NEWS SPLASH

Monday, June 29, 2009

Tops in State Tennis

The honors keep coming in for Mariam Kurdadze, Tulane tennis player, who was named Louisiana Freshman of the Year and first-team all-state by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Kurdadze, a native of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, claimed first-team All-Conference USA honors in April. She posted a 6-1 mark in C-USA matches in 2009. For the year, Kurdadze was 10-3 in No. 1 singles play while recording a 9-2 mark in No. 2 action.

Her victory total also was the second most by a league freshman. In addition to her performance in singles action, Kurdadze went a combined 14-9 in doubles play.

Book News from Brumfield

The tenth volume in the “Discovering Russia” book series has been published, featuring text and photographs by William Brumfield, professor of Russian studies at Tulane.

The new book, Kolomna: Architectural Heritage in Photographs, was published in Moscow by Tri Kvadrata Publishers with the support of the Kennan Institute. This book, which continues a series on the historic regions of Russia and their architecture, is devoted to the heritage of the city of Kolomna.

The main section of the book consists of a black-and-white photographic survey of buildings. The negatives for these photographs are preserved in the William Brumfield Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Brumfield, a leading specialist on the history of Russian architecture, also is a significant contributor to the two-volume Oxford Companion to Architecture, which will be published soon by Oxford University Press. He wrote two dozen entries and articles on Russian architecture for the volumes.

Friday, June 26, 2009
  

Tops in Women Engineers  

Tulane University ranked first in 2007–08 among U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities in its percentage of bachelor's degrees in engineering awarded to women, according to a new report.  

The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) recently published its annual "Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology Colleges" and Tulane ranked first with 38.3 percent of its bachelor's degrees in engineering going to female students.  

In 2007–08, Tulane awarded 60 BSE degrees, to 37 men and 23 women. The national average is only 18 percent, according to the Tulane School of Science and Engineering.   

Other schools in the top 10, whose percentages ranged from 33.7 to 37.3, were Tennessee State University, MIT, Howard University, North Carolina A&T University, the University of Puerto Rico, Rochester University, Morgan State University, Lafayette College and Rice University.  

The ASEE directory provides detailed profiles of U.S. and Canadian schools offering undergraduate and graduate engineering, as well as engineering technology programs with the intent of preparing prospective students for their future education in engineering.  

Workshop Helps Social Workers  

Social work students and professionals learned ways to cope with challenges from homelessness to natural disasters to family loss at a workshop on Tuesday (June 23) at Tulane.  

More than 100 Tulane School of Social Work students, faculty and staff members and community workers packed Richardson Hall on the uptown campus for a workshop about ways to build hope and resilience in the face of trauma and multiple stress factors.  

Leading the presentations were Gonzalo Bacigalupe, chair of the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, and Peter Fraenkel, associate professor of clinical psychology and environmental psychology at City College of City University of New York. They showed attendees how to help families overcome mental-health issues.  

The workshop was a joint effort between the American Family Therapy Association and the School of Social Work's Porter-Cason Institute for the Advancement of Practice with Families.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Center Receives Award

The Newcomb College Center for Research on Women has received the 2009 National Council for Research on Women Lifetime Achievement Award.

According to a letter from the national organization, the award recognizes a center’s continuing innovative and lasting impact on knowledge, research, policy or action. Crystal Kile, director of the center’s media lab, accepted the award on behalf of the center on June 10 in New York City at the National Council for Research on Women annual conference.

Hooray for City Park

The online votes are counted and Friends of City Park has won a $50,000 grant as the winner of the 2009 Redwood Creek Wines and Planet Green Greater Outdoors Project.  

City Park was one of five finalists in the competition and came out first with more than 40,000 votes.  

Friends of New Orleans City Park plans to use the grant to help restore Couturie Forest, a park nestled at the center of City Park in the heart of New Orleans. The project also will be promoted in an advertisement that will run in major national magazines.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009  

Computerworld Honor  

Tulane University is a laureate in the Computerworld Honors Program, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have used information technology to benefit society.  

