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School Notes School of Architecture Sustainability integral part of curriculum The school has redesigned its curriculum over the past year with an eye toward more fully embedding environmental sustainability concepts into design, says associate professor Michelle Addington. "Our approach is to address sustainability at all levels and in all modes, from advanced research to directed studies to integration into the core curriculum for all architecture students." She says the school has begun placing greater emphasis on issues of sustainability in the core studios, adding to its long-standing daylighting workshop climate and environmental systems workshops. The climate and site analysis workshop has been expanded into a new course that is now required for all architecture students. "The workshops serve as a bridge between the content courses in technology and the studio," she adds. This approach, Addington says, is fundamentally different from past practice and from that of other schools that teach sustainability only in elective courses. First-year building project Students in this summer’s Vlock First-Year Building Project constructed the second of three homes for returning female Iraq War veterans that will create a tiny community in a New Haven neighborhood. The house, to be finished in late September, is the 43rd building designed and constructed in as many years in what has been a signature project of the architecture school since it was inaugurated in 1967 by Charles Moore, then chairman of the department of architecture. Adam Hopfner '99MArch, a critic at the school, took over as project director three years ago and converted what had been an almost exclusively single-family build to a two-family project. The latest house has a 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom owner’s apartment on the first floor and a 600-square-foot, one-bedroom rental apartment upstairs. "That asymmetry forces students to deal with the spatial ramifications" of two disparate levels, he says, adding that building a trio of homes is an "interesting opportunity, not only to have a greater impact on the community but also … for the students to respond to the historic housing typology of New Haven as well as to their predecessors and colleagues" who built the first house. The City of New Haven has made the sites available, and the three houses are a joint project with the West Haven VA Hospital and with Common Ground Community, a New York City-based nonprofit that builds affordable housing for low-income and disabled individuals and families. The owner’s unit is fully accessible, which, Hopfner says, "brings to light concepts of universal design for the students." The design was picked after a competition among the 50 first-year master’s students, working in teams of ten. All first-year students work on construction for six weeks after the end of classes and exams. Then 14 students continue on with the work as Charles Moore Interns. Film screening kicks off academic year The new academic year gets under way with a screening of Luckey, a documentary about a School of Architecture graduate who suffered a traumatic spinal injury. Tom Luckey '62, '66BArch, had been a designer and builder of interactive art, specializing in large-scale climbable outdoor sculptures for children. But after an accident in 2006 left him a quadriplegic, he came to rely on the help of his son, Spencer '04MArch, to implement his designs. Luckey recounts the aftermath of the accident and examines the family struggles that ensued from the resulting life changes. The film will be shown on the Sundance Channel in October.
School of Art Students curate fall exhibition A team of four students in painting and printmaking has curated the second major exhibition at the school’s 32 Edgewood Gallery, Infinitesimal Eternity, which is currently on view. The students—Nathan Azhderian, Amy Beecher, Erik Gonzalez, and Natalie Westbrook, all '10MFA, overseen by faculty member George Rush—were involved in every detail of preparing the show, from selecting the artists to arranging for the shipping of the artworks to mounting the works in the gallery. Dean Robert Storr is initiating curatorial projects as an integral component of the MFA students' studies at the school. Infinitesimal Eternity presents painting, sculpture, photography, and video by 13 contemporary artists whose attitude towards the spectacle can be described as ambivalent. "The spectacle" refers to ideas developed by Guy Debord in his 1967 book The Society of the Spectacle, a critique of what the author considered capitalism’s increasing dominion over all goods and services. The works in Infinitesimal Eternity reference a significant coherence between vision and touch, reminding the viewer of the various spectacular interfaces we encounter in everyday life, from computer touch screens to ATMs. Five of the show’s artists have been visiting critics at the school in recent years; two are alumni (Gina Ruggeri '96MFA and Beverly Fishman '80MFA). Infinitesimal Eternity is on view through October 24. Dean honored by New York art museum Dean Robert Storr will deliver the inaugural Himmel Lecture in October in Chappaqua, New York, as the first recipient of the Himmel Award that celebrates leaders in the world of the arts for their significant achievements and innovations. The Himmel Lecture and Award were established by the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York. The museum’s executive director, Neil Watson, said that Storr, as a "trained artist, scholar, and consummate arts professional," brings a "unique perspective" to contemporary art and some of its "hot topics," including censorship, public art, and art criticism.
