Give My Regards To. . .
These Cornellians in the News
Rosa Clemente, MPS '02, nominated as the Green Party's 2008 vice presidential candidate. She is the running mate of Cynthia McKinney, a former Rhodes Class of '56 University Professor.
Patricia Riexinger '76, appointed director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources.
Law student Nicholas Dorsey, winner of a Meyer Scholarship from the New York Bar Foundation for his essay on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Holger Sondermann, the Noyce Assistant Professor in Life Sciences and Technology, named a Pew Scholar in biomedical sciences. It provides $240,000 to support his research on biofilms, infections, and antibiotics.
Neil Ashcroft, White Professor of Physics emeritus, elected a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences for his research in theoretical condensed matter physics.
President David Skorton, appointed to the Chronicle of Higher Education/New York Times Higher Education Cabinet.
Cornell Orchestras, winners of an Adventurous Programming Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and the League of American Orchestras, for dedication to works by contemporary composers.
MBA student Eunice Omole, MPS '07, a finalist on "The Apprentice Africa," a spinoff of the American TV show.
Richard Durst, professor of food science emeritus, elected president of the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry.
Anthony Ong, assistant professor of human development, winner of the Springer Early Career Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association's Division of Adult Development and Aging.
Ronald Goldstock '66, adjunct professor of law, appointed by the New York State Senate to head the Waterfront Commission, which investigates criminal activity at the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Steven Stucky, MFA '73, DMA '78, Given Foundation Professor of Composition, appointed chair of the board of the American Music Center.
Michael Kotlikoff, dean of the Vet college, recipient of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's Alumni Achievement Award, its highest honor.
Charles Lee '61, retired chairman of Verizon, winner of the Dick Enberg Award, given annually to recognize support for student athletes and the Academic All-America program.
R&D
More information on campus research is available at www.news.cornell.edu
Traumatic experiences appear to cause physical changes in the brains of healthy adults. A study by human ecology professor Barbara Ganzel, PhD '04, and colleagues showed that people who were within 1.5 miles of the World Trade Center on 9/11 have less gray matter in key emotion centers than those who were at least 200 miles away.
Studying a large urban nursing home, human development professor Karl Pillemer and colleagues at the Medical college found that "resident-to-resident" abuse is surprisingly common. Over a two-week period, 2.4 percent of residents experienced physical aggression from other seniors, while 7.3 percent encountered verbal aggression.
In the NBA, former star players make the best coaches. A study of 15,000 games from 1996 to 2004 by ILR professor Larry Kahn and colleagues showed that teams have more wins if led by coaches who had outstanding (or simply long-lasting) NBA careers.
According to research by nutritional sciences professor Jamie Dollahite, each dollar invested in New York State's nutrition education program produces $10 in benefits. She looked at program participants and evaluated how their improved eating habits affected health, productivity, and quality of life.
Eighteen-wheeled garbage trucks that travel through the Ithaca area damage roads and create traffic hazards. The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs reported that the trucks may take a rural route from New York City to the Waterloo landfill to avoid tolls and evade weight limits.
Because recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) increases milk production, its use could lower the industry's carbon "hoof-print" by decreasing the number of cows required. Postdoctoral researcher Judith Capper says that for each million animals given the hormone, the environmental impact would be comparable to taking 400,000 cars off the road. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In an effort to help the hospitality industry retain top talent, ILR professor John Hausknecht and colleagues studied employees' reasons for leaving their jobs. After interviewing 2,500 people, they found that high-performing workers cite insufficient rewards, while low performers cite heavy workloads.
Local agriculture doesn't just generate jobs; it also improves quality of life by preserving green space, offering access to fresh produce, and maintaining community traditions. Sociologist Duncan Hilchey, MRP '87, conducted focus groups and surveyed more than 600 New York State residents.
Gene therapy may slow the progression of Batten disease, a deadly neurological disorder in children. Weill Cornell genetic medicine professor Ronald Crystal used a harmless virus to insert healthy, disease-inhibiting genes into patients' brains.
Morning sickness is actually beneficial because it protects the fetus from harmful toxins, say neurobiology and behavior professor Paul Sherman and University of Colorado biologist Samuel Flaxman '98, PhD '05. Their findings, which confirm earlier studies, appeared in American Naturalist.
Quagga mussels are disrupting water flow in western U.S. water sources, says senior extension associate Chuck O'Neill. The mussels were transported to the U.S. via ballast water in freighters from the Caspian and Black seas region.
Toxic chemicals generated by fires increase the risk of breast cancer. Cornell researchers Nellie Brown (ILR) and Suzanne Snedeker '78 (clinical sciences) have written a brochure advising female firefighters to protect themselves by wearing self-contained breathing apparatus.
Diners at Chinese buffets behave differently according to their weights, says marketing professor Brian Wansink. His report, published in Obesity, finds that thinner people tend to chew more, use chopsticks, leave more food on their plates, and face away from the buffet more often than heavier people.