Michael E. Britt, director of administrative services at Tulane, received the award medal on behalf of the university at a June 1 event in Washington, D.C.  Xerox Corp. nominated Tulane for the exceptional performance of the university's Document Services Center following Hurricane Katrina.  

The center manages a system of printing equipment and facilities that provide services for more than 11,000 students and 4,000 faculty and staff members. After Katrina, the center had to rebuild its operation, while doing more with less to spur the recovery effort and future growth. Integral to these activities were the center's efforts to move from paper to electronic documents.  

Shakespeare on Stage  

The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane continues its 16th season of professional theater with The Comedy of Errors, opening on Thursday (June 25) at the Lupin Theatre on the uptown campus.  

The production runs through July 11. To reserve tickets phone the Shakespeare Festival box office at 504-865-5105.  

Director Lorenzo Gonzalez will transport the audience to the multi-cultural world of New Orleans in the 1750s for the farce. Gonzalez is a professor of practice on the faculty of the Tulane Department of Theater and Dance, teaching acting and directing.  

Christopher S. Arthur is designing the period costumes, assisted by Cecile Casey Covert. David Raphel is the set designer, with lights by Martin L. Sachs, sound by Liz Waldman and properties by Ricola Willie.  

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Learning About Forest Ecology

A Studio in the Woods will hold an ecology workshop on Saturday (June 27) led by David Baker, environmental curator.

“Ecology of a Bottomland Hardwood Forest in Southeast Louisiana: What Is Happening, Why and the Truth” will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the studio, located at 13401 Patterson Road in New Orleans.

Topics of discussion will include the natural dynamics of bottomland hardwood forests, the species composition of the five different bottomland classes of forest and discussions of botanical invaders of those forests and their impact on Louisiana’s environmental decline.

The session, which includes lunch and the gift of a shield fern plant, costs $45 for studio members and $50 for non-members. To register, send an e-mail message to Anne Mueller. For additional information call 504-392-5359.

New Interim Law Dean

Stephen M. Griffin, vice dean for academic affairs at Tulane School of Law, has been named interim dean of the school.

He will serve as dean while a search is under way to replace Larry Ponoroff, who will step down on July 1. Ponoroff, who has been dean since 2001, is leaving Tulane to become dean of the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law.

Griffin has been a law school faculty member since 1989 and serves as the Rutledge C. Clement Jr. Professor in Constitutional Law. Before coming to Tulane, he was a Bigelow Fellow at the University of Chicago and a research instructor at New York University.

He has published more than 30 articles, book chapters and reviews on topics ranging from Rawls’ theory of justice to the theory of American constitutional interpretation. He is also the author of American Constitutionalism: From Theory to Politics and the recently published Lexis reader, Constitutional Theory: Arguments and Perspectives.

Griffin has won both the Sumter Marks Award in recognition of his publications and the Felix Frankfurter Distinguished Teaching Award, given by the graduating class.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Busy Summer for Golfers

Less than a month after finishing the 2009 NCAA Championships, members of the Tulane women’s golf team are competing on U.S. and international golf courses this summer.

Janine Fellows qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Pub Links on June 1 in Houston. The WAPL will be played June 22–27 at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, Mass.

Linn Gustafsson and Daniela Homqvist, both from Sweden, returned to their native country to play on the professional SAS Masters Tour. Gustafsson finished tied for third and was the low amateur at the IT-Arkitekterna Ladies Open. Holmqvist played at the Felix Finnish Ladies Open.

Samantha Troyanovich competed in the Ladies Titan Tire Challenge, a professional event on the Duramed Futures Tour, in early June. She was the low amateur among a group of 144 golfers. Troyanovich also participated in the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier on June 15 in Chicago, Ill.

Maribel Lopez Porras, an incoming student this fall, earned Laura Diaz first team All-America honors on the Future Collegians World Tour for 2008-09.