Yale College State and national honors for students Among the many Yale College students who received honors in 2008-2009, Rich Tao capped his junior year by representing Yale at the annual College Academic Day at the Connecticut state capitol, and seniors Jarrad Aguirre and Adeola Oni-Orisan were awarded Jack Kent Cooke Foundation graduate scholarships. Tao (Silliman '10) was nominated by President Richard C. Levin and Dean Mary Miller for the state event in Hartford. He and other students selected toured the capitol, attended a welcoming reception, and were introduced to members of the state legislature. Each student also received a special citation from the Connecticut General Assembly. Aguirre (Davenport '09) and Oni-Orisan (Branford '09) were among the 30 Cooke recipients nationwide—with Yale the only institution to have two scholarship winners this year. The awards provide funding of up to $50,000 per year to support the scholars' graduate studies. Aguirre, a Rhodes Scholar-elect, will study medical anthropology at the University of Oxford next year before returning to the United States to complete his medical education; Oni-Orisan, who has been actively involved in public health initiatives and advocacy, will use the award to finance her dual-degree program (MD/MPH) at Harvard Medical School. A new dean for the arts On August 24, the Yale College dean’s office welcomed Susan E. Cahan as its first-ever associate dean for the arts. Formerly associate dean for academic affairs of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Cahan was selected by a search committee headed by Professor Marc Robinson of theater studies; she rose to the top of an outstanding group of candidates based on her evident passion for the arts, her experience as a teacher and a curator, and her dedication to undergraduate arts education. Throughout her career, Cahan has cultivated relationships with community organizations in contemporary art and has expanded the role of the museums for which she worked to include more education and outreach. At Yale, in coordination with the masters of the residential colleges and the deans of the professional arts schools, she will play a crucial role in developing new programs and initiatives, managing resources, and envisioning the future of the arts in Yale College. Portrait at Saybrook honors Miller, Kamens … and Rainbow At the end of the spring 2009 semester, a portrait of Dean Mary Miller and Professor Ed Kamens was unveiled at Saybrook College. The painting—commissioned to honor the couple’s decade of service to Saybrook as its master and associate master and Kamens’s term as acting master following Miller’s appointment to the Yale College deanship—also features Rainbow the cat, who was a fixture at Saybrook master’s teas for a decade. A committee of Saybrook fellows and current undergraduates, chaired by senior fellow Charles Porter '62PhD, initiated the project, selecting the painter Christina Spiesel (a senior research scholar at Yale Law School) to create the portrait. More than 150 Saybrugians donated to the project. Following its unveiling, the portrait was installed in the Saybrook dining hall.
Divinity School Reflections magazine garners awards Reflections, Yale Divinity School's twice-yearly magazine of theological and ethical inquiry, received a number of awards for issues published in 2008, including the top prize for the category "In-Depth Coverage: Magazine," from Associated Church Press. Reflections was honored with awards in eight different ACP categories and also received an award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). In selecting the fall 2008 issue of Reflections for top honors in in-depth coverage, the contest judge called the stories "intellectually stimulating, well-written, and instructive." The issue, entitled "Who Is My Neighbor? Facing Immigration," featured a lead article by law professor Harlon Dalton '73JD, who served as faculty guest editor for the fall 2008 issue, as well as articles by, among others, George Rupp '67MDiv, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee; Emilie Townes, associate dean of academic affairs and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology; and Amy Chua, the John M. Duff Jr. Professor of Law. New faces on the faculty Four young scholars have joined the faculty as assistant professors, effective July 1. Chloë Faith Starr, assistant professor of Asian theology, holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford and has been a lecturer in Chinese studies at Oxford; Clarence E. Hardy III, assistant professor of the history of American Christianity, taught religion at Dartmouth and earned his PhD at Union Theological Seminary in New York; Tisa J. Wenger, assistant professor of American religious history, recently of Arizona State University, holds a PhD from Princeton University; and Vasileios Marinis '03MAR, assistant professor of Christian art and architecture (appointed through the Institute of Sacred Music), earned his PhD from the University of Illinois before joining the faculty at Queens College in New York. Commencement 2009: amid economy woes, reasons for hope Despite the gloomy economy, there was more than enough inspirational talk by commencement 2009 speakers to send newly minted YDS graduates out into the world with a measure of confidence and optimism. "The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness that God has placed in the heart of every person; it keeps us from discouragement; it sustains us in times of abandonment," said Jaime Lara '90STM, chair of the Program in Religion and the Arts. Kristen Leslie '86MDiv, associate professor of pastoral care and counseling, encouraged students to "go out into the world using the skills and the gifts that you have … to make a difference in a world that is suffering." And in his annual charge to graduates, Dean Harold Attridge said, "A fearful world needs your ability to inspire hope, a grieving world needs your capacity to console.”
