A student reads a newspaper in a campus library.
October 2007
Wednesday, Ocotober 31
Bush Chooses Retired Army Surgeon to Lead V.A.
New York Times - Oct. 31, 2007
Weill Medical College alumnus Dr. James B. Peake, a retired Army lieutenant general who is a thoracic surgeon, was selected by President Bush on Tuesday to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SU takes aim at $1 billion fundraising goal
Syracuse Post-Standard - Oct. 31, 2007
ILR Professor Ronald Ehrenberg, director of Cornell's Higher Education Research Institute, is quoted in an article about Syracuse University's upcoming $1 billion fundraising campaign.
AIDS study spurs Haitian outrage
Miami Herald - Oct. 31, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Jeffrey Laurence is quoted in an article about the controversy over a new scientific finding that AIDS came to the United States from Africa via Haiti as early as 1969.
Tuesday, October 30
Number of MRSA cases in pets increasing
Newsday - Oct. 30, 2007
Veterinary Medicine faculty member Dr. Patrick McDonough, director of the Bacteriology and Mycology Section of the Animal Health Diagnostic Center, is quoted in an article about pets contracting MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) from their owners.
How to Figure Out When Therapy Is Over
New York Times - Oct. 30, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Richard A. Friedman authors an article about how to determine when to end treatment by a psychotherapist.
Microfluidics and optical trapping integrated for the first time in new lab-on-a-chip research
Innovations Report (Germany) - Oct. 29, 2007
Engineering faculty member Michal Lipson heads a research team that has devised a means of sorting microscopic particles using light.
America's megachurches: What do they sell, and why do faithful buy?
Baltimore Sun - Oct. 28, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "How Christianity Went From In Your Heart To In Your Face" by James B. Twitchell.
Monday, October 29
Saudi Trumpets New University's Independence
Washington Post - Oct. 29, 2007
President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes is quoted in an article about the newly opened King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.
The anti-Israel lobby?
High Beam - Oct. 29, 2007 (subscription required)
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy" By John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt Farrar.
Qatari 'doctors-to-be' vow to serve society
The Peninsula (Qatar) - Oct. 28, 2007
Jehan Al Rayahi, a Qatari fourth year medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, is quoted in a look at her school.
Bulb Basics
New York Times - Oct. 28, 2007
Mark Bridgen, director of Cornell's Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Riverhead, N.Y., is quoted in an article of advice on planting bulbs.
Friday, Oct. 26
Web's social networks play crucial roles in disasters
San Diego Union-Tribune - Oct. 26, 2007
Communication faculty member Jeffrey Hancock is quoted in an article about the roles such social networking web sites as Facebook and MySpace are playing in keeping people connected during disasters like this week's Southern California wildfires.
London NFL Game Creates a Common Opponent for Giants, Dolphins: Jet Lag
Bloomberg.com - Oct. 26, 2007
Psychology Professor James Maas comments on the effects of sleep disruption associated with crossing five time zones, in an article about the upcoming game between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium - the National Football League's first regular-season game held outside North America.
Congress Again Tries to Get Colleges to Curb Computer Piracy
Chronicle of Higher Ed - Oct. 19, 2007
Tracy Mitrano, director of Information Technology Policy, is quoted in an article about the controversy over proposed legislation to combat music and movie piracy on campus computer networks.
Thursday, October 25
Pushing Five O'Clock Shadow Back a Few Hours
New York Times - Oct. 25, 2007
Dr. Neil Sadick, Weill Medical College Professor, is quoted in an article about products that slow the growth of facial hair in men.
Author speaks about eating habits
Minnesota Daily - Oct. 25, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, is quoted in an article about a speaking engagement of his at the University of Minnesota last night.
'Propeller' moonlets strengthen theory of Saturn's rings
France24.com (France) - Oct. 24, 2007
The discovery by a team led by Astronomy research associate Matthew Tiscareno of tiny moonlets in the planet Saturn's rings is cited in an article about new research into the formation of the planet's rings.
How the arms race came to an end
Baltimore Sun - Oct. 21, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race" by Richard Rhodes.
Wednesday, October 24
Lessons Even Thomas Could Learn
New York Times - Oct. 24, 2007
Human Ecology faculty member Richard L. Canfield is quoted in an article about the aftermath of the recent recall of toys due to lead paint.