Exhibit Honors Architect

The career of Arthur Q. Davis Sr., a graduate of the Tulane School of Architecture, is the focus of an exhibit under way through July 19 at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans.

“Arthur Q. Davis: Legacy of a Modern Architect” is a retrospective of his long career, featuring his papers, photographs and related archival materials. He has been a pioneer in the fields of modern architecture and design in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, building an international reputation while remaining rooted in the culture of his native city.

The Ogden Museum, 925 Camp St., is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

 Friday, June 19, 2009

South Pacific Sing-along

Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre’s production of South Pacific opens on July 30, but fans of the musical can get a warm-up on Saturday (June 20) at a South Pacific sing-along.

The film version, featuring the music of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, will be shown at 8 p.m. at the National World War II Museum at 945 Magazine St. in New Orleans, with three of the city’s favorite actors leading the sing-along — Tulane theater faculty members Gary Rucker and Sean Patterson and comedy star Becky Allen.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and a costume contest starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and the popcorn is free.

Summer Lyric’s theater production of South Pacific runs from July 30–Aug 2 in Dixon Hall on the uptown campus.

Clements Appointed

John Clements, professor and department chair in microbiology and immunology, has been appointed director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at Tulane.

The university-wide unit brings together diverse infectious disease research. Preston Marx, professor of tropical medicine, has served as interim director of the center since January 2008.

Clements came to Tulane in 1982, and his laboratory is known for innovation in vaccine development. He was recognized with an award from the Louisiana Partnership for Technology Development and was named a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

He has a long-standing interest in bio-defense, stemming from his assignment as the officer in charge of the U.S. Marine Corps Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare Defense School at Camp Lejeune, N.C., while on active duty. Clements has since worked with the Department of Defense on numerous vaccine projects. In 2006, he was appointed as a member of the U.S. Defense Health Board.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wave Football on the Road

For the third straight year, Tulane University head football coach Bob Toledo and the Green Wave football staff are on a football satellite camp barnstorming tour throughout Louisiana.

The tour, a series of five camps designed for students in grades 9–12 for the 2009–10 school year, began on Tuesday (June 16) at West Monroe High School and continued on Wednesday (June 17) at Barbe High School in Lake Charles, La. Today (June 18) the caravan stops at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, La., in the morning and continues to Baton Rouge’s Memorial Stadium for an evening session.

“The satellite camps give us the opportunity to reach out to players throughout the state of Louisiana and evaluate their talents, while they have the chance to get to know our staff,” Toledo said. “They will showcase their talents and receive skill lessons and instruction from college coaches.”

The staff returns to New Orleans on Saturday (June 20) for a session at the Westfeldt Practice Facility on the Tulane uptown campus.

The cost of each camp is $20 per day. For more information, contact Thomas Woods at 504-865-5008.

Photography Discussion

The photography work of the late Michael P. Smith, a Tulane alumnus, will be the focus of a panel discussion on Saturday (June 20) at 2 p.m. at the Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St.

The collection has an exhibit under way of Smith’s work called “In the Spirit.”

The moderator of the panel will be John H. Lawrence, director of museum programs and co-curator of the exhibit. Panel members will be New Orleans photographers Matt Anderson, Syndey Byrd and Owen Murphy, as well as Roy Flukinger, senior research curator of photography at the Harry Ransom Research Center, University of Texas–Austin.

Admission is free of charge for the panel discussion, but seating is limited. Reservations are available by calling 504-523-4662.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Free Summer Lyric Tickets

Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University received a grant to give New Orleans public school children and their chaperones the opportunity to see one of three Wednesday night preview performances this summer.

The grant offers a limited number of free tickets for either Oliver! (June 17 at 8 p.m.), Company (July 8 at 8 p.m.) or South Pacific (July 29 at 8 p.m.).

Anyone interested in attending should contact the Summer Lyric operations manager, Charlie Farve Hayes, by e-mail to receive an application packet.