School of Drama Dramaturgy professor garners teaching award The American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS), a wing of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, has honored Elinor Fuchs, professor (adjunct) of dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, with the Betty Jean Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching of American Theater and Drama. Fuchs is an award-winning playwright and author of major works of criticism, including The Death of Character. A nationally recognized theater critic, Fuchs wrote for the Village Voice for more than ten years and has also contributed to the New York Times, Vogue, and American Theatre. Her most recent book, Making an Exit: A Mother-Daughter Drama with Machine Tools, Alzheimer's, and Laughter, was published in 2005. The Jones Award is the highest honor given by the ATDS to its members. Award honors playwriting professor Ken Prestininzi, associate chair of playwriting, received a 2009 Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for his play Beholder, which was inspired by the notebooks and letters of painter Paula Modersohn-Becker and poet Rainer Maria Rilke. The Non-Equity Jeff Awards honor outstanding achievement in Chicago’s non-union theater community. Beholder, which was presented by Trap Door Theatre in May 2008, was named "Best New Work." Prestininzi’s other works include the plays AmeriKafka, As American As, The Hole, and Kept, and the musicals Favorite of the King, Pe'er Flynt, and Ariadne. Yale Rep season showcases four centuries of playwriting Three new plays and three classics will make up the 2009-10 season at the Yale Repertory Theatre, with a variety of genres covering comedy, drama, and musical theater. In the lineup this year: Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell'arte masterpiece The Servant of Two Masters (written in 1753); Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder; Battle of Black and Dogs by French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltes; Eclipsed, by OBIE Award-winner Danai Gurira; and the world premieres of POP! by Maggie-Kate Coleman and Anna K. Jones and Compulsion by Rinne Groff '90.
School of Engineering & Applied Science Researchers create first electronic quantum processor A team of researchers, including physicists Steven Girvin and Robert Schoelkopf, has successfully created the first rudimentary solid-state quantum processor—bringing the dream of quantum computing one step closer. Their work, which first appeared in the June 28 advanced online publication of Nature, demonstrates, for the first time, quantum information processing with a solid-state device. Unlike traditional quantum computing work, too small to be seen by the naked eye, the building blocks of the Yale processor are two qubits or "quantum bits"—artificial atoms, which in this case are each made up of a billion aluminum atoms. Each qubit acts like a single atom that can occupy two different energy states (akin to the "1" and "0" or "on" and "off" states of regular bits employed by conventional computers), but can also effectively be placed in a "superposition" of multiple states at the same time, allowing for greater information storage and processing power. According to Schoelkopf, the few simple tasks their processor is able to perform have been demonstrated before with single nuclei, atoms, and photons. "But this is the first time they’ve been possible in an all-electronic device that looks and feels much more like a regular microprocessor"—a key to making the technology accessible. A new way to study water Yale researchers may be on the path to solving what has long eluded scientists regarding the most ubiquitous substance on earth: water. Assistant professor of mechanical engineering Eric Dufresne '96 believes synthetic water may lead the way to unraveling the complexity of the real stuff. As published in the July 7 issue of Langmuir, Dufresne’s research team has successfully synthesized colloidal particles with the geometric shape of water molecules. Their hope is that these tiny plastic water models, which they can "see" and manipulate, will allow them to better understand water’s unusual collective behavior. "The idea of using synthesized colloidal particles as a model system is not new," says Dufresne. "But we've pushed the geometry to a place we haven’t been before and now we're trying to push the interactions to a new place." Adding charge to the particles is an important next step, as it is water’s polarity that governs interaction—how water freezes, melts, and dissolves salts. New professor will expand disciplines of biomedical engineering Anjelica Gonzalez has joined the faculty as an assistant professor in biomedical engineering. Gonzalez holds a PhD in structural and computational biology from Baylor College of Medicine and conducted postdoctoral work at Texas Children's Hospital in leukocyte biology and pediatric intensive care. Her research at Yale will focus on developing biomaterials for investigating human immunological disease.