Apple a day keeps the calories at bay
USA Today - Oct. 24, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, is quoted in an article about the weight-loss benefits of eating apples.
Chrysler UAW Contract, in Danger, Faces Critical Voting Day in Detroit
Bloomberg.com - Oct. 24, 2007
ILR Professor David Lipsky is quoted in an article about the dissatisfaction by some locals of the United Auto Workers union that threatens the contract reached with automaker Chrysler.
Cornell students carry out biomedical research
Gulf Times (Qatar) - Oct. 24, 2007
Dr. Daniel R. Alonso, dean of the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, is quoted in a look at biomedical research being conducted at the school.
Sandra Day O'Connor in Ithaca
News 10 Now - Oct. 23, 2007
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Cornell Law School, met with reporters for a roundtable during her visit to Cornell and Ithaca this week.
Tuesday, October 23
Tension Tied to Race Percolates in Ithaca
New York Times - Oct. 23, 2007
Africana Studies Professor James Turner is quoted in an article that looks at the recent racial tensions at Ithaca High School.
Talkin 'bout Their Generation
Inside Higher Ed - Oct. 23, 2007
ILR faculty member Jefferson Cowie authors an essay about an assignment he gave his students - to write about the personal meaning of a favorite song.
For Love and a Little Money
New York Times - Oct. 23, 2007
Economics Professor Robert Frank is quoted in an article about paid volunteerism.
Putting the din in dinner
National Post (Canada) - Oct. 22, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab is quoted in a story on the way noise levels in a restaurant affect diners' experience.
Book bits
Christian Science Monitor - Oct. 22, 2007
English Professor Robert Morgan is quoted in a review of his book Boone: A Biography.
Monday, October 22
Invisible Handcuffs
New York Times - Oct. 22, 2007
Cornell President David Skorton is mentioned in Economics Professor Robert Frank's review of the book "Supercapitalism" by Robert B. Reich, former Labor Secretary under President Bill Clinton.
Deal in jeopardy as locals vote no
Detroit Free Press - Oct. 22, 2007
ILR faculty member Arthur Wheaton is quoted in an article about the threatened status of the proposed contract between the United Auto Workers and Chrysler.
It turns out a man's best friend can be feathered
Syracuse Post-Standard - Oct. 20, 2007
Kevin McGowen of the Lab of Ornithology is quoted in an article about Babe, a wild ruffed grouse that has befriended Jim Ostrander, a retired machinist who lives in Locke, NY.
Eat fish while pregnant, US experts recommend
Turkish Daily News (Turkey) - Oct. 20, 2007
Nutritional Science Professor Thomas Brenna is quoted in an article about the benefits for women of eating fish while pregnant.
Organic Candy
Wall Street Journal - Oct. 18, 2007 (subscription required)
Weill Medical College dietician Sari Greaves is quoted in a look at unconventional organic candies.
Friday, October 19
In the face of changes, Postal Service cuts back
MSNBC - Oct. 18, 2007
Rick Geddes, director of undergraduate studies in Policy Analysis and Management, comments on the reduction of the postal workforce.
Paul Gastris on the Colbert Report
Comedy Central - Oct. 15, 2007
Paul Gastris, editor and chief of Washington Monthy Magazine, which puts out a college ranking list, is featured here on the Colbert Report from Monday. In this clip he says that Cornell is the only Ivy that "makes his magazine's top 10."
Thursday, October 18
A real yardstick for virtual worlds?
New York Times - Oct. 17, 2007
Associate Professor of accounting Robert Bloomfield comments on the Metaverse Market Index he co-created, which seeks to gather data on virtual worlds.
Hotrod Continent
ScienceNOW - Oct. 17, 2007
Professor of earth and atmospheric sciences Jason Phipps Morgan comments on a study of the tetonic plate below India and the possible implications it may on research of deep mantle convection.
Nobody likes weeds - not even nature
Vacaville Reporter (CA) - Oct. 17, 2007
Department of Horticulture retiree Leslie Weston comments on weed-suppressive perennials that can be used for decorative landscaping.
Tarantulas are more than a great Halloween prop
Courier Post (NJ) - Oct. 18, 2007
Entomology associate Linda Rayor comments on the calming effect she gets from keeping tarantulas as pets.