All of the performances are at the Dixon Hall Auditorium on the Tulane uptown campus, and availability is first-come, first-served. For more information, call Hayes at 504-865-5271.

Research Role

Laura Levy, professor of microbiology and immunology in the Tulane School of Medicine, has been reappointed for a second five-year term as the associate senior vice president for research.

Levy will continue to enhance the research and creative accomplishment of the Tulane faculty by facilitating efforts to secure grants and garner support from private and public sources that assist Tulane as a leading research university. Levy also oversees the management of research compliance and research administration activities.

In this position since 2004, Levy has played a significant role in the recovery of the university’s research infrastructure by having a hand in the creation of the Research Enhancement Program, which provided crucial aid for faculty research and scholarship after Hurricane Katrina. She has been on the Tulane faculty since 1984.

Levy has made substantial contributions to her area of research, concentrating on infection of the domestic cat by the natural retrovirus known as feline leukemia virus. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and other national agencies for more than 20 years and has been represented by 60 research publications. Levy was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2006.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Scholar Athlete

Tulane senior point guard Ashley Langford is the Conference USA Scholar Athlete for women’s basketball. Langford was recognized for her community service, academic achievement and basketball accomplishments.
 
The Harrisburg, Pa., native previously earned the C-USA Spirit of Service Award. A member of the Conference USA All-Academic Team, Langford also served on the Tulane President’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council while maintaining a C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll–worthy GPA of 3.31.

Langford graduated in May 2009 from the A. B. Freeman School of Business with a bachelor of science in management and a degree in consumer behavior in marketing.
 
On the court, Langford is Tulane’s all-time assist leader and ranks second all-time in C-USA history in assists with 722. She was ranked eighth in the NCAA in career assist-to-turnover ratio. She ranks second in Tulane history in free-throw percentage and was a four-time All-Conference USA selection.

Langford was involved in numerous community service projects, including serving as the emcee of Tulane’s “Class Room on the Court,” leading a group of more than 800 elementary school students in lessons on geography and basketball throughout the 2008–09 season.
 
Langford has accepted a position as a graduate assistant with a Division I women’s basketball program, and will join that program later this summer after an official announcement has been made.
 

Green Technology

Tulane Technology Services has created a new website called Green IT that offers advice to individuals and university departments seeking to have a smaller carbon footprint.

The site offers Energy Star purchasing recommendations for products such as computers, laptops and other electronic devices that are identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy as energy-efficient models.

Green IT also offers advice on recycling e-waste (electronic products such as computers, VCRs, cameras, cell phones, and handheld devices that are no longer in use) and offers tutorials on how to set a computer’s power-management feature to save money and energy. Using power management settings wisely can annually save more than 600 kilowatts of electricity per computer.

The university is developing a long-term plan to achieve carbon neutrality.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Making the Baseball Draft

 
Five Green Wave baseball players have been drafted in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The draftees are shortstop Josh Prince, pitcher Aaron Loup, pitcher Josh Zeid, first baseman Sam Honeck and pitcher Taylor Rogers.
 
Prince, a junior, was drafted in the third round by the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday (June 9) and Loup, also a junior, was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth round on Wednesday (June 10).
 
Zeid, a senior, was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th round while Honeck, a senior, was picked up by the New York Mets in the 11th round. Rogers, a junior, followed in the 25th round to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
 
The 2009 major league draft is slated to go 50 rounds, concluding on Thursday (June 25).
 

Patchwork Players’ 25th Season

Celebrating its 25th season entertaining children with plays each summer at Tulane, Patchwork Players will open with Snow White today (June 15).
 
The production will run through June 27 at Rogers Memorial Chapel on the uptown campus, with performances at 10 and 11:30 a.m. on June 15–19 and 23–26. One Saturday performance, on June 27, is at 11 a.m. From July 6–18, the troupe features Pecos Bill.
 
Buzz Podewell, associate professor in the Tulane Department of Theatre and Dance, heads the improvisational children’s theater company. He and his troupe dance, sing, tell jokes and interact with audience members, engaging several children in the cast at each performance.
 