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Study links carbon monoxide with heart disease in elderly Exposure to carbon monoxide, even at levels well below national limits, is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for the elderly with heart problems, according to a study published in September in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The nationwide study of 126 urban communities, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, found that an increase in carbon monoxide as small as one part per million is associated with increased risk of hospitalization from cardiovascular disease among people over the age of 65. This link holds true even when the carbon monoxide levels are less than one part per million, which is well below the EPA’s national standard of 35 parts per million for a one-hour daily maximum exposure. This finding suggests an under-recognized health risk to seniors and, according to F&ES professor Michelle Bell, the study’s lead investigator, "indicates that exposure to current carbon monoxide levels may pose a public health threat.” Green chemist appointed to Environmental Protection Agency President Obama has nominated Paul Anastas, Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment, as assistant administrator for research and development at the Environmental Protection Agency. He will lead the 2,000-member Office of Research and Development, the EPA’s scientific arm that conducts research in air quality, water quality, drinking water, ecosystem services, climate, human health, land cleanup, and pesticides and toxic substances. It also administers the Science To Achieve Results (STAR) research and fellowship program that funds environmental science and engineering research. Currently director of the Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale, Anastas holds joint appointments in chemistry, chemical engineering, and the environment school. His research focuses on the design of safer chemicals and chemical processes to replace the use of hazardous substances.
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences New year, new students The Graduate School will welcome approximately 590 incoming students this fall with a formal matriculation ceremony in Sprague Hall followed by a reception at President Richard C. Levin’s house, lunch in the HGS courtyard, and information sessions (called "Grad School 101"). Other orientation highlights include an activities fair, walking tours of New Haven neighborhoods, ice cream socials, and an outing to the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament. A scavenger hunt will send teams of new students racing all over campus and across town to collect assorted objects and snap group photos to prove that they had found their way to City Hall, the Peabody Museum of Natural History, and Ingalls Rink, among other sites. Applicants this year numbered 9,600—the most ever, making the entering class extraordinarily selective. About 36 percent of the new students come from outside the United States, with the People’s Republic of China sending the largest contingent. Preparing for scientific careers “In the sciences, a postdoctoral fellowship is a regular step along the academic job route," says Graduate Career Services (GCS) director Victoria Blodgett. To help graduate students navigate the application process and make good use of their post-doc experience, GCS and the Graduate Teaching Center teamed up this summer to offer a series of six workshops: "Job Search Training Lab for Scientists." Each session was attended by 80 to 100 participants representing a wide range of disciplines. Topics included "Finding the perfect postdoc," presented by Robert Tillman, New York Academy of Sciences; "Getting an interview: cover letter and CV," by Laura Malisheski, Harvard; and "The view from the selection committee," by Yale MCDB chair Tom Pollard, MB&B professor Lynne Regan, and chemistry chair Gary Brudvig. This was the second time the series was offered, and it will be repeated next summer. Tomorrow's teachers Although Yale has no school of education, the Graduate School has produced 15 highly qualified teachers for the New Haven public schools in the past three years through the recently launched Urban Education Studies Program. Participants earn a master of arts in urban education studies and a State of Connecticut initial educator license for grades seven to twelve. They pursue an intensive course of study at Yale over a 14-month period and have extensive clinical training in city schools. Supported by the Graduate School, these students receive tuition fellowships and living stipends and are full members of the Graduate School community. Those who successfully complete the program are expected to teach in New Haven public schools for two years and are assured of a suitable position.