Wednesday, October 17
Higher Milk Prices Help Dairy Farmers
Washington Post - Oct. 17, 2007
Applied Economics and Management senior extension associate Mark Stephenson suggests that the increase in milk prices has allowed this to be a "recovery year" for dairy farmers.
Likelihood of Burst Appendix Tied to Insurance
Wilmington Morning Star (SC) - Oct. 16, 2007
Weill Medical College Surgery and General Preventive Medicine resident Dr. Fredric M. Pieracci comments on a study which found that patients with public insurance were more likely to suffer from a burst appendix.
Researchers Shed Light on Best Diet for the Land
WHAM-TV Rochester - Oct. 16, 2007
A study by Crop and Social Sciences post-doctoral associate Christian Peters found that supporting a low-fat vegetarian diet may be a very efficient use of cropland in upstate New York.
Nicotine Damages Arteries
ScienCentral - Oct. 16, 2007
Research by molecular biologist Daniel Catanzaro of Weill Medical College has shown that nicotine may accelerate atherosclerosis.
Tuesday, October 16
Travel Club Grows Despite Industry Woes
Forbes.com - Oct. 15, 2007
Hotel Finance Professor Jan de Roos comments on the similarity between country club memberships and exclusive luxury destination clubs such as Executive Resorts, a company owned by AOL co-founder Steve Case.
AT&T, Verizon May Follow GM With Union Health Funds
Bloomberg.com - Oct. 15, 2007
ILR Dean Harry Katz comments on the appeal for companies to set up retiree trusts rather than giving long-term benefit guarantees to unions.
Inside the Rehnquist court
Philadelphia Inquirer - Oct. 14, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court" by Jeffrey Toobin.
Monday, October 15
Analysts puzzle over UAW's strike strategy
JournalStar (NE) - Oct. 13, 2007
ILR Professor Richard Hurd comments on the failures of longer strikes by some union groups.
Scholars look at U.S. role in Vietnam
Lexington Leader-Herald (KY) - Oct. 13, 2007
History Professor Fredrik Logevall suggests that the U.S. decision to escalate the war in Vietnam in 1965 "is on some level inexplicable."
The Evolution of Bullying
LiveScience - Oct. 12, 2007
Anthropology Professor Meredith F. Small examines the possible correlation between bullying and the function of social rank in primates.
Friday, October 12
A Duel in the Sun
Washington Post - Oct. 12, 2007
In an article about this year's Solar Decathlon, team member Siobhan Rockcastle describes some of the features of Cornell's entry into the competition.
India-US team developing pest-resistant eggplant
NetIndia123.com (India) - Oct. 12, 2007
Plant Breeding and Genetics faculty members Ronnie Coffman and K. V. Raman discuss the pest-resistant eggplant they have recently developed.
Winemakers look to hardy hybrids for solutions to environmental challenges
San Francisco Chronicle - Oct. 12, 2007
Horticulture Professor Bruce Reisch is quoted in an article about wines made from hybrid grapes.
U.S. Workers Strike Less Often Than in Past
NPR - All Things Considered - Oct. 11, 2007
In an interview, ILR Professor Richard Hurd talks about why strikes have become less frequent, and shorter in duration, in the United States.
Food council can grow big market for local food supporting programs like these
Albany Times-Union - Oct. 7, 2007
In her monthly column, Cornell Farm to School Program Director Jennifer Wilkins discusses the all-around advantages of buying locally grown produce.
Thursday, October 11
Stretching the Search for Signs of Life
New York Times - Oct. 11, 2007
Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen recounts how a conversation he had 12 years ago with the late Astronomy Professor Carl Sagan on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence inspired him to help fund the Allen Telescope Array, a cluster of radio telescopes that will scan for radio signals from outer space. The article discusses the Array's origins, their first day of operation today, and mentions the Cornell-managed Arecibo Radio Observatory and it's funding-threatened status.
Curbs on Illegal Immigrants In Workplace Dealt a Setback
Wall Street Journal - Oct. 11, 2007 (subscription required)
Adjunct Law Professor Stephen Yale-Loehr is quoted in an article about a federal judge's ruling that has dealt a setback to the Bush administration's efforts to curb illegal immigrants in the workplace.