This season’s actors include longtime Patchwork Players actor Tom Dugger, Greg Stratton, Gary Rucker, Jessica Podewell, Leslie Limberg and Zachary Serota.
 
Tickets are $7.50 each for children and adults. For reservations, which are highly recommended, call 504-284-6427.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Festivals Celebrate Local Culture

“A New Orleans Vieux to Do” happens Saturday and Sunday (June 13–14) at the New Orleans French Market. The extravaganza is a combination of the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, the Louisiana Seafood Festival and the French Market’s Creole Tomato Festival. All three events occur at the same time from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
 
The celebration of New Orleans culture focuses on food, music and fun. Live cooking demonstrations within the Dutch Alley Pavilion will feature a lineup of chefs from Andrea’s, Bacco, Dickie Brennan’s and the Praline Connection restaurants.  
 
Free performances by Cajun and zydeco musicians will be presented on two stages. Performers include BeauSoleil, Terrance Simien, Steve Riley, Rosie Ledet, Bruce Daigrepont, Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, the Pine Leaf Boys, the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Amanda Shaw and more.
 
Zachary Richard and his band from Lafayette, La., also present a free concert this weekend. They will headline as part of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation’s “Down by the Riverside” concert series at the Capital One Pavilion in Woldenberg Riverfront Park on Saturday at 7 p.m.  French gypsy jazz band Pirana Swing will open the show at 6 p.m.
 
Go online for the complete music schedule.
 

Grant-writing Workshop

A free workshop on grant proposal writing is offered for faculty affiliated with Tulane, Loyola and Xavier universities. The event is “first come, first served,” and the deadline to register is Monday (June 15). The workshop will take place at Tulane University School of Medicine on Sept. 25–26.  
 
The event includes four mini-workshops, led by Miner and Associates, nationally recognized experts on grant and proposal drafting. The first and second sessions on Sept. 25 are “Proposal Planning and Writing,” a general introduction to identifying funding sources and the process of preparing and submitting proposals, and “Anything but NIH,” focusing on proposal writing for grants not funded by the National Institutes of Health.  
 
The third and fourth sessions on Sept. 26 are “NIH Without Grief” about how to prepare NIH proposals to get funded and “Individual Consultation” during which participants may discuss their project ideas or proposals and receive individual assistance. This session will be limited to 25 participants.
 
For more information on this workshop, contact Deborah Larimer at 504-988-3328.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Gallery Music and Yoga

The Newcomb Art Gallery, with its current Tiffany stained glass exhibit, will be the setting for a vocal concert on Saturday (June 13) and a yoga session on Sunday (June 14).

On Saturday at 2 p.m., the Vox Feminae vocal ensemble of New Orleans Musica da Camera will perform at the gallery, located in the Woldenberg Art Center on the uptown campus. The group was formed in 1994 to focus on medieval music by and for women, but its repertory today includes early American and Creole music as well.

The yoga class will be held on Sunday from 10 until 11 a.m. with Jennifer Daniel, yoga instructor and member of the TUWellness Committee. Daniel teaches vinyasa yoga with an emphasis on using flowing movements and the breath to focus and quiet the mind. The class will be accessible to all students from beginner to advanced.

Both events are free of charge and open to the public. For more information, call 504-865-5361.

Ushers for Summer Lyric

Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre is looking for volunteer ushers for its three 2009 productions at Dixon Hall.

Anyone interested in participating can e-mail Alex Ates, volunteer coordinator, or call the box office, 504-865-5269.

Ushers are needed for the shows of Oliver! on June 17–21; Company on July 8–12; and South Pacific on July 29–Aug. 2.
 

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Stadium Bid Successful

Tulane University has won the right to host the state Class 5A baseball tournament in 2010 and 2011 at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association announced the choice of Tulane over five other sites around the state.