Law School Newest Supreme Court justice is Yale Law graduate President Obama’s first appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court is Yale Law School alumnus Sonia Sotomayor '79JD, who is the first Hispanic ever to sit on the High Court, and only the third woman. Nominated by the president on May 26 to fill the seat vacated by Justice David Souter, Sotomayor was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 6 and sworn in on August 8. She is the seventh Yale Law graduate to serve on the Supreme Court, and one of three currently serving. At Yale Sotomayor was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Studies in World Public Order. YLS alumnus named dean of Yale Law School Robert C. Post '77JD was named dean and Sol and Lillian Goldman Professor of Law at Yale Law School on June 22. He assumed his duties as dean on July 1. Post joined the Law School faculty in 2003 as David Boies Professor of Law, specializing in the area of constitutional law, including the First Amendment, equal protection, and legal history. Prior to joining Yale Law School, he spent 20 years teaching law at the University of California-Berkeley law school. "As a leading constitutional scholar and a respected citizen of the legal profession, Robert Post is ideally positioned to move the Yale Law School forward," said university president Richard Levin. "He is greatly admired by his colleagues for his wisdom and judgment, and his commitment to sustaining the excellence of the Law School is unwavering." Post is the 16th dean of Yale Law School, succeeding Harold Hongju Koh. Harold Hongju Koh confirmed legal adviser of U.S. State Department Harold Hongju Koh, who served as the 15th dean of Yale Law School since 2004, took a leave from the Law School on June 25 when he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as legal adviser of the U.S. Department of State. He had been nominated for the position by President Obama on March 23. An expert on public and private international law, national security law, and human rights, Koh joined the Yale Law faculty in 1985 and served as the Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law. He will return to teach at Yale Law School as the Martin R. Flug '55 Professor of International Law when his public service ends. In his new position Koh will advise on all legal issues, domestic and international, arising in the course of the state department’s work.
School of Management Pre-MBA program offers taste of MBA student experience For two weeks in June, 41 college students experienced life as an MBA student, taking part in some of the same courses and activities that greet first-years at the Yale School of Management. The group, all members of minorities underrepresented in the top ranks of business leadership, participated in the inaugural Pre-MBA Leadership Program, an initiative aimed at developing their leadership potential and helping them gain a better understanding of the benefits of a management education. Students participated in leadership development exercises, learned how to better market themselves to prospective employers, met with SOM alumni, and drafted business plans for an enterprise to fill an empty storefront on New Haven’s Audubon Street. Program participants were recruited from a variety of colleges and universities around the country, with particular emphasis on historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal colleges. Behavioral finance summer school attracts business PhD students With Yale SOM boasting one of the top collections of behavioral researchers in the country, it was fitting that the department would invite PhD students in the field to campus for a week of lectures. Forty doctoral candidates from institutions such as Harvard, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, MIT, and the London School of Economics came to New Haven in June to learn about the latest research. The program was directed by Nicholas Barberis, the Stephen and Camille Schramm Professor of Finance. The faculty for the program included two founders of behavioral finance: Robert Shiller, the Arthur M. Okun Professor of Economics; and Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago. Guest lecturers from other institutions included Malcolm Baker of Harvard, who spoke on behavioral corporate finance; Paul Tetlock of Columbia University, who spoke about media influences on the stock market; and Camelia Kuhnen, from Northwestern, who discussed neuroscience-based research. A step forward for new SOM campus In June, the Yale Corporation approved design modifications to the proposed new SOM campus and gave the project’s architect, Foster + Partners, approval to move forward on final construction plans and drawings, a process expected to take about a year. With the conceptual design for the campus now all but finalized, officials and faculty at SOM have begun determining exactly how the roughly 230,000 square feet will be used. Current plans include a sophisticated media center, a 350-seat auditorium, a library, and the William and Elizabeth Beinecke Terrace Room—a large space for lectures, dinners, and formal events. Over the next year, Foster + Partners will work with engineers to take the design and turn it into fully realized plans for building the campus. The construction phase is expected to take about three years, but the start date will largely be determined by fund-raising, as the project won’t begin until funding is secured. To learn more and view visualizations of the designs, visit mba.yale.edu/newcampus.
