the psychological aspects of composers to gain a better understanding of their music.
'Multiplier Effect' No Longer Enough, Society Expects More of Farms Today
Agri-View - Nov. 1, 2007
Stanley "Lee" Telega, a senior extension associate in Animal Science, comments on the different issues farmers may face in the changing rural landscape.
Thursday, November 1
Mother Nature offers many fields of study
USA Today - Nov. 1, 2007
John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is quoted in a look at citizen science groups, non-professional science enthusiasts who greatly contribute to scientific study.
Cameron Suspended for Violating Stimulant Policy
New York Times - Nov. 1, 2007
Nutritional Science Professor Thomas Brenna is quoted in an article about the suspension of Mike Cameron, center fielder for the San Diego Padres, by Major League Baseball for violating the organization's policy on stimulants.
Keep Halloween wrappers out to eat less
United Press International - Oct. 31, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, discusses a study he authored which finds that people eat less mini-size Halloween candies when they keep the visual reminder of the wrappers - how much has already been eaten - in sight.
Climate change already upon us
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Oct. 31, 2007
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Arthur DeGaetano, director of the Northeast Regional Climate Center, is quoted in an article about the 33rd annual Community Salute to the Environment in Rochester, NY, at which he was the keynote speaker.
Certain Seizure Patients Need Emergency CT Scan
U.S. News & World Report - Oct. 31, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Cynthia L. Harden is the lead author of a new guideline for emergency room patients with seizures.