One of the university’s goals in building the stadium was the opportunity to host events such as the high school tournament, said Vince Granito, associate athletics director. He said that Tulane’s experience in hosting tournaments, including last year’s Conference USA baseball tournament, was a factor in the association’s decision.

Reducing Stress

Tulane employees are invited to participate in a seminar on “Managing Stress for Success” on Monday (June 15).

The session, scheduled from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in room 203 of the Lavin-Bernick Center, is sponsored by TUWellness and UnitedHealthcare.

Participants will hear an overview of stress basics as well as practical suggestions for coping with stressful situations, especially as they occur in the workplace. The seminar is open to all in the Tulane community, but anyone interested in attending should register ahead of time.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Workshop on Team-Based Learning

Dr. Ruth Levine, one of the authors of the text Team-Based Learning for Health Professions Education, will conduct a workshop on Friday (June 12) at the downtown health sciences campus.

Registration is under way for the two-part workshop in the DeBakey Center on the second floor of the Murphy Building, 131 S. Robertson St. The first session, from 9 a.m. until noon, is on “How to Write Readiness Assurance Tests and Applications,” followed by “Peer Evaluation” from 12:30 until 3:30 p.m.

Levine is professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas. She has conducted numerous workshops and assisted faculty in a variety of disciplines to learn about and establish Team-Based Learning programs in medical student, resident and nursing education.

For further information please contact Dr. Annie Daniel in the Office of Medical Education, 504-988-6600.

Free Downtown Concert

Lafayette Square in downtown New Orleans is the scene for the free “Wednesday at the Square” concert sponsored by the Young Leadership Council. Two more concerts are ahead in the concert series.

This Wednesday (June 10), The Boogie Men, a nine-piece band, and Dr. Gonzeaux will perform at 5 p.m. The final concert in the series will be on June 17, featuring Galactic and the Hot 8 Brass Band.

Lafayette Square is bounded by St. Charles Avenue, Camp Street, South Maestri Place and North Maestri Place, one block from Poydras Street.

Monday, June 8, 2009

New Institute Director

Steven M. Sheffrin, professor of economics at the University of California–Davis and the director of its Center for State and Local Taxation, will become the new director of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University effective January 1, 2010.

“Steve’s experience, including a recently completed 10-year term as dean of the Division of Social Sciences at UC–Davis, uniquely qualifies him to lead the Murphy Institute, one of Tulane’s most visible and productive academic centers,” said Tulane President Scott Cowen in announcing the appointment.

Sheffrin’s research interests range from macroeconomic theory and policy to public policy and public finance. Currently, he is pursuing an interdisciplinary project on tax fairness and has authored Rational Expectations and co-authored Property Taxes and Tax Revolts: The Legacy of Proposition 13, and Economics: Principles, Applications and Tools, an introductory economics textbook.

He will replace Rick Teichgraeber, who has been the director and advocate for the Murphy Institute since 1984. Teichgraeber will return full time to the Tulane faculty.

The Murphy Institute’s undergraduate program in political economy is the university’s most popular interdisciplinary major. The institute and its Center for Ethics and Public Affairs also host conferences, seminars, lectures and fellowships.

Lance Hill to Lecture

Lance Hill, executive director of the Southern Institute for Education and Research at Tulane, will speak at a Loyola University event today (June 8).

Hill will discuss “Wind, Water and Race: Ethnic Group Relations in the Aftermath of Katrina” at 7 p.m. in Nunemaker Auditorium, in Monroe Hall. The presentation is part of Loyola’s first Jesuit Summer Institute for Advanced Study. Admission is free of charge.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Statewide Award to Reese

The Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus has honored Tulane faculty member Carol McMichael Reese with a statewide award for volunteerism and civic engagement.

Reese, who is the Harvey-Wadsworth Professor of Urban Affairs and Christovich Professor in the Tulane School of Architecture, was nominated for the honor by the Tulane Center for Public Service.