School of Medicine Yale to host gambling research center Yale University is one of two sites selected to host the first Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research established by the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG). (The other is the University of Minnesota.) Each center will receive a three-year grant of $402,500 to conduct long-term multidisciplinary research and education efforts aimed at combating gambling disorders. The Yale center will be headed by Marc Potenza '87, '93PhD, '94MD, associate professor of psychiatry and of child study, who will conduct clinical trials of the drug naltrexone as a potential treatment for problem gambling. The nonprofit NCRG has supported gambling research primarily through a $7 million grant to the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance and through smaller project-based grants around the world. The creation of new centers marks an expansion of those efforts. Researchers use photography to study gun violence To raise awareness about gun violence in New Haven, the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at Yale School of Medicine—working with city teenagers in collaboration with the New Haven Family Alliance—created a photo exhibit that illustrates how the issue affects New Haven youth. Luke Hansen, a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Yale, and his colleagues helped the teens identify the core issues surrounding gun violence and then asked them to take photographs that illustrate these issues. Afterward, they met in focus group meetings to reflect on the photos. Hansen said the research methods were effective in engaging populations that have traditionally been underrepresented in research. Researchers, he added, found that adolescents "seek family structures, whether from traditional family at home or from alternative relationships outside the home, that satisfy the need for safety and belonging.” Scientists collaborate in study of HIV among drug users in Malaysia Yale University is partnering with the University of Malaya to fight the spread of HIV among drug users in Malaysia who are completing prison terms and transitioning back into the community. Malaysia suffers from one of the worst HIV epidemics among drug users in Southeast Asia, with 70 percent of HIV transmission linked to injection drug use. Yale and the University of Malaya will share academic and research resources to find ways to reduce HIV transmission in the prison community. The study will examine the use of methadone, a treatment for heroin addiction, compared with a behavioral intervention. "This study will examine pre-release interventions as a way to curb the HIV epidemic," said principal investigator Frederick L. Altice, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine and director of clinical and community research at the Yale AIDS Program. The project is funded by a $4.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
School of Music Symposium examines music education The second biennial Symposium on Music in Schools, held on campus this past June, brought together 51 public school music educators from 37 states and 60 music teachers from New Haven public schools to discuss critical educational issues, build skills through panels and workshops, and draw national attention to the value of music and music teachers in the lives of our children. Panels focused on two main topics: "El Sistema," the Venezuelan program that has infused music into every level of its education system, and "Linking Music to the General Classroom"; workshops dealt with storytelling and songwriting. The symposium's keynote speaker was Lucia Brawley '02MFA, an actress, writer, and advocate of arts education who blogs for the Huffington Post. The biennial symposium is cosponsored by the School of Music and the Yale College Class of '57 as part of the Music in Schools Initiative. Renowned violist joins faculty After a lengthy international search, the school has appointed Ettore Causa as associate professor (adjunct) of viola. Since 2001 Causa has been professor of viola and chamber music at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland, and he regularly presents master classes throughout Europe and South America. He performs throughout the world as a member of the Aria Quartet and has appeared at major music festivals, such as Salzburg, Tivoli, Perth, and Festival de Estorial (Portugal). Mr. Causa studied at the International Menuhin Academy with Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Johannes Eskar, and Alberto Lysy. His advanced studies were with Michael Tree at the Manhattan School of Music. In 2000, he was awarded both the Schidlof Prize and the J. Barbirolli Prize at the prestigious Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition in England. His appointment began this semester. School celebrates Goodman centenary Legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman would have turned 100 this year. In observance of this milestone, the School of Music is presenting a Benny Goodman Centenary Festival during the month of September. Musical tributes include a spotlight on Goodman’s classical legacy (with music by Copland, Poulenc, Bartok, Gould, and Shulman that Goodman commissioned and/or premiered) and several jazz concerts. The Gilmore Music Library, home to Goodman’s archives, is featuring a display selected from his papers.