Home-Schooled Students Rise in Supply and Demand
Chronicle of Higher Education - Oct. 11, 2007
The experience of freshman Katelin Dutill is related in an article about home-schooled students entering college.
Chrysler, UAW pact reached
The Windsor Star (Canada) - Oct. 11, 2007
ILR Professor David Lipsky is quoted in an article about the aftermath of a six-hour strike by the United Auto Workers against Chrysler.
Study questions value of common breast cancer drug
USA Today - Oct. 10, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Anne Moore is quoted in an article about a study that finds that the chemotherapy drug Taxol does not work for the most common form of breast cancer and helps fewer patients than initially believed.
Wednesday, October 10
Dalai Lama: Small Steps Toward World Peace
CBS News - Oct. 10, 2007
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, spoke before an audience of 5,500 people in Cornell's Barton Hall during his two-day visit to Ithaca, NY.
The Experts Suggest
New York Times - Oct. 10, 2007
Findings by Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, are cited in a collection of tips for parents to get their children to eat healthy foods.
All we are is dust in the wind - from black holes, astronomers say
CBC Montreal (Canada) - Oct. 10, 2007
Astronomy faculty member Dan Weedman is quoted in an article about a study that traces the origins of the star-forming dust out of which life was formed.
Our Opinion: Credit firms win in bill
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Oct. 10, 2007
Marketing faculty member Eric Eisenstein testimony before the Georgia state legislature is quoted in an editorial about proposed legislation concerning identity theft.
Behaviorists use dog genes to understand compulsive disorders
Dallas Morning News - Oct. 9, 2007
Veterinary Medicine Professor Katherine Houpt is quoted in an article about research that looks at dogs for insight into compulsive disorders in humans.
Tuesday, October 9
Back to Nature
The Chronicle of Higher Education - Oct. 9, 2007
Ellen Z. Harrison, director of the Cornell Waste Management Institute, is quoted in an article about the Institute's research into composting the carcasses of deer killed on the nation's roadways.
Bad Marriage, Bad Heart?
CBS - Oct. 8, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Robert Allan is quoted in an article about a study that finds that people in negative marriages and close friendships are more likely to have heart disease.
Students bask in sun-powered homes contest
Agence France-Presse (France) - Oct. 7, 2007
Cornell's participation in the 2007 Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., is mentioned in an article about the competition.
Monday, October 8
Union to focus on Chrysler
Business Day (South Africa) - Oct. 8, 2007
ILR Dean Harry Katz is quoted in a story on the upcoming contract negotiations between the automaker Chrysler and the United Auto Workers labor union.
Senator's Illness Requires Monitoring
New York Times - Oct. 7, 2007
Weill Medical College faculty member Dr. Norman Relkin is quoted in an article about the decision by U.S. Senator Pete Domenici to not seek reelection due to his having frontotemporal lobar degeneration, a progressive brain disease.
Cornell plans affordable housing initiative
WSTM-TV 3 - Oct. 6, 2007
President David Skorton announced Saturday the university's plan to invest $20 million over the next 10 years in affordable work force housing, transportation management, and infrastructure improvements.
Fall is the time to prepare lawn for next year
Akron Beacon Journal - Oct. 6, 2007
Horticulture faculty members A. Martin Petrovic and Frank Rossi are quoted in an article that offers tips on lawn care for the fall season.
Life and debt in suburbia
CNNMoney (Money Magazine) - Oct. 5, 2007
Economics Professor Robert Frank is quoted in an examination of the ways middle class families judge their financial health.
Friday, October 5
Edison's Dimming Bulbs
Newsweek - Oct. 5, 2007
Economics Professor Robert Frank comments on the not immediately obvious benefits of purchasing fluorescent light bulbs in an article about their growing prevalence.
Ig Nobel prizes lampoon science
CNN - Oct. 5, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, is a recipient of one of 10 Ig Nobel prizes awarded this week for humorously unusual (yet often legitimate) scientific achievements. The recipients of the annual award, handed out by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine, were honored at Harvard University's Sanders Theater.
N.Y. Attorney General Investigates Effectiveness of Facebook's Efforts to Root Out Sexual Predators
Chronicle of Higher Education - Oct. 5, 2007
An editorial in The Cornell Daily Sun is quoted in an article about an investigation by the New York State Attorney General's office into the social-networking website Facebook due to complaints by its users.