In its nomination, the center cited Reese for engaging students inside and outside the classroom in civic involvement and community rebuilding through a number of projects pre- and post-Katrina, including her work for the Pontchartrain Park neighborhood of New Orleans and the Pontilly Disaster Collaborative.

“Her continued and far-reaching efforts in this neighborhood clearly reflect Carol’s commitment to public service and civic engagement,” the letter states. “Through her professional, educational and personal civic involvement, Carol has demonstrated leadership and excellence in her tireless efforts to sustain and develop communities on a scale of both local and national relevance.”

Since 2003, Reese has deployed 150 students to work on service-learning projects with such organizations as Longue Vue House and Gardens, the Mayor’s Division of Housing and Neighborhood Development, the Preservation Resource Center, the Green Project, the Historic Seventh Ward Civic and Political Improvement Association and the Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association.

The women’s caucus gave out seven awards to seven women in various fields at its May 6 awards gala, which is held annually.

Museum Hosts Film

In conjunction with its exhibit “The Art of Caring: A Look at Life Through Photography,” the New Orleans Museum of Art is sponsoring a screening of the film We Are Together: The Children of the Agape Choir on Saturday (June 6).

The HBO Films documentary screens at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Stern Auditorium at the museum in City Park.

The screening is a community awareness event held along with “Caring Partners” from Catholic Charities’ Therapeutic Family Services Program, the Children’s Defense Fund and Jewish Family Service. The subject of the film is an orphanage in South Africa and its children’s choir, which U2’s Bono called “an incredible piece of work.”

Admission to the New Orleans Museum of Art and its public programs is free to all NOMA members and residents of Louisiana, courtesy of the Helis Foundation. Admission for out-of-state visitors is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $4 for children under 18. For more information call 504-658-4100.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Natalie Scott, War Hero

Tulane Special Collections is sponsoring an online exhibit about the life of Newcomb College alumna Natalie Vivian Scott, who received the French Croix de Guerre for Valor Under Fire.

Scott, who was born in 1890 and died in 1957, was a decorated war hero, a celebrated newspaperwoman, an award-winning playwright, wilderness explorer, Red Cross nurse, translator, teacher and social worker.

The online exhibit begins with Natalie Scott’s years at Newcomb (she was in the Class of 1909), her volunteer service during both World War I and II, her writing career and her founding of a school for peasant children in Taxco, Mexico.

The Tulane Manuscripts Department has preserved Scott’s papers, including correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs and other documents.The papers are open to researchers through the Special Collections Reading Room on the second floor of Jones Hall on the uptown campus.

Zeanah Honored

Dr. Charles H. Zeanah Jr., professor of clinical pediatrics at Tulane, is the 2009 recipient of the Blanche F. Ittleson Award for Research in Child Psychiatry.  

Zeanah received the award at the 53rd Convocation of Distinguished Fellows of the American Psychiatric Association on May 18 in San Francisco. It is given to a psychiatrist or group of investigators for published results of research pertaining to the mental health of children.  

The Sellars-Polchow Professor of Psychiatry, Zeanah also is the director of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at the Tulane University School of Medicine.  

He has had a longstanding interest in infant mental health, especially abuse and neglect in young children, attachment and its disorders, psychopathology in early childhood, and infant-parent relationships. Throughout his career, his clinical and research focus has been on early experiences and their effects.  

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a board member of Zero to Three.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Racking Up the Hours

Tulane Law School students logged more than 19,000 pro bono hours in community service during the past two semesters, according to Julie H. Jackson, assistant dean.

The students contributed to more than 100 different organizations and placements. While students spent the majority of service hours in the New Orleans area, some placements were across the U.S. and abroad, including in Thailand, she added.

“The amazing total of documented pro bono hours contributed by our students since the Community Service Program officially began 20 years ago is 185,715 hours,” Jackson said. The law school requires students to complete pro bono hours in order to graduate.

Sprinter in the Running

Tulane junior sprinter Olivia Kizzee has qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200-meter dash after finishing fifth at the recent NCAA Mideast Regional.