School of Nursing Nursing professor finds popular autism treatment ineffective A study by Yale University School of Nursing and Yale Child Study Center professor Lawrence Scahill '89MSN, '89MPH, '97PhD, and colleagues is the first to show that children with autism do not benefit from the popularly prescribed antidepressant citalopram. The medication has the same outcome as the placebo, the study indicated, but with higher risk of side effects. Results were published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI, commonly prescribed to treat the repetitive behaviors or inflexible routines exhibited by children with autism. "Despite the limited evidence supporting their use in children with autism," Scahill said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, "SSRIs are among the most frequently used medications in this population. This is due in part because of their perceived safety." But Scahill warns clinicians that, while these medicines may be useful in treating depression or anxiety in kids without autism, "if you're targeting for repetitive behaviors, this medication does not appear to be effective.” Professor named associate editor of cardiovascular nursing journal Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, has named Nancy Redeker, YSN professor and associate dean for scholarly affairs, as associate editor. The publication is the official journal of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses. As an accomplished speaker and writer in cardiovascular nursing, critical care, and adult health, Redeker is devoted to promoting evidence-based nursing practice through research and education. Her research focuses on sleep, sleep disorders, and circadian rhythms of activity-rest in persons who have heart disease, and she has conducted studies dealing with heart failure patients at home and in community settings. YSN professor joins nursing research advisory board The secretary of Health and Human Services has appointed Barbara J. Guthrie, associate dean and associate professor, to a five-year term on the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR), the principal advisory board of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Guthrie, a nationally recognized expert in culturally responsive health-related policies and programs, specializes in health promotion and risk-reduction programs for adolescent girls from diverse ethnic, social, and environmental backgrounds. The NINR, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the lifespan. The NACNR meets three times a year to provide recommendations on the direction and support of the nursing, biomedical, social, and behavioral research that forms the evidence base for nursing practice.
School of Public Health Agent used in spinal fusion surgery associated with complications A genetically engineered biological agent used to promote bone formation is associated with a higher rate of complications in cervical spine (neck) fusions and greater hospital charges for all categories of spinal fusions, according to a study by researchers at the School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Clinical use of bone-morphogenetic protein (BMP) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2002 to promote bone fusion in surgery of the anterior lumbar spine, and has gained popularity for use in fusions at other spinal locations. But the researchers found that BMP use in anterior cervical (neck) fusion procedures was associated with a higher rate of complications—roughly 7 percent with BMP versus 4.5 percent without BMP. The greatest increases were in wound-related complications and in patients with difficulty in swallowing or hoarseness, said senior author Elizabeth B. Claus '88PhD, '94MD, a professor in the division of biostatistics at YSPH. BMP use was also associated with greater inpatient hospital charges across all categories of fusion, ranging from 11 percent to 41 percent in additional fees. The study appears in the June 30 Journal of the American Medical Association. Professor selected to serve on CDC’s ethics subcommittee The U.S. federal agency charged with maintaining public health on a national level has invited a School of Public Health faculty member to serve on a subcommittee that provides counsel on public health ethics issues. Jennifer Prah Ruger, an associate professor in the division of health policy and administration, joined the ethics subcommittee of the advisory committee to the director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective July 1. During her four-year term, Ruger will help advise the CDC on a broad range of public health ethics questions and issues arising from programs, scientists, and practitioners. Ruger was selected because of her research into the ethics and economics of health disparities and her interest in equity of access to healthcare systems—both important facets of public health ethics. Faculty honored with teaching awards The YSPH Class of 2009 chose Mayur Desai '94MPH, '97PhD, assistant professor in the division of chronic disease epidemiology and director of the Advanced Professional MPH Program, as Teacher of the Year. Desai received the award for his dedication and excellence in teaching the Principles of Epidemiology II and Data Management and Analysis courses. Desai’s colleague Trace Kershaw, assistant professor in the division of chronic disease epidemiology, was selected to receive YSPH’s inaugural 2009 Distinguished Student Mentor award, a new honor established to recognize excellence in student mentoring among faculty. He was nominated by graduating students and selected by a student/faculty committee. Both teachers were honored at the school’s commencement ceremony last May. |
Note to Readers The Yale Alumni Magazine carries this supplement in every issue for news from Yale’s graduate and professional schools and Yale College. This supplement is underwritten by the university and is not produced by the magazine staff but provided by the schools. |
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