Ford likes the look of proposed contract
Detroit Free Press - Oct. 4, 2007
ILR faculty member Arthur Wheaton is quoted in an article about Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford's positive reaction to the tentative contract rival General Motors Corp. reached with the UAW and what that portends for the automaker's own upcoming negotiations with the labor union.
Architect or implementer?
Jerusalem Post (Israel) - Sept. 28, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "Twice as Good: Condoleezza Rice and Her Path of Power" by Marcus Mabry.
Thursday, October 4
Ethics and Clinical Trials
New York Times - Oct. 4, 2007
In a letter to the editor, Weill Medical College faculty members Joseph J. Fins, M.D., and Inmaculada De Melo-Martin comment on a prior article about a report on failures in protecting human subjects participating in clinical trials.
Environment Onboard
Syracuse Post-Standard - Oct. 4, 2007
Comet Skateboards, a California company, is moving to Ithaca to make biodegradable skateboards using technology developed by Fiber Science and Apparel Design Professor Anil Netravali.
Wednesday, October 3
Potent new 'nanofabrics' repel germs
CNN - Oct. 3, 2007
Fiber Science and Apparel Design faculty member Juan Hinestroza is quoted in an article about student Olivia Ong's line of clothing, made of cotton fabric coated with nanoparticles that combat bacteria and viruses.
Plant networks can send warnings, spread viruses
Kazinform (Kazakhstan) - Oct. 3, 2007
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology faculty member Andre Kessler is quoted in an article about the ways plants can send messages to other plants via a network of interconnecting underground or overground stems and runners.
Blame prosperity: It's a fat world after all
Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Oct. 2, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Dr. Louis J. Aronne is quoted in an article about the causes of the world's obesity epidemic.
Fed sanguine if dollar descent stays orderly
MSNBC - Oct. 2, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Eswar Prasad is quoted in an article about the advantages and disadvantages of the declining value of the U.S. dollar.
Tuesday, October 2
Fast Food "Halo" Hurting Consumers?
CBS News - The Early Show - Oct. 2, 2007
Applied Economics and Management Professor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, appeared live on The Early Show this morning discussing the "halo" effect, where, in fast-food restaurants that offer healthy selections, consumers are more likely to order higher calorie drinks and/or desserts and other items to go with their meals than they would at other fast-food restaurants.
Concierges go extra mile in Internet age
USA Today - Oct. 2, 2007
Hotel Administration faculty member Chekitan S. Dev is quoted in a story about the changing face of hotels' concierge operations in the information age.
Outcomes For Patients With Hepatitis C Improved By Weight-Based Dosing Of Ribavirin
MediLexicon (United Kingdom) - Oct. 2, 2007
Weill Medical College Professor Ira Jacobson, M.D., leads a study about a new method of treating hepatitis C.
Spiders can make great pets year-round
Arizona Republic - Oct. 1, 2007
Entomology faculty member Linda Rayor is quoted in an article on the advantages of having spiders as pets.
Monday, October 1
Freezing ovaries for later use is 'burgeoning technology'
Newsday - Oct. 1, 2007
Weill Medical College Dr. Kutluk Oktay is quoted in an article about ovarian cryopreservation.
A Sharp pen that too often drips with acid
Boston Globe - Sept. 30, 2007
American Studies Professor Glenn Altschuler reviews the book "In a Cardboard Belt!: Essays Personal, Literary, and Savage" by Joseph Epstein.
Romancing the Honeybees
New York Times - Sept. 30, 2007
Daniel Gilrein, an entomologist with the Suffolk County Cornell Cooperative Extension, is quoted in an article about how colony collapse disorder is affecting a Long Island beekeeper couple.
Columbia Furor: 'It Is Irrational to Debate the Insanity of Hate'
Wall Street Journal - Sept. 29, 2007 (subscription required)
In a letter to the editor, Johnson Graduate School of Management student Julian Aldeco comments on the decision by Columbia University to allow Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at the University on his recent trip to the United States.
On a wing and a prayer
Hindustan Times (India) - Sept. 30, 2007
Economics Professor Kaushik Basu authors an essay on philosophical musings inspired by a bout of food poisoning while in the foothills of Mount Fuji attending an international conference.