She posted a personal best time of 23.49 in the 200-meter dash at the regional on May 30 and also placed sixth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.58. The NCAA Championships are June 10–13 in Fayetteville, Ark.

“I'm happy for Olivia as well as the program,” head coach Heather Van Norman said. “She turned in a great performance in the 200 and I’m proud of her for carrying on our tradition of excellent sprinters here at Tulane.”

Kizzee may qualify in the 100-meter dash as well. Her time from the Conference USA Championships, 11.46, may qualify her for an at-large selection to the field at the NCAA Championships, pending the results of the other NCAA regionals.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Honorary Degree

Scott Cowen, president of Tulane University, will receive the doctor of humane letters, honoris causa, from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. The honory degree will be presented to Cowen at the college’s graduation ceremony in Cincinnati on June 7. Cowen also will deliver the graduation address to the Class of 2009.

Rabbi David Ellenson, president of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, said, “Dr. Cowen is an eloquent spokesman who has provided dynamic leadership to numerous corporations, civic and national counsels and boards. He is a prolific author who represents the epitome of the academic ideal, and, with vision and energy, Dr. Cowen rescued Tulane University from the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina.”

Hospital Debate

There is ongoing debate about the new publicly funded hospital that will replace Charity Hospital, which along with University Hospital makes up the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (MCLNO). MCLNO is the largest training site for Tulane's physician-residency programs.  

A new website provides information about House Bill 830 (HB 830) recently introduced into the Louisiana Legislature. If enacted, the legislation would  transfer ownership of MCLNO to an independent board of trustees, as well as create a new entity to govern MCLNO.  

"There is an urgent need in New Orleans for a new public hospital that will provide quality medical care for our under- and uninsured citizens, as well as train the city's healthcare workforce," said Tulane President Scott Cowen.  

"Based on our 175 years of experience at Charity Hospital, we believe this bill gives New Orleans the best chance to build and operate a high quality patient care and physician training facility."  

Independent oversight, along with public accountability, would ensure that public funds are appropriately utilized to build and operate an exemplary medical center, Cowen said.  

Monday, June 1, 2009

Newcomb Institute Director

Sally Kenney has been named the first permanent executive director of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute. Her appointment begins in January 2010. Kenney also will hold the Newcomb College Endowed Chair and will join the faculty as a member in the Tulane Department of Political Science.

Kenney comes to Tulane from the University of Minnesota, where she is an award-winning, tenured professor and director of the Center on Women and Public Policy at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, one of the country’s premiere institutions for the study of women and public policy.

Her areas of expertise include gender and the judiciary, judicial selection, feminist social movements, the European Court of Justice, exclusionary employment policies and pregnancy discrimination. She has served as a consultant to the Congressional House Education and Labor Committee on discrimination resulting from fetal protection policies.

Kenney created the Feminist Leadership Fellows Program for the executive directors of women’s organizations. In addition, she planned and led a series of retreats for women legislators.

Kenney received the Mullen/Spector/Truax Women’s Leadership Award given annually by the University of Minnesota to a faculty or staff member who has made outstanding contributions to women’s leadership development.

“Sally’s education, research interests, expertise, achievements and passion make her the perfect fit to lead the Newcomb Memorial College Institute as it continues to enhance the education, leadership and research opportunities for undergraduate women at Tulane University,” said Tulane President Scott Cowen.

Healthy Kids

Summertime brings long, hot days of active play for many children in the New Orleans area. It also means the end of daily lessons and a break from school-related activities. With more flexibility in their children’s schedules, parents may find summer a good time to make doctor appointments.

The Tulane Hospital for Children offers a full range of specialties and subspecialties. Tulane pediatricians and other healthcare professionals see patients at two locations: Tulane Medical Center on Tulane Avenue in downtown New Orleans and Tulane-Lakeside Hospital in Metairie, La.

Appointments are arranged easily by calling 504-988-5800. For more information on the Tulane physicians who are available to see children, go to the Department of Pediatrics list.